The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, has said the Yoruba never allow religion to creep into politics, and that the region was the first to internalise religion and still practise secularism by allowing other religious denominations to practise their faith without any hindrance.
The monarch stated this at the inauguration of Ayisat Aweni Raji Memorial Islamic Centre in Iseyin, Oyo State.
Oba Adeyemi, who noted that this form of secularism had spread into extended and in some cases nuclear families where siblings of the same parenthood share different religions, said they do not allow this to hurt their social relations and responsibilities.
It is for this reason , he pointed out that, religious crises are not only strange but alien to Yoruba Culture where family members are adherents of both Islam, Christianity , including those of traditional religion.
“To us in Yorubaland, it is a relationship between each individual and his or her Creator in the Celestial world . I can only advise all other ethnic communities on the country to learn from Yoruba inter- religious harmony”.
Alaafin congratulated Barrister Ahmed Raji (SAN) and ailso admonished him not to relent in his efforts, commitment and devotion to the service of God.
“He serves Allah not only with his physical body, but material resources. The money he spent on building this magnificent mosques could have been converted to building a factory or industry that would have been been bringing worldly dividends to his accounts. But to him, the best dividend is from those investments to the service of Allah”.
Oba Adeyemi also lauded the boldness and courage of the Sultan of Sokoto, and President General of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, His Eminence, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, describing him as “a leader of his people when it comes to speaking the truth to the authority”.
In his address, the Sultan of Sokoto called on Nigerians to be their brothers’ keepers and live harmoniously devoid of ethnic or religious acrimony.
Said he: “In unity lies the strength as nothing can be achieved in an atmosphere of rancour and violence. We must do all as leaders to be above board at all times, and also imbibe in the people we lead to abide by such habits and refrain from fanning embers of destabilisation. This does not follow the tenets of Islam as a religion”.
