TANA HIGH-LEVEL FORUM ON SECURITY IN AFRICA

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1 Tana Forum University Essay Competition 2015 Essay No. 1 Secularism and Politicised Faith in Africa First Place Winner: Author: Collins Etchi Ako International Relations Institute of Cameroon University of Yaounde II, Cameroon collins.etchiako@gmail.com Phone:

2 Abstract Secularism as the neutrality of the state in religious affairs and that of religious associations in state affairs is today a myth in Africa and most parts of the world. The state and religious associations continue to partner in the domains of healthcare, education and development. The state in most African countries is still responsible for the legalisation of religious associations, permitting these associations to function within its territory. The failure of absolute secularism has led to the politicisation of faith. This politicisation of faith has led to the emergence of religious extremist groups threatening the security and peace of the African continent and the world at large. Informed tolerance amongst the different actors; religious associations and the state continues to be the key to the consolidation of peace and security in Africa and the world at large. Introduction Politicised faith has emerged recently in many parts of Africa as a serious challenge and threat to peace and security of the African continent and the world at large. Different parts of the African continent have to deal with physical, structural and cultural violence perpetrated by individuals and groups of individuals upholding a political order that places a single faith order and its laws as a universal truth and way of life. In Nigeria, Egypt, Mali, Somalia, Sudan, Algeria, Cameroon and other African nations, terrorist groups such as the Jama atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda awati Wal-Jihad (Association for propagating the Prophet s Teachings and Jihad) commonly called Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab in Somalia, al-qa ida in the Islamic Maghreb in Algeria, Niger and Mali, Ansar Bayt al-maqdis in Egypt, Ansar al- Shari'a in Tunisia, and the Ansar al-shari'a in Libya, have through suicide bombings, mass murders and other acts of terror, stood against secularism which according to them is western civilisation and in contradiction with some of the values which these terrorist groups uphold. This stand against secularism is in favour of a political order, motivated by faith (Islam) and Islamic law (Sharia). This has resulted in political instability and socio-cultural insecurity. It has slowed down economic growth in different parts of the African continent and the world at large. Often presented like a purely Islamic phenomenon, politicised faith is also very much present in Christianity, Judaism and other faith systems. The Roman Catholic Church continues to disagree 2

3 with different state family planning programs. Through official declarations, such as the encyclical letter titled "Humanae Vitae," by Pope Paul VI of July and the Message to Christian Families by Pope John Paul II of October 25, 1980, the Roman Catholic Church has expressed its objection to family planning through contraception, sterilisation and the use of condom, even in the context of HIV/AIDS prevention. Rather, it favours Natural Family Planning (NFP) which involves learning to work with a woman's naturally-occurring cycle. According to the Roman Catholic Church, the NFP method unites husband and wife with her fertility cycle. In some predominantly Christian African states, Christian politicians and other key political actors have under strong western influence applied their understanding of the teachings of Christianity to politics and public policy by proclaiming the value of those teachings and/or by seeking to use those teachings to influence law and public policy. Examples of such influences of Christianity on African politics and policy include the use of the Bible in oath taking, the very visible presence of the church in the education, healthcare and development sectors of most African states and some open consultations with church leaders before political decisions are made. Catherine Samba- Panza, President of the Central African Republic has been seen with Archbishop Dieudonné Nzapalainga of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangui during high level state consultations. Secularism has been often presented as a Christian approach to the politicisation of faith. Some western nations promoting secularism such as France and the United States of America have very deep Christian roots which have greatly influenced their approach to state politics and continue to do so. The struggle between secularism and the politicization of faith has also resulted in the displacement of large numbers of internally displaced persons and the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens in Africa and abroad. Through this paper, we seek to analyse the causes and manifestations of the politicisation of faith; the struggle between secularism and politicised faith and its impact on security and peace in Africa. To this end, part one of the paper offers some theoretical insights. Part two explains the causes, the manifestation and the impact of the politicisation of faith in Africa from a security and peace perspective. Part three of our work reflects on some possible recommendations that could 3

