Gambian President cures Aids

[Vincent Vega]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,470231,00.html

Now he has gone a step further. A few weeks ago, Jammeh summoned his followers and a few ambassadors, dignitaries and TV reporters to announce in a garbled address that, having made some fantastic discoveries, he is now capable of curing AIDS (as well as asthma). The president admitted to his astonished audience that the therapies still had a few limitations -- he could only cure AIDS on Thursdays. Asthma, on the other hand, could be treated only on Fridays and Saturdays.

An estimated 20,000 Gambians -- about 1.2 percent of the population -- are infected with HIV. Jammeh claims to have successfully treated nine of them in January, and 27 more in February. He takes equal pride in the 500 asthma victims that he's cured. And he promises to take action soon to eliminate other diseases, since he claims to have a "mandate" -- apparently from none other than God himself.

Dressed in white from head to toe, the head of state stands before his patients, mumbling prayers and waving the Koran. Then Jammeh rubs green glop on their skin, sprinkles them with gray liquid from an old Evian bottle and gives them something yellow to drink. Bananas -- administered orally -- round off the treatment. After repeating the procedure for several weeks, he proclaims the patients healed. All of them. Without exception.

No continent is as badly ravaged by AIDS as Africa. Roughly 25 million people have been infected, and 12 million children are AIDS orphans. The epidemic has been spreading for decades. In many places, traditional healers are paid more heed than university-trained doctors. Millions of men believe sex with a virgin will cure them of AIDS. South African president Thabo Mbeki has openly questioned whether the HIV virus in fact causes AIDS. His former vice president Jacob Zuma had unprotected sex with an infected woman in 2005 and later told a court that, having showered after the act, no risk was involved.

It's a difficult task to bring change as long as people like him are running any of these countries.
And he can only cure asthma on fridays and saturdays, but I have no time at that days

 

[Diemen]

He must do it through methylation.

 

[Liesje]

He must do it through methylation.

teehee, I had the same reaction, but didn't post

 

[BVS]

What's up with World leaders believing in fantasy these days?

 

[Caroni]

^ Tell me about it I´m Venezuelan ! the worst part is that some people really believe them

 

[Vincent Vega]

the worst part is that some people really believe them

So, he won't cure my asthma?

There really are some crazy people in power right at the moment, and I'm truly sorry that you got one of 'em, Caroni.

 

[verte76]

^ Tell me about it I´m Venezuelan ! the worst part is that some people really believe them

Yeah, you people are having some bad luck.

 

[Caroni]

Thank you both

 

[oceane]

Yeah tell me about it! Nice to see this brought up in FYM, as I am concerned that this is not talked about more in the rest of the world. I live in The Gambia, btw, so I am seeing this non-sense unfold first hand.

Basically this guy is loosing it completely, and yes a lot of people here believe it's true, which is so umbelievably sad and dangerous. But you have to understand that there is no freedom of the press whatsoever here, and everyone who challenges his claims is arrested, sent out of the country, or worst. The only newspaper publishing daily is owned by the government, and so is the only TV channel. What you see on there is pure pro-governement propaganda, reaching sometimes totally absurd levels. Every night on TV since the last few weeks all you see is the President doing his cure, with comments from the patients that they are feeling better etc.

If you want to know more you can check allafrica.com under the Gambia section. The Observer is the government propaganda machine so you can see all the non-sense they publish. There was also a TV reporter from SkyNews who came a few weeks ago and you can see it here (it's worth it I promise!)

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1252349,00.html

Following the comments made by the UN representative in the country, which were merely questionning the cure, she was given 48 hours to leave the country. That gives you an idea about freedom of expression here, even the UN is not allowed to say anything remotely critical.

I must say though that most Gambians I know and work with think this is total non-sense and are thinking that their President is going mad, but most of these people are well-educated, which is not the case for the majority of the population here. And no one will speak out against it in public, people are literally fearing for their lives, I am not kidding.

I really wish there was more noise on the internationl scene about this. If it was coming from a more important African country it'd be all over the news, but no one ever cares about The Gambia because it's so small

I think however that this particular issue will eventually bring down President Jammeh, because regardless of how he tries to cover up his non-sense, the truth will have to come out eventually and it will bring him down.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

That's just so bizarre and terrifying