Nigerians are not Terrorists

On Christmas Day Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab a 23-year-old Nigerian attempted to blow up a US passenger plane by setting off a high explosive called PETN sewn into his underwear.

A few people have called and messaged me regarding what i think about this very unfortunate incidence, except for a very special someone who would rather not hear me vent my anger (i seem to have so much of that recently...thanks to you Umar), he tries to shut me up each time i bring up this topic...not cool Cooley:). I decided what better way to start 2010 than shedding some more light on this very matter. Before i start writing about this topic i have to start by saying that i am deeply ashamed of his actions. He is a disgrace to Nigeria, he is a disgrace to Africa as a whole and he is a disgrace to the human race.

The only time i get to read news online is at work for some reason. When I'm home I'd rather be on Facebook than log on to any news sites. To my credit i don't miss the news on television so i don't really miss a whole lot. Anyway, when i read this story at work, i got back home and waited for the whole clan to come together before i announced "A Nigerian man attempted to bomb a plane yesterday"-and just as i preempted everyone started talking at once "really"?, "OMG"!, "Who"...? As i was telling them what happened and reveling in the satisfaction that i was the first to break the news to them and watch their reaction, it dawned on me that my mother was casually lying on the couch indifferent to the announcement i had just made. "Mum, did you just hear what i said, i said a Nigerian man attempted to bomb a U.S plane" i re-emphasized. She shrugged her shoulders and went back to sleep. I couldn't understand why she had said nothing. The same topic came  up in conversation the next day when my uncle came visiting, that was when she said she expected this to happen 3 years ago and that she isn't surprised. She said the only thing she was happy about is the fact that Umar's father reported him to both the Nigerian and American embassy when he suspected something. This is true of course. Now my anger is the fact that amongst all the negative meaning attached to being Nigerian e.g: fraudsters and drug dealers, terrorists will be another one of those stereotypes. Admittedly, Nigeria has done some pretty disgusting things in the past and present of course, from marriage proposals in order to steal the money of unsuspecting victims to business proposals, scamming some very greedy and vulnerable people of their hard earned cash.

I've always believed that to hear the hidden truth behind any story it's very important that we hear both sides of a story. According to recent posts released by the FBI, Umar used Facebook and Muslim websites to express doubts about the right age to marry, success in his studies and his struggles as a Muslim surrounded by Western influences. Believe me Umar I empathize with you, however, how you justify attempting to kill nearly 300 passengers and crew is beyond me. Below is one Facebook post dating back to 2005 by Umar:

"I have no one to speak to, no one to consult, no one to support me and I feel depressed and lonely. I do not know what to do. And then I think this loneliness leads me to other problems."

Majority of Nigerians will give anything to have the chance Umar had in life, hell i would! He went to a very good school in London, schooled in Togo, and even Australia! He's traveled, he does not have to work, or worry he wouldn't get his pocket money in time, he didn't have to worry about paying his school fees or buying his books, he had a visa to travel to whatever country he wanted, not a lot of people have that. He even had a cozy pad in London. Many people would give an arm and a leg to swap luck with him, not now anyway.

Here is what a few Nigerians have to say about Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab:

1)"Nigerians are good people, we are not terrorists, we love life!"

2)"We condemn the behavior of a lone numb skull who has just dragged Nigeria's already sodden image more into the mud".

3) "It is obvious that this guy is not a true son of Nigerian soil because Nigerians are not terrorists."

4) "There's a saying in Nigeria "Let my enemy live long and see what I'll be in future"An average Nigerian never thinks of taking the life of his enemy,not to talk of innocent people! WE ARE NOT LIFE TAKERS,RATHER WE LOVE LIFE ,WE ARE NOT TERRORISTS !"

5) "Yes I am, (A Nigerian) and I am not a terrorist"

6) "He is absolutely a sick man! Nigerians cherish their culture so much and that's one great thing Africans are known for. We love to live long, have a blissful life with grand children. I don't know how he ended up losing this Nigerian values and resort to suicide. As for me, I believe he has shamed himself as I know we Nigerians will continue to strive and be hardworking and responsible citizens. WE ARE NO TERRORISTS!"

The way Nigerians will be portrayed will never be the same, Umar will be locked up and jailed, but we live with the chaos he's created.

In another news, a SECOND Nigerian man was taken into custody on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. He was detained after being in the bathroom on Delta/Northwest Airlines flight 253 for an hour. The plane landed safely and the man was detained. The incident sparked a security scare because it took place on the same route, airline and flight number as that on which Umar allegedly tried to set off explosives on Christmas Day. He was "just sick" and not a threat, thus was released. Will there be additional surveillance for Nigerian and African  people? What does this spell for us? All these questions run through my mind as i write this post. But you know what, there is a moral to this story, no matter who you are, no matter where you are in this life, family and friends are always important. They keep you grounded, they remind you of who you are. If you lose sight of this fact then you have lost sight of life and the gift of living. And just as Albert Einstein once said "Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile."