Modern slavery

I am astonished with news that black foreigners were being attacked in Libya, because Col. Muammar Gadaffi was using mercenaries from Mali and Kenya to fight protesters in his country.

When i heard this, i asked myself if this was true or a way of some hooligans Muslims who dislikes black people and were taking advantage

If you go back to slave history, you will discover the hatred that some Muslims have against the blacks. The history tell of how Arabs merchants used to come to Africa and capture natives for sale

The African American community in USA and other western countries are the fruits of our fore father who were captured by Arabs and sold as slaves. It is said that the trade caused almost 120 million Africans to be taken as captives and sold,of this number 80% died on the way and most of them were thrown in the red sea, let their soul rest in peace.

The Arab Slave Trade is the longest trade ever yet its least discussed . It begins in the 7Th century AD as Arabs and other Asians merchants came into North and Eastern Africa under the banner of Islam and business, either converting the African willful or by force. In the beginning there was some respect between the Blacks and the more Caucasian-Semitic Arabs.

Mihdja and Bilal are the first two black men known to have converted to Muslims, that was way back in the 7Th century." Dhu'l-Nun al-Misri, born in Upper Egypt near Sudan, is regarded as the founder of Sufism. Today Sufism's stronghold is in Southern Egypt and Sudan. Islamic prosperity was based on Blacks as well as Arabic genius.

But when you look at what happened after that, you realise a big number of Arabs were just taking blacks for granted. The Arab world slaved over 28 millions black Africans. Today you cannot find a black person in some of these countries which we all know were the biggest market where our brothers and sisters were sold. Where did they go,or what happened to them?.

Due to infighting among the native African, the Arabs merchants took advantage and promised the tribal chiefs of ammunition's in exchange of black men and ladies captured during the battles.

Due to greedy African chiefs' and village elders millions of black men and women were sold and others exchanged with food and arms. Million and millions were captured and sold to Arab merchants who gave tribal leaders food, guns and bullets for fighting. That's why every time i hear of certain politician been installed as tribal spokesman or leader of his tribe, i feel we are still far behind and we need to look back and see what those type of leaders did to our brothers and sisters.

When USA government under the noble leadership of Abraham Lincoln outlawed the slave trade, and all slaves were freed, England used its naval ships to monitor sea water and ships that were being used to transport slaves across the world. This was a good step towards human equality no matter the colour, but amazingly till now we have countries that still enslave blacks, Mauritius and Sudan being some of them.

In Kenya we have our young men and women who travel to middle East for green pastures, but end up being enslaved and killed. There are stories said of how these young Kenyans, men and ladies have their travelling documents confiscated immediately they arrive in their host countries.

The work is said to start as early as 3am in the morning and ends as late as 11.00pm.

This our brothers and sisters are some times thrown from high rise building or beaten till they are dead. There is this lady from Mombasa who went to work in Beirut for a family she had met in this wonderful Kenyan coast town. When she reached there, the lady of the house took away all her personal belongings and documents. After two weeks, the lady of the house would order her two sons to sleep with her, this went on for some time before she decided to take a stand like Rose Park and run away to the street where she was arrested and locked up by police.

Although she stayed in police cell for some time, she says it was better than been at the mercy of her employer.

To date there are countries still taking black men and women as slaves,Sudan is one such country that rumours has it that slavery is still very much alive.

http://www.adl.org/issue_nation_of_islam/farrakhan_and_slavery_in_sudan.asp.

So the blacks of Libya are just being victims of circumstances and not what is being said, mercenaries, since when did we have mercenaries in Kenya, why only Kenya, Mali and Gabon were mentioned as where the mercenaries came from? I hope this is not a calculated move to destabilize this countries the Libya way.

Most Kenyans still remember Col. Gadaffi when he was said to be helping young Kenyans to fight Moi regime.The revolution should be welcomed but should not be pushed down throats of young Africans in pretence of good governance.

Its good to have leadership change after sometime, but it should be done in an orderly manner.

We need peace for our children for so many years to come.

Adios .

Peter Njoroge Blog: Power of People Vs Political leaders

Peter Njoroge Blog: Power of People Vs Political leaders

Power of People Vs Political leaders

Its very interesting to see the events in Arab word. No one would have imagined that, such a time would come and Arab leaders would be defending themselves against their own people. This is the new world that we have been waiting.

Col. Muammar Qaddafi, the strong man of Libya is feeling the heat of the people. The power of the people is very strong and no army in the world can conquer it. The first ruler to know this was Napoleon the great when he attacked Russia. The people decided to clear any foods and shelter on the way and when Napoleon Army came calling, the snow was so heavy and with no shelter and food, it was impossible to go ahead and the Russian army was able to push them away back and won the battle.

In Africa, the continent that has seen all type of greedy leaders,South Africa saw the power of people back in late 70s and early 80s, the power of the people was demonstrated by students who made it so difficulty for Pieter Botha to rule. The situation escalated and the world came calling for the release of Nelson Mandela.

The African American revolution, M/S Rose Park Junior, this great Africa/American lady showed what the power of the people can do, by refusing to give her seat to a white man made the black community to came to together and boycott the buses, the bus boycott started the black revolution. After this show of power by the black community, the politics of USA has never been the same and will never be the same.

The current President of USA, Barak Obama Hussein is a beneficially of the power of the people who saw it unfair for the former President George W Bush putting the country youth(read solders), on line of death in Iraq, Afghanistan among others countries. The power of the people has forced the world super power country to cease the wars and pull out its solders from those countries.

In Philippine during the reign of President Ferdinanda Marcos, when he ruled the country with an iron hand and made 80% of the population beggars, the Bishop of manila cathedral told his congregation enough is enough and the power of people should be used, the people staged a sit in at the capitals main park and all airport paralyzing the economy. Although Ferdinand Marcus used his military who killed many people but in the end, the people power of the people won and the republic of Philippine had a new dawn.

Over the years the Arab world has been so stiff with political leaders brain washing their people by using the Israel/Arab conflict.By claiming they (leaders) will make sure that Israel is wiped out of world map. Many Arab leader became darling of there countries by showing (verbal claims), how they will deal with Israel, but after almost half century since the republic of Israel was born, it's is still there and there is no way it will ever be wiped out from world map.

Am so pleased that most of young Arabs have realized that Israel in not there main enemy, but their selfish leaders who have enriched themselves while majority of them live very miserable lives. My condoleses goes to that young graduate from Tunisia who burnt himself after the police harassment's, his act made the power of the people to rise within and Ben Ali had to freed the country.

Arab youth should see the future of their countries in a better way, good education, more employments, good health care, good road network, good shelter etc. and not thinking how to fight Israel. Israel has its own light for existence as well as Palestine and all her neighbours, there are better ways of dealing with this issue rather than wars and out bust that Arab leaders have been using over the last four decades.

I hope this wind of change will be for better living standard for all and as a caution to greedy leaders of today and tomorrow,we are watching and we have the power within and around us.

Lets all pray that we leaders of goodwill should arise from the shadow of themselves so that we can recorgonize them. The Solomons and Anwar Sadat of tomorrow, wake up and take up your positions.

Adios.

VALENTINE DAY IN NAIROBI

Am a christian and i always try to do good things as the teaching of Jesus Christ says. Love your neighbour as youlove yourself.This words are very fundamental in our lives and i believe if practised daily, weshould not be having squables on and off.

Today is a day that very many men and women will start a new chapter of their lives, or discover something new in their lives.

Valentine was much associated with western countries, but the current generation in Africa has accepted it with open arms. Young men and girls have made older generation to know how to revamp love that was snicking out of the window, with gifts like flowers, an African man have realized the magic of been in love again.

Some years back it was a miracle to see a man in his 50s buying a flower for his wife, and same the wife would call it "childish" thing and laugh off the man.

Thanks to this lost generation,it has shown the way of loving our wife no matter the age. Am impressed when i see an old couple aged around 50yrs having a late coffee cup in a hotel. This makes each party feel loved by the other party and we all know when you are happy, you live longer.

As i was working along the streets of Nairobi, i noted a flower vendor along Koinnage street. She had allot of flowers and there were many men buying the flower.

She had wrapped them in different sizes and coasted according to sizes and wrapping. "men are buying the most expensive once,wrapped in buckets,while i don't why women are buying the cheap once", Cate says.

I sked why was this, but she could not tell as she thought women knew more about flowers and love than men.

At around 13.00hrs, all flowers in the buckets were over and men were still coming. Cate says of one gentleman who refused to hear her when she insisted to sell her a cheaper one.

" I love my girl very much and i will be guilty if i buy this, i want her to know she is always in my mind and i think this flower won't do it well". this man said to Cate.

I think men have come along way in matter concerning love, and i think they are doing it better way than our ladies. If you see a man going out to met his girl, he will be very careful with what he wears less the girl accuses him of destroying her reputation. Guys keep it that way, our girls are good and needs attentions.

Back to Cate, the florists, in the morning she had butches of flowers in sizes, there was a butch of Ksh. 50.00(£6.25), Ksh. 100.00(£1.25), Ksh. 500.00(£6.25). According to her she came with this different bucthes so that everyone could have an option to buy.

By mid day she had to sent her staff for more butches of Ksh.500.00. (men stilll wanted)and Ksh. 50.00.(collage girls wanted more)

Cate noted that men were buying more and wanted the expensive once, "most men came and picked the big butches that were wrapped in baskets and with a cards" says Cate. When she finished them, men who came won't hear her request to buy the small once. One of them said, "this butch if i buy won't show how much i love love my wife, am 56years but have rediscovered how to make our life good with gifts, i will be guilt as i love her more than all this flowers and i can't be able to measure, but i need her to know she is always in my mind when i take her out and give her this flower".

On the other hand Cate noted that many girls bought the cheaper butches. Most of them were college girls and one of them said she had to buy for her-self as no one was going to buy for her.

Along the street i noted many young beautiful girls with this type of flowers holding them cross to their chest.

I asked Cate "what about married women and career women, were they buying"?. "Yes, women working came calling later in the day when all good flowers were no more". This touched Cate very much as she noted that women never complained about the quality of the flowers, they just bought any available once.

This made me wonder,"does it mean men value loving their women more than women? This i can't answer but by the way of things, it seems that Adam loves his Eve very much,while Eve does it because its in life to love and be loved.

I love women and i have great respect for women, but lets call a spade a spade and not a big spoon, ladies we know how to love you more.

Happy Valentine to all women, i love you all.

Adios.