Perspectives on Boko Haram’s Stated Ideology: What Are Christians and Non-Christians Saying?

The emergence of Boko Haram and its stated ideology triggers various perspectives by Christians and non-Christians in the Nigerian context. The political and socioeconomic arguments appear reasonable to some scholars because of the dominant narratives of contextual challenges: poverty, lawlessness, unemployment, corruption, sectionalism, social upheavals, and bad governance. Political and socioeconomic arguments see Boko Haram as the product of systemic and structural local factors. The religious argument for the emergence of Boko Haram sounds convincing to other scholars due to the religious disposition of Boko Haram’s stated ideology. Hence, religious argument considers Boko Haram a product of Islamic radicalism, that is, jihadism and al-Qaedaism. What are the Christians and non-Christians saying about Boko Haram’s Stated ideology and campaigns? Most Christians across denominational lines perceive Boko Haram as a jihadist Islamic group formed and sponsored to attack Christian churches, communities, and institutions. Non-Christians appear divided into two: Some assume that Boko Haram is a disguised Christian machinery intended to attack non-Christians, especially Muslims. The other division perceives Boko Haram as Islamists because of their stated ideology and violent extremism. Therefore, I critically analyze Christian and non-Christian sources and argue objectively that Boko Haram is the product of Islamic radicalism, which is consistent with its stated ideology. First, I analyze the Christian perspectives and objectively provide possible reasons for their views. Second, I analyze the non-Christian perspectives objectively. Subsequently, I re-articulate a cohesive argument from the two perspectives that Boko Haram is Islamist in its disposition.