“The List Of Stinking Dictators The World Over” by Nkwazi Mhango

Dear readers, I received this list of stinking dictators the world over. I, thus, found it compelling to pray that it be published so that everybody can see. We’ve been shouting at the top of our voices telling the world that some of our so-called reformers are but stinking rats. When we do this, we’re accused of myopia and hatred. Methinks, this time those that have always ignored will put some sense.

(Note: this list was compiled by George B.N. Ayittey, which appears in an article for July/August issue of Foreign Policy Magazine. He is a native of Ghana who resides in the U.S.)

1. KIM JONG IL of North Korea: A personality-cult-cultivating isolationist with a taste for fine French cognac, Kim has pauperized his people, allowed famine to run rampant, and thrown hundreds of thousands in prison camps (where as many as 200,000 languish today) — all the while spending his country’s precious few resources on a nuclear programme. Years in power: 16

2. ROBERT MUGABE of Zimbabwe: A liberation “hero” in the struggle for independence who has since transformed himself into a murderous despot, Mugabe has arrested and tortured the opposition, squeezed his economy into astounding negative growth and billion-per cent inflation, and funnelled off a juicy cut for himself using currency manipulation and offshore accounts. Years in power: 30

3. THAN SHWE of Burma: A heartless military coconut head whose sole consuming preoccupation is power, Shwe has decimated the opposition with arrests and detentions, denied humanitarian aid to his people after 2008’s devastating Cyclone Nargis, and thrived off a black market economy of natural gas exports. This vainglorious general bubbling with swagger sports a uniform festooned with self-awarded medals, but he is too cowardly to face an honest ballot box. Years in power: 18

4. OMAR HASSAN AL-BASHIR of Sudan: A megalomaniac zealot who has quashed all opposition, Bashir is responsible for the deaths of millions of Sudanese and has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes. Bashir’s Arab militias, the janjaweed, may have halted their massacres in Darfur, but they continue to traffic black Sudanese as slaves (Bashir himself has been accused of having had several at one point). Years in power: 21

5. GURBANGULY BERDIMUHAMEDOV of Turkmenistan: Succeeding the eccentric tyrant Saparmurat Niyazov (who even renamed the months of the year after himself and his family), this obscure dentist has kept on keeping on with his late predecessor’s repressive policies, explaining that, after all, he bears an “uncanny resemblance to Niyazov.” Years in power: 4

6. ISAIAS AFWERKI of Eritrea: A crocodile liberator, Afwerki has turned his country into a national prison in which independent media are shut down, elections are categorically rejected, indefinite military service is mandatory, and the government would rather support Somali militants than its own people. Years in power: 17

7. ISLAM KARIMOV of Uzbekistan: A ruthless thug ruling since Soviet times, Karimov has banned opposition parties, tossed as many as 6,500 political prisoners into jail, and labels anyone who challenges him an “Islamic terrorist.” What does he do with “terrorists” once they are in his hands? Torture them: Karimov’s regime earned notoriety for boiling two people alive and torturing many others. Outside the prisons, the president’s troops are equally indiscriminate, massacring hundreds of peaceful demonstrators in 2005 after a minor uprising in the city of Andijan. Years in power: 20

8. MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD of Iran: Inflammatory, obstinate, and a traitor to the liberation philosophy of the Islamic Revolution, Ahmadinejad has pursued a nuclear programme in defiance of international law and the West. Responsible for countless injustices during his five years in power, the president’s latest egregious offence was leading his paramilitary goons, the Basij, to violently repress protesters after June 2009’s disputed presidential election, which many believe he firmly lost. Years in power: 5

9. MELES ZENAWI of Ethiopia: Worse than the former Marxist dictator he ousted nearly two decades ago, Zenawi has clamped down on the opposition, stifled all dissent, and rigged elections. Like a true Marxist revolutionary, Zenawi has stashed millions in foreign banks and acquired mansions in Maryland and London in his wife’s name, according to the opposition — even as his barbaric regime collects a whopping $1 billion in foreign aid each year. Years in power: 19

10. HU JINTAO of China: A chameleon despot who beguiles foreign investors with a smile and a bow, but ferociously crushes political dissent with brutal abandon, Hu has an iron grip on Tibet and is now seeking what can only be described as new colonies in Africa from which to extract the natural resources his growing economy craves. Years in power: 7

11. MUAMMAR AL-QADDAFI of Libya: An eccentric egoist infamous for his indecipherably flamboyant speeches and equally erratic politics, Qaddafi runs a police state based on his version of Mao’s Red Book — the Green Book — which includes a solution to “the Problem of Democracy.” Repressive at home, Qaddafi masquerades as Africa’s king of kings abroad (the African Union had to politely insist that he step down as its rotating head). Years in power: 41

12. BASHAR AL-ASSAD of Syria: A pretentious despot trying to fit into his father’s shoes (they’re too big for him), Assad has squandered billions on foreign misadventures in such places as Lebanon and Iraq while neglecting the needs of the Syrian people. His extensive security apparatus ensures that the population doesn’t complain. Years in power: 10

13. IDRISS DÉBY of Chad: Having led a rebel insurgency against a former dictator, Déby today faces a similar challenge — from one of his own former cabinet officials, among others. To repel would-be coup leaders, Déby has drained social spending accounts to equip the military, co-opted opposition-leader foes, and is now building a moat around the capital, N’Djamena. Years in power: 20

14. TEODORO OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO of Equatorial Guinea: Obiang and his family literally own the economy, having reportedly amassed a fortune exceeding $600 million while the masses are left in desperate poverty. Equatorial Guinea’s extraordinary oil wealth puts its GDP per capita on par with many European states — if only it were evenly shared. Instead, revenues remain a “state secret.” Years in power: 31

15. HOSNI MUBARAK of Egypt: A senile and paranoid autocrat whose sole preoccupation is self-perpetuation in office, Mubarak is suspicious of even his own shadow. He keeps a 30-year-old emergency law in place to squelch any opposition activity and has groomed his son, Gamal, to succeed him. (No wonder only 23 per cent of Egyptians bothered to vote in the 2005 presidential election.) Years in power: 29

16. YAHYA JAMMEH of Gambia: This eccentric military buffoon has vowed to rule for 40 years and claims to have discovered the cure for HIV/AIDS. (Jammeh also claims he has mystic powers and will turn Gambia into an oil-producing country; no luck yet.) A narcissist at heart, the dictator insists on being addressed as His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya Abdul-Azziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh. Years in power: 16

17. HUGO CHÁVEZ of Venezuela: The quack leader of the Bolivarian Revolution, Chávez promotes a doctrine of participatory democracy in which he is the sole participant, having jailed opposition leaders, extended term limits indefinitely, and closed independent media. Years in power: 11

18. BLAISE COMPAORÉ of Burkina Faso: A tin-pot despot with no vision and no agenda, save self-perpetuation in power by liquidating opponents and stifling dissent, Compaoré has lived up to the low standards of his own rise to power, after murdering his predecessor, Thomas Sankara, in a 1987 coup. Years in power: 23

19. YOWERI MUSEVENI of Uganda: After leading a rebel insurgency that took over Uganda in 1986, Museveni declared: “No African head of state should be in power for more than 10 years.” But 24 years later, he is still here, winning one “coconut election” after another in which other political parties are technically legal but a political rally of more than a handful of people is not. Years in power: 24

20. PAUL KAGAME of Rwanda: A liberator who saved the Tutsis from complete extermination in 1994, Kagame now practices the same ethnic apartheid he sought to end. His Rwandan Patriotic Front dominates all levels of power: the security forces, the civil service, the judiciary, banks, universities, and state-owned corporations. Those who challenge the president are accused of being a hatemonger or divisionist and arrested. Years in power: 10

21. RAÚL CASTRO of Cuba: Afflicted with intellectual astigmatism, the second brother of Fidel Castro is pitifully unaware that the revolution he leads is obsolete, an abysmal failure, and totally irrelevant to the aspirations of the Cuban people. He blames the failure of the revolution on foreign conspiracies — which he then uses to justify even more brutal clampdowns. Years in power: 2

22. ALEKSANDR LUKASHENKO of Belarus: An autocrat and former collective farm chairman, Lukashenko maintains an iron grip on his country, monitoring opposition movements with a secret police distastefully called the KGB. His brutal style of governance has earned him the title “Europe’s last dictator”; he even gave safe haven to Kyrgyzstan’s toppled leader when that country rose up this spring. Years in power: 16

23. PAUL BIYA of Cameroon: A suave bandit who has reportedly amassed a personal fortune of more than $200 million and the mansions to go with it, Biya has co-opted the opposition into complete submission. Not that he’s worried about elections; he has rigged the term limit laws twice to make sure the party doesn’t end anytime soon. Years in power: 28

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a seo company blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.

The Selling of Jesus Part II: the view from a conscientious consumer

On commenting on the post, “The Selling of Jesus” by thefreeslave, my response got so long winded, as I am known to do, that it became a post in itself.  

Lubangakene, you made some valid points in your post and asked some stimulating questions. These questions, which have been asked throughout the ages, I have struggled with myself. I don’t claim to have any of the answers, however I’ll humbly provide my perspective for whatever it’s worth.     

