The Role of Nigerian Women in Interfaith Community and laloque: Exposing Shame and Restoring Honour
Adriana Myland Abstract The purpose of exploring shame in the context of Nigeria with emphasis on the North and Middle Belt will show how interfaith community is an avenue to restore women's honour. Examining how shame manifests in Nigeria's history and social structure explains the embeddedness of shame in the experience of Muslim and Christian women amidst religious division. An interfaith community centre in the Middle Belt exemplifies how honour occurs through relationships and the significant need to openly address shame. A theological and cultural anthropological perspective provides ways for engaging in mission and the valuable role of women in interfaith community. Honour and Shame 29 When Women Speak ... Webzine Vol 6, No 1 | July 2020 - ---
Background and history Nigeria is the sixth most populous country in the world, booming in cultural diversity and expected to reach a population of over 392 million by 2050.31 The rapid growth has contributed to the long history of tension between the two most prominent religions, Christianity and Islam. Nigeria is one of the few countries with a population balance of Christians who primarily reside in the South (49.3%) and Muslims in the North (48.8%).32 This demographic divergence continues to create religious tension today especially among minority Christians in the North. A transition zone, known as the Middle Belt, stretches across central Nigeria and straddles both populations. Complex influences, including the establishment of an Islamic caliphate in the North during the 19th Century, the slave trade, British colonial rule in the 20th Century, and the presence of Boko Haram, have all contributed to the reinforcement of a traditional hierarchical society, the marginalization and disenfranchising of women, and continued religious violence. These in turn have impacted upon both Muslim and Christian women's experiences of shame and have led to the need for interfaith dialogue and community as a way of restoring honour. The implementation of sharia law in twelve northern Nigeria states between 2000-2001 drastically increased the growth of Islam, contributing to increased religious tension with minority Christians.33 Each state enforces different laws that 31 "Nigeria," World Fact Book Central Intelligence Agency, accessed March 8, 2020, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ni.html. 32 Marcin Stonawski et al., "The Changing Religious Composition of Nigeria: Causes and Implications of Demographic Divergence," The Journal of Modern African Studies 54, no. 3 (2016): 2, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022278X16000409. 33 Yushau Sodiq, "Can Muslims and Christians Live Together Peacefully in Nigeria?" The Muslim World 99, no. 4 (2009): 663, 665, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1478-1913.2009.01292.x. Honour and Shame 30 When Women Speak ... Webzine Vol 6, No 1 | July 2020