Much ado about religion
By
Paul Adujie
New York, United States
No Nigerian should be proclaiming any fears when churches or mosques are opened in any part of Nigeria, some Nigerians recently appeared to have been doing just that, as if to say, "there goes the neighborhood!" Nigeria is a country with a multiplicity of religions; There are animists, Christians of Catholic, Methodist, Apostolic, Baptist persuasions, including others too, like Jehovah Witnesses and even Hare Krishena! And of course, Nigeria has millions of Muslims as well.
In Nigeria, there is no separation between government business or activities from religious affiliations or activities and religious beliefs, this has been the case during my whole life in Nigeria and it is still currently so; The government of Nigeria have actually established and operated Pilgrim Welfare Boards to regulate Pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Mecca and Medina and the different levels of governments in Nigeria have funded and or subsidized these purely personal spiritual efforts for private Nigerian citizens.
The governments of Nigeria at all levels, ought to get out of the business of mixing religions with governance, let religion be personal and individual Nigerian citizen's private concerns, government officials from the president down, should refrain from holding any religion up, as if it was a matter of national security and national interests, what with the talk about Nigerian Television Authority devoting inordinate amount of airtime to religious activities from Aso Rock State House Chapel? Nigeria has no official or government religion, no president should create the appearance of that.... However, a president may be shown as attending religious obligations in Churches or Mosques and only if it is newsworthy. Nigerians who are expressing concerns over the establishment of a mosque in Umuahia appear not to have been cognizant of the fact that the different levels of governments in Nigeria have co-opted religions that are popular or favored, depending on the locale, it could be Christian or Muslim, usually determined by the prevalence of one group or the other in the vicinity.
So then, what else is new? Or what is the new big deal in the fact that the government of Governor Kalu Orji participated in activities leading to the creation and opening of a mosque in Umuahia? Is the concern because, Umuahia is a predominantly Christian city? But we know that Umuahia will not change or suffer any loss because a mosque is built! The sky will not fall because a mosque is built or because a is similarly church is built in Kano or Zamfara. The world will not end. Nigerians should learn religious tolerance, because if nothing else, Nigerians should learn from history, the damage, disaster or catastrophe that could arise from religious intolerance, so that, the building and opening of Churches and Mosques in any parts of Nigeria should not cause any fears, panic of hysteria... As a matter of fact, Marble Collegiate Church in New York, where I have worshipped for years as a semi-retired Catholic, is an embodiment of examples of religious tolerance and the celebrations of diversities and religious cooperation... As Marble invites Imams, Rabbis and Christian leaders of other denominations or congregations to our Church to deliver sermons, working for unity and cooperation for the exemplification of all religions and general understanding.
Why should any Nigeria engage in unnecessary hysteria over the opening of a mosque in Umuahia? Why are some behaving as if, there is an outbreak of a contagious disease of some pandemic proportions? If there is any concern at all, it must be focused on the fact that, it now appears that, the more church, mosque and other religious buildings that are opened in Nigeria, and the more fervor and passions that some Nigerians express about their varied religions and or spiritualities, the more there seem to be vices, such as avarice, greed, corruption and even religious intolerance! How come the holier that Nigerians get, the more intolerance seem to raise its ugly head?
Mallama Zainab Usman raised similar questions in her recent article, where she stated how some are doing all types of things in the name of "God" I wish only that Nigeria has become a correspondingly better country, in view of all the religious passions that we are too quick to claim; A majority of Nigerians, are hardworking, law abiding and are worshippers of different holies, it would have nice, for all these to have some positive effect on how Nigerians relate and deal with one another on a daily basis, all our holier and holier attitudes, ought to lead to our collective ability and willingness and desire to have mutual respect and admiration for each other's different religious persuasions, our claim to holiness ought to lead us to have faith in each other, and have tolerance for each other's point of view, political, religious or otherwise. But, it is currently the case, that, our religious claims or pretensions, have unfortunately, not translated into some love fest between Nigerians of the different religions or even of same religion, The religious passions that Nigerians claim, that some will kill other Nigerians for, these religious passions and fervor are yet to transform Nigeria positively, these religious passions and fervor have not as yet been translated into positive benefits for Nigerians and Nigeria, Nigeria is still not a crime-free society.
Nigeria has not been able to rid itself of activities that have hindered and prevented Nigeria from attaining sorely needed developmental progress and this, despite all the abundant resource that Nigeria have always possessed. In Nigeria, so many public conversations are held in the name of "God" as we recently witnessed Col. Abubakar Umar inform President Obasanjo about "God" and "Devil" in his open letter to the president discussing public policies! Col. Umar is the erstwhile firebrand governor of Kaduna state with good education, here he is, he could not stick to the debate of important national issues with the god and devil pejorative metaphors? Why cant this Officer and gentleman calibre of Nigerian, not stick to the issues of public policy formulations and implementation or faulty executions? Without the introduction of this god and devil appellations? What role has any religion in the debate or public discourse of national issues? Regrettably, the presidency did not stay above the fray! It did not do any better, it could and should have maintained a moral high-ground, but instead, it allowed the it to literally degenerate to the god and devil adjectives that the colonel had used.
The sad thing is, Col. Umar and the presidency are not the only ones that are guilty of introducing their religious passions into public discourse, the truth of the matter is that, too many Nigerians are guilty of interjecting religion into everything, and this happens frequently. Mallama Zainab Usman and I, are in complete agreement on this issue, too many Nigerians are conspicuously and ostentatiously religious and yet, we wonder where corrupt Nigerian Christians, corrupt Nigerian Muslims worship? Are corrupt public officials in Nigeria part of any organized religion? Please don't tell me that they are just bad Christians and bad Muslims. Where are the good ones? What is the religion of corrupt police officers? Corrupt Customs Officers are neither Christians or Muslims? How about corrupt bank officials? What is the religion of corrupt a Minister? How about a corrupt governor or president? What is the religion of a political godfather and political god son?
What indeed is the religion of a Divisional Police Officer or DPO, who detains an innocent Nigerian, detains an innocent, knowingly, but for the sole purpose extortions from the hapless detainee? What is the religion of those Nigerians who hoard petrol and maker fellow Nigerians suffer endlessly? What is the religion of 419ers and scammers? Nigeria will do better to leave their conspicuous religiousness out of public debate of policy formulations and executions/implementations, unless and until that happens, a mosque opening in Umuahia and the opening of a church in Kano or Zamfara, whether engineered by government or individual private citizens, will continue to sound like an assault or some invasion by foreign imperialists; Whereas, in truth, this ought to be a news item without these concerns that some had expressed.
The opening of any religious institution, such as a church or mosque in a multi ethnic, multi religious country as Nigeria, should not lead to any drama or mass hysteria. It is even quite possible that, the presence and co-existence of religious opposites, in various parts of Nigeria, may actually lead to religious and cultural tolerance and better understanding, greater understand between Nigerians, this will in turn lead to a better and greater country.... Governor Orji invited a Muslim counterpart to the opening of the mosque in Umuahia, who subsequently detailed his suave moves for the sake of unity and understanding in Nigeria, with his appointment of Ndigbo sons and daughters as advisers on particular matters of concern. Cooperation and understanding. Imagine Nigeria as a country with religious tolerance, a nation with unity and mutual understanding and respect for every our unique religions and culture? And everything that Nigerians hold dear individually and collectively? This is the Nigeria we want.
Feb 2004
Friday, November 28, 2008
The president's choice of transport
The president's choice of transport
By
Paul I. Adujie
New York, United States
The public debate in connection with plans by the executive branch of the federal government of Nigeria, to purchase a jet aircraft, has generated great controversy, and for the most part, it has centered on whether such a purchase amounted to a national priority which warrants such huge expenditure of our very scarce resource; Critics of the president have also pointed to the current president, as if this debate is about a person, an individual, instead of discussing as an issue that affects Nigeria’s public symbol, national identity.
Most commentators and newspaper editorial boards, have tended to use the poor public perception of the current president, in favor of their "do not buy a jet for president Obasanjo-arguments" the president’s critics, have used the president’s performance, or lack thereof, coupled with what appears to be an ebbed public approval ratings, to determine their stance on the do not purchase the jet postulations, and as a consequence, the wrong criterion is being used by the president’s critics to determine whether the current president of Nigeria and future presidents of Nigeria must ride old bicycles, Okada motorbikes or Molue to public engagements, especially, given the penchant for frequent travels by the current president, those who do not like the president what him to trek or ride a donkey to France, America or South Africa?
First and foremost, it must be realized, that this is about the president of Nigeria, during the next thirty years, and not about the current president, whose tenure ends in 2007 and I do not believe that President Obasanjo will remain in office beyond his constitutionally permitted term beyond 2007, contrary to all theories and wild speculations, that is, the rumor that he plans to succeed of perpetuate himself as president beyond 2007 or even for life! Even after his term expires. It is an absurd and ridiculous rumor.
That being the case, we must then consider following additional factors, (a) Most Boeing Jets possess life span of several years, in fact, several decades, up to thirty years of good, safe and secure use, in fact. (b) The security and safety of the current president of Nigerian is of utmost importance (c) The safety and security of all subsequent Nigerians who would become president of Nigeria, is equally important, to that extent, the purchase of a good jet, is a national security investment. (d) President Obasanjo’s anticipated use of the jet that is being contemplated will be very limited, and for a period of approximately 3 years, perhaps, even considerably less than that, given the fact that the sale have not been consummated, let alone the additional work and refurbishments and reconfiguration that we hear that the aircraft may require before eventual delivery to the government.
In any case, the current president cannot use the jet beyond 2007, his constitutionally permitted term in office, which expires at that time. Accepting the premise that president Obasanjo will not perpetuate and succeed himself in office beyond 2007, further requires us to accept that he will not use presidential jets beyond 2007, unless he is receiving a courtesy ride, thus, any purchased presidential jet(s) remains in Abuja and will not be taken to Otta Farms! Be not afraid.
