I am Ikoro Iyineleda.

I am an emasculated man.

Who, you might want to ask of me, is an emasculated man?

Let us take a certain definition, often used in the world of Medicine. The WHO (World Health Organisation) defined human health in its broader perspective in its 1948 constitution as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being; and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Being primarily made up of physicians, the WHO has worked hard to give citizens of the world better physical and mental well-being. But what about social well-being? What about those who have been excluded (via one means or the other, for one reason or the other) from the socio-economic class to which they would ordinarily have belonged? What about the emasculated man who, to use the words of The Holy Writ, has been “cut off out of the land of the living” – cut off out of society, out of the socio-economic class of which I speak? What about the rich that “sit in a low place” and the “princes walking on foot like slaves” of which Solomon wrote so eloquently?

They, I am sorry to say, have never – throughout all the history of humanity – they have never had anybody but Ikoro Iyineleda speak for them.

They have no rights. They have no value. They are given no respect, and given not even the right to self-respect. Yet, they remain human beings. Or they’re supposed to be.

I will give here an example of the type of life without living that the emasculated man lives, and of the value his life has never had.

On the third of November, 2015, Jennifer Jorgensen was exonerated of the death of her daughter by a Court of Appeal that ruled that the six-day old baby was not a “person.” Jorgensen had been speeding while intoxicated, and with no seatbelt worn; and had suffered a crash which led to the death of her daughter. She was judged innocent – be it of murder, or of manslaughter.

In other words (according to that Court of Appeal) being a human being – however young, or old – is not enough to grant thee the right to life. On the contrary, thou first of all has to be a “person.”

However old? you may want to ask of me. Yes, I declare; if thou considers the life of men like unto I, Ikoro Iyineleda - a man of whom all (including the woman supposed to be his very own mother) would ask of him - if not, "Who art thou?" - then, "Who were thou?"

Thus, the type of human rights abuse that the emasculated man suffers, and of the life also that I live for him - and of the death that I die for him. For it is for these men that I live and have my breath. They have never had any other, throughout all human history, speak on their behalf before.

Why?

Why is it that the life I live without living is lived for the emasculated man?

“For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.”

For because he himself has suffered. For because I myself have suffered, and I therefore know the pains and the anguish of the emasculated man.

As it is written, The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

One of the pains I have suffered as an emasculated man, which the emasculated man ever suffers (as testified to by the words above, quoted from The Holy Writ) and which is one of the ways by which his rights as a human being is ever trampled upon, is the intrusion into his personal space, and the invasion of his privacy. Some of us might not know what personal space is. Personal space is the distance that you like to keep between you and other people in order to feel comfortable. While privacy, on the other hand – like most of us do know – can be defined as the state of being free from unwarranted or undue intrusion or disturbance in one’s private life or affairs. Without those two in the life of a man, he’s not only liable to go bonkers – literally – but he also is as good as dead, again literally.

However, because the emasculated man (most especially when he has not a father) has absolutely no one but GOD to watch over him, the wicked continually strive for means with which to despoil and to slay him – for they believe that they will get away with the murder. The world is a war-zone once you want to make something out of your life – even if all you want to do is raise a family – and telling children to stay home sucking their mothers’ breasts is not only one of the misdeeds of the “folly set in many high places” (the folly that The LORD, through yours sincerely, has decided to give the name “Ode L’Oke”) that leads to emasculation, but it also definitely is not the solution to any problem. It’s understandable if the child is a girl – a girl has got to stay under a man, anyhow; be the man father or brother or husband or even son – and thereby she will always be protected. But a man has got a war to fight the minute he’s born, even if all he’s fighting for is his wife and children. Telling the boy-child to stay at home and suck his mother’s breasts for life is crippling and emasculating him; and will make him end up becoming either a living abortion, or a dead one. And one of the most obvious ways with which this will happen is when,

the wicked watcheth him, and seeketh to slay him;

by plundering him of his privacy, and of his personal space.

