Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Cheikh Anta Diop

PS. Sorry - very sorry :

Toyin, this link (a better link) answers the jailor's query about the
Almighty asking Adam :
" Where art thou?"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0415278295/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1/278-1295091-1996818?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_r=00YJEHY3KKXJXD0E6600&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_i=0806527897#reader_0415278295


On Jan 1, 9:46 pm, Cornelius Hamelberg <corneliushamelb...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Dear Oluwatoyin,
>
> Thirsty man and hungry for knowledge ( By  the way, last night I
> dreamt that Basher al-Assad and I had been captured and were being
> held in captivity.... long dream)
>
> As you say " There's too much at stake" : Comparative Cognitive
> Processes and Systems
> "Exploring Every Corner of the Cosmos in Search of Knowledge"
>
> As for me, I'm still at the very periphery of the beginning, will soon
> be in kindergarten...
>
> Consider this line from page one of Martin Buber's "The Way of Man":
>
> "Finally he asked : How are to understand that God , the all-knowing
> said to Adam: Where art thou?"
>
> ( Cat Stevens//Yusuf Islam, nice guy, I attended some of his classes
> at 146 Park Road, London,some time ago and he's a good Islamic teacher
> but he too in one of his televised interviews betrayed the same kind
> of fundamental misunderstanding of Torah – in his case he expressed
> the conviction that (Heaven forbid) the Torah had been changed or
> corrupted because  according to his Islamic understanding the
> Omniscient could not possibly ask or have asked  a question such  as "
> Where art thou?".
>
> Since then it's possible that Cat  has come to a better understanding
> – as explained here on pages one --- onwards....
>
> http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&tbo=d&sclient=psy-ab&q=Martin+Buber+:+...
>
> I have great respect for you Toyin Adepoju – you should have heard me
> blowing your trumpet yesterday -  but I'll explain when we meet, God
> willing later this year. I'm free to roll in any direction at a
> moment's notice to the East  - the Middle East or the West but have
> to spend  some time in London before I take off on a long journey ----
> As  Ambrose Adekoya Campbell croons, "London is the place for
> me" ( Part 3)
>
> http://www.google.co.uk/#q=Ambrose+Adekoya+Campbell+:+London+is+the+p...
>
> This knowing and not knowing business  - which title would you prefer:
> Oga or Mazi or Mwalimu
> (from the Arabic root Alim which means scholar/scientist) Professor or
> Algaba Adepoju ?
>
> From my humble point of view 1000 Ph.Ds. is not much closer to
> infinity than just one or even one half of a quarter of the knowledge
> stored in the colonial archives of the British Museum.....
>
> It's strange that you should ask me,"What made you mention
> witchcraft?"
>
> May I please, politely remind you that there's reason to believe that
> investigating Witchcraft is one of your major concerns. If you don't
> believe me, just take a look at this :
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/usaafricadialogue/search?q=Toyin+Adepo...
>
> You're not the only one that's ambitious Toyin. My new resolution is
> summarized in one word : Devekut :
>
> https://www.google.se/search?q=Devekut+&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=or...
>
> After I get "The Naipaul in us" off my chest, you won't be hearing
> much from me in this forum, for a while...
>
> A Happy New year to you Toyin  and I wish you all the gifts that the
> three wise men and the three  wise women may bring to thee..
>
> Sincerely,
>
> http://www.thelocal.se/blogs/corneliushamelberg/
>
> On Jan 1, 5:08 am, OLUWATOYIN ADEPOJU <tva...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Thanks, Cornelius.
>
> > Just  seeing this.
>
> > On the knowing or not knowing issue.
>
> > There is too much at stake. There is therefore no room for false dignity.
>
> > As it is,  I know  I am not educated.
>
> > I need education.
>
> > I am hungry.
>
> > Moving:
>
> > "That was my own reaction when you asked " Have you read Diop?" I wondered,
> > " What kind of question is that? Next he'll be asking me " Have you been
> > circumcised?"
>
> > By the way, circumcision might not be as taken for granted as you might
> > assume. Some people see it as a  form of cruelty and denial of the right of
> > the male child who is not in a position  to  give informed consent.
>
> > "What made you mention witchcraft?  Very interested in your take on that.
>
> > Thanks for the film. It was fun.
>
> > I had to go that Stockholm site and was again challenged:
>
> > [image: Inline image 1]
>
> > I need to live in a place like that Oxford bookshop. Nothing less than such
> > a thing will do.
>
> > Thanks for the evocation of the starry spaces within which the flame burns
> > and the soul is luminous, pulled forth to the cosmic centre.
>
> > God bless you and yours and all the best for a great new year for you all.
>
> > Looking  forward to meeting.
>
> > Toyin
>
> > On Mon, Dec 31, 2012 at 9:17 AM, Cornelius Hamelberg <
