hardly
religious
Who got God into a fight?
Is it religious or is it political? The media all over, including the Internet, refers to it as a religious conflict: the unending fight between the Nigerian Christians and Muslims. It has cost many lives and has crippled development especially in northern Nigeria. Nonetheless, those that live within the inflamed areas can easily recognize that it is barely religious; in fact, it is political. It is another instance of the eternal struggle for control as distinct sects continue to seek their dominance in a place. However, in a culturally diverse country where religion loosely defines the common values among ethnic groups, the same becomes an easy excuse for many otherwise political conflicts.
It was sometime in the month of May 1999, and my otherwise pleasurable childhood was about to get a new meaning. The traditional ruler of the town had died, and the town now wanted to crown a new leader. The problem, however, was that this new ruler was not a native of the small town; nor was the late king, but at some point in the history of this town, probably after an Islamic invasion, the town got under the rule of the foreign invaders, and it remained that way until now. The natives of the town, largely Baptists, decided that the new king must now be one of their own - a king that would truly uphold their native culture. Of course, this held no justification for the immigrants who insisted that it would remain business as usual. There was the tug-of-war. On the inauguration day, the natives started a peaceful protest and mounted roadblocks to thwart the occasion. Matters declined to confrontations and verbal assaults as the New-settlers responded to the roadblocks and tried to move them. Then, a group of New-settlers ambushed and disbanded the demonstrators killing one in the process.
Word of the mortality spread and other demonstrators took to flight as an armed group of the New-dwellers paraded the streets clearing all the blocks. They armed themselves with all kinds of primitive weapons: daggers, machetes, arrows, etc. It was a deadly sight and one could tell that they were ready for violence, but not the kind that hit them. Unknown to them the natives had prepared for battle but decided to head-off with a peaceful demonstration first. Their flight and subsequent eerie silence was in their regrouping and preparation for a brutal comeback. In their sudden appearance, they fell on the New-settlers like a torrent and slaughtered many in revenge. This was the beginning of three awful days of bloodshed on both sides. Since the New-dwellers were majorly Muslims, the natives burnt down many Mosques and the overwhelmed Muslims, in effect, took on a few small churches. Again, what was otherwise political morphed into a religious conflict, nonetheless, the participants of the fight remained constant, that is only the natives and 'Muslims' contended in the conflict; Muslims because of Islam's political assertion in the situation, plus, the fighting New-dwellers were all Muslims and connected their insistence to the Islamic cause. Both fighting parties considered the Christian non-indigenes as neutral, which shows again that the fight was not primarily religious
I had never seen such chaos in my life - people so violent and resolved to kill one another. Most amazing of all was that it all built up in front of my eyes: a peaceful demonstration and a day off school turned sour and suddenly became a nightmare and I could not wake up. I closed my eleven-year-old eyes often, and had never wished more the power of flight – the air kind, but every time I opened them, the day was still as black as prior. Screens of imminent death sickened me as I heard people that I might have known in this small town torture one another to death. A periodic silence that followed was suspicious and sinister because all kinds of shouts would suddenly shatter the silence. As I watched houses burn and crumble back into their foundations, I imagined my home in a similar situation and felt the loss of others. The police had not shown up because the carnage was no doubt beyond their training and control. I died many times over within the three days of this battle, and every time I lived again, death became a casual acquaintance whose visit could not trouble me further.
The fight nonetheless had some riveting twists – still weird to conceive. Throughout the three days of this conflict, all fighting and killing would usually stop at some time in the evening. Then as though from nowhere, the neutral people would surge out perambulating freely as though inspecting the damages and effects of the day's battle or checking up on a friend. I was at home with two relations and a Nanny; Dad had travelled out of town two days earlier. We were among the neutral folks, and I still remember those evening strolls. We walked around with others looking at burnt corpses and fallen houses. This was not what one would call a pleasant walk; it was a necessary walk because people were everywhere, a rare moment in those three days, and perhaps a delusive sense of security. Something about the atmosphere outside told the gory stories that had occurred in a thick and tangible way. Everyone looked as nothing was happening, but even a stranger could spot the choreography. People like spectators walked around, greeting each other and discussing whatever they had seen. Some even referred others to 'an exhibition' they found appealing, perhaps appalling. This recess or 'social hour' lasted for about an hour or two. Then, as though alerted by an innate whistle, the town turned ghostly again as night fell. There were momentary screams at night, but most of the combat happened during the day. Throughout the period of battle, this odd routine continued.
