Discrimination against Religious Minorities in Nigeria: An Analysis with Reference to Human Development in the 21st Century

  This study examines religious discrimination against religious minorities like Muslims living in Christian populated areas in the south east, Christians are as well living in Muslim dominated areas. Minority Traditional worshippers in either Muslim or Christian majority areas, private institution, companies owned by Christians or Muslims etc. The discrimination against religious minorities has mitigated the peaceful co-existence among religious identities and other major life events which has culminated national development in all spheres of human engagement such as economic, social, political, security, etc. The researchers have tried to provide an analytical study of the empirical data as well as of the existing literature. The result of our findings shows that many religious identities have been denied of securing job opportunities, professing religion of their choice, finding it difficult to receive health care services, managing religious institutions, denied of equal rights of citizens, get political appointments, among others. The study recommends that people of different religions should embrace and tolerate one another, avoid the use of fanaticism, allow religious minorities to practice religion of their choice in order to dislodge prejudices from the society.

Biodiversity, Ethnobotany and Conservation Status of the Flora of Kaghan Valley Mansehra, Nwfp. Pakistan.

The present study was carried out to investigate floristic diversity, ethnobotanical profile and conservation status of important plant species of Kaghan Valley. The Valley is situated in the Northern Pakistan. It is 161 km long scenic wonderland with its towering Himalayan peaks, peaceful lakes, majestic glaciers and splashing water falls. The people are mostly poor, illiterate and are very much dependent upon plant resources. During the study 6 species of Bryophytes (6 families), 53 species of Pteridophytes (9 families), 12 species of Gymnosperms (4 families), and 775 species of Angiosperms (108 families), were collected, preserved and presented as checklist. The people of Kaghan Valley utilize 108 plant species as medicinal plants. Majority of these medicinal plants are used for multiple purposes. These include 91 species of Dicots, 09 species of Monocots, 06 species of Gymnosperms and 02 species of Pteridophytes. Among these ethnobotanically important plants, 27.77 % were found at risk regarding their conservation status. 2.77% were found critically endangered, 12.96 % endangered, 9.25 % vulnerable and 2.77 % near threatened. Seeds of 5 medicinal plants, i.e, Colchicum luteum, Hyoscymus niger, Aconitum heterophyllum, Geranium wallichii and Paeonia emodii, were collected from the wild and deposited at Forest Nursery Besian near Balakot as an ex-situ conservation effort. Medicinal plants and edible mushrooms are produced in bulk in Kaghan Valley and are considered as a fair source of income generation for local communities. Beside these, potatoes, peas, beans, maize, walnut and apple also yields good return. The floristic diversity of Kaghan Valley is threatened by the effects of natural and human impacts. Natural causes are hailstorm, drought, snowfall, thunderstorm and earthquake. Among the human causes, fuel wood consumption, illicit cutting for timber, encroachment on forest land, lopping for fodder, grazing, grass cutting, fires and tourism are important. For indigenous people in developing countries like Pakistan where exploitation of environment is necessary for survival, help is needed in constructing alternatives for sustainable development, in order to establish biodiversity conservation much profitable. Multiple uses of forests, development of agro-forestry, silviculture and sustainable exploitation of wild species are some of the alternatives that have been suggested to be considered as future strategy for the development of Kaghan Valley. This part of Himalayan region contains immense biological resources of benefit mankind.