Members of the Christian Association of Nigeria ( CAN), based in the United States of America had sent a written petition to the White House and President Barack Obama lamenting the continued killing of innocent Christian worshipers in the northern parts of Nigeria.
The Christian group alleged that on Christmas day in northern Nigeria, Boko Haram was busy slashing the throats of Christians right inside their churches or at their homes, adding that at least 15 of such barbaric killings have been reported in the past number of days, while worshippers had to watch in terror as their colleagues' throats were slashed open.
In a statement signed by the Executive Director of Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans, CANAN,'Laolu Akande in connection with the 2012 Christmas day attacks by Boko Haram in Maidugiri, Borno State, the body urged the American Government to designate Boko Haram, as Foreign Terrorist Organization ( FTO).
"What we are asking today is whether President Barack Obama and the State Department are comfortable to be mere witnesses to this evil? Is President Obama not aware that they are cutting the throats of innocent Nigerians who are simply practising their faith?
"In the hope that President Obama is not comfortable with what is going on, we as Nigerian-Americans, are appealing to his humanity to please instruct the State Department to do what is right and to label the Boko Haram group an FTO.
However CANAN said US designation of Boko Haram as a terrorist group would send the warning signal to those financing and supporting the terrorists, that the game is up.
It said without such global intervention, Boko Haram financiers and supporters are being dangerously awarded a grant of impunity!
"We had warned that Boko Haram would continue its tradition of killing Nigerian Christians on Christmas day. Last week marked the third straight year that the terror group has murdered Nigerian Christians in the church on a Christmas day.
"But the problem is worse than that. This year (2012) alone Boko Haram has killed almost 800 Nigerians, most of whom are Christians. In the last three years, over 3000 have been sent to tragic deaths. Victims also include people from several other countries.
The group said President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan had again over the weekend acknowledged his government's inability to contain the Boko Haram menace.
Quoting the Associated Press, CANAN said Jonathan's remarks offer a glimpse into "the worried leader's mind as his weak government remains unable to stop attacks by the Boko Haram."
"Our government in Washington DC, especially the White House and the State Department are fully aware of what is going on. But both President Barack Obama and outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have simply tolerated this impunity by their inaction.
"Already, American citizens have been affected, and the United Nations building in Abuja has been attacked by these terrorists. The US Congress has affirmed that Boko Haram is a threat to the US, especially with the group's suspected links to al-Qaeda, " it said.
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It is indeed very consoling to note that our Christian Nigerian brothers and sisters in dispora in the US are speaking up about the plight of Christians in Nigeria. It is not only this yearly Christmas attacks on Christian worsippers that matters,but a daily campaign of an incipient genocide against indigenous minority Christians through out Northen Nigeria.In Northern Nigeria to be a Christian means death.There Christians and Muslims don't dress alike and there they are segregated.Currently there is an ethnic cleansing of indigenous Chritians through mass murder by Hausa/Fualni muslim terrorists. The architects of the present day problem in Nigeria were the British Colonial Imperialists.One would wish that those Nigerians Brits could borrow a leaf from their US counterparts by making the British Authorities aware of the plights of Christians in Nigeria. Britain is soley responsible for the rot in Nigerain.To retain their hegemony over Nigeria,the British Colonialist sort of let Nigeria fall into the callous hands of the Hausa/Fulani muslims who today believe that Nigeria is their fiefdom.The Hausa/Fulanis have unilaterally decalred Nigeria a muslim country,imposed sharia on Christians and are enforcing their Islamization of our nation through mass murder of Christian by their peons,the Boko Haram. The world community ought to be made aware of the situation on the ground.There is an ongoing genocide in Nigeria.
Nigeria a mmuslim
I have to come out and say this. As much as I want this Boko Haram insurgency to be dealt with and as well meaning as the Nigerian-Americans in the diaspora are, I cannot in good conscience support what they are doing. Having Boko Haram labelled as a Foreign Terrorist Organization could subject Nigerians to more humiliating treatments if they should travel to the West. Those calling for President Obama to add Boko Haram to that list will be negatively affected or in other words shooting themselves in the foot. The immigration officials have a tendency to paint all citizens of a country that has a FTO as potential terrorists. The fear and hysteria is very rampant, especially in the United States. Also, such designations could open Nigeria up to drone strikes from the U.S. Predator drones have been noted for killing of civilians and destroying millions of dollars worth of private property in what is termed 'collateral damage' in pursuit of one or a few terrorists. Not to mention that this would be a violation of Nigeria's sovereignty. Just look at what is happening in Pakistan and Yemen. Also, Boko Haram is killing people of both faiths and not just Christians alone. Everyone in the North is at risk. I think the diaspora are well meaning, but we all should think about the potential implications of the U.S. government getting involved. The U.S. will certainly not win against Boko Haram. Greater forms of destruction will only follow.
David O, I will ask you do you support the potential of drone strikes into Nigeria? Do you support the United States starting a war of attrition against Boko Haram that will not be winnable by any means? Sure it may start with funding cuts to the organization, but that may fail and more actions will be deemed necessary by Washington. You really should think long and hard about what you are asking for. You may not like what I post, but I believe this is an important question to ask.
Okoroafor's fear is unfounded. Pakistanis still travel to US, Canada etc without being humiliated by anyone at the airport etc. No sacrifice will be too humiliating in the effort to rid Nigeria of these animals. If it will take the international community declaring them as FTO to stop the evil in Nigeria then we don't mind being humiliated to save our christian worshippers in the country. The senseless bloodshed is enough.
Nigerians living in Nigeria and are ready to spend their life in Nigeria, seeing Nigeria as the most of place they have collectively do not support the so called CAN agenda that are intended to be deported to Nigeria. This so called CAN diaspora are but agent of distruction and are only trying to creat more problems for Nigeria to see Nigeria disintergrate as procastinated by Hilary Clinton some time back. Boko Haram is an economic gap agenda prssure group bored out of heavy corruption on the door step of our leaders who were suppose to provide economic heaven for the lead, and the way and manner Bokom Haram were handled with extra judicial killing of their leaders and radings, molesting and raping of home, innocent individuals and women respectively, exacepated the whole crisis. Thus Bokom Haram is strictly an indigeneous Nigerian own internal problem that has nothing to do with America. We all sympatized with America on sept. 11, 2001, and with christians and Muslims who lost their lives and property to Bokom Haram criminal acts, even though the world do not like American foreign policies including double standard on democracy for all and monarchy for none. Nigeria can not and should not be dragged by some greedy, unsubstantiated and unfounded orcastrated reasons, to serve certain interest in the detriment of innocent lives and properties that would be lost by America interventionism. We at home (Nigeria) pleads for so called CAN in diaspora to live and die in abraod and leave us alone, we do not want their unpatriotic view on this if it is to invite American Missiles to rain on home, persons/people as this missile do not distinguise between christian and or Muslim. Almost all families in Nigeria has both faith followers. Long live Nigeria, Long live Africa. We are happy Nigerians and no place can be like Nigeria.
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