Je Suis Nigerienne

Last Wednesday saw two major terror attacks. When I use two, it would be disputed on which was a major terror attack. With regard to the number of death it was the attack in Baga in Nigeria. But with regard to the attention and response to the attack, it would be Paris terror attack.

In Nigeria people were slaughtered like insects. When they were attacked, the villagers fled the village through the lake in boats to Chad. Boko Haram fighters lay in ambush along the water and opened fire on vessels carrying fleeing residents. Amnesty International has described the killing at Baga as possibly the deadliest attack in the history of Boko Haram. Amnesty International said numerous eye-witnesses had described how the Boko Haram militants went from door to door, pulling out young men of fighting age and shooting them dead in the street.

Boyre Kime who came back in the night to his village narrates horrible stories as reported by international press. "It is corpses everywhere," "The whole town smells of decomposing bodies,"

"I don't know where my six-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter are. We lost them in the confusion as we tried to flee Baga," said Shuwaram. 

In Paris 17 are killed and almost 3 Million people protested in France with 40 world leaders marching together hand in hand showing the solidarity. Even though the presence of such extreme islamists in Europe could be the result of the wrong international politics of Europe, the French government has hijacked the whole protest. The government could take the responsibility of allowing the terrorists to rear under their nose.

How is the world going to respond to the killings in Nigeria? There was a time when many countries were interested in the wealth and resources of Africa. It would be an act of justice when the world leaders could have marched in Nigeria showing their allegiance and solidarity to the victims there. Or is there any sort of discrimination still existing even in the response to the murders? Even though the color is different, the value of life is the same everywhere.

The editorial board of New York daily news criticizes Obama for his absence. “No Obama. No Joe Biden. No John Kerry from State. No Chuck Hagel or Ashton Carter from Defense. Not even Eric Holder from Justice, who happened to have been in Paris.” He might have sensed the discrimination regarding the response to both the incidents.

Who will pray for the victims in Nigeria? The victims are wiped out with the whole family even without leaving a trace for anyone to pray for their relatives. I think we all need to unite for them first. My heart is with them.

Just to reflect: a twitter message from Dyab Abou Jahjah with the hashtag je suis ahmed read as follows. "I am not Charlie, I am Ahmed the dead cop. Charlie ridiculed my faith and culture and I died defending his right to do so." #JesuisAhmed