THE BOKO HARAM IDEOLOGY: A SURVEY OF REFUTATIONS AND COUNTER NARRATIVE EFFORTS BY NIGERIAN SCHOLARS AND STRATEGY OF THE DA’WAH INSTITUTE OF NIGERIA

ABSTRACTBOKO HARAM is a violent and extremist Nigerian Muslim sect that exploded onto the international scene in 2009 with spectacular attacks against government security establishments. The violent extremist, puritanical, and exclusivist narrative of the sect is a recurring phenomenon from previous movements from as early as the first century of Islam, with the Kharijites. In the face of such insurgencies, the Nigerian government’s response tended to be military. However, such ideologies have tended to arise again in more deadly re-incarnations. Some are totally new movements, while others are offshoots or copycats of previous movements. The intellectual responses to such groups have thus far not been organic and comprehensive. It is thus the aim of this thesis to highlight some of the counter narrative efforts against the Boko Haram ideology and examine especially the Da’wah Institute of Nigeria’s triangular intellectual model for counter narratives to violent extremism.

INDEX WORDS: Boko Haram, Nigeria, Shari’ah, Insurgency, Da’wah, Islam, West Africa, Borno, Jihad, Ahl al Sunnati li al Da'wati wa al Jihad, Da’wah Institute