Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, why?

By Waheed Odusile

Americans are very poor when it comes to international affairs. Prior to his becoming United States president, George W Bush reportedly couldn’t differentiate between Nigeria as a country and Africa as a continent. He had only ventured out of his country about three or so times before he arrived at the White House.

His indifference to what is happening elsewhere in the world is to a large extent shared by majority of Americans who see everything America as representing the world. Hence it is not out of place to hear Americans describe their baseball competition as World Series, whereas outside the US, it is only popular in Japan. Their WWF wrestling championship is competed mostly by some ruffians in America, yet they crown the winner as world champion. The list is endless, but the event of 11th September 2001 changed all this, and it can now be safely said that Americans, at least their leaders, now have a full grasp of international affairs, as well as events elsewhere in the world.No thanks to the suicide bombing of America by a terrorist organization called al-Qaeda, led by a Saudi Arabia citizen, Osama bin Laden, in what is now known as 9/11 attacks, Americans were rudely and fatally reminded that the world is awash with enemies of humanity who will stop at nothing to bring the free world, especially America, to its knees. The destructions of that day and the attendant loss of innocent souls drew global attention to the world of terrorism and what the US is doing to protect itself. Every action of the American administration in this regards attracted the attention and engaged the interest of all, both friends and enemies.
Like the rest of the free world, Nigerians mourned with Americans over 9/11, we felt their pains and prayed for the repose of the souls of the dead. Most importantly, we were outraged that a so called religious organization could do that to humanity and yet claim to be serving God. When the names of the perpetrators and their collaborators were released, we were relieved that no single Nigerian was involved in spite of the bad image a few of our fellow citizens have acquired for the country in recent years. Because of the average Nigerian love for life, we were and still convinced that no Nigerian would be involved in suicide bombing, not for any cause, no matter how passionate the person is towards the cause.
December 25, 2009 has proved us wrong. A certain 23-year old Nigerian named Umar Farouk; son of wealthy former banker, Umar Mutallab has proved to the whole world that whatever the nationals of any other country can do Nigerians can equally do it. By now, I am sure you all know what he did. His attempt to detonate an explosive inside flight 253 conveying him and about 300 others from Amsterdam in Holland to Detroit in the US on Christmas day, has now put Nigeria firmly in the league of terrorist producing nation. Whenever and wherever terrorism or terrorist is mentioned, the country Nigeria, will also come to mind. Who ever has no heard of Nigeria before now or like former President Bush doesn’t know her status, will now know it is a country of 150 million or so people in the west of the continent called Africa. Unfortunately he or she would probably not have an independent assessment of who Nigerians really are, as the information being given out, especially by the major foreign news channel would now be tainted by the Umar Farouk episode. He or she would probably not know and may never know that majority of Nigerians, about 99 per cent, are not like Umar Farouk; that even where and when we are passionate about anything, we still have respect for human lives; that aside from our bad leaders and a few fraudsters/419ners, we are a good, hard working, honest, friendly and godly people. He or she would probably not know the real Nigerian. But if the person doesn’t know that Nigerian that you and I are, don’t blame him or her, Umar Farouk has brought that upon us. Now every green passport carrier would be viewed with suspicion in every airport in the world. Fellow passengers will henceforth keep an extra eye on every Nigerian passenger on international flights. Getting a visa to another country, especially in the west will become more difficult now for the rest of us.
As a nation, attracting the much needed foreign investment into our economy might become a Herculean task. For a country just trying to repair her battered image and reputation in the international community or re-branding as Information Minister Dora Akunyili, would rather call it, Umar Farouk is disaster, a major setback..How did we get to this stage? It is tempting to want to blame the Nigerian government at all levels, our security agencies and even Umar’s parents alone, for the shame he has brought upon us all. Yes, you may be right, but we all share in this blame. Let us start with the parents.
While it is commendable that the older Umar Mutallab, had reported his suspicion about the religious extremist belief of his son to security agents in Abuja including the American embassy in Nigeria, before last Friday’s failed terrorist incident, there was still a failure in parenting on his part. From all accounts of Farouk’s educational/moral training, the father, like most educated Nigerian parents, had abdicated his parental responsibility, especially his moral and religious upbringing to his teacher in school, probably thinking that with money, a good school should be able to produce a good child both in learning and character. Most of us, the so called elite tend to think like that, but it is wrong. Farouk, since his secondary school days in Lome, Togo has reportedly been espousing some dangerous religious beliefs. The father would have known this unless he was not observant enough or chose not to bother, thinking that with time the boy would change. The boy didn’t change and that’s why we are where we are today. Before he dispatched him to university in the UK, what did the father do to rein in his son? It is easier said than done, yes, but as parents we can’t and shouldn’t give up, we owe it to the society to train our children well to be good members of the society in future because of a day like last Friday when we will either beat our chest to say yes, that is my child or cover our face in shame.
There is also a huge failure on the part of our various governments. The environment here is very, very conducive for the germination of al-Qaeda type religious belief in Nigeria. We have witnessed several violent religious crises in the country in the past, especially in the north involving some extremist groups claiming to be Muslims whereas their utterances and actions were at variance with the holy Qur’an and the teaching of the Prophet, (PBOH) yet successive governments have been treating them with kid gloves, in spite of the mayhem they have been unleashing on the society. Its about time government at all levels act to check this dangerous trend lest we go the way of Pakistan, because the problem Pakistan has with extremist Islam today began this way.

Granted the fact that security has improved considerably at Lagos airport but since Farouk started his journey in Lagos undected, a lot still needs to be done, especially in anti terrorism strategy. Thank God Farouk’s explosive didn’t go off so the whole world has been saved from another 9/11



But why did he do it? Why did he bring his parents and Nigeria to shame?