By I.A., AbdurRaheem, Ibn al-Jazaree Institute, Ibadan, Oyo State
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
It has been a tug-of-war between some Muslims and some traditional worshippers (the Iseses) in Yorùbáland for some days now. There seems to be no end to this conflict in the coming days or months. Though the conflict's battleground has largely been the Internet being the new battleground of ideological and political war in the 21st century. Otherwise Yoruba towns and cities remain ever calm and quiet.
Obviously the Isese promoters don't usually have followership in the real world. Forget the noise, many people are not ready to identify with them. The few people who used to engage in it as seen as awkward people and alatenujes - people looking for what to eat. You would have seen one or two Yeye Osun sitting in a motor park beating gongs and making sundry incantations for people to drop money.
Many people of major Yoruba cities such as Ibadan, Iwo, Ede, Oshogbo (where Osun worship is domiciled), Ikire, Saki, Oyo, Iseyin, Igbeti, Kishi, Ìjẹ̀bú Ode, Ikire, Apomu, etc, are still predominantly Muslims, though Islam of different colours. In fact the bulk of those who engage in Egungun and Osun Festivals do claim to be Muslims. Therefore it will not be surprising when you see a lead Egungun man stopping by in a mosque to observe Salat and continuing his procession afterwards.
So the Internet drive is believed to be hypocritical moves of some Yoruba charlatans dancing to the tunes of some international agencies such as the UNESCO and others. The noise is therefore empty and mere chest beating.
When you see the Isese people gather during their festivals, like today which has been earmarked as their day, you don't feel the impact anywhere. It used to be a faked celebration to garner things from their foreign sponsors.
So the so-called Isese worshippers who are making 'brazen' efforts towards forceful promotion of their traditional worship such as Sango (the worship of thunder), Osun (the worship of river), Egungun (procession of masquerades), Oro (a secret cult belief whereby people are asked to stay at home for a particular period of time) etc, have seen the Muslims as their major stumbling blocks.
Some Christians have lent their voices in support of the Iseses under a false guise. In fact some of them on the Internet will say they are Christians but they want to reawaken the culture of their forefathers. Their are some Yoruba comedians on the social media parading themselves as pastors that actively support the Isese people.
The shenanigans of the Iseses today - which are a direct result of the act of a past governor of Osun State who gave them a state recognition and who started an August 20 Isese Day for them - culminated in their demand and active efforts to see Isese practices being taken to Ilorin, capital of Kwara State. There was a similar effort during President Obasanjo's regime.
Ilorin is a Muslim city in North Central Nigeria with religious and cultural affiliations with the Northern part of Nigeria though linguistically a Yoruba speaking city. There had never been Isese worship there since it came under the emirate Islamic system. An emirate system owns its nomenclature to 'Ameer' - ruler - in the Arabic cum Islamic parlance.
The Iseses have sought to enforce the worship of Isese in Ilorin 'militarily' and by all means possible. They have never minded if the process will lead to war and clashes. Efforts that have been constantly and vehemently resisted by the Ilorin.
In the past weeks, the Iseses Confraternity led by some people in Yorùbáland have vowed to bring Yemoja Worship to Ilorin after an Osun woman was stopped by some Muslims from turning a river in Ilorin to an Ojúbo - a place to start the paraphernalia of Yemoja worship.
One of the people that have been making vows to ensure that Isese practice is taken to Ilorin is one Adegbola Abdulazeez a.k.a Tani Ọlá»hun (Who is God?). This fellow, based in Ilupeju Area of Ibadan, who claimed to be a former Muslim, had been very critical of Islam and the Muslims in the past. He had once burnt some sheets of the Quraan in public saying he wanted to see how Allaah would punish him in the process. He has always been speaking foul of the Islamic belief desecrating everything about Islam.
He also extended his morbid hatred for Islam to some Muslim personalities in the South West and Ilorin, defaming and telling lies about them. Though there were some of his statements against some other Muslim personalities that are not totally untrue. For instance, there are some so called Muslim scholars in Ilorin who themselves have uttered some blasphemous statements about Islam which Tani Ọlá»hun used against them. But generally speaking, 'Tani Ọlá»hun' crossed the bounds.
So it was no surprise when he was arrested some days ago in Ilorin when he went there in a preparation for the planned Isese activities in Ilorin. He was eventually charged to court for Criminal Defamation and Other Related Offences and kept in Correctional Service Custody till October 5, 2023. Since his legal detention the Isese adherents have been threatening fire and brimstones.
It is noteworthy that the authorities have banned the planned Isese celebrations in Ilorin because of the apparent harm it could bring. There is no doubt that it can lead to massive break down of law and order. The security agencies have been very proactive in that regards. Kudos to them.
But this recent disturbance from the Isese activists has called for a question of 'why the sudden hatred for Islam, a religion that has been coexisting with Christianity and Isese Worship for more than a century in Yorùbáland?'
This series is aimed at looking at Islam in Yorùbáland and its struggles with its 'neighbours' since all this while.
