HARD VIEW (JUBILEE’VE ITS BEEN 50 YEARS?)

JUBILEE’VE ITS BEEN 50 YEARS?

Alhaji Ado Bayero’s appearance at the Durbar in Kano this weekend will cap a triumphant Golden Jubilee for a Monarch who is secure in his subject’s’ hearts and has emerged as one of the most successful and res...pected royal figures in the country.

50 years ago, when the young Mallam Ado Bayero was summoned back to Nigeria while on a French course in France, little did he know the mammoth role that destiny would bestow on him. Upon the passing of Emir Muhammadu Inuwa, his uncle, Alhaji Ado Bayero was appointed the new Emir of Kano.

Mallam Ado Bayero was born on the 15th June 1930, when his father, Abdullahi Bayero, had been on the throne for four years. Mallam Ado was the eleventh child of his father and the second of three born to his mother, Hajiya Hasiya.
He trained vigorously in religious studies and latter enrolled in contemporary school. After graduating in 1947, he then took up employment with the British Bank for West Africa, now the First Bank of Nigeria.

“Alhaji Ado Bayero left the bank to begin his career with the Kano Native Authority in 1949. While working for the Native Authority, he attended a number of clerical and administrative courses in Nigeria and abroad. In 1952 he attended the Clerical Training College, Zaria. He then took a course on Local Government in the United Kingdom. In 1953 he became the Chief Clerk of the Kano Town Council. He contested and won the election to the Northern Regional House of Assembly in Kaduna on the ticket of the Northern Peoples' Congress (NPC) in 1954, and he made his inaugural speech in the House on 3rd. March 1955. In April 1957 Ado Bayero resigned his seat in the House to take up an appointment as the Police Chief of the Kano Native Administration Police. He was appointed Nigeria's Ambassador to Senegal in late 1962.” With such a glittering career in his past, the Emir was well poised for the role in which his popularity is unassailable, the role that he has upheld for 50 strong years.

Over the years, the Emir has widely been recognized as a true patriot and a man of great humility and justice. In reflection of these qualities, the Emir of Kano Ado Bayero, has often been called to play numerous mediating roles all over the country. This Golden Jubilee should not only be seen as a celebration of the Emir’s throne, but as an affirmation of his place as a national leader. People of different tribes all over Nigeria are this weekend showing their admiration for the Emir and their respect for the job that he has done.

As the good people of Kano celebrate 50 years of a leader who has truly proven himself, many, all over the world will be overjoyed with the response to the jubilee, which has brought a natural expression of popular feeling to the people of Kano.
Reservations over the security challenges that have plagued the north and even targeted the Emir himself seem drowned out by the Kano people’s enthusiasm in celebrating such a deserving leader. In the lead up to the Jubilee weekend, enormous crowds headed towards Kano, residents began packing the streets in order to book a place where they could get a glimpse of their Monarch. Witnesses to the emerging crowds speak of well-wishers of all ages who seem genuinely moved by this milestone in their history.

And a milestone it really is because, once upon a time, the complete administration of Kano was under rule of the aristocracy before the conquest of the land by the Colonial Masters. With the arrival of the British, the power of the Aristocracy was taken away but the role of the Emir of Kano was maintained. In maintaining that part of their history, the people Kano remained loyal to the Emirate Council in accepting and obeying orders from the Emir.

To rule over the exceptional and complex people of Kano for 50 years, given the cocktail of challenges and turbulence this country has gone through, while still maintaining the respect and love of his subjects, is a great testimony to the Emir. The people of Kano have, from time, proven themselves to be a resilient, independent, entrepreneurial, creative, hardworking and ingenious people. They have never opted for second best and have never been ones to suffer fools gladly. I know because I see it in my daughter, nieces and nephews who are all from Kano. With the likes of the late, great Mallam Aminu Kano, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, Alhaji Maitama Yusuf, amongst others, Kano people have always been ready to stand up for what they believe in and reject what they don’t. And even though, their hospitality, warmth and sense of tradition has always provided a balance to their spunk in nature, had the Emir not ruled over them with the honour and grace he has, they would not be celebrating him in the way they are doing at this golden jubilee. Through this and by any accounting, his reign had been successful.

As we head into an uncertain future as a nation, the qualities and legacies of leaders such as the Emir of Kano should be imbibed by all. May we, as citizens, learn from people like the Emir, behave in the manner of the Emir and lead in the way of the Emir. His leadership and the leadership of others like him revive hope.

This weekend I will be celebrating along with my daughter, nieces, nephews, cousins, uncles, aunties, in-laws, friends, members of the Kano Royal family and all people of Kano on this great landmark in their history. I especially congratulate my step mother, Hajia Asiya Musawa (Nee Ado Bayero), my little brother Mohammed and my cousin Zainab Sanusi on the Golden Jubilee of their father, grandfather and uncle, respectively. May the next 50 years of this great Monarchy bring them the blessings, unity, forgiveness, strength, understanding and faith that the last 50 years have.

I was not born at the time that the Emir of Kano ascended his throne, but I have heard great and wonderful stories from my father on what a glorious time it was then. As he sits down now to reflect on where all those years went, Dad tells me that, “the coronation of the Emir of Kano to the throne was just like yesterday”… Then after a moment he looks up again and says, “JUBILEE’VE it’s been 50 years already?”

Written By Hannatu Musawa
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HARD VIEW (THE CONSPIRACY OF THE THEORY)

THE CONSPIRACY OF THE THEORY

 The unprecedented, horrific events of the Woolwich killings of a British soldier, James Rigby, in broad daylight on a London street last week forced a massive shock, not only in Britain but the rest of the worl...d. The straw that broke the camel’s back (if you will) is the fact that both the suspects are of Nigerian descent and the dimension of the revelation further revealed that they are Nigerians from the southern part of the country. The fact that they are not Muslims from the northern part of Nigeria gives a more complex perspective to a phenomenon that would otherwise have been labelled by Nigerians especially as a Boko Haram terrorist activity. The overzealous and fascinatingly diverse conspiracy theories spun by Nigerians in the media, especially of southern descent, on dissipating the forensic evidence on the scene of the crime have been gigantean in nature. This is not the first of such unfortunate activity on an international platform of which a Nigerian has been involved. But in the first of such case, the media, especially those of southern descent, never expressed or entertained the possibility that the first case, which involved a northerner, could also lend itself to a conspiracy theory.

Similarly, the recent preposterous outburst by the ridiculous Asari Dokubo, where he threatened fire and brimstone primarily targeting northerners drew anger from a wide spectrum of Northern leaders. While it goes without saying that Dokubo is nothing better than an ignorant and mad bumbling fool, who has directed his personal frustrations towards bigotry, the outrage of many northerners to the utterances of the ‘rabid dog’ has been as revealing as the complacency southerners treated the onslaught. But the truth is, even though the manner and approach adopted by Dokubo was, to say the least, crass and uncouth, several northerners have, in the not so distant past, made statements not so dissimilar to Dokubo’s. But when they did, northerners didn’t see fault in it and didn’t articulate outrage in the same way southerners haven’t reacted to Dokubo’s statements. The theory all the time, in each instance is that there is a conspiracy where all regions adopt the posture of victims whose existence and wellbeing is threatened by some tribal covert grand design. And that in itself makes a conspiracy of the theory.

