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August: A Month of National Renewal,
Celebration and Reflection By Mohamed Sherif 10 August, 2010 This August 2010 marks the seventh year of the defeat of tyranny and the beginning of yet another democratic experiment in Liberia. Seven years ago, the guns fell silent; its operators withered across the Liberian landscape only to be known by varying macabre nomenclatures such as ex-fighters, ex-combatants, or former rebels. The momentous event seven years ago culminating into the collapse of the Taylor dictatorship signaled much-needed hope and freedom for the Liberian nation-state. Encircled by resistance forces on all three exit points of the "Monrovian peninsula", President Charles McArthur Gangster Taylor resigned on August 11, 2003 and fled the country. The only exit route was the RIA airport where Taylor was quickly airlifted, accompanied by Presidents Chisano of Mozambique and Kufuor of Ghana. On his way out, the disgraced tyrant made one more promise to the Liberian people: "God willing, I will be back." Mr. Taylor whose predictions over the years had had something of a prophetic prowess did indeed return one more time to his homeland. But this time unlike any other times, he returned a captured, war-crimes indictee on March 29, 2006. Instead of a red-carpet reception, Taylor, the false and satanic Messiah, was manacled when he landed at RIA. An unusually disheveled Mr. Taylor was immediately whisked off to Sierra Leone and confined to a Sierra Leonean jail before being subsequently transferred to The Hague. The false Messiah is currently on trial for crimes he committed against the innocent civilians of Sierra Leone. This is the classic fall of a monstrous despot. We must celebrate and be glad and give praises to our Omnipotent Sustainer of the Universe. But as we do so we must never forget with amnesia or lose sight of the sacrifices of gallant men and women who took matters into their hands when all else failed. These were mostly young men and women whose parents were victims of the various Massacres committed by Taylor’s dreadful army. They were Liberians uprooted from their homes and forced to live in refugee camps across West Africa. For if it was not for their sacrifices, I am unsure if we will be where we are at the moment. There was a time when the collective opposition was entirely muzzled and rendered ineffective. There was a time when all legitimate political contenders including current president Johnson-Sirleaf fled Liberia. It became apparent therefore that Taylor will not heed to the numerous calls from human rights advocates and the ever vocal clergy for socio-political reforms. Opposition politicians either had to conform and advance Taylor’s genocidal agenda or be eliminated. While pseudo-activists like Baccus Matthews and Lewis Brown were richly rewarded as poster boys of the tyrannical regime, genuine opponents like Samuel Dokie, were brazenly dispatched to the great beyond. Mr. Dokie, a former ally and founding member of the NPFL, had recanted his sins and defected to the progressive opposition. Taylor, always unforgiving, made sure Dokie paid with his life. On or around December 1, 1997, Dokie and three members of his immediate family were burnt alive in Gbarnga upon direct orders from Taylor. Taylor’s misrule rendered Liberia a global pariah state, a failed state governed by marauding hoodlums, economic vampires and promiscuous miscreants. Dictator Taylor finally listened when resistance groups with guns and other machineries of force dramatically punched their way into the Liberian capital and besieged his final power base. Just like Hitler and Mussolini before him, force was not only necessary, but force was unfortunately the only viable option left to evict a murderous maniac. The ensuing years and events without Taylor remain undoubtedly surreal. With Taylor gone, Liberia assumed an unprecedented democratic atmosphere. This false Messiah ignited a scorched earth campaign of deaths and destructions in December 1989 that resulted into the extermination of over 200,000 of his fellow compatriots. The cowardly Messiah fled for dear life once his heavily-financed military machine was comprehensively defeated. The political pressure from former U.S. President GW Bush was a welcome catalyst that hastened the demise of a decadent regime. While Mr. Taylor may never return to Liberia, his genocidal ideology still lives on. His disciples continuously remain ever committed to his diabolical ideals. Both at home and abroad, these disciples and snake-like individuals persistently spew hate and dream of the day their false Messiah shall return to finish their unfinished business. But good and decent people must never allow these devious agents of destruction to perpetually chart the direction of Liberia's new democratic module. In this month of National Reflection and Renewal, each and every Liberian and institutions of government have the unique opportunity to champion freedom, transparent justice and equality for all. In this month of Celebration, each and every Liberian has the opportunity to serve as an agent of peace and an advocate for justice. Liberians have the solemn duty to speak out against “land-grab” and illegal checkpoints festooned throughout the country. The Temple of Justice, home of the nation’s Supreme Court, must forcefully assume its true role as the highest arbiter of justice, the untainted referee on an unleveled playing field. Both the oppressed and the oppressors must not only see justice, they must feel the hands of justice. So if the policy of land-grab is unconstitutional, the Supreme Court must never remain mum. An activist Judiciary in these challenging times is a sine qua non to Liberia’s stability. If most or all of our checkpoints and the corrupt practices of extortions are illegal, the Supreme Court must to the extent of their unconstitutionality whack at these retrogressive and archaic policies and practices. Only then will the spirit of the departed and the innocent victims of Liberia's uncivil carnage truly rest in their numerous unmarked graves. The fight of Albert Porte and D. Twe was always for equality and justice. Those ideals must never be usurped by a Supreme Court bench anxious to satisfy the almighty Presidency. The epic struggle by the national student movements at the University of Liberian and around the country for social justice and peace in the 70s and 80s must never be shelved and shuffled for personal aggrandizement and enrichment. In this month of National Renewal and Reflection, Liberia must begin to rebuild itself as the true leader of justice and freedom for all of its citizens and inhabitants. Mohamed Sherif lives in Philadelphia. He can be reached at msherif18@yahoo.com |
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