Posted by By Niyi Odebode on
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Tuesday called for the preservation of traditional shrines in Nigeria, describing the destruction of the shrines as religious intolerance.
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Tuesday called for the preservation of traditional shrines in Nigeria, describing the destruction of the shrines as religious intolerance.
Soyinka, who made this call at the inauguration of World Festival of Yoruba Arts and Culture, organised by Alaroye Group of Newspapers in Abeokuta, Ogun State, attributed religious crises and other problems in the world to intolerance.
Extolling the Yoruba Language, he described it as the number one language in the world."
The Nobel Laureate, who was one of the founders of the National Association of Seadogs, criticised the destruction of traditional shrines.
He said, The problem I have is, why is it, even in this multi-cultural, multi-religious nation, that they destroy traditional shrines; shrines that are not practising any evil?
If there is any evil cult, deal with it. But when you group Yoruba shrines among evil cultist practices, you are only displaying your ignorance."
Blaming religious crises on fundamentalism, Soyinka stated that all positive values in the world should be allowed to co-exist.
He said, Fundamentalism is the problem of the world today; fundamentalism, bigotry, intolerance, the conviction that yours is the truth or yours is the only way to the universal truth."
Soyinka noted that the Yoruba culture, which he said had much to offer, was deliberately being denigrated and misrepresented by other cultures.
Extolling the Yoruba culture, the Nobel Laureate stated that it had been extended to the Caribbean and Latin America.
According to him, in Cuba and Brazil, the Yoruba religion is practised side by side with the Roman Catholic religion.
He described tolerance as the recognition of the fact that there is space on this globe for every value as long as they are positive."
A university don, Prof. Akinwunmi Ishola, in a lecture at the event, blamed the elite and the political class for the denigration of the Yoruba culture.
He called for concerted efforts by the Yoruba to promote their culture, adding that youths must be proud of the culture.
In his speech, the Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, who was represented by his deputy, Alhaja Salimot Badru, commended the organiser of the festival.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Tourism, Prince Adeniji Adele, described Soyinka as a true Yoruba son.
At the festival, the Nobel Laureate was honoured as the global ambassador of the Yoruba culture.