"For many observers, the predation of Boko Haram, unsparing and venal in its manifestation, is shocking because it seems to lack a local historical frame of reference that could render it legible. For others, Boko Haram's self-declared jihad resonates into a long, local, contested historical memory of religious militancy. This book makes sense of these two seemingly contradictory perceptions of Boko Haram. It explains Boko Haram's simultaneous connection to and disconnection from a complex history of religious dissidence and militancy in Northern Nigeria. It also answers the question of where the militants came from, what inspired and motivated them, and whether there is a past history of dissidence and militancy that could both illuminate and challenge Boko Haram's self-proclaimed jihad. Boko Haram analyzes the rise and evolution of the Boko Haram movement within and against the contentious religious pasts of Northern Nigeria."-- Provided by publisher.
For many observers, the predation of Boko Haram, unsparing and venal in its manifestation, is shocking, and it seems to lack a local historical frame of reference that would help make it understandable. For others, Boko Haram’s self-declared jihad resonates within a long, local, contested historical memory of religious militancy. This book makes sense of these two seemingly contradictory perceptions. It explains Boko Haram’s simultaneous connection to, and disconnection from, a complex history of religious dissidence and militancy in Northern Nigeria. It also answers the question of where the militants came from, what inspired and motivated them, and whether there is a local history of militant religious rebellion that could both illuminate and challenge Boko Haram’s self-proclaimed jihad. Moses E. Ochonu analyzes the rise and evolution of the Boko Haram movement within and against the contentious religious pasts of Northern Nigeria.
