U.S.-based Nigerian pastor jailed 15 years for raping two teenage church members | Africanews

A 56-year-old United States-based Nigerian pastor has been jailed 15 years for raping two teenage girls who were part of his congregation.

Aside serving jail time, Reuben Chizor, of the Hope Restoration Ministries Worldwide Inc. Will also have 10 years of post release supervision.

According to the District Attorney of Queens County, Richard A. Brown, Chizor raped both girls in the basement of his church which also served as his residence.

Through manipulation and conniving control, he sexually abused his two young victims for nearly two years. What the defendant forced his victims to endure was horrendous.

‘‘The sexual abuse began with the 14-year-old victim in July 2011 and continued with one or both of the girls through May of 2013,’‘ a statement from the Attorney’s office read.

He raped the 14-year-old on July 27, 2011 before doing same to her 12-year-old sister on August 22 later that year. The girls finally confided in each other over the rape in 2015 following which police was notified.

Calabar Pastor Ties Children To Tree, Assault Them With Machete Over Alleged Witchcraft | crossriverwatch.com

Two children age, 10 and 7, were this morning, rescued from being murdered by some members of Divine Zion of God Church Ikot Abasi Effiom district of Akpabuyo LGA.

Led by one Prophet David Effiom Zion and some members of their family, the children were accused by their cousin of being witches and allegedly snatching her baby in a dream.

The stigma that confronted the children since they were branded witches took on a new dimension when the children were taken to the forest, tied to a tree, battered and assaulted with a machete by some members of the family, leaving them with cuts and bruises all over their bodies.

This happened on the heels of the screening of the movie ‘The Fake Prophet’ in Ikot Offiong Ambai community in Akpabuyo Local Government Area (LGA) by Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI), a child’s rights organization based in Calabar.

Calabar Pastor Ties Children To Tree, Assault Them With Machete Over Alleged Witchcraft | crossriverwatch.com

Prophet sets member ablaze in church - The Nation Nigeria

It is sad that it took a tragedy as such for some to wake up, "“We cannot worship here again, who knows who the spirit will ask him to burn next.”

There was confusion on Sunday at Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) on Unity Street in Abule-Egba, Lagos, when a prophet set a member ablaze during service.

The victim, simply identified as Madam Bosede, is lying critically ill in hospital.

It was gathered that the prophet in his sermon claimed he got a revelation that there was God in their midst, adding that if the woman was set ablaze she would not suffer burns.

Madam Bosede, who joined the church a month ago told The Nation yesterday: “Our prophet said the spirit of God whispered to him that I would not burn if he sets me on fire. When I came out, they poured kerosene on my body and set me ablaze. But, unfortunately, I was burnt beyond recognition and before the other church members could get water, the deed had already been done.”

Prophet sets member ablaze in church - The Nation Nigeria

January 24-25, 2016::End of the day round-up

Peter Isely is a founding member and longtime Midwest Director of SNAP, The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, the world’s oldest organization of survivors of childhood rape and sexual assault by clergy, with over 18,000 survivors in hundreds of chapters worldwide. Peter joins us in the studio for a two hour discussion on what SNAP has been doing to help bring justice to the survivors of sexual abuse.

 
A listener suggested podcast to check out The History in the Bible Podcast:

In the first series, I will cover the history and archaeology of the Old Testament (Tanakh); from the Patriarchs and the origins of the Hebrews; then the Exodus, and the conquest of Canaan; through David and Solomon, to the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah and their prophets. I will discuss the Babylonian exile, the return, and the subsequent history of the Jews from the Persian period through the Hasmonean kingdom to conclude with Judea as a Roman province.

I will show how scholars think that the various threads of the books we now know as the Bible came together, and what the latest archaeological discoveries and controversies can tell us about this long history. I will also cover the vast literature that was produced after the Babylonian Exile, sometimes called the pseudepigrahical works. None of these works made it into either the Old or New Testaments but they influenced both of the daughter religions of the ancient Israelite faith: rabinnical Judaism, and Christianity.

In the second series, I will discuss the development of the New Testament, and how it evolved amongst the many strands of Christianity over five centuries.

Nigeria: Largest Statue of Jesus Unveiled in Front of Hundreds of Onlookers

The largest statue of Jesus in Africa was unveiled on Friday in the country of Nigeria, with hundreds of spectators present.

According to Christian Today, the statue is nearly 30 feet tall and weighs 40 tons. It has been named “Jesus de Greatest.”

