Setting the Facts on Gays Straight- DR PERRY BRIMAH

As Africans, we need to know that not only must we set our political and economic compass, but also standardize our moral compass. The ‘Gay’ issue is a very important one, and thus, I contribute some input as Nigerians wait for our president to sign the same-sex bill into law.

Firstly, there are important items to note on regulations and legislature. It is pertinent we recognize that there is no global union or governing body of thought that has the authority to determine (including via intimidation) what individual states decide on this sensitive religious and cultural issue.

On marriage issues, some nations decide for or against (the right of choice for) polygamy for instance, as others decide for or against same-sex marriage. These are territorial choices and not subject to regulation under any global authority.

The existence of an international regulative system on issues of marriage and moral social behavior only obtains under cultures and the religions, Christianity, Islam and the like.

Very importantly, under no situation should there be public violence against the Effeminate and same-sex attracted.

Now with respect to the conversation on Gay rights, here is a compilation of some very important facts and features:

1.       The common header, ‘Gay rights’ presents a false premise. Most of the conversation is actually about ‘privileges,’ and not ‘rights.’ A right is a thing inherent and ‘inalienable,’ whereas a privilege is an additional ability granted by authority.

2.       Another popular misconception is of being ‘born gay.’ Medically you cannot be born gay. Sexuality is ONLY determined at puberty. Suggesting homosexuality at birth is erroneous and misleading. Puberty is associated with the release of the sex hormones on which we depend for our sexuality determination.

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3.       Biologically there are only two sexes. Male and Female. In Biology today, the presence of a ‘Y’ chromosome automatically confers the ‘Male’ status. The lack of the ‘Y,’ makes you female. Having extra ‘X’ chromosomes, but possessing a ‘Y’ predicts effeminate behavior in a Biological Male. Sex at birth can only be qualified biologically as based on a determined—or effects or absence of effects of a ‘Y’ chromosome.

4.       Genetic determination of Homosexuality, though often sought and referenced, is not particularly relevant to the conversation. This is simply because, even if/as genes are found that link Homosexual behavior; this isolation of related genes does not demonstrate/translate to normalcy. Genetic linkage has been discovered in disorders like Diabetes, Hypertension, even in Obesity, Smoking and Cancer. These genetically linked conditions are still public health concerns.

5.       Regardless of what we want to think, the anus is not a sex organ; as also the mouth isn’t. This is important as regards discussions of sex within and across sexes. Sex organs are equipped with cellular barriers, lubricants, natural immunity defense systems and other safety tools that preserve health of individual and society with prolonged sexual use. As regards anal sex, Coprophilia is also to be considered.

6.       Effeminacy happens. Under no circumstance should effeminate men be beaten up. Same sex attraction (SSA) is also a normal occurrence. These things happen and are related to deficiencies in hormonal level, along with other complex social-cultural and nutritional prevailing conditions. SSA must always be distinguished from male-sex-male (MSM), Lesbianism, etc.

7.       Lewdness, promiscuity, randiness, fornication, sodomy; all sexual tendencies are strictly the citizen’s private business and MUST always remain so. ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell.” Under no circumstance should any one, Gay or Straight wear T-shirts that say- ‘I like to have sex with such and such.’ This is your private business. As far as the state is concerned—being a public health matter—sex  is only encouraged under marriage unions. 

8.       Sad facts prove that male-to-male sex is the most risky sex; currently in the United States, men engaged in male-sex-male (MSM) are consistently responsible over the years for up to 70% of new HIV infections; are likely to die young; have high levels of other sex related diseases and even psycho-social problems. Whoever (in his private life) decides to engage in this risky sex should take extreme precaution for self and society. Promiscuous heterosexuals also at high risk, must also take precaution serious and the advertisement of such behavior—in music videos for instance—should be strongly discouraged. 

9.       The Bible condemns homosexuality (as deserving death) rather unambiguously (Romans 1:26-27). It even goes as far as condemning those who support it (Romans 1: 32).

10.   Islam likewise strongly condemns homosexual acts. But Islam as related in a Hadith does not direct the effeminate to be beaten or killed; however it regards them as ‘cursed,’ and directs them to be ‘turned out of Muslim houses.’

