Islam: Making the distinction betweem me and we.

Somehow, nothing may make me feel you are bashing me. Sometimes, I ask what causes your fear. Often I realise you misunderstand me. Your rationalizaton is honest, even though limited in its perception and perspective. You delibrately make believe that yours is the only 'right' way. You refuse to agree that there are some other absolutes, even when insisting the absolute you accept is to reject an absolute. I do not fear knowing I defer from those you call them. Me, I am not part of your they, I do not form part of a we collective. I am me, nontheless.

I understand why you may dislike me. I am a teetotler. Is that an English word? If it means you may not make profit out of me, then that is what I mean. To be otherwise means I allow you relieve me of my hard earned income. I refuse. I refuse your interest loaded financial system. I refuse your unwholesome foods. I refuse to display more than I would ordinarily display. I wear a beared. I know your fear. You are not responsible for it. You were meant to grow into it. That is the only way you may hate me. Yet, before he departed, he muigrated and lived within a more diverse populaion, just like you are propagating. Yet, his teachings are the things you hate me for, because there is no profit in my life style for you.

I remain me, yours sincerely.

Ossetia or what? How far Georgia

I discover I no longer fear reading Nigeriaworld.Com. With all its virtuperative content, I am confident it only reflects the freedom which many take for granted. It is the freedom to express your opinions that makes the world go round - including the Nigeriworld.Com. However, how much of self determination do the Georgians have today? being as it is that Russia has successfully stepped in and divided the country in two (15/08/08). The fact is that there is much more than meets the eye.

The intercession of France (and several European countries after) is simply a planned action. What a Russain invasion claiming Ossetia portends is anyone's guess. My guess is that the story will soon be told of how this action is the reason for the remaking of the Caucasses. That is the aim. It is not merely the objective of Russia. It is the objective of Europe. It is the objective of the United States of America. And dear Africa ... it is the sound of the approaching invasion. Beware soul brother.

Nuhu Ribadu et al

Finally, nemesis has caught up with Ribadu. But I am not impressed by the actors. Why do we have to wait for another administration to 'demote' the anti-corruption tsar? This is a sad and uncomplimentary commentary on the nature of government and government functions in Nigeria. This country seems to dwell in the 'personality cult' kind of leadership.

While it is not bad to have a charismatic leader, it is bad to insist that we cannot challenge any such leader when we see him going wrong. Or is it because we are indeed responsible for the advice that produces the policy reflected in the action? We make the monsters that we later come to fight. We are our own enemies. Yes, this is probably the only country that hates itself. It is not the 'God's Own Country' but it is the country that produces for that country: Remember the Okwesilizes, the .... of the dollar salary structure? Yes, we know how to arrive. So why should I be bothered that Ribadu is demoted, two levels below? From the rank of Assistant Inspector General (back) to the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police! Wow.

Should government be run like this? Should we 'cheat' to defend. Defend and cheat? Should we lose ourselves to find our course? Should I cry for a tsar?

The Virtures of Selfishness (2)!

I have not left the issue yet. I am not done. Though I have not looked up the dictionary meaning of selfishness, I hold the acquired emotional connotation that makes any 'selfish' act bad. I agree, to some point, that some acts could be bad if done for interests that create difficulties for others. But I do not call that selfishness. I call it greed or gluttony or animosity or hate: all acts done in furtherance of ill and malicious thought. Banish that thought!

My selfishness is to want you to understand me. I will take whatever step is necessary to make you know me, hear me, see me, talk to me - understand me. You may come to appreciate me. That way I would have reached and gained what I wanted. I, selfishly, would have achieved something dear to my heart. That is my selfishness.

You know, I pray that what I do does not hurt you. That is not my aim. I aim instead to have you understand my reason(s) so that you will understand where I am coming from. Remember I am not going very far. No matter the distance, the journey is short and it is not because you are in charge of the roadmap. Check your map and see. How many road signs have you missed? My world may not be like yours, but we inhabit the same surface. We do not own it. We cannot own it. Can we share it? Here is the place where we must all be selfish.

If you assume you must have it all, you are not selfish. You are something else. Does that make sense? I hope not.

August is here. My family, oh my!

There is something about having family. You take them all: stock and barrel. Yes, there are some things that must cause you to worry. Others that will make you go wow, how did I get myself in this situation? You did not. I did not. We have to make the best of it. Yet there is no compulsion in any action. Even doing the right thing once in a while is not compulsory. You have a choice. You will always have a choice.

Have you ever asked yourself why you are doing the things you do? Think the way you think? React the way you rect to any situation? Long windy questions. Full airbags. Make no sense. Hi, wait, but making sense of nonsense is living. You should sort yourself out of any situation you find yourself in. That is the spirit. My, oh my. This month promises to be something else.

I hope we don't end up not enjoying the Chine Olympics!

Who did you say I am?

Here is what. I think I have started to realise who I am. Note my reflections seeking me or myself. Really, if psychologists want to make a meal of analysing and profiling, I am concerned with how I feel within my environment. Do you realise that where you were born (an accident of history) really helps in determining who you are and who people think you are? The other day I was a visitor at Professor An-Na'im's site and waited through a webcast(?)! Wow! I saw this man speak of himself as a Sudanese on account of his being dressed 'peculiarly' within the environment of his presentation. You see, he was speaking to an 'all American audience' . He had a wide flowing dress with a large headgear, particular to the Sudanese male dressing. He was indeed typically Sudanese. Yet, did he have say he needed that identity? Maybe, he did not want to be mistaken for a 'libralised fundamentalist!

The idea is this: The Lord created us and dispersed us all round the surface of the earth. He made us different. Black, 'white', hispanic (?), indian (...) and what have you (or you know what). All so we may know and identify one another. How should we relate to this? Why should I bother seeking to signify my identity? A muslim is (should be) a muslim anywhere on the surface of the earth. An-Na'im only needed to make the point that he is a muslim, peeriod. Is a Sudanese muslim different from an American muslim?

I have found my identity. Thanks.

Funmi Iyanda: Discarding a Course!

Somehow I felt deflated reading Iyanda's blog this afternoon. Here is a woman who has shown some promise and will not allow some percieved pressures to defeat her. I hate to think it is a love thing - or maybe the obasence of it. But, whatever it is, Funmi has put so much into making her personality that allowing something small called fatigue to set in now is quite discomforting. I know she will reconsider and not yeild to the 'fucking fabulous' feeling of dispondence to change her prolific orientgation. Come on girl, there are people waiting on you to shine.

Here is hoping the Iyanda we all know will come up 'running' even if our packaged water will be missing.

Look up. There is someone there.