Christian Persecution in Nigeria

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Recommended: Examples of persecution of Christians today

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the persecution of Christians has taken place in northern Nigeria. In the poverty-stricken nation, tension between Muslims and Christians runs high. The discrimination against Christians in the North along with violent attacks at the hands of the infamous Boko Haram violates several international laws and has led to the interference of the International Criminal Court and United States. Although the violence began in recent years, the conflict has been rising for centuries.
James Verini from National Geographic, reports that Muslim merchants introduced Islam into the city of Kano in the 11th century. The king of Kano adopted Islam as the official religion of the state in 1370. Christianity-along with British colonization and industrialization- arrived in Kano in 1903. “The emir and the British kept out Western education and other advances but allowed in Christians from the south” (Verini 98). With both religions in the same region by the mid-20th century, Muslims represented about half of the population in Nigeria. As a result, northern Nigeria stayed under the rule of Muslim dictators until recent years as claimed by Ann Buwalda and Emmanuel Ogebe from the Morning Star News. In 1999, Nigeria elected their first president, causing twelve northern states to violate the country’s constitution by enforcing their own government based on Islamic law. “This resulted in horrific violence the following year that left thousands dead when Christians protested peacefully” ( Buwalda and Ogebe). The riot in 1999 marked the beginning of the ongoing violence between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria.
Although violent attacks on Christians at the hands of Muslims in Nigeria dates back “over a ...

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... again repeat itself. We must remain informed on the situation and continue to spread awareness of the thousands of Christians killed in Nigeria. If we simply use our resources like social networking to share information about the issue, we can unite to improve the situation in Nigeria. When we have so much power to make a difference in thousands of lives, there is no reason to stand by.

Works Cited
Buwalda, Ann. Ogebe, Emmanuel. “Beyond Boko Haram: The Lethal Persecution of Nigeria’s
Christians.” Morning Star News. Morning Star News, 16 Apr. 2013. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
Jubilee Campaign. Jubilee Campaign, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.
Nossiter, Adam. “In Nigeria, a Deadly Group’s Rage Has Local Roots.” The New York Times.
The New York Times Company, 25 Feb. 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
Verini, James. “The War for Nigeria.” National Geographic. Nov. 2013: 86-111. Print.

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