Category: Hannatu Musawa

Every December 1 is a day set aside to mark the World AIDS Day. It is a day which avails people an opportunity worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV/AIDS, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died as a result of AIDS. It is a day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. Government and health officials, non-governmental organisations and individuals around the world observe the day, often with education on AIDS prevention and control. Globally there are an estimated 34 million people who have the virus. Despite the fact that the virus was only being identified in 1984, more than 35 million people have died of it, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history. However, today, breakthrough scientific advances have been made in HIV treatment. Also, now, there are laws that protect people living with HIV and we have come to understand so much more about the condition.

Nigeria has the second-largest number of people living with HIV worldwide. The HIV epidemic in Nigeria is complex and varies widely by region. In some states, the epidemic is more concentrated and driven by high-risk behaviours, while other states have more generalised epidemics that are sustained primarily by multiple unconventional interactions in the general population. Youth and young adults in Nigeria are particularly vulnerable to HIV, with young women at higher risk than young men. There are many risk factors that contribute to the spread of HIV in our society, including high-risk practices among itinerant workers, high prevalence of STD’s, clandestine practices, international trafficking of women, and irregular blood screening.

With recent improved access to anti-retroviral treatment in parts of the world including Nigeria, HIV positive people can live a longer and fulfilled life. In fact, HIV/AIDS is fast becoming a “non-issue” as many people have been successfully living with the HIV virus. Breakthroughs and understanding of the ailment have made it possible for the virus to become more and more manageable. Compared to 20-years ago when having HIV/AIDS was akin to a death warrant, now having the ailment can be managed. Thus, while there is no known cure for AIDS, the virus can be largely managed via treatments: specifically anti-retroviral treatments and well-balanced diets.

As we join others globally in celebrating Worlds Aids Day, we must not forget preventive measures that must be adopted as a way of life in order to prevent the infection and further spread of the virus. Over time, various preventive measures have been launched to educate people on the ailment. Among these are combinations of prevention programmes, which have been considered to be the most effective initiative. The most effective, however, is ABSTINENCE! While other preventive measure have recorded high success rates in preventing more HIV/AIDS infection, it is vitally important for all concerned to emphasise the issue of abstinence, as the best form of preventive measure.

Abstinence or restraint is the practice of refraining from all aspects of intimate activity for medical, psychological, legal, social, financial, philosophical, moral or religious reasons. In fact, from all aspects of everything! While abstinence seems to be the exception in this rotten day and age that we have come to witness, it should be the norm! Abstinence is often viewed as an act of self-control over an instinct to be intimate. But self-control can also be natural and it wouldn’t kill anyone of us to practice that self-control. The display of the strength of character allows the abstainer to set an example for those not able to contain their base-urges! At other times, abstinence has been seen as a great social skill practiced by those who refuse to engage with the material and physical world. Those in the society that propose total abstinence out of the confines of marriage consider it as an ‘essential’ means to reach a particular intellectual or spiritual condition, or that chastity allows one to achieve a required self-control or self-consciousness.

Alas, in this terrible time of incongruity, abstinence has been relegated to the back burner. The society seems to be largely disenchanted. Just one glance on the social media, the film industry and the public interactions between the two genders and it would presumably seem that our norms, traditional beliefs and religion, which encourage chastity before marriage, have been severely punctured over time. In fact, it almost seems as if it is no longer fashionable to be chaste before or between marriages.

In most cases, when the youth claim to be chaste, they are either not believed or are looked down upon. Yes, it honestly seems like our society has deteriorated to that extent. Untoward behaviour seems to be more attractive. A large amount of content in the entertainment media involve lewd behaviour. In some societies there seems to be a blasé attitude to the habit of having children before marriage, when it was greatly frowned upon before. Some celebrities who conduct themselves in an unsavoury manner remain role models to many youths. Teenage pregnancies and early single parenthood, which used to be frowned upon has become more fashionable these days.

