Chibok: Terrorism’s new face

THE 21st century is a period of the novel and unexpected. It is also a period of new risks delivered with new means and potentially more devastating consequences.

For example, the greatest international event of the new century and, of course, the one that bookmarks its

first phase was the attack on America’s symbol of prestige by the terrorist group known as al-Qaeda on September 11, 2001. Terrorism is the use of random violence, especially killing force, with the intent of creating fear in a population (especially civilians) with the devout hope that the fear so created will advance a political objective.

The aim of the terrorist is to coerce or instill fear through the use of propaganda. The attack on America, for example, was clearly motivated not just by the desire to kill civilians but also by the drive to maximise the propaganda value of the attack. Besides, globalisation has also significantly transformed armed groups and terrorists into a major strategic security threat because it has heightened their organisational effectiveness, their lethality and ability to operate on a truly world-wide scale.

But historically speaking, terrorism operates and thrives in three basic contexts namely: (a) as a tool to crush populations into submission ( as used by the dictatorship under Robespierre(1793-1794) during the French Revolution ), (b) as a tool for extremist outsiders against representative regimes( this was al-Qaeda’s major reason for attacking America on 9/11/2001), and (c) as a tool of guerilla warfare(consider the on-going insurgency between the guerillas and American troops in Iraq).

The obvious implication of all these examples is that the abduction of innocent and harmless teenage girls in a government secondary school by the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria is completely out of the context of terrorism and is an addition of the novel to the tactics of terrorism. This dastardly act raises a number of questions: What are the motives of the Boko Haram sect?

Is the abduction of the weaker sex an act brave enough to advance its objective? Does the group intend to add gender issues to its own tactics or it simply wants to extend its long line of human rights abuses with sexual violence and abuse? All these issues constitute the new face and tactics of terrorism in Nigeria.

In the world in which we inhabit today, religion is no longer the purview of theologians and misguided adherents but a major contributor to the lethality of armed groups and terrorists because members of armed groups use religious power to achieve their goals.

The Boko Haram sect in Nigeria based in the North Eastern part of the country was founded in 2002 and the group seeks primarily to establish a strict Islamic law in most of the semi-desert areas of West and Central Africa with spiritual headquarters in Maiduguri. Its leader, Mohammed Yusuf, was captured and killed some time ago but the group has become more powerful and vicious under the leadership of its new leader Abubakar Shekau.

In very broad terms, the sect forbids Western education and it has a strong habit of attacking and bombing churches, government institutions, mosques, police and army formations.

Before his death, the erstwhile leader of the group, Yusuf, had stated emphatically (in a BBC interview) that ‘ anything contrary to Islamic teaching on earth should be rejected’ and that the group was going to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that it changes the current education system in Africa and uproot democracy in the continent. Although, one can identify the objectives of the group, it is left to be said that in pursuing its objectives the group’s actions sharply contrast the teachings of Islam.

The principle of Peace (Salam) which is of primary centrality in Islam, and from which the religion largely derives its name, has been denigrated to cynicism, hate, violence, human suffering and genocide. In other words, in its attempt to purify Islam of Western influences the sect has only succeeded in employing Islam not to support life but death; not to support peace but to perpetuate war. The consolation is that the Muslim faithful, including the Sultan of Sokoto, have unambiguously condemned and criticised the activities of the sect in ringing tones.

While the abduction of the young school girls has become an issue of international concern it, has at the same time, drawn attention to the plight of the African woman in conflict situations. For one thing, the majority of those affected by armed conflict (including refugees and internally displaced persons, IDPs), are usually women and children.

For another, in Nigeria, our country, the Boko Haram sect has successfully exploited the nation’s already-weakened security to its advantage .Perhaps, the truth may be that the Nigerian Army cannot combat terrorism either because the last time the country purchased military hardware was in 1983, or the Army chiefs have become conflict entrepreneurs.

This line of thinking is anchored on the fact that, recently, there has been symptoms of mutiny and gross insubordination within the ranks of the Nigerian Army, including allegations of its complicity with the Boko Haram sect. Yet, in the usual Nigerian style, no arrests have been made or culprits publicly named or punished to serve as deterrence. The irony here is that in the 21st century, the Nigerian Air Force cannot boast of one reconnaissance aircraft.

But more worrisome is the fact that the abduction of the young girls is a method that is not only cruel but also intrinsically awful. In the same vein, the abduction of the girls is not just painful, it is also right-violating.

The act constitutes a disgusting disregard for the humanity of the girls abducted. The abduction also raises a number of moral questions: What about their bodily integrity? If the young girls could be converted to Islam ( and there is every reason to believe so) is it not possible that they could also have been defiled?

Is it not a violation of their rights and entitlements, even as young girls, to choose their own sex partner(s)? Many more difficult questions could be asked. What is clear for now is that a whole generation is being eroded away in our country because the young girls are equally mothers, not to their future children alone but to their entire communities and the nation at large. In a recent video tape, Shekau threatened that he will sell the abducted girls into slavery.

A more recent video tape showed the girls clad in jilbab chanting Arabic verses from the Koran, a sure sign that they are converts to the Islamic faith. At the same time Shekau is insisting that he will not release the girls until the FGN freed all Boko Haram members detained by the Nigerian government.

The attacks by the armed group are so frighteningly many and the sect has killed more than 9000 Nigerian citizens since 2009. There is this fear that the sect may even truncate our 15 years old democracy. This argument is borne out of the fact that if the Army Generals cannot overcome the sect they may turn their guns in anger to mow down the politicians just to save their faces.

The sect has visited Nigeria with a terribly new face because terrorists as we know them don’t abduct harmless,innocent girls. We hope the international community will help to bring back our girls. Nothing less than that will be adequate.

Dr. DOKI JEFFis a senior lecturer with the University of Jos.