At a time when our country is terribly divided along political and ethnic lines, voices of tolerance and unity of differences are important. Saul N’Jie, a professor of Political Science & Geography at Bluefield State College, offers a soul-searching analysis of the conflicts and pleaded with anyone who has opinion to equally respect the opinions of others.
Our species is capable of such magnificent open-mindedness and occasionally of pathetic and appalling narrowness. This is evermore borne out by my people, the Gambian people; especially those of us who are immersed in the art of politics, online punditry and rabble rousing.
Last year – I penned an article vis-a-vis our semi-centennial anniversary. In this essay, I discussed a plethora of issues, essentially how our politics has become a yelling game; puritanical, self-righteous, a game of diatribes and most poignantly and importantly – one that lacks maturity. We have become a country of extremes – lacking nuance, objective reality; where, for some of us, we have got to the point – and let me borrow George W. Bush’s famous Iraqi Invasion invitation to those who refused to join his so called Coalition of the Willing: “You Are Either With Us, or [with the enemy?]Against Us.”
Our lack of political maturity culminates in a lack of understanding that in a democratic society, which I believe is what most of us are yearning for, people hold and are allowed to hold diverse opinions and beliefs. What baffles me is our self-righteous belief that those who don’t see things the way we do are somehow aiders and abettors or are somehow evil or – and wait for it — seeking favors from the powers-that-be a la looking for jobs. This line of thinking is very narrow and self-defeating – especially when espoused by the very people who consider themselves reformers and want to see a pluralistic Gambia – where dissent is welcomed; where it’s not heresy to hold a certain outlook on politics and whatnot.
The fact that other Gambians are chastised just because they are in The Gambia, with a platform or mic – and are not criticizing the government, shows, in my opinion, a narrowness and detachment from the realities in The Gambia – and that of our body politics. For some of us, we have been so long removed from our mother country that everything in The Gambia is pure conjecture, mostly seen from a theoretical optic.
I, for one, applaud every Gambian, with a cause, that challenges and protests against their government, both at home and those in distant lands. I feel like they have every right to – and boy – are they are brave and deserving of our highest praises. Nonetheless, not every Gambian is going to find such to be their calling – for every citizen sees things differently – and just because someone didn’t take up to the streets to protest against the government doesn’t mean that they are less patriotic or are supportive of the government. Such theoretical conclusions embody our pathetic and appalling narrowness.
Just because someone doesn’t come online to throw names and innuendos against the President and his Stone Age barbarism against our citizens doesn’t mean that they are less patriotic. Patriotism has many forms – and it cannot just be reduced to human rights or ballot box issues. It ain’t that simple.
We also have to come to the reckoning that the majority of Gambians are more worried about their next meal than the politics of the day. Even though politics has a lot to do with their situation – they are more focused on their basic pocketbooks. We are dealing with complex and intricate issues – and our prognoses and discussions, for the most part are very facile.
Unfortunately, with our simplistic approaches to complicated situations – and our appalling narrow-mindedness, we are becoming so radical that Gambians can no longer go to Gambia and post pictures of “beautiful” places, the people – and our picturesque ecosystem – without being labeled sympathizers and appeasers – it really just beggars belief. We can no longer voice out differing opinions on issues – without the petty polemics and ad hominem. Which begs the question: how are you any different from the very system you are fighting so hard to change?
As far as I am concerned – it’s perfectly okay to critique and challenge people – for it makes them grow; however, it becomes so futile when that divulges into some silly personal attack. We can hold conversations without the personal animus – for we are, I hope, better than that.
I am also of the opinion that, in an open-minded Gambia – some of us are going to be human rights activists, bringing to the fore the Stone Age barbarism met by some of the citizenry. Some are going to be advocates of economic development, where people can and will, in spite of the political and economic tumult, have access to capital and move themselves out of this brutal cycle of poverty. Some are going to bring the plight of the Gambian woman to the fore. Some are going to focus on capacity building, education, agriculture among other domains.
We, the online warriors, who profess and protest with the pen, I implore us all to tackle these complicated issues with an open-mind, give people the benefit of the doubt, know that we are not saints nor are we perfect in our endeavors; get to the realization that not everyone is going to sanction or be part of our “struggles” – and that doesn’t mean that they are against us, you know?
To that end, The Gambia, just like any other country, is a country of profound contradictions and stories. It cannot just be reduced to one story. An open-minded Gambia would allow, in tandem, with human rights activism – for others to discuss women and gender development, the arts, sports, “Babylon”, the good life, the crumbling education system, and heck – others could even have the right to not say or be part of anything of use to the country, even things and events we consider to be seminal to our lives and society. It should not and cannot be an either or situation, where if one doesn’t hop on your bandwagon – that they are against you. The Gambian Project cannot be monolithic – and with that said – all of our people, not just some, but all of our peoples are part of the fabric of our colorful nation – and all are needed to make The Gambia what it should be — a country of tolerance and magnificent open-mindedness.