Dear Ebrima,
I found this issue very interesting but at the same time very
disturbing,simply because the Soyinka I read to Know,is more of a progressive
person,than the one in your posting.I read some of Soyinkas works,and I know
part of his early works have been a confrontation with not only colonialism
but also neo colonialism.The polemic between him and the Negretude
movement,ala Senghore,who believed that everything black is perfect and
beautiful,black no problem,they romanticize the poverty of the African people
etc,etc,even though they continue to lay the condition for the continuing
exploitation and oppression of the African people ,is a good example.Soyinka
was not that type,I read to know him to be very real,you will find in his
works the realities of the African people and not necessary that of a specific
tribe,eg the Yorubas.He deals with the African problem from a realistic point
of view,he is a sincere and open minded African intellectuals. I am of the
opinion that the debate between the two might be a continuation of such a
principle,even though with a different agenda.This issue of religion that is
said to be their differences in my opinion ,is not speaking the whole
truth.Although it seems that Ali has an Arab background,and black African
radical intellectuals will never allow to exclude the Arabs from the
historical fact that, they too by using religion,Islam,have exploited and
enslave the African people.This has been a very sensitive issue within the Pan
African movement,it is still and have contributed in dividing the Pan African
movement.This is why many radical black African intellectuals are very
sceptical to Ali .So I think I am not surprise that he is trying to portray
Soyinka as an anti-Islamist,but the fact is that,Ali cant engaged in an
effort to rewrite our history and expect that our intellectuals be passive
onlookers,most of them are too sincere to accept this.It would have been
interesting to know what the reaction of Shiek Anta Jobe would have been in
this case.Accusing Soyinka of been a Yoruba nationalist might be too much.But
However the Soyinka ,I read to know is not a nationalist,his stands against
political oppression in Africa,and Nigeria in particular ,is far from being
nationalistic.He is among those who spoke openly against the Abacha
dictatorship,he was among those who spoke and defended Ken Saro and identify
him self with the suffering and struggle of the delta people.I might be
mistaking, because I know this man only through his works and as you said
Intellectuals are just human beings who can make mistakes and sometimes
serious mistakes.But until then, as you said in one of your postings,every one
is entitle to his own opinion,my opinion is different.
For Freedom
Saiks
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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