The Source of Liberian People’s Lack of Patriotism: An Interview/Conversation with Rabbi Gbaba Conducted by the Young Sage Kwame Weeks on the Face Book “Grand Gedeh Forum” Column Introduction: Just for the benefit of the reading public, this conversation and interview was spurred by the young sagacious Kwame Weeks who out of curiosity positively engaged Rabbi Gbaba to provide more insight on his recent response to the inquiry made by Sir Zai Zar-Zar Bargblor on the Face Book “African Intellectual Forum” column stating: “I want to know how the KWA speaking people of West Africa are related to the Jewish people of Israel” (see Rabbi Gbaba’s response in the “African Intellectual Forum” column). Below is the interchange between Rabbi Gbaba and Kwame Weeks in the “Grand Gedeh Forum.” •Kwame Weeks: Hmmmmmm! Could you provide us with some peer-reviewed comments, backed with some data? Though convincing, but I find it very interesting but hard to comprehend...Its a good read though... • Joseph Gbaba The research as I stated in the communication is not yet verified, especially with respect to the Kwa people vis-a-vis the Israelite but other information such as the name of the Krahn people and what the word Krahn means need no peer review because you dont expect the white man to tell you what the word Krahn means but a Krahn man or woman who knows the history about her own people. Besides, that is why I am requesting that we do research on our own history and culture and not rely on outsiders or westerners to search and provide our own sources. You and I should go about finding out who we are, and document it for the world to quote us and not for us to quote people other than ourselves all the time, unless such outsider had the opportunity to conduct research in Liberia or the particular region under review. But that we and Grebo or Kru, or Bassa or Sarpo or Belleh or Deiweion people are Doe-dees and we share common boundaries and some similar religious beliefs are indisputable. You can find that out for yourself. The only problem is that these pieces of information are not properly written or document except mainly by word of mouth or through oral tradition. Therefore there is also a need to record our oral tradition and the article above is an example of how we can do that to document our history in writing. Then we can quote or provide peer review in the future. That is why it is stated that the information is not verified. Any other questions please feel free to contact me. Thanks for your comments. Kwame Weeks Great points, carefully struck...Question: Is there a difference between Israel-ites & Israel-is? If so, where can you place the Kwas if history proves you to be correct? We know that a vast number of Ethiopians have been resettled in Israel claiming they are black Jews which almost authenticate some points made by you. However, these black Jews are not being treated equally in Israel according to unsubstantiated reports...Lets assume you are right; will the Kwas (after migrating to Israel_ ever be treated like the white-Jews? Your take! • Joseph Gbaba There Are Many Missing Pieces to Our History That We Must Research Ourselves. To answer your very sensitive question, my response is No. The reason is that there is a battle between us the descendants of African Jews (including our Brothers and sisters in Ethiopia) and western Jews who migrated from Europe and were settled in Asia Minor or the Middle East after the Second World War. These European Jews claim to be the chosen people of God and the “original” Jews but in 1945 after World War II they were planted where they are today which is Palestinian land of course, just to prove to the world that God chose the Whites to be his chosen few and Blacks and the rest of human race to be the damned ones; and, that the white race is superior to the black race and all other races despite the advances that were made in Africa and Asia long before Europeans were known to the world. So, there are many missing pieces to our history that we must research ourselves to disprove the hypothesis of westerners that they are the original Jews. For, history did not reveal it that way especially when westerners themselves believe and there is proof that the first or oldest human fossils were found in Kenya or Tanzania in Eastern Africa and that if human life began there that it is probable that the so-called Garden of Eden is even believed to be somewhere around the Nile River Valley and Lake Nyanza or what the westerners call Lake Victoria (named for Queen Victoria of England). The native name of the lake was changed by a European explorer named John Hanning Speke, who was the first European to discover it (Wikipedia). Lake Nyanza is the largest lake in Africa and chief reservoir of the Nile, lying mainly in Tanzania and Uganda but bordering on Kenya and it was in this region that the Zinjanthropus boisei (oldest human fossil) was discovered by a European anthropologist named Louis Leakey in the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania in 1959. But do you know how many places in Africa whose names were changed by European explorers