After three days of carnage, the State government finally declared the town to be in a state of emergency. Consequently, the State deployed a military unit and set a daily curfew for 9pm: after nine, no one was to be in the streets or open. As the military arrived on the fourth day, many people heralded as they paraded. Apparently, the patrol had strict instructions to kill on sight any troublemaker irrespective of the purpose or side. That afternoon lasted with the sound of more sophisticated guns in the air and tear gas as the military dispersed the combatants. The sound of a gun would never sound better in my ears for the rest of my life! The madness finally ended. The dust gradually settled over the week. It was indeed delightful to see friends and neighbors again especially the Muslims who were the most victimized during the fight. In addition, school reopened, and students, which represented all sides of the story, eagerly resumed to hear the accounts of others and share theirs. A lot of myths and legends concerning the fight led to mysteries and fictions. As one could tell, these tales quickly became popular in school.
The war had ended leaving in its trail the destructions and sorrows it wrought. The embers of those days still plague the now dysfunctional town. More importantly, my nightmare was over, and the consequent relocation of many, including my family, was a breeze. Nonetheless, something had happened to my young mind. I started to wonder what it is like for those in Israel and Pakistan. I thought of Iraq, Afghanistan and, in fact, some other parts of Africa like Somalia - a country that I cannot remember ever knowing for peace. It still puzzles me how the individuals in those countries feel about a daily turbulent life. How would they define life or describe earth to a Martian? One of the traumatic effects of such instability in a society is the uncertainty that loved ones seen in the morning might be no more in the evening. I thought and still think of countries and cities in an unending conflict and battle – where children younger than I was at the time are even oppressed – where killings are arbitrary, cruel and senseless. This brings to mind a neighboring country where the rebels simply amputated their victims; another example of areas where the dispute has no neutral ground - the neutral people are the victims of both sides. It is pathetic and stomach-turning even to imagine, yet it is the exact world another knows – that could have been me. Sweet people: men, women, and children at birth find themselves in a cruel world where they live more vulnerable than the wildlife producers in the food chain. The taste of those bitter days inexplicably lingers in my tongue; a taste that even an enemy does not deserve. Welcome to the world, that is all the callous hearts of those exposed to this life unemotionally utter, but what world is that?
As the world develops in many ways including technology, humankind has refused to excuse weapons of mass destruction from the development. It plagues the human race as though an inevitable self-destruct button to end it all in a swoop. These contentions are usually for prominence and dominion over other people. Nonetheless, the world has become a place where religion easily identifies diverse peoples under a common lifestyle based on the rudiments of their shared beliefs. Religion has become the common culture of the world. When two people of different backgrounds meet whether in the same town or overseas, the moment they identify a common faith they almost cease to be strangers. Suddenly, there is an awareness of some cultural similarities and mindset. Besides, religion tends to produce a transcultural bond among otherwise diverse people. On the other hand, people engage in warfare based on differences and the craving for more power; however defined. It is clear that one hardly fires a rifle at another because of his or her methods of worship. The fundamental purpose of war over the ages remains constant: Territory, the effort of one kingdom to perpetuate its culture and sovereignty in another land (Munroe). The populous Nigerian conflicts are no different.
According to the BBC survey called “WHAT THE WORLD THINKS OF GOD”, Nigeria is one of the most religious countries in the world. In addition, these conflicts, as many others around the world, are territorial especially considering the over two hundred different cultures that make up the country that is hardly as large as Texas. Nonetheless, since there are no atheists in foxholes (Morrow), faith in a divine being for help inevitably brings in religion into the propaganda as God suddenly became indispensable to America during the cold war with the communist Soviet Union. This certainly makes the struggles appear religious even when the contentions are incongruous with the individual faith of the opponents. It seems like war will always stay with humanity, and as long as the belief in deity lingers, every war will somewhat be religious.
Morrow, James. "Quotations about War"
Quote Garden. 09 September 2010. Web. 08 October 2010.
BBC Survey. "What the World Thinks of God"
BBC Press Office. 26 February 2004. Web. 08 October 2010. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/02_february/26/world_god.shtml >
Barker, Eileen. "What is religion?"
The Big Question. 25 November 2004. Web. 08 October 2010. <http://www.open2.net/historyandthearts/philosophy_ethics/religion110904.html>
"BBC/OU Open2.net - Philosophy & Ethics - What is religion?" www.open2.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2010 <http://www.open2.net/historyandthearts/philosophy_ethics/religion110904.html>.
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