The Learner

The Dilemma of a Plucky Philosopher-Wannabe Muhsin Ibrahim muhsin2008@gmail.com The world has never been short of the irresolvable arguments of and on philosophy as a field of study. While many people cherish the beast, many more others hate it like they abhor their death. The social media, especially Facebook, has become a platform where raging rows often break out on the relevance or otherwise of studying Philosophy. This argument is nothing that new, unexpected or shocking, at least to me, in this 21 st century. What is astonishing is the way some Muslim brothers and sisters perceive the whole drama, treated by others, while many are left baffled and muted. However, scholars should speak out because not doing so leads many ignorant Muslim youths to reject the religion. This postmodern world is full of challenges posed by the (Western) media peddling post-truths, depicting Muslims as the embodiment of everything evil, Islam in acrimonious light and so on and so forth. ...

Production :    Jammaje Productions Producer:        Abba El-Mustapha Director :         Falalu A. Dorayi Year:              2016 Cast :              Nuhu  Abdullahi, Hajara Jalingo, Abba El-Mustapha, Zainab Booth,   Sani Mu’azu, Umar Malumfashi and others God bless the dichotomy between the rich and the poor, or as the socialists call it: the gap between the lower, the bourgeoisie and the upper classes. If it did not exist, the arts would, perhaps, have to invent one for stories to have conflict, upon which many films, novels, dramas, etc. rely on to intrigue us. This has been the trend since the Victorian Age, or before, with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist down to Femi Osofisan’s Marxist-influenced plays, and so on and so forth. Class consciousnes...

Director :         Iliyasu Abdulmumini Tantiri Producer :       Naziru Dan Hajiya Story:               Iliyasu Abdulmumini Tantiri Language :      Hausa Year :               2016 Company :      Kumo Production Introduction The Hijra (migration/exodus) of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his companions from Makkah to Madinah is an epoch in the history of Islam. It is featured notably in the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet. Although the Prophet was born and raised in Makkah and had preached there for many years, persecution forced him and the few who believed him to migrate. The Islamic Hijri calendar began at that time. The choice of the title for the film cannot be unconnected to the Prophet’s Hijra. The bond between c...

Muhsin Ibrahim @muhsin234 This is a compilation of the 2 posts I made on Facebook on December 3 rd , 2016 on two related and burning national issues. Enjoy: On the Deaths of Corps Members There was a furore in the news Friday (02/12/2016) that a female corps member, Ifedolapo Oladepo, died in the Kano orientation camp. No doubt, her death is unfortunate and very heartbreaking especially for her loved ones, but how the story was/is told left me dumbfounded and shocked. The whole saga was territorialised, regionalised, and localized as if the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme was a state business. Thus, Kano is blamed. It’s, after all, Nigeria, and the North is almost always portrayed in bad light. To some southerners, nothing comes out of this ‘Almajiri-populated’ enclave. My suspicion was corroborated by the reaction ‘generated’ by yet another death of another female corps member identified as Miss Elechi Chiyerum.  This occurred not in the North but...

Muhsin Ibrahim @muhsin234 This is a Herculean job. I have read and listened to several political commentators saying that Donald Trump’s triumph is a logic-defying, demystifying puzzle and a record breaking event in the political history of not only the US but the world in general. For those not very familiar with this character, Trump is a bigot, racist, protectionist, misogynist, an Islamaphobic, and, above all, a very ignorant billionaire businessman. That is why, perhaps, almost all pre-election opinion polls indicated that his opponent, Hillary Clinton would win the election, but he did. A particular disgruntled analyst, Tom Freeman, has gone to the extreme in his quest for meaning of Trump’s victory. He wrote an article that contains only a word all through: F**k . The writer couldn’t be more descriptive and rational, for this is just it. Yet, curses, yells, despair, etc. cannot change the reality that Trump is the president-elect of the world’s super power, the might...

Muhsin Ibrahim @muhsin234 I was at the prominent Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, for a 7-day internship on the Radio and TV Production Process from 25th September to 1st October 2016. As a budding writer, critic, and public commentator, I have seen and observed many things sufficient to write a book on. I have already chronicled some of these on my Facebook page. This article consists of at least two such status updates. Here you go. On Self-Reliance There is a centre under the Department of Theatre and Performing Arts of the University called the Centre of Excellence. A lady sells snacks, soda and other fast foodstuffs at its entrance. She dresses well, smiles at her customers and other passers-by who care to say hi. I often did that, and she friendlily responded. However, I doubt if anyone among us, both the staff and the students, had ever bought anything from her, and that was where most of the internship lectures were conducted as it houses the non-broadcast...

Muhsin Ibrahim muhsin2008@gmail.com “Muhsin”, Shamsiyya (not a real name), called my attention. I answered and listened. “Come and marry me”, she finished, retorting my allegation that she was still unmarried not because she lacked suitors but for her being too picky. Later, I pondered on our lengthy conversation and realised I was wrong. Many men are afraid of successful women like her. She is from a wealthy family, has two degrees and works with an international organisation. She also confided that she could not stretch the cultural perception and norms to seriously ask anyone to marry her. She would instead continue to wait for Allah’s choice. I was left in a daze. I came back home, sat down and ruminated over our chit-chat. I then recalled Dr Muhammad Tahar Adamu, aka Baba Impossible’s lecture back in our freshman year in the university. One day, he spent many minutes of his period admonishing the ladies in the class on relationship and marriage issues. As usual, he wa...