The Identification of Stream of Radical Salafism in Nigeria

The presence and interference of some western countries caused to grow, develop, and strengthen the Jihadi-Takfiri movements beside the Islamic movements. In Nigeria, one of the most important North-West African countries, two Salafi-Jihadi groups of the Society of Ahl al-Sunna for the Invitation & Jihad (Boko Haram) and the Society of Ansar al-Moslemin in the country of Sudan are responsible for Salafi-Jihadi movements. The Boko Haram mostly concentrates on the near enemy, the Nigeria's Muslims, especially the Shiites. By contrast, the Ansar al-Moslemin focuses on confronting the west enemy, corrupt government, and non-Muslims in Nigeria. This procedural difference can be clearly seen between two groups of ISIS and al-Qaeda as the leaders of those two societies. The most important factors in the formation of these groups are the following: Islamic radicalism in the late of twentieth century, the concerns of Muslims about widespread propaganda of Christians, the growth of different religions, the extension of propaganda and authority of America and other world powers in this region, being affected by the propaganda of deviant sects such as Wahhabism, and the support of rich Arab governments. This study, with the aim of identifying the stream of radical Salafism in Nigeria, tries to discover the process of formation and extension of two main Salafi-Jihadi groups of the Society of Ahl al-Sunna for the Invitation & Jihad (Boko Haram) and the Society of Ansar al-Moslemin in the country of Sudan in Nigeria. In this study, data gathering was done by searching in written sources and Internet sites and first, the Society of Ahl al-Sunna for the Invitation & Jihad (Boko Haram), its history, its activities, its confrontation with the Shiites, and its ideology are discussed and then, the Society of Ansar al-Moslemin in the country of Sudan, its history, its activities, its ideology, and its relations with al-Qaeda and Boko Haram are discussed.