I have written and spoken to various authorities in this generation on a number of occasions, of this unwarranted intrusion into my personal space. I have written often of how my privacy is always being violated by all manner of vultures, scavengers, and hyenas. All I have to do is step out of my apartment for ten minutes (or even for much less) and members of an inglorious public will instantly sneak therein to see what it was that I did last there. All I have to do is leave my bag unattended to (be it at the Oba Akinyele Memorial High School, where I work; or at the University of Ibadan School of Business, where I am presently studying for a Masters degree in Business Administration; or absolutely anywhere else at all – and not necessarily in the obviously unsafe territories of places like unto markets and streets) and the evil wicked striving to monitor my life into a waste will instantly have sneaked in to see what else they can despoil of me, or use to slay me. I will then begin to overhear them (be it on the streets, on radio and television stations such as Star FM 95.5, Splash FM, Lagelu FM, and others; and so on) commenting on possessions of mine that are supposed to be concealed in the supposed privacy of my personal space – complete strangers that I have never uttered even a word to before, not to talk of discussing with them that which belongs to me. I cannot say how many times I may have been plundered as a consequence of this cowardly intrusion into my privacy; but with the way these villains keep on monitoring my life, I can state definitely that I have been plundered quite often of that which they have been able to get away with plundering. My belongings are searched (as though I were a suspect in a dock; and they, the Police – complete with search warrants), sometimes pilfered, used without my consent, and often – most especially when it comes to electronics – often damaged.

As an example, my laptop (which I bought for over one hundred and eighty thousand naira, and which I therefore use as delicately as though it were an egg) has had not only the keys but also the screen getting damaged. And this is not the first time that a laptop of mine will be getting damaged by these scavengers. On the contrary, the laptop that I bought before then no longer functions at all – and for that same reason that has all my possessions be property of an inglorious public.

Also, while I was living at Alegongo-Akobo, I had to change the lock to my door at least five times in one year – obviously because the locks were always being tampered with; and even my carpenter explains that the locks were very strong locks, and were almost certainly getting damaged due only to the tampering. And even after I moved to Salami Estate in New Bodija, these vicious members of the public pursued me there to continue with their persecution (even as they have pursued me from Alegongo-Akobo to Bode-Wasimi at Orita-Bashorun, to Ayankoya at Oke Ado, to Kute near Iyana Church, and even on down to the neighbourhood of Akingbade wherein I presently live).

As a final example (and just to prove how obvious it is that a man with no army behind him will be as the body of which it is said by The Holy Writ,

Wherever the body is, there the vultures will be gathered together)

on the twenty-third of November, 2018; a certain man known as Yinka Quadri came out to run his mouth and brag insolently – not only to my hearing, not merely to my face – but to the entire world, through the medium of Fresh 105.9 FM; of how he it was that wrote certain works of mine such as not only those that I am neither yet to complete writing nor have even published, but also a certain book of mine that I have not only completed but also published – and copyrighted in my name. And this very definitely makes it obvious to the most dim-witted brain that men like unto Yinka Quadri are now striving to benefit (and not only financially) from that which has been despoiled of my privacy – that the man known as Yinka Quadri is so eager to plunder of the nudity of not only my person but also my possessions (nudity that has been property of an accursed public for at least two decades now, if not more – ever since those of the vultures that are educated enough began to hail themselves with the word “peep,” on the pages of the Press) so eager, in fact, that he cannot even see beyond his nose to realise that one of the works which he is so desperate to claim as having emanated from his brain has already been actually published and copyrighted in my own name. And even more obvious is the fact that this is even yet proof once more that the nudity of all of my body and of my mind and of my actions and of my possessions is being plundered by men like unto Yinka Quadri.

Wherever  the body is, there the vultures will be gathered together.

The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

All ye righteous members of this generation! Lend an ear - if there be any of you still living! Had Professor Wole Soyinka had all his works be property of the public even before any could be published - even whilst it lay in the hallowed sanctuary of his home - don’t you think it would have been fraudsters like unto Yinka Quadri that would be parading himself about today as a Nobel Laureate?! Would it have been fair? Or justifiable? And would it be equally justifiable had all Chimamanda Adichie’s works been the property of a scavenging public, long before she could get any of them published? Would she have been able to make any impact on her generation had her privacy been as public as that which I have described of mine? Please, pretty please please; if there remain any righteous in this generation, let them lend an ear! Would a Microsoft Incorporated without any secrets whatsoever have made any money whatsoever, talk less of making Bill Gates the richest man in the world? The wicked watcheth the righteous, as one of the means with which he would that he be slain. For he knows that a man with no secrets is no more than a living corpse – literally.