I just finished reading “The Forging of the Races: Race and Scripture in the Protestant Atlantic World, 1600-2000” by Colin Kidd. I am now reading “God’s War: A New History of the Crusades” by Christopher Tyerman. Both books discuss historical aspects of westernized Christianity, the Bible, as well as the “Selling of Jesus”, and how it was all politicized by Europeans for imperial expansion at the expense of “peoples of color”. I have also read “Yurugu” by Marimba Ani. She provides certain truthful perspectives on various European ideologies, including as you state, Christianity. I have also read “The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins, who contends that a belief in God or any supernatural being for that matter is irrational and details some of the negative effects of religion throughout history. I found all of these books very informative as well as enlightening. I found them even more influential in strengthening my faith and belief that all religious ideology, in this case European Christian ideology, and having a personal relationship with God, are indeed two different things.

However, I don’t base my intellectual or spiritual beliefs solely on European or “westernized” intellectualism. The world is a very diverse place and it’s western arrogance, among both whites and blacks, why they tend to only perceive aspects of life through this prism of western intellectualism. And what do prisms do? They distort light. Intellectual prisms in the same way distorts truth. That is the weakness in Furqan’s statement, as interesting and enlightening as it may appear. The westernized form of Christianity and it’s history that he riles against, is only one perspective among many. It’s not the be all and end all to judge religion or Christianity by. Regardless, if this is indeed what they are selling, then we need to ask ourselves: are we just buying what they are offering or rejecting it thinking that’s all there is? Or are we being conscientious consumers and putting in the work to research what other perspectives are out there, so that we make well informed choices? This takes time and effort and how many of us are willing to make that commitment, sacrifice or responsibility to educate ourselves?

That is why it is so important to not only read, but to read a wide variety of perspectives on any issue. When it comes to religious ideology, I have read the Bible and Quran, as well as many other books which discussed the historical, political, economic and social aspects of a variety of religions. Some of which I mentioned above, but I have also read materials such as “A Black Theology of Liberation” by James Cone and “A Life of Jesus” by Shusaku Endo, who provides a Japanese perspective on Christianity. I am now searching for a book on Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. A long time ago I came to realize that westernized perspectives of Christianity, the Bible and Jesus aren’t the only or even the dominant perspective out in the wider world. Those who think this is the case are limited by their frame of reference, which is based on seeing the world through the prism of western intellectualism.

Not only is it important to read a variety of ideas, it is even more important travel to different places and converse with local people… and not as a tourist on a resort which caters to western sensibilities. One of the life changing trips I went on was my pilgrimage to West Africa. In the places I went and the people I spoke with, there was one thing that was very evident: Africans are spiritual people. I met Muslims, Christians and those who practiced traditional religions. I came away with two profound realizations. One, the westernized ideology and practice of Christianity wasn’t dominant in these cultures. In fact, a lot of traditional beliefs and practices were intertwined in their Christian (as well as Muslim) beliefs and practices. Two, those of African descent who have lost their spirituality or have discarded it in the name of intellectual supremacy (i.e., western based intellectualism), are incomplete… they are lacking a vital aspect of their essence.

“No, the brain is turned off a bit too much with this religion stuff for my liking.”

Lubankagene, I find it ironic that you make this statement while you use as your wordpress gravtar the image of Malcolm X , a religious zealot who practiced a religion that colonized and enslaved Africans well before the Europeans or Christianity. Although we like to glorify the political and social commentary of Malcolm, we tend to conveniently forget (or dismiss), that first and foremost, Malcolm’s message was a religious one. When he was a spokesman for the Nation of Islam, his message was that the way to salvation and freedom for African-Americans was in following the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. When he left the Nation and returned from his pilgrimage to Mecca, he preached that the way to salvation for all was in submitting oneself to Allah and accepting that Mohammed was his prophet. Would you therefore say that all this “religious stuff” Malcolm believed in turned his brain off, or would you argue that it enhanced his political awareness and intellect? What about Martin Luther King? What you also argue that Anna Renee’s, brotherpeacemaker’s, as well as my brain, are turned off because of the “religious stuff” we believe? If the answers are “no”, then I would argue that it’s a choice. Some people choose to use their religious beliefs as an excuse to turn off their brains (intellect), while others use their intellectual beliefs as as excuse to reject their spiritual nature. 

Many years ago a friend gave me an audio cassette of a lecture by Dr. Edwin Nichols, a Black clinical psychologist, called “White Supremacy-A Paradigm”. It was based on a lecture he gave entitled: “Philosophical Aspects of Cultural Difference”. One of the points Dr. Nichols made was that European (western) intellectualism divided the mind, heart and soul into separate entities. He mused that was why white people would say things like: “tell me what you think, not what you feel”. For them, they process the world primarily through their intellect, therefore emotions and faith are considered inferior entities and any beliefs or cultures which operated within these realms were also inferior. Rationality and logic is the foundation from which they interact and interdict with each other, as well as with other cultures.

