DECOLONISED MINDS EPISODE 6: EGYPT’S EINSTEIN

In this episode of ‘Decolonised Minds,’ African Stream’s Ahmed Ghoneim (@ahmed.ghoneim.official on IG) narrates the story of Dr. Ali Moustafa Mosharafa, known as ‘Egypt’s Einstein,’ whose contributions to physics and mathematics continue to resonate and inspire.

Born in 1898 in Damietta, Egypt, Mosharafa excelled early on, becoming the youngest student to earn a Baccalaureate certificate at 16. His academic journey took him to England, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a PhD, becoming the first Egyptian and the 11th man in the world to earn a Doctor of Science degree.

Returning to Egypt in 1925, Mosharafa quickly rose through the academic ranks, eventually becoming the Dean of the Faculty of Science at Cairo University.

Continued……His research, which included 25 published papers on quantum theory and relativity, broke new ground. Mosharafa also made complex scientific ideas accessible through lectures and broadcasts.

Tragically, his life was cut short in 1950 under mysterious circumstances, with some accusing Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, of foul play, as a way to destabilise Egypt. Albert Einstein, who frequently corresponded with Mosharafa, mourned his loss, saying, ‘We are in need of his talents; it is a great loss, and he was a genius.’

Mosharafa’s story is a testament to the power of knowledge, the brilliance of scientists on the African continent and the lasting impact one person can have on the world.

ISRAELI SETTLERS TAKE OVER IBRAHIMI MOSQUE

This viral video shows Israeli settlers and what appear to be settler militia members taking over the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, West Bank, on 2 September, clearing rooms of Muslim items and moving in Jewish items to prepare for a concert and the performance of Jewish rituals.

This is textbook colonisation. Taking over a space that doesn’t belong to you and claiming it as your own is something that us Africans know about better than anyone due to the European colonisation of our lands.

As the Israelis were allowed to desecrate the mosque for their religious rituals, occupation forces banned Muslims from accessing the site.

The Jewish month of Elul ends on Rosh Hoshanah (or the Jewish New Year) on 2 October. Settlers began taking over the mosque for Jewish holidays since 1994. That’s when US settler Baruch Goldstein k*lled 29 Palestinians, a year when the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish Purim holiday overlapped.

Continued….. After then, occupation forces reduced Muslim access to one-third of the sacred site.

The Ibrahimi Mosque is also where the cave of the Patriarch is located. That portion is known to Jews as the Cave of Machpelah and to Muslims as the Sanctuary of Abraham. The series of caves are 30 kilometres south of Jerusalem.

In July, the International Court of Justice ruled the Israeli occupation unlawful, ordered the evacuation of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, called for reparations to Palestinians, and said states are not obligated to not recognise the occupation.

Video credit: @mariambarghouti (X)

AMERICA NEEDS BLACK PATHOLOGY NARRATIVE

In this clip, Dr Carol Anderson, a professor and chair of African American Studies at Emory University, remarked that the media pathologised Black people as they reported on the 2014 unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, sparked by police k*lling an unarmed Black man, Michael Brown, Jr.

Black pathology describes a set of beliefs, narratives, or theories that attribute various social problems within the Black community to inherent or cultural deficiencies. However, it does not consider how capitalism, which needs racism to function effectively, oppresses our people in the United States.

Video Credit: @emoryuniversity (YouTube)

IVORIAN ICONIC SINGER DEFENDS SAHEL REVOLUTIONS

Meet Aicha Kone, a 67-year-old singer from the Ivory Coast who is making music to support the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). With a career spanning decades, Kone came to the spotlight in the 1970s, singing about political freedom for Africa. Her latest song, released in late August, applauds the revolutionary military governments in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, landlocked countries in Africa’s arid Sahel region, south of the Sahara Desert.

She has met Niger’s president, General Abdourahamane Tiani and Burkina Faso’s president, Ibrahim Traoré, lauding their ‘courage to stand up and say loud and clear that they want to take their destiny into their own hands.’

Continued……Drawing inspiration from the greats, such as South African singer Miriam Makeba (1932-2008), she calls for economic freedom, with lyrics like ‘I want my oil, I want my diamond, I want my gold,’ and ‘Fama [Malian Armed Forces], strength to you!’

With the commercialisation of African culture at the expense of its radicality, such as in the case of music genres such as Amapiano and Afrobeats, Kone’s work invites the masses to resurrect the legacy of the greats such as Makeba and Nigerian musician Fela Kuti (1938-97). Indeed, music is an integral part of revolution. 

Have a watch, and let us know what you think.

‘AFRICA FELT LIKE HOME STRAIGHT AWAY’

If you’re in the diaspora, your first visit to Africa can be life-changing. That’s what happened to KD Bowe from The Certified Man podcast. In this clip, he relates how - as a Black man from America - stepping onto African soil in Johannesburg felt like returning home. He made an instant connection with the land of his ancestors and was gripped by an overwhelming sensation of being “reunited with the soil of the DNA from which I came.”

Descendants of those kidnapped by Europeans and taken across the Atlantic were denied their culture, heritage, language and identity. Slaves were forced to adopt their master’s name, making it impossible for later generations to trace their African roots.

Do you agree that “we have to align ourselves with the original design for us”?

Video credit: @KDBowe