A new fundamentalist Islamic group is becoming well known in northern Nigeria. It has a very long official name but locals call it “Boko Haram,” a name which apparently means something on the order of “Western or non-Islamic education is a sin.” It seeks sharia law in northern Nigeria and has been active since 2002, but became well known internationally after violent attacks in 2010 and 2011. Boko Haram rejects virtually everything to do with Western thinking.
In addition to attacks on various governmental buildings and people, Boko Haram has bombed beer gardens and on July 10 bombed the All Christian Fellowship Church in Suleja, Niger State. After attacks in which 40 were killed, June saw a strong military response on the part of the government, and thousands were displaced as they fled the area. Much of northern Nigeria is now afraid.
For more on this group, read:
- Understanding Nigeria’s Boko Haram radicals (IRIN)
- Nigeria Boko Haram attacks: thousands flee Maiduguri (BBC)
- Pastor, church official shot dead in Nigeria (Open Doors)
- Nigeria: Boko Haram through the lens of the Niger Delta (Sahel Blog)
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
,Some times, I begin to think that the boko haram sect. Has a major goal ọf distabilizing the country. Starting from the UN bombing, followed by many other promises like bombing Nigerian Universities, bombing the third mainland bridge and plenty other services. Finally i concluded that they just want to stirr up fear and draw attention. If you notice boko haram have slowly found its way to the national stage, then the international stage. Are you sure they dont just want popularity? Secondly i thought of distabilizing mr president’s (Goodluck) tenure as president. Dailogue should have worked but the Harams are stubboon and uncompromising. Am a student and my school is under treat, my main wish is for peace to return and funny enough, i dont know how the proble can be solved.,,
my suggestion is that maybe they should divided us these northern should hold there place and igbo and yoruba should be together so DAT peace can rain be cos i think maybe dis Muslim of a thing don’t wt peace to rain they will later cause problem into dis country,so DAT is my suggestion as a Gd Nigeria and we should be prayerful and that is the most important thing we should be doing now and i kw God will answer us,so thank so much.
i think dividing nigeria according to Patrina Bankole will not solve the problem if we going by her oppinion the seven niger delta state should also be excluded from nigeria state, in resolving conflict u need to know its source/origin before thinking of solution. The nigerian armed forces and the NSA are taking important issues like this fogranted e.g jos crises which has been in constant flow since 2001 but could not be resolve although niger Delta militants have been given amnesty but this Boko Haram that people in the south thougth is bunch of illitrate it is very wrong Government should look foward in treating nigerian as nigerians with no sentiment. Secondly Patrina you need to know more about islam because the religion completly means and total submission to the will of Allah