The visit by US president Clinton, and the government effort to put the best face forward for the event, have caused a period of calm in the nation. The only major protests were in the north as Moslems demonstrated against the possibility of American resistance to the introduction of Sharia law. While the US is against anything that might drag Nigeria into civil war, it does recognize that the desire for Sharia law is largely driven by a desire to eliminate corruption. While much attention is paid to the religious aspects of Sharia law, for most Moslem Nigerians, Sharia provides a formidable weapon against the most common forms of government corruption and common crime.