Religion and Conflict in Nigeria: Learning to Play Well With Others

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nick-street/religion-and-conflict-in-nigeria-learning-to-play-well-with-others_b_2695805.html

Nick Street
Senior Writer, Center for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern California

Posted: 02/16/2013 10:40 am

On a brilliantly sunny Monday morning at the start of the rainy season, a couple of dozen young men gathered for a game of soccer in Jos, capital of the state that encompasses the temperate volcanic plateau in central Nigeria. At first glance the event seemed unremarkable -- laughter, friendly taunts and a fairly casual level of competition were the order of the day.

But the armed guard who kept vigil by the gate at the Hillcrest School was the first indication that more serious matters were at stake. Jos is an uneasy place -- nearly 4,000 people have died in violent conflict over the past decade -- and the young Christians and Muslims on the field had converged from parts of an increasingly segregated city where goodwill between Christians and Muslims is often hard to find.

"Sports is one of the easiest ways to bring people together," said coach and referee Moses Gyok, 35, a Christian from a religiously mixed family. "Right now there is no issue of Christ or Muhammad. Just sports."

As Augustine Davou loped off the field, Gyok added, "People are tired of the crisis. Everybody suffers."

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