The Federal state of Nigeria is on the brink of religious strife after Zamfara state officially adopted Sharia law. The contentious declaration was made by the Zamfara State Governor, Ahmed Sani Yerima, on the 28th October despite the protestations of the government and the religious communities.

Prominent Muslim Leaders, including the head of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Mohammadu Maccido, were notable in their absence from the launch of Sharia law.

Nigeria with its approximately 100 million people can be divided roughly into a feudal, predominantly Muslim, North and the entrepreneurial, mainly Christian, South. The constitution of the Federal State of Nigeria prohibits the adoption of an official state religion. The uneasy co-existence of the Christian and Muslim communities has been strained further by violent attacks and day-to-day persecution of the Christian communities in the North. This year alone over 150 churches in Kano were designated for demolition by the authorities.

Despite the severe persecution suffered by the indigenous Christians, including threats to their lives should they convert, there has been a significant growth of Christianity amongst the indigenous population, making it a sizeable minority instead of the 1% - 2 % often claimed by leaders of the Northern states. Governor Sani claims that rather than violating the constitution, adoption of Sharia law is a natural extension of religious beliefs. Muslim leaders including the chairman of the Review Committee on Islamic Law, Alhaji Usman Dangogo Bungudu, have tried to address the fears of the Christian community by stating that non-Muslims and the non-indigenous population would not be affected and would not be not be forced to appear before the Sharia Courts.

However, Christian leaders strongly disagree. Bishop Kwashi, the Anglican Bishop of Jos, on a recent visit to the UK at the invitation of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, stated that the implementation will be a formal legitimisation of the persecution of Christians in Northern Nigeria.

The Bishop, who is one of the foremost human rights advocates in Nigeria and Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Plateau State, believes that whilst "one can only guess at the reasons behind the declaration, this will focus the direct attack on the indigenous Christians in the North and will create a class system within a democracy that will be detrimental to the adherence of other faiths." Even now with only a partially implemented Sharia law in the Northern states, applicable only to family and civil matters, the courts are frequently used as an instrument of discrimination and repression against non-Muslim communities, granting Muslims property rights over Christian-owned lands, for example. According to Bishop Kwashi the political implications could be grave. "We might be looking at a possible repeat of Sudan.

"The international community should offer their strong support to the government of Nigeria, sending a clear message that threats to the newly elected democratic government and President Obasanjo would not be tolerated. A CSW Religious Liberty Advisor stated: "Whilst we congratulate the newly-elected democratic government on embarking on a programme of improved human rights situation we are nevertheless gravely concerned over these new developments.

We strongly urge the government to maintain the secular nature of the government and the judiciary of Nigeria as upheld in the constitution and to ensure that religious freedom is guaranteed throughout the Federal State of Nigeria."