Apparently, easy accessibility to carnal contents has sky-rocketed with the advent of the internet. Through the grapevine, one hears about youths surfing the web, from one erogenous site to another, downloading amatory content. Psychologically, this contributes to youth becoming negatively adventurous at an early age and before marriage.

In a study, published in the Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, in the journal of the American Medical Association, they randomly assigned 662 students to one of four different programmes; an eight-hour abstinence-only programme stressing the benefits of delaying intercourse; an eight-hour safe carnal programme stressing the use of protection; a comprehensive intervention that covered both abstinence and carnal protection; and a control group that offered health information unrelated to intimate behaviour. The only program that successfully delayed the start of intimate activity was the abstinence -only programme. By the end of two years, only the abstinence-only group had less people who had engaged in intimacy, compared with almost half of the control group. From the findings of the above experiment, it is evident that abstinence-only education approach works best.

As a people, we have to encourage abstinence especially when educating our children and youths in the society. Our graphic education programmes should involve and address the benefits of abstinence.

It should be explicitly stated that abstinence is the only 100 per cent preventive measure, effective in preventing teen pregnancy and STDs, such as HIV/AIDS.

Also, censuring inappropriate internet sites particularly should be contemplated by the Nigerian government in trying to curb inappropriate activity among youths. It is high time our society stopped shying away from addressing the inappropriate behaviour hidden in the society.

In order to effectively curb the spread of HIV/AIDS and other STDs, teenage pregnancy, and inappropriate pre-marital intimacy, our institutions (such as the family, the religious/traditional institution, formal and informal educational institutions and the government) need to advocate more on abstinence, in particular, as the ‘only’ effective preventive measure.

“When we speak, the Zoo trembles. That is what happens when a cattle rearing terrorist and pedophile is your ruler. Message to every #Hardcore Biafran, if you find anybody in your village asking after Radio Biafra, kill the Baboon Awusa Foolani or Yorobber bast*ard. Let them keep searching as we keep tweeting for Biafra. Lunatics.”

–This was the exact (verbatim) message posted on Nnamdi Kanu’s Twitter handle on the 28th June 2015 at approximately 11:00 pm.

The above excerpt was posted by Nnamdi Kanu, the London based director of the radio station, Radio Biafra, and a leading member of a movement agitating for Self-Determination from Nigeria to form the sovereign State of Biafra.

Now, let me say this; before I had the sickening experience of going to the social media platforms owned by Mr Nnamdi Kanu and reading the dangerously frightening, chilling and venomous hate-filled rhetoric that this young man has been spewing, I was one of those who disagreed with the current measures taken against him. I felt that his imprisonment was counter productive and I feared that there were frightening parallels between the current tensions raised by his incarceration and the sectarian, religious and anti-government rage that preceded the current insurgent uprising in the North East. In the same way that I felt the government could have handled the situation and fallout of Mohammed Yusuf’s capture in a more cautious manner, I also felt that the present government should handle the capture of Mr Nnamdi Kanu in a more cautious way. I still feel, going forward, that the government needs to be a lot more careful, strategic and structured in the decisions it makes on Mr Nnamdi Kanu.

While doing some background on Mr Nnamdi Kanu and reading his social media posts, I came across scores and scores of his hate filled rhetoric online, which legitimizes violence. I experienced three emotions. The first was of a mischievous amusement because his head looked like a Watermelon that was so absolutely ginormous he would probably need a mattress to serve as a pillow. I imagined that his nickname would be Mr Bobblehead. The second was an anxious curiosity I felt about his home environment as a child. I wondered what kind of toxic setting he grew up in that shaped this misguided young man into the hate filled reprobate making the posts I read. The third was a deep compassion I felt for him. I felt sad to see another, amongst us, whose heart was so condemned, it perished in the deep, dark, lonely dungeon of such bigotry and loathing.

