Apr 12, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 12, 2010
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nigeria's Acting President Johnathan Goodluck said today in World Magazine that the violence in Nigeria was “purely ethnic,” and that outsiders had misperceptions about the violence.
World Magazine also noted that the U.S.Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) designated Nigeria as a "country of particular concern" in 2009.
The following op-ed by Leonard A. Leo, USCIRF chair, and commissioner Don Argue appears Tuesday, April 13 in the European edition of The Wall Street Journal.
Nigeria's Descent Into Religious Strife
The failure to prosecute the perpetrators of Muslim-Christian violence has created a climate of impunity.
Anticipating this week's U.S. visit by Nigeria's Interim President Goodluck Jonathan, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced a U.S-Nigeria bi-national commission to address a number of topics, including corruption, security and economic issues. But what seems missing is any discussion of Nigeria's long-standing failure to prosecute and convict the perpetrators of Muslim-Christian violence. This failure has created a climate of impunity that further fuels religious extremism.
A wave of sectarian violence over the past few weeks has made an already tense presidential succession even more precarious. In and around the northern community of Jos, the death toll from Muslim-Christian clashes has topped 500. The scene is grim, with stories of women and children being hacked down with machetes. The crisis is a real test of Mr. Jonathan's leadership.
How many people have been brought to justice for this recent massacre or for any of the other sectarian clashes going back to 1999 with over 13,000 dead? The sad answer is none. Sometimes offenders are arrested, but only to be released a few hours later. Sketchy lines of authority between federal police and state and local governments have only contributed to this breakdown of law enforcement.
It is no accident that this sectarian violence in Nigeria has largely occurred in the predominantly Muslim part of northern Nigeria. Though Nigeria's constitution declares that there is no state religion, twelve state governments have instituted Islamic Sharia law. Christians in the north regularly told us during our visits that they feel like second-class citizens and face discrimination. In July 2009, for example, the radical Islamist movement Boko Haram instigated widespread rioting in northern Nigeria's Bauchi state, leaving as many as 900 dead and many more displaced—Christians and Muslims alike. All this violence was perpetrated under the banner of repelling "Western education."
Just two months before the Boko Haram bloodshed, our commission recommended that Nigeria be designated a "country of particular concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, which was passed to promote religious freedom as a U.S. foreign policy. In our view, the Nigerian government has the capacity but not the will to protect its citizens. This state of affairs could be a catalyst for further violent religious extremism, and, in turn, international terrorism.
The most recent sign of Nigeria's descent into religious violence came several months after our report, with the attempt to destroy a Detroit-bound flight on Christmas Day. The terrorist, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was a Nigerian, and, no doubt, every facet of his life inside and outside his home country will be pored over in the course of his prosecution. However, the Obama administration must go beyond the specifics of this case and initiate a serious review of the conditions that are leading to the growth of extremism in northern Nigeria, which is where Mr. Abdulmutallab was raised. It is hard to know whether al-Qaeda or affiliated groups are on the ground in Nigeria. The government says they are not, though the fact that Washington added Nigeria to the list of 14 countries whose citizens will have to face intense screening before boarding U.S.-bound planes raises real questions.
Nigerian officials are quick to argue that these clashes are not about religion but instead the by-product of tribal or ethnic tensions as well as economic disparities. This sort of denial is making matters only worse. No doubt, ethnic power struggles and economic disparities fuel hate and resentment. But access to money, land, and power often cut along religious lines.
Religious differences have been leveraged to stoke controversies over broader economic and political issues since the dawn of civilization. This means that Nigerian leaders must think more creatively about how to engage the belief structure supporting religious extremism. Nigeria has a rich cultural tradition of religious toleration and harmony—there are, for example, many families in the southern part of the country that are mixed Christian and Muslim and that enjoy peace and stability. And the father of the Christmas Day bomber approached both Nigerian and American officials to raise alarm about his son's extremist views.
