northern Kano city, protesting its decision to free a cleric accused of
insulting the prophet Mohammed.An AP reporter watched protesters throw blazing, fuel-filled tires into
the building then start marching through streets to demand punishment for
Malam Abdul Nyass.
Police monitored the crowd, which turned peaceful after the fire.
Nyass is accused of saying that the long-dead leader of the Tijanniyah
sect is more powerful than the revered prophet Muhammad. Kano’s mainly
Muslim population adheres in almost equal numbers to the Sunni and
Tijanniyah sects of Islam.
Police arrested Nyass when Muslims threatened to kill him after the
alleged insult. He appeared before the Shariah court but was apparently
secretly freed and is in hiding.
Religion is the cause of much violence in Nigeria, but generally involves
Christians and Muslims. A multinational force is curbing a nearly
6-year-old Islamic uprising by extremists who would impose Shariah law
across Nigeria.
A moderate version of Shariah is practiced alongside Western-style justice
in the mainly Muslim northern states.
AP