Hausa-Fulani or Hausa and Fulani?
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I have seen this argument that Hausa-Fulani is not an identity. Apparently, it is either you are Hausa or Fulani. I completely disagree. I also think our educated folks need to be careful and not fall into the trap of those wanting to make everything a zero-sum game.
Today, some of us are neither 100% Hausa nor 100% Fulani. My Dad is 75% typical Fulani settler with a historic herdsmen background. I said 75% because his grandfather (Mallam Goje) is Hausa. My mum is from a specific Hausa background. Also, at a certain stage of my life, I understand Fulfulde more than I understand Hausa because my step-mum, who nurtured me, is 100% Fulani from Gombe.
Yet, now some historian fancy pants are trying to tell me I cannot identify as both. Instead, I must choose only one. Why must I be forced to choose either Hausa or Fulani when the blood in my veins comes from both? No, I refuse that — if there is another term used to identify both, let me know, but I can never be forced to be just one.
We need to be careful of the subliminal changes introduced to redefine us. I get it that Fulani Herdsmen is now synonyms with the negative, terrorizing, and despicable actions of selected Fulani Herdsmen. But I cannot allow someone to redefine who I am so that I feel better when I see the word “Fulani Herdsmen” associated with such atrocious actions.
No, I don’t need the pampering. I am willing to own that my people are certainly doing such terrible actions. Guess what? It hurts me. It hurts me to see Fulani Herdsmen doing such — it hurts precisely the same way as when I see Boko Haram holding the Quran, and supposedly they share the same Islamic faith as me, yet go on to carry their evil deeds.
Political correctness will be the end of us. I can acknowledge that people with whom I share the same identity, religion, and/or ethnicity are capable of doing evil. Recognizing we share such doesn’t mean I agree or validate their actions. And if you choose to judge and put all of us in the same bucket, instead of looking into the specific actions — that is your biased mindset and your cup of tea. I am not responsible for you being a bigot.
Hausa-Fulani is the product of Hausa + Fulani. If you have another word for that single identity, let us know. But do not tell me it is not a thing because I am a living evidence. I am a product of my Mum + Dad, not just one. Also, do not start quoting some 1800 history to me, please. Hausa-Fulani might not be a thing back then, but in 2021, it is. Deal with it. If your entitled self does not like the word, then let us know what word you would like us to use to identify ourselves to you.