I can never persuade anyone to understand what I am writing. But could anyone enter South Asia, especially India, and see how Africans are treated like they are the Untouchables? Alternatively, there was no need for me going to Bangladesh, a Muslim dominated country, to talk about Nigerian literature, but Nigerian image, which I hope would not be ‘hazy’ to them anymore.

With my experience in Bangladesh, at which a ‘fatwa’ could have been placed on my head for ‘discouraging the youths’ [who attended the seminar] not to engage in sectarian riots and smashing of those people who  make ‘anti-Islam’ remarks, like the Bangladeshi exiled writer, Taslima Nasreen, was recently accused by a Kolkota (in India, where she is on exile) imam, who ‘issued a fatwa against her’ on June 10 after a seminar, where she made the ‘statements’. In that, the imam said that anyone who blackened her face and drove her out of India would receive ONLY USD $1000. And the youths went into full swing. Jobless and hungry youths. That is what I am trying to force into your throat, my readers.

Then, again, I have come to treat an issue which has been troubling me for so long and that is ‘labels’ used towards a group of people, therefore I would have to begin with the ‘label’ for Africans.

I get annoyed anytime I read or get suffused with dailies that banter with ‘terms’ or ‘labels. ’As I have called it. Let’s take for example, the colouration of black and white, which in its own is very significant. Seriously. I don’t know why people like us [Africans] still agree on racist words coined out by some mindless people, who believed [and still believe] that white is elegantly superior to black, so shall it be. Not only that. I get really irritated, when an African comes out boldly and say, ‘I am a black man’. Ugh. The Satan is black and God is white and so, ‘black’ people must be subjected to irresistible retribution. I can’t continue thinking why we still haven’t opened our ears and eyes. Or are we really in the Heart of Darkness? (This actually has nothing to with Joseph Conrad and his scintillating prose) But we still share that same ‘label’. Darkness. When we do not want to ‘evacuate’ the slums our almighty Europeans created. You see! I do not use labels, because I am not a goon. I won’t touch this topic again.

Undeniably, the next label that abrades my brain is the ‘labeling’ of any terrorist, an Islamic-terrorist. Why would every terrorist come from Islam? Why? And why should there be labels? Why shouldn’t there be anything like anti-Semitism, while Jews go on and on with hatred lurking in their mind for anyone who doesn’t have the same skin colour [with them] and do not belong to their religion? [Of which I have experienced] Why should Christians want the UN to recognize Christianophobia as a ‘crime and hatred for Christians’, when a few Christian teenagers and youths, who do not know what the world is talking about go to Mosques to distract the imams from saying their prayers? Why shouldn’t there be Islamophobia when a Moslem would walk up to a Christian and say: ‘Jesus is not the Son of God’ and that ‘Christians fuck too much’. [One has told me this]

What I am trying to stress out here is this: that fundamentalism has surged into our blood that we now massacre because of myths, just like the author of Jesus Lived in India, Kerston said that: just because a story has been told for a three thousand years does not mean that it is true. Moslems unleash the straits that lead to terrorist being labeled as Islamic-terrorist in a way that the world do not condone nor tolerate the rate of protests anymore. But anyway, one’s rights must be respected, so that we would live in peace. Probably, I still haven’t made any sense here? But then, why do we say Islamic-terrorist?  

Assalamu Alaikum warah matullahi wa barakatuh (The peace, mercy and blessing of Allah be upon you)

Onyeka Nwelue writes from New Delhi, India. Contact: onyekanwelue@hotmail.com

Robot  Villager

# 1 I can never persuade anyone to understand what I am writing. But could anyone enter Sout...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 24.07.2006 23:41

Auspicious  Villager

# 2 Nna, you try. It's not a perfect world; 'black men' will always continue to call themselves black men regardless of what what you, them or myself think. The different 'phobes' will still remain who they are with their attached prefixes; labellling whomever they wish to label against better judgements. The labels, phobias and accepted identities have come to stay and no amount of protestations can make them go. The idea is to look closely and scrutinize, choose the good ideas and do away with whatever you disagree with - all for your own benefit and personal fulfilment. It's a crazy world out there. The most anyone can do is do the best to keep their sanity during the course of their individual journeys through that crazy world. Life is short, life can be fun..life is what you make of it. Just live..and live happy if you can. Posted by Auspicious| 25.07.2006 00:24

Fjord  Villager

# 3 Onyeka, an interesting/instructive question about labeling; the religious type, that is. The term "Islamic-terrorist" is informative, and it tells that aside from being a Muslim or claiming to be so, the terrorist perpetrates the act of destruction in furtherance of his/her religion. And since terrorism is an equal-opportunity evil, we should be glad to see that there are Christian terrorists too, just so we stick with two of the three Abrahamic religions. The Teutonic Knights, the Roman Catholic Church and Protestants have themselves been involved in acts of terrorism; certain ethnic skirmishes are tainted religion, the continuing nonsense in Northern Ireland is a notorious example. In more recent years, (and I mean in the 21st century) you'll find Christian terrorists active in bombing abortion clinics (these got a dishonourable mention in the 2004 Reith Lectures), killing pro-abortion doctors, bombing gay nightclubs (there has here on this board been more slightly civilised calls for silencing with respect to the mention of the evil and abominable words of "gay" and "homosexuality" - we can live with that!), and pornography stores. Of course, the KKK is a christian terrorist organisation, as is that loose racist group of Christians called "Christian Identity" (these are the morons closest to Islamofascists in principle; of course, you will find them in plentiful supply on the extreme right, and the colouration of the skin is all they need to justify an attack - they've been known to attack interracial couples, too). Like the Islamic terrorist, the Christian terrorist carries out these acts to further the interest of the religion. That's a roundabout way to touch on that delicate issue; but while Christian terrorism has shrunk its scope, Islamic-terrorism has quite an ambitious goal: to dominate the rest of us and enforce submission. Of course, demographics and politics are useful tools in doing that, but so are acts of terrorism, but only if the attacked panic and cower in the face of terror. Which is why abortion clinics must not close, why people of different skin colourations should not cease being together, why homosexuals should continue to fight for their rights to be recognised (there's been some progress there down in South Africa), why there should be more Danish-cartoon-like depictions of any number of holy-figure-types, and why in the West and elsewhere, the principles that have led to progress and freedom should never be abandoned, not even self-sensorship, and that includes the use of a label as "Islamic terrorist". . Posted by Fjord| 25.07.2006 09:07

