TABLE
OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
1.2
Statement of Problem
1.3 Objective of Study
1.4 Significant Of the Study
1.5
Research Methodology
1.6
Scope and Limitation of Study
1.7 Definition of Terms
REFERENCES
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Religious Crisis in Nigeria
2.1 General Overview of Religious Crisis in
the World
2.2 Instances
of Religious Crisis in Selected African States (Egypt, Algeria, Sudan)
2.3 Nigeria
and Religious Crisis: An Overview of Bauchi Religious Crisis And Others
References
CHAPTER THREE
3.1 Problem Asociated to Religious Crisis in
Bauchi State
3.2 The General Analysis of Religious Crisis
in Nigeria
3.3 The
Salient Issues Affecting Inter Religious Cooperation in Nigeria
CHAPTER FOUR
4.1 The
Analysis of the General Implication of Religious Crisis in Bauch
4.2 The General Implication of Religious
Crises in Nigeria
4.3 The Appraisal of Religious Crisis and
Human Development
References
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1
Findings
5.2
Summary
5.3
Conclusion
5.4
Recommendation
Bibliography
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO
THE STUDY
Religious
fundamentalism among Christians and Muslims noticeably emerged in Nigeria in
the mid 1960s to 1070s. Among
Christians, it was largely represented by the Charismatic Renewal Movement and
was sustained primarily by educated middle class students and graduates.
Among Muslims, the
Izala sect established and led by Sheik Abubakar Gumi, a radical cleric trained
in Egypt and Saudi Arabia claimed to be promoting purer farm of Islam among the
Youth.
A related group was
the Muslim students society, which was very strong among students in tertiary
institutions. The Islamic Renewal agenda
soon turned into anti Christian propaganda in response to perceive advances of
Christianity into many areas of the North, as well as to Muslim perceptions
that Christians had been advantaged within independent Nigeria as a result of
the colonial legacy.
Consequently, the
takeover of elementary and secondary schools by the Federal Military Government
in 1975 was partly an attempt to reduce the influence of Christian churches
that had largely controlled Western education in the country since 1854.
A new Islamic
fundamentalism was fueled partly by the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979 and
task on an anti West ethos. The Maitatsine Islamic sect capitalized on
this in December, 1980 to spark a religious riot in Kano. By 1980, Alhaji Muhammadu Marwa (Popular known
as Maitatsine) had gathered a sizeable following based on a something
unorthodox Islam that, among other the condemned as un-islamic such things
riding of bicycles or motorcycles or possessing large quantities of cash. Members of the sect also refused to pray in
the same mosque with Muslims from outside their group used provocative language
in their public preaching and, in some cases, attacked those perceived as
police informants attempts by the police
to arrest certain Maitatsine members in Kano in December 1980 led infact, to
attacks on the police.
Eventually, the
military was brought in enclave of the sect was overrun, and hundreds of sect
members were killed. Although the
maitatsine case represented intra Muslim religious violence against Western
values. It set the pattern for the other
religious conflicts in Northern Nigeria.
The same sect struck in other cities such as Maiduguri in October, 1982,
in Yola in February, 1984 and in Gombe in 1985.
Maitatsine uprisings significantly reinforced the use f violence as
powerful too of religious conflict.
Nigeria’s first direct
Muslim Christian conflict was in October 1982, when the Muslim students society
protested against an Anglican Church in Kano city that was locating too close
to a mosque. Although the Anglican church was protected by the police, other
Christian churches were destroyed and about 44 people were killed.
Another major violent
conflict between Christians and Muslims occurred in Kaduna state in Match 1987,
when a disagreement between Muslim and Christian students in a College of
Education in the semi-urban town of Kafachan snowballed into a crisis that
engulfed much of Northern Nigeria.
Initially, Muslim
students attacked in Christian counterparts in an attempt stop a convert from
Islam, a preacher at an open air evangelistic meeting from quoting from the
Qur’an. The conflict spilled into the
town where the majority of Christian population rose in defence of the
Christian students. The situation
deteriorated as indigenous Christians in the area vocalized members of British
subjugation of Christian populations in the North during colonialism. News reported of the conflict reached the
state capital, Kaduna, and other cities mobilized Muslims for reprisal attacks
against Christians, against their properties and against their churches.