I wanted to write on some of the issues that had been raised by Mr Watermelon-Head (if I may call Mr Kanu that since it seems so fitting) in his quest to actualize Biafra, however there were a plethora. Understanding and loving the South East and the people of the South East the way I do, I feel a responsibility to dissect the matters thoroughly. In order to do so, I will separate the main issues into different articles.

Considering the fact that the basis of Mr. Watermelon-Head’s campaign is hinged on a quest for Self-determination for Biafra, I will first examine the legal ramifications and possibility of a declaration of political autonomy from Nigeria on the backdrop of the United Nations Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It is not the first time the issue of Self-Determination from Nigeria has come up. In the past, groups have attempted to make use of Art 1(2) of the United Nations Charter as well as other International Covenants to assert the third generation right for political autonomy, however, the position of International legal principles and set precedents established in regards to Self-determination is not as simple and straightforward as one would assume. I’ll explain…

Under Art 1, ICCPR/ICESCR, Art 1(2), UN Charter; Art 20(1), ACHPR; Art 2, AL], it is provided that:

“All peoples have the right to self-determination…”

“All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation, based on the principle of mutual benefit, and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence.”

“The State Parties to the present Covenant, shall promote the realization of self-determination, and shall respect that right, in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.”

As clearly evidenced in the provisions of the United Nations Charter, international law has always held the right to self-determination at a high standing because its recognition is vital for the effective guarantee and observance of individual human rights and for the promotion and strengthening of those rights. However, even with the importance attached to this right, in the wake of decolonization, the right to self-determination stands as one of the most debatable aspects of modern international human rights law we have today.

The accepted view of self-determination is that it is a right exercised primarily by people living under colonial regimes, which could be exercised once and once only to remove the colonial regime in question. Essentially it was taken as referring to the right of a group of people, normally of one distinct territory, to decide collectively the manner in which they wish to be ruled or governed. However, even though the right to self-determination for all peoples is an apparently inalienable human right, it must be noted that it is not necessarily an absolute right. Most notably, its application to peoples living under non-colonial domination is not so apparent.

As a starting point, it must be established that the right to self-determination is a group right, but one of its main problems lies with its beneficiaries; who are the people to whom the rights ascribe? Due to the fact that the right is only exerciseable by ‘peoples’, the law has to be satisfied that those who seek it meet the threshold of ‘peoples’ under international set principles. The meaning to be attributed to the concept of ‘peoples’ for the rights of people in international law in this regard includes, groups who enjoy a common historical tradition, racial or ethnic identity, cultural homogeneity, linguistic unity, religious or ideological affinity, territorial connection or common economic life. The group as a whole must have the will to be identified as a people or the consciousness of being a people. In view of this definition, it is presumed that Mr. Watermelon-Head’s definition of the Biafran people satisfies the definition of ‘peoples’ for the purpose of securing their indigenous rights under the United Nations Convention.

Conversely, in respect of self-determination of ‘peoples’, two other vital aspects have to be distinguished; the internal and external aspect of self-determination. The right has an internal aspect, that is to say, the rights of all peoples to pursue freely their economic, social and cultural development without outside interference. In that respect, there exists a link with the right of every citizen to take part in the conduct of public affairs at any level, as referred to in Article 5 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. In consequence, governments are to represent the whole population without distinction as to race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin. On the other hand, the external aspect of self-determination implies that, all peoples have the right to determine freely their political status and their place in the international community based upon the principle of equal rights and exemplified by the liberation of peoples from colonialism and by the prohibition to subject peoples to alien subjugation, domination and exploitation.

Within the backdrop of establishing the internal and external aspect of self-determination follows the issue of territorial integrity. The main bone of contention for any group or peoples within a defined national boundary that wish to declare their right to self-determination is the fact that international law has developed within a framework of respect for the territorial integrity of a state. Cohabiting with the United Nations’ encouragement of self-determination is its very strict practice of respect for the territorial integrity of a State, a policy deeply against partial or total interference with the territorial integrity of a State. Territorial integrity and respect therefore is enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, Art 2. The General Assembly, in Declaration 1514 on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples in 1960 even went as far as purporting to exclude the exercise of self-determination by discernible groups: ‘Any attempt aimed at the partial or total disruption of the national unity and the territorial integrity of a country is incompatible with the purpose and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.’