The reactions to the Woolwich killings and Dokubos statements may not seem connected, but they are; in the most crucial manner. Assessing these diverse events and the reactions that have followed them, one can’t help but conclude the navigation of ethnic sensibilities. When such conspiracy theories came into the fold in Nigeria, one can bet that there is an assessment of tribe and our natural denial of anything that reflects negativity of anyone that comes from the same tribe as us. Instead of universally labelling inciting statements of both northerners and southerners wrong, instead of accepting that murdering extremists are nothing less than murdering extremists, we make excuses when our tribes are concerned; use conspiracy theories to rationalise bad behaviour.

When it comes to conspiracy theories, we here in Nigeria are the sharers out of nations. So dependent we are on story telling for our survival, especially in connection with tribal issues, we have lost the codes of rational reasoning and to properly and reasonably articulate our outrage.

Don Delera, one of the most outstanding contemporary American writers, once said of conspiracy theories, “If we are on the outside, we assume a conspiracy is the perfect working of a scheme; silent nameless men with unadorned hearts. A conspiracy is everything that ordinary life is not. It's the inside game, cold, sure, undistracted, forever closed off to us. We are the flawed ones, the innocents, trying to make some rough sense of the daily jostle. Conspirators have logic and a daring beyond our reach. All conspiracies are the same taut story of men who find coherence in some criminal act.”

We do this to an art form in Nigeria. So easy is it to take refuge in the shadowy world of maybe or maybe nots. To blame all our failings on bogey men, on the ‘other’ tribes, on anyone except ourselves. It saves us the trouble of confronting reality. It saves us the trouble of having to take responsibility, of conserving our identity and our country; which we destroy so quickly and so shamelessly. It saves us from taking accountability for our actions and decisions and in the long run, we assassinate the potential of our young Nigeria in the span of one short lifetime. And it saves us from demanding better from our feckless rulers and depriving them of their overbearing and overwhelming power over us.

It is becoming harder and harder to escape the sense that the narrow-minded idiosyncrasy we apply to the issue of tribe is the core threat to our development and existence. Being unable to assess issues objectively without giving it a tribal and ethnic dimension is disturbing and a further reinforcement that what we have got in Nigeria is a most disunited and leery order. As a people, our way of reasoning requires a stronger focus on inconvenient truths which are much too often swept under the carpet in exchange for an optical illusion that exonerates what we consider to be ‘our own kind.’

It honestly is a woeful decree in the assessment of Nigeria that, a century since our formation; we are still unable to shed the garb of suspicion, intolerance and disparity. Still, unable to see beyond ethnicity, religion and regional origin. We; the black race, the people of Africa, Nigerians far and wide want to be accepted and seen as equals by the Europeans, the Americans, by the Caucasians all over the world. We complain when the Westerners make documentaries depicting our nations decline. We curse and cry bias when they refuse to grant us visas to their countries and when fellow Africans label us parasites, criminals and 419ers. Who are we to accuse anybody else of prejudice against us? We have no right to claim discrimination when we fail to exhibit the equality and understanding that we yearn from outsiders to our own people and in our own home. Through actions and words, all ethnic and religious groups in Nigeria are equally as guilty as each other of promoting the disharmony that is now drowning us.

There is no doubt that we are a different people with different cultures, religions, languages and traditions. We eat different foods, wear different clothes and look different. It is true that we have had to cope with the colonial legacy that lumped incompatible ethnic groups into one. But even amidst our differences, we are a people with the same story, with the same history, with the same plight. And even within each ethnic group, each village, each community, dichotomy and odium still thrive. The treasure of any nation is formed from the union of the people within its territory and its worth is characterised from its variety. The diversity and range of our different cultures and beliefs is where our strength lies and our weakness comes from our non-recognition of this fact.

In any society, ideological face-offs are encouraged, pride in identity is essential, but the ethno-regionalism and ethnic fundamentalism that is so rife in this atmosphere is just so darn unhealthy. In any forward-thinking society that adopts fitting ideals, zonal and religious sentiments and emotions are not abused in the way they are in Nigeria. In a cultured setting, individuals, not the tribes they originate from, would be responsible for their actions and Nigerians would cease from viewing every challenge through jaundiced eyes. The vast majority of us seem to have massive blind spots when it comes to our ability to tame prejudice and subjectivity when tribe and ethnicity is involved. And the vast majority of us find it hard to castigate a fellow tribe member from wrongdoing, preferring instead to find coherence in the irresponsible or criminal act by believing in a conspiracy theory, thus exonerating the fellow tribesman.

To be honest, I did the same in the early days of the Boko Haram offensive. I found it very difficult to believe that people who had the same identity as me would commit the type of atrocious crimes that Boko Haram did against fellow human beings, instead preferring to believe that there were a group of tribal covert men in grey suits who sat in some sort of a secret society to design these events in order to achieve some end result. And while, there are other dimensions to the Boko Haram phenomenon to be discussed for another day, I have had to come to terms with the reality and call a spade what it actually is.

This primordial and regressive ethnic thinking that we all seem to be slightly guilty of has no place in any future, even if we don’t remain as one nation. But since, at this present time, we are one nation, we must recognize that before the need for a good leader or the need for electricity, what Nigeria needs first and foremost is a united atmosphere that will improve our sense of belonging and give each of us the opportunity to flourish. In order to have that, each of us has to stop forming part of the chain that preys on ethnic and religious identities and sentiments.

It’s time to get our acts together so that diverse groups can develop a cohesive and genuine democracy fostered by federalism. A democracy where our differences will be split along ideological lines not ethnic insularities. It is by Gods’ will that Nigeria came to be made up of a variety of religions and 250 ethnic groups. It is up to us to be grateful for this gift and make this country work.

The downfall of any multi ethnic country is usually enhanced through the flaw of reasoning, social dogma or ignorance. Unless we are able to overcome our flaw in reasoning and ignorance that accentuates our ethnic distinctions, then we will remain unable to address our troubles, because even though we clearly see the truth, as Don Delera says, it will “forever be closed off to us since we can only see ourselves as the innocents trying to find coherence in some criminal act.” Let’s wake up and recognise that; “the real theory of the conspiracies lies in the conspiracy of the theory,” and it has nothing to do with a real rationale but everything to do with our prejudiced tribal sensibilities and denials.

So as we come to terms with the emergence of a converted Muslim extremist of southern descent, as we enrage about comparable inciting tribal statements from northern personalities and Niger-delta militants alike, we might just need to take a minute and look for fault from within, give the conspiracies a break, put tribal sensibilities aside and lay blame where blame is due…, even if it is on our doorstep.


Written By Hannatu Musawa
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HARD VIEW (STATE OF EMERGENCY TO SLATE THE INSURGENCY)

STATE OF EMERGENCY TO SLATE THE INSURGENCY

 So after much deliberation and rigmarole, after much dissent by leading sectors of Nigerians, after the massacres and nauseating murders of men, women and children, the government has finally decl...ared a state of emergency in three states. The unexpected declaration of the state of emergency to deal with the high rate of violence and spate of deadly attacks by militant groups has taken many by surprise. Yesterday evening, 14th May 2013, President Jonathan delivered an address in which he gave the military powers to take over security in the states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. This step, which affects a broad range of civil rights, has already triggered widespread debate about the implications of the government's latest strategy, from the opposition, to religious groups, civil society and even the governor’s forum.

The state of emergency requires a presidential proclamation under conditions specified in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended under the provisions of Section 305 (1). It gives the authorities special temporary legal powers to arrest and search citizens without a warrant. It also imposes a curfew on the specified states, restricting residents to their homes between the times of a curfew. Other emergency powers regulations affect ‘habeas corpus’ and citizens’ rights to freedom of movement, assembly, association, speech, and privacy.

