ORDEAL OF A TERRORIST’S BROTHER: MEMORIES OF SINGAPORE

Until December 2009, when the name Umar Mutallab was mentioned what came to mind was banking; just banking. Except those close to him or his family no one cared about the number of his children or whether or not he had any child at all. However, on the Christmas day of that year and like a wild fire, that news broke out. A young man called Farouq Umar Mutallab was caught trying to detonate an explosive device aboard an aircraft over an American city. That news was read over and over with so much analysis on major and minor broadcasting stations all over the world. The rest is now history. One important fact, however, is that the young man was a Nigerian. And for those of us who have affinity with Hausa culture, we immediately figured out why he is called Farouq. His actual name is Umar. But since his father’s name is also Umar, he had to have an alternative name since in Hausa tradition a child cannot be called with the same name as the head of the family. Luckily, every Umar is a Farouq; if he was not an Umar, then another name, may be some historical Hausa name may have to be used to address him, even though in school he may bear his actual name.

Although I have never met Farouq or his father, we have a lot in common. In addition to the fact that the underwear bomber is a Nigerian, he is from Katsina state, just like me. And like yours sincerely, he is also a Muslim and Hausa by tribe. We have the same middle name, Umar. We both carry green passports. In short, the terrorist is my brother.

The Detroit incidence took place when I was a PhD student at the International Islamic University Malaysia, a university that aims at bringing together some of the best talents from around the Islamic world. I enrolled for the PhD three years earlier when it was clear to me that conditions were not favourable for me to carry out a PhD research in Nigeria. I had now completed my PhD research and was about to submit my thesis for examination. As part of the research, I wrote and presented papers both in the Faculty and at international conferences. One of such conferences for which one of our papers was accepted for presentation was to take place in February 2010 in Singapore. That was a time when there were still red alerts in major airports around the world following the Detroit incidence. I was to attend the conference with my supervisor and we did. The procedure was that the organizers will send us letters of invitation which we should submit for visa. That took place successfully and we arranged to travel separately with my supervisor. He was to go by Malaysian airlines and I booked an Air Asian flight.

On the day of the journey I left home early and arrived at the airport on time so as to avoid any hitch. I passed through the Customs and Immigration check successfully. My first shocker of the day came from the Chinese lady who was to check both my passport and boarding pass before I boarded the plane. As soon as the woman saw my passport, she screamed to the hearing of everyone around, “With this passport, no!” She did not stop there. She ran with the passport into the airport building and after a few moments came back with an Immigration officer. Luckily, the officer was Malay. Malays are good and it was by their hospitality we were enjoying every bit of our stay in Malaysia. The man was calm and gentle. He asked me a few questions after which he gave me my passport and asked the woman to let me in. Soon, formalities were completed and we took off.

But if a Malay officer saved me from the trouble of the Chinese woman in Kuala Lumpur, he was not there to do so in Singapore. A bigger trouble was waiting for me at the Singapore airport. After disembarking from the plane we went for the Immigration check. But unlike other passengers whose passports were checked and endorsed, I was singled out and asked to follow a young man. The young man led me to a room, showed me a chair and asked me to wait. I had no choice. After some time he came back and asked me what brought me to Singapore. I told him and he said it was alright and left. He then kept coming at irregular intervals and repeating the same question in different ways and I patiently responded. As I sat there with no one to talk to and only my travelling bag with me I kept wondering what that room was meant for. Was it a cell? It didn’t look like one. But what offence did I commit to be put into a cell? Definitely, I thought, there must be a camera in that room by which my movement was being monitored from another place in the airport. May be I had an explosive in my underwear and I will use the opportunity to prepare it. Or probably there was a new method different from the one used by my brother in the US. But it will be foolish for them to think a smart terrorist will so easily fall into their trap. In any case, I didn’t know what they were up to, so I kept waiting.

After about one hour, my patience began to wane. I was very angry and I began to think of the way out. Many options came to my mind and for each option I weighed the consequences. One of the options I considered was to slap that stupid boy the next time he came and asked a silly question. But that will be too silly of you! I said to myself. It will just present you as another terrorist. Note that you are not in your country and what the Singaporeans tell the world is what everyone will believe. Back in Nigeria you don’t have a Government that cares for its citizens. Even in Nigeria, a foreigner can disgrace you and get away with it if has more connections, what more of a distant foreign land like Singapore? Your blood is not thicker than that of Samira Adamu who was killed in cold blood in far away Belgium and if not for the support of Africans in Diaspora no one will even know her story. In your own case you don’t have a strong Diaspora here or in neighboring Malaysia that will follow up to make sure that justice is done to you. Even in your university, Nigerian students are looking at one another as Hausa and Yoruba instead of fellow Nigerians.