In a leading Canadian case with similar facts to the declaration that Mr. Watermelon-Head may well rely on, the court was very clear on the position of United Nations Charter in regard to the right to self-determination of indigenous people within a defined state. On the question of whether international law principles recognize Quebecers right to self-determination which could legally effect the unilateral secession of Quebec from Canada, the court concluded that; ‘Canada is a sovereign and independent State conducting itself in compliance with the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, thus the Quebecers had no right to secede’. In the judgement, the Supreme Court had recognized the right of a people to self-determination and acknowledged that much of the Quebec population satisfied the criteria for determining the definition of a ‘people.’ However, the court then distinguished between internal and external self-determination; the former being the accepted political development of a State and the latter could only be invoked unilaterally in extreme situations. The Quebecers were accorded internal self-determination insofar as their linguistic rights are recognised; they have a fair representation in national legislative, executive and judicial bodies and their culture is not threatened. The court received many submissions on behalf of other indigenous Canadians who also argued for their own territory and autonomy. But this point was not even addressed by the court because no application of the principle of self-determination was found as justified vis-à-vis Quebec and therefore no other indigenous group or tribe could invoke that right.

But even with these set principles, there are instances where international law applies a different criterion in cases it considers extreme. The scope of an extreme situation justifying external self-determination was addressed in the opinion of the African Commission of Human Rights in Katangese Peoples’ Congress V Zaire. It was suggested that where a State denies a group participation in the Government process and violates their fundamental rights, the territorial integrity of the State may not be such a paramount consideration.

Furthermore, other instances where support for the extension of the principle of Self-determination to indigenous populations may be inferred have been recorded. One such example was from the powerful separate opinion laid down in the Western Sahara Case. The judge opined that; “It hardly seems necessary to make more explicit the cardinal restraints which the legal right of self-determination imposes… It is for the people to determine the destiny of the territory and not for the territory to determine the destiny of the people.” But even such a strong ‘obiter’ is not without ambiguity. It could be inferred from this that the ‘people’ must be of a whole territory and hence the judgement conforms to the territorial view of the United Nations. On the other hand, the use of the term territory could be taken to mean that the land could be part of an existing State. This still causes some problems for self-determination with the colonial framework where questions of succession arise.

While unilateral secession is not specifically prohibited, it is clear that international law does not specifically grant component parts of sovereign states the legal right to secede unilaterally from their parent state. Self-determination is clearly acceptable for divesting States of colonial powers but the problems arise when groups not in solo occupation of a given defined State territory choose to exercise self-determination.

Although the policy of self-determination has had some notable successes in the post-colonialist era; for example in Czechoslovakia where the population voted to separate and become two States, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, international law tends to lean towards territorial integrity in a clash with claims for ethnic, cultural and religious self-determination.

As earlier stated, the right to self-determination as a group right applies to the people of a State wholly and not severally. The people that Mr. Watermelon-Head is referring to as Biafrans are the nationals of Nigeria as a whole. And even though Nigeria is a decolonized State that lacks cultural and ethnic homogeneity, the whole people of the territory achieved independence through the communal exercise of self-determination.

So, based on the set precedence of the International legal provision that Mr. Watermelon-Head probably would need to seek to rely on, would such a quest for political autonomy of Biafra from Nigeria succeed under the United Nations Charter? Given the fact that it would be difficult to argue that Biafra meets the threshold of a colonial people or an oppressed people or that they have been denied meaningful access to government to pursue their political, economic, cultural and social development, any quest he may have for self-determination under the United Nations Charter would be unlikely to succeed. International law would expect any such agitation for self-determination to be sought within the framework of Nigeria.

