tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19331638472842121242024-03-25T00:31:45.133+01:00The LearnerA blog for my opinion articles for pragmatic, cool-headed realists, and for all. Your constructive criticisms are always welcome.Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.comBlogger172125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-89527596284741766022024-03-22T12:53:00.002+01:002024-03-22T12:53:38.201+01:00(172): A solution to procrastination<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> <span style="background: white;">By Muhsin Ibrahim</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="background: white;">Procrastination affects not only writers but also people from almost all walks of life. We all have tasks to do. However, due to procrastination, we keep saying that we will do them later again and again until the time is gone.</span><br /><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">When I was writing my dissertation, I struggled with procrastination. I would often put off writing, thinking that I could do it later. This led to a lot of stress and anxiety as deadlines approached. However, I was determined to find a solution. I tried different techniques, such as setting strict deadlines for myself and breaking up my work into smaller, more manageable tasks. Eventually, I found a solution that worked for me.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="background: white;">I was reading a book with a ‘funny’ title: <i>The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck</i>, when I found the following:</span><br /><br /><span style="background: white;">‘When I was in high school, my math teacher, Mr. Packwood, used to say, “If you’re stuck on a problem, don’t sit there and think about it; just start working on it. Even if you don’t know what you’re doing, the simple act of working on it will eventually cause the right ideas to show up in your head.’ (Manson 2016, p. 109)</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><br /><span style="background: white;">I printed out the page and hung it in my room. I highlighted the above and another line. So much like the author, whenever I open my computer, a voice from within tells me to write something, not just to sit there.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdYGECRijIm_D4_d1aopz4oMOm7dWpr8ExOjb83aM_fnnvV9lrlkHcMtQ2XtnJBE_wMjNeD84E8qu8kue05LNL4BujaJHxs7P14uSmEGTLOb5KGXNukx_w6LXbqTb1TtQBYrX091udJJIYX1TSnV3Crxbaa1e1dAkF7vtmxPXnbzMb3LfPpR7-B-MRP8/s2048/Procrastination.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdYGECRijIm_D4_d1aopz4oMOm7dWpr8ExOjb83aM_fnnvV9lrlkHcMtQ2XtnJBE_wMjNeD84E8qu8kue05LNL4BujaJHxs7P14uSmEGTLOb5KGXNukx_w6LXbqTb1TtQBYrX091udJJIYX1TSnV3Crxbaa1e1dAkF7vtmxPXnbzMb3LfPpR7-B-MRP8/s320/Procrastination.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Don't hesitate to jot down your thoughts; the longer you wait, the more likely they will evaporate. Instead, take action and write! Remember, you can always revise, edit, and refine your ideas later. So go ahead and let your creativity flow without hesitation.<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />So, in Manson’s words, “Don’t just sit there. Do something. The answers will follow.” Do it in no haste, but don’t keep delaying it. Writing is unlike a speech; there’s almost always a time to revisit what you have written.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-85350936168816960272024-03-20T15:37:00.001+01:002024-03-20T15:37:08.228+01:00(171): Islam: Conversion during 1445/2024 Ramadan<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: justify;">Islam: Conversion during 1445/2024 Ramadan</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: justify;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Many people are embracing Islam more than usual during this ongoing Ramadan. Their stories are all over social media. One of the most popular stories is that of American writer and activist Shaun King and his wife, Rai King. We also witnessed one such conversation in our mosque last weekend.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">He is a young man of Congolese origin. He was born and raised here (in Germany). The good conduct of his friend, the son of our chairman, influenced his decision. He fell in love with Islam, did his homework and, bingo, embraced it. May Allah grant him steadfastness, amin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-HGPQow5p_YOM0w3tV5ocDlElzXSoX61VP0pN1OxMM_3PRkH-z4xiursBbukzmh0JRBBEzYOG_pcI1QSbBcaEGjItgbBXy2VLFQs6AOyPAtaQNd73cv2DKHeMlyWQzt-ujJKenUs4SKsKA4zdO9VPLAVAlT1EnDesuW91VxM9Ra2mMXyxrUKu_26-zk/s1200/Shaun-King-Converts-to-Islam.jpg.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-HGPQow5p_YOM0w3tV5ocDlElzXSoX61VP0pN1OxMM_3PRkH-z4xiursBbukzmh0JRBBEzYOG_pcI1QSbBcaEGjItgbBXy2VLFQs6AOyPAtaQNd73cv2DKHeMlyWQzt-ujJKenUs4SKsKA4zdO9VPLAVAlT1EnDesuW91VxM9Ra2mMXyxrUKu_26-zk/s320/Shaun-King-Converts-to-Islam.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shaun King (middle) and Rai King (right)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></p>Islam has been getting more members since the start of the Gaza war. That, too, continues. A few days ago, I saw a white Swedish young lady accepting Islam. She said the resilience and fortitude of Gazans in the face of what many people described as "genocide" happening in Gaza led her to their religion.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Honestly, seeing and reading such stories is intriguing and reassuring. In contrast, some people who are born and raised Muslims bash the religion with pleasure, especially on social media today. They used to hide behind fake accounts. Not anymore. Some of these Islamaphobes are even our 'friends'. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I live and work with several non-Muslims, including agnostics and atheists in Germany. So far, so very good. None of my colleagues or neighbours has ever mocked Islam or Muslims in my presence. Regrettably, it's different from some fellow 'Muslims' from among us on Arewa cyberspace. They mistake this for intellectualism. Duh!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">May Allah guide us to the right path, amin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/muhsin2008?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUivgODTJ1a_00l1f72LwkPnwVPyQzoo9GVtN0ao6a4ioVVywpf5_qbKpa_6MFsE1l3kpU2WEaQmAasCm_Oy0pWRmnp__iSJAatXv_7HeFgO3ptQ5UXv98DMFnMqRoHprs&__tn__=-%5DK-R" style="color: #954f72;">Muhsin</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-36904124281121427142024-02-12T04:02:00.001+01:002024-02-12T04:02:50.236+01:00(170): Saudi Arabia and the need for more reforms<p>By Muhsin Ibrahim </p><p>Even a visually impaired individual can perceive the evident transformation taking place in Saudi Arabia. Although we came from Germany, a country renowned for its technological advancements, we express our admiration for the aesthetic and infrastructural qualities of the Haramain High Speed Railway station.</p><p>Furthermore, we observed a vast expanse of land undergoing construction, situated a short distance from the station. The name of this project, the Knowledge Economic City, provides an indication of its intended purpose. This is part of the Vision 2030 project.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoM4R1n0r1leWTd_H0e96DeoWlTinM_KymJv1TS1b36SVhu0uMAqUeP6YQXDtWhl2m4r5-KSy_TmB_UdOIYAF8-YYmfsK-HxAb2P2XWLZMfoIMWreEfBqUGlFgWxgY4b2WGvvi95EQI6LDAINbWD_wregLX3-JUDcwxpdg760HfdNc28oh2zc8ixiaPq0/s4000/20240211_124128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoM4R1n0r1leWTd_H0e96DeoWlTinM_KymJv1TS1b36SVhu0uMAqUeP6YQXDtWhl2m4r5-KSy_TmB_UdOIYAF8-YYmfsK-HxAb2P2XWLZMfoIMWreEfBqUGlFgWxgY4b2WGvvi95EQI6LDAINbWD_wregLX3-JUDcwxpdg760HfdNc28oh2zc8ixiaPq0/s320/20240211_124128.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Additionally, numerous construction sites for hospitals, schools, and other facilities are visible in the surrounding area of the railway station. However, it is evident that further reform is necessary.</p><p>Our taxi driver appeared to be of South Asian descent. During our brief conversation, I discovered that despite his grandfather being born in Saudi Arabia, he does not possess a Saudi passport and is considered Bangladeshi by the authorities. I inquired if he had ever visited Bangladesh, to which he replied in the negative. This situation is unfortunate.</p><p>Developed Western nations grant citizenship to individuals who reside there for a relatively short duration. In countries like the United States and Canada, citizenship is automatically conferred upon those born within their borders. This privilege contributes significantly to the growth and development of these nations. It would be beneficial for the Saudi authorities to adopt similar policies.</p><p>Foreign nationals and naturalized citizens should be welcomed and embraced. In many cases, they demonstrate greater enthusiasm and determination to succeed, driven by a desire to prove their worth. These individuals often become highly motivated and accomplished individuals.</p><p>Without such policies, countries like the United States might not have had the opportunity to have a president like Barack Obama, and the United Kingdom might not have had a leader like Rishi Sunak.</p><p>May our nations also prosper and flourish, amen.</p><p>- Muhsin</p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com0Makkah Saudi Arabia21.4240968 39.817336399999988-6.8861370361788445 4.6610863999999879 49.734330636178846 74.973586399999988tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-34800103622211684672024-01-16T12:18:00.007+01:002024-02-12T03:51:20.231+01:00(169): Local languages: Panacea for social interaction and more?<p> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: justify;">By Muhsin Ibrahim</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Language</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> is</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">one</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> of the most amazing things in the world. We often overlook </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">its</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> influence </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">in our lives </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">because </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">it is </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">mundane</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">. W</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">e all use a language</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">verbally</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">or non-verbally</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> daily. We acquire language</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">, i.e., </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">we</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">grow up speaki</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">ng </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">effortlessly. Thus, we don't care much about its profound </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">impact and influence</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">on how we interact with others, think about and view the world</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">We had international conferences on Africa in</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> Cologne, Germany and San Francisco, United States. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">This short piece is about something other than </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">the many academic papers </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">presented; it is about</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> how hearing someone speaking our language </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">or a local language</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">we are familiar with </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">in a foreign country attracts our attention.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">In both Cologne and San Francisco, I observed a pattern. People speaking the same language form a circle. It does not matter if you are an ethnic speake</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">r</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> of the language</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> or just a speaker</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">People quickly click, for i</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">t is easy to use a language you grew up speaking – or</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">so I feel.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">In our case, w</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">e forget our differences.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> <span lang="EN-US">I met long-time online friends Nura Abubakar and Dr Hadiza Kere for the first in San Francisco. Nura was with another friend, an ethnic Hausa speaker from the Benin Republic. Then came </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Kefas Lamak</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">, a Kano-born Christian Hausa speaker.