Dr. Nichols states that by contrast, within African culture, as well as most other cultures worldwide, the belief in this type of separation is non-existent. Historically, African cultures were the first to create science, art and religion with no contradictions. Their spirituality and religious beliefs didn’t turn off their brains. In fact it augmented it. Therefore I would argue that those of African descent, who have internalized western intellectual ideology and view the world primarily through it’s prism, also believe in this separation, that the intellect is superior and that if you live by faith, then you have turned off your brains, so to speak. 

“No, I struggle reading here the repeated references on this blog to folks needing to “turn to GAWD, turn to Jesus.”

I don’t know if you were following the discussion on the post “Is Satan Speaking and Are you Listening?” by our sister Anna Renee. A commenter, The Precision Afrikan, also struggled with the recent religious content on this blog. I want to highlight a couple parts of my response to him:

This is a space where all views… political, social, secular, as well as religious, are welcomed to be shared, discussed, debated, but most importantly: respected. This is the reason why for example, thefreeslave and I, who have different political and religious beliefs can come and work together here, as well as be good friends. If we had your attitude, this forum would never have been created and we would consider each other enemies.

But you hit the real issue when you state that you became “accustomed to this blog as a primarily secular space to discuss Pan-African political issues from the perspective of reality and the material world, using critical thinking.” I observed the same thing as you and felt the need to expand our topics for discussions and therefore made a conscious effort to include more religious and spiritual perspectives, for we are also a religious and spiritual people, as well as politically and socially conscious. There is no reason why can’t discuss religious and spiritual issues here, even within the framework of what you term: “critical thinking”.  

Therefore I say it’s good that you struggle. I struggle most times with the material which is posted here also… some of which I authour! However, read our Mission Statement once again. This forum has always been about sharing, discussing and debating ideas and beliefs. If every time someone comes here, they leave agreeing with everything that was said, then did any of us really learn anything? Our beliefs and perspectives should be challenged in some way, at some time. However, I have also come to realize that there is some risk when you take this position. I read a report recently based on a study which concluded that although the internet theoretically makes it possible to be able to access a variety of informational sources and points of views, most people will frequent sites that reaffirms their beliefs and worldview. Most people are not too open to consider varying beliefs and/or perspectives and are in fact very narrow-minded in their scope of the world.

One of the things I have learnt over the three years that I’ve been involved in blogging, is that it’s easier to claim to be down with exchanging and discussing ideas than it is to actually be committed to doing it! I have had emails from those who consider themselves to be intellectuals and are quick to testify that they are on a journey of enlightenment and self-empowerment, whether political, social and/or religious, who state that they will no longer visit this blog because we allow different points of view to be discussed here! One was upset that I posted articles from members of the black conservative network Project 21.

The question for me becomes, regardless of my personal beliefs, do we refuse to allow others to express their point of view here because we might not agree with their political, social or religious beliefs? Do we take the “us vs. them” position of western intellectualism… that if you don’t believe as I do, then “you’re not for us, you’re against us!” Or do we take a more holistic… and dare I say… “spiritual” approach and acknowledge that as black people, we are not homogeneous in our beliefs and that by listening, discussing and even challenging these beliefs in a respectful manner, we will ultimately become a more empowered  and enlightened people. I know… I’m being naive.

“The conflagration that kills first is the one that scorches the gray matter.”

Lubankagene, allow me to build upon your above statement and add a quote from Hamlet:

“There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” 

Walk good Lubankagene. I wish you heaven… whatever that may be for you.

The Selling of Jesus

The commenter below made a comment on the post, “Is God Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” that needs highlighting:

“Furqan

I think that the very root of the problem being analysed is the very history of the religion itself! What the world knows and calls “Christianity” has very little to do with the historical personage known as Jesus who some called “Christ”. What has been sold to the world is a Western creation/corruption of the message brought by the prophets (including Jesus) to mankind for the purpose of power and control over the masses in the name of white supremacy. This is historical fact, not fiction such as much of what the so-called Christian churches are teaching the masses of people. Study the HISTORY of christianity and how it came to be – the Eastern versus the Western Churches and the very, very different views. Especially the history of the Roman Catholic church and why all of these breakaway sects that now compose the worlds of chrisitianity. Maybe, just maybe you’ll learn something that even your own preachers don’t know! Peace!”

I have been trying to express this idea and struggling to find the words. My brother inspired me, named for me the frustration that I have with black people who are addicted to Jesus – the version of Jesus that we have been sold.

