The photo above is that of Dr. Isatou Touray and Amie Bojang-Sissoho: two honorable ladies, who made a career of fighting for women's rights in a male-dominated society. They have until a few days ago been engaging their countrymen to put a stop to some harmful practices undertaken in that society such as female circumcision. Along the way, they have gathered some powerful enemies, but they persevere. That is until they were arrested and detained at the Gambia's notorious mile two prisons on trumped-up theft charges.
Their arrest is a smokescreen on the larger socio-political dynamic taking root in the Gambia. Imprisonment without due process is the norm in Yahya Jammeh's Gambia and they have become the latest victims to this madness that has engulfed our nation since July 1994. Our people cower in fear while their fellow citizens are brutally subjected to inhumane treatments. Nations deserve their leaders and the Gambia is no exception. Gambians are not bystanders in this tragedy, they are active participants, aiding, abating and yes meting out inhumane treatments to prop up a dictatorship.
The comedy of tragedy extends to religious leaders as well. In civil and human rights crusades around the world, religious leaders take an active role in freeing oppressed masses. From the abolitionist movement to the civil rights struggle in the United States, religious leaders have been at the forefront. The Gambia's religious leaders have failed tragically in this arena. The Supreme Islamic Council has very recently dictated that a fellow imam refrain from preaching to the flock; because, well he is hurting their little feelings. Our Christian brethren, though not involved in any outright censorship that I know of, are missing in the fight against the infringement of rights that is a daily occurrence in their immediacy.
Yahya is who he is because Gambians have become fearful of their own shadows. A lot of Gambians aid this buffoon's ego trip and hurt a lot of innocent people along the way. The larger population has a cynical world view. It is never about them until one of their relatives is picked up and mistreated. The adage "injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere" has never been a mantle in our society. It is these two ladies today, it will be somebody's brother tomorrow until we shed the fear and confront cancer that is Yahya's brutality before it metastasized to a terminal stage. Then all bets are off.
1 Comment:
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November 26, 2010 at 8:17 PM
Hello! You have a wonderful blog! I am happy to visit here!
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