JORAS - Nigerian Journal of Religion and Society

Since its inroad into Nigerian soil, the name 'Boko Haram' has been conceptualized in several ways to the extent that the concept is but a mixed bag of confusion in the scheme of things. Hence a learned exploration is needed to extricate the inadequacy for better naming and understanding of its acts. Indeed, many people have characteristically condemned the act as horrendous with little or no religious motif but just a misguided demonstration of frustration with the socio-political and economic system in the country. The perpetrators, on the other hand, supposedly consider their acts as religious and communal acts of sacrifice and martyrdom far from mere 'utilitarian militant tactics,' but acts fulfilling the will of Allah (Strenski, 2003:1). Using such concepts plays into the new horizon of modern terrorism and complicates the misunderstandings and contradictions their claims and acts impose on traditional norms of martyrdom and sacrifice, especially in their religious context. Though it is true that dying for the faith has a long and honored tradition in most religions, it is not a synonym for suicide or homicide. These acts expand, challenge, and change the common held notion of martyrdom and sacrifice, so that these words have a wide range of meaning in today's world, and a much wider application to various people and contexts. The realities these words signify now range from obedient suffering to militancy, from nonviolence to violence, from passive sacrifice to active participation.

Open Full Text (PDF)