I was reading a fantastic book called “Accessories After The Fact.” It is a classic deconstruction of the Warren Report, which purported to prove that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin in the murder of President Kennedy. It didn’t and the author, very methodically, dismantled it, demonstrating the lies, distortions and agenda of the Report’s authors.

Ms. Meagher made it plain that the new President and several government agencies had decided from the moment the shots rang out, what the outcome of any investigation would be – damn the facts!

I mention this because the Bible is like the Warren Report: it is a document that must be taken on faith alone. No rational thought, that points out contradictions, unholy or authoritarian attitudes in the Great Book, etc, is allowed. Or at least acknowledged.

There is a masterful book by a black woman, Marimba Ani, “Yurugu,” that to my mind destroys the Bible and Christianity and Islam for that matter, just as thoroughly as “Accessories” dynamites the Warren Report.

The history of and the imperial project that is Christianity, how it rose in the white West, how it eliminated the “competition” – the other minor sects and folk religions with imperialistic efficiency. The language used in the religion itself which essentially boils down to:

“IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN ME – YOU WILL DIE!!!”

How spiritual is that?!

No, I struggle reading here the repeated references on this blog to folks needing to “turn to GAWD, turn to Jesus.” Where has that gotten us after 400 years?

How do Jesus or the Bible help us see reality when too many of us, like the Warren Commission members, are bent on bending facts or reality to fit a preconceived notion, rather than seeing what the facts are and going where they lead – no matter WHAT?!

No, the brain is turned off a bit too much with this religion stuff for my liking. When we have to return over and over and over again to a book, one book of uncertain origin; and when one man, one path, one way is promoted as not a way but the way, which if not believed in or followed, will result in eternal, fiery damnation.

In order to move from blind faith to spiritual rationality, we must ask questions:

Who taught us this religion? And why?

Does this religion tend to make us more or less critical thinkers?

What is the history, the real history of Christianity? What was the purpose of its authors? Was it to rule the world?

Who is Jesus? Did he exist – or is he a composite figure, borrowed, created, tailored, stolen – and used to enslave rather than liberate?

The conflagration that kills first is the one that scorches the gray matter.

“Kabila must tell us who assassinated Chibeya!” by Nkwazi Mhango

 

June has been a very sad and bad month for human rights activists. For it is the same month in which DRC’s champion of human rights Floribert Chibeya Bahizire, (the chair of Voix des Sans-Voix [Voice of the Voiceless]), was grisly felled. Also June witnessed a hot debate and condemnation over illegal arrest of professor Peter Erlinder in Rwanda, after he arrived there to defend Victoire Ingabire, the leader of opposition. His arrest apart from being illegal and gross violation of human right by power maniacs, has proved beyond doubt that Ingabire has already been convicted without being heard. This is a blow and shame to Rwanda.

The family of human rights activists the world over is weeping thanks to the untimely and brutal death of Chibeya and his driver on Wednesday 2 June 2010. Preliminary reports had it that the late Chibeya was asked to meet with DRC’s National Police Commissioner, General John Numbi (who also is a Kabila’s kingpin-cum-link with Rwandan regime and the close associate of Laurent Nkunda (the renegade general). He was required to do so a day before his demise.

Other reports have it that one, Colonel Daniel Mukalay (the head of the police intelligence unit DRGSS), confessed to have killed Chibeya but without intent to do so! Unfortunately though, the reports did not disclose what was Mukalay doing with Chibeya so as to end up killing him without intent to do so? What was the intent of being with Chibeya? There’s something fishy hither.

Doesn’t this show that all the nasty so-called stage-managed exhibits found alongside the body of Chibeya, namely condoms and Viagra were planted by the security agents, whom by looking at the personalities involved, were ordered by the top to finish up this provocateur in a brutal and degrading way?

If anything, this shows how stupid and myopic our criminal regimes act and how heartless, cannibalistic and shameless they are. I suppose they wanted us to believe that Chibeya died as results of Viagra overdose, but what of his driver? I am trying to address this issue in order to convince the masses to dispel and ignore allegations by deeds and implications that Chibeya’s death is related to sexual matters in anyway. This shame does not affect Chibeya but Kabila, his regime and the whole nation. The condoms and Viagra found besides the body were planted in order to shame the deceased and disguise the actual cause of his death.

Many international figures have urged DRC’s authorities to bring Chibeya’s killers to book. But is this enough? Given that the whole circumstances of Chibeya’s death leads directly to the high and mighty in the current regime, why shouldn’t the whole government been held responsible?

