The Slaughter in Nigeria

The Story: Last week, 185 people were killed in a series of attacks in northern Nigeria's largest city. The radical sect responsible, Boko Haram, is using violence to impose its version of Islamic law across the country. According to a UN report, governments in the region are growing concerned that Boko Haram is joining forces with Al-Qaeda and other hardline groups in West Africa.

The Background: Last year, several hundred Nigerians were killed---including five hundred Christians slaughtered with machetes by Fulani Muslims--- in a string of religious clashes. As Joseph Bottum reported at the time,

Christian leaders say they telephoned for protection from the national security forces as the Muslim crowd gathered, but the military apparently refused to react until 3:30 a.m., by which time the slaughter was mostly finished. Indeed, the failure to protect the Nigerian Christians was even more egregious---for the assailants seem to have come from out of state. Despite advance notice of their arrival, the military made no plans beforehand to protect the threatened villages.

Why It Matters: Violence against Christians has been escalating in the country and yet the Nigerian government will not---or cannot---do much to protect its citizens. In Kano, a city of more than 9 million people, Boku Haram has threatened to kill any Christians living there. Unless neighboring African states or international coalitions intervene, the group, which carried out a series of attacks on churches last Christmas, will continue to persecute Christians unimpeded.  HT: Joe Carter