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Nigeria: Religion, the proxy war of the politics

By on July 16, 2010
A Wukari, young Christians have demolished a mosque under construction, triggering the reaction of young Muslims who, in turn, have ransacked the church next door.

The battle that followed was ended in eight deaths and numerous religious buildings destroyed – Six mosques and a church were burned.
This type of confrontation has always been convicted by the religious authorities, which very often dismiss the idea of belonging to a particular religion, but rather evoke the idea of organised gangs in favour of rival political forces.
Pure coincidence, or a real sign of a deep crisis, these events occurred on the closing day of the Nigerian Interreligious Council in the Imo State (southern Nigeria).
On this occasion, the highest Muslim authority in the country has directly challenged the religious Muslims and Christians leaders to be responsible of instilling in their followers the belief that the only possible relationship between them is that of antagonism and conflict.
In turn, the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria has urged both communities to join their efforts for a peaceful resolution of the conflicts wherever they arise.
Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa with 150 million inhabitants, is divided between the Christians and the, animists in the South and Muslims in the north. The inter-religious clashes have caused thousands of deaths over the past ten years. Just this year alone in the centre of the country, they made more than 500 dead.

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