Nigerian Bishops See Danger in Islamic Law

Voice of America, September 23, 2001

Catholic bishops in Nigeria have warned of what they call disastrous consequences from the adoption of strict Islamic law, or Sharia, by some states in Africa's most populous country, calling it a threat to peace.

The warning was part of a communique issued at the end of a three day meeting of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria in Lagos.

The bishops have repeatedly said the adoption of sharia as state law is a flagrant violation of the human rights of non-Muslims in a multi-religious society like Nigeria.

Several northern Nigerian states have adopted some form of Islamic law, despite opposition by Christians. In the northern city of Kaduna, plans to introduce the Islamic legal system led to Muslim-Christian clashes in which hundreds died in early 2000.

More recently, about 500 people were killed and thousands injured as tensions erupted into Christian-Muslim fighting in the central city of Jos. Analysts say isolated reprisal attacks elsewhere in Nigeria could lead to polarization in Nigeria, which is made up of more than 250 ethnic groups.

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