Whose Islam?

[logicalview]

Danish Muslim Apostate Faces Hate Speech Charges

“Muslims love to take advantage of” free speech, Danish-Palestinian poet Yahya Hassan says, “and as soon as there is someone else saying something critical against them, they want to restrict it.” In an action previously indicated by this writer, Hassan is now personally facing this double standard in Danish “hate speech” charges for his anti-Islam comments.

Following Danish-Iranian artist Firoozeh Bazrafkan’s conviction under Danish Penal Code Section 266b (in Danish here) for condemning Islam as misogynist, a local Muslim Aarhus politician demanded a similar prosecution of Hassan. His poetry “says that everybody in the ghettos like Vollsmose and Gellerup steal, don’t pay taxes and cheat themselves to pensions,” the Somali-Dane Mohamed Suleban stated after reporting Hassan to the police on November 27. “Those are highly generalizing statements and they offend me and many other people.” Authorities are currently considering Section 266b charges for, according to one English translation, any public “communication by which a group of persons are threatened, insulted or denigrated due to their race, skin color, national or ethnic origin, religion or sexual orientation.”

The 18-year-old Hassan’s eponymous debut book contains about 150 poems, “many of which are severely critical of the religious environment he grew up in” according to Wall Street Journal reporters Clemens Bomsdorf and Ellen Emmerentze Jervell. Written in all capital letters, Hassan’s poems treat “issues like the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, child abuse, and the interplay between violence and religion” with “[p]rofanity and vivid analogies.” Yahya Hassan has sold 80,000 copies following an October 17 release in the comparatively small Danish market and is expected to exceed 100,000 copies by Christmas. Hassan’s publisher Gyldendal reports that Danish poetry books are fortunate to sell 500 copies. A recent book forum honored Hassan as the debut author of the year and an English translation of his poetry is underway.

Hassan first became prominent with an October 5 Danish newspaper interview entitled “I F**king Hate My Parents’ Generation.” In it he blamed poor Muslim parenting for the juvenile delinquency and social maladjustment experienced by many Danish Muslim youth such as Hassan himself. With more than 85,000 social media shares, the interview became the most shared Politiken article of the year.

Days thereafter Hassan recited from his “LANGDIGT” or “LONG POEM” before his book’s release on the Danish news program Deadline. Extract: “between the Friday prayers and the Ramadans/you want to carry a knife in your pocket/you want to go and ask people if they have a problem/although the only problem is you.” Such verses brought Hassan more death threats than any other previous Deadline guest. Hassan has subsequently reported 27 Facebook threats against him, of which the police investigated six as serious and pressed charges in one case of a 15-year old boy. A subsequent assault against Hassan occurred on November 18 in Copenhagen Central Station by a 24-year old Palestinian-Danish Muslim who had previously received a seven-year terrorism sentence.

Hassan now wears a bulletproof vest and receives protection from Denmark’s domestic intelligence agency PET at speaking engagements. A November 26 reading by Hassan from his book in a school in the Danish town of Odense, moreover, required an estimated one million kroner in security costs, more than the amount spent on a high-risk soccer game. Several hundred policemen had observed the school for two days before the event occurred with road checkpoints, a bomb sweep, and a five kilometer no-fly zone around the school.

Police safety concerns had forced the cancellation of an earlier, sold-out reading at a public library in Odense’s troubled district of Vollsmose. Along with Hassan, Culture Minister Marianne Jelved and several other Danish politicians criticized the Vollmose cancellation as “completely unacceptable.” Jelved demanded that police in Vollmose “make the necessary precautions” in order “to hold on to what democracy is, or otherwise we reduce it day by day.”

Yet Suleban’s charges might succeed in silencing Hassan where violence has failed. Jacob Mchangama, legal affairs director at Denmark’s liberal think-tank Cepos, sees a “strong case” against Hassan, particularly given a “range of similar preceding cases” like Bazrafkan’s. Hassan’s media attention and public popularity, though, might make conviction difficult, as “his poems are important social commentary.” Hassan’s acquittal “for making statements similar to what other people have been convicted for,” Mchangama nonetheless observed, “will expose a random legislation where no-one can be sure of what is legal to say.”

Calling for Section 266b’s abolition, Mchangama further questions the law’s “arbitrary limits.” What “is sufficiently degrading” and why should, for example, homosexuals receive protection, but not disabled people. Mchangama also sees no “good science” correlating speech laws with “less hate crimes.” Other commentators, moreover, have argued that speech trials simply bring more attention to the offending statements.

