Africans Do Not Kill Because Of Religion

A phenomenon that has arisen in some African countries in recent times is what might be described as "religious violence" - the harming of others because they belong or do not belong to particular religions. As Toyin Falola, the Nigerian historian at the University of Texas at Austin has argued, Africans have hardly killed each other because of religious disagreements. In fact, a central tenet of traditional religious cosmology is that the very purpose of religion is to serve human flourishing so that religion that calls for the execution of those who are not part of that religion is essentially irreligious. That is, something cannot be called religion in traditional African cosmology if it promotes or perpetuates the killing of others. It is only with the advent of monotheistic religions in the continent that Africans have been taught that it is alright to kill people who do not belong to your particular religious affiliation. And so we now have the carnage of Central Africa, where Christians think that it is alright to kill Muslims and Muslims also think it is great to kill Christians - not to mention the shame of Boko Haram and Al Shabab. It is a shame that religions that claimed to be bringing civilization to the continent have instead been teaching the people how to be intolerant killers.

Source:

Toyin Falola, “The Spread of Islam and Christianity and their Impact on Religious Pluralism in Africa,” Dialogue & Alliance vol. 2 no. 4 (Winter 1988-89).