Brotherhood by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr

Author:Mohamed Mbougar Sarr
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Europa Editions
Published: 2021-02-11T16:00:00+00:00

Aïssata

CHAPTER 25

It took them longer than usual, but all seven of them had managed to meet once again. Those who were not from Kalep arrived late due to all the searches they encountered on their journey there. In the basement, Malamine was speaking.

“. . . it’s true, the situation is no longer in our hands. I believe none of us imagined this outcome. People are reading the journal, but we didn’t predict the consequences. People are accusing each other because the Brotherhood promised them rewards for information about our identity. The problem is that they’re accusing out of personal vengeance and greed. Those who were caught with copies in their homes, they were beaten. It’s not what we wanted and . . .”

“Yes, Malamine,” Madjigueen Ngoné interrupted sharply, “but that was fairly clear even before the distribution of the journal. In any case, I was sure of it: a journal, once published, has but one calling: to be read. But what’s happening now, especially in Kalep, is something we didn’t foresee. We did this work to save people, not to push them toward hating each other, betraying each other, and accusing each other for money. And yet, that’s unfortunately what’s happening. They’re beating people who have copies of the journal in their homes, and other men are accusing and tearing each other apart because of it. I don’t think that . . .”

“Calm down, Madjigueen. I am just as disappointed and preoccupied as you are. I completely understand what’s happening and what’s bothering you. I’m lost, too. It’s not what we wanted. I thought these people would be on our side, that the journal would cause a surge.”

“Here is the question,” said Codou softly, “are we responsible for the people who are being physically punished or wrongly accused because they have copies of the journal in their homes?”

The group became quiet upon hearing these words. Déthié broke the silence:

“Not directly responsible. But I believe we have a moral responsibility toward them, at the very least . . .”

“I was expecting that reaction,” said Vieux Faye immediately, “the good old excuse of moral responsibility!”

“Does this idea bother you?”

“When you want to talk about it in relation to the people caught with the journal, yes, it bothers me.”

“Please elaborate.”

“We are morally responsible only for the journal, for our ideas, for what we have conceptualized and created. But not for anything or anybody else. We’ve published Rambaaj and we stand by it: our responsibility ends there. If you want to extend this morality to those who read it . . .”

“But moral responsibility must extend to these men too, otherwise it doesn’t make any sense! Morality has meaning only if it is invoked for the sake of men. To think the way you do is to pretend we live alone, without the others, it’s to forget that what we do has consequences. It’s totally immoral, Vieux!”

“That’s not what I’m saying. We’re not alone. But we are free. Each and every man is responsible for what he does.

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