Hassan’s case presents speech codes functioning not just as a de facto blasphemy, but also as a de facto apostasy law protecting Islam. How, after all, can an atheist like Hassan, who says that there is “something wrong with Islam,” decide upon his religious views without rigorous testing of all faiths? For that matter, how could anyone answer Hassan’s call for a “reformation” in an Islam that “refuses to renew itself” without similar scrutiny? Such questions aside, Hassan remains committed to his criticisms, stating that he does not “care about getting convicted of racism.” Muslims threatening violence can likewise “all come and get me if they want. I don’t give a s**t about these morons.” “I know these people,” Hassan adds, “They can’t handle criticism…they’re not interested in dialogue.”

http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/andrew ... h-charges/

[hobbyguy]

This article gives even more perspective regarding the violence: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/10/28/terrorist-attacks-and-deaths-hit-record-high-report-shows/

A very important quote from that article: "Bin Laden was motivated by an apocalyptic vision, Benjamin said, and wanted to spark a global war between Christians and Muslims."

So if you are promoting anti-Islam rhetoric, are you not playing right into the dead hands of Osama Bin Laden?

The whole situation is much more nuanced, and is much less about religion than it is about power, quoting again from the CNN article: "The power struggles in many Muslim countries, on the other hand, are driven as much by political as religious concerns, according to Benjamin and other terrorism experts.

“Al-Shabaab, for example, is a fractious and disorganized group,” he said, “and the overwhelming majority of its foot soldiers don’t care about al Qaeda. They are just fighting to stay alive.”"

[maryjane48]

ban christianity in north america and watch what happens, i predict there would be some bloodshed

[logicalview]

ban christianity in north america and watch what happens, i predict there would be some bloodshed

By whom? The government in enforcing their ban? That's what's happening in North Korea - the punishment for being caught with a Bible is death. As for other jurisdictions where Christianity is banned or has been banned like in Communist Russia and China, it just goes underground, so no bloodshed, unless they are caught. Once again - the blood is shed by the government, not the people practicing the religion.

Now that other religion that is the point of this thread on the other hand...that is "no different" from other religions...

Saudi survey shows men blame women for rising cases of molestation
Survey conducted by Riyadh-based King Abdul Aziz Centre for National Dialogue

Saudi men believe women are to blame for the rising cases involving molestation of females on the grounds they are seduced by women’s excessive make up.

The findings were included in a survey conducted by the Riyadh-based King Abdul Aziz Centre for National Dialogue and involved 992 males and females.

The survey, carried by Saudi newspapers, found that 86.5 per cent of the men polled believe that women’s exaggeration in wearing make-up is the main cause of the rise in molestation cases in public places in the conservative Gulf Kingdom.

About 80 per cent of the total persons polled believe lack of deterrent penalties and the absence of specific anti-molestation laws are also to blame for the phenomenon.

The report said 91 per cent of the respondents, all aged above 19, believe another key factor is the “poor religious sentiment” while nearly 75 per cent said the problem is caused by lack of awareness campaigns and warning notices at most public places.

http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/ ... 6-1.533620

Here's the 2014 "score-card" so far....

2014.01.04 (Pattani, Thailand) - A man drinking tea at a shop is shot three times in the head by Muslim terrorists.
2014.01.03 (Cairo, Egypt) - Muslim Brotherhood activists shoot dead a man who 'yelled insults' from the window of his house.
2014.01.02 (Balad Ruz, Iraq) - Nineteen people at a car dealership are pulled into pieces by a Fedayeen suicide bomber.
2014.01.02 (Latifiya, Iraq) - Muslim militants wipe out five shoppers at a market with a well-planted bomb.
2014.01.02 (Beirut, Lebanon) - An al-Qaeda suicide bomber takes out five people outside a restaurant.
2014.01.01 (Quetta, Pakistan) - A bus carrying Shia pilgrims is hit by Sunni suicide bomber, leaving three dead.

[maryjane48]

al queda is a cia asset mabey you want to take it up with them

[logicalview]

al queda is a cia asset mabey you want to take it up with them

LOL...while this is just blather, you are on to something...

Palestinian Terror Education: Funded by U.S. Taxpayers

UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, shapes the mindset of a new generation of Palestinian youth, educating 492,000 students in 699 schools.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 3.1 of the Convention, requires that “in all actions concerning children… the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.”

Article 6 requires UN agencies to recognize “that every child has the inherent right to life,” and, further, that UN agencies “shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child.”

Article 29 requires that such education be directed to the “preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of the sexes, and friendship among all peoples….”

In direct contradiction to the mandate of UN education, UNRWA uses new school books from the Palestinian Authority, which violate sacred UN principles of peace.

A depicted in the film “Camp Jihad,” produced by the Center for Near East Policy Research this past summer, UNRWA instructors openly incorporate virulent anti-Semitic teachings into the classroom as part of their UNRWA summer camp program, telling child campers that Jews are nothing but “wolves” who chased their grandparents from their homes.

UNRWA educational facilities are sites of indoctrination, exploiting the malleability of children’s minds to breed hostility toward Israel and the West and to encourage violent homicide-suicide attacks, effectively grooming pupils for recruitment by terrorist groups like Hamas, which controls the teacher’s union in Gaza.

Where is the accountability? With Islamic states that remain at war with Israel?