With those thoughts, I dropped the idea of violence, but even as I was considering other options, the young man came in. “so what brought you to Singapore?” he asked. “Conference”, I answered, this time angrily. He said, “Okay, okay” and left. My thoughts then continued. Perhaps I should go back to Malaysia. When this boy comes in I will just tell him that I was no longer interested in going into Singapore and they should allow me to join the next flight back to Kuala Lumpur. But, when is the next flight? Perhaps in several hours time or the next day? Where are you going to stay? In this room? In a hotel? Do you think they will allow you to go to a hotel? Note that you have to give them a good reason for changing your mind about attending the conference.

That is how I continued thinking of one option after another until I finally said to myself, “Look the problem with you is that you have become angry and the Prophet (peace be upon him) advised you against anger. Don’t you remember the instance at which a man came to the Prophet (pbuh) and sought for advice and the prophet told him not to get angry and even after repeating the request several times the advice remained the same?”

With this hadith, I calmed down and the anger went away. I began to smile in my heart and soon I realized that there was also a smile on my face. So when next the young gentleman came in I was already smiling and ready to answer any question, no matter how silly, correctly. To my surprise he gave me back my passport and said, “You can go”. Yes, I could go, and with the smile on my face I ran into the big city of Singapore. 

HOW THE BIAFRANS LOST ME

Nigeria is 101 years old or is it 55? The story of Nigeria as we were told in school is that some white men called Britons came and overpowered our great grandparents to establish what they called Northern and southern protectorates. After sometime, specifically in 1914, the two protectorates were merged to form what is now called Nigeria. The country was given its name by the wife of one of her colonial masters who ruled her up to 1960 when it was declared independent. Independence meant the colonial masters will leave but all the structures they established including their language, their laws, Nigeria itself, etc. will remain unchanged. That is exactly what happened. Immediately they left there was a series of political crises that led to a self-declared secession by one of its constituent regions to form another country called Biafra. This led to a bloody thirty months civil war. The war began the year I was born and ended when I was still a baby. Thus, what I know about the Nigerian civil war and the crises that led to it is what I was told either by those who wrote on it or people who were there when it happened.

But right from my childhood, not any of the Nigerians who told me the story of Biafra found it easy. The questions I always asked were intimidating for any Nigerian nationalist. For example, what sin had Ojukwu and his people committed to warrant the reaction they got from Nigerians? If a wife who loved her husband at the time of marriage turns back one day and says she no longer loves the man and declares him an enemy, is it not in his own interest to part with her? Only a foolish man will be sleeping on the same bed with his enemy and calling her his wife. Now, what of if the marriage was imposed on them in the first place? The people who came to this part of the world and colonized us did not have our interest at heart. Their mission was to plunder our resources and reduce us to their perpetual slaves that we have become. That is why they did not consider our diversity before the 1914 amalgamation.

Another question I always asked was whether Ojukwu was interested in taking any part of the North or West along with him to form his new country or he was simply interested in going his way along with his own people. The answers I got were not convincing enough for me to hate Biafra. This is even more so after I read some of his speeches which did not indicate any desire on the part of the Biafrans to take any part of the Nigerian territory.

Now, did Ojukwu have the support of his people? The frank discussions I had with many Igbos later in my life showed that majority of the Igbos were with Ojukwu in the Biafran struggle. But if they were not sure, why did our leaders not organize a referendum? This is another question I have always asked. Or since Nigerians love religion, is there any portion of the Quran or Bible which says Nigeria as created by the British must continue to remain “a single indivisible entity” as the politicians always put it? Many questions without answers, and when you get the answers they are always funny.

Thus right from the beginning of my life I have always seen south easterners as a cheated people, a people forced to be the citizens of a country against their wish and all that I needed to openly declare my support for the Biafran struggle, even as a core northerner, was a transparently honest and sustained struggle by them for their cause. Unfortunately this has not been the case. Recent happenings have left no one in doubt about the evil motives of those struggling for the establishment of the nation of Biafra. The reasons are not farfetched.

The Biafran agitators have not been consistent. The intensity of their struggle depends on the Government in power. If the person in charge is one of their own, there is no Biafra; when they lose out, the struggle for independence begins. This is not the trait of a sincere people struggling for freedom. In fact, the direct opposite is supposed to be the case. For example, since the end of the Nigerian civil war the Igbos had never had it politically rosy like they did during the last PDP administration. The president was half-Igbo; at least his middle name is Igbo. The SGF was an Igbo man; the powerful Finance minister was Igbo. The Army chief was also from that tribe. In short, Nigeria was ruled by the Igbos. If the Igbos were honestly interested in innocuously going their way, there was no better time to agitate and in fact maneuver a referendum. However, what we saw was the polarization of Nigerians along ethnic and religious line by the Government and an approving silence from those currently calling for secession.

