what a well argued and thought provoking article. Medase!
what a well argued and thought provoking article. Medase!
Kojo T 10 years ago
That is why it is important , all of us " look into ourselves' to decifer the pain, the hurt we cause others through word, actions, omissions perhaps deliberately ot ignorantly. We need to think 2x and ask ourselves " what if ... read full comment
That is why it is important , all of us " look into ourselves' to decifer the pain, the hurt we cause others through word, actions, omissions perhaps deliberately ot ignorantly. We need to think 2x and ask ourselves " what if it were me?"
Adjei 10 years ago
A food for thought. Well done. You only have to make it simple next time. Many of us are not scholers, you know.
A food for thought. Well done. You only have to make it simple next time. Many of us are not scholers, you know.
GIDEON 10 years ago
Religion should be judged based on its doctrine.I find it mischievious when atheists like the writer tries to hold christianity responsible for the wrongs of church leaders in the dark days of the Church. The fact is, those c ... read full comment
Religion should be judged based on its doctrine.I find it mischievious when atheists like the writer tries to hold christianity responsible for the wrongs of church leaders in the dark days of the Church. The fact is, those christians were bad christians and christians will quickly and shamefully condemn them for dragging the name of the religion in mud by doing what Jesus christ and the deciples will never have approved.
Needless to say, I will urge critics of this peaceful and harmless religion not to lamp us together with the dangerous and evil cults in religious disguise. But rather judge every religion on the bases of its founder's lifestyles and and the lifestyles of the first generation followers, and not excluding the lifestyles of its current followers.
Ask those in the west who have fought christianity to pave way for others to come in whether they feel save criticising the very people they fronted for for the take over. Terrorism is on the rise and we are all endangered, including them.They have lost their freedom as well in their own countries.
kofi. mozano 10 years ago
Tell me who should be held responsible by the evil deeds done by the church eldest of the dark age in the name of Christianity? God? I said and will repeat that we as people are not worshipping the true God. Why all these blo ... read full comment
Tell me who should be held responsible by the evil deeds done by the church eldest of the dark age in the name of Christianity? God? I said and will repeat that we as people are not worshipping the true God. Why all these blood letting, hatred, human cleansing genocide? Mr. Gideon, have you forgotten what the catholic church said about the black not having a soul. The atrocities commited against mankind in the name of organized religion is beyond measure. Reminds of Christ telling his disciples that people who kill you would think they are doing the service of God.john16.
Kojo T 10 years ago
Slavery was there in Jesus days , It was accepted so not much is mentioned. But if you read baout the centurion you will realize he owned slaves . It was its mass application and the greed of the slave raiders on BOTH sides t ... read full comment
Slavery was there in Jesus days , It was accepted so not much is mentioned. But if you read baout the centurion you will realize he owned slaves . It was its mass application and the greed of the slave raiders on BOTH sides that make it horrendous. Hitler was a Christian but he had the bigotted ideas he did. You need to travel though S Africa and check the Christianity of the Afrikaaner side by side with his brutality and complete disregard for his " neighbor" the black person . Francis is not an atheist but seems to have felt what west africans and South africans felt from slavery by Christians and east Africans from the Moslem faith
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Dear Gideon,
I am sorry you see me as an atheist. I wonder how you are able to deduce a writer's religious orientation from his/her essays!
In fact, I am not one. Or should I say I may not be one? I only want to be "fai ... read full comment
Dear Gideon,
I am sorry you see me as an atheist. I wonder how you are able to deduce a writer's religious orientation from his/her essays!
In fact, I am not one. Or should I say I may not be one? I only want to be "fair" and not be irresponsibly judgmental.
Are you religious yourself? And which religious persuasion are you affiliated with?
Could you share that with me if you don't mind? You did not give me enough information in your comment for me to make an informed assessment on your religious philosophy!
I don't think the fact of your concentrating on Christianity here necessarily makes you a Christian.