Over the past two years, the rate of violence in several states has increased dramatically, fuelled by the rise of militancy, extremism and the widespread availability of illegal weapons. Successive clamp down by authorities, an apparent trigger-happy task force, mismanaged deliverance of information on behalf of the government and a leadership that seems totally confused and not in control have had the utmost regressive effect, almost to the point of providing sympathy and understanding for the plight of the insurgents. In recent weeks, the country has been horrified by the series of violent murders. The situation became a lot worse, with the massacres in Baga and Bama town. Announcing the state of emergency, President Jonathan said, “The country is facing, not just militancy or criminality, but a rebellion and insurgency by terrorist groups which pose a very serious threat to national unity and territorial integrity”.

While I am often at variance with the utterances and policies of President Jonathan, it is not so difficult for me to understand why the president felt the need to take such an aggressive reaction, especially along his reasoning that no terrorist group, religious or tribal has a right to pose a threat to national unity and territorial integrity. Not Boko Haram or tramps and vagrants like Asari Dokubo or any other ignorant yobs who fancies themselves as the new Scarface and who happen to all be the same kind of bigoted criminals disguised in different garbs. The country cannot go to war because of some criminal elements have been threatening to overrun the Nigerian state under the guise of religious extremism, resource control, militancy or insurgency.

If reports that over a dozen local government areas in Borno State have been taken over by insurgents are true, if reports that in those local governments there is no semblance of authority are factual, then a state of emergency in those hotspots was absolutely and unquestionably necessary. Why should a whole nation be held to ransom by plundering and rancorous groups of brutes bent on creating havoc on a society, no matter how candid their grievance or cause? Why should a group of people organize themselves in guerrilla warfare and carry out the kind of offensive that is claiming the lives of innocent men, women and children? For goodness sake, when did our society sink to the depths of darkness we are in now; where we are forced to discuss the destruction of people’s lives and death of fellow human beings in such a blasé manner? That is what we have been reduced to. Every single morning, the minute one listens to the news or reads a paper, the first thing one is confronted with is stories of death, destruction and murder. I mean it is just so absolutely unbelievable for us to wake up every morning with news of the kind of senseless violence we have been witnessing. It is simply unacceptable. As a civilized society which has evolved from the dark ages, our current situation has got to be intolerable by every standard, even for those criminal Nigerians who are hell-bent on declaring a ridiculously, unnecessary and unfair war against innocent Nigerians.

It may be easy enough for those of us who are not directly affected by the violence to sit and judge this draconian declaration by the government, but even those of us that have not been directly affected by the violence and unwarranted massacres in the affected states have been shaken to the core by it and shudder at its domino effect. The situation of the murders and total disregard for human life has reached epic proportions; proportions which call for the authorities to respond in the most decisive manner possible.

There is no doubt that this measure which the government has taken will have an impact on the daily lives of innocent, law-abiding citizens in these areas and provide inconveniencies for them. It will limit people’s movements and give the regiment powers to arrest; it will even infringe on the fundamental rights and freedoms of the citizens, but, unless someone in authority takes the bull by the horn and affects this kind of stringent system, the situation in those areas will not be brought under control and it will come to a point when the violence cannot be contained. Those affected by the state of emergency should look at the bigger picture and recognize the need to protect them and bring the current violence surge affecting them under control. Many people have lost their loved ones to unnecessary violence in the past three years and unless something is done to restore normalcy in those areas, it will likely get worse.

Of course, there are other manners of dialogue and solutions that need to be adopted in order to bring this impasse totally under control; solutions that focus on long-term results to the problem and the fundamental issues that gave birth to the crisis itself has to be tackled. A state of emergency has a time-limit and therefore has a short-term effect and short term gain.
Therefore, in addition to placing the state of emergency, the government must immediately sit down and identify what is driving this upsurge of violence in these respective areas and address the best way to bring an end to it, otherwise when the emergency is eventually lifted, it will be ‘violence’ business as usual.

To show sincerity in its wish to end the violence, the government should immediately make an undertaking to release the innocent women and children that have been detained without cause in the quest to clampdown on the guerrillas. Government should further undertake to rebuild and relinquish the Mosques and properties that belonged to the Jamā'a Ahl al-sunnah li-da'wa wa al-jihād movement before the Borno state government under the leadership of Ali Modu Sheriff launched its offensive against them, before the murder of their leader Imam Mohammed Yusuf. And most importantly, the on-going trial of the security operatives who murdered Imam Mohammed Yusuf and Alhaji Buji Foi should be intensified, together with the arrest and prosecution of the government officials who allegedly ordered their execution. Those actions would show the sincerity and commitment of government to tackle the root of this problem and bring it to an end.

Now that the presidency has expressed determination to root out the insurgents in the affected areas, the good people of those states should endeavor to cooperate with the authorities in order to bring an end to the horror that surrounds them every day. To restore law and order to the states, people should be able to give accurate and dependable information as well as advice to all seekers of peace. It is expected that if the society as a whole resolves to end the crisis today, there will be no more killing or kidnapping of our people tomorrow. If the communities do not provide a safe haven for those who are out to disrupt peace, there will be no place for any criminals to hide. Our brothers that have turned renegades should also be persuaded to embrace peace and end the killings of innocent people.

The security officials deployed in the three states ought to understand that democracy is still in place in Nigeria as a whole and even though a state of emergency has been declared in those states, we are still a democracy and overzealousness of any kind should by no means be exercised or tolerated. The authorities themselves cannot use lawlessness to fight lawlessness because violence begets and encourages more violence.

One prays that we will soon see an end to the violence and hopes that the government, in enacting this state of emergency can tackle the mayhem in the troubled areas in the most responsible manner and be committed to placing every resource at their disposal towards winning this war in a way that is in the best interest of the collective.

The current rate of violence dictated for more to be done and stronger action to be employed. The situation, especially in Borno State, could not have been expected to continue the way it was going without a response commensurate with the wanton acts of violence and lawlessness; it is a response that is necessary to halt the current spike in the hostile activity of insurgents in the shortest possible time. Desperate acts require desperate measures.
So, even though the method is not ideal under our democracy, I can appreciate the current declaration of government to be more than a panic response. I do not see it through the lens of opposition, creed or tribe; I see it simply as a “state of emergency to slate the insurgency.”

Written By Hannatu Musawa
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HARD VIEW (TO MOTHER ON THIS MOTHER’S DAY)

TO MOTHER ON THIS MOTHER’S DAY

 Motherhood is, without doubt, the most joyous and altering experience in my life and the life of almost all mothers. Of all the achievements and pleasures we enjoy in life, none makes a woman more proud than ...her role as a mother. It is the most wearing, thrilling and remarkable journey and as we approach Mother’s Day on the 12th of May, I would like to take the opportunity to exemplify the unique challenges and delights of motherhood, reveal its deep significance and in doing that wish all mothers a Happy Mother’s Day.

My daughter is the first person I speak to every morning when I wake up and the last person I speak to before I go to sleep at night and as I watch her grow into a very special, beautiful, bright, brilliant, pious and virtuous young lady together with all my other children, I realize that one of the greatest aspects of motherhood is the appreciation of my mother that I have learnt just by being a mother myself.

Children will always have a special place in their mother’s hearts and mothers will always have a unique place in their children’s lives. The connection between mother and child that begins when the woman is pregnant with her child and progresses through to adulthood will always be the most special and remarkable bond of life. The feature that sets mothers apart is her everlasting love for her children and that love transforms into a unique, emotional, unconditional and telepathic relationship because their understanding of the deep love they have for each other need never be spoken.

