Source: TVNZ
"For me the party got spoiled a few weeks ago when I watched a documentary on TV1 on a Sunday at 1930hr. They presented a story about this young African Muslim girl who had been forced into marriage after being raped. She went on the run for over two years before she found shelter with Shakti." The year is flying by and I haven’t been able to fulfil just one of my resolutions for this year. When I listed them at the beginning of the year I even made a promise to myself that I would fulfil them, but as you know, some promises are like piecrust- made to be broken.
I got in touch with the powers controlling the wheel at nileflow asking them if they could give me a list of African businesses in Auckland and beyond. My wish was to dedicate an article to such positive success stories but as the days past by I realised that we as Africans don’t seem to be ready yet to celebrate our successes because we tend to spoil the party in a big way at a very crucial time, when everyone is pumping up and enjoying the night.
For me the party got spoiled a few weeks ago when I watched a documentary on TV1 on a Sunday at 1930hr. They presented a story about this young African Muslim girl who had been forced into marriage after being raped. She went on the run for over two years before she found shelter with Shakti. The girl reported to her parents that she had been raped, but instead of sympathising with her or reporting the case to the police, the parents had to force her to be married to the rapist because they didn’t want to be embarrassed. And the marriage couldn’t work as the man was predictably abusive.
I will not get into further detail about this story but guys, what are we doing? Why are we embarrassing ourselves so much? Why are we Africans making the headlines for bad reasons? Year after year we cook up something so horrible for the whole of New Zealand to pinch their noses in, and I can’t figure out why. Every time we try to cool down after a storm raised by one of us, another one shakes us off our balance and we have to find ways to deal with it again.
Only a few months ago a fellow African from Zimbabwe was jailed for allegedly injecting his wife with blood infected with the AIDS virus. I have heard some people saying the guy was setup by the wife, but for the wife to do this to her man and making it big news doesn’t save us from the embarrassment. Which ever way the story stands, it remains so terribly embarrassing for the whole community. And before then, another Zimbabwean was in the news for sexual assault and murder of his little niece.
Some of these stories have question marks hanging above them but the fact is, we shouldn’t be making such headlines in the first place. Why us? I wonder. Unless if the same is happening with other communities but we don’t take notice of it as much as we would if it were an African involved.
By Stanley Makuwe
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Im glad this story was on TV, it highlights that some of our 'precious' culture is wrong and backward and it needs to change. People have got to respect the laws of this land. Not only was this girl raped but she was forced to marry against her will and she was abused by the criminal who was her husband. From an Islamic perspective a marriage is null and void if the bride is non consenting and a lot of Muslim families forget this ESSENTIAL part of the martial contract.
Another thing I'd like to point out is that all sorts of people do wrong things that doesnt mean that we hide those things. For exmaple NZ'ers of Pakeha, Maori, Polynesian,Indian,Asian, Africa, Middle Eatern etc committ a crime, the news media will cover it and rightly so. There can be no double standards. If we want our community to take notice of this and stand up against this sort of behaviour it has to come from within us. Or else our shame will be for everyone to see.