WHO ARE THE BOKO HARAMS? PART 1 THE ROOTS OF BOKO HARAM IDEOLOGY When Western Education was introduced by missionaries in Northern part of Nigeria, Hausa people, especially the peasants and their local tutors considered the type of education as Boko, derived from the word boka meaning a sorcerer. It is literally translated as “fake or deceptive”. Western Education became known as “Karatun Boko” meaning “fake or deceptive education”. Those who accepted boko became educated and were called “Yan boko” meaning “Western educated people”. Even though boko did not lead to conversion of Muslims as many traditionalist feared, it led to westernization and secularization. And when the Yan boko began to dress and act like westerners, and became lackadaisical towards religion, the peasant tutors began to regard boko as a tool of western power to convert people from Islam. For those who are unaware of the history of Islamic civilisation and role of Muslim’s in technological advancement, they considered boko in its entirety as unislamic and rejected the white man’s schools and whatever that came along with it, such that in the early days, it was said that some refused to take their corn to be grinded with the “white man’s grinding machine” but instead use mortar to pound. Some refused to connect to electricity, saying it was brought by the Nasara”. Ironically some Yan boko have better Islamic knowledge and practice Islam better than the peasants. Boko also improved the community’s material lot, but the exorbitant lifestyle, opulence, ego and vanity of the elite Yan boko alarmed the traditionalist. Ineffective governance, diversion and looting of public funds by the ruling Yan boko tarnished their image and further fuelled the opposition for “boko”. Western influence on Islamic society was also viewed as the basis for religious weakness and collapse of societal values. This began to trigger a call for social change. MUHAMMAD YUSUF CONVERSION FROM SHI’ISM TO IZALA Mohammad Yusuf was born in 1970 in Girgir village Yobe State. He was formerly a Shi’ite Muslim but eventually denounced Shi’ism and joined the Izaalatul bi’dah wa iqqamatus sunnah in 1995. He was a graduate, spoke proficiently in English and worked with the Yobe state civil service. He was also a merchant and financially well off. When he joined the Izalas, he became strongly influenced by the teachings of Ibn Taymiyyah and received tutorship from prominent Izala clerics including Sheikh Mahmud Jaafar Adams and Sheikh Muhammad Awwal Adam Albani popularly known as Albanin Zaria. Muhammad Yusuf was young and versatile and because of his brilliance he was a favorite student of Sheikh Jaafar so much so that he was seen as the likely heir of the renowned Sheik. But their relationship became strained when Yusuf began to nurture and advocate the ideology of “boko haram” which was challenged and opposed by prominent Izala clerics including his own tutor Sheikh Jaafar.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 06:11:12 +0000
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