AGAIN, OVER TO YOU

All the same, let me repeat what I have said several times in the past: I appreciate all responses (positive, negative, neutral) and apologise that because of space constraints not all comments can be accommodated at any one time. But every single comment is appreciated, although not all can be replied individually as many would […]

All the same, let me repeat what I have said several times in the past: I appreciate all responses (positive, negative, neutral) and apologise that because of space constraints not all comments can be accommodated at any one time. But every single comment is appreciated, although not all can be replied individually as many would want, and do request. And also, please excuse the encouraging superlatives some respondents use. I try to edit all those compliments to the barest minimum.

However, it would be most appropriate to add here that the comments any writer would generally most welcome are those that add value to the issue under discussion, and/or open a new vista hitherto unseen by the writer. That type of comment is always welcome. But all the same, thank you very much.

This week, as I said, it is Over To Me! Over the past several months or years, many of you have sent in questions requesting explanation which I have not been able to respond to individually. Therefore, this week I shall try to respond to those several posers you have posed:

WHY DON’T YOU PUT YOUR GSM NUMBER ATOP YOUR COLUMN LIKE OTHER COLUMNISTS DO?: Many readers complain that, though they have things to say or issues to raise on my columns, many may not have the Internet facility to hand to respond to them in good time. They argue that, were there a GSM number written at the top of the column, like many of my distinguished colleagues have, it would be easier to respond by SMS Text. So why don’t I just put up my number there. In fact, who am I not to do that? Why do I suffer readers when GSM is the in-thing? The answer is so simple, really. Time. Many of those who know my other (non-Column) life wonder how I get the time to even pen this column every week. It is only Allah I thank who has made it possible to squeeze the time to keep writing this column, without fail, for three and a half years. Not missing a single week. Alhamdu lillah. So when I can hardly address my email responses, how can I be able to handle phone calls and texts? So I say please A Yi Hakuri for now. I shall do that when more time is available, in sha Allah.

DON’T WOMEN READERS RESPOND TO YOUR COLUMNS (OR IS IT THAT ‘KANA JIN LINZAMI NE’?): To translate, ‘Kana Jin Linzami’ means ‘You Are So Afraid of Your Wife’ that you do not publish responses from female readers. (Linzami is literally ‘horse’s harness’). I say HAHAHA and LOL! Ehm! Ehm! Let me admit that ‘ina jin linzami kadan’, but not enough to hinder me doing what I should. The fact of the matter is that many female readers do respond to my columns, but many from the onset out-rightly indicate that they do not want their comments in print. Which is OK. For those who don’t indicate one way or the other, in deference to our culture I write back to ask whether they would want their comments in print. Many of them reply in the negative. (And on that linzami, am I the only one? Ehm, ehm, let’s leave it as topic for another day!)

WHY ARE MOST OF YOUR RESPONDENTS HAUSA-FULANI-KANURI MUSLIMS? DON’T OTHERS WRITE?: It is true that most of our respondents are Hausa-Fulani-Kanuri-etc Arewa Muslims. This, I think, is a true representation of the readers of our newspapers. However, many others do write, and I publish them accordingly. But sadly, this country has been rendered asunder by primordial sentiments (something of which I, too, have been accused of). But suffice to say that sometimes what I get in response from compatriots cannot just be put in print. For example, when I wrote Please Leave Our Prophet Alone, you should see the disparaging comments I got concerning our Holy Prophet. There was no way, even if I am the most courageous of writers, that I would honour such outbursts by publishing them. But there are some objective commentators from all sides. When I was writing for the Guardian in the mid-1990s, for example, the late Attorney General and Minister of Justice Chief Bola Ige, once personally visited me at Bayero University’s Mass Communications Department, where I taught, just to say hi.

MUSLIM COLUMNISTS ARE ALL FUNDAMENTALISTS: This is a common accusation shot at us Muslim commentators especially after Jos. Perhaps the writers actually wanted to say ‘terrorists’ and lost the word, or the nerve. Well, as this kind of jab is not particular, as others also suffer from it, let me say that yes, as far as our religion is concerned, we are fundamental. We make no apologies for being Muslim or speaking for our religion. After all, others do it, so why not us. And please, let those accusers note that we write based on our understanding of the world, informed by our privilege of having two civilisations: Islamic and Western. That has, alhamdu lillah, made many of us more objective and more balanced by far, compared to some of our compatriots who have no other world view but Western.

WHEN ARE YOU COMPILING YOUR ARTICLES INTO A BOOK, OR WHEN ARE YOU STARTING A BLOG?: Many readers, who may have missed some past write-ups, do write to ask that I send them the articles by email. Many then proceed to suggest that I compile all my write-ups (actually spanning about twenty years of stuff) into some book or some compendium. And others want me to start a blog so they can be able to read me online. These requests have come even from very high quarters. And I note them. And, as I said in the matter of the GSM above, it all has to do with time, really. But thank you all for suggesting it, and insha Allah I shall oblige one day.

CONGRATULATIONS MINISTERIAL NOMINEE BALA MOHAMMED?: When a certain Bala Mohammed was announced among the list of Goodlucky people who have been nominated ministers, many readers did not see the title of the Bala in question: Senator. Tens of you readers just boosted my ego in no small way by emailing and calling with your congratulations, thinking it was me. Ma sha Allah. Thank you very much for the ego-boosting fact that I am the only Bala Muhammad you know. And astagh firullah also! Only that, next time a Bala Mohammed or Bala Muhammad is nominated for any position, kindly note the prefix before sending in the congrats. In fact, when those congrats kept coming in, I even started to wonder, ko dai? HAHAHA! All the same, as they say, our time shall come. Linzami.