It was commissioned by a local businessman named Obinna Onunoha who had previously funded the building of St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Abajah, Nigeria. The statue was erected on the grounds of St. Aloysius.

Christian Today claims secularism means banning religion

The communist dictator Enver Hoxha (that’s an oxymoron by the way) used his power, much like Joseph Stalin, to suppress religion in an attempt to silence anything he believed could be loved more than him, anything that had the ability to topple his power. That is not secularism — it is fascism.

 Listeners Uncover Details About Mysterious Muse Behind 'The Brothers Nazaroff'

As a result of Jon Kalish's piece last Saturday on the obscure Yiddish musician known as Prince Nazaroff, a relative and a genealogist have stepped forward to provide more details about the man.

Original posting https://www.facebook.com/sanespirit/posts/791993004245857

A dentist is being sued for harassing staff by constantly playing Christian music

Initially considered this a possible faux persecution incident,,,

Her lawyer, Keith Jablonski, told The Washington Post this week his client is “being attacked in this lawsuit for her Christian beliefs, based solely on her desire to play religious music and radio stations in the dental office of the business that she owns.”

“We believe that when the facts, and not baseless allegations, are presented to a jury, we will establish that this group of former disgruntled employees are simply looking to profit off of their own prejudices towards Dr. Marshall and her Christian faith,” he said. “Dr. Marshall flatly denies engaging in any discriminatory employment practices.”

What I failed to recognize,,, 

Marshall purchased the dental practice in 2008 but her religious practices were only incorporated at the office as she became part of a local ministry run by Craig Stasio in 2013.

Stasio, who owns the Agape Massage Therapy & Chiropractic in addition to running his ministry, is also included in the lawsuit since Marshall hired Stasio to restructure her dental office in 2015.

But then there is this,,,

Meanwhile, Stasio’s profile in his Michigan community has become the subject of media attention.

A local news report in November suggested that Stasio’s ministry is cult-like in that members refer to Stasio as “the prophet” and frequently cut ties with family and friends once they come under his influence.

Stasio’s religious group is composed primarily of “young, attractive women,” many of whom live in communal housing provided by Stasio, according to Fox Detroit.

Not so simple anymore,

Metro - God Directs me to Impregnate Married Women and Single Ladies- Enugu Pastor | Nigerian Bulletin

A 53-year-old pastor has been arrested by the Police in Nsukka, Enugu State, for allegedly impregnating married women and young girls in his church.

The Pastor, identified as Timothy Ngwu, is the General Overseer of Holy Trinity Ministry popularly called Vineyard Ministry in Umudikwere Community in the University town.

Ironically, police sources said the suspect claims he was directed by the Holy Spirit to sexually abuse female members of his church in the name of God.

The alleged sexual exploits of the self-acclaimed man of God was blown open by his estranged wife, Veronica Ngwu, who lodged a complaint at the Criminal Investigations Department, Enugu. This led to the arrest of the pastor.

Metro - God Directs me to Impregnate Married Women and Single Ladies- Enugu Pastor | Nigerian Bulletin

History Has Been Made! Female Genital Mutilation Banned In Nigeria!

In a move welcomed as a step in the right direction by international advocates, outgoing Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan has signed a bill officially banning the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). The Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015, which was passed by the Nigerian Senate earlier in May, also will prevent men from leaving their families without proving financial support, according to Reuters.

Nigerian women’s rights and public health groups have long campaigned against FGM, which removes parts or all of a girl’s genitalia, often at a very young age and without the girl’s consultation or consent, saying that it violates human rights. The procedure has also led to severe health problems.
,,,
Stella Mukasa, director of Gender, Violence and Rights at the International Center for Research on Women, explains the complexity of the implementation of the new law banning FGM/C.

“It is crucial that we scale up efforts to change traditional cultural views that underpin violence against women,” she wrote in an article for “The Guardian.” “Only then will this harmful practice be eliminated.”

So far women’s advocates have generally expressed optimism in the wake of Jonathan’s 11th hour action, but they caution that legislation alone will not be enough to eradicate a practice so deeply-rooted in familial and ethnic customs. Real change must be cultural, not merely political.

“We welcome this ban as we welcome any ban on FGM, in any country,” Tarah Demant, senior director for Amnesty International USA’s identity and discrimination unit, tells Quartz. “But it’s unclear whether other countries will do the same.”

