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OPINION: OPEN LETTER TO SISTER BINTA GOUDIABY

Jun 6, 2017, 12:14 PM | Article By: SAIDINA ALIEU JARJOU

I was very astounded, disturbed and irritated beyond all human survival, when I log on to YouTube and saw the video purposely meant to preach tribalism.

 It is in that note I write with dismay to condemn and register my total dissatisfaction as per Sister  Binta Goudiaby video on YouTube, where she preaches tribalism.

The aforesaid immorality YouTube video was a hateful fabrication of intolerable huge lies, extreme dislike, deep-rooted academic and intellectual suicide, calculated and intended to portray the noble Jola tribe in bad light, and to maliciously destroy the dignity and impeccable integrity, which the Jola tribe is known for centuries ago.

I Saidina, being a Jola, the son of Foni, ancestors from Cassamance and my mother a Mandinka from Badibou, Farafenni will not waste time to refute any statement that will encourage and preach tribalism within us The Gambians and across.

Hate speech and tribalism will not solve a problem. It is only through dialogue; reasoning and critical thinking can help remedy the situation. It is arguable that the negative effects of tribalism permeate all African countries. Millions have been killed, maimed or displaced in civil wars in sub-Sahara Africa over the past 50 years, mostly because of tribal agitation. Most of us are living witnesses to the carnage that occurred in Rwanda and is still going on in Somalia. These countries have fallen into the abyss mainly because of tribalism.

It is my wish, now that the wars are coming to an end, to live happily in peace. All mortals from now shall live like one people, united and peacefully working forwards a common prosperity. You should regard the whole world as your country – a country where the best govern-, with common laws and no racial distinctions. I do not separate people as many narrow minded others do, I’m not interested in the origin or race of citizens. I only distinguish them on the basis of their virtue.

Let me finish saying that if our Gambia society permitted to do what their brain was capable of doing: their incredible entrepreneur skills, needed to make our society achieve development, happiness and living in peace and meaningful life. Moreover, it is the 21st century- no need any more to belief or relay as a social security: tribalism, fake ancestral lands; with that in mind- whether or not we are conscious of it, the alternative or choice is divisions, conflict, repeatable miserable gibberish refugee life

NB: Binta is not representing the noble Jola tribe nor the Fonika’s neither Cassamance on this particular issue. She is representing herself.

Finally, I wish to inform all Jola’s to restrain from any mean of conflict and violence. The Gambia belongs to us The Gambian’s both those home and abroad.

I dream of The Gambia where one day her citizens will continue to live as a family, where the joking relationship will buried the menace of tribalism.

God save The Gambia!!

BY: SAIDINA ALIEU JARJOU

Activist/ Blogger