These are the signs of a culture that can preserve a public square marked by religious tolerance and harmony rather than the kind of extremist ideology that foments violence, repression, and discrimination. Abuja must demonstrate that it doesn't tolerate religiously motivated violence, and the United States and other international actors need to assist Nigeria's government. A few individual prosecutions predicated on well-founded evidence would be a good start. Nigerian police need to be trained to identify the early warning signs of violence, to prevent conflicts from boiling over, and, when violence ensues, to address and stop clashes in a manner consistent with human rights. The United States and a number of European nations could provide the necessary technical expertise and training.
Nigeria is among the world's largest oil suppliers. It boasts one of the most vibrant economies in Africa and supplies a significant number of peacekeeping forces for operations in Africa. The United States, not to mention Africa, simply cannot afford to have such a strategically and economically important country be torn apart by religious extremism.
With a new government, now is the time for the United States and the European Union to put these issues front-and-center and demand political will and action.
USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives. USCIRF’s principal responsibilities are to review the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally and to make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress.
To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, contact Tom Carter, Communications Director [email protected], or (202) 523-3257
Apr 7, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2010
WASHINGTON, DC - Prior to the United Nation"s "Alliance of Civilizations” gathering in Istanbul, Turkey April 6-7, the United States Commission on International Freedom (USCIRF) sent a letter to President Barak Obama urging him to raise the issue of religious freedom at the forum. The letter also asked that President Obama ensure that the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartolomew, the spiritual leader of almost 300 million Orthodox Christians, be welcomed as a participant.
The April 3 letter cited the USCIRF Commissioners" "deep concern” that, according to sources in Turkey, the Patriarch, who is a Turkish citizen and based in Istanbul, was not invited to the "Alliance of Civilizations,” which was established by Spain and Turkey under the auspices of the United Nations.
The letter noted that representatives from nations singled out in the U.S. State Department report as among the world"s most notorious religious rights abusers, including Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan, were expected to participate in this global gathering, making it an ideal forum for the United States to raise the issue of freedom of religion or belief.
"The Commission is disappointed that the Ecumenical Patriarch was not invited to the "Alliance of Civilizations” gathering. We noted with appreciation that President Obama raised the issue of religious freedom before Turkey"s Parliament. We encourage the U.S. administration to continue to urge Turkey to end its inappropriate restrictions on religious communities and their freedoms,” said Felice Gaer, chair of USCIRF.
The text of the letter follows:
April 3, 2009
The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom looks forward to working together with you to advance the protection of religious freedom around the world. I am writing today on behalf of the Commission to respectfully ask that you raise two important issues at the Alliance of Civilizations" Istanbul Forum. First, we urge you to raise religious freedom in a prominent manner in both your public and private remarks at the Forum. Second, we urge you to ensure the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I is invited to the Istanbul Forum in his role as Ecumenical Patriarch.
The State Department recently publically named Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan as nations whose governments are culpable for particularly serious violations of religious freedom. Representatives from some of these nations will be attending the Istanbul Forum. Further, incorporated in the mission of the Alliance is improving inter-religious relations. The Forum therefore provides an ideal setting for confirming America"s dedication to advancing the universal right to freedom of religion or belief, and discussing frankly the need for all states to meet their obligations to respect those universal rights and fundamental freedoms.
On behalf of USCIRF, an independent bipartisan federal commission, we also urge you to use your influence to ensure the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, who resides in Istanbul and is the spiritual leader of almost 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, is invited to the Forum in his role as Ecumenical Patriarch. Indeed, that he has not been invited reflects the difficulties religious minorities face in Turkey. The Turkish state has consistently used convoluted regulations and undemocratic laws to confiscate-without opportunity for legal appeal or financial compensation-thousands of religious minority properties, particularly those belonging to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Greek Orthodox community under patriarchal jurisdiction. Turkey"s policies have led to the decline-and in some cases, virtual disappearance-of some of these religious minorities on lands they have inhabited for millennia. Considering the global leadership that His All Holiness
Bartholomew I plays on interreligious dialogue and human rights, it is troubling that the organizers have not invited him to participate, so that attendees can benefit from his experience and perspective.
Mr. President, we appreciate your commitment to human rights and religious freedom, and wish you success during your trip.
Regards,
Felice D. Gaer
Chair
To interview a USCIRF Commissioner or USCIRF country expert, contact Tom Carter, Communications Director at [email protected] or (202) 523-3257.
Apr 1, 2010
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