Whether the sun bares its glittering eyes or the sky turns cloudy, dropping torrents of tears, the People of the Waterfronts must troop to their Parliamentary Hall to deliberate on the silly ways of the People of the City at the appointed time. They are sticklers to time, stickers to agreements. Not for them, the non-challant attitude of the People of the City to oaths taken or words spoken. The words of the People of the Waterfronts are their bond.
There are certain things that bother the mind of Arukulo, he who says he is always at the front of the canoe. He has his own share of worries, like every other human being. However, on this particular day, one seemed to stick out its head over and above all others, commanding attention, as he sat in the Parliamentary Hall waiting for the appointed time. It is this issue of fighting for God or His prophets. Of a truth, every person is entitled to his or her religious belief and no one has the right to deride the religion of another. We must respect that of others, the way we respect ours. There is also the issue of killing because of one’s religion, despite the fact that no religion preaches killing as a passport to inherit heaven. Or is this issue of religion not a case of the quest to inherit heaven and be the favourite of the Supreme Being?
In 1989, the intruding thought of Arukulo went on, Ayatollah Khomeini pronounced ‘fatwa’ on Salmon Rushdie for writing a book titled “The satanic verses.” ‘Fatwa’ means he should be killed wherever he is seen by a Muslim. Salmon Rushdie however, did not rush to die despite his name and the fatwa was lifted after 10 years. He hid throughout the period. The book was said to have offended Islam. Today, there are protests in most parts of the Muslim world over a film, “Innocence of Muslims” an anti-Muslim film. In Kano, thousands marched through the streets protesting the film made in faraway America by someone that has nothing to do with Nigeria.
From the mouth of the one of the protesters came beautiful and memorable words that should be the watchword of every Muslim. He said “Whatever you say against our religion and our beloved Prophet will not discourage us from spreading his teachings to the world. There is no going back loving prophet Mohammed and his teaching.” If every Muslim takes this stand, the world would be more peaceful. Islam, the adherents say, means peace. The endurance test of a man is not when he is being praised, but in the face of abuse and disgrace. Islam as a religion has come to stay. No amount of disparaging would diminish its strength. However, the acts of its adherents could drive away some weak minds. All religions abhor killings, no matter the offence. If someone has to die whenever a religion is abused, it will be like a sign of weakness or fear. The protests and so much noise about the vexatious film simply promote it the more. Many people would not have been aware of it, but for the protesting and destructions in many countries.
Now, Pakistani Federal Railways Minister, Haji Chulam Ahmed Bilour has offered $100,000 for anyone who kills the maker of the controversial film, ‘Innocence of Muslims, a poorly scripted film that should have been ignored and left to rot unnoticed. Said the minister, “I announce today that this blasphemer who has abused the holy prophet, if somebody will kill him, I will give that person a prize of $100,000. I also announce that if the government hands this person over to me, my heart says I will finish him with my own hands and then they can hang me.” This was what a highly placed man declared openly. However, the Pakistanis prime minister has “absolutely disassociated” the government from the statement. What does he intend to gain, apart from, perhaps, applause from some that he loves his religion dearly? Does he think the holy prophet would praise him for killing a fellow human being? Has he forgotten that he is practicing a peaceful religion? Or is it to put fear in others? If a man stops doing a thing out of fear, that very thing rarely dies in him. But such thoughts fade away if People ignore him and he gets tired of it. In school, names in most cases distasteful are given to students by their fellow students. The only way to get rid of the name is to ignore it. Once you make the mistake of abusing or fighting whoever calls you that name, it sticks and you will be called that name once you are out of hearing.
Arukulo’s thoughts landed on Arwa El Masri and her article, ‘The truth of Islam unveiled’, as she watched destructions on TV as Muslims protest, which appeared in The Sunday Telegraph September 22.
Arwa El Masri is a Muslim Australian of Palestinian heritage. Born in Saudi Arabia, she moved to Australia in the 1980s and is now a mother of three and the wife of retired rugby league star Hazem El Masri.
