1st edition of Fulbe Conference. "Advancing Pulaagu in the 21st Century" Venue: Father Farrel Hall, West Field

 Fulbe Africa, a youth-led non-political charitable organisation, on Saturday held its maiden edition of ‘Fulbe Africa Conference’.

The event, held at the Father Farrell Hall at Westfield, was staged on the theme ‘advancing pulaagu in the 21st century’. It was focused on the role of the Fula language in conserving the culture, traditional and history of the Fulas.

Speaking on the occasion, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, said the Fula language cannot be talked about in isolation of its cultural values.

Dr Barry said it is impossible to talk about the Fula culture and disassociate it from the Islamic religion as Fulas are one of the first black people to accept Islam.

He pointed out that Fulas are found in millions in more than 15 countries.

Fulbe Africa President, Ousman Sowe, said the Fula ethnic group is of one people despite the difference in accents and irrespective of their locations.

The director of education for Region 5, Ousman Bah, said Fulas are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa.

Fulbe Africa was initially formed on Facebook in 2012 by young Gambian Fulas. In 2013, the founders registered it at the Attorney General’s Chambers at the Ministry of Justice in Banjul.

Presently, the association is said to have a membership of 17,000 people both in and out of The Gambia.

The association seeks to complement the government’s efforts in promoting cultural identity and enhancing the significance of culture in the socio-economic development of The Gambia.

Author: Adama K. Jallow

Forcefully ejecting Fulani’s ‘harmful’ – Fulani Chief

The head of the Fulani Community in Ghana, Sheikh Osman Barry has warned against the ongoing ejection of Fulani herdsmen across the country which he described as unfair and very harmful.


“It is rather harmful that hurtful because this is a community issue and also we are dealing with a group of people and there is an economic factor for this country.” He noted that there has been no correspondence between the government and him over the ejection exercise. A joint Police-Military team is undertaking an ejection exercise code named “operation cow-leg” to force out all Fulani herdsmen from the Volta, Eastern, Ashanti and Northern Regions. The exercise is aimed at restoring peace and security in communities within which the Fulani herdsmen had settled. Indigenes always complained of acts of violence being allegedly perpetrated by some Fulani Herdsmen. There were also reports of destroyed farm crops due to the grazing of their cattle which sometimes led to clashes. Governments have over the years unsuccessfully made efforts to force the Fulani’s out of the country. However, the Volta Regional Minister, Helen Ntosoo has told Citi News, government is determined to successfully complete this ejection exercise. Speaking on Eyewitness News, Sheikh Barry said it is necessary for government to tackle this issue objectively in order to “bring out some concrete and objective solutions to the problem.” He argued government’s actions are unfair because the Fulani’s have contributed to the economic growth of Ghana, adding that there is also the existence of some protocols and some conventions “which are binding on Ghana government and other governments as well about the movement of persons and goods across borders.” 

YOUNG FULANI GAMBIA AUTHOR. POEM AND LYRICS.AND HIS FOUDATION PROMOTE MY WORK AND THE BOOK. BETTER.

By  Alphajoe Aj Jallow



                            GAMBIAN WITH COURAGE:

Young Gambian Author, Amadou Jarou Bah, suddenly start an aid project to help the children of his former arabical school Bun Jeng Memmorial in Gunjur, the Gambia.
All comes out of a sponsoring for his first book he published in May this year. The title “The heart leads the man” is full of lyrics and meditations. The first aids for this little school and the first aid project join in to help this children with gardening materials, computer and school materials like pens, chalks and exesis books was handed over at the 14th December 2014.
The young author also decided to give all earnings coming with the sells of his book into this project too. The project is young and he just start up for some months ago for collecting donation. And now, a few days before Christmas, all was given to the children.
Surely this work will go on and you will hear more from all this great work coming out of the book.
Good project for to let education grow in the Gambia.
Respekt to Amadou Jarou Bah.

'Muslim players are helping to tackle stereotypes about Islam'

By Nadeem Badshah

 

 

Organisers of a recent march to counter an anti-Islamic protest believe stars like Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse are helping tackle negative stereotypes about Muslims.