Mothers are amazing and apart from literally bearing their children, they are ready to bear adversity; liability and hope for their children but at the same time carry pleasure, adoration, compassion, understanding and ideals. A mother, with her out of control emotions, can exhibit the most bizarre display. She smiles instead of cries in front of her children so as not to alarm them, sings instead of screams so as not to scare them. When she is happy for her children she cries for joy instead of laughing. A mother is always ready to fight to the ends of the earth in order to stand up for her children. She is prepared to go without, so that her children can go with. A mother always shows strength for her children even when she realises that there is no strength left. She knows that a reassuring smile, a hug or a kiss can heal her children’s broken hearts.

The one common feature of every mother is her Olympic winning ability to worry profusely. For most of her life a mother worries. She worries that she has not done her best for her children; she worries about how the world will treat them. She is scared about what their past was and about the secrets the future holds for them. She is petrified about absolutely everything to do with her children and about absolutely nothing, as long as it has to do with them. When things don’t go right in her children’s lives, when the world seems against them, a mother always has the magic touch of making them feel better. A mother always puts the needs of her children before hers, no matter the price she has to pay. She is always ready to give the unconditional love her children need, even when they make a mess of their lives and no matter the amount of bad choices they make. At the times when her children fail to show their appreciation for all she means to them, or the times when their actions threaten the fabric of their lives, a mother’s love will always overshadow every possible wrong in her children’s lives. When her children are ill, even if she is ill herself, a mother is always ready to take care of her babies. A mother will always nurture her children throughout their lives, tolerate their attitude and misbehaviour, and will always be there to encourage them. A mother will do all this and more because, that is what mothers do.

Often, being a mother is an exacting job, one which exposes us to several moments of anguish before our children grow up and that anguish doesn’t disappear even when they are grown up. Mothering is a learning process and a mother is only human and as such very able to make mistakes. Even though most of us have a visual of our mothers as being perfect, especially during childhood, no woman is perfect and no mother can perform her job of mothering flawlessly. All mothers are capable of right and wrong, committing gaffs, missing the mark, but despite the mistakes she makes, we still must appreciate her because she is still our beloved mother.

Mothers are the most special people in this world and motherhood is the most special gift. For all of us whose mothers are living today, we should show her gratitude for all of our battles she has fought, we should make every day the most wonderful day of her life. Sometimes the demands of everyday take over and we may loose sight of the most imperative facet of life; the act of loving people around us, especially our mothers. Even when we speak and see our mothers regularly, we don't always get a chance or take the opportunity to tell them how much we love and appreciate all they are and have been in our lives. For all of us whose mothers are no longer with us, we should pray for them constantly, thank God for giving us the blessing of knowing them and using them to help us experience the wonderful love we had of being their children. We must continue to spread and teach the message of love that they taught us.

In the past two years, I had been very ill and spent the vast majority of that time in hospital. And through that challenge of pain and uncertainty, one face, one voice, one beacon of support stood head and shoulders above all others; that of my mother Hajia Ladi Musawa. From the start of my illness right to the point when I stood up and became healthy again, my mother never wavered in her support to the extent that the staff at the hospital used to make fun of her. She was always there at my bedside with an unfaltering determination, courage and, of course, a beautiful smile. She prayed for me, sang for me, bathed me and cradled me in the same way she probably did when I was a little girl.

During some of my very dark moments, at the time of my illness, I often doubted whether I could have pulled through had I not had her constant encouragement, her spiritual and physical support, and her undying love. And every time I lost hope, every time I felt drained, it only took a glance at the reassuring face of my mother and the whisper of her prayers for me to have the strength to fight on.

Anyone who knows my mother, Hajia Ladi Musawa, will be aware of what a difficult task it is for me to attempt to find the words to describe her. A role model to all who know and love her, my mother lives her life with great humility and her selflessness and kindness to others knows no bounds. She is a fantastic person who has been blessed with a sense of humour, a kind nature, and an unassuming ability to make all those around her feel special and loved.

My mother has affected me and her five other children for the rest of our lives. Her great character and her view on life have inspired us to try and be better people. She has always pushed us to look at people on the inside and not their appearance or identity. She never judges but always connects with people by their hearts and their values to see if they are good people, and that has always made us want to do so too. Because of my mother when I walk into a room I see people for who they are on the inside, and not the outside. She is my inspiration in life, and the one who I look at as a perfect person. She has impacted me in so many ways, and I will never really be able to thank her enough.

A mother is invariably where life itself begins and in her heart is where the magic of life lives. And on this Mother’s day and every other day, I thank God for my mother and all mothers. I give honour to every Nigerian woman who plays the role of a mother because as mothers, we are deserving of praise and so much more.

Written By Hannatu Musawa

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HARD VIEW (SUICIDE BOMBING: DYING TO KILL)

SUICIDE BOMBING: DYING TO KILL

 I've often wondered what motivates one person to murder another. It must be the ultimate act of inhumanity for one human to consciously and intentionally go out of their way to snuff the life out of another h...uman. Even though no murderer has the exact same motivation as another, I believe murderers are, for the most part, really intense individuals who strive for some kind of mental, physical or spiritual release. And even though not all murderers express validation for their actions, the more perplexing type of murderers are those who incorrectly justify the action of snatching another human’s fundamental right to life from them.

Which brings me to the concept of mass killings and suicide bombings. For over two years, Nigerians have fallen prey to the brutality of mass extermination in the form of suicide bombings. While those who are carrying out these suicide bombings justify it by saying that they are fighting for the course of Islam, the vast majority of Muslims recognize their actions as a perversion of Islam and which has nothing to do with Muslims.

As a Muslim sister, a mother; as a person who cares for her people, her country and cherishes Islam beyond everything else in this world, it really is shocking to see fellow Muslims and people from Islam all over the world resort to an action that is a complete contradiction to what Islam, a religion of peace, teaches us and stands for.

As a Muslim sister, a mother; as a person who cares for her people, her country and cherishes Islam beyond everything else in this world, if I had a chance to look into the faces and speak directly to those Muslims, especially those Nigerians who interpret and preach our scripture in a manner that lends itself to the extreme act of suicide bombings and mass killings, I would ask;
“Whether at some point during your journey; during your really quiet sober moments, there have been points when you have asked yourself if the suicide killings that you send your followers to carry out in the name of Jihad is truly what our religion asks of you; whether the thousands of dead bodies and blood that now seeps down your hands is the obligatory religious sacrifice of which our faith and ‘Iman’ is built on?

All the people that you have sent to carry out what you have interpreted and preached as an essential Jihad have been just that; people. People who belong to others; who happen to be other people’s children, other people’s parents, other people’s siblings, other people’s friends, other people’s neighbour’s and other people’s dependants. Every time you send out our brothers to carry out your interpretation of what Jihad requires of them, someone suffers, someone dies, parents loose their children. You do not send out your children for what you say is the ultimate, pious sacrifice; you don’t send out your parents or your wives. You don’t even send yourself, but you let our young brothers, our young men carry out the ultimate sin in Islam to fulfil the fate that you have not given yourself up to.

Yes, the suicide bombings and mass killings that you have subjected our society to is an ultimate sin, because using an Islamic eye to look at the concept of suicide bombings in its very basic form, it is impossible to rationalize it with the beautiful and peaceful teachings of Islam. As a Muslim, if you look at the act of suicide, ask yourself if Islam endorses suicide in any capacity? Whether there is any circumstance where the commission of suicide is encouraged or permitted? Even with your extreme interpretation of Jihad, the first and short answer has got to be absolutely not ever.