In the business school wherein I am presently pursuing an MBA degree, I have been taught that which is known as the SWOT Analysis (SWOT being an acronym that stands for “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats”). Business organisations are said to have different types of strengths. And one of these types, which the SWOT Analysis reveals, is that which the business does so well that it is almost impossible for competitors to imitate it. However, where the secret behind this strength is bared to all competitors of the business, how long do you think it will take for competitors to master the strength – regardless of how difficult it should be to imitate?

That is a rhetoric question. I will not wait for an answer. Rather, I will throw another one.

Had the mind of Samson been laid bare before the Philistines, would they have had to say unto Deli’lah, “Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lies, and by what means one may overpower him, that we may bind him to subdue him…..?” Would they have had to offer Deli’lah absolutely anything whatsoever for this deed, talk less of give her “eleven hundred shekels of silver?”

That also is a rhetoric question. Let us proceed.

Even in the open, as though all that which has been recounted is not enough, the very latest of all my movements in the land of Ibadan (a land that I, for reasons like unto these, have decided to give the name “Ikadan”) is broadcast to all the evil and the wicked in the land – be it via television stations, or via radio stations like unto those which I have mentioned above.

Even medical doctors (regardless of how ignorant, or how naïve) will let you know that every human being needs to have his or her personal space – that is, enough privacy with which to be able to function efficiently in society. Otherwise, he or she will not only go bonkers, but he or she will be utterly destroyed. This is the obvious reason that you don’t have to be told, that has the leaders and the owners of computers, companies, nations, and even handsets secure them all with codes and passwords. Without securing the privacy of all these computers, companies, nations, and even handsets, not only they but also their leaders and their owners will be utterly destroyed. Ditto for an individual striving to not only make a success out of his life, but also retain his sanity.

And it is to destroy him – it is to find means with which to slay him – that the wicked watcheth the righteous. Thus, these faceless cowards rob me of privacy with every vicious means they can think of – going through my possessions the minute my back is turned, even at my place of work (and at the University of Ibadan School of Business, where I am presently studying for a Masters degree in Business Administration), sneaking into my apartment to search possessions supposed to be lying in the clover of privacy, and so much more, and so much worse.

And even as they have all access to every inch of my personal space, even so do they also plunder of me so much that books of mine that I am yet to publish (placed in the supposedly safe haven of my home, and shown to absolutely no one but yours sincerely) all have their contents discussed publicly by such as class-mates at the University of Ibadan School of Business, and colleagues at the Oba Akinyele Memorial High School, and even complete strangers on the streets; they plunder me of so much that (in the competitive world wherein we all live – that has governments, corporations, organisations, and even computers and phones all have their leaders and owners realise the value of privacy to that extent where all their secrets are protected by codes and passwords) all my own secrets are bared to a scavenging public that would now I be last even to utter morons; that would I be last to,

“men whose fathers I would have disdained
to set with the dogs of my flock;”

all because of that which has been plundered of my personal space, and of my privacy.

And even yet again…..

“Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon The LORD?”

For they not only monitor – ever watching, ever striving to slay; as it is written.

“Yea, I hear the whispering of many –
terror on every side! –
as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life;”

but they do also use, and plunder.

Yinka Quadri is one of the few names I can mention, for the vast majority of these scavengers are faceless cowards who strive to leave no trace of their plunder; that they may then be able to ask of me, even as they have indeed began to ask of me,

“Who offended you?”

And that they may then be able to claim – even as not only the Police, but also friends as close to me as childhood friends are supposed to be, have claimed,

“There’s no way with which thou canst substantiate thy allegations.”

However, even as it is written,

“they divide my garments among them,
and for my raiment they cast lots;”

even so have these vultures turned all that is my possession into the property of its public. All I have to do is leave my apartment for my place of work, and they would instantly hang a “To Let” notice before the entrance to the apartment – and let anyone into the privacy of my home, under the pretext of the intruders being tenants-to-be and estate agents. And even when they have not been as vile, they would (the minute they are certain I am a considerable distance from my house) open the doors to my apartment, and let anyone into the sanctum of my home.

For once they see an emasculated man (a man that is cut off out of the land of the living, and therefore dead to the land of the living – with no army behind him but that of The LORD Who has given the responsibility “to do justice and judgment” unto Man) they all gather round to despoil, even as vultures do. And absolutely no one has ever spoken for all such as the emasculated man but yours sincerely – I, Ikoro Iyineleda – just as though he is not entitled to Human Rights. No, not one; none, except Ikoro Iyineleda, who has been through that which he goes through – and more, and worse.

