Sharia Coming to "Pleasure Island"

The BBC reports on the latest example of the Talibanization of northern Nigeria:

The Sharia police, or Hisbah, say they will soon commence raids in an enclave in northern Nigeria's ancient Muslim city of Kano - dubbed by locals as "pleasure island".

The Hisbah have given themselves the task of enforcing morals and Islamic law in the city, but so far have largely left Sabon Gari, or New Town, alone, complete with its bars, brothels and night-clubs.

But they say they must stamp out such "sinfulness" in case it "pollutes" the rest of the city.


At first glance, this story sounds absurb. Unfortunately, the implementation of Islamic sharia law in northern Nigeria has been no laughing matter:

Kano is among a dozen states in northern Nigeria practising Sharia law, despite initial strong opposition from the federal government, Christians and human rights groups.

More than a dozen Muslims have been sentenced to death by stoning for sexual offences like adultery and homosexuality since the Sharia legal system was introduced in 2000.

Many others have been sentenced to flogging for drinking alcohol.

Two petty thieves have also had their hands amputated - but no death sentences have so far been carried out.


The article expresses some doubts as to how successful this new campaign will be, and does a wonderful job of illustrating how the radical Islamist vision of sharia flies in the face of human nature. The majority of Muslims, in Nigeria and elsewhere, have no wish to experience the totalitarian "virtue" offered by the Islamists. Unfortunately, Islamist ideology has spread far enough in the Muslim world that, even if Islamism does ultimately collapse from its own absurdities, its adherents can inflict an enormous amount of damage in the process.