Why don't we care about these girls?

[crash]

You know the one's I'm talking about. 276 of them were taken to be used as bargaining pawns in a political battle by what has now been labelled as a terrorist organisation..

The timeline of events can be found here

It took weeks before the story even made it to mainstream media. Almost four weeks later, after some pressure in the western media, the west decided to act and sent in some specialist units. Almost four weeks after, Obama's wife jumped on the band wagon.

So here we are a month later, but there has not been one whisper on Mock. There are a slew of abduction threads in the crime forum about kids. Even a thread for a single British girl who was suspected to abducted in Portugal.

Is it just distance? Is it because it's NIMBY? Do we value the life of a Nigerian girl less? Are we just ignoring it? Are we just too apathetic and busy to take the time to make a thread about them?

[Duchess]

I'm aware of the story, that's basically it and that's only because I see the headlines as I'm navigating cyberspace.

However, I did post a story about 5 girls having an orgasm while singing.

[sally]

I simply didn't know about it until now, don't keep up with the news much because I figure my life will be the same as always without knowing. I don't value the life of anyone less, an innocent Nigerian girl is no different than an American girl to me.

[Duchess]

an innocent Nigerian girl is no different than an American girl to me.

That's how I feel too.

[HairOfTheDog]

I'm glad you started a thread, Crash.

I've started many threads with international implications, welcoming and sometimes specifically asking for comments on how the issue/crime/topic is being perceived in Australia or wherever posters reside. Sometimes I get answers, sometimes not. Though, in fairness, CN did chime in with his take on the UK-perspective a fair amount. I like it when others start threads of interest to them.

I didn't start a thread about the Nigerian Boko Haram abductions because I'm following the story, but don't have much to say about it. Hoping for the best. I have no idea if others don't care, don't know, or just feel the same way.

It's a very sad story reflective of the turmoil in Nigeria, with some analysts here stating that the global social media campaign is doing more harm than good. What's your take? I would be interested in reading what you have to say about it, and the Australian government's official position, and how the story is being covered in the Australian media? Are there high-profile Australians (politicians, celebrities...) making official statements and getting involved in the "Bring Back Our Girls" Twitter campaign like in the US?

[crash]

I first read about it on Reddit a few days to a week after it happened. The reddit thread was asking why there was little or no coverage of the story across the globe. I cant find the thread again but there were some interesting perspectives put forward.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to get everybody rallied to jump on the hype bandwagon and set the twittersphere alight with angry messages. I tend to agree with your 'some analysts'; these global campaigns are probably giving Boko Haram all the attention they wanted.

I haven't seen any celebrities over here joining the campaign, but I don't have a twitter and I don't follow any of them anyway so maybe they are, maybe they're not. I haven't seen any on the news wailing about it. There has been coverage in the evening news here although it didn't start until the US sent troops in.

I guess I see it in a couple of ways. If 260 kids had been taken in the US, Australia any Euro country or even New Zealand, there would be a mass of reporters on site, TV vans and shit everywhere and dedicated news channels doing 24 hour coverage of the events within hours of it occurring.

So what's the difference? Is it because we've come to expect it in that part of the world and it's not newsworthy anymore? Do we really believe Oh, that would never happen here..? I really don't think it's because we value one life less than another, well most of the world anyway, but I think apathy is growing.

[HairOfTheDog]

Part of the reason that conversation was slower to build about the mass abduction is because, IMO, there is more of an expectation that such atrocities occur in Nigeria and other countries where there are militant Islamic fundamentalists continually vying for attention and control through what we in the west would label terrorist activity.

In this case, President Johnathan first declined assistance from the US and the UK when it was offered, as soon as the story broke. It wasn't until last week that he welcomed a handful of specialists from the US State Department, along with the participation of 40 or 50 US military already located in Nigeria. France was planning to send some specialists today, AFAIK. I think it's natural for more attention to be paid and discussion to ensue when more is known about the incident and one's country-specific participation begins.

Boko Haram has been wreaking havoc for years. They killed 30 school boys a couple of months back, IIRC. They stormed a village and killed/abducted more people last weekend. I hope they're stopped soon -- at the root. And, I hope that they don't carry through on their threats to sell the girls into sex slavery (or worse, slaughter them like they did the school boys).

What's their beef? As I understand it, they're still pushing for Sharia Law to be implemented -- that's a primary goal. I think they also want some of their members released from prison and have targeted some hostages for trade purposes (only read that as speculation). I don't think they're gonna get what they claim to be after as a result of these latest attacks/crimes, but as you said, they are getting a lot of attention, which typically helps such groups recruit new members regardless of the mission's outcome.

[Midwest Spy]

Militant Islamic Fundamentalists.

What a fucking croc of shit (not you HotD for saying it, just the term in general).

If you have the time, go watch Tears of the Sun with Bruce Willis.

Essentially these fundamentalists are terrorizing Christians in Nigeria and have been for awhile. They'll enter a village mainly comprised of Christians and rape and slaughter the inhabitants.

All in the name of Allah.

However, Crash is right, there is very little international outrage.

[HairOfTheDog]

So what's the difference? Is it because we've come to expect it in that part of the world and it's not newsworthy anymore? Do we really believe Oh, that would never happen here..? I really don't think it's because we value one life less than another, well most of the world anyway, but I think apathy is growing.

I think it is more expected in some parts of the world because it is more common there. For years, Boko Haram has murdered large groups of people to create fear, then taken hostages to use in trades for the release of its members in prison (plus demanded large ransoms for the hostages to be traded)...and they've succeeded in doing so many times. They keep upping the ante because they keep getting what they want, IMO. And, they invest the profits from their crimes in recruiting others to join in militantly demanding sharia law for Nigeria. Boko Haram abhors all things western and schools are among their favored hostage-taking grounds.

Anyway, "we don't negotiate with terrorists" doesn't seem like a philosophy of the Nigerian government and the leadership admits that they do not wish to have the details of these incidents made public, especially internationally. They haven't wanted or welcomed outside assistance in the past either. Well, they don't have a choice at this point -- the cat's out. As a result of the global exposure and international presence now in Nigeria, I think a trade of prisoners for the school girls may be out of the question and hope like hell the girls can be rescued without caving into the terrorists.

In regards to your question about believing that "it can't happen here", I, for one, believe that it would be very difficult to pull off a 300-person abduction here (the US, for me). LE would be all over it in a heartbeat with military assistance -- kidnapping and transporting hundreds of hostages by truck in this country, without detection or at least confrontation, would be a very difficult tactical maneuver requiring an enormous level of sophistication and planning. We've a much different culture and geography than Nigeria's.

However, innocent people get killed in the US every day in all kinds of circumstances. Children and adults get abducted too often, but not typically en-mass except for the rare hijacking. Schools and malls and movie theaters however are sometimes target grounds for indiscriminate killers who murder and wound multiple victims in very short time spans.

So, while I don't think Boko Haram's methods could be carried out successfully in my back yard, I do know that the US is far from immune to senseless crimes against way too many innocent victims.

It doesn't bother me if people from other countries are ignorant about the specific types of crimes and criminals in the US. But, big US crime stories usually make global news pretty quickly due to the government's lesser power over the press/media here. As much as the media gets bashed here (often rightfully so, IMO), I'm glad they're free to report, inform, and expose news -- even if we have to sift through opinion to get to the facts sometimes. It also doesn't bother me if people who are aware and informed about US crime are apathetic about it for whatever reason.

[Maggot]

Where is the Islamic outcry?

[Midwest Spy]

Where is the Islamic outcry?

Haha!

Good one!

[HairOfTheDog]

Islamic leaders and citizens around the world have been condemning the kidnappings and denouncing Boko Haram since the details first began emerging in the global news.

This is just one of many.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/0...MU20140509

[Midwest Spy]

^ I read it.

That's far more than I expected.

The next step is take an active role in an intervention of some sort, whether military or political.

Muslims need to make a stand and do something.

[BlueTiki]

This is just one of many.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/0...MU20140509

His remarks came as religious leaders in the Muslim world, who often do not comment on militant violence, joined in denouncing Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau for saying Allah had told him to sell off the kidnapped girls as forced brides.

"This is a group that has been set up to smear the image of Islam and must be offered advice, shown their wrong path and be made to reject it," he told the Arabic-language newspaper al-Hayat in an interview published on Friday.

On Thursday, Islamic scholars and human rights officials of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the world's largest Muslim body representing 57 countries, denounced the kidnapping as "a gross misinterpretation of Islam".

I've heard stronger statements by Mock members against the Westboro "church" than these douches combined.

"Shown their wrong path . . . "

Yeah . . . with a tactical military strike.

Funny how the cleric and the "Cooperation" offer no suggestions on how to accomplish this task.

