Writing in the Daily Trust newspaper Thursday Column of Dec 31 Kawu, the self-styled socio-psychologist ‘dissected’ Farouq Mutallab and concluded that for becoming an operative of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda, his grieving family, ‘and by extension the ruling elite and their propensity to abandon their parental responsibilities ...carry a large slice of the problem’. Farouq’s parents are apparently to blame for sending him to a British school in Lome, then to ‘the very prestigious’ University of London and for giving him shelter in a ‘two-million pound flat in the most expensive suburbs of London’. These ‘privileges’ apparently had ‘social and psychological’ impact on Farouq because they confused and alienated him from ‘his Northern Nigerian Culture’. By inference, Kawu seeks to suggest that Farouq’s parents are to blame for doing precisely what every parent ought to do: providing good education, decent shelter and for caring. What, in Kawu’s estimation, should Mutallab have done to insulate Farouq from ‘all manners of negative influences? Send him to Government Secondary School Funtua, then to any of these newly set-up state universities in the North to study Hausa, sociology, government or law? And probably shelter him in NYAN NYA?

How did Kawu reach his conclusions of Farouq being ‘confused and torn from his Northern culture’? He read little Farouq’s postings from an Islamic website. Reading Thisday newspaper which reproduced the postings turned Kawu into an instant socio-psychologist! Yet many people would consider these as no more than ordinary expressions from a cultured, properly tutored adolescent determined to remain steadfast in his Deen. Consider these: Farouq refuses to have friends for fear that they will influence him to ‘do bad things’; and he struggles to control his ‘natural sexual drive’ because he is not married. His dilemma ‘between liberalism and extremism’ needs not portray any deviation from a ‘northern culture’: our youths in the university often face such a dilemma-whether to engage the university authorities in constructive dialogue over, say, school fees OR vandalize already broken down facilities. One does not have to read an al-Qaeda bulletin to realise that the world today is ruled by the ‘worst of people, tyrants’-as the Hadith quoted by Farouq prophesized. Kawu has himself preached that for decades! Should we rush to conclude that Kawu’s communist-leaning ideas which he expresses openly will ultimately lead ‘to the journey to his recruitment’ by, perhaps the KGB for ‘action’ in Chechnya? 

In any event, these postings-assuming they are authentic-tell only one part of the story of the boy and his family. Read Adamu’s white paper on Mutallab’s family (Daily Trust, January 1):  ‘a humble, decent, private man of easy manners and peaceful mien.....the epitome of hard work and civility...who believes in sweating it out to earn an honest day’s living’. His is not the picture of someone who ‘abandons parental responsibilities’.  Farouk’s friends speak of a decent young man, who neither smokes nor drinks alcohol,. He wasn’t a spoilt brat: but a humble fellow who ‘never bragged about his family’s wealth’ which is stupendous. His friends denied he was lonely, but cheerful and sociable; he ‘stood out for his strong religious views, praying five times a day’ and as ‘guy that never broke the rules’ whose friends ‘all looked to him as (their) moral compass’. (Daily Trust, January 1 p44) Is this the picture of a confused fellow or of someone who lacked parental care?

I find curious the attempt by several columnists and commentators of northern extraction ‘to wash the north clean’ of this ‘extremist culture’ exhibited by Farouq. They become all too apologetic about Farouq’s alleged act of terror and are at pains to convince the world that the North has a certain ‘culture’ which Farouq’s action does not portray. They all wish to disown him as if they represent or live among the Angels. Yet, little Farouq is one of us and lives in virtually every home in the North! Which ‘Northern Nigerian culture’ are we referring to: culture of indolence and dependence?, culture of Almajirci? Or culture of want and deprivation?  Yes, what he attempted was despicable: but he didn’t say he tried it on behalf of the north or of the ruling class. No point therefore rushing to dissociate the north from the act!  Yes, for us it may be an ‘alien’ culture to blow up an aero-plane mid-air. But perhaps that is only because air planes don’t abound in the north.  If the truth be told though, it is no longer alien to our culture for young men of Farouq’s age and below to be recruited and manipulated to kill and maim. All over the north we have dare-devil kids being used by GARDAWA-the KALA KATO, BOKO HARAM- and politicians-the SARA SUKA in Bauchi and KALLARE in Gombe-to advance causes as evil as al-Qaeda’s. Muhammad Yusuf of the boko haram fame was, in his manipulative ways, as evil as the Yeminis in the Arabian Peninsula. According reports majority of those who died in the Bauchi KALA KATO mayhem last week were young men aged 18 years and below.(Daily Trust, Dec 30) 

Yes, London, Cairo and many Asian capitals are hosts to several Nigerian students. This is perhaps inevitable. Kawu’s everyday heroes- the academic staff of universities- and the villains-the ruling elite have conspired to destroy the country’s public university system. Those with the financial wherewithal should not be vilified for exploring other options-including that of educating their children abroad.  Not all of those who pursue this option are thieving politicians or the ruling elite: on the contrary, many are honest, industrious parents who toil to make a decent living. Yes, there are risks of ‘cultural adulteration’-and more perhaps. But what do we have right here under our noses?: a stinking university environment that ‘manufactures’ drug addicts, cultists, prostitutes and ‘extremists’. Kawu’s past time I am told is to travel the world with his family- something which even the thieving ruling elite can’t always afford to do. Is he also doing that to show-off his status in spite of ‘Nigeria’s class-divided society where the gap between the rich and the poor is said to be one of the worst in the world? It is a matter of choice.

drmuhammadsagagi@yahoo.com 5b, St Louis Avenue, Bompai, Kano (08033175353) 

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