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">We spent hours and hours conversing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcBXFffoSD8YMesk3xHHsBU68IFFp8cGXdHI6FYCdAJ_BSmdn5tHfhRmV6rFAlvJYb5NT5lLtxf4IfWZcEBQlsbYCeoORCnrsnFAZdhqZgYT0GvdcaeU45wkIRKHNv-hBU1PuqYXhlvPsVpTeBgZj5qfi40OcKUodnjjt3XiZzJ0LrJ-5AYNcKbxHczQ/s2048/IMG-20231203-WA0010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcBXFffoSD8YMesk3xHHsBU68IFFp8cGXdHI6FYCdAJ_BSmdn5tHfhRmV6rFAlvJYb5NT5lLtxf4IfWZcEBQlsbYCeoORCnrsnFAZdhqZgYT0GvdcaeU45wkIRKHNv-hBU1PuqYXhlvPsVpTeBgZj5qfi40OcKUodnjjt3XiZzJ0LrJ-5AYNcKbxHczQ/s320/IMG-20231203-WA0010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">We also met Umar Sheikh Tahir Bauchi, whose father doesn’t require any introduction (He is </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">one of Nigeria’s most distinguished Islamic scholars</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">). Still, we </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">blend</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">ed</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">even more </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">and move</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">d</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> around. We </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">j</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">oke</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">d</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> and laugh</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">ed</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> and talk</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">ed</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> about specific local issues and events. It can be challenging to do all this in another language.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">The same happened when we – Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu, Dr Umma Aliyu Musa, Dr Musa Ibrahim and my humble self – met in Cologne earlier in the year. Mahmoud, an Egyptian speaker of Hausa, couldn’t find a better company than us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I love writing in English. Most of us often struggle</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">to write or speak in Hausa</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">without </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">code-switching, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">code-mixing, etc. Still, Hausa is <i>the</i> language I am most comfortable with in conversations</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">, especially on non-academic issues</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I will not rehash what several scholars, such as Ngugi wa Thiang’o, say about the relationship between language and identity. What I described above is yet another evidence of that. We are not only Africans or Nigerians but Hausa – or Yoruba, Igbos, you name it. Unlike many other speakers, Hausa speakers find it hard to use any other language whenever they meet fellow speakers of Hausa…unless necessary.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">For instance, one of us in the attached picture (Samba Bah) comes from The Gambia and doesn’t speak Hausa. He’s super friendly and understanding to remain in our company. He even attempted to talk a few Hausa words!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: justify;">As much as I don’t squarely blame our usage of foreign languages for our setbacks in Africa and other Global South countries, I concur that the inclusion of native languages within our school systems would significantly enhance academic performance. Now, students struggle to learn the language a teacher uses and the concepts they are taught. This is </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: justify;">“double wahala”</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: justify;">. We should think and do more about this.</span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-11893777505690087802023-12-31T15:31:00.004+01:002024-01-03T09:21:21.986+01:00(168): Top 7 Kannywood series of 2023<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">By </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Muhsin Ibrahim & Habibu Ma’aruf</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="mailto:muhsin2008@gmail.com" style="color: purple;">muhsin2008@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">As 2023 draws to a close, the closure of Kano Filmhouse Cinema is one of Kannywood’s most regrettable events in the outgoing year. Consequently, there was a significant decline in the number of cinematic releases. Nevertheless, amid this setback, a silver lining emerged as it spurred a notable shift towards series films, with prominent producers and directors venturing into the evolving market.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">From <i>Labarina</i>, <i>Alaqa</i>, and <i>Manyan Mata</i> to <i>Fatake</i>, <i>Amaryar Tiktok</i> and <i>Gidan Sarauta</i>, Kannywood’s audience has been captivated by numerous enthralling TV and web series. While the series market faces criticism for potentially fostering second-rate productions, the following list highlights the best seven series films aired in the year. Please note that the numbering is not hierarchical. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">1. Labarina<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">Labarina</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;"> stands out as a household name among Hausa film enthusiasts. Despite premiering in 2020, this show’s latest seasons continued to be highly popular in 2023. It tells the story of Sumayya (Nafisa Abdullahi/Fati Washa) as she evolves from a humble daughter to a successful singer. She, meanwhile, navigates a complex love life with numerous suitors, prominently Mahmoud (Nuhu Abdullahi), Lukuman (Yusuf Saseen), and Presido/Aliyu (Isah Feroz Khan). The storyline also introduces other engaging characters, such as the avaricious Baba Dan Audu, his friend Rabe, the lovesick Ummi, Raba-Gardama, etc. However, despite experiencing a brief moment of dullness, the series has recently regained momentum, shifting to a fresh, gripping tale with a new cast. It’s a must-watch series full of intriguing drama. The actors’ performances are also impressive. Aminu Saira directed it, while Naziru Sarkin Waka and Nazifi Asnanic are the producers. Other casts include Teema Yola, Sadiq Sani Sadiq, Fatima Hussain, Amina Rani, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmEhRB471L8gZxt3EjzjPgofewaP_YVsHdMDypLuPJCK-Mvzn5Z_vrWT3pcwuMSe29EwDhvTlBmSInWTpOhejYnljKMdZH-VvlUl_fBgwM12oEmQUwmnFAeMd1kDGTfEBVPeVMedY1L9tlsg0jVae7fPuk7yxDdfyRxEd2LPu1cOOAyOomCPEcDFlaZA/s900/407413145_3649764835342777_898458808726087802_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmEhRB471L8gZxt3EjzjPgofewaP_YVsHdMDypLuPJCK-Mvzn5Z_vrWT3pcwuMSe29EwDhvTlBmSInWTpOhejYnljKMdZH-VvlUl_fBgwM12oEmQUwmnFAeMd1kDGTfEBVPeVMedY1L9tlsg0jVae7fPuk7yxDdfyRxEd2LPu1cOOAyOomCPEcDFlaZA/s320/407413145_3649764835342777_898458808726087802_n.jpg" width="256" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">2. Alaqa<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">Directed by Ali Nuhu, FKDs <i>Alaqa</i> certainly attracts a big following. It generates tons of buzz and often trends on social media. This is due to its compelling narrative that leaves viewers eagerly guessing what happens in the next episode. The series follows Alhaji Saleh Alfindiki’s family, entangled in familial discord and a longstanding feud with a formidable rival, Audu Luluwa (Sadiq Ahmad). Alh. Alfindiki (Tahir Fagge) aspires to pass on his legacy through his sons, Nameer (Ramadan Booth) and Hisham (Shamsu Dan Iya). However, while Nameer embodies a calm demeanour, Hisham is a bit wayward. Audu Luluwa, therefore, takes advantage of Hisham’s weakness, and so much follows. The film has an exceptional plot with superb dialogue. The cinematography, costumes, and performance of the actors are also impressive. Other casts include Zikrullah Abubakar, Auwal Isah West, Teema Makamashi, Mommy Gombe, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">3. Manyan Mata<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">The much-talked-about <i>Manyan Mata</i>, directed by Sadiq N. Mafia, is an issue-based social drama mainly about poverty, human rights, children and women empowerment. It premiered to a positive response on February 4, 2023, and has since garnered widespread acceptance. The series uses a dynamic approach to tackle the menace of Almajirci, poor parenting, and child and domestic abuse. Through the portrayal of Laila (played by Hadiza Gabon), the series underlines the importance of girl-child education and NGOs like ‘Manyan Mata Foundation’ in developing public empathy for the social issues that weigh us down as a society. Thanks to the producer, Abdul Amart, the series features all the leading Kannywood actors and actresses, such as Ali Nuhu, Rabi’u Rikadawa, Adam A. Zango, Sadiq Sani Sadiq, Fati Washa, Jamila Nagudu, Hadiza Gabon, Mommy Gombe, Aisha Humaira, etc. Its second season, which runs when writing this review, was directed by three people, including the late Aminu S. Bono.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">4. Fatake<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">Fatake</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;"> is undeniably one of the preeminent dramas of 2023, primarily due to its grand scale. It claims to be the first Kannywood series filmed internationally, featuring a collaborative cast of Nigerian, Ghanaian and Nigerien stars. The love story mainly concerns Fatima (Amina Umar), a young Ghanaian lady grappling with an identity crisis and her suitors. Doubtless, the film is captivating. It is skillfully produced with rich substance rather than negligible style. No wonder the series quickly became sensational. All the actors also perform wonderfully, especially the ace actor, Sadiq Sani Sadiq and the debutante Ghanaian, Amina Umar, who plays the leading female role with utmost conviction. The credit goes to the director, Yaseen Auwal; the producer, Umar UK; the writers, Rahama A. Majib; and other crew members.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">5. Zaman Aure; Amaryar TikTok<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">This popular family drama is arguably one of the most topical Kannywood series. It addresses the leading factors contributing to marital challenges today. The storyline centres on Sule (Ahmad A. Bifa) and Humair (Aisha Usman). They are married but have a different understanding of marriage itself. Sule initially opposes his wife’s involvement in TikTok and civil service, leading to twists and turns in their journey together. The film is supremely meaningful with serious, contemporary thematic preoccupation. It authentically captures the complexities of marital life, exploring the factors that often lead men to remarry. The actors make it more interesting by giving a realistic performance. The fact that all its recent episodes crossed 100k views on YouTube qualified it to be on this list. It’s produced and directed by the leading character, Ahmad A. Bifa.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">6. Kishiyata<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">Directed by Hassan Giggs, <i>Kishiyata</i> YouTube-based series premiered in 2022 but continues to reign in popularity and impact today, securing it a place on this list. As the name implies, it revolves around the rivalry between co-wives in at least three households, who frequently go to odd and dangerous sorcerers to defeat the other woman or get their husband’s favours. The drama’s theatrics and often intriguing turns of events attract viewers, especially women. For instance, a man marries his son’s in-law ex-wife while sisters fatally struggle over the relationship of their kids. Particular incidents in several episodes have trended on social media, which has become a signpost to measure films’ popularity or lack thereof. Actors, such as Lawan Ahmad and Tijjani Faraga, who are already stars, Maryam Muhammad (alias Malika) and Samha M. Inuwa, among others, do so well in the exciting drama.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt;">7. Dan Jarida<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: times;">The <i>Dan Jarida</i> series was directed by Hafiz Bello and produced by the “King of Kannywood Box Office”, Bashir Maishadda. It aims to uncover corrupt politicians who resort to any means possible, including bribing, torturing or even murdering their opponents and journalists, to win elections. It assembles old and new, famous and rising actors and actresses. Although the story may confuse many viewers due to several flashbacks, the drama has been popular and arguably successful. The many stars it has put in one place, among other reasons, must have made its relative success possible. Several members of Kannywood have aggressively promoted it on social media. Moreover, it shows on Arewa24.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-12800977293810749752023-12-31T08:34:00.000+01:002023-12-31T08:34:05.305+01:00(167): Losing my religion: A call for dialogue<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: justify;">By Muhsin Ibrahim</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: justify;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I have observed a disturbing development among some young Muslims on social media. As soon as they read some philosophy books, they begin to question their faith and condemn their ‘conservative’ culture. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">The youth view anyone disagreeing with them as ignorant, uneducated and uninformed. That enrages some of their followers, who, in turn, insult them (back), and things fall apart. Both sides are wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">First, I call on those youth not to rush in their conclusion on matters they barely understand. I, for instance, passed through a similar stage. While growing up and reading voraciously, I imagined myself as more learned than I actually was. In public (especially online fora), I challenged some people, including a professor many of you here know. I was wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS94cC-Bvio0ilReA-sgcDHelHrODKPQXYvHLlX3BCWrmSfxbTpQOJnPnCROnlgQihEXfz8OUJWpSkyiH-FF6w-ovSTmnRx3Caox1TY8lfqTKnJm-pyOSGmPSD-o2f0iqmCtkVWUnyrV_Bllep1NAO-uBprvmBF0fG4OHn1wFxdKd0he5UtOjXx-j-4hM/s1024/istockphoto-1042426090-1024x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS94cC-Bvio0ilReA-sgcDHelHrODKPQXYvHLlX3BCWrmSfxbTpQOJnPnCROnlgQihEXfz8OUJWpSkyiH-FF6w-ovSTmnRx3Caox1TY8lfqTKnJm-pyOSGmPSD-o2f0iqmCtkVWUnyrV_Bllep1NAO-uBprvmBF0fG4OHn1wFxdKd0he5UtOjXx-j-4hM/s320/istockphoto-1042426090-1024x1024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Second, those who respond to those young guys in kind (by abusing them back) should change their approach and tactics. We need to listen to them. We must find ways to answer them with wisdom, patience and restraint. If you can procure Jeffrey Lang’s <i>Losing My Religion: A Call for Help</i>, please do. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Lang is a professor of Mathematics at The University of Kansas, United States. He is a Muslim covert. His books are a must-have for people who struggle with their faith and others who are often bamboozled by science and philosophy. He also excellently responds to several questions, primarily from young men and women.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Overall, I urge us all to be more considerate and broad-minded. We cannot avoid differences and disagreements. The (in)famous Mubarak Bala could have been a freeman if he had minded his business and played his cards cautiously.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">You must not share the same beliefs with people around you. I work with people from all walks of life, people of all or no faith. Our journey has been absolutely smooth – <i>Alhamdulillah</i>. What’s the secret? Respecting other’s choices. Coming to social media or elsewhere to lambast other’s beliefs is unwise and should be avoided. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Remember, Allah (SWT) says, “Invite all to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and kind advice, and only debate with them in the best manner. Surely your Lord alone knows best who has strayed from His Way and who is rightly guided” (Quran, 16:125).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">We may have doubts and want to ask questions about our religion. It's okay. Even Prophets asked some pressing questions. My honest advice is: hold onto your faith. Reportedly, the late Ahmad Deedat once told an atheist co-debater that he would rather worship God and later find out that He doesn't exist than reject Him and later find that He exists!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">May we be guided, amin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-73453449056739536642023-12-26T13:56:00.001+01:002023-12-26T14:11:18.662+01:00(166): 2024: Time to reflect on the 2023 resolutions<p> <span face="Calibri, sans-serif">By Muhsin Ibrahim</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB">The year (2023) will end in less than a week. Many of us had “New Year’s resolutions” around this time last year. It’s time to look back and check what you have achieved or failed to achieve. You should also deliberate on what you can do better to realise your dreams for 2024. Yes, there is always room to do better.<br /><br />As a famous saying goes, “Man proposes, God disposes”. Still, we must do our best to actualise our dreams—there is no room for complacency. The world is changing and changing very fast. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB">The world is also becoming very competitive. Thus, as we say in Hausa, "<i>Idan kana da kyau, ka </i></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>ƙ</i></span><i>ara da wanka</i>", meaning, “Step up your game”. Explore the internet for opportunities (such as scholarships, fellowships, legit jobs, etc.). Don’t waste your data or Wi-Fi sub on trivial, often viral topics. Stay focused. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqE9N6_1TcK53n_3X-Ui_0nrC3iK_fOKy8qyN2Djw1Cyiw_rcWvb79Ofn9fPANKzSeFaqF_gR60GegeakdIov99xjV6nOhMvaBipu-RhNgI0d47EESfXQ3J-i3ucNwElCGrRMmHiT6BO4Uqe4D-aCz753F-OJ8E7V97PNpgVNKSHhVdNGIjBeU_JSadpE/s396/2024-new-years-resolutions-text-260nw-2303152361.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="396" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqE9N6_1TcK53n_3X-Ui_0nrC3iK_fOKy8qyN2Djw1Cyiw_rcWvb79Ofn9fPANKzSeFaqF_gR60GegeakdIov99xjV6nOhMvaBipu-RhNgI0d47EESfXQ3J-i3ucNwElCGrRMmHiT6BO4Uqe4D-aCz753F-OJ8E7V97PNpgVNKSHhVdNGIjBeU_JSadpE/s320/2024-new-years-resolutions-text-260nw-2303152361.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB">It’s also essential to build a network and knock on other’s doors for more opportunities, referrals, recommendations, and other benefits. I am not asking you to beg o! Don’t annoy those contacts, as well. Do it professionally and responsibly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB">Be a good person – or better than you are today. Often, others see your efforts or potential from a distance and contact you. I have been approached as such and got others in the same manner. So, do good and good will, in sha Allah, come your way. Be optimistic. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB">May God – that disposes – help us realise our good dreams for 2024 and subsequent years, amin. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com3Cologne, Germany50.937531 6.960278622.627297163821154 -28.1959714 79.247764836178845 42.1165286tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-15945460435969259702023-12-06T23:19:00.004+01:002023-12-15T19:36:04.068+01:00(165): Social media and self-promotion: My experience (I)<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">Social media and self-promotion: My experience</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">By Muhsin Ibrahim<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;">I
had a Facebook account before </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">my
current </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/muhsin2008/">one</a>.
Fearing that the new social media (SM) platform was taking too much of my time
away from other, more important pursuits, I deleted it. However, I returned.
This 'new' account is almost 15 years old. To date, Facebook is my most
cherished SM space, and some people I met there have impacted my life
enormously. How does that happen?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;">I
won't claim sainthood - I have my sins and mistakes. However, I always try to
better my best and project some of my best versions </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">on SM</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;">. Even when I
join controversial debates, I avoid insulting anyone. Writing can quickly
expose you or land you into trouble; it can also fetch you fortune and fame or
loss and infamy. So, please be sure to write carefully.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCwtpQdWhFVTvUiIKtfUoA_jVqcaG6AZdQukCtpX_e8TFxUjNwvXp9jN0T2-RT6-OU6iAJEliRd0Xi3eaISMMD4aJJ-GXoq8UUuB834hPMcjJaK433IitXy9VM3A4VgfIneV9gtM-Kz4AsEgnKMRSzptK4oREj4tbp1xbE0zndLUUAEgsCrWiLQZPYYI/s4096/Naples%202022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCwtpQdWhFVTvUiIKtfUoA_jVqcaG6AZdQukCtpX_e8TFxUjNwvXp9jN0T2-RT6-OU6iAJEliRd0Xi3eaISMMD4aJJ-GXoq8UUuB834hPMcjJaK433IitXy9VM3A4VgfIneV9gtM-Kz4AsEgnKMRSzptK4oREj4tbp1xbE0zndLUUAEgsCrWiLQZPYYI/s320/Naples%202022.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naples, 2022<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;">In
this age of the virtual world, knowing how to use SM effectively should be a
part of our curriculum. For example, we had this conversation on self-promotion
recently. I understood that many people can't self-promote themselves out of
humility or other reasons. No, you can be humble and still promote yourself and
your abilities offline and online.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;">For
instance, sharing the little I publish in journals, books, blogs, newspapers,
etc., attracts the attention of some important people. For example, Prof. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/yakubu.azare?__cft__%5b0%5d=AZXrffVVaXHyAuzZ4X_V_UV3D0HHvPFAAMkwtftxXuZwuG6eVgSLPjs0-1vpU1H-KHMFSUuF8OQP0jU9IVBVwOCshWHtMiczvfG-wgF4AT-zAt44FwEJ7V5iCrw9yUYJ10wnnrM9UbiED4XopDx5LZHM&__tn__=-%5dK-R">Yakubu
Magaji</a> Azare gave me translation works back in the day. He likely evaluated
my writing ability based on my Facebook posts. He, of course, taught me in the
100 level. However, we were too many. He couldn't spot my talent, if I had any,
then. I plastered parts of my house with his generous payment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;">I
got that much-talked-about <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/bloomsbury-handbook-of-muslims-and-popular-culture-9781350145399/">Bloomsbury
book chapter</a> published, thanks to Twitter. I met one of the book's editors,
<a href="https://twitter.com/BabaKristian">Prof. Kristian Petersen</a>, there.
I met Emeritus Distinguished <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kenneth.harrow.1">Prof.
Kenneth Harrow</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;">(whom I posted about yesterday) here. The list
continues.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;">Folks,
use social media wisely. It's a goldmine. Although social media can be a curse,
it can also be a blessing to those who utilise it. So, could you review how you
use it from today – I mean now? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;">May
Allah bless us all the more, amin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com2Cologne, Germany50.937531 6.960278622.627297163821154 -28.1959714 79.247764836178845 42.1165286tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-34525624313532402732023-09-26T15:24:00.003+01:002023-09-26T15:28:10.480+01:00(164): Alhaji Ibrahim Lawal: A short tribute<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The tribute was published a day after the death of
my father, Alhaji Ibrahim Lawal, on Facebook. He was 78.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The news
of the death came to me while I was alone and far away from Nigeria and
Germany. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I was </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">attending the 4th Symposium on
West African Languages – SyWAL2022 – in Naples, Italy. </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Three weeks ago, against
people’s travel advice, I insisted on going to Nigeria, especially for our aged
and ailing father. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">They argued that it was not very safe for me to visit. </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">He was delighted to see me</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, and
that meant everything to me</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The day
my friends and I met Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu at his Sabon Titi office, they
asked to see our father, and we went. As we delivered Prof.’s greetings, he
began to shed tears while reminiscing their days of yore together at Bayero
University, Kano. We somewhat quickly had to leave him, for only he knew what
was going on in his heart.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Despite
that single moving scene, I had a wonderful, memorable time with him during the
trip. It was like I fulfilled his desire to see me one last time. The fact is,
my relationship with our dad blossomed during my struggle to start a PhD. As I
got pretty frustrated due to pressure at </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">my</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> workplace</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, which
is his former workplace,</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and
unsuccessful applications, I thought of switching cadre – to a non-academic
one.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyUVl1Qv7Zh0shMBL2qmyPwnmBKweJVaMMuidt-DF2jT0XbVonn8V-p7y5MbAA61qDJMW3hcremaoL6ATYobWChAnQi4tlgOK7ZLQnMRkdKkR071bQ_JulsThsiXAi7OxBhABZQEj7ou0oNxJ_ScpX0dHVsS7cfqMhmzb4g8KrQzaVknvFQul9E8IJzc/s1269/Convocation%20photo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1269" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyUVl1Qv7Zh0shMBL2qmyPwnmBKweJVaMMuidt-DF2jT0XbVonn8V-p7y5MbAA61qDJMW3hcremaoL6ATYobWChAnQi4tlgOK7ZLQnMRkdKkR071bQ_JulsThsiXAi7OxBhABZQEj7ou0oNxJ_ScpX0dHVsS7cfqMhmzb4g8KrQzaVknvFQul9E8IJzc/s320/Convocation%20photo.jpg" width="272" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Convocation at Bayero University Kano, 2011</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Our
father worked until retirement as a principal accountant at the Bursary Unit of
the same university (BUK). He knew the dichotomy between academic and
non-academic cadres very well. Thus, he advised me to abandon the idea and
vowed to pray to Allah to intervene. He said, pointing at his praying mat/seat
with the Quran open, “Allah will choose the best for you”.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Weeks or
months after the above meeting, I returned to him with glad tidings that I had
made two “successful” applications to China and Germany. I already
got a positive reply from my potential Chinese supervisor. To my surprise, our
father ‘assured’ me I would go to Germany, not China. The rest is history.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I still
struggle to collect my thoughts. I also don’t want to bore you with what most
children consider “virtues of their parents”. Before I stop, let me add that
our father believed in and did prayer a lot. That’s the crux here.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I am
deeply grateful for your countless prayers and condolences via posts, DMs and
calls. They mean a lot. I’m inundated and indebted. May Allah (SWT) have mercy
on him, our other loved ones and us, amin.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yours,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/muhsin2008?__cft__%5b0%5d=AZXdSH_4O5K2kEA2QN7gnfiVRD81FMBeO3-lilVXbuX38vu2d6ZPblSJdapD0SuInlMDxkxh5mx44O6NpVa7clmbOEVkC8JUpdgCv26tOWandq6erk1XZcBUlZ4mmaYF9szgupDaI47JrFSYw7HlABD1kkX4ndy4cbMxhADa0cgY9HosRA48EV1JQ4vqEBk6c50&__tn__=-%5dK-R"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: blue; padding: 0cm; text-decoration-line: none;">Muhsin</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-69292905698735454952023-08-20T11:55:00.001+01:002023-08-20T12:36:48.047+01:00(163) Who greets who: Are you also tired of debates on marriage?<p> <i style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">An
Arewa24 TV talk show presenter suggested that if a man’s wife doesn’t greet him
as per tradition, he should greet her. That provoked many men on Northern
Nigerian social media. It’s yet another round of endless debate on marriage.
