You probably remember when over 200 school girls were kidnapped by the terrorist group Boko Haram in Nigeria four years ago. The girls were between 12 and 17 years of age, and many of them were sold as “slave brides” to “soldiers of Allah.”
The kidnapping got considerable coverage in the press. The effort to release the girls became a cause ce’le’bre with Hollywood actors, and even Michelle Obama was featured holding a sign pleading “#BringBackOurGirls.” Boko Haram realized that they could use this to their advantage and were able to trade the release of some of the kidnapped girls for the release of jailed Boko Haram commanders and fighters. But over 100 of the girls still remain in the terrorists’ hands, after four years.
Why do I bring this up now? Because it’s happened again. Over 100 girls from another Nigerian school were kidnapped by the same reprobates. Probably for the same purpose. But this time the mass kidnapping has gotten very little coverage (outside Africa.)
But that’s not the only horrible thing that’s happened in Nigeria recently. A little over a week ago, armed Muslim gangs made their way through 15 villages, massacring Christians and destroying churches. Yet once again, virtually no coverage of this atrocity by the media.
I believe one of the most underreported stories on the planet today is the persecution of Christians, particularly in the Middle East. None other than Germany’s Angela Merkel declared recently that “Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world.”
There are fewer than half the number of Christians in the Middle East as existed there 100 years ago. And it’s no wonder when one considers that much of the oppression is government sanctioned. Many of the countries in the region have apostacy laws which make it illegal to convert from Muslim to Christianity. Those who violate this law are subject to ostracism, denial of educational opportunities, denial of access to social services, denial of employment, imprisonment, torture, and quite possibly death.
Coptic Christians have been a particular target of radical Jihadist terrorists in Egypt. Their churches have been bombed. They’ve been slaughtered in ruthless attacks.
And who will ever forget the atrocities committed against Christians who fell into the hands of ISIS. Rape, torture, beheadings, even crucifixion became commonplace.
The civilized world must wake up to the threat that faces us, even though it seems like it belongs in the Middle Ages. Radical Islamic Jihadism is on the rise on the world scene. Yes, we recently took back much of what ISIS had conquered in Iraq, but many of these lowlifes dispersed to other countries in the region, and around the globe. And terrorist groups affiliated with ISIS (like Boko Haram) and al Qaeda still proliferate in the region, and around the world for that matter.
So people of good faith have our work cut out for us. We must be vigilant and ever-ready to stand up to terror, wherever it exists. And realize that holding up a sign with a hashtag and a message isn’t going to deter the evil out there one bit.