(85): Islam, Culture, Social Media and the Rest of Us

Muhsin Ibrahim

muhsin2008@gmail.com

Facebook, or any other social media, is no longer what it used to be: a mere, innocuous social networking site for friending, chatting, sharing pictures and the like. It is, today, a life-shaping platform. This and a whole host of other reasons, therefore, call for parents, guardians and all to be (more) wary of how, and of course who, his/her children, wards, younger siblings, etc, interact with. I will give three (3) examples.

First, the Internet, in general, is a harbour for amassed pornographic content. Recently, the Indian government banned the viewing of pornographic content in its country. But due to pressure and protests, they had to lift the ban. Currently, there are many pages for that on Facebook, WhatsApp chat groups, etc. The children can be intelligent, but not necessarily smarter. Devise ways to curtail this through the most effective means.

While the first danger could easily be detected, the second one is, eerily, barely detectable. This is the rise of perverted ideologies being peddled by some unsuspecting individuals in the name of civilisation, or, if you like, intellectualism. This, to me, poses a greater challenge and threat for it’s not easily noticed until it creates a strong, seldom permanent, niche in the mind and soul of our unsuspecting youths.

I have unfriended some folks on Facebook, not because I was scared or intimidated by their wayward ideologies, but for the sake of peace. I couldn’t withstand their display of ignorance, and in countering this, hell often breaks loose. People resort to name-calling, abuse, insults and so on. Thus, I severed our relationship, which was already held only by a thread, so that they can mind their business while I do mine. 

The recent issues concerning the legality of male-female handshakes by such a coterie are, to say the least, troublesome. It’s all the more bothersome when you reflect on the teeming youth that will/shall/may eventually buy those palpable falsehoods. It’s only careful vigilance that may shield and save you from falling into that uncharted water.

The third is erosion of status. The recent diatribes of the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, have sparked intense debate on the predominantly northern Nigerian cyberspace. The man is not new to controversy, though he was then a ‘mere’ banker, named Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. Nonetheless, the way he is today bashed by every Tom, Dick, and Harry signifies a bleak future for social cohesion and a deficit of respect for elders among our youth. Generally, the rise of social media has a horizontal effect, in which everyone can register and have their raw views read by all. Whether a professor, doctor, sheikh, or political thug, everyone can be a member (on the platforms) with equal rights and privileges.

The emergence of social media has exposed the world’s dynamism and increased the ubiquity of the impacts and effects of globalisation. While in academia we talk, and even encourage, paradigm-shifting research, values are rapidly shifting in our societies. Otherwise, how could one dare to publicly legitimise a handshake between males and females in Hausa land? If not for the religious reason, we don’t, and won’t, do that in our culture. I understand that the major cultural challenge Hausa Muslims face today is to create a harmonious synthesis between their own culture and that of the foreign community.

For instance, I was in India for two years. I saw how Indian and Afghan Muslims, who even look at us as less Muslims, conventionally shake hands and hug, and usually mingle among their opposite sexes. The same is done in our neighbourhood here in Nigeria. But this is not how we are, and cannot be, in sha Allah.

Again, abusing and insulting a revered man like the Emir of Kano is something very new to me and anyone older than I. Doubtless, Sarki Sanusi opened the doors to some of these vituperations, yet he does not merit all the affronts flung at him today. The engagements have been hijacked by some elements – on both the offensive and defensive sides of the debate – and transmogrified to an avenue for all sorts of abasement.

I am not an expert on culture, but it’s a blessing that some of the Islamic core beliefs, values, and taboos are in conformity with our way of life. In both Islamic teachings and Hausa culture, elders and leaders are not subjected to abuse. We can, and should, call them to order politely. Criticise the Emir but within limits. The same applies to his defenders.

I am aware that “cultures tend to thrive on mutual enrichment”. Thus, there’s no way we can entirely avoid the influence of other cultures, particularly Western culture, given the educational system we adopt. While no one or thing is beyond criticism or abuse, ours is different. Let us maintain the status quo. We can see eye-to-eye with the West and still remain Hausawa and Muslims. You must not copycat them to be called civilised, and this applies to some of the things the Emir advocates. There’s no more valuable than yours. Learn to resist and reject that inferiority complex. And, please, stop all the unnecessary epistemological arguments. Handshaking between opposite, non-mahram sexes is prohibited.

All said, you can still choose to be a mongrel. I don’t. I, on my own volition, prefer to remain who I am without looking down upon other cultures or thinking that theirs are richer, more contemporary than ours. Lest you misread this, I am not saying ours is like the ‘revealed’, thus devoid of anything wrong, nor am I saying that Sarki Sanusi II is immune to criticism. I have criticised him myself, but I believe (hope?) that mine was/is not overblown.