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July 21, 2006 Being a child of Biafra, I know what it means to be surrounded by enemies, especially the mortal types, who by all indications, will never cease to desire your total annihilation. Being a child of Biafra, where over 2 million were killed between 1966 and 1970, the importance of being strong, being vigilant and having a powerful country as eternal ally, will never be lost on me. Being a child of Biafra, a country that lost the fight for independence, and as such, continues to be abused and terrorized by the elements of the Nigerian society, I am daily reminded of the danger in failing to defend oneself and the perpetual subjugation the loathsome winners can subject you to. Since the end of hostilities in 1970, the Nigerian state and several elements therein have not stopped the constant intimidation, yearly massacre and open disdain of the people of the former Biafra. As years passed, I have come to realize that this is not a temporary order, but a permanent reality that one must find a way to live with. In thinking of how to live in the quadrant that the former people of Biafra have found themselves in, I have come to admire the Israeli example. After suffering tremendous loss during the Hitler years, the Jews of the world made all the sacrifices needed to secure a country for themselves. As massacres of the Igbo continue to build up, I am of the opinion that the Igbo of Nigeria will soon suffer their final pogrom, after which they will make every sacrifice to secure their independence. As long as the impulsive and irrational loathing of the Igbo continues, this inevitable destination is on the horizon. Having accepted the above as a forgone conclusion, I have taken the liberty to think of ways to defend the Biafran nation. I have imagined a strong nation, capable of responding, pound for pound, any attempt to undermine its territory or intimidate its citizens. I have imagined a nation able to negotiate out of strength a lasting peace with its neighbors. What I have not imagined is Israel's policy today in the Middle East. I strongly believe that there are several elements in the Middle East today that are fully committed to the total destruction of the state of Israel. I totally believe that neither Israel nor the world can stop these elements from eventually acquiring the means of destroying Israel. But faced with the ever hanging threat of annihilation, I do not think Israel is currently doing the right thing in this fight for survival. America, on the other hand, as Israel's primary supporter, has failed to provide Israel with the right guidance. American has essentially allowed Israel to lead the way while America follows. What is wrong with this approach is that Israel is so threatened and so much in the face of fire that she is incapable of dispassionate reasoning. America ridicules itself in the face of the world when it makes arguments like, Hezbollah started it. What about the ones Israel started? Syria defied UN resolution 123. What about the resolutions Israel defied? To help Israel save itself, America must find the courage to think outside the Israeli box. The Israeli box is diametrically opposite the Arab box. For the Middle East to become manageable, at least for one generation, America must extract itself from the Israeli box and try a position that is adjacent to the Israeli and Arab boxes. America can only do this now that Israel has overwhelming military advantage over the rest of the Arab world. When the scale balances, America will be so busy fighting on Israel's side that it will be incapable of doing so, even if she wanted. And the scale will turn no matter how much time Israel buys with tears and blood. At one point, we all have to agree that the chicken came before the egg and just let it be. Something is wrong if decade after decade the same conflict consumes the time and resources of the world. Something is wrong not with the conflict itself but with the approach of the actors and the umpires. The Arab-Israeli conflict needs to be shaken up such that the cards are reshuffled so that the actors may have a different perspective. America is in a unique position to do so, but so far, America has failed to build the courage to think outside the box. While marred in their own crises in 1966, Israel still found the resources to support Biafra, even when America was tactically toeing the British and Soviet line in supporting the Nigerian side. As I watch Israel of today, I imagine Biafra of tomorrow. And I hope Biafra will find an ally that will be bold enough to tell her the truth. I hope Biafra will find a better way to survive amidst its enemies. ------------ About the author: Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo is the author of Children of a Retired God. To order the book, visit Amazon.com, or irokoproductions.com. You can also order Children of A Retired God at any bookstore near you. Email: rudolfokonkwo@aim.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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