Hamjatta should not participate in this proposed debate with Halifa Sallah.
Why? Two reasons are not in contest:
First, the circumstances under which the debate is being planned, are far
from conducive to any healthy exchange of ideas. Think about how the idea of
the debate sprung up. Halifa, having read yet another critical posting on
PDOIS by Hamjatta, announced his resolve to debate Hamjatta in his hope that
that will finally lay matters to rest. Actually, Halifa's suggestion for a
debate emerged out of a wellspring of anger and bitterness. But that's his
wont. When he comes under criticisms, Halifa can hardly cushion his
intemperance. Nowadays, he tries to put out a veneer of tolerance and
respectability towards dissenting opinions. But just two years ago, in a
debate with me, he, in sheer intellectual arrogance and conceited pomposity,
said,"...We have closed many mouths in The Gambia...."
So does he want to "close" Hamjatta's mouth in a public debate after having
failed to do that in tons of postings, part long-winded, part intimidating?
Many a time on this forum, Halifa sent volleys of postings, thinking he had
left scampering his co-debators, Hamjatta and Saul Khan, only to realize
perhaps painfully, that the duo had more volleys to match his.
I understand Halifa's frustration, or if he pleases, demeanour towards
Hamjatta's incessant criticisms over issues that have been debated time and
again. Some of us, also critical of Halifa's role during the transition,
have long laid to rest our contentions. The debate is over. Reality is, not
all of our arguments have been accepted by Halifa and Co. And trust is, he
and his colleagues have learned some lessons from our criticisms. Hamjatta
should wrap it up and demarcate new frontiers of ideological discourse. But
then again he is at liberty to connect past realities with present ones.
And it is up to Halifa to respond to him in ways he has been doing
throughout this debate. But to call for an open debate suddenly petulantly,
reeks of insincerety of purpose. Already Halifa's call has spawned
atmospherics that are bound to cause pandemonium inside the debating hall.
Momodou Olly-Mboge, an avid fan of PDOIS, claims to be helping in the
preparations for the debate. He says he wishes to "facilitate" the
arrangements. Honestly, his openly declared biases towards PDOIS make him
unfit to be a facilitator. Alpha Robinson, who myopically fanatically said
in Halifa's defence, "Halifa, WHATEVER YOU DECIDE (emphasis mine), be rest
assured that there are many Gambians and non-Gambians who treasure your role
in our history....no one can turn us against you," is ready to travel from
Germany to the UK for this debate.
Reality is, these PDOIS fans, already in hushed anticipation of a
face-to-face encounter between Halifa and Hamjatta, are so discontented with
Hamjatta's postings that their attendance will be guided less by a quest to
learn anything in this debate, but more to whet their appetites in their
"anticipated slamming" down of Hamjatta by Halifa. Oratorical victory can be
a riveting spectacle whether it is for Democrats in Al Gore's triumph over
George W. Bush or PDOIS fans in Halifa "closing" Hamjatta's mouth.
Which brings us to the second reason: What is this debate going to address
what has not been already? For months on end, Halifa and Hamjatta have
sparred over issues surrounding Halifa's tenure during the transition.
Wouldn't it mere rehasing if these same issues returned to the debating
podium? Momodou Olly-mboge said Hamjatta couldn't convince him on his
criticisms of PDOIS. So what will it take to convince him? An open debate
with Halifa? Please!
Truth be told, emotionalism has held captive any genuineness of a healthy
debate between Halifa and Hamjatta. The proposed debate has no basis. In
fact, it will simply be a game of showmanship, accentuated by
chest-thumping, table-pounding arguments and counter-arguments. More
acrimony in the offing.
Hamjatta should attend to more urgent tasks.
Cherno Baba Jallow
Detroit, MI
>occasions but got no answer. I know you might be busy but would appreciate
>it if you let me know whether you are still interested in a public debate
>with my beloveth 'Saint Halifa'. You've indicated that you were to peruse
>our 'bible Foroyaa' at Birmingham Africa Centre. I'm sure with your
>erudition you must be very much prepared to debunk our most revered 'saint
>Halifa of Churchill's Town'.
