FOR a secular country like Nigeria, the arrest and remand of three Isese adherents, Mr. Adegbola Abdulazeez aka Tani Olorun; Madam Efunsetan Abebi Aniwura Olorisha aka lya Osun and Chief Ademola Olawoore aka Baba Tede in a correctional facility at Ilorin, the Kwara State capital is not only worrisome but can be seen as the height of religious intolerance. A religious battle line has recently been drawn between the adherents of traditional religion known as Isese and the Muslim community in Ilorin over the latter’s insistence that the former’s traditional festival would not be tolerated in the community.
IN the ensuing milieu, some Islamic zealots, under the auspices of Majlisu Shabab li Ulamahu Society, reportedly stormed the residence of an Olokun (water goddess) worshipper, Adesikemi Olokun, and threatened her to desist from holding a festival of culture tagged Isese in Ilorin, claiming they were emissaries of the Emir, Ibrahim Zulu Gambari.
FOLLOWING an uproar by the Isese group, three of its adherents were arrested and remanded in a correctional facility in Ilorin, for allegedly insulting prominent Muslim clerics of the state. In another twist, a Federal High Court in Lagos last Monday summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Kwara State Police Comminssioner, Kwara State Government, Registered Trustees of Council of Ulama (Islamic Clerics); Justice Salihu Mohammed (Executive Secretary of Council of Ulama) over the arrest and detention of the Isese adherents.
ALSO summoned are Sheikh (Dr) Mohammad Bashir Saliu (Chief Imam of Ilorin and Chairman of Council of Ulama); Alfa Abdulsalam Baba Tonile Okuta-Agidi; Magistrates Court, Ilorin, and the Nigerian Correctional Service, Ilorin, all in Kwara State.
THE ugly development has attracted condemnations from different quarters describing it as religious intolerance. Among them include the Nobel Laurette, Prof. Wole Soyinka who described the audacity of the Ilorin zealots and the Emir of Ilorin as tiny specks of the intolerant religious space that Nigerians live in. Also, a group, Yoruba Commitment Leaders (YCL), has called on Islamic clerics in Ilorin, Kwara State to shun religious intolerance, saying that no religious adherents should stand in the way of others.
THE Hope is miffed that in this contemporary period of civilization, anyone could still be denied his freedom and right to his faith let alone being arrested for worshipping what he chooses to. Section 38 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and the right to manifest and propagate religion in worship, teaching, practice, and observance. Where then do the opponents of Isese in Ilorin derive their powers? Ilorin has a history of religious intolerance. For instance, many years ago, some adherents of the Christian faith who were on peaceful street procession on a Palm Sunday were ambushed and prevented from observing the Christian ritual.
FOR us, a situation whereby the current emir is breathing over the courts is worrisome. We are disappointed that that a man of his calibre who rose from the bench to the Court of Appeal could be seen criminally persecuting the innocent. As at today, three major religions exist in Nigeria and the oldest and indigeneous is the traditional religion while the other two were imported.
HOWEVER, we make bold to say that infractions have been committed by the three religious groups, so no religion is insulated from committing certain liabilities. Even the traditional religion adherents sometimes violate the constitution by imposing curfews on communities during certain festivals thereby infringing on the rights of non-adherents. We therefore condemn the use of religion by certain individuals to curtail the rights of others giving the impression that they are super humans while others are seen as devils.
THE Hope calls on the so-called religious leaders who use religion to oppress others to look inwards and purge themselves of certain tendencies inimical to the existence of our nation. We are in a democracy where freedom of individuals should be respected. Government has a responsibility to protect the rights of citizens and must do so sincerely.
THEREFORE, it should not allow person or group, no matter how influential, to use the instrument of state to clamp down on adherents of religions other than his while promoting his own religion in the most brazen manner.
