Reading the news papers and watching the news, on both local and international television stations, I am compelled to ask questions. I know I might not get the answers I hope for but if only I could get a good explanation of why world peace is being threatened by religious extremism and radicalism and why the holy prophet Mohammed’s (SAW) faithful are always in complicity.
During my days as a corps member, my closest friend was a calm and gentle Muslim. In the wake of the Boko-Haram crisis, while I was bemoaning the onslaught and the fact that the north is highly flammable like an open keg of petrol waiting for a naked flame, my friend told me that Islam actually means peace; to guide my judgement. I was surprised because I was hearing this for the first time but only now, it made me more confused.
Truly, Islam may mean peace but Scars from the 9/11 terrorist attack still hurt and recent attacks in northern Nigeria by the Boko-Haram sect, Farouk Abdul-Muttalab’s saga, and daily news of bombings from around the world where Muslims are predominant makes it hard to synonymise Islam with peace.
In northern Nigeria, citing the case of the Boko-Haram sect, whose leader; an Islamic scholar and cleric, gathered together or should I say recruited ignorant and vulnerable faithful and began to indoctrinate them against all things western and non-Islam. He certainly was preaching violence as he and his followers left sorrow, tears and blood in the city where they struck. I ask again then, as a cleric and scholar of Islam wasn’t he supposed to be preaching peace? Clearly, he wasn’t.
However, before I am misunderstood, I am not saying that any religion is void of extremism or its manifestations but please watch CNN or even the news from the local stations and you will not be surprised as news of the consequences of men who kill and maim in God’s name and to punish America (like some believe), or like Boko-Haram; to protest against western or anti-Islam education, and for other various reasons begin to roll-in by the hour like the stock market update.
I am moved to tears each time I hear of these killings in Afghanistan, Iraq, Borno, Bauchi, Jos, Kano, and many other places where Islam prevails. It hurts more when I hear that men who carry out these dastardly acts do so for the purpose of attaining al-Jana (heaven) and a promise of a certain number of virgins(I stand to be corrected). How cruel! What kind of god allows you into paradise and gets you laid for killing and maiming fellow Human-beings? It is horrible, how religion eats our sanity and makes monsters out of us.
Nevertheless, some have argued that these men who strap themselves with explosives or those who walk into the streets on a busy day and begin to separate heads from bodies with machetes are not Muslims. So now, I seek to know: is it mere accusation or propaganda that most of the suicide bombers are Muslims and are they not known to cry out loudly, “Allah Akbar” before detonating their weapons of destructions and wrecking havoc on both themselves and innocent, unfortunate others?
It is okay to die for what one believes in but there is absolutely no sense in making others die for it too. I agree that I may not know the grievances of these defiant ones but whatever it is, what would force a man to blow-up himself, fellow citizens, brothers in the faith, and a few foreign nationals? Then again if Islam preaches peace, why do these other adherents choose to self-destruct and take the part of violence rather than seek peaceful resolution.
Finally, I do not write this with any form of bias in mind, neither do I intend to condemn Islam, but to appeal to the conscience of well meaning Muslims who see these things but for fear of being labelled an infidel, do and say nothing. It’s about time someone spoke up in the defence of Islam; evangelising what the faith really stands for. Ignorant as I may seem, what I know is this; no one man has the monopoly of violence and there is a clear distinction between love and hate, peace and war. Asallam allekum!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
THE ROSARY; NOT THE BLING-BLING
Today’s youths, with the oil prices fluctuating and the global stock market struggling to recover from recession, have no choice but to invest in fashion. Consequently, the days of oil boom have been put behind us, with the fashion boom taking its stead. Now, I have no problem with the outrageous and burgeoning craze for fashion as I too am fashion savvy but what I won’t condone is when we begin to equate sacred beads and divine items with the BLING-BLING.
Growing up, I was a devout member of the Block Rosary Crusade and since then, I have remained devoted to praying the Rosary while counting on its beads. Hitherto, some wore the Rosary as a sign of their faith, some others wore it for protection from evil, but more recently people now wear it as a fashion accessory. Ave Maria!
The recent increase in the sales of the rosary noticed in the Catholic Church has drawn the attention of its leaders. This increase in rosary sales has been attributed to rising popularity amongst the youths, celebrities and rock stars, who favour it as the jewellery of choice. How spiritual! Rock stars and celebrities like Britney spears, Tyrese, David Beckham, to mention a few, have been photographed wearing the rosary without any pious affiliations or obligations. Many of the celebrities who also adorn these holy beads are either atheist or Satanist. Then you wonder what the significance of the rosary on their necks is; a fashion statement, mockery of the church or a contradiction to religion?