Thus, I posted this article as my contribution to the discussion. Enjoy.</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
The marriage question will continue to dominate our public discourse for a
considerable time. In contrast to the Western world and other regions,
Hausa/Fulani religious and social traditions prohibit sex outside of marriage.
However, as humans have an inherent desire for sexual activity, marriage
remains the only legitimate way to satisfy that craving.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
Conflicts will occur as long as men and women live together, desire to raise a
family and do much more. We are not meant to agree on everything. Some disputes
are solvable, others intractable. While divorce is halal, it's significantly
discouraged by both Islam and our culture. So, what do we do?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
Many couples, especially the wives, live under unfriendly conditions in their
marital homes. That supposedly saves their image in the broader public view.
However, only a few remain silent today. Thanks to social media, many choose to
speak out via various channels. "Please, hide my identity" is
ubiquitous. While some of those stories are fiction, others are genuine.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsF43D-E-3L4MBEY8iJsbLke-ZCyp_dCeAF_jww9UtJk4YPVebdSICeikk-cicyMecOayD_8eEfXLD4-TiXwlNTv4B3JVBrZPptSl8-ICIhAnl7yPQhNOOT4gwshC8B2kSI2UieItlsOBcC6bcr_s8aEvlP-zLWk_886AB8NBXGsCsF3XAet4Oglu6Tk/s1050/Mata%20A%20Yau.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="1050" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsF43D-E-3L4MBEY8iJsbLke-ZCyp_dCeAF_jww9UtJk4YPVebdSICeikk-cicyMecOayD_8eEfXLD4-TiXwlNTv4B3JVBrZPptSl8-ICIhAnl7yPQhNOOT4gwshC8B2kSI2UieItlsOBcC6bcr_s8aEvlP-zLWk_886AB8NBXGsCsF3XAet4Oglu6Tk/s320/Mata%20A%20Yau.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
My marriage is a decade old. Alhamdulillah: the journey has been very smooth.
My advice to couples is: do what works best for you. I occasionally reveal the
working formula of what I consider a happy union. However, it may not work for
you as we differ in many ways.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
Study your partner carefully and do what they value, what cements your
relationship, even if it means greeting each other hourly. It doesn't really
matter. No spouse is perfect. Marriages flourish (or survive!) when the parties
involved learn to tolerate each other's imperfections.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
Also, respect your spouse. Remember to appreciate each other's efforts as often
as possible. Normalise saying "Thank you", "I am sorry", "You look
beautiful", "The food is delicious", etc. Although they are easy
to utter, their significance and impact are deep.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
May Allah (SWT) continue to bless our marriages, amin. May you, too, get a
deserving life partner, amin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<span class="xv78j7m"><span spellcheck="false">Muhsin</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-49033700767491294212023-07-20T15:56:00.003+01:002023-07-20T15:56:22.014+01:00(162): On rewriting my novel, A Weird Hope<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">On rewriting my novel, <i>A Weird Hope</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">By Muhsin Ibrahim</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I
published my novel, <i>A Weird Hope</i>, in 2012. I don't have a copy of the
book today. However, as I worked on publishing a second edition very soon, I
asked a friend who still keeps a copy to send me its imprints. I found
avoidable errors in the "Acknowledgment". What about other parts of
the book? It's pretty embarrassing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Beyond
that, I felt happy. I was glad because my writing skills are evidently better
today. That enabled me to see those blunders. That led me to upgrade the
language of the forthcoming edition. I also insisted on getting a competent
editor, not just one that would do it for me free or quickly. Hey, you may
still see errors. I'm human - and a Learner.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6a4m-VtxByxtSV5yubffB2LWYQj0aTcEyHHKhwWOUjCo3IMcFHRVHBc08Ih0L4Xes0pu7ov5lYKOIGyc_s3UEBMSOobpR2L_WrFhDkiEUaBpEYpSWw4sRWgROyhquDl2qERZCyUwjtOhhm34wi9dBGiEPly6IPXX4MKqjxgWpdMHEq8-HGcHUA3dzZ04/s2250/Simple%20Minimalist%20and%20Futuristic%20Book%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1410" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6a4m-VtxByxtSV5yubffB2LWYQj0aTcEyHHKhwWOUjCo3IMcFHRVHBc08Ih0L4Xes0pu7ov5lYKOIGyc_s3UEBMSOobpR2L_WrFhDkiEUaBpEYpSWw4sRWgROyhquDl2qERZCyUwjtOhhm34wi9dBGiEPly6IPXX4MKqjxgWpdMHEq8-HGcHUA3dzZ04/s320/Simple%20Minimalist%20and%20Futuristic%20Book%20Cover.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I shall
talk more about the book once it's released. For now, I advise fellow budding
writers to never stop practising. Writing is a passion. Nevertheless, they
should take their time getting their manuscripts published.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I know
the euphoria of seeing your writing published even online, not to talk of
holding a physical book. It's so fulfilling. But publish only what you will
always be proud of, and that requires a meticulous, even tedious job. It can
take years to see the light of day.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Anyway, <i>A
Weird Hope</i> will soon be published on Amazon in Kindle and paperback, in sha
Allah. I will also tell you how I learned to do that and why. It will likely
motivate you to enquire, explore and experiment even more.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Best
wishes,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/muhsin2008?__cft__%5b0%5d=AZX1obq6pfN5FO_i7fqV4zoEQ3HcPtk_iul6MF5oCNIS2v_u5ikGyC86Fbh6mitPj9npqoa_BOr5WnmzAR59ROvX58E0sVlhVXX921qp6bXIt6I_fpOSJi3KxRofLOknWTi6v6rzihJcnOs9iZPGRnh7r93YkhsgNLpgATMoVwdKgA&__tn__=-%5dK-R"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: blue; padding: 0cm; text-decoration-line: none;">Muhsin</span></a></span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-42992561038938437682023-07-07T18:50:00.006+01:002023-07-07T18:50:49.457+01:00(161): Social media fame: A quick take<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">Too many people desperately seek cheap popularity
on social media (SM). They include socialites, self-identified religious
scholars and ordinary people. The first category, such as Murja Ibrahim,
doesn't surprise me. Their followers astonish me. But the second and third
categories astound me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">The "religious scholars" </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">mindlessly</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;"> chase fame (and fortune)
on SM today. It's common to see a benighted person countering an established
scholar over what he barely understands. I came across one a while ago trying
to debunk a theological discourse using baseless claims. He struggled to recite
the Qur'an before him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">The third category hides behind "catching
cruise", whatever that means. Someone shared that viral tweet by parody
accounts of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg yesterday. People called his
attention to the fact that they were parody accounts. He admitted knowing that
but added that he was only "catching cruise". What is that, for God's
sake?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYRRFQa-tYAowTV18-1EjKK74py7035XZkj2q1KaMBhK-MO7aJ4X8UgZtAJwyMOZ71D4OFxvL5tQQ5bNc5XrX5s3O2ecItjI-Ep0IZb2aJ5iKXTRoxfv7PsmcSweWzH22bKZwSzAsssfTOHpBywr7wiOhSbsJSqUyi7WJKUN3XUzgs7dQNyIocOTUaIs/s700/Social%20media.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="700" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYRRFQa-tYAowTV18-1EjKK74py7035XZkj2q1KaMBhK-MO7aJ4X8UgZtAJwyMOZ71D4OFxvL5tQQ5bNc5XrX5s3O2ecItjI-Ep0IZb2aJ5iKXTRoxfv7PsmcSweWzH22bKZwSzAsssfTOHpBywr7wiOhSbsJSqUyi7WJKUN3XUzgs7dQNyIocOTUaIs/s320/Social%20media.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Fame can be a heavy load to carry, but it can also
be a powerful tool for good. It can equally deceive you into believing that
"you made it" in life while you are, in fact, still a neophyte, a
nobody. Thus, don't chase or catch it if you are not ready or capable of
handling it </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">skillfully</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">.</span></p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">And, yes, remember that famous or not, it doesn't
matter in the end. You may lose your popularity while still alive, which hurts
so much, according to many people. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">Also, remember death. Try to leave good digital
footprints, traces your loved ones will be proud of after you are gone. It's
difficult to do that if you only care about fame and nothing but fame.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">Let's focus more on creating meaningful connections
instead. The number, large or small, should not bother you. May we be guided,
amin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/muhsin2008?__cft__%5b0%5d=AZUcSAV5lM0hrcdJKikWex9wPOVl-9veVabiXqjjNFFZZPJv3XSYdcRr6rTF6eg12rgisvozdwLUFn76jNssIU-WIlldimmJX_vY0nNDfSDyDoYzE_XsNErQrf4qyZXSZ9A&__tn__=-%5dK-R">Muhsin</a></span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-77925331705958117102023-05-23T18:44:00.007+01:002023-05-23T18:48:26.565+01:00(160): We are not ignorant<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">By Muhsin Ibrahim</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">My wife and I got an appointment to meet some real estate agents to show
us a new apartment we applied to rent. I wanted to practice the little German I
could speak to impress them, but it didn’t work. Sensing my disappointment, one
of them, apparently well-educated</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">, told me I was lucky I understood a little German. In contrast, he
couldn’t speak any Nigerian – referring to a non-existent language he called
“Nigerian”. I appreciated him, but I also reminded him that there was
no such a language. I have had similar encounters in India as I wrote <a href="https://www.muhsin.in/2013/11/10-is-english-value-free-tool-or.html">here</a>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Due to
Africa’s colonial past and ‘peripheral’ status on the world stage, we effectively learn
about other</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">,</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> more prominent countries than
their people know about us. For instance, most Africans learn about the
European country that colonised their own country. As Nigerians, we learn about Great Britain and the English language and literature at schools. English is our <i>official </i>language! We also know much about the </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">United
States (who doesn</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">t?)</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, China,
India, Saudi Arabia, etc</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">., because of </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">films, scholarships, religion (Islam), etc.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">In
contrast, many people</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">, such as my friend (above)</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> from those countries and
others I didn’t mention</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">,</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> know little – or</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">nothing – about</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Africa and Africans. As a result,
their perception of Africa is primarily archaic, false, and shallow. Of course,
some are even </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">African
experts</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">, but
they are very few.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0gu5wpXWBX8eC4R3rkjZ2eIzTEHJr20KxQ8C3W_yKo5XsqzObg0KteNJPSduVIwQPn1iuLAGQcxhVl4-DfMARJJqMatgWiAiwZaVH_FG8RN8RC9SlbW6esP9XXkwO9UA2IhCJo0UOHO_MUrVg2uCaf960Z6Nuo1950XkQYUamCuop4EcxuEsCKkF/s1500/Knowledge_GettyImages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0gu5wpXWBX8eC4R3rkjZ2eIzTEHJr20KxQ8C3W_yKo5XsqzObg0KteNJPSduVIwQPn1iuLAGQcxhVl4-DfMARJJqMatgWiAiwZaVH_FG8RN8RC9SlbW6esP9XXkwO9UA2IhCJo0UOHO_MUrVg2uCaf960Z6Nuo1950XkQYUamCuop4EcxuEsCKkF/s320/Knowledge_GettyImages.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Unfortunately,
the media, especially the local ones in the West, aren’t really enlightening
their audience </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">as</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> BBC
Hausa does. They are very selective in what they tell them. While discussing
the </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">ongoing </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Ukraine war with some
students and colleagues, I get shocked. It feels like we were talking about
different conflicts.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> The propagandist media they watch paint the conflict way differently;
Russia is <i>the</i> villain (and it is) and is woefully failing in its campaign
(which is highly contestable).</span></p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Talk
about the Palestine-Israel crises and get more astonished. Some will tell you
it’s complicated – of</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">course, it is</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">. Nevertheless,
</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">it’s a
topic worth discussing à la the Russia-Ukraine war. I am aware of its
sensitivity in Germany, by the way. Still, it’s </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">also about human beings;
remember, we ‘care’ about human rights and ‘condemn’ its violation globally</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Anyway,
enough of this musing. I want us to stop underrating ourselves because we
are Africans. The developed world doesn’t have it all. Moreover, knowledge is </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">abundant
today</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> The
smartphones we constantly carry</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">can help us get better informed and enlightened.
