Approaching the Ambivalence of the Sacred in Conflict Mobilization : The Case of Blasphemy Killings in Sokoto

 Anyorikeya, Mark A.; Dick, Alexandra; Hasenclever, Andreas

Working paper Nr. 1 - Anyorikeya; Dick; Hasenclever

This paper contributes to existing studies analyzing the ambivalence of the sacred in conflict management. While it is an established consensus that religious communities are not intrinsically violent but instead ambivalent as they sometimes contribute to conflict escalation and at other times peacebuilding, the literature has focused more on the bellicist side of religion compared to its pacifist potential. We seek to broaden the discussion by focusing on how different understandings of holy scriptures by religious communities serve as drivers of peaceful or violent mobilization.