During your religious studies, you would have come across several examples of this prohibition from Hadith where it is explained quite explicitly that whoever commits suicide with any weapon will be punished with that very same weapon in the Hell Fire. In Hadith (Bukhari 7:670) Narrated by Abu Huraira, The Prophet (SAW) said, ‘Whoever purposely throws himself from a mountain and kills himself, will be in the Hell Fire falling down into it and abiding therein perpetually forever; and whoever drinks poison and kills himself with it, he will be carrying his poison in his hand and drinking it in the Hell Fire wherein he will abide eternally forever; and whoever kills himself with an iron weapon, will be carrying that weapon in his hand and stabbing his abdomen with it in the Hell Fire wherein he will abide eternally forever.’

A further example from a battle in Hadith (Book #52, Hadith #297) Narrated by Abu Huraira tells of a situation in the company of Allah's Apostle in a Ghazwa where He remarked about a man who claimed to be a Muslim, saying, ‘This man is from the people of the Hell Fire.’ When asked why the Muslim man was from the people of Hell fire, he replied that, ‘When battle started, the Muslim man fought violently till he got wounded.’ Somebody said, ‘O Allah's Apostle! The man whom you described as being from the people of the Hell Fire fought violently today and died.’ The Prophet (SAW) again replied, ‘He will go to the Hell Fire.’ Some people were confused as to why a Muslim who had fought so gallantly for his religion would be described as being from the people of the Hell Fire. Suddenly someone explained that the man was still alive but severely wounded after the battle but when night fell, he lost patience and committed suicide and that was why he was described as a man that would serve eternity in Hell. Whilst none of the Hadith mentions suicide bombings in particular, it seems clear that suicide, even 'in the name of Allah' is forbidden and punished severely.

If suicide is forbidden then suicide bombing is strictly haram. Suicide bombing kills innocent people, and Allah says that whoever kills another, it is as if the whole of humanity is killed. You know as much as the next person that it is absolutely forbidden to kill people in Islam except in the case where it has been ordered by Allah, such as during war time. That circumstance does not exist in the present state that we are living in no matter what analysis you have given our situation. I’m sorry it just doesn’t! If you are well read in Islamic tenants, law and jurisprudence, you must know that, as Muslims, we are prohibited from taking the law into our own hands, even if we have been wronged. There is nowhere in the teachings of Islam to where any of us are permitted to make a judgement against another and take the law into our own hands. It is never permissible for you or anyone in the name of religion to suddenly decide to kill another or commit yourself to a bomb where you take your own life and kill innocent people without any right. It is a grave sin!

When you follow the example set by foreign Islamist groups like Al-Qaeda and other militant groups in Asia, the Caucuses and throughout the Middle East, when you take funding, logistics and other support from them, when you travel to receive training in their camps, you align yourself with their struggle. But the struggle of these groups is fundamentally a global jihad against the West; a movement against the United States and its policies, especially in regards to Israel and its occupation of Jerusalem and the persecution and murder of Muslims there. The foreign Islamist groups are waging their war because of that, because of the occupation of the lands of Islam by the United States in the holiest of places, the Arabian Peninsula, plundering its riches, dictating to its rulers, humiliating its people, terrorizing its neighbours, and turning its bases in the Peninsula into a spearhead through which to fight the neighbouring Muslim peoples. The Islamist groups are also fighting because of Americas' past aggression against the Iraqi and Afghan people. Is that what you are fighting for? Because if it is, then why are you targeting Nigerians who have no concept of the West and its foreign policy? Even for our foreign Muslim brothers who target civilian Westerners, you must ask yourself what they have achieved in their Jihad. It has not stopped Israeli occupation in Palestine, it has not stopped American foreign policies that offend and oppress our people. What it has done is gotten our fathers and children killed and locked up. What it has done are massacred Western civilians who have no knowledge or business with their countries’ foreign policy. What it has done is presented our peaceful religion as a religion of violence.

When you recruit a suicide bomber to kill and take the law into their own hands, it is not because Islam prescribed it; it is because you have fallen victim to an extreme way of thinking that is not a fair portrayal of Islam; a religion of peace, hope, harmony, goodwill and brotherhood; especially when you go to the level of killing other people; especially when you use the name of a peaceful religion to justify your unwarranted acts of violence.
The one thing that you continue to speak of is Jihad. You rely on the concept of Jihad to justify your actions. You must remember that the Holy Quran does not make Jihad, in context of an article of faith. The sayings and traditions of the Holy Prophet (SAW) render it into a formula for active struggle that invariably and incorrectly tended towards a militant expression. Your suicide bombings and mass killings of those of alternative and different faiths are contrary to the purview of the real spirit of the Islamic Jihad. Your presentation of Islam as a crude and barbaric religion which gives itself the right to cause unwarranted human and material suffering and destruction under the guise of Divine authority is not the kind of Islam many of us find in the Holy Quran read in its entirety and in the precepts of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
When you get upset at non-Muslims who read the Quran out of context, does it not occur to you that you also read and interpret it in a context that does not reflect the peace, patience and understanding that Islam represents and the teachings and life of the Holy Prophet (SAW)?

Among the attributes of God, the Holy Quran mentions that ‘He is the Source of peace and the bestower of security’. The establishment of peace and maintenance of security must, therefore, be the constant objective of all Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Every pursuit and activity which disturbs peace is severely condemned in Islam and you will find this in specific injunctions in the Holy Quran: ‘…And create not disorder in the earth after it has been set in order...’ Mischief and wickedness are condemned in several other verses and Muslims are commanded to work wholly for peace.

When you speak about forced conversions to the extent of telling a President to convert to Islam before you lay down your arms, you make jest of your struggle and give the impression that you are not sincere in what you claim to be struggling for by making demands that even you know to be obviously unreasonable. By saying that, one wonders where you place the expression in the Quran which says, ‘there is no compulsion in religion.’

When you insist that Shari’a law must be applied in the whole of Nigeria, you know that it is not realistic for Nigeria as a country to be ruled under Shari’a law. It has now been fourteen years since some state governors politicised the issue of applying Shari’a law in their states. Fourteen years since those governors set off the domino that has culminated in what you have become today. Ask yourself whether those state governors have taken any responsibility for what they started fourteen years ago. Those state governors personally benefited from that policy back then while blood was spilt and are still benefiting because most of them are now in sitting cushy in the Nigerian senate while “you”, the pawn that was used by them, are today hunted as criminals, branded as terrorists, fallen as mass murderers. Ask yourself whether those states are earnestly practicing Shari’a today.

Thousands of people died in the sectarian and religious clashes that resulted from the fallout during that period. And for what? For the application of Shari’a which evidently, fourteen years on, was not a sincere application? If you believe that the application of Shari’a in those States has been successful and you desire to bring your family up in a Shari’a state, you have the option of moving to any of those states or migrating to an Islamic country such as Saudi Arabia instead of shedding the blood of people who are struggling to live day by day and struggling to do good by their families.

Nigeria is a country that is made up of not only Muslims. There are indigenous people of both the Islamic and Christian faith in all corners of the country. Each of those people has a right to practice a religion of their choosing. What right does any one section of the community have to decide the fate and religion of the rest?
You were born into this country in its secular state and you have grown up as a Nigerian in its secular state. Millions of devout Muslims (Uthman Dan Fodio, Aminu Kano, Ahmadu Bello, Shehu Yaradua, Sheikh Jaafar; and so on) have lived and died in a secular Nigeria, as Nigerians before you. What would make you think that you have the Devine right to make yourself responsible to decide a person’s faith for them above and beyond all those who came before you?

