US embassy cable - 04LAGOS1462

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 LAGOS 001462 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, PINR, PREL, SOCI, KISL, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA'S SPECIAL BRAND OF ISLAM 
 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY. The Ambassador met with the Secretary 
General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic 
Affairs Lateef Adegbite in early July  to discuss the 
nature of Islam in Nigeria, includingthe dividends of 
democracy, procedural safeguards inherent in Sharia 
law, the urgent need to restartcommencement of the 
polio vaccination campaign in the northes, and 
religious reconciliation.  Adegbite's remarks 
andoutspoken support for Obasanjo may reflect that they 
are both Yoruba and from the same district.indicate 
that ethnic unity is more important than religious 
differences.  Adegbite distanced the practice of Islam 
in Nigeria from practices in other parts of the world 
that have been linked withterrorism, emphasizing the 
religious tolerance and acceptance that characterizes 
Islam in Yorubaland and, he said, in other parts of the 
nation.  Adegbite represents the moderate, tolerant 
Yoruba brand of Islam that is anathema to the more 
fundamentalist Islamic thought found in northern 
Nigeria. END SUMMARY. 
 
 
2. (SBU) The Ambassador met with the Secretary General 
of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Dr. 
Lateef Adegbite on July 1 in Lagos.  Adegbite opened by 
saying that said Nigeria is making progress on the 
issues of Sharia law and Muslim/Christian 
reconciliation.His concern is that of showing Islam and 
its estimated 60 million Nigerian followers in the most 
positive light possible. 
 
3. (SBU) Adegbite asserted that the nature of Islam in 
Nigeria has nothing to do with terrorism that many 
people associate with other parts of the world. 
Adegbite He expressed concern over a perceived 
"blacklisting" of Nigerian Muslims as a supporters of 
terrorism by outsiders.  Adegbite emphasized that 
Nigeria's own brand of Islam is non-violent, and that 
its Muslims have never harbored or supported secret 
patrons of terrorism.  Adegbite saidasked Ambassador 
Campbell to assist in "de-listing" Nigeria, as 
assistance from various organizations outside Africa to 
build mosques and schools has dried up as a result of 
Nigerian Islam's false association with terrorism. 
Adegbite underscored that the practice of Islam in 
Nigeria is different fromthan in other parts of the 
Muslim world. 
 
3.4. (SBU) Adegbite offered hisa historical perspective 
on Nigeria's religious conflicts over the past decade. 
He recalleddiscussed religious conflict overabout 
Sharia law that arosein 1981 in Kaduna and Jos, which 
overflowed into Plateau State.  He stated that current 
religious disturbances are often political or ethnic in 
nature, like thoese past events. 
 
4.5. (SBU) Adegbite discussed the current conflict in 
Plateau, which began in 2001.  He suggested that theThe 
conflict problem stems from the indigenous population's 
monopoly hold on government jobs that excludes more 
recent immigrants to the state.practice of appointing 
persons to various positions in agencies of the 
Government of Nigeria (GON), excluding persons from the 
immigrant communities in the process. Adegbite 
described the indigenous communities of Plateau as 
mostlyentirely Christian and the immigrants as 
mostlyentirely Muslim. He stated that the immigrants, 
feeling disenfranchised, vent their anger by attacking 
rival religious institutions.  While the conflict in 
Plateau appears to be religious, its root causes are 
rivalries between "indigenes" and newcomers that are 
often expressed in ethnic and religious termspolitical. 
As for the historical conflicts between the indigenous 
farmers and immigrant herders, economic competition and 
employment are also important underlying factorsat the 
base. 
 
RELIGIOUS RECONCILIATION 
 
56. (SBU) Adegbite discussed the activities of the 
Nigerian Inter-Religious Council, a Muslim and 
Christian group with a mission of religious 
reconciliation.  It was Ffounded five years ago by 
Muslim imams and Christian preachers to intervene 
positively in the Sharia crisis, .  iIt is a grassroots 
effort by 25 Christians and 25 Muslims, whose members 
are the highest-ranking religious leaders in Nigeria, 
who work to and who together and sometimes on foot 
visit communities to defusediscuss religious issues. 
The Council's coordinator is Professor Obaje, President 
Obasanjo's Chaplain.  The Sultan of Sokoto is also a 
member of the Council. 
 
