The Morality of Suicide Terrorism and Boko Haram Challenges in Nigeria.

Abstract

In the recent years, Nigeria has witnessed the insurgent of terrorist attacks by a group known as Boko Haram. A clear approach to the ideological spring of this Islamic sect has eluded scholarly discussion. One of the major moral challenges with Boko Haram menace has been its method and approach to their struggle. Though there is no clarity with the ideological aims, goals or objectives of this sect, but its acceptance of suicide terrorism in their struggle has become great issues of concern. Boko Haram’s suicide terrorism has raised a lot of philosophical questions; what are the grievances that motivated members and sympathizers of Boko Haram? What are the sociopolitical factors that sustain their ideological resonance and operational capability? What are the rationales behind modern religiously inspired terrorism? How did Boko Haram emerge? Is it different from other terrorist groups? What has led to the current outbreak of violence, in the form of Boko Haram? Have conditions somehow worsened in recent years? Is the violence largely a result of a particularly popular radicalizing agent? Does a religion have a right to enjoin acts which are irrational and immoral? Or does the religious person have the converse right–even a God-given right–to analyze the tenets of a religion for conformity to reason, and to resolutely discountenance any religious directives which go clearly against reason and ethics? The crux of this work is to philosophically consider the moral implication of suicide terrorism with particular reference to Boko haram.