Nigeria Flares in Religious Violence
The following news is from Mission Network News and VOM Canada.
Nigeria flares in religious violence
Nigeria (MNN) -- The destruction from the religious riots in Nigeria's Kano State is still being assessed. The riots came late last month, the cause of which is slowly coming to light. Voice of the Martyrs Canada's Glenn Penner says it started when "a group of Muslim students barged into a room that was shared by some Christian students at a local secondary school. When the principal arrived on the scene, the Muslims said that these two fellows had drawn a picture of Mohammed on a local mosque and were now planning at attack on Muslim students." The situation continued to escalate, resulting in a riot which left at least nine Christians dead. "Nigerian Christians do continue to reach out and to spread the Gospel. Of course, there is concern and fear of violence, and Christians in the North are asking, 'Is it necessary for us to move to the south as well?'" Church leaders are urging people not to retaliate or inflame the situation further. "Pray that they'll be able to teach and instill in their young men, particularly, how to respond to persecution in a Christ-like fashion."