Hamjatta,

Thanks for another brilliant piece! I had deliberately refrained from
commenting on this Reconciliation business, because it's mainly a charade,
and really makes me sick to my stomach. Gambians are being asked to "forgive
and reconcile" with people whose identity they're not worthy of knowing.
This is another bizarre call from this criminal govt. Who exactly are the
aggrieved families supposed to reconcile with?

Several years ago ('97 I think it was,) while monitoring National Public
Radio (NPR,) I  listened to an interview with Judge Richard Goldstone, the
South African jurist who was on his way to preside over the International
Court of Justice in the Hague (thanks to Nelson Mandela.) Talking about his
fellow White S. Africans -on reconciliation, this was what the judge said in
a nutshell:
"Any time I hear someone White say 'Apartheid is over. Why don't we just
forget and forgive what happened and move on? We're all equal now...' When I
hear this, I say to myself, 'I wonder what he/she is really worried about?'
Because if there is to be true reconciliation, justice demands that we White
S. Africans confess to our deeds, and let Black S. Africans evaluate our
confession, and then make the decision as to whether they'll forgive, forget
and move on." He said he found it "unbelievable" that most White S. Africans
who claim to have done nothing to sustain Apartheid, are so eager to urge
Blacks to "forgive, and forget." He said, "unless there's some guilt in you
that you'd like to forget quickly yourself, what exactly is it that you want
Black S. Africans to forget so urgently? Where's the sense of urgency? Why
don't we let the victims decide when to move on" Very honest fellow this
Judge!

So, when you hear what people like Tamsir Jallow have to say, you can't help
but think of Judge Goldstone. Sometimes, I find it impossible to believe
that Gambians could be so blatantly hypocritical about basic issues of
justice like this case. These are fathers and mothers we're talking about.
Where's the empathy with the parents of the kids murdered? Besides, how can
there be any real National Reconciliation when justice is held captive?
Thanks for blowing away the smoke screen.

Saul.

Hamjatta: I'm glad you get the gist of my argument and we are in agreement -
at least without the emphasis on the prerequisite essential for
reconciliation to be fruitful. I just want to drop a word or two on the
prerequisite that is of essence before one can even talk about forgiveness

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