Misbahu El-Hamza

Muslims didn’t invent the paper; the ancient Chinese did. Muslims only adopted, perfected and spread papers through knowledge. The Muslims adoption and perfection of (just) a paper – the then Chinese state's secret – gave rise to Baitul Hikmah (The House of Wisdom) in Baghdad, Iraq. The world’s largest repository of books and center of knowledge in history. Muslims’ adoption of the paper didn’t just gave rise to prominent poets at a time when kings cannot even write their names in Europe but, it gave birth to scientists and critical thinkers like Al Khawarizmi in the 9th century – the “father of Algebra”. For his regard, historians believed that modern Trigonometry , Algebra and Geometry are but Muslims creation. In the 10th century, it also gave birth to Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and his Qanun (The Canon) which is said to be the “only medical library in the whole of Europe for more than a century than any other book in history.” Less I forget, the adoption of this ‘ancient Chinese S...

Flash back 1: Back in the days, students protested against   Kano University of Science and Technology - KUST, Wudil's “leadership” for some doings we deemed inappropriate one of which was threatening the students leadership under Comrade Haruna M. Shuwaki . Another which was childish, was our perception of the acting Vice Chancellor (VC) who was a PhD not a Professor and that 'we couldn’t point a single university in the entire North, at the time, where its Chancellor is a PhD'. This is even though his predecessor, Professor Ibrahim Diso at the time was said to have nothing to write home about. The protest was the first in the history of the university. The Nigeria Students’ President Bashir Baballe, a vibrant and courageous man from Kano who later became a law maker in the country went all the way to Wudil and led the protest. It was simple and peaceful, in some sense. Students took it OUTSIDE the school premises matching by the VC's front gate holding leaves and s...

mobs "Fake herdsmen " or "fake Biroms ". Over my head please! We either have herdsmen and Birom or we don't. This is not to rule out the fact that I'm aware of the new 'terrorists-tag' the media and some politicians have created for us in Nigeria. In the Plateau context, those who know the crux of the matter hardly utter the word "herdsmen" which would mean the labeled terrorist disguised as Fulani men burning down villages and killing lives but in real sense meaning a tender of livestock. We say, FULANI. The Fulanis are an integral part of the villages in Plateau, especially the recent affected areas of Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Jos South. Some of them, if not majority, farm instead of rearing animals. They are natives and have been there for time. Even though some tribes (Biroms especially) have issues with the Hausas in Jos North (Jassawa) in matters of who's an indigene and who's not, no well informed person can rule out the Fulan...

It's no longer strange to see a fight between brothers or friends, a quarrel between a son and his father or even mother, between colleagues and 'bench warmers' on the street all because of a differences in political allegiance. But I never heard of it between a husband and a wife, that much which could lead to a divorce but today! In an hour radio program this morning (Saturday, 3/10/2018) at Rahama Radio Station Kano, a sad story of what happened between a couple who were married with two kids that led to the dissolution of their marriage was disclosed. The story (among number of lessons, some of which I believe my readers would help me figure out at the end) exposes the sad reality of how unpleasant and injurious the political dispute in kano state has reached. It’s a hint to one of many things we consider too small or unimportant to be of concern but potent enough to leave our marriages to a likelihood of a negative outcome. Thus, a wakeup call. To her knowledge, Abu ...

In as much as I distaste and refused myself the use of the term “moral police” as used sarcastically this week on the social media, I'm left with little options in this piece seeing that many had already subscribed. So there can be a tacit agreement between my readers and I. In what appears obvious, to me at least, whoever says ‘no’ to KADFEST ( 2017 Kaduna State Festival of Arts and Culture) and or a ‘no’ to DABing qualifies one to be termed a “moral police” and recently, a no to Kano State Film Village (what I refer as ‘ Villexit’ ) also make one not just a “moral police” but a Kano clerics' social media copycat!    But then I told myself, if I will be blunt to address these set of people as “moral police”, what does that make me? Is either I lie to myself to be on the fence or embrace the bitter truth, that I’m an ‘immoral police.’ But whose copycat? I’m yet to arrive at this. Aliko Makaho, a prominent Hausa traditional Gurmi singer from Wudil, Kano state, had on several o...

[Originally published on  Daily Trust Nov 10 2016 ] T ill date, there’s no explicit evidence at hand linking former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) to Boko Haram (BH). Many people, home and abroad, during his time believed he had everything to do with it. Others argued that his negligence toward some office handlers coupled with him been a puppet to some ‘mafias’ within his government led to the perpetual operation of the insurgents. The arrest and confessions of Col. Sambo Dasuki may have ringed a bell for this argument. It was what led to the embezzlement and misappropriation of arms procurement funds and military allowances. It was what led to the strong hold of BH and the flee of our gallant soldiers from the battle field in a broad daylight. GEJ’s major challenge was BH. It was what made Nigerians lose faith in him and what brought him out of office. President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) today, despite the recession, having lay down BH to repose has gain so mu...

[Originally written Jan. 22, 2017] Dear Governor Lolong, Simon Bako Lalong Plateau State Governor Your Excellency Sir, today I wish to write my first letter to you since you assumed office in 2015. I congratulate you for having the trust of all Plateau people, for your huge successes during and after the election, including the days of peace recorded and counting on the Plateau. Purposely, I write to express my happiness, as I read with joy earlier yesterday (January 21st, 2017) that you listened to the cries of our clergies and elders to have declared a " war on Goskolo ," that deadly local gin which claimed many lives of youths especially in the recent past. Thank you for this gesture Sir. But I think there is need to critically consider the strategies with which you may be using to fight this war. In the last administration, though the timely intervention of Governor Jonah David Jang on Goskolo , together with Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang, was booed by some, it was welco...

The year 2017, unlike many other years before it, will be a memorable one in the history of Kano State and northern Nigeria in its entirety, not just for the amount of rainfall recorded or the bumper harvest of rice, not for the bomb  free Sallah and Christmas celebrations, not for the two days visit of President Muhammadu Buhari and the commission of Health Care Centers in the state, but, for the first time, a day of a well-organized TEDx event in the ancient city on last day of December by a group of brilliant youths from across disciplines. TEDx events are well planned, independently coordinated local gathering where live TED-like talks from various speakers and videos previously recorded at TED conferences are shared with the community, on a community-by-community basis. TED is an acronym for Technology, Entertainment and Design conferences which began 33 years ago in Canada. Today, TED talks are not limited to one topic or field, it covers a various topic  from sciences t...