Review of 'The Igbos And Israel: An Inter-cultural Study of the Largest Jewish Diaspora'by Professor Nathan Katz of Florida International University, U.S.A.

BOOK NOTE
Remy Ilona gives us an overview of what we know about the history of
the Igbo people and their connections to Judaism. He uses scholarly
sources as well as extensive interviews as his chief sources. Perhaps
the most intriguing aspect of his book is his connecting Igbo
traditional practices with those of Temple-era Judaism as depicted in
the Hebrew Bible.

In this regard, his work resembles the seminal scholar of the Bene
Israel of India, Haeem Samuel Kehimkar. As evidence for Israelite
ancestry of his Bene Israel people, Kehimkar links traditional Bene
Israel practices with Biblical practices including the sacrificial
system of the Temple.

Kheminkar's work was seminal and influential, and one anticipates that
in time, so will Ilona's.

Friends of the Igbo, as well as scholars of emerging Jewish
communities, will be keenly interested in his work.

Nathan Katz
Distinguished Professor
Florida International University

11th Review of 'The Igbos And Israel....' on Amazon....got me transfixed... http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A1Q6K6M2Q7EJDO/ref=pdp_new_read_full_review_link?ie=UTF8&page=1&sort_by=MostRecentReview#R1AY8SJYP9SSBT

11th Review of 'The Igbos And Israel....' on Amazon....got me transfixed...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A1Q6K6M2Q7EJDO/ref=pdp_new_read_full_review_link?ie=UTF8&page=1&sort_by=MostRecentReview#R1AY8SJYP9SSBT
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> The Igbos and Israel: An Inter-Cultural Study of the Largest Jewish
> Diaspora
>
> The Igbos and Israel: An Inter-Cultural Study of the Largest Jewish
> Diaspora
> by Remy Ilona
>
> 5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating topic, fascinating author, fascinating
> people!, April 28, 2014
> Verified Purchase(What's this?)
>
> This review is from: The Igbos and Israel: An Inter-Cultural Study of
> the Largest Jewish Diaspora (Paperback)
>
> I find the topic of 'galut' (exile, diaspora if you prefer the Greek
> word for it) to the four corners of the planet to be of continuing
> interest. And to the middle of Africa (southern Nigeria, in this case)
> to be most intriguing. I met the author, online of course, and now
> consider him both my friend and, literally, my brother. When I read
> the previous version of this book, as an eBook, I teased my brother
> about writing as if he were an anthropologist. No, he's not and this
> book isn't an antho textbook. I was just kidding. But there is
> extraordinary research and respect and care clearly in evidence
> throughout The Igbos and Israel.
>
> Have I noticed any limitations? I don't say 'criticisms' because I can
> see the how and the why. I can see how it's virtually impossible for
> someone in the middle of Africa to obtain access to a broad range of
> reference material at the highest level. The author's research into
> recent and ancient Igbo ritual and practice seems primarily from the
> perspective of what we might call 'Omenana she'ba'al peh.' (I said
> 'sort of.') And his research on the Jewish and Biblical side of things
> is sort of from the perspective of 'Torah she'bichtav.' I said 'sort
> of' again. (If those two concepts don't ring a bell, don't worry about
> it right now.) Even with such 'challenges' which are likely to be
> temporary, The Igbos and Israel is a wonderful voyage across millenia
> and miles and continents.
>
> If you are Jewish, if you're Igbo, if you're African-American and just
> might have some Igbo ancestry, or if your ancestors are from
> somewhere...anywhere... else you may be stunned and delighted at what
> you'll learn. Read the book!!
> Hinei mah tov u'mah naim, shevet ACHIM gam yachad! It's my honor and
> privilege and pleasure to write these few words about this wonderful
> book.
>
> אברהם ווען ריפער / Avraham Van Riper / Albuquerque, NM
> Comment Comment | Permalink

Talking About The Igbo of Nigeria

Talking About The Igbo of Nigeria

I decided to write this article because of the prompting of the Israel …….. which I liked its page on facebook, and endorsed their work with the comment that I hope that one day they will carry my story, and they wrote back, ‘tell it to us, and we’ll tell it to the world’. This strengthened my resolve to begin to write this article which will be a very long one.

I’m going to start off this discussion with some positions that followed some discoveries which came after some DNA findings about the Jewish people which also attracted a wonderful exposition by prominent Jewish writer Hillel Halkin.

“…..What is evident from these studies is that traditional assumptions are not correct assumptions. As Hillel [Halkin] points out in his article:

"On the one hand, the existence of a kohenite Y chromosome traceable to a single progenitor who lived near the supposed date of the Exodus supports, if not the Bible's account of the priesthood's origins, at least the antiquity of the institution and its hereditary nature. At a time when a radical "biblical minimalism" denying the historicity of the entire Pentateuch has been gaining ground among scholars, the kohenite Y chromosome is thus a striking argument for a more conservative reading of biblical texts."

and,

"On the other hand, there are the Lemba. Out of the blue, as it were--for nowhere in any Jewish or non-Jewish source are they even hinted at--we find an ethnic group near the southern tip of Africa with a genetic tie to Jews elsewhere. Where did they come from? How did they get to be where they are? If they lived totally apart from other Jews for hundreds or thousands of years while retaining a distinct "Jewish" identity, can this have happened in other places, too? Did the Jewish people have another, "shadow" history, inhabited by groups that we know little or nothing about?"

and,

"...the Hammer/Bonne-Tamir report would seem to corroborate the age-old Jewish belief that, allowing for a relatively small increment of proselytes throughout the ages, the Jewish people forms a biologically close-knit family originally hailing from the Fertile Crescent and Palestine. On the face of it, then, these findings refute various "revisionist" theories proposing that, not only in remote regions like Ethiopia and Yemen but even in such great Jewish population centers as Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean basin, much or possibly most of the Jewish community resulted from a massive conversion of non-Jews."

http://inyourface.info/ArT/Delta/JeG.shtml

Above, writer Hillel Halkin was reviewing genetic findings indicating that the Jewish people are generally related by blood. Notably Halkin suggested that what happened in southern Africa (the discovery that the Lemba have Jewish genes, and that the Jewish community was totally unaware of it) might have parallels in other places. What I want to do here is to show that Igbo history is part of that ‘shadow’ Jewish history that Halkin says that it might exist.

