FEDERALISM Muslim civic cultures and conflict resolution the challenge of democratic federalism

321 Pages·2005·4.03 MB·English

by  Peter Lindeman

A SABAN CENTER AT THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION BOOK
Muslim Civic Cultures
and Conflict Resolution
The Challenge of Democratic Federalism in Nigeria
John N. Paden
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Muslim Civic Cultures
and Conflict Resolution
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Muslim Civic Cultures
and Conflict Resolution
The Challenge of
Democratic Federalism in Nigeria
John N. Paden
brookings institution press
Washington,D.C.
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Copyright © 2005
the brookings institution
1775 Massachusetts Avenue,N.W.,Washington,D.C.20036
www.brookings.edu
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication data
Paden,John N.
Muslim civic cultures and conflict resolution :the challenge ofdemo-
cratic federalism in Nigeria / John N.Paden.
p. cm.
Summary:“Examines how a diverse country with a significant Muslim
population is working to make the transition to a democratic society,
balancing rule-of-law concerns against rising communal tensions”
—Provided by publisher.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13:978-0-8157-6817-3 (pbk.:alk.paper)
ISBN-10:0-8157-6817-6 (pbk.:alk.paper)
1.Democratization—Nigeria. 2.Islam and politics—Nigeria. 3.Federal
government—Nigeria. 4.Conflict management—Nigeria. I.Title.
JQ3090.P33 2005
320.9669—dc22 2005022911
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The paper used in this publication meets minimum requirements ofthe
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence ofPaper
for Printed Library Materials:ANSI Z39.48-1992.
Typeset in Minion
Composition by OSP,Inc.
Arlington,Virginia
Maps on pages 6–7,14,and 51 by Meridian Mapping
Minneapolis,Minnesota
Printed by R.R.Donnelley
Harrisonburg,Virginia
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Contents
Foreword vii
Acknowledgments ix
List of abbreviations xi
Introduction 1
Part I.International and National Contexts
1 Nigeria in the World 13
2 The Emergence of Democratic Federalism in Nigeria 37
Part II.Nigerian Muslim Identities and Civic Cultures
3 Variations in Muslim Identities and Values 55
4 Emirate Civic Cultures 70
5 Nonstate Muslim Variations on Civic Culture 99
6 National Muslim Identities and Values 115
Part III.Challenges of Nigerian Democratic
Federalism
7 Challenges of the Fourth Republic (1999–2005) 139
8 Challenges of the Shari’a Issue 157
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vi Contents
9 The Shari’a Issue and Sociopolitical Conflict 171
10 Religious Tolerance and Conflict Resolution 183
Part IV.Conclusions: Muslim Civic Cultures
and Conflict Resolution
11 Civic Cultures and Conflict Resolution 203
12 Nigeria in International Perspective 210
Appendixes
A.Selected Electoral Patterns:The First Three Republics 227
B.Selected Biographical Summaries 233
Notes 241
Index 285
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Foreword
T
ransitions from military to civilian rule are amongst the most try-
ing—and often turbulent—stages of governance. In large and diverse
countries, local values are key factors in the success or failure of such a
process.The cultural contours ofpolitical values can make or break the demo-
cratic experiment. Thus, understanding grassroots civic cultures, and how
they can serve as the foundations of democratic federalism, requires great
attention and study.
At the same time,the questions ofwhether and how Islam is compatible
with democracy are not just an academic matter,but ofcrucial policy impor-
tance.However,while the focus of U.S.attention on the Muslim world has
been on the cauldron of the Middle East, such questions may best be
answered from the lived experiences of Muslim communities around the
world.
Nigeria,set within the non-Arab Muslim communities ofWest Africa,is a
critical case study to answering such questions. By far the most populous
country in Africa,Nigeria has a population of about 138 million,of whom
about halfare Muslim and halfChristian or traditional,making it a key fault
line.At the same time, Nigeria is one of the most strategically important
states in the world.It plays a regional power role in West Africa and is also the
seventh largest producer of oil in the world.It has gone through a series of
political traumas ranging from civil war and military rule, to struggling
attempts at a U.S.-style presidential federal system. The Fourth Republic,
which emerged in 1999 after fifteen years ofmilitary rule,is trying to balance
states’rights with national priorities and rule oflaw concerns at a time when
many communal tensions are coming to the surface.Conflict mediation,set-
tlement,and resolution are top priorities in this context,and a precondition
for stability and economic development.
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viii Foreword
As our guide to understanding these dynamics, we are lucky to benefit
from John Paden’s expertise.One ofthe world’s leading experts on the region,
his experiences in Nigeria extend from the First Republic to the current
Fourth Republic.He has lived and taught in the major northern universities
of Nigeria,has conducted research on the Sufi brotherhoods in Kano,and
written a major biography ofthe first (and only) northern premier.He mon-
itored the presidential elections in Kaduna (1999) and Kano (2003).
Professor Paden takes us inside the world ofNigerian religion and politics,
with a focus on the ways Muslim civic cultures,ranging from the emirates of
the far north to the more individualized patterns ofthe southwest,deal with
matters ofleadership and conflict resolution.The book provides a case study
context for the current international concern with issues ranging from
shari’a law and communal violence,to the war on terrorism.The book argues
that the political necessity for cross-regional alliances in Nigeria serves as a
counterbalance to more extreme forms ofpolitical movements.Other mech-
anisms of inter-ethnic or inter-faith links and interdependencies are also
explored.Ifthe Nigerian model ofdemocratic federalism works,it negates the
“clash ofcivilizations”predictions ofboth the academic variety and the less
benign al Qaeda version.
More broadly, this book will be essential reading for anyone trying to
understand the dynamics ofMuslim civic cultures and conflict resolution.We
are delighted that it is part ofour new series at Brookings Institution Press on
U.S.policy toward the Islamic world.
P.W.SINGER
Senior Fellow
Director,Project on U.S.Policy
towards the Islamic World
Brookings Institution
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Acknowledgments
M
any Nigerian scholars and colleagues from all points on the reli-
gious and political spectrum have assisted me over the years. My deepest
appreciation goes to those who persevere despite the real challenges ofshap-
ing a just political reality that can accommodate diversity and pluralism and
those who are often involved, in unsung ways, in trying to mediate the
inevitable conflicts of nation building.I am particularly grateful to Ahmad
Abubakar who has read this manuscript and added a depth ofinsight.
On the U.S.side,five colleagues have read the manuscript at various stages
and provided very helpful comments and suggestions:Peter W.Singer,direc-
tor,Project on U.S.Policy toward the Islamic World,Brookings Institution;
Princeton Lyman,director ofAfrican Policy Studies,Council on Foreign Rela-
tions;Pauline Baker,president,Fund for Peace;Sulayman Nyang,professor
and former director of African Studies, Howard University; and Howard
Wolpe,director,Africa Program,Woodrow Wilson International Center for
Scholars.My sincere thanks to all.I recognize there are many points ofview
on the issues raised in this book,and I take sole responsibility for the per-
spectives and selection ofcontent.
I would also like to thank my colleagues at George Mason University,espe-
cially those in the Robinson Professor program, who encourage
cross-disciplinary thinking “outside the box.”My colleagues at the Institute for
Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR) continue to provide role models in
the way they combine intellectual endeavor with hands-on efforts at conflict
resolution.
Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Xiaohong Liu, who remains an
inspiration. Having lived through the Cultural Revolution in China, she
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