YORUBA MOSLEMS TEMPERATE TOWARD WEST

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 LAGOS 000292

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - HANDLE ACCORDINGLY

STATE FOR AF/W
STATE FOR INR/AA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER SCUL SOCI NI
SUBJECT: YORUBA MOSLEMS TEMPERATE TOWARD WEST


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Summary
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1. (SBU) At a dinner hosted by a prominent leader of ethnic
Yoruba Moslems at a USG-sponsored conference on Islam,
Terrorism, and African Development, Yoruba elites generally
set a tone of cooperation with the West and moderation in
religious fervor. This tone contrasted starkly with the
presentation of National Assembly Speaker and Northerner,
Aminu Bello Masari, who lambasted the U.S. and the West for
hypocrisy and double-dealing. While Yoruba Moslems tend
toward moderation and peaceful coexistence with other
religions, potential exists for more radical views to
develop. End Summary.

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Yoruba Muslim Elites Stress Cooperation, Denounce Extremism
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2. (U) On February 7, Abdul Azeez Arisekola Alao, the Aare
Musulumi, or religious "president" of Yoruba Muslims, held a
dinner in honor of scholars presenting papers at a USG
sponsored conference entitled "Islam, Terrorism, and African
Development" at the University of Ibadan (UI). For the first
time, a U.S. Ambassador was among his guests. Arisekola is
known for his past support of dictator Sani Abacha and for
his relationship with political godfather Lamidi Adedibu,
whose rift with Oyo State ex-Governor Ladoja caused the
latter's impeachment. Arisekola failed to reconcile the two
figures, and has since begun to distance himself from Adedibu.


3. (SBU) Arisekola's dinner was devoid of politics and
controversy. He spoke of unity and, in remarks directed to
the Ambassador, denounced extremism of any kind, saying 75
per cent of Ibadan residents were Muslim and each considered
paramount their identity as peaceful, constructive members of
the Ibadan community. Along with the U.S. contingent, which
included Sulayman Nyang, a visiting professor from Howard
University, the audience consisted of religious leaders,
representatives of Oyo, Lagos, Kano, and Zamfara state
governments, professors from several universities, former
diplomats, and eight professors sent from Egypt to teach
Arabic, Sharia law, Sufism, and other subjects at UI.
Attitudes in the room mirrored the host's speech and set a
tone for cooperation; however, in a private conversation,
Mohammed Umar, Head of Civil Service in Zamfara State, said
the absence of consulates in the North had caused a
noticeable rise in anti-Americanism there since his own
childhood.

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Top Government Officials Express Conflicting Views
on the War Against Terrorism
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4. (U) At the conference opening on February 8, the Zamfara
State Governor, representatives of Kano and Oyo State
governments, the UI Vice-Chancellor, and the chair of the
Islamic Studies Department delivered speeches disavowing any
connection between Islam and terrorism, expressing Islamic
values of tolerance, and inviting dialogue with the West.


5. (U) The Chief Whip of the National Assembly, speaking on
behalf of Speaker Aminu Bello Masari, took a different tone,
accusing the West, particularly the U.S., of hypocrisy both
in its definition of terrorism and in its pro-democracy
stance. He claimed Africa's dependence on the West for
financial assistance forced the continent to break ties with
its spiritual brethren in the Middle East, and ultimately
hindered African development. He said the West has forced
"an image of violence" on Islam and unjustifiably turned
Islamic countries into international pariahs. He linked
terrorism to tensions arising from "dictatorial regimes
created by the West," Western economic interests, and rising
resistance to Western culture and control. Terrorism, he
said, is a phase of war outside of the trenches, in an arena
where downtrodden, impoverished freedom fighters make a
difference.


6. (U) A representative of Uche Okeke, the Director-General
of Nigeria's National Intelligence Agency, followed with a
strong counter-argument that returned the conference to its
collaborative tone. While noting ambiguities in defining
terrorism, he observed an increase of violent acts against
innocent people in the name of religion since September 11,

2001. He said countries, like Nigeria, with poor educational
systems, high unemployment, "increasing incidence of arms
trafficking and trafficking in persons, money laundering,"
and weak security structures were fertile ground for
terrorist recruiters. He challenged conference-goers to
"take bold decisions" and "send out a clear message to
perpetrators of terror and those who inspire them that there
is no place for them in Africa."