If the Holy Prophet (SAW) provided assurances to non-Muslim minorities living in Muslim majority countries and ordered Muslim minorities living in non-Muslim majority countries to abide by all laws and the rules of the country, there is no reason for any Nigerian Muslim not to abide by the laws of Nigeria. The belief that God is a just God that welcomes those who believe in Him, the last day and lead a righteous life, by whatever name they call themselves should be enough reason for us to co-exist peacefully. In the Quran, it is written that: ‘Surely, those who believe those who are Jewish, the converts, and the Christians; any of them who believe in GOD and believe in the Last Day, and lead a righteous life, have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. [Quran 5:69].’

If you so desire to do a Jihad and draw people to Islam, why don’t you show them through example the pillar of peace and understanding that Islam preaches? Why don’t you tell them about the complete teachings of the Quran; about the pure way of life, about faith in God; all His angels, all His holy books, all His prophets, day of Judgment, and destiny? Why don’t you teach them about the virtuous existence and lifestyle of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW)? Why don’t you talk about the need to perform good deeds for the benefit of community, nature, and mankind? The need to treat every single person equally like the way you treat yourself, the need for morality and the need for brotherhood, justice, equality, kindness, tolerance, love, sympathy, sacrifice and service to humanity? By doing that, you offer them a positive and attractive choice; by doing that you are more likely to succeed in your Jihad. Show them by positive examples, not by bombs, not by force, not by bloodshed and certainly not by death.

As true Muslims, who know and understand the teachings of Islam, it is not the fact that our religion is going through a period of scrutiny and slur that bothers us. After all, that is the challenge and lesson of faith. Such calamities are a test. They are like medicine; even though it is bitter, yet, in spite of its bitterness you still take it. The greatest reward comes with the greatest trial. As we have seen in all the Holy Books, the Quran, the Bible, the Torah, any religion must pass through hardships, scrutiny, persecution and ridicule in order to reach its ultimate goal. No matter what anyone says, many of us believe that is what Islam is experiencing now.
You must remember it is not what the people who know no better believe, think and say about Islam that matters, it is not the verses of the Quran and Hadith that are read out of context by non-Muslims to justify violence that is important, it is what we Muslims believe, think and say about what Islam stands for that is most important. And if you, as a Muslim, take verses in the Quran and Hadith out of context of the overlying message of peace that Islam preaches, then there is an incontrovertible cause for concern and you must acknowledge that you are part of the problem Islam is faced with. If you, as a Muslim, interpret Jihad to the extent that you can commit the ultimate sin of suicide to kill innocent women and children and blow up Churches and other people’s worshiping places, then, let’s face it…, we have a real problem on our hands of which you are perpetrators.

Why would you think it is alright, as Muslims, to intimidate and threaten people? You say that you are fighting a Jihad against the non-believers of Islam. But what about the believers of Islam? What about the innocent Muslim bodies that you leave in your wake? What about the Emirs and the Imams who have not bowed to your requests and have presented a dissimilar Islamic teaching to yours and as a result have been targeted by people who claim to represent you? There is nowhere in Islamic scripture where the murder of other Muslims who hold a diverse view to you is permitted.

Nigerian Muslim leaders are constantly being accused for not speaking out against you and your actions. But the truth is that everyone is afraid of your gung-ho aggression. Everyone is afraid of what you might do to them, their families and their communities should they speak since you seem not to have any boundaries. That is not just! That is not right! That is not Islamic! Our leaders are living and breathing people too, who have families who they strive to protect. Those same Muslim leaders that you and other Nigerians have vilified have gone out of their way to force a reluctant president to offer you an amnesty many believe you do not deserve. A gesture that you disregard. As long as those Nigerian Muslims who present a different view to you are not desecrating or defaming Islam, you should understand that they have a right to speak their minds on behalf of those who look up to them, just as you do every time you send out your messages on the internet.

You may consider yourselves to be Islamic scholars just because you have read and memorized the Quran and as scholars you and your followers believe that what you are preaching is gospel. But memorizing the Quran by no means makes you a scholar. It makes you a reciter (Qari) instead or a preserver (Hafiz), but it doesn't make you a knowledgeable person (Alim). There are so many people in this world who have memorized the Quran, but the fact that they have done so does not qualify them to assume the function of a scholar. Everywhere in Nigeria, hoards of Muslims memorize the Quran, yet they cannot repeat a Tafsir of a single Ayah, so that in itself doesn’t qualify you or any other Muslim as an Islamic scholar.

However, every single rational scholar and knowledgeable person in Islamic law, from Saudi Arabia, to Indonesia, to Bosnia and beyond have all said the exact same thing; that no Muslim has the right to take the law into their own hands and just suddenly declare a war against a perceived enemy.

It is all well and good that you probably truly believe you are doing Allah’s work and that a great reward awaits you in the hereafter when you sacrifice yourself in this way. I have no doubt that you do, because otherwise how could one explain your aspiration for such an extreme measure. But just take a moment to consider, ‘what if...’ What if the interpretation you are applying to the scripture is not one hundred per cent what Allah wills? What if you are making a grave mistake by committing the ultimate sin in Islam from your desire to commit the ultimate deed for Islam? What if? Just that one second contemplation and question you owe to yourself could be the difference between your destruction and your salvation in the afterlife. Would it not be better for you to explore other means of performing Allah’s work through a path of peace that does not harm you, your people or others? Would it not be better to find another route to Jihad, if that is your primary aim, where you have the guarantee of not putting your soul on the precipice of uncertainty? Where you can perform the good deeds Islam speaks about in the hope of ensuring your place in paradise (Al Jannah Firdaus) since that is your main motivation?

I implore you, as a Muslim sister, as a mother, as a person who cares for her people, her country and cherishes Islam beyond anything else, to stop this war you have waged against a perceived enemy because it affects every one of us, you included. Stop the violence, stop the aggression and stop the bloodshed.
There is no doubt that your people were wronged first by the Nigerian State and the Borno government under Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. Your leaders were murdered, your mosques were burnt, your children were slaughtered and your women were locked up. And those crimes against you must be acknowledged. Those who did you and your people wrong when you committed no crime against anyone should be brought to justice. I have written numerous times about this in my previous columns. But today if your leader, Mallam Mohammed Yusuf (Allah ya jikan shi, ya rihamshe shi; Amin) was alive, I am sure he would support your struggle for Islam but I doubt he would have supported the kind of unnecessary bloodshed that has become the staple of your struggle.

I have seen numerous of his sermons and must say Mallam Mohammed Yusuf was one of the most articulate Nigerian Imams of his time. He seemed to care very deeply for you and your people. He seemed devout, kind, generous and very endearing. It is easy to see how wounded you and your people would have been when he and Alhaji Buji Foi were extra judiciously murdered under the alleged orders of your state government at a time when your people were being hounded, persecuted and slaughtered. It has all been documented and some of the atrocities committed against your people when you did nothing more than practice your religion can be viewed on the following links.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5_DQY4Wfeo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDcYdF7lZOY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlpZr8IRUcY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABAsZakzepY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VN_7A3mNKg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePpUvfTXY7w

When Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta’ala, in His Infinite Wisdom, tested you and your people with the difficult situation you were confronted with back then, you should have had faith in His choice for you. No one if they are honest will say that your people have not been unfairly challenged but, as Muslims, you have to be forgiving and patient. Perhaps if you are more patient with the suffering and challenge that Allah decreed for your people, instead of reacting in the way you are, your reward and salvation may be better, for ‘He is All-Wise and All-Knowing.’