Reports had it recently that DRC was due to enjoy the cancellation of about $8,000,000,000 from its debt to international community. Why should such a reward be given to a blood-spurting regime? Why shouldn’t the donors squeeze it to see to it that the butchers of Chibeya are facing the music? Shall donors commit this silent conspiracy, they’d know they’re but blessing the assassinations and intimidation of human rights activists. Thus defeat their stance on restoration and promotion of true democracy.

The US State department issued its statement as thus: “We are concerned about the killing of human rights defenders in DRC in recent years, and note that the Congolese human rights groups remain  particularly vulnerable to arbitrary arrests and detention and other abuses by security forces.” To be concern only does not address or arrest this chronic anathema, the US State department confesses of. We need actions not sweet words. Crocodile tears can not help anything given that thuggish and murderous regimes in Africa are kept in power by the same rich countries conveying such “heartfelt condolences and condemnations.”

Though the whole issue is still under investigation, circumstantially, one may point a finger at the high and mighty that were on the list of Chibeya, thanks to their violating human rights in DRC. And this becomes my concern, thanks to technical-know-who and protectionism in the upper echelons of power in Africa. To fully substantiate this I shall cite the demise of former Kenyan foreign minister Robert Ouko’s mysterious death as an example on 13 February 1990 among and others. Many high and mighty close to the then president Daniel arap Moi were water-tightly implicated. But thanks to Moi’s barbaric state of terror and protectionism, the same criminals are still free so as to vie even for political posts and Moi got away with it! Another example is the highly suspicious death of General James Kazini in neighbouring Uganda on 11 November 2009. Since his suspicious demise, apart from arresting pawns, who has ever been brought to book? Who is squeezing the authorities to deliver justice? There are many living examples of which the most controversial and laughable is the felling of Tanzania former prime minister Edward Sokoine in 1984.

The media reported that the late Chibeya was supposed to meet IGP Numbi whom, sadly though he didn’t meet except his death. What does this tell especially about the person responsible for security of the whole nation? And mark this, Chibeya had received many threats from high placed people among whom Numbi was mentioned. Also his being nosey to the government did not augur well with president Joseph Kabila.

Now that evidence point at Kabila’s men, why shouldn’t he be squeezed to tell us who killed Chibeya? It is right time to ask Kabila and co who killed Chibeya and why?

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.

Father’s Day Jazzuloo: Rebirth of a Cool Dad

On this Father’s Day weekend, I’ve been thinking about what it takes to be a good father. This has caused me to once again reflect on my relationship with my deceased father and to question whether he a good father when he was alive? We weren’t close at all. In fact we never had much to say to each other. He never developed a close emotional bond with me or my siblings, or anyone else for that matter. It just wasn’t apart of his personality. Regardless, he was a good man who always put his family first and provided for us. We never lacked for anything and he rarely answered “no” if we asked him for something. He wasn’t perfect… none of us are… but when it’s all said and done, as I reflect, I do believe he was a good father to us.

Since my son has been born, I think a lot about being a good father to him and lately more and more, I have been considering what that really means. I look around at my peers who are fathers and ask myself: “are they good fathers and if so, why?” It also leads me back to why I think my father was a good father. I must admit that I consciously interact with my son in ways I wish my father had with me, so I am building a strong, close relationship with him. Anyway, I have concluded that there isn’t one standard answer to this question. There are many characteristics and varied dynamics in a relationship that can lead one to be considered a good father.

So I now turn my attention to what makes a “cool dad”. We all know someone, whether personally or a celebrity, who we consider to be “cool”. They are usually charismatic, don’t operate within what we would term: “the norm” and are trend-setters. They have this certain“swagga”, so that when they enter a room, or when we are in their presence, they become the center of attraction. We want to be like them. Secretly… truth be told… sometimes we wish we were them.

How does this translate into fatherhood? Well here are some attributes which I believe makes a father… a cool dad. Feel free to add your own jazz licks to this composition! It’s a jazzuloo thang…

1. A cool dad marries the mother of his children
Hello! I’ve lived with a woman and I’ve been married (twice). So I can relate when I hear of situations where people have been living together for years, get married, and 6 months later they divorce. It’s a whole different mentality and level of commitment when you live with someone vs. when you marry them. And for the record, if you have numerous children by numerous women, you’re not a cool dad, you’re a serial fuckup!

2. A cool dad treats the mother of his children with the utmost respect
Physical, sexual, verbal and emotional abuse is absolutely not cool. A cool dad is even cognizent of his tone of voice when he speaks to her in the presence of their children. It’s also very uncool to make derogatory remarks about her and her new man, boyfriend or husband!