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Muslim Outreach Campaign Stresses Dialogue, Unity
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7. (U) As part of its Muslim outreach campaign in southern
Nigeria, ConGen Lagos has hosted several fora to initiate
dialogue on matters concerning religion, policy, and
relations with the West. As a result, 14 community leaders
formed a committee, called Partnering for Peace and
Development (PPD),to leverage support among Muslim elites
for poverty reduction and educational improvement programs.
PPD initially requested the Consulate to reach out to Muslim
youths by sponsoring a panel discussion on growing up Muslim
in America. AgAtt and LegAtt have both agreed to participate.

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Yoruba Culture Subsumes Yoruba Islam
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8. (U) In general, Yoruba Muslims take a very moderate
approach to issues that seem publicly to divide the U.S. and
some elements of the Islamic world. Thus, the relatively
accommodating tenor of the conference in Ibadan is not
surprising. In his lecture, Professor Nyang said the
Yorubas' strong cultural identity and unity have allowed them
to overcome religious differences. Yoruba Muslims generally
do not refrain from Yoruba cuisine that might offend halal
strictures. Wedding songs are most often chanted in Yoruba,
and wedding customs are firmly grounded in Yoruba traditions.
Three cities are often cited as the centers of Yoruba Islam:
Ilorin in Kwara State, Iwo in Osun State, and Ekpe in Lagos
State.

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Public Schools Offer Little Attraction for Muslims
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9. (U) For most of the last century, Yoruba Muslims have
been insufficiently included and even the object of prejudice
in the public schools. Public school curricula often reflect
Western, or Christian, learning and do not appeal to Muslims;
most do not accommodate prayer times or incorporate Koranic
learning. However, public schools are often the primary
system from which the government and the private sector cull
their employees, disproportionately consigning more Muslims
to the unemployment line. In response to the bias of the
public school system, Islamic organizations like Ansarudeen,
around the time of Nigerian independence, began offering
religiously-based, madrassah schooling. As in the North,
these private schools were poorly funded and held in private
residences or mosques; teachers would have young students
(10-14 years old) beg for food and supplies to keep the
schools running. This system is called "almajaris" and
persists today, mainly in the North, and at its worst is a
source for child labor and trafficking.


10. (U) A recent study conducted by the Dean of the Faculty
of Social Sciences at the University of Lagos, Lai Olurode,
shows that in Ilorin, one of the centers of Yoruba Islam, 6
of the 15 most prominent madrassahs were founded after 1980
and report over 4,000 students. These schools do not fall
under Nigeria's Universal Basic Education (UBE) system, and
their curricula are not state approved. Olurode sees
Nigerian education at a crossroads, where increasing pressure
to assimilate has caused southern madrassahs to adopt more
westernized curricula and charge fees. At the same time,
increasing costs associated with public schools, including
books, uniforms, and transportation, are making madrassahs
more reliant on foreign assistance and on religious leaders,
foreign and indigene volunteers, for teachers. The presence
of Egyptian instructors at UI is not unusual, as Egypt is
considered a major contributor to Nigerian religious schools
at all levels; aid also comes in the form of book donations,
direct financial support, and dawah (preachers).

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Comment
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11. (SBU) Yoruba Muslims are moderate and do not display a
proclivity toward violent extremism. They are frustrated by
relative economic inequality and perceived hypocrisy on the
part of the West, the U.S. in particular. For example, a
common joke among educated southern Nigerian Muslims is that
America's present campaign for peaceful coexistence with
Islam began with wars against Iraq and Afghanistan. The
school system, however, with its high expenses and perceived
pro-Christian bias, continues to fuel irritation and reliance
on madrassahs, providing other, more fundamentalist countries
an opportunity to play a role in the upbringing of Yoruba
Muslim children. Nigeria's ability to equitably implement
its UBE system and to bring some level of Islamic historical
or cultural content into mainstream school curricula would be
an enlightened act. GON efforts in this direction should be
encouraged. End Comment.
HOWE