Free Republic

ANO, Nigeria (BP)--The information minister of Zamfara State called for the death of fashion writer Isioma Daniel, whose article about the Miss World pageant led to rioting that resulted in more than 215 deaths and the burning of a number of Christian churches. Daniel's article was seen as insulting to the Prophet Muhammad, and Information Minister Umar Dangaladima endorsed a "fatwa" or religious decree calling for the Christian woman's death. Information Minister Jerry Gana, who acts as a spokesman for Nigeria's secular government, dismissed the decree as "null and void" and unconstitutional and said it would not be enforced. "The...

LAGOS: The author of an article on the Miss World pageant considered blasphemous by many Nigerian Muslims has fled the country after a violent backlash, a senior source at her former newspaper said. The source, who asked not to be identified, said: "I can confirm to you that she has left Nigeria." The article published by the daily This Day on November 16 angered Nigerian Muslims. Riots broke out in the northern city of Kaduna which left around 220 people dead and forced pageant organisers to abandon plans to stage this year's contest in Nigeria. Today the mainly Muslim state...