No Your Highness, not China
Today I have been forced to return to the issue of boycotting China, not because I am fascinated by the topic but because our revered elders are being hoodwinked, by the Chinese, into thinking that they are good people. I refer here to the recent call by His Royal Highness, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, emir […]
Today I have been forced to return to the issue of boycotting China, not because I am fascinated by the topic but because our revered elders are being hoodwinked, by the Chinese, into thinking that they are good people. I refer here to the recent call by His Royal Highness, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, emir of Kano, on the Chinese to increase their investments in Nigeria. The Emir made this call when he received the Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Gu Xiaojie, at his palace, recently.
According to news reports, Emir Sanusi appealed to the Chinese government to encourage investment in infrastructure, agriculture and education. But coming on the heels of the just-released draconian decree that all Muslims must sell alcohol and tobacco in their shops and restaurants in China, any attempt to increase economic ties with China is ill-advised at the moment. The Chinese government has been showing a complete disregard for the religious beliefs and sensitivities of others, particularly Muslims.
My humble opinion, Your Highness, is that such godless persecutors of innocent people must not enjoy your endorsement. They should not be treated like bona fide investors with whom commercial association is worthwhile. Despite the unprecedented patronage the Chinese enjoy from the Muslim world (they make most of the prayer carpets we use, the long Muslim attires that both men and women wear and even our prayer beads, among other things) yet China is the only country in the world where, officially, their indigenous Muslims are not allowed to fast in the month of Ramadan.
Those who secretly fast are forced to break it during lunch, while at work. Muslim women observing the hijab are not allowed on public transport and Muslim scholars are forced not to teach young people anything about the tenets of their religion. How can we continue to associate with the persecutors of our brothers-in-faith as if they are our well-wishers?
If there is one thing the People’s Republic of China deserves today, it is our collective boycott of their goods and services. China is only the economic giant that it is today because from the First World to the Third, it provides the industries that manufacture most of the goods we use for modern living. In the search for cheaper services, developed countries patronize China to produce their telecommunication and fashion goods. In the pursuit of cheap and sub-standard items, developing countries seek the same Chinese manufacturers to make their construction and transportation equipment.
For all intents and purposes, China is today the world’s largest industrial layout. This is why its economy is growing in leaps and bounds. Therefore the least the world expects, is for China to have respect for all human beings and to recognize their cultural and religious diversity. But despite making so much money out of our religious symbols, all they can think about is stamping out Islam from their midst. We must not let China get away with this. If our money is good enough for them so must our faith and religious practices be good enough to be let unhindered.
What the Chinese ambassador deserves to hear, is that they must stop the persecution of their Muslim citizens or risk having their companies being shut down and their people sent home. Whatever goods and services China provides in Nigeria today can be sourced from elsewhere. The Chinese have no monopoly of expertise. They are just reaping the fruits of their aggressive marketing. Indeed today the word China is synonymous with low quality. Whenever you go to the market, you will be told that the cheaper but identical item you see on display is ‘China’, that is why it costs less.
So there is really nothing special about Chinese goods and services. If we are determined, we can do much better than them on our own. We certainly do not need their investment to revive our industries and improve our infrastructure, we just need the will, on the part of our tycoons, to get those industries back on their feet. If we can get our billionaires to return home and start manufacturing, like we did in the past few decades, then we can really end our dependence on China in no time.
Once again I am repeating my call to Your Royal Highness, to encourage the Dangotes and Co. to come home and revive those industries that once made Kano the hub of manufacturing in this country. Someone should tell Aliko Dangote that, apart from the fame and glory it will bring, buying Arsenal Footbal team will not put a plate of food on the table of any of his compatriots; nor will it ever win him the mercy of his Lord. But reviving an industry in Kano, Kaduna or Lagos will surely feed numerous Nigerians. It will also help keep the Chinese out.