UN urges Nigeria to address ethnic and religious clashes

[News_Editor]

UN urges Nigeria to address ethnic and religious clashes

2011-09-09 21:47:28 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations (UN) on Friday called on Nigeria to urgently address ethnic and religious violence which has left hundreds of people killed in recent weeks alone.

Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the UN is concerned about the renewed violence in Nigeria's 'Middle Belt' in recent weeks, resulting in nearly 100 fatalities, injuries, and the destruction of property. The human rights office also called on the African country to curb hate speech and encourage reconciliation among various communities.

According to reports, more than 80 people have been killed as a result of clashes between Christian and Muslim youths and the military in the city of Jos. In addition, at least two more were hacked to death in a nearby village.

"We encourage the authorities at national and local levels to take effective preventative measures against such violence, including by curbing hate-speech and working with civil society, including human rights NGOs [non-governmental organizations], religious leaders and academic institutions, to attempt reconciliation between the various communities," Colville said during a press conference in Geneva.

"It is of utmost importance that justice is done and is seen to be done by prosecuting the alleged perpetrators of violence and ensuring remedies for victims and their families," he added.

Colville also stressed that security forces must "act in full compliance with the law, in an even-handed manner," when responding to outbreaks of violence in the country to avoid making the situation worse. In January 2010, around 1,000 people were killed during clashes between Muslim and Christian ethnic groups in the city of Jos.

Nigeria has also been struggling with violent extremist Islamic groups in its northeastern region. A suicide bomber recently struck a three-story United Nations building in Abuja, killing 23 people and injuring more than 80 others.

The Islamic group Boko Haram, which has been blamed by Nigerian officials for most of the region's terrorist attacks, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group seeks the imposition of an extremist stance of the Shariah law, which is a Muslim code of conduct.

The group's name, 'Boko Haram,' in the local language of Hausa, roughly translates as 'Western religion is sacrilegious' or 'non-Islamic religion is a sin.' Colville also voiced his concern about the activities of the extremist group.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-09-09

[Steely Dan]

I predicted this shortly after the last Nigerian election. There is of course only one solution - move all the Muslims to the north and Christians to the South and split the Country a la Sudan. Anything else is frankly not going to work.

[JemJem]

I predicted this shortly after the last Nigerian election. There is of course only one solution - move all the Muslims to the north and Christians to the South and split the Country a la Sudan. Anything else is frankly not going to work.

What about the people who are of neither religion, eg. Animists, agnostics and atheists ? And...what about folks who are happy to live alongside each other ?

I don't like this 'division' stuff.

Jem

[Steely Dan]

I predicted this shortly after the last Nigerian election. There is of course only one solution - move all the Muslims to the north and Christians to the South and split the Country a la Sudan. Anything else is frankly not going to work.

What about the people who are of neither religion, eg. Animists, agnostics and atheists ? And...what about folks who are happy to live alongside each other ?

I don't like this 'division' stuff.

Jem

Jem,

I guess the Animists, agnostics and atheists should be allowed to choose, but I know which way they would be wise to. Make no mistake this is what ethnic cleansing looks like. Diplomacy doesn't work when the political aim of one side is to remove the other.

http://quitenormal.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/nigerian-muslims-shoot-hack-to-death-14-christians/

It's the same the world over, once Christian Bethlehem is down to an estimated 10-15% christians.

[JemJem]

I predicted this shortly after the last Nigerian election. There is of course only one solution - move all the Muslims to the north and Christians to the South and split the Country a la Sudan. Anything else is frankly not going to work.

What about the people who are of neither religion, eg. Animists, agnostics and atheists ? And...what about folks who are happy to live alongside each other ?

I don't like this 'division' stuff.

Jem

Jem,

I guess the Animists, agnostics and atheists should be allowed to choose, but I know which way they would be wise to. Make no mistake this is what ethnic cleansing looks like. Diplomacy doesn't work when the political aim of one side is to remove the other.

http://quitenormal.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/nigerian-muslims-shoot-hack-to-death-14-christians/

It's the same the world over, once Christian Bethlehem is down to an estimated 10-15% christians.

I am sure you know that the site you gave the link of right above is a one-sided one. In the 'archive news' on Nigeria violence, there is only a collection of 'Muslims on Christians' violence. Surely, the violence is not one-sided. I guess that site didn't even mention the Breivik violence or even if it did, probably tried to reason with him. You can do better than relying on that site, dear Dan

Now, I think neither of us is an expert on Nigerian affairs I think we'd better get the opinion/thoughts of a Nigerian (preferably someone as objective as possible)or in fact someone of any nationality who has lived most of his/her life in Nigeria. By the way, don't we have any Nigerians on the forum ??

Another thing...I don't want thugs/extremists to win...if there is division, it means that unfortunately they have won !

Jem

[Steely Dan]

Jem, Whilst I respect your sentiments I think you are averting your eyes from a very uncomfortable truth, namely that much more violence comes from Muslims than is received by Muslims. Indeed since you mentioned Breivik some ten times as many people died during Ramadan at the hands of Muslim extremists that he killed. I'm not saying all Muslims are bad far from it, just as all Catholics were not bad during the Spanish inquisition or Crusades but it is undeniable that Islam has a very big problem with radicals at the moment. I posted a link yesterday to a film called the third Jihad narrated by Zudhi Jasser, who is himself a devout Muslim who has devoted his life to combating radical Islam - I do recommend it as because of his testimony and that of many other Muslims it is difficult to dismiss the film out of hand.