Please I don't need tribal wars here, but I'm about to state this information.
Don't be sentimental, just think about it and ask yourself if this is true.


The Yorubas occupying the southwestern region of Nigeria has been known to be the most religious liberal region in the West African country.
This liberalism can be traced to be enshrined in their rich culture. While this liberalism is a feat to praise and gloat about amongst the tribe and perhaps other ethnic groups, many people, even the yorubas, are not yet to know why this liberalism is imbibed in the region than any other areas in Nigeria. Colonization has a major part to play in this discourse.

The major reason for this religious liberalism can be pointed to the link with colonization. Which colonization? European colonization? Negative. Far from it.
The fulanis that infiltrated the country dating centuries ago from the Sahel, after taking hold of the Hausas, the natives of the extreme northern regions of the country, made a religious incursion into the Yoruba lines with their ancient religion of Islam.
Prior to this inroad southwesterly they saw that the Yorubas were majorly Traditionalists who believed more in worship of voodoo figures, and Christianity would later make a mix in the religious landscapes. This fulani colonization through religious conquest made many Yorubas to take up Islam but still retained their traditional religion. Others who were not taken by the adulteration became Christians because of the western missions.

This is the naked truth which resulted to the reason why you can see Yorubas who practice Islam and Christianity, but would invariably mix it with their traditional religion. Virtually many of the moslems in the region have a link to voodooism. Some Christians there go to their many churches with talismans or 'Charms', as Nigerians term it, tied underneath their clothes.
This religious mix watered their resolve in that regard and provided a type of liberalism or docility in the religious lines.
There has been a saying that this liberalism was also caused by the Fulanis who wanted to have Islam proliferated to other Yorubas and other regions of the country. This unverified rumor has it that in order for the Fulanis' foreign religion to thrive, the Yorubas must be made to intermarry with others, especially the Christians. Though the Fulanis do not intermarry with Christians, but they allowed Yorubas to do the obverse for their religion to wax stalwart in the region.
Many have questioned the rationale behind this intermarriage, some asked how a faithful or staunch moslems or Christian would intermarry.
Other tribes in the black nation has criticized the mix by saying that this liberalism is because the Yorubas are not to be trusted, that they, in the words of some, "stand on the fence, if not how can a good Christian agree to marry a moslem, no matter how long they have been friends".

Having traveled to countries, it seems this religious liberalism in marriage is mostly practised amongst the Yorubas. Even more civilized countries that have, over time, developed secularism and tolerance, still have some inhibitions in religious intermarriage, especially between the two main religions: Christianity and Islam. But despite the apparent slow pace of civilization in the Sub-Saharan country, the southwestern demographic has stood out in this religious practice. What reasons chosen to buttress personal opinions concerning this would need to be studied more.
Ergo, this is what is left to unravel about how deep this secularism has gone in the cultureligious view of the Yorubas.





...............David Piee

I for agreed with you total but that part you said other tribes in the black nation has criticized the mix by saying that this liberalism is because the Yorubas are not to be trusted, that they, in the words of some, "stand on the fence, if not how can a good Christian agree to marry a moslem, no matter how long they have been friends". off me

Yoruba Ronú

I think it happens because yoruba believe in many gods. In my village in those days we have people worshipping Ogun, sango, oya, Osun, obatala, orisa oko, yemoja,egungun etc. You can even worship as many gods as you can. Nobody will criticise other gods or their worshippers. We did things in common unmolested. It Is Christianity and Islam that brought intolerance.

PlayerMeji:
Yoruba Ronú

Please What is the meaning of Yoruba ronu

This write up unfortunately is standing ( or crumbling) on false legs:

False leg 1:- the Fulani jihad NEVER brought Islam into Yorubaland. Islam was brought by liberal Black African traders from Mali , whom Yoruba's called Male ( hence Imale).
The Fulanis simply were terrorists who came to kill, steal and rape. They were stopped at Ilorin by Yoruba warriors.

False leg 2:- the Yoruba civilisation forbids discrimination in terms of religion. Hence , we could have Sango, Ogun, Ifa, Obatala, and Yemoja devotees all in one family. This later spread to the new religions of Christianity and Islam. Yoruba's never fought the wars of insanity of religions, unlike the "chosen ones" ( deluded ones): Arabs and Europeans. It was an abomination.

This shows that the writer has no thorough understanding of the Yoruba's, and his/her write up should simply be ...trashed and forgotten.