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Violence breaks out between Muslims and Christians in northern Nigeria
2002-271-1
12/2/2002
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[Episcopal News Service]
Dozens of Christians have been killed and hundreds injured by Muslim youth during a fresh outbreak of violence in the city of Kaduna in heavily Islamic northern Nigeria--and Muslims were killed when Christians retaliated.
The violence began November 20 as a reaction to a Nigerian newspaper article that said the Prophet Muhammad might have considered marrying one of the contestants in the Miss Word contest that was supposed to be held in Abuja. Muslim rioters burned down the offices of This Day, barricaded the streets with burning tires, and began to loot homes and businesses.
According to reports, the rioters then turned on the local Christians. 'Our people had nothing whatsoever to do with either the article or this contest but we have been victimised by Muslim rioters for political ends,' said Anglican Bishop Josiah Fearon of Kaduna. Over 20 churches were desecrated, looted, vandalised and burned and Christians have been stabbed and some beaten to death. Reports also said that Muslim youths operated roadblocks, checking the religious identity of motorists and attacking Christians.
As Christian youths began to fight back, Muslims were killed and some mosques were destroyed. Estimates say over 400 have died and more than 1,200 have been injured with about 12,000 driven from their homes.
'The violence has nothing to do with religion--it is entirely political,' said Bishop Fearon in a release distributed by the Barnabas Fund, a British-based organization that monitors human rights in the Islamic world.
One of the underlying causes for the tension is the implementation of Islamic law (Shari'ah) in many of the northern states of Nigeria in the last three years, pressuring the Christian minorities in those states. In Kaduna, however, where Christians and Muslims are equal, the governor has resisted demands for full implementation, limiting it to Muslims.
'Religious leaders in the city, both Muslim and Christian, have appealed for calm,' Bishop Josiah said. But he added that 'the same Islamic religious leaders have been deeply implicated in instigating the violence in the first place.'
Earlier this year religious leaders from both sides signed an agreement committing them to work for peace and reconciliation between Muslims and Christians.
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