AN IRRELEVANT QUESTION

My Child and Your Child, Which one do you love?
On face value, this question seems irrelevant. Rightly so, the rational here is that, no sane person will even try attempting to answer the question.
The question can also be put in an intimate fashion. Thereby asking the other to say, his wife and your wife which of the two does he love?
Again an irrelevant question. When others try their utmost to make a section of our community guilty of crimes they never commit or are ever aware of, then disbelieve and irrelevant answers surface. No one can subdue the spirit of today’s Gambian. Who is it that have to tell us how to shape our politics? I am not in discussions to be spoon fed or dictated to.
I have being implicitly accused of being a pro-Mandingo tribalist and a hater of other tribes. I try to avoid commenting on irrelevant accusations in public forums. I wanted to clarify here a while ago due to certain constraint it was not possible. In fact, i heard that a wise Dr on some newspaper also weigh in by attacking perceived tribalist. It is getting funny by the minute. Those accusers are the biggest party guilty of the crime they label at others. The pre-emptive strike wouldn't work, not on me.
I am a Mandingo by Tribe, culture, Tradition and ethnicity or whatever one defines as an identity. I adore my Mandinkaness and love the culture and heritage. I am not guilty of being what i am. It is God the Almighty God who states in the Qur’an, that “he created human beings into tribes and races, so that WE may understand one another”. I understand fully that, my love for being what I am shouldn't’t transcend into hating others or feeling superior to them.
Yet, if others try to insinuate that, one should continually be pronouncing how much non-tribalist one is, this turn into forcing others to be guilty of who they are. It is similarly like asking others, my tribe and your tribe which one do you admire?
An irrelevant question by all accounts. In matters of politics, I never explicitly support any Gambian political party. I reserve the right not to support any party and this does not affect my right to criticise the contending political parties.
It is clear for all to see that, some support individuals in respective parties. They don’t support the entire party line or agenda. Each political party by default is headed by a member from one of the Gambian tribes. Does it matter who head which party? Is it not the ordinary voters that count? It is easy to play pure politics and blame others for the lack of unity among the politicians.
There are many things that observers are privy to yet they are quiet about them concerning the duplicity of the Gambian politicians. The crowd pleasers and the academic sensational talkers. This is for the public consumptions. But what they really plot and do in reality is far from the public all-inclusive political talk. We are not fools; trust is spread across the entire political landscape.
I have my reservation about all the political parties in the Gambia, i mean the opposition. The ruling party, i don’t even waste a second on. But should commenting and analysing the conduct of this party leader’s border on every known accusation? From being deceitful to being jealous, from bitter and angry to peddling hate. I mean, it seems, if one has dare make comment on the character of a saint.
The voices intent on attacking the individual who question the motives of their party leaders are doing a seriously erroneous political disaster. But maybe the leaders they support or defend haven’t the chance to make it as a president, so the only rational thing for them to do, is vent their anger on all critics.
I do not criticise Halifa Sallah because i hate him, nor because he belong to the Fulla/Wollof tribe. I don’t care whether he is Njako or Serere. All i know is, i disagree with his politics and it is my right to express those disagreements in a polite and honest manner. I guess some will rather we all start doing as they do. Halifa is great; Halifa is a hero etc, whilst you don’t mean a word. Hypocrisy is so lively in our country’s politics so much so that, songs get composed in bid to be seen as being neutral.
I refuse to follow such path. I am also well aware that, people will accuse me of attitudes i don’t have. Yet, looking at the Surnames of people raising the Halifa flag, a counter argument is easy to put forward. Who are this people willing to die for Halifa? Are they not mainly Wollofs and Fulas? Isn’t Halifa from those two tribes? Not all Fula’s , just a section of the Fula tribe.
It is truly irrelevant to be accusing others of being tribalist merely because they write things view unpopular about a certain political leader. Every human being possesses an element of self-interest. Is this bad or wrong? No. Why should somebody be willing to die for others? To save them alone? Why will someone be willing to go to prison for others? To stop a crime from happening alone?
I do not follow a man who spent close to half his life time in politics blindly. I only follow the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him blindly.
The sensitivity issues that resulted on the topic i started on the witch-hunting issues trigger all sorts of responses. Some try to broker peace by only criticising me and Mathew and then saying this topic is divisive. What a load of nonsense!
I started a topic, all sorts of characters surface. Some try to be diplomatic and smart by saying: “if you can proof this, i will consider my position” I am not interested in anyone’s position or the opportunity to change it. I am not advocating on behalf of any party. So the question that, provide proof is unnecessary. I took my observation from the interviews and articles on Halifa.
The discussion i had with Saihou Mballow was centred on not allowing the “unity” brigade to use me as a scapegoat. It is because Suntou wrote some article that is why we were not able to unite. Flimsy and weak, but well, it is an excuse none the less.
I will certainly give their unity talks a chance. I will not say anything on the topic, unless it is vital.
Finally, I love my Mandingo tribe and i am not guilty or feel inferior to anyone. But also, I respect and admire the other tribes and their cultures and traditions. I am in for people upholding the good things in their cultures. God created us differently, who then can tell us he or she doesn’t belong to a tribe? The actions of politicians should be scrutinised. How many African politicians did the Pan-African talk and ended up becoming the must arrogant and self-centered politician in our life time? We have to examine the political career of members of the PDOIS. from the 1980's, they were radicals, the 1990's still a bit radical, in this decade, what are they?
May God Bless the Gambia and the people of the world. I ask God to forgive my sins and keep me on Islam. Amen.