The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has urged religious leaders in the South-West to package Islamic and Christian religions in a manner that they would promote the culture of the Yoruba people rather than denegrate it.
The monarch made the call in a statement titled, ‘Package Islam, Christianity to promote pureness of Yorua culture,’ made available personally to our correspondent on Sunday.
Akanbi said it was lamentable that Christians and Muslims still regard some of the norms and values in the Yoruba culture as idolatory and unacceptable to God. This, he said, was capable of pushing the culture of the Yoruba people into extinction and abyss of history.
The monarch said, “When you wear ofi and use beads, the religious, most especially the fanatics, see you as idol worshippers. They start to suspect you. They dissociate from ardent users of Ofi cloth and beads.
“The belief of lumping our culture with idols is misrepresentation.
Yoruba culture is different from idol worshipping. Wearing of clothes made of ofi and use of neck and hand beads are parts of the rich Yoruba culture.
“These should be promoted by every Yoruba irrespective of the religious attachment. But, because our culture has been lumped up with idol worshipping, people of other faiths- Muslims and Christians have disociated themselves.
“If we, as Muslims and Christians, could embrace pure Yoruba culture and tradition, the ofi, the beads and other paraphernalia of unadulterated cultural richness, then, we hope to have a better friendly environment to the advantage of our rich heritage.
“I look forward to a day when students in Muslim and Christian schools will begin to wear cloths made of ofi. I look forward to a time when Islamic scholars will begin to use beads and wear Ofi clothes. We should ensure cleanliness so that it will be admired by our children.”
