ILEKE IDI & Christianity’s Abolition Boner.
“You should be wary of the rats that blow when they bite you...”
I was sat beside two girls in a danfo, on my way from Abijo to Ajah, in Lagos, Nigeria.
One sat on top of the other’s lap, so deep and loud in conversation, it was like they were in their world, and in a way, I envied them.
Who wouldn’t love to be with a friend on public transport, talking about so many things, knowing that it must be so cryptic to the other passengers that they’d lose interest in listening at some point and forget about us at the end of the day?
However, not all the passengers lose interest and forget, some listen quietly in a bid to learn more about the perverse stances of others.
Take me for example; I listened to them speak of education, work, savings, and ileke idi.
I can’t lie, I was tempted to zone out twice but I had nothing better to do and the slow-burn conversation took an interesting turn at last.
Girl 1: “Yes, she used to wear waist beads to school and sometimes it will be popping out of her knickers”
Girl 2: “It’s her Elder sisters that give her the mind to wear those things, even for church, I see am inside her garment”
Girl 1: “That one even good, what of the day wey she wear the thing on top her gown go market wey I see am”
Girl 2: “na those her sisters give her mind, person go dey do like ashawo”
Ladies and gentlemen, my eyes widened. I knew they were describing a beautiful girl who was loved at home and overtly confident. A phenomenon not so widely seen in this part of the world, but to call her an ashawo, which is a moniker for “whore/prostitute” for her fashion expression?
That, I could not stomach.
This brings us to the first question; WHY?
As much as I’d love to fault those teenagers for their thoughts and opinions, I was forced to understand the world we live in is a place where every form of bodily autonomy claimed by women that doesn’t center around men as is heavily driven by religion, is seriously, not only frowned upon but condemned.
Do your findings.
ILEKE IDI
lleke Idi, also known as waist beads, has a rich cultural heritage in West Africa, particularly in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, Senegal & Guinea.
In Nigeria, waist beads are known by different names in the different tribes;
In Igbo, it is called MGBAJI.
In Hausa, it is called JIGIDA.
In Yoruba, it is called ILEKE IDI.
These intricately designed beads are worn around the waist for various purposes which include:
- Cultural identity: Waist beads are an integral part of West African cultural heritage, symbolizing; Femininity and womanhood, beauty and elegance, pride, Rites of passage and initiation, cycle tracking, and more.
- Spiritual significance: In traditional Yoruba spirituality, waist beads can be spiritually fortified to act as a medium and possess spiritual powers, offering protection and blessings to the wearer.
- Fashion and aesthetics: Ileke Idi is a fashion statement, adding elegance and beauty to an attire.
CHRISTIANITY & CULTURAL ERASURE.
You should be wary of the rats that blow when they bite you because they keep you oblivious to the harm they’re doing to you, let you enjoy your ease, and when the hurt manifests, you start to cry wolf.
A simple depiction of what Christianity has done, trying so hard to westernize our culture and demonize our traditions.
We call our gods – the devil.
Our Ancestral reverence is deemed idolatry.
Herbalism and spiritual healing are seen as barbaric practices.
Where has it brought us?
Some will argue that with all these have come civilization and education so that’s the best thing that can happen to us.
But I’ll always be here to remind you that every single thing we seemingly gained was without choice, it was either that or death.
Colonization & Patriarchy – the two flaming swords of Christianity.
“We might be going too far, it’s not that deep, we are just talking about ileke idi, right?”
Wrong.
Christianity has been a driving force behind patriarchy, perpetuating the oppression of women and reinforcing harmful gender norms. The Bible has been interpreted to justify the subordination of women, with passages like 1 Timothy 2:9–12 and Ephesians 5:22–24 being used to justify women’s, silence and submission and stripping them of bodily autonomy.
Men over the years have been taught entitlement over women and have absorbed this said entitlement into every grain of their being, therefore, any action taken by women that imitates a sense of self outside of the male gaze immediately triggers religiously coded condemnation and 85% of the time; attack.
This has resulted in the alarming rise of femicide in Africa.
NIGERIAN PASTORS: PEDDLERS OF PROPAGANDA
Popular Nigerian pastors have perpetuated negative stereotypes about Ileke idi, claiming that single women wear these beads to charm and seduce married men. This narrative is not only false but also serves as a smokescreen for the pastors’ sexual misconduct.
By shaming women for wearing lleke Idi, these pastors are attempting to control women’s bodies and autonomy.
Making this a classic case of victim-blaming and slut-shaming, where women are held responsible for men’s awful actions(mostly; infidelity & rape).
RECLAIMING ILEKE IDI
Despite the attempts to erase and appropriate Nigerian culture, lleke Idi remains an integral part of Nigerian heritage.
I mean… If we allow ileke idi erasure, what more would we allow next?
We should proudly wear lleke Idi, not only as a fashion statement but also as a symbol of our cultural resilience and identity.
CONCLUSION
To wrap it all up, Ileke Idi is not inherently evil, nor is it a tool for men to hide their vices.
It’s a symbol of our rich cultural heritage, and we will continue to wear it with pride and dignity,
AS WE PLEASE.
I’m Iheoma and I write about things I can’t stop thinking about. Kindly follow me, like and share this post to stay in the loop💌
