In Religion and Politics in Nigeria: A Study in Middle Belt Christianity, Niels Kastfelt engages ... more In Religion and Politics in Nigeria: A Study in Middle Belt Christianity, Niels Kastfelt engages the religious and identity history of the people of Adamawa state, focusing on the emergence of Christianity in the Adamawa region, along with its evolution and interactions between colonialists, missionaries, indigenous Muslims, national politics, and the indigenous cultures of the people that were unfamiliar to the missionaries (11). Kastfelt situates the religious history of the Adamawa people in the Middle Belt, as this is where most of them continue to see themselves (11). The Middle Belt culture, people, and history are very peculiar, compared to Hausa Fulani in the North, Yoruba in the Southwest, Igbo in the Southeast, and other ethnic groups in the South-South. The Middle Belt people are often confused with the Hausa Fulani ethnic group in the North for two reasons (75). First, except for the upper Middle Belt, many ethnic groups of the Bauchi Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Niger Nasarawa, and Abuja speak Hausa today. In fact, in the post-missionary period, there were more Hausa-speaking churches in those areas than other ethnic language churches. Second, because of Nigeria's political boundary division following independence, the Middle Belt was forcefully merged with the North with regard to geographical location, against the people's wishes. The merging of territories following independence has put Nigeria in a state of limbo regarding ethnic, cultural, religious, and political identities, as non-Hausa Fulani continue to disassociate themselves from the North, which they consider to be a Muslim-dominated region. From the very beginning of this book, Kastfelt describes the Adamawa people and ethnic groups before the region became divided, with Taraba and some parts of Gombe in what used to be known as the former Gongola. "In 1991 Gongola State was divided into Adamawa State and Taraba State" (11). Kastfelt notes that in the early 1800s, the Adamawa region of the Middle Belt was dominated by non-Hausa Fulani ethnic groups and a few nomadic Fulani people. At the start of Shehu Usman Dan Fodio's jihad, the Fulani warriors, a different group of Fulani, raided many parts of Adamawa, forced people to convert to Islam, and established an Islamic Caliphate (12-13). With the annexation of northern
Turaki sets the tone of Tainted Legacy: Islam, Colonialism and Slavery in Northern Nigeria right ... more Turaki sets the tone of Tainted Legacy: Islam, Colonialism and Slavery in Northern Nigeria right from the introduction. Turaki's work is a classical rendition of the history, religion, and political encounters through colonialism and missions in Northern Nigeria from the late eighteenth century to the postcolonial period. Turaki writes in a way that is very different from the approach many other scholars of Nigerian history have used in the past; his is an insider's perspective. Using multiple religious and historical theories such as colonial theory, racial theory, history from the bottom up, and sub-Saharan and transAtlantic theories, Turaki points out that he is writing on the part of Nigerian history that is often neglected or not even mentioned at all (14). This is the history of how Muslims in northern Nigeria colonized, enslaved, and dominated other non-Muslim groups of the Middle Belt part of Nigeria from pre-colonial times to early post-colonial times. Turaki also continues to observe in the introduction that upon the arrival of the British colonialists, the legacy of domination that the northern Nigeria Muslims held over non-Muslims was upheld, emphasized, and enlarged by the western colonialists through different means (18). Turaki is the first to describe the local encounters between ethnic groups within northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt as "colonialization." In Turaki's argument, the discourses on transatlantic slavery have swallowed the discourses on local sub-Saharan slavery before the modern colonization of Nigeria as a whole (14). Scholars prefer writing and engaging the history of transAtlantic slavery because it was an international event involving many Western countries and races. On this note, not everyone remembers that slavery and colonialism existed in Nigeria for many years before British colonialism and the annexation of the Sokoto and Kanuri Sultanate in 1903 (24). Turaki emphasizes the significance of engaging this sort of history to set a balance of knowledge about northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt. Turaki acknowledges that Islam has existed in Nigeria for a long time. He traces the beginning of Islam in the northern part of Nigeria as early as the
In an attempt to better understand the trans-Atlantic and sub-Saharan slave trade, religion’s use... more In an attempt to better understand the trans-Atlantic and sub-Saharan slave trade, religion’s use of conversion by Christians and Muslims alike, has instituted and justified slavery. In this article, I explore different religious (Conjuration, Islam, and Christianity) practices by the enslaved African people when they were forcibly displaced and resettled to the New World. I also examine how the enslaved African people reused religion to fight for their freedom.
Compared to other world religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, W... more Compared to other world religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, West African Traditional Religion (WATR) has been misunderstood, misinterpreted, and misrepresented in Euro-American society since the colonial encounter of Africans and Europeans. Sadly, the colonial naming and categorizing of West African religion as savage, animism, and idol worship continues in the popular culture of Euro-America. This paper aims to demonstrate with clear examples how West African Traditional Religion of the 1400s is similar to any other world religion. West African Traditional Religion is better understood alongside African culture and history than as an independent subject. Disagreeing with European missionaries’ claim that they were the ones who taught West Africans about the supreme God, this paper explains how West Africans in precolonial periods had constructive knowledge of supreme deities and other beliefs.