Nigerians must see the exulted office of the president, any president, as an ephemeral or transitory, even as it is accorded all due respects, prestige, and provided safety and security, therefore, a new jet for the president, is clearly safer and more secure, despite this, the executive branch has opted for a used aircraft, ostensibly, in order to save Nigerian taxpayers the additional expense that would have been expended on a brand new aircraft, this is arguably a prudent move, on the part of the executive branch of our government. But, I strongly believe that "cheap is expensive" in this instance, so, a brand new aircraft will be preferred, as it is only a little more expensive and not considerably so; A brand new plane is cheaper on the long term, it is more cost efficient and most cost effective, because the cost of repairs and refurbishments will be avoided and so-called questionable warranty issue, will be foreclosed, hence going for the cheap second-hand/used aircraft is expensive, why buy a second hand product, which is nearly as expensive when it is compared to a new of same product? Then swing around to spend a substantial amount or quite a bit to refurbish? All these, while the used product is said to have questionable warranty at best? And not considerably cheaper than the new one?
The presidential jet brouhaha bothers me, because, many critics and even perennial detractors of the current president, are again jumping unto the bandwagon to condemn current president for the investment he is clearly making, that will benefit generations of Nigerian presidents and Nigeria in the years ahead; The purchase of a jet by the current president, in essence, is not about the current president or even about future presidents of our beloved republic, instead, it is about our national symbol and the identity of any Nigeria who would be president.
A Nigerian who become the president of Nigeria, "ceases" to be an "individual" for himself/herself and therefore, this epiphany transforms the man or woman who is Nigeria’s president, into an embodiment of Nigeria, an institution or public "property" as such and his or her safety, security and protection/prestige assumes national and international significance of great proportions, hence, an attack on a Nigerian president at home or abroad, is an attack on Nigeria, unlike a similar attack on an "ordinary" citizen such as myself, hence any Nigerian should be will to take a bullet for any elected president in Nigeria, I would.
The safety and security of a Nigerian president is therefore viewed differently, ensuring the president’s well-being should touch and concern all of us, even if the president belong to a different political party or even if we disapprove of his/her policies, personally, if I had the money, I would pay for a presidential jet to ensure the safety and security of the current Nigerian president and or any future subsequent Nigerian presidents, and I would do so, faster than many other Nigerians who are devout Christians or Muslims would rush to buy luxury cars and homes for their pastors and or Imams and other religious or even titular traditional leaders, these religious types, engage in these false charities, in the hope that "God" will reward them in religious or spiritual uplift here on earth or in after-life of blissful heaven.
We must not put this president or future presidents of Nigeria, through public insults and humiliation, by castigating them, and denying them the perquisites, facilities, safety and security of their high office; We must not require them to ride bicycles, okada motorbike or molue, just because he or she belongs to a different political party, or pursues policies that we may dislike, or because they practice a different religion from a different region from us, We must not deprive the current Nigerian president and future ones, these things, just because he or she is not sexy. The current president and future ones remain our national symbol and identity, serve as our representative and embody the Nigerian spirit, Nigerian unity and goodness, deserving utmost safety, security and protection from all of us, the state of the economy not withstanding; Let the president have a new jet and not a bicycle.
Feb 2004
By
Paul I. Adujie
New York, United States
The public debate in connection with plans by the executive branch of the federal government of Nigeria, to purchase a jet aircraft, has generated great controversy, and for the most part, it has centered on whether such a purchase amounted to a national priority which warrants such huge expenditure of our very scarce resource; Critics of the president have also pointed to the current president, as if this debate is about a person, an individual, instead of discussing as an issue that affects Nigeria’s public symbol, national identity.
Most commentators and newspaper editorial boards, have tended to use the poor public perception of the current president, in favor of their "do not buy a jet for president Obasanjo-arguments" the president’s critics, have used the president’s performance, or lack thereof, coupled with what appears to be an ebbed public approval ratings, to determine their stance on the do not purchase the jet postulations, and as a consequence, the wrong criterion is being used by the president’s critics to determine whether the current president of Nigeria and future presidents of Nigeria must ride old bicycles, Okada motorbikes or Molue to public engagements, especially, given the penchant for frequent travels by the current president, those who do not like the president what him to trek or ride a donkey to France, America or South Africa?
First and foremost, it must be realized, that this is about the president of Nigeria, during the next thirty years, and not about the current president, whose tenure ends in 2007 and I do not believe that President Obasanjo will remain in office beyond his constitutionally permitted term beyond 2007, contrary to all theories and wild speculations, that is, the rumor that he plans to succeed of perpetuate himself as president beyond 2007 or even for life! Even after his term expires. It is an absurd and ridiculous rumor.
That being the case, we must then consider following additional factors, (a) Most Boeing Jets possess life span of several years, in fact, several decades, up to thirty years of good, safe and secure use, in fact. (b) The security and safety of the current president of Nigerian is of utmost importance (c) The safety and security of all subsequent Nigerians who would become president of Nigeria, is equally important, to that extent, the purchase of a good jet, is a national security investment. (d) President Obasanjo’s anticipated use of the jet that is being contemplated will be very limited, and for a period of approximately 3 years, perhaps, even considerably less than that, given the fact that the sale have not been consummated, let alone the additional work and refurbishments and reconfiguration that we hear that the aircraft may require before eventual delivery to the government.
In any case, the current president cannot use the jet beyond 2007, his constitutionally permitted term in office, which expires at that time. Accepting the premise that president Obasanjo will not perpetuate and succeed himself in office beyond 2007, further requires us to accept that he will not use presidential jets beyond 2007, unless he is receiving a courtesy ride, thus, any purchased presidential jet(s) remains in Abuja and will not be taken to Otta Farms! Be not afraid.
Nigerians must see the exulted office of the president, any president, as an ephemeral or transitory, even as it is accorded all due respects, prestige, and provided safety and security, therefore, a new jet for the president, is clearly safer and more secure, despite this, the executive branch has opted for a used aircraft, ostensibly, in order to save Nigerian taxpayers the additional expense that would have been expended on a brand new aircraft, this is arguably a prudent move, on the part of the executive branch of our government. But, I strongly believe that "cheap is expensive" in this instance, so, a brand new aircraft will be preferred, as it is only a little more expensive and not considerably so; A brand new plane is cheaper on the long term, it is more cost efficient and most cost effective, because the cost of repairs and refurbishments will be avoided and so-called questionable warranty issue, will be foreclosed, hence going for the cheap second-hand/used aircraft is expensive, why buy a second hand product, which is nearly as expensive when it is compared to a new of same product? Then swing around to spend a substantial amount or quite a bit to refurbish? All these, while the used product is said to have questionable warranty at best? And not considerably cheaper than the new one?
The presidential jet brouhaha bothers me, because, many critics and even perennial detractors of the current president, are again jumping unto the bandwagon to condemn current president for the investment he is clearly making, that will benefit generations of Nigerian presidents and Nigeria in the years ahead; The purchase of a jet by the current president, in essence, is not about the current president or even about future presidents of our beloved republic, instead, it is about our national symbol and the identity of any Nigeria who would be president.
A Nigerian who become the president of Nigeria, "ceases" to be an "individual" for himself/herself and therefore, this epiphany transforms the man or woman who is Nigeria’s president, into an embodiment of Nigeria, an institution or public "property" as such and his or her safety, security and protection/prestige assumes national and international significance of great proportions, hence, an attack on a Nigerian president at home or abroad, is an attack on Nigeria, unlike a similar attack on an "ordinary" citizen such as myself, hence any Nigerian should be will to take a bullet for any elected president in Nigeria, I would.
The safety and security of a Nigerian president is therefore viewed differently, ensuring the president’s well-being should touch and concern all of us, even if the president belong to a different political party or even if we disapprove of his/her policies, personally, if I had the money, I would pay for a presidential jet to ensure the safety and security of the current Nigerian president and or any future subsequent Nigerian presidents, and I would do so, faster than many other Nigerians who are devout Christians or Muslims would rush to buy luxury cars and homes for their pastors and or Imams and other religious or even titular traditional leaders, these religious types, engage in these false charities, in the hope that "God" will reward them in religious or spiritual uplift here on earth or in after-life of blissful heaven.
We must not put this president or future presidents of Nigeria, through public insults and humiliation, by castigating them, and denying them the perquisites, facilities, safety and security of their high office; We must not require them to ride bicycles, okada motorbike or molue, just because he or she belongs to a different political party, or pursues policies that we may dislike, or because they practice a different religion from a different region from us, We must not deprive the current Nigerian president and future ones, these things, just because he or she is not sexy. The current president and future ones remain our national symbol and identity, serve as our representative and embody the Nigerian spirit, Nigerian unity and goodness, deserving utmost safety, security and protection from all of us, the state of the economy not withstanding; Let the president have a new jet and not a bicycle.
Feb 2004
Do Female Suicide Bombers Also Want Virgins?
Do Female Suicide Bombers Also Want Virgins?
By
Paul I. Adujie
New York, United States
Every right thinking person should abhor violence, any form of violence, especially, where such violence is visited upon innocent persons; But violence must be examined closely, to discern root causes and actions that could be taken, to prevent recurrence or repeat of such violence. The crises between Palestine and Israel, resurged again, with the suicide bombing undertaken by a Palestinian woman, who was said to be a mother of two children; The newswires proclaimed that "Mother of Two Kills 4 in Israel and that "Arabs were screaming, Jews were screaming," said a Palestinian witness.
But what is her "poor excuse?" Male suicide bombers, are supposed to be seeking seventy female virgin maidens as reward for suicide bombing? Perhaps now, that illusion or fallacy will be put to rest, at the advent female suicide bombers? The past efforts to ridicule or minimized the circumstances that lead to suicide and bombing must be re-examined.
Perhaps the real crux of the matter is land? Self-determination being sought by Palestinians from Israeli occupation and military, that continues to put Palestinians under the manacles of industrial-strength anvil? And as Mr. Yassin put it, "Resistance will escalate against this enemy until they leave our land," Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin; Is it helpful, to continue to pretend that suicide bombing is motivated by the magnet and lure of seventy virgin maidens, by amorously sedated male bombers? What now explains the increased participation, in suicide bombing by females? Seventy or eighty virgins? Or land?/dignity?
