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News

Nigeria massacre

20 replies

Philadelphia · 09/03/2010 11:59

500 killed at the weekend, mainly children, babies (yes, babies) and old people, who couldn't get away, with machetes.

Nigeria has oil. I feel (sad face). Last night I kept thinking, who would machete a 4 day old baby? Is it ethnic cleansing?

OP posts:
DulcieVox · 09/03/2010 12:02

I haven't heard about this. where have i been ?

Philadelphia · 09/03/2010 12:34

I only mentioned the oil because it indicates to me that aid is not the answer.

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AitchTwoOhOneOh · 09/03/2010 12:35

gosh, i really haven't heard of this.

atlantis · 09/03/2010 12:52

As far as I understand it ( which is limited ) the country has a pretty even split of christians and muslims, one lives in the north the other south, the border towns are where the fighting is centred.

This attack against the christians was in direct retaliation against an attack on a muslim village a short time ago.

atlantis · 09/03/2010 12:55

Here's more from the bbeb;

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8557072.stm

Philadelphia · 09/03/2010 13:16

Thanks Atlantis.

It is retaliation and complicated, I know. It's the 4 day old baby that pickles me. And knowing that one can't just pull out the wallet and feel better for making a donation.

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wahwah · 09/03/2010 13:32

This just makes me weep. In what world can anyone convince themselves that killing babies and children, let alone anyone else is ok?

Philadelphia · 09/03/2010 13:51

WahWah, that's what floored me last night. I kept thinking about the preciousness of babies and then I proceeded to (I know) bore dp. I ended up with this train of thought:

I am somewhere to the peaceful side of Greenham Common on the subject of war, althought I appreciate that we have a well-trained army in this country, I just hate it.

So, given that soldiers do their thing that they have been trained to do? Young men fighting young men. Not ideal, but it happens. Soldiers kill people. So, I think to myself, a 23 year old soldiier can kill another 23 year old soldier and tell themselve that they had to do it for whatever political cause. But not babies.

At this point my dp suggested that they were on drugs, which I agree could explain I suppose pretty much Anything, but I have read nothing to suggest this. I supppppose religion could be regarded as having the same affect as a drug at a stretch.

That's when I thought of ethnic cleansing. You could think of a baby as not a baby but a future soldier and parent.

Or, perhaps one could have suffered something similar to one's own siblings.

I have been really enjoying the joky bible threads recently and especially enjoyed being wrong and getting redirected.

I just got into enjoying the Bible as a rollicking good read and a valuable oral history and then this. IYSWIM. The biblical aawfulness but in our knowledge and in our time zone.

I don't like knowing about it.

OP posts:
StewieGriffinsMom · 09/03/2010 13:51

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junglist1 · 09/03/2010 16:43

Oh my God

AitchTwoOhOneOh · 09/03/2010 19:53

i'd think they'd have to be off their heads on quat or similar, it's inhuman to kill a baby, goes against every sinew.

Dogandbone · 09/03/2010 21:20

Any Nigerians on Mumsnet?

FioFio · 10/03/2010 08:56

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FioFio · 10/03/2010 08:58

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BadgersPaws · 10/03/2010 09:56

"Our friend is Nigerian and unluckily life is cheap there, like in alot of developing countries"

It's not just developing countries, such horrendous acts are scarily close to the surface in "developed" countries too. Look back to the Eastern Front in WW2 or what happened to Yugoslavia for a more recent example.

FioFio · 10/03/2010 10:02

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thedollshouse · 10/03/2010 10:19

I was shocked when I read this in the newspaper yesterday. From what I read it would appear that they don't just want to kill the children they want to inflict torture on them. I don't understand. I really don't.

JackBauer · 10/03/2010 11:48

Oh god, had heard nothinh about this. Horrible

midlifemum · 12/03/2010 08:06

Do we never learn? This is still happening in this day and age? Sadly corrupt governments exist all over the world and turn a blind eye to this in other countries unless it has a financial or political implication for them.

Since January all I have seen on TV and in the news is:

  • poverty in India (young children)
  • crime in S. Africa (criminal/drug addicted children)
  • forgotten children of Zimbabwe (now he is evil)
  • war and massacres on the news
  • natural disasters (Haiti & Chile)

And whoever said it, is right...our money cannot put this right...the change has to come from the top.

But, we have to put our hand in our pockets and donate to charity shops because some good is being done somewhere.

Cherish what you have and if you're religious...say a prayer because the massacre of children will never end whilst corrupt people are at the top. They are always the victims and for those of us lucky enough to live in a vaguely decent society, we can only watch and weep

SkaterGrrrrl · 12/03/2010 13:45

This is horrific. Why isnt this front page news? It would be if it were white people being killed. Current front page of the Guardian website is about Starbucks moving into Spain!

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