I have Christian friends who passionately defend Christianity at the slightest provocation, religiously attend church, but make passionate pre-marital sex with Ghanaian gospel music.
I wonder why they don't use lovers rock, soul, neo-soul, R&B, country, or even soft rock! I always wonder.
In the end, I also want us to be the best in whatever religion we find ourselves, be it Traditionalists, Judeo-Christians, Moslems, Ba'hais, Mormons, Hindus, Shintoists, Buddhists, Eckists (ECK chelas), atheism, etc.
Don't forget that an atheist may be a better person than a Christian or Buddhist. On the other, both can be diabolically evil. Hitler and Christopher Columbus were Christians. Mao Tse-Tung, Joseph Lenin, and Vladimir Lenin were atheists.
And therefore I do not think these sentiments of mine must necessarily hinge on my religious beliefs.
In any case, I will agree with your implied assertion (I may be wrong; and I stand to be corrected) that atheism itself may be religion for some. Yes, atheism is a religion in and of itself.
However, I shall not discuss my religious beliefs here as doing so will not accomplish or prove anything.
Having said that, I think you may well agree with me that religion is a matter of the heart as well as a province of privacy.
Finally, I am not the kind to carry my cross, the Guru Granth Sahib, the Book of Coming Forth By Day (so-called Egyptian Book of the Dead) Koran, Babylonian/Jerusalem Talmud, Veda, Book of Mormon, or Torah in the holy sun.
Thanks.
LONTO-BOY 10 years ago
There're fanatics and extremists in all religions. Terrorism is just another tool of human violence. Throughout history, there have been horrifying stories and acts of civilian massacre, human brutalities, horrifying acts of ... read full comment
There're fanatics and extremists in all religions. Terrorism is just another tool of human violence. Throughout history, there have been horrifying stories and acts of civilian massacre, human brutalities, horrifying acts of genocide, ethnic cleansing and appalling stories of human rights abuse. It's the manifestation of human cruelty, brutality and ruthlessness.
akosua yeboah 10 years ago
the title does not always relate to the content of the article. do we have to read the same amount of books to understand your message?please reserve your copious amount of quotes, and put your own views/points across.
the title does not always relate to the content of the article. do we have to read the same amount of books to understand your message?please reserve your copious amount of quotes, and put your own views/points across.
dani 10 years ago
What has what you wrote got to do with Islam? I can't make out the tail or head of it. Are you obsessed with Islam?
What has what you wrote got to do with Islam? I can't make out the tail or head of it. Are you obsessed with Islam?
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Hello,
This is part of a series dealing with the general question of religious terrorism and Arab/European Slavery Trade in Africa.
I don't get it. When you see Part ll of a book, essay, article, then there must obviou ... read full comment
Hello,
This is part of a series dealing with the general question of religious terrorism and Arab/European Slavery Trade in Africa.
I don't get it. When you see Part ll of a book, essay, article, then there must obvioulsy be a Part l. Did it not occur to you to go back and look for Part l?
Dani, see Part l for the larger context (and other essays I have written related to the broader question of religious terrorism in Africa--Islam, Christianity, etc).
Put together, both (and the others) should tell you that what I am discussing here has everything to do with Islam (and Chrsitianity).
Besides, among other things, I used Islam and Christinity to raise broader questions concerning African Religion (and other things we are doing wrong in African societies).
This is the last of my responses (in the series) to these readers and I am obliged to capitalize on the opportunity as the responder to use the platform to raise general questions which Part l didn't.
I could as have used Part ll to talk about Islamic music, gospel music, Islamic harem, and what have you! This is a literary device used by all authors. Do I have to repeat myself all the time? I believe we are all adults and educated?
Let me say it again: In fact, both, Parts l and ll, are designed to address earlier issues raised by some readers who thought the 200-year-old history of Arab/European atrocities in Africa are not relevant to contemporary issues.
