Between Taliban, Christaliban and ChristAlobam - ITREALMS

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The use of mobile phones as alibi for religious inclination is a worrisome situation as return of Taliban may cause rise to Christaliban and ChristAlobam writes REMMY NWEKE.

Preamble:
Following the fall of Kabul on 15 August 2021, the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan. The word Taliban according to online encyclopedia, Wikipedia means 'students' or 'seekers' also known as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA). Earlier researchers point to a Deobandi Islamist religious-political movement and military organization in Afghanistan. Currently one of the two entities claiming to be the legitimate government of Afghanistan, alongside the internationally recognized Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Taliban maintained de facto control in the country.

ITREALMS gathered that the Taliban's ideology has been described as combining an "innovative" form of Sharia Islamic law based on Deobandi fundamentalism and militant Islamism, with Pashtun social and cultural norms known as Pashtunwali, as most Taliban are Pashtun tribesmen.

What about Taliban?

From 1996 to 2001, the Taliban held power over roughly three-quarters of Afghanistan, and enforced a strict interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law. The Taliban emerged in 1994 as one of the prominent factions in the Afghan Civil War and largely consisted of students (talib) from the Pashtun areas of eastern and southern Afghanistan who had been educated in traditional Islamic schools, and fought during the Soviet–Afghan War. Under the leadership of Mohammed Omar, the movement spread throughout most of Afghanistan, shifting power away from the Mujahideen warlords.

The totalitarian Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was established in 1996 and the Afghan capital was moved to Kandahar. It held control of most of the country until being overthrown after the American-led invasion of Afghanistan in December 2001 following the September 11 attacks. During the group's previous rule parts of the northeast were held by the Northern Alliance, which largely maintained international recognition as a continuation of the interim Islamic State of Afghanistan. At its peak, formal diplomatic recognition of the Taliban's government was acknowledged by three nations: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The group later regrouped as an insurgency movement to fight the American-backed Karzai administration and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in the War in Afghanistan.

And following the fall of Kabul on 15 August 2021, the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan.

Where is Christaliban?

And when cometh the Christian religious-political movement and military organization, which a school of thought christened ‘Chirstaliban’ and another suggested ‘ChristAlobam’ which religious cum political observers have summarily interpreted Christaliban as those seeking Christ or Christ students, whilst ‘ChristAlobam’ is for those whom Christ Jesus watches their back as a true good servant who knows their personal problems and tries to help solve it, even at His own expense, including His crucifixion on the cross for salvation of humanity, according to the Holy Book.

Who is an Alobam?

Alobam is a slang among Ndigbo of Southern Nigeria, for instance, has existed for quite some time, but populated by Phyno the playmaker; an Igbo rap artiste and one of the best indigenous hiphop Africans through his hit track titled: ‘Alobam.’

As elucidated by Imanuel Jannah of ObiNdigbo, almost every Igbo youth of South-Eastern Nigeria extraction, has heard or read the word ‘alobam’ since the release of that Phyno’s song; noting the concept behind that word is a “person who brings out the best in you.” Thus the value of having true alobams cannot be over-emphasized.

In other words, at a time of problem, Jannah pointed out, “you don’t have to answer it alone, especially when you are surrounded with your alobams. Being an alobam to someone and having others become alobams to you is something every Igbo person desires.

Additionally, Jannah emphasized that ‘Real alobams’ will stay with you “no matter what and are genuinely interested in what is best for you. They always tell you the truth even if it sometimes hurts you, but that’s okay as it is all motivated by a genuine interest in your well-being and advancement in life.

The most important eleven traits of a true alobam, Jannah equally revealed comprised “Keeping confidences and intimate secrets; being loyal; being supportive; warmth and affection; frankness/truth; sense of humour; spending time together; independence; good conversation; intelligence; social conscience; shared cultural interest; similar education; similar age; physical attraction; similar political, religious, and professional interests.”

A flee into mountains:

Few days after taking over government in Afghanistan, ITREALMS gathered that Afghan Christians are reportedly fleeing to the mountains in a desperate attempt to escape the Taliban who is going door to door search and trying to kill them.

Just as an underground church that partners with Frontier Alliance International (FAI) reported that the Taliban are targeting Christians for death, stressing that Taliban had a hit list of known Christians they are targeting to pursue and kill, moreso as the US Embassy became defunct and there is no longer a safe place for believers to take refuge.

“All borders to neighboring countries are closed and all flights to and from have been halted, with the exception of private planes. People are fleeing into the mountains looking for asylum. They are fully reliant on God, who is the only One who can and will protect them.

“The Taliban are going door-to-door taking women and children. The people must mark their house with an “X” if they have a girl over 12 years old, so that the Taliban can take them. If they find a young girl and the house was not marked they will execute the entire family. If a married woman 25 years or older has been found, the Taliban promptly kill her husband, do whatever they want to her, and then sell her as a sex slave.

“Husbands and fathers have given their wives and daughters guns and told them that when the Taliban come, they can choose to kill them or kill themselves—it is their choice.”

Ransacking people’s phones:

Days into the reign of Taliban, ITREALMS also gathered, they were ransacking people’s phones to look for any apps that would give them away as Christians. “We’re hearing from reliable sources that the Taliban demand people’s phones, and if they find a downloaded Bible on your device, they will kill you immediately,” said Dr. Rex Rogers, who is president of the Christian nonprofit organization SAT-7 North America, according to Religion News Service. Decrying, “It’s incredibly dangerous right now for Afghans to have anything Christian on their phones. The Taliban have spies and informants everywhere.”

