TANGANYIKA CCM'S IMPERIALISTIC DESIGNS ARE ZANZIBARI'S NIGHTMARE
BY FIRASH MIHARBI
 |
| Campaign Poster 2010 Election |
I read the article by Ali Mufuruki
titled “The problem of Zanzibar cannot be addressed without understanding the
Revolution” in The East
African magazine, with a
unique sense of excitement and yet at the same time I was shocked and awed by
the level of ignorance that he displayed in his latest narrative aimed at
perpetuating a pseudo-justification that adds nothing more than extending the
mainland Tanzania’s grip and entrench direct rule over the sovereignty of
Zanzibar. Mr. Mufuruki should clearly understand by now that the majority of
the people of Zanzibar see these kinds of narratives as nothing but the product
of ethno-supremacist hatred made from the CCM’s neo-colonial enterprise over
Zanzibar. And that is why for that reason, and in defiance of such
ideological import from the mainland, the majority of the people of Zanzibar,
irrespective of their ethnic background, colour, religion or creed, have
rejected such politics of hatred and instead voted for hope and aspirations of
the modern day needs of the economic and social progress since 1995 as Mr.
Mufuruki himself admits.
If Mufuruki’s narrative were to be
accepted, how then would you explain the so-called “descendants of slavers”
emerging as winners of all these elections since 1995? Does Mufuruki imply that
racist and ethno-supremacist politics of CCM that risk inviting a new breed of
political fascism in Zanzibar come before the sanctity of an individual’s
democratic right which is the right to a free, fair, credible and just vote?
Talk about history and it is the
CCM’s ideological lens that continues to disseminate such a vicious and
ridiculous propaganda in schools, demonizing Arabs and Swahilis in particular
and Muslims in general in their never-ending thirst to use the historical evil
of 17th, 18th and 19th century slavery in order to distract the people and
glorify the genocide they committed just 50 years ago and their present day
evils and failures to recognize the sovereign right of Zanzibar in the Union,
or suffocation of democracy and wanton violation of human rights against
helpless, vulnerable and defenceless people of Zanzibar who are now being
literally flooded with Jakaya Kikwete’s military arsenal as if Tanzania was
going to war against another powerful sovereign state in the neighbourhood.
Mufuruki’s personal arrogance and ignorance makes matters worse when he adds a
pseudo-Marxist analysis about classes, and yet again, equate all this to
ethnicity in a population that is so ethnically mixed. Doesn’t he know that
there is hardly a family in Zanzibar that has no relatives from other so called
"ethnic groups”? He should have sincerely done just a little research and
discover for himself how many among the Revolutionary Council had
"Arab" or "Indian" wives, and how many of their children
were married to so called "non-African" or go back into history and
find out how many Sultans of Zanzibar had "African" ancestors as
well; or even travel to Zanzibar today and carry out a real statistical census
and see for himself the demographic composition of the voters who voted for CUF
in another hijacked elections last week.
Zanzibar is made up of small islands
community just like any other small islands in the world - whether in
Caribbean, Pacific, or in the Indian Ocean region. Mufuruki should know that
what CCM is doing is to show to other small island communities in the world
that some continental states like Tanganyika would stop at nothing in ensuring
the total annexation of a people whose fate was almost sealed 51 years ago and
complete that annexation of a people with a total overhaul of their history,
culture and a way of life.
Every society, at some point of time,
succeeds in seeking reconciliation and we in Zanzibar began the process in
November 2009 when our two great leaders, Seif Shariff Hamad and Dr. Amaan
Abeid Karume brought Zanzibar back from the brink and began the process of a
true national reconciliation. It proved that Zanzibaris were able, out of their
own will and choice, to come together and rebuild their country without a
direct negative interference from imperial Tanganyika’s CCM. In July 2010, 66%
of Zanzibaris voted to install a Government of National Unity and reject the
politics preferred by the imperialists in Tanganyika. What then is Mufuruki’s
agenda if not servicing the divisive imperialist politics instigated by
Tanganyika’s CCM over Zanzibar today? It is Mufuruki who needs to be educated –
and not from Tanganyika’s school curriculum which is loaded with propaganda --
and understand what Zanzibar and Zanzibaris want, not for him to have that
ignorant view of defining who we are. We are a sovereign people, just like any
other in this world.
Zanzibaris need an immediate and a
permanent international intervention before CCM’s military rule starts clamping
down on our pro-democracy advocates. Majority of Zanzibaris who came out to vote
in droves for change last Sunday are grateful of an array of international
community who came out in defence of democracy, justice and equality. We need
more international intervention to restore our democratic right of choice and
stop illegal interference from CCM in Tanganyika with its imperial colonial
designs. CCM’s imperial colonial agenda is the problem devoid of solution, and
Mufuruki should not, as a consequence of his ignorance and narrow perspectives,
attempt to intimidate the international community on behalf of CCM.
Parenthetically, there are many foreigners, some working in embassies, who are
better informed about the problems between Zanzibar and Tanganyika than the
likes of Mufuruki.
Sadly, the people of Zanzibar are
left pinned between the rock and a hard place. Yet again, their just and
democratic aspirations are being dismissed with extreme prejudice and at the
level of political arrogance exercised by imperial CCM in Tanganyika in front
of the international community. We need international intervention to restore
democracy rather than being bombarded by negative narratives coming from people
such as Mufuruki who are part of the problem for Zanzibaris and in many ways
for themselves and their own future as well, even though they are incapable of
perceiving this fact.
Firash Miharbi
The above article is a reply to the
following article (open the following link):
No comments:
Post a Comment