I was going through the Interview Tunde Kelani did at the African Fil Festival of New York in 2004 and something caught my attention.

He was asked about his childhood while growing up and he said the below:
"But living in that community exposed me to other ways of life, and I learned quite early that we all lived together, no matter our beliefs. We had Christians, Moslems and people who observed traditional religion in the same compound, wall to wall, and I knew everyone.

Kasali, the apala drummer’s mother, was a Shango worshipper whose house was directly opposite our house. Alabi and his family, on our left, were egungun worshippers. Erinkitola of the same egungun cult lived in the compound behind them. They were proud of their beliefs and refused to be converted to any of the imported religions.

My family was converted to Islam a long time ago, and the other house on our right was occupied by Christians. Also our great uncle, who was an Abeokuta chief, the Odofin, was a Christian. But we all shared the same communal open ground, now shrunken, and shared in all the festivals. During the Muslim Ramadan festivals, the others would join, and then the Sango festival of course, we all took part without any inhibition at all. There was that spirit of tolerance."

I have been thinking right from that moment as to what could be the reason why the Yorubas exhibit this high tolerance level. In a Yoruba family, you will see mixtures of both religion who coexists peacefully devoid of any animosity.

This is a big deal because among ethnic group and races in the world, I am very sure the Yorubas will be among the top 2 ethnic group that exhibit the highest level of religious tolerance. I can't be wrong if I say the Yorubas are the first in the world in terms of tolerance.

So brethen, do you know anyone that have done this as a research in our citadel of learning that can help me crack the reason? Something would have happened in the days of our ancestors to warrant this kind of feat.

Please comment below as to what you think might be the reason for the religious tolerance among the Yorubas.

I think it has to do with the culture itself.

Ok

Thought about same thing yesterday...

We live together in peace and harmony irrespective of our religions/beliefs

Most ethnic groups in Nigeria are religious tolerant including Igbos, Hausa and Fulani.

The problem is the spread of fanatical Islam from Saudi/Egypt.

Igbos spread outside southern Nigeria are actually open minded.

Yes we are tolerance but not totally.

Our muslim brothers hate we Yoruba christians,they will side northern muslims against us anytime and any day.

If not that we Yoruba christians are always trying to maintain peace,there would be war between us and them every day.




If i tell you what i went true in the hand of a muslim family,all because am a christian.

Anyway they can now marry their own daughter.

Tranquillity360:
Yes we are tolerance but not totally.

Our muslim brothers hate we Yoruba christians,they will side northern muslims against us anytime and any day.

If not that we Yoruba christians are always trying to maintain peace,there would be war between us and them every day.




If i tell you what i went true in the hand of a muslim family,all because am a christian.

Anyway they can now marry their own daughter.

When did you suddenly became a Yoruba?

Ain't you proud of your Igbo heritage anymore?

I beg you, I don't want this thread to go the way of tribal slurs. If you don't have any meaningful thing to say, just observe behind the scenes.

Tranquillity360:
Afonja can we see the audio?

Tranquillity360:
Yes we are tolerance but not totally.

Our muslim brothers hate we Yoruba christians,they will side northern muslims against us anytime and any day.

If not that we Yoruba christians are always trying to maintain peace,there would be war between us and them every day.




If i tell you what i went true in the hand of a muslim family,all because am a christian.

Anyway they can now marry their own daughter.

Be proud of your region even if it's the Poverty headquarter of Southern part of Nigeria..

Metaphysical what do you think is the reason?

I can perfectly relate, when I completed my NYSC in 2008, I had the options of staying at my elder brother's big and spacious apartment in Kubwa, move back to Ikare and continue being a big boy in my mum's store, or join my friend, Abdul (a Muslim) in his one room rented apartment in lugbe. I moved in with Abdul. We lived together happily for 5 years, we did everything together in the small room, whenever it was time for his prayers, I respect paused the TV, until he's done, he did same too anytime I was praying my Christian prayer. On Christmas, we cook and eat together and did same on sallah without fuss.

And then exhibit low level of 'human skull intactness' tolerance.

Wonderful.

You r right,my neighbors wives r Christian,the husband is a Muslim,while their children are mixed Muslim/ Christian (funny) what burst my head is the man drives them to church every Sunday, when it's time for Christmas they will cook,so also ileya.

Is just a matter of time, the few Muslims among them have started practicing Islamic terrorism

Well, I think it's culture.
Our culture allows free will, non discrimination, respect, tolerance etc.

During Christians festivals, Muslim join us to celebrate.

Same as Muslim festivals, we join the Muslims to celebrate (Come July 31, I go eat Sallah meat )

during traditional festivals, both Christians and Muslims celebrate.

Then another thing I notice is our earlierst form of education also helps.
For example, If we believe Jesus / Elijah rise up to heaven, and Prophet Muhammed rode on donkey in the sky / Cut the moon into two (I've forgotten how it was written sha), why shouldn't we believe that Sango strikes too or Obatala came from heaven via chain?

