The Yoruba people have, for centuries, nurtured a rich cultural and religious heritage built on diversity, coexistence and mutual respect. Across generations, Yoruba communities have accommodated Isese, Islam and Christianity while preserving a shared identity rooted in language, customs, family values and communal bonds.
However, increasing instances of inflammatory rhetoric and religious provocation by individuals claiming to speak for Isese or Christianity are raising concerns about the future of peaceful coexistence among Yoruba Muslims, Christians and traditional worshippers.
Traditional rulers, religious leaders and community authorities have a responsibility to address such tendencies before they degenerate into religious hostility, social division or violence.
The issue is not the legitimacy of Isese, Christianity or Islam. Rather, it is about distinguishing genuine religious and cultural expression from the deliberate use of religion or culture as a platform for incitement against another faith community.
A shared Yoruba heritage
Yoruba society has never been defined by a single religion. Islam has existed among the Yoruba for centuries, Christianity later became firmly established, and traditional religion remains an integral part of its heritage.
Many families reflect this diversity. It is common to find members of the same extended family practising Islam, Christianity and traditional religion. Across many communities, adherents of different faiths attend one another’s ceremonies, maintain family ties and participate in cultural activities together.
This long history of coexistence should not be sacrificed to the rhetoric of a few individuals seeking to portray one religious group as the enemy of another.
Yoruba traditional rulers, in particular, occupy a unique position in maintaining social harmony. Their palaces should remain centres of peace, justice and cultural unity, not platforms for religious confrontation.
The danger of religious provocation
When individuals use the language of hatred, conflict or collective punishment against Muslims because of their beliefs or practices, they cross the line from legitimate religious debate into dangerous provocation.
The same principle applies when Muslims or Christians attack traditional worshippers or denigrate their beliefs.
Freedom of religion and expression allows people to profess and defend their faith. It does not confer the right to incite hostility against an entire religious community.
Yoruba traditional and religious leaders must therefore remain vigilant whenever anyone attempts to hide behind Isese, Christianity or any other faith to promote hatred.
The overwhelming majority of Yoruba traditional worshippers and Christians should not be judged by the actions of a few provocateurs. Nevertheless, responsible leaders must ensure that individuals claiming to represent their communities do not exploit religious identity to inflame tensions.
Traditional rulers must speak clearly
Yoruba traditional rulers have historically preserved peace and mediated conflicts. Their influence extends beyond religious affiliation. They should therefore speak unequivocally against any attempt to turn the tribe’s religious diversity into a source of conflict.
A traditional ruler presiding over a community of Muslims, Christians and traditional worshippers has a duty to protect all residents equally. Such leadership demands neutrality, fairness and an unwavering commitment to peaceful coexistence.
Traditional institutions should never permit their platforms to become vehicles for religious hate speech. Where inflammatory statements are made in their name or within their domains, they should publicly distance themselves from such remarks and, where necessary, sanction those responsible in accordance with established laws and customs.
Religious leaders must also act
Christian and Muslim leaders share similar responsibilities.
Christian leaders should discourage anyone from using Christianity as a cover to attack Muslims or traditional worshippers. Likewise, Muslim scholars should prevent members of their communities from responding to provocation with further provocation.
Religious leadership is not only about defending doctrine. It is also about teaching restraint, compassion, dignity and respect for others.
In a religiously diverse society, responsible leaders should emphasise what unites communities rather than what divides them.
Yoruba Muslims are part of the Yoruba identity
Yoruba Muslims are an integral part of Yoruba society. They are not outsiders to Yoruba culture because of their faith.
They speak the Yoruba language, participate in Yoruba cultural traditions and contribute significantly to education, commerce, politics, public service and community development.
Any attempt to portray Yoruba Muslims as enemies of Yoruba culture is historically and socially inaccurate.
Being Muslim does not make a Yoruba person less Yoruba. Neither does being Christian or a traditional worshipper.
Yoruba identity transcends religious affiliation.
Isese must not be used for religious conflict
The renewed interest in Isese and Yoruba traditional culture can be a positive development when it promotes cultural preservation, historical awareness and respect for indigenous heritage.
However, cultural revival must not become a campaign against Muslims or Christians.
The strength of Isese does not depend on the humiliation or persecution of another faith. Likewise, preserving Yoruba culture does not require excluding Yoruba Muslims, who are themselves part of the historical and cultural fabric of the Yoruba people.
Both tradition and Nigeria’s Constitution guarantee freedom of religion. This aligns with the Qur’anic principle: “Lakum deenukum wa liya deen” (“To you your religion, and to me mine”) (Qur’an 109:6), which underscores peaceful coexistence despite religious differences.
Traditional leaders and custodians of Yoruba heritage should therefore ensure that cultural platforms promote knowledge, identity and peaceful coexistence rather than hostility.
The same standard applies to Christianity
Christianity has made significant contributions to Yoruba society, particularly in education, healthcare and social services.
However, Christian leaders must also ensure that individuals do not misuse the faith to demonise Muslims or traditional worshippers.
Christianity should not become a weapon for religious confrontation through the spread of misinformation or the distortion of Islamic teachings, just as Isese should not be weaponised against Islam.
The same standard must apply to all.
Dialogue, not religious warfare
Religious differences are inevitable. What matters is how they are managed.
Yoruba traditional rulers and religious leaders should encourage interfaith dialogue and establish mechanisms for resolving grievances before they escalate.
Disagreements over religious practices, public ceremonies, traditional institutions or cultural matters should be resolved through dialogue, the rule of law and mutual respect.
The language of war has no place in a society where Muslims, Christians and traditional worshippers share common ancestry and live side by side.
A call for responsible leadership
The present generation of Yoruba leaders has a responsibility to preserve the peaceful coexistence inherited from previous generations.
Traditional rulers should condemn inflammatory statements made in the name of Isese. Christian leaders should reject attempts to use Christianity to incite hatred against Muslims. Muslim leaders should equally condemn provocative rhetoric from within their own communities.
No religious group should be collectively blamed for the actions of individuals.
The Yoruba people have too much shared history, culture and identity to allow extremists and provocateurs to destroy their social bonds.
The message is simple: Isese must not be weaponised against Islam. Christianity must not be weaponised against Islam. Islam must not be weaponised against Christianity or Isese.
Yoruba society can embrace all three traditions without allowing any of them to become a vehicle for hatred.
The future of the Yoruba people depends not on religious uniformity but on mutual respect, responsible leadership and peaceful coexistence.
Those who truly cherish Yoruba culture should reject every attempt to turn religion into a battlefield. Preserving Yoruba identity should remain a unifying project that recognises the dignity and belonging of every Yoruba person, regardless of whether they practise Isese, Islam or Christianity.
Bashir Adefaka, a prince of two Ondo State kingdoms, is a media proprietor and publisher of The DEFENDER Newspaper.
