Ebrima, thanks for your comments on the statements by Mr. Charles Sam. I
however, do not see anything wrong with what he said and, in fact, we on
this list say the same things everyday. I do not subscribe to
generalizations and I did not see his statements as such, but in the broader
sense of the problems we face as a nation. We agree on this list that we
are way behind schedule in development as a nation; We need national
reconciliation, especially after October 18; That, as a nation, we are not
following the course of Progress, Peace, and Prosperity; Those who manage
the affairs of our country do not work for Gambia, but themselves; We do not
live in unity; The actions of our leaders are not guided by justice and
those who dispense justice are corrupt; Our allegiance is to the tribe or
the individual and not the collective; That we need to eradicate this
culture of greed from our system; That we have unpatriotic folks who are
there to just line their pockets, etc., etc. All these and more we talked
about. I am more interested in the truth of his statements and I'm sure you
do too, than him being an outsider, which is the whiff I'm getting from our
country-folk. Like Facura, I hear his comments from a Pan-African
perspective and not one who was set to downgrade our hew.
I also do not see anything wrong with you taking on Mr. Sam, as I'm sure Mr.
Sam would agree that he does not have a monopoly of ideas. We should be
free to discuss our concerns without fear of being labelled. Please
continue the good work and thanks for the healthy exchange.
Chi Jaama
Joe Sambou
>From: Ebrima Sillah <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Why I Disagree With Charles Sam(Facuru)
>Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2001 14:27:02 +0000
>
>Facuru,
>
>It is good to hear from you and even more refreshing
>to add your voice to this rather interesting debate
>here in The Gambia. Before i go to the substance of
>your peice, let me register my disappointment with the
>fact that a lot of people on this forum may still be
>wandering as to what you are replying to since you
>failed to forward my article in question in the
>Independent of monday to the G-L. All the same i will
>start by reacting to your this point: "before you wage
>an intellectual war on anybody, make sure you
>cultivate the mettle to accomodate scathing truth
>about yourself or your beloved Gamnia."
>Indeed Facuru if you know me very well then you should
>not have any problems realising that i always like to
>be challenged...therefore to come here potraying me as
>intolerent to opposing views or painfully sensitive to
>critism is not true. All what i was doing was to take
>Charles Sam to task on what he said about the Gambia
>and Gambians. To say that the people of The Gambia are
>not truthful, are not Godly, are not hardworking, are
>not petriotic is not only misleading but a big insult
>to all what we stand for as a people. What is wrong in
>setting the record straight? Charles Sam, a guest of
>the current government, has been writing persistent
>articles about the Gambia, her people and critics and
>i have never replied to any one of them.
>I have been a keen reader of almost all his articles
>and therefore chellenging him on what he said this
>time around about the country is no crime. To imply
>that my challenge to Sam will not help the "Kaira
>Banku" becuase only half truth will be known is a
>deleberate misunderstanding of where am coming from.
>Facuru you know very well that some of us have stood
>by the truth, we're still standing by the truth and we
>will continue to stand by the truth. But this does
>not mean that we have to idly sit by and see
>international presitge seekers to come here rewrite
>our history for us in a dishonest way. The Gambia is
>full of hardworking sons and daughters who will not
>weaver this responsibility to anyone.
>
>Your other reaction to the Independent view is even
>more intersting and baffling. Since am a party to this
>debate i have to take issues with you on this phrase
>of yours. You wrote "how disappointed he must be that
>not the politicians but the press itself is not
>tolerant to free speech." Where is the intolerance
>here. All what is being said is to make the records
>straight. Read the independent view once again and you
>will realise that all what the paper was saying has
>been this: in today's Gambia it is right for those
>foriegners who come here and trumpet the good side of
>the government to meddle in our local politics but at
>the same time wrong and a big sin for that matter for
>foriegners who pin point government weaknesses. Most
>of these unfortunate foriegners are either arrested or
>deported. How many foriegn journalists have been
>deported to their countries(for some to their war torn
>countries) just because they were working for the
>independent media? Are you letting me that you've
>forgotten the controversial deportation of Bharat
>Joshi--the then deputy British High Commissioner to
>the Gambia just because he attended an opposition
>press conference? So why allow Charles Sam a Ghanian
>by birth, to disparage Gambians in such a manner?
>Cgarles Sam can still write anything about The Gambia
>but we also reserve the right to challenge him on his
>statements. I still stand by my piece in the
>independent of monday that Sam's take on Gambians was
>a masqueraded article ridiculing the people of the
>Gambia who were infact treated with contempt in the
>article. That is my position,period!!
>
>
>--- Facuru Sillah <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hi
>Ebrima Sillah
> Before you wage an intellectual war on anybody, make
> > sure you cultivate the mettle to accommodate
> > scathing
> > truths about yourself or your beloved
> > GAMBIA.Patriotism should not be limited to praise
> > singing of the Smiling Coast,Smiling People.If you
> > will only be positive, you must be telling
> > half-tories
> > and half-truths which will not help GAMBIA KAIRA
> > BANKU
> >
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