Religion an increasing source of strife in Africa

[xchrom]

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/eo20120218gd.html

LONDON — Sudan was bombing South Sudan again last week, only a couple of months after the two countries split apart. Sudan is mostly Muslim, and South Sudan is predominantly Christian, but the quarrel is about oil, not religion. And yet, it is really about religion too, since the two countries would never have split apart along the current border if not for the religious divide.

Cote d'Ivoire was split along the same Muslim-Christian lines for nine years, although the shooting ended last year and there is an attempt under way to sew the country back together under an elected government. But in Nigeria, Africa's biggest country by far, the situation is going from bad to worse, with the Islamist terrorists of Boko Haram murdering people all over the country in the name of imposing Shariah law on the entire nation.

"The situation we have in our hands is even worse than the civil war that we fought (in 1967-70, which killed between one and three million people)," said President Goodluck Jonathan. That's a major exaggeration — the current death toll in Nigeria from terrorist attacks and army reprisals is probably only a few hundred a month — but the potential for much greater slaughter is certainly there.

In an interview with Reuters, President Jonathan said: "If (Boko Haram) clearly identify themselves now and say ... this is the reason why we are confronting government or this is the reason why we destroyed some innocent people and their properties, why not (talk to them)?" But it's pointless: He already knows who they are and what they want.

[2ndAmForComputers]

2. Let's not forget the Christian side is doing unsavory religion-inspired things too.

From article: "The Nigerian Army, not best known for its discipline and restraint, is almost as indiscriminate in targeting devout but innocent Muslims in the northern states that are home to the terrorist organization."

Also: persecution of gays, of "witchcraft" and other things.

As they say, it takes two to tango.

[msongs]

3. the world's 2 most insidious groups slugging it out, may they both lose :-) nt

[JCMach1]

4. Not to mention what the Fundy xtians in Uganda are doing to gay people