History Has Been Made! Female Genital Mutilation Banned In Nigeria!

13 Killed, 32 Churches, 300 Houses Burnt in Fresh Boko Haram Attacks on Borno Village‎s - Metro Watch

Thirteen persons were killed, 43 churches and 300 houses were burnt on Saturday when Boko Haram insurgents attacked  Mussa community, in Borno State, the chairman of the youth vigilante group in the village, Stephen Apagu said on Sunday.

He said Boko Haram returned to Mussa (A&B), remote villages  in Askira/Uba Local Government, Killings 10 civilians ‎with the militant losing three members to the attack.

He equally revealed that  “all 32 churches in Mussa district and over 300 houses were burnt down.”

13 Killed, 32 Churches, 300 Houses Burnt in Fresh Boko Haram Attacks on Borno Village‎s - Metro Watch

Boko Haram kills nearly 200 in 48 hours - Militants unleash female suicide bombers North East Nigeria - Kuwait Times | Kuwait Times

Boko Haram carried out a fresh wave of massacres in northeastern Nigeria on Friday, locals said, killing nearly 200 people in 48 hours of violence President Muhammadu Buhari blasted as "inhuman and barbaric". The militants have staged multiple attacks across restive Borno state since Wednesday, gunning down worshippers at evening Ramadan prayers, shooting women in their homes, and dragging men from their beds in the dead of night.

A young female suicide bomber also killed 12 worshippers when she blew herself up in a mosque in Borno. While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, Boko Haram has used both men and young women and girls as human bombs in the past. And as night fell, Nigerian troops battled "hordes of Boko Haram gunmen" who seemed set on attacking the state capital Maiduguri, the birthplace of the extremist Islamist movement.

"President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the latest wave of killings... describing them as most inhuman and barbaric," the presidency said in a statement. The bloodshed is the worst since Buhari came to power in May, vowing to root out the insurgency that has claimed more than 15,000 lives. Up to 50 armed men on motorbikes stormed the village of Mussa in the latest atrocity on Friday, shooting villagers and burning their homes, survivor Bitrus Dangana said. "They killed six people in the village and they chased the inhabitants into the bush, firing at them... 25 people were killed in the bush," he said. Another survivor, Adamu Bulus, confirmed 31 people had been murdered. It was the fourth time that Boko Haram had attacked the village in the past year, local youth worker Sunday Wabba told AFP, describing how they "killed everyone on sight".

Boko Haram kills nearly 200 in 48 hours - Militants unleash female suicide bombers North East Nigeria - Kuwait Times | Kuwait Times

Italian priests EXORCISE prostitute Nigerian migrant girls to break voodoo spell | Daily Mail Online

A Catholic priest stands over the forlorn figure of a young Nigerian girl, murmuring prayers and sprinkling holy water as she sobs.

Favour*, a 19-year-old, is constantly scratching, her skin is red raw in places. She believes there is a nest of insects living inside her body- and that they will kill her.

The priest is attempting to break a powerful voodoo spell that binds her to her ‘madam’ in Trieste, near the border with Slovenia, for the next five to eight years.

Favour, one of thousands of Nigerian women trafficked to Europe to become sex slaves every year, has been told she owes her female pimp €80,000 for her journey. This will take around 4,000 clients each paying as little as €10 or €20 to pay off.

Although the chains tying her to her madam are only psychological, they are extremely powerful.

In their desperation to break the hold over the girls, many of which are sent on the migrant boats crossing the Mediterranean, the Italians have even resorted to get Catholic priests to perform exorcisms on them.

For many of us in the secular community, when we think of religious indoctrination we only see the big three - Judaism, Christianity, Islam.  But as I have been chronicling of late, the harm of religion is not just happening within the Abrahamic religions.

Although one may look at the following story as bizarre and WTF, an interesting point was brought forth,

As Francesca de Masi, a sociologist with the Be Free organisation that works with the trafficked women, explains: ‘Telling them that voodoo isn’t real is presumptuous… it doesn’t take into consideration the context they come from. 

‘And it’s counterproductive. It makes them close up and become incommunicative. Whether they believe or not, there are so many reasons to be afraid. The risk that something terrible happens to their family is real.’

From that the response is understandable, although a secular response would be preferable

Counter-magic in the form of a reverse voodoo with Catholic priests performing a kind of exorcism is more convincing, according to Rosanna Paradiso, founder of the Tampep association in Turin that helps girls free themselves and return home.

