On the Danger of a Single Story

Two very recent social media phenomena have made me critical of how important it is, on both an individual and a communal level, to take charge of publicising and amplifying one's wins.

If the goal is to unseat deeply rooted stereotypes that have matured with time, knowledge of the fact that it will take extra dedication and deliberate attempts at telling our own story — the success story — comes in handy.

When the recent Zongo clash happened in Nima, it was all over the media space. A big selling point, but at whose expense? Over the years, there’ve been amazing milestones reached in various Zongo communities and yet only a handful of them inundates our media spaces. If anything, we learn of the importance of documenting our success stories our own way, and if need be, force-feeding the populace with them. Be deliberate. Be consistent.

In the religious arena, we find a stereotype of Tijani madaris that is built on rubbles of truth and a sense of absolutism. Yes, there are some pretty bad ones that should be called out, but in doing so, let's be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

"This is also a Tijani madrasa" reads the caption of a video I shared last night. It was deliberate and had a motive. Before this video would take over the social media space, there was one of students being taught singing, drumming and dancing — something uncharacteristic of a madrasa, by the way — being circulated ad nauseam. A brother commented on my shared post chastising opponents for only seeing the "wayward attitude of vagabond murids".

Here is the catch: your intellectual or religious opponents aren't obliged, in any way, to be interested in what you do right. They are your archnemesis, and you, theirs. If you want to sell your story, learn how to tell it right and do it yourself. Again, be deliberate and consistent. Nobody owes you publicity. The longer you wait for your story to be told, the more a single unfavourable one lingers.

A single story is dangerous. Nuances abound everywhere. Take advantage of the democratization of the social media space and inundate us with your success stories. Show us other sides that don't easily make it to our screens. People will eventually come around.

﴿١١﴾ وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ
11. But proclaim the blessings of your Lord. (Qur’ān 93:11)