Re-Reflections on Imam Mahdi (ll)

Also published in Daily Trust

When I saw yesterday’s rejoinder by the very Sheikh who had presented the lecture that inspired Hajiya Bilkisu’s piece, I thought he, being presumably a scholar, would address the specific arguments I had raised in the first part of my rejoinder or address the excerpts I quoted from the Shiites’ major reference books on their actual belief about their Mahdi.

Unfortunately however, he instead ended up making some empty allegations against my person including what he called my ignorance to spell my own name correctly. Anyway, I believe the issue at hand is much more important than I am, let alone the way I spell or misspell my name, so I will only focus on the relevant issues. Yet, I may, in due course, address his unwarranted worry over my name spelling issue, subject to space availability of course.

Re-Reflections on Imam Mahdi (l)

Also published in Daily Trust  

The above referred article that appeared on 14 August 2014, which was, according to its author, Hajiya Bilkisu, a collection of some notes she had taken from a keynote address in an event, was clearly inspired by the Shiites’ version of Al-Mahdi narrative, which basically contradicts the version adopted by more than 90% of the world’s Muslims.

Though she rightly highlighted the emergence of Al-Mahdi towards the End time and how he will lead the whole world, put an end to all forms of oppression and establish justice hence global peace and prosperity never enjoyed before, I intend to shed some light on the peculiar ideological context of the Shiites’ version of Al-Mahdi narrative from where she obviously derived inspiration.

Politics of conspiracy mongering

Also published in Daily Trust

It is very unfortunate that, in Nigeria’s peculiar political context where politics and trickeries are literally indistinguishable, all it takes to gain, regain or retain political power, influence and relevance is the ability to manipulate the reasoning of the average Nigerian voter, with prejudiced ethno-religious or regional notions, empty and unrealistic promises and/or buy his vote, or rather his right, to put it more appropriately, with peanuts or some meagre hand-outs of foodstuff, “which will neither nourish nor avail against hunger”, to borrow the eloquently descriptive Qur’anic phrase.

Nigerian politicians, both the incumbents (most of whom are clearly clueless and incompetent) and the opposition (most of whom are mere political opportunists awaiting their turn to perpetuate the status quo) would always cling to such irrelevant stuffs in their desperate struggle for power and influence.

Boko Haram and Nigeria's foreign relations

Also published in Daily Trust

The controversy generated a few months ago by some western countries’ offers to assist Nigeria in its war against Boko Haram terrorists, which some Nigerians welcomed with high expectations while others who – having suspected conspiracies behind it – rejected, has finally died down after it appeared that the West would not commit combat troops on the ground after all.

Besides, even the intelligence gathering assistance they later pledged to provide has turned out to be much below expectation, having probably realized that the crisis does not pose any serious threat to their economic and other strategic interests in the country and the West African sub-region, at least for now and perhaps for the foreseeable future. This explains the apparent failure of the purported intelligence assistance they are ostensibly giving to Nigeria in its struggle to contain the crisis.