Books, journals, newspapers and so on are only a few clicks away. </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">So, utilise </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">your
data/Wi-Fi subscription </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">and get
enlightened on any topic you like. Nobody has a knowledge monopoly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Muhsin Ibrahim wrote from Cologne, Germany. He can
be contacted via <a href="mailto:muhsin2008@gmail.com">muhsin2008@gmail.com</a>.</span></i></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-12444478283964896222023-05-03T18:21:00.012+01:002023-05-03T18:30:45.410+01:00(159) Arewa and needless debates on the English language and degree certificates<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">By Muhsin Ibrahim</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
Following the publication of <i>Skills Rather Than Just Degrees</i> by Isa Ali Ibrahim
(Pantami), a debate raged on obtaining a degree certificate or acquiring skills
in northern Nigerian cyberspace. To my knowledge, Prof. Abdelghaffar Amoka
Abdelmalik of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, offered the best <a href="https://dailyrealityng.com/2022/12/21/university-degrees-vs-skills-debate-a-consequence-of-our-purposeless-education-system/" target="_blank">response</a> that
put the final nail in the coffin of the debate.<br />
<br />
For the past few days, we have been busy (again) arguing whether or not English
proficiency can be a measure of one's intelligence. But, unfortunately, these
controversies in sections of northern Nigerian cyberspace aren't only unneeded
but also detrimental to the region.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7e7L-feVsU6z-9JTMPm0m-mTAFCJgdfmxR3OVObBMV56TTvNHXWKkSL4vd9bFU91aCw3Q3qLwnAr_OyNyNG669Lqo6MDykyJTboGMxqLQd1XEkQR3_eiGZaclxdT-lphAklnl7k2zM1gNoWtL7GeqPMARQ8uljW5eqNIGTL0eZlQovQNriQxfynTx/s800/English1-1-800x539-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="800" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7e7L-feVsU6z-9JTMPm0m-mTAFCJgdfmxR3OVObBMV56TTvNHXWKkSL4vd9bFU91aCw3Q3qLwnAr_OyNyNG669Lqo6MDykyJTboGMxqLQd1XEkQR3_eiGZaclxdT-lphAklnl7k2zM1gNoWtL7GeqPMARQ8uljW5eqNIGTL0eZlQovQNriQxfynTx/s320/English1-1-800x539-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>A few
other concerned friends and I have said enough about the two topics. However,
some things are worth repeating. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Here are two points.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">First,
school is not a scam. Even Islam, the religion most of us practice, is totally
pro-education. So, obtain that degree certificate and learn that skill. The two
aren't mutually exclusive. Forget about the unnecessary debate on which is more
important. Say and believe: both are essential and pursue them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Second,
English is a prized language. Thus, you can get several jobs and prospects if
you master it. Don't listen to anyone denigrating it. It doesn't matter if they
agree you are intelligent or not. What matters is how you use the language to
learn, earn and go places. I assure you (and not in President Buhari's voice)
that learning it is crucial and more important than the other way round.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
examples of people whose degree certificates have taken to higher positions are
ubiquitous. Likewise, English has fetched fortunes and opportunities for many
others. But, would they achieve these if they had listened to those dispiriting
campaigners?</span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-42897875147219801562023-04-27T18:57:00.001+01:002023-04-27T18:57:46.279+01:00(158): Small Things Matter: Lessons from Hadiza Bala Usman's "Stepping On Toes"<p>By Muhsin Ibrahim</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;">Due
to some reasons, I have not yet finished reading Hadiza Bala Usman's <i>Stepping on
Toes</i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>: My Odyssey at
the Nigerian Ports Authority</i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;">. However, as
I read through, it felt like I wrote parts of the book. While she acknowledges
that she is human and bound to err, the internal reforms she brought to the
Nigeria</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">n</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;"> Port</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">s</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;"> Authority (NPA) are outstanding. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;">What
I love the most is how she paid attention to things we in Nigeria consider
minor, such as the working condition of electric appliances, toilets, the
ambience of the workplace, punctuality, etc. I will mention just three case
scenarios.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;">First,
she learned that "the air-conditioning system was faulty, and [they]
suggested installing a standing split unit in my office, but I refused"
(p. 37). She insisted that the whole system has to work, kicking against
"the mentality of insulating chief executives from the general situation
in a working environment [in Nigeria]. (ibid.)" Excellent!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimBEdKz3Aat8EKNax2QL4YU-7WY857avjNazEDnUZ50segJz_ZVXTicrnihcb6yEX4t1QkQdvUAAfP_KWnYKlurQys5tlavQQ38LNDqeLTV3bMUEvlTk4rjIbXdIVqMhxoXU99LmBhUWNHbRVdIUEohaTLpLjEQk0HBPRXyQI6YOd5wOIGIPpIJO8/s2048/336375584_138139039229082_5684162009411055524_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimBEdKz3Aat8EKNax2QL4YU-7WY857avjNazEDnUZ50segJz_ZVXTicrnihcb6yEX4t1QkQdvUAAfP_KWnYKlurQys5tlavQQ38LNDqeLTV3bMUEvlTk4rjIbXdIVqMhxoXU99LmBhUWNHbRVdIUEohaTLpLjEQk0HBPRXyQI6YOd5wOIGIPpIJO8/s320/336375584_138139039229082_5684162009411055524_n.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Second,
she also pressed that the internet service has to function and be accessible
for every staff. Folks, imagine if a university can have a VC that would demand
that the internet work for every member of staff and student of the university.</span></p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;">Third
is cleaning toilets. Who would think toilets in such coveted workplaces could
give "offensive odours"? But that was how she found them. So, she
laboriously ensured that it was fixed by using a staircase to her office on the
sixth floor, as the toilets are "located just by the staircase"
(ibid.). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;">I
don't want to offend my colleagues by sharing a photo of a university staff
toilet I took last year! It's, in a word, MESSY. We also know how Oga's office
gets exclusive furniture, modern gadgets, speedy internet connection, etc.
Suppose every institution can have a leader like Hadiza, who, at least, could
bring the above reforms?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: #0C00;">Let's
work TOGETHER to make Nigeria better!<o:p></o:p></span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-50893829064844773292023-04-26T11:04:00.011+01:002023-04-27T05:22:31.698+01:00(157): Malam Jamilu Salim: A Short Tribute to a Fatherly Administrator<p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">By
Muhsin Ibrahim</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Part
One<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It
was 2005 when I applied for admission into Bayero University, Kano (BUK). <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In Nigeria, getting admission without knowing
someone at the university is pretty hard</span>. My late father was working there as an accountant, but remembering
how my immediate older brother couldn’t secure admission a year before despite
our father’s efforts, I did not bother to ask for his help. Our eldest brother (Yaya
Babba), now late, was nonetheless a student. Knowing he was not an ‘ordinary’
student due to his age, I approached him for assistance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I
was lucky Yaya Babba knew Malam Jamilu Ahmad Salim. I cannot say what his
position at the University was then, but he could help, Yaya Babba assured me.
My only fear was my SSCE result, which was neither WAEC nor NECO, the two
conventional entry exams. I had NABTEB and was applying to the Faculty of
Education. But on the other hand, my UTME/JAMB result was excellent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Yaya
Babba met Malam Jamilu during a Hajj pilgrimage the previous year, and they
clicked. To those who knew our brother, he was almost everyone’s friend. Thus,
they maintained a cordial relationship after the Hajj. When we met Malam
Jamilu, he calmed me down, virtually assuring me of admission. Although I got
the admission without his help – or anyone’s but Allah – in the end, how he
treated me was fantastic and fatherly.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Part
two<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">After
graduating in 2010/2011, Bayero University employed me as a lecturer. Fast
forward, I got another lecturing position and admission for my PhD at the
University of Cologne, Germany, in 2017. I signed a bond and left BUK on a Study
Fellowship in late August. Months later, I thought about the implication of
collecting two salaries, something I didn’t plan for. I thought I would only be
a Teaching Assistant <i>à la</i> the American university system. I
discussed this confusion with selected colleagues, including my contemporaries
and seniors. Opinions differed. Confused, I decided to go to the top. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjspNpZeHNHbI7WKemk-tZsPUBzIGC63f9CGvdJ4T-KffhMdwPFbEsnezuZzktUTHpp0WvgnpXSXYK-xhH3I-lSWYLFOAwKJYOPUWVtNrD5UdZu1Sac9Q_K7yQipiN-djNeP5iqb-MnkZQEgPz04eXfKO6W96VwmWZFS9ZOBmAEVQWm3lENdlFH-E0-/s495/Malam%20Jamilu%20Ahmad%20Salim.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="423" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjspNpZeHNHbI7WKemk-tZsPUBzIGC63f9CGvdJ4T-KffhMdwPFbEsnezuZzktUTHpp0WvgnpXSXYK-xhH3I-lSWYLFOAwKJYOPUWVtNrD5UdZu1Sac9Q_K7yQipiN-djNeP5iqb-MnkZQEgPz04eXfKO6W96VwmWZFS9ZOBmAEVQWm3lENdlFH-E0-/s320/Malam%20Jamilu%20Ahmad%20Salim.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late Malam Jamilu Ahmad Salim</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">With
the intervention of a friend, I met Malam Jamilu, now a Director of the Establishment.
He advised me as if I were his child on what I should do when I met the Vice-Chancellor,
Prof. Yahuza Bello. So, I did, and it worked like magic. Appreciating my sincerity,
Malam Jamilu thought the University could (should?) release me – on a Leave of Absence
(LOA) – without paying back the few months’ salary I received. So, he asked me
to request that in my application letter. Although it didn’t work, I remain
eternally grateful for his rare kindness and generosity.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Part
three<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Weeks
before my four-year-long LOA ended, I received an email from my Head of
Department that I should resume or resign. My love for BUK is more than you can
imagine. But, of course, I love my new workplace, which offers me abundant
opportunities, resources, and much more. Still, I hesitated to divorce my
beloved BUK, where my academic journey began just like that. Nevertheless, my close
family and friends suggested I bid BUK a final farewell. But how do I do it?
Just tender your resignation, and that’s it, a voice told me. Another one said
no, contact the ever-helpful Malam Jamilu for guidance – so I did.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Malam
Jamilu, now a Registrar – the peak of his career – was much busier. He probably
lost my number and couldn’t return calls from unknown callers. The friend who
helped me the other time and his underling, Rabia Shour, told him that Muhsin
called the other day. He apologised for not answering. Thus, when I called
again, he quickly picked up. He was apologetic in his welcoming manner.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Upon
hearing my story (again) and my current request, he didn’t mince his words on
what he would do in my situation: resign. He added that that was a development
we should all celebrate. He briefly lamented the condition of Nigerian universities
and congratulated me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I
was about to drop the call when Malam Jamilu advised me to word my letter carefully
and diplomatically. For instance, instead of titling it “Letter of Resignation”,
it should read “Notice of Withdrawal of Service”, among other excellent tips.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The
last part<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I
am sure Malam Jamilu did more for many more people in his decades-old career,
four of which were as the University’s top administrator. He was an incontestably
hardworking, dedicated and brilliant manager who rose through the ranks and contributed
significantly to the university and its members’ growth and development. Since
our father’s death in September last year, no other death shocked me as his. Wallahi,
I spoke about him with a friend visiting me from Nigeria yesterday. We didn’t know he would die at the age of 59 later in the night!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">May
Allah forgive the shortcomings of Yaya Babba, my father (Alhaji Ibrahim Lawal),
Malam Jamilu and our other loved ones. The list is getting longer. Everyone and
everything will perish (Quran 55:26).<o:p></o:p></span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-6940295243832009132023-04-23T14:25:00.003+01:002023-04-23T15:04:45.121+01:00(156): Underreported: Toxic Bosses and Colleagues Cause 'japa' in Nigeria<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">By Muhsin Ibrahim<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It's
only human to prioritise your interests. However, as per my interactions with
many fellow Diasporans, many would rather stay and work in Nigeria than in our
current host countries. In other words, we want to sacrifice our comfort for
the fatherland.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">In fact,
if given a chance, many of us would remain in Nigeria with half of the welfare
we get here because, at least, we have more loving family and friends there
than we can ever find overseas.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">People
leave Nigeria not only because of the systemic failure the country is known
for. We are resilient people who make do with many problems and fewer
resources. For example, despite our infamous "infrastructural
deficit", our entertainment industry is excelling. This is only one
example of our success stories under an adverse atmosphere.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicorldfYzuLxv_9as06y5ugcKRnDsv2FvY9fzXlXg0iANL6y9o2mOlPy1zwe3shKPCczSsDxI7hpQHZcCZdqtq-rGRdZql36EsYDRQ6RK1MYsI6cNOs97gShtETR-CPDfW2ijuj_atmIZprDYxWZZ9J9LDG_WnpGiC823kvLx2-fOuqPmCA9DCmPv3/s2048/IMG-20230422-WA0032.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicorldfYzuLxv_9as06y5ugcKRnDsv2FvY9fzXlXg0iANL6y9o2mOlPy1zwe3shKPCczSsDxI7hpQHZcCZdqtq-rGRdZql36EsYDRQ6RK1MYsI6cNOs97gShtETR-CPDfW2ijuj_atmIZprDYxWZZ9J9LDG_WnpGiC823kvLx2-fOuqPmCA9DCmPv3/s320/IMG-20230422-WA0032.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Many
folks run away from Nigeria because of toxic bosses, colleagues, or both. We
complain about "seniority" and "jealousy" at secondary
schools, but worse than these exist at workplaces. But it's much different
and better elsewhere, especially in the West.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Almost
everyone works and focuses more on their duties than other inanities and
shenanigans. Here, colleagues are often colleagues and not friends. Yet, you
also respect one another - at the workplace.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As Nigerians, we need to review our relationships with other people at our workplaces. Being a
superior doesn't or shouldn't give you the right to abuse your underlings.
Humans, regardless of their socio-economic class, deserve respect.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I don't
want to discuss specific subjects. Nevertheless, we discussed various
intriguing cases during our get-together yesterday. Three of us have PhD, eight
are medical doctors, and one is an IT expert. One media specialist and another
doctor couldn't make it. This is only a tiny contingent of professionals living
in the West. So, we mostly spoke from (bitter) experiences.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">May we
see a better Nigeria in our lifetime, amin.</span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com1Cologne, Germany50.937531 6.960278622.627297163821154 -28.1959714 79.247764836178845 42.1165286tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-89037240260432758122023-04-20T22:33:00.002+01:002023-04-20T22:33:48.623+01:00(155): Actors Beyond the Screen: A Tale of Two Film Industries<p> <span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">Actors Beyond the Screen: </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">A Tale of Two Film Industries</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">By Muhsin Ibrahim</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Many
people find it difficult to distinguish between fiction and reality. Therefore,
they mistakenly assume an actor's role is their actual behaviour outside the
fictional world of a particular film. Some also think their beauty on camera is
the same as off the camera - and hold several other presumptions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I saw
posts where (Hausa) ladies declared their love for Korean film actors and K-pop stars. But,
unknown to them, those actors don't only have heavy makeup, but some also have
had plastic surgeries to enhance their looks. South Koreans are obsessed with
their looks and go to any length to look exceptionally gorgeous.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">However,
beyond the look, fame and fortune, many (of these) celebrities go through a lot
in their lives. One of them, Moonbin, 25, died in</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span lang="EN-US">an apparent suicide</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">scenario
</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">last
night. BBC reports that South Korea has the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65331824">highest rate of suicide</a></span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">among developed countries.
Most of the victims are celebrities and in their 20s!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As I
also understood in Rabiu Rikadawa and Hadiza Gabon's talk, many men who marry
Kannywood ladies expect to see the beautiful faces and sexy bodies they see in
films. But, they soon become disappointed once they see something different or
even contrary. That is often the beginning of the end of the union.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisn70xvya-fZiyy0rpw93pUROEImoqjDUlv8p8qGvcM_86MXl75EnuEFRK-FYLJP927GuC0haPQTv77eZIS0vjg3U25y9L5Y8MaDY4EeHvcE7iQ4h_dworYyHI5vAQ73vdE75mCZ3lJQ4l_9H_ZHaALGrkUaJp7mmmbNumAlLx22PDcqxnd87VEatC/s4608/IMG_20200324_173324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisn70xvya-fZiyy0rpw93pUROEImoqjDUlv8p8qGvcM_86MXl75EnuEFRK-FYLJP927GuC0haPQTv77eZIS0vjg3U25y9L5Y8MaDY4EeHvcE7iQ4h_dworYyHI5vAQ73vdE75mCZ3lJQ4l_9H_ZHaALGrkUaJp7mmmbNumAlLx22PDcqxnd87VEatC/s320/IMG_20200324_173324.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Folks,
wish and pray for what is best for your distinct need. Don't just wish to be me
- or anyone else – in</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">all respects. You may not
have the strength to endure my life struggle. So, what should you do?</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Strive
to improve your living standards through hard work (studies, businesses, or any
other legit endeavour) and supplement that with prayers. While we think or even
claim to be architects of our lives, we don't control everything. Hence the
need to add prayers on top of our efforts.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It's
excellent to have a role model, a motivator, and an inspiration. Nevertheless,
some life experiences have taught me to stop wishing to be exactly like anyone.
Instead, I want to be myself, a version I constantly try to improve.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Of
course, I admire many people and wish to accomplish some things as they do. But
that's different from wanting to </span><b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">be</span></i></b><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> them. I would rather have
more contentment and remain how I am destined to be.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Also,
wise up and see things as they are. Just you know, even the so-called Reality
TV Shows aren't real. Actors act as any character the director commands them to
do. Producers and other crew provide locations, costumes, props, etc., as a
script requires. In sum, everything is staged and fake.</span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-66789512595082403542023-04-02T18:06:00.002+01:002023-04-02T18:09:47.427+01:00(154): Hadiza Gabon, Rakiya Moussa and the rest of us<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt; text-align: justify;">By Muhsin Ibrahim</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Hadiza Gabon is in the spotlight today. I find most
of the criticisms of </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">this </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T3l-3rpGz0">Gabon's Room Talk
Show</a> amusing for three reasons. Just that you know, Rakiya Moussa, as a guest, emotionally shed tears when talking about her unrequited love experience. Some 'critics' blamed the presenter, Hadiza, for that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">1. Some of these critics don't know better about
journalism ethics than Hadiza because they aren't journalists and have little
or nothing to do with the profession. We just love bashing Kannywood people.