Practice the patience that Islam teaches us and stop visiting your suffering onto other people who are already suffering under the sweltering ineptitude of the Goodluck Jonathan government. Stop making extreme decisions for every single Nigerian Muslim based on your personal belief because you do not speak for them.
When you see stories of hundreds of innocent civilians being massacred in Baga town in Borno State and other similar tragedies, it must be heart breaking. Hundreds of people were killed and a whole community was leveled because the soldiers were hunting for you and your supporters. While you are not the ones who committed this particular crime, you must know that you also have to take some part of the responsibility for their death because those innocent people are the casualties of the unnecessary war that you are waging.

Be patient, even to the JTF troops who kill and persecute your people. Though the JTF are ruthlessly and extra-judiciously killing your people, you must remember that you are targeting them too and they are people with families, just like you.
You are all parents, children, siblings, neighbors or friends. You have people who care for you and rely on you, just like every other Nigerian. You have people you care for just like every other Nigerian. Combine your Islamic teaching of peace with humanity and cease the violence in Allah’s name. As Muslims, you must be patient, not just for you, but for the casualties of your war, for the mothers who cry daily at the loss of their children, for the future of all of our families and for the repose of your soul.

Allah tells us that He is the One who created us and makes it clear to us that it is only He who can take life. You and your people should give credence to this ultimate truth and stop the massacre. Stop the suicide bombings …Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'ala, in His Infinite Wisdom, knows best…!”

As a Muslim sister, a mother; as a person who cares for her people, her country and cherishes Islam beyond everything else in this world, if I had a chance to look into the faces of and directly address those Muslims, especially the Nigerians, who interpret and preach our scripture in a manner that lends itself to the extreme act of suicide bombings and mass killings, that and just that is what I would say!

I've often wondered what motivates one person to murder another. But in the case of suicide bombings in Nigeria, it’s not so much about wondering but more about a frustration that the message of a beautiful, peaceful religion and way of life is being perverted by those who profess to love and live by it.
One can only pray that, instead of strapping on bombs, setting off explosives and murdering in mass, these people can give peace a chance. Because there must be a better option than killing to die… or dying to kill!

Written By Hannatu Musawa
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HARD VIEW (WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE GOOSE…)

WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE GOOSE…

Due to its implications and dangers, it would be difficult for anyone not to be concerned with the recent nuclear threats by the North Korean government and the tensions that have arisen between North Korea and ...America as a result. As one of the states once described by George Bush as the “axis of evil”, North Korea has for some time now insured its place as one of the biggest enemies to a super-power that has, in the past, enacted unilateral military action against its adversaries. But no matter how much one vilifies the actions of North Korea, looking at the situation from a third party view, America, itself, still doesn’t come out as the paragon of virtue in the whole kafuffle.

A well-known legal maxim which bars relief for anyone guilty of improper conduct in a matter urges one who comes to equity to come with clean hands. It operates to prevent any affirmative recovery for a party with unclean-hands, no matter how unfairly the party's adversary appears. Granted, North Korea has come across as the main aggressor in this particular round of hostilities, but the truth is, as a nation that used its military might to illegally invade a sovereign nation within the last several years, it is hardly the time for America to try and pass itself off as the arbitrageur of righteousness. And even though the prospect of Kim Jong Un’s threats of missile testing and development of more nuclear technology comes with ominous implications, the perceived double standards of America, a nuclear power itself, telling another sovereignty to give up its nuclear technology leaves a lot to be desired.

America's turgid jingoism, enormous exhibitions of patriotic vehemence and arrogance within the last decade very much exceeds the notion of moral equivalency and their call for North Korea to abide by International standards would be almost as hypocritical as Adolph Hitler calling for world peace. If the U.S ever represented the pursuance of freedom and protection of rights, then why did they ever keep secret prisons and torture cells, why do they, to this day, hold detainees without due process in Guantanamo Bay and why did they invade another sovereign country without a cogent, authentic reason other than on the impulse of a diplomatically spastic and a verbally dyslexic pea-brained former president? Had it been another country who had behaved in the manner America has in the last couple of years, America would have been the first and loudest to cry bloody murder. There is no doubt that America has somewhat redeemed itself in the eyes of the other 99% of the world since the exit of George. W. Bush from power and the election of an objective, fair minded Barack Obama, but the annoyance of America’s hypocrisy when it comes to their directive and bully tactics to other nations to give up nuclear weapons still soils its international image.

As the main nation to have used atomic weapons against an enemy during a war, America knows all too well the ease in which a nuclear power can destroy its enemy. But even though the world has been able to come to terms with the Hiroshima disaster, America must be aware that their most recent misadventures in Iraq and Afghanistan has set a sorry example and arguably become the very engine to propel the development of nuclear weapons. During his tenure, when President Bush disregarded the UN and went to war in Iraq, he effectively opened the door to other war loving, international law hating leaders. But for the hostility and threats of isolation displayed by the American government against its enemies, it is likely that governments such as that of North Korea may not have been so steadfast in acquiring nuclear might. Any country believing that it would be exposed to American aggression similar to the groundless one conducted in Iraq in the last Gulf war might probably be ready to withstand international condemnation in order to develop nuclear weapons, if only to protect themselves from America. With the situation as it is now, it is quite unlikely that anyone on the receiving end of American wrath will unilaterally disarm and abandon its nuclear weapons technology. Especially given the example set where, even though Col. Muammar Qaddafi gave up Libya's nuclear weapons development project, it didn’t stop him from being ousted from power and killed like a dog, with American help.

As a punishment for North Korean insolence, the United Nations are calling for sanctions. But as history shows, sanctions do not necessarily work on authoritarian regimes willing to allow massive human suffering. The consequence of sanctions affects the most vulnerable and helpless; it is highly unlikely that the threat of sanctions will deter the North Koreans from its nuclear path or achieve regime change.

In an ideal world, the United States should have the capability to prevent the kind of conflict we are witnessing between North Korea and the western world. America controls the whole planet through trade, aid, military capacity and with its vast influence; it should also have the ability to guide the world to peace. But the super power has a reputation for pursuing its interest in a manner that disregards anyone it perceives to be an international threat to U.S. geopolitical and economic interest. Had it chosen to approach the issue of nuclear possession from an even platform where the terms of possession is equal for all countries, then their argument would have been more convincing. But as it is now, what incentive does North Korea have in joining talks to give up its nuclear weapons when their perceived enemies possess nuclear weapons? What is good for the goose should be good for the gander and until the entire world became weapons-free, no country has the moral right to point an accusing finger at another, especially if they possess nuclear weapons themselves.

It’s all well and good for the international community to denounce North Korea’s recent nuclear ambitions, but as long as there is a general support for the kind of American weapons development and testing we have witnessed within the last 100 years, then this is double-standards. Let’s not forget this isn’t year zero; many nations, including America, Britain, France, India and Pakistan amongst others have had huge piles of nerve gas and other chemical weapons for years. Until the whole world calls for the destruction of all nuclear weapons in every country and speaks up against the type of injustice we have witnessed America unleash on other countries, then none of these nations have a right to tell North Korea what it should and should not do. This effort to limit nuclear weapons technology to the current nuclear powers can only influence the kind of confrontation we are witnessing. If America or any of the western nations are interested in fostering peace and forming an understanding with countries like North Korea, one of their main prerogatives should be to de-arm the nuclear weapons they themselves have then try to develop some kind of dialogue.

The possession of nuclear arms by any country threatens everyone on the planet and the only defence against them is a realistic worldwide non-nuclear strategy that would involve a progressive disarming of all nuclear powers. The world needs cooperation, discourse and arbitration in order to destroy all nuclear weapons. But as long as select nations are allowed to keep their stockpiles of nuclear weapons, then this recent hue and cry against North Korea is akin to stopping the gander from acquiring what it sees the goose has. And although Kim Jong Un may be suffering from a twisted form of youthful exuberance, he will unlikely be willing to abandon his nuclear ambitions just because America and the western community said so.