Unlike in the past, when Palestinian leaders would rush to condemn suicide bombings by Palestinians persons against Israelis, this bombing did not received such condemnations, this time, "Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie did not condemn the bombing as he has, after attacks in Israel. Instead he said Israel's military crackdown "does not help to achieve quiet" and called for a mutual cease-fire" The continued targeted killings and demolitions actions in Palestine by Israel, must have informed the Palestine leader's reactions. The bloodshed continues on both the Palestine and Israel sides, there is abundant pain waiting for both participants, unless peace is vigorously pursued and attained by Palestine and Israel; the female suicide bomber, was a very young woman, Reem Al-Reyashi, 22, professed love for her children, a 3-1/2-year-old boy and a girl of 1-1/2 years It was reported that "Reyashi, from a middle-class merchant family in Gaza, said in a farewell video she had dreamed since she was 13 of "becoming a martyr" Is this not very instructive? Better to die, than compelled living under excruciating and perpetual bondage?
She planned to be a suicide bomber, not a doctor, lawyer or engineer, what grievance did she have? Or was she just an unthinking and unreasonable Arab and hater of freedoms and liberty? A child from a middle-class family, would have reasons to expect more from life, what then could be the circumstances of her life, that at age 13, she thought of suicide? And how come the world is not in a hurry to find out her reasons? At such a tender age? She concluded by saying: "God gave me two children and I loved them so much. Only God knew how much I loved them." According to press reports, Israel has accused Palestinians of glorifying suicide bombers and international human rights organizations have called the bombings crimes against humanity. Palestinians say Israel's military crackdown provokes such violence. Charge, counter charge, recriminations? When will it end? who will yield? When will a compromise materialize?
Why would a woman, the giver of life, a mother of two children, want to kill herself? Or, want to kill other persons, in the first place? These are the questions, important questions, that I believe must be answered by the United Nations and many others, who want to promote peace in the world; Suicide bombing by females has taken an upsurge in Palestine and Chechnya, this phenomenon, defies the previous explanations, derisive explanations, as it were, that male suicide bombers were in search of seventy virgins promised and in wait, in the heavens, suicide bombers, we are told, are therefore motivated by the endless heavenly bliss, with seventy virgins.
These over-simplistic and derisive explanations, have sought to portray, suicide bombers as less than humans, without moral value and without a will or desire to live and let others live; But those who would commit suicide, in what they believe is a fight for their own land, a fight to end occupation, a fight for dignity and respect for their people, are people who have endured indescribable humiliation, those who have endured the overwhelming power of the military might of their adversary or opponents.
It is confounding, that the world appears to think very little of the fate of Palestinians, there is palpable frustration in Palestine, there is unbearable hopelessness, what is routine travel to work or trips to perform daily chores, are turned into insurmountable obstacle courses for the average Palestinian, families are routinely separated, homes are routinely demolished and there are targeted killings and arbitrary arrests of Palestinians by Israeli forces, there is the continued construction of the fence, wall and barrier by agent provocateur, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Mr. Sharon with winks and nods from Mr. Bush, have been acting arrogantly, particularly, since the Middle East power equation balance, has been abruptly tilted in Israel's favor, this has been made possible, by the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
All entreaties to Israel, to cease and desist from the land grab and apartheid separations, which the fence or wall/barrier has created, has failed and so, the spate of violent actions, causing reactions, on the part of Palestine and Israel continues... Vicious cycle? When is the human race going to wake up to the unending scourge of abbreviated lives in Palestine? To the unimaginable sufferings and hardships that culminate into decisions to die by suicide, while taking others along? Suicide is made possible by existing circumstances of hopelessness and the conclusion that there is nothing to lose, just dying or that there is no prospect of a better life in Palestine, hence the perceived futility of continued existence?
Feb 2004
By
Paul I. Adujie
New York, United States
Every right thinking person should abhor violence, any form of violence, especially, where such violence is visited upon innocent persons; But violence must be examined closely, to discern root causes and actions that could be taken, to prevent recurrence or repeat of such violence. The crises between Palestine and Israel, resurged again, with the suicide bombing undertaken by a Palestinian woman, who was said to be a mother of two children; The newswires proclaimed that "Mother of Two Kills 4 in Israel and that "Arabs were screaming, Jews were screaming," said a Palestinian witness.
But what is her "poor excuse?" Male suicide bombers, are supposed to be seeking seventy female virgin maidens as reward for suicide bombing? Perhaps now, that illusion or fallacy will be put to rest, at the advent female suicide bombers? The past efforts to ridicule or minimized the circumstances that lead to suicide and bombing must be re-examined.
Perhaps the real crux of the matter is land? Self-determination being sought by Palestinians from Israeli occupation and military, that continues to put Palestinians under the manacles of industrial-strength anvil? And as Mr. Yassin put it, "Resistance will escalate against this enemy until they leave our land," Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin; Is it helpful, to continue to pretend that suicide bombing is motivated by the magnet and lure of seventy virgin maidens, by amorously sedated male bombers? What now explains the increased participation, in suicide bombing by females? Seventy or eighty virgins? Or land?/dignity?
Unlike in the past, when Palestinian leaders would rush to condemn suicide bombings by Palestinians persons against Israelis, this bombing did not received such condemnations, this time, "Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie did not condemn the bombing as he has, after attacks in Israel. Instead he said Israel's military crackdown "does not help to achieve quiet" and called for a mutual cease-fire" The continued targeted killings and demolitions actions in Palestine by Israel, must have informed the Palestine leader's reactions. The bloodshed continues on both the Palestine and Israel sides, there is abundant pain waiting for both participants, unless peace is vigorously pursued and attained by Palestine and Israel; the female suicide bomber, was a very young woman, Reem Al-Reyashi, 22, professed love for her children, a 3-1/2-year-old boy and a girl of 1-1/2 years It was reported that "Reyashi, from a middle-class merchant family in Gaza, said in a farewell video she had dreamed since she was 13 of "becoming a martyr" Is this not very instructive? Better to die, than compelled living under excruciating and perpetual bondage?
She planned to be a suicide bomber, not a doctor, lawyer or engineer, what grievance did she have? Or was she just an unthinking and unreasonable Arab and hater of freedoms and liberty? A child from a middle-class family, would have reasons to expect more from life, what then could be the circumstances of her life, that at age 13, she thought of suicide? And how come the world is not in a hurry to find out her reasons? At such a tender age? She concluded by saying: "God gave me two children and I loved them so much. Only God knew how much I loved them." According to press reports, Israel has accused Palestinians of glorifying suicide bombers and international human rights organizations have called the bombings crimes against humanity. Palestinians say Israel's military crackdown provokes such violence. Charge, counter charge, recriminations? When will it end? who will yield? When will a compromise materialize?
Why would a woman, the giver of life, a mother of two children, want to kill herself? Or, want to kill other persons, in the first place? These are the questions, important questions, that I believe must be answered by the United Nations and many others, who want to promote peace in the world; Suicide bombing by females has taken an upsurge in Palestine and Chechnya, this phenomenon, defies the previous explanations, derisive explanations, as it were, that male suicide bombers were in search of seventy virgins promised and in wait, in the heavens, suicide bombers, we are told, are therefore motivated by the endless heavenly bliss, with seventy virgins.
These over-simplistic and derisive explanations, have sought to portray, suicide bombers as less than humans, without moral value and without a will or desire to live and let others live; But those who would commit suicide, in what they believe is a fight for their own land, a fight to end occupation, a fight for dignity and respect for their people, are people who have endured indescribable humiliation, those who have endured the overwhelming power of the military might of their adversary or opponents.
It is confounding, that the world appears to think very little of the fate of Palestinians, there is palpable frustration in Palestine, there is unbearable hopelessness, what is routine travel to work or trips to perform daily chores, are turned into insurmountable obstacle courses for the average Palestinian, families are routinely separated, homes are routinely demolished and there are targeted killings and arbitrary arrests of Palestinians by Israeli forces, there is the continued construction of the fence, wall and barrier by agent provocateur, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Mr. Sharon with winks and nods from Mr. Bush, have been acting arrogantly, particularly, since the Middle East power equation balance, has been abruptly tilted in Israel's favor, this has been made possible, by the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
All entreaties to Israel, to cease and desist from the land grab and apartheid separations, which the fence or wall/barrier has created, has failed and so, the spate of violent actions, causing reactions, on the part of Palestine and Israel continues... Vicious cycle? When is the human race going to wake up to the unending scourge of abbreviated lives in Palestine? To the unimaginable sufferings and hardships that culminate into decisions to die by suicide, while taking others along? Suicide is made possible by existing circumstances of hopelessness and the conclusion that there is nothing to lose, just dying or that there is no prospect of a better life in Palestine, hence the perceived futility of continued existence?
Feb 2004
Is Secretary General Koffi Annan Of The United Nations a puppet?
Is Secretary General Koffi Annan Of The United Nations a puppet?
By
Paul I. Adujie
New York, United States
The United Nations have been variously described as a toothless lion at best and at worst, the UN is described as a puppet on a string, readily manipulated by the five permanent members with veto powers, veto powers? Please make that reserved arbitrary, undemocratic and discriminatory powers! And America is more egregious in these manipulations of the United Nations, a world body that ought to serve global interests.
Mr. Koffi Annan, the current Secretary General of the United Nations, has become a perfect illustration of the severe powerlessness and paralysis of this world body or organization, the UN has become emphatically ineffective; And examples of this UN ineffectiveness abounds, and it has been exemplified by the pre-invasion and occupation of Iraq, the associated rhetoric, accompanying action by America.
America bamboozled and cajoled the UN with manipulated intelligence, and then, denigrated the UN in bellicose language, America threatened the UN, while dangling the threat of making the UN a complete irrelevance, all these, while America sexed up and souped-up spurious information to drum up war against Iraq, America informed the world, that the only saving grace for the UN then touted by the US, will be UN’s willingness to demur and defer to the US planned invasion and occupation of Iraq and the US invaded and occupied Iraq without a UN made and legitimacy.
The United Nations feebly and reluctantly, or rather glibly, resisted America’s agenda for Iraq and by extension, America overall agenda for the entire Middle East region, it has since become glaringly clear, that the president Bush, with the so-called neoconservative agenda, agenda driven wrong headed policies geared to attain a "new world order" which is being pursued with Bush Doctrine of preemption, this so-called Bush Doctrine, has nothing significant, to do with whether Saddam Hussein misconduct or whether Saddam was undemocratic, or had horrible human rights record and every conceivable misconduct or whether Saddam actually possessed the ever elusive and ever shifting quicksand Weapons of Mass Destruction or WMD.