A comprehensive study of the Igbo people will always prove definitively that the culture of the Igbos is quintessentially Israelite. I have been doing such a study since 2002. I will discuss some of my work in this article which I have indicated that it will have many parts. The Igbo culture, ‘Ome na ana’ which is pronounced ‘Omenana’ can be studied by a scholar that understands the Igbo language very well, knows Igbo history intimately, and has the right background in research of this kind. I say this because the culture is still a living one. The Igbo people still live by their cultural norms and traditions. I will explain what I mean. Even though the Igbo are generally seen as Christians (during colonization by the British, all formal education among the Igbo was handled by Christian missionaries who Christianized the young), because presently majority of Igbos profess Christianity, the Igbos-even those that profess Christianity still practice the Igbo culture. Also many Igbos who did not embrace Christianity remain. They practice ‘Omenana’. A study of their practices and beliefs will yield much information about the Igbo culture. In addition what I am going to say about the Igbo Christian will be quite revealing and interesting. Those that practice Christianity also practice Omenana as I have written earlier. An Igbo Christian undergoes the Christian and the Nigerian statutory marriages, and the Igbo marriage which is called the ‘traditional marriage’ presently. When the Igbo Christian dies, his fellow Christians among whom would inevitably be his own kinsmen attend his funeral, pray for him, and bid him farewell. After they go (with the deceased’s kinsmen remaining behind), the ‘Igbo mourning’ (‘ikwa ozu’) continues. ‘Ikwa ozu’ means to mourn for the dead. Many a time, it must be noted; there is tension about the system that will be accorded more importance. At Igbo meetings, the Christian prayers are said, and then the Igbo prayers are also said. What I just described is what happens everywhere that the Igbos are, which is everywhere. So one can see that the Igbo culture can still be studied from primary sources, from and in many places. A Swiss-Israeli Social Anthropologist, Daniel Lis, who studied the Igbos, visited and interacted with numerous Igbos in Nigeria, and also interacted with Igbos in Europe, Israel, and America, all this while studying and observing. I am Igbo, so though I already I have a lot of residual information, know the Igbo language, is a participant in Igbo community affairs, to make my research richer this was essentially what I did in my comparison of Omenana and Judaism which I have published in the United States as “The Igbos And Israel: An Inter-cultural Study of the Largest Jewish Diaspora”. In this study I not only raised and discussed many Igbo customs that are uniquely similar to Israelite ones, but I also established that the Igbo share with the Jews the observance of many customs that Christians, be they missionaries or otherwise, could not have been aware of, because those cultural practices and beliefs are not presented in details in the Bible, nor was the way they should be practiced described in the Bible. I took special interest in doing this because of the following: some persons who have not studied the Igbos have managed to introduce some confusion into Igbo Studies by alleging that Christian missionary influence may have been responsible for the Judaization, and what they call ‘self-identification’ of the Igbos as Jews. A little illustration will be helpful to clear the air, and prove that the persons who have this opinion did not do research, and accordingly were wrong to issue such suggestions. In the Torah, there were references about the position of children vis a vis their mothers kinsmen among the Israelites, and among the Semitic ancestors of the Hebrews. A Christian would not know by merely studying the Bible that the Bible was sending a powerful message when it narrates how Absalom fled to his mother’s kinsmen to escape from his father’s wrath, nor would he know why he fled to that particular refuge. But an Igbo who knows that a child gets full immunity from mistreatment if it flees to his mother’s kinsmen when in danger would understand what the Torah was getting at, and what ancient Semitic custom also provided for. Jacob fled to Laban, when he feared that Esau would harm him. Also a Jew who came from a community that still adheres to the biblical customs, or that kept careful records of its most ancient practices and beliefs would know what the Torah was doing. A marquee Jewish scholar who reviewed my book while it was still in progress in 2008, admitted that though this custom may have been more rigidly observed by the Igbos, that there are still grounds in Western Jewish culture that should make an observer to believe that a child among its mother’s kinsmen occupies a special and privileged position. In her own words, Igbo culture helps to amplify the Torah for her. In addition, for the most part many of the Israelite traditions that I compared Igbo traditions favorably with were no longer so much in evidence in the Holy Land, and in the parts of the Diaspora where Christianity developed and flourished. We can use as examples some of the practices that are related to the sacrifice and offerings customs of the Israelites. The Bible provides for how some of the meat that become available after some offerings are to be shared. As we know, it was primarily rabbinic Judaism, and not biblical Judaism in which offerings and sacrifices played major and important roles that Christianity met. Even though biblical Judaism still existed when the ‘founders’ of Christianity were still around, by the time that Christianity divorced itself from its mother-faith, and became a new and different religion, what was solidly on ground was rabbinic Judaism. As I noted earlier this section is very important because some persons who do not know the Igbos, and have not studied them have alleged that the Christian missionary intrusion into Igboland in the 19^th century could have brought about what I would call the ‘Jewishness of the Igbo’. I also raised and discussed many Igbo traditions which are also Israelite, which no Christian community practiced, and in fact which the Christian missionaries called pagan, and heathen when they encountered the Igbo and saw them practicing those traditions. I deliberately went to great lengths to debunk the inclusion of the Igbo in the group that Christian missionary influence may have been responsible, or may have contributed to their self identification as Jews (if indeed any such thing happened), and to prove that such an assumption is not based on evidence.

Also it is important to mention that what the European missionaries observed was that the Igbo had traditions that reminded them of Judaism. Those traditions were Igbo before the introduction of Christianity, and they remain part of Igbo culture after the Christianization of major parts of the Igbo society. Among the more obvious traditions that they noted was universal circumcision of males by the Igbo on the 8^th day. It is also important to stress what I observed and noted; that many of the traditions could not have come from outside the Igbos, i.e, outside Israel. Examples are-

1.The socio-political structure of the Igbo society which parallels Israel at the time of the Judges.

2.The style of the division of the land (Igboland).

3. Communities of Levite-like priests scattered all over Igboland.

4. There is a man called the Nazer/Nazerite in biblical Judaism. The standard of Kosher required of him to keep was considerably higher than what was required of the other Israelites. Samson, the son of Manoah, the world’s strongest man in his era was such a man. In Omenana there are certain men that become ‘Nze’. One of the things that distinguish them from other Igbos is that they are more careful about what they eat, and the places that they eat. 

5.The language- In the words of American Jewish student of world Jewish history Avraham Van Riper during an interview by Chika Oduah, Igbo-American journalist, on behalf of the CNN, Van Riper said “…………..Although my Igbo brothers and sisters have a problem with actual documentation, actual paperwork - I've learned that they have a rather extensive mass of circumstantial data to present...if they were to pursue 'official' recognition as Jews. Chika, you're an anthro, not just a reporter. Check out just half of the 'data!' ……………….. Oh, I almost forgot language! There are lots of Asusu Igbo words that can, even now in 2013, be shown to be clearly related to ancient Hebrew……………….”

Yes, I too have come to realize that the Igbo language and Hebrew are uncommonly close in many important ways. A Nigerian scholar that is not Igbo had compared both languages and had arrived at the conclusion that they are genetically related. A Welsh Anglican missionary who lived among the Igbo for twenty years in the 19^th century, and who learned and spoke the Igbo language also noted this in his books and gave a few examples which made him to conclude that Igbo ‘runs a close parallel with Hebrew idioms’. There was an effort to compare both languages by an important Israeli linguist. Avraham Van Riper was in the team that made the effort. Significantly important finds were made, but because Igbos who know Hebrew very well have not been found, the work’s progress is slow. But as I continue to dig at it as archeologists would say, I continue to find important things. Recently Will Morell, a Jew who is my friend on facebook shared the following, and my response is the message below his……

‘Prayer - The Hebrew word tefilah (תפלה) comes from the verb pallel (פלל), "to judge."' We use the reflexive verb lehitpallel ("to pray"), which also means "to judge oneself." Thus, the time of prayer is the time of self-judgment and self-evaluation. When a person addresses himself to G‑d and prays for His blessings, he must inevitably search his heart and examine himself whether he measures up to the standards of daily conduct which G‑d had prescribed for man to follow. If he is not one who fools himself, he will be filled with humility, realizing that he hardly merits the blessings and favors for which he is asking. This is why we stress in our prayers G‑d's infinite goodness and mercies, and pray to G‑d to grant us our heart's desires not because we merit them, but even though we do not deserve them. This is also why our prayers, on week-days, contain a confession of sins which we may have committed knowingly or unknowingly. We pray for G‑d's forgiveness, and resolve to better ourselves. Prayers help us to lead a better life in every respect, by living more fully the way of the Torah and Mitzvoth which G‑d commanded us.’

‘The post gives room for me to add more evidence to the fact which is that the Igbo language and the Hebrew language have one spirit. So 'to pray' means 'to judge...' eh. What does 'ikpe' mean in Igbo? It means 'to judge'. If an Igbo wants to say 'to pray' he or she would say 'ikpe ekpere', or 'ikpe ekpele'. So what the Igbos actually say when they say that they want to pray in Igbo is that they want to 'judge themselves'!

By Remy Ilona

remy.ilona@gmail.com

+234-8065-300-351

Author of “The Igbos And Israel: An Inter-cultural Study of the Largest Jewish Diaspora.”

http://www.amazon.com/The-Igbos-Israel-Inter-Cultural-Diaspora/dp/193860900X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395848581&sr=8-1&keywords=the+igbos+and+israel%3A+an+inter-cultural+study+of+the+largest+jewish+diaspora

To be continued:

Remy Ilona musing on 'Gender Equality' and Igbo culture with Chinwike Justice Oke-Nwosu, Moore Black Chi Mmadike, Aik 'Lord ElNik' Eluigwe, Emeka Ugwuonye, and others........

Chinwike Justice Oke-Nwosu October 22 near Leeds, England, United Kingdom Gender equality and women right is one of the current topics in our society today! Society is waking up to deprecate the long tradition of making women subservient to men! The recent ruling in Botswana where the court ruled in favour of three sisters against their nephew in family dispute over inheritance is a welcome news. Similarly, the change of rule in England where the first child be it male or female will have right to the throne rather than making it exclusive preserve for the male child is another move in the right direction! Campaigners should therefore target situations especially in African continent where distant relatives of the deceased men drive away daughters of the deceased and covet their dads' inheritance simply because the children are the "wrong sex". Fathers are wiser now by drawing WILL - even those with male children are taking steps to ensure that their daughters are not left out in family wealth and estate. I think the thinking is a good one! A situation the male children from the same parents also see their sisters as not worthy of family inheritance stinks! There are a number of cases in Africa and Europe where male siblings cut out their female siblings in family inheritance to extent they are comfortable seeing their sisters wallow in poverty and penury while they corner family inheritance. All children should have equal stake in family inheritance and where a man has no male children, it abominable for distant relatives to start fighting the daughters of a deceased man for the man's wealth! Leaving a WILL is a way to prevent the troubles. This issue runs deep into ethical debate! Some couples have resorted to aborting female foetus on account of some of these stupid gender inequality. Experience has shown that only those who are blessed with children makes have the mindset to make choices regarding gender! Most people hit with infertility pray to have a child - in prayer I bet none asks for male or female but for healthy baby! The world need to wake up! — with Moore Black Chi Mmadike and 46 others. 4Like · · Share Arthur Igbolaju Richard, Randiè Dikeukwu, Afam B. C. Nnaji and 23 others like this. Genny Iwums Nic1 October 21 at 9:28pm · Like · 1
Chinenye Lauretta Ufearoh-Onoh: 💯% on point sir October 21 at 9:33pm via mobile · Like · 1
Adaeze Ogbalu-Ifezulike: So true! Unfortunately talking about WILL is a chat killer for many men. There is that feeling if the topic is raised, that you are implying that they will soon die. We need a big cultural mindset change in this area. A man who dies without a clear will that protects his family is irresponsible to say the least. He has only lit a fire he will not stay to quench! October 21 at 10:30pm via mobile · Like · 2
Afam B. C. Nnaji: Man made laws will always favor men just as woman made laws will always favor women. That is why customs, traditions, religions tend to favor men more than women because the people that put them together were men! That stated, I agree that it does not make sense for female children to be left out of their dad's inheritance. Perhaps, non Yorubas need to learn from the Yorubas how they take care of the female children as they partake in the estate of their fathers. October 21 at 10:39pm · Like · 3
Chinwike Justice Oke-Nwosu: Adaeze I do not actually think that men do not want to draw up their WILL. It is one of those things they keep postponing thinking death will knock on the door when it comes! Everyone lives in belief he or she will live to ripe old age of 90s and beyond - unfortunately, death comes like a thief at any time. It is good to have a WILL even if one has all girls, all boys or mixture of both. More so if they are mixed children of boys and girls and particularly if all the children are girls. The greed of relatives and what they do to girls in absence of a male child is disgusting and should not be given any chance at all! I know of a wealthy man who had only a daughter! His relatives chased the lady away and seized the man's property and sold it and managed to give stipend to the lady and took all! It is beyond me that this type of thing happens in 21st century! October 21 at 10:47pm · Like
Chinwike Justice Oke-Nwosu: Afam B. C. Nnaji it follows Igbos need to learn from Yorubas - but even in Europe, this is an issue too! The only difference I see here is that relatives will not be able to take the inheritance of deceased man if he has a surviving child/children like we have in Igbo land. However, where there is no WILL the male even in Europe try to cut out their female siblings. There is a case going of now between sisters and their brother here in the UK. Surprisingly the court in England which tend to favour women in divorce and ancillary relief matters seem to be lagging behind on this one! This needs to be addressed because everywhere I turn, gender inequality exists and massive education is needed. October 21 at 10:54pm · Like
Aik 'Lord ElNik' Eluigwe: Inheritance is an issue because of what it is INHERITANCE! If you were to succeed the managing director of a company, it would be said you inherited the office. Thus, not every inheritance is hereditory. If this be the case, why do people inherit things -positions, property, people, etc? People are made to inherit a thing on the assumption that they would handle such to further/continue the interests of the original holder cum organization. It would be unheard of that Star breweries will allow a man inherit the position of CEO who has loyalty to Guiness. Here lies the dilemma of woman traditional inheritance. Lands are shared within a community. Every family gets a share. Do you envisage any family losing a portion of theirs simply because their daughter was given a share and by marriage had it transfered to her husband's people? This was how women started to be excluded from inheritance -there was no conspiracy against them! In yore times, people do not have houses here and there; so, it was inconceivable that a girl who will marry will get a share in her father's Obi. As for land sharing, it was largely a communal thing. It was for this reason that JAH instructed Israel that any woman who chooses to partake in her father's property MUST marry within her kindred. I think, the challenge of modern living should focus on welfare. A person should inherit his/her father's property to the extent it helps deal with poverty. A successful son need not squabble and quibble over things he can afford if his siblings/sisters need them more. And any property a man acquires, outside communal inheritance, whose retaining is not tied to the family identity, should be allowed to pass on to whoever -man or woman. October 22 at 1:09am via mobile · Unlike · 1
Aik 'Lord ElNik' Eluigwe: Inheritance is an issue because of what it is INHERITANCE! If you were to succeed the managing director of a company, it would be said you inherited the office. Thus, not every inheritance is hereditory. If this be the case, why do people inherit things -positions, property, people, etc? People are made to inherit a thing on the assumption that they would handle such to further/continue the interests of the original holder cum organization. It would be unheard of that Star breweries will allow a man inherit the position of CEO who has loyalty to Guiness. Here lies the dilemma of woman traditional inheritance. Lands are shared within a community. Every family gets a share. Do you envisage any family losing a portion of theirs simply because their daughter was given a share and by marriage had it transfered to her husband's people? This was how women started to be excluded from inheritance -there was no conspiracy against them! In yore times, people do not have houses here and there; so, it was inconceivable that a girl who will marry will get a share in her father's Obi. As for land sharing, it was largely a communal thing. It was for this reason that JAH instructed Israel that any woman who chooses to partake in her father's property MUST marry within her kindred. I think, the challenge of modern living should focus on welfare. A person should inherit his/her father's property to the extent it helps deal with poverty. A successful son need not squabble and quibble over things he can afford if his siblings/sisters need them more. And any property a man acquires, outside communal inheritance, whose retaining is not tied to the family identity, should be allowed to pass on to whoever -man or woman. October 22 at 1:09am via mobile · Unlike · 1
