(By: Jadama Sadibu Stockholm, Sweden)

MY DEAREST HUMBLE COLLEAGUE,
 

When I previously wrote about tribalism issues on the freedom web, I was and still worried by the revivals of tribalism on Gambian website. I forcefully oppose many contributors’ narrow definition of tribalism and the faultiness it creates among Gambian web visitors as citizens of one nation. For reason of argument, and clarity, I will divide this article into two parts. Firstly, I will challenge the Town Crier’s constructivist understanding of tribalism. And, secondly, I will discuss the importance of this concept, and its value in 21st century Gambia’s integrative democratic politics.

I am unnerved by Town Crier’s article, and his stance of tribal identity. Equally troubling is the learned scholar’s projection of Presidents Jammeh as a monolithic concept; a posture that deifies contemporary reasoning on national identity and citizenship. I believe that as Gambians, we are all tainted by different cultural experiences, inter-tribal associations, and globalisation among other unlisted variables. Against this backdrop, the waffling mindset that certain tribal groups are “Islands unto themselves” is a flawed construct peddled by a subset of indigenous neo-imperial revellers, who still prance to the  i.e. the drums of 17th century. No person in the whole Gambia can claim exclusive right to belonging to a pristine tribal group. As Gambians, we are all mixed. Each one of us is an extracted product from many cultures, different tribes, and clans.

Contrary Town Criers definition of tribalism and his belief in serological purity, historical interconnectivity denies every Gambian any special claim to a single, and supposedly, an untainted tribe. In a global village, our individual identities, irrespective of one’s tribe membership, are interconnected, whether we like this fact or not. Being Mandinka, Aku, Wolof, Serere, Jola. Fula Manjago or Sarahule “doesn’t give any one the prerogative to deny others their Gambian citizenship. In many of his speeches, I do not think that President Jammeh has ever shied away from supplanting the value of Gambian citizenship with his true Gambian identity. True Gambians are not, and should not be, ashamed to trace their genealogical roots to other tribes. If anything, our familiarity with our multicultural heritage, and crisscrossed ancestry, must bolster our pride as worthy citizens, and add to our determination to convert our nation’s colourful experience, history, wealth of knowledge, and social capital to solidify Gambia’s moral credentials, and historical achievements.

I reject Town criers tribal stance, which puts his Excellency’s tribal group on the royal pedestal, while he devalues, other tribal groups as less acquiescent to basic human rationality. Equally I am trying to underscores the many substantive roles that each tribal group has played, and continues to play, in preserving our nation’s socio-cultural capital, growth, and development. Those who support tribalism in rejecting others based on their tribe only undercut our nation’s collective efforts to unlock the unexplored treasures of knowledge and inter tribal engagements. Secondly, it also stalls increasing undertakings by the government, and civil society, to knit together our fragile nation which has become less tolerant in the face of incendiary ethnocentric writings, which come with no prescriptive therapy to addressing our nation’s growing problems.

No culture is authentic, and neither are the people who believe in this constructed theory. Tribalism, like human culture, is an unending journey. As we navigate our way through many cultural spaces, and alleyways, we unconsciously pick unknown cultures to complement our own; an experience which has helped, and continues to help, to shape our understanding of other practices beyond our cultural territory. In recent times, Western scholarship, culture, and the fashion industry have appropriated romanticised, exoticised, eroticised, and commoditised indigenous African art, artistry, and dance. The West has successfully integrated the stated into new areas of specialty. In a funny twist, the Western fashion industry has made billions out of “Thongs” and G-Strings” which are stolen designs from African Wrestling Dress code.” In a global village, Western corporate executives understand the profits that come with integrative creativity, and the commoditisation of Africa’s originality.

Despite the rivalry between many of the world’s religions, and Christianity’s negation of other religions as ungodly, we see some form of commonality between historical ecclesiastical adversaries, and increased calls for inter-denominational accommodation to minimise world conflicts. The worship of Ahmadiya religion in the Gambia attests to the intersectional of global religions as humanity migrates to each other’s cultural spaces.

As a nation, we will always stumble upon the malcontent people who convulse at seeing others who don’t look, talk, walk, dance, sing and think like them. We will also encounter the many who fail to acknowledge “everyone as equal partners in nation-building. However, beneath the edifice of Town Criers   constructivism are patriotic, and non-partisan who have contributed immensely to our nation’s growth, and development through his online contribution enlightening the Gambian masses with vital information about the Gambia, even though as he claimed in his recent article, despite years of other tribes rejection by other dominant groups in key government positions, and the bleeding wounds afflicted on them by depraved politics, and policies. No tribal group can assert “lordship” over the other. Let’s embrace each other, and respect what we bring to the table. To deny other tribal groups their rightful place in national politics is to assault the values of freedom and justice for all. These are honestly the sense that I am trying to project into the online readership.

The 21st century requires that we place less emphasis on our tribal issue. It should not hold sway over our dealing with others, and the state’s distribution of the nation’s assets and resources. Let’s respect, and see each other’s tribe, and culture, not as a threat, but rather as strength. Out of diversity, comes unity. Finally, by no means is this article an attack on Town Crier. He is a fine scholar of Journalism and a gentleman I enjoy so much reading his wonderful postings online. On the contrary, it is meant to call for a dialogue, and reaching a common understanding that we all are Gambians, no matter one's tribal identity. Together with our ideologies, we could surely make our dear nation a safe heaven Let the struggle continues!!!

SSjadama.

 e-mail: sjadama@hotmail.com