Schoolyard fight turns ugly -Muslims destroy churches

News24 ^ | 11-20-03 | News24.com

[jempet]

Kazaure - A schoolyard row between 12-year-old girls escalated into a sectarian riot that left 11 churches burned, 40 shops looted and a young man fighting for his life, witnesses said here on Thursday.

Muslim rioters took to the streets of the northern Nigerian town of Kazaure on Tuesday targeting Christian businesses and churches after a policeman shot a protester in the throat, police and officials said.

Trouble had been brewing for two weeks after a Christian schoolgirl, responding to schoolyard taunts from Muslim playmates, allegedly insulted the Prophet Mohammed, an education official said.

On Tuesday a group of Muslim radicals descended on the school to protest the head teacher's alleged reluctance to take action against the girl.

During the ensuing dispute a police officer shot a 17-year-old boy in the neck. The boy has been transferred to the nearby city of Kano for treatment.

Trouble spilled out into the street as the enraged mob ransacked and burned out around 40 businesses, starting with Christian-owned stalls but eventually also looting Muslim stores, including two owned by their imam.

A hostel housing members of the National Youth Service Corps - students working on government-run civil projects - was also burned down.

On Thursday heavily armed riot police were deployed in the medium-sized market town, protecting districts inhabited by the Christian minority and searching vehicles for weapons.

Surajo Ado, whose tractor parts store was destroyed, said: "Jobless youths took advantage of this small dispute, and caused this problem. This was something we never expected."

A local chieftain, Najib Adamu, agreed: "I do not believe that this destruction was done in the name of religion, although religion was used as an excuse.

"There is so much frustration here because of the social problems, and people are taking out their frustration in this violent way," he said.

A police source said that eight rioters had so far been arrested and that officers would swoop on the ringleaders after reinforcements arrived from Kano and Jiagawa State capital Dutse.

He said the female head teacher had been taken into police protection.

"This was a dispute between children," lamented Reverend Daniel Bala, Kazaure's representative in the Christian Association of Nigeria. "We must learn to have tolerance, to live in peace."

Sectarian tensions are rarely far from the surface in northern Nigeria, where a Muslim majority lives side-by-side with Christian immigrants from the south of Africa's most populous country.

[jempet]

I guess these Mulsims are just practicing for when they grow up. Like our children playing house, except with more violence. Geesh, they grow up so fast. Before you know it, they will be killing infidels, and begging for aid.

[sgtbono2002]

Wake up world its time to thin out the Muslim population.

[joesnuffy]

Funny CAIR whines night and day about persecution of muslims.....
Dont hear of Jews & Christians burning down mosques and islamic centers or raiding their "summer camps" regardless of how many acts of terrorism they committ....
They have their safe havens in the west to plan their Jiihads...

[w_over_w]

Trouble spilled out into the street as the enraged mob ransacked and burned out around 40 businesses, starting with Christian-owned stalls but eventually also looting Muslim stores, including two owned by their imam.

Peace Brother! All hail Lucifer!

[friendly]

The religion of peace proselytizing as usual by arson and murder.

[wtc911]

How do you think muslims in America would behave if they had the numbers? Don't you think they're waiting for that day? And, I include muslims freepers. I don't buy their propaganda one bit.

[San Jacinto]

I got a fax from some Nigerian who said he would give me $22 million dollars if I would just let him put it in my bank account for a little while. In fact, I have gotten several of those faxes over the years, and I don't even know anybody in Nigeria. I wouldn't worry about a few looted stores down there. Those people apparently have more money than they know what to do with.

[Welsh Rabbit]

A vast majority of religious violence around the world is Muslims versus any other religion. You'd think the peaceniks would realize that Islam is the piston that isn't firing (of course, it's not really about peace...).

[jempet]

It's funny, on a chat website I'm on, the euros are blaming Bush's visit to London for the Turkey bombings. Gee..couldn't it just be that Muslims don't care who they kill? I'm glad we are running things, as the Euros have already screwed things up enough.

[FormerLib]

Religion of Peace shines again.

[BradyLS]

"My God can kick your god's ass."

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

a Christian schoolgirl, responding to schoolyard taunts from Muslim playmates, allegedly insulted the Prophet Mohammed

What? That pig...? :)

[Uncle Miltie]

"a Christian schoolgirl, responding to schoolyard taunts from Muslim playmates, allegedly insulted the Prophet Mohammed"

I would add an insult of my own, but the behavior of Mohammed's followers is insult enough.

[TheCrusader]

"How do you think muslims in America would behave if they had the numbers?"

The Christian population would be "thinned out", Churches would be burned down, persecution and oppression would be the order of the day, that's how.