If we assess the moral trajectory of a civilization in light of its past record, then we have ample reason to be optimistic about the future. But the burden and blessing of sustaining that moral trajectory - of accentuating the Qur'anic message of tolerance and openness to the other - falls squarely on the shoulders of contemporary Muslim interpreters of the tradition. Exactly, and that just isn't happening.
UPDATE
Arabia.com doesn't even mention Nigeria in it's news section.
Nothing whatsoever in the ArabNews, either.
Nothing from the International Islamic News Agency.
Nothing from the Muslim News, similarly from the UmmahNews.
I hate to be redundant, but isn't this pretty shocking, that a story of this magnitude doesn't even get a mention in the Arab/Islamic press? What does this tell you about openness, analytical abilities, honesty, perspective? Who are they protecting? Why?
Would the Christian Science Monitor ignore a story if Christian rioting killed over 100 people? The very thought is absurd.
UPDATE
The rampage has moved and continued. The BBC reports:
- Hundreds of Muslim youths have gone on the rampage in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, following Friday prayers.
The BBC's Haruna Bahago in Abuja says people armed with sticks, daggers and knives set fire to vehicles and attacked anyone they suspected of being Christian.
....Our correspondent in Abuja says that many people suffered either knife wounds or beatings and the rioters were advancing on the city's central market.
He was himself surrounded by a group of angry Muslim radicals, who suspected he was Christian and had to shout "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) until they let him go.
The riots began at Abuja's central mosque, a short distance from the hotel where the Miss World contestants are staying amid tight security.
UPDATE
This was inevitable unless the pageant execs are as insane as the rioters:
- Organizers of the Miss World (news - web sites) pageant said Friday they were moving the event from Nigeria to London after more than 100 people died in Muslim protest riots in the West African state.
"Miss World Organization and Silver Bird Productions Limited, organizers of the 2002 Miss World pageant, have decided to move the grand finale to London, England," the organizers said in a statement.
"This decision was taken after careful consideration of all the issues involved and in the overall interests of Nigeria and the contestants participating in this year's edition," it added.
Article comments
1 - Oliver
Christianity was just fine with slavery, the crusades, and several instances of genocide. That's also supposed to be a "religion of peace". They're all bad.
2 - mary
Every religion has its good points and its bad points - but Muslim fundamentalism is currently responsible for the deaths of millions in the Sudan, the enslavement of Christians there, terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, Pakistan, Yemen... This fundamentalist strain of Islam is a threat to people around the world, and it's not something to ignore.
3 - The Theory
every religion (when used for political purposes) is going to be bad. When a person tries to push his or her own agenda under the cloak of a religion, it discolours the person and the religion.
There are Muslums who are are good and sincere who wouldn't harm a fly, just like the majority of Christians wouldn't either.
But, I think that if one of them (as with anyone) is going for a position of power, they have are going to exploit thier religious beliefs to push thier agendas... wether or not they align with the religion's beliefs.
peace.
4 - Rob
I can understand some of the resentment that the Muslim world has towards the west but this had caused me to lose almost all sympathy for them. It is becoming more and more obvious that the Islamic Fundamentalists have lost ability to reason or communicate. They do not have the right, to tell others how to think or speak.
5 - whatever
Let's not forget that so-called Christian slave traders bought thier raw materials from Islamic slave harvesters
6 - grace
ok, what is like up with these people. Wasn't Muhammad a man too, even though he was a special prophet sent by GOD? He has hormones. He could've gone for the Miss World, who knows and plus wasn't Muhammad for peace? Why are his people resembling violence instead of peace? Even if Muhammad was alive, he wouldn't have killed 100s of people because of some newspaper mistake (plus they said it was a mistake and they apologized) offending him. He would've spoke words of wisdom and chose a more mature way, unlike his followers who acted before they thought. Next time, they need to think before they act, like us Christians, we think: What Would Jesus Do; yall Muslims think this: What Would Muhammad Do?