67.  (SBU) Adegbite cited the practice of Islam in 
Yorubaland territory as an example of successful 
religious coexistence both with Christianity and 
traditional Yoruba religion.  He characterized the 
Yoruba way of thinking as open and tolerant, and Yoruba 
adherents of Christianity, Islam, and indigenous 
paganism or traditionalreligions are united by a strong 
sense of all come together in this region under acommon 
ethnicity.      8. (SBU) Adegbite said the Nigeria 
Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) dates back 
to the creation of the Muslim Society of Students in 
1954.  He went on that the NSCIA will celebrate its 
golden jubilee this August.  NSCIA would welcome 
Ambassador Campbell's and Embassy staff's participation 
in its celebrations. 
 
7.9  (SBU) Adegbite contrasted the differences between 
the political roots of Islam in Nigeria and the 
practice of Islam in theArab world.  While Nigerian 
Muslim scholars trained in Saudi Arabia tend to be more 
conservative and traditionalist in their practice of 
Islam, they are reluctant to criticize the conventional 
practice of Islam in Nigeria. Adegbite said Arab 
influence is limited because traditional 
leaders-sultans, sheiks, and emirs--fulfill both 
religious and civil functions in the region.  Adegbite 
asserted that they exercise firm control over the 
North.  He also remarked that these leaders have very 
close relationships with the United States and the 
United Kingdom. 
 
SHARIA LAW 
 
810.  (SBU) Adegbite asserted there is strong support 
for the establishment of Sharia law in Nigeria, 
particularly among the younger population.  He said 
divorce, family, and estate issues are those most often 
brought into Sharia courts.  Adegbite is pleased that 
Muslims in Nigeria have not been denied the right to 
choose their own legal system under the current 
democratic dispensation.  This is one of the dividends 
of democracy provided by the constitution.  This 
process for adopting Sharia includes a resolution that 
must be passed by the state House of Assembly, where 
Muslims must carry their Christian counterparts along. 
Adegbite said prominence must be given to the 
traditional coexistence of Muslims and Christians after 
the establishment of Sharia so as not to allow ethnic 
differences to aggravate religious complexities. 
 
11.  (SBU) While discussing Sharia law in the North, 
The Ambassador cautioned Adegbite about the human 
rights repercussions of stoning and amputations as a 
form of punishment. Adegbite replied that a legal 
system should not be evaluated solely on the basis of 
its possible forms of punishment.  He pointed to 
provisions for execution by electric chair, firing 
squads, and hanging in the statutes of many nations, 
including the United States.  Adegbite went on that 
these punishments do not necessarily indicate the moral 
value of the legal system that delivers them.  Adegbite 
agreed with Ambassador Campbell that Sharia law is a 
fast and cheap means to deliver justice, and emphasized 
that it is a manifestation of the religion of the 
followers of Islam. 
 12.  (SBU) Adegbite cited the example of adultery to 
illustrate the safeguards built into Sharia law. 
Adegbite statAdegbite said he had offered his legal 
services as a friend of the court in a sharia case 
involving possible adultery.  (Adegbite did not mention 
the name of Amina Lawal in the discussion, but that is 
to whom he was referring.)  In his analysis, Adegbite 
emphasized that since no man had acknowledged the 
paternity of the child in question, the defendant 
should not have been found guilty of adultery. 
Adegbite argued that the case was, therefore, flawed in 
the terms of Sharia law, and, thus, should have been 
dismissed - as it was.  Adegbite cited as evidence of 
Sharia's popularity the attendance ofasserted that the 
Governor of Kano was forced to accept Sharia law since 
there is widespread and strong grassroots support for 
Sharia law in Kano State.  Support is strong despite 
the harshness of its punishments.  He said two million 
people in Kano for the public inauguration of Sharia 
law. 
 