and writers just to erase our African history and denigrate our African culture? Millions of places and millions of names, relics, statues, pyramids, the Great Library of Alexandria in Egypt that was the storehouse of our history, culture, knowledge, and the source of ancient African civilization, an epitome of Egyptian Civilization, were all destroyed in order for the white race to claim superiority over the black people and all peoples of the world. So, the segregation that you speak of in modern day Israel is an example of the so-called white Jewish people’s fear that if they recognize the Black Jews the truth might surface that African Jews were the original Jews because human life began initially in Africa and not in Europe or any place else in the world. Hence, if even the Kwa people went to that troubled land instead of returning to the Nile River valley in Ethiopia from whence they came there will be no peace and they will not be recognized because of the insecurity of the white Jews. This is just the plain fact. Kwa people will not be treated differently from the way African Jews from Ethiopia who settled in the modern state of Israel are presently being treated”. And the fact that the land that present day Israel occupies is in contention because the Palestinians contend it is their land, this even makes it more probable that the original state of Israel might have been located on the continent of Africa other than Asia Minor. But again, we have to do research and put the broken pieces of our history together in order to arrive at the truth because as you can observe from our conversation and exchange of ideas so far, there are a lot of missing pieces to the puzzle concerning where the original state of Israel was located and the reason why white Jews in present day Israel would discriminate against their fellow Jews irrespective of racial differences. Kwame Weeks Our country (Liberia) have not taught us to be patriotic which makes it hard-if not difficult- to be proud of our culture. Those who are even master of this terrain do not share materials like you are doing...Can this study be generally reviewed and accepted by other peers to be incorporated in the Liberian historical curriculum? If so, what will be your suggestion? One that will be void of political opinions from both sides of the aisle. Last thing: Since you could not be definitive about where we will be placed as Kwas-whether Israelis or Israelites-; do you believe in predestination? I asked because you asserted that God already chose certain folks to go to Heaven according to the Jewish scriptures...I know a bit about Calvinism Rabbi Gbaba: Again, I must commend you, Mr. Weeks, for your thoughtfulness. Coming to the home front (meaning Liberia in particular or even here in the United States whose rule of thumb those in Liberia use to lord over the people of Liberia instead of serving Liberians), the powers that be conceal from the general populace important historical and cultural information regarding the black race (in the case of the United States) and of the indigenous people of Liberia, in a deliberate attempt to keep their respective citizens in the dark and subsequently pull them by their noses like puppets. Just for public knowledge there are two important aspects of human resource development that cannot be overlooked in any given society or that society will be doomed to self-destroy itself. These two essential components of development are: (1) culture; and (2) education. What Is Culture? On the one hand culture is a way of life of a people in any given society: the customs, values, and mores of the people; the types of foods they eat, their costumes and habitats; the language (s) they speak and their interrelationships; their primary sources of livelihood; their belief systems, forms of governance, economic and social structures and the method by which a people pass on to future generations their blessed heritage. Hence, in the first place if one lives in a given society and he or she is not aware of these important aspects of his or her culture then that individual is likely to be mentally lost and incapable of making informed decisions in his or her own best interest. Hence, such an individual automatically becomes a human puppet that can be pulled on a string by his or her master for such a person will live in perpetual darkness and will have no voice of his or her own. Secondly, the status quo in both the United States and Liberia intentionally denigrate African culture while those of European descent celebrate their diverse cultural heritages every single day whereas only the month of February is partially devoted to the celebration of African culture in the United States. In Liberia it was for over a century a taboo to speak traditional Liberian languages or wear traditional African garbs in public or in private and those who dare tread the path of promoting their traditional heritage were jeered at by their blind countrymen and those in power who were taught to appreciate western culture above their own. Hence those who were avid supporters of their traditional culture were not recognized