4 remedy the adverse effects of the politicisation of faith in Africa and possible guidelines for the dialogue between secularism and faith politicisation. Secularism and Faith Politicisation The first part of our work consists in framing the problem, defining key words, concepts, and notions that serve as the conceptual and theoretical framework of our analysis. Religion and subsequently faith is common to all civilisations. According to John Bowker, in World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored and Explained, there have been no human communities in the past, and few in the present, without religion, because religion seems to be an intrinsic part of human life 1 In all corners of the world and in all eras of history, people have pondered the meaning of life, how to live, what happens afterwards, and if there is anyone or anything "out there." Religions and Religious Systems consist of explanations of existence or of ultimate meaning, based on assumptions about the supernatural. This may include methods or procedures for exchanging with the supernatural. 2 The world Religions are Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Shintoism, Sikhism, Baha i, Zoroastrianism, Confucianism, Daoism and others. Religion is not foreign to the African people. Nevertheless, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and other world religions have been presented to Africa as if the African people had no religion prior to the arrival of the colonialist and neo-colonialist actors. Alongside economic and socio- cultural domination during the colonial era, the colonial powers also installed forms of government in their colonies, emphasising the necessity of secularism and defining the nature of the relationship between the missionaries, their faith systems and the systems of government. According to Mahaman Alio of the Abdou Moumouni University of Niamey, in his article La Gestion Politique du Pluralisme Religieux dans L Etat Nigerien Independant (presented at the international colloquium of Yaoundé, on Religious Pluralism in Africa, February, 2012) in parts of Africa 1 JOHN, B., World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored and Explained (New York: DK Publishing, 2006), p Ibid. 4

5 where Islam preceded imperialism, like in Niger, a form of secularism that protects the interest of the colonial powers and the Muslim leaders was installed. Very little consideration was given to African traditional religions in the legalization of secularism in most African countries during colonialism and at independence. Secularism has been defined as the doctrine of separation of church and state, according to Feldman Noah in Divided by God (2005). It is considered to be one of the most essential elements in the fabric of true representative democracies. It is indispensable and fundamentally predicated upon protecting the religious freedom of all groups in society by preventing any one group from imposing itself upon the practices of another and the affairs of the state. The French refer to it as laïcité, while the more familiar English term is secularism. In recent years, there has been a shift in the definition of secularism which has also affected the geopolitics of most African states and the world at large. The traditional definition of secularism is the neutrality of government and all public services in matters relating to one or more religions. The recent shift defines secularism as a doctrine that rejects religion and religious considerations, according to D. L. Munby in his book, The Idea of a Secular Society, published in London, by Oxford University Press in This is quite a difference, a move from neutrality to rejection, and it has not been without consequences. In Cameroon for example, secularism is a characteristic of the Cameroonian constitution drafted at independence and of the law on associations promulgated in 1990, where one whole chapter on religious associations. Through these different texts on religious associations, accent has been placed on the principles of religious freedom and secularism as the neutrality of the state in religious affairs and the neutrality of religious systems in states affairs. Nevertheless, for a religious association to be able to carry out its activities within Cameroon, the religious association must receive a legal authorization from the state of Cameroon. Some religious systems have been refused the authorization to function in Cameroon. It is also common place in Cameroon to see religious organizations and other faith groups participate in the elaboration of state politics. The Roman Catholic Church, the Protestant Church, Islamic Faith groups, the Evangelicals, the Pentecostals and other faith groups are major actors in the domain of healthcare, education and development in Cameroon. Their important role in health care, education and development makes 5

