Prospects of Islamophobia in Nigeria and its Dangers

Abstract

Irrational fear for and prejudice against Islam and its adherents, which is known as Islamophobia has been ravaging many western countries and there appear to be sinister pointers to same in Nigeria. The possibility and risks of a full-blown Islamophobia in Nigeria remains of concern. The origin of Islamophobia in some western countries is linked to violence and terrorism carried out by people who are professedly Muslims. When such incidents are juxtaposed with the state of affairs in Nigeria and counter-violence on Muslims in some quarters, it becomes glaring that Islamophobia is a time bomb waiting to explode in Nigeria. It is however established that those that execute these violence actually do grave harm to the reputation of the Islamic religion which is an essentially religion of peace and are in fact defamers of Islam. The consequences of Islamophobia in Nigeria as elsewhere are grossly undesirable and despicable. But this requires an urgent call to action to avert this impending psychological complex. To live beyond this fear, therefore is the need to intensify vocal denouncement of terrorism by non-Islamic and Islamic leaders, a guarantee of good governance, proper and modest hermeneutics of the Islamic scripture, intra and inter-religious dialogue and collaboration in fighting terrorism and religious violence as panaceas to this imminent plague called Islamophobia.