African Languages and Societies Commons^™

Beyond Political Islam: Nigeria, The Boko Haram Crisis And The Imperative Of National Consensus, Simeon Onyemachi Hilary Alozieuwa Dr.

Journal of Retracing Africa

The escalation of the Boko Haram crisis in Nigeria that peaked in 2010 has led to the emergence of many theories to explain its causes. These theories focus on the socio-economic/ human needs, vengeance, the Islamic theocratic state, and political dimensions. Beside the socio-economic perspective, which harps on the pervasive poverty in the North, the theocratic state analysis seems compelling not only because it fits into the sect’s mission to Islamize Northern Nigeria and carve it out as a distinct political entity, but it also resonates with political Islam, the driving ideology behind such Jihadi groups as Al-Qaeda in the …