Muted complaints - A call to end the silence over Islamic violence in Nigeria
Christian Concern’s video director, Fred Williams, highlights the urgent need for practical action in his homeland of northern Nigeria, where the response to Islamic terrorism has been wholly inadequate.
We must move…
…from muted complaints to vehement outcries. Move from the wavering fear of public opinion that is so easily swayed. We need to be moved internally to confront issues externally.
We cannot stand for truth and justice if we remain intoxicated with self-serving pursuits...
To stand for truth and justice means you risk everything. It requires a quality decision not a passing fancy.
The world watched as thousands were kidnapped and abducted in Northern Nigeria. Many were violated, raped and used as sex slaves. Some were sent back to their villages in the last stages of pregnancy — it was a form of social and psychological warfare as parents attempted to hide their heavily pregnant 16-year-olds from the prying eyes of the public.
The Nigerian Government was in denial for a long time. Some sections of the political elite in northern Nigeria were aware of these atrocities but we heard nothing but muted complaints. There was little or no outcry because the deteriorating situation served their political ambitions of discrediting the present government.
Who are the sponsors and supporters of Boko Haram? Why is it that not a single person of any political significance in Nigeria has been brought to justice in regard to terrorism? Who are we kidding? Many of the people being brandished as militants are just the foot soldiers. The real players are the well-funded supporters and financiers of terror.
A game of chess is being played with the future of Nigeria and there is an international dimension as well. The media - on a global scale - have perfected the art of selective reporting by sensationalising the whole affair. The short-lived “bring back our girls campaign’’ seemed to have died down because a situation like this requires much more than a spontaneous social media campaign. It is a marathon that requires long-term commitment and an unflinching resolve.
We simply have to focus on long-term solutions which involve caring for the victims of these attacks.
Until a select few risked everything by crying out "bring back our girls”, the world watched as villages and communities were razed to the ground by marauding militants. Women and girls were abducted in their hundreds and we watched in silence or at best offered some feeble, muted complaints. Now Boko Haram is linking up with Isis and we wonder if we could have done more.
We lack discernment when we become intoxicated, too drunk with the good life to navigate wisely. This is a global challenge that requires a global response. However, there is scope to start locally by reaching out and being a voice for the voiceless victims. Most of us are just so focused on self-preservation that we lack the boldness to speak out against injustice or do something that makes a meaningful difference to the lives of the victims.
I wonder if this write up is just another muted complaint. Could this be a determination to make a difference? Is this a challenge do something different that will change the narrative?
I hope so. I sincerely hope we will arise from our comfort zone and reach out to help.
There are people on the ground doing extraordinary work. Building back broken lives and communities. They need our support. I do believe we can find our voice by getting behind them.
We speak volumes by responding with practical compassion.
We need to move from muted complaints, even beyond the reaction of vehement outcries to a response of proactive engagement.
Love is more violent than terror.
We model this by our determination to build back the lives and communities that have been broken by terror.
Related News:
Nigerian pastor calls for proper engagement with radical Islam
Related Coverage:
'They Turned Me Into a Sex Machine;' 214 Women and Children Rescued From Boko Haram Are Pregnant (Christian Post)