‘It’s difficult because the jiujiu has such a strong grip. And the women have been told not to trust police or anyone in Europe. But we have called priests to do counter jiujiu. Occasionally it has been proven to work. I saw one girl who had taken to her bed months before, waiting to die, just got out of bed. She was cured.’

Italian priests EXORCISE prostitute Nigerian migrant girls to break voodoo spell | Daily Mail Online

Girl Burned to Death in Nigeria after Witchcraft Allegation

Police in Nigeria say a 60-year-old man burned a young girl to death after accusing her of being a witch. Allegations of witchcraft in Nigeria can be very dangerous.

Police say they’ve arrested 60-year-old Yakubu Vong for luring an eight-year-old girl to his house in the village of Sabon Layi in north-central Plateau State, dousing her with lamp oil, and setting her ablaze.

Plateau State police spokesman Emmanuel Abuh says police believe he attacked the girl because she refused to admit to him that she was a witch.

While much of public religious life centers around Christianity and Islam, traditional beliefs are still prevalent in Nigeria.

Ishaya Bajama is a civil rights activist who works in Plateau State. He says spiritual healers often use allegations of witchcraft to explain mental or physical illnesses that communities might not be familiar with, or might not have the money or ability to treat.

“A lot of things that people don’t have solution for, they are always ascribed to spiritual problems. But a lot of it has to do with social sickness or social misfit," said Bajama.

Girl Burned to Death in Nigeria after Witchcraft Allegation

Nigeria's female genital mutilation ban is important precedent, say campaigners | Society | The Guardian

As Hemant Mehta points out, "The big question now is whether Nigerian officials will be able to enforce a law that has sadly become a part of the culture. Still, this is an excellent step in the right direction."

The Nigerian government has taken the historic step of outlawing the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), in a move campaigners describe as “hugely important”.

Nigeria – a cultural and political powerhouse in Africa – introduced a new federal law banning the practice, which involves removing part or all of a girl’s outer sexual organs.

The outgoing president, Goodluck Jonathan, signed the ban into law as one of his final acts as leader. He was beaten in Nigeria’s presidential election in March by Muhammadu Buhari, who was sworn into office on Friday.
The law, which was passed by the Senate on 5 May, also prohibits men from abandoning their wives or children without economic support.

Around a quarter of Nigerian women have undergone FGM – which can cause infertility, maternal death, infections and the loss of sexual pleasure – according to 2014 UN data. The practice was already banned in some states, but now it will be outlawed throughout the country.
,,,
As the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria’s decision carries significant weight, but it would need to be implemented effectively, said Mary Wandia, FGM programme manager of Equality Now. “With such a huge population, Nigeria’s vote in favour of women and girls is hugely important,” she said. “We hope, too, that the other African countries which have yet to ban FGM – including Liberia, Sudan and Mali, among others – do so immediately to give all girls a basic level of protection.”

Others stressed that the battle to end FGM in a generation was far from over, saying it was crucial that attitudes, as well as laws, were changed.

Nigeria's female genital mutilation ban is important precedent, say campaigners | Society | The Guardian

'I Do Not Construe Homosexual Rights As Human Rights' Says GOP Human Rights Subcommittee Head - The New Civil Rights Movement

U.S. Congressman Chris Smith earlier this week announced gay rights are not human rights. "I am a strong believer in traditional marriage and I do not construe homosexual rights as human rights," Smith said. He also suggested that the Obama administration’s "views on LGBT rights affected or hindered our support for Nigeria to defeat Boko Haram."

The conservative Republican from New Jersey is now under attack by LGBT groups in his home state and nationally, by the Human Rights Campaign.

Heightening the impact of his anti-gay statement is that Rep. Smith is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, and made his comments at a meeting of that subcommittee, which is a part of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Congressman Smith's remarks were made on Wednesday, perhaps ironically, during a hearing he chaired on Nigeria. That same day, Nigerian law enforcement arrested twelve men accused of holding a same-sex wedding.

'I Do Not Construe Homosexual Rights As Human Rights' Says GOP Human Rights Subcommittee Head - The New Civil Rights Movement

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries: Another African Church Prosecuting Witch hunt in Contemporary America

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) is one church that is prosecuting a modern day witch hunt in North America. The church’s crusade against witchcraft should, as a matter of urgency, be brought to the attention of the ‘enlightened world’.

