History of religious conflict in nigeria pdf

Get free research paper on religious conflicts in nigeria. Nigerias far north is not the hot bed of islamic extremists some in the west fear, but it needs reinforced communitylevel peacebuilding, a more subtle security response, and improved management of public resources lest lingering tensions lead to new violence. The movement is unique in that it combines a sectarian, radical islamic agenda with violence. Consolidated and zonal reports 9foreword professor oshita o. Jan 30, 2012 view conflict in nigeria in a larger map. Causes of conflict in nigeria and ways of resolving them.

Ethnicity, religion, ethno religious conflict, integration, good governance. However in nigeria, religious conflict does not only carry religious motive but also politically inclined such that according to marshall, recently, the president of nigeria was forceful in saying the nigerian conflict has nothing to do intrinsically with religion, that is used as an excuse by politicians 10. Cultural concepts of political legitimacy, the rule of law and rights to land, differ markedly, resulting in a pluralistic state with few shared values. The history of religious conflicts in nigeria can be traced back to the period of independence in. Nigeria, the most populous black nation in the world, is divided along, not only cultural lines, but also along religion. Mang chaimang and ms adaeze uju oguike for the complementary roles they played in editing the draft. Religious conflict in nigeria goes as far back as 1953, and in the case of the. And at different phases in this historical trajectory, the. Wars, conflicts, and coups of nigeria the history guy. A distinction is drawn between religious intolerance, which is not the focus of this paper, and outright religious persecution or violence. It is true that at least 40 people were killed on christmas day in churches. Abstract the persistent religious conflicts and insecurity in nigeria has given meaningful nigerians a cause for deep concern in recent times. Religion and conflict in nigeria united states institute of peace. The importance, how to, effect causes relationship, comparison, history, role, solutions are discussed.

Christianity, islam and african traditional religion. Ethnoreligious conflicts and democracy in nigeria dr. There are basically three major religions in nigeria. I welcome you to a symposium on religious conflict in nigeria. In fact, history indicates that conflict is an ongoing process in human relations and may occur within and. Pdf conflict is a great predicament in any human society, and most times, it is predictable. Lets start by examining the causes of conflict in nigeria from a religious perspective. Nigeria suffers a variety of complex political problems including inequality, corruption, oil disputes, national disunity, and the boko haram insurgency this seven year conflict and humanitarian crisis in the north has killed 20,000 and displaced 2.

These are african religions afrel, christianity and islam. Mar 10, 2014 the roots of nigerias religious and ethnic conflict. Religious tolerance in nigeria a view from the north. Colonial masters play a vital role in the growth of ethno religious conflicts, these colonial masters brought the christianity with them and try to penetrate the western values in the system of nigeria. Especially in africa, religion has been at the heart of much of the contemporary conflicts. Religious tensions in nigeria national catholic reporter. Closely examining the relationship between religion, ethnicity and conflict in northern. Umejesi, the sharia question in nigeria in historical perspective. Southern nigeria can be divided into two broad societies, namely, western and eastern societies. Conflict in nigeria is more complicated than christians vs. Welcome to this second session of our symposium on religious conflict in nigeria.

Issues and solutionsproject topics and materials in nigeria. Religious crisis in nigeria causes and solutions religious crisis in nigeria is prevalent, owing to a number of reasons. From all indications, nigeria is a pluralistic society. Conflict is a great predicament in any human society, and most times, it is predictable. This is approved for students in accountancy business computer science economics engineering arts. Igbohausa feud that began after the military coup and countercoup of 1966, culminating in the civil war in 1967, efikibibio conflict, tivjukun debacle, fulanibirom clashes, and itsekiriurhoboijaw conflict in the niger delta. The amalgamation was an act of colonial convenience. In the case of nigeria situation, disturbing history of colonialism, this generated hatred and conflict among different. Nigerias two major religions, islam and christianity, are sometimes depicted as monolithic entities that confront each other in pitched battles, with formal. Until now, the analysis made in this paper has been guided by the medicodiagnostic method of inquiry, an analytical approach that seeks to avoid one of the commonly committed fallacies of the century jumping to a conclusion or making a hasty decision. The conflict takes place within the context of longstanding issues of religious violence between nigeria s muslim and christian communities, and the insurgents ultimate aim is to establish an islamic state. The root cause of this set of riot was the introduction of the islamic legal code sharia by some.

Religion is often depicted as a trigger factor in many conflicts. The roots of nigerias religious and ethnic conflict the. Th is religious map of africa is the result of the encounters, over centuries, between the indigenous religions of the continent with the arabs and the europeans. So the purpose of this article is to examine the causes of interand intra religious violence in nigeria. Over the last decade, the political crisis over indigene rights and political representation in jos, capital of plateau state, has developed into a protracted communal. So the purpose of this article is to examine the causes of interand intrareligious violence in nigeria. Religious conflict and its manifestations in nigeria before delving into the discussion of religious conflict in nigeria, it will be useful to devote some space to introduce the countrys religious communities that form the conflict parties. Belt because of its long history of ethnoreligious tensions. Galadima and turaki christianity in nigeria 87 factors which have contributed in shaping and defining the nature of the nigerian church. The government has been unable to destroy boko haram or end the local conflicts in the middle belt. Religious practice in nigeria is just as varied and diverse as the population, creating a complex and fascinating situation that arises from its triple heritage, of indigenous religious traditions, islam, and. Religious conflicts in nigeria world socialist web site. Another ethnoreligious conflict that left a remarkable mark in nigeria was the kadunaenugu riots.