11.   Economics of state plurisexuality: Moral and cultural obligations aside, developing nations, already financially decrepit, cannot bear the economic implications of an official plural sexual society. Disease and other health stresses are well documented as referenced above and will further stretch thin an over stretched health care system. The additional costs—usually not considered—include educational costs and even public and private facility costs. Plurisexuality has its burdens; in Ireland, 234 million Euro’s was sought for ‘loo's for us too,’ separate toilets for the different sexes. The same is being tabled in many U.S. states. And these societal burdens promise to continue to unfold with increasing privileges and comfort.

12.   Some prominent Medical specialists and groups maintain an alternate explanation and believe in therapy for homosexuality. Controversial NARTH, (National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality) is one of the largest, consisting of over 3000 scientific and religious experts in North America, including the guy who sequenced the human genome and former presidents of the American Psychiatric Association.  NARTH presents alternative information and research than what is popularly in the media. 

13.   How it may or may not affect you: The long-term herd-psychological ramifications of MSM, Lesbian, Transsexual, and the like societies (long-term psychological impacts of straight men for instance, being savored and stalked by men) is something that has not yet been studied in detail, as official recognition of homosexual relationships is new even in western societies. There are prospective studies and retrospective (historic) cohort studies; understanding how it affects us, falls in the latter category and can only be determined after years of prevalence. Until results come out, it is not advisable, for instance that children are taught that ‘a marriage (or family) is a union between a man and a woman, man and man or woman and woman,’ or taught, as obtains now in many western societies, not to use the words, ‘dad,’ and ‘mom,’ any longer.

This discussion is obviously condensed for article palatability. For an expansive discussion on any of these points, or for additional references, you may email drbrimah@ends.ng. To read more on these points, you may email me for a copy of a book I wrote on the far from simple subject, ‘Homosexuality Why Not.’ Book can be seen here: http://homosexualitywhynot.org/.

Dr. Peregrino Brimah
http://ENDS.ng [Every Nigerian Do Something]
Email: drbrimah@ends.ng Twitter: @EveryNigerian

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When Democracy Fails...BY DR PEREGRINO BRIMAH

Genesis (NIV Bible) 19: 4 Before they had gone to bed, ALL THE MEN FROM EVERY PART OF THE CITY of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”

The Cattle (Quran) 6: 116 Wert thou to follow THE COMMON RUN OF THOSE ON EARTH, they will lead thee away from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjecture: they do nothing but lie.

In the Palestinian legislative elections of 2006, Hamas won 74 seats to the ruling-Fatah's 45, becoming able to establish a Hamas majority government. The British Conservative head of the European Parliament's monitoring team, Edward McMillan-Scott described the polls as "extremely professional, in line with international standards, free, transparent and without violence." Immediately after the election victory, the Quartet (United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and Russia) and Israel imposed crushing sanctions on the Palestinian authority and this ended in a violent breakup and a divided Palestine. 

In approval of the split, in 2007 sanctions were eased on the Fatah led West Bank, while more severe sanctions placed on the political victors, Hamas and the Gaza strip. The then U.S. secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice immediately added the following statement to the definition of democracy: “Democracy brings not just rights, but it brings obligations and responsibilities too.” Defining democracy as some sort of culture, she went on to say, "And one of those responsibilities is to care for and to be a fighter for peace, and not for war and not for violence."

In Nigeria, during the 5th republic, following the successful introduction of Sharia law in Zamfara state by the then governor, Sani Yarima, there were gigantic protests in the northern states, likewise demanding for Sharia law. Surveys conducted across northern states delivered a response rate solidly in favor of the introduction of Sharia law, in the 73-97% range. See 'Margit Cleveland, “Acceptance of Sharia Law in Nigeria,” in Paul Marshall (ed), The Talibanization of Nigeria: Sharia Law and Religious Freedom.' Credited as 'dividends of democracy,' by 2000, 12 democratically governed northern states in total officially re-adopted Sharia law a century after it had been laid down. The masses supported the adoption of Sharia seeing it as the only solution against the triad of corruption, inequality and poor governance. While many northerners believe the law is not adopted honestly and is used to witch-hunt the poor, while securing impunity for the rich and elite leadership, other Nigerians believe it should never have been adopted. Like it or not, and safe or unsafe within the context of Nigeria as is, the law came into being compliments of democracy. While still discussing Nigeria, the crises of governance in the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th republics delineate democratic realities.


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As poverty ravaged Egypt, popular protests succeeded in sacking the several decade dictatorial regime of Hosni Mubarak. In June, 2012, Mohamed Morsi was elected in a free and fair election as the first democratic leader of Egypt. With 13.2 million of 26 million votes cast, he won nearly 52% of the vote, giving his closest rival a 900,000 vote lead. Exactly one year after he assumed office, an auspicious organization, 'Rebel,' with links abroad, claimed it had gathered over 15 million signatures (this was never independently verified); and this claim assisted by increasing artificial poverty in an already hardship engulfed nation now being crippled further by lack of economic support from anti-Islamist Arab nations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar in a grand conspiracy, paved the way for a military coup. Lack of western and Arab royal's love for an Islamist government, albeit, democratically elected sponsored the overthrow of the popular people's choice by gathering together another 'popular' people's choice.

The three cases highlighted point to a peremptory problem with democracy to the attentive observer. Democracy is far from perfect. And the question to be asked is, when democracy fails--to give us what we want--then what should we do? If we rely on a system that at its best can present us with our worst nightmare, how intelligent are we as a thinking race? 

Between 1000 and 3000 lives have been lost in Egypt in its post third government changing revolution since the first that gained its freedom from the dictator, Hosni Mubarak; and years, if not decades of anger, hate, distrust and terror threaten to define its future. It will hardly be surprising if Mubarak is laughing in his 'prison room.' Nigeria's democratically elected president concedes to be the second most hated leader in the world, yet he was elected by a democratic process, and like him or not, Nigerians have to wait till his term is over, and possibly till his next term is over to then again try to choose someone they can better rely on. Yet, with the peculiar efficiency of democracy, which thrives on financial muscle, media support and the hopelessness of the gullible masses, the election and re-election of candidates that are guaranteed not to fulfill the needs of the populace at that point in time is almost always ensured.

Of a system that has been in place in its present form for over 2000 years in Europe, a former presidential candidate and wife of a U.S. president, Hillary Clinton while on visit to Nigeria said "now our democracy is still evolving…" A. Akbar Muhammad in 2008 in his article, ‘Democracy’ fails Africa,' said: "Africa needs a form of government that speaks to its culture and traditions. In many areas of Africa, the influence and importance of tribal leadership cannot be dismissed. Any system of democracy that is developed must take into consideration the reality of tribalism." Research, led by David Dunning, a psychologist at Cornell University in 2012 found that people were simply not "smart enough" for democracy to work. Now some people quickly and almost reflexively with spinal thinking, sort of under a spell, splurt, “well nothing is better than democracy...do you want authoritarian rule?” I am not sure that that is the opposite of democracy. 

Do we know what democracy even is, as we have seen its redefinition and condemnation based on results? Have we ever sincerely considered the known flaws of democracy, which include ‘tyranny of the majority’ the 'voting paradox,' 'deadly divisionism,' among other serious shortcomings? Famous African prophetic singer, Fela Anikulapo Ransome-Kuti in his 'Teacher don't teach me nonsense,' democracy song, proposed that if you are taught by a good teacher and you make mistakes, he should correct you, but if the teacher doesn't, it means their teaching has different meanings from what you might imagine. Contrary to the popular misconception, democracy did not build Europe, colonial conquest--of African, Arab and Asian resource, technology, knowledge and manpower--did.

As we evaluate the poverty, underdevelopment and frequent bloody sectarian crises in Africa; as we notice the increasing 'tribal' splitting of the continent's people, the hopelessness, mal-governance, the expanding terrorism. As we witness the protracted crises in Egypt, in Nigeria, in Ivory Coast, in Zimbabwe, in Kenya, perhaps it is time we begin to think of and discuss revolutionizing our leader selection system in consideration of the peculiarities of our highly ethnicized clime. Before the social media era, recalcitrant dissent was easily contained so flaws in leadership systems were suppressed without everyone realizing. 

But now, times have changed. Technology to coordinate dissent and objection is readily available and so also is technology for terror. In consideration of these 'dangerous' advances, leadership and social organization must be carefully reevaluated and if need be, overhauled. The Greek elite promoted the democracy we have today, however it is pertinent to realize and appreciate the fact that the Greek philosophers never favored public participatory democracy. 

Plato, Thucydides and Aristotle described democracy as a system that was by default, vulnerable to ignorant demagogues and built to expropriate the propertied. It still is. They favored systems like 'Philosopher kings' rule and 'Benevolent dictatorship.' Democracy is not our magic bullet. If it's broke, perhaps we should leave it, or at least, give it a thought.

