Muslim Terrorists Tell Nigeria's Christian President: 'Convert or Resign'

8/13/2012

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government and on "local Nigerian issues and actors."

Christian president, Muslim president

On Capitol Hill last month, Carson again addressed the issue, telling a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing that "it is important that we understand what Boko Haram is and what it is not."

"Boko Haram is composed of at least two organizations, a larger organization focused primarily on discrediting the Nigerian government, and a smaller more dangerous group that is increasingly sophisticated and increasingly lethal," he continued.

Most Boko Haram followers, Carson said, were set on discrediting the government--both under the current Christian president and his Muslim predecessor--for its "failure to provide services to people."

In fact, Boko Haram's deadly campaign has largely overlapped the presidency of the Christian president, Jonathan.

Although Boko Haram was established in 2002, its violent campaign began around mid-2009, and escalated after its founder, Mohammed Yusuf, died in police custody in July of that year.

Early in 2010, then vice-president Jonathan assumed the powers of the presidency after President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua left the country for medical treatment. When Yar'Adua died that May, Jonathan served as interim president, and ran for election in early 2011.

His candidacy was controversial because he is a Christian southerner. An unwritten agreement in place since Nigeria emerged from military rule in 1999 held that the north and south would alternatively hold the presidency. Yar'Adua, a Muslim northerner, had succeeded a two-term Christian from the south but since his death cut his term short Muslims argued that the next president should also be a Muslim.

Although Jonathan won the election by a large margin, his Muslim rival won all 12 of Nigeria's states where shari'a had been introduced since 1999, underlining the religious divide and prompting warnings of worse to come. Indeed, more than 800 people were killed and dozens of churches torched during three days of rioting in the north after the election result was announced.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent body that advises the administration and Congress, acknowledges that issues of governance, poverty, and ethnicity are factors in the Nigerian violence but characterizes Boko Haram's actions as "religiously-related."

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Keywords: Nigeria, terrorism, Muslims, Boko Haram, Goodluck Jonathan

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1 - 10 of 15 Comments

Judy Claar
9 months ago
david: I Totally agree. However, I see and hear that some Muslims are Not this way. Our Way of Jesus is So Very Different! It breathes Love. If indeed it is the old Muslim way, Somehow it Must go away, because it is dominance and hate. What religion is this? What devastation! This mentality overwhelms me. "Sacred Heart Of Jesus Have Mercy On Us".
Judy Claar
9 months ago
Asobo julius: Who is your leader that takes everything away? Prayers and Blessings...
Kingsley
9 months ago
Must some one be force 2 be an Isamic is wrong the bible say he who do not belive in jesus will be condem at da last day all bokoharam listing 2 me heaven and hell is real if u do not repant u all will be condem 2 hell
david
9 months ago
What specifically is wrong with Islam that it has to threaten people in order to gain converts? Does any other religion have to resort to such uncivilized acts? The ancient past history of Catholicism aside, which all prudent people have acknowledged was wrong, is Islam and its adherents ever going to join the rest of humanity and strive for peace? I think not.
Annemarie
9 months ago
Boko Haram needs to be brought to it's knees. These thugs have no right to do what they do to good people. I pray the Nigerian Christians are given the strength and resolve to fight back. Take back their freedom, take back their right to worship in peace, take back their right to live!
jerzy gawor
9 months ago
I would say to these same muslims, 'convert to Catholic Christianity and be at peace with yourselves and with the world around you'. Only by truely following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ will there be peace in our world.

Our Lady Queen of Heaven and Queen of Peace - Ora pro Nobis.
Kasoy
9 months ago
The best way to fight these extremists is to support the Christian president with economic assistance particularly to develop and modernize its agriculture industry. Education is another area where America can help to further the cause of peace and stability in the country - construction of American-assisted modern school facilities would be an excellent starting point. Extremism flourishes in an environment of poverty, hopelessness, and ignorance. Nigeria needs food and books, not guns and bullets.
Jorge
9 months ago
I appreciate the straightforward honest approach and analisys of this article.The only things I have to add is that most muslim "moderates" are cooperating with boko haram, giving them money, weapons and a safe-heaven to keep the mass-killing(genocide)of the christians. it is obvious the most immediate and rational step towards peace would require muslim "moderates"(the overwelming majority of muslims in negeria), to wipe boko haram from the map which would be extremely easy, but they will never do it because they secretly support, fund and give safe-haven to boko haram, just like pakistan does to the taliban.
The alternative is to split nigeria in two, or else the genocide of christian nigerians will carry on unimpeded, a situation that would be sickening, disgusting and satanic!
Tom
9 months ago
November will be here soon. We see obama doing the same "Name game" here. The white man who shot people he thought were muslems last week is called "Domestic terrorist" The muslim major who shot and killed so many of our soldiers, that incident was labeled "Workplace violence!" Are you kidding me!
Simon
9 months ago
The muslims should be careful, if not God will destroy their generation.

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