Dipu Ahad, a city councillor in Newcastle, told Sky Sports that Muslim Premier League players have helped educate fans about their faith.
His view is backed by new research being carried out into how Muslim players are raising awareness about their faith among supporters.
Ahad highlighted the goal celebrations of Ba and Cisse – both bow in prayer - and the chant Newcastle fans sang referencing Ba and the amount of goals he had scored since Ramadan.
Ahad, a Newcastle fan said: “Having more black players as role models changed attitudes to race on the terraces.
"Now it’s Muslim role models like Demba Ba and other prominent players who are changing people’s perception.
“You have had Ba and Cisse prostrating to God when scoring and fans singing the ‘Ramadan chant’.
“That breaks barriers and gets people thinking about religion, it’s a powerful message.”

“It was people from different communities standing shoulder to shoulder celebrating diversity."

Councillor Dipu Ahad

Ahah helped arrange February’s ‘Newcastle Unites’ demonstration against the PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West) rally.
He added: “We Geordies are fanatical about football and to come out and say we are against Islamophobia was the most powerful statement.
“There were [around] 3000 at the demo, a lot of that is down to Newcastle United fans.
“It was people from different communities standing shoulder to shoulder celebrating diversity.”
Omar Salha, from The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, said his early findings showed 67 per cent of fans questioned felt players who followed the Islamic faith were integrated in football.
And over half thought having Muslim players counters stereotypes about the religion.
Salha said: "There are a number of indicators to suggest why Muslim football players have decreased some of the stereotypes and misconceptions of Islam among fans.
"Primarily, it’s because of the increase of Muslim footballers in the Premier League and the exposure of symbolic (Islamic) expressions performed in stadiums.
“This has created awareness surrounding their respective faith on issues regarding fasting, prayer and prohibition of alcohol and gambling.
"These expressions, raising hands in prayer, prostrating after a goal celebration, reflect a sense of belonging, pride, freedom of expression and an opportunity to raise awareness in the face of increasing Islamophobia in society."
Anti-racism groups have claimed they have received complaints about verbal abuse against Muslims at football grounds across the leagues.
And following the terrorist attacks in France in January, community groups fear a backlash with some fans worried about attending games over fears of being targeted by Islamophobic chants.
Fiyaz Mughal OBE, director of inter-faith think-tank Faith Matters which runs a helpline where victims can report anti-Muslim abuse, said some fans are afraid to report such chants.
He said: “There are real issues of Islamophobia in football grounds and the reason why many do not report it is because of the fear of being intimidated.
“We have been told this by victims and this is a real problem.”
Recent examples include a Middlesbrough fan, Julie Phillips, who was banned from every football ground for three years for ripping up pages of the Holy Quran during a game with Birmingham City.
In response to the incident, more than 100 Middlesbrough supporters took part in an anti-racism march.
Abu Nasir is an ambassador for the Kick It Out campaign and is a Bedfordshire Football Association council member.
He said he will be pushing for Islamophobia to be discussed with the FA and football groups.
“A lot of hard work has gone in to educating fans in tackling racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, but we seriously need to have a big discussion on how football and society in general will tackle the growing 21st century problem of Islamophobia," he said.
“We have recently experienced a huge increase in Muslim women attending matches after some excellent work from various organisations which includes the FA, Luton Town FC and the 'Headscarves to Football Scarves' campaign.
“If we do not tackle the issues Muslim fans are currently facing, I am worried all the hard work done over the last decade may go to waste.
“With incidents such as the recent atrocities in Paris, I'm afraid people from Muslim backgrounds will be further isolated and socially excluded which includes being involved in and attending matches."
Yahya Sidatt, a director of the Muslim Sports Council (MSC), praised the efforts of clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool who have both introduced facilities for those who wish to pray at matches but warned more work was needed to root out those guilty of Islamophobic behaviour.
“There are certain clubs in the Premier League who have tackled this issue head-on, notably the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, where our members are frequent visitorsbut we believe that unless stewards and security personnel highlight these troublemakers then this will continue.”
He added that Arsenal have introduced a prayer room for fans and been proactive in campaigning against racism, while Liverpool have asked for the MSC’s advice on faith issues and also have prayers facilities at Anfield.
   