I have often appealed to all sorts of different authorities in the secular, that I believed to be of righteousness (from the Press, to the Police, to non-governmental organisations, to even famous individuals well-known for their crusades against human rights abuse) concerning that of the anguish of the emasculated man that has been of my own trials and tribulations. None, no one, not even one, has ever responded – be the response of a positive, or of a negative nature. The last time that I appealed to the Nigerian Police (through its station at Ikolaba, near Salami Estate, in New Bodija) proved the extent to which policemen are, in a lot more instances than not, definitely no friend – a fact that is noticed by the politically correct only where women are concerned, as in instances of rape and domestic violence. For the policeman that I spoke with not only told me that I had no proof with which to substantiate my allegations, but also referred me to my father – and then sent me home. Obviously proving that (just like Jennifer Jorgensen’s daughter) I have no right to Human Rights – because I am not a “person.”

I have written often of the travails of the emasculated man in the world wherein we live. The travails of women is all that which is noticed by the politically correct in our generation, and the men that suffer even worse atrocities because they are weaker than the average man are left to die  on their own; not only because they are seen as cowards, but also because (to use the words that the barbarian hypocrites in our midst would use) “They are men. They should be able to take care of themselves.”

Oh ye righteous of this generation! - if there be any! Lend an ear! And remember these words by the only Nigerian Nobel Laureate......."The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny." And take therefore a courageous step (just like the men you were born to be - I'll excuse the women, for I do not believe women capable of courage) along with a leap of faith, into a future where thou will be the first (alongside Ikoro Iyineleda) to stand against the moribund convention that would like to have all believe a human being is not a “person” – and is therefore with no rights to Human Rights – as long as he is emasculated.

Despite my being older than forty-four today (this year 2019 happens to be my forty-fifth year on earth) I happen to remain an emasculated man today; a fact that can be confirmed by the suggestion the Police made when I was to present the appeal that I referred to above before it – that I go and make my complaints to my father.

I am forty-four years old. I did not spend seven years as an undergraduate, with two post-graduate diplomas to back it up, not to mention a Masters degree in view; only to be told to “go and meet Daddy” any time I am being threatened, or bullied, or afflicted by my adversaries. Even if the Police cannot see reason, I do hope that my brethren in that which is humane of humanity see enough reason to do something positive about the tribulations that is the lot of the emasculated man – and not even, only, of I. However, I – on a personal note – have shouldered these afflictions for two decades now, at the very least. That which I have recounted of the trials is but the tip of the ice-berg. There are others – so much more of them that, should I wish to go into detail, it will take at least ten books of your time. However, I will narrate a few more of that which has been my bane for over twenty years now; if not more.

1)   On radio and on television stations, I am mocked, ridiculed, abused, insulted, and threatened. I do not know the names of most of the stations – for most of them remain of the faceless cowards that consider all war to be no more than stabbing behind the back – but I do know that Star FM 95.5, Splash FM, and Lagelu FM are three of them. But I always overhear the mockery, the ridicule, the threats, and the derision when others (such as neighbours, colleagues, relatives, etcetera) are listening to the stations.

2)   I am always being ridiculed, insulted, abused, and threatened by the general public -  most especially by the illiterates (that are now preferred by many to be called natives - courtesy of the invasion of my privacy and my personal space, both of which are referred to above) who make up the vast majority of the Nigerian public anyway. All I have to do is step out of the house wherein I live, and almost everybody around would instantly begin to abuse me – be the abuse from other vehicles, or from pedestrians, while I am being driven by; or still from other pedestrians or vehicles, while I am standing or walking in the streets. And even when I step into my house, those in the vicinity of the house wherein I live (be they neighbours, passers-by, or what-not) and even the family that I lived with when I was at Alegongo-Akobo (that is supposed to be mine, but that definitely is not mine) would begin to hurl insults and abuse at me.

Facing the abuse is a horrendous experience, and I believe that there are women that apply for divorce in the Western part of the world merely because of the abuse that they suffer in the hands of their spouses. The abuse that I suffer in the hands of the Nigerian public in general (and in the hands of Ikadan in particular) on a daily basis, makes any abuse that any woman could ever have suffered from her husband child’s play in comparison.

