ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE ALL HAVING ONE COMMON PROBLEM, SO LETS UNITE AND SOLVE OUR PROBLEM!!!!
By Lamin Saddam Sanyang, The Netherlands
In shaa Allah we are almost at the end of the barbaric, cruel and brutal reigning of President Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh. Like employees get their wages and salaries at the end of each pay-period, so is President Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh and his bunch of criminals to pay cheques for their deeds here and hereafter as enshrined in the Glorious Quran chapter 99 verse 7: “So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it” and verse 8 further reiterates: “And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it”. As a consequence Mr. President, be informed you and your nefarious enablers’ time is running out swiftly. On that reckoning day, when you are shackled and dragged by the forelock into a court of law you will appreciate revenge is best served cold.
To give up is acknowledging self-defeat. Furthermore, a maxim has it that a person who tries and fails is far more progressive than the one who would not try for fear of failure. Therefore, folks, I call on you to remain steadfast and never give up the fight against the dictatorship and tyranny we are combating. There is a bright light at the end of the tunnel besides; we are already on a winning side. The days of President Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh are numbered; let no one fool you about it. He knows that we all know that he knows his days are just for a matter of time. Precisely, why he is now doing and saying things without giving them a second thought. He has lost it, period.
It is understood wherever there is a problem there is a solution to remedy it. Consequently, we can be able to resolve our differences and unite under a common agenda while maintaining our varied memberships and allegiance to our different groups, organizations and political parties. I am conscious that it is a human nature to have differences and even fight, but after each fight we must also find ways to reconcile. I know there are wolves in sheep clothing within us, but is not a reasonable excuse for us not to unite beside our unity will expose them. We have intellectuals, wealthy people, technocrats as well as foolish, stupid and poor idiot in our mid but that does not punctuate we cannot unite and fight to end the dictatorship of President Jammeh.
President Jammeh and his bandits are continuously killing our people back at home, raping our sisters on a daily basis without any hesitation, whiles we are here in the diaspora shouting and going against each other’s ideas, insulting each other and putting our personal problems ahead of our national problems. SHAME ON ALL OF US!!! Critism and self-critism guarantee the healthy development of the fight we are doing, but not in a sense to criticise to damage each other’s images or characters.
There is one thing we don’t understand or refuse to understand, and that is: Allah (SWT) have already chose the successor of President Jammeh even before we were all born. Believe me or not brothers and sisters, that is what is going to happen and nobody can stop that. So why are we keep on pulling and pushing each other on the way?
Our fight is to liberate ourselves from the chain of self colonialism and dictatorship. The problem is to develop a political power which can manoeuver intelligently without the aprong sting of self-centeredness, corruption, power hungry and oustantational life styles.
The collective leadership of our various groups organisations and political parties should ensure the cohesion of revolutionary movement or so-called democratic mobile as a monolithic force to eliminate the brutal regime of President Jammeh. So that we can build a democratically elected government which can eradicate poverty, rebellion, hunger, illiteracy and maintain peace for the masses on whose course we all claimed to be helping. All earth born earned foundamental right as a NATURAL CITIZEN regardless of colour, ethnicity, religious and social status.
I frequently say it on my weekly radio program, that I’m appealing to the Gambians especially those in the diaspora to forget about our personal problems, differences and political ideologies and unite as one to get rid of President Jammeh’s regime, because we are sick and tired of the barbaric, cruel and brutal style of President Jammeh’s ruling. We need to free our brothers and sisters from the yoke of President Jammeh’s slavery.
We have to act fast before it will be too late. On a daily basis, we are talking on online radios and writing articles on the online newspapers on how to get rid of President Jammeh. If we all mean what we saying and writing, what is then stopping us from rallying behind one body and take our country from the brink of tyranny? It’s sad for us to keep on saying united we stand, divided we fall and yet we fail to show the power of unity. Instead we are dividing ourselves everyday. In that case, we are fooling ourselves by arming President Jammeh with enough ammunition to strike us down. Our success and failure lies with our ability or inability to unite against our common problem.
May the soul of the victims of the 30th of December 2014 rest in perfect peace and all those past away before and after them. Ameen.
