North Africa
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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