70% Of Christians Killed Worldwide In 2012 Are From Nigeria
Amid another surge of violence in Nigeria, the idea of an amnesty deal between the Nigerian government and militant Islamist group Boko Hara...
http://www.africaeagle.com/2013/05/70-of-christians-killed-worldwide-in.html
Amid another surge of violence in Nigeria, the idea of an amnesty deal between the Nigerian government and militant Islamist group Boko Haram has the support of Christian president Goodluck Jonathan.
But the proposal is firmly opposed by most Christian groups in the West African nation.
Following calls to offer amnesty to Boko Haram in exchange for the end of its terror campaign against Christians and other targeted groups (including the government, whose military has often been heavy-handed with militants), Jonathan has commissioned a 25-member presidential committee to examine how a pardon could be implemented.
The Vanguard newspaper reports that "some Nigerians believe amnesty would entice those among the terrorists who are tired to rejoin normal society as law abiding citizens. They buttress their argument by pointing to the calming effect the policy had in the Niger Delta." (Delta militants have threatened to target Boko Haram themselves.)
However, many church leaders and Christian groups oppose the amnesty deal, calling it "nothing but the legalisation of terrorism in the country." Others say such pardon would "send out a wrong signal of encouraging criminality."
Nearly 1,000 Nigerian Christians were killed in 2012, and more than 100 have died in the first few months of 2013, according to Jubilee Campaign. Executive director Ann Buwalda says this accounts for “almost 70 percent of Christians killed globally” last year, making Nigeria “the most lethal country for Christians by a huge margin.”
In an essay for Morning Star News ahead of the release of a significant report on the bellwether city of Jos, Buwalda and human rights attorney Emmanuel Ogebe wrote:
With 3,000 casualties affecting citizens from a dozen countries in three years, Boko Haram has earned a dubious distinction as one of the top five lethal terrorist organizations in the world. In the last three years, however, the three most deadly incidents of anti-Christian persecution—with triple-digit casualties—in Nigeria were the March 7, 2010 massacre in Jos, Plateau state, the April 16, 2011 pogrom in the country’s sharia (Islamic law) states and the Jan. 20, 2012 onslaught in Kano. Two out of these three incidents were not the handiwork of terrorists but of average northern Nigerian Muslims.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has wanted the State Department to designate Nigeria as a "country of particular concern" since 2009, but the country currently has not been recognized as such.
Nigeria ranked 13th on this year's World Watch List, which ranks the 50 countries where Christians face the most religious persecution. African nations have surged up the ranks of the worst persecutors in recent years.
Following calls to offer amnesty to Boko Haram in exchange for the end of its terror campaign against Christians and other targeted groups (including the government, whose military has often been heavy-handed with militants), Jonathan has commissioned a 25-member presidential committee to examine how a pardon could be implemented.
The Vanguard newspaper reports that "some Nigerians believe amnesty would entice those among the terrorists who are tired to rejoin normal society as law abiding citizens. They buttress their argument by pointing to the calming effect the policy had in the Niger Delta." (Delta militants have threatened to target Boko Haram themselves.)
However, many church leaders and Christian groups oppose the amnesty deal, calling it "nothing but the legalisation of terrorism in the country." Others say such pardon would "send out a wrong signal of encouraging criminality."
Nearly 1,000 Nigerian Christians were killed in 2012, and more than 100 have died in the first few months of 2013, according to Jubilee Campaign. Executive director Ann Buwalda says this accounts for “almost 70 percent of Christians killed globally” last year, making Nigeria “the most lethal country for Christians by a huge margin.”
In an essay for Morning Star News ahead of the release of a significant report on the bellwether city of Jos, Buwalda and human rights attorney Emmanuel Ogebe wrote:
With 3,000 casualties affecting citizens from a dozen countries in three years, Boko Haram has earned a dubious distinction as one of the top five lethal terrorist organizations in the world. In the last three years, however, the three most deadly incidents of anti-Christian persecution—with triple-digit casualties—in Nigeria were the March 7, 2010 massacre in Jos, Plateau state, the April 16, 2011 pogrom in the country’s sharia (Islamic law) states and the Jan. 20, 2012 onslaught in Kano. Two out of these three incidents were not the handiwork of terrorists but of average northern Nigerian Muslims.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has wanted the State Department to designate Nigeria as a "country of particular concern" since 2009, but the country currently has not been recognized as such.
Nigeria ranked 13th on this year's World Watch List, which ranks the 50 countries where Christians face the most religious persecution. African nations have surged up the ranks of the worst persecutors in recent years.
Let him also tell us why Ojukwu, Kaduna Nzegwu, Okafor connived and killed Sir Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa. Let him also tell us who sponsoref Maitatsine that was letter confirmed to a non muslim. We want know why the christians of Kaduna embarked on riot because of shari'a in Zamfara by killing muslims that later became a war. We want know why muslims in Jos are been treated as non Nigerians for long.
ReplyDeleteTo stop at these (not all were stated), why the writer's interests is to promote hatre among us not to promote peace and harmony among us so that we will forgive each and promote ourselves socially, ecominically and so on so that our country will move forward?
ReplyDeleteOur enemy, what is your reward for thesea? Are you or Christian? Or you are an unbveliever who's only target is th worldly gain. To hell fire with you (God's enemy).
ReplyDeleteAccepted the figure. Please let the writer tell us what joined J T Hussaini and Jerry Gana with Mohammed Yusuf as they were the people that were bailing him whenever arrested. Let the writer tell us why all muslims males were slaughtered by christian in Haifan at early 2000. Let the writer tell us why the genocide of Muslims in Zangon Kataf, Yalwan Shendam, kafanchan and currently Wukari.
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say that out of this 70% , more than half will be Igbos ... , why did Gowon and co fight to keep them in Nigeria???? this country is amazing .
ReplyDeleteThe muslims in Nigeria has penchant for blood shed and they have never stop at it, may God help us to have an end to this.
ReplyDeleteThey should learn to respect the faith of their neighbours in the north.
Reference to death of Sadauna in the 1966 military coup as reason for killing now Igbo men, women and children in churches, homes and every where smacks of ignorance and wickedness combined. Writer should know that Ojukwu, and BY COMMON SENSE like several Igbos, did not support subject coup. Ojukwu was on the list of those to be shot by the coup plotters. When a human believes that the one God we worship would reward the killer of fellow innocent and defenseless men, women, children and babies in the name of the same God then the killer is playing God and we should stop wondering what is wrong with our country, Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteThere had been series of ethnic and religious 'cleansing' against the Igbo in northern Nigeria ever before the 1966 military coup referred to above. Writer should look for another reason and be educated on our country's history.
ReplyDelete