PAGAN 9JA:
this is not a criminal issue. no one has the right to judge what is criminal or not when it comes to the issue of tribal custom.

Siena:

Bro, I applaud you for wanting to retain traditional beliefs (though there are several I don't agree with). Anyone who brands the face of a child that's not his or hers, a child he or she has no parental rights over, has committed a crime.

If I branded your child's face, I would be committing a crime, and you'd have every right to press charges against me.

PAGAN 9JA:
and who are you to decide what is crime and what is not? When you are born into a tribe, you adhere to tribal custom. In a tribe there is no my child or your child. we are all kith and kin, especially so when the mother-inlaw is a blood relation to the child.

PAGAN 9JA:



hahaha such a sad comeback. Your face resembles that of a dirty tribeless half-bred xtian monkey.

Siena:

You're not getting it, or you are, but just fail to see the other side.

I have every right to decide if my children get their faces branded or not. In this case, no. My children are mine. Any person who lays hands upon my kids, related or not, and marks their faces had best run to the ends of the earth.

Because I would kill that person, unless they die before I catch up with him or her.

You are obviously free to bring up your children any way you deem fit, and if that includes facial branding, that's your choice. I have the right to bring up mine, my way.

ItsModella:
yay!! clap for yourself. In your pathetic mind you just said something harsh, right? Let it keep paining you, ain't nobody got your time.

PAGAN 9JA:



My dear, you are the one who is not getting it. It is not like the child is being killed or r.aped. you are just overreacting. It is just a few marks upon the face as demanded by Tribal Custom.

or you must oust yourself from that tribe and not carry its name or culture or religion or associate anything with it. then you can do as you chose. you may aswell become an outcaste.

Fhemmmy:

I think from the few i have read, you dont seems to understand what Siena is saying . . . He is not stoping you from branding the face of your own kids cos it is your choice - though, i think it is totally still not right to even mark the face of a defenseless child all in the name of tribal culture, has anyone ever wonders how the child will feel when he/she is grown to make decision and look into the mirror to see such marks?
Anyhow, what Siena is telling you is that, he has the right to decide for his kids and not the tribe that he belongs to.

Siena: ^^^ Okay. So what you're effectively telling me, EVERY tribe in Nigeria bears tribal marks? Because I don't think so. And you're saying those that come from tribes that bear tribal marks, but they themselves don't bear the same marks, that means they've renounced their culture?

*Sighs*

Fhemmmy:

I think from the few i have read, you dont seems to understand what Siena is saying . . . He is not stoping you from branding the face of your own kids cos it is your choice - though, i think it is totally still not right to even mark the face of a defenseless child all in the name of tribal culture, has anyone ever wonders how the child will feel when he/she is grown to make decision and look into the mirror to see such marks?
Anyhow, what Siena is telling you is that, he has the right to decide for his kids and not the tribe that he belongs to.

naijathings: I honestly can not and refuse to believe that someone in this internet age where knowledge and exposure is abundant.. will still think about giving tribal marks to a child. whether it is their child or not. Thank my parents for not allowing such on my face.. how I for take dey look mirror?

PAGAN 9JA:


what will the child feel? He will feel proud of his tribe, if his family teaches him basic tribal pride, exposes him to the rich culture , heritage and history ,etc., of the tribe.

It is the fault of the family and I blame them for this and everything and for the existence of this thread in the first place!

Todays christainized families do not take their kids to masquerades, do not teach them traditional beliefs, do not associate them with famous tribal heroes , teach them mythological inspiring tales, etc.
They try to distance them as much as possible form these things and brand it all as barbaric and evil.

I always felt proud of my marks and the same with the children in our family, because I have thought them that the marks we bare are the same as those worn by the ancient Hausa rulers of Kutumbawa.

if he has the right to decide for his kids , then he also has the right to discoiate himself from his tribe, drop his identity and adopt a whitemans identity. THE END.

then no one ha the right to castigate him.

PAGAN 9JA:



k now we have hit the mark! all this while I was talking about tribes that practice the tribal marks. If you are from a tribe that doesnt practice it, then you dont have to wear it.

well to an extent yes. it is the abandoning of small things such as these, that lead to the gradual loss of an ancient culture.

PAGAN 9JA:


what has internet got to do with tribal marks? ignorant*

please talk sense.

jeffizy: I have seen many faces, black, yellow, cream, etc. But a type of face that stands out is the one with tribal marks .
Tribal marks are peculiar to most tribes in naija. It was known to serve two purposes - identification and beautification.
These days i see people mock anyone with tribal marks. Calling them 'fight lion' , 'tiger claws' , etc.
All i want to know is if there's anyone out there that will allow his/her kid to have a mark on the face.
I will love to read the opinion of people with tribal marks too.

Fhemmmy:

Chairman, you have every right to feel the way you felt, cos the best you know is that you were branded and you see a reason why branding the face of kids should continue . . . However, please for the sake of God and that innocent child, it is so not fair.
Now so many adult are going for tattoo, so leave that child alone and when he or she is old enuf to tattoo her/his face with tribal mark, so be it but till then, it is totally not fair to that child cos nothing can remove the mark again (undoing the damage of what he\she was never part of could mark his/her future or self esteem forever) please let us give them a choice in some of these things.
God Bless

kulyie: thank you o.infact i see it as child abuse,assaulting the face of a harmless infant

Fhemmmy:

Chairman, you have every right to feel the way you felt, cos the best you know is that you were branded and you see a reason why branding the face of kids should continue . . . However, please for the sake of God and that innocent child, it is so not fair.
Now so many adult are going for tattoo, so leave that child alone and when he or she is old enuf to tattoo her/his face with tribal mark, so be it but till then, it is totally not fair to that child cos nothing can remove the mark again (undoing the damage of what he\she was never part of could mark his/her future or self esteem forever) please let us give them a choice in some of these things.
God Bless

Fhemmmy:

Please tell me exactly what that ancient culture has got to offer me or you that we have to live it on the cheek of a little kid that ought to have her/his own mind on certain issue?

naijathings:

i said "internet age" and you call me ignorant. you must have a very low IQ and probably living in the ice age.. oya ask me what is ice age again.. ignoramus. *gives him a knock*

kulyie: thank you o.infact i see it as child abuse,assaulting the face of an infant

Fhemmmy:

Yes, and so sad - Anyone that could do such to a child scares me.

PAGAN 9JA:


what innocent child? does that mean i am less innocent , because I was branded with my identity? you are discriminating now!

and what God? your God? certainly not! My Gods were here on this land first, before your man-God came in to spread your fake foreing ideology! It wont work here.

are you thinking i am trying to design my child all over with funky designs to make him look kool!

why are you confusing tatoos with tribal marks?! tatoos are for vanity whereas tribal marks are for aesthetics and cultural identity! The Tribal marks are used to establish a binding relationship and comittment to the respective tribe/ethnic group.

and why do you constantly talk about removing the mark! I dont understand you. do we look life fools here? to put mark and remove it later!

self esteem? these marks improve self-esteem and pride in ones identity!

The Gods Bless and Guide yall!

You could rant about God, god or all those all you want, if your god see nothing wrong in marking the face of a defenseless child, i will never wanna touch such "god" with a dirty pole . . . .
When you were abused as a child by marking your face, you were innocent, but since you have grown to accept such act, then, the innocense in you has been diluted . . .

PAGAN 9JA:



what your own culture has to offer you? excuse me?!

why are you so greedy? do you have to see monetary gain in everything? As I said before, your culture is your identity. It defines you as a people in this world of peoples!

It depends on your tribe. For esample, did you read about the Dinka/Nuer tribal marks? in that case, they are meant as initiation and to symbolically ingrain these values and the laws of the tribe upon the child , so that he can lead an upright existence. it all depends on your tribe and the marks concerned.

Again, if your tribe doesnt do it, then you dont need to bother yourself with it. .

PAGAN 9JA:


yes and hypocrites like you have no regrets and fears when you assault the privates of an infant by circumcision, which if seen, is far worse then a few scratches on the face.

or when you nearly drown the child during baptism!

If standing up for kids that cant protect themselves made me an hypocrites then, i am a celebrated one . . . For your information, i am not into circumcision of a girl but the skin on the little Johnny of a boy could have some effect on them and that is not just about culture. . . . It is for their own good, but tell me what is good for a child by marking their face cos of the frustration of some people . . .

Fhemmmy:

You could rant about God, god or all those all you want, if your god see nothing wrong in marking the face of a defenseless child, i will never wanna touch such "god" with a dirty pole . . . .
When you were abused as a child by marking your face, you were innocent, but since you have grown to accept such act, then, the innocense in you has been diluted . . .

PAGAN 9JA:



What abuse? LMAO! my marks were down when i was around 8 yrs old and I still remember the eagerness with which i looked forward to it!

+ at the babay stage it is best to be done because the chold wont suffer so much.

My Gods are spiritual Forces, you cannot touch them.

now you are talking nonsense. innocence diluted. . wtf?!

Fhemmmy:

Since you have not been able to read beyond my post, now lemme explain to you what i meant:
What that culture has offered you as a man is ability to sit and abuse the younge, old and the small ones, a small kid cant talk, cos you are older than them, your wife has to shut up cos she is a woman and more . . . there are some of our culture that is awesomely rich but the one that you have created that said YOU MUST humiliate a child with marks on his face, i am sorry that is sad

PAGAN 9JA:
now you are talking nonsense. innocence diluted. . wtf?!

Since you are too serious to read btw the line, that was supposed to be a joke, Pal, relax dont be too serious . . . Learn to take time to smell the flowers, but aint joking about saying any adult that could mark a face of a child is wicked oh. . . . I am glad no one would even wanna try to do them to my kids, else, the person would be used as animal to test some medications

Fhemmmy:

If standing up for kids that cant protect themselves made me an hypocrites then, i am a celebrated one . . . For your information, i am not into circumcision of a girl but the skin on the little Johnny of a boy could have some effect on them and that is not just about culture. . . . It is for their own good, but tell me what is good for a child by marking their face cos of the frustration of some people . . .