The African Problem

By Emmanuel Konde

The African problem is rooted in [their] acceptance of foreign religions, which led [them] to abandoning their own ideas of spirituality and their own gods.  In turn, their own gods abandoned them.  An abandoned people Africans are.  Everywhere in the world they occupy the lowest position; the few at the top are often forced to first shed away their Africanness and assume a new identity. Only Africans are abandoned people who must transform themselves to be accepted.
 
The two dominant religions in Africa are Islam and Christianity, both of which are foreign, and both were forced down the throats of Africans through conquest.  Today, these foreign religions define the African who, bereft of his original conception of God, is cast adrift by this inculcation of foreign cultures.

European enslavement of Africans began in the fifteenth century; colonization of the African continent in the nineteenth century.  Before these fateful encounters, the Africans, like most peoples of the world, had their own indigenous understanding of spirituality through which their conception of God was crafted in the likeness of themselves.
 
Behold what we have today in Africa: A white, blue-eyed God in the continent of ''Black" to "White" come about?  How did the heads (high priest) of contemporary African religions become located in elsewhere?  And the holy places of these religions in Mecca and Jerusalem?  Africa has nothing to offer the world but labor.  Africans are the laborers of the world.
 
The Europeans used and are still using African labor.  Now enter the Chinese.  What next?  Pehaps the Indians, who are yet to have their turn using Africans.  Wake up slumbering black people.  This is the 21st century.  Wake up from thy mental slumber!

Comments

[Va Boy]

I do agree with you here.
I thought I would never say that.

[njimaforboy]

I totally disagree with your twisted and blame the victim argument.

The Problem in Africa is greed, selfishness, and a very twisted and corrupt way of thinking like what u are stating here.

We are not the only one's who worship a white God.
Our problem is failed leadership. People like Paul Biya, Ahidjo, Mobutu are the ones u should be blaming.

Paul Biya and most of the leaders in Subsahara African have placed their interest before that of the Country. If we had people like Madison, Jefferson, Lincoln, Mandela ruling Africa, it will be a different continent today.

So long as we continue to support pigs like Paul Biya and La Republique, and using twisted arguments like yours to defend the status quo, Cameroon and most of Africa will remain in the stone age. Listen to the speech Obama gave when he visited Africa.

[Dr A A Agbormbai]

Great piece.

[jdsomgait]

Mr. Konde, this entry is too broad and reductionst. There is no such thing as "the African problem." There are African problems, too many problems. Again you link religion and labor without establishing the links. That will require a real argument. But I'm sure this was just an occasional blog entry to stir up conversation. Okay, this is what I think. The people in this forum don't seem to be the target readership unless you fine tune that entry again and make it polemic. They can't wake up from slumber because they are really critical; in fact, I won't associate any if them with slumber at all. The last time I was in my home street, four Chinese men had rented a nice apartment in a storey building, and they were all selling gateaux down the street at cut-neck prices. Now if we could get this message to the local buyers, then maybe they can wake up from sending our currency abroad. But there thagain I don't know how ey will do that since Biya is on their throats. Which will you buy if "ngeme" really dey you? four gateaux for 100 frs from a Chinaman or two for one hundred from a "countryman"? How should one operate in this circumstance, when one's own very biological and cultural survival are at stake - free trade or nepotism? Which slumber should the buyer wake up from?

As for the issue of Christianity, Islam, and traditional high priests, I think they should all be swept under the carpet and reduced to individual's personal household affairs without public consequence.

Is Paul Biya or Babangida's problem or that of the patient half-in and half out of power in Aso Rock that of religion? What of Dennis Sasseu Nguesso, the Cobra Warlord?

I think religion played a role in colonization, but that argument should be revisited. Organized religion was of far stronger consequence (it was written and proselytized at the peril of death) over African familial and village-bound modes of worship. African religions didn't set out to conquer, so by necessity they lacked the force of invading religions. It is likely that the African's problem was and still has far more to do with paralysis at different fronts: that of the home front, which is dealing with a corrupt elite, or a class problem, and the second, how to enter the world order from a position of "weakness" (mind the quotes) induced by colonization (and here I am talking of many issues beginning from skin color, language, history of literacy and scholarship (thus memory), rights consciousness, economic deprivation, and maybe if I have to be a little cynical, "short memories" or the ability to forgive oppressors easily, for example, for slavery. The Jewish people will never forgive the Holocaust even till the end of time. If one could link forgiveness to religion, then maybe your argument may make sense, otherwise, I don't see any connection to labor... or unless you bring in the Marxist argument that religion is the opium of the people...

