The World Cannot Continue to Ignore the Massacre of Over 2000 in the Muslim Town of Baga in North Nigeria, #MuslimLivesMatter
We greet you with peace,
Over 2000 Nigerians where killed in the predominantly Muslim Village of Baga in Borno State in the first days of January 2015, by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.
In spite of this being the most horrific and dastardly act of terrorism in recent years, we are disturbed that the Nigerian president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has refused to condemn this aggravated and violent event.
Furthermore the Muslims Against Terror organization finds it reproachable that next to no world leader has in any strong terms condemned this barbaric and genocidal massacre of a predominantly Muslim town in Nigeria.
Inasmuch as the Muslims Against Terror organization, as a policy, refuses to condemn acts of violence and abuses of human rights based on religious identification, we find it important at this time to point out that it is rather very unfortunate that the world leadership appears not to have much regard for peasants and for Muslims lives.
On April 14 of 2014, over 200 girls were abducted from a predominantly Christian village, Chibok in the same troubled Borno State. The world paid attention and there was overwhelming global response.
In the days of the massacre of 2000 mostly Muslim Nigerians, about 12 cartoonists were killed in an attack in Paris. Over 40 world leaders quickly gathered in Paris in solidarity and so-called condemnation of terror, however while a greater atrocity had just taken place at the same time in Nigeria, these world leaders unfortunately did not see the necessity to seize this same opportunity to make resounding statements in condemnation of the more horrific genocide in Baga, Borno state of Nigeria.
Muslims Against Terror has put a lot of effort into battling bigotry; into condemning and combating extremism and terrorism regardless of victim’s race, ethnicity, or religion. In 2012 Muslims Against Terror in August of that year declared Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the Boko Haram terrorist organization wanted and placed the first bounty on his head.
In 2012 at the height of Boko Haram’s attacks on Churches in the north of Nigeria, Muslims Against Terror promoted a campaign for our Muslim brothers in the north to defend and protect Churches. After this our announcement, Boko Haram actually stopped its attack on Churches, and from this time revealed its true colours as it began to attack Muslims and Christians, Mosques and Churches and Muslim and Christian communities in Nigeria’s north without discrimination.
In view of the above we are distressed that world leaders and the president of Nigeria have failed to see an attack, the worst attack by terrorists in recent times which killed over 2000 peasant farmers, fishermen, in an entirely almost 100% Muslim community, Baga and its environs, worthy of strong reaction, condemnation and initiation of resolve to protect further destruction of lives and property.
We are convinced that the increase in Boko Haram attacks ahead of the upcoming elections are because the terrorists are trying to gain as much ground as possible and kill as many people before a possible change of government in Nigeria. We find this very troubling and find the need to raise very strong alarm.
Our lives are in danger in the north most especially the northeast and no one seems to care and our government is helpless in stemming this increasing and aggressive push of terror.
Our struggles to stem terror are made most difficult and impossible when the world leadership betrays us.
Terror for one is terror for all.
The world must the united, honest and sincere in its fight against radical terrorism.
We hereby call attention to the pogrom ongoing in Nigeria’s northern region. Muslim lives matter as do all of the innocent lives being taken in barbarism that lacks any true religious definition or justification.
Far from over the crisis worsens by the day as Boko Haram get more weapons forcefully recruit more soldiers and gains more ground every day. Furthermore, the displaced victims increase in number daily while those were prior displaced are yet to receive humanitarian assistance.
While we strongly condemn the acts of terror in Paris last week, we likewise invite Nigeria’s and world leaders to respond firmly and unambivalently to the devastating and ongoing acts of terror against Baga, and the larger northeast of Nigeria.
Once again, we greet you with peace.
We invite you to join us:
http://muslimsagainstterror.
From Nigeria to the World!
We Denounce Terror
Signed,
Brother Issa Ibrahim
