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Post by FilmFlaneur on Apr 12, 2017 10:19:10 GMT
I am bit confused here. Are the misfortunes supposedly the result of 'destiny,' or are they punishment from God? The former would assume no free will while the latter implies that God is chastising immorality, the misuse of free choice. I think people need pull their excuses together and be consistent. It might be, of course, that leaders are just refusing to face up to their responsibilities as implied by the Emir of Kano. What has gone wrong for President Buhari?
In our series of letters from African journalists, novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani looks at whether a culture of blaming everything on destiny is holding Nigeria back. The recent meningitis outbreak, which has so far claimed almost 450 lives in Nigeria's north, may have exposed one of the reasons why that region of the country continues to have some of the grimmest statistics in almost every area of development. Even before the Boko Haram militant Islamist insurgency, there was alarmingly high figures on infant and maternal mortality, poverty, child marriage, children out-of-school, to mention but a few. The region is also one of the few in the world that is yet to be certified free of polio, the infectious disease that often cripples children. When it comes to the meningitis outbreak, Zamfara state has suffered the most deaths and hospitalisations out of all those affected.
While addressing journalists recently, State Governor Abdulaziz Yari absolved his administration of any responsibility for the disease's spread in his state. Instead, he said the problem was that people have been sinning against God. "People have turned away from God... that is just the cause of this outbreak as far as I am concerned," Governor Yari said. "There is no way fornication will be so rampant and God will not send a disease that cannot be cured." In accordance with his belief about the health emergency's origin, Mr Yari proffered a solution which has nothing to do with any action or inaction on the part of his government. "It is impossible to cultivate a spirit of innovation and transformation when people believe themselves helpless about their plight. The most important thing is for our people to know that their relationship with God is not smooth," he said. "All they need to do is repent and everything will be all right."
These comments have drawn criticism from many Nigerians, notably from Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the emir of Kano, who is one of the country's most important Muslim leaders. But Mr Yari merely amplified an attitude that is not uncommon in the country.
Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, governor of Zamfara state, stirred controversy by suggesting the meningitis outbreak is punishment from sins
In the 2011 post-election violence that broke out in parts of northern Nigeria, nine recent university graduates assigned to work with the electoral commission in Bauchi state were killed. Isa Yuguda, the state governor at the time, ascribed the young people's deaths to a higher force. "They were destined to experience what they experienced," he said. "Nobody can run away from their destiny." He added that human beings should always accept their destiny, whether or not it was "in our favour or against our interest". Thus, Governor Yuguda implied that there was nothing his administration could have done to protect the young lives from their ghastly fate. He was not to blame.
The Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has criticised people blaming fate for some of the country's problems
In January, I met a 21-year-old woman in Maiduguri, north-east Nigeria, one of the millions of people displaced from their homes by Boko Haram. While living in a camp for displaced people, she was befriended by a man who works with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), a group of that was formed to help oust Boko Haram. One night two years ago, he locked her up in his official vehicle, muffled her screams and raped her. A few weeks later she discovered that she was pregnant. Her family, his family and the local CJTF boss intervened. They decided that the victim would marry her rapist. That was the best way to save her from the shame of being a single mother, they believed.
She told me that she did not imagine any better alternative herself and so willingly went along with their decision. Thus, she became the third wife to a man who was paid by the government to protect her and other refugees; a man who raped her and fathered her first child in the official vehicle he had been provided to carry out his job of protecting her and other vulnerable people. I was keen to know what her husband felt about what he had done to her, how he had so brutishly altered the course of the woman's life forever. "He told me that is the way Allah wants it," she replied to me. "He said that is my destiny."
This attitude of attributing life circumstances to forces beyond people's control is antithetical to progress and development. It is impossible to cultivate a spirit of innovation and transformation when people believe themselves helpless about their plight. Some northern Nigeria leaders are, thankfully, starting to speak out against such regressive beliefs.