The false pretense used by America invade and occupy Iraq, was based on the worst case scenario, that was extrapolated by the Bush administration to the nth degree, to the effect that, Iraq possessed WMD and mobile chemical laboratories, with assorted weapons launchers that Iraq could launch against the US or Iraq’s neighbor in 45 minutes. All these, of course have turned out to be what the are only vivid imagination by the Bush administration officials, imaginations not based on facts or the truth or reality. America has always demonstrated complete disregard and contempt for the United Nations, for starters, America has neglected, failed and or refused to pay its dues and or meet its financial obligations to the United Nations, and yet, the UN continues to be firmly tied to apron strings of America, instead of America being suspended for non-payment of dues.
Ordinarily, one would have logically expected America to be sanctioned or censured for neglecting, failing and or refusing to pay UN dues and financial obligations, but instead, America simultaneously dominate and undermine the UN, when America pleases, the only time that the UN is considered relevant, is when the UN sheepishly do America’s bidding, it either that, or the US engages in undermining the UN and wishing the UN obsolescence or extinction and significant powerlessness and irrelevance. Here now comes, America, that loudly proclaimed the UN irrelevant, the US proceeded to give the UN a bad name, like the proverbial bad dog, in order to hang it! Now, America needs the UN to inherit the mess and quagmire, that the same America created in complete disregard for the UN and the entire world, in complete disregard for a good number of American citizen.
America does not want democracy or freedom for Iraq and Iraqi citizens, at least, not in any altruistic sense, America has stated categorically, an opposition to one person-one-vote or direct elections in Iraq, and this, notwithstanding the insistence by a majority of Iraqis led by Ayatollah Sistani, Who would have thought it possible? That America, a country that claim freedoms, liberties and democracies as prerogatives, would argue against direct elections in Iraq or anywhere else in the world for that matter?
Here we have Middle Eastern Moslems, demanding democracy, while the "civilized" westerly cultured Americans, are opposed to true democracy? America is insisting adamantly, on "elections" through caucuses or indirect selections of political leaders that would do America’s bidding, Iraqi political leaders that would be in obeisance to America’s whims and caprices! Simply put, America is looking for a puppet government in Iraq! A puppet government possibly led headed by the American token, Ahmed Chalabi or some other Iraqi who have cozy up to America.
Clearly, America is looking for an abridged, abbreviated and adulterated democracy, America is seeking a pseudo democracy and it will prefer a government in Iraq, that it can manipulate and control. The United States, in the face of the starkly naked reality and consequences of the invasion and occupation of Iraq, now, seeks UN’s endorsement, the US now seek to foist the reconstruction responsibilities, so that the ongoing nefarious activities by the US, the sour undertaking by America in Iraq will become the responsibility of the international community, the UN will now provide cover and legitimacy to a planned exit strategy by the US, that would look almost respectable.
Secretary General Koffi Annan of the United Nations, is conferring that legitimacy and respectability on America’s exit strategy and America’s unilateral cowboy and bully policies, that led to the debacle in Iraq, in the first place! These America policies, defied the United Nations, defied a majority of American citizens, it defied the entire world, it defied multilateral institutions and conventions, and worse, it defied international law! But now, Koffi Annan has agreed, with the America’s bad policies, by promptly endorsing or echoing the America election schedule for Iraq, by endorsing an American preferred type caucuses or indirect elections in Iraq, this indirect rule by American puppets in Iraq is for American benefit.
Koffi Annan’s agreement with the Americans’ position is really not a surprise, he has simply regurgitated America’s famously acclaimed impracticality of direct elections of the one person one vote type, Mr. Annan perhaps in doing this, hopes to avert the probability of facing the Boutrous Boutrous Ghali treatment, as it is the case, that any UN Secretary General who confronts America with its UN bills and dues or with the truth, is soon to find the carpet pulled from under his feet, as it happened to Mr. Ghali.
Anyone who needed proof to the effect, that the United Nations and the United States is one and the same thing, should look no further for succinct examples. These occurrences emphasizes why the United Nations would remain a toothless bulldog, or toothless lion and an American puppet for the foreseeable future, I hope that a civil war can be avoided in Iraq.
Feb 2004
By
Paul I. Adujie
New York, United States
The United Nations have been variously described as a toothless lion at best and at worst, the UN is described as a puppet on a string, readily manipulated by the five permanent members with veto powers, veto powers? Please make that reserved arbitrary, undemocratic and discriminatory powers! And America is more egregious in these manipulations of the United Nations, a world body that ought to serve global interests.
Mr. Koffi Annan, the current Secretary General of the United Nations, has become a perfect illustration of the severe powerlessness and paralysis of this world body or organization, the UN has become emphatically ineffective; And examples of this UN ineffectiveness abounds, and it has been exemplified by the pre-invasion and occupation of Iraq, the associated rhetoric, accompanying action by America.
America bamboozled and cajoled the UN with manipulated intelligence, and then, denigrated the UN in bellicose language, America threatened the UN, while dangling the threat of making the UN a complete irrelevance, all these, while America sexed up and souped-up spurious information to drum up war against Iraq, America informed the world, that the only saving grace for the UN then touted by the US, will be UN’s willingness to demur and defer to the US planned invasion and occupation of Iraq and the US invaded and occupied Iraq without a UN made and legitimacy.
The United Nations feebly and reluctantly, or rather glibly, resisted America’s agenda for Iraq and by extension, America overall agenda for the entire Middle East region, it has since become glaringly clear, that the president Bush, with the so-called neoconservative agenda, agenda driven wrong headed policies geared to attain a "new world order" which is being pursued with Bush Doctrine of preemption, this so-called Bush Doctrine, has nothing significant, to do with whether Saddam Hussein misconduct or whether Saddam was undemocratic, or had horrible human rights record and every conceivable misconduct or whether Saddam actually possessed the ever elusive and ever shifting quicksand Weapons of Mass Destruction or WMD.
The false pretense used by America invade and occupy Iraq, was based on the worst case scenario, that was extrapolated by the Bush administration to the nth degree, to the effect that, Iraq possessed WMD and mobile chemical laboratories, with assorted weapons launchers that Iraq could launch against the US or Iraq’s neighbor in 45 minutes. All these, of course have turned out to be what the are only vivid imagination by the Bush administration officials, imaginations not based on facts or the truth or reality. America has always demonstrated complete disregard and contempt for the United Nations, for starters, America has neglected, failed and or refused to pay its dues and or meet its financial obligations to the United Nations, and yet, the UN continues to be firmly tied to apron strings of America, instead of America being suspended for non-payment of dues.
Ordinarily, one would have logically expected America to be sanctioned or censured for neglecting, failing and or refusing to pay UN dues and financial obligations, but instead, America simultaneously dominate and undermine the UN, when America pleases, the only time that the UN is considered relevant, is when the UN sheepishly do America’s bidding, it either that, or the US engages in undermining the UN and wishing the UN obsolescence or extinction and significant powerlessness and irrelevance. Here now comes, America, that loudly proclaimed the UN irrelevant, the US proceeded to give the UN a bad name, like the proverbial bad dog, in order to hang it! Now, America needs the UN to inherit the mess and quagmire, that the same America created in complete disregard for the UN and the entire world, in complete disregard for a good number of American citizen.
America does not want democracy or freedom for Iraq and Iraqi citizens, at least, not in any altruistic sense, America has stated categorically, an opposition to one person-one-vote or direct elections in Iraq, and this, notwithstanding the insistence by a majority of Iraqis led by Ayatollah Sistani, Who would have thought it possible? That America, a country that claim freedoms, liberties and democracies as prerogatives, would argue against direct elections in Iraq or anywhere else in the world for that matter?
Here we have Middle Eastern Moslems, demanding democracy, while the "civilized" westerly cultured Americans, are opposed to true democracy? America is insisting adamantly, on "elections" through caucuses or indirect selections of political leaders that would do America’s bidding, Iraqi political leaders that would be in obeisance to America’s whims and caprices! Simply put, America is looking for a puppet government in Iraq! A puppet government possibly led headed by the American token, Ahmed Chalabi or some other Iraqi who have cozy up to America.
Clearly, America is looking for an abridged, abbreviated and adulterated democracy, America is seeking a pseudo democracy and it will prefer a government in Iraq, that it can manipulate and control. The United States, in the face of the starkly naked reality and consequences of the invasion and occupation of Iraq, now, seeks UN’s endorsement, the US now seek to foist the reconstruction responsibilities, so that the ongoing nefarious activities by the US, the sour undertaking by America in Iraq will become the responsibility of the international community, the UN will now provide cover and legitimacy to a planned exit strategy by the US, that would look almost respectable.
Secretary General Koffi Annan of the United Nations, is conferring that legitimacy and respectability on America’s exit strategy and America’s unilateral cowboy and bully policies, that led to the debacle in Iraq, in the first place! These America policies, defied the United Nations, defied a majority of American citizens, it defied the entire world, it defied multilateral institutions and conventions, and worse, it defied international law! But now, Koffi Annan has agreed, with the America’s bad policies, by promptly endorsing or echoing the America election schedule for Iraq, by endorsing an American preferred type caucuses or indirect elections in Iraq, this indirect rule by American puppets in Iraq is for American benefit.
Koffi Annan’s agreement with the Americans’ position is really not a surprise, he has simply regurgitated America’s famously acclaimed impracticality of direct elections of the one person one vote type, Mr. Annan perhaps in doing this, hopes to avert the probability of facing the Boutrous Boutrous Ghali treatment, as it is the case, that any UN Secretary General who confronts America with its UN bills and dues or with the truth, is soon to find the carpet pulled from under his feet, as it happened to Mr. Ghali.
Anyone who needed proof to the effect, that the United Nations and the United States is one and the same thing, should look no further for succinct examples. These occurrences emphasizes why the United Nations would remain a toothless bulldog, or toothless lion and an American puppet for the foreseeable future, I hope that a civil war can be avoided in Iraq.
Feb 2004
America Is Afraid Of True Democracy
America Is Afraid Of True Democracy
Hence The Moves Against One Person-One Vote In Iraq!