She said: “My eight-year-old son was watching with me and said “Mama … why are they so angry?” We watched a bit longer and he asked, “And what does behead mean?” My head began to throb. My eldest daughter said: “Mama, they look Muslim!” Our youngest daughter pointed out a man who was bleeding.
How do you explain such horrible sights? What could I say that would explain what they saw with their own eyes? So I tried. “They are angry about something someone did.”
“Which one was it Mama? That policeman or that one?”
“It wasn’t anyone in Australia; it is a man in another country.”
“But they are hitting the wrong man then, isn’t that haram (forbidden)?” my son asked.
“Yes that’s right.”
“Why are they not patient? You told me that if I am angry about something to say bismillah and count to 10 and not to fight?”
“Yes that’s right.” “Someone should tell those people to do that, Mama, maybe they don’t know!”
“Be patient over whatever they say”, the Koran says. They can’t hurt the prophet, they can’t take away his honour; it was given to him from the sky … by Allah. No film, no article, no cartoon and no speaker can take that away.
But do I believe what happened last Saturday is all about a film? I’m afraid not. There are other factors at work here that we all need to understand so we can prevent this. Young men with an identity that is so often trashed and disrespected by others – naturally become frustrated and angry.
I hope my son never asks me: “Mama why do people hate Muslims?” But I fear he will, and to that I will say: “They don’t hate Islam, they just don’t understand it, they hate the actions of some people who happen to be Muslim.”
Arukolo, the man who says he is always at the front of the canoe, tried desperately to keep still his ravaging mind to no avail. The mind is a funny thing. Hardly does it obey its owner. In fact, it likes to claim mastership and would veer off on its own, indulging in things it was never sent. The most disturbing aspect is that it would hardly waste time on what you want it to hang on. Just a little bit off-guard and it goes haywire, landing on whatever it chooses. This is the reason many people hardly achieve their goal. They are incapable of controlling their minds and lacking focus, they end up achieving nothing. He who could control his mind gets ahead of his peers and is hailed as an achiever. Arukulo has been trying to compel his mind on what he actually wanted, but the unruly nature of the mind would not allow it to keep still. At last he succeeded and brought back his mind to what he actually wanted it to feed on, while he waits for the appointed time to begin deliberations.
Arukulo smiled and nodded his head involuntarily. He likes the president, the great grandson of Odumodu, he of the Goodluck fame, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Who would not like a listening president? When a man high up the ladder listens to the masses at the foot of the ladder, he earns their love. This is exactly what the president has done by stopping the printing of the N5,000 notes which Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, felt is the only panacea to get rid of the ills of the country.
Several voices shouted no, but Sanusi would not hear. The masses were even joined by some of the high and mighty, still he stood his ground. Instead, he resorted to abuses, calling a statesman, bad economists. He even refused to listen to the elected members of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The minister of Information, Labaran Maku even supported him by brushing away the views of the lawmakers as mere opinions.
They say whatever happens has someone it would favour. This indeed has been proved true in this case of N5,000 notes. Sanusi’s intransigence has brought out the listening ears of the president, proving to the world that he is a democratic ruler. Arukulo has a rule. He believes that if a man makes a mistake and you take delight in highlighting it, you should he bound to highlight whatever correct steps he takes, if you are not biased. As far as Arukulo is concerned, the president has earned his respect by being on the side of the majority, despite his initial approval of the project. More grease to your elbow, he mussed, as his mind continued to linger on the president’s right step.
Arukulo’s thoughts stopped abruptly and he murmured to himself, “Good thoughts like good things hardly last. “Just as his mind settled on the pass mark of the president, the Oldman of the Waterfronts got up, an indication that the appointed time has come, all thoughts must seize and the ancestors formally invited to declare the deliberations open.
Accordingly, the Oldman of the Waterfronts stretched his left hand and picked up the bottle of the local white brew, favourite of the ancestors. His right hand picked up the little glass cup, permanent companion of the bottle of the local white brew. He filled it and began his call to the ancestors.
By Kenneth Amabipi
0803 668 7846
Email: kennymaps@yahoo.co.uk
