Religious violence: Soyinka wants hate preachers punished

Noble Laureate, Wole Soyinka, on Thursday said until religious leaders who preach hate are arrested and prosecuted, religious violence will persist.

Soyinka said this while delivering a lecture on “Culture at risk” at the University of Benin, Edo State.

Soyinka said religious extremism stems from violent teachings by religious leaders.

He explained, “In my view, it is that toxin injected into the social consciousness of the followers of that religion that has resulted in the murder of innocent citizens. Is there something called vicarious guilt or not?”

“Should we be surprised and start condemning some stupid young fellows who took the law into their own hands and burnt eight people alive, who were not even part of the original scenario?

“I call them stupid and a disgrace to their school, Abdu Gusau Polytechnic. I say they are stupid and a disgrace to learning anywhere because even a child who lives in a community must understand  ‎that if you want to create a serious fight between two people, just say that the individual you are targeting has abused your mother. It is as elementary as that.”

Soyinka said terrorist group, Boko Haram was borne out of such teachings.

“It is this kind of mentality that created Boko Haram and all its seedling, the sense of intolerance, the failure to understand that you are just another ‎member of society and you have no right over another human being.

“My view is that we can complain, we can protest, we can condemn as much as we want. Until those who are guilty even of vicarious liability, when a murder is committed, are brought to book and made to apologise to the whole nation and do penance, such cannot stop,” he added.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

cool good eh love2 cute confused notgood numb disgusting fail