Naijafavourite
Religious intolerance poses a threat to peace and security worldwide. In Nigeria, religious rivalry often leads to attacks. Despite recent calm, signs of religious impatience persist. Afrobeats star Davido faced criticism after sharing a music video featuring men dancing in front of a mosque. Some Muslims found it offensive and demanded an apology. However, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka argued that Davido does not owe Muslims an apology, citing offensive comments made by former Governor Nasir El Rufai against Christians. This incident highlights the importance of respecting different religions and avoiding religious insensitivities to prevent violence and promote understanding.
The rise of religious intolerance worldwide poses a threat to the peace and security of lives and properties globally. In Nigeria, a country with multiple religions coexisting, there have been instances of rivalry attacks in the past. While calm may seem to prevail now, there are still unnoticed signs of religious impatience. It is essential to shed light on these issues to prevent potential destruction.
Afrobeats Star David Adedeji Adeleke, also known as “Davido,” recently faced criticism after sharing a snippet of a music video by his record label’s signee, Logos Olori (real name Olamilekan Taiwo). The video showed men dancing in front of a mosque instead of praying, which offended some Muslim devotees. Despite deleting the video, calls for a public apology continue.
Davido is the founder and CEO of Davido Music Worldwide (DMW), a Nigerian music record label established in April 2016.
In response to the controversy, Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka released a statement urging Davido to ignore calls for an apology. Soyinka cited a previous offensive comment made by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El Rufai towards Christians for which no apology was demanded.
Soyinka emphasized that Davido does not owe Muslims an apology, stating, “It wasn’t Davido’s music that lynched Deborah Yakubu, a second-year Christian college student who was killed by a mob of Muslim students in Sokoto last year over alleged blasphemy.”
This incident highlights the importance of respecting and appreciating the differences in people’s beliefs, values, and cultural practices. The issue of religious insensitivity will persist unless there is greater tolerance and respect for other religions.