These questions came in the wake of Prof. Kofi Awoonor's death in Kenya. C.Y.Andy-K, several others, and I have dealt with several aspects of these questions. See this article in that larger context.
And if you are not comfortable with quotes and references, why read my them? I am not changing my style now or in the future.
Moreover, I see people on Ghanaweb appropriating others' ideas and presenting them here as theirs. I am not that kind of writer. Skip the quotes and references if you don't like them. Simple.
In the meantime, others have privately written to me to ask for references and sources (of quotes). I give them out in my essays to avoid others writing to ask me later for them. Others go as far as to ask for page numbers.
Serious-minded readers on myjoyonline and modernghana don't complain. Instead, they write to me to explore the issues I raise in greater detail, not to complain about trivial issues about quotes and references. They love it when I give references, etc.
Besides, I am trying to broaden the scope of my analysis here because South Africa (colonialism in Africa, Mau Mau uprising, etc), Arab/Islam, and Western politics and hsitory have everything to do with questions readers raised and to which I try to respond in the two parts.
Therefore, I the title is in order. I have not done anything out of context. Maybe we should fault Ghanaweb. Modernghana, for instance, has all my articles in one place (I think you can get mine on Ghanaweb if you try a little hard enough).
Dani, get the series. Do you have a problem with Islam?
Finally, I don't know why anyone should complain. These are things the average Ghanaian (African) must know. This is why I have challenged our leaders to make serious improvements in our educational system.
The average American high-schooler is most likely to know many of these things. I have dealt with many of them in New York on a daaily basis to know this.
In fact, many of the things I talk about here are even international. Fox and CNN talks about them all the time (in Ghana, Africa, etc). I have friends in Ghana who discuss many of these topics with me all the time. So why the complaints?
And for those of you who are unconfortable with quotes and references, get used them because I am not going to stop using them. Read the parts you like and ignore the references and quotes you don't like.
And for those of you who don't see my voice in my writings, I shall begin to attach my names to the sentences that come directly for me. Or better still, take those I have parenthesized as those coming from others. There's nothing wrong sharing my voice with others.
Dani and others, I don't want to be going back and forth searching for book references and quotes after my article has been already published. Some readers are grateful to see relevant references and quotes which help them prepare for exams! I write for these individuals as well.
One reader from Ghana wrote to tell me that Dr. Molfei Kete Asante's website has saved him from buying a few textbooks/pamphlets for his classes (which he did not have the money for). Therefore, he asked me not to listen to those who complain about quotes and references.
We need to encourage people to read. And stop complaining that the title is out of context. I can't understand why Kojo T, Nana Quarshie, and Adjei would the same essay in context and even raise questions for us to answer. The title and its contents are on point.
To Akosua Yeboah, there's nothing bookish about this. Aren't trokosi and female genital mutilation discussed in Ghana (and Africa) all the time?
How about ritual murder and Witch Camps?
Have you not heard of the Truth and Reconcialiation Commission, Mau Mau Uprising?
And Jews, Israel, America, President Obama, Bill Clinton, Wole Soyinka?
Are there not Jews in Ghana and Africa?
Have we not heard of Ana Aremeyaw and his investigative journalism?
Yes, I have read Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Alice Walker, Shakespeare, Jhumpa Lahiri, Nadine Gordima, T.S. Elliot, Toni Morrison, Taiye Selassi, Zora Neale Nurston, Agatha Christie, Geoffrey Chaucer, Ayn Rand, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Emile Bronte, Ama Ata Aidoo, VS Niapual, Joyce Carol Oates, George Bernard Shaw, bell hooks, Khalil Gibran, Maya Angelou, Chimamanda Adichie, JH Cotzee, and tons of other writers and it's not everything they write about that I like (Yes, our educational system must stress on reading).
And to tell you the truth, I have so many readers (some as far away as Jamaica who relate to me on this level). They love to discuss my articles via the references. As a result, I write for a wide spectrum of readers.
It's why Time Journal (yesterday)and Prime Journal of Social Science have asked me to publish my essays there or serve on their review board.
I don't even how these two journals got to know about my writings, let alone ask me to serve on their review boards (please I am not bragging; I want to say that others appreciate what I do and want to give me a proper platform to advance).
Other Ghanaweb readers, like Media Mogul, has asked me to post easy-to-read articles on Ghana. But time constraints can't allow that. Plus, readers who come to read on Ghanaweb shouldn't expect to read in native languages. I have seen more complicated and scholarly articles on Ghanaweb than mine. We should learn to appreciate varieties in writing styles. I have said this before, I have not been intimidated by any writer on the planet. You can do the same.
Other readers have also alleged that answering readers' questions on Ghanaweb makes me an attentin seeker. See "A Great Ghanaian Scientist: Dr. Victor Lawrence").
Yet I still read them for the intellectual and lierary value of their ideas. I even read the things I claim not to like. At the end of the day, Dani and others, they have made me a better person.
I have even read most of the essays written by those among the afore-cited list. Further, I have used to their references (and quotes) to broaden my knowldge, enrich myself, as well as build a productive library.
Thank you.
C.Y. ANDY-K 10 years ago
Below are some of the issues raised in Part1 of my 2-part article on Islamic Slavery in Africa and Terrorism which Francis has addressed here too. I've further amplified on them in a coming series.
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Some like ... read full comment
Below are some of the issues raised in Part1 of my 2-part article on Islamic Slavery in Africa and Terrorism which Francis has addressed here too. I've further amplified on them in a coming series.
-------------
Some like to argue that slavery in Africa and the Islamic World was not chattel slavery as evolved in the New World and it was much milder with slaves even having rights and much power (e.g., the eunuchs, the castrated men, used in the harems and in governance in some Islamic polities). For me, slavery is slavery and our forefathers knew that. That was why some went to very elaborate extents in assimilating slaves, with rituals blotting out their backgrounds, preventing their memories being passed on to off-springs, and revelation can draw severe penalties. Such measures were to lessen the stigma and trauma of being enslaved, and hence prevent slave revolts, escapes, etc. It was not for the love of the slaves that Africans and Arabs treated slaves "nicely," after enslavement. It was out of necessity.
Whites in the Americas, having separated the Africans 1000 of miles from their homes, felt no need to be "nice" to their slaves. But, there were nice masters in the Americas too, especially in Brazil where the Portuguese did not have the One-Drop-of-Black-Blood-You-are-Black rule, and so took African women as wives, with their off-springs inheriting them. Of course, some of these off-springs became notorious as the major slave factors along the W. African coastline down to Angola but that is another story.
Yes! The total assimilation of slaves in Africa meant lessening of the pains of enslavement, but total assimilation meant “social death." No remembrance of your past, as attempt was made to wipe out everything about your past. New name, new tribal marks, etc.
As for the slave armies some talk about, they are among the worst things to have ever happened to Africa. The havoc the inherited colonial mercenary and oppressive armies, with roots in ex-slaves - following on the heels of African and Muslim potentates - have been wrecking on us is there for all to see. These are issues, e.g. the slave origins of Africa’s colonial armies, we are yet to take up for discussion in Africa. They cannot be left to only French Marxists in particular who have produced the greatest research output on the subject in a language many of us do not have command over.
As a matter of fact, the capturing process of slaves is anything but nice. It was usually horrendous, when it were raids. Whole villages razed down and those not considered fit for taking away like the old and kids killed. That was to make sure those taken away knew they had nothing to return to even if they escaped. But of course, much of the slaves came from tithes paid by vassal states, or from ambushing trade routes and paths to farms to kidnap unsuspecting innocent wayfarers. Commercial activities between neighbours in farm produce and other manufactures in much of Africa became hazardous business. Gradually, all forms of such activities almost died down, being restricted to the subsistence level only in many areas. Some on the escape always have to depend on the providence of nature to survive, roaming about stark naked, or only with some rag or bark of a tree to cover their private parts! Yet, these were people who once lived in towns with thriving production, commerce and exchange comparable to anywhere in Arabia and Europe.
Without settled life-style, production and exchange, no society could ever hope to become specialised and increase its productive capabilities and productivity. What was left of those activities in the C19th, in the more powerful and secured African states very much responsible for destroying such activities in other areas, European colonisation came to destroy. We are thus in an induced state of backwardness, a situation generated by Arab intrusion into Africa, followed by the Europeans and ably assisted by some African collaborators to the mayhem that was unleashed on Africa.
The "Rwandas", with either the French and Belgiums or the English, Arabs, etc. lending supporting background, and the resurgent Islamic violence have been occurring on the African continent for millennia. It was long over-due for Black Africans to be courageous, admit their role in the continuing carnage and put a stop to it once and forever by turning our back on the past, rejecting it and forging a New Vision for Africa. We can no longer afford to pretend as the Belgium paratrooper who informed "New African" of why they remained inactive in the face of the ensuing massacres in Rwanda: "We are told to ignore it all and to act as if we could not see or hear anything," (New African, Dec., 1990). That serves their interests only, as even the Hutu leaders have since then learnt, hopefully.
Their re-arming, by the same people who did so in the past but deserted them when it served them to do so, is not the solution, even though I actually sympathise with them. The Tutsis were parties to the African Holocaust, and they should know that Nemesis often catches up with one. My hope then that they had become wiser has not been fully justified with the situation in Eastern Congo where the Bamulenge Tutsis continue to cause havoc with Rwandan support. They are just unrepentant as the Arab/Muslim slavers! The same state of affairs apply in Ghana and much of sub-Saharan African where scions of slavers today still hold in contempt and prejudice those their ancestors once raided to fill the cargo hold of European slavers and chain gangs of the Arabs, the root of the ethnocentric jibes that continue to bedevil us. I have started dealing with that elsewhere in series.
That series has been ready for posting for several months now. Yes, with references! I found out from my early years on Okyeame that it is far, far better to include them and ensure your peace of mind and the private mails for them. In fact, I had to even copy books and send to the UK and as far as the US, Australia, and Japan! Francis, don't heed to the unscholarly ones, as they won't make much difference in our fight for a new moral order anyway. These are weighty issues being dealt with the best scholars in the field in the world. We can't afford to lower standards.
Andy-K
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Dear Andy and all,
Some of these readers don't have any clue what I go through to answer private mails.
I give the references for the sake of my piece of mind. I was surprised a reader wrote to ask me for a page number ... read full comment
Dear Andy and all,
Some of these readers don't have any clue what I go through to answer private mails.
I give the references for the sake of my piece of mind. I was surprised a reader wrote to ask me for a page number in regard to one of my quotes?
It turned out that she was a history professor in America and needed to use that essay in one of her class. She thought the essay was very interesting and wondered why she had not seen it before!
Anyway, I just finished reading your response to Part 1. Indeed, it raises and answers many important questions Part l of my article didn't touch upon.
Of course, I specifically tailored both parts to readers who said it was not necessary addressing Prof. Awoonor's unfortunate death in the context of history/historiography).
In regard to your comments here, I agree that slavery is slavery. In fact, there has been some futile attempts by some scholars to raise the profile of one form of slavery, particularly the Transatlantic Slavery, above others, Arab Trans-Saharan Slave Trade and domestic/indentured servitude in Africa, for their selfish ends. I myself even fell victim to the dubious dichotomy.
In my "Clash of Civilizations: Africa and the Arab World," for intsance, I brought up that same question.
This came up during the "Decolonizing Our Conference" when an Iranian scholar raised the issue of Arab Trans-Saharan Slave Trade.
I hope readers will add your meticulous and thoughtful analyis here to the ongoing discussions on slavery and religious terrorism in Africa.
