"When Professor Albert Einstein published his sensational Theory of
Relativity, everyone spoke of the genius who had shaken the entire
world of science. At the time Einstein said, " Should my theory be
proved valid, then Germany and France will fight over me. Germany will
say that I'm German and France will say that I'm a world citizen.
Should the theory not be proven true, Germany and France will still
fight over me. France will say that I'm a German and Germany will say
that I'm a Jew."
Cornelius, will of course defer to the sociology professor's
succinctness and would like to prod his knowledge reserves for yet a
further thought provoking opinion
The truth is, I am not happy with Nasser being described as "the Pan
Africanist par excellence" just because he thought that Egyptian
civilisation was African ( even pre-Arab?) or because he supported
anti-colonial struggles. But he does deserve the title for his merely
thinking " Egyptian, Arab, African".
Otherwise ,
Nasser as the Pan-Arab Nationalist par excellence, yes, even a great
anti-Semite or an anti-Semite par excellence, without a doubt, but not
"the Pan-Africanist par excellence " - and I do not believe that
racism has a place in Pan-Africanism. (smile)
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=Nasserism
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=Nasser+as+pan+africanist
Still thinking about Muammer al-Gaddafi and the idea of a United
States of Africa
Ok Nasser who was a secularist, identifies himself and is a
spokesperson for those who identify themselves as simultaneously
Egyptian, Arab, and African, but I'm afraid that you have left out a
most essential component of Arab identity - for most Arabs Islam and
Islamic identity supersedes any other criteria. Given that scale of
values with Islam at the top, a Muslim Arab would say that he is
Muslim and Arab or Arab and Muslim – and most certainly accept Hamza
Yusuf, his fellow Muslim from California as his brother.
An Egyptian Arab Christian is not less nationalistic than an Egyptian
Arab Christian....
Since Nasser did not attach so much importance to religion in his
rather secular ideology of Nasserism, he is at variance with the
ethos which provides the dynamo and impetus of the Muslim
Brotherhood, Hamas and their Charter/ covenant, al-Qaeda, the Kalifa
group, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and all the other Islamic groups who
want to resurrect the UMMAH and to expand it to incorporate the rest
of the world that has not yet been converted to Islam, and is
presently outside of the pale/ jurisdiction of Islam.
So I have never for one moment thought that Gaddafi's goal has been
merely the United States of Africa. Perhaps just that could be
achievable within his life time, and looking beyond the Suez canal he
must have dreamt of a landmass he could call the United States of
Africa and Arabia, sometime....
A classic : http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=The+Arab+Mind
On Mar 3, 12:56 am, "Prof. Alfred Zack-Williams"
<a...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
> Cornelius,
>
> You are quite right. Gamal Abdel Nasser, the Pan-Africanist par excellence
> described Egyptians as having three concentric circle of consciousness (read
> identity) Egyptian, Arab and African. Multiple identity is not unusual in a
> cosmopolitan hybridised world; except if we want to return to essentialism,
> the fountain of exclusiveness.
>
> zack
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
>
> [mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Cornelius Hamelberg
> Sent: 02 March 2011 13:54
> To: USA Africa Dialogue Series
> Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: What says the African Union
> about Colonel al-Gaddafi and current events in Libya?
>
> I should say that North African Arabs by virtue of being part of the
> population of mainland Africa , are both Africans and Arabs. It's a question
> of choice, how they would like to identify themselves.
> The trouble could be that some Africans want to believe that an African has
> to be black, like Robert Mugabe and not like Andre Brink or Alan Paton or
> Nadine Gordimer or Muammer al-Gaddafi
>
> I have Jewish friends from Libya, Tunisia, Turkey, Morocco, Brazil, Mexico,
> Algeria, South Africa, Yemen, Ethiopia, Austria other places, who are no
> less Jewish or less Yemenite etc.for being born or bred in these countries.
>
> I do have friends from Libya and Algeria who have dark skins and Negroid
> features but are Arab by language, birth and culture. An Englishman who was
> either joking or thought that he was putting me down said he thought that I
> was from Agadir in Morocco. My youngest half Scottish Brother Michael was
> mistaken for an Imam from Morocco, in London.
>
> I have associated with Arabs for the past twenty five years and there is not
> a single racist incident for me to report. On the contrary I feel that I
> have always been given some preferential treatment ( and valuable presents
> which I have sometimes refused.
>
> We've got to be logical here. As logical as Yusuf ben Yochanan who started
> one of his lectures by declaring that since the Prophet Moses was born and
> bred in Egypt, it would not be politically incorrect to identify him as
> African. The point is of course debatable.
>
> Another logician, Khalid al-Mansour defines European as meaning white, and
> coming from Europe.
>
> Understandably, because of racism, race and colour is something that a lot
> of people get emotional about. That being the case I should like to once
> more refer to the Prophet of Islam , salallahu alaihi wa salaam's last
> khutbah/ sermon in which he said,
>
> "All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a
> non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has
> no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white
> except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to
> every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall
> be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was
> given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves. "
>
> So there, we have it.
>
> Right now there's all the hysteria about other media reports , true or
> false, that "Arabs killing Black Africans" you would think that we are on
> the brink of a war between Africa South of the Sahara and North Africa (I'm
> sure that if such a war erupted Muammer al-Gaddafi would be one of the first
> in North Africa to want to make peace and so would the rest of the African
> Union.
>
> The situation in Libya is a little complicated right now, since we are
> informed by so many media outlets that Gaddafi has hired mercenaries from
> places like Niger, Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe to fight for him.
> This could mean that the innocent African guest workers who are not fighting
> for anybody, neither for Gaddafi nor for those against Colonel Gaddafi
> especially if armed could be easily mistaken for Gaddafi mercenaries. And
> black Libyans are likewise in the same danger zone of suspicion – identified
> by colour.
