IBADAN – The International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) has responded to a statement credited to the palace of Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrashed Akanbi, saying idol worshipping is not in Yoruba culture.

The body, in a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday and signed by its President, Dr. Fayemi Fatunde Fakayode, said that there is an urgent need for the monarch to relearn the Yoruba history to avail himself and his chiefs the real story behind the evolvement of the culture, tradition and the religion of the Yoruba people.

Fatunde hinted that it is unfortunate that Oba Abdulrashed, who is supposed to be a custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition have turned to a foot soldier of foreign culture while denigrating and demonizing his own Yoruba tradition.

“We advise Oluwo’s chief to do away with fabrications aimed at rewriting Yoruba History to favour their agenda. They should open their minds to the true history of tradition of the Yoruba.

“It is unfortunate that people who are supposed to be custodians of the culture and tradition of a race are becoming soldiers of another race at the expense of their own race. It is like Oluwo is propagating arabian culture and demonizing Yoruba tradition and religion. Nobody can separate Òrìṣà worship from Yorùbá culture and tradition and vice versa because, they are products of each other.

“It is our tradition to reach Olodumare through the Òrìṣà. We worship Orisa and the Orisa are not idols. It is worshipping Olodumare through a foreign deity that is idol worshipping. It is hypocrisy when somebody practices a foreign religion together with the other aspects of the culture of the foreign race including language and mode of dressing and the same person is trying to separate religion of his own race from other aspects of the race’s culture.

“There is freedom of religion. However, is like the current Oluwo and his emissaries are blind to the fact that they are trampling on the religious freedom of the traditionalists.”

The body advised the monarch to face whatever religion he chose to practice and stop talking negatively about Isese religion, especially as there is freedom of religion in Nigerian constitution.

“We once again advise the current Oluwo to practice his arabian culture, tradition and religion without denigrating Yoruba Indigenous Religion and culture,” ICIR charged.