Mohamed Said
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 2, 2008
- 21,967
- 32,074
Nikusahihishe kwanza. Historia haina mwenza. Kuna historia kamili au isiyokamilika. Historia 'rasmi' siyo lazima isiwe historia sahihi kwani rasmi yaweza kuwa ni historia sahihi lakini haijakamilika. Mtu akisema kuwa alipotoka Ubungo kwenda Kariakoo alipata maeneo ya Urafiki, Manzese na Magomeni halafu akaenda zake hadi Kariakoo anaweza kuwa ameelezea kitu sahihi kabisa na mtu wa kumwelewa atakuwa amemwelewa. Lakini akisema kuwa ndio ametaja sehemu zote alizopitia kwa hakiki siyo kamili kwani kuna maeneo mengine ambayo ameyaruka na hajatuelezea kama wakati anafanya hivyo alichepukia pembeni. Lakini kwamba ametuambia njia aliyoipitia kutoka Ubungo basi kwa kiasi kikubwa tutamwelewa.
Historia ambayo wengi wetu tumejifunza imetaja watu wengi sana na kinyume na unavyodai hakuna kitabu chochota kinachotumika katika shule za Tanzania (iwe msingi, sekondari au vyuo vikuu) ambayo inatumia kitabu 'rasmi' ambacho kinaelezea historia kuwa ya kupigania uhuru ilianzia na Nyerere mwaka 1954. HAKUNA KITABU HICHO.
Sasa uzuri wa historia ni kuwa ni somo ambalo linaweza kuongezewa taarifa zaidi ili kulifanya kuwa kamili zaidi na kuwasaidia watu kujua zaidi na zaidi. Nilipoagiza kitabu chako nilitaarajia kusoma historia yetu ya wazee wetu na mchango wa wale ambao walikuwa wamesahauliwa. Nilipokisoma taratibu nilianza kuona pattern ya ajabu ukitokea.
a. Kila mwenye jina la Kiislamu ulimuita Muislamu bila ya kujali kama alikuwa anaamini yale yale au hata kama alikuwa anashika dini. Wengine ambao unawataja kuwa ni "waislamu" kwa kweli kabisa walikuwa ni wenye imani za jadi zilichanganywa na Uislamu ndani yake na hata wengine wanaweza kabisa kuwa walikuwa ni washirikina! Lakini hili kwako si hoja kwani hoja kwako ilikuwa ni 'majina ya kiislamu".
b. Baada ya muda 'Waislamu' wakawa ni wale tu waliokuwa kwenye jumuiya fulani fulani watu wenye majina ya Kiislamu lakini hawakuwa kwenye jumuiya hiyo hawa ukaanza kuwapa makundi mengine lakini ukaanza kuwatofautisha kwa kuwataja kwa mahali wanakotoka.
c. Unapofika mwaka 1963 unaanza kuwagawa "Waislamu" siyo kwa imani zao au la bali kwa kuangalia waliokuwa ndani ya TANU na wale waliokuwa nje ya TANU. Waliokuwa ndani ya TANU wakaanza kuangaliwa kwa shuku na ilipofika wakati wa kuvunjwa EAMWS Waislamu wakawa ni wale tu waliohusiana na EAMWS lakini wale waliobakia ndani ya TANU na wakaunda BAKWATA hawakuwa WAislamu japo HAKUNA USHAHIDI hata mmoja kuwa waliopiga kura kule Iringa kulikuwepo na Wakristu, Maaskofu au Wachungaji. Kama kigezo chako cha kwanza cha "majina" kuwa ndio Uislamu ingetosha kabisa kufanya BAKWATA ni halali kwani wote walioanzisha walikuwa ni wenye majina ya Kiislamu!
d. Lakini kwa vile lengo lako lilikuwa kuandika habari za "Waislamu" ambao walikuwa wanakubaliana na wazee wako au ambao waliamini wameonewa basi ikabidi uhakikishe kabisa kuwa huandiki habari za Watu wengine ambao hawakuwa Waislamu japo michango yao labda ililinga na wengine hata ilizidi ya wale uliowaita 'wazee wako'. Lakini hukufanya hivi tu. Ukaamua pia kuwafuta Waislamu wengine wote ambao walikuwa hawakubaliana na wazee wako na kuwaweka kwenye footnotes za Kitabu au mwisho wa kitabu.
Sasa kumbe wakati unawatuhumu wengine kuwa wanafundisha historia "rasmi" ambayo imepotosha watu walitarajia kuwa na wewe ungeendika a more comprehensive history of Tanzania's early days. La hasha. Na wewe ukaenda kuandika historia yako 'rasmi' ambayo haikuwa na lengo jingine lolote bali kuonesha ukuu wa Waislamu katika harakati za kupigania uhuru na kuonesha kuwa wao ndio walitaka kuwa huru zaidi kuliko jamii nyingine. Kumbuka ukajikuta unatukuza watu fulani fulani tu na siyo ukweli wa historia. Wakati unamtuhumu Nyerere kupindisha historia kuwa alijipendelea na wewe mwenyewe ukafanya kile kile cha kupindisha historia na kuwapendelea Wazee wako. Wakati unamlaumu Nyerere kuandika historia ambayo imewaweka watu wengine pembeni - japo hakuna ushahidi wa Nyerere kuhusika kuandika historia - wewe mwenyewe ukaandika historia ukiwaacha watu wengine pembeni.
