The Northern Extremism: The Rise Of Atheism, Agnosticism And Secularism -By Hassan Idris

Most times I wondered how the North will be if the country should be divided with the level of extremism, terrorism, religious fanaticism, poverty and many more bedevilling the North. I have once discussed critically with a friend that if the North continues with religious extremism joined with high rate of poverty, there would surely be the rise of Atheism, Agnosticism and Secularism in Northern Nigeria. People will start questioning religion if it’s truly the instrument of peace and happiness and some will go ahead to even denounce God and reject Islam. I do not know how the North reason.

In Kano, we have seen the likes of atheists Mubarak Bala; and of a boy who was forced to pray about 100 prayers by the Hisbah police force after shaving his hair and he swears not to pray again. I know the constitution allows us freedom of religion but not in Kano I vouch. If I vouched not to be a Muslim today or a Christian why should I be forced into any religion I don’t feel like joining? Isn’t religion meant to bring about social integration and social solidarity?

Religion might no longer be regarded as a social peaceful and social control mechanism. In the modern epoch, religious terrorism has increased in its frequency, scale of violence, and global reach. It has, indeed, become a crucial issue for the global community. Terrorism carried out in the faith has long been a feature of human affairs. The histories of people, civilizations, nations and empires are full of examples of extremist true believers who engaged in violence to promote their belief systems. Some religious terrorist is inspired by defensive motives, others seek to ensure the predominance of their faith (religion-centrism) and others are motivated by a combination of these tendencies.

The Hisbah police force in Kano will be acting like it’s only in Kano that we have Muslims and forgetting that there are Muslims in other parts of the country like Kogi, Kwara, Nassarawa, Ibadan, etc. With the level of extremism and religio-centrism in Islam ( where the North sees other Muslims in other parts of the country as half baked Muslim) do we expect other regions and states to join the North in extremism, religio-centrism  and poverty all in the name of propagating Islam if the country is divided? Of course no!

If the North can’t tackle these issues and the country happens to be divided, the North will disintegrate and extremism will bring about excessive terrorism and poverty will bring about Atheism; and other regions will move forward and leave the North behind in quagmire and religous and internecine conflicts. 

Hassan Idris. idrishassan035@gmail.com.