Isioma Daniel
Encyclopedia
Isioma Nkemdilim Nkiruka Daniel (born 1981) is a Nigeria
n journalist whose 2002 newspaper article comment involving the Islamic prophet Muhammad
sparked major religious riot
s and caused a fatwa
to be issued on her life.
, graduating in summer of 2001. Her first job as a journalist was at Thisday
, a Lagos
-based national daily newspaper. As a fashion writer, she authored a November 16, 2002 comment piece on Miss World
beauty pageant that was to be held in Nigeria later that year. Addressing opposition to the contest from the Nigerian Muslim community, she made the following remark:
According to Daniel, the sentence was added at the last minute; she thought it was "funny, light hearted" and "didn't see it as anything anybody should take seriously or cause much fuss". However, that judgment quickly proved wrong, as the publication triggered violent religious riots that left more than 200 dead and 1,000 injured, while 11,000 people were made homeless. Thisdays offices in Kaduna
were torched, despite the paper's apology and retraction on the front page.
Daniel resigned from the newspaper the day after her article appeared. Soon after, fearing for her safety and worried about the impending interrogation by the Nigerian state security
, she left the country for Benin
.
On 26 November 2002 an Islamist government of Zamfara, Nigerian northern state, issued a fatwa against Isioma Daniel; in words of Zamfara deputy governor Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi
, later broadcast on the local radio:
While the Nigerian government denounced the judgement as "unconstitutional" and "null and void", Muslim leaders were divided over its validity, some arguing that the subsequent retraction and apology meant that the fatwa was inappropriate.
Thus Lateef Adegbite
, Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, was quick to reject the death penalty since since Daniel was not Muslim and the newspaper had apologised publicly.
, her resettlement guided by the Committee to Protect Journalists
and Amnesty International
.
Isioma Daniel is working as a journalist for the Stavanger
, Norway daily newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad
where she was invited to work almost immediately upon her arrival in Norway, and she now speaks Norwegian
fluently. She is currently working on a novel and another book edited by Jean Wadier in the US, The Isioma Daniel Case, is scheduled for publication.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n journalist whose 2002 newspaper article comment involving the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
sparked major religious riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
s and caused a fatwa
Fatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
to be issued on her life.
The 2002 Nigeria riots
Isioma Daniel studied journalism and politics for three years at the University of Central LancashireUniversity of Central Lancashire
The University of Central Lancashire is a university based in Preston, Lancashire, England.The university has its roots in The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge which was founded in 1828. In 1992 it was granted University status by the Privy Council...
, graduating in summer of 2001. Her first job as a journalist was at Thisday
Thisday
THISDAY is a Nigerian national newspaper. It is the flagship newspaper of Leaders & Company Ltd and was first published on 22 January 1995. It has its headquarters in Apapa, Lagos, Lagos State....
, a Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
-based national daily newspaper. As a fashion writer, she authored a November 16, 2002 comment piece on Miss World
Miss World
The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...
beauty pageant that was to be held in Nigeria later that year. Addressing opposition to the contest from the Nigerian Muslim community, she made the following remark:
- "The Muslims thought it was immoral to bring 92 women to Nigeria and ask them to revel in vanity. What would Mohammed think? In all honesty, he would probably have chosen a wife from one of them."
According to Daniel, the sentence was added at the last minute; she thought it was "funny, light hearted" and "didn't see it as anything anybody should take seriously or cause much fuss". However, that judgment quickly proved wrong, as the publication triggered violent religious riots that left more than 200 dead and 1,000 injured, while 11,000 people were made homeless. Thisdays offices in Kaduna
Kaduna
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna is at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census...
were torched, despite the paper's apology and retraction on the front page.
Daniel resigned from the newspaper the day after her article appeared. Soon after, fearing for her safety and worried about the impending interrogation by the Nigerian state security
State Security Service
State Security Service is the primary domestic intelligence agency of Nigeria. It is primarily responsible for the gathering of intelligence within the country and for the protection of senior government officials, particularly the President and state governors. It is one of three successor...
, she left the country for Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
.
On 26 November 2002 an Islamist government of Zamfara, Nigerian northern state, issued a fatwa against Isioma Daniel; in words of Zamfara deputy governor Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi
Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi
Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi is a Nigerian politician. As deputy governor of Zamfara State in 2002, he endorsed an Islamic judgement calling on Muslims to kill the fashion writer Isioma Daniel after she wrote that the Prophet Mohammed may have approved of the Miss World contest and perhaps would have...
, later broadcast on the local radio:
- "Like Salman Rushdie, the blood of Isioma Daniel can be shed. It is abiding on all Muslims wherever they are to consider the killing of the writer as a religious duty."
While the Nigerian government denounced the judgement as "unconstitutional" and "null and void", Muslim leaders were divided over its validity, some arguing that the subsequent retraction and apology meant that the fatwa was inappropriate.
Thus Lateef Adegbite
Lateef Adegbite
Lateef Adegbite is a lawyer who became Attorney General of the Western Region of Nigeria, and who later became Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.-Birth and education:...
, Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, was quick to reject the death penalty since since Daniel was not Muslim and the newspaper had apologised publicly.
Exile in Norway
Isioma Daniel eventually moved to NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, her resettlement guided by the Committee to Protect Journalists
Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent nonprofit organisation based in New York City that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.-History:A group of U.S...
and Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
.
Isioma Daniel is working as a journalist for the Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
, Norway daily newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad
Stavanger Aftenblad
Stavanger Aftenblad or simply Aftenbladet is a daily newspaper in Stavanger, Norway. It was founded in 1893 by the priest Lars Oftedal, and was for a long period a publication for the Liberal Party. It had a circulation of 68,186 copies in 2005...
where she was invited to work almost immediately upon her arrival in Norway, and she now speaks Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
fluently. She is currently working on a novel and another book edited by Jean Wadier in the US, The Isioma Daniel Case, is scheduled for publication.