They don't know how to do anything!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">2. Talk shows like that don't have cut-and-dried
rules. Gabon is a big fan of Ellen DeGeneres and her popular show. You don't
have to be a journalist to host a programme like this. It's almost the same
pattern globally.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">3. The Internet has radically de-regularised
journalism and changed entertainment industries and cultural production. Thus,
even if there were rules guiding talk shows like Gabon's, she is free to
violate them. Today's major concern is what sells better.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Why are we talking about this particular episode
with Rakiya? Sensationalism, controversy, vulgarity, nudity, etc.,
attract our attention more than anything positive. I wrote about this issue
before (see: </span><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F40zzyjJ%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2pXPVbPIhfOcdfyBtl9gK3dhNXlz6dBqEc7nzQN92QlZ6np7H1UN5iZcg&h=AT3_FIoyTjitnyzv2MGGRscHV-VInTr95U_V2DrGMDUOSeKE61zBVJkilr9F3zj6BeV6QLJiXR6t2dc0XuWU7T4g-ZpGpRhF2yQ1Olrg9CiuJ55E5askiSSJd8IGUJipvzE7p6I3C0gFJ9HE3w&__tn__=-UK-R&c%5b0%5d=AT2_QRyKj-jsu2O3fhJ3Ys--D99JBjL63458YptR1FXtXrMFMFwmBsjUdyrNawxTj0VRyYRHwP0HCTbDOho6pvZRAtOax2MnSde41sxoBMKt9E8rKnuUS01-FDYCQmVNsk7921Y1s6ixmTPInOmF7pRzGqOZQO9thAKOLqF34icqcUA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;" target="_blank"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">https://bit.ly/40zzyjJ</span></a><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JrrR1v-byUhTLyZmqZSGAYyPgm44BsazDTLKxuaUdp-1d4T7Onc4k6PwSLRqlBP9MpHSbz5VaX8B9nSQm7Osd1Wzn3dTXXr75TiZI0EawtxgGnIhGJ9Z-ZO6f6G99JhkZ1n28nFJ92YxIk6rV8aWk8tETMaO78w05le09az959nVdFcoDmo6z0Ng/s480/Hadiza%20Gabon%20and%20Rakiya%20Moussa.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JrrR1v-byUhTLyZmqZSGAYyPgm44BsazDTLKxuaUdp-1d4T7Onc4k6PwSLRqlBP9MpHSbz5VaX8B9nSQm7Osd1Wzn3dTXXr75TiZI0EawtxgGnIhGJ9Z-ZO6f6G99JhkZ1n28nFJ92YxIk6rV8aWk8tETMaO78w05le09az959nVdFcoDmo6z0Ng/s320/Hadiza%20Gabon%20and%20Rakiya%20Moussa.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rakiya Moussa (left) and Hadiza Gabon (right)</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I sympathise with Rakiya. Her love story is not
unique, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">however</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">. There are
way more weird stories out there. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I recommend
reading Stephen Grosz's <i>The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves</i>.
</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Still, I am glad she is – or seems to be – strong
not to contemplate taking her life as others in her condition do.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">Is Rakiya
blameworthy?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">You must not have a reason for loving someone. It's also very, very hard to stop loving someone. You can often only fight your
heart to stop longing for that person or give up on ever having that person as
your spouse </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 15.3333px;">–</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> or partner. In sum, love can be hurtful.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">You should not blame Rakiya for being in
unrequited love. As it's said, our heart is boneless; thus, we cannot bend it
the way we want.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">For some reason or out of the blue, we sometimes
wish someone were our spouse. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">But, as</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> humans, we can never have it all fixed. Or have all our wishes granted.
We are always hungry for more wealth, more knowledge, more or a better partner,
you name it. We are greedy creatures.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Rakiya deserves our sympathy and prayers. Likewise,
don't abuse the person – </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">whomever </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">he is – she</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">adores that much. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I am not sure if it's indeed her co-actor and
singer, Hamisu Breaker. </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">He, too, perhaps, wishes to love her back, but he
may never be able to do so. Thus, instead of faking it, he stays strong to his
heart. This is better for both. Being in a loveless partnership is
excruciating.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Well, I have said enough on the topic, haven't I? I
like it when Kannywood trends. People who pretend the film industry doesn't exist or doesn't deserve their attention soon become invested. Funny folks. :) </span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-38757041504919711022023-03-28T14:23:00.009+01:002023-03-28T14:23:52.705+01:00(153): Dear Arewa, let’s reform our marriage institution<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">By Muhsin Ibrahim</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">A few weeks ago, a lady I know told me she had
found a husband. As a divorcee, she needed only essential things to move in
with her man. I was very happy for her. But, two days ago, after reading her
Ramadan Mubarak message, I asked about her new home. She revealed that the
marriage had crumbled. Why, I wondered.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">She was sick, and the man refused to pay her
medical bills. Not only that, he repeatedly taunted her. Finally, she has had
enough and left him. She now uses traditional medication, which only worsens
her condition. I learned that the medicines cost less than 10K, which she
couldn't afford!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Th</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">ere is</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">a </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">viral <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3060577744243868&set=pcb.3060577884243854">story</a></span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">of that Kaduna </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">lady</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> whose husband left her with four young kids and
now makes blocks to build her house by herself, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">which </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">is, indeed, shocking. However, it's not an isolated
case. I have just told you about a similar case above. At the risk of sounding
pessimistic, more harrowing incidents will happen unless we work to solve the
problem: empower our women.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpiAOjZ7cT-4kyeNP6FzDZpSohxsJ712mXdXnl_eiqBSwCgCJ95Rv7-Q0a3_A9AQMmKKhy4dCgmkxQKGgwFslbKstVwi6gl59xphZIgBRam_OJOISSG0_29zOpPm15EsR0LLu3ybsFmlnwvCzurZLhiYA1sKOUg8hdFsyucNPZwOT-yPjSxkVwWc8/s1140/UNICEF%20Nigeria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1140" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpiAOjZ7cT-4kyeNP6FzDZpSohxsJ712mXdXnl_eiqBSwCgCJ95Rv7-Q0a3_A9AQMmKKhy4dCgmkxQKGgwFslbKstVwi6gl59xphZIgBRam_OJOISSG0_29zOpPm15EsR0LLu3ybsFmlnwvCzurZLhiYA1sKOUg8hdFsyucNPZwOT-yPjSxkVwWc8/s320/UNICEF%20Nigeria.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©<span style="color: #c1c1c1; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: start;">UNICEF Nigeria/2017/Abubakar</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We always run away from talking about this issue,
let alone solving it. Unfortunately, people often bring our ethnoreligious
cards into the debate. I am NOT against marriage. As I said before, I am a
proud product of marriage, and I, myself, got married a decade ago! But who do
we give our daughters to, and when do we marry them off? Will he support their
education or occupation?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Marriages fail. Husbands die. What happens to a
woman left with kids or even alone if she has always been entirely dependent?
The pillar is now gone. What will she hold onto? What is the fate of those
innocent children? Families struggle to make ends meet while still intact; what
about a disintegrated one?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We really need to </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">reform and </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">reorient our marriage institution. We should not
leave it unchecked. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I wrote about <a href="http://www.muhsin.in/2016/10/76-girl-children-as-endangered-humans.html">this
topic</a> several times before, and thus know some people make some effort. However,
we need to do much more. </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">People, especially men, abuse marriage. They enjoy
sex, divorce their women or disappear, leaving the public to cater for their
children. In other instances, the kids become a public nuisance or worse. This
needs to stop!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">PS: The former emir of
Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, tried to introduce some reforms in marriage in Kano.
However, as expected, many people, including some influential individuals, kicked
against the initiative. Years later, the emir was dethroned, and the reform has
not seen the light of day. In fact, no one talks about it anymore.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Let’s
wake up!</span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-36081228681046952802023-03-16T13:29:00.000+01:002023-03-16T13:29:10.686+01:00(152): Kwankwasiyya, a political movement in need of reorientation<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">By Muhsin Ibrahim<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">If Engr. Abba K. Yusuf wins this weekend's election, which I hope he
does, he gets </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">much</span><span style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;"> work to do in Kano</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;"> State</span><span style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">. However, that is not the focus of this brief article. Instead, I want
to write about the </span><b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">other</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">critical </span><span style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">work he needs to do: reorienting the Kwankwasiyya
stalwarts.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">As I said the other day, our politics is fraught
with immorality, thuggery, you name it. Believe it or not (and I know many
among my friend</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">s</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;"> will not), Kwankwasiyya followers are infamous for using rude language
against their opponents. I have been insulted for 'criticising' Dr Rabiu Musa
Kwankwaso</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">, the founder and grand leader of the movement</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: #0C00; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">. No one has ever insulted me more than some of these folks. They spare
no one!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5F2ZGzg98hal8rTTvEVVJe44wbJsvYM10h3ww25Hv4gwVgV3uorHxFmNamm7jBKxXMuxayYSS2dMBv_4aWd9BSKkpNxI3X-x1jnxBdfWkthdFJFpCUnXXdLba0k9jzhoaoo2agau4QXblHsW3_9pZJuFWHRDsE5NF1vS2ZU5pE22B0MSp_H-kdUz/s504/Abba-Gida-Gida-504x375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="504" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5F2ZGzg98hal8rTTvEVVJe44wbJsvYM10h3ww25Hv4gwVgV3uorHxFmNamm7jBKxXMuxayYSS2dMBv_4aWd9BSKkpNxI3X-x1jnxBdfWkthdFJFpCUnXXdLba0k9jzhoaoo2agau4QXblHsW3_9pZJuFWHRDsE5NF1vS2ZU5pE22B0MSp_H-kdUz/s320/Abba-Gida-Gida-504x375.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thus, Engr. Abba should initiate programs to
sanitise his followers. The work is enormous, and it will take </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">much</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> effort.
However, something needs to be done to reorient the promising followers of this
auspicious political movement. It worries me, in particular, because you can
see this unfortunate trait among almost any category of Kwankwasiyya followers.
