(National Review) Paul Marshall - Since the governor of Zamfara State in Nigeria, Alhaji Ahmed Sani, introduced a draconian version of sharia (Islamic law) in 1999, 11 of Nigeria's 36 states have followed suit. Foreign groups have been aiding the institutionalization of Islamic law. Saudi, Sudanese, Syrian, and Palestinian representatives appeared with Governor Sani in the days before he announced his plans for sharia. In January, the Saudi religious and cultural attache in Nigeria, Sheik Abdul-Aziz, said that his government had been monitoring the implementation of sharia in Nigeria and noted the results "with delight." An unnamed Iranian diplomat was arrested on January 23 in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, after he was found taking photographs of churches, a presidential villa, the defense headquarters, and the Israeli, British, and American embassies. There is also evidence of infiltration by foreign Islamic radicals.
2004-05-06 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive