Torn About Syria: Seeing beyond the numbers and statistics

The use of Chemical weapons must be condemned but it is a pity that all it took for the world to finally sit up and notice the heinous human rights crimes in Syria is a threat of chemical weapons that could affect us.  It is as if the world is saying the indiscriminate killings in Syria do not matter as long as there is no threat of breaking a ‘No chemical weapon’ Convention that could come to haunt us all. Must we wait until there is a direct or indirect threat to us before we notice the sufferings of another?

The use of chemical weapon in warfare was condemned as abhorrent a long time ago. The first international agreement limiting the use of chemical weapons dates back to 1675, when France and Germany came to an agreement, signed in Strasbourg, prohibiting the use of poisoned bullets. The anxiety about the large scale use of Chemical weapons intensified following the horrors of World War 1 finally culminating in the adoption of Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction. The agreement is administered by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Yes, the ban on chemical weapon is an international agreement, it should be respected. However it is sad that Syria is in the news for the alleged use of chemical weapons that killed hundreds of people but Syria had been in the background even though in the past three years of Syrian war, hundreds of thousands have been killed, more than 2 million displaced and an estimated 1 million children become refugees. [Read more…]

Order your sizzling copy of Freedom To Love For ALL: Homosexuality Is Not Un-African!

BookCoverImage new vistaAbout the book

Sexuality rights remain a controversial issue in many parts of Africa; it is not just a controversial issue but also a taboo subject. Many countries in Africa still criminalize homosexuality. Sodomy laws remain part of the criminal laws thereby making it legally possible to persecute sexual minorities. For example Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania and Ghana all have laws under which homosexuality can be prosecuted. In South Africa, where the constitution recognizes same-sex relationships, gays and lesbians are often attacked, molested and persecuted for their sexual orientation. Many African societies do not provide enabling environments to discuss sexual orientation issues. Homosexuality has been condemned by many African leaders as Immoral, Un-African and a ‘White man’s disease’. 

In Nigeria, lawmakers are resurrecting a version of a widely condemned anti-homosexuality bill. [Read more…]

Egypt: Once Upon A Revolution

It is sad to see the massacre and debacle going on in Egypt. I was one of those who wholeheartedly supported the Egyptian revolution in 2011. I eagerly joined many well wishers for a solidarity rally at the Trafalgar square in London to show support for the Egyptians who were revolting against the tyranny of Mubarak. I even made a video of the rally.

I believe in the conscious, collective power of a determined people to demand for progress in their society and make a change. I also understand that this collective power can be misused in a way that could lead to retrogression.DSC00088

One of the highlights of the 2011 Egypt revolution that many chose to celebrate was the part where Christian protesters acted as body shields for their fellow Muslim protesters to allow the Muslims protesters say their daily prayers at the protest ground. Many laud this as a true sign of unity and religious tolerance. Yes, it was a nice gesture but, I was not so impressed.  Not that I did not like that they did it, but to me, it was a glimpse of problems to come. Of course the revolution was a mass action, a life defining protest, they were in it together for better or for worse and they had a common enemy, so it was in all their interest to protect one another. Although I can understand why so many saw this gesture as an icon of religious tolerance but I just did not think it was all that.

For me, I was more concerned about the mixing of religion with revolution. I would respect a revolution where people did not have to take breaks to offer prayers to a Skydaddy. I would love to be part of a revolution where we all take collective responsibility for the success or failure of the revolution without offering prayers of assistance or sacrifices to a Skydaddy. A revolution consisting of a highly religious number of people who takes breaks to pray would to me, signal a problem that would most likely arise in future. A problem of religious delusion, that could cause the deluded to infringe on human, political and civil rights of those who don’t obey the instructions of their religion. If you were ok to take breaks during a revolution to offer prayers to a skydaddy, there is a high likelihood that you might be ok in future to take the other commandments of the skydady seriously, including the commandment that women should not be heard in public, that adulterous women should be publicly stoned, that honour killings are OK and that gays should be beheaded.  I will be weary of going into alliances with such people but then, what choice does one really have when it is a spontaneous mass revolution? [Read more…]

