Wole Soyinka blames killings of Christians on Northern religious leaders

Religious leaders in the North have been accused of pushing their followers to kill people with opposing faith.

According to Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, these leaders are to blame for the death of non-Muslims, Nigerian Bulletin reports.

“In my view, it is that toxin injected into the social consciousness of the followers of that religion that has resulted in the murder of innocent citizens. Is there something called vicarious guilt or not?" he asked.

While delivering a lecture on “Culture at risk” at the University of Benin, Edo State on September 1, 2016, he also made reference to the recent case of religious discrimination in Zamfara state, that led to the loss of eight lives.

Soyinka advised Nigerians to stop condemning young people for simply following the teachings of their leaders.

"Should we be surprised and start condemning some stupid young fellows who took the law into their own hands and burnt eight people alive, who were not even part of the original scenario?

I call them stupid and a disgrace to their school, I say they are stupid and a disgrace to learning anywhere because even a child who lives in a community must understand ‎that if you want to create a serious fight between two people, just say that the individual you are targeting has abused your mother. It is as elementary as that.

My view is that we can complain, we can protest, we can condemn as much as we want. Until those who are guilty even of vicarious liability, when a murder is committed, are brought to book and made to apologize to the whole nation and do penance, such cannot stop,” he added.

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He also cited the emergence of Boko Haram as the perfect example of religious intolerance caused by teachings of the leaders.

Do you agree with him?