>
> > corneliushamelb...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > Dear Oluwatoyin Adepoju;
>
> > > What a very nice guy you have turned out to be ! I say that because I
> > > had thought that you were going to lambast me for asking a Cambridge
> > > man an such an impertinent question: " What else are you not familiar
> > > with?"
>
> > > That was my own reaction when you asked " Have you read Diop?"
> > > I wondered, " What kind of question is that? Next he'll be asking me "
> > > Have you been circumcised?"
>
> > > Well, a mortal man cannot know everything and when I go to the main
> > > public library that's when I feel really little, small and mortal,
> > > suffer a little anguish and panic  looking at the shelves and then I
> > > hear "Time's winged chariot hurrying near" and know that it is not
> > > possible for a mortal to read all those books, not even if he lived as
> > > long as Methuselah.
>
> > >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_Public_Library
>
> > > For twenty three years I lived a five minute walk from there and spent
> > > considerable spare time there.
>
> > > Same feeling every time I glance at a title on one of my shelves "
> > > 1001 Books you must read before you die – Ed. Peter Boxall"
>
> > > You know as well as I do that there are Mw-alim-isismus who you simply
> > > cannot ask that kind of question and not expect some whiplash. Could
> > > even make you a permanent enemy. That's the sort of question reserved
> > > mostly for The Omniscient  - only HE can ask that kind of question.
> > > You hear some heavy Ogun thunder & behold  the  naked wonder of sky
> > > cracking with lightning  from East to West and next thing you hear the
> > > voice of thunder:  " Oluwatoyin ! Who told you that you are  naked?
> > > Have you been eating from the tree which I commanded you not to eat?"
>
> > > Fact is we would all like to obtain the secret of eternal life if we
> > > could. That would be real knowledge, wouldn't it?
>
> > > I'm sure that the beginning of this video will bring a smile to Oga
> > > Falola himself  ( "One day for Africa"):
>
> > >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvLWF0hxoow
>
> > > As I heard one of the greatest contemporary Talmud scholars say here
> > > in Stockholm
>
> > >  - his exact words : "We all came from Africa"
>
> > > So about knowledge I guess we've got to get our priorities right.
> > > Quoting the Igbo's Bible, " For what shall it profit a man, if he
> > > shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
>
> > > As for me, I'm a softy. I was mostly brought up by my beloved Yoruba
> > > grandmother and she too knew many of the psalms of David by heart and
> > > used to quote him profusely. Cleanliness was a major concern.
>
> > > About Cheikh Anta and all that  you take a look at the continent and
> > > you see spiritual warfare going on  - the battle for the souls of
> > > Africans   and now it's mostly a proselytizing battle between
> > > Missionary Christianity and al-Islam. The cultural unity is under
> > > threat and may be subsumed by one or the other, peacefully or by force
> > > of arms.
>
> > > The continent has lost its unity of spiritual identity – assuming that
> > > there was ever such a unity.
>
> > >  I believe  that one of your contributions could be in unearthing this
> > > thing known as
> > > " witchcraft"  - demonised by both Islam and Christianity  - just as
> > > Judaism is also distrustful of all spirituality from the East:
>
> > >http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&tbo=d&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=F...
>
> > > God willing, I look forward to meeting you in the UK this coming
> > > year . I'm sure that things would happen then.
>
> > > Sincerely,
>
> > >http://www.thelocal.se/blogs/corneliushamelberg/
>
> > > On Dec 31, 2:31 am, OLUWATOYIN ADEPOJU <tva...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > Thanks, Cornelius.
>
> > > > 'I find it incredible that you are not familiar withCheikh Anta
> > > > Diop.<
> > >http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&tbo=d&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=C...>
> > > > What
> > > > and who else are you not familiar with? And mind you, reading his stuff
> > > is
> > > > more important than reading some of the cockroach houses that others have
> > > > written about him or built around him. So you had better get started.'
>
> > > > Truth to tell, bro, there is much I am not familiar with.
>
> > > > That is why I am keen to know what I need to know.
>
> > > > Beautiful-'reading his stuff is more important than reading some of the
> > > > cockroach houses that others have written about him or built around him'.
> > > > *
> > > > *
> > > > Thanks for addressing this-
>
> > > > " You are puzzled by how little influence Cheikh Anta Diop seems to have
> > > > had in the English speaking world and of course  he continues to be
> > > better
> > > > known in Francophone Africa and Diaspora.
> > > > *
> > > > *
> > > > Of course it's because he wrote in French and about an area that
>
> ...
>
> read more »

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