It's pretty rattling.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I should have written this in Hausa, as the message
will reach more people. However, I avoid it to reduce the number of insults and
innuendoes the post may invite. FYI, I am not afraid of anyone here; been
there, done that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Finally, I am not absolving followers of any
particular politician. When I wrote about Malam Ibrahim Khalil the other day,
some of his supporters abused me! So, if fans of a cleric-cum-politician could
do that, who is saintly? No one. Yet, Kwankwasiyya's is on a different level. Thus,
they deserve special mention. I also hope this post reaches the incoming
governor (in sha Allah), </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Engr</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. Abba K. Yusuf.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">While I pray for the best candidates, regardless of
our choices and their political parties, I urge you to avoid violence before,
during and after elections. There is life after the election.</span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-26206892141624018382023-03-04T15:42:00.004+01:002023-03-07T14:19:26.841+01:00(151): Black people: No peace at home, no peace abroad?<p> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">By
Muhsin Ibrahim</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
Tunisia has been in a socio-political crisis for the past few years. The North
African country was earlier praised as the success story of the famous Arab
Spring, while the same failed in Syria, Libya, Yemen, etc. But, the recent
development has dented the relative success recorded in the aftermath of the
uprising.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed, a controversial figure, looked for who to blame
for his country's troubles. Shockingly, he blames West African migrants. In
other words, black people living, legally or otherwise, in his country. It sounds
farfetched, but that is what happens. He accuses them of crimes and changing
the (racial) demography of the country!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
Due to racism, many black Africans don't prefer to live in North Africa. A few
thousand in that region are mostly descendants of slaves or come from the
so-called Francophone West African countries. That "I speak your
language" idea drives them there. Others pass through the area on their
way to Europe.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55EV_F3hjVz86hxAmuZRCnV2wgjbjAPmOnwF-KqbdKxUxq6z1Lp_0WOZSK2p-rN_Q7L7p-BkAj9iUOez5aJU1SRQyVdk-GXvC6Gotk861n4pzhMTozg2eNnVW6Za-8kG37tZDSbgL7pUW0-v86c6K9CSRR0gWVyqZltmQrnD9sPBe5Qp_LhlyQouM/s4000/BLM_Muhsin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55EV_F3hjVz86hxAmuZRCnV2wgjbjAPmOnwF-KqbdKxUxq6z1Lp_0WOZSK2p-rN_Q7L7p-BkAj9iUOez5aJU1SRQyVdk-GXvC6Gotk861n4pzhMTozg2eNnVW6Za-8kG37tZDSbgL7pUW0-v86c6K9CSRR0gWVyqZltmQrnD9sPBe5Qp_LhlyQouM/s320/BLM_Muhsin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Before the current Tunisian imbroglio, Moroccan police massacred African
immigrants wanting to cross over to Spain. The BBC Africa Eye did a harrowing
documentary about the incident and released it before the 2022 World Cup. I
wanted to write about it but changed my mind for some reason. You may watch it here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJoL7E4uvuU" target="_blank">Death on the Border.</a><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
The fact of the matter is, black people suffer racism globally. That comes in
many ways, covertly or overtly. While some of us living in the Diaspora are
lucky to find ourselves in cosmopolitan cities and towns, many others are not
so lucky. Thus, they live in constant fear and daily discrimination and abuse.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
We like it or not, so-called sub-Saharan Africa is the best place for black
people. But, unfortunately, we fail to unite, tolerate our ethno-religious and
regional differences and live peacefully. For instance, since the last
weekend's presidential election in Nigeria, the same Nigerians have been
insulting one another over who won and lost the elections.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
We should not remain a pariah of a sort worldwide. No peace at home, no peace
abroad. We need to grow up. If, for instance, black
Muslims are not safe in the hands of Arab Muslims, and black Christians are not safe with White Christians overseas, where else
should we go? Please, let's put our home in order.<br />
<br />
Just so you know, this is my eighth year abroad. I have lived in India and now
Germany. I have visited several countries, particularly in Europe. I have a
white-collar job - <i>Alhamdulillah</i>. Yet, the above is true for most migrants,
especially those doing blue-collar jobs. I wish to someday return to a
prosperous and peaceful Nigeria.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Black lives matter!</i></span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-27733500356299596202023-03-02T14:25:00.002+01:002023-03-02T14:25:34.693+01:00(150): Social media addiction: A quick take<p> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">By
Muhsin Ibrahim</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I
am in my late 30s. However, I sometimes struggle to minimise my presence
online. That is even though being online is part of my main job (thanks to
digital ethnography) and my ‘side hustle’. Often, one or another thing on the
internet will take your focus away, and before you know it, you waste quality
time doing nothing important.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">According to reports, TikTok rolled out new screen-time limits for teens
yesterday to help them reduce their addiction to the video-sharing platform.
Under-18 users will get an alert when “they hit an hour of daily scrolling. To
dismiss it, they’ll have to enter a passcode.” Unfortunately, this may not help
much because kids know how to navigate these restrictions. For instance, they
can fake their ages.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsF-qJX1SoNBtZXu91vS6oHpFzgOqr2kyvb7s0nmUK-Cp5jpkBVl01wS2skXPjafVO-ImujL0xEIr8_02wzBilt4dfv5NLDjlFIXV3feN7iVzw0hnzgn__oA0paf-IsK1c0SzmOsh-N-NFHmhp00j8ZmW-ZxVhLLbCzVJbkVgVNGg7piguXHCOb01/s2048/skynews-mobile-phone-smartphone_4378044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsF-qJX1SoNBtZXu91vS6oHpFzgOqr2kyvb7s0nmUK-Cp5jpkBVl01wS2skXPjafVO-ImujL0xEIr8_02wzBilt4dfv5NLDjlFIXV3feN7iVzw0hnzgn__oA0paf-IsK1c0SzmOsh-N-NFHmhp00j8ZmW-ZxVhLLbCzVJbkVgVNGg7piguXHCOb01/s320/skynews-mobile-phone-smartphone_4378044.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">TikTok is the new ‘evil’ in town, but social
networking sites like Snapchat and Instagram have been doing no less damage
over the years. Thus, rehabilitation centres in the US, Japan and other
developed countries exist for addict gamers and social media users. They
sometimes call them "troubled kids".<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Folks,
select whom you interact with on and off social media carefully. Avoid toxic
people even if they are 'influencers'. If their content continually disturbs
you, unfollow, unfriend, or even block them. Don't seek people's validation;
learn to ignore and tolerate trolling.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Perhaps more importantly, remember that there is a life beyond social media and
outside the internet in its entirety. Live it very well. It's, in fact, the
real <i>deal</i>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Muhsin
Ibrahim lives and works in Cologne, Germany. You can contact him via <a href="mailto:muhsin2008@gmail.com">muhsin2008@gmail.com</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-39107641316904892512023-02-22T13:42:00.005+01:002023-02-22T13:56:17.102+01:00(149): Religion and the 2023 presidential election: A quick take<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">By Muhsin Ibrahim</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">Religion was central to Bola Tinubu's emergence as
the APC's candidate for the 2023 presidential election. We discussed the issue
as if it would not end. Since the 1993 annulled election of Abiola/Kingibe
(both Muslims), no major candidate and his running mate have ever come from the same
religion until now: Tinubu/Shettima (both Muslims). But, as the election
approaches (we are, in fact, counting hours), only a few people talk about
that. However, religion will play a significant role in the voting pattern.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">The wild popularity of Labour Party’s Peter Obi on
social media and his appeal to foreign media has something to do with his
religion. I know this may sound controversial, but it is so. The three other
front candidates are Muslims, while Obi is Christian. Besides this, I can't see
a glaring difference between him and NNPP’s Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso per se.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">Tinubu and PDP’s Atiku Abubakar are in their 70s,
while Kwankwaso and Obi are in their 60s. The four leading candidates are
stinking rich and belong to 1% of the Nigerian elite. Interestingly, the
candidates represent Nigeria’s so-called major ethnolinguistic groups of Yoruba,
Hausa and Igbo, alias WAZOBIA.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVgdYVwwg2qTkvhfxRgArBihL-xCU9YYlf743YLB2C4iJaQ0IqLbRKKko8onIWh4rAX7OB7zhVyfRPj955i9Vg3HY_OPH6tx00RrHNxRi-EaABZxBtzPZh4ahXWeLTmZVgYBj_h0M1l5lSD3TU_2SHgtQfC_EC8G_k-NEiRuS1XNeLU-J9b2HHE8u/s700/2023-presidential-election-candidate.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="700" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVgdYVwwg2qTkvhfxRgArBihL-xCU9YYlf743YLB2C4iJaQ0IqLbRKKko8onIWh4rAX7OB7zhVyfRPj955i9Vg3HY_OPH6tx00RrHNxRi-EaABZxBtzPZh4ahXWeLTmZVgYBj_h0M1l5lSD3TU_2SHgtQfC_EC8G_k-NEiRuS1XNeLU-J9b2HHE8u/s320/2023-presidential-election-candidate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">Though, there is a parallel between Obi and Tinubu.
Many people will vote for them because of their religious identities. I learned
that many churches</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">, especially in the North,</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">had</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;"> ordered their members to vote for Obi. Likewise, </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">the
faith-based civil liberties organisation Muslim Rights Concern (</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">MURIC</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">)</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;"> recently "reminded Northern Muslims of their
promise to support a Southern Muslim [i.e. Tinubu] in the 2023 presidential
election".</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;">Given the above, I agree with some observers and
analysts that Obi may surprise his critics, such as myself, in the upcoming
election. The votes from his Christian brethren and others supporting him for
other reasons will make a difference. However, Tinubu has many more advantages –
being APC the ruling party and his decades-old political footprints, among
others.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Anyway, we hope for the best and pray for peaceful
elections. But, please, stay away from violence. Your safety should be your
most treasured possession. No politician or political party is worth dying for.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">With love from a disenfranchised Nigerian citizen.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0C00;"><i>Muhsin works and lives in Cologne, Germany and can be reached via muhsin2008@gmail.com.</i></span></p>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933163847284212124.post-71433622171242457742023-02-20T14:47:00.003+01:002023-02-22T00:55:33.928+01:00(148) The cost of democracy in Nigeria: A brief take<p>By Muhsin Ibrahim</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives of Nigeria, recently claimed he needed ₦70m for his re-election expenses, perhaps on the election day alone, citing a law that grants him this. One wonders how much gubernatorial and presidential candidates need to cover their own re/election expenses.</p><div style="text-align: justify;">Do you also remember or, better, imagine how much they must have spent purchasing their nomination forms, paying delegates during primary elections and running campaigns in their constituencies before the election day?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I remember what <span class="xv78j7m" spellcheck="false">Amina J Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN,</span> once said during a virtual lecture on democracy. She lamented that we all believe in democracy. However, the model for democracy challenges us. It's short-termed, it's costly, and it's very corrupt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrZViA0D3fJbNskMWnWfh_B-Lw03VhkX4OP-T0erul9PW0mXoWNbpKx8WjRF3563TnP37H10aofujJjMHycXhuehcUublTJsEkCpIQj5SD8dH_JTBJzzWhN8b-167Ba7_bdxHchZQqexMetZzeHU82F4fPg2vAhkZViM3h7rjVL0YvsiOEoCRiasO/s700/2023%20elections.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="700" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrZViA0D3fJbNskMWnWfh_B-Lw03VhkX4OP-T0erul9PW0mXoWNbpKx8WjRF3563TnP37H10aofujJjMHycXhuehcUublTJsEkCpIQj5SD8dH_JTBJzzWhN8b-167Ba7_bdxHchZQqexMetZzeHU82F4fPg2vAhkZViM3h7rjVL0YvsiOEoCRiasO/s320/2023%20elections.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Moreover, INEC plans to spend ₦305 billion for the 2023 elections. I am sure INEC will ask for more money because of IPOB's attacks on its offices in the South-East and other accidents nationwide.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Add the above costs and imagine how much money Nigeria spends, or wastes, on an exercise that will likely produce the same class of leaders we have had since 1999!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I agree with Dambisa Moyo, the author of <i>Dead Aid</i>, that we don't need a multi-party democracy. Instead, Africa, or Nigeria alone in this context, needs a decisive benevolent dictator to push through reforms for socioeconomic growth and human development.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We are taken for a ride. This is because politicians will continuously pursue profit from their multi-million or multi-billion investments. They accumulate wealth with 24/7 security around them, fly jets, etc. They build boreholes, mosques and churches, 'empower' women and youth with peanuts, etc., while their cronies extol them to the skies. Business as usual!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">May Nigeria prosper in our lifetime, amin.</div></div>Muhsin Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10002898156769772325noreply@blogger.com1