Now, let me briefly turn to Nigerian law. Based on Nigerian internal law, Mr. Watermelon-Head’s quest is also unlikely to succeed. Provided in the preamble to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ,1999 (as Amended), the entire people of Nigeria agreed that the Country should be One Indivisible and Indissoluble Sovereign Nation. It proscribes that ;

“We the People of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: Having firmly and solemnly resolved: TO LIVE in unity and harmony as one indivisible, indissoluble, Sovereign Nation under God dedicated to the promotion of inter-African solidarity, world peace, international co-operation and understanding: AND TO PROVIDE for a Constitution for the purpose of promoting the good government and welfare of all persons in our country on the principles of Freedom, Equity and Justice, and for the purpose of consolidating the Unity of our people: DO HEREBY MAKE, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THE following constitution…”

The foregoing is a collective agreement by the Nigerian People and for this principle of indivisibility and indissolubility to be undermined by any part of Nigeria it will require the people of Nigeria coming together to agree that a part of the nation has a right to what that part considers as self determination. The Constitution is the Organic Law, governing the rights, duties, obligations, and privileges of the people of Nigeria and its supremacy must at all times be fundamentally observed. For any group of persons to seek to divide the Nation under any guise would amount to a brazen attack on the Constitution.

Mr. Watermelon-Head has got the law, both international and internal, twisted! The second limb of the preamble to the Constitution makes provision aimed at engendering peaceful coexistence and unity of Nigeria. Perhaps, Mr. Watermelon-Head should be advised to concentrate his efforts on engaging the leadership of Nigeria for… better leadership rather than go on this ‘Frolic of his own!” It is likely that the grievances Mr. Watermelon-Head has is hinged on the failure of past political leaders to promote good governance and welfare of all persons on the principles of Freedom, Equality, and Justice that has heightened his agitation for the Biafran State, which threatens the peace of the Nation.

In a nation like Ethiopia it was possible for Eritrea to exercise her right to self determination because the Ethiopian law has liberal provision that guarantees such right unlike Nigeria where the Constitution does not admit of the exercise of a right to self determination.

Therefore, if Mr. Watermelon-Head wants to declare political autonomy from Nigeria in order to enforce the United Nations’ Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples for the self determination of Biafra, he must keep in mind that in challenging the traditional anti-secessionist United Nations’ stand, the present United Nations’ practice dictates that only classic colonies, those Third-World nations under European domination can exercise the right to self-determination. In light of this, rather than relying on international law and the UN Convention or internal law to enforce his quest for self-determination, an internal decision making framework, such as a Constitutional Convention, National Conference or Constituent Assembly may be a more informed, advisable and sensible way for Mr. Watermelon-Head to present his argument for breaking away from Nigeria.

Next time, I will dissect another aspect of the issues that have been thrown up by the undertaking that Mr. Watermelon-Head also known as Mr Nnamdi Kanu has so audaciously committed himself to in his search for Biafra.

I invite you to Follow me on Twitter- @hanneymusawa

Margaret is a chartered accountant, born on November the 2nd 1979. She’s never had children, but has a wonderful husband who adores her. On June the 9th this year, Margaret was offered a fabulous new job in Kaduna, to start in August. Discussing the appointment with her husband, they decided that the appointment would be a great opportunity.

With no family history of breast cancer and no reason to believe her life was about to change for the worst, Margaret started getting dressed for the job interview. As she was getting dressed, she discovered a hard lump, the size of a small bean, in her right armpit. Margaret worried about it for a few days before consulting a doctor. The first doctor she saw diagnosed the lump as a harmless subcutaneous cyst. Not fully satisfied, Margaret went for a second opinion. The second doctor insisted on carrying out a mammogram and the test confirmed all of Margaret’s worst fears. The biopsy report showed that the lump was a malignant tumour in the advanced stage… Margaret Musa, the brilliant chartered accountant, wife and a woman with so much to look forward to, was diagnosed with breast cancer on July the 18th 2015.