The answer is basically we respect people lives. And individuals opinion can't be totally ignored.

IamPatriotic:
I can perfectly relate, when I completed my NYSC in 2008, I had the options of staying at my elder brother's big and spacious apartment in Kubwa, move back to Ikare and continue being a big boy in my mum's store, or join my friend, Abdul (a Muslim) in his one room rented apartment in lugbe. I moved in with Abdul. We lived together happily for 5 years, we did everything together in the small room, whenever it was time for his prayers, I respect paused the TV, until he's done, he did same too anytime I was praying my Christian prayer. On Christmas, we cook and eat together and did same on sallah without fuss.

You are definitely right. It’s inherent in us and one thing about us is that we don’t even know how much of a big deal that is.

When you see how people fight over religion and how much animosity that follows religious difference among some tribe and race, then you will appreciate the Yoruba tolerance more.

We have been blessed and we should guard our heritage proudly and make sure our generations never deviate from the religious love our ancestors bestowed upon us.

LegendHero:


You are definitely right. It’s inherent in us and one thing about us is that we don’t even know how much of a big deal that is.

When you see how people fight over religion and how much animosity that follows religious difference among some tribe and race, then you will appreciate the Yoruba tolerance more.

We have been blessed and we should guard our heritage proudly and make sure our generations never deviate from the religious love our ancestors bestowed upon us.

There have been many studies about it.
Cos some years back few men came to Ondo town then aout 6yorubas and 4whites, department of African studies or so( can't remember)

I think they select some towns and did surveys, cos I learnt they went to Ede.

LegendHero:


When did you suddenly became a Yoruba?

Ain't you proud of your Igbo heritage anymore?

I beg you, I don't want this thread to go the way of tribal slurs. If you don't have any meaningful thing to say, just observe behind the scenes.

And you have to edit my quote just to cover the truth.

I can confidently say you are a muslim.


If not that we Yoruba christians always go for peace,i don't think our region will be peaceful as it is.

helinues:


Be proud of your region even if it's the Poverty headquarter of Southern part of Nigeria..

See this one.you think every yoruba will be as hateful as you.


I don't think you are even a Yoruba man.


You muslims are the problem we have here in
south west.

Tranquillity360:
And you have to edit my quote just to cover the truth.

I can confidently say you are a muslim.


If not that we Yoruba christians always go for peace,i don't think our region will be peaceful as it is.

You're a Yoruba right?

What is the meaning of this statement

Oba waja
Akara ti tu sinu epo

And again, there is nothing like Yoruba Muslims or Yoruba Christians
I keep telling you, you can't divide Yorubas along religious lines , find another means.

Tranquility360, don't run away nah come and answer my question.

Shebi, you are Yoruba?

Or, you went to ask your Yoruba friends

Yoruba's are theist, the psychological hold the traditional believe had on them is greater than what 70 years of colonisation could erode.

Tranquillity360:
And you have to edit my quote just to cover the truth.

I can confidently say you are a muslim.


If not that we Yoruba christians always go for peace,i don't think our region will be peaceful as it is.

LOL.

Did I also edit your post in this?

Iwa lesin as a yoruba adage. Culture is above religion. Culture is a way of life .our culture is our guidelines, despite the fact that we dont have it written down.

I guess muric also has the tolerance

It may seem so, but when you scratch the surface of this so called "tolerance" and dig deeper... you will unearth a deep seething distrust (I wouldn't say hatred as the language and tribe always manages to give Yorubas of different religious backgrounds some semblance of unity), but some animosity sure does exist among Yorubas of different religions.

I will use this real life experience as my example, I work with two Yorubas, one lady from Ekiti who is Christian, a core Redeemed goer. The other one is from Oyo state, and he's a Muslim at least from his name (Azeez). Those two no dey take eyes see each other, they only communicate in Yoruba just for the sake of it, but once the Azeez fellow clocks out and I work with the Ekiti lady... she openly spites the guy and doesn't hide her disdain for him (for reasons best known to her), although she has on occasions dropped some hints that suggests she doesn't really like him cause he's a Muslim.

The Yoruba girl I used to date always got very ANGRY whenever I joked about converting to Islam, she even made it clear in no uncertain terms that she won't raise her kids with a Muslim guy.

Now maybe these two scenarios among several experiences I have seen similar to my work colleagues are too miniscule to mean much in the larger scheme of things... but you will be absolutely fooling to think some degree of mutual disdain and distrust doesn't exist among Yorubas of different faiths- particularly the Christians and Muslims... I don't know much about the traditional worshippers.

But yoruba Muslims are always fighting Yoruba Christians in South West States na

Sammy07:


You're a Yoruba right?

What is the meaning of this statement

Oba waja
Akara ti tu sinu epo

And again, there is nothing like Yoruba Muslims or Yoruba Christians
I keep telling you, you can't divide Yorubas along religious lines , find another means.

Muric is what?


Yoruba Arabia or Muslim yorubas?