While this in many ways is an extension of the sectarian, or religious, animosity seen in nigerias coups and prior civil war, this variation is significant in that it is tied to the imposition of muslim sharia law in many parts of. The igbo massacre of 1966 in the north that followed the countercoup of the same year had as a dual cause the igbo officers coup and preexisting sectarian tensions between the igbos and the local muslims. D school of arts and social sciences,national open university of nigeria,lagos. Causes of conflict in nigeria and ways of resolving them legit.

Mar 06, 2019 religious crisis in nigeria causes and solutions religious crisis in nigeria is prevalent, owing to a number of reasons. Today, religious violence in nigeria is dominated by the boko haram insurgency, which aims to establish an islamic state in nigeria. This paper explores the various manifestations of religious conflict throughout the history of the united states, from the revolutionary war to the attacks of september 11 th and their fallout. The roots of nigerias religious and ethnic conflict. With the return of democracy in 1999, nigeria has had a complicated federal system of government with numerous rules and traditions aimed at tamping down religious and sectional conflict. Before that, tensions between rivalry groups were covered and maintained by the colonial regime. The struggle between religious groups in nigeria started in the middle of the 20th century. In the west, the yoruba and the edo, just like the hausafulani.

Religious conflicts in nigeria by barry mason and chris talbot 28 february 2000 violent religious clashes broke out in the city of kaduna in northern nigeria on february 21 and have continued. This session will address contemporary religious dynamics in nigeria. In each of the conflict phases, an attempt will be made to identify the elements, causes sources or drivers and conditions that encourage ethno religious conflict in nigeria, the dynamics or patterns of the conflict and the intervention mechanisms or deescalation techniques previously employed to resolve these kinds of conflict. Another ethno religious conflict that had far reaching impacts on the people of nigeria was the october 2000 lagoskano idiarabaokooba conflict which was caused by a misperception between the hausa inhabitants and the yoruba living in lagos over the use of a convenience by a man from hausa. In spite of nigerias huge oil wealth, there have been shortages of fuel. Religious violence in nigeria refers to christianmuslim strife in modern nigeria, which can be traced back to 1953. Conflict in nigeria is more complicated than christians. In fact, history indicates that conflict is an ongoing. Religion is a controversial issue in world affairs. Nigeria working group on children and armed conflict. It occurred mainly because british colonizers desired a contiguous colonial territory stretching from the arid sahel to the atlantic coast, and because northern nigeria, one of the merging units, was not paying its way while southern nigeria, the other. The history of ethnicity and ethnic conflicts in nigeria is also traced back to the colonial transgressions that forced the ethnic groups of the northern and southern provinces to become an entity called nigeria in 1914. Religious conflict in nigeria goes as far back as 1953, and in the case of the town of tafawa balewa, to 1948. Ill be the presider at this first session, and then i will see you again as a participant on a panel later.

Ethnoreligious conflict in nigeria international center for ethno. Religious polarization is a real challenge in nigeria, and it has likely increased. In spite of nigeria s huge oil wealth, there have been shortages of fuel. Religious identity and conflict 3 countdown to the 2015 elections 9 conclusions 14 john paden religion and conflict in nigeria countdown to the 2015 elections special reportunited states institute of summary nigeria is by far the largest country in the worldwith a population of just over 180 mil. Here we briefly examine the root causes of the religious crisis in nigeria. Nigeria is on the brink, many claim because of conflict between muslims and christians. Clashes between christian and muslim communities with a history of peaceful cohabitation followed, in which thousands of. Implications for national security ushe mike ushe, ph.

The jos crisis, book haram terrorist attacks are examples of the various religious crises that have plagued the country in recent times. Organized as a loose federation of selfgoverning states, the independent nation faced the overwhelming task of unifying a country with 250 ethnic and linguistic groups. The main reason for this is an intolerance between religious groups. Mar 10, 2014 modern nigeria emerged through the merging of two british colonial territories in 1914. The boko haram insurgency began in 2009, when the jihadist group boko haram started an armed rebellion against the government of nigeria. Muslimchristian sectarian violence 2000presenta civil conflict between muslims and christians in nigeria. Nigeria is a large country both in terms of size, population, and importance on both a regional and global scale, and few issues are as central to the national ethos as religion. It will also examine the role of religious intellectuals in the unfolding disturbances witnessed in nigeria within the last. Facts about christianity, islam and traditional religions in nigeria this article brings you the history of religion in nigeria.