₦airaland Forum

patrick89:
What an epic movie!! You guys are good directors!!

bewla:
But a fisher man can

Did you know that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Isis, was trained by Mossad and the CIA? Were you aware that his real name isn’t Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai but Simon Elliot? Or that he’s a Jewish actor who was recruited by the Israelis to play the part of the world’s most wanted terrorist?

If the messages in my email in-box and my Twitter timeline and on my Facebook page are anything to go by, plenty of Muslims are not only willing to believe this nonsensical drivel but are super-keen to share it with their friends. The bizarre claim that NSA documents released by Edward Snowden “prove” the US and Israel are behind al-Baghdadi’s actions has gone viral.

There’s only one problem. “It’s utter BS,” Glenn Greenwald, the investigative journalist who helped break the NSA story, told me. “Snowden never said anything like that and no [NSA] documents suggest it.” Snowden’s lawyer, Ben Wizner, has called the story a hoax.

But millions of Muslims across the globe have a soft spot for such hoaxes. Conspiracy theories are rife in both Muslim-majority countries and Muslim communities here in the west. The events of 9/11 and the subsequent “war on terror” unleashed a vast array of hoaxers, hucksters and fantasists from Birmingham to Beirut.

On a visit to Iraq in 2002, I met a senior Islamic cleric who told me that Jews, not Arabs, had been responsible for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. He loudly repeated the Middle East’s most popular and pernicious 9/11 conspiracy theory: that 4,000 Jews didn’t turn up for work on 11 September 2001 because they had been forewarned about the attacks.

There is, of course, no evidence for this outlandish and offensive claim. The truth is that more than 200 Jews, including several Israeli citizens, were killed in the attacks on the twin towers. I guess they must have missed the memo from Mossad.

Yet the denialism persists. A Pew poll in 2011, a decade after 9/11, found that a majority of respondents in countries such as Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon refused to believe that the attacks were carried out by Arab members of al-Qaeda. “There is no Muslim public in which even 30 per cent accept that Arabs conducted the attacks,” the Pew researchers noted.

This blindness isn’t peculiar to the Arab world or the Middle East. Consider Pakistan, home to many of the world’s weirdest and wackiest conspiracy theories. Some Pakistanis say the schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai is a CIA agent. Others think that the heavy floods of 2010, which killed 2,000 Pakistanis, were caused by secret US military technology. And two out of three don’t believe Osama Bin Laden was killed by US navy Seals on Pakistani soil on 2 May 2011.

Consider also Nigeria, where there was a polio outbreak in 2003 after local people boycotted the vaccine, claiming it was a western plot to infect Muslims with HIV. Then there is Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, where leading politicians and journalists blamed the 2002 Bali bombings on US agents.

Why are so many of my fellow Muslims so gullible and so quick to believe bonkers conspiracy theories? How have the pedlars of paranoia amassed such influence within Muslim communities?

First, we should be fair: it’s worth noting that Muslim-majority nations have been on the receiving end of various actual conspiracies. France and Britain did secretly conspire to carve up the Middle East between them with the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916. They also conspired to attack Egypt, with Israel’s help, and thereby provoked the Suez crisis of 1956. Oh, and it turned out there weren’t any WMDs in Iraq in 2003 despite what the dossiers claimed.

I once asked the Pakistani politician Imran Khan why his fellow citizens were so keen on conspiracy theories. “They’re lied to all the time by their leaders,” he replied. “If a society is used to listening to lies all the time . . . everything becomes a conspiracy.”

The “We’ve been lied to” argument goes only so far. Scepticism may be evidence of a healthy and independent mindset; but conspiracism is a virus that feeds off insecurity and bitterness. As the former Pakistani diplomat Husain Haqqani has admitted, “the contemporary Muslim fascination for conspiracy theories” is a convenient way of “explaining the powerlessness of a community that was at one time the world’s economic, scientific, political and military leader”.

Nor is this about ignorance or illiteracy. Those who promulgate a paranoid, conspiratorial world-view within Muslim communities include the highly educated and highly qualified, the rulers as well as the ruled. A recent conspiracy theory blaming the rise of Islamic State on the US government, based on fabricated quotes from Hillary Clinton’s new memoir, was publicly endorsed by Lebanon’s foreign minister and Egypt’s culture minister.

Where will it end? When will credulous Muslims stop leaning on the conspiracy crutch? We blame sinister outside powers for all our problems – extremism, despotism, corruption and the rest – and paint ourselves as helpless victims rather than indepen­dent agents. After all, why take responsibility for our actions when it’s far easier to point the finger at the CIA/Mossad/the Jews/the Hindus/fill-in-your-villain-of-choice?

As the Egyptian intellectual Abd al-Munim Said once observed, “The biggest problem with conspiracy theories is that they keep us not only from the truth, but also from confronting our faults and problems.” They also make us look like loons. Can we give it a rest, please?

Senjuchiha:
Birth of A monster
Mohamed Yusuf is widely accepted to be the original leader of the proscribed militant Islamic group commonly referred to as Boko Haram.
What most of you are not aware of is the original composition of Yusuf's inner circle which were drawn not from the vast population of poor ignorant masses in the north but from very educated young men of privileged background.
What most of you also are not aware of is that the radicalization of these young men did not begin with Yusuf or in some rundown Madrasah that dots northern Nigeria but in lecture halls in universities across northern Nigeria. They came to Yusuf because they could identify with his own very radical message.
The group gots it's nick name Boko Haram for its opposition of western styled education and mainly because the group was composed of young privileged and highly educated young men who turned their back on the world preferring a return to classical medieval Islamic society. Public destruction of certificates was done to woo more young men into their fold.
The group unsurprisingly continued to enjoy wide spread support among young northerners because of the energetic, vibrant and new perspective they offered. Within a short time, the group started to draw negative critism fom the old established clerics who not only frowned about their radical views but saw their own popularity wane in the midst of younger Muslims who preferred what Yusuf had to offer.
This critism will lead to both false and truthful allegations by the clerics to the authorities on the extent of the radicalization Yusuf was offering the youth. The security apparatus then swung in to investigate the activities of Yusuf and his group and severally he was "invited" to the police station to clarify issues. This only made Yusuf more popular among the youth and gave him an air of fighting the established order. The north was witnessing its first ever revolutionary character.
Yusuf sensing the new twist to his personality and movement will capitalize on his new found fame and status by pumping up the rhetoric even further. This is when the crooked politicians got to notice this young charismatic man. His popularity they (politicians) thought, could be used to their advantage and before long Yusuf added another feather to his influence and ego. With Politicians patronizing Yusuf and soliciting for his support base, things were bound to get to his head.
Here was this young man of humble background and limited education surrounded by children of the elite and the poor masses at his beck and call now getting visits from prominent local, state, regional and national political figures.
Before long the politicians began to use Yusuf's supporters to carry out violent attacks on their opponents for a fee paid to Yusuf off course.
This only made Yusuf more notorious with the security agents. But anytime he or any of his members were picked up both their highly placed political associates and the influential relatives of his Lieutenants swung into action to spring him out of custody.
Before long Yusuf built an air of impunity for himself and his members since they were always let go Scott free after any of their violent skirmishes within Borno. It didn't take long for concerned individuals to petition the DSS about Yusuf and before long he was picked up during the second tenure of Obasanjo and was held for a long period by the DSS. This was the time Yusuf met Asari in detention.
But eventually, Yusuf was released back into society and his aura had taken up legendary status.
This is a man that even the federal government could not convict.
From here on, grand delusions of grandeur began to set in and Yusuf thought he had everything at is disposal to take out the Nigerian state.
We thus, cannot exclude the influences of Yusuf's inner circle and their connections to the corridor of power in our polity in incubating the monster boko haram.
This goes to show that the Boko Haram insurgency has its roots in the northern oligarchy.
Abdulmutalab is a good example of how a young privileged and educated northern youth can become radicalized.
This is were the maitassine movement differs completely with that of Boko Haram.
The maitassine movement was drawn from the poor dredges of northern Nigeria. The maitassine movement was effectively dealt with because the northern oligarchy saw it as a revolutionary movement ( which it was) challenging their authority and dominance and as such this was why the group was completely isolated and summarily destroyed.
The case with Boko Haram is different as the group is intertwined with the northern oligarchy.

IGBOSON1:
I'm one guy who doesn't buy all this 'one Nigeria'/kumbaya cra'p! We are two different and distinct people, and even 20 years from today (if Nigeria still exists as one country and retains it's present political structure) we'll still be having issues of nation building and lack of cohesion!

moufan:
ignoramus nigga just shut the fuuuuuck off.you know absolutely nothing about Islam and Muslims

saudatu:
Ignorant folk. You don't even know the back of ur own hand.

kay1one2:
Saying the truth is not judging!

Shubbylee:
Like I told u b4....I'm a Lagosian!! u can do shakara to IBO and HAUSA pple but an ITSEKIRI man cannot raise shoulders to a Yoruba man. bye

customized13:
The liar just said the first oil exploration in nigeria (which started existing in 1914) was in 1908.

God go save us ooo

Proffdada:
ur myopic and ethno-stereotypical mumu-ness will only earn u second rated and slavery under those anarchists
they r not interested in the welfare of the people
if anything should happen, they'll abscond and watch the ruins from afar

Shubbylee:
ITSEKIRI man shut up!! bloody ingrates LOL!! d cocoa that fed ur fathers and grandfathers and educated them is now useless cos u have oil abi? Abt ur stupid figures and statistics, if u're an enlightened person u would know that sugar/ethanol now runs cars, electricity now runs cars, soon as d technology is perfected in d next 4-5years.....ur Oil would be like Sobo LOL!!

customized13:
I am beginning to get scared with this western theory we get on nairaland everyday, the same people will tell you lies about how they are the most educated in contemporary nigeria. All thanks to NUC who busted the lies.