or accepted in the Liberian society—especially in government. In fact it was even forbidden back in the day unlike these modern days for Liberians of indigenous descent to marry Liberians of settler descent. Such segregation was carried over to public life, such as employment and the denial of equal opportunity for Liberian citizens of tribal origin, thus giving rise to the Who know you system in Liberia. For over a century Native Liberians who lived in the hinterland of Liberia were denied participation and representation in the national government of Liberia. It was not until after one hundred and seventeen years of independence that the Natives in the hinterland were granted political status and representation by President Tubman through his Unification and Integration policy when the Eastern Province (Grand Gedeh) Northern Province (Nimba), Central Province (Bong) and Western Province (Lofa) were declared counties and thus were able for the very first time to elect (or should I say hand pick or select) representatives and senators to represent them in the Liberian Legislature. Added to the lack of political representation or deprivation of economic benefits for Native Liberians as well as the uneven distribution of the nations wealth, with the minority owning over 90% of the wealth of Liberia and the vast majority (the indigenous peoples owning barely nothing) were the problems of forced labor and economic slavery that led to the Fernando Po crisis in the 1920s. So bad was it that the government of President C.D.B. King was pressurized by the League of Nations to resign. So politically, socially, and economically the Natives of Liberia have been subjugated to a culture of hardship, human degradation, gross injustice, suppression, oppression and impunity for over a century and a half. Education and the National Curriculum of Liberia: The Source of Our Lack of Patriotism On the other hand if I were to define the term “education” in my own words I would say: “Education in its general sense is a form of learning in which the knowledge, skills, and habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to the next. In addition there is a need to also define the term ‘patriotism’ so that we may get a clear picture of why our educations system and national curriculum are key sources of our lack thereof. Patriotism strictly means love for one’s country; but how can one develop love for a country if you are taught in the classroom that your country means nothing and that everything that is Liberian is negative and counterproductive? How can a citizen of Liberia develop love and devotion for Liberia and contribute meaningfully to its development when those in power convince you it is okay to steal public funds and convert them to one’s own private use and benefit while the greater interest of the majority is put on hold? Against this backdrop, the knowledge, skills and habits that are embedded in the nation’s curriculum and that are taught and passed on from one generation to the next are counterproductive. Therefore if this is what education truly means in the Liberian sense then it is safe to assert that Liberians were taught the wrong knowledge, skills, and habits over the past century and a half. Consequently, the educational system in Liberia is the source of Liberian people’s lack of patriotism for the following reasons: (1) Liberians are taught to appreciate western way of life and to degrade traditional Liberian culture or way of life. An example is the demolition of the National Cultural Center at Keneja in order to build a hotel; (2) textbooks and instructional materials used to teach Liberian learners are not culturally relevant to the Liberian experience. Most of the textbooks are written by foreign or western writers and the texts teach western skills, knowledge, and habits to African/Liberian students while the contents of the instructional materials neglect to teach Liberian learners the basic knowledge, skills, and habits they need to learn about their immediate environment in which they live. Further, the educational system does not teach Liberians to be self-expressive, self-sufficient and production oriented; it does not advocate justice and fair play and equality and equality of opportunities for all its citizens. Instead, the educational system is structured to promote the culture, habits, and knowledge of the minority that rule the majority and it preaches a culture of impunity and deep silence where ordinary Liberian citizens are not taught their constitutional rights and privileges but are rather taught to be subservient and to “leave the people’s thing alone.” Thus, this mode of education does not promote democratic inclusion, justice and equality and fair play but instead it fosters a perpetual situation where the learned minority rules the ignorant majority. Therefore, the educational system and national curriculum of Liberia are the key sources of our lack of patriotism to say the least. Rabbi Joe Gbaba, Sr., Ed. D. August 28, 2014
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 04:30:55 +0000
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