Babalorixá will be coordinator of religious freedom – 02/08/2023 – Mônica Bergamo

The babalorixá and researcher Sidnei Nogueira will assume the General Coordination of Religious Freedom, linked to the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship. The nomination was signed by Minister Silvio de Almeida and published in the Official Gazette this Wednesday (8).

“I am the first black candomblé babalorixá and belonging to a terreiro in religions of African origin to assume a position like this in a federal ministry”, celebrates the religious leader.

Nogueira also says that his nomination represents one more step towards “re-potentializing democracy and constitutional secularism”. And that religious freedom “is done with dialogue, with recognition, with anti-racist struggle and acceptance of different philosophy”.

The babalorixá has already criticized former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro when the wife of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) made a speech against religions of African origin during the 2022 elections.

Michelle shared a post that claimed that then-candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) “delivered his soul to win this election”. The text was accompanied by a video that showed the PT’s meetings with leaders of religions of African origin.

Sidnei Nogueira classified the attitude as irresponsible. “He is a personality with prestige, with legitimacy, with an expanded voice. He is not just anyone. He is a person associated with the Executive Branch,” he told the column at the time.

_{with BIANKA VIEIRA, KARINA MATIAS It is MANOELLA SMITH}

PRESENT LINK: Did you like this text? Subscriber can release five free hits of any link per day. Just click the blue F below.