By Latiifah Amusan
A planned celebration of the Isese festival in Ilorin by the International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) has ignited a strong response from Islamic clerics in Kwara State.
The clerics, organized under the Council of Ulama in Kwara State, have likened the upcoming festival to cultural terrorism.
The Isese festival’s celebration in Ilorin, the state capital, which is schedule for August 20th, has caused concerns among Islamic leaders.
The Council of Ulama has issued a warning against the celebration and has urged those planning to participate to refrain from doing so.
The council’s spokesperson, Justice Salihu Mohammed, expressed that the youth wing of ICIR’s determination to hold the festival in Ilorin poses a potential threat to the security of lives and property across the state.
At a press conference attended by representatives of Imams and Alfas from all 16 local government areas of the state, Mohammed emphasized that the festival’s presence in Ilorin could have serious negative consequences for the peace and stability of Kwara State.
The Council of Ulama’s statement highlighted the importance of preserving the harmonious coexistence within the Ilorin Emirate.
They denounced attempts to impose imported practices on the community and warned that such actions could lead to a breakdown of law and order.
While clarifying their position, Mohammed emphasized that they were not against the celebration of the Isese festival but rather opposed its staging in Ilorin.
He underlined that Ilorin’s culture has evolved into a distinct Islamic culture, and urged organizers to consider locations where their celebration would be more appropriate.
The council appealed to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to address the potential threat to peace and security by directing state security agencies to take note of the situation.
The statement reads,
“Such activities would pollute the peace and tranquillity of the community as it is also been seen as invasion and an act of cultural imperialism
“We as leaders, we see merit in the position of the Muslim youths. We sincerely believe that it is unwise and wrong for non-resident communities to forcefully impose imported thoughts or practices on their hosts . This is repugnant to natural justice and it will certainly lead to the brake down of law and order
“We must make it abundantly clear that we are not against the celebration of Isese festival. What is important to let the whole World know is that we, the people of Ilorin, have absolutely nothing to do with it. We understand the motive of their sinister and abominable move but warn that Ilorin has had on
“The Emirate might be Yoruba-speaking, but it must be realized that its present culture is no longer that of Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, Nupe, or any other, but purely an Islamic culture., therefore, advise that they should allow peace reign across Nigeria. All we are saying is that it should not be held where the celebrators and celebration would not be welcomed. Ilorin is certainly not among the places that should be considered for such a festival”.
