ICC Note: The State Government in Borno, Nigeria has decided to begin regulating the sermons and teachings of Islamic preachers in an effort to prevent the spread of violent extremism in that area. They fear that though Boko Haram has been losing territory recently, there will be a resurgence of the terrorist group if their violent message is propagated throughout the state. Boko Haram has been active in northeast Nigeria since 2009, carrying out numerous attacks, particularly on Christian villages, murdering, raping, and abducting thousands in an attempt to establish an Islamic caliphate.

08/13/2016, Borno, Nigeria (Premium Times) – Blaming skewed religious sermons as one of the major factors that fueled the Boko Haram Ideology, Borno State government has set up a regulatory body to censor Islamic preaching in the state.

At the inauguration of the body, named Borno State Islamic Preaching Board, Governor Kashim Shettima said its task is to help prevent “history from repeating itself”.

The governor said the board’s task is to monitor and spy on the preaching of all Islamic clerics especially those in the remote areas of the 27 local government areas of the state.

The Islamic Preaching Board is to be headed by the Chief Imam of Borno State, Imam Zannah Laisu Ibrahim Ahmed.

…

[Full Story]