Nigeria: Attacks on Christians Kill at Least 100

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

KANO, Nigeria March 16, 2014 (AP)

Officials say Fulani Muslim herders attacked three Christian villages and killed more than 100 civilians. Hundreds of thatched-roof huts were set ablaze.

Thousands have been killed in recent years in competition for land and water between mainly Muslim Fulani herdsmen and Christian farmers across Nigeria's Middle Belt. More than 100 people were killed in similar attacks in neighboring Katsina state last week.

Chenshyi village chief Nuhu Moses said Sunday that gunmen killed more than 50 people including the pastor's wife and children. He said the entire village in the southern part of Kaduna state was destroyed.

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Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/nigeria-attacks-christians-kill-100-22931642

[LeftishBrit]

1. Horrible.

[seveneyes]

2. Nigeria has the largest Muslim population in sub-Saharan Africa

These murderers must not be practicing the peaceful sections of Muslim and Islamic faith. Very tragic.

[JNelson6563]

3. Shortages of resources have that effect.

It actually sounds like they took a page out of the old testament.

Julie

[awoke_in_2003]

18. All 3 Abrahamic religions have something in common...

Barbarism.

[hrmjustin]

19. Yes unfortunately we have too much of it in our history.

[awoke_in_2003]

21. Man in many ways can be every barbaric...

Politicians and religion just know how to focus it.

[hrmjustin]

22. Well said!

[awoke_in_2003]

25. Thank you...

I am an atheist, so I don't want it to appear that I put all religious people in the same boat. In fact, I know a lot of good religious people. I just know that kings of old, and politicians of new, have used religion to control their subjects.

[hrmjustin]

27. I agree.

[awoke_in_2003]

33. One song that has been guiding me lately

is "Whatever Gets you Through the Night". Strive for what brings you peace, just try not to disrupt other people's peace, is what I take from it.

[hrmjustin]

36. It sounds like a good message.

[jtuck004]

4. At first side-glance I thought this said "Attack on Christmas kills 100" and I thought "Well,

they've gone and done it now..."

Then I re-read it.

So 100 people dead in Nigeria, murdered, stuff that when we do (or order it done to others) it we consider it criminal and put people in jail.

We are interfering in Russian affairs in the area where they have their bases for some purpose. Seems like less people are being murdered, yet there are actually discussions about war and sanctions.

What are we doing to ameliorate this problem in Nigeria, in the same area of the world where the image below was taken?

this - WARNING - POTENTIALLY HAUNTING IMAGE AND NOT IN GOOD WAY

It's surely as much or more an issue of basic humanity, and thus as deserving of our State Department Asst Secretary cookies as the opposition parties in the Ukraine? Or something?

Give us something to think about as we adjust our cities and lives to living around the islands of the wealthy.

[Igel]

17. International versus domestic.

The Ukr/Ru business was across borders. It involved issues of Ukr deciding whether it wanted to go EU or Customs Union. Those are international, but writ small.

It also involved Russia vs NATO and brought up Cold War issues. A lot of polemic was substitution, substituting Cold War era attitudes and opinions for current ones, or having that particular dispute be an analog of either old, unresolved issues or current, US-domestic ones.

Nigeria's problem is all-internal at this point. Granted, the tribe involved has been aggressively expansionistic and imperialistic in the last 300 years, having waged formal jihad on a number of occasions during that time and expanding its territory at the expense of others. We in the West are so paternalistic we fail to see this because colonialism and imperialism are things we like to arrogate to ourselves for condemnation. In any event, the Fulani are doing what the Fulani have done for the last few hundred years. They find an area they want to move into. The kill, drive out, or manage to assimilate the locals. Then they act as though they're truly indigenous and are all sensitive about intruders moving into their homeland. (Yeah. And this Scot-Irish ex-Baltimorean is indigenous to Houston.)

No, they only adopt a peaceful, calm version of Islam when they're up against a superior foe and they need a non-aggressive, non-expansionist mode of Islam. Then again, that was the case for Islam in Arabia, N. Africa, W. Africa, E. Africa, SW Asia, S. Asia, Asia Minor, SE Europe, and SE Asia. When all's going well and its expanding and prosperous, it's peaceful but proselytizing; when it encounters opposition, then it either goes meek in the face of great opposition or, if sufficient numbers think they can win, it goes all warlike.

[jtuck004]

37. Interesting. Thank you for writing that. n/t

[Ash_F]

5. "competition for land and water"

A look at the future for the rest of the world.