Dr. Peregrino Brimah
http://ENDS.ng [Every Nigerian Do Something]
Email: drbrimah@ends.ng Twitter: @EveryNigerian

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Boys to Men: The Invention of Adolescence

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up my childish ways.  -- Corinthians 13:11 (ISV)

A life stage is obviously amiss in the Biblical verse above: - Adolescence.

The conversation on early marriage as relates to Africa cannot be gainfully completed without taking an educative look at the psychological - cultural - historical features of the appearance of this social quandary. There was a stage where Africans in trust, accepted dictated policies from the United Nations, World Health Organization and other colonial constructs, without serious review and tailoring to fit with the African and national cultural situation. I believe such times have passed. 

In Africa as with the entire world, adolescence never existed till the beginning of the twentieth century. Really and truly, adolescence was invented recently in the western world as families became smaller and as the government became more interested in the utilization of and fostering of the young adult as well as controlling commercial enterprises targeted at this age group. Adolescence is closely knit with industrialization and urbanization, and its invention and predominance in society was precipitated right after the European industrial revolution. Adolescence brought on the movement of young adults from the work place to the school as big industry in addition to supporting life, became the reason for life.

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Child, then adult. This was the format before psychologists decided to carve out a stage between puberty and adulthood when the child was not yet defined as a social adult, though biologically one. Prior to this and what obtains still in rural areas all over the world, the minute the boy or girl hits biological puberty, his or her skills and social development is tested with ‘rite-of-passage,’ or ‘coming-of-age,’ physical and mental capacity determining cultural functions. Bull jumping, braving whipping and other methods were employed to test his or her mental readiness and physical adulthood. In Jewish culture, the Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah ceremony for boys and girls respectively marked their transition from boys to men. 

Understanding the novel cultures of early marriages; the extended family supported young adults’ marriage, as the man did not have to be fully self-reliant to take in his young wife, and the young wife was to be supported by older matrons (other wives or relatives) in her performing her duties. Western nuclear families with total independence and disconnect, necessitates marriage only after a stage of independence development, now called adolescence. 

It is essential to recognize the training for marriage life in traditional cultures where early marriage occurs. Just like some of us are educated to operate machines, computers and surgical tables, so also are these youth trained for marriage in these societies (think about daughters playing mother with dolls and doll houses). Neither can be applied or simply transplanted from one social environment to the other. Some of us will fare so poorly even at 30 in marriage, having gone through life learning our professions but having no clue about family love and family virtues. Indeed today, from puberty to marriage, we learn next to nothing about family behavior. The divorce rate is no surprise, and neither is the domestic violence and murder rate.

Puberty which roughly corresponds to fertility has a miraculous way of following and riding the trends of social development and nutritional availability. The puberty age is lower among the affluent and also in developed compared to what is regarded as non developed societies. The reasons for this advance in puberty age which today has brought menarche up to 6 years earlier than what used to obtain 100 years ago, is not certain. ‘Fertility’ seems to come earlier where environmental factors are most favorable. 

A child is defined as someone who is pre-pubertal, and the term ‘pedophilia’ refers to sexual interest exclusively with the pre-pubertal. An adult used to be defined as anyone post pubertal. In Islamic literature, in the autobiographical narration of Aisha, the prophet’s young wife, she described her hair falling off and re-growing before she met with the prophet. This informed of Puberty hormonal hair loss and re-growth, and her passing the age of maturity before marriage relations. Passing puberty, the marker of adulthood in biology has also always been the marker of adulthood in humans. This is a point to underlie for all those confused into thinking Islam or any other culture, allow relations with children.

The child who hit puberty became a man before the invention of adolescence and this is still so in traditional and rural settings, and at this stage the young adult was carted off to marriage or to some form of semi-independent apprenticeship. Adolescence is a new interesting period of life during which there is aggravated and exciting opposite-sex (or same sex) social experience, mingling and marriage-free holds-barred interaction and sexual experimentation. This new stage in life is pretty important and useful for separation from the parents and training in higher institutions under care of government regulated college establishments and in a special community of similar adolescents of all sexes.

Adolescence is usually the stage where notorious character is developed, rebellion is exhibited, sexuality and what may be considered strange sexuality is experimented and adopted. This is the stage when single-parent pregnancies are prevalent, as well as the beginning of abortions in societies where single-parenthood is not fanciful or supported.

