Mr. Sow, Thank you for your candid observation of the situation surrounding us and the people of our beloved homeland. It could be indeed characterized as cheap talk or hiding behind that 17" monitor pressing on that QWERTY keyboard trying to suggest change for much complicated issues our people face daily without any justification or consideration from the supposedly elected government. Unless my quest for formal education deceived me, I have always believed that any government elected by the people has the ultimate responsibility to serve the people of that nation. The situation in the Gambia has been deteriorating but, it is now at a stage I can say with conviction that we need to change course from our previous attempts to bring peace and stability to the nation. Whatever we tried or are trying is not working. It only gives Yahya an upper hand and leeway in tormenting and maltreating our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles and children. I am not an advocate of violence nor will I ever be, but we can look in the long lineage of change documented in history, taught by our professors and teachers and we will realize that to change any unfavorable situation will require an abundance of sacrifice from the oppressed. We in this case are terribly oppressed and frustrated by a regime that has no respect for the people that pay their salary. The people that hired them expected nothing but respect, dignity and the exercise of the rule of law, freedom of speech and the right to fair election. This we should not even ask for, it is our constitutional right and should be granted to us without reprisal. Instead our government stripped us from these God given rights just to treat us worst than animals in this generation. We as people need to resort to different ways to tackle the injustices this regime is imposing on us. Yahya have no respect for our people. We cannot stand by and watch this circus. With that said, I fully concur that we need to result to some form of organized methodology to fight back a system that ridicules and denigrate us. We cannot be afraid of his reprisal. Some of will lose their jobs, some will lose their positions, some will even lose their lives but this comes with every struggle mankind ever witnessed to bring change in the interest of all. So I ask myself what part I can play in this while I am thousands of miles away, in a tiny town in the province of Southern Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Well I am willing to sacrifice the only thing I didn’t give myself that is my life in the struggle to liberate our beloved country. How can I do this would be a question many will ask, it is indeed the right one as well. We all hope to come back home some day and believe me it will be a game changer for Mr. Jammeh who believed that he will be in power for the next twenty years. Well I Got news for you Mr Jammeh if you or any of your cohorts are reading this. If you are in power for the next twenty years then this means that I and twenty others I know will be already dead from trying to uproot you from the comfort of your home in Kanilli. Make no mistake about this; it will come no matter how long it takes especially since we know you want to be there for twenty years. You will be amazed what one is capable of when pushed to the ultimate limit with their back on the wall. I challenge all the Gambians in the Diaspora to contribute in assisting those who challenge president Jammeh and are subsequently fired. Let’s not only tell them that we care, let’s show them that we care. If there is anyone who cares to join or start such a movement please email me. To my fellow Gambians residing in the Gambia, the day will come when the Jammeh regime will be once upon a time. Yahya is not bigger than God, we should not treat him as such. He managed to strike fear in us by his evil ways. We are God loving people and should embark on nothing but the truth. Some for more reasons than one are running behind Jammeh. The man doesn’t care about you. He is using you and it is time we realize this. If you don’t believe me think about the likes of Edward Singhateh, Omar Faye and most recently the Gambian ambassador to the U.S. who thought they were close to that mad man and found a friend in him. LTG Tamba watch your back. We need to boycott his regime. He definitely can’t fire everyone especially if he can’t find anyone to hire nor can he kill everyone in the Gambia. It is time for us to stand unified towards a common goal. May we all live long to see him gone. You were right about having elections that we know will never be fair. I call on the opposition to boycott the elections. It may not bother him but it will definitely make out point as people of a nation tired of being cheated and used as a scapegoat for his propaganda. Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 23:36:14 -0700 From: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Direct Confrontation is the only way out of this mess To: [log in to unmask] Mr. Jow, I totally agree with you that the opposition should insist on a level playing field or boycott all elections. By participating in flawed elections which they cannot possibly win just legitimizes Jammeh’s force rule. They should insist on immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience, reform the so-called IEC to promote fair play, make the GRTS available to all the parties, banned civil servants, the military, police, local government officials from participating in political activities in their official capacities, and ban the use of or enforce an equitable use of public resources by all political parties. Despite the fact that the 2006 presidential election was not free and fair, notwithstanding, international observers certified it as free and fair based on their limited mandate. The CIA World Fact Book, the UNDP Human Development Report, IMF World Economic Outlook, and many other reports about the Gambia, classify it as a democratic state, when in actual fact it is not. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) teaches us to fight injustice anywhere it exists, but if we could not stop it, He teaches us to refrain from participating in it. Clearly, without a level playing field, the opposition has no chance; therefore participating in any election under the current status quo would be like helping the devil, which contradicts the teachings of the Holy Prophet (SAW), and common sense. I hope they listen! ML Touray From: pasamba jow <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2009 6:07:16 PM Subject: Direct Confrontation is the only way out of this mess Direct Confrontation is the only way out of this mess By Pasamba Jow The conviction and sentencing of the innocent GPU Six by a corrupt mercenary judge, acting on the orders of an arrogantly vindictive tyrant, Yahya A. J. J Jammeh, is neither shocking nor surprising to those who have followed the actions of this notorious government. In fact, it is not by any stretch the most atrocious crime committed by Jammeh against the Gambian people since usurping power in 1994. Unless we are suffering from amnesia, this unjust conviction does not equal the numerous political murders committed by Jammeh. If anything, it confirms the extent to which the Gambian cowardly tyrant is willing to go to cling onto power. There is a lot of justifiable anger and frustration on how we the Gambian people have stood nonchalantly by while our nation is being highjacked, our rights abrogated, our limited resources pillaged, and our very ideals bastardized by an innate liar and fraud in Yahya Jammeh. We are yet again confronted with same question: what are we going to do about it? Are we just going to moan and cry about how bad Jammeh is, or are we going to write, intellectualize, and hope that some international community will come to our aid? Are we yet again setting ourselves up to go the same old route of legitimizing this barbaric regime by participating in elections we know are never going to be free and fair, expecting to go to the courts for redress, the same courts that have sent the GPU Six to Mile 2? Courts that are under the whims and control of the dictator? Alternatively, we can explore and take a more practical and proactive role in challenging and exposing this regime through civil disobedience. The reality is that Jammeh will not go quietly, and no matter how long we postpone the inevitable, confrontation is the only one way we can take back our country and begin the arduous task of rebuilding. The politicians on the ground must realize that Yahya Jammeh’s presidency and government are illegitimate and must be seen and dealt with as such. He came to power illegally and has been running that country for the past 15 years illegally. Jammeh ceased to be the legitimate president of the Gambia the moment he violated the oath he took to defend and protect the constitution of the Gambia. Jammeh is a criminal who belongs in Jail not the GPU Six. He cannot be treated as a legitimate leader by any serious entity looking to bring about change. It will be futile to take the approach that this is a situation to be treated with respect and legality, hoping to contest an election that will be stolen and can never be free and fair. To go that route is tantamount to enabling the tyrant’s hand. Jammeh’s crimes for the past fifteen years have made it impossible to accord him any respect, and he has none for anybody but his quest for power. Yahya Jammeh embodies the worst among us, and any attempt to play along and expect the international community to come to our aid will only be a pipe dream. The only viable way of dealing with such a notorious regime is through direct confrontation and total civil disobedience. We must bear in mind Dr. King’s counsel that “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.â€� To all of us living in the Diaspora, the armchair revolutionary tactic we have utilized in the past in dealing with Jammeh must cease. We must become the architects of change in the Gambia by becoming active agitators. It is not enough to analyze every action and/or perceived inaction by the politicians on the ground, and characterize it as their problem and responsibility to fix. The opposition must be seen as partners in the struggle, not as sole owners of it. We will all have to win together or lose together. We have as much responsibility in ending Jammeh’s tyrannical rule as they do. We must not play secondary fiddle to anyone and still expect to choreograph the show. In addition, there is a limit to what the international community is going to do. Their help will come in handy if we take the lead. We will never bring change if we continue to stay in the comfort of our own homes, or try to manage the risk we are willing to take. Again, Jammeh is a criminal and we have to go after him like a criminal. The overwhelming majority of us claim to fear no one but GOD. But that comes with the responsibility to stand up for what is right regardless of the consequences, or abdicate that responsibility and be judge harshly by history. Jammeh’s rule is grossly unjust and must be confronted by any means necessary. The time is ripe for people power to retake our country from this criminal gang. This is not just the responsibility of the politicians, Imams, Bar Association, GPU and other civic organizations. It is the responsibility of all Gambians who believe in justice and freedom. We must not rest as long as Sarata Jabbi’s son continues to live in an orphanage; we must not rest as long as the families of the massacred students, Deyda Hydara, Koro Ceesay, the murdered soldiers, Chief Manneh, Kanyiba Kanyi, and all those murdered by Jammeh and the innocent people languishing in jail get the justice they deserve. We must not rest until Jammeh and his partners in crime are brought to justice. Then and only then can we join the community of people who, when confronted with tyranny, stood up for justice in spite of peril "True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ���������������������������������������������������������� To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ���������������������������������������������������������� _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail® is up to 70% faster. 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