Not begging for my LGBT/Human Rights does not make me Aggressive, just Assertive. Deal with it! Part 2

249138_10151008479421873_936068164_nI am quite active on Facebook, it is one social media I use effectively for advocacy and my personal idiosyncrasies. On my facebook page and groups, I am sometimes accused of making ‘long’ responses to comments. The truth is, I am a stickler for facts. I just can’t ignore a sentence that needs debunking, certainly not if it is right there on my wall. Therefore I tend to dissect every word that needs clarification. I guess I am one of those who can’t go to bed when someone is wrong on facebook! One good thing about this idiosyncrasy of mine is that it gives me inspiration and materials for my blog, some of those long responses are often ideas I need to share with others, especially when they address issues that crop up often. A single post would save me from having to make the same point over and over again on my facebook wall.  Now, here is another of these long responses that have now been turned into a blogpost.

It is important to shed more light on this “Stop shouting”, “stop being so aggressive”, “Listen respectfully to your abusers” admonitions I often receive from well meaning and not so well meaning self appointed advisers.  Below is a response to someone who obviously is not homophobic but was still religious enough to find my attacks on religion uncomfortable. He could not directly come out to say this so he cloaks his discomfort in words of advice and admonitions. While laying no claim to been a mind reader, unfortunately, this is one attitude I am very familiar with. [Read more…]

Not begging for my LGBT/ Human Rights does not make me Aggressive, just Assertive. Deal with it! Part 1

Wow, that was one very hot debate. During the debate someone even tweeted that i was behaving like a thug, funny. I wonder why many think gays, lesbians, bisexuals and Trans should be apologetic when asking for rights. I DEMAND my human right, not beg for it.

I am often called aggressive, confrontational and too loud for speaking out for LGBT Rights. It seems one is expected to be humble when asking for rights that others already enjoy. Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, Trans and Intersex are expected to meekly ask for the same rights their fellow citizens enjoy. When you don’t meekly beg for your rights, you are called aggressive, confrontational and “a loudmouth, disrespectful bitch”, as I have been called. [Read more…]

Pope won’t judge gays who share something in common with him: The Lord and Expensive Fabrics!

557878_702713299754730_334537535_nWell, the man in the stylish cape, silly hat and all that expensive fabrics says he won’t judge gays. How so cute!

Pope Francis magnanimously announced that:

If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?

This news has been heartily welcomed in the LGBT community. Many now flash the statement like a sort of ‘divine’ approval of their sexual orientation and armor in their LGBT Equal Rights campaign.  Even I might just flash the quote at the next catholic who  rants about how gays, bisexuals and Trans are all going to hell, but isn’t that really the position of their Pope? [Read more…]

The Christian Association of Nigeria vows to chase out gay diplomats but Archbishop Desmond Tutu won’t worship a homophobic God.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is once again making a national fool of itself and its members. Listening to the rants of its spokesperson wants to make me puke.  Really, how deluded are those religious nincompoops?

The latest hullabaloo occurred when the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr.  Olugbenga Ashiru was reported to have said:

Nigeria is not against any country for legalising  gay marriage, but in our country, given our customs and traditions, as well as religious beliefs, marriage as ordained  by God is between a man and a woman.

“But if we have diplomats with same sex spouses posted to Nigeria, we have no choice but to accredit them accordingly because they come from countries where such law is in place

However, the spokesman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and the FCT, Mr. Sunday Omr-oibe-sundayibe described the position of the minister as hypocritical and unacceptable. Mr Oibe, in a statement in Kaduna noted that both Christians and Muslims in Nigerians have all agreed that gay marriage is against their religious and cultural beliefs. Maintaining any nation that sends a gay diplomat to Nigeria is violating the laws of the land and it should be resisted.

He stated:

“We want to make it abundantly clear, be it America or Britain or any country that sends a gay diplomat to Nigeria; we will mobilise to chase him out of the country.

Really, you will chase diplomats out of Nigeria because of the gender of their adult partner?392527_440135569333535_236565153023912_1763288_63201606_n [Read more…]

Absurdities and Atrocities: #BabyOctopusNotHalfhumanHalfFish!

