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Article: In Nigeria, Sharia Fails to Deliver; Vows of Accountability, Equity Under Moderate Islamic Law Are Unmet
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- August 12, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2009 The Washington Post. This material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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As military rule ended in Nigeria a decade ago, an Islamic legal
system was swept into place on a wave of popular support in the
country's desperately poor and mostly Muslim northern states. It has
turned out in a way few expected.
The draconian amputation sentences warned of by human rights
activists and the religious oppression feared by Christians have
mostly not come to pass. But neither has the utopia envisioned by
backers of sharia law, who believed politicians' promises that it
would end decades of corruption and pillaging by civilian and
military rulers. The people are still poor and miserable, residents
complain, and politicians are still rich.
How the battles over sharia play out ...