Kama vile wale wengine unadai walidai kuwa historia yao ilikuwa rasmi lakini haijakamilika wewe mwenyewe unadai sasa historia hii ya kwako ni 'kweli tupu' wakati nayo haijakamilika. Kubali yafuatayo kwanza:
a. HIstoria yako si kamili na haiwezi kuwa historia rasmi
b. Historia yako imeandikwa kwa ajili ya kuenzi wazee wako lakini siyo kwa ajili ya kuonesha ukweli wa historia
c. Historia yako imetokana zaidi na hisia kuliko historia.
d. Historia yako imelengwa katika kupotosha mchango wa Wazee wetu ili kuonesha upande mmoja wa wazee wetu (Waislamu wa Gerezani) walikuwa ndio magwiji wa uhuru wa Tanganyika na watu wengine wote wakiwa ni watu walionufaika na hao wazee wa Gerezani.
e. Historia yako ina lengo la kukana nafasi ya pekee (unique role) ya Nyerere kama Baba wa Taifa (hili jina hakuanza kuitwa baada ya kustaafu, upo ushahidi wa Kambona kumuita Nyerere "baba wa Taifa" katikati ya 1960s). Wazee wa Dar-es-Salaam walitambua nafasi hiyo ya Nyerere, waliiheshimu na waliishi naye katika uhusiano wa kuamianiana (patnership of trust).
f. HIstoria yako haitaki kukubali ukweli kwamba Nyerere kama Rais alikuwa na wajibu kwa Watanganyika wote na asingeweza katika dhamira safi kutoa upendeleo wa pekee kwa wazee fulani kana kwamba wazee wengine hawakushiriki. Kikundi cha wazee wanaomlalamikia Nyerere leo hii ni wale ambao walitarajia kuwa wangepata nafasi fulani au upendeleo fulani (Nyerere aliligusia hili katika hotuba yake ile ya 1962).
Kubali haya kwanza ili tuweze kusonga mbele.
MM,
Hapo chini ni kutoka mada niliyotoa Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO), Berlin miezi michache iliyopita:
History in Revision
[1] The late Prof. Haroub Othman after reading Sheikh Ali Muhsin's book Conflict and Harmony in Zanzibar and thewriter's book The Life and Times of Abdulwahid Sykes 1924 -1968 The Untold Story of the Muslim Struggle Against British Colonialismin Tanganyika, Minerva Press, London 1998 andhaving come across hitherto unknown information on Nyerere was devastatedbecause he was a great admirer of Nyerere as a patriot and a nationalist. Thetwo books had painted him differently. Prof. Haroub confronted Nyerere and toldhim that the allegations in those two works have tarnished his image and headvised him to respond to them. Nyerere never did. Christian lecturers at Dares Salaam University are discouraging students from making references to thosetwo books. Dr. Harith Ghassany's book KwaheriUkoloni Kwaheri Uhuru, has also come up with more information on Nyererehitherto unknown in the Zanzibar Revolution and the bloodbath which followed.
[2] In all historical references to Maji Maji War hero and Chief of WangoniAli Songea Mbano, his Muslim name "Ali" would be omitted and he would bereferred to as Songea Mbano.
[3] MohamedSaid, The Life and Times of AbdulwahidSykes (1924 –1968), The Untold Story of the Muslim StruggleAgainst British Colonialism in Tanganyika Minerva Publishers, London, 1998.
[4] Mohamed Said, Broken Dreams, TheLife of Ally Kleist Sykes, Phoenix Publishers, Nairobi 2011 (Forthcoming).
[5] Issa Ziddy, Sheikh Hassan bin Ameir (1880-1979). Also See Mohamed Said, "Sheikh Hassan bin Ameir -The Moving Spirit of Muslim Emancipation in Tanganyika (1950 – 1968)" (Paperpresented at Youth Camp Organised by Zanzibar University, World Assembly ofMuslim Youth (WAMY) and Tanzania Muslim Students Association (TAMSA) 27[SUP]th[/SUP]February – 4[SUP]th[/SUP] March 2004.
[6] Bibi Titi was recruited into TANU by Schneider Abdillah Plantan andbegan to mobilize people particularly women to join the party even before hecame to know Nyerere.
[7] Bilali Rehani Waikela one of the TANU founder members in WesternProvince in 1955 and Regional Secretary of the East African Muslim WelfareSociety (EAMWS) was detained by Nyerere in 1964 for "mixing religion andpolitics." His personal papers were of great help in understanding the EAMWScrisis of 1968 and the reasons why Nyerere detained prominent sheikhs andbanned the society in 1968. A documentary of his political life has been madeand although not officially recognized as a patriot Muslims now consider him asone of the heroes of the independence movement. For more information seeMohamed Said, "In Praise of Ancestors," AfricaEvents (London) March/April 1977.
[8] G. Mutahaba, Portrait of aNationalist: The Life of Ali Migeyo, East African Publishing House, 1969.
[9]Maji Maji Museum in Songea which has been greatlydesecrated removing all signs of Muslim symbols during the Maji Maji War withGermans. The Maji Maji Museum at Peramiho under the Catholic Church has closedits doors to young Muslims for fear of criticism for distorting history. AllMuslim symbols in Maji Maji War against Germans have been obliterated in theMaji Maji Museum.
[10] A children's bookauthored by the current writer, Torch onKilimanjaro, Oxford University Press, Nairobi, 2007 has been blacklistedand cannot be included as a reader in schools because it contravenes the officialhistory.
[11] Yusuf Halimoja, Historia ya Masasi,East African Literature Bureau, Nairobi, 1977 pp 163 175 gives a narration howChristians fought alongside Gerrmans during Maji Maji. Also see P. GeroldRupper, OSB, Pugu Hadi Peramiho: Miaka100 wa Wamishionari Wabenediktini Katika Tanzania, BenedictinePublications, Ndanda Peramiho, 1980, pp 31- 42.