By Steve Aborisade
I read Prof. Faroog Kperogi’s article and I did not find it as offensive as has been mostly projected.
First, this is because of his generalisation (a fallacy in reasoning), which betrays his supposed intelligence as a scholar. But we can excuse that. Another important thing was his undisguised bias.
These two factors alter his position as ordinary and as nothing to worry about. In elementary logic, we are told to distinguish between opinions from the newspaper stands as incomparable to those of well thinking members of society. Sadly, the professor’s article belongs in the realm of opinions you get in a typical newspaper stand by members of free readers association of Nigeria.
What looks like facts in his article are trends that apply to all religious bigots. Even as a Christian, I have had instances where my Christian brothers and sisters have suggested that I should change my name to ‘Abajesude’ (one that comes with Jesus) instead of Aborisade (one who comes with the gods of the land). In their reasoning, I am lost and needs deliverance.
These are Yoruba sons and daughters! Or which religion has faced the level of disdain directed at traditional religious beliefs? The fact is that for every religious bigot, it doesn’t matter what faith you profess. Once they see you are not exactly like them, you are simply not like them. How can that fact be lost on a Professor to turn this into a tribal peculiarity? See how sects of both Abrahamic religions treat each other.
The Shia sect are Muslims for instance, same as Jehova’s Witness, white garment churches are Christians. TB Joshua until his death struggled to be accepted into the fold of Christianity in the country. The common scriptures that should be a point of reference and bind them together is separately and preferentially interpreted.
You see some Christian sects who believe other Christians, not to talk of Muslims can’t make heaven. Same thing applied in the other faith.
May I use this opportunity to ask Prof. Kperoog to also come to the defense of Yoruba Muslims who are mostly treated as second class muslims by fellow muslims of some tribes who don’t even consider them true Muslims in the first place? The professor can’t pretend he is not aware of this. That to me should have been a more urgent issue of preoccupation as a true Muslim brother rather than speculating on how ‘minority Christians’ are maltreating ‘majority Muslims’ both of Yoruba origin (brothers who hardly see differences between each other irrespective of their faith).
The revelation from this article to me is simply that not every popular voice deserves attention while not all opinions by those who bear the tag ‘professor’ are necessarily sound.
*Steve Aborisade is a public affairs analyst