This terrorist militant group has long been forgotten after the #BringBackOurGirls campaign died down, but those who are still suffering from the aftermath remember the name -- Boko Haram. Do most people even know why they started? That was the question in my mind, along with, how could they could still possibly be a threat in the future? Well, if you don't know, buckle up and get informed:
The reason Boko Haram was formed, according to bbc.com, is to “promote a version of Islam which makes it ‘haram’, or forbidden, for Muslims to take part in any political or social activity associated with Western society." This means that they want Muslims in countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger to do things like not wear American clothes. They also believe education is not essential and that voting in elections doesn’t need to occur. The militant group currently is believed to be weaker since it retreated and some of the captives have been freed, but many are still missing. The group can’t be viewed disbanded or defeated until every last person is free and the militants surrender. This conflict still hasn’t seen its end.
Conflict can begin with a small group of people who believe they’re fighting on the right side of a battle and are working toward a better future for themselves. Groups like Boko Haram are attempting to instill their notions of peace into the people of African countries. They have a view of Nigeria and other African countries where they see the country being successful when it’s free of any Western influences, and they are fighting to implement that. The idea that the society a person is living in needs to change relates to the idea that there is “widespread disagreement as to what, exactly, a just society looks like.” Most uprisings or conflicts occur because one side believes they are doing the right thing or are afraid of anything changing, so they take preventative measures. Boko Haram, for example, think they are fighting for the religious liberty of a country like Nigeria, where half the population is Muslim, and want the whole country to have the same views as them. They’re implementing their ideas of what a peaceful and functioning society looks like in the form of a social-justice movement. They believe they’re fighting to achieve peace in their country.
Since there is no human universal as to what peace looks like, there will always be conflict in the world until one is established. An entire country must work toward a better life and universal idea of peace if there are ever going to be improvements. Boko Haram are not the good guys, and no villain will ever realize how wrong they are.
