: Bush Steps Into An Islamic Minefield In Nigeria Visit

President’s Bush’s whirlwind tour through Africa has been quite a learning experience. In a few short days, he’s dealt with AIDS, the environment, the US legacy of slavery, and countless civil wars. But Nigeria, his last stop, has 60 million Muslims in it, and he will find himself stepping into a microcosm of all the problems in the Muslims world. First of all, despite close economic and political ties with the US, sympathies with Muslims who find themselves on the wrong side of US foreign policy make Osama bin Laden a more popular figure here than Bush. “I listened to the radio translation of Bush’s speech in Senegal on Wednesday,” said grocer Kamilu Nasir. “His mission is to launch his war against Islam in Africa.” Bush will also be stepping into the ongoing controversy surrounding the implementation of sharia law in northern Nigeria. There will also be pressure on Bush to press for the pardon of Amina Lawal, the single mother who was sentenced to death for having sex outside of marraige – although he is most likely to stay out of that one. Despite the lukewarm reception Bush has received so far, he does have a chance to redeem himself if he shows that he is as willing to commit US troops to save innocent Liberian lives as he was to oust Saddam Hussein. However, it looks like by the time he reaches a decision on that, the opportunity will have come and gone.

Shahed Amanullah is editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com.