Hi Pamela:
So you mean you are now labelling some of us racist..no no my dear lady. I aint NO racist.
I simply think Africa and africans have for many many years been used and reused by our so called Bwana from the west.! ..and it is about time we wake up to the realities now confronting Africans and Africa.
The Bwana uses his stooges to create wars in Africa, and because of the war 4,000,000 Africans loss their lives . what should be our response... according to Ayittey ..we must not blame Neo colonialist and Imperalist for our predicament.
The Bwana carnives with some african stooges to dispose Nuclear wast Material off the coast of Somalia...of course this is yet to have a disastrous effect on the health of Africans. Ayiitey say we must not blame the bwana.
We Africans live under the abuse of neo-colonialist and imperalist forces every single day in the year 2005.. and the Ayiitey's would argue that we should forget about foreign forces who are making out life miserable... and instead only hold african stooges accountable.. I say NYET!
Matek
pamelakilgore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
pamelakilgore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
It is disheartening to see that there are many black Africans who
would deny other people equality solely on the basis of race what they
thmeselves claim they are entitled to in spite of race. The case of
Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim in Tanzania is a typical example of this.
Here is a man who is running for president of Tanzania. Yet some of
the other contenders say he is not qualified to lead Tanzania simply
because he is an Arab. These are some of the very same people who
fought against apartheid! They are also some of the very same people
who have spoken out against discrimination of any kind. Salim, of
course, also has African blood from at least two tribes in Tanzania,
as he explained, one of which straddles the Tanzanian-Congolese
border. But, so what even if he was all-Arab? Why don't you let the
people decide who should be their lea der - black, white, Arab, Asian,
whatever regardless of race?
Do you get that?
I have closely followed political developments in Tanzania because of
the formidable influence President Julius Nyerere had on a continental
scale; although I disagreed with his socialist policies and one-party
authoritarian rule as much as I did with Nkrumah's and those of others
on the continent. But leaders such as Nyerere and Nkrumah did have
great influence which put their respective countries in the spotlight.
And they were some of the strongest opponents of apartheid and other
forms of racism in Africa. In fact, Dr. Nkrumah even married an Arab
woman from Egypt where his son Gamal Nkrumah (named after Egyptian
President Gamal Abdel Nasser) lives and works as a distinguished
journalist and columnist of the highly influential Egyptian newspaper,
"Al Ahram."
There are a number of Africans in this forum who admire the leaders I
have just nam ed. People like Professor Valentine Ojo, Matek Opoko and
others are undoubtedly some of them, judging them - among other things
- by their responses to Professor George Ayyitey's posts.
My question to them is this: Would Nyerere and Nkrumah have been
opposed to an Arab or a white becoming president of an African
country? Would Nyerere have said Dr. Salim cannot lead Tanzania simply
because he is an Arab?
And to Dr. Ojo, Matek and others cast in their mold, I have a few
simple questions: What is your definition of an African? From your
posts here, you imply that only blacks can be Africans and Africa
belongs only to black people. What about whites, Arabs, Asians and
others who live there as citizens of those countries? Do you consider
them to be African?
Do you consider whites in Zimbabwe and South Africa to be African,
unlike your hero, "angel" Robert Gabriel Mugabe who is so anti-white
that he has publicly stated that wh ite people don't belong in Africa,
they belong in Europe? And do you have any objection to Dr. Salim
Ahmed Salim running for president of Tanzania simply because he is an
Arab? Do you want him to "go back" to Oman where his Arab ancestors
came from, the same way Mugabe says about whites being non-Africans
but a people who belong in Europe?
I have not posted anything in this forum for quite sometime, but the
post on Dr. Salim prompted me to respond. What is happening to him
obviously is happening to others in other parts of Africa. Just look
at Dafur region. The people suffer there because of racism. And look
at the different ethnic groups in all African countries discriminating
against each other, with people in power favoring members of their own
tribes and regions. When is this going to stop?
Tanzania had a reputation, I doubt it's still intact, as one of the
most peaceful countries in Africa like the Ivory Coast. Now look at< BR>what is happening over there. Dr. Salim is not the only casualty.