[limbekid]

You make a valid point Mr Konde, but the argument goes further than that: its more to do with religious invasion, leading to cultural invasion, leading to economic invasion. So far, Africa has remained on the receiving end. We make choices that bite us: insisting that news readers wear suits to read the news, is inadvertently suataining the livelyhood of a French or Italian designer. Walk around any major metropolis and you find French, Italian, Chinese, Indian, Japanese food, but hardly ever African. African culture is still mainly consumed by Africans. Unfortunately, we are partly to blame, by our own personal choices: if I wear my dashiki; drink mbu; consume local food and stay away from modern modcoms, I guess I would save myself a lot of grief.

[jdsomgait]

I agree with Limbekid. I'm thinking of looking for, and carrying around this carved and burnt cow horn they use for drinking mbuh in the grassland, along with my agbada, the next time I'm attending a seminar or conference. I will be very stubborn about this and I will show stupid pride... come hell, come rain. And I know someone will like it follow suit. Biya can wear his French suits. That accords his colonial status. I also wear them, but I have options, many options: danshiki, South African goatskin and fine reims, agbada, what have you... I'm going to save myself a lot of grief from the need to always to conform. It's time others start thinking of conforming to our own "religion" if they like it! And Mr. Konde, I hope you live by example! The next time I see you, I will verify...

[Chief Ayuk Arrey]

Gentlemen, this debate has to be thorougly look into from all ends and many questions should be asked form the start of African Problems.

Firstly, Religion should have nothing to do with this. There should be no such thing as the whiteman religion and the Blackman religion. Religion should be a problem when Africans themselves ignorantly abuse it. Religion should be your personal relationship with your God.When it becames Malpractice and spreads to the National level,there we have a problem because the State is for the Interest of all citizens.
For example, look at SOMALIA, NIGERIA,e.t.c they have failed to reason that religion should be a private relationship with their God and shouldn't be a National issue because we all have our different believes.

As concerns Christianity and Islam, Islam i know nothing prophetically to support it. But for Christianity, God choose Israel as it Prophetic nation to accomplish his Will. God should have chosen any other Nation e.g Cameroon but will you question God?

[Chief Ayuk Arrey]

Have you asked yourselves the following questions?
1. Why Afica with 54 nations ,have gotten no permanent seat in the Security Council? Decisions are being made and simply imposed on Africa.Her head is being shaved.
2. Why is Africa economically excluded from trading with the world?
3. Why sell weapons to people who have nothing to show for?
4. Why is Africa the richest continent yet the poorest?
5.Why now say that say that HIV/AIDS might be caming from the Cameroon eqatorial rainforest? But those same HIV vaccines contains toxins which weakens the Immune system that some say it is AIDS.

There's a certain Conspirancy to leave Africa at the receiving end and a market for expired goods.
But are we going to STAY ON WITH THE BLAME GAME?
Certainly not, The African problem will be solved by the Africans. The Colonial era is over.We have got to gather ourselves and oppose foreign Intervation.

Till date, Africa is Politically and Economicall enslaved. If Africans cannot identify the root caused of the Problems, we shall stay on like that.

The ones we call Leaders have refused to reason with the people. selfishness and greed are their policies.
For us to start solving the African problem ,starting from Cameroon, Biya must be pursued out of the presidency by all means. People like Biya and the rest , are causing more harm to Cameroon. A man who prefers to steal and deposit his wealth abroad than his home country.
A man who has rule for 28yrs yet nothing to show for, instead stealing from the people and oppressing them.

For us to revive Africa , Lets start from Cameroon. Biya shouldn't be given anymore chance as the president of Cameroon. We have that opportunity coming 2011.

