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Christiane Amanpour, CNN Chief International Reporter
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I had a
dream. In my dream, I was a journalist covering events at the United Nations,
during one of those generic meetings of world leaders. At the entrance,
journalists formed hedges on the left and on the right. Directly facing me was
Christiane Amanpour, the world-famous CNN journalist. Suddenly, I sighted the
Zimbabwean late President, Robert Mugabe approaching. So, I said to her, “here
comes your friend.”
“Who?” Amanpour asked, curiosity masking her face.
“Mugabe,” I replied.
My response was greeted by a cacophony of laughter from
the other journalists.
Dreams are among many things that puzzle people. But,
most times, they are a grit of events or sights the eyes had seen so many
times. The sight of Mrs Amanpour hosting Mugabe or other African leaders to
discuss issues that characterized Africa, not just Zimbabwe, is very common.
Most times, the discussion centres on the handling of Western ideals across the
continent.
The core of Western ideals is summed up in the ideology
of democracy. As far as we don’t challenge the culture of democracy in Africa,
there is nothing wrong with the West insisting that we live up to a refined
model of it. A highly refined model of democracy, however, is wrought by the
way we do things. It is not designed by what the West wants. When democracy or
any of its appendages defies this rule, it stands in isolation. Anyone who
knowingly insists that everyone must embrace it is seen to have a hidden
motive.
Amanpour glaringly qualifies as an agent of the West on
the issue of same-sex marriage, to which she has engaged Mugabe and other
African leaders. Nigeria, for instance, is a country with predominantly
Muslim and Christian populations. The rests are traditionalists or animists.Christians and Muslims both agree that “in the beginning,
God created Adam and Eve.” Whether Christian, Muslim or Animist, the general
understanding is that a man marries a woman. With this, they can procreate to
sustain the human population and life on the planet.
If Amanpour hosts President Mohammadu Buhari and poses
the question, “why can’t you make a law that legalizes same-sex marriage in
Nigeria?” Expectedly, his answer would be, “the people haven’t asked for it.”
This is because most times when a president sponsors a bill, it has to do with
clearing the way so government policies can walk through. If there are such
bills that are social, among other bills, they come from the national assembly
mostly. This is because MPs are directly in contact with the population across
the country.
The West taught us democracy. In the lesson, we were
taught that democracy is a style that embraces the yearnings of the majority.
It amounts to a huge surprise when the teacher goes against the rules he has
taught. It has to come from the approval of the people. Anything else amounts
to bullying.
Many across Africa were shocked when former British
Primes Minister, David Cameron, declared that, “if African countries refuse to
legislate in favour of same-sex marriage, the West will withdraw grants to the
continent. It was scandalous not just because of the scale of western anxiety
on the matter, the scorn and insult in it, but in the display of ignorance from
Cameron. Africans thought that Cameron ought to have known that nothing changes
when aid is given, at least in the eyes of common people.
African leaders have often argued that Africans should
feel it when the shoe pinches and another person shouldn’t take aspirin for
their headaches. What happened after Cameron’s babble only vindicated the
African leaders. Rather than becoming benign to gay people, Cameron’s statement
ended up as a backlash. Same-sex people exist across the continent and no one
cares. In as much as they live life without persecution, people have a right to
their opinions on the matter. In northern Nigeria, for instance, they are known
as yan daudu. They live their lives and no one cares.
Following Cameron’s hot warning, though, MPs in northern states rushed to cut
their supplies of oxygen. In the months that followed, there was a flood of
arrests. It was as if, they had forgotten to do it and someone just tipped them.
If one must take action on an issue, he should see the
logic behind the decision. It should make meaning to him. As I write this, I am
struggling to see how same-sex bond measures well on the moral meter of
Christians, Muslims, the free-minded and the animists. The best Africa has done
on this matter is to pretend they don’t exist. Perhaps, there is something our
hazy eyes can’t see on this issue. Perhaps, a day will come when it will clear
up. This is why Amanpour must take it easy.
