Muslim rioters burn 13 churches in north Nigeria

Reuters ^ | Nov. 20, 2003

[Alouette]

LAGOS, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Islamic militants burned to the ground thirteen churches and several houses in a remote northern Nigerian town after a Christian student was accused of blasphemy, police said on Thursday.

Irate youths torched churches, houses and shops late on Tuesday in Kazaure, some 80 km (50 miles) north of Kano, a northern provincial capital where hundreds have died in religious clashes in the past three years.

The dispute began when a Christian student was accused of insulting the Prophet Mohammad and a group of Muslims were not satisfied with the response of school authorities.

Abubakar Sale, police commissioner in the northern Jigawa state, told Reuters that the rioters attempted to invade the school but were repelled by police.

"The hoodlums then mobilised and went into town where they started looting and burning people's property," Sale said by phone from Dutse, the state capital.

"Thirteen churches were burnt, several houses and shops were torched, but there were no deaths," said Keirian Dudari, assistant inspector general of police in Kano.

Police said the town was calm on Thursday after reinforcements were deployed to quell the riots.

The violence came after three students were killed and more than 30 injured in fighting between Muslims and Christians at a university in northeastern city of Maiduguri earlier this month.

More than 5,000 people have been killed in religious violence in northern Nigeria in the past four years since the introduction of Islamic sharia law in 12 states.

[cookcounty]

Will Peter Ginnings talk about this tonight? Nope.

Reason: it's 13 churches, not 13 mosques

[A Navy Vet]

"Treat us as you would like to be treated."

What an absolutely moronic thing to say. How dare you lecture anyone about tolerance. Just about every conflict and atrocity in the World today is commited by Muslims. At the very least your religion is mysognistic that treats women like chattle, at worse it's murderously barbaric. If you don't reign in the savage actions of your Sharia followers, you're going to get the holy war you evidently want. And guess what, you're going to lose big time.

[cookcounty]

Andak, what angers us is that you demand that we treat muslims with respect and dignity. That is good. But can you tell me about CAIR's efforts to halt muslim murder (over a million) of Sudanese Christians, or their being sent into slavery? Can you tell me in what way Ibrahim Hooper has signed petitions in Egyptian newspapers calling for release of Egyptian Christians? Why are America's Islamic organizationsun willing to fight anti-christian, anti-Jewish, anti-American hate? Why is it that there are no muslim leaders who possess both the qualities of respect for others and courage? And if your faith does not give you the strength to speak out for what is right, then what good is your faith?

The "great" silent "ummah" is noticable chiefly for how very easily they are intimidated by any wicked man waving a Koran. If this be "faith," then may God save me from it.

The bottom line is this, when Mahathir Muhammed, HEAD of the OIC made his pitiful, hate-filled diatribe, the muslims of the world applauded. Yes I know there are a few exceptions, and maybe you're one of them, but THEY not YOU are running things in the muslim world. Maybe you wish it was different, but a wishful minority isn't going to accomplish anything, nor is a "good majority" that has no activating faith, just a bag of traditions.

[tsomer]

andak01, on these listings we have read quotations from the prophet, though I can't cite the specific Surahs I'm sure others can, in which he pronounces all manner of maledictions on and incitements against the Jews. I think these correspond to his bloody conquest of Medina. I have also read verses in which he councils his followers to lie and dissimulate to non-muslims until some opportune time when their numbers are sufficient to defeat them. In other words, he seemed to counsel treachery. While I can't cite specifics, I'm certain they exist.

Now these are English translations that I read, so there is some room to argue that these verses are distorted in translation. Yet, they are strident, adamant, unequivocal to a degree that would largely discount this defense.

Perhaps I'm missing something. Are you familiar with any of these verses, and are these translations so wildly inaccurate? What do mean by fundamentalist? Are you Wahabi, Shiite, or some more congenial form of Sunni. You seem reasonable to me; I don't find your doctrines so. That is why I ask.

[cookcounty]

"Why are America's Islamic organizationsun willing to fight anti-christian, anti-Jewish, anti-American hate? "

ooops. Make that ....."organizations unwilling....."

[P-Marlowe]

They become citizens, fight in our army and work for the DOD and Haliburton

And when given the opportunity they toss hand grenades and fire automatic weapons into operation tents killing their fellow American soldiers.

What's more, they act as translators to assist in the war against terrorism.

Like the traitors in Guantanamo.

[cookcounty]

Knock it off. If you disagree with islam, then criticize it for its shortcomings. You do not speak from any biblical christian perspective, please be kind enough to say so, thanks.

[Democratshavenobrains]

But one Arab-American was looked at funny in Chicago. Surely that is just as bad or worse...

[sprunged]

If I'm not very much mistaken, the constitution states openely that the penalty for treason is death. Why are these guys still around? It's unconstitutional NOT to kill them!

[Mr. Mojo]

Waits for the lefties to come up with 'appropriate' excuses for this savage behaviour and to assign blame to Israel or George Bush or some other ridiculous reason

It's interesting how the left views Islam these days. Prior to 9/11 the left's only identification with Islam was with Palestinians. In fact, Islam was one of the left's #1 enemies, mostly because of the way women were/are treated in Islamic counties.

But since 9/11, all that has changed. And why is this? Well, I think it's yet another case of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" syndrome. The United States - more specifically, the Republican party - is viewed by the left to be at war with all of Islam (not just radical Islam), and the left's traditionally knee-jerk response to side with any group at war with the U.S. has left them in the uncomfortable position of siding with a group they themselves had previously despised. Iow, they hate the U.S. more than they hate Islam. And even more specifically, they hate their own reflections in the mirror more than anything (real or imaginble).

[A Navy Vet]

"Despite what you may think, I do not hate you either because of or despite your religion. And I do not abuse my wife."

I have no religion; I'm a deist. You may not "abuse" your wife, but according to Islamic teachings she is a second class citizen.

Like another poster mentioned, you sound like a reasonable person and probably a moderate Muslim. So the next time you hear an imman? at your local Mosque encouraging intolerance against non-Muslims, stand up and tell him he's wrong.

BTW, are you an American first or a Muslim first?

[cyborg]

The religion of islam is the greatest threat to Africa. In the vacuum of dead,dying demgogues or when they fly the coup (usually to France or Switzerland), islam goes in like a flood. Watch the citizenry of Northern Africa slowly creep till they're practically falling into Table Bay, South Africa.

Anyone who is a christian missionary knows that the christian faith is what will save that continent, just as it has everywhere else. That's just the facts.

[cyborg]

I am not going to attack you personally, or question whatever morsel of patriotism you have. However, be prepared to encounter the worst. Understand that muslim clerics of prominence have not been vocal against terrorism and the silence of the slavery going on in Africa by muslims is never addressed.

I do not think any one person should have to answer for a whole group's actions. However, you better have a ten layer lead lined flame suit with portable oxygen ready.

[cyborg]

ME terrorism spread PING