Confab memo: Live and let live

By Abdullahi Keni Saint-George

Don’t ever underestimate the power of the brain. And don’t ever underestimate the ingenious mix of the brain and mind, the resultant potion that gives birth to thought and intuitive cognizance, that paved the way to inventions. For example, the primordial invention of stone tools was coeval with the appearance of farming settlements. It was definitely from these crude settlements that communities evolved, fashioning their own languages, dialects, identities and idiosyncrasies.

From that modest stirring of the brain, we have ended up in a planet of ethnic nationalities, civilizations, languages and mind blowing inventions technologically, mind blowing religious inventions, about God, about Satan, Hell, Angels, Paradise, Heaven etc. But as stated earlier, all of the above are creations of the brain and the mind and are of no consequence, except the inventions, technologically speaking, that have at once ‘enhanced’ the living standard of life on planet Hell. And even those technological inventions, of course, paradoxically, gave us the killer, CLIMATE CHANGE, a trade off with INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION AND VAIN MODERNISM.

One of those inventions – RELIGIONISM, has now also become an albatross, a killer. As that eminent Nigerian Sage, Dan Masanin Kano, Alhaji Maitama Sule says … “RELIGION WITHOUT LOVE FOR THE OTHER IS NOTHING”. Religion ultimately reminds me of the highest peak on Earth, Mount Everest, all of three miles up. With the supreme tenacity of man, he has scaled its peak, severally, from different sides or routes, by different nationalities and at different times. Quite a daunting feat, if you ask me. Metaphorically, that is, it means that if the very peak of Mount Everest were to be God, then ‘He’ could be accessed via different routes or Religions. Therefore, it makes non – sense of the silly notion that you can only attain ‘Heaven /God’ via only one religion or Prophet or that one particular route or Religion is superior to the others. Not so. And can never be so, unless viewed from the skewed PRISM of RELIGIOUS – CENTRISM – A MALADY, WARPED IN ITS CAVEMAN’S MENTALITY AND UNDERSTANDING. PURE SPIRITUAL ILLITERACY.

“ Every faith in the world is based on sheer fabrication-that is the definition of faith –acceptance of that which we imagine to be true; that which we cannot prove.
Every religion personalizes and describes God through metaphor, allegory, and exaggeration, from the early Egyptians through modern Sunday schools and Madrasas. Metaphors are a way to help our limited minds process the utterly unprocessible. The problem of course arises, when we begin to believe literally in our own metaphors…like firing a bullet at your shadow…. but there is nothing there in the first place.
Says Voltaire, the French Atheist and European philosopher….of course there is no God but man was determined to have a God… and so he created o”.

THE RIHANU CONCEPT: TRANSFORMATIONAL CONVERSATIONAL PEACE MODULE
Although written, I am really conversing with you, the reader. I am trying to dialogue with you. Please do make an input so that the conversation does not descend into the ‘SOUND OF ONE HAND CLAPPING’. Let us converse about peace in Nigeria and the world. Let us talk about life, about human nature at its highest and lowest points. The conversation may be up to a point, about SOVEREIGN NATIONAL CONFERENCE and all that. And in the light of the recent murderous, religiously and politically directed and orchestrated hurricane that engulfed our defenseless, failing nation, SOVEREIGN NATIONAL CONFERENCE, as proposed by our Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, Agbakoba (SAN), the late Sage, Gani Fawehinmi, Falana (SAN) and my humble self and others, is now a SINE QUA NON. How many heads will have to be decapitated before we wake up from this sorrowful, nightmarish, slumber and illusion of one NIGERIA nation? And if every four years we line out and smash up like the lemmings, in the name of democratic elections, then something has gone awry with that ingenious brain of man –black man. In between elections the blood still flows. Then, I am forced to assert that, short of the Sudan option, Autonomous Regions will have to be visited and soon.

