Dear Editor,
When Radio Gambia opened in 1962, we were still under British rule. The news sequence was English, Wolof, Mandinka, Fula.
The sequence was changed, and Wolof moved from 2nd to 3rd place.
Christians, especially Akus, do not contest elections in The Gambia because a handful of people in our communities will not accept someone from a faith outside Islam to lead them.
The screening process Fulas in this country went through to acquire national documents was second to no other tribe. And once you were a light-skinned Fula, immigration always stopped you in the streets to ask questions about your identity. Barrow changed that to his advantage in his second term. Nowadays, 7 out of 10 published government appointees or promotions published are Fulani. Any young Fula that goes against this regime is seen as the black sheep of his family in most cases, because most of their tribesmen who went through the discrimination have been guaranteed by a state minister that this is a government for the Fulas, by the Fulas.
The Jolas were arguably the first settlers of this country, but when it was time to negotiate something as important as our independence at London’s Marlborough House in 1964, a delegation of 20 Gambian officials left our shores with no individual from the Jola tribe. In the next 30 years after independence, we used the Jolas in the Greater Banjul Area as house helps (maids), gatemen, while a handful of them in the civil service were reduced to messengers and drivers. This tribe lost its morale to an extent that a handful of them only spoke Mandinka in public to be accepted. Jammeh changed that!!!
The records are here: The Ahmadis contributed towards the socio-economic development of this country more than any other Islamic sect. Tens of thousands from our families graduated from their schools and countless others were cured at their health centres for peanuts. Yet, there is no Friday Jummah prayed that a senior Imam would not stand on his mimbar (pulpit) to curse them. But they never fought back despite being guaranteed freedom of association in this country’s constitution. 100 years ago, the existence of Islam was not a debate in Western Europe, but now, Muslims are observing Taraweeh and Eid prayers in the most luxurious stadiums in England. That’s inclusivity.
While attending lectures at UTG two weeks ago, the Diplomacy & Foreign Policy lecturer singled me out in a class of over 50 people and said, “You boy wearing African clothes, the hat and the chewing stick, define diplomacy for me.” I simply told him I don’t know. Since no one else was asked a question, why me?
My dress code has nothing to do with Islam. It’s my culture and that’s my identity.
Whenever I cross the ferry to Barra wearing a Chaya, I am escorted to the police station and thoroughly searched. I once asked an officer why, and his reply was, “It is the people wearing Chaya that are the drug traffickers.”
One thing we’ve learned from Iran is, the D200 million net worth Adama Barrow submitted to the IEC during the 2021 presidential elections is 50 times more than the combined net worth of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his martyred secretary Ali Larijani, who was controlling a budget of $1.2 trillion.
The Iranians have a 98% literacy rate, invested their funds in science and technology, have a corruption-free leadership, Muslims and Christians co-exist, and it boasts the most populated Jewish community in the Middle East outside Israel. Despite 47 years of sanctions, two of the most advanced militaries in the world couldn’t defeat them as a result of peaceful tribes and communities peacefully co-existing.
When one talks about discrimination, victimisation, and tribalism next time, believe that everyone else feels the same at some point in this country. The only way forward as a nation is peaceful co-existence, integration, and using our diversity as our strength.
The world has moved, let’s move!!!
Gallas Csay
Banjul
