I humbly ask anyone who is a scholar or knows IFA history to address the claims being perpetrated by AGUILA DE IFA, he is “starting” legal proceedings with the support of multitudes of Cuban Babalawos and Olorisas against the initiation of women into IFA. He is supposed to be taking this to UNESCO. Here I am pasting a google translate of his post on his page.
I urge this to be taken into consideration, as this is a flagrant attack on Women’s sovereignty, women’s rights, and Traditional West African protocol. Though I find this to be unfounded and do not believe the UNESCO to have any power in this, as they are not the keepers of the tradition. I humbly ask for something to be done in respect, as I am not an awo ni orunmila, nor am I Nigerian..I am just a messenger of this travesty. I urge action to be taken, he is defaming well known Awos. This is slander at its finest. here is the post:
So begins the Legal Process for Safeguarding a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Combat Cruel Abuse Against Women.
We hereby wish to inform the community of Ocha / Ifa and associations that represent them in various Latin American countries, which have taken steps to initiate proceedings against the desecration of Ifa and the massive scam known women as Iyanifa or more specifically the priesthood of women in Ifa. This sets within two serious offenses are willing to take the upper echelons of the various governments and those responsible are punished exemplary.
For this, we are requesting the support of all associations of all countries, as this will be brought to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which Nigeria is a signatory. The letter that we are sending and which asked for support for these associations, is on this note and the same can be sent e-mail signed by both the foundation, as Cuba directly. That each association must collect the signatures due to their members and send a scan of it. It’s time to start fighting this desecration and protect women of this scam, which is nothing more than a cruel joke.
The arguments that have been presented in the three trials the subject of Iyanifa on this server, are considered to have sufficient evidence to initiate action to end this vicious lies and abuse against women, by these gentlemen. We can not continue allowing it to play this way, not with our religion, nor against women, where he was victimized in their dignity by offering something that has NEVER existed. In fact, we have been able to get support from the Yoruba Association of Cuba, who analyzed the arguments and considered to have sufficient evidence to initiate the religious rescue. It is necessary that we support the Yoruba Association in this historical fact, that more nobody would happen again play with our beliefs, however “Araba” it.
Panama begin demands, but we need to send us private communication and thus to channel letters sent to Unesco, to be correct this and then the Criminal and Civil lawsuits against those who have violated this heritage, but committing crimes which are punishable by the law of any country. We need letters of support sent and those responsible, pay their CRIMES.
Please send letters to mail letterhead:
Aguiladeifafoundation@hotmail.com. or deprived of this page and submit it to the Office of Unesco.
Messrs.
Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
ESD
Dear Sirs:
Serve the front lines of this, to send warm greetings and much success in carrying out their delicate features.
This letter aims to establish formal complaint for violation of one of the Cultural and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by Nigeria, specifically the Oracle of Ifa, which is proven by the offenses Fraud and Scam , corrupt this heritage giving a priesthood to women, something that never existed in the culture, learning and extension of this heritage.
Since one of the purposes of UNESCO to create these Patrimonios, was precisely to protect them as being at risk of deterioration or disappearance, we believe that a thorough investigation should be opened by the degeneration which have subjected the members of the association They are supposed to protect. We consider this a flagrant violation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, in its Article 2 Paragraph 1 states:
Is understood and techniques “intangible cultural heritage” means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge – together with the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part part of their cultural heritage. This intangible cultural heritage, transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history, with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect cultural diversity and human creativity. For the purposes of this Convention, it shall only intangible cultural heritage that is compatible with existing international instruments on human rights and the requirements of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals and sustainable development.
Neither historical, or cultural or anthropological or sociological, was or consecrated women priests for the conservation of the Oracle of Ifa, nor has it been so transmitted from generation to generation, viola interaction with nature and history and not comply with the requirements of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals. Indeed, Number 2 paragraph c) of the same article states that for heritage conservation should be retained oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage, making it again the nonexistent women priests falls within respectable violation of this Convention, who also in its Article 7 paragraph a) function is to promote the objectives of the Convention and to encourage and monitor its implementation.
Since the members of the Committee may appoint qualified persons to represent them in the various fields of intangible cultural heritage, we have formulated a list of people who should not be called to participate, since they are involved directly or indirectly in violation of this heritage, which we believe is a criminal conspiracy, because the profit accruing to something that never existed in the culture and also constitutes an abuse against women. In fact, UNESCO itself, when it declared the Oracle of Ifa as assets, never a female priesthood mentioned and gave exclusivity Oracle priests men who are called Babalawos, as shown in the declaration of 2005 and confirms the safeguarding project 10-2006 / 04-2010. The primary responsibility for this degeneration of assets are:
Nigeria
Adisa Aroyemi Aworeni Araba Agbaye
Wande Abimbola
Solagbade Popoola
Fasina Falade
Idowu Odeyemi
Oyewole Odenmakinda
Odutola Akinpelu
Ifayikua Odutola
Adeboye Oyesanya
Awodiran Agboola
Cuba
Victor Betancourt
Frank Cabrera
This list should be extended to those responsible and / or anyone who has done this practice that corrupts heritage and falling within the scope of criminal law as a scam and that makes it a crime against property or assets and the it may be aggravated in the case of an artistic, historical, cultural or scientific heritage. It is of global concern, that the practice of a female priesthood within Ifa oracle, is arrested immediately, because it is not part of the Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. At the same time, we formally request that Nigeria is removed as a member of the Committee, because it has made no effort to safeguard their own heritage, being that the Convention provides that a Member State has a policy and duty, adopt measures necessary to ensure the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage present in its territory. This has been omitted by the Member State and the law provides that minor offenses committed by both commission and omission.
In fact, Article 14 paragraph a) of the Convention states that each State Party shall endeavor by all appropriate means to ensure recognition, respect and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage in society. In the same article paragraph b), the Member State is obliged to keep informed of threats to those assets and activities in compliance with the Convention to the public, which must then make public this women priests misnamed Iyanifa (at which only a title and not a priest), represents a clear threat because it was not passed down from generation to generation, violates interaction with nature, history and for not complying with the requirements of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals.
Since the Oracle of Ifa, is not only a prerogative of Nigeria, since according to the Proclamation in 2005 indicated that practices in Yoruba communities and the African Diaspora in the Americas and the Caribbean, all countries remain at all or part of this heritage, are affected, as part of their own heritage is being threatened due to the irresponsibility of religious leaders who wanted to corrupt him, just for profit and under the figure of a criminal offense. Must be absolutely clear, that even when these crimes are matters of criminal offense in each country, they directly affect the World Heritage Site, so it becomes this prestigious competition committee.
We should also note that having used funds to safeguard this heritage should open an investigation into the use and purpose thereof as having violated the real estate, you can clearly see that the monies have been used for something they were not intended, so apart from the charges of Con International, converts this into embezzlement.
It is also our consideration that those responsible for the desecration of a heritage site, ask a public apology and are prosecuted, not only for offenses committed under the laws of their country and the world, but the product monies their scams, are returned and are judged on woman abuse and crimes against humanity, to try to destroy and distort a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, crimes which are covered by various human rights conventions, of which Nigeria is a signatory
