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Literature Discussion - Lit-Talk.com
Bridging Gaps Between Humanity
By Akinyi Princess of K'Orinda-Yimbo (Germany)
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Chancellor Merkel made history on 11th November as the first German leader to accept the invitation of the French for their national celebration in Paris. In her speech she talked about bridging gaps between the Franco-German friendship and keeping Europe out of warring again.
On the same date since WW1, Great Britain also assembles at the Cenotaph in London to remember their “glorious dead” in impressive parades. African Commonwealth ambassadors join this celebration. But these same Africans honouring Britain’s “glorious dead” have never ever thought of honouring the African soldiers and askaris who fought in this same war for Europe. These Africans fought and died without knowing why they were in a war in the first place. The most significant experienced in the Wars for them was: they learnt for the first time that Europeans actually kill each other in masses too. It led Africans to start fighting for their freedom and independence from colonial rule.
Each October in Great Britain “Black History Month UK” is celebrated. A lot of the theme is devoted to the Trans-Atlantic Slavery – seen from the European window. Baffour Ankomah writes, “Sadly, Africa has failed to attach any real seriousness to the study of its past… we subject ourselves to the study of more European history than our own.” Africans, take heed to George Orwell’s words: He who controls the past, controls the future. He who controls the future, controls the present.
In a discussion with fellow Africans about African influences on European Medieval and Renaissance music, especially the roots of Greek music, I also mentioned the Nubian and Egyptian pyramids. One discussant said, “But they’re not Africans, they’re Egyptians!” It’s like saying: But they’re not Europeans, they’re Bavarians!
When it comes to the arts, Bernard Heilger copied pre-dynastic Egyptian art, Picasso the styles of the Intuba of Congo, Max Ernst studied the Senufo (Ivory Coast) art, Paul Klee the Bagota of Gabon, Henri Laurens was influenced by the Dogons of Mali, Amadeo Modigliani the Congolese art – the list is almost endless. Even Judaism, Christianity and Islam have borrowed heavily from ancient African religions. But many Africans have faithfully internalized the falsification of their history by outsiders instead of questioning why it had to be falsified in the first place. The emblems of religious office such as the crook, the flail and the headgear of the Pope or Archbishop of Canterbury go back to Ausare (the Greeks called him Osiris). Ausare’s antique statue sits in Room 13 of the Musée du Louvre in Paris complete with crook, flail and headgear. His features are definitely African.
The forced imposition of anti-African values and beliefs has brought in chaos, self-hate, confusion and endless wars. The chaos come from striving to achieve a social order through anti-African policies; the self-hate has led to engaging European standards in judging intelligence and beauty; instead of intra-national peace and a combined effort to fight the true enemies of Africa, ethnic groups/nations are pitted against each other; the confusion is fed by a lack of belief in African achievements in the arena of humanity throughout history, while at the same time internalizing falsifications as the real McCoy.
Apart from Coptic Christians, all other Christian Africans celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December. How many of them know that they’re not celebrating the birth of Christ but a pagan European tribal ritual of winter solstice and Saturnalia? Well, Merry Xmas!
Reprinted with permission. Published by the author in The Africa Times.
