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:
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
> >> ________________________________
> >> From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
> >> [mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Chambi
> >> Chachage
> >> Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 9:15 PM
> >> To: USA Africa Dialogue
> >> Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: What says the African Union
about Colonel al-Gaddafi and current events in Libya?
>
> >> Kofi kindly clarify this statement: "Libya unlike Egypt has a history
of supporting the DECOLONIZATION of the continent." As far as I know Egypt,
at least the one led by Gamal Abdel Nasser supported decolonization. In this
regard you may wish to unpack this statement from the host of the then OAU
Liberation Committee, Julius Nyerere; "Nasser was a great leader and a great
African leader, I got on extremely well with him", in relation to this
image: http://www.soko-tanzania.com/tanganyika_zanzibar_union.html. By the
way, Col. Gaddafi supported Idi Amin in 'his war' with Tanzania.
>
> >> ------
> >> My mission is to acquire, produce and disseminate knowledge on and
about humanity as well as divinity, especially as it relates to Africa, in a
constructive and liberating manner to people wherever they may be.
> >> -------
> >> Address: P. O. Box 4460 Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
> >> Cellphone: + (255)(0)754771763/718953273
> >> Skype: chambi100
> >> Twitter: @Udadisi
> >> Blog:http://udadisi.blogspot.com/
> >> Group:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wanazuoni/
> >> -------
>
> >> ________________________________
> >> From: kenneth harrow<har...@msu.edu>
> >> To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
> >> Sent: Wed, February 23, 2011 11:04:20 PM
> >> Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - What says the African Union
about Colonel al-Gaddafi and current events in Libya?
>
> >> khaddifi supported some of the worse dictators on the continent, and
imposed an ideological regime on his population worthy of soyinka's more
bitter satires. i wonder why people could fall for his liberation rhetoric
and ignore his repressive actions. reminds me of the rhetoric of idi amin,
turned to the same purposes. and if not always as brutal, equally
hypocritical in the case of ahidjo. or mobutu.
> >> this is the time for the spirit of sony labou tansi to awaken, along
with so many others. dennis brutus, tchicaya u tamsi, we need your voices
again. "not a sell out"--no, he was actually worse. a tyrant. so what if his
billions enabled him to stiff the europeans. what did that have to do with
being a dictator, a brutal ruler.
> >> ken
>
> >> On 2/23/11 1:35 PM, Dompere, Kofi Kissi wrote:
>
> >>> Thank you, Cornelius Hamelberg, for this question.
> >>> LIBYA is a member of the African Union. Libya unlike Egypt has a
history of supporting the DECOLONIZATION of the continent. She is the most
important contributor to OAU Libration Fund. Colonel al-Gaddafi, unlike
other North African heads of states, has also invested heavily in Africa. He
also was not a sell out. To be fair to our brothers and sisters in Libya,
the history does not justify the bloodsheds going on. The events taking
place in North Africa, the information technology that has democratized the
information space and the activities of the Wiki Leak are leading to a major
global restructuring in terms of power, control and governance, the ending
structure and form is unknown to us. What we do know is that global
institutional transformation is taking place and is a continual process.
What do you think?
> >>> PEACE
> >>> KOFI KISSI DOMPERE.
> >>> -----Original Message-----
> >>> From:
> >>>
> >>>usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com<mailto:usaafricadialogue@googleg
> >>>r
> >>> oups.com>
> >>>
> >>>[mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com<mailto:usaafricadialogue
> >>>@ googlegroups.com>] On Behalf Of Cornelius Hamelberg
> >>> Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 6:48 AM
> >>> To: USA Africa Dialogue Series
> >>> Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - What says the African Union
about Colonel al-Gaddafi and current events in Libya?
> >>> The Arab League has taken their stance and it is not as if the African
nations care less about the fate of Libya and Libyans.
> >>> 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?
>
>>>http://www.thelocal.se/blogs/corneliushamelberg/2011/02/23/revolution...
> >>> --
> >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the
"USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas
at Austin.
> >>> For
>
> ...
>
> read more »
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