No end to Christian-Muslim tension

Religious conflict in Nigeria has led to vicious riots

By Barnaby Phillips in Gusau, Nigeria

One year on there is no sign that enthusiasm for Sharia law is waning.

Thousands of Muslim men gathered in Zamfara's capital Gusau to celebrate the first anniversary of the introduction of an Islamic legal code, or Sharia.

It includes punishments such as stoning to death, amputation and flogging. According to the Muslim's in Zamfara, it is the fear of these punishments which have already made for a better society.

Sharia is the only way out of corruption

Muslim man in Gusau

"Sharia is the only way out of corruption," one man told me, "anything that you feel is evil, when it comes to Sharia, it is like you wash it, you clean it, so it will clean the minds of our leaders and the followers."

Tension high

For the Christian community these are nervous days. Christians were always a tiny minority, but the Anglican Bishop of Gusau, Simon Bala, says their numbers have dwindled in the past 12 months, because of the fear of Sharia.

"It has affected the numerical strength of my Church in particular, because some of the members of my Church who felt insecure because of the introduction of Sharia have left.

"And because they have left the numerical strength has reduced and the financial strength of the Church has reduced".

The fear stems from events elsewhere.

Attempts to introduce Sharia in the neighbouring state of Kaduna - with its much larger Christian population - led to terrible bloodshed last year. At least 2000 people died in fighting between Christians and Moslems.

Zamfara itself has remained peaceful.

Religious freedom?

The Governor, Ahmed Sani, has been at the forefront of the Sharia revival, but he says he has no intention of harming Christians.

"They have total freedom. We don't in anyway attempt to tamper with their religious freedom. As far as we are concerned each religious group should be able to practice fully its own religion."

The problem is that Governor Sani's interpretation of complete religious freedom for Muslims does, in itself, encroach on the freedoms of other peoples.

The Christians have been suffering... and will continue to suffer

Christian priest

Men and women - of all faiths - are now prohibited from sharing public transport in Zamfara. Boys and girls are taught in separate schools. The sale and consumption of alcohol has been banned.

More radical Christians in Zamfara, such as Father Linus Awuhe, say their people have taken enough.

"The Christians have been suffering here in the north and will continue to suffer, until the Christians themselves stand up and assert their own identity and their own rights, and tell the Muslims 'This is where there is a demarcation - you don't come within this terrain.'"

VIP visit

The spiritual head of the Anglican Church Archbishop George Carey is due to visit Zamfara on a tour of Nigeria. He will be entering something of a minefield.

Christians in the north will be disappointed if he is not seen to be standing up for them. Whilst the Moslem authorities will not take kindly to lectures from a visiting Western clergyman.

The Nigerian government, eager to heal divisions between the two faiths, will be keeping a nervous eye on his progress.