Remy Ilona: Igbo customs allocate a part of the family 'property' to their womenfolk through 'idu uno'. God did not plan our society for us to have single women. In olden times every Igbo woman was under a man, & thus must have benefitted from idu uno. October 22 at 2:06am via mobile · Like · 2
Egwu Nkama: Great debate. My take is that the issue of tradition and inheritance is all about greed and poverty especially the mental variety. Or else why will any one wonderfully made by God with all the faculties intact wait for the demise of another to better his or her economic lot. I concur that any law made by men will naturally favour the male gender and Igboland to a large extent is a patrilineal society. They are no codified laws to disinherit the female gender but convention and practice perpetuate this obnoxious practice. My considered opinion is that good education especially female education will gradually erode the practice. Government agencies and the courts of law especially at the state level should catalyze this process.It took a Mary Slessor from Scotland to come to the eastern hinterland to abolish the killing of twins which was hitherto our culture. There is currently a test case in my community of a distinguished daughter of the town overwhelmingly chosen by the people as the traditional ruler---the first in Igboland but some people not comfortable with that choice went to court. We are all waiting with baited breath the outcome of this epic. Let us all promote gender equality to promote peace and progress in our land. October 22 at 2:52am · Like · 1
Remy Ilona: Is the distinguished daughter married? If yes, what if to a non native of your town? Ndigbo nwayo nu! October 22 at 2:59am via mobile · Edited · Like · 1
Remy Ilona: The courts are ready to help, if you want to build or to destroy your community. October 22 at 3:01am via mobile · Like · 1
Chinwike Justice Oke-Nwosu: I am very uncomfortable with some of Igbo culture! It is even very uncomfortable when some of us in possession of wit employ and deploy such in attempt to perpetuate or defend some of our cultural heritage that should be dismissed and consigned in dustbin of history. @Remy there is no need saying NdIgbo nwayo nu! All humans are created equal? It does not matter whether the Nwada is married or not and if she is married to "non native". @ Remy Ilona let me understand your argument please: are you advocating that a man with only daughters if he dies and leaves property - houses and lands, that his daughters married and married to "non natives" should be sacked and dispossessed of the man's wealth for distant relatives to inherit? Let me read your take on this. October 22 at 3:33am · Like · 1
Aik 'Lord ElNik' Eluigwe: When a foundation is marked for destruction, those going about it should ensure that the replacement would be better than the one they seek to destroy. Stability in life has never been achieved by convenience; stability in the society will also not be by convenience. Who would not want to be the president of Nigeria? But can we all be the president of Nigeria? What would be if we all insist on becoming president? Can't we feel the instability already that some northern folks are insisting on having the presidency? Societies where ascension to the traditional throne is hereditory have less bickering -others allow themselves to be denied the privilege to rule just to have stability in the society. If we make the mistake of removing all these foundations we see today as limitations and discrimination we risk pushing society to the point of going berseck. Going by Bible stories, problem starts when beings begin to rebel against their positions. Lucifer did, Eve did and Adam did. There should be a limit to reworking foundations except we want to bring the whole building down. October 22 at 4:11am via mobile · Unlike · 1
Remy Ilona: Chinwike you missed my point. If one of your umuada becomes 'distinguished', & you make her the trad' ruler of your town. What if she divorces your townsman, & marries a non natiive, what happens... October 22 at 5:43am via mobile · Like · 1
Francisca Amaka Obinna: In some partS of Eastern Nigeria, the rights of the female folks are still being relegated 2 the background. Thanks to some educated ones among them who are trying hard on WOMEN EMANCIPATION. Its unfortunate that even in recent time, larger percentage of men in Igboland in particular & Africa at large are yet to realze the 'NEED' for drawing a WILL before it becomes late. Some of them on several occasions either witnessed or become part of deceased family whose household indulge in all manner of atrocities in respect of who inherits whatever that is inheritable. We still live with such men who see making a WILL as a serious threat 2 longevity. Such poor families suffer the ignorance thereafter. African man's mindset really needs to be put in place as soon as possible. October 22 at 5:48am via mobile · Like · 2
Remy Ilona: Chinwike, would that nwada still remain your trad' ruler? October 22 at 6:21am via mobile · Like · 1
Perpetua Akaolisa-Ibeh: @ Remy Ilona, according to you women get their inheritance through iduno. If I may ask what and what do you give to the umu Ada's during the iduno? Women don't inherit properties yet when there's a problem in the family the men still expect the female children to contribute. Who is fooling who? October 22 at 6:22am via mobile · Like · 1
Chijioke Ngobili: Why is Chinwike delaying to respond to Remy? October 22 at 6:29am via mobile · Like
Emeka Ugwuonye: I have tried to resist making an input to this topic. But I admire Dr. Chinwike Justice Oke-Nwosu greatly, if for no other reason, for the fact that he is public about his relationship with the brilliant doctor in London. I love it when men are open to announce their relationships. It means that they are monogamous and that they are not hiding such important part of their lives from the public, and that they live better quality life. (Yes, your quality of life is much better if you dedicate to one woman at any given period.) Now, as regards this topic, many of the commentators here seem to have made one fundamental mistake. They have treated culture as one static fact about a society. Some even went further to suggest what God intended for the Igbos to have as their culture. There is no such notion, really. Cultures are continuously evolving over time. There could be dramatic events to emphasize change, but in reality, change of culture continues. Then you also have social conflicts over cultural debates or claims. For instance, a man that wants to oppress his wife could lay a claim to some version of culture, while the woman may resist such maltreatment by laying claim to another aspect of the culture. Also, we must remember that as our society changes, and gets mingled with a wider society, our definition of culture and our cultural alliances would change. For instance, if you circumcise your daughter in Abia State believing female circumcision to be your culture there, you would have violated United Nation's position on the subject. And if you leave that your village and venture into Britain or US with that daughter, there may be adverse legal consequences awaiting you there because your culture, as you understood, has collided with the cultures or laws of your neighbors or the world at large. And by the way, the Igbos, like any other society of comparable land mass and population, do not have the same cultures all the time. If you hear the Enugu people talk of some of the cultures of the Onitsha or Abakaliki people, you may think those are from another planet sometimes. So, really, the culture that encourages genital mutilation or the killing of twins (as we, the Igbos, had that up till early 20th century) cannot only be without any defense or justification, but must also be totally discredited at the penalty of criminal sanctions. So, your culture should not be allowed to override Chapter IV of the Nigerian constitution that says there should be no discrimination on the basis of gender. October 22 at 11:14am · Edited · Like
Remy Ilona: Ada nne Perpetua, you give what have during idu uno. Men-what do they get when there are no properties-movable & immovable? October 22 at 6:40am via mobile · Like
