The international world has been in an uproar, calling on the Nigerian government to do more to ensure the safety of the 276 schoolgirls who were kidnapped by the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram. The group is known to have a stronghold in the Nigerian country, making rescue attempts even more risky.
As reported earlier this week, the leader of the group, Abukabar Shekau threatened to sell the girls to their captors for as little as $12. Informants have said that many of the girls were being sent to neighboring countries Chad and Cameroon to be sold as slaves.
The schoolgirls were woken up from their sleep while being on school grounds to complete their final exams. At first, they thought the men waking them up were soldiers, helping them escape the terrorist group. But their happiness soon turned to fear when they realized that their “saviors” were actually in on the attack, and even worse, members of the extremist group.
Just this past Tuesday, May 6th, people protested in front of the Nigerian embassy in Washington D.C., demanding the Nigerian government to do more for the rescue attempt, as well as asking other Western governments for aid. As the U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-LI, says “it is essential that the United States target Boko Haram and provide necessary support to save the lives of these young girls.” Another protest was held in Union Square on May 3rd, where the protestors kept shouting “bring back our girls”.
It should be mentioned that this exact quote has grown to become a trending topic on Twitter. Users take photos of themselves with a sign saying “#BringBackOurGirls“.
French newspaper Le Parisien announced that along with France, the U.S., U.K., and China have stepped up and will send help to the Nigerian government.
It’s great to see that world leaders are coming together to fight for the freedom of these girls, as well as Nigeria. The only thing that dampens this movement is that is has to occur under awful circumstances. It should be noted that this group has been active since 2002, when it was founded by Mohammed Yusuf, a Muslim Cleric. The overall goal of Boko Haram is for Nigeria to adopt Sharia Law. This would prohibit girls and women from obtaining an education, as well as implementing harsh penalties, such as whippings and even executions for infractions that we in the West might consider as non-severe.
Laura Guerrero 