Over a hundred
churches and five Mosques were destroyed, hundreds of people were killed, and
there was a significant social disruption in Kafachan and other cities. Although the government intervened and
forcefully quelled. The conflict, substantial damage had already been
done.
Similarly, in the
third week of October 1991, Muslims resorted to violence looting, property
destruction (including the burning churches and Christian businesses) and
killing in an attempt to prevent a German Christian evangelist Reinhard
Bornnke, from holding an open air evangelistic
programme in the city of Kano.
In this particular
riot, Christians, for the first time mainted a response Igbo Christians, mostly
from South-Eastern Nigeria, counter attached rioters and other Muslims in an
attempt to defend their businesses.
The events that led to
this coup and the subsequent civil war have been well documented. Though the role and place of both ethnicity
and regionalism have been highlighted.
Alhaji Isa Kaita for
example argued that by 1965, it was clear to the Southern politicians that
there was no way that they could achieve political power by the ballot box,
hence they sought to achieve their ambitions through the bullet.
The coup was meant to
offer a military solution to their political ambitions. This claim can easily be dismissed mainly
because it was clear that at the time of the coup, all the major military
installations in the country were located in the North.
However, the immediate
concern to us is the question of how the Northern ruling class interpreted the
Saudauna’s death. There was a curious
similarity between the reaction of the masses of the caliphate to the British military
intervention led by Lugard in 1903 and the one led by Majar Kaduna Nzeogwu on
January 15th 1966. Both events are similar in the sense that they
were seen as having halted the spread of Islam.
In the case of the Muslims of Northern Nigeria, the conversion campaigns
of the Sardauna of Sokoto and his contributions to Islam would have cast him in
the mould he sought for himself as the defender of Islam.
Lugard had reported
that after the conquest of Sokoto, “the mass of the people remained quietly in
their towns. They were unopposed, the people
looking the strange way as if the matter did not immediately concern them the
great market was in full swing again as thought nothing had happened.
In the case of 1966, a
day after the coup, the Daily Times reported that “life has returned to normal
in Kaduna. Alhaji M. D. Yusuf, the Acting Regional commissioner of police said
when he went to the Sar’dauna’s house the following day, the place had been
looted.
In Kano, there were
celebrations, mainly coordinated by members of the Kano people’s party and the
local Tijaniyya Mallams. In Sokoto,
planned protests against the death of Sardauna were halted by the Sultan
himself. In Tivland, Southern Zario and
many other parts of the North, there were celebrations. Some of those whom the Sardauna had converted
to Islam resorted to buried the paraphernalia of their conversions.
Whereas it may be
tempting to dismiss. Some of these
reactions as the feelings of triumph by Non-Muslims or other Nigerians who had
been victims of the NPC’s repressions.
It is more difficult to explain the reactions of those who were direct
beneficiaries of the Sardauna’s patronage and members of his own ruling class
in Northern Nigeria. How did Sokoto
react to the burial of the Sardauna?
Having do so much for Islam and on behalf of his ancestors, Sardauna had
obviously pleaded to be buried beside these saint ancestors. When Alhaji Gummi requested for permission
from Majar Nzeogwu simply said, “I have finished with him”.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The saying that
whatever have a beginning must have an end seems not to be not to be applicable
in Nigeria context.
Religious crisis,
which has been decimating the country’s productive population and destruction
of properties wherever it occurs is become unbearable to most Nigerians and
government.
The Religious crisis
in Nigeria has claimed thousand of innocent soul and worth of million of
properties were destroyed. It is obvious that during the religious crisis, in
Nigeria, the innocent citizen always affected.
One cannot quickly forget the Jos crisis, where women and children were
slaughter.
The international
organization and some concerned Nigerians kicked against carnage that rocked
the city of Jos due to the religious differences among the Hausas and Fulani
people.
It is important to
note that impact on our daily activities.
