Boko Haram in northern Nigeria: a Maududian legacy

Abstract

This paper asserts that religious conflicts and the emergence of Boko Haram in northern Nigeria are linked to the influence of theology or theological interpretation. The paper specifically argues that religious conflicts and the emergence of Boko Haram are strongly influenced by Maududian ideology or his political interpretation of Islam. The paper establishes this by showing that “Ikhwan al-Muslimun (Muslim Brotherhood) of Egypt, the Jama’at-i-Islami of Pakistan, the Wahabbi views in Saudi Arabia and Islamic revolution of Iran are all indirect propagators of Maududian ideology. This fundamentalist ideological influence in northern Nigeria began with Muslim Student Society (MSS) in northern Nigerian universities and was transmitted into the northern Nigerian society at large with dire consequences. This position is supported by interviews conducted of 159 respondents in Kano, Zaria and Kaduna of Kano and Kaduna states of northern Nigeria.

Keywords: Religious Conflicts, Boko Haram, Maududi, Fundamentalism, Theological indoctrination, Muslim Student Society (MSS)