The Emir of Kano described Governor Yari's comments as "Islamically incorrect". "When we talk about a difficult environment, we realise that 90% of that difficulty, we can address, because it is self-inflicted," the Emir said. www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-39555322
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Post by Arlon10 on Apr 12, 2017 10:36:43 GMT
I am bit confused here. Are the misfortunes supposedly the result of 'destiny,' or are they punishment from God? The former would assume no free will while the latter implies that God is chastising immorality, the misuse of free choice. I think people need pull their excuses together and be consistent. It might be, of course, that leaders are just refusing to face up to their responsibilities as implied by the Emir of Kano. What has gone wrong for President Buhari?
In our series of letters from African journalists, novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani looks at whether a culture of blaming everything on destiny is holding Nigeria back. The recent meningitis outbreak, which has so far claimed almost 450 lives in Nigeria's north, may have exposed one of the reasons why that region of the country continues to have some of the grimmest statistics in almost every area of development. Even before the Boko Haram militant Islamist insurgency, there was alarmingly high figures on infant and maternal mortality, poverty, child marriage, children out-of-school, to mention but a few. The region is also one of the few in the world that is yet to be certified free of polio, the infectious disease that often cripples children. When it comes to the meningitis outbreak, Zamfara state has suffered the most deaths and hospitalisations out of all those affected.
While addressing journalists recently, State Governor Abdulaziz Yari absolved his administration of any responsibility for the disease's spread in his state. Instead, he said the problem was that people have been sinning against God. "People have turned away from God... that is just the cause of this outbreak as far as I am concerned," Governor Yari said. "There is no way fornication will be so rampant and God will not send a disease that cannot be cured." In accordance with his belief about the health emergency's origin, Mr Yari proffered a solution which has nothing to do with any action or inaction on the part of his government. "It is impossible to cultivate a spirit of innovation and transformation when people believe themselves helpless about their plight. The most important thing is for our people to know that their relationship with God is not smooth," he said. "All they need to do is repent and everything will be all right."
These comments have drawn criticism from many Nigerians, notably from Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the emir of Kano, who is one of the country's most important Muslim leaders. But Mr Yari merely amplified an attitude that is not uncommon in the country.
Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, governor of Zamfara state, stirred controversy by suggesting the meningitis outbreak is punishment from sins
In the 2011 post-election violence that broke out in parts of northern Nigeria, nine recent university graduates assigned to work with the electoral commission in Bauchi state were killed. Isa Yuguda, the state governor at the time, ascribed the young people's deaths to a higher force. "They were destined to experience what they experienced," he said. "Nobody can run away from their destiny." He added that human beings should always accept their destiny, whether or not it was "in our favour or against our interest". Thus, Governor Yuguda implied that there was nothing his administration could have done to protect the young lives from their ghastly fate. He was not to blame.
The Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has criticised people blaming fate for some of the country's problems
In January, I met a 21-year-old woman in Maiduguri, north-east Nigeria, one of the millions of people displaced from their homes by Boko Haram. While living in a camp for displaced people, she was befriended by a man who works with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), a group of that was formed to help oust Boko Haram. One night two years ago, he locked her up in his official vehicle, muffled her screams and raped her. A few weeks later she discovered that she was pregnant. Her family, his family and the local CJTF boss intervened. They decided that the victim would marry her rapist. That was the best way to save her from the shame of being a single mother, they believed.
She told me that she did not imagine any better alternative herself and so willingly went along with their decision. Thus, she became the third wife to a man who was paid by the government to protect her and other refugees; a man who raped her and fathered her first child in the official vehicle he had been provided to carry out his job of protecting her and other vulnerable people. I was keen to know what her husband felt about what he had done to her, how he had so brutishly altered the course of the woman's life forever. "He told me that is the way Allah wants it," she replied to me. "He said that is my destiny."
This attitude of attributing life circumstances to forces beyond people's control is antithetical to progress and development. It is impossible to cultivate a spirit of innovation and transformation when people believe themselves helpless about their plight. Some northern Nigeria leaders are, thankfully, starting to speak out against such regressive beliefs.
