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Boko Haram-tragedi di Nigeria
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Post Last Edit by bookwus at 30-7-2009 12:04
The group behind the latest violence in northern Nigeria is known byseveral different names, including al-Sunnah wal Jamma, or Followers ofMuhammad's Teachings in Arabic, and Boko Haram, which means "Westerneducation is forbidden" in the local Hausa dialect.
The group was founded in 2002 in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, allegedly by Mohammed Yusuf, a religious teacher.
In 2004, it moved to Kanamma in Yobe state, close to the border withNiger, where it set up a base dubbed "Afghanistan", from which itattacked nearby police outposts.
'Long war'
Boko Haram, which includes members who come from neighbouring Chad,is said to not only oppose Western education, but Western culture aswell.
Abdulmuni Ibrahim Mohammed, a senior member of the group arrested onMonday, told the Reuters news agency that "we do not believe in Westerneducation. It corrupts our ideas and beliefs"."That is why we are standing up to defend our religion".
Yusuf has reportedly said that the war will "continue for long".
The latest clashes began in Dutsen Tenshin, a neighbourhood of the city of Bauchi, capital of the state of the same name.
Bauchi is one of 12 states in northern Nigeria where sharia, or Islamic law, is practiced.
Sectarian clashes between Muslims and Christians in Bauchi state in February left at least five people dead.
Muslims attacked Christians and set fire to churches in retaliationfor the burning of two mosques, which had been blamed on Christians.
Last November, more than 700 were killed in Jos, capital of Plateaustate, when a political feud over a local election degenerated intobloody confrontation between Muslims and Christians.
Government blamed
Salisu Mohammed, a conflict management specialist, told Al Jazeerathat Nigerian authorities should have acted sooner to stop theproliferation of Boko Haram.
"Many people have known of the existence of this group, silently andwithin the community, especially in the last year," he said.
"They are becoming more extreme because in the past there wasn't a major push in place to check their proliferation.
"They are taking advantage of a broken-down structural condition inNigeria that people can take the law into their hands without gettingreprimanded."
Analysts have also said that at the heart of this week's violence is dire poverty and political manoeuvring - not religion.
They believe attacks were committed mainly by frustrated, unemployedyouths and orchestrated by religious leaders and politicians whomanipulate them to retain power. |
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