Ends
Saddam, Saddam; Allah is the problem in your essay. Whenever Allah enters a political discussion logic flies out of the window. You say “Allah has already chosen Jammeh’s successor”. I assume just as Allah chose Jawara’s successor? If so, why do you say “we have to act fast before it is too late”? It can’t be “too late” if Allah had sorted it all out already! On a similar note, I once asked a market lady in Janjanbureh – at the place where you eat mangoes and wait for the ferry – whether President Jammeh can cure Aids. She answered “Why not if Allah has given him the power to do so”! I smiled, because one can’t argue with Allah. So let me say no more.
Mr luntango , you are absolutely right . One of the problem We have in our politics is injection of religion. It is very dangerous thing because faith or religion is personal . Majority of Gambians will quickly inject religion as justification to a problem without regards to our constitution . This is exactly what Jammeh is doing , using supreme Islamic council as a political entity to support whatever crime he committed .mr Sanyang article was right on many things I agreed with but using Islamic or Quran to justify his statement is something very unpolitical and only indicate political naivety . . As a matter of fact , we should always try to base our actions or reasons base on constitution which is guiding principles or law of our land . If Allah has already chosen who should be next president then why the struggle to get Jammeh out ? This is the position of majority Gambians , example Whenever I speak with a family member , they will say ” Allah put Jammeh in power ” . It is backward thinking in term of political dispensation and it completely limit our effort to bring about real change . therefore it is important for us to differentiate the two . We can use our faith in a way that might not be used to justify an action . It is every one rights to express your religion belief but in public space we should be mindful of how we express our faith . Gambian constitution is the supreme law of the land which should be quoted when we are dealing with political problem or things that we have in common as Gambians .
We should be very carefully select our topics before sending them on air, if you try to interact politics and religion, you must be ready to verify, clarify and justify what you saying, otherwise you may find yourself in a offensive position. Therefore, my humble advise to my younger brother is to separate the two or interact them where by the two are interacted. Any leader, previously or recently had been selected by Allah the Almighty, but some are for trials that’s why we have got good and bad leaders, and the bad ones should be confronted, which is legal in Islam.
Yankuba Jobe , your suggestion is very confusing to me , it is like you advised to separate politics and religion but the same time you are doing exactly the same thing. At The end of your statements , you stated that “any leader , previously or recently had been selected by Allah the almighty , but some are for trials that is why we got good and bad leaders , and the bad ones should be confronted , which is legal in islam “. Basically you are using islam to justify why we have such a leaders . My argument is that if we continue to use religion to justify any leader then we are limiting our efforts and no one can win or change the situation because some can simply say God put those leaders in power . In other words , we should avoid use of religion to justify our political situation whether that situation is good or bad . Our constitution should be guiding principle . Simply take your God or Allah out of the equation and understand that our political problem is man made and it is our collective responsibility to change it . I can’t argue with someone who think that our problem lies with God , to me that is not winnable argument . We have a brain to think and analyse our situation to Make a decision .
Well said Mr Maxs? But before I respond to your comment, I would like you to tell me briefly and clearly what is [politics and what is Religion} Which of the two will you describe the oldest? Politics or Religion? Be my teacher! One thing I’m certain, I shall always take my God, my religion and my politics with me to my house and to everywhere I go, and if that will distract you from removing ya Jammeh, the worst leader I have ever heard of, then something is missing in you, a hiding hunter, who is scared of being attack, will go home with empty handed!
@Maxs: “We have a brain to think and analyse our situation to Make a decision.”
Good point Max.
Yankuba Jobe , politics and religion are two different thing , my main point is that whenever you inject religion or God into politics , no one can win the argument because religion is personal belief . Just to repeat myself , one shouldn’t use religion to justify our political situation whether it is good or not . In our politics we should make reference about our constitution which is the law of the land . It is not your Allah that everyone is following or believe in , therefore in our political dispensation we should consider others who do not share our believe , this is why in the gambia we have constitutional law which is the guiding principle of every gambian irrespective of their religious beliefs . I am not going into debate with you on definition of either two and which one is older because I thiink you should know that . As someone who respect individual rights as enshrined in our constitution , I think you have every rights to your belief but using your believe in Allah to justify a political statement is something no one can argue with you because it is not a winnable situation since it is your personal belief . God is an abstract phenomenon which individual have their own concept about him , that is people have different meaning of God . We should use our intellect to guide our actions base on constitution when we are discussing politics .