By
Paul Adujie
New York, United States
This writer's condemnation or disapproval of the American invasion and occupation of Iraq is a matter of public record; In a series of articles, beginning with "No Tears For Saddam? How About The Principle?" this writer argued repeatedly against the wrong-headed hegemonic and imperialist policies that inspired America into the unbridled breach of international law and the consequent violation of Iraq's sovereignty, territorial integrity and political/economic independence.
Iraq was invaded and occupied, that is certainly bad enough! There was clearly the intention, on the part of the invaders and occupiers of Iraq, to usurp, Iraq's political, economy and strategic resources, even as the invaders and occupiers insisted that their motive and mission were honorable. Now, we must remember that the USA famously described the invasion of Iraq as motivated by the urge to export freedom and democracy to Iraq, hence "operation Iraqi freedom"? How then? America, the grandmother and grandfather of democracy and all good virtues, is now the exact antithesis of freedom, democracy and one person, one vote, which is a basic tenet of democracy.
Forget the caucuses and indirect elections, one person-one vote must be preferred and pursued vigorously, America must give Iraq democracy and freedom as America promised at the onset. Did America suddenly find democracy of one person one vote inconvenient and incompatible with American interests in Iraq and the entire Middle East?
There was no ironclad empirical data, to the effect that Saddam Hussein possessed WMD, which is supposed to be the real reason for American and British preemption in the first place? where are the WMD? The complete folly of preemption doctrine is now clearly established and America currently has 150,000 soldiers occupying Iraq, just as American taxpayers are being required to donate the blood of sons and daughters to a volatile Iraq, 522 dead and still counting, including a price tag of $20 Billion dollars a year.
Ayatollah Sistani and other Iraqis are demanding democracy, freedom and self-determination from America, America, self-proclaimed champion of freedoms and democracy, it is becoming clearer that the Americans are only interested in the political, economic and strategic control of Iraq... It is also clear now, that infrastructure or facilities for making beer or fertilizer were confused with WMD programs by the Western Intelligence Communities, the UK and the US never had any certainty about WMD that warranted the preemptive strike policy against Saddam Hussein and Iraq, or where is the WMD?
What were the Americans preempting? The Americans informed the world that Saddam Hussein had mobile WMD launchers, and a mere 45 minutes was all Saddam Hussein needed to strike Washington and London! Secretary of State Colin Powell presented CIA satellite images and other "concrete" and "incontrovertible" intelligence community evidence of Saddam WMD roguery and the necessity and urgency of regime change.
CIA and American/Western Intelligence Community have been wrong on the strength and weaknesses of the former USSR or Soviet Union, until it collapsed, the have been wrong repeatedly about Iraq pre and post invasion of Kuwait, all these are now being described as "massive intelligence failures" hence the questions that arises, did the UK and US government "sex-up" or "soup-up" WMD information against Iraq? Did the UK and US embellished and flowered information, to enable them accomplished a preconceived and predetermined mission? Or is it truly the case, that their "intelligence" are not as superb as the world have been led to believe?
In another well researched article that included indepth investigations and interviews, titled INTELLIGENCE: Powell's Case a Year Later Gaps in Picture of Iraq Arms By DOUGLAS JEHL and DAVID E. SANGER featured in The New York Times, the following were disclosed: "Mr. Kerr contends that there were plenty of caveats placed on intelligence reports on Iraq by analysts who recognized the limitations of the evidence. But often their warnings were relegated to footnotes or buried in lengthy reports." "The political debate in coming months will focus on whether the administration knowingly dismissed those caveats, and whether it cherry-picked the evidence" http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/01/international/middleeast/01WEAP.html
"Already, the overestimation of Iraq's abilities has raised a fundamental question in Congress and among America's allies: how can a nation threaten to act pre-emptively against another government if the evidence of what kind of a threat it poses - and how imminent the threat may be - is so far off the mark? That question has been the subtext of Dr. Kay's comments" "The biggest surprise to American officials was a deal which the I.A.E.A. inspectors discovered before the invasion began and that the intelligence agencies had missed entirely: a contract with North Korea to supply Iraq with technology that could correct the missile problems"
"Dr. Kay told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the program he found was far less advanced than parallel projects in Iran, Libya and North Korea - where United States intelligence underestimated progress." " In a review that the administration has not made public, only one of 15 intelligence analysts assembled from three agencies to discuss the issue in June endorsed the white paper conclusion, a former senior intelligence official said in an interview this week. " On Secretary Colin Powell's testimony and presentation at the UN, these journalists reported that, Secretary Powell had claimed that "the existence of mobile production facilities used to make biological weapons. "He called it "one of the most worrisome things that emerges from the thick intelligence file we have on Iraq's biological weapons."
"One former senior government official cited the episode as an example of an underlying flaw in the administration's working assumptions" "Mr. Powell's case at the United Nations was supposed to be bulletproof: he had thrown out President Bush's own assertions, since discredited, that Iraq sought uranium in Africa, and he tossed away pictures of Iraqi "nuclear mujahedeen" when he concluded that the C.I.A. could not identify them" "They took every piece of information that proved their point and listed it," a former senior intelligence official who took part in the prewar debates said, referring to the senior C.I.A. officials whose analytical conclusions formed the basis of Mr. Powell's presentation. "They would disregard or make fun of any contrary evidence." "They forgot they were making mere guesses, and even guesses have to be taken with caution"
"Other officials, including some still serving in the administration, argue that Mr. Powell presented a case that paid too little attention to information that might have undermined the worst-case conclusions the administration was highlighting" "According to the interviews conducted by The New York Times, the administration's argument that Iraq was producing biological weapons was based almost entirely on human intelligence of unknown reliability. When mobile trailers were found by American troops, the White House and C.I.A. rushed out a white paper reporting that the vehicles were used to make biological agents. But later, an overwhelming majority of intelligence analysts concluded the vehicles were used to manufacture hydrogen for weather balloons or possibly to produce rocket fuel - a view now shared by Dr. David Kay the CIA American weapons inspector; The original paper was still posted on the C.I.A.'s Web site on Saturday"
"I'm not sure that they did a good enough job challenging conventional wisdom," said Representative Porter J. Goss, the Florida Republican who is chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. But more broadly, Mr. Goss said, despite the tone of certainty that infused Mr. Powell's presentations and other public pronouncements, the intelligence agencies were severely limited in their analysis by inadequate information about Iraq and what it intended" "Congressional officials involved in investigations of the C.I.A. and current and former administration officials, suggest that Mr. Powell's case was largely based on limited, fragmentary and mostly circumstantial evidence, with conclusions drawn on the basis of the little challenged assumption that Saddam Hussein would never dismantle old illicit weapons and would pursue new ones to the fullest extent possible"
"Even some Republican lawmakers are talking about a failure of egregious proportions - akin, some think, to the failure to grasp the forces pulling apart the Soviet Union in the late 1980's. President Bush is considering whether to order an investigation into the intelligence failure, an action he has so far resisted" "A year later, some of the statements made by Mr. Powell have been confirmed, but many of his gravest findings have been upended by David A. Kay, who until Jan. 23 was Washington's chief weapons inspector." "Mr. Powell's testimony, delivered at a moment of high suspense as American forces gathered in the Persian Gulf region, was widely seen as the most powerful and persuasive presentation of the Bush administration's case that Iraq was bristling with horrific weapons. His reputation for caution and care gave it added credibility."
But, it is now clear that the Americans presented witch-hunt as facts, in order to embark on a predetermined and preconceived plans, made before September 11, 2001, to remove Saddam Hussein in the US ambition to reshape the Middle East power structure.
Maureen Dowd writing in The New York Times a few days ago, http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/01/opinion/01DOWD.html stated succinctly, that, America went to war on false premise, when she wrote, that the government is now just engaged in "damage control after David Kay's scalding admission that we flew to war on a false premise" "Dick Cheney & Company were so consumed with puffing the intelligence to try to connect Saddam with 9/11, Al Qaeda and nuclear material, they failed to challenge basic assumptions" "The closer the inspectors got to the truth that Iraq didn't have weapons, the more the Bush hawks asserted that only war would uncover weapons" "Saddam's old lieutenants have said that the dictator did not admit his paucity of weapons because he wanted his Arab neighbors to see him as a great leader and he hoped to deter America from war". "And the Bush hawks wanted to isolate themselves from less-paranoid allies. They had come into office itching to replay the '91 war and try out their democracy domino theory in the Middle East" "clash of civilizations and a battle of good versus evil" "The moral of Vietnam was supposed to be that we would never again go to war without understanding the culture of our antagonists, or exaggerate their threat to us."
No one could have said it better than Ms. Dowd of The New York Times has above, America flew to war under false assumptions, false intelligence, false premises and under cover or camouflage of democracy and freedoms for all Iraqi citizens, from a tyrannical irrational brutal messianic dictator, the veil of altruism, claimed by America, has been lifted, oil contracts, reconstruction contracts and refusal to hold direct elections, based on one person one vote, are clear indications of all of these.
There has never been an established connection between Saddam Hussein and Taliban or Al Qaeeda, there has never been an established connection between the events of September 11, 2001 and anyone in Iraq, there is no causal connection between the Saddam Hussein regime and Osama Bin Ladin, and yet, the regime change campaign was based on these erroneous or deliberate attempts to create a connection, even tenuously, between Saddam Hussein and "terrorism" hence the inflections of information on Saddam's alleged possession of WMD. Saddam Hussein is now in US custody, perhaps in a short while, say by Spring Time, Osama Bin Ladin will be "captured"? And President Bush can then say "mission accomplished" to the American voters? And pump their adrenaline through the roof, with 300 million Americans screaming, "we are number one!" President Bush, then makes himself, the luckiest American, assuring his re-election, revenge for President Bush the elder, which is the grand purpose of all this talk about WMD, regime change and American national interests laced in covered with democracy and freedoms for Iraqis?
For better and or worse, Saddam Hussein is no longer in-charge of the people of Iraq, America is now the defacto government of Iraq, America is the Monopolist of democracy and freedoms, America must now give democracy and freedoms to the Iraq people, anything less, will be foisting another type of dictatorship, upon Iraqi citizens, or the installation of an American puppet to rule and dominate Iraq for America's purpose, as Iraq is steadily led to the path of civil war and anarchy! I pray for the ordinary Iraqi citizens, they have become the pawns, as America plays ping-pong and Russia roulette with Iraq's present and quite literally, Iraq's future.