My sympathy for the Biafrans was completely obliterated in Onitsha last week. There was what was supposed to be a demonstration to further the struggle for freedom. Even if the demonstration was to be violent, the primary target would have been Nigerian symbols. However, what we saw was destruction of Islamic places of worship and property belonging to private entrepreneurs. The question here is, assuming Nigerians let go of Biafrans and allowed them to have a separate nation, what would be the fate of Muslims in the new country? Even in Israel which is a country built on race, there are provisions for minority. However, the message we got from Biafran agitators was that there will be no provision for mosques in the new country. Biafrans who would be interested in worshipping the Islamic way must go on exile to do so. Another thing to ask is whether there will be provision for foreign investors in the new country. Absolutely NO. That is the message from Biafrans. Or perhaps if there is going to be a foreign investment it must not come from any of the neighboring countries like Nigeria. The Dangote that is invited by almost all African countries will not be welcome in the new country.

My final question here is what should I do? Should anyone expect me to continue to have the same feeling for the Biafrans that I had before? Certainly no. The Biafrans have lost my lifetime sympathy and potential support. If there is any war, I will be on the Nigerian side.

HIJAB IN NYSC ORIENTATION CAMPS

Over the past several days there have been active discussions in social media on the use of hijab in NYSC orientation camps. The discussions followed an incidence that occurred in one of the camps. A Muslim youth corper wore a ‘long’ hijab and was consequently beaten by an Army officer. The NYSC authorities did not deny it and immediately redeployed the officer and according to the Director-General of the NYSC, more punishment will follow. How far that is true remains to be seen. My intention here is to look at the issue from a Muslim observer’s point of view.

Hijab is the dress stipulated by Islam for a Muslim woman when she is to appear before men who do not belong to the category of male relations known as maharim. The dress may be of any colour but it must satisfy certain conditions. In the first place, it must not be transparent. Second, it must cover all parts of her body in such a way that her shape is not revealed. The hijab must not resemble any dress known to be exclusively used by men and should not be attractive. A dress that portrays a woman as a follower of another religion is also not allowed just like any dress that depicts arrogance. By this, therefore, the so-called ‘short hijab’ that exposes the shape of the lower parts of a lady does not qualify as a proper hijab.

Opponents of the use of proper hijab by Muslim corpers have expressed different kinds of arguments. One of them is that Nigeria is a secular state and the use of hijab by Muslim corpers will depict it as an Islamic state. Another argument is that the NYSC camp is a paramilitary camp and since women in paramilitary agencies like immigration and Customs do not use long hijab, it is wrong for Muslim lady corpers to be allowed to use same. Another argument expressed in a Newspaper editorial is that the NYSC has never allowed the use of long hijab and what the DG has done is simply to continue with what he has met.

To start with, the meaning of the secularists’ argument is that since Nigeria is a secular country, no one is allowed to practice his/her religion. If that is the case, then all churches and mosques should be demolished and Nigerians should become pagans. What this group of people do not understand is that hijab is an integral part of a practicing Muslim life and Muslim women who use hijab are happier in it and do not use it for any other reason than the satisfaction of a religious requirement.

To compare the NYSC with paramilitary agencies is not acceptable. While women who apply to serve in paramilitary outfits have by implication accepted not to use proper hijab, following a degree or a HND programme does not imply that a Muslim woman has accepted to remove her hijab. The implication of the continuation of the ban on proper hijab is that Muslim women who insist on practicing this religious obligation are denied access to employment in their own country. It is noteworthy that completion of NYSC is a requirement for employment and admission into postgraduate programmes in Nigeria.

Perhaps the most laughable of all arguments is the one stating that since the wrong practice of banning proper hijab has been on for a long time, the wrong thing should continue to be. Even if the ban on the use of hijab were a written law, there is nothing wrong in taking it back to the National assembly to repeal it the moment it is discovered that the law denies a section of Nigerians the right to practice what they believe.

In effect, therefore, the issue of ‘long hijab’ is never dead as claimed in some quarters and can only die with Islam. The best thing to do, therefore, is to solve it once and for all. Certain steps can be taken in this direction. For instance, why must men and women be combined in the same camp if they must all participate in paramilitary activities? If those of us who participated in NYSC orientation before are to speak with honesty, we will say that the kind of immoralities that take place on NYSC orientation camps are not compatible with the basic teachings of Islam and we do not expect a decent and respectful Muslim woman to give in simply because she wants an employment or the rest of us to keep quite because we don’t want to be accused of being extremists. Another question is that must the women take part in those activities? The NYSC can do justice to this problem by making paramilitary activities optional for women.

If the NYSC cannot be creative in providing a solution, my expectation is that the Government will come in and provide justice for the Muslim ladies that are yearly being harassed in the name of serving their country. It is well known that justice is the only panacea for peace and when people cannot get justice in peace they resort to violence. It is needless to state that religion is a volatile issue for which many Nigerians are ready to kill and die as demonstrated in the past. The continuous silence of Muslim leaders on this issue does not help matters. I cannot imagine a Christian lady being molested anywhere in Nigeria in the name of religion and the Christian Association of Nigeria keeping mum simply because she is not a daughter of CAN President or a Christian VIP. This is how the Emirs who are the leaders of both JNI and SCIA have continued to lose their respect in the eyes of public because of their selective approach to issues that affect Muslims.