Sunni Muslims Burn Christians Who Won Election

Muslim
rioters in Nigeria protesting the just concluded presidential elections
have killed more than 100 Christians and burned down more than 40
churches in an attack that began yesterday.
This revelation is contained in a report by the Regional Manager for Africa, International Christian Concern (ICC) (www.persecution.org),
Jonathan Racho noting that this latest demonstration is in response to
the election of Jonathan Goodluck, a Christian, as president of Nigeria.

He pointed out that the rioters even destroyed the homes of
many Muslims who supported President Jonathan Goodluck adding that the
Muslim attackers allege that the election was rigged and General
Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim presidential candidate, is the rightful
winner.
He said that the Commonwealth observers’ report judged
that election as “this election the fairest in decades. The elections
for the National Assembly and the Presidency were both credible and
creditable and reflected the will of the Nigerian people."
According
Racho, it is difficult to know the full extent of the damage. The
casualties could be much higher as the attacks took place over many of
the 12 Muslim majority states in northern Nigeria.
He noted that
the situation is beginning to calm since security forces were deployed
and enforced a 24 hour curfew. Christian minorities living in northern
Nigeria have faced repeated bouts of violence and discrimination at the
hands of the Muslim majority.
He said that since the
introduction of Sharia law in northern Nigeria in 2001, tens and
thousands of Christians have been killed.
A Christian leader in
the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna stated: “Christians in northern
Nigeria are being killed and their churches and property destroyed for
voting for the candidate of their choice. Why should churches be burned
when just it’s an issue of politics?
He also queried: “Why
should Christians be killed just because someone won an election?
Goodluck is not the president just for Christians; he is the president
for every Nigerian. Why should Christians suffer because Jonathan won
the election?
Racho stated: “We are very saddened by the
violence against Christians and their property in northern Nigeria.
Disputes over elections shouldn’t have been allowed to lead to religious
violence against Christians.”
He continued: “We have repeatedly
seen Muslims attack and kill those of other faiths at the slightest
provocation. We urge Nigeria to fully investigate this attack and bring
the perpetrators to justice. As long as these attackers operate with
impunity, the attacks will continue.”



A nurse tends to a victim of post-election violence at St. Gerard's Hospital in Kaduna. In the hospital’s
morgue lay the bodies of victims shot, burned and in one case
disemboweled in rioting that swept Kaduna in the aftermath of Saturday’s
presidential vote.