Leo Igwe, of the Nigerian Humanist Movement and representing IHEU in Nigeria, discusses the current surge in violent clashes and massacres.

The Nigerian city of Jos once known for its peace and serenity has now become a scene of recurrent ethnoreligious bloodletting. Yesterday, at least 500 persons were reportedly killed in the latest out break of violence in the city. According to eye witnesses, a gang of men suspected to be islamic militants descended on the village of Dogo-Nahawa and attacked the people with matchetes. The militants shot in the air to bring people out of their houses and when they came out, they butchered and beheaded them. Most of the victims were mainly women and children. This latest killing is believed to be a reprisal attack by hausa-fulani muslims who suffered heavy casualties during the riots that broke out in January. In the past 10 years clashes between christian indigenes and muslim settlers have claimed thousands of lives. Attacks and counter attacks between christains and muslims in Jos have erupted several times in the past and are expected to continue in the near future due to the following reasons.

Islamic Imperialism

Islamists in Northern Nigeria want to exert and extend their power and influence by force if need be. Already, islamic theocrats have foisted their political agenda as codified in the sharia law on muslim majority states deepening the religious divide and the indigene-settler, muslim-christian dichotomy in the sharia states. Islamists want to extend their regime and influence to all states where muslims live or reside. And Plateau state falls within their sphere and remains one of their targets

Lack of Political Will

The recurrent cases of religious violence in Jos and in other parts of Northern Nigeria indicate a clear demonstration of lack of will to resolve this festering problem. This is because in Nigeria religion and politics mix. And in Northern Nigeria there is lack of separation of mosque and state. Islam is privileged. Anything islamic whether good or bad is the law or above the law. So violence perpetrated in the name of islam is not punished. Islamic militants are jihadists. And jihadists are treated as heroes, not criminals

Continues at: http://culturekitchen.com/leo_igwe/blog/why_religious_clashes_persist_in_jos