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

Persecuting Pakistani Christians

I keep thinking about all the American Christians who canceled church on Christmas Day. Terry wrote about the Iraqi Christians who’ve done the same. Except in their case, it’s under threat of death.

I’m elated that Christmas is finally here after a lengthy Advent but I am so sad that Christians in Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, among other locations, aren’t able to worship freely. Or take the horrible news out of Nigeria yesterday. What Christians there wouldn’t do to have the freedom to worship in peace.

In any case, some holiday seasons see quite a few stories aiming to undermine some aspect of Christianity. We didn’t see much of that. Neither did we see much War on Christmas-type stuff (hurray!), particularly considering that there was ample opportunity. 

Certainly the plight of global Christians this Christmas has not been covered well. But I did want to highlight a package from CNN that I personally found quite interesting.

The feature piece is actually a photo essay by Gary S. Chapman, titled “The persecution of Pakistan’s Christian minority.” Brett Roegiers explained the background to the piece:

In August 2009, an angry mob of extremist Muslims torched Christian homes in Gojra, Pakistan. At least seven people were shot to death or burned alive. A few days after the attacks, American photographer Gary S. Chapman visited the area with his wife, Vivian, to document the aftermath. “I want people to see my images and feel both discomfort and compassion at the same time,” he said recently. “I want them to try and see themselves in the situation I am witnessing.” The violence in Gojra was incited by rumors of the desecration of pages of the Quran at a Christian wedding, police said. An investigation determined the allegations were baseless.

His project began in 2005 when he photographed relief efforts after a massive earthquake killed 86,000. He learned about mistreatment of Christians then and there, including rape, lack of employment and education and beatings for drinking from Muslim water fountains:  Keep Reading >>>