Chukwuemeka Anthony Ezenwugo: @Remy. The current Duke of Edinburgh is NOT English. He is of Greek and Danish ancestry. The heavens didn't fall when QE 11 married him. Ndigbo na emekpa umunwanyi aruu. Idu uno shouldn't be all our precious umu ada receive. Fortunately reality is forcing us to adapt. It is becoming a tall task to pull the wool over the eyes of a respectful resourceful well educated Ada- Igbo . October 22 at 9:26am · Like · 2
Remy Ilona: Ezenwugo can you agree to abandon your father's house and settle permanently in your wife's home 'palace'? Ezenwugo I'm waiting for your answer. And btw fyi I do not see the European model as worth copying. It may be working for them, but I'm yet to see any Igbo who even tried to employ what you canvassed. October 22 at 10:22am · Edited · Like · 1
Remy Ilona: Its all too easy for people to say and agree that 'ana emekpa umu nwanyi aru', without convincing reasons. Ezenwugo I have a wife, sisters and a mother who has departed. I don't/didn't mistreat any of them. I am an Igbo. They are treasures to me. I doubt that you could give instances of Igbo people that we know 'na emekpa umu nwanyi arua'. Or better still tell us the Igbo customs that you practice that are obnoxious, detrimental and disadvantageous to Igbo women. October 22 at 10:20am · Edited · Like · 1
Chukwuneta Oby: Chinwuike,this is a lovely submission~every child should be treasured,regardless of gender. I have never seen anything as irrational as gender discrimination of a child. Imagine where a deceased's kin come to reap where they did not sow just because the offspring of the deceased is of a particular gender...INJUSTICE has no better form! October 22 at 10:12am · Like · 2
Remy Ilona In the so-called developed societies where women have been 'liberated', people get divorced very easily. Women who have been used and abused get forced into constructive divorces. I don't believe in hearsay. I work with evidence. October 22 at 10:18am · Edited · Like · 1
Remy Ilona: The only chattels that a deceased's female off-springs(if they don't have brothers) are precluded from inheriting are the deceased's ana obi, by Igbo custom as practiced in my locality. And even at this, if they do not marry, but chose to stay Igbo custom allows them to inherit their father's ana obi. We have sub-clans in Ozubulu that have matriarchs instead of patriarchs. They have their lands, like their brothers. But if they marry, the deceased's close kins are entitled to take over the ana obi which is part of the family land. Aik 'Lord ElNik' Eluigwe explained all these satisfactorily. October 22 at 10:32am · Edited · Like
Emeka Ugwuonye: My brother, Remy Ilona, I bet that your assessment above is quite biased and even unfair. First, what you describe as women getting divorced is actually better that what you consider women remaining married in Nigeria. 80% of what you call marriages in Nigeria are no marriages. They are situations where women are forced by economic and cultural forces to remain in abusive environment. Why is it that over 70% of Nigerian married men have girlfriends openly, and could actually marry a second wife and expect their wives to remain in the marriage? Rather than focusing on divorce, the outcome of failed marriages, let's focus on the causes of divorce. In America for instance, adultery on the part of the man would lead to divorce 60% of the time. In Nigeria, it never ever leads to divorce. The difference between the two is that in one women have the right to refuse to stay in an abusive marriage, while in the other, women do not have that right. It is that rightless situation that you view as being better than the west. In fact, in Nigeria adultery by the woman would lead to divorce 99% of the time. Yet, women lack the reciprocal right to reject an adulterous marriage. It is important that we know what we are celebrating. What you celebrate as few divorces in Nigeria, as compared with the west, is nothing other the lack of rights and freedom by women October 22 at 10:36am · Edited · Like · 2
Perpetua Akaolisa-Ibeh: @ Remy, women in Nigeria don't enjoy marriage, they endure marriage. Like Emeka Ugwuonye said in his comment above our women don't get divorce because they don't have the freedom to do so, most of them are financially restrained. Your mum will tell you that "di bu Ndidi" ( meaning that marriage is patience) therefore you should take everything that comes. Many men I Nigeria will bring in their girlfriends home and order the wife to treat her with respect or leave. When the woman complains she will be asked what else she want from the man who puts food on her table, clothe her and her children? She will be told that if she loses this one she won't be able to get another one therefore she should stay put and never leave her home. October 22 at 10:49am via mobile · Like · 1
Remy Ilona: Emeka my brother you actually did not get many things right here. If you are observant you must have noticed that I focused exclusively on the Igbo society here which I can say that I know to an extent. Do you honestly think that the Westerner's and the Igbos notions of marriage and expectations are the same? You also ignore that the West and many societies here have different cultures. Many societies here are polygamous. The West is monogamous and more promiscuous, if you really know the Western culture. And what you casually refer to as 'rights' can also be viewed as insanity and licence if looked at mildly. We had men like Tyson wasted in prisons because they 'raped' their wives. Did rape actually occur? In America it occurred because Givens had 'rights'. Nwanne nku di na mba na egheru mba nni. American rights for Americans, but I'm not convinced that they got everything right. I think that you err when you use the standards of one society to judge the other. October 22 at 10:56am · Edited · Like · 2
Chukwuemeka Anthony Ezenwugo: @Remy nwannem. It looks like we have deviated completely from the crux of the matter. Chinweike Nwosu in his characteristic blunt and direct manner pointed out some regrettable harmful cultural attitudes/practices prevalent in parts of the world including Ana Igbo. I was only saying we need to honestly accept the facts. Culture can and should be challenged. I am not talking about marriage or divorce per se. You sighted America and the west. It is interesting to note that not too long ago women could neither vote nor own property in these societies. Who would have contemplated Ike nwunye na mba? As we speak 'traditional' igba nkwu is now done in Houston,Abuja,London,Joburg etc for fear of kidnapping and other financial considerations. For many of us in the diaspora if your spouse is foreign born and you live in her country especially in the West you have for all intents and purposes become another Duke of Edinburgh. October 22 at 11:21am · Like · 2
Remy Ilona: Perpetua inu di na nwunye successfully anywhere, even in the West, requires tons of ndidi. You know this. October 22 at 11:37am via mobile · Like · 2
Remy Ilona: Ezenwugo nwannem thanks for being so gracious. The thing is that we want Chinwike to adduce sufficient evidence that justifies his positions, to satisfy us. October 22 at 11:40am via mobile · Like · 1
Moore Black Chi Mmadike: This kind of discussion will be good in IAM. Chinwike Justice Oke-Nwosu, bring this to IAM and lets discuss it. October 22 at 1:09pm · Like
