President Buhari
Photo: Flickr / U.S. Department of State
A year after the official swearing in of President Muhammadu Buhari, the government of Nigeria is considering two bills that, if passed, will shift Africa's most populous country further toward Islam.
One bill proposes to establish grazing reserves in every state of Nigeria for the nomadic Fulani people, who are widely known to have been infiltrated by the militant organization Boko Haram. If passed, this bill could serve to facilitate extremist Muslim expansion into the south where most of Nigeria's Christian population lives.
Another bill, which allows for expanded jurisdiction of Sharia courts in Nigeria, quietly passed a second reading without debate on May 19th. However, both Christian and Muslim students launched a peaceful protest in the nation's capital city of Abuja on June 7th, condemning the bill for being dangerously divisive and a blatant attempt to Islamize Nigeria.
President Buhari, a former military dictator, ran unsuccessfully on pro-Sharia platforms in presidential polls during the years 2003, 2007 and 2011. One reason he won the presidency in March of 2015 was because he dropped his pro-Sharia stance. To learn more about the country of Nigeria, click here.
Thank you for praying for Nigeria's governmental representatives that they would have the courage to step up and vote against this proposed new legislation. May they uphold human rights, including freedom of religion. Pray that the country's Christian leaders will serve as bold witnesses, conveying the truth and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that many others will have the opportunity to experience His life-transforming power. This includes the Fulani herdsmen in need of His conviction and strength to break free of the terror infiltrated by Boko Haram. For only with the Lord's help will there be an end to such violence and injustice in Nigeria, and the needful reign of true peace throughout the land.
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