Why Boko Haram in Nigeria fights western education

The terrorist group Boko Haram has killed tens of thousands of people in Nigeria, displaced millions, and infamously kidnapped nearly 300 schoolgirls in 2014, many of whom remain missing. The phrase “boko haram” translates literally as “Western education is forbidden.” In this episode, the author of a new paper on Boko Haram talks about her research and findings on this dangerous militant group. Madiha Afzal, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings, is the author of “From ‘Western Education is Forbidden’ to the world’s deadliest terrorist group: Education and Boko Haram in Nigeria.” She’s interviewed by Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow and director of research in Foreign Policy at Brookings. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.