Teens develop an adolescent identity, which is molded by society and peer directed and repaired. In the western world, a level of independence is given to adolescents. Many live on their own, have jobs and cater for their own expenses. The right to drive at 16, to drink at 18. Today increasingly there is a push to bring down the voting age. Several bills have been proposed in the US to allow younger teens vote. The Scottish Parliament this June approved a bill lowering the voting age for next year's Scottish independence referendum to 16. In most societies also, with marriage comes access to more adult opportunities.

In Africa, teens are not given so much independence and are pampered like kids--still living under their parents and sponsored by their parents, while they fool around college campuses. This is the reason why ‘parental consent’ is required for teen marriage in the western countries, but an unusual statement in Africa where these young adults are almost always still under their parents.

During this greatest period of heightened sexual desire for men, adolescent men are not encouraged to marry in most modern societies, and only with parental consent. The prior ages of consent and celebrated ‘best’ marriages, used to be 16 for boys and about 12-14 for girls. Today 18 is set cross board by the United Nations and in many countries; 14-15 is set as the lower limit for females (with parental consent) and 16 for males. In typical African societies, practically all marriages are with parental consent as mentioned earlier and as such, this statement is redundant. 

Adolescent years are also the years when human beings are most fertile, almost twice as fertile as they are by thirty, and also this is the period when the body recovers best after pregnancy. Another advantage of adolescent pregnancy is as revealed by new studies, the cancer preventative effects, - a reduction in the risk of breast cancer by 50% in women who have babies as teens. Obstetric fistulas are usually associated with teen pregnancy, this is not scientifically substantiated. In Nigeria for instance, 78% of marriages in the north fistula belt region are to girls below 18, however there are about 1-2 cases of fistula recorded per 1000 births. This prevalence more reasonably coincides with poverty, poor access to perinatal health care and stunted growth, than with the rampant early marriage births.

Of course when reviewing adolescence, one must consider work life. Unlike the past when at puberty boys became men and went straight to work, today, there is an educational formulation that is regarded as essential to life, and the completion of this usually extends to about age 19-21. We must all complete a tertiary education, or else we go to hell, is the prevailing culture. The reality sadly is that even in places like America at the peak of western development, a college education no longer secures employment. The higher your qualifications, the greater the risk of being too skilled for your employment to be afforded. Technology is gradually replacing employment and this promises to continue at such a dangerous rate that pretty soon gadgets like your cell phone will have taken over your job. Automatic check-out machines, automatic driving cars, diagnostic phone apps. The promises with quantum computing are limitless.

An important question to ask in rural settings where there are simply no schools and no opportunities for the educated is; do we need to practice adolescence and at what age bracket? 

Which comes first in the complex discussion of development; the securing of an environment that promises education and jobs or the education of a people to provision such environment? Do people make jobs or does the government have to enable such a clime first?

These are some of the issues that must be considered before rural populations are turned out into the adolescence cycle with its risks and not its promises. I would suggest that an environment of opportunity is secured and considered in establishing what years youth are locked into adolescence, so they are not just held back to fool around in risky and unrewarding lifestyles. Ultimately our youth must be brought to the discussion table now and individually at their time. Youth must never under any social or religious circumstances be forced into marriage, education or work.

Dr. Peregrino Brimah
http://ENDS.ng [Every Nigerian Do Something]
Email: drbrimah@ends.ng

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NUCLEAR ALMS RACE BY DR PEREGRINO BRIMAH

You probably thought I misspelled or you misread. Sadly, that is the title.
Location: Borno

Temperature: 40C/104F degrees scorching hot days and 12C/54F freezing cold nights.
Time: 2am approximately, some day in 2009

Two 9 year old almajiri boys were in bed; well, on the floor actually, inside or beside a mosque or nondescript shack somewhere in Borno state, north east of Nigeria.

One woke up to use the “bathroom” that fateful cold night and when he got back, the second had pulled his, and the only blanket over himself.

‘Give me my blanket,’ the almajiri boy demanded. The other “bully” would not let go, not just because he felt stronger, but because the nights get so cold in Borno, you just can’t give that up.
At the end of the fight that ensued, one of the 9 year old almajiris, the smaller one who owned the blanket had pulled out his life protective dagger they always have on them, one of…actually the only asset they ever have, and stuck it into the bully. He lay dead in a pool of his blood.

