I last week delved into the needs for collectivity and unanimity in fighting terrorism wherever it surfaces in East Africa and Africa in general. Today, I’ll revisit the same by delving into and examining the coloniality of the criminality. This is because terrorism is viewed as a religious and political matter while it actually is colonisation in itself. Why are all current terrorist groups fighting for political ends using foreign ideologies? Why most of them are affiliated or identifying themselves with Arabic or Islamic organisations such as ISL, al Qaeda and others? Are these group free or just the tentacles of their masters who hide themselves behind religion and whatnot? Are there any foreign groups that is fighting under anything African out of Africa? Why then African groups are fighting under foreign ideologies if they are not colonised. If anything this is what cultural imperialism is all about and what it general means. Another face of terrorism as neocolonialism or its tool is the fact that our former colonial masters use it as pretext for occupying militarily. Currently, in West African countries of Mali, Mauritania and Niger and some in Central African countries such as Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR) are occupied by their former colonial rulers under the pretexts of flashing out terrorist groups. If you closely examine these countries, are all endowed with immense sources of natural resources. To know what this is about, you can look at Somalia that has been occupied by terrorists for decades, nobody is coming in to help since the country has no resources. While these currently military occupied countries invited their former colonial masters to ‘help’ them, I don’t know if they pondered on the nature and size of the problem they are creating. If it took Africa many years to fight for freedom from a small contingent of colonisers, how long will it take to fight the militaries of its former colonial masters?
Sometimes, some of people tend to take things for granted simply because they are there. Culture in this aspect is an important element we need to take seriously in order to avoid cultural imperialism spread by religions. If we interrogate some Africans who were enslaved and taken out of Africa how they crave their natural culture, Africa would not have allowed this cultural imperialism that has now given birth to terrorism that’s playing Africans against others easily. It is because of allowing the destruction of African cultures. This being said, allowing foreign dogmas to disturb Africa’s equilibrium can be termed as religious divide and rule, which is another type of colonialism. Nonetheless, divide and rule is one of the hugest strategies colonialism used to antagonise and destabilise Africa. Given that this is a problem many countries are now facing, there are many ways of dealing with this problem constructively and scientifically by attacking the root causes of the problem. One of the surest ways of combating terrorism in Africa can be done through the decolonisation of the minds of the victims of fundamental ideologies. Colonisation is the means one may use to analyse the thingamajigs that have been used to imprint colonial concept in the minds of victims and find ways to remove it from our consciousness. On the same footing, Africa needs to decolonise its education and general schooling. Decolonising schooling and education to make sure that the decolonisation of the mind incorporates all facets of education.
First, the decolonisation of the mind is logically truth due to the fact that colonialism attacks the mind so as to make it sick and vulnerable for perpetual exploitation and subjugation. Once the mind has been negatively affected, it sees things differently from what they actually are. You can see this on how identity, for example, is easily distorted so as the victims to view themselves as different personalities and people from who they actually are. It is only in Africa where Africans view themselves as Christians and Muslims first but not Africans. It is this disease that propels people one would think are sane to commit atrocities against other innocent human beings as they way of making political gains or statements. Arabs, Europeans and Indians are their nationalities first but not their religions. We need to embark on the process of decolonising our minds and our people despite the fact that it takes a long time to realise its goals because it likewise took a long time to toxify the minds of its victims. That’s why the global war on terror becomes a double-edge sword for Africa in that it propagates the security of Africa while at the same time it causes insecurity military invasion is going to cause in the near future. This disease asks Africa to treat it clinically. Like any doctor, those trying to decolonise the minds of the victims of colonialism need to embark on a diagnostic and prognostic approaches in their undertakings in order to prescribe accurate cure not to forget the right dosage the victims need. One of the prescriptions I offer to address this is to limit the influence and privileges of the institutions that have always preached toxic dogma that shows Africa’s cultures as inferior and uncivilised. The ideologies that our traditions and ways of life are ungodly need to be abolished by declaring that if all human beings are equal, their cultures are likewise equal. It is not offensive to say that the victims of terrorism are sick, specifically if we consider the war religions were introduced to Africa. So, too, when we consider perpetual traumas they have been subjected to either by their masters or their enemies, we need to treat such victims as sick persons that need our help for their benefits and ours too. There is no way a group of people can kill others simply because it feels aggrieved and fail to be collectively insane.
Secondly, although education can be seen as a new strategy in combating terrorism in Africa if it can be well utilised, it can be a good weapon in the war against terrorism in Africa. So, one of the ways decolonisation of the mind can work is through education, decolonised education. Therefore, the first step towards decolonising the minds of terrorists and their sympathisers is through overhauling and regulating the current syllabi to make sure that education provided in African countries meets its aspirations, goals and values. Here the ministries of education should make and provide syllabi to all educational institutions in their countries. For, the anticipated type of education provided should make citizens to be citizens first before being believers or followers of certain ideologies or faiths. Whatever faith or faiths that oppose or contrast the natural identities of citizens or societal concord should be banned right away. All schools should be under inspection time after time to see to it that the type of education and skills provided comply with the national goals.