Wonders they say, shall never end. A Nigerian fish seller who lives in Ibadan, Nigeria, saw her fish evolve into half human half fish! The latest story goes thus:

 Strange Fish With Human Parts Causes Stir in Ibadan.

Hundreds of residents of Ibadan, Tuesday, rushed out to catch a glimpse of a strange fish which was said to have human parts at Asaka compound area of the city. The incident happened at Ile Akindele when a fish seller noticed the strange creature after removing the wrap of a frozen fish.

She said:

Before getting the fish out of the ice-pack, we needed to use knife to remove them and use water to de-freeze. I was shocked to see the frozen fish developed into a living being in the water, the description of which showed half human and half fish. I quickly called my father and some Alfas to see the strange fish”.

She screamed so loud the entire neighborhood rushed to see what the calamity was. Her father r15988_10201197211164216_1959934178_nan in, only stopping to pick his Quran to ward off whatever demons were chasing his daughter. Well, the daughter ran to her Imam for protection from the half fish half human. The tabloids and various Naija blogs revel in the story; they splashed this absurd picture of a half fish half human on their front pages. Never mind that the human half of the fish looks like the legs of a skinny white woman who probably was modeling on a beach for Victoria secrets. And well, the half fish part was an angry looking fish with sharp teeth. [Read more…]

Senator Pedophile Sani Yerima, Bishop David Oyedepo and guilty Nigerians, She is a: #ChildNotBride, #ChildNotWitch, #ChildNotHouseGirl!

Nigerians have suddenly woken up to the ills of child abuse because of an obscure part of the constitution. While we are all getting self righteous and indignant about children’s rights, let us also look at ways we are guilty of perpetrating child abuse. After all Child abuse comes in different colours, shapes  and sizes.

Religion and child abuse: 

Rape is never funny and pedophilia is nothing to joke about. It sure baffles me how people who condemn rape, who would normally freak out at the thought of a 54 year old man raping a 9 year old girl, could still praise and worship a pedophile prophet who did exactly that!

It seems being a catholic priest or an Islam prophet is a shield from being scorned at as a rapist and pedophile. And now, you can add being a Nigerian Senator or diligent follower of the Islamic faith to the list.  Why the double standard?  Even when dead, pedophiles graves should be spit on not worshiped in holy pilgrimages! [Read more…]

Cameroon Gay Rights Activist Murdered: Enough of this hate crime, join the protest!

Eric_Lembembe_Cameroon_Gay_Activist_MurderedI wish I have good news to share from Africa, but it all seems so gloomy!

 Heartbreaking news comes in from Cameroon. Another gay rights activist brutally murdered.

 Prominent Cameroonian gay rights activist and journalist Eric Lembembe has been killed in the capital, Yaounde, a rights group says. Mr Lembembe’s neck and feet appeared to have been broken and his face, hands, and feet burned with an iron, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-23331832 [Read more…]

On S29(4)b and the #ChildNotBride saga: Let’s get the facts right

It was one of those days when everything hits you at once. I was physically, intellectually, emotionally and politically tired.  I decided chldnotbrideto check my mails to take my mind off ‘issues’ but instead of some funny cat meme, the headline ‘Nigerian Senate Okays Child Marriage’ jumped at me. I screamed “Whaaatttt?” I clicked on the link to read the report and just out of nowhere I started laughing. Yeah, that was actually my first reaction, it was my first laugh of the day, actually my first laughter in days, I laughed so hard and it was very fulfilling. Now, you might wonder what was so funny about child marriage.  Honestly, nothing. Child marriage is simply child abuse and there is nothing funny about child abuse.  It was the report that gave me a lot to laugh at. Remember I said this was a day everything seemed out of my control and I was almost at a breaking point. I guess stress has a funny bone sometimes.

The news was about the dramatic proceedings in the Senate on Tuesday 16th July, 2013. The report stated:

The voting in the Senate, which lasted for about five hours, also witnessed the adoption of Section 9 of the draft bill of the amendment, which empowers the National Assembly to make an entirely new constitution for the country.

The senators also adopted Section 3A of the draft, which rejected the president’s assent to the amended constitution before taking effect.