3. A cool dad is the supreme role model, especailly in the more obscure things
I remember a few years ago reading about a study which looked at some of the behaviours of young black boys in comparisons to their white peers. One that I found astonishing was that they found a majority of the black boys would more often sit when they urinated, while the white boys who would stand. It concluded that’s what the black boys had learnt (and seen) from their primary caregivers, who were their mothers and/or other female members of the family. My almost 3 year old son, who is potty training, now refuses to sit when he pees. He removes his diaper and wants to stand like his dad.

4. A cool dad spends quantity as well as quality time with his children
In Canada we are allowed 1 year of paid parental leave. My wife took the first 8 months and I took the remaining 4. It was the best decision I ever made in my life… next to asking my wife to marry me of-course (wink). During that time when I nurtured my son, he and I developed a unique emotional bond which is the foundation of our relationship. So now he expects me to spend a lot of time with him, as well as my undivided attention.

5. A cool dad dresses his children for success
Instead of buying your children expensive designer, name brand clothes, which they will outgrow in a month or so anyway, buy generic brands from department and/or discount stores. There’s also no shame with wearing “hand me downs” from relatives and friends. The money saved can then be invested in a fund for your children’s college or university education.

6. A cool dad is really cool when…
 …he watches Dora the Explorer instead of football; dances with The Wiggles; gets on the floor to do yogo with the Waybaloos; plays doll house, dress up and tea party instead of the lastest video game; hugs his son and lets him cry instead of telling him to “man up”; turns off the t.v. or computer to explain for the umpteenth time: “why….?”; goes to the park to play when all you just want to do is “veg out” after dealing with people’s bullshit all day.

Happy Father’s Day… and Be Cool!

“Juneteenth: A Time for Self-Assessment” by R. Dozier Gray

Commentary submission by Project 21

Juneteenth is the June 19 anniversary of the day in 1865 when the black residents of Galveston, Texas learned about the Emancipation Proclamation and their freedom. Today, its commemoration is a reason for parties and celebration nationwide.

More importantly, however, Juneteenth is a time to reflect on where we as blacks have been and a time to conduct an azimuth check on where we are going. It is a time for clarity. It is a time to count the ways in which we are free and a time to take stock of the chains that bind us still.

Juneteenth is a time to take measure of ourselves — as men, as husbands, as women, as wives and sons and daughters. It is a time to plot a course of freedom from debt, immorality and lethargy.

No one ever truly freed a man but himself, and no one ever really enslaved a man but himself. Bob Marley, the late and great reggae icon, said it best: “None but ourselves can free our minds.” With that freedom, he believed we can move on triumphantly. Obtaining freedom from physical chains is an easy task. This “free mind” thing is a little trickier.

It is unfortunate that some black bloodlines have gone from having members whose very existence was bound to a slave master to now being bound by government and to the sorrowful empathy of others for their very sustenance.

There are no chains, but is their existence truly free? If our history teaches us anything, it should be that the fullness of absolute God-given liberty should be jealously guarded. We should see any infringement on our inalienable freedoms as an infringement on the Spark of the Divine that is within us all.

Frankly, it should not have to be the Ron Pauls, Newt Gingrichs, and Ronald Reagans of the world leading us grudgingly to a future where our biblical talents can be shone freely and unencumbered. It should have been black America.

Free men do travel among us. I consider myself among them. We seek to map a better course. And, while any journey first requires an understanding of where the traveler is, its continuance requires necessary self-assessments and subsequent course corrections.

We must periodically face hard truths. Blaming others provokes nothing but pity. Blaming oneself begets little but shame. Face these truths and learn from them. There is no need to blame anyone. What’s important is knowing where we are as a people and charting a course toward a freer future.

Haven’t we outgrown the leftovers from the 1960s yet? Haven’t failed nanny states run their course? When will we truly be tired of black women having babies out of wedlock over 50 percent of the time? Isn’t it sad and pathetic that, without out-of-wedlock childbirth, the black community in America could not sustain its numbers? Aren’t we sick yet with politicians who take us for granted or sometimes ignore us? Why aren’t we more fed up yet with the club-to-church-to-club lifestyle?

I am personally tired and sick and sick and tired of seeing a worn-out old slave mentality rear its ugly head in the form of “fathers” who don’t take care of their kids, “mothers” who have kids without bothering to find and keep a husband and young people without the nurturing or self-determination to reach beyond the situations into which they were born. The list goes on.

Nonetheless, celebrate Juneteenth!

Right now is not be the time to mark this solemn commemoration with just barbeques and parties — though barbeques are never a bad thing. Instead, this is a time for calm and reasoned reflection and honest and soul-centered introspection.

