Popular filmmaker, Femi Adebayo, has given an intrigue perspective on Yoruba’s culture of prostrating to greet male elders.
He said the act is forbidden by Islam.
This puts him in a tight corner since he is both a Yorubaman and Muslim.
But he told VJ Adams how he handles the situation, noting that context matters, citing high-profile examples.
He noted that even former President Olusegun Obasanjo has prostrated in traditional settings such as the Ooni of Ife’s palace.
“In Yoruba culture, we prostrate to greet our elders, but it’s not permitted in Islam. Still, I apply common sense. When you’re in the Ooni of Ife’s palace, you can’t refuse to prostrate because of your beliefs. If Obasanjo did it, who are you?” he said.
