Is it any wonder that my friend and
brother, Governor Nasir El Rufai once
warned the Nigerian military against
what he considered to be their excesses
in the fight against Boko Haram and told
them that “anyone, whether soldier or
otherwise, that kills a Fulani must
consider it as a debt that will be repaid”?

Is it any wonder that in 2001 some
unscrupulous and irresponsible leaders
in the core north invoked “political
sharia” as a secret weapon in their
attempt to discredit, destabilise and
destroy President Olusegun Obasanjo, a
southern Christian president?

Is it any wonder that in 2001 President
Muhammadu Buhari, a core northern
muslim, said “what is the business of
christians if we muslims chop off our
limbs in the name of sharia”, and went
further by saying that it is his intention
and desire “to spread sharia all over the
federation”. Is it any wonder that the
same man said in 2014 that “an attack
on Boko Haram is an attack on the
North?”

Is it any wonder that Governor Bello
Masari of Katsina state said that there
was a link between Boko Haram and the
Fulani militants/herdsmen and that they
both “kill people and rob them of their
property”.

Is it any wonder that virtually every
single notable southern leader in our
political history that has ever aligned
with the North, including MKO Abiola,
Ken Saro-Wiwa, Isaac Boro and many
others who ended up secretly regretting
it because after all their noble efforts of
regional and ethnic bridge-building they
ended up being cheated, insulted,
marginalised, humiliated, maligned,
misrepresented, used, dumped, jailed or
killed? Worse still in the case of Saro-
Wiwa, after he was hung acid was
poured all over his body in order to
remove any trace of him.

Is it any wonder that Dr. Junaid
Mohammed, one of the leading apostles
of Northern hegemony, said that
Nigerians should “let the Biafrans go”
and that “they need Nigeria more than
Nigeria needs them”?

Is it any wonder that Chief Bola Ige of
blessed memory once referred to the
Fulani as “the Tutsis of Nigeria” and that
Mohammed Yusuf, a leading core
northern civil servant, once referred to
the Tutsis as “the Fulani in diaspora?”

Is it any wonder that virtually every
single courageous, moderate, honest,
liberal and truly progressive core
northern leader, like Abubakar
‘Dangiwa’ Umar, Nuhu Ribadu, Kashim
Ibrahim Imam, Halilu Akilu, Tanko
Yakassai, Sule Lamido, Lawal
Batagarawa and many others who sought
to build bridges of peace and
understanding with the South throughout
their lives and careers – that insist and
insisted on equity and fairness between
the ethnic nationalities, that refused to
describe their tribe as the “master race”,
and resisted racial and religious bigotry,
and that deplores injustice and
wickedness and that stands up against
the excesses of his own leaders and
people is persecuted, viewed with
suspicion, misrepresented and not
allowed to achieve his full potentials by
the deeply conservative and reactionary
leaders of the ultra-conservative core
North?

The Bible tells us that “God works in
mysterious ways, His wonders to
perform”. When the misguided and
ultra-conservative leaders of an ethnic
nationality in a multi-cultural and multi-
ethnic state pride themselves on building
an empire, enslaving others, occupying
their land and holding on to power by
consistently using violence, religion,
subterfuge, lies, deceit, manipulation
and the shedding of blood, a terrible
price has to be paid. God is not mocked
and neither does He sleep. He will ask
the murderer, where is your brother
Abel and He will tell him that “his blood
cries out to me from the ground for
vengeance”.

For those who doubt the veracity of my
earlier assertion that every single core
Northerner that has ever ruled this
country has either died in office or been
removed from power and detained for a
number of years, permit me to enlighten
you.

Kindly note the fact that General Yakubu
Gowon, General Ibrahim Babangida and
General Abdulsalami Abubakar who
were also Heads of State of Nigeria and
who were also from the north were not
core northerners but Middle Belters.
That is what set them apart and made
the difference. We are talking about core
northern leaders here and the bitter and
tragic end that each and everyone of
them suffered after being Head of State,
President or Prime Minister.

Consider the following. Sir Tafawa
Balewa who was the Prime Minister of
Nigeria from 1960 till 1966 was from the
core North and he was killed whilst in
office. General Murtala Muhammed who
was Head of State of Nigeria from 1975
till 1976 was from the core North and he
was killed whilst in office. Alhaji Shehu
Shagari who was President of Nigeria
from 1979 till 1983 was from the core
North and he was removed by a military
coup d’etat whilst in office after which
he was detained for two years during
which he almost went blind.

General Muhammadu Buhari who was
Head of State of Nigeria from 1983 till
1985 was from the core North and he
was removed in a military coup d’etat
whilst in office after which he was
detained for four years. General Sani
Abacha who was Head of State from
1994 till 1998 was from the core North
and he died under mysterious
circumstances whilst in office. Alhaji
Umaru Yar’adua who was President from
2007 till 2010 was from the core north
and he died under mysterious
circumstances whilst in office.

No one deserves to be killed or to die in
such mysterious circumstances and no
one deserves to suffer incarceration
unlawfully. I am saddened by what each
and everyone of these respected leaders
suffered and by what they were forced to
go through. I deplore murder, violence,
bloodshed and the unconstitutional
removal of democratically-elected
presidents and prime ministers.

I do not relish what happened to any of
them and neither do I endorse what
befell them. However it is clear to me, as
it ought to be clear to any discerning
reader, that there is more to all this than
meets the eye. It is not a coincidence.
There is a clearly established pattern of
sad and unfortunate events here that
cannot be ignored or wished away and
that must be critically examined. In
short, there is clearly a bigger picture in
all these and a concise message that
many of us fail to appreciate,
acknowledge or recognise.

The bible says “he who lives by the
sword shall die by the sword”. The
efficacy of this spiritual truism and
powerful scripture is better proved and
exhibited in our country than perhaps
any other. Today in Nigeria God is
asking Cain “where is your brother Abel”
and this time He must get an answer.
Yet who precisely is Abel? The answer is
simple and clear: Abel is Gideon
Akaluka, the young man from Benue
state who was dragged out of a Kano
police station by a barbaric mob and
whose head was cut off and placed on
the end of a long pole for allegedly
desecrating the Koran. Abel is the little
Igbo girl who was ravaged by kwashikor
and starved to death during the Nigerian
civil war. Abel are the two young men
who were shot to death in Enugu for
marching against injustice, for
demanding the release of their leader
Nnamdi Kanu and for calling for the
establishment of Biafra.

Abel is the pastor whose church was
burnt down, whose family was
butchered and who was crucified at the
alter by an irate mob of terrorists and
Islamic fundamentalists in Borno state.
Abel is the Muslim girl who was stoned
to death for falling in love with a
Christian boy and attempting to marry
him in Zamfara state.

Abel is the woman who was hacked to
death with her children and thrown
down a well by a mob of Muslim fanatics
in Jos. Abel is the Kataf man that was
castrated and chopped into pieces, the
southern Kaduna girl who was burnt
alive, and the Berom woman who was
mutilated and raped to death by Fulani
militants. Abel are the five young Igbo
traders who were slaughtered in their
shops for “not being able to recite the
Koran” at Madala market in Niger State.
Abel are the 105 brave young soldiers
who were attacked with chemical
weapons by Boko Haram in Borno State
and who our government have refused
to acknowledge or honour in death. Abel
are the over 200 girls from Chibok, the
170 girls from Bam and the thousands of
other young girls from all over the North
who were abducted from their homes,
schools and communities and who were
raped, tortured, enslaved, maimed and
murdered in cold blood by Boko Haram.
Abel are the hundreds of thousands of
Igbos who are always butchered
whenever there is any conflict or dispute
in the North. Abel are the 21 Shia
Muslims who were blown to pieces in
Kano by Boko Haram. Abel are the nine
young Igbo martyrs shot to death by
security forces during a peaceful IPOB
march in Onitsha.

Abel is the palm wine tapper who was
cut to pieces in Delta State and the Royal
Father who was hacked to death in
Enugu by Fulani militants. Abel is the
embattled community in Delta State who
were forced to ban the Fulani militants
and herdsmen from entering their land
due to their consistent acts of rape,
murder, terror and violence.