Laraba is a hardworking kola nut seller, who was born on November the 2nd 1959. She has four children, nine grandchildren and a caring husband. For the last 26 years, Laraba has not eaten meat. She lives on a diet mainly consisting of fruit and vegetables. On a daily basis, Laraba walks about 15km from her house to the market where she trades. She may not know it, but Laraba is an extremely healthy and fit 61-year-old. On the 9th of June this year, Laraba was asked to supply 500 bags of kola nuts for the wedding of a chief in Lagos. Elated that the proceeds of the supply would enable her to set up a kiosk nearer her house, Laraba saw this as a great opportunity.

With no history of disease within her lineage and no reason to believe her life was about to change for the worst, Laraba started getting ready for the trip to Lagos to deliver the kola nuts. As she was getting ready, Laraba noticed some yellow puss-like liquid oozing out of her left nipple. For some time, she kept wiping away the liquid, but when it persisted, she decided to visit a herbalist. The herbalist told her it was only an infection and gave her some balm to spread on the breast and beverage to drink at night. However, when the puss turned into blood, Laraba made the decision to go to the General Hospital. At the General Hospital, Laraba was given an ultrasound scan, which eventually showed the growth of an aggressive form of cancer in its advanced stage. Laraba Olusore, the hardworking wife, mother and grandmother, a woman excitedly looking at the prospect of an easier life, was diagnosed with breast cancer on the 18th of July 2015.

The stories of Margaret and Laraba, two women looking forward to a positive stage in their lives, are tragic, but not dissimilar to the tales of millions of women who suffer from breast cancer. Regardless of what the textbooks say about the pre-disposing factors of having breast cancer, the reality is that every woman could be told she has breast cancer.

Of all the different forms of cancer, breast cancer is the most prevalent and the likelihood of having breast cancer is a prospect every woman and even some men have to take seriously. The subject of breast cancer is rarely discussed and its gravity is underrated. This has led to ignorance about the disease. As women, we need to talk about breast cancer to other women, so that we don’t continue detecting it accidentally. Without early detection, the sufferers have a smaller chance of survival. Without early detection, women face a tedious struggle to beat this vicious disease. Without early detection, Margaret and Laraba have no hope and their stories would probably end as follows…

After her diagnosis and with the chances of survival for such an advanced form of cancer very thin, Margaret religiously tried every option money could buy. But the cancer had already spread. Within a very short time, the cancer devoured Margaret’s body. Her hair began to fall out, she bore rippling pain, she became emaciated and was bedridden. Within a short time, Margaret succumbed to the cancer and on one dreary morning with her husband by her side, death finally claimed her. Margaret died of breast cancer on the 1st of November 2015, one day before her 32nd birthday.    At the time of Laraba’s diagnosis, her family didn’t have the money required for the treatment. With few options, Laraba continued to take the concoction the herbalist had given her. As the cancer ate at Laraba’s body, she became bloated. Her body developed sores, her skin became very dark and her left breast became green in colour. The puss oozing from Laraba’s nipple had become so constant and so pungent that her husband was almost repulsed at the thought of being near her. Almost as quickly as it began, with her daughters next to her, the disease that had laid claim to her life, finally came to collect. Laraba died of breast cancer on the 1st of November 2015, one day before her 62nd birthday.

Laraba and Margaret were two women with very different lives, but more in common than they ever knew. Two women who had every reason to fight for their lives, but started their fight against breast cancer too late.

While not all women can be saved from breast cancer, not all cases of this disease have to end in tragedy. As we exit the International Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we have a chance to reverse the incidence of breast cancer by creating awareness. Our Teaching Hospitals should put up posters, train nurses and enlighten patients on how to detect cancer. Our government has a duty to provide mammogram and Magnetic Resonance Imaging apparatus and modern equipment for our hospitals.

Knowledge is power and every woman should be equipped with the knowledge of how to examine her breasts for evidence of cancer at least once every month, around the week she finishes her menstrual cycle. Knowing the early signs of breast cancer is the surest way to beat the disease.

