Newpapers

Gambian newspapers are a mixed bag - sometimes interesting social commentary, sometimes revoltingly sycophantic to the President.

There are about 4 regular papers in the area - the Observer (strongly pro-government), the Point (mildly pro-government) and Foroya (=Freedom) and the Independent (both anti-government). The Independent is currently produced by photocopying, because the printing press they used was burnt after they wrote something nasty about the President...

There are some absolute peaches of (unintentionally) comic articles and headlines too. Take this one for starters from yesterdays Observer:



I think the headline meant to convey that the police were just being a bit reflective, but it sounds like the police were pinching some unfortunate farmer's cattle ... which, of course, the angelic incorruptible police here would never dream of doing...












But my favourite is this outraged letter in the Observer from a Gambian living abroad in the UK.









I don't think that the resolution from this photo is good enough to read it, so I've re-typed it word-for-word for your enjoyment:



Observer Mail - letters page Jan 6 2006

Headline : "Re: Homosexuality"

Editor

This Sunday, 6th November 2005, the American Homosexual Bishop of the Anglican Church, Gene Robinson, was on BBC in UK. He said "I was born that way. I was married to a woman for 14 years and I have 2 daughters. Now I am happy with my boyfriend of 15 years," concluded the bishop. The BBC asked viewers for commments and I texted back as follows:

"No, he was not born that way beacuase he says he was married for 14 years! By the way, if I decide to live with my donkey as my partner, can I claim to have been 'made that way by God' ?" Needless to say, my comments were NOT broadcast. No surprise there - Prime Minister Tony Blair passed a law to make it possible for me, as a teacher to marry my boy-pupil, provided he is aged 18.

I am delighted that President Jammeh ahs spoken against this Western sickness which must never be tolerated in Africa.

Dida Halake, Leeds, UK.

I didn't make this up - honest !