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{{Short description|A 1989 communiqué by Organisation of Islamic Cooperation}} |
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The Abuja Declarion is the outcome of a conference of the African countries of the (OIC) in 1989 and launched by a communiqué of the Islam in Africa Organization (IAO) founded during this conference. The Islam in Africa Organization (IAO) is a Nigerian situated Islamic organization, an initiative of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC Dr. Usman Muhamad Bugaje is the current Secretary-General of the IAO. |
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The '''Abuja Declaration''' is the name frequently given to the communiqué issued after the Islam in Africa conference held in [[Abuja]], [[Nigeria]] between 24 and 28 November 1989. The conference was organised by the [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation]] (OIC) (at that time called the Organisation of Islamic Conference<ref name=po>{{cite news|title=OIC rightly changes its name |url=http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=100388 |access-date=23 October 2014 |work=[[Pakistan Observer]] |date=30 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023092323/http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=100388 |archive-date=23 October 2014 }}</ref>) and it agreed to set up the Islam in Africa Organisation (IAO).<ref name=wijsen>{{cite book|last1=Wijsen|first1=Frans Jozef Servaas|title=Seeds of conflict in a haven of peace : from religious studies to interreligious studies in Africa|date=2007|publisher=Rodopi|location=Amsterdam|isbn=978-9042021884|page=64}}</ref><ref name=ioaback>{{cite web|title=Islam in Africa|url=//www.islaminafrica.org/backG.htm|website=Islam in Africa Organisation|publisher=Islam in Africa Organisation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908020525/http://www.islaminafrica.org/backG.htm|archive-date=8 September 2008}}</ref> |
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The organisation was founded on 28 November 1989 in Abuja, Nigeria, with the goal to win the whole of Africa for Islam. The statutes and goals are ratified in 1991 and this marks her formal definitive founding. The founding-communiqué is also called the Abuja Declaration. Starting point for the conference is the fact that Africa is the only continent with an Islamic majority and therefore Africa should fairly represent Islam in government and civic life. The plan contains a lot of points that are also common for Christian missionary organizations as relief and economic progression. |
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==Declaration== |
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The declaration was to the effect that Muslims should unite throughout Africa, the curricula at "various educational establishments" should conform to Muslim ideas, the education of women should be attended to, the teaching of Arabic should be encouraged, and Muslims should support economic relations with Islamic areas worldwide. It noted that Muslims in Africa had been deprived of rights to be governed under sharia law and they should strengthen their struggle to reinstate it.<ref name=wijsen /> The {{Interlanguage link multi|Islam in Africa Organisation|nl}} was formally established in July 1991, also in Abuja and it has stated its objectives.<ref name=bugaje>{{cite web|last1=Bugaje|first1=Usman Muhamad|title=Islam in Africa Organisation|url=//www.webstar.co.uk/~ubugaje/iao.html|website=Webstar|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509142008/http://www.webstar.co.uk/~ubugaje/iao.html|archive-date=9 May 2008|date=18 June 1994}}</ref><ref name=iaoobj>{{cite web|title=Objectives|url=//www.islaminafrica.org/objective.htm|website=Islam in Africa Organisation|publisher=Islam in Africa Organisation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201115124/http://www.islaminafrica.org/objective.htm|archive-date=1 December 2008}}</ref> |
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“To promote the unity and solidarity of the Muslim ummah throughout Africa and the rest of the world and to support, encourage and enhance Islamic propagation and resurgence generally. To promote the dissemination of the knowledge of Sharia and support its application to Muslim communities in Africa |
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To strive for the evolution of the economies of the ummah in conformity with the Sharia and the attainment of economic self-sufficiency and self-reliance in Africa by promoting industrialization, trade and overall economic development, To encourage and support human resource development program in Africa, particularly the education and development of the Muslim youth and to ensure that women are accorded their rightful place in society as enshrined in the Sharia. |
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==Commentary== |