Because of early detection, Margaret and Laraba’s stories did not end in the tragic manner illustrated above. Instead…

Margaret detected the tiny lump during one of the breast screening examinations she gives herself monthly. She was lucky, because the breast cancer was in its early stage. And even though she went through a brief bout of chemotherapy, became very ill and lost all her body hair, Margaret gave breast cancer a good beating and she overcame it. Slowly, she regained her strength, perspective about life and her hair. Today, because of early detection, Margaret is a survivor of breast cancer.

Laraba recognised the swelling in her breast and constant fever as early warning signs of breast cancer, because the women in the market spoke about the symptoms. When the doctor told her that it had been detected early, Laraba was overjoyed. And although she had to have both breasts removed, Laraba’s family continue to love and admire her. Today, because of early detection, Laraba is a survivor of breast cancer.

For our two fictitious heroines, Laraba and Margaret, their stories had an encouraging end. I hope that every woman reading this article will take some time to consider the message I have tried to relay by knowing her breast cancer status and becoming breast cancer aware. While nothing can truly be foolproof against breast

As Iliyasu Adamu woke up to the news that the first sliver of the new moon had been sighted the night before, he felt a sense of optimism that he had not felt in a very long time. There was no doubt in his mind that this Eid ul-Fitr would be like no other. And as he continued to get ready to celebrate the end of the month-long fast of Ramadhan with communal prayers in his Mosque and various festivities with his family, his mind was focused on the one duty that he was determined to fulfill by the end of the day…!

Burgundy was Iliyasu’s favourite colour; he had always wanted to wear a burgundy Sallah outfit. But it was not a colour that was traditionally used to sew Babbar Riga with; men usually wore neutral, plain or pastel coloured Babbar Rigas. It had always been a mystery to Iliyasu why his community frowned at the thought of men sewing colourful traditional attire. After all, it seemed to be alright for men to wear bold coloured shirts and jackets in Western attire and women were widely accepted and encouraged to wear colourful traditional clothes.

About four years ago, on a trip to the market to buy sandals for his two children, Iliyasu’s eye caught sight of the most beautifully burgundy coloured material he had ever seen. Instantly, it was love at first sight for Iliyasu. So deep and instant was that love that Iliyasu refused to let any thought that he would never have the courage or opportunity to wear this special material dissuade him from purchasing it. As soon as he left the market with his scandals and material in his undersized black polythene bag, Iliyasu went straight to his tailor with the instruction for the tailor to sew a special Babbar Riga with the most artistic yellow embroidery. And what a job the tailor did because two weeks later, when Iliyasu went to pick up his garment, the contrast of the intricately woven yellow embroidery against the burgundy almost took his breath away. Rushing home, he laid the treasure on his bed, tilted his head and took some time to marvel at the beauty; then he carefully hung it in his closet.

Since picking up the finished garment from the tailor all those years ago, Iliyasu had brought it home and put it at the back of his cupboard where it did nothing but collect dust. He had never had the courage to wear it in public. That was until this Sallah when Iliyasu bought the burgundy masterpiece out, dusted it off and asked the washer man to wash it with extra strong starch and to iron it very straight.

As Iliyasu put on his work of genius and struggled to move in the over-starched burgundy regalia, he felt a sense of pride and contentment to be wearing a garment that reflected the optimism and brightness that he felt within himself. This was a special Eid; in fact, the most special Iliyasu would ever mark and as he and his outfit jerkily and stiffly proceed to the Mosque for the Eid prayer to thank Allah for the help and strength given to him throughout the previous month, his mind went to the other important task he had promised himself he would fulfill today…!