Written By Hannatu Musawa
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HARD VIEW (FOOTPRINTS OF A BARONESS)

FOOTPRINTS OF A BARONESS

 Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Of those people, some we may personally know and some we may just see on our television screens, read about in books, or hear about them through tales. Of those peopl...e, some will leave footprints on our hearts and minds which may change us and we are never, ever the same.

Along with Mallam Aminu Kano, Chief Sunday Awoniyi, General T.Y Danjuma, Sheikh Ahmed Deedat, Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela, Sheikh Abubakar Mahmood Gumi, Queen Elizabeth II, Wangari Maathai, Oprah Winfrey, Gambo Sawaba, Moshoud Abiola, Jerry Rawlings, Gani Fawehinmi, Mamman Shatta, Bishop Mathew Kukah, Michael Jackson, Emeka Anyaoku, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Obi Ezekwesili, Mother Teressa, and Mohammed Ali, Margaret Thatcher was one of the public figures in my lifetime who have left, and continue to leave footprints on my heart and mind and whose teachings, character and example has had a big impact in my life. With the news of her passing Monday evening (8th April, 2013), I and millions of people across the world who admired her lost a great role model. She had fought a long battle with dementia and a series of strokes and eventually succumbed to a massive stroke. She will be greatly missed although it’s somewhat a relief knowing that she no longer suffers. Additionally, I have an immense amount of positive lessons that I was able to learn, that will continue to serve me through the balance of my life from this profound figure I watched at the time I was growing up.

Though I was very young when I went to Britain in 1979, Margaret Thatcher, as the first British female prime minister, was very much present in my everyday life. Coming from a society and country where women did not traditionally assume the kind of leadership role that Margaret Thatcher did, I immediately became fascinated with her. Growing into my consciousness through the 1980’s I observed with intrigue how she commanded her position with such direction and conviction.

I remember as a small girl seeing her on television and wondering how she had the guts to speak so convincingly and decisively in a room filled with males. Even to my young and inexperienced eyes and ears, I understood that she was a very passionate lady who was changing the world and the role of women. I found her enthusiasm very infectious and a lot of the time she got me interested enough to ask questions about governance.

Although I always knew that I admired and looked up to Margaret Thatcher, it was only very much later in my life that I realized the significance and magnitude of the impact she had on me. Being the Chancellor of The University of Buckingham at the time I was a student there, I had the good fortune of meeting her on two occasions. As I stood face to face with the woman that I had looked up to and admired for so long, I was certainly not disappointed but I was most definitely star-struck.

Baroness Thatcher was a legend in her own life time. There are very few people of whom this can be said. One of the most intriguing and wonderful things about this woman was her dedication to her principle and conviction. Never was there a leader who was so prepared to stand by their convictions for good or bad like Margaret Thatcher. She always stayed true to her core values and her unyielding stance never to compromise them stood as her greatest strength and, at the same time, probably her greatest weakness.

Apart from her just ‘being’, there were many other aspects of Margaret Thatcher and many things she had done that have combined to make the many footprints on my heart and mind. She was a great example of the importance of dedicating oneself to hard work and a commitment to excellence. She was not a woman to suffer fools gladly and she had a healthy understanding of how to give as good as she got and absorb disapproval; as long as she believed in what she stood for and her principles, she really couldn’t care less about criticisms or distractions. A key lesson I learned from her. Her confidence and security in being different has always inspired me not to be afraid to be different, independent and to make my own decisions. She cared for her people and her country almost to a fault and she believed in the purpose of everything she did for Great Britain. As one of the most influential political figures of the 20th Century, she defined her country and had a profound effect on the politics of Britain and the world.

She was feisty, determined, focussed and brilliant. She was a remarkable, courageous and special woman. And it wasn’t solely because she was a woman who achieved what she did at the time she did, it is because only a handful of politicians ever in history have exercised such dominance during their term in office and attracted such strength of feeling, both for and against. Agree with her policies or not, there is no doubt that an era ended with her passing.

Her legacy has had a deep effect upon the policies of all her successors even though her radical and sometimes confrontational approach defined her 11-year period as prime minister. It was an innate stubbornness she had which led to her refusal to engage in consensus politics that made her a divisive figure. That, together with an opposition to her policies and her style of government led eventually to rebellion inside her party. Whilst not everyone will have agreed with her more controversial actions and policies such as the response to the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands and introduction of the poll tax, the integrity and determination with which she pursued them was truly intriguing. She had many faults as a leader, but the positive impact she had on her country far, far outweighed the negative.

The people who knew her best speak of her very dissimilar persona when she was in her personal capacity than the towering public figure that the world was presented with. As a public figure, Margaret Thatcher was viewed as an uncompromising and overbearing iron lady with an obdurate allegiance to her country at the detriment of others. As a private person, she was said to have had a great sense of humour, been kind natured and had an unassuming ability to make all those around her feel special and loved.

In the last decade, as I watched Margaret Thatcher negotiate the last stage of her life, the quality that first endeared me to her was what continued to strike me most about her; that characteristic of a person with strong convictions, who never gave up her dreams and never lost her zeal to speak up for what she believed in. She took advantage of the blessings life gave her and she aged with a grace that one would hope to emulate.

Though she had to curtail her activities as a result of deteriorating health, she continued to appear in public and lend her voice to support the courses she stood for, whenever she felt the need to. The tragic loss of her best-friend and husband, Dennis, whom she had described as her "rock" in 2003, and her good friend and political partner, Ronald Reagan only a year later, may have been big blows to her but it failed to completely take the wind from her sail.

The life and works of other people often influence us to be great in what we do. For so many of the achievements she accomplished, for so much of what she represented, Margaret Thatcher was truly what role models are made of. And her life and work will no doubt serve to influence generations yet to come. From the manner in which she operated as a leader, to her steadfast nature, to her commitment for her course, I doubt that anyone can ever write the history of world politics without mentioning Margaret Thatcher, who is much more than a footnote in the example of patriotism, conviction and determination.

Margaret Hilda Thatcher came a long way from the town of Grantham, Lincolnshire where she was born on the 13th October 1925. Being the daughter of a local councillor must have had an enormous impact on the direction of her life, her love for governance and the political policies she would eventually adopt. Becoming only the third female president of the Oxford University Conservative Association at the time she studied Chemistry at Somerville College, Oxford and latter qualifying as a Barrister, more than qualified her for the role that would come to define a historical way of governance.

Margaret Thatcher was a lady and a heroine. She was ‘my’ heroine, someone who taught, encouraged and helped this Nigerian woman on a journey without ever knowing she did. There are so many things I learned as a professional and a strong, independent woman from the example that Margaret Thatcher so unapologetically set. Excellence, integrity, personal sacrifice, virtues, resilience, patriotism, a deeper understanding of my greatest potential as a lawyer, a politician, a woman, a wife and a mother are just some of the teachings I strive to pick from her. I will value her example for the rest of my life.

Like so many others, I will never forget Margaret Thatcher and I feel privileged to have lived through a period that saw her strength of leadership and even more privileged to have had the good fortune of meeting a woman that I will forever look up to. I grieve at her passing and send my prayers and condolences to her children, Mark and Carole.

“Rest well Baroness, you will be sorely missed. While your footprints remain in the hearts and minds of millions of us, your legacy will never, ever be forgotten….”


Written By Hannatu Musawa
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