Any decent parent would strive to give their children the very best in life, particularly in regards to education.
That’s all the parents of the 276 Nigerian girls who were abducted last month tried to do: provide their daughters with a quality education.
While taking such a stance on education is likely something you or I would never hesitate to do, the actions of those Nigerian parents were invaluable and incredibly courageous given the social climate in that particular part of Nigeria. The kidnapped girls are from Borno state, an area where 72 percent of its school-age children have never attended school.
Economic challenges and a deep-rooted belief that females should not be educated are the primary reasons why that statistic is a reality. For the parents to sacrifice so much, including being socially ostracized, reinforces their deep desire and commitment to their children.
As I watched the chilling video of Boko Haram leader Abubaker Shekau assume responsibility for the kidnapping, a few questions popped in my mind: why so much hatred? How can a person dislike something so much that they are willing to harm other individuals? What gives an individual like Shekau the right to drastically alter the lives of others simply because he doesn’t like what they are doing?
I have come to realize when people act in such a manner as Shekau, they are generally so deep into their “beliefs” that they don’t care who they hurt, or they are threatened by the very things that they oppose. Boko Haram means “Western education is sinful,” so the group which is linked to al Qaeda tries to eliminate educational or individual entities that support education – particularly among females.
There are several disconcerting aspects of the local and international governments’ responses to the mass abduction. From a local perspective, Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan never spoke on the issue, nor did he visit the region where the kidnapping occurred. Goodluck’s wife, first lady Patience Jonathan is rumored to have met with some of the missing girls’ grieving mothers who have publically demonstrated or spoke out against Nigeria’s government. During that meeting, Patience told the mothers they “need to be quiet and they were really bringing shame and embarrassment to Nigeria.”
The Nigerian president is severely delayed response (he first addressed the situation this week, after nearly 30 days of silence) and the first lady’s actions prove that Nigeria’s government has not dedicated a sufficient amount of time or resources to the crisis.
Here at home, the United States’ response was slow. While Secretary of State John Kerry says the U.S. was in touch with Nigeria “from day-one of the abduction,” a public stance should have been taken a lot sooner.
I understand that the United States does not want to go to war with any nation, and I support that philosophy. I’m actually one of the most war-weary people you will come across. However, certain situations, and this Nigeria instance is one example, dictate a particular level of importance and action. At the very least, a statement from the U.S. condemning the act would have been sufficient.
I consider terrorist acts like the kidnapping, car bombings, etc. as potential threats to the United States and we should take notice. As the world becomes more global, borders become less important to terrorists. They haven’t nor will they continue to only retaliate in their respective countries.
According to Amnesty International, in the first 90 days of this year, Boko Haram killed more than 1,500 people. Boko Haram is extremely dangerous, and I don’t see them slowing down nor limiting their geographical targets any time soon – especially with their connection to al Qaeda.
The 276 girls were awakened as they slept in their dormitories and kidnapped. While 53 of the students were able to escape, reports indicate that some of the girls may have already been sold as brides or sex slaves across the border to men in Cameroon and Chad. No one deserves such a fate – especially not young girls who were simply working toward a quality education. America and the rest of the world need to consider each of those young ladies as our own daughters. They are our girls and we need to do what we can to find them and return them to their families.
What took place April 16 as those Nigerian girls slept is a different kind of genocide. It is a travesty and it should be on the hearts and minds of people throughout the world.
I encourage you to contact your congressional members and notify them of your desire for America to do whatever is necessary for those young women. You can also show your support via social media forums with the hashtags #SavingOurDaughters and #SavingOurGirls.
