The Islamist extremist group, Boko Haram, calls itself the “Group of the People of Sunnah for Preaching and Jihad.” One problem: the man who claims he is a leading member of the group admits that he can neither read the Quran (the Muslim holy book) nor explain or describe how Muslim prayers are spoken or performed. So, how is a group that professes to be Islamist not even understanding the tenets of its religion?
Bulama Modu is purported to be a Boko Haram commander from the northeastern region of Nigeria. According to Nigerian officials, Modu and many other members of the militant group were recently captured by the Nigerian government.
During his interrogation, he was questioned about his understanding of Islamic beliefs and in response, Modu stated that, “I don’t know how to read the Quran. And I don’t know how to perform [Muslim] prayers either.”
Officials hope that Modu’s statements, captured in video footage, will cause unrest throughout the Boko Haram organization.
Boko Haram is based in northeastern Nigeria and is also active in Niger, northern Cameroon and Chad. Since 2009, the terrorist group has killed more than 17,000 people, killing over 10,000 in 2014 alone. By the end of 2014, more than 1.5 million people had fled the war-torn region. The group has carried out mass abductions and is most known for the kidnapping of over 200 young schoolgirls in the spring of last year.
Boko Haram claims it wants to establish an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, where the population is mainly Muslim. However, most Nigerian Muslims loathe the terrorist group and view its violent attacks and activities as extremely un-Islamic.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has issued orders to the country’s military that it has until November to end the Boko Haram rebellion. Since the deadline was announced, Nigeria’s military has made progress by winning several battles against the group. The military has also rescued over 200 women and children captured by Boko Haram – a sign that the group’s terrorist regime may soon come to an end.
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