What an interesting exchange. I am excited though to learn that everyone
understood that Arab disdain and hatred for the black colored human being
exists and that it is embedded in their culture.

I agree with you Ousainou that nationalism exists everywhere as you cite the
Guinean example. However, the incidents in Libya were RACISM disguised in
Nationalism. Reading the anecdotes, I could not miss the fact that ordinary
Libyan citizens were roaming the streets (Maidan El Tahrir, Gourgi Toule,
Suk Turak) looking for blacks who were not Libyan. I, Like Kabir, had
occasion to visit Libya, along with Tunisia, Morocco, Malta, and Algeria.
There are other foreigners in Libya such as Hungarians, Yugoslavs, Italians,
Swedes, and Cubans. So unless I suffer from mental paralysis, or
pseudo-religious apathy, I know for a fact that Arab Racism is real and is
the root cause of the Negroid genocide that occured.

This, by-the-way has nothing to do with Islam or the lack thereof in the
Libyan Psychy. So with all due respect, let us concentrate on the matter at
hand.

I had occasion to speak to a BBC reporter for Network Africa while I was in
Canada. His question related to the call for African Unity under Gaddafi's
leadership and whether it was sincere. I know that with all his outward
expressions of comradery and anti-American gesticulations, he was and is NOT
sincere or honest. Since his alienation, Gaddafi has viewed Africa as
transit points for "JIHADISTS" and "INTIFADITES". Many a Libyan has obtained
Gambian, Guinean, Liberian, Sierra Leonean, Lebanese, and Egyptian passports
for insulation from detection through airports in America and Europe. We are
not going to go into the purpose of such pursuits but I think anyone with
any mental acumen could understand why. Further, I encourage you and others
to learn about Gaddaffi and his views pre-dating the Embargoes and
Sanctions. Then compare those to his post-restrictive view. If you don't see
a chameleonic metamorphosis, then, someone's shiiting in their pants.
Besides, Gaddafi is Arab.

This brings us to this point. Kabir is right about Arab racism and he is
looking at the bigger picture. He also has a sincere disdain for the
capacity for religious fanaticism to cloud judgement. From his writings, I
understand that he is well read, well travelled, intelligent, and has the
ability to process the information he is fed. Jabou acknowledges that Arab
racism exists, and could not agree with Kabir's vindication of Gaddafi as
part of the responsible parties to this Negroid Genocide. I think if Kabir
believes that Arab recism toward Negroes is exists, he has to agree that the
events that prompted this discussion are the cyclical climax of the
smoldering cinder known as Arab racism. So, in effect, Jabou and Kabir both
recognize the problem. I am dissapointed in Jabou's attempt to share the
contents of private communication between Kabir and herself. We are not
interested in private communication between participants to this forum and
revelations of such is a breach of implicit contract. I advise all of us to
refrain from such. I suggest that Jabou and Kabir apologise to each other
and understand that their shared views far out-value their differences.
Anything proffered here on the G-L is fodder for challenge and vetting and
that is healthy. Private communication must remain private. Tempers will
flare understandably, but when you realize an escalation in an exchange,
take it private and deal. And then come back to the forum having made up. We
can't afford derision and enmity between two intelligent and valuable
members of this community.

What then should we do about Arab racism? I suggest all concerned victims of
the Libyan matter evacuate their citizens from Libya and close their
respective embassies. They must expel Libyan Embassy personnel and Libyan
citizens from their respective countries to prevent retaliation. If Gaddafi
still believes in African unity, he will explain how that notion can be
furthered with no interstate travel,commerce, and employment.

We have only enough focus and energy to deal with European racism. We don't
need a mental midget like Gaddafi and Libyans to distract us.

Cheers!!


>From: Jabou Joh <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Fw: Following 'Ordeal' in North Africa Gambian EvacueesAllege
>             Libyan Brut...
>Date: Sun, 5 Nov 2000 14:54:44 EST
>
>Kabir,
>
>I would not have responded to you, not because I lack the ability to
>challenge your response point by point ( and i know you know this) but  for
>many other reasons, including urgings from some people on the L , but I see
>that you are continuing to try to put words in my mouth.
>
>For starters, about a little over a month ago, you wrote me a series of
>personal emails discussing something of a very personal nature, and there
>are
>three or maybe even four people on this list who know about this.
>
>  I wonder why you took it upon yourself to do that if , according to you,
>you
>have decifered from my writings on the L that I am a religious bigot,  a
>CNN/Newsweek traumatized dishonest person who got a one way ticket on Pan
>Am
>or something to that effect, while you are still living  in Norway. So much
>for contradictions.
>
>Let me simplify this, so that things are not weaved about deliberately to
>create confusion as you are trying to do.
>
>I did not call you anti Islamic because you spoke of Arab racism. That
>would
>be inconsistent with my natural inclination to speak out against racism and
>injustice, and my record here on the L should have made you think twice
>before making this accusation if you were thinking clearly. You keep
>insisting that I am defending Arab racism, and that does not even make any
>sense. Do you really believe this?
>
>I wrote a response to your commentry regarding the beating of Black
>Africans
>in Libya, and stated that Moammar Khaddafi should bear some responsibility
>for that since he has been promoting himself as a champion of African
>liberation, and yet, here were his countrymen engaging in a display of
>ignorance and bogotry. That is what set you off on a rampage to try to
>discredit me, but there must have been the inclination there already  for
>some other reason i do not know.
>
>You say you stand among those of us who hold Jammeh responsible for
>spreading
>ignorance, and yet, you are trying to tell us that Khaddafi should not be
>held responsible for the atrocities against Black people in the country of
>this champion of oppressed Africans? How can you possible justify that?
>Instead, you wanted people to believe that the responsibility lay with
>Arab
>racism, period. How simplistic is that? What about racism towards Black
>people from other enhnic groups which i see you have added as an
>afterthought? I wonder why you just chose Arab racism as the culprit of
>this
>incident, and my comments as religious bias; if not for your natural
>inclination to lump Islam with Arabs, and any commentary from me as an
>excuse
>to launch your anti-islamic rhetoric.
>
>Your response was that there are some of us whose religious bias has led us
>not to condemn Arab racism. Where that logic came from, especially in view
>of
>the very clear position against human rights violations of any sort I
>proclaim here every day, is beyond my imagination.
>
>My response to this baseless accusation was that indeed, there is Arab
>racism, and gave an example that even the Prophet of Allah (SAS) spent a
>great deal of his time speaking out against Arab racism, that Islam is
>incompatible with racism.His last famous speech at the Hajj is testimony to
>the fact that  racism has no place in Islam.
>
>I further alluded to the fact that if one is knowledgeable about islam,
>there
>is no way one could accuse anyone who professes to be a good muslim of
>failing to acknowledge racism or any form of injustice by Arabs or anyone
>else.
>I explained that care should be taken not to identify Islam with Arabs,
>because Muhammed was a Prophet sent to all mankind. I said all this, so
>that
>you can see how your allegation that religious bias prevents me from
>condemning Arab racism is unfounded. However, you can only understand this
>if
>you knew these very basic facts about Islam.
>
>Therefore, you brought religion into this discussion by making the
>allegation
>that religious bias prevents me from acknowledging Arab racism, which is a
>ridiculous accusation and shows your lack of knowledge about Islam, and the
>reason for my saying this is pretty clear. The most basic tenet of  Islam
>is
>to enjoin truth, and if you understood this, as well as knew what some of
>the
>Prophet Muhammed's mission and challenges were, you would not have made the
>accusation, even though you profess to be a muslim.
>
>  Consequently, it can only be concluded that you use every occasion, no
>matter what the topic, to attack islam and the fact that I do make every
>effort to share what i know about this religion with others, and this has
>been consistent with all your reactions whenever the topic arises.  Yes, I
>do
>share knowledge about islam, but when and where have i tried to force
>anyone
>to join me in my belief, or denounced anyone else's religion, such that you
>can take it upon yourself to label me a religious bigot?
>
>During the debate regarding the Ahmadiyyans and Imam Fatty, I pointed out
>that it is true that Ahmadiyya are considered a deviant sect according to
>the
>teachings of mainstream islam. That is not a declaration that they should
>be
>run out of town, nor does it mean that I condoned any scheme that was being
>attempted by Jammeh and his cohorts to run these people out of town.Show me
>where i made a statement to that effect.
>Cautioning people about deviation from the teachings of Islam is something
>that is the responsibility of all muslims. It is too bad that Imam Fatty's
>intention was not just to warn muslims about the tenets of Islam, but why
>is
>it that I cannot point out this fact about deviance from the religion
>without
>supporting any agenda attached to it?