Abel are the great souls that the leaders
of the core North conspired to destroy by
setting them up with trumped up and
malicious criminal charges. These
include Chief Obafemi Awolowo who was
sent to prison for three years on the
watch of Sir Tafawa Balewa and
President Olusegun Obasanjo who was
sent to prison for three years on the
watch of General Sani Abacha.
Abel is Colonel Emeka Odumegwu-
Ojukwu who fought against the mass
murder of his people, who protected his
kith and kin from Cain’s genocide and
who was driven into exile. Abel are the
defenceless young Igbo boys and
harmless old Igbo men who were
rounded up in the town square in Asaba
and executed by Nigerian troops.
Abel are the 800 innocent souls,
including eleven young youth corpers,
who were butchered by President
Buhari’s supporters in the core North
after he lost the presidential election in
2011. Abel are the 350 teachers who
were killed by Boko Haram in Borno
state.

Abel is every single one of the hundreds
of thousands of innocent souls who were
killed in sectarian violence and ethnic
pogroms in Northern Nigeria over the
last 55 years. Abel are the so-called
wretched of the earth: the weak, the
helpless, the voiceless and the
downtrodden. Abel is the silent majority
who have no voice to speak for
themselves, who are not members of the
so-called “master race”, who were not
“born to rule” and who were cut short
and sent to the great beyond before their
time. For every nation and every evil
seed comes a day of reckoning. In
Nigeria we are almost there. It is just a
matter of time.

Until then Cain, the rejected of the Lord,
shall remain rejected and Abel’s
innocent blood shall continue to speak
against him and his seed. The Lord God
of Hosts, the Ancient of Days and the
God of All Flesh is speaking and He is
saying “let my people go”. The question
is whether Cain is listening.

Before I conclude this piece permit me to
clarify one or two issues. It has been said
that I am “anti-core North and anti-
Fulani”, yet nothing could be further
from the truth. The only thing that I am
“anti” is injustice and wickedness. I
would like to remind readers that one
eighth of the blood that flows through
my veins is Fulani and this derives from
my maternal great grandmother who
was a pure Fulani woman.

I am very proud of that aspect of my
ancestry and I am equally proud of my
almost pure Yoruba bloodlines and
heritage. I can hardly be described as a
hater of the Fulani when I am partly
Fulani myself. However if some believe
that criticising the leadership of the
Fulani and the atrocious and oftentimes
irresponsible way that they have
behaved over the last 55 years makes me
“anti-Fulani”, then so be it.

I would also like to remind my traducers
that I was introduced into politics and
given my first political appointment in
1992 by a highly respected and much-
loved elder statesman who happens to be
from the core North by the name of
Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi, the Marafan
Sokoto. Marafan is like a father to me
and he is a man who I cherish. If I was
“anti-Fulani” or “anti-core North”, this
would not be the case and I would
harbour no such affection for this great
Nigerian.

Again I have defended my friend and
brother Colonel Sambo Dasuki, the
former National Security Adviser, and
resisted the ruthless persecution and
misrepresentation that he has been
subjected to by the Buhari
administration, as much as anyone else
over the last few months. This is because
his human rights have been consistently
violated and, despite the horrendous
media trial that he and his associates
have been subjected to, I believe that he
is innocent of all the criminal charges
proferred against him. Dasuki is not just
a Fulani but he is a Fulani prince of
royal blood and noble heritage. If I
“hated” Fulanis I doubt that I would have
bothered to stand by him.

If I raise issues about the core North or
the Fulani, it is because I believe that
they can do far better, and I am of the
view that they need to do a lot of soul-
searching about their role and purpose
in a wider Nigeria. If this country is to
remain one then the tendency in the
core North that honestly believes that the
Fulani were “born to rule” must retrace
their steps and think again.

This point has been eloquently
enunciated by Mr. Nnamdi Kanu’s IPOB,
the OPC, MASSOB, Afenifere, the Yoruba
Council of Elders, Ohaneze, the Ijaw
National Congress, the Niger Delta
militants and so many other ethnic
nationalist and self-determination
groups over the years, and who can
blame them?

Like President Thomas Jefferson, one of
the founding fathers of the United States
of America, said 210 years ago, “we
prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful
slavery”. Again like President Kwame
Nkrumah of Ghana, the father of pan-
Africanism, once proclaimed, “we reject
the tranquility of servitude”.

Again like Rev. Martin Luther King, the
father of civil rights and African-
American liberation once said “freedom
is never voluntarily given by the
oppressor: it must be demanded by the
oppressed”.

Again like Mr. Yinka Odumakin, the
spokesman of Afenifere, said “methinks
that it is Nigeria that is dead and that the
quest for self-determination is very
much alive”.

