#BringBackOurGirls

It’s been a month since Nigeria’s most feared terror group Boko Haram in another one of its acts of savagery, kidnapped more than 250 schoolgirls. The group reportedly is against ‘Western’ education — as the group’s name itself translates to as ‘Western education is forbidden’ — and seeks to violently overthrow Nigeria’s government. A phenomenon that was largely contained to the northern parts of the country until 2011, Boko Haram is now responsible for the most audacious attacks recently in the country’s capital, Abuja, and engages in fierce clashes with the its security forces. In a video message released by the group claiming responsibility, nothing was more certain than the fact of Boko Haram’s reading of women: that of being sub-human who are worthy of being sold and only good for marriage and staying home. Equally condemnable is the response of the Nigerian authorities and President Goodluck Jonathan since it has taken his administration almost a month in deciding to send in the army to recover the abducted girls. Other nations have also offered to help. And this is indeed welcome.

Social media, including Twitter, has played a crucial role in attracting worldwide attention to this incident. People across the globe have expressed sympathy, support and outrage. But 140 characters will only go so far. Concrete steps need to be taken for the safe recovery of all those girls still in captivity and making sure that Boko Haram or any other militant group is not given space to commit such acts with impunity. This is only possible if the writ of the state is established and if the state carries out its primary responsibility — that of protecting its people. Considering that Nigeria has historically maintained a harmonious balance between Muslims and Christians (almost half-and-half), groups like Boko Haram are doing well to disturb it. Such incidents are becoming increasingly common in Nigeria where militants ambush their targets without fear since the state choses to prioritise other things. Nigeria must act and no stone must be left unturned in the hunt for recovering those girls.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2014.

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