Friday, July 06, 2007
ISIOMAH DANIELS RE-INCARNATE?
Whenever my friends click through my collection of Miss World 2007 pictures they make comments about Isiomah Daniels. The name Isiomah (pronounced eye-sore-mar) belongs to one girl who was at one time a cub reporter at This Day newspaper. Their comments border on a kind of resemblance between Miss Tanzania, Flaviana Matata, pictured left and Isiomah Daniels. I really find that odd. This is because the picture of Isiomah which has been in my head since her careless remarks about the Prophet, is of a pygmy-short, pitch black girl with a typical African nose and frizzy hair. In my mind Isiomah is a far cry from the tall, slim beauty we see in Flaviana. Also as far as Isiomah is concerned, beauty pageants are only there to write about.
Here is a little recap: Isiomah's article in This Day newspaper sparked off unnecessary bloody riots across the North by mostly rogues and vagrants. She was, of course, wrong in mentioning the prophet in an article on beauty pageant that involved nudity, but to go on rampage for that beats my imagination. All the same I believe that if she had equally mentioned Jesus in the same article, tempers might have been doused somewhat.
At any rate the deed had been done but the handling of the event by Obasanjo and Jerry Gana left much to be desired. They quickly relocated Isiomah to the USA thereby sweeping everything under the carpet. That was a dumb thing to do. Unfortunately that strategy appears now to be the standard response to all similar cases where Muslims are slighted.
But do we really see any resemblance between the two or are my friends just pulling my leg in order to bring back the issue?
Comments:
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You make it sound like muslims are the subject of a conscious attack or marginalisation attempt. Sorry, I can't agree with that. Inasmuch as comments about Jesus Christ will offend a lot of people, I doubt if it will elicit violent reactions. After all we've all heard of and, perhaps, watched or read Dan Brown's Da Vinci code. Imagine what would have happened if the prophet was the subject of such ridicule! because of this, leaders everywhere now pamper muslims and generally try to insulate them from the mockery that every religion suffers so much so that when the insulation is reduced a bit the muslims feel slighted. What did you really expect Obj to do? let the poor girl be butchered? Sorry I speak about your religion this way. I don't disrespect it; I have a couple of sensible muslim friends( who don't think like the few terrorists that soil the name of the religion) but the truth must be told
Thanks for the comment bighead.
Muslims are indeed the subject of conscious attack as you said. And the attackers are Christians (eg danish cartoonist) and ex-Muslims actively supported by Christians (eg rushdie, hirse). Let me quickly add though that its not all Christians who do the attack or hail them. There are sensible ones among them....
I am yet to come across an attack on Christianity by a Muslim.
The Da Vinci Code you mentioned was no doubt authored by a Christian and if it denigrates Jesus in anyway then no Muslim will touch it, let alone call it an exercise of freedom of speech. And Muslim countries will definitely ban it.
Insulating Muslims could work both ways because Muslims have options: Going on rampage has so far been the standard response.I do not support it at all. Replying in kind is another option. I do not support this either. The middle course is better - show your displeasure and try to reason it out. After all we all live in glass houses.
Then you said Miss Daniels would have been butchered thereby implying that the whole country was ablaze with the riots. Come on Bighead. Were there riots in Lagos, Enugu, Ibadan etc,etc?. Even in Abuja there were safe places they could have taken her (Aso rock for one). I believe that millions of dollars were spent on her relocation and if I know Nigerians well, then the opportunity was abused in order to loot.
Respect for all religions is the solution. And I mean all religions ...
Muslims are indeed the subject of conscious attack as you said. And the attackers are Christians (eg danish cartoonist) and ex-Muslims actively supported by Christians (eg rushdie, hirse). Let me quickly add though that its not all Christians who do the attack or hail them. There are sensible ones among them....
I am yet to come across an attack on Christianity by a Muslim.
The Da Vinci Code you mentioned was no doubt authored by a Christian and if it denigrates Jesus in anyway then no Muslim will touch it, let alone call it an exercise of freedom of speech. And Muslim countries will definitely ban it.
Insulating Muslims could work both ways because Muslims have options: Going on rampage has so far been the standard response.I do not support it at all. Replying in kind is another option. I do not support this either. The middle course is better - show your displeasure and try to reason it out. After all we all live in glass houses.
Then you said Miss Daniels would have been butchered thereby implying that the whole country was ablaze with the riots. Come on Bighead. Were there riots in Lagos, Enugu, Ibadan etc,etc?. Even in Abuja there were safe places they could have taken her (Aso rock for one). I believe that millions of dollars were spent on her relocation and if I know Nigerians well, then the opportunity was abused in order to loot.
Respect for all religions is the solution. And I mean all religions ...
"This is because the picture of Isiomah which has been in my head since her careless remarks about the Prophet, is of a pygmy-short, pitch black girl with a typical African nose and frizzy hair. "
I can't believe that you made this statement above. Even a caucasian would not trust themselves to make such a statement. And Flaviana looks typically African. Typically African is not equal to ugly!!!!!
And by the way, I don't see what Isioma(pronounced e-cee-o-mah by the way)wrote that warranted the ignorant reaction which further sunk Nigeria's reputation in the world.
I can't believe that you made this statement above. Even a caucasian would not trust themselves to make such a statement. And Flaviana looks typically African. Typically African is not equal to ugly!!!!!
And by the way, I don't see what Isioma(pronounced e-cee-o-mah by the way)wrote that warranted the ignorant reaction which further sunk Nigeria's reputation in the world.
@ marin. Sounds like isiomah is a great fan of yours. in which case i say sorry for describing her with such words. You must be based in USA where political correctness etc etc are the watchwords. These words are yet to reach nigeria. But I can imagine the litigations that could result if I were a US citizen!
I dont know how you got to use the word ugly seeing that I did not use it in my post.
The riots, as i said in the post, were carried out by rogues and vagrants. And like you said they caused our country's reputation to sink further. i can not agree more with you on this point.
I dont know how you got to use the word ugly seeing that I did not use it in my post.
The riots, as i said in the post, were carried out by rogues and vagrants. And like you said they caused our country's reputation to sink further. i can not agree more with you on this point.
hajia,
I am not based in the US, and I still think that you used some strong words to describe Isioma. I am sorry that a young girl(I think she was 21 or 22 at the time) had to flee her country and home because of an article.
Nice blog by the way, and thanks for dropping by.
I am not based in the US, and I still think that you used some strong words to describe Isioma. I am sorry that a young girl(I think she was 21 or 22 at the time) had to flee her country and home because of an article.
Nice blog by the way, and thanks for dropping by.
@marin.Isiomah did not flee. She was whisked out of the country against her personal wish (i beleive)for selfish reasons. The matter could have been settled amicably in the courts but extremists started the violence and the other extremists thought by relocating her they would douse the anger (and make some dollars). Both of them were wrong.
I agree with you that i used strong words to describe her. Its for two reasons-1. i was not happy with what she said about the prophet and 2.i want to draw her out from wherever she is hiding to partake in the discussion.I am itching to hear her side of the story.
You used the word Caucasian and this made me to think you may be based in the USA. Sorry for the mix up.
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I agree with you that i used strong words to describe her. Its for two reasons-1. i was not happy with what she said about the prophet and 2.i want to draw her out from wherever she is hiding to partake in the discussion.I am itching to hear her side of the story.
You used the word Caucasian and this made me to think you may be based in the USA. Sorry for the mix up.
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