http://www.vehuel.com/lennon-imagine/
Lennon Imagine
|
|
Imagine Strawberry Fields John Lennon Memorial Art Poster Print - 24x36 $0.49 Imagine Strawberry Fields John Lennon Memorial Art Poster Print - 24x36... |
 |
US $3.99
Nigeria celebrates John Lennon’s 40th Anniversary
On November 26th, 1969 John Lennon (1940-1980), British singer and songwriter, the Beatles’ rhythm guitarist and one of the most famous figures in popular music wrote a short letter rejecting the award of MBE conferred on him by Queen Elizabeth II to protest against the British involvement in Nigeria, Biafra and Vietnam war.
A human right activist organization, Civil Right Congress leads by Shehu Sani has marked the 40th Anniversary of that letter to emphasize on the imperative of peace in Nigeria and the world.
This day may pass unnoticed to a busy world of endless crisis and political turbulence. Unfortunately the legacy and the memory of John Lennon is no more as Lennon lived in a world of Cold war and ‘Cold turkey’ slipping down the Chart but his legacy now live in a world of cold blood murder, terrorism and drones.
Speaking with Sani during the 40th Anniversary, he said, “John Lennon may not have set his foot in Nigeria but his single act has drawn the attention of the world to the immeasurable horror and humanitarian angle to Nigeria’s Civil war in the sixties. Lennon’s message to the world is peace encouraging a world without war which we are in support of.”
One could imagine a world without war, a world without war is proving impossible, or an unrealizable dream that may be possible in the 70th century as there are belligerent nations today who have enough reasons to wage war and sustain it.
In an interview with the Military who supported the peace call and craved for anonymity said, “War is the only way of keeping freedom free, without war there would be no peace, and war is the only war to restore law and order. That is why the Heavens have angles that go to war.”
While Shehu Sani was speaking further he said that the 21st century wars of today are corporate in nature and in tune with capitalism, influenced by oil or diamond and sustained by vultures in the form of defense contractors and military industrial complexes.
“For whatever reasons, wars are fought and in both ‘just’ and ‘unjust’ wars, the common denomination is the bloodshed and the lives lost and shattered forever. We stand in the view of John Lennon and say No to war.”
However, some Islamic group including the Shari’a Court Judge Alkali Lawal Ibrahim in Kaduna state, Nigeria kicked against the move as they considered the Beatles to be anti-Islam.
Earlier in Kaduna, there was a mild drama at a Shari’a Court in Magajin Gari Kaduna as the Jugde, Alkali Lawal Ibrahim sent the civil rights activist, Malam Shehu Sani out of the courtroom because he was wearing a T-shirt, which had the portrait of popular music group in UK, the Beatles.
According to the Shari’a Courth Judge Alkali Lawal Ibrahim the Beatles is Anti-Islam and against the teachings of Islam and he will not allow a man to defile Islam, “I know them, and the kind of music they played was not for public peace and was against the authorities. They are four devil minded personalities in the west, the Beatles was against the religion of Islam and the Northern culture and tradition of Nigeria,” he said.
The judge added, “Sometimes on the 26th of November 1969, one of the Beatles, John Lennon returned his knighthood of MBE to the Queen of England and his reason was that he was against British involvement in the then Nigerian civil war. How can we keep the legacy of those who are against the restoration of law and orderliness.”
The judge was of the view that John Lennon’s position was being subversive to the British government because British involvement in the Nigerian civil war assisted Nigeria tremendously to restore peace and orderliness and there is no reason to keep his legacy.
It was heavily argued during the anniversary that there is no peace without justice and there is no justice without war, equally the truth is that without peace there will be nothing not even the world and its contents.
12.00 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE
On the foundation of peace, everything stands, today Nigeria remembers John Lennon, a day in his life that matters to Nigeria most.
About the Author
Victor Ulasi
Member of the European Press Federation
Tel:+2348079336622
victorulasi@yahoo.com