Boko Haram: CAN President writes Clinton

Posted by admin American Politics, Boko Haram, Latest Politics Thursday, August 9th, 2012

—The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oristejiafor, has written a letter to the visiting American Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, expressing CAN’s reservation on the manner the issues of Boko Haram and related violence by Islamist groups against Nigerian Christians are being treated by the United States.

The Letter dated July 7, 2012 which was signed on behalf of Oristejiafor by Secretary General of CAN, Rev. Musa Asake also described as inaccurate the 2011 International Religious Freedom report which catalogued the attacks on Christians and their places of worship by the Islamic sect.

According to CAN president, “Much to our dismay, the information contained in our memorandum to the presidential panel on Post-Election Violence was not included in the 2011 State Department International Religious Freedom Report. Our memo presented widespread incidents of violence targeting Christians in 12 northern states in April last year during the reporting period of the 2011 report.

“Unfortunately the destruction of over 700 churches and the systematic massacres of hundreds of Christians in 48 hours – the largest single attack on Christendom in contemporary world history anywhere on the planet-were not included in your report. Even more surprising, the report failed to accurately describe the horrific Christmas Day multi-city church attacks.

“These coordinated attacks on three states, comprising Niger, Plateau and Yobe, claimed over 60 lives and, for a second consecutive year, stunned the world. The report merely mentions the Christmas Day church bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic church in Madalla, then fails to communicate the scope and significance of the Christmas Day attacks.

“The pernicious persecution, denigration and dehumanisation of Christians in northern Nigeria especially has been a fact of life for over a quarter century. It is therefore disconcerting that the US report addresses it in a speculative tone that undermines the harsh reality of the masses of orphans and widows left behind.”

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