MFM is a Nigerian church with branches across North America – in Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New York etc. Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya founded it in 1989. The church draws its teachings from the Founder’s numerous books and sermons including his publications on witchcraft.

In one of his books, Overpowering Witchcraft (2010), Pastor Olukoya provides ‘sound biblical teachings’ on his ‘Ministry of Witchcraft’. He claims that manifestations of witchcraft are based in the Scriptures and can be revealed by God.

Olukoya associates witchcraft with prostitution and multiple deaths. He uses fake and fabricated stories and testimonies to illustrate the potency of witchcraft and how mothers-in-law use occult powers to undermine marriages and fuel problems in families. He states that the function of witchcraft is ”to bend what is straight, make it crooked. They change and refashion things to conform to their wicked intentions.” (p.9)

[,,,]
The entire book drips with alarmist messages and passages which church members and other witch-believing folks could use to legimitize witchcraft accusation and witch persecution. A quick look on the church’s North American web site reveals how Olukoya’s teachings have been translated into “Deliverance Prayers from Witchcraft Prayers Points and Message.” The anti witchcraft prayer points are divided into several parts.

[,,,]
Critical-thinking Americans need to realize the potentially dangerous nature of Olukoya’s ‘Ministry of Witchcraft’ and take action against this violent brand of Christianity which MFM embodies before it is too late. American skeptics and freethinkers need to provide a counter narrative to MFM’s witch crusade. They should not stand by and allow a slow undoing and erosion of the gains of enlightenment and a re-enactment of the Salem witch trials. Olukoya’s Ministry of Witchcraft has no place in contemporary America and in the contemporary world. Witch hunting by African migrant churches must stop. Witch hunting pastors must be stopped.

Guest post: Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries: Another African Church Prosecuting Witch hunt in Contemporary America

UPDATE::Fatal church collapse in Nigeria raises concerns over Christian televangelist - The Globe and Mail

T.B. Joshua is quite the charlatan.

April 17, 2013
Prophet T. B. Joshua reportedly predicted Boston explosions [WATCH]

TB Joshua predicted the Boston bombings before they happened, and the shocking part of the prophecy was its accuracy, only if someone could pass Prophet Joshua’s message across to the necessary authorities.

May 20, 2013
Ghana stampede kills four at TB Joshua's church

Thousands of people flocked to the evangelical church for "holy water", which they believed had healing powers, leading to the crush.

August 15, 2014
This Guy Sent Sierra Leone 4,000 Bottles of Holy Water to Cure Ebola

To help the West African country fight the escalating Ebola crisis, Nigerian Christian preacher Temitope Joshua says he has sent the Sierra Leone government 4,000 bottles of his patented holy anointed water and $50,000 in cash in a private jet, which also cost $50,000 to charter.

September 17, 2014
Ill South Africans flock to Lagos ‘prophet’

South Africans have been flocking to The Synagogue, Church of All Nations, in Lagos, for many years, hoping for miracle cures from its pastor, the self-styled faith healer and prophet TB Joshua, for anything from smoking and drinking to Aids and cancer.

So this comes as a bit of a surprise considering the power and influence he wields and the concern that many of these high profile preachers are immune to prosecution.

T.B. Joshua, the self-styled prophet and miracle worker who has an estimated wealth of $10-million to $15-million (U.S.), has been officially summoned to attend the inquest in Lagos, where 116 people were killed in the dormitory collapse on his church compound in September. So far, however, he has refused to show up.

Experts at the inquest have rejected Mr. Joshua’s claims that the collapse was caused by an attack from a terrorist airplane. They say the church had been adding extra floors to the guesthouse – without obtaining a permit or strengthening its foundation – when the building collapsed.

The disaster has heightened concerns about the vast wealth and political power of Africa’s popular Christian televangelists, who seem almost immune to prosecution. Among Mr. Joshua’s loyal followers are many African presidents, prime ministers and other leading politicians. He preaches to crowds of 15,000 people and claims to have foreseen celebrity deaths and airplane crashes.

Mr. Joshua, who has a huge following in South Africa, placed a quarter-page advertisement in a South African newspaper on Sunday, offering condolences to the victims, whom he called “martyrs of the Kingdom of God.”

[,,,]
He has never retracted his claim that the building collapse was somehow caused by an airplane that passed above the building a few minutes before the disaster. But testimony at the inquest revealed that there were no signs of an explosion or flames anywhere in the building or in the bodies of the victims.

