Religion, culture and the man in the mirror

Alhamdulillah! God be praised! Alhamdulillah! –    You can praise God in your own language too, he hears!     It’s sweeter to thank Allah for his great mercies.     Yes, so do it in Hausa, Efik, Ibibio, Nupe or Yagba.     Well, Arabic has a special status than any of those languages. It is the language […]

Alhamdulillah!
God be praised!
Alhamdulillah!
–    You can praise God in your own language too, he hears!
    It’s sweeter to thank Allah for his great mercies.
    Yes, so do it in Hausa, Efik, Ibibio, Nupe or Yagba.
    Well, Arabic has a special status than any of those languages. It is the language of the last revelation, which makes it special.
    Really?
    Yes.
    So, what happens to the languages that preceded it and the ones that are spoken farther and wider?
    Go and learn it.
    Why must we be learning other people’s languages while 14 local languages go extinct every day?
    They have no relevance in the scheme of God.
    Really? Like local names with meaning dying because we are ashamed to lose our religious identity.
    Your problem o.
    This is linguistic colonialism.
    You’re cloaked in cultural atavism. I am praise Allah because we now have a brother in London. The land of the Queen is now part of history.
    It has always been part of history.
    Yes, but more so now that it has elected its first Muslim Mayor, brother Sadiq Khan in London. Next destination Downing Street. Unlike ISIS, I am convinced that things can be done without firing a shot.
    Is he the Mayor of Muslims or the Mayor of London?
    Well, he is Mayor of London who happens to be a Muslim – its one giant leap for integration.
    The election of one mayor is a small step in the journey of a thousand miles. Is it remarkable? Y-e-s but a little step. It would be a thing of joy to see a Christian, Jew or Hindu elected Emir of Mecca.
    Headship of Mecca is not an elective position!
    It should be.
    Astagafirullah!
    Why? Is it only Muslims who voted for brother Khan to become Mayor of London?
    Nooo.
    Do you agree that majority of the people who live in London profess faiths other than Islam?
    Yeees.
    So, if they are cosmopolitan in thinking, why should it be unthinkable to have a church in Mecca?
    You don’t know what you’re saying. You’re threading on a very explosive ground.
    Well, I don’t want to offend your sensibilities, but I just want you to understand that what is sauce for the goose should be stew for the gander. Did you read the story?
    If I didn’t read the story, I wouldn’t be telling you.
    No, I mean the story of the three American professors.
    Three American professors?
    Yes, they recently converted to Islam at the American University in Yola?
    Wow that is great. You see why Boko Haram is wrong? Allah can do it without us bombing churches and mosques and creating rancour and acrimony.
    Absolutely, let’s hope that nobody loses a sleep when any adult converts to any religion of his or her choice.
    Nobody forced them to convert; they did so of their own free will.
    Exactly, that’s the word I was looking for – free will. It should be a right to exercise free will. All that hoopla over the girl who converted in Minna or Ese Oruru  People should have the right to exercise their faith without rancour. No language should be superior to another – God created them all.
    I think you’re threading on dangerous grounds. You should stick to your pastime of heckling politicians and leave religion out of the discourse before you burn the nation.
    We should not shy away from debating these things. We should stop shying away from debating them.
    I thought you should be worried about Judge Mabel Jansen labelling the entire black race as cultural rapists.
    The world would never make progress as long as there are taboo subjects or no go areas for global entente.
    The woman should resign and all the cases she determined be subject of judicial review.
    I see you’re hell bent on burying good arguments, sometimes it takes bold statements like Judge Mabel’s to make us check our true reflection in the mirror.
    Meaning?
    You see, while the tar on the entire race is condemnable, there’s statistical truth in her assertion. We’re known for not treating our women with respect and dignity.
    Really?
    Well, Judge Jansen has exposed a deep-seethed crisis that we want to sweep under the rug.
    I can’t even believe that you’re saying this.
    According to available statistics, every 17 seconds, a woman is raped in South Africa; yet only one in three rape cases are reported. Part of this is rooted in fake cultural beliefs – for instance our people believe that raping an infant cures HIV – these are disturbing statistics for the Rainbow Nation.
    So, you share the view that all black men are rapists?
    I don’t, but we we should look in the mirror and make amends.