Living in a multi-religious society where my religion is met with some stereotype, my button pressed and my reaction blamed on my religion, oppressed yet accused of intolerance, I have continued to attmept to understand the philosophy of tolerance.
I had left Abuja to the beautiful ancient city of Kano. Pardon me, in later publications, I will write on my stay in Kano as I am still enjoying the sweetness of the city. However, for the sake of this article, I will mention that in my first 20 hours on Kano, I saw no woman with uncovered hair and in no place was alcohol sold.
These would change when I went to Sabon Gari. I was welcomed by an odour from hell as men who have been beautified by cigarettes and alcohol blow puff smoke into the air. Dirt, monster-looking men and seductively dressed women welcomed me with open arms. A paradise of filth and the headquarters of kufr and immorality in Kano. I counted 5 churches and 3 beer parlors not far from each other.
“Is this Kano?”, Yes, it is. It is an area infamously known for its notoriety. So, it got me thinking…
In the heart of Kano, there is no Church and some, even some Muslims think this is intolerance. Saudi has been accused of the same for not welcoming a church, a battle we hope the country continues to win in an age of secularism.
I asked myself, if a culture is known to be accompanied with alcohol, prostitution, indecency and immorality of all forms, would not welcoming it mean forbidding evil and enjoining good?
Wherever the Muslims conquer, these vices are curbed but thrive in Christian dominated places even though the Bible warn against them.
Kindly watch the short video I made on the topic: