Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Report: TB Joshua: Megachurch Leader Raped And Tortured Worshippers

Is there anything in that BBC report that is new?

 

From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Oyeniyi Bukola Adeyemi <oyeniyib@gmail.com>
Date: Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at 6:49 AM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Report: TB Joshua: Megachurch Leader Raped And Tortured Worshippers

Dr. Okafor,

Thank you for your call for caution. Permit me to take a rather critical view of your statement, "Please, don't jump to conclusions," which reveals an inherent contradiction. On one hand, you caution against rash judgments, yet on the other, you swiftly label the BBC as an "imperial, neocolonial mouthpiece." This dichotomy presents a significant analytical challenge.

Your warning against premature conclusions is a call for critical thinking and skepticism toward the media reports on SCOAN and TB Joshua. It suggests that readers should approach the information with a discerning mindset, recognizing the potential biases and motivations behind the media coverage of Joshua and his church. This stance encourages a more nuanced understanding of the media as an entity that can both inform and misinform.

However, your immediate categorization of the BBC as an "imperial agent" seems to contradict this call for thoughtful analysis. By summarily dismissing the BBC's report as a product of neocolonial bias, you appear to be making a snap judgment. This characterization of the BBC overlooks the complexity of the organization and its history, reducing it to a monolithic entity with a singular, imperialistic agenda. Such a reductionist view may oversimplify the multifaceted nature of any large media organization, which consists of diverse individuals with varying perspectives and objectives.

In defense of your approach, one could argue that your characterization of the BBC is not a rash judgment but a conclusion drawn from a historical and cultural analysis of the media landscape. From this perspective, you might be seen as highlighting the historical context in which media organizations like the BBC have operated, pointing to a legacy of imperialism that could influence their reporting. This viewpoint suggests that understanding the historical and cultural background of a media outlet is crucial to critically assessing its content. Notwithstanding this, the topic of Joshua and his church is not new at all. Hundreds of people have spoken about them over the last ten years. The 3-part BBC documentary revealed nothing new. So, I think whatever your predilections about the BBC are, there is no connection between these predilections and the 3-part documentary.

Nonetheless, I agree with you that it remains important to balance such historical perspectives with a recognition of the evolving nature of media organizations and the diversity of voices within them. While historical context is indispensable in media analysis, it should not lead to blanket judgments that overlook the complexities and changes within an organization. So, the ownership of the BBC and the fact that you judged it summarily, as the above showed, is not a genuine reason to doubt the veracity of its claims in the 3-part documentary. I think that if you find anything untrue or doubtful in the documentary, you owe the public the right to inform them. As things are, it appears as if your warning is about the messenger and not the message.

In conclusion, while you rightly encourage discernment in consuming media content, your immediate labeling of the BBC as an imperial agent is contradictory to your message. A more nuanced approach would involve acknowledging the historical influences on media organizations while also recognizing the veracity or otherwise of the content in question.

OBA

***************************************************************************************************

Bukola A. Oyeniyi

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Missouri State University

College of Humanities and Public Affairs

History Department

Room 440, Strong Hall,

901 S. National Avenue

Springfield, MO  65897

Email: oyeniyib@gmail.com

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On Tue, Jan 9, 2024 at 5:28 AM 'Victor Okafor' via USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Please, don't jump to conclusions. Coming as it did from an imperial, neocolonial mouthpiece, known as BBC, this calculated character assassination package has to be viewed with discernment and a grain of salt. What is the sense of propriety, sense of balance, and sense of fairness of a media organ that would unleash a barrage of character assassination against a public figure who is no longer here in this earthly realm to respond to the allegations? Yes, at face value, they are malicious allegations. Would the BBC target a past leader of Westminster Cathedral as it has done here with the past leader of SCOAN?

 

On Tue, Jan 9, 2024 at 5:44 AM Claire Princess Ayelotan <claireayelotan@gmail.com> wrote:

He was not the only one; unfortunately, this is the beginning of unprecedented revelations for many.

 

From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> on behalf of News Updates <publicinformationprojects@gmail.com>
Date: Monday, 8 January 2024 at 12:02
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Report: TB Joshua: Megachurch Leader Raped And Tortured Worshippers

Link: https://updatesonnews.substack.com/p/report-tb-joshua-megachurch-leader

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Sincerely,

 

Victor O. Okafor, Ph.D.

Professor and Head

Department of Africology and African American Studies

Eastern Michigan University

Email: vokafor@emich.edu

https://www.emich.edu/aaas/faculty/v-okafor.php

https://www.facebook.com/DAAASEMU/

Tel: 734.487.9594 

Food for Thought: 

"The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." -- Frederick Douglass

 

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