Riots rage on as Miss World contestants flee Nigeria (Muslin, Christian Street War)

Agence France-Presse | 11/23/02

[kattracks]

Riots raged on in the northern Nigerian city Kaduna after violence there forced beauty pageant organisers to abandon plans to stage Miss World in Nigeria.

Fighting which began as protest by Muslim youths against a newspaper article on the pageant has now degenerated into a bloody street war between Muslims and Christians, witnesses say.

An AFP journalist was forced to join around a 1,000 refugees hiding in the Kronenbourg brewery in the south of the city near the main road to Abuja, protected by troops and an armoured car.

"We had to run for our lives. They came to my house in two cars and tried to burn it. We really don't know what is happening," 20-year-old Julie Adabo told AFP.

Another woman said that a gang came to kill her after burning her home and only let her live when she lied and claimed to be a Muslim. One man said he had seen his brother cut down before him.

As she spoke, gunfire could be heard from the Trikania district around the plant and several buildings could be seen in flames.

Rioting in Kaduna on Thursday claimed at least 100 lives. Many more are since thought to have perished.

"Fighting continued until 11.30 pm (2230) GMT in this area. It started again at 6.30 am. We hear gunfire permanently," said the plant's French manager Regis Bouffartigue.

"The soldiers shoot and the demonstrators return fire. According to the soldiers, the demonstrators even have AK47s (assault rifles)," he said.

Miss World's organisers announced early Saturday that they would quit Nigeria and seek to hold the December 7 ceremony, which was set for the Nigerian capital Abuja, in London instead.

Trouble erupted in Kaduna on Wednesday when Muslim youths, incensed by an article on the pageant, burned down a local newspaper office.

On Thursday the fighting became more general, as rival Muslim and Christian groups roamed the religiously mixed city, burning homes and murdering in the street.

Troops and police responded with lethal force, and by Friday morning the Red Cross was already reporting a conservative estimate of 100 dead. That figure must now be much higher.

Red Cross spokesman Patrick Bawa said Friday that as the fighting had spread from the mainly Muslim north of the city to the mixed, poorer south, it became impossible to track casualties.

Similar clashes that broke out in 2000 claimed at least 2,000 lives.

[Morrigan]

Come on now, you guys! You know Islam is the religion of peace! Only a small faction of Muslims are doing all of this, the majority are being peaceful!

(sarcasm off)

[bray]

We had a Nigerian missionary at our church recently. Christianity is growing faster in Nigeria than any other muslim country. The Nigerians are very brave in their sharing of their faith and have been sending converts out to every muslim dictatorship to spread the gospel. This war will spread and the name of Christ will be lifted up.

Pray for GW and the Persecuted Church

[guitfiddlist]

you know... there is a particular lady... a very nice lady, that is interested in me, and wants to pursue a relationship...

Now, this would be all well and good, except for one small detail- she's Muslim.

And while that might sound like a small thing...? That Islam is about conquest and "conversion" (or death), with the caveat that all lies are allowed, if it's for Islam???

She wonders why I'm not interested, even though I find her... ahem... "interesting...?"

There will always be a level of distrust... Because of what she believes in.

I don't know if this makes me a religious "bigot," or whatever... but I'm not really prepared to take the chance... You get my drift...??? :-\

I feel the same way about socialist American females that feel entitled to my attentions.

[Stavka2]

Georgia/Abkhaz
Corsica
Uganda
Congo
Cambodia

[crystalk]

It look like George W Bush's favorite faith, the Religion of Peace [tm], has gone back on the war path again.

[TopQuark]

Fighting which began as protest by Muslim youths against a newspaper article on the pageant has now degenerated into a bloody street war between Muslims and Christians,

They do the same PC shtick as between Jews and Arabs: this is not a war between Muslims and Christians --- this is a massacre of Christians by Muslims.

[Cacique]

Someone else posted this on another thread, but it's appropiate here as well.

[kulot]

I'm assuming you are a follower of Jesus. If so, then perhaps she has failed to mention that she is also. Is she a devoted Muslim (which does not mean wearing a burka)?

Take time to get to know her character well, and you may find that she won't stab you in the middle of the night and you can rest easily. It's very unlikely that she is dangerous or potentially dangerous.

Eventually, you will need an agreement on some fundamental issues, like how to raise children. Get to know her family.

Would hate a good potential relationship go to waste.

[Middle of the Road]

Let me fill you in on somethig though Eric, it is actually Christianity and crusades that have killed more people "by the sword" than any other religion in history.

They are moving the beauty pageant thought!!

OK OK I know you want stats and where and how many ... look it up, you do the research!

[yankeedame]

Sri Lanka?

[hellinahandcart]

As in, "dead skunk in the"?

Yawn. Can we please stick to the current century or thereabouts? The Crusades were a LONG time ago. What's Islam's excuse for backward, vicious barbarity and tyranny TODAY, hmm??

If you can't answer that, just shut up. We've heard the song before and it's BORING.

[TLBSHOW]

Mr. President Ban the Nation of Islam! Like in the UK!

[hellinahandcart]

In fact, if this were American Bandstand, I'd have to rate the song very low. The melody is boring, the lyrics are cliche, and you just can't dance to it...

[buccaneer81]

But not all Muslims believe in this kind of violence. Any day now you'll hear Muslim leaders denounce the violence. Any minute. Soon. Someday...

Been waiting since September 11, 2001...

[Sparta]

One thing common about those conflicts, they all involve Communists.

[FITZ]

Any day now you'll hear Muslim leaders denounce the violence. Any minute.

They'll come out and denounce the attacks but they'll say it was really the fault of the beauty contestants.

[FITZ]

Now, this would be all well and good, except for one small detail- she's Muslim.

If you have anything to do with her, you are putting both her life and yours in extreme jeopardy. She cannot date or have anything to do with a non-Muslim man, (Muslim men can marry non-Muslim women). It's the death penalty for those who break that law.

[hellinahandcart]

One thing common about those conflicts, they all involve Communists

And if we can judge by looking at who the communists support 100% of the time, so do all of the Muslim conflicts.

I suppose they think Islam is useful for overthrowing "empire", since they've never been able to get the workers to rise up simultaneously and seize the means of production all over the world...

[Sparta]

We need to line both the Islamofascists and the Reds up in front of a firing squad and be done with both of them. Remember, Hitler and Stalin made a military pact for a couple of years. Also, Fascism is just another form of socialism, which is the father ideology of communism. Also, all socialism is just the modern version of feudalism.

[WOSG]

Haver her read Ibn Warraq's "Why I am not a Muslim".

She will either hate you for it, or appreciate you for it and turn away from the religion called "surrender". (Islam means surrender).

Either way your relationship dilemma will be solved.