Coming of Christaliban:

“Let them form their own Christaliban and fight it out,” posited a lead discussant recently at a function who prefer to stay anonymous, despite the fact that Christians may largely find it difficult to kill if they have the guns, though Americans who are dominant Christians kill all the time. He pointed out that “Over the years, Christians have slaughtered people like chickens. Hitler was a Christian. The Christian Government of the UK tacitly supports General Muhammadu Buhari (retired) and the herdsmen in Nigeria. It’s imperative for Christians to protect themselves. If they do not want to fight, they should leave the country. Otherwise they can stay to convert the Talibans.”

Talking more about Hitler and the rest, he said, “they were all Christians. Even, there was a time the Catholic Church made fun of killing scientists by labelling them Sorcerers. So, it’s better we (Christians) view it from life. Life wants to express itself by giving more life. That life is God. And when one life does not want the other to live, the life should fight for its life because it has an inalienable right to express itself as more life. It either runs to save itself or it fights to save itself from extinction.”

On the reason that all arms work differently, he disagreed with that notion, positing that all arms especially guns work alike whether automatic or manually manipulated depending on the mind that handles it. Insisting that even in the eyes of a true Muslim, bloodletting is evil, but “Until we stop seeing ourselves as games in the hands of others or religious fanatics; we will resist such attacks and not only resist them but make it impossible for them to ever come back. Maybe, we start raising Christaliban. That is our only savior. If not these people won’t stop. It is time to begin to train Christian soldiers as Christaliban, otherwise, we are all going to be swept away.”

Also contributing, a female discussant, said that left with no other option regrettably, she proposed the unlearning of “our orientation and assuming new one with gun and bloodletting as new ideology of Christaliban. Yes. Afterall most of the great men in the Bible killed millions. Even God sent them to do so.” Insisting, “The only way to claim the world back is for Christian soldiers to be raised. The faster this is done, the better.”

What order do you profess?

Yet, another disagreed with the kind of Christaliban or Christalobam to be professed in the new order. “No. It’s not the life of gun and bloodletting but the life of life preservation. We don’t have to die or to let our culture and beliefs die simply because a few men think that the only way they can live their life to the full is by subjecting others to their rules.

Arguing further, the female discussant declared, “You see, Islam proclaimed itself to be the religion of peace. That’s accepted. But asked how did Mohammed define peace? According to the lead discussant, “He defined peace as conquering the people and getting them to live in a communal way that creates his kind of peace. Those he couldn’t conquer, he reached trade agreements with.

“Now, the trick is do not be so indolent that you allow them to conquer you. The peace Christ sought is not the peace that comes from lordship over people but the peace that emanates from life itself which is compassion.

“So, to have that peace, you must be strong enough to reject a group of people that do not believe in the evolution of life and it’s unfoldment to lord over you. By doing that you are telling them that they are free to live like cavemen but you’re also free to live your life to the full. They will find abundance of cave materials if they decide to live that way but not for you.”

Cometh a Knight:

Then a knight came into the discussion. According to him, a knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Yet, Knighthood, Wikipedia conferred, finds origin in the Greek hippeis and hoplite and Roman eques and centurion of classical antiquity.

ITREALMS equally gathered that the senior two ranks of knight or dame grand cross, entitle their members to use the title of ‘Sir’ for men and ‘Dame’ for women before their forename. These rankings have been traced mostly to members and citizens of the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth realms that use the Imperial system of honours and awards. In recent years, new methods of warfare began to render classical knights in armour obsolete, but the titles remained in many countries. Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, for instance, is often referred to as the "last knight" in this regard.


Today, a number of orders of knighthood continued to exist in Christian Churches, as well as in several historically Christian countries and their former territories, such as the Roman Catholic Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, the Protestant Order of Saint John, as well as the English Order of the Garter, the Swedish Royal Order of the Seraphim, and the Order of St. Olav to name but a few. Just as there are also dynastic orders like the Order of the Golden Fleece, the Order of the British Empire and the Order of St. George among others.

In modern times, these are orders centered around charity and civic service, and are no longer military orders. Each of these orders has its own criteria for eligibility, but knighthood is generally granted by a head of state, monarch, or prelate to selected persons to recognise some meritorious achievement, as in the British honours system, often for service to the Church or country.

Wrap-up:

Nowadays, many of these cadres of knighthood exist in Nigeria and the challenge now is if they are to take heed proactively as canvassed by aforementioned discussant for Christaliban, to quell the AK47 welding religious soldiers in the name of herders or in any disguise before they over-run the entire Christendom in the country, moreso in the south where they are dominated but fastly losing grip.

Most worrisome with the return of Taliban is the efforts to escape from region by none associates and the ransacking of people's phones to determine their religious inclination; then what happens to researchers and philosophers among them who may have those things like Bible and Quran in their devices as part of their work tools?

Whether as Christaliban or ChristAlobam, what is required now is an introspective action to reclaim peace in the southern Nigerian invariably under serge by the Talibans or herders with AK47 in whatever guise and unknown to those who should know, especially the Christalibans.

Until then, action is said to speak louder than the voice and like the governors of some states in Nigeria have urged their populace to take heed and defend themselves for ‘salvation’ of mankind in this part of the world and obviously cause a reverse of the incessant killings and kidnappings recorded daily in the most populated black nation.

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