Fatal church collapse in Nigeria raises concerns over Christian televangelist - The Globe and Mail

Nigerian official warns pastors and healers to stop making false Ebola-cure claims - The Washington Post

An interesting article from July concerning ebola and the lengths that the NIgerian government had to take to try and stop the scam cures of religionists

But to tackle the dangerous and potentially deadly rumor mill, a government official in Lagos state has issued a stern warning: Pastors claiming to have cured Ebola could face jail time, according to CAJ News Africa:

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Aderemi Ibirogba, specifically advised the citizenry to be wary of the activities of alleged fraudsters who were reportedly making spurious claims about their ability to provide cure for the deadly virus.

He called on those who wanted to rip off members of the public to desist from such claims of cure or risk arrest and prosecution.

"Only medical solutions are known to be appropriate for the disease," said Ibirogba.

[,,,]
For example, earlier this week, a Nigerian pastor, Ituah Ighodalo, wrote a Facebook post that highlighted a "solution to Ebola!"

The post — which was factually incorrect — was focused on the story of a Canadian-American Pentecostal pastor and faith healer by the name of John G. Lake, who operated a ministry in Africa in the early 1900s.

[,,,]
In a subsequent Facebook post, Ighodalo,,, tried to walk back his previous statements.

"I am not in any way...attempting to deny the existence of the virus in Nigeria, or to encourage anyone to seek interaction with the virus, but rather to assert a superior truth that is consistent with the scriptures and stir the faith of those of us who are believers in Christ Jesus," he wrote.

While churches, healing houses and traditional healers can play a critical role by alerting public health officials to potential Ebola cases, Nigerian officials have been forced to warn them not to try healing Ebola patients themselves, according to local news reports:

Nigerian official warns pastors and healers to stop making false Ebola-cure claims - The Washington Post

T.B Joshua: Send 'Miracles' to Victims' Families or Be Held to Account | Feature Article 2014-10-26

T.B Joshua has reportedly made a donation of R50,000 to families of victims of his church's collapse. And already some pastors are showering praises on him without questioning. People are already commending Joshua without understanding the motives behind the scheme of this pastorpreneur in Lagos. Families should turn down the donations and instead hold T.B Joshua to account.

Yes I urge all those who are already thankful and grateful to this self styled man of God not to allow themselves to be deceived by this 'Greek gift' and instead to pause, and for once and think about the Synagogue enterprise in Lagos.

[,,,]
No one should allow T. B Joshua to get away with miracle schemes this times by making donations. No. Victims' families do not need your donations, prophet Joshua. This is the time to test the products you have been marketing over the years. This is the time to demonstrate the quality and genuineness of the goods which you have used to build your business empire. Joshua should exercise his faith healing and bring these victims back to life or shut down or be forced to shut down the faith healing business in Lagos. Joshua should administer the holy water to the dead and wounded so that they can recover and come back to life or be tried for marketing fake products,,,

T.B Joshua: Send 'Miracles' to Victims' Families or Be Held to Account | Feature Article 2014-10-26

African witch trials still exist in the modern age, activist says | MLive.com

Nigerian human rights activist Leo Igwe brought detailed accounts of African witch trials -- a lecture entitled "A Debate of the Heart" -- to the Center for Inquiry-Michigan's event on Wednesday, July 23.

Igwe presented his research to the crowd of 50 in the lower section of Women's City Club of Grand Rapids. A slideshow provided a window into the mistreatment of individuals sent into exile in Northern Ghana, Nigeria and Malawi.

Igwe estimated that nearly 200 accused witches are spread throughout seven camps in Ghana alone, but perhaps 20 percent of people in West African nations have someone close to them affected by such claims.

[,,,]
"The solution is not mosquito nets. It is not rice or food. The solution is in the mind."

Igwe called for vigilance, and not just for those traveling to Africa.

"Witchcraft has a Christian layer," Igwe said. "It is important for freethinkers to dispel belief and challenge the narrative. We cannot just sit back and denounce it. Intervention is needed or else this problem will continue."

African witch trials still exist in the modern age, activist says | MLive.com

Guest post by Leo Igwe: The menace of Boko Haram » Butterflies and Wheels

Boko Haram is a radical fall out of this quest for sharia law and Islamic theocracy by muslim majority states in the country. Like Al Shababa, islamism is its ideological power base for mobilization of support and for recruitment of members. The abduction of the school girls is a radical demonstration of its islamist perception of women and its opposition to secular ideals of gender equality, dignity and human rights.

