Archive for November 2008
Where Are These Polygamy Promoters When Polygamists Are Being Harassed?
Posted on: November 18, 2008
Muli wa Kyendo
It’s a pity that no one said a thing—unless they whispered—against the illegal harassment of Nigerian Mohammed Bello Abubakar, the best known polygamist in the world. Abubakar, 84 years old, has 86 wives. According to interviews we have read, the women have voluntarily married him and are happy. Even the youngest in her 30s is satisfied with her life, as we have read.
Essential Criterion of Marriage
This fulfils the essential criterion of a marriage. A marriage is a union of two adults—a male and female—who choose to live together as man and wife. There is in this definition the inviolable element of individual human rights. The edict is: No one shall be interfered with when he or she pursues what they consider essential for their happiness, unless in they pursuit their interview with the rights of others to pursue theirs. A marriage can only interfere with the happiness of those involved—a man and his wife or wives.
But Mr. Abubakar, while in pursuit of happiness was arrested by order of an Islamic Court. According to the Court, he should divorce all his wives but two. I don’t need to belabor the stupidity and inhumanity of an order like this. If I go against cultural or religious norms, the normal thing is for the religious or cultural group to excommunicate me. Eurocentric Christian religion came to Africa with the same bigoted attitudes—forgetting that the Bible itself was more supportive of African culture of polygamy. But before people could breathe and see that they had been swindled of their heritage, many wives were without husbands and many children had already been rendered technically “bastards.” Who knows whether the psychological damage done to the children isn’t the cause for myriads of problems that Africa is now experiencing? It is a pity that the Muslim, whom African has supported since time immemorial, regardless of whether Mr. Abubakar is a heretic or not, wants to go the same stupid route.
African Culture is Superior to All This
It’s time for us as African to tell the world that being an African is superior to being a Muslim or Christian. I can change my religion tomorrow. I cannot change my community or my race.
Polygamists of the world, come out to condemn harassment of polygamists wherever they are. Don’t be afraid of Muslims and their fatwa’s. Our religions also have fatwa’s!
Saluting Nigerian High Court and Abubakar’s Lawyer
Start by writing to express support for the sentiments of this post. Let us express our protest to Nigerian Muslims and in deed to the rest of people who think or may think African culture is inferior to theirs.
Let me end by saluting the High Court of Nigeria for releasing Mr. Abubakar and giving an order against his being rearrested. I salute also his lawyer for putting up good fight. But shame is to those of us waging spineless campaigns for polygamy on internet.
Muli wa Kyendo
When someone like Miriam Makeba passes away, you are left with the feeling that God should have let her do something more. But then what is the something more? Mrs Makeba made great contribution to African and international music and to African fight for freedom. Maybe she wasn’t a complex mind – like Bob Marley – to come out with strong statements about human rights as people expected her to do coming from the hotbed of racism and discrimination. And in deed there are many who think that she actually gave support to Africa’s dictators.
But what could a simple village girl, caught in the whirl wind of international politics do? Just what she did. She had known the role of women in encouraging their men folk when they went or returned from war or cattle raids. The women sang urgent praise songs that urged set men stamping and tearing their hair with desire to success. And that’s what she did. Few countries in Africa weren’t the subject of her songs. Few leaders n Africa weren’t the subject of her songs. And in all of them she told them. “You have done very well but until all Africa and the black race is freed, Aluta Continua!” In this case, to criticize the African leader would have gone contrary to her mission. Hers was to help bring freedom – to help kill the animal as it were. How the meat was shared among the villagers wasn’t her duty.
So what else could she have done? I don’t know what else an artist can do that’s greater than that. Writers can only write and hope that they will create change. Musicians can only sing and hope that we will create change. That’s all. Artists should never – like Christopher Okigbo of Nigeria – take a gun and go to the battle field even when their achievements may look small to the ordinary man and woman.
Afrowrite's Weblog 