This blog post is about what a very dark man said about boko haram, Why Boko Haram kills Muslims
This first section is a Boko Haram leader talking.
“Either you are with us, I mean real Muslims, whom are following Salah’s footsteps. This war is against Christians. I mean Christians generally.”
Vdm, who is a very dark man, is talking now.
That was Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram, speaking in the early 2010s. This particular video led the world to believe that his fight was 100% against Christianity.
But by this time, a lot of Muslims were relaxed — they didn’t know that Abubakar Shekau was deceiving them.
Who Was Shekau Before Boko Haram?
Before that particular video, who was Shekau? In the early 2000s, Shekau was an imam. He was preaching that all the Muslims and Islam were being marginalized in Nigeria and that they were suffering; therefore, he was the one who was going to stand and make sure Islam regains strength.
In that video, he said since the inception of Nigeria, Muslims have not been enjoying. They have been suffering and living in abject poverty.
How Shekau Gained Followers — And Then Turned on Everyone
Because of Shekau’s history, when he started terrorizing Nigeria, a lot of fanatical Muslims supported him. They joined him. Listen to the word: fanatical Muslims — they joined him because Shekau said the Christians are unbelievers. So we are going after them.
A lot of Muslims supported him. When I say a lot, not up to 20% of the Muslims actually, but they supported him. So Shekau gathered a lot of members.
But guess what? Shekau came back again three years later.
Shekau’s Betrayal: Turning Against Muslims
You remember when Shekau said that this fight was against Christians worldwide? And previously, Shekau had been agitating for the Muslims.
But guess what? As soon as Shekau got the power and got members, Shekau turned around. He then declared other Muslims as unbelievers:
- Izala
- Anani
- Different sections of Muslims
He said: “You are all unbelievers. We are the only people that are carrying Islam.”
So, by this time, Shekau started:
- Slaying Muslims
- Burning markets
- Killing Muslims
- Kidnapping Muslims
That is why, if you check — go and do your research — Boko Haram has claimed more Muslim lives than Christian lives in Nigeria. It is 18:20.
Understanding the Divisions Inside Islam
Now, let me explain why Shekau is like this.
There is a division in Islam:
- Sunni — makes up 80% of Muslims worldwide
- Sufi — makes up just 1%
- Shia (Shi’a) — makes up 15%
In Nigeria, 99% are Sunni Muslims.
Just like the Christians — I know a lot of Nigerians say Muslims have sections — just like the Christians have the Orthodox and the Pentecostal:
Orthodox churches (the old ways): Anglicans, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics
Pentecostal churches: Winners Chapel, Christ Embassy, Redeemed — these are examples of Pentecostal
That is just the way Islam is, but Islam is in three sections.
The Sub-Sections Under Sunni Islam: Why Boko Haram kills Muslims
Under Sunni, you have:
- Hanafi
- Diobandi
- Maliki
- Shafi
- Hanbali
- Wahabism
- Salafism
Under Shia, you have:
- Jafari
- Islamailia
- Zaydiyya (Zaydea)
- Alani
- Alevi
But we are not going to talk about Shia and Sufi. We are going to talk about Sunni — and specifically, where the problem is coming from.
What Is Salafism? The Root of the Problem
The problem is coming from Salafism. That is where the Wahala (trouble) is coming from. Every other group practices the same thing. But Salafism came with another ideology.
Salafism is a reform movement in Sunni Islam. These guys came and said, inside this Sunni — even though a lot of you are opening your eyes, embracing technology, going to schools, studying, liberating yourself — “No! This is not what Islam is supposed to be.”
Their goal is to go back in time to the literal. You cannot interpret the Quran beyond what it literally says.
To give you an example with the Christian book: the Bible says, “If they slap you, turn the other cheek.” Over time, a lot of Christian preachers have interpreted that verse in different ways. But what the Salafis are saying is: literally turn the other side. The literal meaning of everything in the Quran is what they follow.
And this is what birthed Boko Haram. Because Boko Haram are Salafis.
Boko Haram as the Extreme Fringe of Salafism
Yes, Boko Haram is the extreme fringe offshoot of the Salafi movement. Looking at the theological roots, Boko Haram explicitly identifies with Salafism — even though within Salafism, there are still some people who condemn Boko Haram heavily.
But this is what drove Boko Haram to believe that if the Quran says women should cover, they should cover. There is no liberation from that.
So, this Salafi movement is coming to “correct” the normal Islam. Therefore, Muslims in Nigeria — who are like 99.9% Sunni and belong to groups other than Salafism — are going to suffer.
What Boko Haram is doing is making sure they bring everybody to their knees. The Islamization they want is Salafism. That is the Islamization they want.
So the everyday normal Muslims that you know — the ones who sit with neighbors, go and pray — even those ones will suffer. Christians will suffer. This is what this is all about.
The Role of Politics and Government in Funding Shekau
Now, this is where the Wahala is:
Imagine Shekau in the early 2000s. From 2004 to 2010, Shekau had guns, gun trucks, money, and bullets. Where did this money come from?
This is where politics and government come in.
A lot of these politicians heavily invested in this man called Shekau because to them, this particular person would be a political advantage. So they sponsored him and let him continue all that he was doing.
But he rebelled against them.
Because in Salafism, you are not even meant to be a government official. You are not even meant to be a politician. You cannot hold a position to speak if you are not talking about the part of the Quran that they want. Why are you becoming a minister, meaning you have to study? No. That’s Western culture.
But the other part of Islam — the Sunni — even though Salafism is part of Sunni, they claim: “We are the Sunni that you people don’t open your eyes to. This is not what Islam is all about. So we cannot let you people do it. We are the police. We are policing you people to come back. You cannot be liberated. There is no democracy for you.”
So this is where there is a problem.
Who Are the Real Enemies? Everyone Is a Victim
Politicians, Christians, and Muslims — everybody is the enemy to these so-called new Salafis.
And in all of this, all of us — Christians and Muslims in Nigeria — we are all victims. The more these people gain strength, the more we suffer.
And like I said: Nigerians, do not think by mistake that all Muslims are your enemies. There are some within the Muslim population who are enemies to everybody.
One of the ways these people used to defeat us as Nigerians is by creating enmity between Christians and Muslims. And they succeeded in doing that. Because over time, anything that happens in the North, nobody talks about it. The Christians believe that the Muslims deserve it, but they don’t see where the terror comes from.
Don’t be deceived. We have to really understand this problem. It is a divide-and-conquer situation.
The Bigger Picture: A Different Kind of Islamization: VDM Video
For Boko Haram, it is said that Shekau doesn’t bomb himself — but his ideology is with his people.
If you think about Lagos, you think about flexing. If you think about the East, the December movement, you want to go and chill. If you think about Port Harcourt, Niger Delta — flexing. But if you think about the North, insecurity is what you think about.
It has nothing to do with Islam or all Muslims. The northern Muslims have been the victims of this insecurity, caused by people who want to Islamize Nigeria with their own type of Islam.
This is why they have said even the Saudi Arabians are also going down. Every other type of Muslim is a target. So there is an Islamization coming — but not the Islamization that you think. It is Salafism.
Conclusion: Why Boko Haram kills Muslims
Why Boko Haram kills Muslims? Do your research on Salafism.
We all need to stand together. Because of division — because your body is close to Christians — a lot of Nigerians stay quiet. But the agenda is growing.
Christians and Muslims, we need to stand together as one in order to defeat these people.
Peace and love.