Nigeria government only recognize two religious namely Christian and
Islam religion. It is unfortunate today
that despite the country role in Africa, Nigeria is yet to witness religious
tolerance in the recent past. Due to the religious crisis, Nigeria has become a
place where lives and security are not guarantee. The problem will continue to persist unless
the government put machinery in motion to avert the crisis in the future.
Another problem that
may arise during the religious crisis is that there will be a outbreak of
diseases and famine. It affect the
foreign investors or tourist to invest in that particular trouble spot.
Aside this, the
religious crisis create animosity between the Christian and Muslim faiths. It will also give room for vandalization and
destruction of properties.
On the religious
crisis in Bauchi state, the victims are yet to be compensated. Most of the affected people are still
struggling to recover what they have lost during the religious crisis in the
state.
Despite the persistent
religious crisis in Nigeria, the government has not find lasting solution to
the problem is it possible that there may be another religious crisis in
future, what is the step government should take to avert the religious crisis
in Nigeria.
The so-called “Boko
Haram, what can that concerned authorities to do curb theme from these
dastardly act. Has the government done
enough to curb religious violence in Nigeria.
These are many more one may look at in course of the work.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF
STUDY
The following are the
relevant objectives.
1. To investigate the root causes of the Bauchi
religious crisis.
2. To explain the role of security agent and
the lapses inherent in the consist occurrence of the crisis.
3. To examine the place of mutual existence of
the religion group Christian and Muslim to the context of persistent religious
crisis.
4. To evaluate the effect of persistent
religious crisis in the country and how it may negate corporate existence of
the country.
1.4 SIGNIFICANT OF
THE STUDY
The work is aimed to
find a lasting solution to the incessant religious violence in Bauchi
state. Apart from this, the writer wants
to find out the role Boko Haram (a group of Muslim sect) played in the religious
violence in Bauchi state under the period of review in the state.
Thirdly, the work is
basically look at how many people lost their lives during the religious crisis
between 2000 – 2009.
Also, to enable the
government to avoid future occurrence. The
work will help the religious leaders, international organization and concerned
authorities to put necessary machinery in place and let the people realize the
importance at religious tolerance in a country.
1.5 RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
The study will adopt both primary and
secondary sources. The primary data would be based on oral-face-face interview
of some key informants of researcher, lecturers, writers and political analyst
on the Nigerian politics and government. The research data collection considering
the fact that the research is concerned with the historical evaluation of
leadership problem in Nigeria will explore all the sources for materials that
will help to form good value judgment.
Premised on this, a great deal of secondary
materials like textbooks, magazine and journal will serve as the main source of
data collection. The study will equally employ the use of internet and web
browsing to augment the sourced materials.
In view of this, the work will utilize both
analytical and historical approach in evaluating the discourse. The study would
also be descriptive in its analysis to arrive at its aim/objective.
1.6 SCOPE
AND LIMITATION OF STUDY
The scope of this research shall be
restricted to Nigeria religious crisis problem, which expand from 2000 – 2009.
Although, the study may not be completely in detail of the nitty-gritty of the
issue on discourse, but the cogent, necessary and salient points would be
explained.
However, the study is bedevilled by several
limitations which are inevitable. This
include the problem of getting the required and relevant text from the
library; logistic problem of transporting one from place to place. The
researcher not allowed or attended to by library attendants also form a
limitation to the study. Financial constraints is one of the factor forming a
limitation to this study. However, despite all the noted limitation the work
was able to meet the required goal of the study.
1.7 DEFINITION OF
TERMS
Boko Haram: is a group of Muslim people (sect) who actually against the
Christianity and oppose to the Western idea, culture and religion.
Religious Crisis: It is a situation whereby the Muslim and Christian engage in
physical battle over ideas which resulted to the dead of innocent citizen and
led to the destroy of properties.
Clergy: Person ordained for religious duties.
Christianity: Religion based on the teachings of Christ.
Muslim:Believing in Muhammad’s teaching
Imam:Muslim spiritual leader
Innocent:Not guilty, free of evil
Miscreant: Wrongdoer or those who contributed nothing to the development
of society or community.
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