The point is simple and clear: the days of
“masters and slaves” or “horse and
horse-rider” are long over in our nation.
In today’s Nigeria every tribe, every
ethnic nationality and every individual,
no matter how big or small, must be
treated with sensitivity, caution, dignity
and respect and must be regarded as
equals.

If this fundamental principle is not
respected and if we refuse to answer the
‘National Question’, I have no doubt that
eventually this country will hit the rocks
and will break into two or more pieces.

Those who choose to misrepresent,
misconstrue and misunderstand me may
continue to do so if it makes them feel
any better. Regardless of what they say I
shall continue to stand up for the
oppressed whether they be Christian or
Muslim, northern or southern or whether
they are Yoruba, Igbo, Fulani, Ijaw,
Hausa, Edo, Isoko, Tiv, Idoma, Berom,
Kanuri, Efik, Ibibio, Nupe, Shuwa Arab
or anything else.

As long as God gives me life and a strong
voice I shall continue to speak the truth,
I shall continue to educate others about
our nation’s history, I shall continue to
resist injustice and oppose evil and I
shall continue to treat my detractors
with the contempt and disdain that they
deserve.

Some may hate me for writing this piece
and they may seek to discredit and
destroy me because of it. This is because
the truth hurts and they cannot bear to
hear it. Let me assure them that my
covenant with the Lord will not allow
them to achieve their evil plans for me
or mine. No weapon fashioned against
me shall prosper and every tongue that
rises against me stands condemned.

The blood of Jesus speaks for me. The
Lord is my shield, my glory and the lifter
of my head. He alone gives me utterance,
knowledge, wisdom and understanding.
He alone gives me courage and strength.
He alone do I fear.

source: www.blogs.premiumtimesng.com/?p=169965

lovely

Hmmm.. Na WA o

Word

Wow. This is a game changer. Masterpiece.

oluvick:
Word

Can you summarise is too long

One thing I know very well, the Nigeria as structured today can't survive for long. Those who love justice must embrace justice and practice fairness or stand to lose completely.

Word man.

Worry not Mr FFK.......Dasukigate will sooner rather than later appear at your doorstep.... ....in the mean time..keep waiing..

Lalasticlala... I'm waiting for the needful before I comment

Born-to-rule born-to-rule born-to-rule!
It is PDP southerners that always use that adjective to describe us. In our arguments, our campaigns, our ideals we never claim we are superior than anyone from any tribe. We all know those who claim to be the Lord's chosen people, the most special Africans and so on and so forth.
We only boast of one thing and one thing only, which is our population size.
FFK kept mentioning core north leaders core north leaders core north leaders! who are these core north leaders? He conveniently factored out some prominent northerners first by claiming they are from middle belt, but when next he decides to write another article he would claim North rule Nigeria for 39 years.
Playing ethic religious and/regional sentiment is a failed theory in modern Nigerian politics as witnessed by FFK and his PDP gang during the last election. If FFK likes he should keep trying hard to bring biased historical events in order to pitch southerners against PMB's government for one reason and one reason only, that PMB is a core-northerner, but I assure you. Nigerians are now very wise to follow that line of reasoning.

Femi Fani-kayode, I am one of the people who tend to holistically disagree with you due to your ethnical background and prone to falsehood. But in this case, you seemed to be close to gold mine.

This is a word for the wise

This is a word for the wise, thumbs up FFK

EazyMoh:
Born-to-rule born-to-rule born-to-rule!
It is PDP southerners that always use that adjective to describe us. In our arguments, our campaigns, our ideals we never claim we are superior than anyone from any tribe. We all know those who claim to be the Lord's chosen people, the most special Africans and so on and so forth.
We only boast of one thing and one thing only, which is our population size.
FFK kept mentioning core north leaders core north leaders core north leaders! who are these core north leaders? He conveniently factored out some prominent northerners first by claiming they are from middle belt, but when next he decides to write another article he would claim North rule Nigeria for 39 years.
Playing ethic religious and/regional sentiment is a failed theory in modern Nigerian politics as witnessed by FFK and his PDP gang during the last election. If FFK likes he should keep trying hard to bring biased historical events in order to pitch southerners against PMB's government for one reason and one reason only, that PMB is a core-northerner, but I assure you. Nigerians are now very wise to follow that line of reasoning.

mumu

This man is really a brave man.

