Hi Everyone, I'm not sure whether or not to respond to this posting. I accept that it is possible that I lack 'common sense' and 'simple understanding'. I certainly will not use these terms against Saiks because I believe he has them aplenty.(no pun intended) But that is not the point. I believe I have demonstrated on many occasions how proud I am of our African heritage, both on the List and elsewhere. At a Commonwealth Conference that I attended last year(10-12 July) on the theme, 'Values in Commnonwealth Education', I was, to use their term 'grilled' by eminent intellectuals and academics (all of them 'white') about my African heritage. Questions were fired at me from different directions. I was even asked about the 'Hassan' I have as my middle name. One African, Emmanuel, who works as a Programmme Officer at the Secretariat(Sam Njie should him), was present. People are free to ask him. I don't have one set of views for the L and another for another audience. With me, people know exactly where I stand. In his posting, Saiks says that I lack 'the simple understanding that we as Africans have an experience with religion,whether this is Islam or Christianity'. Let me just say that I have taught and written on the subject for many years. Also, Saiks mentions Christianity and Jesus's race. I am not going into what the churches in Latin America should or should not do. I leave that to the Liberation Theologists. Suffice to say that Jesus was a Jew. His pictures and portraits are found in almost all churches. This is not the case in Islam. There is not a single picture or portrait of the Prophet in any mosque. and there is no suggestion, directly or otherwise, that he could be God incarnate. So the question of seeing a 'black' face, a 'pink' face or a 'yellow' face all the time does not arise. This argument is therefore irrelevant here. Saiks is entitled to his views about Farakhan. I posted his website yesterday to ease the tension a bit. When I entered 'momodou' it gave me names like 'hunky bear' and other similarly unsuitable ones. I hope people did not think I was serious. But, like everyone else, including Saiks, Farakhan is also entitled to his views. Like everyone else also, I believe he is not perfect. I think these are the main points raised. If I have not addressed any, please draw my attention to it. In conclusion, I cannot remember saying what Saiks is suggesting I have said, namely, 'This is why you can have people like Momodou Njie who will tell you >that you have to think first as a Muslim and then as a Gambian or that it >is >of no importance to have an Arabic name instead of a Gambian name.' Where did I say this? Cheers. Momodou >From: saiks samateh <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: [Re: COLLECTING TYPICAL GAMBIN NAMES] >Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1999 06:51:20 PDT > >Hamadi, >I share some of your views points in relation to this topic.The problem >with >Momodu is that he lacks the simple understanding that we as Africans have >an >experience with religion,whether this is Islam or Christianity,and this is >what must mould our understanding and relationship to them.When the Latin >American priest understood there historic experience with Christianity they >began to look at the whole issue from their own perspective,they made sure >that Jesus thinks like an ordinary Latino.This is the same thing that >Kurdish >Islamic scholars are doing.And this is why Malcom was saying do not go to >the >church were you are told Jesus is white and Mary is White,go to that church >were they preach black consciousness.There are so many things that we take >to >be Islamic culture which is an Arabic culture and does not have anything to >do >with religion.Take this name issue,you are right that being called Fatou >does >not make you a better muslim than Jabou or Tombong,why then make Arabic >names >so holy ?Arabic names that have existed long before Islam.Arabic Islamic >scholars have brilliantly integrated their culture into the Islamic >religion,in the interest of their culture and for reason of assimilation.In >Gambia particularly,and Africa in general,our Islamic scholars become very >much brain washed,instead of thinking African they think more Arabic than >even >the Arabs.This is why you can have people like Momodou Njie who will tell >you >that you have to think first as a Muslim and then as a Gambian or that it >is >of no importance to have an Arabic name instead of a Gambian name. >One must think critically no matter what religion one belongs to,if not we >will just be doing the dirty works of others. >Lets take the issue of that racist Louis Frakan.He can say everything about >the Jews and White Americans,but he travel to Sudan, shake hands with >leaders >of murderous regime,called them Brothers,received monies from them >withouttelling them to stop the murdering of Black Africans .He can travel >to >Mauritania,shake hands with those slave trades,received money from them >called >them Brothers,without asking them to stop the enslavement of Black >Africans.These are muslim states not so.Do you think Malcom will entertain >such bullshitts,is it surprising that they have something to do with murder >of >the Brother.Malcom was a muslim but a very conscious one,he was relating to >Islam first as an oppressed black man and from the concrete situation of >his >people.These are the types of scholars we need and not those who are proud >of >telling us how good they are in mastering Arabic cultures/history in >relation >to Islam and that this all history is about.We have had enough of this,it >is >time for new way of thinking. > >For Freedom > >Saiks > > > > > >The debate about using traditional African names in lieu of Western or Arab >ones has for a long time now caught the attention of Africanists, >intellectuals and politicians alike. If I'm not wrong the late Kwame >Nkrumah preferred to go by his traditional rather than his christian >baptissimal name, if he had one for that matter. The late Mobutu Sese Seko >Kuku Wazabanga (whatever in the world that means) prohibited Zaireans the >use of Western names. > >In The Gambia, as in most other African countries people have a tendency to >use a Western or Arabic name to baptise their children. There is a general >belief that African names have an echo of paganism tied to them and that >they should always be superimposed by a "biblical"/Jewish, Greek or >"Islamic"/Arabic name. Often it is from the latter category that a name is >chosen for the new and it is this name that is recorded in the birth >certificate of the child. Some christian denominations would even go so >far >as to add another name after confirmation. > >A philospher once said that a peoples' religion will always carry elements >of the culture of the founders of that religion. In pre-islamic Arabia as >in pre-christian Europe the names that we so commonly consider holy and >sometimes sacriligious are the same names that were used by the >idol-worshippers of those eras. I can bet that Abu Bakr = father of the >cattle, Al-ahssan = the best or Peter and Paul do not bear more >significance >than Ngone, Samba and Demba in the eyes of God. > >Whatever the reason advanced for borrowing Arabic and Western names to >baptise our children (when we have an endless list of our own names is it >has just been proofed in this List), we cannot ignore the fact a peoples' >culture is their best I.D. in the arena of nations. > >PS. For the sake of clarification I think that Almami, Alkali, Alpha, >Asiatou, Boubacarr/Babucarr, Sana (Hassan), Sainey (Alhuseiny)and Yassin >are Arabic and not traditional Gambian names. Our Islamic scholars and >Arabophones will agree with me on this. > > > > >_______________________________________________________________ >Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. 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