Of Saraki and religious tolerance

SENATE President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has once again proven to the nation that he is indeed a true nationalist with exemplary religious tolerance. This much was demonstrated by allowing his Muslim daughter to marry a Christian husband.  Expectedly, religious fanatics with myopic understanding of the Nigerian project would prefer to attack Saraki for his nationalistic act. A Nigerian Muslim, one Nurudeen, had taken to the Facebook to condemn Dr. Saraki for allowing the inter religious marriage in the first instance. “Bukola Saraki is not a true Muslim, it is an abomination in Islam for him to allow his Muslim daughter to marry a Christian man.” Of course, not everyone shares his views, but there are those who do. It is certainly tragic that anyone would accuse the Senate President of failing to impose a husband on his daughter. If he had, would that have made him a good father? And would it have made his daughter a happy and fulfilled woman?

One wonders why, in this age and time, some people would still prefer to use religion as a barrier to free choice of husband and, by extension, marital fulfilment. We must realise that the choice of a marriage partner should be the decision of concerned individuals. Parents are honestly expected to respect the choice of their children as far as marriage is concerned if they truly want them to find happiness in their marriages.   Of course, parents still have a major role of running a good background check on the chosen marriage partner so as to further ensure the marital well-being and happiness of their children. However,  religion should not be allowed to come between the choice and happiness of any child that is of a marriageable age.

The Senate President could not have done any better by allowing his Muslim daughter to have married a Christian. Dr. Saraki has shown himself as a loving and caring father by respecting the choice of his daughter. He could have insisted on the choice of a Muslim husband for his daughter and ended up denying the young lady of a lifetime marital bliss. It must be noted that  Saraki has done well by joining the the likes of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Raji Fashola who have shown the highest level of religious tolerance as far as marriage is concerned. Asiwaju Tinubu and Fashola are practising Muslims whose wives are not just Christians, but ministers of the gospel.  There could not have been a better way to respect the chosen faith choice of one’s marriage partner than the good examples of these  great Nigerians.

Every right-thinking Nigerian should applaud  the nationalistic action of Dr. Saraki which will also help in engendering national cohesion and religious tolenrance in the country. Religion should not be a hindrance to the marital choice and joy of anyone in Nigeria. Dr. Saraki deserves to be commended for sanctioning the marital choice of his daughter. The preposterous condemnation of a few religious fanatics cannot detract from his status as a statesman.

• Salako, a publisher, is based in Akure, Ondo State