I have been trying to put down some thoughts on the need for religious and cultural tolerance in our dear country, Nigeria and perhaps all over the world to bring sanity into the human race before the issue on Ozoro festival came up.

I thought on this after I read about how the Iranian government executed their citizens who protested against the high handedness of the Iranian regime.

I really began to wonder whether the execution of their citizens was according to the general Sharia law of Islam or the private laws of Iran.

The case of a young boy who was a wrestling champion, that was executed was really very touching.

On the other hand, if the execution was in line with Sharia laws, then Muslims worldwide should do something urgently to review some of such laws to align them with human civilization.

Sharia laws in Islam are religious and cultural laws guiding the practice of Islam but how it affects non Muslims and even Muslims especially in Nigeria is what I really want to deal with here in this piece.

For me, I don’t have any issue with any religious community practicing what they believe but when such beliefs become a threat to the safety of humans, such beliefs should be reviewed and those areas or sections that are threats to the free will and rights of humans should be expunged.

For instance, why should someone be killed because he or she disagreed with a religious ideology or personality?

Why should someone be killed because he or she decided to change Faith from Islam to another religion or vice vers?.

This is my take on Sharia in Islam for now. For those practicing Christianity in this era, there are also flaws because Christianity these days is so culturally free that some people can even walk naked and be tempting everyone on the streets to fall into immorality and still claim to be Christians.

In fact, all sorts of evils condemned in the Holy Bible are happening in some so-called Christian countries and something needs to be done about it too

I have however recommended in my religious discussions that even Christians need Moral Codes to regulate the excesses of Christians so that Christians will not morally corrupt other people who are trying to uphold moral laws to help themselves.

Even Jesus Christ lived within the moral code of Judaism when He was on earth.To this effect, I also feel Christianity should adopt a moral code from the Holy Bible to regulate excesses of practitioners.

Let us now look at some traditional and cultural beliefs that are also inimical to the development of humans.

For instance, why should people be warned not to come out in a particular hour of the night because of a traditional religious practice or ritual they want to carry out.

In some instances, unverified reports have it that some innocent travellers in transit who were unaware of such warnings and even strangers who were not familiar with such practices were to be killed if caught at that hour of the night.

This is barbaric and such religious or cultural practices should be banned in Nigeria and in other countries where such barbaric acts are practiced.

Then, let us now come back to the so-called festival of malfunction that took place in Ozoro, Delta State recently.

I was really surprised when I heard of that kind of festival because I grew up in Ozoro and had never heard of a festival where women are raped as part of the rituals of the festival.

In fact, Ozoro and of course Isoko culture are widely known for having great respect for women whether married or unmarried.

Isoko people are highly moral people and have great respect for women and the fidelity of the marriage institution and this can be verified by anyone.

So, I am not yet comfortable referring to what happened in Ozoro as a festival of rape because I want to know if there were really victims raped and verified by medical test.

However, if any woman was truly raped and verified, security agencies should do their work and bring the rapists to book.

If it was not rape but harassment by miscreants,those miscreants should also be brought to book but to smear the name of Ozoro people cum Isoko people as practicing a festival of rape can attract libel suits if pursued to the latter.

Be that as it may, irrespective of the various narratives of what happened in Ozoro during the festival, the fall out of that event should be an eye opener for the federal government to sponsor a bill in the National Assembly to cut down the excesses of Sharia law and other traditional/cultural practices in Nigeria that are against human dignity.

We cannot continue to watch a whole human being stoned to death because he or she publicly spoke against a particular religious ideology or practice.

People should be free to express their opinions.God created a man with a free will to choose how to worship Him and if anyone decides to change his or her religion due to inner convictions, that should not attract death penalty because that is barbaric too.

This is my humble opinion. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.