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rug

(82,333 posts)
Sun Jun 26, 2016, 08:46 AM Jun 2016

Letter from Africa: Nigeria's war of the religious robes

In our series of letters from African journalists, novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani looks at how the latest religious tension in Nigeria is playing out in what people wear to school.



Christian students wore religious clothes over their school uniforms (JOSIAH OLUWOLE / PREMIUM TIMES)

26 June 2016

Almost all of Nigeria's many inter-religious crises have erupted in the north of the country, where the majority of the country's Muslims live, along with a sizeable Christian minority.

But, over the past few weeks, a religious conflict of a peculiar nature has sprouted in Osun state, south-west Nigeria, which has a large population of Muslims as well as Christians.

While previous religious conflicts have involved machetes, the battle in Osun is being fought with religious garments.

It's the war of the religious robes.



In 2014, Lagos students went to court over a ban on wearing the Muslim headscarf in state schools (AFP)

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36575657

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Letter from Africa: Nigeria's war of the religious robes (Original Post) rug Jun 2016 OP
It helps to know a bit of the history in the area. Igel Jun 2016 #1
You're right of course. rug Jun 2016 #2

Igel

(35,191 posts)
1. It helps to know a bit of the history in the area.
Sun Jun 26, 2016, 06:39 PM
Jun 2016

Otherwise everybody gets filtered through a nice ethnocentric, ahistorical prism that we decry in others.

Doesn't make what others do correct or good, but it provides understanding that can be a starting point for discussion and change. Perhaps theirs. Perhaps ours.

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