The Nigerian burden: religious identity, conflict and the current terrorism of Boko Haram

Abstract

Conflicts motivated by religious identity have the reputation of being among the most intractable, given the often absolutist views to which they are tied. While adherence to belief systems can help to develop a sense of belonging and purpose, they can easily lead to intolerance, discrimination and violent militancy. This paper draws on the Social Identity Theory (SIT) to explain how the issue of rabid religious identity, combined with pervasive poverty and deprivation, is implicated in the current religious terrorism of Boko Haram, the radical Islamist group from North-Eastern Nigeria.