[29][13][31], Nigeria has one of the largest Muslim populations in Africa. Ona of Abaji, Alhaji Adamu Yunusa, Chair of Abuja FCT Council of Chiefs, The National Christian Centre hosted by Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria. [64][65], The rise of these radical movements has been attributed partly to the poor socio economic infrastructures and poor governance in Nigeria. Wide-spread injustice by Judiciary, the executive, the police and military, Extra-judicial killings, suppression and torture by police and military, and lack of accountability and punishment for that, Impunity: the lack of willingness or ability to punish those directly or indirectly responsible for incidents of violence especially when these are powerful personalities in society (Big man / Little man syndrome: the little man gets punished, the big man is unscathed). Thus, as you see, the religious crisis is a disagreement between two groups of different religions that struggle against coherent existence without themselves. It needs no emphasis to state that since independence in 1960, Nigerians have suffered diverse incidences of communal crises in almost all parts ofthe country. The delegation sought to understand the reasons behind this violence. Nigeria has become an African hub for the Grail Movement, inspired by the work of Abd-ru-shin, principally In the Light of Truth: The Grail Message.[130]. Appendix: Joint Press Release Issued at a Press Conference in Abuja on the Evening of 25th May, 2012 p.14. In 1993 the Human Rights Committee, an independent body of 18 experts selected through a UN process, described religion or belief as "theistic, non-theistic and atheistic beliefs, as well as the. 1) The Redeemed Church, 4) Deeper Life Church, 5) Overcomers' Ministries and other new springs. [116] After World War I, smaller denominations such as the Church of the Brethren (as Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria), Seventh-day Adventists and others worked in interstitial areas, trying not to compete. Current religious crisis in Nigeria is possible to overcome. endobj People should realise that theres something called religious tolerance. Most Sufis follow the Qadiriyya, Tijaniyyah or Mouride movement. The clash between both groups led to the death of 12 people, and several mosques and a church were destroyed. Tensions created by the statements and actions of political leaders pandering to religious sentiment, Geographical and political interactions between Nigeria and neighbouring countries such as Chad, Niger and Cameroon, The lack of ability or willingness on the part of government to consistently acknowledge all incidences of violence and to assist all victims, The lack of a clear documented central and local record of all instances of social violence and their causes, The lack of ability or willingness to follow up on and carry out recommendations made by government appointed commissions which have investigated communal crises, Tension and competition between the traditional tribal and ethnic leaderships and governmental and local leaderships and structures, Government and police neglect of violence and crime leading to a pervasive sense of insecurity, Lack of timely response by government forces (police and military) to distress calls during times of violent conflict, The roles of some external powers and intelligence agencies within Nigeria, Rampant neglect and mismanagement in various economic sectors even at the highest levels of government. By the 1980s, African music and even dancing were being introduced quietly into western oriented church services, albeit altered to fit into rituals of Euro-American origin. We are a delegation of Muslims and Christians from a number of countries around the world, with senior roles in our respective religious communities. Every problem has a cause, and the crisis of religion in Nigeria is not exempted. Religious leaders have traditionally contested political space with other actors and continue to do so. However, rather often this matter is got involved in conflicts, being the most influential weapon in the hands of some leaders. [12], Most Nigerian Christians are Protestant (broadly defined), though about a quarter are Catholic. Established in 1914 by the Ven. The following specific projects have been agreed upon (the first three being specifically formulated to combat the purely religious aspects of the problems in Nigeria): a. WCC and RABIIT plan, God willing, to publish, separately, substantial volumes on the theology of peace in their respective religions and to publish them in Nigeria with Nigerian participation and, if possible, translate them into languages. ALSO READ: Jailbreak in Nigeria: Causes, conditions, challenges and list of prisons. [145], In 2017 the Humanist Association of Nigeria gained formal government recognition after a 17-year struggle. We express our admiration of all those who spoke to us in a way that made it clear that they did not want their faith to be used as a pretext to propagate violence. This paper is intended to examine the causes of ethno- religious crisis in Nigeria and its remedy from Islamic perspectives. The Joint Delegation identified a number of causes and key factors behind the inter-religious tensions and crisis in Nigeria. Findings showed that religious crises are endemic in Nigeria in the last two decades. We have valued being accompanied also in our visit by a number of Nigerian Christian and Muslim religious leaders. The middle belt and the west and southwest of Nigeria remain the hold of Protestants (Pentecostal, evangelical and indigenous spring of Christian denominations). hG i[qmwUgK,je[[u'@,iEO_},@ F32FDBnwKn,IO{@L@*H`8huR4ThWw%{w! Between 2001 and 2002, Nigeria witnessed some of its deadliest religious conflicts in history. [109], An increasing number of mission stations and mission bookstores, along with