Guest post by Leo Igwe: The menace of Boko Haram » Butterflies and Wheels

Terrorist Leader Admits To Kidnapping Missing Nigerian Schoolgirls | ThinkProgress

The identity of just who kidnapped more than three hundred schoolgirls in Nigeria finally became clear on Monday when a new video emerged of the leader of terrorist group Boko Haram admitting to the abduction. (See: The group that kidnapped 234 Nigerian school girls and its murderous campaign against education)

“I abducted your girls,” Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said in the video, according to news agency AFP. Shekau is said to have continued on to promise of the girls’ fate: “I will sell them in the market, by Allah.” Shekau also said in the video, according to AFP, that the outrage over the kidnapping is “because we are holding people [as] slaves.” AFP did not immediately make the video with Shekau’s comments available online for further analysis. A BBC translation of the video has the terrorist leader saying “the girls should not have been in school in the first place, but rather should get married,” and directly quotes him as saying “God instructed me to sell them, they are his properties and I will carry out his instructions.”

In the weeks since the girls were originally kidnapped from their school in the village of Chibok, in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state, most observers had concluded that Boko Haram were the likely culprits, but until now the group has remained silent on the girls’ plight. Local reports have indicated that several of the at least 276 still missing girls have been sold to their captors as child brides for the sum of 2,000 Nigerian naira — or $12 USD — a situation that Shekau’s comments appear to verify.

The Nigerian government’s search — or lack thereof — for the kidnapped girls has drawn attention over the last week as the families of the abuctees have launched protests demanding more action. That pressure has caused President Goodluck Jonathan to finally speak out on national television about the crisis. “We promise that wherever these girls are, we’ll surely get them out,” Johnathan said on Sunday night. “One good thing that made me happy and I believe most Nigerians are happy is that there is no story that any of them have been hurt in terms of injury or death.” The president had previously told a May Day rally “we must find our missing girls” and “the perpetrators must be brought to book.”

That same pressure now appears to have caused the detention of one of the leaders of the protest movement. Naomi Mutah Nyadar , one of the leaders of the protests and a representative of Chibok, met with Nigerian first lady Patience Jonathan and was then taken to a police station, activists told the BBC. Saratu Angus Ndirpaya said the detention of herself and Nyadar took place after an all-night meeting with the first lady, during which she says Mrs. Johnathan accused the movement of fabricating the abductions to tarnish her husband’s image. Ayo Adewuyi, a spokesperson for the first lady, however, told AP journalists: “The first lady did not order the arrest of anybody, and I’m sure of that.”

Terrorist Leader Admits To Kidnapping Missing Nigerian Schoolgirls | ThinkProgress

The group that kidnapped 234 Nigerian school girls and its murderous campaign against education

A reader submitted article that chills one to the bone. The depravity of some withing the human species is just sickening,,,

In 2010, long before the mass killing that now engulf Nigeria began, there was a masked man hoisting an AK-47, a stack of religious books and a promise. His named was Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the Islamic group Boko Haram, and in the 25-minute video clip, he promised to annihilate all traces of Western culture and education in AfriAbubakar Shekauca’s most populous nation.

It would start with a prison break. Two months after the video’s release, dozens of armed militants belonging to the group stormed a prison and freed 150 Boko Haram members, and 700 more inmates. Then on Christmas Eve, the group unleashed a flurry of bomb attacks in Nigeria that killed 38 Christians worshiping at church or shopping for gifts. “We will continue with our attacks on disbelievers and their allies and all those who help them,” the group said.

As the months and years passed, the number killed by Boko Haram rose inexorably.

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But now, Nigerian authorities contend Boko Haram, which is today recognized as one of the most murderous terrorist groups in the world, has likely conducted one of its most chilling acts of terror yet. On April 16, in the middle of the night in northeast Nigeria, dozens of armed men who answered to the name Boko Haram captured 234 girls sleeping in dormitories at Chibok school and disappeared in the dark. In the two weeks since, despite parents’ searches deep in remote forests, there has been no sign of the girls.

The fact that the girls were in school speaks to the motive. The terror group, which has not claimed responsibility for the abductions, has roots in an anti-education ideology. Its disdain for an education model left behind by Britain is manifested both in the translation of the group’s name — “Western education is sinful” — and its terror attacks.


The group that kidnapped 234 Nigerian school girls and its murderous campaign against education