6 them an important partner of the state and as such gives them the possibility to contribute to the elaboration of politics. The fact that faith groups and other religious associations have to be authorised by the state of Cameroon in order to function within the Cameroonian territory and the participation of these religious associations in key government sectors affects the neutrality of the state vis-a-vis these religious associations and vice versa. Secularism then becomes an almost impossible task, giving way to faith politicisation. The case of Cameroon in terms of religious freedom and secularism is very similar to the case of many other African nations such as Niger, Mali, and Nigeria which at independence opted for constitutions in favour of religious freedom and secularism in conformity with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights adopted in Paris on the 10 December From a historical perspective, religion has been used as an instrument of social cohesion, peace and security in many societies. At the same time however, religion has also been used as an instrument of violence, motivated by economic, political and cultural reasons. It is commonplace to find violent acts carried out by religious groups as a response and punishment of another religious group, the state or states based on the attribution of collective guilt associated with followers of a specific religion or citizens of their state or other states. The concept of collective responsibility has often been used as justification for retaliation against an entire group of uninvolved individuals connected to the supposed injustice simply through their practicing another religion or having a different citizenship. It has become difficult, if not impossible to identify and reconcile the present mission of some religious groups to the actual mission of the individual revelation to their different founders: Abraham (First Patriarch probably born around B.C.E) 3, Jesus Christ (4 C.E. -30C.E.) 4 3 Taken from DAVID, G., Faiths and Religions of the World: The History and Culture and Practice of Beliefs (San Diego, California: Thunder Bay Press, 2007), p Ibid. p

7 and Mohammed ( C.E.) 5. Initially, these religions contributed to the promotion of peace, but over time, evidence has shown that they have diverged from this original stance. Causes and the Manifestation of Politicisation of Faith The African continent is known to contain an important portion of the world s mineral resources required for the production industry. These resources are sources of wealth to the African continent and the African people. Nevertheless, in most African countries, a large number of Africans continue to live with less than a dollar a day and their population continues to suffer from malnutrition and other diseases associated with poverty. The African continent has the highest rates of unemployment, according to statistics from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Different armed groups have emerged within different African countries in contestation of corrupt governments and other forms of discrimination against indigenous populations in localities where these mineral resources and other primary products are situated. Didier Djoumessi in his book titled An International Political Explanation of Resource Curse in Africa Oil-States explains how the possession of primary resources such as oil in some African states is at the origin of some violent conflicts. Some of these economic conflicts end up being instrumentalised for religious and political purposes. The colonial powers had resolved on Christianising the African people. Missionaries were on the same ships and boats as explorers with a mandate of presenting the white man s God to the African person. Cameroonian born theologian and sociologist Jean-Marc Ella decries a Christian faith that does not take into consideration the specificities of the African continent and the African person. In his books African Cry (Maryknoll, 1986) and My Faith as an African (Maryknoll, 1988), Jean-Marc Ella throws light on practices of the Catholic Church aimed at promoting a model of faith that ignores the needs of the African people, especially those in poor and rural communities. Through an analysis of selected sacraments, missionary structures, and biblical hermeneutics, Marc Ella identifies ways in which the Catholic tradition subordinates Africans to a position of dependence vis-a-vis white Europeans. Politicisation of faith is today being presented as a 5 HOWARD, R. G., KENDRA, G.H., JOHN, K., What do our Neighbours Believe? : Questions and Answers on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Louisville, Kentucky, Westminster: John Knox Press, 2007), p