But there is an effort being made to tackle the problem, according to Piara Powar, executive director of the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) group. 
“More [Islamophobic] incidents are reported in the UK compared with France because of the way in which football is run there,” he said.
“Here there is a big focus on tackling discrimination, the police are geared up to addressing it.
“In the UK there is more focus on identifying it and reporting it to police.”
If you would like to take part in the SOAS study, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/faiththebeautifulgame

Rapper Akon Asks Why African Americans Don’t “go back home…to Africa?'”

Reported by Alphajoe Aj Jallow

Akon hasn’t been in the spotlight for quite some time. It’s been over half a decade since the Senegalese-born rapper has released an album, and many believed he simply faded away.
But Akon hasn’t gone anywhere. He was recently spotted voicing his opinion on social issues. The artist was recently on the Al Jazeera TV channel where he sat down with host Folly Bah Thibault to talk about matters surrounding the recent rise in racial tensions that have gripped the nation and the protests that were being held in cities across the country.
Akon acknowledged the frustrations that were being felt by the protesters and marchers and added that African-Americans needed to broaden their horizons. He said the system in America was not built for black people.
“I always felt like Africa was for Africans,” the five-time Grammy nominee said. “So when I see African-Americans in America dealing with all these issues my first question is, ‘Why don’t they just go back home, back to Africa?'”
“How many African-Americans do you know who actually consider Africa as a vacation spot?” Akon went on to ask. “Even if it’s just for knowledge, just to know where they came from, just to get an idea of what that is.
“There is so much fear instilled in them that they wouldn’t even want to go there to visit. You mention Africa, they start shaking.”
Akon went on to say that on the contrary they, as Americans, would actually find preferential treatment and soon realize that Africa wasn’t as bad as it is portrayed to be.
He also says he is still on the music scene, although he operates behind the scenes and has been producing music for other artists. But now, he is planning and working on a new five-part concept album.

Senegal Senegal's ex-'minister of heaven' jailed

A six-year jail term has been imposed on Karim Wade, the son of Senegal's former president. The flamboyant 46-year-old ex-London financier had denied enriching himself while holding up to five cabinet posts.

A special Senegalese court jailed the son of former president Abdoulaye Wade on Monday, concluding that he had hidden away funds in offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands and Panama.
"The facts before us constitute illicit enrichment by Karim Wade, said judge Henri Gregoire Diop as the verdict was announced. Wade was also ordered to pay a 138 billion CFA franc (210 million euro) fine.
Opposition supporters in the courtroom protested the verdict for Wade, who on Saturday had been picked by the opposition Senegalese Democratic Party as its candidate for the western African nation's next presidential election. It is likely in 2017.
Five ministries
Karim Wade had a finance career in London before returning home in 2002. He ended up controlling five ministries during his father's presidency, earning himself the nickname of "minister of heaven and Earth."
The younger Wade was a divisive figure in Senegalese politics in the run-up to the presidential election in 2012, with many believing his father - who ruled from 2000 to 2012 - was trying to line him up to succeed him.
Current president Macky Sall, whose victory in 2012 ended Wade senior's rule, warned last week that he would not tolerate destabilization attempts following the court's decision.
Harassment?
Sall's government had denied Karim Wade's claim that he had become the victim of a political witch hunt. Wade had been in custody since April 2013. In January this year, he spent four days on hunger strike to protest his detention conditions.
One of Karim Wade's lawyers was arrested last week, allegedly for hinting that a conviction would result in the overthrow of President Sall.
Two years into his term, Sall's popularity has faltered amid complaints that he has not done enough to improve the lot of ordinary Senegalese.
ipj/jr AFP, Reuters, AP)

Buhari on his Fulani upbringing.

"Was it also the Fulani training of perseverance? Because when you have reared cattle, for those who have been doing it, they said it toughens you… – It did.
The sun is there, the rain and you are there with your cattle… – The period was remarkable, in the sense that those who are brought up in the city have limited space. If you are in a confined school, you learn from the school and what you see immediately. But the nomad life exposes you to nature. You will never learn enough of plants, of trees, of insects and of animals. Everyday you are learning something.
You have seen them and everyday you are learning. You will never know all of them. So, it is so vast that it takes a lot of whatever you can think of. And then, the difference again in the environment. In the Savannah, in the Sahel, after harvest, you can always see as high as your eyes can go. And then, at night when there is moon, it is fantastic. So, I enjoyed those days and they made a lasting impression in me."

By Elijah Shabazz