>Only someone bent on creating the wrong impression will try to make this
>implication. What in heavens name would I or anyone gain by driving
>Ahmadiyyans out of Gambia or anywhere else for that matter. Islam teaches
>that a true test of faith is that one is able to be consistent in your
>belief
>even if everyone else around you believes in and practices  something else.
>Islamic nations around the World live with and benefit from the work of non
>muslims in their countries, and if the directive was to be intolerent and
>kick everybody out, there would be no non muslims in Arabia or other
>Islamic
>countries.Let us think like reasonable people, instead of trying to twist
>other people's words to support our allegations.
>
>Muslims everywhere know that we should caution our fellow muslims about
>straying from the teachings of the Qur'an, and that it is our duty and
>responsibility to remind our fellow muslims about this. I merely pointed
>out
>what the mainstream belief was, and nowhere else did i add that i supported
>the scheme to run them out of Gambia. Your response to this was that the
>Ahmadiyya have done a lot of good work in our country, and my response was
>that so have the colonialists, but it did not prevent us from demanding our
>independence. No one asked our former colonialists to pack up and leave
>after
>independence just because we disagreed with thier policies and plans for us
>as a people.
>
>  I guess in your simplistic view, you took this to mean that i was
>declaring
>my support for the scheme to run Ahmadiyya out of Gambia, and that is a
>stupid preposition that can only be deduced by you because you are looking
>for something to support your unfounded allegations against me.
>Let us be very clear about that, and not use it as an excuse to label me as
>an extremist.
>I think it is time for alarmists such as yourself to put a stop to this
>outcry of “our country is a non-secular country”. This fact is known
>even to
>the elementary school children in our country.   We as Gambians all know
>that
>we are comprised of Muslims, Christians and even idol worshippers, and that
>each group has been free to practice what they want to practice as far back
>as we can remember, and that  our different religious persuasions have
>never
>been an issue with us, nor has it ever affected how we interact with each
>other, or live harmoniously with each other.
>
>The topic of religion has only become an issue with the advent of the
>Jammeh
>Government, and what else has not become an issue and a problem with this
>oppressive regime? They have turned everything into a tool to help them to
>hold onto power, and those who do not recognize this for what it is are not
>thinking clearly, and can therefore sow seeds of disharmony by their
>insistence that there are potential problems where there aren’t any.
>Our children exercising their rights to free expression has been turned
>into
>a problem. Journalists reporting the facts has become a problem. Ordinary
>people exercising their God given right to free expression of their opinion
>and political associations have become a problem. Civil servants having the
>ability to go to work unhassled has become a problem. Even taking for
>granted
>that one can safely go to bed at night and sleep soundly is not a certainty
>anymore in our country.Likewise, religion, like anything else, is being
>used
>as a tool of oppression and disharmony, and those who jump on this
>bandwagon
>are adding fuel to the fire.
>
>They need to remember that all peace loving Gambians are working towards,
>and
>hoping and praying that when we get rid of this oppressive regime, we can
>go
>back to the place we were before in terms of our dealings with each other,
>and that there has never been, nor do we anticipate any disharmony due to
>religious differences.
>
>We have never had a problem with non-secularism, so those who use every
>occasion to try to convince us that some of us who dare to promote a
>religious message are extremists who are out to turn our country into an
>Islamic state, and that they are the guardians to avert such a thing are
>reminiscent of the legend of Don Quixote de la Mancha, who was convinced
>that
>he was rescuing  fair maidens in distress from dragons, when all his wild
>and
>dangerous imagination led him to was the concoction of an imaginary danger
>which left him charging at windmills much to his own doom.
>
>This cheap and  empty methodology to self promote at the expense of others,
>to give the impression to be everything to everyone must cease. i am of the
>belief that inherent in every human being is the knowledge of right and
>wrong, good and evil, and that we make the wrong choices in any given
>situation only because we fail to listen to this inner knowledge, that we
>do
>it because we are driven by self interest. It is a suppression of this
>inner
>conscience that enables dictators to murder people in cold blood so they
>can
>stay where they are, and it is the same that enables our fellow countrymen
>and women to collaborate  with the Jammeh regime in cold blooded murder
>because they want to remain in the positions they are in.  I believe that
>what we need in Gambia as well as everywhere else, are people whose actions
>are dirven by this inherent inner knowledge of what is right. if we have
>leaders like that, and if we the people are driven by that, then we will
>never have a need to fear that anyone will be a victim of any sort.We have
>always had that in Gambia, despite the fact that religious leaders have
>been
>doing their duty of cautioning people about what is acceptable in their
>respective religious and what is not, and i am not talking about religious
>leaders with truth mixed in with an agenda of their own, for those so
>inclined to twist my words to suit their own purposes.
>
>Jabou Joh
>
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