Feb 2004
Hence The Moves Against One Person-One Vote In Iraq!
By
Paul Adujie
New York, United States
This writer's condemnation or disapproval of the American invasion and occupation of Iraq is a matter of public record; In a series of articles, beginning with "No Tears For Saddam? How About The Principle?" this writer argued repeatedly against the wrong-headed hegemonic and imperialist policies that inspired America into the unbridled breach of international law and the consequent violation of Iraq's sovereignty, territorial integrity and political/economic independence.
Iraq was invaded and occupied, that is certainly bad enough! There was clearly the intention, on the part of the invaders and occupiers of Iraq, to usurp, Iraq's political, economy and strategic resources, even as the invaders and occupiers insisted that their motive and mission were honorable. Now, we must remember that the USA famously described the invasion of Iraq as motivated by the urge to export freedom and democracy to Iraq, hence "operation Iraqi freedom"? How then? America, the grandmother and grandfather of democracy and all good virtues, is now the exact antithesis of freedom, democracy and one person, one vote, which is a basic tenet of democracy.
Forget the caucuses and indirect elections, one person-one vote must be preferred and pursued vigorously, America must give Iraq democracy and freedom as America promised at the onset. Did America suddenly find democracy of one person one vote inconvenient and incompatible with American interests in Iraq and the entire Middle East?
There was no ironclad empirical data, to the effect that Saddam Hussein possessed WMD, which is supposed to be the real reason for American and British preemption in the first place? where are the WMD? The complete folly of preemption doctrine is now clearly established and America currently has 150,000 soldiers occupying Iraq, just as American taxpayers are being required to donate the blood of sons and daughters to a volatile Iraq, 522 dead and still counting, including a price tag of $20 Billion dollars a year.
Ayatollah Sistani and other Iraqis are demanding democracy, freedom and self-determination from America, America, self-proclaimed champion of freedoms and democracy, it is becoming clearer that the Americans are only interested in the political, economic and strategic control of Iraq... It is also clear now, that infrastructure or facilities for making beer or fertilizer were confused with WMD programs by the Western Intelligence Communities, the UK and the US never had any certainty about WMD that warranted the preemptive strike policy against Saddam Hussein and Iraq, or where is the WMD?
What were the Americans preempting? The Americans informed the world that Saddam Hussein had mobile WMD launchers, and a mere 45 minutes was all Saddam Hussein needed to strike Washington and London! Secretary of State Colin Powell presented CIA satellite images and other "concrete" and "incontrovertible" intelligence community evidence of Saddam WMD roguery and the necessity and urgency of regime change.
CIA and American/Western Intelligence Community have been wrong on the strength and weaknesses of the former USSR or Soviet Union, until it collapsed, the have been wrong repeatedly about Iraq pre and post invasion of Kuwait, all these are now being described as "massive intelligence failures" hence the questions that arises, did the UK and US government "sex-up" or "soup-up" WMD information against Iraq? Did the UK and US embellished and flowered information, to enable them accomplished a preconceived and predetermined mission? Or is it truly the case, that their "intelligence" are not as superb as the world have been led to believe?
In another well researched article that included indepth investigations and interviews, titled INTELLIGENCE: Powell's Case a Year Later Gaps in Picture of Iraq Arms By DOUGLAS JEHL and DAVID E. SANGER featured in The New York Times, the following were disclosed: "Mr. Kerr contends that there were plenty of caveats placed on intelligence reports on Iraq by analysts who recognized the limitations of the evidence. But often their warnings were relegated to footnotes or buried in lengthy reports." "The political debate in coming months will focus on whether the administration knowingly dismissed those caveats, and whether it cherry-picked the evidence" http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/01/international/middleeast/01WEAP.html
"Already, the overestimation of Iraq's abilities has raised a fundamental question in Congress and among America's allies: how can a nation threaten to act pre-emptively against another government if the evidence of what kind of a threat it poses - and how imminent the threat may be - is so far off the mark? That question has been the subtext of Dr. Kay's comments" "The biggest surprise to American officials was a deal which the I.A.E.A. inspectors discovered before the invasion began and that the intelligence agencies had missed entirely: a contract with North Korea to supply Iraq with technology that could correct the missile problems"
"Dr. Kay told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the program he found was far less advanced than parallel projects in Iran, Libya and North Korea - where United States intelligence underestimated progress." " In a review that the administration has not made public, only one of 15 intelligence analysts assembled from three agencies to discuss the issue in June endorsed the white paper conclusion, a former senior intelligence official said in an interview this week. " On Secretary Colin Powell's testimony and presentation at the UN, these journalists reported that, Secretary Powell had claimed that "the existence of mobile production facilities used to make biological weapons. "He called it "one of the most worrisome things that emerges from the thick intelligence file we have on Iraq's biological weapons."
"One former senior government official cited the episode as an example of an underlying flaw in the administration's working assumptions" "Mr. Powell's case at the United Nations was supposed to be bulletproof: he had thrown out President Bush's own assertions, since discredited, that Iraq sought uranium in Africa, and he tossed away pictures of Iraqi "nuclear mujahedeen" when he concluded that the C.I.A. could not identify them" "They took every piece of information that proved their point and listed it," a former senior intelligence official who took part in the prewar debates said, referring to the senior C.I.A. officials whose analytical conclusions formed the basis of Mr. Powell's presentation. "They would disregard or make fun of any contrary evidence." "They forgot they were making mere guesses, and even guesses have to be taken with caution"
"Other officials, including some still serving in the administration, argue that Mr. Powell presented a case that paid too little attention to information that might have undermined the worst-case conclusions the administration was highlighting" "According to the interviews conducted by The New York Times, the administration's argument that Iraq was producing biological weapons was based almost entirely on human intelligence of unknown reliability. When mobile trailers were found by American troops, the White House and C.I.A. rushed out a white paper reporting that the vehicles were used to make biological agents. But later, an overwhelming majority of intelligence analysts concluded the vehicles were used to manufacture hydrogen for weather balloons or possibly to produce rocket fuel - a view now shared by Dr. David Kay the CIA American weapons inspector; The original paper was still posted on the C.I.A.'s Web site on Saturday"
"I'm not sure that they did a good enough job challenging conventional wisdom," said Representative Porter J. Goss, the Florida Republican who is chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. But more broadly, Mr. Goss said, despite the tone of certainty that infused Mr. Powell's presentations and other public pronouncements, the intelligence agencies were severely limited in their analysis by inadequate information about Iraq and what it intended" "Congressional officials involved in investigations of the C.I.A. and current and former administration officials, suggest that Mr. Powell's case was largely based on limited, fragmentary and mostly circumstantial evidence, with conclusions drawn on the basis of the little challenged assumption that Saddam Hussein would never dismantle old illicit weapons and would pursue new ones to the fullest extent possible"
"Even some Republican lawmakers are talking about a failure of egregious proportions - akin, some think, to the failure to grasp the forces pulling apart the Soviet Union in the late 1980's. President Bush is considering whether to order an investigation into the intelligence failure, an action he has so far resisted" "A year later, some of the statements made by Mr. Powell have been confirmed, but many of his gravest findings have been upended by David A. Kay, who until Jan. 23 was Washington's chief weapons inspector." "Mr. Powell's testimony, delivered at a moment of high suspense as American forces gathered in the Persian Gulf region, was widely seen as the most powerful and persuasive presentation of the Bush administration's case that Iraq was bristling with horrific weapons. His reputation for caution and care gave it added credibility."
But, it is now clear that the Americans presented witch-hunt as facts, in order to embark on a predetermined and preconceived plans, made before September 11, 2001, to remove Saddam Hussein in the US ambition to reshape the Middle East power structure.
Maureen Dowd writing in The New York Times a few days ago, http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/01/opinion/01DOWD.html stated succinctly, that, America went to war on false premise, when she wrote, that the government is now just engaged in "damage control after David Kay's scalding admission that we flew to war on a false premise" "Dick Cheney & Company were so consumed with puffing the intelligence to try to connect Saddam with 9/11, Al Qaeda and nuclear material, they failed to challenge basic assumptions" "The closer the inspectors got to the truth that Iraq didn't have weapons, the more the Bush hawks asserted that only war would uncover weapons" "Saddam's old lieutenants have said that the dictator did not admit his paucity of weapons because he wanted his Arab neighbors to see him as a great leader and he hoped to deter America from war". "And the Bush hawks wanted to isolate themselves from less-paranoid allies. They had come into office itching to replay the '91 war and try out their democracy domino theory in the Middle East" "clash of civilizations and a battle of good versus evil" "The moral of Vietnam was supposed to be that we would never again go to war without understanding the culture of our antagonists, or exaggerate their threat to us."
No one could have said it better than Ms. Dowd of The New York Times has above, America flew to war under false assumptions, false intelligence, false premises and under cover or camouflage of democracy and freedoms for all Iraqi citizens, from a tyrannical irrational brutal messianic dictator, the veil of altruism, claimed by America, has been lifted, oil contracts, reconstruction contracts and refusal to hold direct elections, based on one person one vote, are clear indications of all of these.
There has never been an established connection between Saddam Hussein and Taliban or Al Qaeeda, there has never been an established connection between the events of September 11, 2001 and anyone in Iraq, there is no causal connection between the Saddam Hussein regime and Osama Bin Ladin, and yet, the regime change campaign was based on these erroneous or deliberate attempts to create a connection, even tenuously, between Saddam Hussein and "terrorism" hence the inflections of information on Saddam's alleged possession of WMD. Saddam Hussein is now in US custody, perhaps in a short while, say by Spring Time, Osama Bin Ladin will be "captured"? And President Bush can then say "mission accomplished" to the American voters? And pump their adrenaline through the roof, with 300 million Americans screaming, "we are number one!" President Bush, then makes himself, the luckiest American, assuring his re-election, revenge for President Bush the elder, which is the grand purpose of all this talk about WMD, regime change and American national interests laced in covered with democracy and freedoms for Iraqis?
