Are the Yoruba the number one in religious tolerance?
August 24, 2012 by Azuka Onwuka
When it comes to religion, are the Yoruba people of
Nigeria the most tolerant race in the whole world? It may not be wise to
say yes because of the absence of any endorsement of such a position by
a global body like the United Nations. But having travelled to many
parts of Nigeria and some parts of the world; having read books about
several peoples of the world, I can comfortably say that I have not seen
or heard of any country or people that tolerate one another on the
issue of religion like the Yoruba of Nigeria.
As a child growing up in Igboland, I thought the Igbo
were the most tolerant in matters of religion. For example, the only
mosque in my hometown Nnewi was built right at the gate of the Diocesan
Church Centre of the Anglican Church, which was the central church for
Anglicans in the town when the head of the diocese was in Onitsha. The
mosque was owned by the Hausa-Fulani community. Items like sugarcane,
carrot and kulikuli were sold beside the mosque, and cobblers took care of people’s shoes there. I never missed the sugarcane and kulikuli
any time I had cause to be at the church. Christians never bothered
that Muslims (who were not sons and daughters of the community) situated
their mosque by the gate of the central church of the Anglican
Communion in the town.
There was no Muslim in my primary school; in my
secondary school, there was a Muslim boy – a boy whose father was a
policeman posted to the town. On Thursdays when we had our moral
instruction classes, the chaplain of the school who was also the
vice-principal, always announced that the Muslim boy was the only one
exempted from participating in moral instruction classes because the
school had no Islamic teacher. Other pupils must either be at the Roman
Catholic section or the Protestant section. We all envied the boy for
the preferential treatment he always got as the only Muslim boy in our
school.
With this type of background, I grew up with the
assumption that the Igbo must be the most tolerant in matters of
religion in Nigeria. But there were events that made me have a rethink
later in life. When I was growing up, my community had two major
Christian denominations: Anglicans and Catholics. Almost all the schools
in the town were founded by the two churches. Parents usually sent
their children to these schools based on their Christian denominations,
even after the state government took over the schools. At the close of
school each day, there was usually a point where pupils of the Anglican
Church-founded schools met pupils of the Catholic Church-founded school.
Preachers, church teachers and parents had indoctrinated the children
that only their denomination was the one endorsed by God. So at such
meetings, taunting songs would be sung and a fight would ensue between
Anglican and Catholic children.
But that was not all. Many young men and women could
not marry one another because one was Anglican and the other was
Catholic. Especially from the Catholic community, it was always an
uphill task for a girl to be allowed to be married by an Anglican or a
member of the Protestant Church. But one thing that was shared by all
the Christian denominations was that no married woman was allowed to
attend a church different from the one her husband attended. The few who
insisted on continuing with the church of their birth while in their
matrimonial homes either caused a deep rift in their marriage or even
lost their marriage entirely.
Compare that with a typical Yoruba family. A couple
with six children could have a family like this: the man is a Muslim;
the wife attends the Celestial Church of Christ; the first child started
as a Muslim but converted to Christianity and is now a member of a
Pentecostal church; the second child is a devout Muslim; the third and
fifth children are members of the Methodist or Baptist church; the
fourth child attends no church or mosque but prefers the Yoruba gods
whenever he has any spiritual needs; and the last child is an Anglican.
One would assume that with this seemingly cacophony
of religions in this family, there would be constant religious tension,
hatred, quarrels and fights in it. No. In Yorubaland, no one disturbs
the other because of religion. Interestingly, during Islamic festivals,
Christians join their Muslim relatives to celebrate. Also during
Christian festivals, the Muslims join their relatives to celebrate. For
example, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, is a
Muslim, while his wife is a Christian.
In the larger Yoruba society, the issue of religion
is not a factor while considering a candidate for an elective post. For
example, Bola Tinubu, a Muslim, did two terms as Lagos State governor
and handed over to Fashola, a Muslim, who is doing his second tenure in
office now.
Such high level of religious tolerance is not even
obtainable in countries that are known for freedom and rights like the
United States of America and the United Kingdom. In such countries, even
though there is religious freedom, there are certain social and
political positions that some people may never dream of.
This wonderful trait of the Yoruba needs to be
publicised. If such a trait were from an American community, several
documentaries, films and books would have been produced based on it. If
the Federal Government would not publicise such, it behoves the Yoruba
nation to sponsor the production of such materials.
In addition, the Yoruba nation should embark on a
religious-tolerance campaign across the federation and even the world.
That will offer them the opportunity through which they will teach other
races how they have mastered the art of religious tolerance. There is
no denying that religion is a major threat to world peace today. Nigeria
is getting its share of violence. Therefore, any effort that will help
to reduce the threat will be a welcome development.
•Onwuka, a brand management strategist in Lagos, wrote in via azonwuka@yahoo.com
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