Fast forward to 2012, Amanda meets a nice, passionate lawyer who described this incident to her. ‘That’s why I’m here,’ he said, ‘I just can’t let this boy keep rotting in jail. You need to understand the predicament of these almajiri boys. They have nothing, they belong to no one.’
Amanda tells me how she once held conversation with an almajiri – about 7-8 years old, making his rounds on the dusty, harsh-weather roads of Borno. Borno where they say, in the winter morning, you must open your mouth with care, else you hear your lips crack and see the blood gush from them.


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‘Where are you from?’ Amanda asked him.

‘I think somewhere in Katsina,’ he replied.

‘Who are your parents?’ Amanda asked.

‘I do not know, I came here when I was 3. … I am a child of the world.’ The boy replied.

It brought tears to her eyes. It brought tears to mine too, hearing her narrate it.
This is the typical tale of the almajiri boys in the nuclear alms race on the dusty roads of cities in northern Nigeria. The north eastern extremes of Nigeria which by Soludo’s account, compares economically with places like Somalia and Eritrea. With a 72.2% poverty rate in the North East region, the highest level of poverty in Nigeria, followed closely by North West (71.1%). On the contrary the South East at 26.6% has the lowest level of poverty of poverty in Nigeria followed by South/South (35.1%) and South West (43.05%). With such poverty levels, it is not surprising that the Boko Haram terrorist cult easily finds recruits.

What is even Boko’s story? A people disgruntled with the system. Who knows, its founders and top leaders may have all been almajiris, abandoned by their parents, their country and their traditional and religious leadership.

The Muslim mualims (teachers), almajiri’s are hooked up with are slave masters at the best. They show these boys no love. They whip them, sparingly teach them any quality Islam, and send them out to go race for alms.

Psychology and psychological trauma is a very important factor in propensity for criminality and terrorism. Just last week, two Nigerian boys, both Michael Adebo’s, were reported to have killed a soldier in Woolwich, UK. After the horror of the event was endured, details about circumstances leading to the extreme actions of Michael Adebolajo started slowly trickling into the news. A serious Muslim revert with staunch views, Adebolajo visited Kenya for some form of Islamic experience. While there, the Kenyan police allegedly picked him and a few others up from their village and interrogated them. Adebolajo’s friend, Abu Nusaybah recounted on  BBC interview, that Adebolajo who told the security men that he would not speak, was promised,- ‘this is Africa, not UK, we torture here.’

The torture and sexual abuse he was put through made him a changed man, his friend said. From then on, the young man with two wives became ‘changed and withdrawn.’

To top it up, according to his friend, the British security services who it appears brought him back to the UK from detention in Kenya, routinely paid him visits and ‘harassed,’ and ‘bugged,’ him to work for them, as he reportedly complained to his friend. The rest is history. A boy reportedly abandoned by his parents when he reverted to Islam and played hard cards by the local and foreign security, went to pick and kill a security related officer. Their actions can never be justified in today’s world; however a history of family, and societal abuse and dysfunction is hardly uncommon in so many cases related to the propensity for social oppositional and gravely violent behavior.

Research reveals that children from domestically violent homes are several times more likely to be abusive parents with up to half being involved in violent relationships and marriages. These social and psychological developmental correlations are as many as there are disorders.

Amanda was on a journey with the lawyer who told her the story of his almajiri inadvertent murderer youth client. But before the journey started, an almajiri boy had come to try to board their bus, with less than enough for the fare. Amanda chipped in to enable him travel with them. The boy sat quiet till they got to Bauchi. At a food and prayer stop in Bauchi, the boy came back and Amanda noticed he had had something ‘spiritual,’ not from the Mosque, behind it perhaps, or somewhere else altogether, ganja, marijuana possibly.

Suddenly he was all loud and talkative. ‘Those in this bus who think they are better than others….who think they can control what happens here… We have killed before, we will kill you here…’ The almajiri revealed the inner ambitions of his heart. His desire to subdue and control society. To revenge, to prove he is someone, that he has influence and power too. He was not speaking in relation to any event or person on the bus. Hadn’t Amanda, one of the passengers, given him money to enable his travel? He was talking to society at large.