Make new constitution for the country? Take away the power of the president to assent the constitution? I smell trouble here, the kinda trouble I would enjoy watching.  Power is hardly ever easily relinquished. Politicians will kick up a storm whenever their rivals propose to hack their powers. I eagerly await the drama that will definitely ensue.

The report further stated that the senators rejected autonomy for Local Governments, refused the proposal to make the office of the Attorney General of the Federation independent of the Minister of Justice and managed to end the day by  somehow ‘Okaying’ child marriage.

Hmm, my reaction was this laughter that went on uncontrollably for minutes. I was already picturing the president heaping abuses on the senators for daring to even suggest taking away his presidential power of assent. Also,picture the screaming Local government chairmen (well they are almost all men anyway and i am tired of complaining about the persistent use of ‘Chairman’ when it should have been changed to gender neutral ‘Chairperson’, even the few women ‘chairmen’ reject the ‘Chairperson’ tag, so much for girl power!) [Read more…]

Marriage Equality for England and Wales; A Victory for Equality!

Great news! There is Marriage equality at last for England and Wales! The House of Lords has now passed the equal marriage bill at its Third Reading for England and Wales. The bill should receive Royal Assent soon. This will pave the way for same-sex couples to have access to marriage equality.

This is a positive step forward not just for England and Wales, but for humanity as a whole too.

 

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Kudos to every individual and organization, who lobbied their lawmakers, rallied and stood up for Marriage equality.

I join all progressive minded humans to celebrate with England and Wales on this momentous occasion.

The Equality train must go round faster and faster. It is my hope that the equality train arrives in Africa sooner than later, it surely must have a stopover in Nigeria soon. [Read more…]

George Zimmerman, a free man? A sad day for Florida, America and Humanity

George Zimmerman has been declared not guilty of murdering Trayvon Martin. A sad day, a very sad day indeed. My heart atrayvon martinches. I am angry, I am depressed and I am afraid of this fury building up from deep inside of me. It is a reminder that justice is a respecter of certain persons, has colour preference and tilts favorably towards a certain class. The facts of the case are simple enough, but oh how so many wants to make it into this complicated case. They whine “You don’t understand, this is what the law says”

A barbaric law made to justify barbaric acts. Laws that should not have a place in the law book of any nation that lays claim to democracy and civilization.

It is a simple case, and here are the simple facts of the case :

On Feb 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin, a 17 year old black teenage boy was on his way to his daddy’s house in a gated neighborhood. It was raining, he had on his hooded sweatshirt, his ear buds and a bag of skittles. He was unarmed.

George Zimmerman, a 28 year old white man, wannabe cop and a neighborhood vigilante, [Read more…]

Child abuse is not discipline or African, it is simply cruelty to children!

Nigerian couple who beat their six children jailed after Coronation Street barmaid Michelle Collins gave evidence against them

 

  • Couple beat their children with brooms, hoovers and wires, claiming they were possessed by evil spirits
  • They gave their baby morphine overdose after her first birthday
  •  ‘I am beaten without mercy’, said an SOS note written by one of the children
  •  Parents alleged Miss Collins wanted to ‘steal’ their children
  •  ‘We are innocent, this is a miscarriage of justice’, screamed the couple as they left court…

 

Yes, it hurts me personally and in every humane way possible when abused children are not believed when they finally find the courage to speak out. It also hurts me to no end that in the part of the continent I come from, people define ‘child abuse’ in a different way and conveniently brush it aside by calling it discipline!

It is indeed sad that some Nigerians consider this case as ‘culture clash’ and even racial discrimination!

To many Nigerians, it is considered normal for pastors to accuse children of witchcraft and slap them in churches. It is considered OK  for prophets to take children to beach sides and beat them mercilessly while their parents shout “Hallelujah”, under the ‘acceptable disguise’ of casting out evil spirits from the children.

No, these are not rare occurrences, as I wrote in a previous post, these things happen almost every minute of the day, just visit Lagos Bar Beach!

Parents beat their children with brooms, cut them with sharp objects and inflict all sorts of injuries on their children and wards, all in the name of discipline and these are normally the same parents who steal in their workplaces and brag about their 419 activities in front of their children [Read more…]