Religious Freedom
*. Report recommends Ministry of Northern Affairs
By Vincent Obia
Chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom,
Robert P. George, has said that the Nigerian government has the
capacity to wage a successful war against Boko Haram, but the
government does not have the political will to wage the battle.
George, whose organisation published a report last year on the
activities of the Islamic insurgent sect, reiterated some of the
recommendations in the report. He said Boko Haram insurgency was a
real and growing threat to the future of Nigeria, which the country
must confront head-on.
Boko Haram seeks to introduce "pure" Shariah law in northern Nigeria.
The group is responsible for many deaths and destructions in religious
and educational institutions and other public places in the country
since the last two years. In an attempt to tackle the threat posed by
Boko Haram, the federal government has imposed emergency rule in three
North-east states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa, which are the hotbeds
of the group's rebellion.
The emergency measures have recorded some successes, even though the
killings by Boko Haram have largely continued.
But George stated, "In our view, Nigeria's government has the capacity
to address the violence successfully. The problem appears to be one
of will, not ability. Clearly, Nigeria's establishment, including
President Jonathan and other leaders, needs to muster the political
courage to protect the innocent and prosecute those who are guilty of
unleashing violence against their fellow Nigerians.
"Simply stated, Nigeria's failure since at least the turn of the
century to protect Nigerians from religious-related assaults – or
prevent or punish such violence – must be addressed. Every effort
must be made to bring perpetrators of this violence, regardless of
their faith or position in society, to justice. It is the only way
the country will have any chance of a stable future."
George, however, said military force alone would not overcome the
insurgency, stressing that an effective law enforcement system and
adherence to the rule of law are crucial in the attempt to beat the
menace of the Islamic sect.
"But overcoming the Boko Haram challenge will take more than a
military response – it also requires an approach that addresses
Nigeria's tolerance of long-running sectarian violence, protects
religious freedom and enforces rule of law," George stated.
Highlighting the human cost of Boko Haram violence since January last
year, the USCIRF chairman said the sect "launched
religiously-motivated attacks on 50 churches, killing at least 366
people; 31 separate attacks on Christians or southerners perceived to
be Christian, killing at least 166 people; 23 targeted attacks on
clerics or senior Islamic figures critical of Boko Haram, killing at
least 60 persons; and 21 attacks on "un-Islamic" institutions or
persons engaged in "un-Islamic" behavior, killing at least 74."
USCIRF Annual Report 2013 recommended that the American government
should "establish a U.S. consulate in Kano and call on the Nigerian
government to create a Ministry of Northern Affairs to address the
economic and political marginalisation of the north." It said it was
part of measures to prioritise religious freedom in U.S.-Nigeria
bilateral relations.
Besides Boko Haram, George said Nigeria's long-term stability was also
threatened by sectarian violence between Muslims and Christians, which
he said had killed about 14, 000 people since 1999.
"Worse, since that time, USCIRF has confirmed that only 200 people
have been found guilty of perpetrating these attacks. This failure to
bring the guilty to justice has created a climate of impunity
emboldening the violent to commit further attacks, and indeed has
helped trigger the rise of Boko Haram itself. Boko Haram uses this
history as a recruiting tool and the group frequently attacks
predominantly Christian areas in Bauchi, Jos, Kaduna, and Kano to
further exacerbate existing Muslim-Christian tensions and fuel more
violence," George said.
He said the Nigerian government's counterterrorism tactics in response
to the religiously-motivated violence were necessary but insufficient.
According to him, "Nigeria must also enforce the rule of law and make
perpetrators of both sectarian and Boko Haram violence accountable
through the judicial system.
"Indeed, President Obama was correct in making the case to Nigerian
President Goodluck Jonathan during their September 23 meeting in New
York that the Nigerian government must embrace a comprehensive
approach that includes the protection of human rights and the
promotion of rule of law."
He reiterated USCIRF's call on the U.S. government to designate
Nigeria as a "country of particular concern," for condoning
"systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations."
George also restated his group's suggestion that the U.S. government
should enter into a binding agreement with the Nigerian government to
help it in the efforts to bring perpetrators of violence to justice,
develop conflict prevention and early warning methods, and
professionalise the Nigeria Police.
No comments:
Post a Comment