My Beauty Best Teacher

Bibi Bakare-Yusuf of Cassava Republic writing in Open Democracy:

The push to police the way that women dress continues across Africa on the pretext that it causes sexual harassment and violence against women. What really underlies this censorship of women’s expression? asks Bibi Bakare-Yusuf

Women’s dressing has become the site for pernicious policing and debates about social and moral decay in Africa, with calls for intervention within Nigeria’s higher education institutions, by religious organisations, and the media. Over the past decade, some universities have banned the wearing of trousers and any 'revealing' clothes by young women because they are seen as a distraction to male students and lecturers. The argument is that revealing attire has made sexual violation and harassment a marked feature of university life in Nigeria, and therefore imposing a strict dress code on female students is the only way to stop it...[continue reading]

An Open letter to Africa's Academics, Scholars and Intellectuals from George Ayittey:

Upon reviewing the current upheavals in North Africa and elsewhere on the continent, I felt it is necessary for us – African academics, scholars and intellectuals – to take stock and a fresh look at ourselves: What role have we played in advancing the cause of liberty and improving governance in post colonial Africa. Our record is not very good. Sometimes, self-criticism is necessary in order for us to make progress. You do not have to agree with what I am going to say – diversity of opinion is healthy. There have been outstanding individuals among us who risked death to champion the cause of freedom in Africa. However, as a group we have let Africa down badly by not providing intellectual leadership to the democratic struggle.

“He who doesn’t know where he came from doesn’t know where is going,” says an African proverb. We of the intellectual community are lost; we don’t know where we are going. The recent upheavals in Africa caught us completely off guard. We did not see it coming because we were pre-occupied elsewhere. It seems we are way behind the curve, late to the struggle for democracy in Africa and are now only playing “catch-up.”...[continue reading]

Hajrudin Somun writing in Zaman:

GRAPHIC: KADİR ÖZMEN

Doing away with the ‘wall of fear’

For the first time since they were liberated from colonial powers, Arabs have shown a high level of persistence in their revolt. They have relieved themselves from a fear of being imprisoned, persecuted, tortured or even killed if they protest against authoritarian rulers. “The wall of fear is gone,” said a woman participating in a protest march for the “blue bra girl” in Cairo.

More here

In Africa Report:

Image courtesy of African Report

Gaddafi backed several insurgencies in African including Chad and Uganda. And months after his death, at the height of a violent uprising, his weapons continue to fuel unrest.

According to reports, the over 1000 Tuareg militants, commanded by a former colonel in the Libyan army — brought with them enough of an arsenal to match the Malian army.

Emboldened by their new weaponry, they have formed the National Pour la Libération de l'Azawad (MNLA) – a so-called liberation movement.

The rebels have retaken some towns and attacked half-a-dozen more  in the north...[continue reading]

A follow-up of sorts on the Neo African-American conversation within the US.The Garifuna contest that "When Roots Are Complex, Census Boxes Don’t Fit"