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This is serious. This is real. Mubarak Bala

Started by Tank, April 29, 2020, 07:03:25 AM

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Tank

Benue Humanist wrote this on Facebook today:-

QuoteThis for all atheists and theists who say, Mubarak Bala should rot in jail because he was warned.

You don't know what is at stake so, let me assume the mundane task of telling you. Not for once, should you think that this is about Mubarak Bala, and there, it stops. The continuous protest you see online is part of a historical resistance against the imposition of Islamic hegemony on non Muslims in Nigeria, the suppression of their human rights, disregard of their faith and lives, and the profiling of irreligious persons for execution in modern Nigeria.

If you have read the religious books of Islam, the works of Muslims clerics, and followed the behaviour of most Muslims towards non Muslims, you will know that there is every need to draw a bold line, a line which indicates the right of non Muslims to be religious or irreligious, a line which reinforces the right of others to criticize certain aspects of any belief system which disregards human life, promotes violence and division, and discourages the application of science in solving societal problems.

Mubarak might be at the center of it now however, the issue goes beyond him. There is every need to logically dispel the inherent belief of every Muslim that, by virtue of the shahadah they swore, they are automatically first class humans, a false feeling which gives them a false right to act arbitrary against non Muslims.

I spent six years in the core northern part of Nigeria, and within this period as a student, I witnessed direct and subtle arbitrary behaviour from most Muslims. Sometimes, my greetings were ignored simply because there came in English, or from a non believer. Right in the class, severally, I listened with no sense of annoyance but surprise, how the Quran is a perfect book of the one true religion, Islam. I listened, in a particular class on the critical discourse analysis of political speeches, where those of prophet were adopted as example to highlight the purpose behind his classification of the Muslim community, and those of the kafr. Beneath that classification, the earthly and heavenly benefits of killing unbelievers were clearly fished out without a rethink of the effects it will have on the only two non Muslims in the class; myself and one other Christian from Kaduna.

There are uncountable times when I was told to convert to Islam in order to complete what was called my 'fine gentleness' which only Muslims possessed. This was done, not minding that, at that time, I was still a Christian. If had said the same thing to any Muslim, it might have gotten me beaten up or vilified. Towards the end of my studies, I began an atheist, in addition to another one, a Marxist from Tanzania. The hate and obvious disrespect melted out to the old lecturer, more knowledgeable than any professor from the faculty, was shocking. The fact that he spent all his monthly salary on their needs was never considered. For expressing different views, we were called mad men.

Mubarak appears a replica of the Marxist; daring and humane. Just like the Marxist, he advocates for Islamic reforms, the application of science to societal problems and rebuttal of Islamic fables. This is what they hate, and you think he deserves to rot in jail or die for speaking out against a bloody thirsty religion? Some of you have never visited the North, that is why, you sit in your comfort zones down south being unreasonably discordant. The North needs help. The North is sick. She needs urgent attention, and the likes of Mubarak presents that solution.

This is why, we need to speak against the ills there, inspired by religion. We need to speak against a society that sees other non Muslims as, to borrow from a lecturer from my alma mater, chickens reared for one purpose-death. We need to instill it in every bigoted Muslim that being a Muslim doesn't make them special, or gives them the right to intimidate others. They must understand that people have the right to expression, and that right implies, to offend and tell uncomfortable truth.

At least two of our members are also his friend on Facebook.

If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Tank

If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Randy

Tank replies 45 and 46 are heartfelt. I fear for the man but more importantly, the plight he fights for. And to think some people in our country (USA) would like nothing better than this as long as it is their ideology in focus.

Keep us posted.
"Maybe it's just a bunch of stuff that happens." -- Homer Simpson
"Some people focus on the destination. Atheists focus on the journey." -- Barry Goldberg

Tank

Quote from: Randy on June 04, 2020, 09:58:27 PM
Tank replies 45 and 46 are heartfelt. I fear for the man but more importantly, the plight he fights for. And to think some people in our country (USA) would like nothing better than this as long as it is their ideology in focus.

Keep us posted.

I will. But there is still no word. He has a two month old son, his first child, and his wife is in a terrible state.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Asmodean

If you'll forgive me some cynical ramblings, which I am unlikely to follow up because... No time. Still, I think this is important to think about;

I'm not surprised by the lack of news. I think I've said this before, but it's worth re-stating. "Us" getting vocally outraged about this, or any such case in "them" parts of the world, will not help. This does not mean, however, that "we" should not be vocal about it - as long as our goals and expectations are within the realms of realism.

Those who have power and influence will use it in a way most conducive to maintaining it, often at the expense of those without. Those with power and influence who agree with our side in this case, in parts of the world which do not, will therefore keep their heads down. And in the rare cases where they do make a noise, those are the places where a snowflake (If you'll pardon the culturally-laden expression - in this case, it is not) will not start an avalanche. Still, building a strong base of support and influence is how radical reforms get "done right," and by the time of policy-implementation, they are no longer radical at all. It will take decades. It will cost lives. It's that, or a "war" (With or without quotation marks, to draw a parallel to the current state of affairs over in the USA) which can probably not be won.
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.

Tank

He's still being held illegally. Today (11th July 2020) is his 36th birthday.

Latest news
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Tank

It is new 84 days since the abduction of Mubarak Bala. His whereabouts is still unknown. He continues to receive death threats. He has not yet seen his lawyers. He has not seen his wife nor baby son.

Mubarak Bala: Putting His Accuser To The Test
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Tank

If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Tank

Well I'm in Facebook Jail for today as apparently trying to save someone's life is 'Spamming'. I'l just have to be a little more creative from tomorrow.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Ecurb Noselrub

Quote from: Tank on August 22, 2020, 09:04:49 AM
Well I'm in Facebook Jail for today as apparently trying to save someone's life is 'Spamming'. I'l just have to be a little more creative from tomorrow.

How did they come to that conclusion?  Trump spams all day long on Twitter and never suffers the consequences.

Tank

Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on August 25, 2020, 10:59:40 PM
Quote from: Tank on August 22, 2020, 09:04:49 AM
Well I'm in Facebook Jail for today as apparently trying to save someone's life is 'Spamming'. I'l just have to be a little more creative from tomorrow.

How did they come to that conclusion?  Trump spams all day long on Twitter and never suffers the consequences.

I have been sharing a daily post quite widely which may have triggered something. I also PM the Kano state governor with the same post so he may have reported me as a spammer. I also share the post to his page daily.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Ecurb Noselrub

But Facebook should know better. Sometimes Zucker pisses me off.

Tank

If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Tank

Fortunately reports of his death were an error.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Recusant

The scenario described in the piece still looms though, I expect.  :sadnod:
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken