Go to AfricaBib home

Go to AfricaBib home Islam in Africa Go to database home

bibliographic database
Line
Previous page New search

The free AfricaBib App for Android is available here

Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Constitutional Treatment of Religion and the Politics of Human Rights in Nigeria
Author:Ilesanmi, Simeon O.ISNI
Year:2001
Periodical:African Affairs: The Journal of the Royal African Society
Volume:100
Issue:401
Period:October
Pages:529-554
Language:English
Geographic term:Nigeria
Subjects:religion
Islam
human rights
Religion and Witchcraft
Politics and Government
Law, Human Rights and Violence
law
External link:https://www.jstor.org/stable/3518700
Abstract:This article examines the extent to which the protagonists in the religion and human rights debate in Nigeria take seriously the constraints and possibilities of religious pluralism. Informed by the perspectives of comparative ethics and political theory, the analysis revolves around two distinct, yet interrelated, questions. First, in view of the heterogeneity of Nigeria's social composition, is the institutionalization of a religious value system such as the sharia possible? Second, is such a move desirable? Following an opening section, the second part of the article offers a generalized typology for understanding the phenomenon of religious politics in Nigeria. Special attention is paid to the practice of conducting religious arguments within a constitutional framework and the paradox this creates in a religiously pluralistic society. The last part of the article ventures a proposal for dealing with this paradox, arguing that pluralism, notably religious pluralism, is one major problem that Nigeria faces, but that there is no escaping pluralism in seeking a solution to this problem. The ideal of comprehensive pluralism mitigates the tendency to idolize political victory by using it to subvert the human rights of religious minorities. Notes, ref., sum.
Views
Cover