>
> It is your prerogative not to reply to my mails since my understanding
>of
>the English Lanquage is very limited which will obviously irritate your
>very
>honed mind. When i offered to facilitate a debate, i was hoping that, as
>concerned Gambians we were in favour of openly espousing our convictions at
>any public platform. I hope i will not be reminded that the L is a public
>forum. If the L is public enough for you to get through the minds of the
>Gambians,good luck. I just thought there would be no delay on your part to
>expose those 'spineless' politicians with an 'infantile' tolerance of the
>buffoon Yahya in another forum. I was humbly thinking that this will be
>just
>an extension of the 'good job' you've embarked on.
>
>Regardless of the anticlimactic disclaimer from you, i still take my hat
>off
>for you in your determined effort to upbraid our so-called intellects. As
>you stated, you have no inhibitions in expressing your views about these
>so-called intellects of which you lumped my hero, Halifa, i would have
>thought then that a face to face encounter will further help your course.
>
>Your intellectual guru, the Russian-born British philosopher,Isiah Berlin,
>who dominated the Oxford establishment during his life time penned a very
>interesting work on intellectuals, the group you never want to be
>associated
>with. He observed that there exist two categories of intellectuals:
>
>1) there are intellects who he wrote behave like hedgehogs
>
>and
>
>2) the second group he wrote are like foxes
>
>The first group Berlin observed knew only one thing and all their energies
>are channelled towards that one single thing they know,just as the hedgehog
>pursues its one interest.
>The second group are fox-like in its interest. THe fox has got different
>ways of approaching it's prey which in Berlin's observation is a better
>ideal.
>
>I am starting to see you as a hedgehog with a determined wrath to expose
>Halifa/PDOIS/FOROYAA. HAlifa and his party have impeccably proven their
>dedication to the upliftment of the GAmbian nation. I see nothing wrong in
>telling people what is right and wrong through persuasion. If this is
>criminal, God help me. As one of those who you claimed you lobbed your
>posting 'Taking Stock' and who cannot in your own words again'see anything
>beyond what Foroyaa and our Saintly Halifa tells us' is disappointed about
>your seeming silence on the proposed debate.
>
>My endeavour is to learn from those with a better remedy to our countries
>woes. However, i shall opt to join the rank of those who you called
>'Programmed Fanatics' and shall remain with our 'beloveth Saint Halifa of
>Churchill's Town' until you and your esoteric colleagues(the KBs and Bamba
>Laye Jallows who are more concern with the plight of the Gambians) come up
>with a coherent formula to get rid of the menace in the Gambbia. I shall
>be
>praying for him(Halifa) to redouble his efforts in penning more 'posh'
>letters to the crack-pot dictator. 'I will again concur to Buharry's
>piece'
>and would like you to answer the questions he asked. Tell us the variables
>we can use to gauge PDOIS's success in the political arena. What forensic
>method did you use to conclude that PDOIS's system of addressing the
>problems in the Gambia are 'lamest'? The onus is on you to prove that
>PDOIS's course is a lost one and should help us come away from a
>discredited
>political system. PDOIS never claimed anything.
>Please educate me in the empirical system you use to come to your
>conclusions. Since a critique shall always be forthcoming from you, we
>also
>shall be 'heckling' you to get your attention to lift us from that abysmal
>fountain you once guzzled from.
>
>I do want to see you as a clone of Paul 'Loony Bins' Johnson or a Peter
>Hichens both of whom suddenly saw the light after being known leftist. Or
>maybe Oxford produces leftist who later repent their sins and welcomed at
>the alter of 'woolly' Liberals.
>
>I stand to be educated on better ways to help my beloveth Gambia.
>
>God Bless you my friend. With concerted effort we can build a better
>future. Gambia deserves better.
>
>Sincere greetings,
>
>MBoge
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>From: "Hamjatta Kanteh" <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: Debate
>>Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 11:21:42 GMT
>>
>><< text1.html >>
>
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