Boko Haram examines the early history of the sect and its transformation into a radical armed group. It analyses the causes of the uprising against the Nigerian state and evaluates the consequences of the on-going conflict from a religious, social and political point of view. The book gives priority to authors conducting fieldwork in Nigeria and tackles the following issues: the extent to which Boko Haram can be considered the product of deprivation and marginalisation; the relationship of the sect with almajirai, Islamic schools, Sufi brotherhoods, Izala, and Christian churches; the role of security forces and political parties in the radicalisation of the sect; and more contemporary issues.
Foreword by Gérard Chouin
Introduction by Marc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos
Part I: What is Boko Haram? Some Evidence and a Lot of Confusion
The Message and Methods of Boko Haram by Kyari Mohammed
Boko Haram and its Muslim critics: Observations from Yobe State by Johannes Harnischfeger
Traditional Quranic Students (almajirai) in Nigeria: Fair Game for Unfair Accusations? by Hannah Hoechner
Christian Perceptions of Islam and Society in Relation to Boko Haram and Recent Events in Jos and Northern Nigeria by Henry Mang
Framing and Blaming: Discourse Analysis of the Boko Haram Uprising, July 2009 by Portia Roelofs
Part II: Boko Haram and the Nigerian state: a strategic analysis
Boko Haram and Politics: from Insurgency to Terrorism by Marc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos
Boko Haram and the Evolving Salafi Jihadist Threat in Nigeria by Freedom Onuoha
By the Numbers: the Nigerian State’s Efforts to Counter Boko Haram by Rafael Serrano and Zacharias Pieri
Body Count and Religion in the Boko Haram Crisis: Evidence from the Nigeria Watch Database by Gérard Chouin, Manuel Reinert,
and Elodie Apard
A Chronology by Manuel Reinert and Lou Garçon
ANNEXES
1: The charter of Jama’at Ansar Al Muslimin Fi Bilad al-Sudan, broadcast on Internet on 18 January 2012 translated by Mathieu Guidère 285
2: One of the First Videos of Ansaru, Available on 1 June 2012 translated by Nathaniel Danjibo 296
3: Islam and Western Education in Nigeria: Between Accommodation and Confrontation by Marc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos 303
4: Islam and Political Parties in the Sudan by Marc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos 306
Contributors Bios
Index