[Bob Bristol]

I thought people like Konde constitute the major problems we face. People who see BLACK and call it WHITE. Konde, what is there to support about the CPDM. There is a big gap between intellectualism and hypocrisy.

[jdsomgait]

This is very powerful, indeed, Chief Ayuk. You have said it for millions of Camerounians. Charity begins at home. A US president is allowed two consecutive terms in office, eight years at most. Colonial power France offers offers two consecutive terms of five years each and Britain has no limit as it depends on the party and the bee-queen, though practically, the party or the electoral enforce their own choice.

Now in Africa, you have the last of the dinosaurs and crocodiles, who get so used to state houses that they can't think of living elsewhere. As soon as they are pushed out of power, they get prostrate cancer, they get sick for power, and all sorts of ailments take them on...

I have never read an account of a dying head of state but it would be nice to read one.

[Town Crier.]

Konde has written as usual a good lot of trash. The man is utterly confused. What is this Bassa man doing for a living?

[jdsomgait]

Towncrier, you leave Bassa people alone. They didn't ask Konde to write this entry!

And by the way did he say he was writing the article for you? or for us?

We're just vultures, waiting for someone to cough, to begin chattering... in the absence of "33 Export" Pilsner, and corks that win!

More articles, Mr. Konde!

[jdsomgait]

Post us the link to that story, Ras.
It sounds both tragic and pathetic.
More so, when one thinks of where
she's coming from.

Lord, why must thou forget us in our woe?

[Ras Tuge]

Remove those rotten Babylon shackles from your mind. No Whiteman can ever dare to preach to me again. Many people ask me why i became Rasta, why i keep Bongo locks, and i tell them that it's all because of the situation with this bold Babylon treachery. How come their Christian message is welcome in Africa when the church in this sick Babylon has become nothing but a rotten, secularised and a back-slidden country club?

Yea, Konde you're right man! You spoke like a Natty dread! Africans have no soul, they act like small time prostitutes that would give up everything of theirs just to chase and hand over their children to the Babylon pedophiles in the insane name of salvation.

True Rasta says the Black man as a descendant of Sham who ridiculed his father is cursed. Eventhough i challenge this notion of inherent sin, when you think of how easily we give up our cultural values just to blindly follow dirty Babylon, i'd say the African situation may even be worse than a curse, seen?

They say the Black man shall burn in Hell fire for not believing in God the way sinful Babylon den do. But i say LIES! So the China man, or the Indian would burn for not being Christians? Well, you don't need a crystal ball to see the Whiteman roasting in Jah blazing fire and begging for water.

Some of dem tink they own dis world, and they force filth on others; raasclaat white priests demma fuck we little boys, make woman pregnant, dem bless homosexual rubbish and call it say marriage, dem sex dem own children, and dem sex di poor dogs. Man dis pippo dem done! Dem want drag di whole Black country to Hell with dem. To hell with England. To hell with that chief devil named Pope. Africans must restore their African values!

[Chief Ayuk Arrey]

Ras Tuge,
I can feel your angst in the role Religion played in the start of African problems and the degradation of the Black race. Catholicsm and Islam are those tobe blamed up till date.
The Roman Catholic church was the one blessing the ships that were carrying slaves. Infact the Roman Catholic church trick us but it wasn't forced on the people.

Unlike Islam that Mohammed who was a slave trader, forced Islam on Africans especially where he captured. Then, It was either you accepted Islam or your life. Today we're seeing the consequences of that Religion on the lifes of Million of Africans. They refused to go to School because of Islam, they enslaved their women, they support Jihad of mass killing of Non-muslims.

Infact lets not pretend , Religion has indeep affected Africa, and will keep on affecting Africa, Especially as peace is concern. Development can't proceed when millions are illeterate and find no reason to love one another. Especially as Afican Muslims see themselves closer to their Allah than any other religion. It is even written in the Koran that Non-Muslims should be humiliated until they became ashamed, And if a Muslims kills a Non-muslim, he is not guilty of murder.

See for yourselves How a new Islamic Law has been introduced called the SHARIA LAW. Completely different from the Constitutions of Various states i.e The Muslims will have their own Legal, Political, Social system from that of their States. How can these two work together?