These days it is a common thing to see agberos (street urchins) wearing more than one rosary at a time while harassing bus drivers and causing a menace to the society. I even have friends who are non-Catholic, some Muslims who own more than 3 different rosaries to match different colours of their several rock star tops. Some seem to favour them more with tattooed shirts which have designs filled with various depictions of Satanism in form of skulls, guns, blood, knives, thorns and roses. What a contrast! Painfully, young Catholics like me walk this same path. Rather than use the rosary to pray, they join others who desecrate and use them as blings to up their swag. More so, regarding the fact that the rosary is cheaper than the bling-bling, its sheer affordability and availability have made it the premium bling of choice for every vilde, tansa and fashionista.
However, I understand that some rosaries are so beautifully crafted and designed that one is tempted to mistake it for a fashion accessory but just in case people have forgotten the differences between the rosary and the blings, I will remind them. While the bling-bling may be worn as fashion accessory and may have pendants ranging from skulls, guns, upside-down crosses etc, hanging from it, the rosary, unlike the blings, is an object of prayer, with a crucifix hanging down from it and so it must be revered. From history the rosary was handed down to saints who used it to perform great miracles and achieve divine feats, but the same can’t be said of the bling-bling.
In a world where darkness is overshadowing light at an alarming speed, people; especially the vulnerable young, quickly adopt abomination as a norm. It is a mocking enough to describe the devil as beautiful and charming but please do not describe Jesus as SEXY! One female artist already did, referring to Jesus on the cross as shirtless and hot. Lord, have mercy on us. Then again if you see me wearing a platinum or emerald rosary on my neck and my shirt seems to match, do not judge me because I am probably travelling, walking the streets at night, or saying this prayer; Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and until we realise what a sacrilege we have immersed ourselves in by using the Rosary as Bling –bling.
Growing up, I was a devout member of the Block Rosary Crusade and since then, I have remained devoted to praying the Rosary while counting on its beads. Hitherto, some wore the Rosary as a sign of their faith, some others wore it for protection from evil, but more recently people now wear it as a fashion accessory. Ave Maria!
The recent increase in the sales of the rosary noticed in the Catholic Church has drawn the attention of its leaders. This increase in rosary sales has been attributed to rising popularity amongst the youths, celebrities and rock stars, who favour it as the jewellery of choice. How spiritual! Rock stars and celebrities like Britney spears, Tyrese, David Beckham, to mention a few, have been photographed wearing the rosary without any pious affiliations or obligations. Many of the celebrities who also adorn these holy beads are either atheist or Satanist. Then you wonder what the significance of the rosary on their necks is; a fashion statement, mockery of the church or a contradiction to religion?
These days it is a common thing to see agberos (street urchins) wearing more than one rosary at a time while harassing bus drivers and causing a menace to the society. I even have friends who are non-Catholic, some Muslims who own more than 3 different rosaries to match different colours of their several rock star tops. Some seem to favour them more with tattooed shirts which have designs filled with various depictions of Satanism in form of skulls, guns, blood, knives, thorns and roses. What a contrast! Painfully, young Catholics like me walk this same path. Rather than use the rosary to pray, they join others who desecrate and use them as blings to up their swag. More so, regarding the fact that the rosary is cheaper than the bling-bling, its sheer affordability and availability have made it the premium bling of choice for every vilde, tansa and fashionista.
However, I understand that some rosaries are so beautifully crafted and designed that one is tempted to mistake it for a fashion accessory but just in case people have forgotten the differences between the rosary and the blings, I will remind them. While the bling-bling may be worn as fashion accessory and may have pendants ranging from skulls, guns, upside-down crosses etc, hanging from it, the rosary, unlike the blings, is an object of prayer, with a crucifix hanging down from it and so it must be revered. From history the rosary was handed down to saints who used it to perform great miracles and achieve divine feats, but the same can’t be said of the bling-bling.
In a world where darkness is overshadowing light at an alarming speed, people; especially the vulnerable young, quickly adopt abomination as a norm. It is a mocking enough to describe the devil as beautiful and charming but please do not describe Jesus as SEXY! One female artist already did, referring to Jesus on the cross as shirtless and hot. Lord, have mercy on us. Then again if you see me wearing a platinum or emerald rosary on my neck and my shirt seems to match, do not judge me because I am probably travelling, walking the streets at night, or saying this prayer; Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and until we realise what a sacrilege we have immersed ourselves in by using the Rosary as Bling –bling.
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