Some Thoughts on Religion in the African Struggle
Malcolm X explained that his position on religion was that we should keep our religion at home rather than bringing it into public spaces because religion is one more issue which divides us. As an organizer and Pan-Africanist, I certainly understand Malcolm’s wisdom in suggesting that we should not engage in unnecessary debates over topics which divide us. For me, there has been another aspect of this as well.
Kwame Ture spoke about how the Communist Party in the United States advocated atheism, but the only place they could organize was in a church. I took this to mean that organizers must not only meet people where they are at, but that organizers must also respect the fact that the people themselves will often organize resistance utilizing institutions and belief systems which are meaningful to them. This is why the religion debate has never been one which I saw as being helpful for progressing the struggle forward. Obviously there are problems related to religious extremism and religious dogmatism in Africa, but I would argue that the roots of many these problems can be traced to colonialism’s impact of underdeveloping Africa. Therefore our main energy and focus should be on liberating Africa from colonial rule.
In my experience, religious individuals have often been on the frontline of this struggle. In Togo for example, there was an incident in which an Islamic leader was arrested. The people reacted by burning down government buildings. In the context of a nation such as Togo where religious individuals have been arrested in the fight against colonialism, it doesn’t seem very helpful to me to engage in this debate over religion. Moreover, the fact is that these debates often take place in intellectual spaces in online communities which have very little connection or influence to the real day-to-day problems which African people face. Years of involvement in supporting the revolutionary struggle in Togo has taught me much about Pan-Africanism and organizing. It has also enforced my view that we can’t waste time arguing religion with religious people who are risking their lives for freedom.
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