Shubbylee:
The Cocoa that Sent ur Father and Grandfather to sch? yes we're Still planting it!! LOL!! that's what would feed u at last when ur oil is worth Per litre the price of Sobo drink Haha!

customized13:
the guy keep lying that cocoa money was used in exploration oil. Which kind daylight lie be this one.

Shubbylee:
Lool!! have u run out of things to say? if u're an ITSEKIRI man u cannot do shakara for YORUBA pple cos u migrated from ijebu. if u doubt go to ijebu and Speak itsekiri language....they would understand you perfectly or ask your parents. Don't let some pple deceive u abt oil, many ND pple are bastardly rich from oil but greed would not let them develop the ND!! #OneNigeria

lewis33:
Ur bible says thou shall nt judge besides Jesus dint spread hatred the way u r doin to Muslims now-'GO AND SIN NO MORE' dnt be a daft

olayinka63:
you are a complete liar has any of your muslim friends attacked you all in the name of religion learn to promote peace with your utterances united we stand

Shubbylee:
U're a fool cos the Itsekiri pple are part of Delta state and Delta state was part of The Western region which was fed by Cocoa. because u pple now have oil u're now raising shoulders!! If u're an Itsekiri Man I'll be so disappointed cos I like them and they're close to we Yoruba pple. I understand everything an Itsekiri man says, Check this : Obafemi Awolowo made d Olu of Itsekiri the Olu of Warri.....that's why itsekiri pple have mouth in warri!! u're now coming here to insult me!! bros take ur time oh

Proffdada:
u claim u are drinking oil but yet u r receiving only the raw end
all these ppl claim they r fighting for ND but leave a trail of destruction while they selfishly build mansions
do u know ND would've been the Dubai of Nigeria but selfishness of their community leaders squander proceeds from oil companies
the ppl can't even farm,fish and live healthy on their on soil while some asari ,tompolo and other sycophants fatten up themselves with YOUR oil money
wake up and stop baby thinking, u gain more as a Nigerian than a Niger Delta indigene

WombRaiders:
The only reason the west shout one Nigeria is not out of patriotism, neither is it out of financial exigency from the benefits gotten from oil wealth but because they know that the rest of the south do not want them and they know that if they are left out in the cold, the north will simply claim them into their caliphate.

This is why the SW preaches one Nigeria.

They know the ghosts of Biafra betrayal still lingers and that no section in the south can ever trust them.

The SW aldo know the plans of the Islamic caliphate to the north is to encircle them into their empire.

The British were the onne's who halted that agenda and that is why the southwest never had no resistance figures in pre colonial times.

They accepted the British invasion to thwart off the Jihadis to the north.

The southwest is truly farked up in the coming years.

Shubbylee:
hahaha!! you ND pple are stark illiterates....that's y ur bros GEJ is messing up d country and that cow Asari dokubo is opening mouth like dustbin!! U pple can go and drink ur oil and let's hear word in this country sef!! how much is d oil today? oil that has turned our currency to tissue paper!! if u don't know Oil is less than 30% of d GDP (if u know what that means). you'll tell me whether its not ND pple that are mostly employed by oil companies and if its not ND states that receive the highest revenue from oil!! Change is coming.....#SaiBuhari

RevDesmondJuju:
[size=38pt]
The many Lamentations of oyel money by Areberascal

[/size]

Aregbesola Accusses Jonathan of Squandering U.S.$35 Billion Oil Money
http://allafrica.com/stories/201502010218.html

Nigeria lost 1.2 trillion naira to oil theft in 2014-  Aregbesola 
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/nigeria-lost-n1-2trn-to-crude-oil-theft-in-2014-alleges-aregbesola/198795/

Jonathan responsible for oil theft-Aregbesola
https://www.facebook.com/GovernorRaufAregbesola/posts/791547530882282

Nigeria loses 2.2 trillion naira to oil theft -Aregbesola
https://www.facebook.com/GovernorRaufAregbesola/posts/798085810228454

$14bn lost to oil theft annually -Aregbesola
http://leadership.ng/news/400862/14bn-lost-oil-theft-yearly-aregbesola

Till Today, Jonatan can not account for $14.6bn dollars-Aregbesola
http://www.nigerianeye.com/2015/01/till-today-jonathan-cant-account-for.html

40% reduction in Osun’s federal allocation unjustifiable – Aregbesola
http://www.punchng.com/news/40-reduction-in-osuns-federal-allocation-unjustifiable-aregbesola/

philips70:
Is that your hometown? Then tell us.

Shubbylee:
Selfish azz pple when cocoa was feeding d country there was peace Yorubas didn't complain nobody called anybody parasites, ur oil has killed our economy go and drink it, oil that would no longer sell in 10years time, oil is not up to 30% of d GDP if u don't know....u and ur pple would so suffer ehn!! LOL! Agriculture is taking over!!

loswhite:
just the way only a fool will type this

OrlandoOwoh:
The OP is another Musiwa in the making.