Christians and Muslims religious unrest in Nigeria

Generally speaking, apart from corruption, one of the major problems facing Nigeria is Christian–Muslim religious unrest. It is not uncommon to hear about violence involving Christians and Muslims anytime in any part of the country. Initially, the problem was prevalent in the northern part of the country but over time, the crisis could now been seen in almost every part of the country. It is however ironical to say that both Christianity and Islam claim to be religions of peace. The reverse has always been the case in Nigeria. In the last four decades, hardly can a year go without religious unrest in Nigeria. These riots have claimed several lives and property. Several factors are however responsible for these incessant crisis. Some of these factors include political instability, instable economic fortune, poverty, bad governance, military dictatorship, violation of fundamental human rights, lack of love and value for human life, to mention just a few.
On daily basis millions of Christians and Muslims rub elbows with each other during a variety of encounters. Closeness and distance at the same time characterize the inner relationship between the Christian and Islamic faiths in Nigeria. The door to healthy dialogue on spiritual matter is always open, but seldom entered.Yet an average Muslim in Nigeria lives in suspicion with his Christian brother. The story is however the same is for Christians to Muslims. Several factors are responsible for this suspicion. One is what Matthew Kukah calls “historical differences and misinterpretations aided by colonial histories.” In the words of Kukah:
Christian-Muslim relations, even at the best of times, have always been disturbingly marred by suspicions, accusations and counter accusations over interpretations of history and experiences. This is a historical reality that has been further confounded by the very complex nature of colonial histories on the continent of Africa, where the destruction of the existing civilizations, empires and emperors provided the foundation stones for the establishment of the colonial states that later emerged. The passage of many years after the end of colonial rule has not changed the prejudices.