Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has cautioned traditionalists against invading Iwo town, noting that such would be an invitation to chaos and disregard for the rule of law.
The Traditional Worshippers Association of Osun State are accusing Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi of disrespecting traditional religion.
They gave the monarch a 21-day ultimatum to publicly apologize for his statements against traditionalists or face the consequences.
The worshippers threatened to call for the deposition of the Oluwo unless he met their demands.
A statement on Monday by MURIC director, Prof Ishaq Akintola said indigenes were likely to come out in defence of their king, a situation that may result in a bloody clash.
Akintola insists there is freedom of speech and anyone who finds Oluwo’s declarations distasteful or defamatory should go to court.
He said Iwo is traditionally known as ‘Ilu Alfa’, meaning ‘city of Islamic scholars’ and that the planned invasion may be seen as “an attack on the base of Islam in Yorubaland”.
The traditionalists, Atintola stressed, have no right to insist that a king must be a traditional worshipper.
“The king is the ruler over all subjects in the town and this includes Christians, Muslims and traditionalists.
“The attempt to restrict the king to traditional worshipping alone and to attack the Oluwo because he is a Muslim is an exhibition of religious intolerance.
“MURIC appeals to the Osun State Police Command to take the threat issued by the traditionalists very seriously. No group has the right to threaten the peace of the land.”
Akintola charged the police to be proactive in handling the matter so that “the diabolical plan” of the traditionalists can be nipped in the bud.
He advised the Osun government not to allow itself to be railroaded into taking any action capable of provoking “the teeming majority Muslim population of the state”.
