CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Nigeria presently is faced withenormous challenges to peace and stability than ever before. The different regions in the country, the Northern part of the country, the South West, and the Niger Delta, are a volatile mix of insecurity, ethno-religious conflict and political instability. A large number have been wiped away in conflict between the two major religious groups stimulated by various events: the implementation in 2011 and 2013 of Sharia, or Islamic law, in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states; aggressive campaigns by foreign evangelists; and the 2002 Miss World pageant saga which resulted into another religious imbroglio when a local Christian reporter, Isioma Daniel, outraged Muslims by writing in one of Nigeria’s national papers, This Day, that the Prophet Mohammed would have chosen a wife from among the contestants. Similarly, in 2006, riots triggered by Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed left more people dead in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world (This Day September 2006). The attention to the role of religion in conflicts has been persuaded by positive and negative developments, including the de-secularization of Nigeria’s polity and the rise of religious conflicts. In the country today, focus is now on the militant forms of religious fundamentalism as a threat to peace. Also important has been the phenomenon of continuous armed religious crisis which has gone viral quickly across other states in the nation (Mason and Talbot 2013; Polgreen 2008)[1]. Religious diversity appears to play a complex role in these conflicts, often entrenching struggles over resources through ethnic violence and social exclusion. Both the federal government and some Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have set up variousinstitutions to deal with ethno-religious conflicts in the country. Many deal with them on an ad-hoc basis without articulating a standard way to process conflicts. Some of these ad-hoc committees have gone to the extent of designing a Conflict Management System (CMS) to address the issue of religious conflict in Nigeria (Kwaja 2009; Ahmed 2007)[2]. Inter-Religious Mediation Groups and Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) are no exception. While many FBOs have well-developed programs for scripture-based peacemaking, conciliation and mediation, , very few religious communities have taken advantage of the CMS approach to their internal conflicts (Ibrahim 2011)[3].The plurality of methods by which humanbeings showcase their spiritual cravings is a reality. This truth points in a way to the point that human beings are by nature religious and that they differed and would continue to differ in religions. As regards the first assertion of man being by nature religious, this is in line with the anthropological fact that no human society has been found without one form of religion or the other (Maishanu, 2011)[4]. Since the prevalence of a plurality of religions is a reality, then there is bound to be religious intolerance. In fact, many religiously diversified societies all over the world have had to struggle with the problem of religious intolerance.Like most plural state, Nigeria is a country with religious diversity. African Christianity, Islam and traditional religion, constitute the dominant religions in Nigeria, with each enjoying large followership. Aside from these major religions, there are other faiths like the Eckankar, Bahai faith, Olumba Olumba, Sat Guru and of course, the beliefs that claim secular humanism.Intolerance among different religious adherents has become veracious and alarming during the past two decades. This is more noticeable between the Christians and Muslims, with pronounced effects on peaceful co-existence. Looking at the dangers of intolerance among the various religious groups in the country and its attendant violent outburst, this study therefore, set out to examine the factors promoting religious tolerance in Ede community in Osun state. Religious intolerance involves ‘hostility towards members of other religions, as well as the inability of religious followers to harmonize betweenthe theories and the practical aspect of religion’ (Balogun, 2010)[5]. It cuts across bigotry, which is the unyielding and intolerant devotion to one’s opinions and prejudices, especially the exhibition of intolerance and animosity toward persons of differing beliefs (Baird and Staurt, 2011)[6]. The lack of religious intolerance in Nigeria has led to various crises such as the Boko Haram insurgency. In the last two decades, Nigeria had witnessed events of crisisof violence and killing between Christians and Muslims. These crisisand conflicts are not unrelated with the complex nature of interreligious and intercultural relationship that exists in the country, whichhave always resulted to that of religious riot ((Ekanem, 2013)[7]. The major cause for the violent conflict is majorly due for either lack of tolerance among the followers of different religions.
Religion enjoins every member of society to be a good and patriotic citizen. It sees the government of the land as divinely sanctioned institution, and considers morality to be the paramount important in society and so expects all her faithful to be champions and image of good morality in their society (lwuchukwu, 2009)[8]. In other words, intolerance is a blind refusal to understand and respect views or positions that are opposed to one’s cherished views. Religious intolerance is an expression of a blind and fixed mental and psychological negative attitude towards religious beliefs and practices. Such negative attitudes exhibit themselves in situations whereby leaders or groups in any society blindly refused to understand and respect contrary religious views and practices except the ones they consider to be true. There is religious intolerance when members of the self-acclaimed true religion proclaim in practice that persons they consider to be in error have no right to live, no right to legitimate political, social and economic amenities unless they renounce their error and be converted to the supposed true religious views and practices. There is religious intolerance when political leaders or the ruling class overtly or covertly collide with some citizens on purely religious grounds. Under such a situation some citizens are denied their fundamental rights to religious liberty, liberty of religious beliefs and practices. Often, this refusal to understand and accept contrary religious views and practices is accompanied by series of violence and destruction (Gianfranco, 2010)[9].It is against this backdrop that the study examines the factors promoting religious tolerance in Ede community in Osun state.
The general objective of this work therefore is to examine the factors promoting religious tolerance in Ede community in Osun state. The specific objectives of the study are:
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
Hypothesis 1
H0: There is no significant impact of religious tolerance on peaceful co-existence in Ede community Osun State.
H1: There is a significant impact of religious tolerance on peaceful co-existence in Ede community Osun State.
The study would have contribution to enlighten the society on the importance of religious tolerance and its benefits to the country at large. It would also prepare ground for interested researcher who might wish to conduct further research in related areas and could contribute to the existing literature.
1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The study is restricted to the factors promoting religious tolerance in Ede community in Osun state.
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Financial constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview)
Time constraint: The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.
Religious Tolerance: Religious tolerance the inverse of religious intolerance. It is the quality of tolerating or enduring others peoples’ religious beliefs different from one’s own. It could also means the ability to endure or accommodate peoples from other religious beliefs different from one’s religion. In essence, there is religious tolerance when a particular group accepts or accommodates the views, opinions of other opposing religious adherents. According to Maishanu (2011)[10], religious tolerance is mostly developed as a result of mutual respect.
Religion: An acceptable definition of religion is difficult to find, because so many definitions have been framed over the years but with one deficiency or the other. Adeniyi (2014)[11] defines religion as the consciousness of one's dependence on transcendent being and the tendency to worship Him.
Religious Intolerance: Intolerance is a blind refusal to understand and respect views or positions that are opposed to one’s cherished religious views. Ekwunife (2014)[12] opines that religious intolerance is a blind and fixated mental and psychological negative attitude towards religious beliefs and practices that are contrary to one’s cherished beliefs and practices.
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