RIHANU CONCEPT: DEMOGRAPHIC PEACE MODULE
Now let me clarify my position. Nigeria breaking up is not really an option, in terms of Muslim North and Christian South. But do you mean that a son of Anambra like me, will have to look for a visa to travel to Kano to see my father, Dan Masanin Kano? Never. But as the blood letting cannot go on forever, Autonomous Philosophy will have to be evolved and quickly. It will, of course, be based on the Ethos of the six geopolitical zones. Having done a research for my yet to be registered party… ACE … AFRICAN COALITION OF ENVIRONMENTALISTS, I took an opinion poll sample and arrived at these assumptions:
1. North East indigenes love the name: EL KANEMI OR GAZARGAMU Autonomous Region. ..(EAR OR GAR)

2. North West indigenes would prefer the names: DAN FODIO OR ZAMFARAWA Autonomous Region…(DAR or ZAR)

3.North Central would prefer the name: PLATEAU Autonomous Region…(PAR)

4. Southwest indigenes would prefer the name: ODUDUWA Autonomous Region… (OAR)

5. Southeast indigenes would prefer the name: BIAFRA Autonomous Region….(BAR)

6. South South indigenes would prefer ATLANTIC Autonomous Region….(AAR)
ABOLITION OF STATES ALONG WITH GOVERNORS OR EMPERORS
My own address, would be, Abdullahi Keni Saint – George, Okohia, Ihiala, Biafra Autonomous Region, BAR, Federal Republic of MAMBILA
Of course, this will mean a fantastic, peaceful, Revolution and as you cannot sell new wine in an old keg, it presupposes that that foreign, white man’s name: NIGERIA OR “NIGER – AREA” must be jettisoned. It has become leprous. Amazingly, 80% of respondents from across the zones would prefer “THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF MAMBILA … because it is African. She would have a Prime Minister and Six Deputies. Each AR will have its own House of Parliament, just like the United Kingdom. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (IN TRUTH) WOULD MIDWIFE FOREIGN POLICY AND THE DEFENCE OF THE REALM.
For my country it is “EITHER/OR”. And it will take Mr. President the zeal of a Revolutionary. I bet you President Jonathan’s name will be written in gold and may even overtake those of our Founding Fathers. But there is just one snag: where in hell do you find the philosophers, the Aristotle’s, the Kierkegaard’s or Roman, Supremely, intelligent Senators during the Era of Socrates, TO PASS THE ABOVE INTO LAW? And if we don’t, we are doomed.
Democracy is a lie. Let us try another route – PANTISOCRACY: ‘A COMMUNITY FOUNDED WITH EQUAL RIGHTS’.
The Rihanu concept, therefore, is largely predicated on the elimination of the psychological inhibitors to harmonious, communal, LIVE–AND LET–LIVE, coexistence, that is necessary if our Nation is to prosper in peace. It is only an important factor in a holistic strategy.
These INHIBITORS are identified as the three negative centrisms, (3NC) viz., EGOCENTRISM, ETHNOCENTRISM and RELIGIOUS –CENTRISM EGOCENTRISM:
In Buddhism, the Ego has been identified as the main obstacle to Enlightenment. The Ego is literally the proud SELF. The portrayal of the SELF as superior in a communal setting, can only lead to tension and conflict as it recognizes others as inferior and inconsequential. To dissolve or neutralize the EGO is supreme Enlightenment – hence the Buddhist Maxim: “SELF CONQUEST IS VALOUR SUPREME”. Tools like applied intuitive intelligence, Yoga, meditation and psychology will be needed, in an educational setting, in the new progressive schools to come
ETHNOCENTRISM (TRIBALISTIC /RACIST)
Ethnocentrism has been elevated globally and indeed has become an internationally, accepted phenomenon. In fact, you can say that the idea of nationalism has something to do with Ethnocentrism. Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich, portrayed it in Germany before and during the 2nd world war, leading to the gassing of 6 million Jews and Gypsies (European Fulanis) and Socialists. It was premised on the ethos, that the ARYAN Race (white race) is superior to all others particularly Blacks. We witnessed it in Apartheid (Nazism) of South Africa which was supported hook, line and sinker, by the very Western Countries that demolished Col. Muarma Gaddafi of Libya, my late friend.
We also witnessed ethno centricism in America, with the Ku Klux Klan or the white supremacists who will never recognize their Black President, Barack Obama. The vicious, violent, criticisms of our Son, President Obama, enroute to 2012 election, is pure rabid Racism. The Global Economy is collapsed. Republicans murdered the leading Economy in the world. There is a threat to “Materialism” and “Capitalism” and therefore for him to create jobs, the Global Economy will have to brighten.
There is fire from Middle East, Europe, Nay, the world. The world is a failed state. The very symbolism of national flags,