Niger Islamic Council
Encyclopedia
The Niger Islamic Council (Conseil islamique du Niger, CIN) is a government mandated consultative and regulatory body of Muslim religious leaders and government representatives in the West African state of Niger
. The 20 member body advises the government, secular under its 1999 constitution, of the regulation of Islamic festivals, organization of the hadj, protection of religious sites, Mosque
construction, oversight of Muslim charities and schools, and the zakat
.
The CIN is a successor organization of the 1974 Islamic Association of Niger (AIN), which itself succeeded the Islamic Cultural Association of Niger (f. 1960). Each of these organizations were created under single party governments to accredit and manage religious teaching and institutions, and each contained only representatives of the Sufi Muslim brotherhoods which form the majority of Niger's Islamic community. The dominant Sufi order in Niger is the Tijaniyya. With the coming of democracy in 1990, Muslim associations multiplied, including those representing religious minorities, and those funded by foreign groups, including Wahhabi groups funded by Saudi Arabia
. The 1990s saw several sensational incidents of conflict between minority Muslim groups and both the government, more secular members of society, and the mainstream Sufi leaders.
noted that the organization was also intended "to address behaviors and practices inspired by foreign countries." This remark was broadly interpreted to mean that the council would promote the practice of the moderate, tolerant Islam that the country has known for centuries, while countering extremist interpretations imported from, or influenced by, other Islamic countries. The minister of the interior also announced that a Christian council would be established in the near future.
The CIN sets the dates for religious observances, licenses religious education and training, and asserts the right to oversee sermons and the building of Mosques -- although foreign governments have questioned their ability to do the last two in practice. The CIN oversees two religious broadcasts a week on state media, and pronounces on current events. It has notably helped organize relief and called for national prayer during the 2005 Niger food crisis, organized protests of Israel
's 2009 bombing of the Gaza Strip
, and released a joint statement with Nigerien Christian leaders opposing President of Niger Tandja Mamadou
's plan to create a new constitution which would allow him to extend his term in office after 2009.
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
. The 20 member body advises the government, secular under its 1999 constitution, of the regulation of Islamic festivals, organization of the hadj, protection of religious sites, Mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
construction, oversight of Muslim charities and schools, and the zakat
Zakat
Zakāt , one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is the giving of a fixed portion of one's wealth to charity, generally to the poor and needy.-History:Zakat, a practice initiated by Muhammed himself, has played an important role throughout Islamic history...
.
History
The CIN was proposed in 1999 at the founding of the Fifth Republic of Niger, formulated on 14 November 2003 (décret n2003-313/PRN/MID), and enacted on 10 February 2006. From 2007 it reports directly to the Minister of Religious Affairs. Its membership is made up of ten representatives of the largest Muslim associations in the nation, and ten political and administrative leaders proposed by the government.The CIN is a successor organization of the 1974 Islamic Association of Niger (AIN), which itself succeeded the Islamic Cultural Association of Niger (f. 1960). Each of these organizations were created under single party governments to accredit and manage religious teaching and institutions, and each contained only representatives of the Sufi Muslim brotherhoods which form the majority of Niger's Islamic community. The dominant Sufi order in Niger is the Tijaniyya. With the coming of democracy in 1990, Muslim associations multiplied, including those representing religious minorities, and those funded by foreign groups, including Wahhabi groups funded by Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. The 1990s saw several sensational incidents of conflict between minority Muslim groups and both the government, more secular members of society, and the mainstream Sufi leaders.
Mandate and actions
The Council's mandate is to meet and advise the Government on issues of concern to Muslims, including preaching, mosque construction, and zakat. The council was also charged with promoting a culture of tolerance and social peace. During the installation of the council, Prime Minister of Niger Hama AmadouHama Amadou
Hama Amadou is a Nigerien politician who was Prime Minister of Niger from 1995 to 1996 and again from 2000 to 2007. He was also Secretary-General of the National Movement for the Development of Society from 1991 to 2001 and President of the MNSD-Nassara from 2001 to 2009...
noted that the organization was also intended "to address behaviors and practices inspired by foreign countries." This remark was broadly interpreted to mean that the council would promote the practice of the moderate, tolerant Islam that the country has known for centuries, while countering extremist interpretations imported from, or influenced by, other Islamic countries. The minister of the interior also announced that a Christian council would be established in the near future.
The CIN sets the dates for religious observances, licenses religious education and training, and asserts the right to oversee sermons and the building of Mosques -- although foreign governments have questioned their ability to do the last two in practice. The CIN oversees two religious broadcasts a week on state media, and pronounces on current events. It has notably helped organize relief and called for national prayer during the 2005 Niger food crisis, organized protests of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's 2009 bombing of the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, and released a joint statement with Nigerien Christian leaders opposing President of Niger Tandja Mamadou
Tandja Mamadou
Lieutenant Colonel Mamadou Tandja is a Nigerien politician who was President of Niger from 1999 to 2010. He was President of the National Movement of the Development Society from 1991 to 1999 and unsuccessfully ran as the MNSD's presidential candidate in 1993 and 1996 before being elected to his...
's plan to create a new constitution which would allow him to extend his term in office after 2009.