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Abuja Declaration (1989)

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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 (at that time called the Organisation of Islamic Conference[1]) and it agreed to set up the Islam in Africa Organisation (IAO).[2][3]

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 a Africa Organsation (IAO) formed during this conference. The Islam in Africa Organisation (IAO) is a Nigerian statued islamic organisation, an initiative of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Dr. Usman Muhamad Bugaje is the current Secretary-General of the IAO. Goals and Strategies The organisation was founded on 28 november 1989 in Abuja [1] , Nigeria, with the goal to win the whole of Africa for islam. The statues and goals[2][3] are ratified in 1991 and this marks her formal definitive founding. The founding- communiqué is also called the Abuja Declaration [4] . Startingpoint for the conference is the fact that Africa is the only continent with an islamic majority and therefore Africa should become completely Islamic[5] The plan contains a lot of points that are also common for Christian missionary organsations as relief and economic progression. A battleplan was composed to islamise Africa with some less innocent points in that decission[6] : “To ensure only Muslims are elected to all political posts of member nations”. “To eradicate in all its forms and ramifications all non-Muslim religions in member nations (such religions shall include Christianity, Ahmadiyya and other tribal modes of worship unacceptable to Muslim).” (the word Christianity is underlined in the declaration) “To ensure the ultimate replacement of all western forms of legal and judicial systems with the sharia in all member nations before then next “Islam in Africa conference.” “To ensure the appointment of only Muslims into strategic national and international posts of member nations.” The execution of this strategy can be recognised in countries like Nigeria , Ethiopia and Sudan. In Nigeria more and more provinces choose for the Sharia leading to heavy protests of Christians, oft resulting in violence and bloodshed to both sides. In Sudan the governement chose in 1983 for the Sharia , in 1991 sharpened with death punnishment for apostasy from the islam. Funds: The governement of Nigeria has donated 21 biljon US-dollar conform an IAO- communiqué [7] as donation to this "Islamic Development Fund". Notes and references 1. ^ [ http://www.webstar.co.uk/~ubugaje/ iao.html ISLAM IN AFRICA ORGANISATION, Introduced by Dr. Usman Bugaje, IAO Secretary‑General] On the proceedings of the Islam in Africa Conference, 18 Juni 1994, Kaduna 2. ^ Doelstellingen Islam in Africa Organisation 3. ^ Fundamental goals of The Islamic Political System by Dr. Usman Bugaje (IAO) 4. ^ The Abuja Declaration , East African center for Law and Justice (EACLJ.org) 5. ^ Backgound Islam in Africa Organisation 6. ^ Jihad Erdmute Klein and Robert D. Kaplan, Byblos Amsterdam (2005),191 pages, ISBN 90-5847-330-9 , see page 47 7. ^ The Challenge of Islam by Answering- Islam.com, see par. What is Happening in the Islamic World?

Commentary

John Chesworth (director of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations at St Paul's United Theological College, Limuru, Kenya) and John Azumah (senior research felllow, Akrofi-Christaller Memorial Centre, Ghana) have reviewed the proceedings at the conference.[4][5] 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."[6] 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.[7]

Alternative declaration

In 1990 another declaration was promulgated purporting to be from the 1989 conference and which Frans Wijsen (professor of World Christianity and Interreligious Relations at Radboud University Nijmegen) regards as a forgery because it does not correspond with declarations made at the conference.[8] 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.[8]

References

  1. ^ "OIC rightly changes its name". Pakistan Observer. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Islam in Africa". Islam in Africa Organisation. Islam in Africa Organisation. Archived from the original on 8 September 2008.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Deegan, Heather (2002). Third Worlds: Politics in the Middle East and Africa. Routledge. p. 226. ISBN 9781134827657.
  7. ^ "The Abuja Declaration". East African Centre for Law and Justice. 3 June 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  8. ^ 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

  • Alkali, Nura; Adamu, Adamu, eds. (1993). Islam in Africa : proceedings of the Islam in Africa Conference. Ibadan: Spectrum Books. ISBN 9789782461230.
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