Classrooms are spring up in Maiduguri, Borno state in the northern part of Nigeria to teach Muslim children and youths, peace, reconciliation and forgiveness.
The purpose for these classes is to counter the message of violence promoted by Boko Haram militants.
According to reports, the school, al-Ilmu Nurul Hayat Islamiya, is teaching a new curriculum based on peace and tolerance in an effort to dilute the influence of the militants.
The initiative, recognized state- wide is under the guidance of Jama’atu Nasril Islam, the umbrella organization for Muslim groups in Nigeria.
The Jama’atu Nasril Islam campaign has set up a battle for the hearts and minds of the local youth, with Boko Haram on one end and community leaders on the other.
Hundreds of Islamic schools across Maiduguri are also teaching young Muslim children and youths, the dynamics of peace and peace building.
Maiduguri is a haven for religious hardliners with unregulated Islamic schools founded by self-proclaimed Muslim clerics.
After the death of Yusuf the founder of Boko Haram, the insurgency began its vengeful insurgency against the Nigerian government to impose its version of an Islamic State.
Boko Haram has killed more than 12,000 people and displaced more than one million in Nigeria.
Boko Haram started preaching in Islamic schools and mosques across Maiduguri and we realized that they were using Islamic schools to promote their violent ideology to youth,” Mohammed Abdullahi, director of religious affairs for Borno State told Aljazeera.