The Emir of Kano described Governor Yari's comments as "Islamically incorrect". "When we talk about a difficult environment, we realise that 90% of that difficulty, we can address, because it is self-inflicted," the Emir said. www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-39555322 It is not unusual for amateurs to have difficulty separating out the various factors contributing to a problem. Even professionals can have difficulties with that. I studied statistical analysis in college, but only tangentially to journalism. I know enough to say with some confidence that it would likely be a mistake to put much blame on either religion or the lack of it since worldly wealth is not a primary concern of religion. Poverty might have a lot to do with the problems, but there are all sorts of different reasons for poverty. Nigeria is a "frontier" nation on the fringes of civilization for example. That can sometimes mean the military is the most wealthy and powerful segment of society, and that can mean poorly developed religion and science.
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Post by FilmFlaneur on Apr 12, 2017 10:40:31 GMT
I know enough to say with some confidence that it would likely be a mistake to put much blame on either religion or the lack of it since worldly wealth is not a primary concern of religion. Poverty might have a lot to do with the problems, but there are all sorts of different reasons for poverty. Nigeria is a "frontier" nation on the fringes of civilization for example. That can sometimes mean the military is the most wealthy and powerful segment of society, and that can mean poorly developed religion and science. No one is 'blaming religion' here Arlon. The criticism is more that these leaders are using religion and the idea of faith as an excuse.
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Post by progressiveelement on Apr 12, 2017 10:42:37 GMT
I am bit confused here. Are the misfortunes supposedly the result of 'destiny,' or are they punishment from God? The former would assume no free will while the latter implies that God is chastising immorality, the misuse of free choice. I think people need pull their excuses together and be consistent. It might be, of course, that leaders are just refusing to face up to their responsibilities as implied by the Emir of Kano. What has gone wrong for President Buhari?
In our series of letters from African journalists, novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani looks at whether a culture of blaming everything on destiny is holding Nigeria back. The recent meningitis outbreak, which has so far claimed almost 450 lives in Nigeria's north, may have exposed one of the reasons why that region of the country continues to have some of the grimmest statistics in almost every area of development. Even before the Boko Haram militant Islamist insurgency, there was alarmingly high figures on infant and maternal mortality, poverty, child marriage, children out-of-school, to mention but a few. The region is also one of the few in the world that is yet to be certified free of polio, the infectious disease that often cripples children. When it comes to the meningitis outbreak, Zamfara state has suffered the most deaths and hospitalisations out of all those affected.
While addressing journalists recently, State Governor Abdulaziz Yari absolved his administration of any responsibility for the disease's spread in his state. Instead, he said the problem was that people have been sinning against God. "People have turned away from God... that is just the cause of this outbreak as far as I am concerned," Governor Yari said. "There is no way fornication will be so rampant and God will not send a disease that cannot be cured." In accordance with his belief about the health emergency's origin, Mr Yari proffered a solution which has nothing to do with any action or inaction on the part of his government. "It is impossible to cultivate a spirit of innovation and transformation when people believe themselves helpless about their plight. The most important thing is for our people to know that their relationship with God is not smooth," he said. "All they need to do is repent and everything will be all right."
These comments have drawn criticism from many Nigerians, notably from Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the emir of Kano, who is one of the country's most important Muslim leaders. But Mr Yari merely amplified an attitude that is not uncommon in the country.
Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, governor of Zamfara state, stirred controversy by suggesting the meningitis outbreak is punishment from sins
In the 2011 post-election violence that broke out in parts of northern Nigeria, nine recent university graduates assigned to work with the electoral commission in Bauchi state were killed. Isa Yuguda, the state governor at the time, ascribed the young people's deaths to a higher force. "They were destined to experience what they experienced," he said. "Nobody can run away from their destiny." He added that human beings should always accept their destiny, whether or not it was "in our favour or against our interest". Thus, Governor Yuguda implied that there was nothing his administration could have done to protect the young lives from their ghastly fate. He was not to blame.
The Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has criticised people blaming fate for some of the country's problems
In January, I met a 21-year-old woman in Maiduguri, north-east Nigeria, one of the millions of people displaced from their homes by Boko Haram. While living in a camp for displaced people, she was befriended by a man who works with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), a group of that was formed to help oust Boko Haram. One night two years ago, he locked her up in his official vehicle, muffled her screams and raped her. A few weeks later she discovered that she was pregnant. Her family, his family and the local CJTF boss intervened. They decided that the victim would marry her rapist. That was the best way to save her from the shame of being a single mother, they believed.
She told me that she did not imagine any better alternative herself and so willingly went along with their decision. Thus, she became the third wife to a man who was paid by the government to protect her and other refugees; a man who raped her and fathered her first child in the official vehicle he had been provided to carry out his job of protecting her and other vulnerable people. I was keen to know what her husband felt about what he had done to her, how he had so brutishly altered the course of the woman's life forever. "He told me that is the way Allah wants it," she replied to me. "He said that is my destiny."
This attitude of attributing life circumstances to forces beyond people's control is antithetical to progress and development. It is impossible to cultivate a spirit of innovation and transformation when people believe themselves helpless about their plight. Some northern Nigeria leaders are, thankfully, starting to speak out against such regressive beliefs.
The Emir of Kano described Governor Yari's comments as "Islamically incorrect". "When we talk about a difficult environment, we realise that 90% of that difficulty, we can address, because it is self-inflicted," the Emir said. www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-39555322 It is not unusual for amateurs to have difficulty separating out the various factors contributing to a problem. Even professionals can have difficulties with that. I studied statistical analysis in college, but only tangentially to journalism. I know enough to say with some confidence that it would likely be a mistake to put much blame on either religion or the lack of it since worldly wealth is not a primary concern of religion. Poverty might have a lot to do with the problems, but there are all sorts of different reasons for poverty. Nigeria is a "frontier" nation on the fringes of civilization for example. That can sometimes mean the military is the most wealthy and powerful segment of society, and that can mean poorly developed religion and science.
Check it out.
Nigerian combat aircraft.
9 Chinese F-7s (Chinese-built copies of Russian MiG-21s) 9 French/German built Alpha Jets 9 Russian Hind gunships 3 British Lynx choppers being re-activated
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Post by Arlon10 on Apr 12, 2017 11:20:22 GMT
No one is 'blaming religion' here Arlon. The criticism is more that these leaders are using religion and the idea of faith as an excuse. Perhaps you should say exactly what you believe religion (or the "excuse" of it) is impeding.
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Post by FilmFlaneur on Apr 12, 2017 11:26:23 GMT
No one is 'blaming religion' here Arlon. The criticism is more that these leaders are using religion and the idea of faith as an excuse. Perhaps you should say exactly what you believe religion (or the "excuse" of it) is impeding. The recognition that human problems are best put down to, and addressed by, humans.
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Post by Arlon10 on Apr 12, 2017 11:49:51 GMT
Perhaps you should say exactly what you believe religion (or the "excuse" of it) is impeding. The recognition that human problems are best put down to, and addressed by, humans. We agree on that much. Where we disagree is critical though. You appear to depend on a system of voting or what "most people think" is science rather than actual science. Have you realized yet why that fails? It isn't really science at all. Perhaps you missed the day when it was explained there are problems science can't solve anyway, even when the experts are involved.
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Post by FilmFlaneur on Apr 12, 2017 11:56:42 GMT
Thank you
Economics and medicine can explain many of the ills of Africa. Most people think they are real sciences.
Yes, and who needs experts anyway, eh?
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Post by Arlon10 on Apr 12, 2017 12:47:19 GMT
Thank you Economics and medicine can explain many of the ills of Africa. Most people think they are real sciences. Yes, and who needs experts anyway, eh? I believe you'll agree that economics is not a science in the same sense physics and chemistry are. Whether you agree or not, medicine also involves much guessing, however educated or statistical. I will grant you that both those are important disciplines, however scientific they are or not. What I won't grant is that "most people" have any skill at either. This brings us back to our point of disagreement, science is not the solution and religion is not the problem.
