In an interview on the BBC the Bishop of Durham states that religion is "not the fundamental issue" with regard to the bombings and murders committed by the Islamist group Boko Haram in Nigeria. Apparently religion is just a front for other factors. The interviewer, naturally enough for a BBC apparatchik, doesn't challenge him on this rather bizarre assertion. 

The good Reverend has misled himself, for even Boko Haram themselves seem to believe that religion is the primary motive for their campaign of death and destruction, mainly against Christians and other Muslims who don't agree with them. In fact, they clearly spell it out in this letter sent to the Governor of Kano last August:

What are our crime? What damage have we caused or cost Nigeria government, which leads to our attack in Bauchi, Wudil, Gombe, Yobe and Maiduguri two years back? Is sticking to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and Hadith a crime? Is funeral right a crime?

The reasons are clear:  1. The Nigerian Government is a KUFUR system serving BOTH UNITED NATION (UN) AND CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (CAN) 2. “We the Jama’atu Ahlisunnah Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad are MUSLIMS and are from the NORTHERN part of the country who spent eight years agitating for ISLAMIC STATE, STRAVING TO BRING BACK THE LOST GLORY OF UTHMAN DAN FODIO.  WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT? Is just to go back to the ways of our creator  (ALLAH) where justice, discipline, good morals, love and care, peace and progress etc will prevails.

Having got the clear picture of what happened, it have come our notice that the present Police Commissioner, Director State Security Service (DSSS) and Ward Heads have jointly started arresting our members IN YOUR STATE (KANO) known to you or not, a situation which we will not take lightly by the grace of ALLAH. We want to made it clear that the country called Nigeria belongs to Allah; same thing Kano and we are SERVANT OF ALLAH. Therefore our members should allow to stay where ever they wish. WE DID NOT TOUCH YOU, THEREFORE OUR MEMBERS (MUSLIMS) SHOULD NOT BE TOUCHED.

Source here.

Is the Bishop of Durham an idiot?