Dear Editor,
Genocide does not begin with mass graves. It begins with words. It begins with stereotypes left unchallenged, belittling jokes met with laughter and the casual scapegoating of an entire community for political gain. History shows that ‘the crime of crimes’ does not erupt overnight. It is cultivated over time through small, seemingly harmless acts of prejudice, discrimination, and dehumanization that society too often ignores, excuses, or normalizes. In The Gambia, the widespread and irresponsible use of tribal stereotypes should alarm us all.
It is unfortunate that, since independence, The Gambia has not taken practical and sustained steps to confront the harmful aspects of our cultures and beliefs, and nurture a national culture of diversity, inclusion and respect for the rights and dignity of every person. Every day, from the home to the market to the office, and across private and public spaces, we hear statements that are stereotypical, discriminatory, tribalist, sexist or homophobic.
Whether they come from religious leaders, politicians, journalists, public servants, civil society actors or other professionals, such statements frequently go unnoticed and unchallenged. Consequently, they become accepted, normalized, and reinforced. Within families and circles of friends, it is common to hear derogatory comments about other ethnic communities.
Politics, because it provides access to power, privilege, wealth and status, has made bigotry directed at religion, ethnicity, gender, disability, and age even more pronounced and insidious. Tribalism and other forms of prejudice are prevalent within public institutions, the private sector and even civil society as men and women compete for positions, influence, and opportunities. Religious, cultural, regional, and biological differences are exploited to justify discrimination, exclusion and even violence, all in pursuit of power and privilege.
Ironically, Gambians are quick to celebrate the widespread intermarriage between ethnic and religious communities, as well as the strong joking relationships that exist among ethnic groups, surnames, castes, communities, and regions. Yet, instead of these traditions strengthening mutual respect, equality and national cohesion, tribalism appears to be increasing and spreading.
Like every society, we must reach a point where we consciously decide that all Gambians are equal in rights and dignity as sovereign citizens, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, age, political affiliation, or origin. This requires us to cleanse our minds and hearts of bigotry and judge one another by the content of our character, and not by our names, origins, identities, or places of worship. It means democratizing our cultures by removing beliefs, practices and ideas that denigrate some people while elevating others merely because of their identity.
There are lessons to learn from societies elsewhere. Many countries, particularly in the West, have been compelled by their own histories of oppression and inequality to reform their cultures, institutions, and language to become more sensitive to diversity and identity. This is why terms traditionally framed as exclusively masculine have increasingly been replaced with inclusive language, for example, the shift from “chairman” to “chairperson.” Such reforms are neither trivial nor cosmetic. Language shapes consciousness, and consciousness shapes conduct.
The recent uproar involving Imam Baba Leigh and now repeated by Imam Daru Sanyang and others before them such as Seedy Njie should teach us an important lesson. When a highly positioned and widely exposed individual, who is also celebrated as a human rights defender, a religious leader, or a politician, can make stereotypical remarks about an ethnic group, it demonstrates how deeply tribalism, bigotry and other prejudices are ingrained in our society and subconscious. This incident must therefore serve as a wake-up call for The Gambia to confront this deep-rooted and widespread cancer consciously, honestly, and decisively.
We must be alarmed that our society is becoming increasingly polarized and intolerant, a dangerous path that can lead to persecution, conflict and, in the worst circumstances, genocide. Many years ago, I said that Truth no longer exists in The Gambia as we do not even agree on basic facts. Rather every issue and every person is viewed first through the lens of ethnicity, political party, or religion. A society built on such warped thinking in which citizens cannot agree on basic facts, is inevitably moving towards division and conflict.
This sectarian mindset excuses or condemns corruption depending on the ethnicity, religion or political affiliation of the person involved. It supports or opposes abuse of office according to the identity or party of the perpetrator. It demands or denies justice depending on who the victim is and who committed the violation. In such a society, principles disappear, facts become negotiable and wrongdoing is defended whenever the perpetrator belongs to “our” tribe, religion, or party.
We must remember that the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda was preceded by the rejection of Truth, the manipulation of identity and the systematic spread of sectarian propaganda, even though Hutus and Tutsis shared a common language and lived together in the same communities. Names, perceived physical features and social backgrounds were exploited and weaponized to determine who was Hutu or Tutsi. When the violence erupted, neighbours, relatives and members of the same communities turned against one another. Families and communities were torn apart as people who had lived side by side participated in the destruction of one another.
Gambians must wake up. Resorting to whataboutism and false equivalence because we wish to defend someone from our tribe, religion or political party will ultimately consume us all. If you have never condemned tribalism, start today. Do not search the past to determine who was condemned and who was spared before deciding whether to condemn or defend the tribalism occurring today. That posture may provide temporary satisfaction, but it causes permanent damage to the nation.
Tribalism is wrong regardless of who perpetrates it or which community is targeted. We must condemn it consistently, confront it collectively and ensure that no person or institution is permitted to normalize it. The time to act is now before careless words become discriminatory practices, discriminatory practices become persecution, and persecution becomes irreversible tragedy.
For The Gambia, Our Homeland.
Madi Jobarteh
Kembujeh