On second thoughts, I'm compelled to add this little postscript because the word-hackers and petty-snipers taking pot-shots at my man Muhammadu Buhari would like to give the impression – if only they could get away with it, and still making references to some statements that he made a very long time ago and now trying to put the fear of the Almighty in everybody, that once elected President of Nigeria, he would in due course of time eventually want to enthrone himself as Caliph/ Supreme Leader of some kind of Federal Islamic Republic of Sharia Nigeria, when that is very far from the truth of the matter. Nigeria after all is a secular state and has a secular constitution with due provisions for religious diversity and tolerance for such diversity. In Nigeria too I guess that the Jews are a tiny minority, so they would be crying loudest for tolerance as in this song about National Brotherhood Week
(Oh, the protestants hate the catholics,
And the catholics hate the protestants,
And the hindus hate the moslems,
And everybody hates the jews."
If we are to take a look at what my man Muhammadu Buhari said in his acceptance speech, he would like to be the president of all Nigerians....
Uthman ibn 'Affan, the 3rd Caliph (r-a) was assassinated by people who my Tunisian friend Abdalqadir told me yesterday, were "Extremists" and therefore assassinated Uthman because according to them Uthman wasn't ruling sufficiently according to Sharia. It was during the Caliphate of Uthman that Abu Dhar al-Ghifari who is usually credited with being the first Muslim Socialist emerged and it was a period during which according to some sources, nepotism was rife and there were accusations that the Bayt al-mal was being misused, pretty much as we find in some of the fledgling African democracies/ plutocracies of today.
Here, the lion of Islam, Ali Ibn Talib (A.S.) describes what happened after Uthman (r.a) was assassinated.
Over here we are living in the last days of Christmas shopping fever for this year, conspicuous consumption and consumerism. I know that it's the same thing in bourgeois Africa where the culturally corrupt elite import Christmas trees on which they usually hang all their degrees. They would if they could also import the Heavenly Himalayan snow, so that they could enjoy a "White Christmas" - the only trouble is, of course, that the Christmas snow is not likely to survive in the tropic Christmas heat....
Most Africans I know are wishing that the sun would shine at least just for a little while, but these are long long dark days. You know the song that begins, "I pity the poor immigrant, who wishes he would've stayed home."?
But it's really not that bad...
On Sunday, 21 December 2014 05:32:29 UTC+1, Cornelius Hamelberg wrote:
Since the old Buhari is the object of such judgmental views and prophecies lets look at a slightly older and surely more mature Buhari here:I find nothing wrong or "ethno-religiousfundamentalistic" about these three statements. It's straight, honest talk or would you much prefer some deceptive words made out of milk and honey ? 1. "will continue to show openly and inside me the total commitment to the Sharia movement that is sweeping all over Nigeria. God willing, we'll not stop the agitation for the total implementation of Sharia in the country" -It is to be assumed that he is talking about the majority Muslim areas where this is feasible - and not the whole country. And why shouldn't he if he, like 60 % of Nigeria, is a Muslim and a good one at that ? The Sharia after all is against corruption and a Muslim is supposed to submit to the Almighty as legislated by Islam. Or would you prefer that he says " A vote for me will guarantee a Chinese system of Government in the Muslim majority areas?2. "Muslims should vote for fellow Muslims who can defend their faith"Am I being stoopid or something? What is wrong with him saying that Muslims should vote for those who will defend and uphold their interests? Should Muslims vote for someone who will not defend or uphold their values?3. "Your people are killing my people."And the people of Boko Haram are doing just that.Isn't that is what is happening in e.g. Israel too ? Can you not hear e.g. Binyamin Netanyahu saying this to Mahmoud Abbas?
On Sunday, 21 December 2014 04:24:02 UTC+1, Ikhide wrote:"I am also not impressed with the narrative out there that Buhari believes in fighting corruption with total commitment, even though he may not be personally corrupt and I dare say, he is not. He allows certain things under table and in some cases, negligently aids and abets corrupt acts. Remember the 53 suit cases? What about his stewardship at PTF? It is not as flattering as some would want us to believe. And before I forget, in 2008, at the 10th anniversary of the death of Abacha, Buhari declared to the consternation of all Nigerians that Abacha was neither corrupt nor a thief. "He did not steal Nigeria's money," he declared sternly with military fiat. This is despite the fact that several countries had returned hundreds of millions of dollars to Nigeria as part of Abacha's recovered loot. I don't know if this position was also 'contrived' by Buhari's hate club. If not, I don't know how much good this does to the General's image as an anti-corruption leader that is being daily burnished in the media. Anyone who denies this fact of history that Abacha did not loot the treasury cannot be an honest person and for Buhari to do that speak powerfully to the charge against him. It is an eloquent testimony that tells a lot about what his promoters would not want to talk about.
The harrowing traffic chaos that we all suffer and agonise over today in Lagos is a direct result of Buhari's narrow and parochial minded view of economic affairs of this country. The cancellation of the Lagos Metro Line project after commencement of work remains a sad reminder of Buhari's lack of vision and foresight. Tragically, those who have borne the brunt of that unfortunate action are today the very people packaging, marketing and promoting him to be president partly with the resources of the Lagos state. Thankfully, our memories are not like architecture that is often described as frozen music."
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