[HairOfTheDog]

The question was, "where's the Islamic outcry?".

I've seen what I consider outcry from Muslim leaders around the world for the last few weeks -- from their perspectives with their own demeanors. They are condemning the kidnappings, denouncing Boko Haram, and defending Islam against Boko Haram's exploitation of it.

If the question is "why isn't their outcry more like what's expressed on Mock?", IDK. Personally, I wouldn't expect leaders from other parts of the world to be as unfiltered in public statements as individuals are here at a Mock forum -- don't expect that of US leadership either. Though, North Korea's leadership and state media are giving Mock a run for its money as of late.

Anyway, I've probably read 7 or 8 pieces over the last few weeks from Islamic leaders in Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Indonesia -- there are certainly dozens more if you're interested in finding ones with stronger language.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

There is no and will not be an Islamic Outcry unless white folks step in and try and do something. These people do not give a shit. Islam is not a religion of light and peace, it was founded by a terrorist and has been nothing more ever since. Their main Symbol is a big fucking knife, they take "Eye for an Eye" to a whole nut her level. They believe it perfectly justifiable to Kill for the perception of a proscribed thought.

I can't say no one seems to give much of a damn about these girls, other than they are not ours so who cares? I think its a shame that their own govt didn't take car of them. Maybe one of them will survive to go and become the next Ghandi.
I don't think we need to go start another fight over there in the sand. But I wouldn't be opposed to a JTF strike where we played a role, but don't be a sissy about it, go stomp the shit out of them and then come home.

[crash]

Muhammad was a terrorist? I didn't see that coming..

[SIXFOOTERsez]

History channel is full of info.
Seems he was a desert guy, robbed folks, raided caravans. Then needed some credibility, took up religion, it stuck.

[HairOfTheDog]

There is no and will not be an Islamic Outcry unless white folks step in and try and do something. These people do not give a shit. Islam is not a religion of light and peace, it was founded by a terrorist and has been nothing more ever since. Their main Symbol is a big fucking knife, they take "Eye for an Eye" to a whole nut her level. They believe it perfectly justifiable to Kill for the perception of a proscribed thought.

I can't say no one seems to give much of a damn about these girls, other than they are not ours so who cares? I think its a shame that their own govt didn't take car of them. Maybe one of them will survive to go and become the next Ghandi.
I don't think we need to go start another fight over there in the sand. But I wouldn't be opposed to a JTF strike where we played a role, but don't be a sissy about it, go stomp the shit out of them and then come home.

What?

"Outcry" and "stomping" are not the same. You're wrong. There has been outcry -- even by non-whites. Some of them Muslims. That's a fact, Six. If you think all of the Muslims denouncing the terrorists and their actions are lying and don't give a shit, okay. But, that's just your opinion.

Outcry: a strong expression of public disapproval or anger. Egyptian Muslim leaders have called the acts of Boko Haram "pure terrorism". Indonesia with the largest Muslim population, has seen its Muslim leaders express the same frustration and disappointment as you are expressing in the Nigerian government's failure to handle a growing terrorist cult which they claim falsely uses Islam to attract recruits and carry out crimes against innocents. These such acts/crimes are forbidden in the Quran -- that's what has been clearly and strongly and consistently stated by the Muslim leaders worldwide who have denounced Boko Haram and the kidnappings. As I noted upthread, you can find the outcry from the Islamic world's leaders quite easily in the media -- it's not been hidden.

According to your assertions, efforts by the international team that has stepped in to try to do something to assist Nigeria's government and military are bound to fail because, well, not all of the technical and tactical specialists from the US, British, French, and Chinese teams are "white folks". I think you're off-base. Whether they succeed or fail won't have anything to do with whether they're white or not, IMO.

Anyway, regardless of what they choose to do with their lives, the girls have a right to live and I hope they're freed. I personally don't think any of the black African Christian girls abducted has a chance of becoming a brown Indian Hindu man if they survive, but I do understand the intent of your Gandhi invoking, at least.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

I do not think that the success or failure of any international team will be due to color, but I think that the more muslims involved in it will determine the outcome.
My point with the "white folks" comment is that that would be what would create an "Outcry" from the general muslim population, or at least the ones interested in getting in front of a camera.
Your right, there has been Some of an outcry by "The Good Muslims", I just don't think there has been enough, I think for the most part they have been far too wishy washy or downright for the terrorists.