Catholism to me is not true Christianity.They raped little children and hide it from the public. They openly say they don't believed in miracles. They manipulate the Bible to suit their ways of doing things. The Vatican is very suspicious to me, that is the ring of matters arising in the world.

But have you asked yourselves whether our parents are not also to be blamed for all these problems in Africa, that it seems to me as a cursed.
How could they afford to sell out their Able Children just for a Mirror, Gin, Wrapper, Gun Powder. All the strong men and Women were all sold out and they went build and developed the West, The White House was built by Slaves and many other structures.Who were those left behind to developed Africa?

[Chief Ayuk Arrey]

But as I said before, lets forget about the blame game. We are already victims and can't turn back the hands of time. Lets "ARISE" dust ourselves up and see what we can do for the future of Africa.
Lets fight against the Negativities against Africa by the foreign press. And bring smiles on the faces of Africans starting from Cameroon.
At times I asked myself WHAT IS WRONG IN BEING BLACK?

[cletus]

thanks for this article man .when i think deeply on the rule religion plays in africa today its like we are not going to find a solution to our problems .one man from senegal told me last week in paris because i am not muslim i cant be his brother then even worst he called and arab guy as his brother .and i just ask my self where are we heading to .somting most be done now with urgency .for all african to see ourself as one people this problem most now be looked in to .

[Bong]

Konde's article has been posted to expose ignorance of ourselves, our continent, and our country. There are many people who look intelligent but no meaningful substance flows from what they write to enlighten the young Cameroonians and Africans.
Konde talks of the fifitenth century and the colonisation of Africa. I have a few question to ask my learned country man and maybe we may start from there. My first question: Before the fiftenth century did Africa exist and what were they doing? Did Africans worship God meaningfully and how come they easily abandoned their worship? Africans were themselves slave owners and still do today. So when the whiteman came and because of our greed, we sold our brothers.Our leaders are still praticing what was there. So don't blame it on religion. Mr. Biya is doing just what the Fons and the chiefs used to do, though modernised by the whiteman. We sold our brothers for alcohol and that is how President Ahidjo bought over the West Cameroonians.
Watch out it is a long night. Are we sure if you who write were made President today you will rule differently? Wahtever don't blame it on religion because are still there lying where they were centuries ago, with eyes but cannot see etc.

[Many75]

WoW !!! Really...? If this was facebook, I would click the "UNLIKE" button. To be honest, it's hard to follow your argument-Konde-. It's disturbing -assuming that's your line of approach- whenever one tries to make a case for religion and well being (economic well being). On the flip side, I'm curious to know how (assuming Africans kept/maintained their Gods) different Africa would be without the influences brought on by Christianity/Islam. This "White God", "Black God" line just goes to show how moot the whole theory is !! This is like saying, the skillet is too hot, let's get on the stove !!!!!!! Religion..!!?? Are you serious!?

[Diebody]

As I have said somewhere, this whole business of "The African Problem" is stupid scholarship to say the least. The term for is is "essentialist" or "reductionist." There are myriads of African problems and challenges.

Can we lay the deaths of university students at the hands of the regime in Cameroon to "religion"? Or is it not an African "problem"? How can scholars be more narrow minded than those our grand mothers and grandfathers who never went to school or traveled outside their villages or hometowns?

When you stand in Akwa in Douala and look at the street, or right before your doorpost, is the pothole that you see or the bend-skin accident, or people carrying cement bags on their heads "The African problem"?

How can you combine so many challenges and difficulties under the rubric "the African problem"?

It could have made sense even to symbolically frame religion in a way to encompass the spectrum of problems faced by the continent as covered in different life disciplines.

And what is "the European problem"? The problem in the Balkans? Or in Greece today? How does religion factor in an individual's everyday challenges and setbacks?

Can we do some peer-review of our articles before publishing them? Or if the writer wants debate for a paper he or she is writing for some purpose, why not ask questions that tend towards inquiry rather than state some hypothesis that appears moribund even at face value?

Did the author of this article really read or take courses in research methodology and hypothesis construction?

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