Democracy is another casualty. Many people are against Salim Ahmed
Salim because he is an Arab - they want a black to be the next
president of Tanzania. Then you have "Three Wise Men" as the final
judge on who should be the next president of Tanzania, according to
another post I read here. And that has spiralled into what you now
have in Zanzibar: violence that's bound to escalate.
Do you still blame the West, and white people, for all that? And do
you still blame Professor George Ayittey for saying leaders are the
problem? Can't you see where the problem lies, Dr. Ojo and your
misguided compatriots? And since you are so "black" in your thinking,
what do you think about the vicious racist attacks Dr. Salim Ahmed
Salim has been subjected to, by some his fellow countrymen including
leading presidential contenders in Tanzania?
Just remember what Dr. Martin Luther King said: "Hate is too heavy a
burden to carry."
Believe me. I have seen it all. And I was there during the civil
rights movement. I am an African American. I know what it means to be
black. I also know that hate is not the answer.
Pamela Kilgore
--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "mchl_otieno" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, one of the leading contenders for president in
> this year's election in Tanzania has been subjected to a vicious,
> racist campaign by his opponents and detractors, including leading
> members of the ruling party CCM, simply because he is an Arab.
>
> Well, not quite, in terms of racial identity. He has made it clear,
> and those who know him and his family well also know it is true, that
> Dr. Salim is not just an Arab but also partly black African: of
> Nyamwezi and Manyema tribes in western Tanzania. The Manyema are also
> foun d nextdoor in Congo, the so-called Democratic Republic of Congo
> (DRC), and the Nyamwezi are one of the two largest tribes in Tanzania
> after their cousins the Sukuma who are about 7 million; the Nyamwezi
> about 3 million or so.
>
> One of the leading opposition leaders in Tanzania, Augustine Mrema of
> the Tanzania Labour Party (TLP) who once was a member of the ruling
> party (CCM) and served as deputy prime minister under President Ali
> Hassan Mwinyi and who almost won the presidency in 1995 as an
> opposition candidate, called a press conference in Dar es Salaam
> yesterday, April 26th, reminding the nation of what the late President
> Julius Nyerere warned against: discrimination of any kind.
>
> Despite his economic failures, Mwalimu Nyerere is ackonwledged by
> friends and foes alike, in Tanzania and elsewhere, that he was a firm
> believer in racial equality and opposed any kind of bigotry against
> anybody. In fact, when he died, members of the Asian community in
> Tanzania were worried that with Nyerere no longer on the scene, they
> would become targets of vicious discrimination and even attacks by
> black Tanzanians. But it never happened.
>
> Tragically, with the general election this year in October, some
> contenders for the presidency and their supporters have resorted to
> racist attacks against Dr. Salim, saying he does not deserve the
> presidency, and is not qualified to lead Tanzania (a predominantly
> black country) simply because he is an Arab. They are also appealing
> to tribal and regional loyalties to win the presidency, thereby
> splitting the country along ethnic and regional lines.
>
> Dr. Salim called a press conference to answer the false charges
> levelled against him, and here is a report from Dar es Salaam,
> Tanzania on what he said:
>
> "Salim Sets Record in Black and White"
>
> 2005-04-23 21:49:48
> By Simon Kivamwo
> "The Guardian," Dar es Salaam
>
> Salim Ahmed Salim, one of the presidential hopefuls under the ruling
> Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), has rebuffed a number of accusations
> levelled against him, insisting that his mixed blood status cannot
> prevent him from being a good leader of Tanzania.
>
> "Yes, it is true that I am a product of multi-racial and multi-tribal
> parentage - Arab, Nyamwezi and Manyema- but, all in all, I am a
> Zanzibari and, hence, a Tanzanian national like several others who are
> in a similar situation," remarked Dr Salim in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
>
> The veteran diplomat and politician asked : "Since when have those
> factors become import ant in our nation or party (CCM)? Where are we
> headed? Is this the legacy of the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere that we
> vowed to sustain?