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Post by FilmFlaneur on Apr 12, 2017 13:11:16 GMT
Thank you Economics and medicine can explain many of the ills of Africa. Most people think they are real sciences. Yes, and who needs experts anyway, eh? I believe you'll agree that economics is not a science in the same sense physics and chemistry are. Whether you agree or not, medicine also involves much guessing, however educated or statistical. I will grant you that both those are important disciplines, however scientific they are or not. What I won't grant is that "most people" have any skill at either. This brings us back to our point of disagreement, science is not the solution and religion is not the problem. No one is suggesting that 'most people' do, the suggestions of which appear your idée fixe, rather than mine. Which brings us back to the same answer: the article argued that in some cases religion is an excuse, not a 'problem'. The only problem it presents is that its consideration can prevent some politicians accepting responsibility. And I can only repeat that many of the issues facing Africa could be solved by sound economics and more health medicine.
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Post by Arlon10 on Apr 12, 2017 23:34:26 GMT
I believe you'll agree that economics is not a science in the same sense physics and chemistry are. Whether you agree or not, medicine also involves much guessing, however educated or statistical. I will grant you that both those are important disciplines, however scientific they are or not. What I won't grant is that "most people" have any skill at either. This brings us back to our point of disagreement, science is not the solution and religion is not the problem. No one is suggesting that 'most people' do, the suggestions of which appear your idée fixe, rather than mine. Which brings us back to the same answer: the article argued that in some cases religion is an excuse, not a 'problem'. The only problem it presents is that its consideration can prevent some politicians accepting responsibility. And I can only repeat that many of the issues facing Africa could be solved by sound economics and more health medicine. It's great that you understand some people are not good at economics or medicine since you are a case in point. Your concept of aid to the poor only creates more poor people, it doesn't solve anything. Your concept of medicine treats only symptoms, not the social issues that aggravate disease.
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Post by FilmFlaneur on Apr 13, 2017 15:46:34 GMT
No one is suggesting that 'most people' do, the suggestions of which appear your idée fixe, rather than mine. Which brings us back to the same answer: the article argued that in some cases religion is an excuse, not a 'problem'. The only problem it presents is that its consideration can prevent some politicians accepting responsibility. And I can only repeat that many of the issues facing Africa could be solved by sound economics and more health medicine. It's great that you understand some people are not good at economics or medicine since you are a case in point. Your concept of aid to the poor only creates more poor people, it doesn't solve anything. Your concept of medicine treats only symptoms, not the social issues that aggravate disease. Better tell Christian Aid then that they are wasting their time.
There is also, it need be said aid and there is aid. One can give a man a worm for his hook .. or money for a fishing boat.
I'm good with alleviating symptoms and prevention work with medicine thanks; the social issues is what economics and decent government can look to.
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Post by CoolJGS☺ on Apr 13, 2017 15:48:34 GMT
Perhaps you should say exactly what you believe religion (or the "excuse" of it) is impeding. The recognition that human problems are best put down to, and addressed by, humans. And that's gone so well!
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Post by FilmFlaneur on Apr 13, 2017 15:59:51 GMT
The recognition that human problems are best put down to, and addressed by, humans. And that's gone so well! It is arguable that, in general, with across the board, sustained advances in medicine, governance, social justice, wealth creation and the summary of artistic endeavours etc, mankind is better off now than at any time in its history. Meanwhile the Christian god is 2,000 years overdue and still permits childhood cancer.
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Post by Arlon10 on Apr 14, 2017 0:21:05 GMT
Better tell Christian Aid then that they are wasting their time. I thought that's what I was doing.
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Post by FilmFlaneur on Apr 18, 2017 10:39:26 GMT
Better tell Christian Aid then that they are wasting their time. I thought that's what I was doing. Maybe a strongly worded letter?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2017 12:32:21 GMT
The problem with Nigeria isn't Christianity. It's Islam. Their leaders are the most ignorant pieces of shits that I've ever read about.
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Post by FilmFlaneur on Apr 18, 2017 15:04:19 GMT
The problem with Nigeria isn't Christianity. It's Islam. Their leaders are the most ignorant pieces of shits that I've ever read about. This is true, and then there is also Boko Harum, another group of kindly philanthropic and enlightened religious folk.
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