In sum, for today, I’ll wrap up with the mind. Shall I get more time, I’ll address other aspects as far as fighting terrorism is concerned for Africa. What Africa at large needs to underscore is the fact that terrorism is not a threat to a few but all African countries. Since it is used to occupy Africa militarily, it’ll expand slowly as colonialism did in the 18th century. So, those who think that terrorism is not their problem, should think twice.
Sometimes, some of people tend to take things for granted simply because they are there. Culture in this aspect is an important element we need to take seriously in order to avoid cultural imperialism spread by religions. If we interrogate some Africans who were enslaved and taken out of Africa how they crave their natural culture, Africa would not have allowed this cultural imperialism that has now given birth to terrorism that’s playing Africans against others easily. It is because of allowing the destruction of African cultures. This being said, allowing foreign dogmas to disturb Africa’s equilibrium can be termed as religious divide and rule, which is another type of colonialism. Nonetheless, divide and rule is one of the hugest strategies colonialism used to antagonise and destabilise Africa. Given that this is a problem many countries are now facing, there are many ways of dealing with this problem constructively and scientifically by attacking the root causes of the problem. One of the surest ways of combating terrorism in Africa can be done through the decolonisation of the minds of the victims of fundamental ideologies. Colonisation is the means one may use to analyse the thingamajigs that have been used to imprint colonial concept in the minds of victims and find ways to remove it from our consciousness. On the same footing, Africa needs to decolonise its education and general schooling. Decolonising schooling and education to make sure that the decolonisation of the mind incorporates all facets of education.
First, the decolonisation of the mind is logically truth due to the fact that colonialism attacks the mind so as to make it sick and vulnerable for perpetual exploitation and subjugation. Once the mind has been negatively affected, it sees things differently from what they actually are. You can see this on how identity, for example, is easily distorted so as the victims to view themselves as different personalities and people from who they actually are. It is only in Africa where Africans view themselves as Christians and Muslims first but not Africans. It is this disease that propels people one would think are sane to commit atrocities against other innocent human beings as they way of making political gains or statements. Arabs, Europeans and Indians are their nationalities first but not their religions. We need to embark on the process of decolonising our minds and our people despite the fact that it takes a long time to realise its goals because it likewise took a long time to toxify the minds of its victims. That’s why the global war on terror becomes a double-edge sword for Africa in that it propagates the security of Africa while at the same time it causes insecurity military invasion is going to cause in the near future. This disease asks Africa to treat it clinically. Like any doctor, those trying to decolonise the minds of the victims of colonialism need to embark on a diagnostic and prognostic approaches in their undertakings in order to prescribe accurate cure not to forget the right dosage the victims need. One of the prescriptions I offer to address this is to limit the influence and privileges of the institutions that have always preached toxic dogma that shows Africa’s cultures as inferior and uncivilised. The ideologies that our traditions and ways of life are ungodly need to be abolished by declaring that if all human beings are equal, their cultures are likewise equal. It is not offensive to say that the victims of terrorism are sick, specifically if we consider the war religions were introduced to Africa. So, too, when we consider perpetual traumas they have been subjected to either by their masters or their enemies, we need to treat such victims as sick persons that need our help for their benefits and ours too. There is no way a group of people can kill others simply because it feels aggrieved and fail to be collectively insane.
Secondly, although education can be seen as a new strategy in combating terrorism in Africa if it can be well utilised, it can be a good weapon in the war against terrorism in Africa. So, one of the ways decolonisation of the mind can work is through education, decolonised education. Therefore, the first step towards decolonising the minds of terrorists and their sympathisers is through overhauling and regulating the current syllabi to make sure that education provided in African countries meets its aspirations, goals and values. Here the ministries of education should make and provide syllabi to all educational institutions in their countries. For, the anticipated type of education provided should make citizens to be citizens first before being believers or followers of certain ideologies or faiths. Whatever faith or faiths that oppose or contrast the natural identities of citizens or societal concord should be banned right away. All schools should be under inspection time after time to see to it that the type of education and skills provided comply with the national goals.
In sum, for today, I’ll wrap up with the mind. Shall I get more time, I’ll address other aspects as far as fighting terrorism is concerned for Africa. What Africa at large needs to underscore is the fact that terrorism is not a threat to a few but all African countries. Since it is used to occupy Africa militarily, it’ll expand slowly as colonialism did in the 18th century. So, those who think that terrorism is not their problem, should think twice.
Source: African Executive Magazine tomorrow.
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