FIGHTING IN GAZA, NIGERIANS AND THE REST OF THE WORLD

The dog is known for eating faeces in our climes. But there is no how it will end its enterprise and the goat will go and brush its teeth on its behalf. Likewise, no one take Panadol for another person's headache. Incidentally, not Nigerians. We sabi take Panadol for another person's headache even when we have severe diarrhea ourselves!

The war between Israel and Gaza has been hyped and reported variously by the global media, of course with their usual side takings. The West, CNN especially, with its pro-Israel stance demonizes Gaza and it's people by highlighting the missiles which are undeniably being launched into Israel while downplaying the casualties on the other side. What I call the Muslim media, on the other hand, epitomized by the Iranian Press TV, suddenly becomes the voice of Gaza by emphasizing the heavy civilian casualties in Gaza and downplaying the military prowess of Hamas thereby making it look as if the people of Gaza (sometimes portraying them as 100% Muslims) are just sitting while Israel fires at them. This is where I like a station like Al Jazeera because in spite of its anti-Israel stance, it still pretends to portray a semblance of objectivity by interviewing spokespersons from both sides.

But this isn't my concern! My heart goes out though to the people whose relations are being unreasonably murdered on either side. Same for the casualties being mowed down in Syria by the Assad regime and its rebels, in Iraq by ISIS, in Libya by power-hungry rebels, the innocent civilians aboard Malaysia Airlines MH 17, the inter-ethnic killings in South Sudan, the Al-Shabab and Boko Haram victims in Somalia, Kenya and Nigeria, just to mention a few. I have stated elsewhere, by citing someone else, the difference between being just anti-Israel and being a humanist. A humanist is appalled by every form of wanton destruction of lives and properties no matter where and against whom it happens. Israel, in the name of protecting itself, has become an aggressor of sorts. But on the other hand, the government of Israel is doing what it thinks is right for protecting its own citizens and so is Hamas. What about our own governments? People will always think am talking about the present leadership in my country, but please do well and notice the plural case!

A lot of people misunderstand or simply choose to "not understand" international politics. I was in a discussion with some people about the role of UN and its lack of decisive action against Israel's incursions into Gaza. The UN isn't built on fairness and equity, but on the political and military prowee imbalances. Take the Security Council permanent membership, for instance, and see that those who really control the UN are those with military and economic powers - The US, Russia, France, China and Germany, I guess. It is unfortunate that a lot of people, especially Nigerians, consider this imbalance from a religious perspective instead of the pure political and economic positions that it is. They often choose to see it as "Christians versus the rest of us" thing. But it is really political. Look at what happened in Syria. The Americans wanted Assad out because he was no longer serving their interests, but Russia and China stood their grounds because perhaps Assad has made concessions for their own interests. Hence, the stalemate and the people on the ground are the ones suffering! 

Why is no world power speaking for Gaza and its people against Israel?

Some folks have been erroneously led to think that this is because of religious reasons. But far from it, it is purely political. Gaza has nothing to offer them. Their interests lie with Israel. America cannot stand against Israel because its economy and politics are overtly being manned by Jews. Russia and China can keep quiet because there is nothing for them to gain from Hamas and its people. 

But how does the war concern me as a Nigerian; as a citizen of a country where extremists raze villages on a daily basis? This is where I condemn in totality the social media zeal being put up by Nigerians for Gaza and its people. I know someone who is abroad, a Nigerian, who have never posted anything I can remember against religious extremity and its wanton wastage of lives in Nigeria, who has now become an arm-chair critic of Israel and a champion of the freedom of Gaza. Some of the people making all this noise cannot even locate Gaza or Israel on a world map without country names. And yet, they are brushing their teeth to clean "shit" that they didn't eat. They make it look as if all Gazans and Muslims, forgetting that it has a size able Christian population, so that they can achieve their wicked enterprise of portraying the conflict as a religious one. Before you know it, the magic word "Jihad" will appear and the metamorphosis will be complete.

I understand the compulsion for Christians also to support Israel even when we know that there are few Jewish Christians because they do not believe in the Messiah that came over 2000 years ago.

But as Nigerians, do we ignore the massive casualties in our backyard and go and fight on either the side of Israel or Gaza, as the case maybe? The atrocities being purportedly carried out by extremists (note the plural case) in Nigeria, some even deliberately carried out on camera, far outweigh anything that Israel and Hamas choose to do to their own people in the Middle East. We shouldn't forget that the conflict there escalated due to (in)actions from both sides. But the hapless villagers that have been gunned down, butchered or roasted in their sleep all over Nigeria, what did they do? How did they contribute in escalating the violence being meted on all of us. I don't even want to remember the Chibok and other women being roundly treated in unimaginable ways all over.

I have an advice, let us pick up the gauntlet and fight our own battles while others fight theirs, except we are not Nigerians. The developed world are looking out for their business interests and prospering for it. The rest of us are brandishing our religious hypocrisy and we remain impoverished for it! There's a new world power in the making - BRICS, none of its five nations is there because of its religious zealotry! They are there because of pragmatism. Religion doesn't build powerful nations, it destroys them! I am not a fan of Karl Marx, but I can see him muttering over and over again: "But I warned these people..."