>
> In other words black people are liable to be caught in the dangerous cross
> fire.
> The immediate solution would be for Africans to make themselves invisible
> for the time being.
> The Long time solution, could take a little more time of consciousness
> raising.
>
> Long or short, the rule of law still has to prevail in all circumstances in
> both peacetime and during times of war....
>
> Still wishing the best for Libya, and Africa:
>
> http://www.thelocal.se/blogs/corneliushamelberg/2011/03/02/from-stock...
> -few-separate-thoughts-about-libya/
>
> On Mar 2, 5:10 am, kenneth harrow <har...@msu.edu> wrote:
> > dear kofi
> > your questions do not lend complexity or nuance, they are themselves
> > questions that beg the question of how a revolutionary leader can
> > become an authoritarian dictator; they also beg the question of how
> > the one who takes these questions seriously can aspire to complexity
> > in political discourse.
>
> > it aint either/or, with us anti-imperialists or with the imperialists.
> > the world was probably never quite like that; now this is a nostalgic,
> > and ultimately anti-progressive stance, anti-progressive set of questions.
>
> > i think of birago diop. one of the heroes of senegalese literature,
> > one of its most accomplished authors and minds. do you know his
> > history, his life story? it is interesting: the vet, the student, the
> > administrator, the ambassador, the author, the source of inspiration.
> > many tales, with supreme nuance, graced his pen. maman caimans with
> > babies who refused to learn from her, and paid the price.
> > that would be the story i would want to read to answer these questions:
> > what parable would maman caiman have had to say? then there could be a
> > discussion.
> > but your questions, and implied answers, do not leave any such room.
> > the elbow out reflection, supply the answer before the question had
> > time to end with its question mark.
> > kofi, put out a question we can really ask ourselves, so that instead
> > of a riposte we could have a real discussion. like, what was maman
> > caiman about.
> > i bet my friend cornelius would have things to say about maman caiman,
> > about the walo and moors and their fight, and how the babies became a
> > balm to heal the wounds of the moors' prince of trarza.
> > ken
>
> > On 3/1/11 5:48 PM, Dompere, Kofi Kissi wrote:
>
> > > Dear Cornelius Hamelberg and the members of the forum As the winds
> > > blow to the shores of AFRICA, the carry some stubborn facts that
> > > bring into focus some important questions To reflect on.
> > > 1. Why did USA and the Obama administration delivered a veto for
> condemnation of Israel abuses of Palestine?
> > > 2. Why did USA and Bush administration with the complete support of
> > > the NATO and Unite Kingdom invaded Iraq and how many
> > > people were killed?
> > > 3. Why did the so called democratic nations of the Imperial West
> > > stayed mute on the Mubarak atrocities and how many
> > > people of Egypt were killed?
> > > 4. How democratic is the United Nations in its decision-making process?
> > > 5. Are the nations and governments talking about sanctions, no-fly
> > > zones, Blockades are they not the same imperial
> > > countries
> > > 6. How much oil does Egypt have and how much oil does Libya have?
> > > 7. How many neo-colonial puppets are in the North Africa and other parts
> of Africa?
> > > 8. Do you know any African leader that has supported African Unity and
> liked by the imperial predators.
> > > 9. Are the world conflicts not about resource and commodity movements?
>
> > > What is my point? One may dwell in the comfort zone of simplicity and
> refuse to acknowledge complexities in social events.
> > > I will appreciate answers to these questions and thank you
>
> > > KOFI
>
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
> > > [mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Cornelius
> > > Hamelberg
> > > Sent: Friday, February 25, 2011 7:30 AM
> > > To: USA Africa Dialogue Series
> > > Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: What says the African
> Union about Colonel al-Gaddafi and current events in Libya?
>
> > > Dear Professor Kofi Kissi Dompere,
>
> > > Methinks that thou dost praise el Colonel al-Gaddafi excessively, and at
> the wrong time. You are sending him the wrong message. I'm sure that Madiba
> Nelson Mandela is very critical of what Gaddafi is doing right now.
>
> > > Futhermore:
>
> > >http://www.thelocal.se/blogs/corneliushamelberg/2011/02/25/no-to-murd...
>
> > > On Feb 25, 12:07 am, "Dompere, Kofi Kissi"<kdomp...@Howard.edu>
> > > wrote:
> > >> Thanks to all that have read my posting.Unfortunately people read and
> most of the time, they read out of context. This is the question posed by
> Cornelius Hamelberg. An important question for us in this forum, and indeed
> for the rest of Africa and diaspora, is why the gaping silence from the
> Africa Union, about the lastest antics of the man who has played such a
> pivotal role in African Union matters, not least of all in his largesse in
> providing funding for a few projects in Africa and also not least of all his
> well known ambition to become the first president of the United States of
> Africa? My statement was to provide a possible answer to the question. If
> you do not agree with my answer, please provide us with an alternative
> answer.
> > >> Furthermore can you explain to us why Mandela embraced Col. Gaddafi.
> How many African Nations came to the aid of Lumumba,s Congo? We mast keep in
> mind that as history unfolds it bring in the good and the bad simply because
> every individual is characterized by the good-evil duality in consistent
> with some African philosophical expressions. Gamal Abdel Nasser is one of
> the African leaders that I have always admire and so much so that he is one
> of the African leaders that I have dedicated one of my books to. These
> dedications continue with personalities of Lumumba, Nyerere, Padmore, Modibo
> and others.
>
> > >> Any way, Chambi, thank you.
> > >> KOFI KISSI DOMPERE
> > >> ________________________________
>
> ...
>
> read more »
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