Christians in Egypt and Nigeria continue to suffer at the hands of Islamists. In Egypt, Muslim mobs are rampaging through Coptic villages, while, in Nigeria, the radical Islamist terror group, Boko Haram, continues to blow up churches and slaughter Christians in their homes.
While the looting, bombing, burning, and killing continues to terrify millions of Christians in Egypt and Nigeria, the bloodshed has attracted little attention around the world. In Washington, D.C., both the Obama Administration and the State Department continue to blame the violence on poverty and social inequality rather than condemn Islamic supremacy for persecuting Christian minorities.
Nigeria and Boko Haram
The truth, however, is quite different. Despite the constant insistence by the White House that its all about social justice, Boko Haram was quite clear about their reasons for killing Christians in this chilling statement from their leadership, published recently in the Nigerian newspaper, The Osun Defender:
“The Nigerian state and Christians are our enemies and we will be launching attacks on the Nigerian state and its security apparatus as well as churches until we achieve our goal of establishing an Islamic state in place of the secular state.”
Taking their threats even further, Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, issued these demands to Nigeria’s lawfully elected , Christian President, Goodluck Jonathan:
“In an online video released last week, the militant Muslim group Boko Haram demanded that Nigeria’s Christian president either convert to Islam, or resign. [Boko] Haram head Abubakar Shekau told President Goodluck Jonathan to “repent and forsake Christianity,” otherwise Shekau’s followers would continue their violent campaign.”
Since the the attacks by Boko Haram began in 2009, over 1,000 Christians have been murdered in their homes and in their churches. Dozens of churches, and many hundreds of Christian homes, have also been destroyed. Jonathan Racho, the Africa analyst for International Christian Concern, spoke about the impact the violence is having on the lives of Nigeria’s Christians, saying, “Christians in Nigeria face daily Islamic attacks. I have seen hundreds of Christians homes and churches that are demolished.”
Another powerful reason for the Muslim violence in Nigeria was explained by Open Doors USA and Worldwatch spokesman, Jerry Dykstra:
“Africa’s most populous nation holds one of the keys to the Gospel’s spread in Africa. Nigeria is so vital to the spread of Christianity throughout Africa. Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa with about 150 million people. Nigeria is 51 percent Christian and around 45 percent Muslim.”
One of the few politicians to recognize that Islamic supremacy is behind the violence in Nigeria is Italy’s International Cooperation Minister, Andrea Riccardi, who said, “Christian blood has again been spilled in Nigeria according to a now clear plan of ethnic and religious cleansing. The international community can no longer look on at this massacre of innocent people without intervening.”
