Islam Stands Against Freedom in Nigeria

Despite the mainstream mantra that Islam is compatible with the modern world and that it is a “Western” religion (implying it is a part of our liberal tradition) Islam has again showed its inability to be attuned to Western values by attacking Christians and destroying the electoral process of Nigeria. On the 16^th of April, Christian President Goodluck Jonathan took 57% of the vote in the presidential elections, resoundly defeating his Islamic opponent General Muhammadu Buhari.

In the wake of the election, Nigeria has seen a tidal wave of violence from Muslims all across the country lashing out at Christians for the victory of their candidate. Since the election, over 100 Christians have been murdered and over 40 churches have been destroyed by the followers of Muhammad. Often times before the churches were burned, Christian families were barricaded inside and burned to death (See picture below WARNING VERY GRAPHIC).

The current wave of violence is nothing new though. It is a continuing trend in the former British colony of anti-Christian violence since Shari’a Law was introduced in the Islamic provinces in 2001. Since then, literally thousands of Christians have been murdered by Muslims. The most recent event right before the elections was a most gruesome incident in which a Muslim mob of 1,000 armed men attacked the Christian town of Bar Arewa, destroying everything.

The reoccurring events in Nigeria again prove to us that Islam is firstly incompatible with Western traditions and concepts (such as representative government) and secondly Islam again shows its inability to coexist with other citizens who are non-Muslims. Is accepting this ideology into our societies a real example of endorsing the principles of freedom? Is this an ideology the Founding Fathers would have wanted to incorporate into our Christian based constitutional order and system? Does Islam maximize liberty and minimize tyranny? Most assuredly no! Islam is the modern form of the National Socialists of the 1930s and the International Socialists of the Cold War. It is the same tyrannical barbarism that was crushed in 1945 and 1991. The plight of the Christians in Nigeria is the plight of the West. This fight against Islamism in Nigeria is the same fight that the West will have to confront in Europe in the not too distant future. This fight in Nigeria is a part of the West’s fight for survival.