Nigeria: war of words between Protestant, Muslim leaders

January 09, 2012

Terrified that the Islamist group Boko Haram will continue its recent spate of attacks on Christians, some indigenous Christians in the northern part of the nation are preparing to heed the terrorist group’s ultimatum and leave their ancestral homes for the south.

Following a recent trip to Nigeria, Father Timothy Lehane Barrett, secretary general of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, emphasized that “Boko Haram does not represent Nigerian Muslims: I have seen many manifestations of interreligious dialogue and solidarity, because Muslims see the good works carried out by Christians.”

Nonetheless, tensions between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria have grown in recent days after a Protestant leader said that “the pattern of these killings does suggest to us a systematic ethnic and religious cleansing.”

“We have the legitimate right to defend ourselves and ... we will do whatever it takes,” said Ayo Oritsejafor, head of the Christian Association of Nigeria.

“We find the utterances ... an intimidation and a threat to Nigerian Muslims,” responded Sheikh Khalid Aliyu, secretary-general of an umbrella group of the nation’s Muslims. “Pronouncements calling for ... Christians to defend themselves are unacceptable to us and are meant to wage attacks on Muslims.”

 

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Further information:

• Nigerian cleric voices anger over religious cleansing comments (Daily Star)
• Christians fleeing the violence of the "Boko Haram" sect, which has "changed strategy" (Fides)
• Nigera: Boko Haram forces indigenous Northern Christians to consider relocation (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)
• Nigeria: gunmen storm church, kill 6 (CWN, 1/6)