I hope you will find time to critique the other issues I raise here, Part ll. Also, I have not forgotten our confrontation with Prof. Salahuddi.
A great weekend to you all.
C.Y. ANDY-K 10 years ago
My Brother,
Not quite what I expected judging by the title but quite within the ambit of the discourse: focus on the internal ramifications of the African Holocaust from the perspective of the African participants and vest ... read full comment
My Brother,
Not quite what I expected judging by the title but quite within the ambit of the discourse: focus on the internal ramifications of the African Holocaust from the perspective of the African participants and vestiges today. Yes, the "warped mentality" that Awolowo said it left with the African elite, besides other negatives. e.g., the native prejudice some Akans still exhibit against some non-Akans today.
In my own 2-series on the subject, I drew attention to the internal COMPLICITY of Africans in whatever happened during the African Holocaust, King Leopold's ravages in the Congo, ETC. To reconcile this apparent contradiction and its associated complex articulation in consequences such as expressed by say Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the First Kwamw Nkrumah Memorial Lectures in UCC, I put fwd the concept of Internal Reparations, not quite dissimilar to the TRC but more profound, as amends shall be made to internal victims of Africa still suffering the consequences of 1000s of years, indeed, over a 1000 at some places when you bring in the Arabs, of slave raids and supply. Issue touched on in more detail in a coming series, so I won't expand on that here.
Of course, we had had quite an extensive exchange on that in the '90s on Okyeame.
Andy-K
AKASI MARTHA NZEMA 10 years ago
YOUR ARTICLE TAKES US TO THE HISTORY MOST OF US DON'T KNOW, BUT I GET LOST IN THE MIDDLE. WILL YOU PLEASE WRITE IN A WAY THAT MORE LIKE ME CAN READ AND ENJOY IT? 'THANKS'
YOUR ARTICLE TAKES US TO THE HISTORY MOST OF US DON'T KNOW, BUT I GET LOST IN THE MIDDLE. WILL YOU PLEASE WRITE IN A WAY THAT MORE LIKE ME CAN READ AND ENJOY IT? 'THANKS'
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Dear friend,
Maybe I should not post the same articles I post on other Ghaiaian websites here.
Others raeders have asked me to simplify what I post on other Ghanaian websites. But time is the problem.
I will consid ... read full comment
Dear friend,
Maybe I should not post the same articles I post on other Ghaiaian websites here.
Others raeders have asked me to simplify what I post on other Ghanaian websites. But time is the problem.
I will consider your point nonetheless.
Thanks
kwasi boakye 10 years ago
Ref upon ref just to put your point across.Do you seriously think ko mensa in ghana has access to all these books to verify your points? kay,brevity is the soul of wit.why can"t you simply things for sec sch students to under ... read full comment
Ref upon ref just to put your point across.Do you seriously think ko mensa in ghana has access to all these books to verify your points? kay,brevity is the soul of wit.why can"t you simply things for sec sch students to understand? prof adu boahen made it easy for us,yours on the other hand seems to be for MA students...why?
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Dear Kwasi Boakye,
How are you?
Ghanaweb gives more headaches than all the other Ghanaian websites combined.
I have never received one such headache from any of the other Ghanaian websites. Not one.
Did I tell y ... read full comment
Dear Kwasi Boakye,
How are you?
Ghanaweb gives more headaches than all the other Ghanaian websites combined.
I have never received one such headache from any of the other Ghanaian websites. Not one.
Did I tell you one reader asked me to provide the page number of a book I quoted from in the article "End of Dilemma: The Tower of Babel-Part IV"?
Another reader even sent me a book title and asked me if I had read it? I said yes. And he asked: Why didn't you discuss it in such and such article? I don't know if these readers live in Ghana or abroad!
That said, I read Adu Boahen, too, like you and others did. In fact, Adu Boahen did not necessarily write in a way as simplistic as you think, whether he wrote for secondary schoolers or graduates.