Ramadhan, the month on the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims abstain from food, drink and other sensual pleasures from break of dawn to sunset, was usually a spiritually fulfilling but difficult period for Iliyasu. While he was satisfied with the inner peace he felt when he prayed and beseeched God for forgiveness and mercy during Ramadhan, the abstention from food was really a great challenge for a ‘tuwo’ and ‘fura’ loving Iliyasu. He loved food almost more than anything else in his life and the humungous size of Iliyasu’s stomach exposed his secret habit of stuffing 6 servings of tuwo and 10 cups of fura in one meal. Usually Eid was a period that Iliyasu used to ‘gormandize’ to make up for lost food during the month of Ramadhan. This Eid would be no different.

In the past Iliyasu had dedicated his prayers during Ramadhan to seeking God’s intervention in the welfare of himself and his immediate family, but this year was a little different for him. Due to certain events Iliyasu had experienced within the last 18 months, this year, he went into his Ramadhan prayer first of all to be in complete devotion to Allah but secondly he went into his worship with a different need and desire from previous years. For Iliyasu, this Ramadhan was not just an abstention from food and drink, neither was it about praying for the welfare of his family. Rather, it was an exercise in patience, understanding and discipline; an exercise in which he needed to search his soul and learn what the true message of Ramadhan represents in his life.

Iliyasu lived a relatively satisfactory life. He had a patient and accommodating wife who devoted herself to their family, two children who were obedient and respectful and a job where he earned enough to comfortably support his family. He was somewhat an eccentric character and had never been a particularly sociable person. Often people referred to him as awkward. But even with that awkwardness, Iliyasu had mostly kept himself out of other people’s business, preferring to go to the river bank and watch the flow of the water in his spare time. He would do that for hours and every day after leaving work, he would go to a river bank that was not too far from his workplace to sit alone amidst the tranquillity and watch the water flow. But there was an inner feeling that Iliyasu nursed which, up until 18 months ago, he never let anyone know. Iliyasu had an innate and vicious hatred for anyone that practiced a religion that was not Islam!

By the time Iliyasu realised that he nursed these deep feelings, he had tried to dismiss them because he worked with non-Muslims in his office. But over time, from one sectarian skirmish to another in his state, that hatred had grown into a severe loathing. From Iliyasu’s point of view, Muslims in his community were constantly accused, persecuted and targeted. The situation, in his mind, became worse because every time there was a sectarian and religious conflict, the media immediately put out a report saying that it was the Muslim community which had launched the attack. This angered Iliyasu because he didn’t see the actions of the Muslims as an unprovoked attack but as retaliation for an earlier attack or injustice that was done to the Muslim community. All Iliyasu wanted to see was the end of non-Muslims in his community; he had a thirst and desire for this.

For over 8 years, Iliyasu had lived with his family in the same house. He loved where he lived because it had all the amenities that his family needed and it had a small garden in the back where Iliyasu grew carrots. But the one negative of living in the house for Iliyasu, was living next to his neighbour, Cletus.

Cletus Samson and his family had moved into the house next-door approximately 5 months after Iliyasu. In the 7 and half years that they were neighbours, the two men had barely spoken to each other. There seemed to be silent understanding of hatred between born-again Christian Cletus and devoutly Islamic Iliyasu. Each looked at the other with suspicion and contempt. Each believed they were defending, protecting, representing and doing right by their religion. Their wives were not allowed to speak to one another and their children, who happened to be the same age, were not allowed to play together. Often, the two grown men would do little things around their compounds such as throw dirt towards one another’s house to anger the other or block each other’s cars in the main driveway.

Although there was a lot of contempt between the two men, it was not until the campaigns and elections of 2011 that it came to a head. With each sticking posters of their chosen candidates on their verandas, the men found themselves, for the first time, arguing about which poster took precedence on the communal wall that linked their houses. When the election was concluded and Cletus’ candidate was declared winner, Iliyasu became enraged. Feeling cheated and incensed Iliyasu’s hatred for Cletus and every non-Muslim grew; he prayed for a way to punish Cletus and every non-Muslim in his community. He became more vocal about his feelings and the two men regularly cursed and swore at each other whenever they saw each other in the compound.