AFRICA/NIGERIA - Christian leaders concerned about two laws being debated in Parlament

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the association that brings together the main Christian denominations in Nigeria (including the Catholic Church represented by the Episcopal Conference) is concerned by the two measures under consideration by the Federal Parliament, according to reports sent to Fides.
The first concerns the bill on grazing rights in every State of the federation, which establishes a reserve of grazing land in favor of the Fulani herdsmen, who come from the North, and move to the south in search of pasture and water. This movement, however, is accompanied by tension and violence (see Fides 02/05/2016 and 14/05/2016) which may be interpreted as a religious conflict, because the Fulani are Muslim and farmers with whom they clash are Christians.
According to CAN, the creation of grazing reserves in every Nigerian State could be an attempt of forced Islamization of the entire Federation. Instead CAN suggests creating a national reserve of pasture in the Sambisa forest in the north, providing it with all the necessary health infrastructure, education, water etc ...
According to the CAN the movement of Fulani herdsmen towards the Southern States, predominantly Christian, hides the infiltration of members of the Boko Haram Islamist sect and "illegal immigrants from neighboring Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, Benin, etc. ..."
The second measure of concern is the proposal presented by deputy Abdullahi Balarabe Salame, to extend the Sharia for family reasons, as it is now, to criminals, by applying the death penalty, as provided by the Islamic law. CAN says that this measure goes against the secular State that ensures the equality of all citizens before the law (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 09/06/2016)

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