Besides, his write-ups in UNESCO's General Hitory of Africa are not necessarily simplistic either--though UNESCO's historical profile on Africa is supposed to be read by all, I mean, by the general public, which, in some way, may be likened to the readership here.
On the other hand, I am not Adu Boahen. Adu Boahen and I did not share the same English teachers or professors. Neither must our writings styles be necessarily the same or even identical.
Yet those of you here who are attacking me write well, giving me the impression that you are highly literate in English.
Therefore, you must not have problems with my write-ups. There are many in America who cant write what you write here but who are familiar with most of the international topics discussed in this essay.
As an aside, I have sat in graduate classes before (including students taking MA/PhD in the humanities/liberal arts, as in Dr. Asante's class; I have ocassionally visited Dr. Asante and he has asked me to join his class).
I have seen MAs/PhDs do presentations. What I put out here don't match the literary quality of the MA presentations you just referred to. Also, I have had the occassion to read some of the presented papers. Have you taken note of the errors I make here on Ghanaweb?
So what is the problem? And how do these references and quotes particularly make the article cumbersome?
Finally, if Adu Boahen were alive today, he would be my grandfather. As I have said to Dani and others, those who don't need the quotes and references can avoid them. There are others who need them. This puts me in a dilemma.
For instance, a reader from Ghana wrote to tell me Dr. Molefi Kete Asante's website helped him prepare for his exams in Ghana. And that the website also helped him avoid buying textbooks/pamphlets which he did not have the money for.
In fact, when I began writing for Ghanaweb three months ago, some readers accused me of plagiarism, though the same articles they read contained every single source/reference from which I quoted (See the comments on my Ghanaweb articles "Leave Tsatsu Tsikata Alone" part l/ll.
I learnt my lessons then. Now I give all the relevant references/quotes and everyone is complaining. Oh Africa!
Who should I listen to, those who accused me of plagiarism or those who claim I should stop using references/quotes? Is Ghanaweb a site for secondary school students alone or for all kinds of people with reading abilities?
I have seen the write-ups of columnists like C.Y.ANDY-K, Kwesi Atta Sakyi, Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Kofi Atta (Cambridge), Henry Kpapko Allotey, and several others who don't seem to tailor their writings to secondary schoolers, given your definition!
They give long statistics, they bring social-political references and cross-refernces from other parts of Africa and the world, etc. What makes theirs different from mine. I read these colummnists myself.
Do they write for the general public as well? I have seen Andy (and others not mentioned here) give long quotes, references, complicated historical analysis, etc.
Kwasi Boakye, I have made it easier by giving titles,sometimes page numbers, etc.
If you want to read further, you can get some of the books which are free online (PDFs). Our school libraries (Ghana) have most of these African titles.
Our Unibversity libraries (Ghana) have most of these African titles as well. You might as well google the quotes and cited newspaper articles free online.
Let us learn to do more than the little writers do here. Remember that we may be lying to you guys after all. I have learnt not to take any given writer in the world at face value.
For instance, Dr. Calestous Juma, a Kenyan professor at Harvard University (Professor of the Practice of International Development and Director of the Science, Technology, and Globalization Project), wrote a famous book with several misquotes. Readers had to point them out to him. He didn't know. The question is: How did readers know that many of his quotes were indeed misquotes?
Don't trust writers.Go further than what they tell you. You might take a writer's idea at face value (somewhere) only to discover that his reference/quote is even wrong or a sham.
Another example: The author, Herman Rosenblat, wrote a best-selling book, "Angel at the Fence," and later appeared on Oprah Winfrey's show to talk about the book. The book became an instant best-seller. It turned out that it was a fraud.
So even with my referenes and quotes, there is no quarantee that I may be telling all the truth.
I may even be misrepresenting or misintepreting my sources and bibiography.
You need to get the quotes from their original contexts (and references) to in order to perform your own interpretation. That's the true essence of learning.