Chinwike Justice Oke-Nwosu: Moore Black Chi Mmadike I purposefully put this on an open thread so that it reaches Igbos who are not in IAM - it is something that transcends the limit of IAM as a body! I have been on-call so my brother Chijioke Ngobili I am now here to respond to my brother Remy Ilona. I do not know what further evidence my brother Remy wants me to adduce. I mentioned that I am a witness where kinsmen defrauded a woman of her father's inheritance, sold the property and just managed to "offer" the lady paltry sum! There are also case similar to that where the man had only a daughter who married, the man died, the daughter and her own children kept looking after the mother (wife of the deceased) until she too died. The daughter died too after sometime! Two years later the "umu efulefu" in name of kinsmen gathered and swooped like vultures on the man's estate and drove the "nwadianas" out and took control of estate. Their argument just like I intently was reading Remy was that "nwadianas" were from another town! There mother married to a man from another town and cannot come back to inherit the dad's property after marriage! The issue here being that when the man was ailing, it was the daughter and her husband (who was from another town) that were carrying the burden. After the man died, the daughter and the children were carrying the burden of her mother. This "umu efulefu" called kinsmen were no where to be found! They did not tell the lady and the husband not to care for the man because she was married to a man from another town! They only appeared to claim property! Remy tell me how you can justify this greed and atrocity under any culture? Similar to this is a situation where a man and his wife work hard to train their daughters and no so called kinsmen care to ask them how they are getting on! Then at 25years of age when the lady has been well trained with millions of Naira and tons of sweat, kinsmen come around with long list that lengthens from Nkwo Igbo-ukwu to Trafalgar Square in London. They will put on the list things that can empty the Bank account of the prospective husband to the young lady! Some go as far as vetoing the marriage if some of the cruel demands as listed are not met! I find it curious that Remy believes that the right of a female child or her entitlement or share from family wealth should be "idu uno"! From what i know of "idu uno" - this entails, items like fridge, mortar, yam, few clothes and so on; at extreme end may be a car from well to do family! How do you equate this to landed property - houses and other ancillaries the male folk or more disturbingly the distant relatives want to covet! I agree totally with Oba Emeka Ezenwugo that in Igbo land, umunwoke na emekpa umunwanyi aru! Further evidence, let me tell Remy, I am the tower block stopping similar case happening in my kindred where I block gangsters trying to take over a poor lady's inheritance on the ground that she had no brother and she is a woman married to another town and therefore has no right over her dad's house and property. I have blocked the kinsmen's access to the lady's inheritance and dare the "vultures" to take me on despite threat from the hoodlums that their "head will role!" - One told me, "over my dead body will you stop us!" and I told him clearly "Amen for over your dead body the lady must possess her inheritance". I am not here to pontificate on this illegality, immorality and antiquated cultural practice! It stinks! Women were born free just like men! Without women there will not be human race! Each gender was created for particular purpose! There will not be continuity of life without women! Men then decide that men's role is more important and then bestride the world subjugating women in name of culture! What is culture - way of life of a people, in that is imbedded grid engineered by the powerful to serve their particular interests. That is what men have done over time! Practices that will serve the interests of the powerful and men were inserted and handed down to us. Culture is adaptive, retentive, and cumulative my social science subject taught me! We are not meant to be static! We move with changing time and with education and knowledge and understanding! That is progress! It amounts to retrogression to keep harping on antiquated beliefs and practices and perpetuating them simply because our forebears practised such and handed them to us! I want us to read Emeka Ezenwugo, Emeka Ugwuonye and some of our daughters properly! Any culture that makes a particular gender lower in class or status is anachronistic and must be debased and deprecated! Dalunu! Yesterday at 1:49am · Like · 1
Remy Ilona Chinwike a popular transporter gave half of his empire to his daughter, & half & his ana obi to his son-according to Igbo culture. You didn't read my positions, b/c from what you wrote you didn't address them. A woman that has become a part of Awka through marriage cannot reasonably be expected to come & own land in the family she has left in Amawbia. If there is an invasion she'd be in awka & not at amawbia to defend the land. I applaud your 'fight' against wicked people howexer, but know thee that its not Igbo culture that they are drawing from. And that not only men are wicked. Many women are too. Yesterday at 2:53am via mobile · Like · 1
Chinwike Justice Oke-Nwosu: @Remy if a man buys land in Amawbia and has one daughter and no son, are you saying because this daughter is married to an Awka man distant relatives should take the father's land? What invasion? I own a land in Nsugbe - I do not need to be Nsugbe man to own a land there! Similarly a daughter from Amawbia who is married to Awka man does not need to live in Amawbia to be entitled to ownership! You are looking at this matter from ancient prism! That manner of thinking is what led to evil of "abandoned property" in River state where hoodlums and lazy people there believe in "son of soil" business! Who is talking of invasion and from who! You used invasion figuratively but that will not support position that you will hand over a man's property to an outsider because the outsider is a man and the true blood of the owner of the property is a woman. By the way it may even turn out that the man who wants to inherit the property may not even have blood relationship with the man he wants to defraud the daughter of her inheritance! The case I quoted is where a "bastard" (if i may use the word) conceived out of adultery is the one championing the case that our daughter is a woman and not entitled to her dad's estate. Bearing this in mind is even the motivation that made me to come out! I told the man that we first need to establish his genetic make up with the man he is fighting over his property to determine whether he should be in the vicinity in the first place! Remy that is my position Yesterday at 4:31am · Edited · Like · 1
Remy Ilona: Chinwike, I was specific about ana obi, which you don't seem to understand what makes it different from other 'lands' that a man may own or have possession of in Igboland. What distinguishes the ana obi from other lands? Who inherits it? You need to find the answers to these two questions. If my answers may help you, the ana obi is the ancestral land of a family or families. Kindred live on it. First born sons live on the 'core' of it, and give portions to their younger brothers to live on. Living together on the 'land' helps the family to keep the bonds of brotherhood alive. This was the ideal that our ancestors sought to maintain. Daughters don't inherit it because Igbos expect their daughters to marry, and share the 'inheritance' of their husbands. Also our ancestors want their daughters to focus on making their marriages to work. You would need to look at some of the surrounding cultures that give women part of the core property traditionally (not that Igbos don't). (Surprised that you could argue that some Igbo families don't give even houses to daughters, by your summing up what people get ...in idu uno---pestle.....). The truth is that people give what they could afford to give. The divorce rates of your 'enlightened' peoples that don't mekpa umu nwanyi ahu are far higher, because the women have far higher stakes and interests in their maiden homes, and so seize any available opportunity to jump out of marriage. If a married daughter inherits ana obi, would she and her off-springs live on it? If they do, would they be contributing to the togetherness of their own families,i.e the ones they married into? Is the ideal that motivated the custom worth protecting, in spite of changing circumstances? Is it even worth the trouble to remain Igbo when you Chinwike can become British? You need to answer these questions. I do not think that the panacea for management of decline of a civilization, i.e 'wickedness by distant relatives' for example, is to wreck, and bring further divisions, more enmity etc, on an already sick society. And to suggest wrongly that distant relatives are always up to no good. People that bring meaningful development 'discuss'. They adapt and modify. They use moderation. Without a sound knowledge of anything, people tend to just become wreckers. So many persons that felt that they were enforcing change had ended up harming the fabric of the society that they thought that they were changing. 22 hours ago · Edited · Like · 3