[jamzrockz]

6. Nigeria has the highest population density

in all of Africa. There are about 140m people in a state as small as texas and the number is increasing every year. I doubt that many places around the world is having as much population growth as Nigeria.

[Ash_F]

10. There is a similar conflict between farmers and herders in Sudan as well. /nt

[7962]

7. Excuses for more murdering. I guess the mall massacre was competition for shoes?

[Ash_F]

9. Looks like the first person who replied is more knowledgeable. /nt

[itsrobert]

8. Killing in the name of religion

Sickening what people do to keep up their fantasy.

[cosmicone]

11. The religion of peace at it again

with no condemnation from any mullahs anywhere in the Muslim heartland.

[philosslayer]

12. Another Muslim basher I see

Sure you're on the right forum? Islam is a religion of peace, and the actions of a few don't taint the views (and actions) of hundreds of millions.

[cosmicone]

13. where are those hundreds of millions

in condemning what is done in the name of their religion?

[Lobo27]

20. There is never condemnation for the most part...

Like when in Eygpt the Muslims were raping and killing Coptic nuns. There was hardly a mention of it. Its like people are afraid to say hey some of those guys are doing some bad things.

Yes, there were nice pics of christians and muslims rallying together which was awesome. But at the of imo people find it easier to bash christians then to bash muslims.

[840high]

14. "a few" - come on - give me a break.

[hrmjustin]

15. Will you condemn Christians that kill Muslims?

http://www.religionnews.com/2014/02/11/violence-muslims-soars-central-african-republic/?utm_content=buffer99cd9&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

[cosmicone]

23. Is it a prerequisite to arguing against Muslim violence? n/t

[hrmjustin]

26. No but Muslims have been killed by Christians as well.

Christians haven't been always so peaceful.

And I do believe there are muslim leaders that speak out against violence just like there are Christians eho do the same.

[7962]

28. I'm guessing the Serbs are some sort of Christian; look what they did in Bosnia. But..

.. the instances of Christians doing the killing are dwarfed by the muslims. As well as so many Muslim leaders CALLING for the killing of everybody else. And the Koran calls for killing those who do not convert too. Dont believe the bible does.

[hrmjustin]

30. Christian history is full of stories of Christians killing people because

they did not believe like the Church or Christian goverments wanted them to.

There is noway to calculate which religions has seen been more violent.

[7962]

32. History is just that; history. Doesnt excuse whats happening now or Armenians would kill Turks

all the time. And a LOT of people would be killing Italians. This is 2014, not 614.

[hrmjustin]

34. Well in 2014 Christians and Muslims are killing each other in Africa by the thousands.

Sickening.

[7962]

35. And on that we both agree.

[jamzrockz]

16. I am a Nigerian

And I can tell you from experience especially with fulani tribe, that their religion had very little to do with the attack. Sometimes, there is just a misunderstanding that develops between tribes and it can blow up. Sometimes, it is the Christians tribes attacking the fulanis and other times it is the other way around.

God knows that I hate the ignorant sharia promoting muslims in the Northern states but please lets not be quick to blame everything on religion

[cosmicone]

24. I have travelled extensively in Nigeria

from Sokoto to Bernin-Kebbi and from Lagos to Calabar and Warri/Port Harcourt. (The latter is pronounced "Pota Coat" in Nigeria.

In the north, north of Kaduna, wherever there is a Muslim majority, the hatred of Christians, Brits and USA is more than palpable. One guy there even said that if not for the UK/USA support, they'd kill all the other religions and make Nigeria an Islamic republic.

This is the same thing I hear in every country where there is a Muslim minority. Their ultimate goal is to make the country an Islamic republic. They are just not satisfied being a small part of a diverse, multi-ethnic population. Why is that?

[7962]

29. Because that is what they are taught. Regardless of the push that Islam is a "peaceful" religion.

Compare the teachings of the Koran to the teachings of the bible or other religious book.

[jamzrockz]

31. Nice

Actually, I only lived in and/or visited 3 states(Enugu, Anambra and Imo) in the south before I left the country. But I went to a federal secondary boarding school where I interacted with Northern muslims. So in a way, you have seen more of the people that I have

But I think the reason especially with Hausa muslims is that they have a superiority complex against anyone not Hausa and muslim. They think they are better than everyone else and they get very violent when they see a southerner doing well in their regions. Religion plays a small role but I think the main reason for the violence is tribal.

[Skittles]

38. thank you for your perspective, jamzrockz

it's certainly very tragic