Those were the kind of statements he was uttering, to everyone’s distress. The driver was bothered, soon he parked. The lawyer now went up to the boy and landed him a hot punch. From somewhere on his body, his dagger fell. The journey continued without him, as can be expected. But he’ll be just fine, like the cave men of the beginning of time, like animals in the wild; the almajiri has learned to get by in the dusty thatched jungles of the north.

Many crisscross countries in their race for alms. Oblivious of Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad’s borders, these nuclear beggars traverse any type of terrain, with no one to miss them if they die; who cares. Life is merely worth your pocket load of alms. Hopefully the picture you see attached to this UNICEF article is one I came across a while back, March 2012, of almajiri refugees who fled Nigeria to Chad due to early on Boko Haram-government clashes. I spent a few minutes looking at the pictures. I still can’t get over it. It was written in that story in 2012, that the boys were in the cross hairs:

Migrants told UNICEF they fled the villages of Douri and Madaye in eastern Nigeria when members of the Boko Haram militant group attacked them, burning down houses. Police and military forces then arrived and started firing at those who remained, claiming they were Boko Haram supporters, according to witness accounts.

The last few weeks have been weeks of reflection for north Nigeria. A region where the leaders – from the parents, to the traditional/religious leadership and up to the governors, and presidents, have failed in absolute proportions.

The governor of Kano, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso put it out straight and unglazed. ‘Our problem, the insecurity is the failure of us as parents, the society at large and the leadership.’
Of the children, he said, “they grow up to hate themselves, hate their parents, hate the leaders, and hate the government and the society. They feel they were deprived, they feel injustice and they become enemies of the state and constituted authorities; and thereby becoming vulnerable to crime and violence.”

He further explained that typical northern parents have 20-30 children and keep two or three they like, while sending off the remaining dozens out into the almajiri world to never know love.

Senate president David Mark said the same thing days later, alleging that he spoke Nigeria’s Sharia master who told him categorically that the almajiri system is Haram (forbidden in Islam).

Boko Haram’s uncontrollable terror is the reward for this wickedness. Amanda told me the then Governor of Borno, hired these almajiris and defunct schools like that of late Muhammed Yusuf, arming them to be his political thugs.

For the first time in their lives, the almajiris got a job; they got some sort of social belonging, some meaning and relevance and along with it came finance.

How will they ever abandon such lucrative lifestyle, and opportunity to tell the world, we are better than you, we harass you, duck western civilization, duck the government of Nigeria, duck anyone who stands in our way. To be on TV every day, on radio. To kill parents like theirs who abandoned them and sentence children, hitherto lucky, into a cold world without the shelter of a loving home? To revenge and get paid.

Cap that with the free flow of more potent ‘spiritual’ uplifting concoctions Boko Haram is said to be availing its recruits and the likelihood of surrender approaches the likelihood of the United States and Israel willingly accepting a Nuclear Iran.

The almajiri’s are not going back. Nigeria must urgently find a way to start giving them something else, other than the permission to beg. Parents must be fined and incarcerated for child abandonment. A social welfare system must be immediately constituted. This is available in all developed societies. The lack of it predicts sure and certain chaos. And the Mosques must preach that Islam does not permit riots and nonsensical violence, that hooliganism is not Jihad. The Mualims and proponents of the almajiri system must know the prohibition in Islam of sending able-bodied young men to beg. To them, this message from the prophet of Islam:

Whoso openeth unto himself the door of begging, God will open unto him the door of poverty.

Verily it is better for any of you to take your rope and bring a bundle of wood upon your back and sell it, in which case God guardeth your honor than to beg of people, whether they give or not; if they do not give, your reputation suffereth, and you return disappointed; and if they give, it is worse than that, for it layeth you under obligation.

Whoever hath food for a day and a night, it is prohibited for him to beg.

It is time to start ending the nuclear alms race.
Dr. Peregrino Brimah
Every Nigerian Do Something [ http://ENDS.ng ]
Contact: info@ends.ng

Article References:
http://www.irinnews.org/report/95014/nigeria-chad-migrants-fleeing-boko-haram-violence-await-aid
http://saharareporters.com/news-page/kano-governor%C2%A0kwankwaso-blames-government-and-society%C2%A0for%C2%A0nigeria%E2%80%99s-insecurity
http://newsrescue.com/poverty-in-the-north-a-mayday-call/
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/05/abolish-al-majiri-system-mark-tells-northern-govs/

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