In Religion and Politics in Nigeria: A Study in Middle Belt Christianity, Niels Kastfelt engages ... more In Religion and Politics in Nigeria: A Study in Middle Belt Christianity, Niels Kastfelt engages the religious and identity history of the people of Adamawa state, focusing on the emergence of Christianity in the Adamawa region, along with its evolution and interactions between colonialists, missionaries, indigenous Muslims, national politics, and the indigenous cultures of the people that were unfamiliar to the missionaries (11). Kastfelt situates the religious history of the Adamawa people in the Middle Belt, as this is where most of them continue to see themselves (11). The Middle Belt culture, people, and history are very peculiar, compared to Hausa Fulani in the North, Yoruba in the Southwest, Igbo in the Southeast, and other ethnic groups in the South-South. The Middle Belt people are often confused with the Hausa Fulani ethnic group in the North for two reasons (75). First, except for the upper Middle Belt, many ethnic groups of the Bauchi Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Niger Nasarawa, and Abuja speak Hausa today. In fact, in the post-missionary period, there were more Hausa-speaking churches in those areas than other ethnic language churches. Second, because of Nigeria's political boundary division following independence, the Middle Belt was forcefully merged with the North with regard to geographical location, against the people's wishes. The merging of territories following independence has put Nigeria in a state of limbo regarding ethnic, cultural, religious, and political identities, as non-Hausa Fulani continue to disassociate themselves from the North, which they consider to be a Muslim-dominated region. From the very beginning of this book, Kastfelt describes the Adamawa people and ethnic groups before the region became divided, with Taraba and some parts of Gombe in what used to be known as the former Gongola. "In 1991 Gongola State was divided into Adamawa State and Taraba State" (11). Kastfelt notes that in the early 1800s, the Adamawa region of the Middle Belt was dominated by non-Hausa Fulani ethnic groups and a few nomadic Fulani people. At the start of Shehu Usman Dan Fodio's jihad, the Fulani warriors, a different group of Fulani, raided many parts of Adamawa, forced people to convert to Islam, and established an Islamic Caliphate (12-13). With the annexation of northern
Turaki sets the tone of Tainted Legacy: Islam, Colonialism and Slavery in Northern Nigeria right ... more Turaki sets the tone of Tainted Legacy: Islam, Colonialism and Slavery in Northern Nigeria right from the introduction. Turaki's work is a classical rendition of the history, religion, and political encounters through colonialism and missions in Northern Nigeria from the late eighteenth century to the postcolonial period. Turaki writes in a way that is very different from the approach many other scholars of Nigerian history have used in the past; his is an insider's perspective. Using multiple religious and historical theories such as colonial theory, racial theory, history from the bottom up, and sub-Saharan and transAtlantic theories, Turaki points out that he is writing on the part of Nigerian history that is often neglected or not even mentioned at all (14). This is the history of how Muslims in northern Nigeria colonized, enslaved, and dominated other non-Muslim groups of the Middle Belt part of Nigeria from pre-colonial times to early post-colonial times. Turaki also continues to observe in the introduction that upon the arrival of the British colonialists, the legacy of domination that the northern Nigeria Muslims held over non-Muslims was upheld, emphasized, and enlarged by the western colonialists through different means (18). Turaki is the first to describe the local encounters between ethnic groups within northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt as "colonialization." In Turaki's argument, the discourses on transatlantic slavery have swallowed the discourses on local sub-Saharan slavery before the modern colonization of Nigeria as a whole (14). Scholars prefer writing and engaging the history of transAtlantic slavery because it was an international event involving many Western countries and races. On this note, not everyone remembers that slavery and colonialism existed in Nigeria for many years before British colonialism and the annexation of the Sokoto and Kanuri Sultanate in 1903 (24). Turaki emphasizes the significance of engaging this sort of history to set a balance of knowledge about northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt. Turaki acknowledges that Islam has existed in Nigeria for a long time. He traces the beginning of Islam in the northern part of Nigeria as early as the
In an attempt to better understand the trans-Atlantic and sub-Saharan slave trade, religion’s use... more In an attempt to better understand the trans-Atlantic and sub-Saharan slave trade, religion’s use of conversion by Christians and Muslims alike, has instituted and justified slavery. In this article, I explore different religious (Conjuration, Islam, and Christianity) practices by the enslaved African people when they were forcibly displaced and resettled to the New World. I also examine how the enslaved African people reused religion to fight for their freedom.
Compared to other world religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, W... more Compared to other world religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, West African Traditional Religion (WATR) has been misunderstood, misinterpreted, and misrepresented in Euro-American society since the colonial encounter of Africans and Europeans. Sadly, the colonial naming and categorizing of West African religion as savage, animism, and idol worship continues in the popular culture of Euro-America. This paper aims to demonstrate with clear examples how West African Traditional Religion of the 1400s is similar to any other world religion. West African Traditional Religion is better understood alongside African culture and history than as an independent subject. Disagreeing with European missionaries’ claim that they were the ones who taught West Africans about the supreme God, this paper explains how West Africans in precolonial periods had constructive knowledge of supreme deities and other beliefs.
Uploads
Papers by KEFAS LAMAK