The Riot in Nigeria Becomes A Religious Conflict

The Miss World Pageant that was planned to be held in Nigeria was canceled on the 23rd due to bloodshed between Muslims and Christians. However, the bloodshed, which was ignited by an insulting news report about the founder of Muslim, Mahomet, is not subsiding.

▽ Cancellation of the Miss World Pageant=The Miss World Pageant administrative office and the Nigerian producer of the Pageant, the Silver Bird Production announced, “We have canceled the Pageant, which was scheduled on the 7th of next month, and all the pre-Pageant events schedules,” and “we decided to move the Pageant to London, England and hold it on the same day.”

The administrative officials said, “We have decided like this after careful consideration of the interests of Nigeria and safety of the participants.”

After confirmation of the cancellation of the Pageant, the participants left to London by a charter plane through the Abuza International Airport on the 24th.

This incident was ignited after a Nigerian daily ‘the This Day’ had reported on the 16th, “If Mahomet lives today in Nigeria, he would have chosen one of the participants of the Pageant as his wife.”

The Muslims have been against the Miss World Pageant because it was not only disrespectful to Mahomet but also disregarding Muslims to have the Pageant during the Ramadan.

▽ Continuing the bloodshed=The bloodshed between the Muslims and Christians expanded to the capital, Abuza on the 22nd. The Muslims also attacked police vehicles that day. Because of the clash between both parties, 15 churches and 8 Muslim monasteries have been burnt down.

Even on the 23rd, when the cancellation of the Miss World Pageant was announced, it was reported that the clash was keep happening in northern areas where there were many Muslims such as Kaduza. The Nigerian Armed Forces dispatched troops to those areas, where a curfew had been issued, to maintain the public order.

A local human rights organization announced that due to the clash between the Muslims and Christians and army troops who tried to stop the bloodshed, the death total was grown to 200 and there also were some 600 casualties.

And the Nigerian Red Cross said around 4,000 residents left their home and took shelter due to the bloodshed.

lailai@donga.com