Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
September 28, 2009

The bishops of Nigeria blame government inaction for the death of more than 2,000 people during a recent uprising by an extremist Islamic group. “We have no democracy worth the name if government cannot protect life and property of the citizen,” the bishops said in a statement. The uprising began in late July after the arrest of some members of the Boko Haram sect, which opposes Western education and insists on the imposition of Shariah, or Islamic law. In their statement the bishops also criticized the “culture of violence that prevails in Nigeria” and condemned the Islamic group for using religion to justify its actions: “We wish to note that those who claim that they love God while hating their fellow human beings, even to the extent of killing them, are liars.”

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

Pope Leo XIV denounced the “violent conflict [that] seems to be raging in the Christian East with a diabolical intensity previously unknown” and said the Christians of the West must do more to help the Christians of the East, especially those suffering in Ukraine, Gaza and other places in the
Gerard O’ConnellJune 26, 2025
A Homily for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, by Father Terrance Klein
Terrance KleinJune 25, 2025
The example of Blessed Floribert Bwana Chui shows us how to live for Christ: by dedicating ourselves to prayer, the poor and peace.
Pietro BartoliJune 25, 2025
The six-day certification course aims to teach ‘how to honor deserving candidates and expedite their path to sainthood in the Vatican,’ according to the center’s website.