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John Chesworth (director of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations at St Paul's United Theological College, [[Limuru]], Kenya) and John Azumah (senior research fellow, Akrofi-Christaller Memorial Centre, Ghana) have reviewed the proceedings at the conference.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Chesworth|first1=John|editor1-last=Wijsen|editor1-first=Frans|chapter=Challenges to the Next Christendom: Islam in Africe|title=Global Christianity : contested claims|url=https://archive.org/details/globalchristiani00wijs|url-access=limited|date=2007|publisher=Rodopi|location=Amsterdam|isbn=9789042021921|pages=[https://archive.org/details/globalchristiani00wijs/page/n119 119]–129}}</ref><ref name=ipgrave>{{cite book|last1=Azumah|first1=John|chapter=Different Models of Governance and Justice: a West African Christian Perspectiive|editor-last1=Ipgrave|editor-first1=Michael|title=Building a Better Bridge Muslims, Christians, and the Common Good.|url=https://archive.org/details/buildingbetterbr00ipgr|url-access=limited|date=2008|publisher=Georgetown University Press|location=Washington|isbn=9781589017313|pages=[https://archive.org/details/buildingbetterbr00ipgr/page/n128 118]–119}}</ref> On the decision to set up the IAO, Heather Deegan (senior lecturer in Comparative Politics, [[Middlesex University]]) has commented "More recently Islam has adopted a liberating posture, presenting itself as a religion which will rest countries from their neocolonial dependencies and ignoring the fact that it too was a conquering and colonising force in Africa over the ''longue durée''."<ref name=deegan>{{cite book|last1=Deegan|first1=Heather|title=Third Worlds: Politics in the Middle East and Africa|date=2002|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781134827657|page=226}}</ref> The East African Centre for Law and Justice reports the declaration verbatim but goes on to quote two other objectives which it says were omitted from the IAO website. It also severely criticises what it regards as the real objectives of the IAO.Raphael O Duru (Project Director, Voice Your Vote Nigeria, Nigeria) <ref name=eaclj>{{cite web|title=The Abuja Declaration|url=http://eaclj.org/religion/13-religion-feature-articles/15-the-abuja-declaration.html|publisher=East African Centre for Law and Justice|access-date=23 October 2014|date=3 June 2010}}</ref> |
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To Eradicate in all its forms and ramification all non-Muslim religion in member nations, such religion shall include Christianity, to ensure only Muslims are elected in all political offices of member nations, to ensure the appointment of only Muslims into strategic national and international post of member nations, to ensure the ultimate replacement of all western form of legal and judicial system with the Sharia. Nigeria is a member nation alongside Algeria, Benin, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Somalia, South Africa, Tunisia and Zambia. |
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T ensure that this strategy works Gen Ibrahim Babangidaput his hands into the treasury of Nigeria, took the sum of Twenty one Billion dollars and gave it to OIC, for the total Islamization of Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. |
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==Alternative declaration== |
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In 1990 another declaration was promulgated purporting to be from the 1989 conference and which Frans Wijsen (professor of World Christianity and Inter religious Relations at [[Radboud University Nijmegen]]) regards as a forgery because it does not correspond with declarations made at the conference.<ref name=wijsen65>{{cite book|last1=Wijsen|first1=Frans Jozef Servaas|title=Seeds of conflict in a haven of peace : from religious studies to interreligious studies in Africa|date=2007|publisher=Rodopi|location=Amsterdam|isbn=978-9042021884|page=65}}</ref> Regarding Africa, it said, amongst other things, that only Muslims should be appointed to strategic posts, non-Muslim religions should be eradicated, Nigeria should become a Federal Islamic Sultanate, and western law should be replaced with sharia. Wijsen regards this as indicating a more militant aspect of Islam in Africa and comments that some aspects directly conflict with official Islamic teaching.<ref name=wijsen65 /> |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==Further reading== |
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*{{cite book|editor1-last=Alkali|editor1-first=Nura|editor2-last=Adamu|editor2-first=Adamu|title=Islam in Africa : proceedings of the Islam in Africa Conference|date=1993|publisher=Spectrum Books|location=Ibadan|isbn=9789782461230}} |
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{{Organisation of Islamic Cooperation}} |
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[[Category:Organisation of Islamic Cooperation]] |
