Wole Soyinka urges the emir of Ilorin to apologise and make peace with the Osun priestess.
The playwright on Thursday said the emir’s action is an assault on civilized conduct.
But the Ilorin Muslim group vowed not to allow the celebration anywhere in the five local government areas of Kwara that constitute the Ilorin emirate.Speaking on the controversy, Mr Soyinka said it is sad to see the ancient city of Ilorin, a confluence of faiths and ethnic varieties, reduced to this level of bigotry and intolerance, manifested in the role of a presiding monarch.
“Not once, in my entire span of existence, have I encountered pronouncements by followers of any faith that the slaughtering of rams on the streets and market places is an offence to their concept of godhead. Vegetarians hold their peace. Buddhists walk a different path. Mr Soyinka said he presently teaches in Abu Dhabi in the Emirates where the Islamic religion originated, and the system is inclusive.
“It is conduct like this that has turned, before our very eyes, a once ecumenical city like Kaduna into a blood-stained mockery of cohabitation. It is conduct like this that makes it possible for a young student, Deborah, to be lynched in the very presence of armed police, on mere allegation of having belittled the image of a revered prophet.
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