oluye  Villager

# 4 When I was preparing to come to the US and I had to obtain police report in Nigeria, I had my first experience of how the rest of the world sees me- a "black" man. I was filling the forms and I came to the section titled "race". At this point, I looked at the woman supervising the department, as if she was used to it she yelled out "black". It became evident that she had answered trhat question very often, she knew that most Nigerians often don't know the kind of categorisation used here. As I wrote "black" on that form, I felt as if a stamp had been put on me. From then on I am black and everytime reference is made to black people, black continent and black character, I felt some kind of affiliation. Part of the benefit of being the early bird is that you can categorise and organise things in your favour. Why is it not "pale and rich brown", why "white and black?" Is anyone truly white or black in colour? But even if you give the hoe to a mad man, he will hoe towards himself. Yet, we must admit there is a need for classification. It is necessary for succinct communication. Islamic terrorists simply means a terrorist who is doing so based on the conviction that Islam demands it. If anyone does it on the basis that he believes it a service done to the Christian world, he is a Christian terrorist and should be rightly portrayed as such by the media. Posted by oluye| 25.07.2006 16:09

myhotbrain  Villager

# 5 Mr. Onyeka Nwelue; Assalamu Alaikum warah matullahi wa barakatuh (The peace, mercy and blessing of Allah be upon you) Ma Alaikum Salaam, warah matullahi wa barakatuh (The peace, mercy and blessing of Allah be upon you too) Amen. Nice article, which needs further exploration as it touched upon many issues. Peace and Love. myhotbrain Posted by myhotbrain| 26.07.2006 01:32

Johntina  Villager

# 6 Cowardice and fear of Islam is real! That is why people can hardly make clear statements of their views about issues pertaining to moslems. We most times,all choose to pick our words very carefully in manners that would not offend moslems. I believe dialogue and arguments should be used to address issues among enlightened people to the benefit of the unelightened. As per the issue of labelling as it affects Black people, what we need as a people is to redefine ourselves and take control of our destiny as a race, period! However, I find this article a bit wanting in adequate flesh... Issueas are raised without explaining leaving one in suspence. Finished like a drama Thanks, anayway Posted by Johntina| 26.07.2006 01:54

Lemmuel Odjay  Villager

# 7 Why don't u folks who feel so concerned about this label thing simply take the label "black", for example, turn it around and make it sparkle before these other folks? Infact, even the caucasian groups of europe have a set of unsavoury terms they call each other by when the going between them gets rough. This is human nature for you. The Pole, for example is referred to as a mumu among his fellow europeans. That must have arisen out of the dilemma they must have found themselves during the world wars. Caught right in the middle of two opposing warring super powers each demanding outright loyalty from them following a usually bitter war to liberate them from the other, their country becoming the theatre of wars fought by these super powers as a result. The Italian, on the other hand is referred to as the greatest thing to have emerged after Long John Silver or our own very Anini, while the French is simply a "****ing frogmeat tucker". The English have theirs as well, so the Germans. The English have their age-long hatred for the Germans and vice versa. If you're not close enough to them, u might not notice it. However, these groups have each erased the negative slurs by believing no such thing exists while striving hard over the centuries to turn things around for themselves, thereby discouraging their antagonists from even remembering their negatives. Today, the Italian is referred to as chic and smart, while the Pole is considered highly skillful and articulate. Asians such as Pakistanis and Indians are referred to in some Arab countries as inferior, despite their higher level of educational achievement. It is down to them to polish their image and this is going to take time. They are not helping matters by behaving inferior before a Qatari or one from Dubai as long as they go worshipping their wealth. When millionaire Afro American musicians and sportsmen discovered that money or wealth and its trappings easily makes the caucasian from any clime to quake before them, they re-instituted the label nigger in referring to themselves, thereby taking the wind out of their sails and then turning the word, which had been considered derogatory by their grandparents, in to something beautiful. It was a struggle which started from the 60s with guys like James Brown coining the phrase: "Say it loud....I'm black and proud". They went on to refuse to do their things the way the caucasian American did theirs. They re-designed their clothes shoes, hair-do, etc to reflect their own identity. Today, even "whites" are seen to appreciate the Afro hair style and bell bottom pants have always been in vogue. If we fail to blow our own trumpet, no "white" would blow it for us. As for the reference term "Islamic terrorist" as a slur on moslems, it is down to moslems to work on their image. I have enough work trying to turn the word "Black African" around and presenting it to the "white" as something of a beauty when dealing with them to bother myself about that one. Posted by Lemmuel Odjay| 26.07.2006 05:08