Gambia L,
If you could recall, I did say, the other day, that Wole Soyinka is a devout
Christian and Ali Mazrui a devout Muslim, but my good brother Latjorr Ndow
held a different view.
Well, a short while ago, I decided to contact Professor Karin Barber, who is
now the Director of the Centre of West African Studies, University of
Birmingham, and asked her whether or not, it was fair to refer to Wole
Soyinka as a "devout Christian" as I already did.
But before giving you her answer to my enquiries, I'll introduce Karin
briefly, so that people would know that she is a competent person to talk
about Wole Soyinka and the Yorubas.
For your information, professor Karin Barber's research interests are the
sociology of literature and popular culture, with special reference to the
Yoruba-speaking area of Nigeria.
She researched and taught for many at the University of Ife, now Obafemi
University, and has undertaken extensive fieldwork on Yoruba oral
literature, religious ideas and practices, and popular travelling theatre.
She is recognised as a leading scholar in these fields, has supervised
research students on a wide range of topics relating to them.
So this was how my conversation with her went a short while ago: "Karin,
Ebrima here..... Tell me, was I right or wrong in calling Wole Soyinka a
devout Christian," I had asked her.
And she replied: "Well, Wole Soyinka is surely from a very strong Christian
background; in fact, I know his family in Nigeria well, and I do know, for a
fact, that they are very good practising Christians. Wole himself was also
brought up as a Christian; but I understand he now uses an African religion
(Yoruba) as well, and in fact he feels very strongly about it"...
Asked further whether I was right or wrong in accusing him of having a
pro-Yoruba agenda/bias, but because I am not sure whether her answer was off
the record or on the record, I have decided to withhold it. But it was
certainly an interesting anwswer anyway!!
Actually, the conservation between Karin and myself was longer than this,
but some of it, unfortunately, was off the record.
I also contacted - this morning - a veteran professor of African studies who
is keenly following the Soyinka/Ali Mazrui debate, but he however wishes to
remain anonymous. All the same, he said, in his view too, religious
differences were certainly PART of the root cause of the animosity between
these two "great" African scholars.
He said while Wole Soyinka's works hardly conveys his religious beliefs, he,
nonetheless, strongly believes and defends his religion at all times. He has
always accused Ali Mazrui of marginalising the African traditional religions
and christianity as well, the professor added.
Equally, Ali Mazrui is a very strong believer and defender of Islam. So it
is very fair to say, according to this veteran professor, that differences
in religion or beliefs have indeed been ONE of the MAJOR root causes of the
hostility between the two scholars.
"But now there is more to it than just religion", the veteran professor
declared.
I hope this clarification would help some of us, and surely this would
certainly be my last piece on this sensitive subject!! We have far more
important issues to address than this one.
Ebrima Ceesay
>From: latjor ndow <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: The Root Cause of the animosity between Mazrui & Soyinka
>Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2000 10:13:20 PST
>
>I am not sure if the fight between Soyinka and Mazrui can be neatly bottled
>into a christian vs. muslim paradigm as Ebrima seems to suggest. If one
>wishes to understand fully the debate, I would think that the works of
>these
>writers must be an integral part to one's analysis of the situation or as
>Mr. Ceesay puts it, one's "interpretative journalism"!
>Just wondering if Mr. Ceesay has read Soyinka's works? If so what is
>christian about Soyinka's works? Does Soyinka's works not utilize a
>traditional African religious (i.e. Yoruba) backdrop more so than a
>christian one?
>
>Latjor
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