For better and or worse, Saddam Hussein is no longer in-charge of the people of Iraq, America is now the defacto government of Iraq, America is the Monopolist of democracy and freedoms, America must now give democracy and freedoms to the Iraq people, anything less, will be foisting another type of dictatorship, upon Iraqi citizens, or the installation of an American puppet to rule and dominate Iraq for America's purpose, as Iraq is steadily led to the path of civil war and anarchy! I pray for the ordinary Iraqi citizens, they have become the pawns, as America plays ping-pong and Russia roulette with Iraq's present and quite literally, Iraq's future.
Feb 2004
Paul I. Adujie Index of sundry articles at www.nigerdeltacongress.com
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/america_is_afraid_of_true_democr.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/iarticles/is_secretary_general_koffi_annan.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/darticles/do_female_suicide_bombers_also_w.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/particles/presidents_choice_of_transport.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/marticles/much_ado_about_religion.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/sarticles/signal_a_new_dawn_in_the_adminis.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/darticles/debt_forgiveness_disarmament_afr.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/warticles/what_does_obasanjo_stand_to_gain.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/anambra_state_vs_dr.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/tarticles/the%20private%20sector%20and%20corruption%20in%20nigeria.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/warticles/where_are_the_nigerian_volunteer.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/particles/patriotism_is_not_a_dirty_word.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/iarticles/asylum_is_for_saints_angels.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/marticles/nigeria_welcomes_commonwealth_he.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/earticles/embedded_journalism_objectivity.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/narticles/naira_20_years_of_devaluations_w.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/again_israel_defies_the_united_n.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/particles/prophets_of_doom_an_adversary_co.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/american_arrogance_and_the_charl.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/marticles/mr_president_give_a_human_face_t.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/oarticles/of_some_nigerians_unhappiness_at.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/american_unilateralism_and_their.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/darticles/does_nigeria_really_need_british.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/karticles/let_us_ask_the_americans_the_sam.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/particles/professor_wole_soyinka_as_charla.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/iarticles/imperative_of_local_police_state.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/another_diplomatic_success_by_ni.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/narticles/nigerian_citizens_and_exit_visas.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/particles/political_solutions_and_compromi.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/oarticles/of_special_relationship_with_usa.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/marticles/masterstroke_diplomacy_and_state.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/rarticles/rejoinder_to_mr_mustapha_shehu_a.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/narticles/nigeria_bans_foreign_music_on_ra.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/anambra_state_parochial_interest.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/tarticles/tough_rugged_cowboys_nigeria_and.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/warticles/what_is_true_democracy_in_the_wo.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/warticles/welcome_home_dr_rice_secretary_p.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/warticles/welcome_to_nigeria_welcome_to_af.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/particles/quota_system_or_federal_characte.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/letters_and_viewpoints_4.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/iarticles/is_secretary_general_koffi_annan.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/darticles/do_female_suicide_bombers_also_w.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/particles/presidents_choice_of_transport.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/marticles/much_ado_about_religion.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/sarticles/signal_a_new_dawn_in_the_adminis.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/darticles/debt_forgiveness_disarmament_afr.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/warticles/what_does_obasanjo_stand_to_gain.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/anambra_state_vs_dr.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/tarticles/the%20private%20sector%20and%20corruption%20in%20nigeria.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/warticles/where_are_the_nigerian_volunteer.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/particles/patriotism_is_not_a_dirty_word.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/iarticles/asylum_is_for_saints_angels.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/marticles/nigeria_welcomes_commonwealth_he.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/earticles/embedded_journalism_objectivity.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/narticles/naira_20_years_of_devaluations_w.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/again_israel_defies_the_united_n.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/particles/prophets_of_doom_an_adversary_co.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/american_arrogance_and_the_charl.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/marticles/mr_president_give_a_human_face_t.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/oarticles/of_some_nigerians_unhappiness_at.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/american_unilateralism_and_their.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/darticles/does_nigeria_really_need_british.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/karticles/let_us_ask_the_americans_the_sam.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/particles/professor_wole_soyinka_as_charla.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/iarticles/imperative_of_local_police_state.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/another_diplomatic_success_by_ni.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/narticles/nigerian_citizens_and_exit_visas.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/particles/political_solutions_and_compromi.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/oarticles/of_special_relationship_with_usa.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/marticles/masterstroke_diplomacy_and_state.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/rarticles/rejoinder_to_mr_mustapha_shehu_a.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/narticles/nigeria_bans_foreign_music_on_ra.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/anambra_state_parochial_interest.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/tarticles/tough_rugged_cowboys_nigeria_and.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/warticles/what_is_true_democracy_in_the_wo.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/warticles/welcome_home_dr_rice_secretary_p.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/warticles/welcome_to_nigeria_welcome_to_af.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/particles/quota_system_or_federal_characte.htm
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/letters_and_viewpoints_4.htm
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Dr. Femi Babalola on Obama, Abortion & Gay Rights in America
Dr. Femi Babalola on Obama, Abortion & Gay Rights in America
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
On Tuesday November 18, 2008, I read with considerable irritation and consternation, "The flip side of Obama" an article by one Dr. Femi Babalola, an Ophthalmologist and chorister in Nigeria’s federal capital territory, Abuja, an article in which he used the revered pages of The Guardian to ruminate ruefully about how his favorite political party in America, the Republican Party or Grand Ole Party (GOP) lost the elections, as he stated his blissful unawareness of how America works and or how he wish America should.
He attempted blithely to make some informed comments on President-elect Barack Obama and the very nature of American politics, roles played by the two major political parties, Democratic Party and the Republican Party respectively. He confessed rooting for the Republicans based on their arch-conservative social policy agenda which reeks of moral certitude.
He informed his readers that he was dismissive of Mr. Obama’s candidacy. But alas, the world now knows that Mr. Obama prevailed against sundry opponents and those who under estimated and were dismissive of the then junior senator from Illinois; The world now knows about the cynosure with brilliance beyond incandescence, the man who is admired for his self-discipline and unalloyed singular focus, which in turn, has given America a rebirth and redemption and an opportunity to look good again.
There is one thing that I could not understand, actually more than one thing that numbed me upon reading Dr. Babalola’s article. It is this, in the past couple of weeks disgraceful and more disgraceful stories have been emanating from Nigeria, there was the Uzoma Okereke, a young lady who was beaten into a stupor and stripped of her clothes, by uniformed men at the behest of and supervision by a Nigerian Navy Admiral! Many Nigerians at home and abroad, including myself, found the brutality most reprehensible.
It gave us and Nigerian image a new damage and black-eye
Then as if on cue, or almost simultaneously, there was this heart wrenching story reported from Akwa Ibom where innocent Nigerian children are arbitrarily and in summary manner labeled and castigated as witches, then murdered, maimed and scalded by the moronic adults in these children’s lives, amply assisted by money grubbing pastors, so-called Christians too!
There are these Nigerian public officials, also known as corrupt rogues, who have plundered and pillage Nigeria with impunity, especially in the recent years, while the EFCC is being emasculated in the most brazen of manner.
There is this pervasive abundance of abject poverty in Nigeria, and, children are the worst victims. No child asks to be born, and no child asks to be neglected or abused; in Nigeria, where there now exists, cases of abuse and extreme neglect of children, children who are here, right in front of our physical eyes, are unprotected from abuse and neglect and the crudity that seems to always rear its ugly heard in our Nigeria. I do not live in Nigeria, and still, I find every story from Nigeria very depressing, to the extent that I want leave my abode thousands of miles outside Nigeria to return to Nigeria with the hope that some us can make a difference or play a role in changing the way things are currently in Nigeria.
In this midst of all this bad news from Nigeria, coupled with extreme hardship, suffering and hopelessness permeating children in Nigeria, Dr. Femi Babalola is more concerned with retrograde abortion rules and the safety of unwanted fetuses; His 17th Century abortion logic is so egregious, and particularly so, when just a few days ago, a report emanated from Nigeria, in which helpless and hapless children were being reportedly maimed and or murdered soon after such children are ignorantly labeled and castigated as witches, all in the name of the Christian God
Where is the morality and religion in Dr. Femi Babalola’s Nigeria, a nation that ought to be the beacon and shinning light for all Africans and peoples of African descent including Mr. Barack Obama on whom Dr. Babalola commented extensively?
There were these plethora reports regarding children in Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers States who were summarily and randomly branded witches and wizards, these children were branded like slaves or farm animals for the whole world to see! And as someone born in Nigeria, even though living thousands of miles away from Nigeria, I was embarrassed, ashamed and shocked to view the videos of these horrendous brutalities meted out to children in modern day Nigeria, Dr. Babalola’s Nigeria.
Dr. Babalola recounted how he did not wash his hands after a golden handshake from former President Bill Clinton, I recommend that he washes not just his hands, but remove the wax from his ears and wash his eyes; all this, just so, he can hear and see first hand, the extreme abuse and utter neglect of Nigerian children who are already here on earth, and while he should stop worrying about his rather romantic ideas about Nigerian, and for that matter, American fetuses!
Dr. Babalola betrays his blissful unawareness with his incongruous praise-like commentaries about the Republican Party, his Grand Old Party, GOP; as a result, I would like to remind him that the Republican Party, the party of former President Ronald Reagan, led the efforts that sustained Apartheid rule in South Africa and Southern Africa’s Angola, Mozambique, Namibia and Rhodesia-Zimbabwe, etc; Ronald Reagan called it constructive engagement, an apparent willingness to engage in dinner jokes with Apartheid oppressors while Africans in Southern Africa suffered endlessly!
Republican policy pursuits regarding Africa have been repugnant, repulsive and reprehensible! Africans should be unwilling to forget these quickly.
She was pro-apartheid... she advocated "constructive-engagement" she was President Reagan's arrow head for warped-twisted foreign policy that was anti-African, anti-liberty anti liberal ideals of freedom and a world free from dictatorships.
Africans should be reminded of how Reagan and his Republican Party supplied the lifeline oils which lubricated Apartheid South Africa, as America and Britain sustained Apartheid regime longer than was possible, through the warped policy known as constructive engagement. And this is the same Republican Party which Dr. Babalola is nostalgic about?
