Israel and Palestinian Endless War and the Nigerian Demonstrators George Onmonya Daniel _________________________ I first came in contact with demonstrators demonstrating over Israel and Palestinian war sometimes in the mid to late 90s in the ancient city of Kano, during my years in Bayero University, Kano. It was some Islamic group comprising of both men and women, carring this black flag with an Arabic Inscription, walking down the street around the popuar Bata, just opposite Sabon Gari Market. It was a peaceful demonstration. I grew up in Maiduguri and despite being a very religious people, Kanuris were not aware and interested in happenings in the Middle East or around the globe. Hausa/Fulanis were aware due to BBC Hausa, VOA Hausa, and all the Hausa radio stations around the globe. Before the advent of cable television and later the intenet I would say they are the most informed people in Nigeria. Most Kanuris dont even understand Hausa when I was growing up in Borno State. Most people may not know that Kanuris and Shuwa Arabs are completely different from Hausas and Fulanis as Igbos are different from Yorubas. Because most Kanuris dont understand Hausa, that culture of lietening to Radio had never been their culture. I am taking about the late eighties and early ninties to mid-ninties before I left Maiduguri finally to Kano. Kanawa were aware and so all the Hausa speaking Northerners. Even when studying Mass Communication in Bayero University, Kano, I noticed how aware the mai shayi or mai suya or common people were. Most people had radio and listen to news religiously. The problem is the education to analyze and decipher some news indepthly becomes a problem. Palestinian and Israel imbroglio has always been an issue here. When I went to Lagos in 2000 and beyond, I noticed people were more interested in local politics down south. 9/11, cable television and the internet changed everything and addictive Facebook and Twitter changed the change and brought the whole world to us. Today Israel and Palestine are at war again. Some Nigerians have tried to make an issue out of it but nowadays Nigeria has bigger problems. The Boko Haram crisis has claimed the lives of many people, probably more than the whole Palestinian and Israeli crisis since it inception in 1947 after Israel got Independence. It would be hypocritical to start demonstrating over Palestine when we have #BringBackOurGirls campaign demonstrating over Chibok. The question would be, how many Palestinians are demonstrating with us? We have failed to understand that the Israeli and Palestinian civil war is beyond religion. In Nigeria some people interpret it as some sort of Christian versus Muslim war. Most Nigerians dont even know that majority of Jews in Israel are not Christians. Few people on Facebook try to bring up this whole Palestinian versus Israel issues up, but Nigeria has bigger problems nowadays and Palestinian versus Israeli endless war is the least of Nigerias problem. Yeah, we may discuss it once in a while, even choose either Israel or Palestine, mostly due to our religion, Christians for Israel, Muslims for Palestine, but thats about that. Nigerians will not make it an issue because we have our issues.
Posted on: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 04:46:39 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015