Religion is a Negative Impact on African Society

Wole Soyinka, a renowned  playwright and one of Africa's leading intellectuals,  in an interview with Reuters, speaks on the Boko Haram sect and religion.

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"We have never been confronted with butchery on this scale, even during the civil war. There were atrocities (during Biafra) but we never had such a near predictable level of carnage and this is what is horrifying,"

On Boko Haram havoc making Nigeria divide.

"I think ironically it's less likely now," Soyinka said. "For the first time, a sense of belonging is predominating. It's either we stick together now or we break up, and we know it would be not in a pleasant way."

"The (Boko Haram) forces that would like to see this nation break up are the very forces which will not be satisfied having their enclave," he said. "(We) are confronted with an enemy that will never be satisfied with the space it has."

Soyinka blamed successive governments for allowing religious fanaticism to undermine Nigeria's broadly secular constitution, starting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo allowing some states to declare Sharia law in the early 2000s.

"When the spectre of Sharia first came up, for political reasons, this was allowed to hold, instead of the president defending the constitution," he said.

On Christianity and Islam

"We cannot ignore the negative impact which both have had on African society," he told Reuters. "They are imperialist forces: intervening, arrogant. Modern Africa has been distorted."

Source- Reuters