08 June 2012 By Muhammad Jameel Yusha'u Just like the old regional
structure in Nigeria, the northern region, the western
region and the eastern region, the flow of migration
to foreign countries also reflect this structure. With
Yorubas most likely making England their second most
important country after Nigeria, the Igbos heading to
the United States while people from northern Nigeria
heading to Saudi Arabia.
It is also interesting that you find two categories of
people engaged in this wave of migration, the
professionals particularly medical doctors and
Engineers, as well as students some of whom choose to
stay in these countries after the completion of their
studies. The second category being individuals who
migrate to these countries in search of good life but
who are ready to engage in any business, legal or
illegal in order to stay abroad. Sometimes I wonder
how some of these guys find their way either to the
UK, US or other countries.
But the subject of this write up is on Nigerians
living in Saudi Arabia, particularly the women among
them, called Kano-to-Jeddah. Last year on a visit to
the Holy land I witnessed something that shocked me.
We were going to the Haram for Fajr (dawn) prayer,
when we saw a small girl no more than five years old
sitting in between the roads that lead to the Haram.
The sophistication with which the girl was begging
requires a lot of rehearsal even for an adult to
emulate. Her hands were raised, voice twisted, eyes
twinkling, neck bended, and legs folded. The mere
sight of that little girl will provoke the slightest
sympathy in any person who cares about the life of a
child. Just imagine your daughter in that situation.
Few meters away was another woman monitoring that
little girl, keeping an eye on the money people were
giving to her as charity. Together with my wife we
approached this woman to offer a word of advise, that
she should fear Allah and think of the condition she
puts this little girl, to imagine the cold, and the
time of the night. There is nothing to call the
situation of that little girl other than child abuse.
After listening to our little advise, the woman
responded with the worst abuse you can think of. She
told us that they have migrated from Nigeria after
"you have made it ungovernable, yet even in the Holy
land you cannot spare us, are you not ashamed that you
cannot even provide electricity. We have migrated in
search of a better life". On hearing that I told her
that I am not one of the Nigerian elites she is
referring to, in fact I don't even live in Nigeria, I
am simply a journalist, and the condition I saw that
little girl was baffling. It is good to respect our
selves and protect the dignity of our children.
That was not enough to satisfy the woman. After this
little conversation, we proceeded to the Haram.
On our way back after the Fajr prayer the woman had
already assembled other women engaged in the same
trade. Unknown to us she has trailed our entrance to
the Haram and waited for our return, on our way out
she continued with her abuses in the assembly of those
women, my wife and I refused to join issues with her.
But we kept thinking about that little girl, who is
just one among thousands of children that are being
abused in order to make money. On visiting Madina I
narrated this story to a friend and a brother who has
concluded his PhD at the International Islamic
University Madina. His response was "you have not seen
anything", Even the Saudi government is struggling
with the situation of those Nigerians, and is looking
for solution to this unending problem, they have
deported some of this people, yet they find a way to
come back.
Last week by Allah's grace I was in the Holy city and
on my way to the Haram I saw similar group of women,
this time around, the number of these little girls has
increased, even the best movie director will require
exceptional expertise to train his actors to behave
the way those little girls were acting. While I was
amazed at what I was seeing, one of the governors who
has just won a controversial by-election came to pass
on his way to the Haram.
Dear Muslim Governors in Nigeria, please when next you
meet each other think about the future of these little
children that are being abused. Remember that while
you pass by them whenever you visit the Holy land,
your children of similar age back home are in school
as you prepare them to have a decent future. When next
you meet please, consider establishing a bi-national
commission between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia in order
to address this abuse. I know some people might say
that you already have millions of these children at
home, but in this case think of the embarrassment they
cause our nation, just like drug traffickers and money
launderers are causing us humiliation in Europe, Asia
and North Americ. Comments 💬 التعليقات |