Nigerian Humanist Movement

Religious Violence in Nigeria

[edited for formatting and promoted by mole333]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6477177.stm
HUMANISTS CONDEMN THE KILLING OF TEACHER 'OVER KORAN'

Leo Igwe

The Nigerian Humanist Movement condemns the recent attack and killing of a school teacher by Muslim students in Gombe state. The teacher was beaten to death for allegedly desecrating the Koran. Humanists are deeply worried by this killing, which was carried out less than a year after a similar accusation led to riots and deaths in Bauchi state. It can be recalled that in 1996 Muslim fanatics in Kano beheaded a Christian Igbo trader also for allegedly desecrating the Koran. It is sad and unfortunate that Muslim fundamentalists accord more value to the pages of a book than to human life.

Since 1804 Islamic jihadists have been prosecuting a holy war against non-Muslims in Northern Nigeria. The killing of this teacher represents another horrifying chapter in the continuing Islamic jihad in the country.

The Nigerian Humanist Movement calls upon the Nigerian government to investigate the circumstances that led to the killing of the school teacher, and also to investigate other cases of religiously-inspired bloodletting. We urge the Federal and state governments to live up to their responsibilities to protect the lives and rights of all citizens â€“ whether believers or non believers - anywhere in the country, but especially of non-Muslims living and working in Islamic majority states.

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Words to live by

I have been inundated with these annoying, anonymous chain e-mails stating that Whitefolk are trying to sabotage Jamie Foxx's upcoming music show because he refused to put token white performers on the roster. And to foil the success of his show due to his insolent Black pride, they've purposely put him up against 'American Idol'. Is this true? Was Foxx acting with conviction or with racial malice? And regardless, so what? After all, of all the things to clog up my inbox with, why moral outrage regarding a televised music show, of the kind that Blackfolk have been disproportionately visible for years? Why is this what people have chosen to be up in arms about and leveraging the Internet to advocate for versus, say, Darfur, Haiti, Katrina, political corruption, corporate greed, the fight for a living wage, etc., etc.?

Regardless of where you come down on any of these issues, it is quite revealing how and why people respond to media-amplified and -skewed issues -- particularly when laced with race.

Do I think folks are kinda missing the point when they choose to carelessly and thoughtlessly forward unsubstantiated information about something as benign as a televised music show? Absolutely. But as my grandmother always used to posit: "If you're Black and not paranoid, you're crazy."

— Chris Rabb, Afro-Netizen : Kanye, Scalito, Condosleeza, Ragin, Belafonte & now Foxx