8 contestation of the western civilisation which is seen as directly linked to its religion, considered by many and mostly Muslim fundamentalist as Christianity. Before colonialism, Africa was divided by tribal and ethnic boundaries. At independence, most African states inherited boundaries defined by the 1885 Berlin Conference which did not take into consideration existing ethnic boarders. Since independence these African states have had to struggle with regulating the relationship between their territorial administrations and the different religions present within their territories and in the territories of other states with which they share ethnic, tribal and colonial borders. Armed groups have emerged in recent years in contestation of these colonial borders and in favour of tribal borders which also very often contain people with a common religious heritage. The Impact of the Politicisation of Faith on the Security and Peace in Africa The politicisation of faith has resulted in the emergence of armed groups in different parts of Africa, militating for the instauration of a one faith and one law state. This is the case with the Boko Haram extremist group in Nigeria. This group has been responsible for perpetrating violent attacks in different parts of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Their activity has led to high levels of insecurity in the northern parts of these countries. A coalition of the armies of Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria and Chad are presently engaged in a fierce battle against Boko Haram. In other parts of Africa, other armed groups such as the Al-Shabaab in Somalia and al-qa eda in the Islamic Maghreb in Algeria, Niger and Mali, continue to perpetrate insecurity and violence. The violent activities of these extremist armed groups are often accompanied by the kidnapping of western workers and other persons of interest. These extremist groups request for ransoms to be paid in exchange of the captives and in cases of non-payment of the ransom, the captives are beheaded. This has made it difficult for many multinationals to continue their activities in these areas. Different developmental projects have also been suspended because of the risk of kidnappings. Even the tourism sectors of most of the countries where these armed groups are located have registered a considerable decrease in the number of tourist visiting these localities. 8

9 Faith-based Peacebuilding and Informed Tolerance Religious Tolerance is an attitude of mind that implies non-judgmental acceptance of different lifestyles or beliefs and practices among different religious systems or religions. The contemporary values of religious tolerance, so often the object of unhesitating praise, nevertheless pose significant challenges for religious life, at least as it is commonly understood by many major religious traditions. Religious adherents of the different religious groups present in Africa continue to struggle with the very difficult decision of ceding too much, for fear of compromising the foundations of their individual religious systems. Informed tolerance promotes an acceptance and respect of the other religious party based on the knowledge of its practices and beliefs as a faith system. This form of tolerance excludes suspicion and fear of proselytism in the process of religious and secular dialogue. In this case, the state and the different religious groups are all considered as equal actors in the dialogue process. In addition to faith based peace building and informed tolerance, the African continent, through its leaders and the African people as a whole still have to address the issues of youth unemployment, abject poverty, poor governance, elitism, marginalisation and favouritism in the redistribution of national wealth. Corruption, embezzlement, capital flight and other mismanagement practices must be eradicated. Transparency in the management of state affairs must be implemented and a more participative approach to the management and decision making in the running of state affairs must be adopted. Conclusion In promoting dialogue as a fundamental means to resolving Africa s security and peace challenges, the principle of informed tolerance is indispensable. Informed tolerance is being considered here as dialogue between the different actors of secularism and politicisation of faith. Secularism as the neutrality of the state in religious affairs and that of religious associations in state affairs is today a myth in Africa and most parts of the world. The state in most African countries is still responsible for the legalisation of religious associations, permitting these associations to function within its territory. The failure of absolute secularism has led to the politicisation of faith. This politicisation of faith has led to the emergence of religious extremist 9

10 groups threatening the security and peace of the African continent and the world at large. The state and religious associations continue to partner in the domains of healthcare, education and development. Interdependence between the state and the religious actors in Africa is a reality. These different actors are indispensable and their combined action impacts the African continent more than it will if only one of the actors was given the chance to make a contribution. Informed tolerance amongst the different actors; religious associations and the state continues to be the key to the consolidation of peace and security in Africa and the world at large. 10

11 References DAVID, G., Faiths and Religions of the World: The History and Culture and Practice of Beliefs. San Diego, California: Thunder Bay Press, HOWARD, R. G., KENDRA, G.H., JOHN, K., What do our Neighbours Believe? : Questions and Answers on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Louisville, Kentucky, Westminster: John Knox Press, JOHN, B., World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored and explained. New York: DK Publishing, Rajeev Bhargava, What is Secularism for? Secularism and its Critics, ed. Rajeev Bhargava. Delhi: Oxford University Press, Sachedina, Abdulaziz. The Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism. New York: Oxford University Press,