Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic News

Home

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Islamism in Nigeria places Africa ‘at risk’, bishop says

Islamism in Nigeria places Africa ‘at risk’, bishop says

Last updated on: January 8, 2014 at 11:41 pm by CNA Daily News

Islamism in Nigeria places Africa ‘at risk’, bishop says 2014-01-08T23:41:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Lagos, Nigeria, Jan 8, 2014 / 04:41 pm (CNA).- Christians in Nigeria face violence and persecution in their homeland as militant group Boko Haram uses inequality and instability in the country to advance its ideology, a bishop has warned.

"Don’t sit by while Nigeria disintegrates," Bishop Hyacinth Egbebo, Vicar Apostolic of Bomadi, said in a Jan. 1 interview with the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need.

If Boko Haram succeeds, the bishop continued, “the rest of Africa might easily fall prey to them. That would be an unimaginable humanitarian disaster.”

Bomadi is located in Nigeria's oil-rich yet impoverished Niger Delta, located in the south of the country.

The country – Africa's most populous, with over 160 million people, of which a little more than 80 million are Christian – is roughly divided into two regions: the more prosperous and largely Muslim north, and the resource-rich and mostly Christian south. Some 30 million Nigerians are Catholic.

Boko Haram, which means "Western education is sinful”, is a militant organization recognized as a terrorist group by the United States government in Sept. 2013. The organization, Bishop Egbebo said, "wants an Islamic state in the North, imposing shariah law on everyone." It views "everything that is an obstacle to implementing that goal" as an opportunity for violence, targeting Christian schools, churches, and people, especially due to Christianity's association with the West.

Even moderate Muslims have been assassinated by the Islamists for speaking out against them and for protecting churches from violence.

The bishop warned that if the organization succeeds in removing Christianity from the north "they would set their sights on the south" and the rest of Africa.

While "prominent Muslim leaders have spoken out against Boko Haram," he continued, there is also support for Boko Haram from political leaders, weapons suppliers, and sources of funding both inside and outside the country.

While Boko Haram is responsible for the deaths of close to 1,000 Christians in 2012 and at least 700 in 2013, the bishops "strongly condemned the murder of Muslims at the hand of Christians" in retaliation for violence against Christians, Bishop Egbebo stated.

The bishops' work has "prevailed however, in the face of Boko Haram’s effort to provoke Christians into acts of retaliation and create chaos in the country," he assured. Despite this, “some Christians fight back if they are attacked.”

Bishop Egbebo urged that one of the greatest challenges facing the country – and one of its greatest hopes at long-term stability – is to control corruption and promote stable economic systems.

"Boko Haram would fade out if people had the prospects of a decent life," he said, pointing out that the "Nigerian bishops regularly call on the government and urge reform,” in a country plagued by corruption.

Priests often "preach against corruption”, and because this corruption creates harsh economic conditions, there is “no hope to make a decent living, so many are easily drawn into a life of violence,” leading to the widespread instability that threatens the country's present and futures.

These factors have lead to a "palpable fear in Nigeria" about political and economic power shifting to the south, as the oil industry expands in the region.

In addition, Bishop Egbebo said, some fundamentalist Protestants "preach a Gospel of wealth," living lives of luxury and materialism that appeals to those who “long for material possessions.” Even still, the south remains poor, with "no electricity," poor roads, "no reliable schools or hospitals", and no water available to the people within the Apostolic Vicariate of Bomadi, he continued.

“We are dying of lack of food, for lack of very basic things.”

Nigerian Christians can contribute to the common good “by speaking truth and emphasizing the need for peace,” Bishop Egbebo said, adding that the Church “seeks to provide quality healthcare and education, as best we can.”

He added, however, that change "will come very slowly” to Nigeria. “Real reform will require very courageous and charismatic leadership.”

Middle East - Africa

Previous Post

January 8, 2014

Drastic increase in murders of religious, missionaries in 2013

Next Post

January 9, 2014 Christian baker files religious freedom appeal in marriage ruling

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

"God called to him out of the bush, 'Moses, Moses!' And Moses replied, '_______.'"

Select your answer to see how you score.

Here I am Who speaks to me? What is your name? I hear and obey