Barrister Val Iwuchukwu's comments about 'Studying The Jewish 'Tribe' of Nigeria

    Val Iwuchukwu
    I've read Remy Ilona's latest book STUDYING-THE JEWISH TRIBE OF NIGERIA. Revealing and convincing, it set aright distorted concepts of Igbo origin in simple narrative English and leads readers to clear knowledge of origin of Ndigbo. With this book the controversy of the origin of Igbos is put to rest. Thanks to the force that moved this illustrious Igbo son.

Igbo Origins- The pathway

The Igbos have began to take charge in this area. Careful studies have been settling the question. Our origins was deemed difficult to situate because while our neighbours contented themselves with creating myths, and stating that the myths were the accounts of their origins, we were contented to say that Gad's son Eri fathered the Igbos, and leave things like that. Myths are sexier, more attractive and complex than facts, so what we said did not attract many 'scholars' approval; Igbos and non Igbos alike. Should this be surprising? It shouldn't be, because of obvious reasons. The scholars were scholars but they were not trained to understand Igbo culture and history.Also because of afro-centricism many were loth to look at the evidence lying around everywhere, because in their thinking; the Igbos-a 'black' people, couldn't be related to the Israelis-'a white' people-not minding that not only are there no people that are black or white,but that there are Ethiopian Jews, Lemba Jews of Zimbabwe who are also dark-skinned, and that in Nigeria the Igbos are noted as ndi nwekariri ndi na acha ocha. Evidence that proves the origin of the Igbos is readily available. In the culture-Omenana, a concept that is even locatable in the Hebrew Bible. In the language. In the lore. In the history. And in many other accessible things.

Part of the 8th Review/Comment made about 'The Igbos and Israel: An Inter-cultural Study of the .....Largest Jewish Diaspora'-to be on AMAZON tonight------http://www.amazon.com/The-Igbos-Israel-Inter-cultural-ebook/dp/B008N2VHBI.

•    Sunday
•   
2:42pm
Ken Okafor
Remy, I will give my book review on Amazon tomorrow..it is currently
being proofread by my friend. Shalom
•   
 2:44pm
Remy Ilona
What's your overall view of the book my brother?
•   
3:23pm
Ken Okafor
Remy, this is a different review to the one I submitted for
proofreading, but overall, your book is absolutely brilliant to read.
Your book should be in every Igbo family home across the world because
this would bring Igbo people together and it is obvious that Omenena
is the catalyst for unity and pride within us.
This helped me to understand what Igbo culture is all about, due to
the similarities between Omenana and Judaism -  I highly recommend
your book, more than the likes of ………and……….. I found it harder to
relate to ……… and ………, as both brought excellent analysis of our
culture that featured in the Torah, but lacked practicality as to how
Igbo people perform traditional Omenana. On the other hand you
described different types of Igbo traditions very effectively and
articulately describe the spirituality, i.e, the reasons for many of
the traditions.  And on Omenena via Chukwu Abiama, ie how He’s
perceived in the Igbo religion – that’s the best part of the book.
I believe your book can help Igbos to restore faith in our culture and
language especially because of the association with Jewish philosophy.
This is the book for younger generation Igbos to understand what our
culture is all about, and its detailed comparison with the Jewish
tradition can help us to be proud Ndi Igbo.
Also, it provides an easy approach to read Omenana with Judaism
(especially your work on the book of Deuteronomy) that easily
described our culture. Hitherto I found it very complicated to
understand our culture. But with our connections to Israel it became
clear - .........................................................................
but they are currently reading your book with high interest as well as
……… and ……….’.
Overall, your book is eventually our last hope to make Igbo culture
alive and well. Also, I believe you are following the footsteps of the
great Jewish philosophers, your work is for all Jews, not just for
African Jewish communities.
Shalom!
•   
 3:28pm
Remy Ilona
My brother I can't thank you enough for your very kind words. Chukwu gozie gi.
I can't wait to see and read your review. I know it'll be un-put-downable.
•   
3:36pm
Ken Okafor
No worries...sorry for the lateness of my review as I have been
working, but I do hope ……….. documentary will be selected because that
will help your book to be promoted during the …….. Jewish Festival
later this year.
Have you recently posted the small monograph?
Also, do you know when Daniel Lis is releasing his book regarding the
Igbo Jewish connection?
•   
 3:41pm
Remy Ilona
Nwanne I had it put in the mail last Thursday.