On April 21, Nigerian Catholic Bishop Reverend Matthew Hassan Kukah visited the University of Massachusetts Boston and shared his experiences regarding conflict between Christians and Muslims in the northern states of Sokoto and Kaduna.
The event–hosted by the Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and Global Governance–gave students an opportunity to ask specific questions about mediation and possible future steps to take in such conflict.
Kukah, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of London’s Schools of African and Oriental Studies and a Master’s degree in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford (UK), is heavily involved in politics and social issues in his home country. Apart from fulfilling duties as a religious figure, Kukah also worked on the Nigerian Investigation Commission of Human Rights Violations, the National Political Reform Conference, and on a committee focused on improving the electoral process in Nigeria.
In his lecture, Kukah explained that in today’s Nigerian society, citizens live under the impression that Christians and Muslims are two very separate groups that cannot live together peacefully.
However, the bishop added that it is not religion that creates problems and conflict, but the fact that people refuse to live alongside each other in harmony.
In Nigeria’s northern regions, the religious majority is mostly Islam. However, Kukah emphasized that, as a Catholic bishop, “I have never felt hostility where I live,” although people often assume that he must feel unsafe surrounded by Muslims.
Furthermore, most Nigerians, as Kukah explained, continue to define their country in binary terms due to religion. The latter, however, is often used as a way to stir up conflict or distract citizens from real problems such as corruption, inequality, and crime.
“As a society, we have to look through manipulation and beyond politics,” Kukah said.
In order to solve the real issues, Kukah stressed that criminals must be tried as citizens before the law, not as a Christian or Muslim.
“The way we frame issues is such that we cannot conclude trials,” he said.
Due to these “destructive” mechanisms that shape the modern Nigerian society, Kukah concluded that “things are getting progressively worse,” referring to the rising crime rate, especially crimes connected to religious motives.
“A life has never been as cheap as it is now in Nigeria,” said Kukah.
The bishop remained optimistic. He said that a common platform must be established in order to see the positive progress that has been made.
Lastly, Kukah explained that religion will remain part of most Nigerians’ national identity, but it is also important to remember that it “is supposed to solve our problems, not become one.”