Tenth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

Nigerian history is laced with obstinate conflicts mostly constructed around differences in cultural, ethnic, and religious identities. While many of the conflicts revolve around struggles for the political control of the state, others are hegemonic religion contests that are usually driven by extremists, and involve claims or denial of the rights to use public spaces for religious purposes. The contestation is wide spread and involves Christianity, Islam, and Traditional Religion Worshipers. The paper focuses on religion conflicts involving Muslims and Egungun (Masquerade) Worshipers in Kisi, Irepo Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. The study utilized a descriptive approach to examine the implications of religious extremism for citizenship and conflicts in Nigeria. Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources. The study using grievance theory revealed that in Kisi, some “Muslim extremists” see and treat public spaces as the exclusive preserve of their religion and thus block the Egungun worshipers from using them for their annual festivals. Continuous inter-faith peace dialogue and intensification of formal and informal civic education on religious tolerance in Nigeria was recommended by the study.