Enemies Want To Use Religion To Tear Yoruba Apart - Olayiwola

•Pst.Olayiwola

From Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta

Abeokuta based clergy, Rev. Olayiwola Mercy on Monday raised the alarm that enemies and wicked people were working  hard to deploy religion as their veritable tool to tear the peaceful yoruba nation in Nigeria apart.

Olayiwola who is the general Overseer of Divine Universal Churches of Christ, International, Itedo Ayo Oke Berger, Abeokuta, Ogun State, cited the raging war between muslims and christians over wearing of hijab in public schools in Kwara State as an example.

Speaking with our reporter, he  condemned the directive of the Kwara State government to public schools in the state to henceforth allow female muslim  students to wear hijab.

The clergyman wondered why the yoruba people who regularly mix and attend the same social function, go to the same market and board the same bus or car without a thought to the next person's faith would now allow themselves to be torn apart by those using religion and hijab to cause disharmony.

''I am a pastor but I have read and searched quran up and down I didn't see the word hijab there. That's number one.

"Number two is that Sura 24:31 did not mention hijab, it mentioned  'khimar'and khimar is barrier in Arabic word means 'headscarf.'

"The word hijab is never mentioned in quran as a covering. I challenge any Islamic Scholar.

''Number three is that, Sura 2:256 teaches that there's no compulsion in Islam. Why then are they forcing it on people?

''Fourth point is that, Islam is a  religion of peace why are they frustrating the peace of the society, if they want to use hijab compulsorily, why can't they take their children to Muslim school.

"My conclusion on hijab is that, some people, sponsored by state government want to use religion to pave way for themselves.

''Issue of mark on the head, 

I want to ask our Islamic Scholar that is mark of the front head is one of the things that will take someone to paradise?

''If not, what is the essence of praying until you have mark on your head.

I am over fifty years old, I have been living with Muslim over forty years , I am beginning to experience this not time long ago. Probably, 15 years.

"What I think is that some wicked people want to use religion to separate us.

Muslim and Christian's should continue good relationship that they were enjoying.

"They should ignore the rebels and move on with their life. In this Yoruba land, we are doing market without asking anybody either Muslim or Christian,'' he said.