By Kunle Kalejaye
I am an ijebu Christian. I bring this distinction as I will show anon that both Christians and Muslims in the context of communal relationship has no distinction. We relate as if the two religions are the same.
The much-celebrated Ojude Oba festival has its roots in the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha.Eid al-Adha[a] (Arabic: عيد الأضحى, romanized: ʿĪd al-ʾAḍḥā, lit. ’Feast of the Sacrifice’) is the second of the two main festivals in Islam, alongside Eid al-Fitr. It falls on the 10th of Dhu’l-Hijja, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar.
For us in Ijebuland, Ileya is everyone’s festival, whether you are a Christian, a Muslim or an animist.
Within my extended family in Ilese-Ijebu, our branch of the Lajoogan family is the only Christian branch. The other branches are all Muslims.
In my town, Ilese-Ijebu, the Christian Boys Brigade would, as early as 7 am on Ileya day, take their drums and visit the houses of all the Muslim leaders and imams and beat the drums to Muslim music, accompanying them to the Eid praying grounds. All the Christian leaders, with priests in their cassocks, will also follow and stand at the side of the praying ground whilst the Muslims offer their prayers. As a village lad, it was a festival that my folks and I looked forward to.
After the Eid prayers, we boys now go from house to house of our cousins and relations to help in skinning the rams. We collect what is known as “eeja” as gifts for helping out! The eeja, if you are fast in running around about five families and helping out, could provide your protein needs for a whole month!
After the eeja runs, we now retire home with an exercise book to take note of those that will bring fresh meat, cooked or fried meat, cooked rice, etc. for our parents. This list would be kept till Odun Nla (New Year) when Christians will now slaughter their own rams or chickens, which will be returned as gifts to those who gave us Ileya meat or gifts.
Life was interesting, uncomplicated and fun.
In my interactions with my children and grandchildren, I have regaled them with how interesting it was growing up in a multi-religious society, where no religion is allowed to bully the other! The terrible Egungun masquerade, which went to disturb the Muslims during their daily prayers during Ramadan, was banned from being seen in public for seven years!
This morning, my grandson called me and threw some questions that I need another lecture to explain.
This boy is a mnemonist: a person with an exceptional ability to remember large lists of data and general information. He would ask questions, drawing upon my earlier statements, some made when he was about six years old.
My grandson wanted to know if, indeed, as I told him, there are good Christians and bad Christians, good Muslims and bad Muslims, good traditionalists and bad traditionalists, why in Nigeria people who claim to be religious are doing bad things! Conscious that my eleven-year-old is laying a mine for me, I changed my tone. I asked him gently, ‘My son, what do you suggest we do to end this phenomenon?’ He waited for ages, and I could nearly hear the components of his brain clinking. He said in a quiet voice, ‘Grandpa, get your government to outlaw all religions so the bad ones have nothing to latch on to do evil!!!
So here is the solution from a kid’s mind: outlaw all religions and bring an end to terrorism in the name of any religion.
My grandson asked if I agreed with his suggestion. I told him no. I told him that being religious does not mean that you are godly. So he fired back: then scrap religion; God will not mind!!!! Religion is not our problem. ‘What then is the problem?’ he asked. I feigned being tired and asked about his siblings. I was about to ring off when his tiny musical voice asked me, ‘Grandpa, how do you solve the problem and rescue all the kids in captivity?’ I have no answer to that. All I told him before was that religion gave us peace when I was growing up. Now I don’t even know!
Asiwaju Kalejaye, a senior advocate of Nigeria, is the Chairman of Eagle102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu
