Shia in Nigeria
Encyclopedia
Though the majority of the Nigeria
n Muslim population is Sunni (60 million), there is a significant Shia minority (5-10 million), particularly in the northern states of Kano
and Sokoto
.
blend of Shia and Sunni Islam. Zakzaky's gained a following among those disenchanted with the political and religious establishment, and where commonly identified as shia (due to similarities with Khomeni's traditions).
in Nigeria. Cleric Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky is a primary figure in the movement.
The state government of Sokoto has reacted to the rise of Shia Islam in the state by taking such measures as demolishing the Islamic Center in 2007. Furthermore, clashes between Sunni and Shia residents followed the assassination of Imam Umaru Danmaishiyya, who was known for his fiery anti-Shia preaching.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n Muslim population is Sunni (60 million), there is a significant Shia minority (5-10 million), particularly in the northern states of Kano
Kano State
Kano State is a state located in North-Western Nigeria. Created on May 27, 1967 from part of the Northern Region, Kano state borders Katsina State to the north-west, Jigawa State to the north-east, Bauchi State to the south-east and Kaduna State to the south-west...
and Sokoto
Sokoto State
Sokoto State is located in the extreme northwest of Nigeria, near to the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2005 it has an estimated population of more than 4.2 million...
.
Introduction of Shi'ism in Nigeria
Shia Islam was "almost unknown" in Nigeria until the 1980s, when Ibraheem Zakzaky introduced a syncreticSyncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
blend of Shia and Sunni Islam. Zakzaky's gained a following among those disenchanted with the political and religious establishment, and where commonly identified as shia (due to similarities with Khomeni's traditions).
Prosecution
Members of the Nigerian Shia community have been persecuted in some cases, but in other cases have united with Nigerian Sunni in the Islamic MovementIslamic Movement (Nigeria)
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria is a religious and political organization, based in the northern region of the country. Both Shia and Sunni participate in the movement.The Islamic Movement is headed by Ibraheem Zakzaky, a Shia cleric....
in Nigeria. Cleric Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky is a primary figure in the movement.
The state government of Sokoto has reacted to the rise of Shia Islam in the state by taking such measures as demolishing the Islamic Center in 2007. Furthermore, clashes between Sunni and Shia residents followed the assassination of Imam Umaru Danmaishiyya, who was known for his fiery anti-Shia preaching.
Sources
- Muhammad Mansur Nigeria’s Zaria city crammed with mourners of Imam Hussain Jafariya News, January 29, 2007.
- Mohamed Ali Mosques vandalised in (Abuja) Nigeria clashes Jafariya News, June 10, 2004.
- Nigerian Echoes of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
- Elise Aymer Nigeria: Clash of Religions The Yale International Forum, Winter 1996.
- purported Biography of Zakzaky