Adoption of Sharia Lawby Saki Amagai & KyoRy Park

North (Muslim) vs South (Chrisitian)

• More than 90% of population is either Christian / Muslim

• 44% of entire population is Muslim

States that institute Sharia Law

- Zamfara- Sokoto- Kano

- Katsina- Bauchi- Kebbi

- Yobe- Kaduna- Niger

- Gombe- Borno- Jigawa

Religious groups

•Christians in Nigeria -- 80 millionMuslims in Nigeria -- 76 million (the Pew Centre

2011)

•Because the proportion of Muslims and Christians in Nigeria is a sensitive political issue, the national census has not asked questions about religion since 1963

What's Sharia Law?

• the word 'sharia' means "the path to a watering hole".

• Sharia is a religious code for living in an Islamic way, in the same way that the Bible offers a moral system for Christians.

• It decrees both men and women to be dressed modestly.

History

• Islamic code had been in practice for centuries before the British rule in the early 1900s.

• The British allowed the use of Sharia, but banned executions as punishments.

• During the colonial era, the British penal code replaced its criminal law.

Public Policy

• The northern, predominantly Muslim states in Nigeria decided to adopt Sharia in 2000.

Adoption of Sharia Law

Manner of Consultation

Multiple religious riots

-December 1980 in Kano-1982 at Bullum-Kutu Ward-1984 in Jimeta, Gongola State-1987 in Kanfanchan-1987 Sokoto State

Key Decision Makers

•Nigerian governmento Muslim states' governmentso President Olusegun Obasanjo

Stakeholders

•Nigerian government"The genuine Sharia, Islamic Sharia, is part of the religion and is

part of the way of life of a Muslim and part of the way of life of Nigerians," Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo told the news service allAfrica.com in 2001.

•Nigerian Muslimso Muslim's rights protected

Stakeholders

•Nigerians with other religiono uneasy and intimidating atmosphere

o " I believe the clamor for the implementation of Sharia is like an open show of defiance against the government, which is perceived by the Muslims as the sole agent of corruption in this country" Nigerian attorney Muzzammil Sani Hanga

Was implementing Sharia Law a success? Despite the predominance of Islam in the North,

there are many religious and racial minorities in the region. The international community have been criticizing the cruel and violent aspects of Sharia.

Current Issue•Amina Lawal, a 30 y/o divorced

Muslim woman, was convicted in March 2002, and a Sharia court sentenced her to death by stoning her at a northern Nigeria's Katsina state.

•Her unjust,violent sentence have enraged human rights groups.

•Obasanjo said if Lawal's case had reach the Supreme Court, he would've made sure that it was overturned.

•Since the decisions, Nigerian court officials have formed boundaries between the two court systems, and the difference between them have quieted.

Our opinions

I think it's almost unavoidable not to implement Sharia Law, with almost half of Nigeria's population being a Muslim. It was a good way to keep Nigeria as one unified country by increasing legitimacy amongst the Muslim populace. But at the same time, it may lead the two religious group to realize their "difference" even more and make Nigeria more disintegrated.

Discussion questions

1. What are the positive and negative effects of introducing Sharia Law to Nigeria?

2. If you were a leader of Nigeria, would you have encouraged the implementation of the Sharia Law? Why or why not?

Bibliography

• Sharia Law and Niger, PBS Newshour. April 5, 2007. Retrieved on April 11th from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/africa/nigeria/sharia.html

• The Emergence of Sharia Law, OnlineNewsHour. July 2003. Retrieved on April 11th from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/africa/nigeria/sharia_law.html

• Sharia Law, Gaurdian. August 2002. Retrieved on April 11th from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/aug/20/qanda.islam