R. Dozier Gray is a member of the national advisory council of the black leadership network Project 21.

sat’day riddymz

Imaginary Racism in La-La Land

Racism, or “White Supremacy Ideology” as I like to refer to it as, is a syndrome that will never go away. Not in my lifetime at least… and I doubt very much in my son’s. It’s difficult enough combating the numerous legitimate cases of racism we face individually or as a community, whether blatant or systemic, that we don’t need to create “imaginary” incidents. These fantasy based events do nothing but provide more fodder for those in the dominant community to dismiss… or at least question the credibility… of the real consequences regarding white supremacy ideology. 

The Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP claims that a Hallmark graduation audio card, featuring cartoon characters Hoops and Yoyo is racist and advocates violence against Black women. Here’s the card:

Here’s the press conference by Jasmine Cannick and the NAACP: 

Are you freaking kidding me!? This is what the L.A. chapter of the NAACP is spending their time and energy on!? They’re no actual incidents of racism for them to combat, so they have to make this sh*t up!?

It’s for antics such as this one that long, looong ago, I stopped caring (or even commenting) about the activities of the NAACP. They have become a caricature, an embarrassingly bad caricature, of a civil rights organization. Lately they are known more for their back-stabbing and in-fighting for personal power, as well as ridiculous publicity stunts (which includes their so-called “Image Awards”), than being involved in anything relevant in regards empowering the African-American community. They’ve become cartoon characters like Hoops and Yoyo, but with less relevance, even less credibility and no entertainment value.  

I don’t usually agree with the views of Bob Parks of Project 21, but in this case he’s pretty much right on point:

Crying Wolf Over a “Racist” Cat and Rabbit

It is said that you can’t debate the insane. That must have been Hallmark’s strategy.

After three years on the market, the greeting card giant Hallmark quickly pulled a graduation card after half-baked claims were made by the Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP that the card is racist.

Starring the Hallmark-designed characters Hoops and Yoyo, the controversial card contains a small speaker from which the cartoon cat and rabbit exclaim: “This graduate is going to run the world, run the universe and run everything after that. Yeah, whatever that is. And you black holes? You’re so ominous.” A few seconds later, they add: “And you planets? Watch your back.”

Apart from the audio, the card reads: “You’re graduating? Well then, it’s time to let the world know what’s coming. But not only the world. NOOOO! We’re talking the entire Solar System.” It additionally boasts: “Watch out, Saturn, this grad is going to run rings around you.”

Despite all the astronomical references, the NAACP members insist Hoops and Yoyo are advocating violence against “black whores,” not “black holes.” That’s what they claim the card says.

The logic of Leon Jenkins, the president of the NAACP’s Los Angeles chapter, certainly seems airtight. In a video posted on YouTube by community activist Jasmyne Cannick, Jenkins points out that something that is “ominous” is evil. Something that is evil must have a “body” or “conscious thought.” That fits a black woman — not a collapsed star, he says. And then, he adds, there’s the card’s “watch your back” threat.

Q.E.D.

Pay no mind that the “watch your back” taunt is made toward planets and not to whatever one might think that one particular word is. But Jenkins has that covered. As he explains in the Cannick-posted video, “if reasonable people can listen to this and interpret it the way I did, you need to pull it.”

Reasonable, eh?

Whether or not reasonable people can debate the legitimacy of cartoon animals personifying celestial objects is debatable all by itself. Whether this is a sinister conspiracy to incite children’s anger against a specific race and gender through a throwaway greeting card is yet another.

Both are silly, and Jenkins and his pals don’t have an intellectual leg to stand on.

It might have also been to the group’s benefit if everyone was on the same page. In a local news segment, NAACP member Minnie Hartley claimed the card says “black whores” and insisted “the r is in there.” Cannick transcribes it on her video as “black hos.” Jenkins seems to hear both, as he alternates in interviews.

Has there been an unexplained, up to now, surge in assaults on African-American prostitutes by recent grade-school graduates over the past three years? That might lend some credibility to wild-eyed claims of corporate conspiracy.

But why should logic prevail? Hallmark couldn’t rush to pull the card fast enough. Before the activists even had their press conference, Hallmark called to announce the card was being pulled.

Drug stores chains such as CVS and Walgreens also called Leon Jenkins to apologize for having it in stock. Jenkins says he is going to have a sit-down with CVS to “look at how they can do some… things for the black community.”

Do some things?  It sounds like Jenkins might have tipped his hand.

Two things come to mind as a motivation for this greeting card controversy: a cry for attention or set-up for a shakedown.

For every inspired modern NAACP crusade such as their funeral for the “n-word,” there are many more complaints about too few black actors on television, Confederate flags or this greeting card. There’s a failure to realize that flailing for relevance demeans the NAACP’s successful and storied history.

If this is the more sinister of the two — that racism is being cried to solicit money or influence — it’s a much more serious and possibly criminal situation.

What’s worse, a racist rabbit or a corrupt civil rights group?