By: Scarlett and Emma
In Nigeria, a fundamentalist Muslim group
known as Boko Haram has committed many hate crimes against Christians. Boko
Haram’s mission is to fight to overthrow the government and create an
all Islamic state.
Recently on
April 14, 2014 Boko Haram kidnapped nearly 300 school girls, to force the
Nigerian Government to release Boko Haram prisoners. They also hope to deprive
women of their rights. By kidnapping the school girls Boko Haram is trying to
send a message to the world that they are a force to be reckoned with. They
will do whatever it takes to create an Islamic state. After the recent kidnapping
Nigeria gained a lot of media publicity. People around the world were enraged
at this event.
However, this is not their first act of
violence. For years Boko Haram has terrorized Nigerian citizens.
Shortly
after the kidnapping, a video of the girls reciting Islamic prayers and dressed
in burkas was released. Many of the young girls had been Christian but had been
forced to convert to the desired belief system. The girls had mentioned they
had not been abused, but that has yet to be concluded.
Among
the kidnapped, several girls managed to escape. Some of the girls jumped out of
the moving trucks and ran into the bush and latter returned to their village.
Others waited until they reached the camp, and then ran from captivity. The
young girls that escaped were interviewed. One woman we read about in an
article spoke out to us. When she had found an escape plan while trapped in the
moving trucks, the others refused to join her, saying her escape was suicide.
"I prefer to die." she said in response. Besides the escaped girls
and their stories, and video released by Boko Haram, no other information has
been released.
Here
at Westside we are hopeful for the best, and that the young girls will be found
and returned to their homes. The pain that the girls and their families are
going through is unimaginable.