3)   My life is always being constantly threatened. As an example, I am always over-hearing the general public (be it on the streets, beside my house, or even on radio and on television stations such as those mentioned above) bragging of how they have infected or of how they will infect me with diseases such as cancer and HIV/AIDS. Because of this, I have had to take several HIV/AIDS tests in the past – which, however (except for one – the very first one) have always turned out negative.

4)   Every morning, early in the morning at about 5 AM (and, at times, later on in the day – and late at night) certain miscreants – masquerading as either Christians, or Moslems – would begin to blare out their threats and ridicule and insults and abuse against me, via public address systems; to the neighbourhoods of Alegongo-Akobo and Kute (near Iyana Church) and Bode Wasimi (near Orita Bashorun) and Salami Estate, in New Bodija (all places where I used to live) and to the neighbourhood where now is my home. This has been going on for two decades now, at the very least; if not more.

All these is just a tiny fraction of that which I have shouldered as persecution, ever since the world realised (after my graduation from the Obafemi Awolowo University with a first degree) that I had no one on earth but GOD. Forget parents. Not even parents will have anything to do with an emasculated child, as is proven by the utter lack of conscience with which Jennifer Jorgensen murdered a daughter that was “not a person.” The average emasculated man, however, does not go through even almost as much of the trials I have sought to put down in this narration – not unless they have been especially chosen by GOD to face such trials. But because I, on my own part, have always shown myself to be a lot different from the ambitionless riff-raffs that we often have loitering about the public, I have suffered a lot worse than the average emasculated man. In the words of Albert Einstein, “Great minds have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” And therefore, certain members of the public conspired to gang up together against me and ruin the little ambition that I have – with my life along with it. These people, whoever they may be, strive to attain this by doing that which I have narrated above – and more, and worse.

A man once, during the year 2018, had me know he believes that “Justice is in children books only” – to use the exact words that he used. I am ready to pardon his ignorance - for he claimed neither leadership in any of the spheres of human activities, nor human rights activism itself. However, I hope that human rights activists and other authorities professing righteousness in this generation - most especially those that have come across this petition - are not going to end up echoing his words. Because, when I think of the number of centuries with which the emasculated man has been crying out “Avenge me of my adversary” to GOD (be it with word, mind, heart, or action – be it even with blood, ever from the days of Abel) and yet GOD has not avenged – be it via Christianity, or via Islam (leaving emasculated men to either be rocked to death in socially crippled cradles, or abused to death as socially active children – regardless of how old, or stoned to death as spiritual cripples – mostly under the accusation of being lunatics) I tend to wonder whether there is truly any righteous God. It is Man that strives to avenge, and he usually does so the wrong way – if ever he does so at all. Thus, I urge the righteous that live in this generation (if there be any) to avenge, and to render justice – and to do so the right way.

Over two thousand years ago, Jesus approved of the words “He will put those wretches to a miserable death;” with which he believed that his Father in Heaven will avenge the cruel manner with which he was cut off out of the land of the living, to be led to a gruesome death. Two thousand years after his death, GOD is yet to avenge him of his adversary. An impartial observer would say that he died in vain. I hope not. Because, today, I happen to be in his shoes – having been crying out for the last two decades and more for vengeance (be it with word, mind, heart, or action) to a God that I hope exists, and is righteous enough to hearken unto my cry.

Look at the religions of today, and you’ll realise why I tend to sometimes believe (just like the man I have referred to above) that “justice is in children’s books only.” Where Christians are supposed to be crying out “Come, Lord Jesus” unto GOD; all they ever do today is ask GOD for power, or pleasure, or prosperity, or position. All the while partying in drunken revelry with the same world of which it is written, “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with GOD? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of GOD.” Does the Christian of this generation not love the world in all its entirety? Is that not an obvious sign that Jesus died in vain – if those that are seen to be his followers are now “best friends” with the world?

Jesus did die in vain – should thou consider the yearnings of the Christian of this generation. And Mohammedans are even worse, for even they no longer hearken unto the words of Mohammed. Whereas Mohammed has stated clearly that “There is no compulsion in religion;” you see terrorists all over the world striving to impose Islam on everyone else. When is GOD going to avenge the righteous victims of the wickedness of this world? Will He, ever? Sometimes, I do wonder whether justice belongs only in children’s books.