churches serving southern enclaves and northern Christians in the northern cities and larger towns, are found in the Muslim north. The results obtained from the analysis of data shows that ethnic and religious crisis is a deadly threat to human existence and it significantly affects business activities in Jos metropolis . Fear of domination and intolerance are key causes of religious conflicts in Nigeria: Religious crises can also come about when it seems the dominant religious group in a particular area is afraid of domination by the other. It argues that colonialism, divergent perception of the Nigerian state intra-elite power struggle, the national economic crisis, politicisation of religion and educational backwardness are some of the causes of religious conflicts in the northern Nigeria. Nevertheless, they sub-divided these into five areas: Religious, Political, Economic, Social / Ethnic and Legal, stressing that the primary area of expertise of the delegation was religious. d. WCC and RABIIT will, God willing, seek partners to enable the opening of a neutral information-collection and archive centre, ideally both virtually and on the ground in Nigeria, which will facilitate the sharing of stories, allow the voices of those who feel themselves voiceless to be heard and recorded, and assist with the collecting of accurate data about incidents of violence, online and through hotlines. Most of these pitted Muslims against Christians and, in some cases, the conflicts were . DIVISION BETWEEN INDIGENES AND . Most Revd Dr. Michael Jackson, Anglican Archbishop of Dublin, 3. Lets take a look at some of the deadliest religious crises the country has witnessed: The Igbo massacre of 1966 was preceded by Nigerias first military coup, Igbo military officers led by Lieutenant Colonel Chukwuma Nzeogwu. Among the Yoruba, the traditional Yoruba belief system, known as centers around the belief in a Supreme being known as Olodumare, a complex system of divination known as Ifa, as well as deities associated with nature known as orisha. Christianity in Yoruba area traditionally has been Protestant and Anglican, currently Protestant Pentecostal/evangelicals, whereas Igboland has always been the area of greatest activity by the Roman Catholic Church with current infusions of Protestantism. We have been very grateful for the welcome and hospitality we have received during our visit. Even medium-sized towns (20,000 persons or more) with an established southern enclave had local churches, especially in the middle belt, where both major religions had a strong foothold. [3], According to a 2018 estimate in The World Factbook by the CIA, the population is estimated to be 53.5% Muslim, 45.9% Christian (10.6% Roman Catholic and 35.3% protestant and other Christian), and 0.6% as other. ,-A58! |q@Aib/ltwE:6/AFesgmv|qYuC==6h>$kZxb$qy;!SK{xiWm7|9\! v1"))nJ/\ _ aM-w:o>Q#4L But the religiosity of popular culture is such that Nigerian religious leaders can make a substantive contribution to peace building and countering religious extremism if given the time, space and tools to do so. 2 Religious conflicts in Nigeria 2.1 Igbo massacre of 1966 2.2 Maitatsine and the 1980s 2.3 Reinhard Bonnke Crusade 2.4 2001-2002 riots 2.5 Boko Haram 2.6 Farmers-Herdsmen conflict 3 Causes of religious conflict 4 Solutions to religious conflict What is religious conflict? Pressure Groups In Nigeria Types And Facts, Types of Budget in Nigeria And Importance, Corruption In Nigeria Causes, Types, Effects,And Solutions. [114], Pentecostals arrived mostly as indigenous workers in the post-independence period, and in the 1980s, Evangelical and Apostolic Pentecostalism were spreading rapidly throughout the south western and middle belt, having major success in hitherto Roman Catholic and Protestant towns of the south as well[citation needed]. this will prevent crisis and unwanted religious violence in Nigeria. WCC and RABIIT also plan, God willing, to try to ensure that this text makes its way into Nigerian school and university religious and civic curricula. [39] The majority of the Muslim population in Nigeria live in the Northern, South western and Central states. God is not to be portrayed as a God who delights in the death of his creation. The study examines the etiologic factors of religious crisis in Nigeria's democracy and then proffers ways of resolving the crisis for sustainable democracy. [97] It has about 19 million members in Nigeria in 2005. religious crisis in Nigeria from independence till date. The extremist group has been ranked the 4th deadliest terror group in the world and aims to establish an Islamic state in northern Nigeria. Moreover, some settlers have been officially documented in that state for over one hundred years (such as the Hausa in Plateau State)well before Nigerias independence in 1960and yet are still defined by the older, majority indigenes (which usually dominate leadership and control of local governments in the states) as settlers, in order to monopolize the benefits of the state. Victims are both Muslims and Christians. There were also breakaway, or Africanized churches, that blended traditional Christian symbols with indigenous symbols. To demonstrate an international model of Muslims and Christians working together in an inter-religious engagement aimed at fostering peace and harmony between people of different religions. 