Quoting Hamjatta Kanteh <[log in to unmask]>:
Dear Hamjii,
I am never a fan to your ideas but This time you really
use your hammer well. Atleast respect to each other
even whereas we are different in opinions. So Bro, till
our next dis-agreement, I am hereby commending you on
holding up for the truth to prevail.
Edi simpson if you like it.
> Dear Mr Jassey-Conteh,
> I write publicly to show and register my
disapproval of your relentless
> attack on Mr Sidi Sanneh's principled political
quietism vis-a-vis the
> current political imbroglio in the Gambia and
elsewhere in Africa and as a
> result questioning his commitment to the Gambia and
Africa in general.
> Initially when you raised the issue it occurred
to me that your concern
> since on the face of it was rooted in the ignorance
of not actually
> understanding Mr Sanneh's peculiar position, was
genuine albeit misplaced.
> However, after your exchanges, the gentleman has gone
out of his way to
> explain his situation to you. Amongst others, he had
explained that he is
> no
> political eunuch; he has his own political, economic
and social worldviews,
> he shares the same concerns over the Gambia and
Africa like all of us well
> meaning others do, he explained to you in the
simplest language possible
> that
> he is duty bound out of the decorum and protocols of
his office not to
> express views that are directly related to member
countries that are
> clients
> of his organisation at any rate not in an informal
forum like this List. He
> did this at a risk of unveiling what his true colours
are as to the
> political
> conundrum in the Gambia. And he highlighted to you
that there are others
> like
> him in such peculiar situations who decided to play
it safe and stay mute
> rather risk even making indirect comments on the
situation back home on the
> List. Yet unlike his colleagues, he is taking risks
to make comments on
> many
> issues online.
> Politely he told you to lay off but you wouldn't
get it. Frankly this
> is
> a good opportunity for me raise a related matter;
your irritating and
> simplistic ways of forcing people to think alike and
adopt the same
> strategies when it comes to the struggle back home.
We are different in our
> own ways. Circumstances have placed constraints on us
all which will never
> enable us to act the way we always yearn to. What is
so difficult to
> understand about that? You and I and possibly others
have free reins to act
> and speak like we wish but this in itself doesn't
give us the moral high
> ground to think little of others who haven't shouted
loud enough. This
> tantamount to moral authoritarianism which I
vehemently abhor. We have no
> moral authority to castigate or dictate to others who
are constrained by
> circumstances beyond their immediate control and as
such are not speaking
> publicly everytime on events as you and I did or are
still doing.
> This need to strike a balance between the two
conflicting goals of
> staying true to your conscience and honouring
protocols you are duty bound
> to
> uphold in respective professions be it in the public
service or
> international
> appointments, is a stark reminder how conflicting the
private and public
> agenda/spheres can be and underlines the tragedy
inherent in pursuit or
> overvaluing of one over the other. It is of course,
very easy not to
> respect
> public servants and other personnel of international
bodies who have to
> live
> this every day of their lives; trying to do the right
thing by balancing
> very
> conflicting values. When you are living in the States
and working in a
> Fortune 500 company with no political limbs or
baggage, you will not
> respect
> these conflicting strands that has co-existed between
the public and
> private
> sphere because your are not living it. It is very
unfair however, to
> attribute to such unpatriotism and insensitivity to
our continent's plights
> As I noted earlier to someone online here,
political quietism is as
> much
> a virtue as political activism. Just because you are
at the forefront
> doesn't
> make you any holier than those impeded by their
peculiar circumstances to
> act
> only as behind the scenes operatives. There are well
over 600 members
> online
> yet only a minor guesstimated 2% contribute to online
discussions. So those
> this make the 98% spineless or selfish people who do
not share our concerns
> about the Gambia and Africa in general? Many of these
people have various
> reasons why they have not stuck their necks out; some
not very noble reason
> but others very noble and deserving our understanding.
> Also you made countless jeremiads against the
AfDB calling it amongst
> others abettors in the ransacking of Africa and
politically moribund
> outfits.
> By inveighing against the AfDB with such cliched
nonsense prejudices
> tantamount to idiocy of the type Jammeh entertains us
with when he starts
> lambasting the West. Have you ever bothered reading
AfDB literature; it's
> current status, the strides it is taking each year in
the face of mammoth
> difficulties posed by our seemingly intractable and
never ending vicious
> cycles of political violence or check out it's
chequered history? See it is
> always easy to be in the West to be disrespectful to
others on the ground
> who
> are doing the little they can to give Africa some
success stories we can
> proudly cling on to and say there is still life in us
Africans. Slagging
> off
> Mr Sanneh in your comfy little world of North
Caroline is the easy bit.
> However, one is inclined to pose you these simple
questions. What practical
> alternatives have you been working on since you went
to the States? Have
> you
> ever considered going back home like the Mr Sannehs
of this world and do
> what
> they are trying to do? What have you done for mother
Africa practically
> since
> graduating? Perhaps you will be kind enough to answer
these questions.
> I will not be an onlooker as over zealous low
naive political
> operatives
> like your self, eager to exploit the failures of the
current regime, and
> traduce a figure like Mr Sanneh. It is one thing for
you to be consumed in
> your over zealousness, it however amounts to else if
you wish to drag
> others
> into the muck. Please in your zeal to aggrandise your
aims of political
> life,
> just remember that some of us have other ideals and
ways of fighting the
> battle to free Africa. This is worth remembering.
> Finally, your assertion that you have "absolute
right" in questioning
> Mr
> Sanneh's adopted political quietism is cobblers and
shows your ignorance or
> your simplistic understanding of the notion
of "rights". Mr Jassey-Conteh,
> there is never a thing like an "absolute right" at
any rate, not in this
> materially inclined and rationalist world. To lay
claims to it, is
> tantamount
> to pinch a line of reasoning from no one other than
Jemus Jammeh, you so
> fervent wish to see the back of. Are you really sure
you are not only in
> this
> struggle to see Jammeh gone and you become the new
political class of a
> post-Jammeh Gambia?
> I have said enough and hope that we understand
each other. And in
> conclusion leave you with Wittgenstein's dictum that:
whereof one cannot
> speak, thereof one must keep his silence. I hope you
remember this before
> you
> have another go at the Mr Sanneh's of this world.
> In anticipation of your usual kind co-operation,
i remain,
> Respectfully,
> Hamjatta Kanteh
>
> hkanteh
>
> ------------------------------------------------------
----------------------
>
> To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of
postings, go to the Gambia-L
> Web interface at:
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
>
> ------------------------------------------------------
----------------------
>
-----------------------------------------------------
Sent via IMP @ Kymenlaakso Polytechnic, http://chiana.kyamk.fi/
IMP homepage: http://web.horde.org/imp/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
