Martin Appiah A True Ashanti Warrior
We first traveled to Ghana in 1998 and before the Ghana Temple opening I traveled to a construction company office with Mr. Joseph Asomani and at the office everyone working in the office were Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist and they had just completed the project of building the New Temple in Ghana. One of the owners of the construction firm was Mr. Martin Appiah. Martin remind me of two of those tough African/American characters in the movie that you do not want to mess with. There was Ving Rhymes and another character whom I recently watched on a Martin re-run. One thing that you will find in Ghana and far different than in America is the fact that Ghana has some very, very strong Black men practicing Buddhism. For example I created a website called www.proudblackbuddhist.org and in our Nichiren Shoshu Hokeko organization many Black men are very shy when it comes to association with me or this site because we are revolutionary or outspoken. In Ghana you have very strong Black men and they are Buddhist and Proud. Meet Mr. Martin Appiah who I interview in Ghana in 1998 at the first meeting between the Nichiren Shoshu Priest and the Ghana Lay leaders.
Martin talks about religion in Africa and how their ancestors worshipped Idols. He then talks about the flaws in the Christian faith and he moves to explain how Buddhism answered his questions about understanding his own life.
Martin challenges Daisaku Ikeda and suspect brainwashing when the SGI gave all African free copies of his book from Today Onwards. Martin realize the the SGI always had a hidden agenda and that Daisaku Ikeda saw something in Joseph Asomani that would not allow him to be controled. We they dismissed Mr. Asomani Ghana members took this as an opportunity to get away from the SGI that wanted to control their thoughts.