POLIO 
 Because of this crowd, the governor could not get to 
the podium to make his speech and so was forced to 
deliver a televised message. 
 
9.  (SBU) The Ambassador expressed grave concern about 
asked the progress of the polio vaccination campaign in 
Kano.  Adegbite replied that he had visited the Kano 
governor to discuss the issue.  Adegbite claimed the 
governor is not against the vaccination campaign in 
principle, but the governor will not accept government- 
sponsored vaccines.  He insists that the polio vaccine 
be from a Muslim supplier.  The governor told Adegbite 
that Kano State authorities had arranged to obtain the 
vaccine from suppliers in Malaysia or Indonesia and 
that vaccinations would resume shortly.  Adegbite 
stated that he had cautioned the governor about the 
negative international image resulting from this issue. 
Adegbite said he would personally follow up with the 
governor on the need for the resumption of polio 
vaccinations in Kano. 
 
PRESIDENT OBASANJO 
 
10.  (SBU) Adegbite gave high marks to Obasanjo and his 
administration.  Adegbite stated that Obasanjo, given 
his military background, is the right man for the job 
of President.  Adegbite said Nigeria's political 
culture has changed, fueled as it was by the democratic 
elections of 1999 and 2003.  He said the biggest 
dividend of democracy is the air of freedom that 
Nigerians now enjoy.  Adegbite characterized this 
freedom as palpable, and that with respect to both the 
written and spoken word, Nigeria is wholly a free 
country.Adegbite affirmed that one of Obasanjo's 
greatest contributions has been his promotion of good 
international relationships between Nigeria and the 
rest of the world.  (Comment. In a recent press 
article, Adegbite was quoted as saying that 
(CHOGM)Obasanjo looks "like a successor to Mandela". 
End comment.) 
 
11.  (SBU) Adegbite recalled that he and Obasano are 
both from a district near but stated that although they 
are both from Abeokuta., ethnic loyalty does not drive 
this support.   Adegbite noted that Abeokuta hasis one 
district in Nigeria that has disproportionately 
produced Nigeria's contemporary leaders.  He mentioned 
Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola, President of the 
Christian Association of Nigeria, Chief Rotimi 
Williams, perhaps the leading Lagos attorney, and the 
late Moshood Abiola, candidate for thechallenger to the 
presidency.  Adegbite attributed Abeokuta's unique 
distinction to the residual influence of freedreturned 
slaves who had returned to Africa and founded strong 
communities in that district.  Adegbite mentioned that 
his own great-grandfather had been a returned slave. 
The first church in Nigeria was founded in Abeokuta in 
1842, marking the beginning of organized Christianity 
in Nigeria.  The early influence of the Christian 
missionaries and of their schools gave the town an 
educational lead.  The interaction between the returnee 
communities, the missionaries, and the indigenous 
population was characterized by an  openness and 
outward-orientation that today's leaders inherited, he 
concluded. 
 
12. (SBU) COMMENT.  Adegbite is friendly and well 
disposed toward the West.  The official location of his 
law practice is in Abuja, and he is often there for his 
own and NSCIA business.  He maintains an office in 
Lagos, where he works closely with American companies 
doing business in Nigeria.  To show Islam in its most 
positive light, he has been active publicly on issues 
of Sharia law, polio, and religious reconciliation.  He 
believes that there are enough procedural and other 
safeguards in Sharia law to preclude stoning, a view 
widely held by educated Muslims.  Adegbite's support 
for Obasanjo indicates that ethnic unity may sometimes 
trump religious difference, especially at the 
leadership level among Yorubas.  Adegbite is a close 
ally of the traditional northern Muslim establishment. 
It is their leadership that risks challenge should 
Islam in Nigeria evolve toward more fundamentalists 
ways of thinking and practice.  Adegbite was unwilling 
to discuss such fissures within the Muslim community. 
END COMMENT. 
 
13.  (U) Ambassador Campbell has cleared this message. 
 
BROWNE