Good one indeed.

*this is a FP material* Mods pls do the needful

It seems the blood of those shedd since 1959 till date is enough to form river Niger. Na wa for Nigeria ooooooooooo.

EazyMoh:
Born-to-rule born-to-rule born-to-rule!
It is PDP southerners that always use that adjective to describe us. In our arguments, our campaigns, our ideals we never claim we are superior than anyone from any tribe. We all know those who claim to be the Lord's chosen people, the most special Africans and so on and so forth.
We only boast of one thing and one thing only, which is our population size.
FFK kept mentioning core north leaders core north leaders core north leaders! who are these core north leaders? He conveniently factored out some prominent northerners first by claiming they are from middle belt, but when next he decides to write another article he would claim North rule Nigeria for 39 years.
Playing ethic religious and/regional sentiment is a failed theory in modern Nigerian politics as witnessed by FFK and his PDP gang during the last election. If FFK likes he should keep trying hard to bring biased historical events in order to pitch southerners against PMB's government for one reason and one reason only, that PMB is a core-northerner, but I assure you. Nigerians are now very wise to follow that line of reasoning.

Boasting of your population and imposing your tribesman because you have the population is in itself ethnic!. Furthermore in the last election I think APC and GMB played the ethnic card more than anyone else, I was serving in Garko LGA in Kano and PDP supporters were hounded and chased out of town, they were made outcast even in their town, they actually left town or joined APC and APC leaders I believe encouraged that. We heard all the talks about Power returning to the north, infact there were nice shirts with "North 2015" being worn by many notherners not to talk of local music. So dear you need to do soul searching too

KingsleyJohn:


Boasting of your population and imposing your tribesman because you have the population is in itself ethnic!. Furthermore in the last election I think APC and GMB played the ethnic card more than anyone else, I was serving in Garko LGA in Kano and PDP supporters were hounded and chased out of town, they were made outcast even in their town, they actually left town or joined APC and APC leaders I believe encouraged that. We heard all the talks about Power returning to the north, infact there were nice shirts with "North 2015" being worn by many notherners not to talk of local music. So dear you need to do soul searching too

Tell me where and how population size is being used to impose a tribesman. In fact it was PDP that imposed GEJ without primary election.
There is a difference between what party leaders use as campaign message and what foot soldiers supporters use. Did APC leaders tell northerners to vote for Buhari just because he's a Muslim/ northerner? NO! But we can all remember how top PDP leaders were claiming APC has an Islamic agenda. I never saw nor heard about that North 2015 shirts you just mentioned.
Bottom line you can't compare ethnoreligious campaigns done by the likes of FFK (still doing) to any APC campaign message. Please give me instances of you insist.

NON

EazyMoh:
Born-to-rule born-to-rule born-to-rule!
It is PDP southerners that always use that adjective to describe us. In our arguments, our campaigns, our ideals we never claim we are superior than anyone from any tribe. We all know those who claim to be the Lord's chosen people, the most special Africans and so on and so forth.
We only boast of one thing and one thing only, which is our population size.
FFK kept mentioning core north leaders core north leaders core north leaders! who are these core north leaders? He conveniently factored out some prominent northerners first by claiming they are from middle belt, but when next he decides to write another article he would claim North rule Nigeria for 39 years.
Playing ethic religious and/regional sentiment is a failed theory in modern Nigerian politics as witnessed by FFK and his PDP gang during the last election. If FFK likes he should keep trying hard to bring biased historical events in order to pitch southerners against PMB's government for one reason and one reason only, that PMB is a core-northerner, but I assure you. Nigerians are now very wise to follow that line of reasoning.

You are saying Nigerians are now very wise to forget about all the killing that has happened in the North through out our history. You talk like Nigerian history is all about Buhari, PDP and the last election. PMB will pass away someday, like every other man, but the history of Nigeria will remain, and people like FFK will continue to be raised up to remind Nigerians of the atrocities that have been committed against Nigerians in the North that people like you will prefer we forget rather than forgive cause you are too proud to ask for forgiveness for. You've have always seen it as some sort of right and privilege to continue to kill other Nigerians in your lands, that is why you never condemn this acts. This is simply what FFK is saying, whether you condemn or not, the blood of Abel will continue to cry out and vengeance and justice will continue to be meted out.

Thanks for reminding us what they have tried to push to the back of our minds all these years. The blood of Abel will speak soonest than they realised.
I was brought up in the core north. Have a lot of Hausa/Fulani friends. The only people the Hausas respect are the Fulanis. They see every other tribes as inferior to them.
I pity our vice president and the Amaechis of this world. PMB can never confide in you. You are just one of those to be used to advance their Hausa/Fulani agenda.
The only true muslim to them are those from their tribe. The others are not true muslims. Most decisions that concern Nigeria are taken in the mosques and inner bedrooms where a non true muslim can not go.
The most hated are Christians.

Indeed I couldn't agree more with FFK. Whenever blood of an innocent man is shed, it always cries to God for vengeance as is seen in the case of Cain and Abel. Hence the Bible clearly said that it is the blood of Jesus that speaks better things that the blood of Abel.

The reasons for Nigeria's multi problems might not be far-fetched and it is due to the millions of innocent blood that have been shed mostly along ethnic and religious lines.

SOLUTION: IF MY PEOPLE WHICH ARE CALLED BY MY NAME, SHALL HUMBLE THEMSELVES, AND PRAY, AND SEEK MY FACE, AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS; THEN WILL I HEAR FROM HEAVEN, AND WILL FORGIVE THEIR SINS, AND WILL HEAL THEIR LAND.
2 CHRONICLES 7:14 (KJV)

EazyMoh:
Born-to-rule born-to-rule born-to-rule!
It is PDP southerners that always use that adjective to describe us. In our arguments, our campaigns, our ideals we never claim we are superior than anyone from any tribe. We all know those who claim to be the Lord's chosen people, the most special Africans and so on and so forth.
We only boast of one thing and one thing only, which is our population size.
FFK kept mentioning core north leaders core north leaders core north leaders! who are these core north leaders? He conveniently factored out some prominent northerners first by claiming they are from middle belt, but when next he decides to write another article he would claim North rule Nigeria for 39 years.
Playing ethic religious and/regional sentiment is a failed theory in modern Nigerian politics as witnessed by FFK and his PDP gang during the last election. If FFK likes he should keep trying hard to bring biased historical events in order to pitch southerners against PMB's government for one reason and one reason only, that PMB is a core-northerner, but I assure you. Nigerians are now very wise to follow that line of reasoning.

Rubbish talk... Address the facts that have been put up by FFK and stop deviating from the issue on ground.

Little wonder the North despite the fact that they've been in power for 39yrs, still remain the least developed region in Nigeria. GOD IS NOT HAPPY #FACT

Here is the Part 1 of this write up www.nairaland.com/2798760/caliphate-emir-nigerias-master-race#41018479

drberry:


Rubbish talk... Address the facts that have been put up by FFK and stop deviating from the issue on ground.

Little wonder the North despite the fact that they've been in power for 39yrs, still remain the least developed region in Nigeria. GOD IS NOT HAPPY #FACT

Lol! Which facts?
FFK was trying to pin every violence act in Nigeria's history on Core North leaders which ironically are victims of the violence as well.
And that your last statement simply shows that you don't have what it takes to be a leader! There's a leadership quality called EQUITY which means no preferential treatment shall be given to any person, community or region just because a leader is from their.

Dewze:


You are saying Nigerians are now very wise to forget about all the killing that has happened in the North through out our history. You talk like Nigerian history is all about Buhari, PDP and the last election. PMB will pass away someday, like every other man, but the history of Nigeria will remain, and people like FFK will continue to be raised up to remind Nigerians of the atrocities that have been committed against Nigerians in the North that people like you will prefer we forget rather than forgive cause you are too proud to ask for forgiveness for. You've have always seen it as some sort of right and privilege to continue to kill other Nigerians in your lands, that is why you never condemn this acts. This is simply what FFK is saying, whether you condemn or not, the blood of Abel will continue to cry out and vengeance and justice will continue to be meted out.

So seriously that's what you are looking for? an apology?
OK Who is gonna apologize to who? because everyone is a victim at one point or the other.
Look when ever there is a violence against a person or a group, it's not apology that is required, rather it's justice. The perpetrators shall be brought to book, That's all that is required in a civilized society.