Back ground of Islam in Nigeria:
Nigeria has the largest population of Muslims than anywhere else in the world with approximately 85,000,000 Muslims, which make up to 50% of the population. Islam came to Nigeria 700 years ago according to one claim, and Kanem-Bornu Empire helped it establish during the reign of Humme Jilmi. However, Christianity remains the second largest religion in Nigeria with 45% of the population being Christians. The Muslim majority follows the Sunni tradition while Shias are a minority.
Over the past few centuries waves of ‘jihaad’ has erupted for more than once in Nigeria. The 19th century resistance of religious leaders like USman Dan Fodio reinforcing the Islamic caliphate of Sokoto, Borno and others in northern Nigeria is the most recent of the Jihad wave. British towards the end of 19th century created a system of elite powerful Muslim and allowed them to run the country while the British ruled loosely. This system stayed prominent throughout the 19th century and bounced back after the independence in 1960 proving to be extra resilient. However, recently these elite groups and power-brokers have ceded much of their powers to the northern Muslim politicians resulting in the current political structure in Nigeria.
Before 1960s, Sharia penal codes were prevalent giving capital punishment like Rajam (stoning to death for adultery), amputation as a penalty for theft and flogging penalty for possessing alcohol ..etc, but after the military dictatorship in 1960s Sharia penal code were made unlawful. Since the last two years, in 2000 military government was defeated and a resurgence of Islamic movement with promises of re-enforcement of Sharia penal code increased the Islamization of Nigeria. Muslim leaders with this vision were cheered by thousands of supporters mainly because corruption in Nigeria had reached an unprecedented level. Armed robberies and gap between rich and poor were a common sight. The regime itself was perceived to be backing the perpetrators and agents of corruption. However, the initial welcome for Sharia penal code seems to be wearing out as its implementation seems to be favoring the rich and disfavoring the poor.
Religious tension in Nigeria:
These attempts to bring Islamic values and Shria back to life added to the already high tension between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria. There have been reports of riots and religious clashes between the two communities for some time. The worst clash was in ”Kaduna” city where more than 2000 people died in a street protest. President Obasanjo stresses that Nigeria is a ‘multi-religious’ country and has a secular constitution. Others believe that the Muslim community in Nigeria is devoted and religious, but shares empathy for events in the Middle East. It is estimated that bells have tolled for over 10,000 Nigerians during 1999-2003 when President Obsanjo first took office.
Most Nigerian Muslims want an equitable and just society. Many writers believe that the unrest is man-made and is
(provoked by politicians to destabilize the country for self serving purposes. There is evidence that Mr. Obasanjo’s first term in power has undermined the country’s stability to no end.
It is evident that the gap between the poor and the rich seems to be widening, and the current laws have only made the life of the poor more difficult. In Short, the future of the Nigerian Muslims seems to appear uncertain, and improvement in the country’s political law and order will take no less than a Divine intervention.
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