Ohh yea? Luntango Suun Gann Gi, the animals have brain too, wouldn’t they? The whole issues here, as i understood it has to do with politics and religion, whether these two have any common ground? If you and Maxs have used your brain and read my comment carefully, i did not say that, we should combine the two, but what i have said was, in some areas, politic and religion could be interacted for the benefit of the people, and i remain firmly believing that, Allah chose leaders, no matter how good or bad they might be, otherwise, he would have not created them at all. Lot of Qu’anic verses have mentioned that clearly if you are a believer, otherwise, i wouldn’t bother to further discussion with you.
@YankubaJobe: “Lot of Qu’anic verses have mentioned that clearly if you are a believer, otherwise, i wouldn’t bother to further discussion with you”
LOL, is that an Excommunication Fatwa Bro??!!
All we are saying is this: The Koran is beautiful as is the Bible and the Torah. Respect to the Prophets. But when discussing politics, especially in a secular society, we can’t take a stance based on the Koran, the Bible or the Torah (all these books tell us to go out there and stone to death the Gays, for example!). Of course, the Saudis and Iranians would do that because their laws are based on the Holy Koran. But our laws are man-made – so in discussing homosexuality and Gay-rights for example, we must keep religion out of the debate. And so too with the discussion about leaders. If people are arguing against coups and for a two-term presidency, we can’t answer that “we will get the President God gives us (even through a coup!) and for as long as possible!”
But Bro Jobe, it would be within your rights to argue that we should have an Islamic State in The Gambia – and if the majority of the people agree with you in a referendum, then so be it! If I am in the Islamic Republic of The Gambia I would follow the laws of that country, as I would follow the laws of any country I am living in.
Fatwa against discussion lifted?
Maxs???? With all due respect, I don’t think you are answering my question here on your comment. I simply asked you to explain to me what is all about politics so that, next time I will use my brain as your Luntango sun Gann Gi emphased on his comment, to differentiate between the two, otherwise, thank you. I have no more comment. If you type of politics is all about lying? Please, scrap me completely out of your politics. I don’t believe lying!
Yankuba Jobe, please with due respect, let’s try to be civil in our discussion. Do not take this discussion personally and used language that are uncalled for. You are entitled to your opinion and beliefs. In an intellectual discussion we should always agree to disagree in a civized manner . Politics is art of convincing your opponent to support what you think is right for the country. However, in the process we should use our constitution as a guiding principle. If you believe in your quran and I don’t, how would you convince me to support your position since we have different belief? In order to solve this difference between us, we have a document called the constitution which guides all of us. I hope that explain the logic here. If your Allah has chosen your leader already, then why you struggle to get rid of him, can’t you wait for him to remove him? This is why bringing your this kind of religious thinking in political discussion is unwinnable argument because there is no material evidence to show that your Allah voted for mr president. If you are talking about religious matter or places where you have sharia and you based your reasoning purely on religious doctrine or scripture then I fully understand that. But in our Gambian politics, please take your God or any God out of it since we don’t have sharia in The Gambia . We are a constitutional republic where everyone is entitled to their belief. How about if a pagan tell you his God (a jalang) said what Jammeh is doing is great for Gambia? Please let’s get rid of religious bias in political discourse. Faith or religion is personal.
Luntango ,you have explained it well and I think Mr Jobe needs to understand that Gambia is a secular country. The key word is secular. As luntango stated” when discussing politics, especially in a secular society, we can’t take a stance based on the Koran, the bible or the Torah “. We are a constitutional republic.
Max, you have answered my question [Politics is art of convincing your opponent to support what you think is right for the country]. Max, secularism and religion are common in some areas, and constitutions are changeable! And let me make it clear to you, I haven’t taken anything personal throughout my comments, but if that is the way you see it, take it as misunderstanding. Certainly, you can’t scrap religion in our Gambia, where by 90% of the population are believers both in Christianity and the Islam. You may find only small percentage of pagans, if there is any at all.
Peace!
Luntango; {But when discussing politics, especially in a secular society, we can’t take a stance based on the Koran, the Bible or the Torah (all these books tell us to go out there and stone to death the Gays, for example!). Please, tell someone else about that, I have been living in the Netherlands since 1985. I don’t care about sharia or man made laws. I am a truly believer of justices, be sharia or man made laws, if i don’t commit crime, i wouldn’t be punish by any sharia or laws. Be yourself, love yourself and love the others. We are all human beings!
Salaam Alaikum brother..