Sometimes, I wonder whether there truly is a good God. I know without an iota of doubt that there are indeed powerful beings in the spiritual that some might call Gods. But is there a righteous and good God – like most religions would have us believe? Or are there just powerful beings that fall to the temptation of doing evil as often as men also fall to such temptations? Is GOD really the most righteous, or merely the most powerful? Or why is there so much wickedness and evil in all the world, with no one seemingly inclined towards giving righteous justice and judgment?

I don’t know. I renounced Christianity because I believed (and I still do) that there was no answer to my questions therein. But I do wish that there was a God out there somewhere that will assure me of the infallibility of the words of Jesus, when he said, “And will not GOD avenge His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will He delay long over them? I tell you, He will avenge them speedily.”

Therefore, due to this wish of mine that GOD avenge speedily, I cry out unto the righteous that live in this generation (if there be any) on behalf of the emasculated man and his rights as a human being. For it is written, “There is no authority except from GOD, and those that exist have been instituted by GOD.” Thus, if all authority is from GOD (even as it is written) and if they all have been instituted by GOD, then it does not take too much of more than space between the ears to realise that they have all been given the responsibility to “do justice and judgment” (which is more acceptable than sacrifice) and to avenge the emasculated of his adversary – even as GOD would.

And therefore, even as authorities (be it in Heaven, or on earth, or under the earth) have been given the responsibility to "do justice and judgment," even so would I like thee all to consider the words, from the United States Declaration of Independence of 1776; which goes thus,

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

that all men are created equal.

If all men are created equal, then even a six day old baby is a “person.” And even an emasculated man has the right to Human Rights like unto life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – unlike the impression that the wicked strive to give, with words like unto “Who art thou?” and “Sit down there!” and “E too late.” Let us all gather therefore, all ye of righteous authorities (even as we have all gathered to put an end to cancer, even as we have all gathered to put an end to HIV/AIDS, even as we have all gathered to put an end to slavery, even as we have all gathered to put an end to discrimination against minorities, even as we have all gathered for so many other causes that however – even though most worthy – have so many other millions gathering for them). Let us all gather, all ye of humane humanity, for that cause for which no one on earth has ever gathered before. Let us all gather for the rights of the emasculated man. Let us all walk the talk that says,

all men are created equal.

Lend an ear! Now! If we all believe that all men are created equal, then let us all stand against the moribund convention that has a man be not a “person” – and therefore unentitled to Human Rights – merely because he happens to be emasculated.

I will end here by narrating a certain parable that will enable us all see why the rights of the emasculated man are as important as the rights of any and every other human being.

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.

“What food might this contain?” the mouse wondered.

He was devastated to discover that it was a mouse-trap. Retreating to the farm-yard, the mouse proclaimed the warning, “There’s a mouse-trap in the house! There’s a mouse-trap in the house!”

The chicken clucked and scratched, then raised her head and said, “Mr Mouse, I can tell this is of grave concern to you; but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it.”

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, “There’s a mouse-trap in the house! There’s a mouse-trap in the house!”

The pig sympathised, but said, “I am so very sorry, Mr Mouse; but there’s nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured that you’re in my prayers.”

The mouse turned to the cow and said, “There’s a mouse-trap in the house! There’s a mouse-trap in the house!”

The cow replied, “Wow, Mr Mouse; I’m sorry for you, but it’s no skin off my nose.”

So the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer’s mouse-trap alone.

That very night, a sound was heard throughout the house – like the sound of a mouse-trap catching its prey. The farmer’s wife rushed to see what had been caught. In the darkness of the night, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.

The snake bit the farmer’s wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever. Everyone knows that you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took the hatchet to the farm-yard for the soup’s main ingredient – chicken. But his wife’s sickness continued, so friends and neighbours came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

But the farmer’s wife did not get well – she died. A lot of people came for her funeral, thus the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for them all.

The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall, with great sadness. All three of the chicken, the pig, and the cow had lost their lives to the mouse-trap.

Therefore, next time you hear someone is facing a problem, and you think it doesn’t concern you – remember, when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life, and we must keep an eye out for one another – and make an extra effort to encourage one another. For each one of us is a vital thread in another person’s tapestry.

Sign this petition, therefore; and let a movement begin; that will not only change the course of human history, but that will save humanity from a fate worse than that of the Dark Ages, the Holocaust, and the Red Sea even - that slew all the might of Egypt. For the rights of an emasculated man are the rights of a human being. It therefore concerns all other human beings.