THE PASSING ON OF THE FON OF KOM AND MOVING TOPLESS IN THE PALACE

Kom — Kom---Our people believe that FONS don’t die, they simply join the ancestors. During the demised of the FON his subjects will gather in the palace and both men and women must be topless, no upper garment both. Argument against this is very difficult considering the fact that most of our girls dress half naked in social gatherings and some African tribes traditionally have never had an upper garment as part of their dressing. Years ago, I attended a church where it was considered unacceptable for a woman to enter the sanctuary without covering her head. On one occasion, several women were prevented from entering because they had nothing to cover their heads with. Yet, a white woman was allowed to enter without a head covering. After the service, I respectfully questioned the church leaders about this apparent double standard. As I looked through the recent photographs from our palace during the mourning of the Fon, I noticed a similar inconsistency. Some white men topless as other men, and a white woman was completely dressed. Had she been a Kom woman or black woman , other women there would have undressed her even before the juju call Nikang. Maybe the nikang would be more merciful than the women. This raises an important question, should our customs be applied equally to everyone, regardless of race or background? Moving topless during the demised of the Fon is not unique to Kom Fondom , it is a tradition found in many Grassfield communities. I also recognize that if this matter were put to a vote, many women who participate in the practice even those who try to cover themselves ( their nipples) as much as possible might support keeping the tradition. However, history tells us that the majority is not always right. We cannot deny that going topless in the palace has long been regarded as a sign of mourning, respect, and honor for the departed Fon. At the same time, we should also acknowledge that this tradition originated in a different historical era, when clothing was scarce and social conditions were very different from what we have today. Today we live in the digital age. Unscrupulous individuals possess sophisticated editing and artificial intelligence tools that can manipulate genuine photographs. An innocent image of one of our daughters, sisters, wives, or mothers could easily be altered and shared online to humiliate or blackmail her, perhaps simply because she rejected someone’s advances. We should not unknowingly expose our women to such unnecessary risks. Our culture has never been completely static. Over time, several traditional rites or rituals associated with the “burial” of the Fon have been modified or replaced while still preserving their meaning and dignity. This suggests that our traditions are capable of adapting when circumstances require it. Perhaps the issue of moving topless deserves similar thoughtful consideration. In the Bible, people expressed deep mourning by tearing their garments and wearing sackcloth rather than exposing their bodies. Likewise, a symbolic gesture such as wearing a torn upper garment could communicate the same respect and grief while protecting the dignity and privacy of our women in today’s world. Culture should be preserved, but it should also be wise enough to respond to changing times. The challenge before us is to honor our ancestors and our departed Fon while safeguarding the dignity, security, and well being of the present and future generations of Kom women. With love due respect Rev Dr Abraham Kicha Public Theology