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The Portuguese were the first Europeans to enter the Ivorian Coast in 1470.
They were followed by the English and the French who arrived in 1637 at Assinie.
There are various reasons for the French presence: economic, treligious and
cultural. Among other things the French intended to implant Christianity in
Ivory Coast and stop the Muslim expansion. The Catholic Church was seemly established
on the Ivorian soil in 1895.
Islam penetrated into Ivory Coast in various times. The initiative of the African
leader Samory Touré, originally from Guinea (a country bordering with
Ivory Coast), was very outstanding. He left Mali and sought refuge in our country
to escape from the French. He established his head quarter at Dabakala in the
Northern national territory and engaged himself in spreading Islam in those
regions.
These two important religions lived side by side with animism, the original
religion of the local people, from the very beginning.
Other religions were added subsequently, from all over the world: Buddhism,
Kimbangism, Vudu, macumba…
However Ivory Coast has always remain a fundamentally lay state, that allowed
everybody to establish their places of cult in tranquillity. Only one party
(PDCI) has governed the country since 1990, and all things went on well from
the religious point of view. There is no record of any vandalism or profanation.
Christians and Muslims used to mutually invite to their religious festivities.
Mixed marriages were allowed, in contrast with the Muslim tradition of other
countries. People lived together in the villages. Muslim and animist children
frequented Catholic schools which were respected for their seriousness.
After the death of Houphouet-Boigny, the first president of Ivory Coast, new
parties began to exploit religion unscrupulously as a means to climb to power.
They have encouraged people to identify themselves by discrimination of party,
region, ethnicity and religion. The Muslim North then had its own party, and
the Christian South its own different one. After some years violence exploded.
The temple of Agboville was burned down. The Catholic parish house of Blockhouse
(Cocody-Abidjan) suffered the same fate including the parish priest's car. Mosques
were burned at Yopougon-Abidjan. Police discover arms in places of cult…
Several religious leader are on record for having invited their congregations
to vote for a specific party or to boycott in elections… Many riots developed
in the North. The friendly relationship of the good past time, were substituted
by the motto: "He who is not with me is against me".. Some inhabitants
have been chased out of their territory because they were a minority.
In short, politicians of decadent quality have got what they wanted.
Fortunately, there are still some true people of God who preach love, fraternity,
peace and tolerance. They exhort the faithful not to follow politicians who
use religion as a means to power. Prayer vigils have been organised everywhere
by Christians, Muslims and Animists with the view of demonstrating that religions
do not encourage violence but love to neighbour for the building up of a country
that lives in peace and solidarity.
Eba Kadja Vincent
