Imams protest against "barbarism" by Boko Haram

Facing the enlistment of recruits by Nigerian armed Islamist group Boko Haram, the Muslim authorities in the north have embarked on a campaign to counter propaganda and cautioned people about recruitment of teens by these "barbarians".

Impossible to know how many they are, local security sources speak of "hundreds of young people" who have joined Boko Haram for several months. They noted that in Kolofata, border of Nigeria Cameroon locality, around 450 young people have been recruited in two months, said the Deputy Prime Minister Ahmadou Ali, just before the attack on his home and the abduction of his wife who was released in August.

Concerned, the authorities have attempted to put in measures to better control the sermons and teachings in the mosques and Koranic schools in the region. On the walls in the locality and everywhere, "No to Boko Haram" leaflets have been posted.

"We create awareness in our mosques, through Friday sermons. We urge them to try to understand true Islam and do not fall into the trap of those terrorists", an imam, Malloum Baba explained to AFP. "Boko Haram claims to preach Islam even though they don't know anything about Islam. The problem here is ignorance. They have missed the point as they do not interpret our message well", he noted.

According to sources close to the intelligence services, Boko Haram offers up to 500,000 Francs CFA (around 760 euros) as "recruitment premium", and a monthly "salary" of 100,000 CFA FRANCS. This is seen as a fortune for the young people who often have no resources and hence inticed by incomes exceeding 40,000 CFA FRANCS.

"Initially we encouraged Imams to directly denounce Boko Haram in their sermons, but many preachers and teachers were killed, so they decided to get involved in a more general message on peace and tolerance to expose them", explained a high religious authority of Maroua.

Because "everyone is touched by Boko haram," reminded this imam: "we do not know the ideology of this movement. But people should not confuse these barbarians with our tolerant Islam. Unfortunately, many people fall into simplistic explanations" he lamented.

"Islam in Cameroon is the Islam where imams go to churches for communal prayers, this is islam in Cameroon, it is our model of society and we are ready to cooperate for peace to prevail", he said.