al-Muqaddimah/Prelude
One of my Sihah/Wellness-Colleagues via Kenya, by the Name of Sylvia Otieno, requested that I do a Sharh/Commentary on a Risālah/Article which they authored. I was truly honored, by Allah, that they deemed me worthy enough to give any Kind/Type of Sharh concerning their Work. It was actually quite humbling, when they asked me to do so.
Sylvia Otieno’s Article
They authored something rather quite interesting. The Article details how/why al-Lughah/Language is used as a Device/Weapon against Certain-Peoples, in order to attempt pressuring them to conform to the `Urfiyyah/Cultural-Norms of Other-Peoples. It’s basically a Difah/Manifestation of what I call Cultural-Colonization. And, ironically, Cultural-Colonization is a Sifah of al`Asabiyyah/Xenophobia.
https://gbwrites.com/2022/12/13/asabiyyahmeter/
Sylvia Otieno’s Risālah
https://linguistictendencies.blogspot.com/2025/03/i-wasnt-always-self-conscious-about-my.html
The Risālah of Sylvia Otieno was poignant, clear, direct, straighforward, etc. Literally, everyting they uttered is 💯%-Truth/Honesty. This is exclusively based upon my own Personal Life-Experience, being a Socio-Byproduct of the Eestern-World via the United States. While traveling to both the United Kingdom as well as Kenya: I’ve quite literally seen, observed, witnessed, etc. everything that Sylvia Otieno disclosed via their Kitābah/Writings.
https://gbwrites.com/2019/03/31/blackinbritain/
https://gbwrites.com/2014/05/04/dominanceorsubjugation/
https://gbwrites.com/2020/03/16/muslimcastesystem/
https://gbwrites.com/2022/09/06/muslimandblackunleashed/
As I read Sylvia Otieno’s Article, I was literally self-stating internally:
“Yeah…I’ve seen this before.”
“Yup…I def experienced that.”
“Yurrrr…that’s happened to me Several-Times.”
etc.
Sylvia Otieno really did an Excellent-Job, as per connecting any/any Children-Of-Colonization together Worldwide. Their Basīrah/Vision (via Foresight, Insight, Hindsight, etc.) into the Subject-Matter is nothing less than phenominal. And, the Basālah/Courage they displayed, explaning their own Life-Challenges is especially noteworthy to say the least. Albeit not a Lengthy-Article per say, it speaks Volumes to the Boots-On-The-Ground Realities of Billions of Humans historically as well as via the Modern/Post-Colonial Age.
Yet, at the Same-Time, relative to the Courageous-Writings of Sylvia Otieno: it’s 💯%-Safe to conclude that Colonization has never truly ended. Rather, Colonization has only transition into Various Covert/Candestine-Forms. I mean, afterall, even after a Nation, a People’s, “So-Called Independence”: if one still speaks the Language of one’s Former-Masters, are they still still truly free?!!!
Sylvia Otieno has authored something vividly brilliant, unconpromising, courageous, etc. And not only must their Kitābah be respected, but equally it should be celebrated. May Allah bless/reward the Basālah of Sylvia Otieno, for speaking Truth/Honesty, as per detailing the Realities of their Society and how severely Cultural-Colonization impacts their Society as well as Other-Socities Worlwide.
Gareth Bryant
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