A Nigerian militant extremist group officially known as Boko Haram, formed in the early 2000s; 'boko' means 'Western education' in Hausa.
From Hausa 'boko' (Western education) + Arabic 'haram' (forbidden); the name literally means 'Western education is forbidden,' reflecting the group's ideology of rejecting Western influence.
The name 'Boko Haram' is simultaneously a description of their stated mission and their ideology—they literally named themselves after what they oppose, which is a chilling reminder of how fundamentalism defines itself against the 'enemy' it creates.
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