Today I had the amazing opportunity to hear Wole Soyinka speak at the annual Storymoja festival held this year at the National Museum of Nairobi. Wole Soyinka is a Nigerian playwright and social activist. Soyinka's speech revolved around a theme of trees and was dedicated to Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan female activist. "Great people, like trees, can be felled..."
Soyinka's speech eventually led into the senselessness behind terrorism and how radical interpretations of both religion and history give rise to terrorist groups. He presented a vivid picture that I wish to retell:
Imagine a woman stranded in a tree, clinging to safety in its branches, trying to escape from a great flood of water below. As it happens, she gives birth in the tree. Luckily, a rescue helicopter saw the helpless woman and brought her to safety. Now, imagine the helicopter never came, but in its stead, a troop from Boko Haram happened across the half-naked woman in the tree.
Wole Soyinka had no doubt in his mind the troop would condemn the woman of treason - of disgracing the sight of both man and God. The scene of the woman in the tree, a symbol of survival to most, is now turned into an execution when faced by Boko Haram.
The following video is a recording I took of this section of his speech:
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