How vulnerable is Nigeria to Islam extremism?

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. === This thesis investigates the conditions under which a society endorses or is compliant with extremist ideology. Using social movement theory and literature on drivers of violent extremism, the thesis focuses specifically on the potential fo...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Johnson, Perry Lee.
Other Authors: Gregg, Heather S.
Published: Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School 2012
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10945/5646
Description
Summary:Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. === This thesis investigates the conditions under which a society endorses or is compliant with extremist ideology. Using social movement theory and literature on drivers of violent extremism, the thesis focuses specifically on the potential for religious extremism in Nigeria. Nigeria is particularly important because it is the most populated country in sub-Saharan Africa and it is where both Christianity and Islam, the world's two largest religions, converge. Nigeria also illustrates one of the clearest examples of religion being used politically and the potential for extremism that this presents. Examining Nigeria will test the specific conditions that make a state vulnerable to extremist ideology and offer insights into reducing the expansion of extremist religious groups within similar societies.