Sabrina
Wandres
Foundations
of Islam
Professor
Barber
April 4,
2012
Blog: Analysis of “Boko Haram: Nigerian Islamist Leader Defends
Attacks”
This article discusses
attacks by Muslims, in the Islamic group Boko Haram in Nigeria, on Christians
on Christmas day and how the leader of the Boko Haram group is defending these
attacks. He states that these attacks are in retaliation to attacks made on
Muslims in northern Nigeria in recent years. It is noted in the article that
Mr. Shekau, the Boko Haram leader, has put videos up on YouTube that discuss
his justification for the attacks. This article also briefly states how
although the conflict between Christians and Muslims seems religious, it could
also be politically based. Albeit only a brief statement is made, the article
does point out how the conflicts between Muslims and Christians might be
politically based since the differences between north and south Nigeria are the
mainly Muslim north is more poverty stricken while the predominantly Christian
and animist south is oil-rich. Here is the link for the article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16510929.
Firstly, even though
Mr. Shekau feels the attacks on Christians have proper justification because of
recent attacks on Muslims, he is just giving the Christians reason to attack
more Muslims by killing Christians. Although he may see it as an “eye for an
eye” and now his Muslim brothers have been avenged, the Christians may view it
as just outright violence towards the Christian community of Nigeria and then
they may retaliate as to avenge their Christian brothers, leaving a cycle of
never ending violence between the two groups.
Secondly, in the article,
there was mention of the Boko Haram wanting Shariah law to be established in
Nigeria. Although this is not the topic of the article, it poses a question in
my mind: what was the Christians reason for the attacks on Muslims prior to the
Muslim attacks on Christmas day and did it have something to do with Muslims
trying to institute Shariah law into the government of Nigeria? Unfortunately,
the article does not discuss what prompted the attacks on Muslims by Christians
prior to the Christmas attacks, but I wonder if it was purely hatred of
Muslims, political policy enacted by Muslims, or maybe even what Christians
believed to have been attacks on Muslims that they themselves were seeking
revenge for.
Thirdly, it seems to
express Muslims in a violent way because of their attacks on Christians, yet
the Muslim reasoning, given by Mr. Shekau, behind what most would view as
religious violence, is that the sense of community among Muslims is valued of
all else, and so the revenge of a fellow Muslim’s wrongful death is thus proper
and not seen as a crime to the Muslim community. Basically, he restates the
idea that the Qur’an says that violence, in accordance with some limitation, is
allowed to be used when a Muslim is harmed and it will be seen as a justified
act by God and will not warrant his wrath. Because of this point of view,
violence was what ensued from the attacks Christians had made on Muslims in
recent years.
Fourthly, although
there is not much bias from the writer, the article produces a skewed view of
Muslim-Christian relations in Nigeria. According to a video aired on Al
Jazeera, most Muslims in Nigeria do not identify with the Islamist militant
group Boko Haram, nor do they approve of the violent attacks. In another
article that discussed the statement made by Sa’ad Abubakar, the current Sultan
of Sokoto, he stated that Muslim Christian relations were friendly and that the
heads of the religions were trying to improve relations and keep religious
peace in Nigeria. From this, Muslims are depicted as non-violent and the
relationship between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria is not one of violence
or vengeance, but actually one of friendship, although that is not depicted in
this article. It is acknowledged that there is violence, but it is not flaring
up all over Nigeria, just in some parts.
In conclusion, what I
will be discussing in my presentation is the connection between Muslims and
Christians in Nigeria to see if it really violent or if these seem to be more
isolated occurrences just involving the Boko Haram and whether or not others
view Mr. Shekau’s justification of these attacks as valid arguments for the
Christmas day attacks on Christians. Also, the fact that this one occurrence is
not
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