4 0 obj The underdevelopment of a number of natural resources and sectors, e.g. It can be argued that the actual intent behind their voyage was more in the interest of slave business than it was for missionary goals and objectives. The Portuguese brought Catholic missionaries with them but failed to successfully plant the seed of Christianity. is a first-class infotainment platform for the new generation of web & social media users in Nigeria, Africa & diaspora. Every nation's educational system is to help it overcome her peculiar problems. They want to implement Sharia law across the whole of Nigeria. Southern Christians living in the north, especially in larger cities, had congregations and churches founded as early as the 1920s. 100+ awesome paladin names: find a perfect name for your character, "Fight corruption, recover stolen assets", UK-based investigator charges Tinubu, gives reason, "No hard feelings": Man invites lady who broke his heart to city, leaves her stranded without accommodation, FG introduces Proof of Ownership Fee for all vehicles in July as naira crash pushes up cost, 'What I did to survive when Obasanjo threw me in underground cell', Asari Dokubo opens up, "My parents have asked me to leave their house": Nigerian lady weeps after getting pregnant for ex-boyfriend, The government should establish special organs that will maintain. Although less well-known, African-American churches entered the missionary field in the 19th century and created contacts with Nigeria that lasted well into the colonial period. Therefore these comments are based on a mixture of personal observation, conversations with individuals and groups while in the country, and research done before, during and shortly after the visit. This was the first time in modern history that Muslim scholars of all denominations have agreed on a doctrinal essence of Islam. Poor people have little or no access to proper education. While we were grappling with that, we had the issue of banditry in the northwest. [152] In 2022, the country was ranked number seven. Loving the Good and the neighbour is, after all, the essence of good will as such. Boko Haram has been an increasing threat to national security since 2008. Following Maitatsines death in 1980, tensions between Christianity and Islam increased. Abdulkadir, Abubakar, A Diary of Ethno-Religious Crises in Nigeria: Causes, Effects and Solutions (August 22, 2011). Its okay not to believe in ones religion. Youths are made suicide bombers after being enticed with money for their families and assured of a heavenly reward. <>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 595.44 841.68] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> x=?Lf03 $:`B+q|$ONg=|pl'O? H.G. In addition, two student groups in Nigeria came into contestation, the Fellowship of Christian Students and the Muslim Student Society. African churches were founded by small groups breaking off from the European denominations, especially in Yorubaland, where such independence movements started as early as the early 19th centuryinfluenced by American and British missionaries in early 1900s and stimulated by the great revival of the 1930s. Nigeria is number six on Open Doors 2023 World Watch List, an annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. H.E. There was already religious tension between the Christian Igbos and indigenous Moslems in the North. Mass Unemployment:Idle educated youths are also used as tools to wreak havoc. The resolution itself reads as follows (see: www.worldinterfaithharmonyweek. By and large, Protestantism particularly the Pentecostals, Apostolic and evangelicals constitute the major Christian population of Nigeria from the late 1990s to the present. Over the years, the opposite seems to be the case. 1 0 obj [9] Nigeria is divided roughly in half between Muslims,[10] who live mostly in the north, and Christians, who live mostly in the south; indigenous religions, such as those native to the Igbo and Yoruba ethnicities, are in the minority. Government should also establish or encourage bodies for equal rights for all ethnic groups and their religions where constructive dialogue can take place to move the nation forward. Alongside the main religious sect is the hundreds of traditional spiritualities of various Nigerian ethnic groups, that, without contradicting civil law manages to also govern ethics and morality amongst much of the population. e. WCC and RABIIT will, God willing, stand ready for other projects, within their capacities, that Nigeria may need or request in the future. However Christianity cannot be done with traditional practices because Christianity is the belief in the existence of the Holy Trinity(The father, the son and the Holy Spirit) while African Traditional Religion deals with their cosmology, ritual practices, symbols, arts, society, and so these two religions are entirely different from each other with different scope and vision so they cannot both be practiced together because that would be against the rules of either, so a mixture of the both of them neither Christianity nor African Traditional Religion. Nigeria, promoted political and religious ideologies that encouraged ethnicity and regional biases. [11] The Christian share of Nigeria's population is on the decline due to higher fertility rate of Muslims in the country. It is often argued that a religious crisis is more political than religious. The majority of the Nigerian population either follows Christianity or Islam. It argues that colonialism, divergent perception of the Nigerian state intra-elite power struggle, the national economic crisis, politicisation of religion and educational backwardness are some of the causes of religious conflicts in the northern Nigeria. This can be due to an increase in the population of the other religious group. The crisis in Nigeria must no longer be seen as a localised issue. It established the first week of February every year as an officially observed World Interfaith Harmony Week. Most of them live in Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria.[127]. The headquarter of Shia is Zaria where the leader lives with his family. Among Christians, about a quarter are Catholic, three quarters are Protestant, and about 750,000 belong to other Christian denominations and a few of them are Orthodox Christians.
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