Africans should be reminded of how liberation movements labeled terrorists by the US and the UK, the US under Reagan and the UK under Thatcher wanted liberation struggles in Angola, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe defeated. Those anti freedom, anti progress and anti democratic movement were eventually defeated. Lancaster House Agreement intended to provide economic relief and land redistribution-re-appropriation slated for post independence Zimbabwe were not adhered to; which in my view constitutes the origin sin, before today’s troubles in Zimbabwe.
There is for me, a clear difference between advocating abortion rights and gay lifestyle compared with recognizing the rights of those who desire abortions and gay lifestyle, a reading of Dr. Femi Babalola’s rueful ruminations, establishes him as neither knowing nor caring about such difference. He is simply happy to mouth how it is so Yuk and ughhh and disgusting these rights of others are to him!
There is a difference, I think, between advocating abortions and or gay lifestyles, as compared with a recognition of the right of women to abortions and the right of gays to a sexual preference; Dr. Babalola does not seem to have any qualms in suggesting the elimination or decimation of these rights.
I am not a woman, and I am not gay, nevertheless, I find Dr. Babalola’s complete disregard of women and gay rights unacceptably offensive
The learned Dr. Babalola wrote that women who carelessly get pregnant should not have abortion rights! But everyone knows that it takes a man and a woman to get pregnant or to have sexual intercourse without necessary precautions; Dr. Babalola thinks it takes just a careless woman!
These moralizing puritanical preachments belies the failures President Bush wrought on America and the world with his moral certitude of the gut convictions. Conservatives are too quick to spout moral certainty about social issues, such as abortion, they worry so much about fetuses or potential and indeterminate life, instead of lives which are already physically present here with us on earth. A poignant case in point is the news reports and a series of articles in connection with children in Akwa Ibom state; innocent children who were tortured, maimed, mutilated and some even murdered soon after such children were incongruously labeled witches!
What is reported to have happened to Nigerian children in Akwa Ibom reminder of brutalities of the 17th and 18th Centuries reminiscent of Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials or the Spanish Inquisitions in parts of Spain colonial empire, it is a shameful and embarrassing that this is happening in modern Dr. Babalola’s Nigeria. Why does a Nigerian medical doctor, an educated man no doubt, a member of the Nigerian middle class perhaps, think he needs to cry the tears of aborted American fetuses, even though Nigerian children are being abused, killed, maimed and neglected in real time and under his nose?
Please Google: What Does President Reagan's Death Mean to Nigerians, Africans and Arabs?
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian lawyer resident in New York, United States and a member of the International Bar Association
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
On Tuesday November 18, 2008, I read with considerable irritation and consternation, "The flip side of Obama" an article by one Dr. Femi Babalola, an Ophthalmologist and chorister in Nigeria’s federal capital territory, Abuja, an article in which he used the revered pages of The Guardian to ruminate ruefully about how his favorite political party in America, the Republican Party or Grand Ole Party (GOP) lost the elections, as he stated his blissful unawareness of how America works and or how he wish America should.
He attempted blithely to make some informed comments on President-elect Barack Obama and the very nature of American politics, roles played by the two major political parties, Democratic Party and the Republican Party respectively. He confessed rooting for the Republicans based on their arch-conservative social policy agenda which reeks of moral certitude.
He informed his readers that he was dismissive of Mr. Obama’s candidacy. But alas, the world now knows that Mr. Obama prevailed against sundry opponents and those who under estimated and were dismissive of the then junior senator from Illinois; The world now knows about the cynosure with brilliance beyond incandescence, the man who is admired for his self-discipline and unalloyed singular focus, which in turn, has given America a rebirth and redemption and an opportunity to look good again.
There is one thing that I could not understand, actually more than one thing that numbed me upon reading Dr. Babalola’s article. It is this, in the past couple of weeks disgraceful and more disgraceful stories have been emanating from Nigeria, there was the Uzoma Okereke, a young lady who was beaten into a stupor and stripped of her clothes, by uniformed men at the behest of and supervision by a Nigerian Navy Admiral! Many Nigerians at home and abroad, including myself, found the brutality most reprehensible.
It gave us and Nigerian image a new damage and black-eye
Then as if on cue, or almost simultaneously, there was this heart wrenching story reported from Akwa Ibom where innocent Nigerian children are arbitrarily and in summary manner labeled and castigated as witches, then murdered, maimed and scalded by the moronic adults in these children’s lives, amply assisted by money grubbing pastors, so-called Christians too!
There are these Nigerian public officials, also known as corrupt rogues, who have plundered and pillage Nigeria with impunity, especially in the recent years, while the EFCC is being emasculated in the most brazen of manner.
There is this pervasive abundance of abject poverty in Nigeria, and, children are the worst victims. No child asks to be born, and no child asks to be neglected or abused; in Nigeria, where there now exists, cases of abuse and extreme neglect of children, children who are here, right in front of our physical eyes, are unprotected from abuse and neglect and the crudity that seems to always rear its ugly heard in our Nigeria. I do not live in Nigeria, and still, I find every story from Nigeria very depressing, to the extent that I want leave my abode thousands of miles outside Nigeria to return to Nigeria with the hope that some us can make a difference or play a role in changing the way things are currently in Nigeria.
In this midst of all this bad news from Nigeria, coupled with extreme hardship, suffering and hopelessness permeating children in Nigeria, Dr. Femi Babalola is more concerned with retrograde abortion rules and the safety of unwanted fetuses; His 17th Century abortion logic is so egregious, and particularly so, when just a few days ago, a report emanated from Nigeria, in which helpless and hapless children were being reportedly maimed and or murdered soon after such children are ignorantly labeled and castigated as witches, all in the name of the Christian God
Where is the morality and religion in Dr. Femi Babalola’s Nigeria, a nation that ought to be the beacon and shinning light for all Africans and peoples of African descent including Mr. Barack Obama on whom Dr. Babalola commented extensively?
There were these plethora reports regarding children in Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers States who were summarily and randomly branded witches and wizards, these children were branded like slaves or farm animals for the whole world to see! And as someone born in Nigeria, even though living thousands of miles away from Nigeria, I was embarrassed, ashamed and shocked to view the videos of these horrendous brutalities meted out to children in modern day Nigeria, Dr. Babalola’s Nigeria.
Dr. Babalola recounted how he did not wash his hands after a golden handshake from former President Bill Clinton, I recommend that he washes not just his hands, but remove the wax from his ears and wash his eyes; all this, just so, he can hear and see first hand, the extreme abuse and utter neglect of Nigerian children who are already here on earth, and while he should stop worrying about his rather romantic ideas about Nigerian, and for that matter, American fetuses!
Dr. Babalola betrays his blissful unawareness with his incongruous praise-like commentaries about the Republican Party, his Grand Old Party, GOP; as a result, I would like to remind him that the Republican Party, the party of former President Ronald Reagan, led the efforts that sustained Apartheid rule in South Africa and Southern Africa’s Angola, Mozambique, Namibia and Rhodesia-Zimbabwe, etc; Ronald Reagan called it constructive engagement, an apparent willingness to engage in dinner jokes with Apartheid oppressors while Africans in Southern Africa suffered endlessly!
Republican policy pursuits regarding Africa have been repugnant, repulsive and reprehensible! Africans should be unwilling to forget these quickly.
She was pro-apartheid... she advocated "constructive-engagement" she was President Reagan's arrow head for warped-twisted foreign policy that was anti-African, anti-liberty anti liberal ideals of freedom and a world free from dictatorships.
Africans should be reminded of how Reagan and his Republican Party supplied the lifeline oils which lubricated Apartheid South Africa, as America and Britain sustained Apartheid regime longer than was possible, through the warped policy known as constructive engagement. And this is the same Republican Party which Dr. Babalola is nostalgic about?
Africans should be reminded of how liberation movements labeled terrorists by the US and the UK, the US under Reagan and the UK under Thatcher wanted liberation struggles in Angola, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe defeated. Those anti freedom, anti progress and anti democratic movement were eventually defeated. Lancaster House Agreement intended to provide economic relief and land redistribution-re-appropriation slated for post independence Zimbabwe were not adhered to; which in my view constitutes the origin sin, before today’s troubles in Zimbabwe.
There is for me, a clear difference between advocating abortion rights and gay lifestyle compared with recognizing the rights of those who desire abortions and gay lifestyle, a reading of Dr. Femi Babalola’s rueful ruminations, establishes him as neither knowing nor caring about such difference. He is simply happy to mouth how it is so Yuk and ughhh and disgusting these rights of others are to him!
There is a difference, I think, between advocating abortions and or gay lifestyles, as compared with a recognition of the right of women to abortions and the right of gays to a sexual preference; Dr. Babalola does not seem to have any qualms in suggesting the elimination or decimation of these rights.
I am not a woman, and I am not gay, nevertheless, I find Dr. Babalola’s complete disregard of women and gay rights unacceptably offensive
The learned Dr. Babalola wrote that women who carelessly get pregnant should not have abortion rights! But everyone knows that it takes a man and a woman to get pregnant or to have sexual intercourse without necessary precautions; Dr. Babalola thinks it takes just a careless woman!
These moralizing puritanical preachments belies the failures President Bush wrought on America and the world with his moral certitude of the gut convictions. Conservatives are too quick to spout moral certainty about social issues, such as abortion, they worry so much about fetuses or potential and indeterminate life, instead of lives which are already physically present here with us on earth. A poignant case in point is the news reports and a series of articles in connection with children in Akwa Ibom state; innocent children who were tortured, maimed, mutilated and some even murdered soon after such children were incongruously labeled witches!
What is reported to have happened to Nigerian children in Akwa Ibom reminder of brutalities of the 17th and 18th Centuries reminiscent of Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials or the Spanish Inquisitions in parts of Spain colonial empire, it is a shameful and embarrassing that this is happening in modern Dr. Babalola’s Nigeria. Why does a Nigerian medical doctor, an educated man no doubt, a member of the Nigerian middle class perhaps, think he needs to cry the tears of aborted American fetuses, even though Nigerian children are being abused, killed, maimed and neglected in real time and under his nose?
Please Google: What Does President Reagan's Death Mean to Nigerians, Africans and Arabs?
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian lawyer resident in New York, United States and a member of the International Bar Association
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