>
> The people of Kinondoni District will alyways remember the good
> services of the late Derek Bryceson (he was of British origin and
> cabinet member under Nyerere and member of parliament for Kinondoni
> and Kilosa Districts for years and never lost an election to black
> candidates in overwhelmingly black constituencies). Likewise, the
> people of Morogoro won't forget the good services of the late Amir
> Jamal (of Indian origin and cabinet member under Nyerere who also for
> years never lost a parliamentary election to black candidates), both
> of whom were elected by the wananchi regardless of their colour, he
> said. Others in the list were Al Noor Kassum (also of Indian origin
> and cabinet member and member of parliament under Nyerere for years)
> ; and the late Dr. Leader Stirling (of British origin and cabinet member
> and member of parliament under Nyerere for years)."
>
> Dr. Salim questioned the rationale behind some people asking about his
> Arab origin as an issue now, while he had been in public service for
> 41 years, adding that it is a shame that in the 21st century, race and
> tribal origins should be harped on as crucial factors, as either
> merits or demerits.
>
> Flanked by Mohammed Fakih Mohammed and Ambassador Christopher Liundi,
> Dr. Salim told a well-attended press conference that he chose to speak
> out in reaction to a mudslinging campaign that was set in motion after
> he had declared an intention to seek CCM's endorsement to vie for the
> presidency in the October polls.
>
> He said the dirty, widely orchestrated campaign was in bad taste and
> inimical to the interests of both CCM and the nation.
&g t;
> Dr Salim said he had initially thought of ignoring the nasty
> allegations levelled against him, but on second thoughts, he opted to
> speak out in order to set the record straight.
>
> Elaborating, he pointed out that when lies are manufactured and
> consistently spread without being discounted, they tend to "graduate"
> into truth and may create fear and tension.
>
> Dr. Salim said the dirty campaign against him was fuelled by political
> motives, against which he asked well-intentioned people to be aware
> of, lest they create hatred.
>
> The presidential aspirant categorically refuted allegations that he
> was involved in the assassination of the first President of Zanzibar,
> the late Abeid Amani Karume, in April 1972, (who was also the First
> Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania).
>
> "During that time, I was Tanzania`s Ambassador to the UN. The day he
> was assassinated, I was in Conakry, Guinea, attending an African
> Liberation Committee meeting, of which I was chairman. It is thus
> extremely ridiculous for anyone to link me with the assassination," he
> remarked.
>
> Dr Salim mentioned senior posts he held after the late Karume's death
> as Minister for Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister, Minister for Defence
> and National Service, and Secretary General of the defunct
> Organization of African Union (OAU) - (the longest-serving
> secretary-general in OAU history).
>
> He wondered: "If I was really a culprit, how could have the three
> presidents - the late Mwalimu Nyerere, Ali Hassan Mwinyi, and Benjamin
> Mkapa - been either my appointing authorities, or instrumental in
> campaigning for me to secure international postings?"
>
> He said all the allegations are nonsensical and have the express
> intention of soiling his reputation.
>
> Reacting to some questions raised by journalists, Dr Salim said his
> spirit to fight for the country's independence made him get associated
> with various groups in the isles (Pemba and Zanzibar) such as the
> United Front of Opposition Parties (UFOP).
>
> "I am not a coward, I am a confident man who stands by ethics of
> freedom and my decision is final," he said in reply to a questioner
> who wanted him to prove his ability to rule the country.
>
> He also dismissed allegations that he has been using money from the
> Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation (MNF) (of which he is chairman) for his
> campaign: "The MNF is broke, I beg to say. Sorry for those making such
> claims," he said.
>
> * SOURCE: "Sunday Observer," Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Mwananchi is an open forum that discusses/updates you on the latest n ews in Africa. It is a group that is made up of 900 members worldwide. To join it simply go to http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/mwananchi
Yahoo! Groups Links
- To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mwananchi/
- To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
- Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site!
_______________________________________________ Ugandanet mailing list [email protected] http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
