Redefining 'Religious Terrorism' and the role of the Nigerian playwright

Abstract

In our nation and in the world over, terrorism today is a subject of major concern and discourse affecting every aspect of human existence, be it political,  religious, economic, sociological etc. Terror without a gun is now our present day religious reality, just as the popular axiom “stealing (without a gun) with  the pen” has been the bane of our national politics for some time now. Terrorism has left the periphery of arms and ammunition and graduated into  a more conducive atmosphere that masks its ugly face in our religious groups and organisations. Religion in which man is supposed to take refuge  and consolation in the face of life’s anomalies has become a subject of disillusionment as it has followed the path of terror, orchestrated by religious  leaders who often smartly twist and turn until they find justifications in the holy writs to steal and milk their unsuspecting victims all in the name of God.  The upsurge of religious businessmen in our societies has championed the corresponding emergence of a litany of churches and worship centres  littering all the nooks and crannies of our streets. In view of these, this paper seeks to highlight the masked terrorist tendencies prevalent both between  and within religions, to re-assess the role of playwriting and the Nigerian playwright in countering this menace, and to chart a much sought course. In  achieving these ends, this research utilises the literary and artistic research methodologies.