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[[Category:History of Abuja]] |
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[[Category:November 1989 events in Africa]] |
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[[Category:1989 documents]] |
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Latest revision as of 14:18, 15 November 2023
The Abuja Declaration is the name frequently given to the communiqué issued after the Islam in Africa conference held in Abuja, Nigeria between 24 and 28 November 1989. The conference was organised by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) (at that time called the Organisation of Islamic Conference[1]) and it agreed to set up the Islam in Africa Organisation (IAO).[2][3]
Declaration
[edit]The declaration was to the effect that Muslims should unite throughout Africa, the curricula at "various educational establishments" should conform to Muslim ideas, the education of women should be attended to, the teaching of Arabic should be encouraged, and Muslims should support economic relations with Islamic areas worldwide. It noted that Muslims in Africa had been deprived of rights to be governed under sharia law and they should strengthen their struggle to reinstate it.[2] The Islam in Africa Organisation was formally established in July 1991, also in Abuja and it has stated its objectives.[4][5]
Commentary
[edit]John Chesworth (director of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations at St Paul's United Theological College, Limuru, Kenya) and John Azumah (senior research fellow, Akrofi-Christaller Memorial Centre, Ghana) have reviewed the proceedings at the conference.[6][7] On the decision to set up the IAO, Heather Deegan (senior lecturer in Comparative Politics, Middlesex University) has commented "More recently Islam has adopted a liberating posture, presenting itself as a religion which will rest countries from their neocolonial dependencies and ignoring the fact that it too was a conquering and colonising force in Africa over the longue durée."[8] The East African Centre for Law and Justice reports the declaration verbatim but goes on to quote two other objectives which it says were omitted from the IAO website. It also severely criticises what it regards as the real objectives of the IAO.Raphael O Duru (Project Director, Voice Your Vote Nigeria, Nigeria) [9]
Alternative declaration
[edit]In 1990 another declaration was promulgated purporting to be from the 1989 conference and which Frans Wijsen (professor of World Christianity and Inter religious Relations at Radboud University Nijmegen) regards as a forgery because it does not correspond with declarations made at the conference.[10] Regarding Africa, it said, amongst other things, that only Muslims should be appointed to strategic posts, non-Muslim religions should be eradicated, Nigeria should become a Federal Islamic Sultanate, and western law should be replaced with sharia. Wijsen regards this as indicating a more militant aspect of Islam in Africa and comments that some aspects directly conflict with official Islamic teaching.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ "OIC rightly changes its name". Pakistan Observer. 30 June 2011. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- ^ a b Wijsen, Frans Jozef Servaas (2007). Seeds of conflict in a haven of peace : from religious studies to interreligious studies in Africa. Amsterdam: Rodopi. p. 64. ISBN 978-9042021884.
- ^ "Islam in Africa". Islam in Africa Organisation. Islam in Africa Organisation. Archived from the original on 8 September 2008.
- ^ Bugaje, Usman Muhamad (18 June 1994). "Islam in Africa Organisation". Webstar. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008.
- ^ "Objectives". Islam in Africa Organisation. Islam in Africa Organisation. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008.
- ^ Chesworth, John (2007). "Challenges to the Next Christendom: Islam in Africe". In Wijsen, Frans (ed.). Global Christianity : contested claims. Amsterdam: Rodopi. pp. 119–129. ISBN 9789042021921.
- ^ Azumah, John (2008). "Different Models of Governance and Justice: a West African Christian Perspectiive". In Ipgrave, Michael (ed.). Building a Better Bridge Muslims, Christians, and the Common Good. Washington: Georgetown University Press. pp. 118–119. ISBN 9781589017313.
- ^ Deegan, Heather (2002). Third Worlds: Politics in the Middle East and Africa. Routledge. p. 226. ISBN 9781134827657.
- ^ "The Abuja Declaration". East African Centre for Law and Justice. 3 June 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- ^ a b Wijsen, Frans Jozef Servaas (2007). Seeds of conflict in a haven of peace : from religious studies to interreligious studies in Africa. Amsterdam: Rodopi. p. 65. ISBN 978-9042021884.
Further reading
[edit]- Alkali, Nura; Adamu, Adamu, eds. (1993). Islam in Africa : proceedings of the Islam in Africa Conference. Ibadan: Spectrum Books. ISBN 9789782461230.