The power of one country, the USA, to tag another “terrorist” without any evidence to substantiate such tag is simply dumbfounding! Literally, overnight, the USA has succeeded in unraveling all of Nigeria’s efforts to rebrand itself with the slogan, ‘Nigeria, Good people, Great Nation.’ Whatever happened to Nigerians ranking #1 in 2003 as the World’s Happiest country? Did the happiness evaporate like that? That quickly?
Nigerian citizens and media simply reject this stigmatizatioin and have begun protesting against this highly reactionary move by the US government. Check out a few stories and the video clip below:
Nigeria: Govt Protests U.S. List of Terrorist Nations (Leadership, Abuja)
“Abuja — The Nigerian government yesterday protested its inclusion by its American counterpart among nations it considers as “countries of interest” – those that sponsor state terrorism.
In the wake of the protest, LEADERSHIP learnt that the National Security Adviser, Gen. Abdullahi Sarki Mukhtar (rtd.), will today hold a meeting of security chiefs in the country to review the new directive by the U.S. Transport Security Administration (TSA) that all air passengers from Nigeria entering the United States be screened specially.”
Nigeria: Attempted Bombing – ‘Don’t Tag Country Terrorist Nation’ (THISDAY)
“Abuja — As investigation continues across the US and Nigeria on the attempted bombing of the Detroit bound Delta Air plane by Umar Farouk AbdullMuttalab, who is due to appear in a Michigan Court on January 8, former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has called on the US authorities and other western nations not to tag Nigeria as a terrorist nation with potential threat.
Ogbeh made the call yesterday in Abuja when he spoke to Thisday, saying that, “last year there were Britons, who bombed some locations in the country, till date, the country has not been tagged a terrorist country even though citizens of that country had been caught in terrorist acts.””
Suicide Bomber Doesn’t Make Us a Terrorist Nation (ThisDay)
“On Christmas Day, the world was shocked by the attempt by a young would-be suicide bomber to blow up a US airliner getting ready to land in Detroit after a transatlantic journey. What made the incident particularly distressing to Nigerians was the fact that the suspect is a Nigerian and it was the first time a Nigerian would be involved in such an act. JUDE IGBANOI sought out the Secretary General of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Dr. Lateef Adegbite. He spoke on the unfortunate event as well as incidents of religiously motivated violence in some parts of Nigeria and the growing perception that religious extremism is taking root in the country
The Nigerian Muslim community no doubt has been put on the spot following the botched attempt by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to blow up a passenger plane in the United States of America on Christmas day. Do you see any specific religious connotation to this act, especially coming on Christmas day, a day Christians hold sacred?
I believe the act coming on Christmas day was a mere coincidence. I cannot speak for the young man who attempted to blow up the plane. I am not sure that he deliberately chose Christmas for the act. If he did, that would be most unfortunate. ”
E-black.net
“Heres a short animation inspired by the recent negative publicity that Nigeria has been receiving in the international media. Nigeria has been tagged in a Sony Playstation Ad, the District 9 movie and even in a little mention in Avatar (cough and you’ll miss that one). Now with the recent unfortunate airplane bombing attempt by a Nigerian national, it seems like the international media has got a new target to attack. Nigeria is now shorthand for anything bad in the international media’s eye. Travelling with a Nigerian passport was bad enough, . . . but now, it’s definitely going to be more interesting….
Nigerians aren’t all saints by any stretch of the imagination. We’re not saying that. And God knows the country has big issues to deal with. But Americans aren’t all angels. Neither are the British, Russians, Europeans, Chinese, South Africans or any nation for that matter. Media houses are free to report in any manner they wish. And of course it’s not . . . CNN or other media outfit’s responsibility to report wonderful things about Nigeria. We just feel they should not pretend to be objective and factual when they are not.
One only has to OBJECTIVELY watch the recent reporting on the bombing attempt to understand this. First it was an attacking frenzy on everything Nigerian. When it turned out that the family of the young man actually warned relevant authorities and Western security agencies could be at fault, the media had to alter their direction on how they were reporting the issue. When it comes to Nigeria, the media is very quick to point the finger.
Nigerians at home or in Diaspora should stop apologizing for being Nigerian whether you still have the passport or are now a citizen of another country. If you are honest in what you are doing, why do you need to hide? And the international media should either keep things fair and balanced or stop saying they are doing so; not (that) they’re going to listen to this small animation company but hey.”
~Ladybrille Magazine Staff
Founded in 2007, Ladybrille® Magazine is a California based pioneer digital publication demystifying the image of Africans in the west through contemporary African fashion and celebrating the brilliant woman in business and leadership, with an emphasis on the African woman in the diaspora. Our coverage includes stories on capital, access to markets, expertise, hiring and retention, sales, marketing, and promotions.
It's not so much as to apologizing for the acts of this man, ignorant people are going to label Nigerians regardless. They are going to target them in much the same way they do Middle Eastern people out of pure stupidity. Will Nigeria and other African nations allow this to hamper their advancements in self-definition remains to be seen. Will Nigeria allow the WEST to deny them what they have been working so hard to change? Will they let libelous comments and man-made limitations deter them from what's rightfully theirs? Only Nigeria and it's inhabitants can do that, one person can not unless they allow him to.