Ignorance, Confusion, Hidden Facts, and Speaking for the God in her Mirror

“Bi iku ile o pa eni. Iku ode o le pa eni.” Yoruba proverb
The essence of this Yoruba proverb translated is: “If we are not betrayed by our own or those close to us, we cannot be betrayed by outsiders who barely know us.”

Often times as Africans, we are betrayed by some of our own in their ignorance or limited understanding of concepts that are significant to our survival. Some of us are so confused by our changing culture and our history that we are captivated by all things foreign and all things white. Sadder still, we are not even aware of the things that captivate us because we have been so well indoctrinated by those who colonized us that we have come to equate good with all things foreign/White and bad with all things African/Black.

Many of us are ashamed to talk about the realities of “our” Africa as opposed to “their” Africa. More of us are completely unaware or unable to accept the realities of “our” Africa because it does not necessarily coincide with the realities of “their” Africa. I have lived long enough to know first hand that some things that are considered scientific impossibilities in the western world are reality in the African world and perhaps in other places in the world where certain ancient arts have not been completely driven underground.

Being humans that we are, what we do not know either makes us fearful or it leads us to behave like a child who covers his eyes with one hand and assumes that the things that he does not see do not exist. Some of us assume that by claiming total ignorance of our African magical arts, we remain “pure”, goodly and religiously correct; NOT SO. Why then do some of us like Ms. Sarah Palin, bow and humble ourselves before preachers who pray for deliverance from “witchcraft” and the works of the invisible enemies?

I am not writing to convince anyone of the existence or non-existence of “our” own Africa because every African who is brave enough to be honest knows “our” Africa exists and we know her differently than many outsiders do. A few well informed people from the western world will admit that they too have gone through their witch hunts and excesses propagated by their religious leaders/”advocates of God”. A click of the mouse will provide us information on the witch hunts in Europe and America and the history of the origin of the Anglican Church. The level of ignorance about this earth that we inhabit is not exclusive to one group of people, it is the topic and level of our ignorance that is often different.

I have pasted the body of an email that I received from a friend below. This email speaks to one of our own Helen Ukpabio who has become central to the notion of child witches and witchcraft. I did take the time to visit “Evangelist” Helen’s web site and much to my dismay, I found Helen to be another confused person leading a group of people in the name of God toward more confusion. Evangelist Helen in her attempt to meld together her views on the ancient arts, specifically labeled witchcraft and her newer Christianity has unwittingly become party to witch hunts. She is unintentionally contributing to the suffering of children and the destruction of families in her zeal for “God”.

Some of us may label her a “nutcase”, but is Helen any more a nutcase than some of our churches and religious institutions where people pray for the death of their “enemies” or for prosperity with no effort on their part or churches where all things African must be set aside and western clothing must be worn in order to worship God? In my opinion, what is lacking is education, a clearer understanding of the world that we live in and greater compassion. As for the foreign supporters of ideas like those of Evangelist Helen’s, where profit is to be made greed will rear it’s ugly head and there are always allies. Helen too is speaking for the god that is reflected in her mirror. I opt for educating our folk and dampening the fires of confusion.

Sent: Tuesday, 18 November, 2008 4:32:02
Subject: Re: Help the “child witches” of Nigeria

Religious nut Helen Ukpabio makes these films designed to brainwash people into believing that child witches exist. In truth she makes money of the back of child suffering caused by her videos a preaching.

Parents in places such as Nigeria actually believe their children could be witches as a direct result of such videos and do the cruelest things such as burn, kill, bury, maim.

Helen Ukpabio is a fraud and needs to be brought to justice.

Helen Ukpabio was featured on last nights Channel 4 Dispatches Saving Africas Witch Children

She is a pastor who makes videos and preaches to people, brain washing them into thinking children can be witches and as a result is a direct cause to the suffering of such children.

Helen Ukpabio is considered the direct cause of the Child Witch issue since the release of her film titled End Of The Wicked . Clips of this film were also featured on last nights program. There is a 10 minute segment of End Of The Wicked on my you tube page.

Did you know the company that designed and manages helen-ukpabio.com is in fact a British company called Webstrat, webstrat-uk.com who are a member of the Leeds Chamber Of Commerce. Personally I feel both on a moral and ethical stand point you should contact them and make them aware of the service they are providing is contributing to the suffering of children, if they did not do something then i’m sure the Chamber Of Commerce in Leeds might have something to say to them. Worth a try if you could get her site pulled off the web.

If you have 5 minutes spare please contact Webstrat asking them to remove Helens site on moral and ethical grounds and also perhaps email the Leed Cahmber Of Commerce informing them who one of there members does business with.

As we are so far away from Nigeria this is an opportunity to do something a little closer to home as surely if Helens site was removed from the internet then that can only be positive.

Children Should Be Loved & Protected”