I don't see anything particularly wrong if the quotes and references are contextually appropriate. I am the type who wants to credit my sources.
Most, in fact, if not all, of the articles published on Ghanaweb (and other Ghanaian websites) are original. Forget about all the hyped pretences. To begin with, most doctoral (and master's) dissertations are not even original. Whenever you see a dissertation, look too see if it has referrences/biographies/sources! Most of the articles on Ghanaweb are reinterpretations, glosses, news, reviews, stories columnists have heard from friends/relatives/teachers, etc. There is nothing original.
I don't want to pretend like others. Where an idea comes directly from me, I shall make that known to the reader. When they are from others, I make that unequivocably clear. That's my style. Others have their styles. I am not ready to copy theirs.
I want people to learn from my articles. Not just take anything for granted.
what a well argued and thought provoking article. Medase!
That is why it is important , all of us " look into ourselves' to decifer the pain, the hurt we cause others through word, actions, omissions perhaps deliberately ot ignorantly. We need to think 2x and ask ourselves " what if ...
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A food for thought. Well done. You only have to make it simple next time. Many of us are not scholers, you know.
Religion should be judged based on its doctrine.I find it mischievious when atheists like the writer tries to hold christianity responsible for the wrongs of church leaders in the dark days of the Church. The fact is, those c ...
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Tell me who should be held responsible by the evil deeds done by the church eldest of the dark age in the name of Christianity? God? I said and will repeat that we as people are not worshipping the true God. Why all these blo ...
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Slavery was there in Jesus days , It was accepted so not much is mentioned. But if you read baout the centurion you will realize he owned slaves . It was its mass application and the greed of the slave raiders on BOTH sides t ...
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Dear Gideon,
I am sorry you see me as an atheist. I wonder how you are able to deduce a writer's religious orientation from his/her essays!
In fact, I am not one. Or should I say I may not be one? I only want to be "fai ...
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There're fanatics and extremists in all religions. Terrorism is just another tool of human violence. Throughout history, there have been horrifying stories and acts of civilian massacre, human brutalities, horrifying acts of ...
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the title does not always relate to the content of the article. do we have to read the same amount of books to understand your message?please reserve your copious amount of quotes, and put your own views/points across.
What has what you wrote got to do with Islam? I can't make out the tail or head of it. Are you obsessed with Islam?
Hello,
This is part of a series dealing with the general question of religious terrorism and Arab/European Slavery Trade in Africa.
I don't get it. When you see Part ll of a book, essay, article, then there must obviou ...
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Below are some of the issues raised in Part1 of my 2-part article on Islamic Slavery in Africa and Terrorism which Francis has addressed here too. I've further amplified on them in a coming series.
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Some like ...
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Dear Andy and all,
Some of these readers don't have any clue what I go through to answer private mails.
I give the references for the sake of my piece of mind. I was surprised a reader wrote to ask me for a page number ...
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My Brother,
Not quite what I expected judging by the title but quite within the ambit of the discourse: focus on the internal ramifications of the African Holocaust from the perspective of the African participants and vest ...
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YOUR ARTICLE TAKES US TO THE HISTORY MOST OF US DON'T KNOW, BUT I GET LOST IN THE MIDDLE. WILL YOU PLEASE WRITE IN A WAY THAT MORE LIKE ME CAN READ AND ENJOY IT? 'THANKS'
Dear friend,
Maybe I should not post the same articles I post on other Ghaiaian websites here.
Others raeders have asked me to simplify what I post on other Ghanaian websites. But time is the problem.
I will consid ...
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Ref upon ref just to put your point across.Do you seriously think ko mensa in ghana has access to all these books to verify your points? kay,brevity is the soul of wit.why can"t you simply things for sec sch students to under ...
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Dear Kwasi Boakye,
How are you?
Ghanaweb gives more headaches than all the other Ghanaian websites combined.
I have never received one such headache from any of the other Ghanaian websites. Not one.
Did I tell y ...
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