With the possible exception of Islamists and e.g disciples of Meir Kahane and his magnum opus “ Our Challenge”, for some of the secular revolutionary spirits who are adept at adopting Marx’s “religion is the opium of the people”, this germane question persists : Would We Be Better Off Without Religion?
Miles Davis : You're under arrest
My own knowledge of Islam in West Africa, so far, having never seen or entered a mosque in Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, or Nigeria, my knowledge is confined to having read J Spencer Trimingham’s A History of Islam West Africa, Michael Crowder's "The Story of Nigeria, some of the works by and about the great Shehu Usman Dan Fodio, the Venerable Shaykh Abdalqadir as-Sufi’s must read Letter To An African Muslim and association with diverse West African Muslims here in Sweden…
This is a given: We ought not underestimate or misunderestimate the influence and the role being played by religion when it comes to shaping people’s identities or the kinds of theologies, ideologies, loyalties, lifestyles and worldviews that they espouse.
For example, it’s well known that adherents of some distinguished ultra-orthodox fringe groups /sects such as Satmar and Neturei Karta oppose the idea of a Zionist Israel and members of the latter (Neturei Karta) are to be found demonstrating and hobnobbing with disciples of the late Yasser Arafat and Haj Amin al-Husseini, in some Jewish quarters, popularly known as “Hitler’s Mufti”
And yet, it’s next to impossible that you would find any so called Haredi Jew, or one of whatever so called Jewish denominations - ultra orthodox, Orthodox, Reform, Reconstructionist, Humanist, Karaite or whatever, joining forces with Boko Haram, Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, Iran’s Military or anyone else who wants to dismantle the current one and only Jewish state, known as Israel and erect a Palestinian State on its carcass.
“God forbid !” says Israpundit
And thus we witness from an Islamic point of view, such as “I love Islam”, anomalies such as Saudi Arabia, said to be requesting help from Israel to battle Iran's proxy the Houthis , albeit this is being hotly denied according to some other media sources
From what is apparently one anomaly to another:
With the transitional interim president IbrahimTraore of Burkina Faso, a post-colonial, Pan-Africanist hero to many, I guess we have to understand where he's coming from, and to do that we probably have to begin with How Islam Came to West Africa.
According to the Ai overview : “Islam spread to West Africa gradually and mostly peacefully between the 8th and 19th centuries through trans-Saharan trade, conversions of ruling elites, and later 19th-century jihads”
He (Traore) should consider the Ikhwan’s response// the Muslim Brotherhood’s comments as a cogent Islamic response to his accusations. ( https://www.google.com/search?q=The+Muslim+Brotherhood+response+to+Ibrahim+Traore+talking+about+Arab+enslavement+of+Africans
In my view, in trying to determine where 38-year old Ibrahim Traore is coming from with regard to his recent outburst about alleged “ Arab enslavement of Africans” - we have to bear in mind that he says “ Arab” - he does not say “Muslim” - and we all know the story of Bilal ibn Rabah , Islam’s first muezzin
But exactly where is Ibrahim Traore coming from ?
We simply have to understand that Tuareg separatists are currently still waging war on the Sahel states of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger and that’s a major problem faced by Burkina Faso's revolutionary leader.
So, what does he intend to do? Seek redress and reparations at the next plenary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation?
On Tuesday, 13 October 2026 at 13:42:24 UTC+2 Cornelius Hamelberg wrote:
Re-Ibrahim Traore on “the Arab enslavement of Africans” :
https://www.google.com/search?q=Ibrahim+Traore+on+the+Arab+enslavement+of+Africans
https://www.bing.com/search?q=Ibrahim+Traore+on+the+Arab+enslavement+of+Africans
Why waste time on the past? If anything ,what about what the Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.) said in his last sermon ?
https://www.google.com/search?q=The+last+sermon+of+Prophet+Muhammad
https://www.bing.com/search?q=The+last+sermon+of+Prophet+Muhammad+%28+S.a.w%
Today, this is the reality: Map of Islam in Africa
https://www.google.com/search?q=Map+of+Islam+in+Africa
https://www.bing.com/search?q=Map%20of%20Islam%20in%20Africa
https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th/id/OIP.lhNAjH3F454JUXKDxwb0DAHaIi?r=0&rs=1&pid=ImgDetMain&o=7&rm=3
And the reality is that all African Muslim majority countries, including Burkina Faso are members of The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation 👍
In my humble opinion the corporate members of the Islamic Ummah ought to work together in a spirit of cooperation , and this spirit of unity and cooperation ought not to be injured by opening old wounds
https://www.google.com/search?q=The+Organisation+of+Islamic+Cooperation
On Mon, 12 Oct 2026 at 20:31, Cornelius Hamelberg <cornelius...@gmail.com> wrote:
Incredible : It’s almost incomprehensible that Ibrahim Traore with someone like Mansa Musa in mind, should talk like this https://www.facebook.com/reel/961001393709302
My question is, why make more enemies th<n you already have ?
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