HAWAIIAN

The Clash of Civilizations Vs West African Values

Samuel P Huntington in his bestseller book “The Clash of Civilizations and remaking of the world” which first came out as an article in the journal Foreign Affairs in 1993 enumerated the new era in the world politics, he truthfully explained why nations like Russia abandoned the salute for Lenin Statue in Moscow of the old USSR for the new national Flag. He enumerated  why Mexicans demonstrated for a favorable immigration policy inside America with total display of Mexican flags on American soil, He also  looked into the radical Muslims mentality of almost self destruction in the name of  getting to Heaven with unreasonable bomb blast world wide

Huntington mentioned the phrase from Michael Didid’s novel Lagoon, “There can not be true friends without true enemies”. The balance of power may be shifting and clashes of ideas and civilizations may be inevitable as societies sharing cultural affinities cooperated with each other over an assumed common foe. On the long run the West universalist pretensions will bring into conflicts with other nations civilizations and most affected will be Islamic nations , China, and non Muslim nations in south of Sahara. Huntington concluded.

Othman Dan Fodio the originator or the founder of Sokoto Caliphate changed and put into conflicts the civilizations of the kingdoms in the South of Sahara which he placed under his control as each town in the region was placed under Emirs he appointed before the scrambling and partitioning of Africa, in 1885 under the greedy eyes of the colonial masters at a meeting held in Berlin Germany under the Chairmanship of Ottovon Bismarck.

Africa  continent was rooted in ruler ship through Kings and notably empires like Ghana, Shanghai’s, and Mali had laid the foundation for the type of civilizations Africa  acceptable to the black race , it was even said that the first University in the world University of Timbuktu  in Africa created how Africans civilizations superseded the western civilizations but had been down graded with the emergence of other civilizations, today all the powers of kings and Emirs have been eroded, they are more like ceremonial leaders or figure heads begging for acceptance in a society ready to leave them behind like bad habits

Professor Adu Boahen of Ghana wrote in the book:” West African History” which was a challenge to most of Professor Ade Ajayi writings a prominent historian on Africa history, tearfully wrote on how over expansionism of Old Oyo Empire toward the West of Africa and increasing internal problems between emerging nations and rivalry with active support of Afonja of Ilorin the last frontiers of Yoruba town that teem up with  one Alimi a follower of the Sokoto Caliphate led to the destruction of the Oyo Empire Civilizations rooted in Oyomesi council.

With empires like Oyo, Benin, Dahomey , Bonny, and Opobo destroyed, with the advent of Slave trade and introduction of Christianity into most of these tribes, Africans were left confused  and directionless on civilization acceptable to them.  Most of them abandoned African civilizations for the West while those who hanged on between remain primitive both in ideas and action which may not relate to 21st Century.

Sokoto Caliphate/Empire also had its problem as the reasons for expansion of territorial interest towards the East  could not be justified with Bornu Empire firmly rooted in Islamic faith before the Caliphate came into existence; both treated each other with disdained and hidden hatred infact a challenge to the assumed control of the North by the descendants of Caliphate was reopened with  the upgrade of the power Sheu of Bornu over Sokoto Caliphate in the North of Nigeria at the time of General Sanni Abacha 

In Liberia, the returnee slaves from America had planted themselves with Western Civilization over the “sons of the Soil” until power changed with the removal of William Tolbert a descendant of the slaves and replaced by events that led to the deaths of several millions of people, same could be said of Gambia and Sierra Loan, in Ghana the tension between the Ashanti and Fanti are all rooted in the clash of what was civilization of each kingdom before colonization,

 As  the North of Nigeria struggles  between what to let go and what to keep between the two  foreign cultures rooted in Islam and Christianity,  the South of Nigeria had given up on the traditional values of Africa for West civilization and in most cases the South  does not question the superiority of western civilization but the North is still very reluctant in accepting the true quality of western civilization over Islamic ideas which is the main reason for the clashes in that part of the country.

As Africans struggle between clashes of religious beliefs may not be fully known,  they try not to fight each other over or re-open old wounds, suppressed by years of colorizations, and due to what, in an ordinary meaning, is foreign to African culture before Christianity and Islam came to Africa, but through understanding and respect for each other feelings and goals. It is tough, but with time killings in the name of all theses foreign religions or cultures will be a thing of the past in any African civilized nation.

The North of Nigeria despite Islamic religion contained the foundation of African Values dated up to 52 BC; particularly the history of Kano City which also contain creams of highly enlightened Muslims in our struggle to get independence from the British. Unless you live there it will be difficult to understand the country., Benin empire,  Ife History , Ashanti, Old Oyo , Shanghai’s , Mali and Ghana all contain the values and cultures of Africans in the West  or south of Sahara.

Like the tip of a triangle the “Clash of Civilization” the book I will recommend for anyone who cares to read, the fight over religion will be defeated and narrow to what is important in promoting humanity. It may not be our in generation but it will come. On the long run, Christianity , Islam, Judaism and Hindu will find a common ground to co-exist for the sake of humanity, in the language of the first man whose political party demanded freedom from Britain in Nigeria , Papa Awo, he said ” Before re-construction there must demolition’ of old ideas.

Finally, the idea of supriority over the other will be defeated for human race to co-exist peacefully that will be the future of civilization in West Africa and indeed the whole human race world wide

 

About the Author

Zents  Kunle Sowunmi is the author. ” Before the journey Became Home” and Nigeria : What Happened to our Democracy?

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