The United States, the largest donor nation to UNRWA, contributed more than $275 million to the agency in 2013 alone, while the rest of the donors are spread among 38 democratic nations. The US continues unbridled funding of UNRWA, which results in the use of US taxpayer dollars for teaching Palestinian children to revere suicide-homicide bombings. Letters to US AID to condition funds to UNRWA on the cessation of such indoctrination have gone unanswered.

At the same time, UNRWA openly hires teachers with ties to designated terrorist organizations, such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, ignoring US law that forbids aid to agencies hat hire terrorists. While UNRWA has agreements with Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon for the verification of criminal records by potential agency employees, no such agreement exists between UNRWA and the Palestinian Authority, where 19 UNRWA camps function under Palestinian jurisdiction.

Terror education abounds in the UNRWA schools. A fifth grade textbook taught in UNRWA schools known as Our Beautiful Language reads, “We shall return to the homes, to the valleys, to the mountains/Under the flag of glory, Jihad and struggle/With blood, sacrifice [fida’], fraternity and loyalty/We shall return.”

Another PA school book goes even further: “O brother, the oppressors have exceeded all bounds and Jihad and sacrifice [fida’] are imperative….”

A ninth-grade PA textbook indoctrinates students into martyrdom. In an exercise where students are asked to connect two sentence, a correct answer links the phrase “Morning of glory and red redemption, nourished by the blood of Martyrs” with the concept of “hope for the liberation of Palestine.”

When UNRWA promotes such sentiments, UNRWA schools violate children’s basic right to protection from harmful influence. The question remains: Will US citizens file complaints against UNRWA with Congress and with the courts, or will US citizens let this kind of US-funded education for terror continue unabated?

http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/dbedei ... taxpayers/

[logicalview]

My vote for most under-reported story of 2013 is the tale of Molly Norris.

Who’s that you ask? Good question. You’re not supposed to know about her. At least according to the rules of the mainstream media, that is. Hush, hush. Forget about it.

Why? Because it involves radical Islam. Which is something else we’re not supposed to talk about. We’re in denial that it’s even in our midst.

Back in 2010, the cartoon South Park created an episode depicting Mohammed. As we all know from the Danish cartoons matter that’s a big no-no for the Islamist crowd.

The creators of South Park received death threats prior to the airing of the episode. So Comedy Central, the show’s network, blurred the depictions of Mohammed and bleeped out references.

To this day, the episode hasn’t been aired in several countries.

Enter Molly Norris, who is/was a cartoonist living in Seattle. She rightly thought this was all ridiculous. So she drew a cartoon advertising “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day,” to be held May 20.

It stated: “Do your part to both water down the pool of targets and, oh yeah, defend a little something our country is famous for ... the first amendment.” The cartoon was not actually Norris creating the event though. It was supposed to be a cartoon of an event poster by a fictional group called Citizens Against Citizens Against Humour.

But it didn’t matter. The poster went viral and the idea took hold. Soon people were trying to organize real Everybody Draw Mohammed Day events.

Norris tried to disassociate herself from the event. Little good that did her.

In the lead-up to May 20, a Pakistani court ruled the event would cause damage to the religious beliefs of millions Pakistani Facebook users. The government temporarily blocked Facebook and other sites for all of Pakistan.

Then the radical American-Yemeni imam Anwar al-Awlaki called for the death of Norris and others involved in the event.

Which brings us to today. In the March 2013 edition of Inspire magazine — produced by al-Qaida — they released a “Wanted: Dead or Alive for Crimes Against Islam” list. It included Salman Rushdie (still!), Pastor Terry Jones and Norris. Inspire isn’t only available in the hills of Tora Bora with a print run of two dozen. It gets around, with deadly results.

In April, it was revealed the two Boston bombing suspects, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, learned how to make pressure cooker bombs from reading Inspire.

In other words, this magazine lived up to its name and inspired people living in America to take up armed jihad and kill other Americans.

And no one was outraged. Norris was apparently a left-leaning individual.

Where are her liberal friends standing up for her rights?

American leaders should be saying, “How dare you call for the death of our citizens simply for drawing a cartoon and then distribute your magazines to tell our youth to do the same!” But instead they ignored it.

It’s not just the Tsarnaevs who picked up the fight for radical Islam in 2013.

Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan admitted in his trial last summer he switched sides and joined the jihad against U.S. forces.

Here in Canada, Chiheb Esseghaier, one of the Via Rail plot suspects, insisted on being judged in court by the Qur’an.

In January, Ali Medlej and Xris Katsiroubas, young men from London, Ont., were killed by the Algerian military while attacking a gas plant as alleged members of an al-Qaida splinter cell.

These were all huge stories confirming radical Islam is alive and well in our own backyards.

But the mainstream media didn’t give them the attention they deserved. People turned away. What will it take?

Notice I wrote Norris “is/was ... living in Seattle” earlier? That’s because there’s no information available on her current activities. She might not even be alive right now.

The word is Norris changed her name and went into hiding after the FBI confirmed the threats on her life were credible.

But why don’t more people care about her whereabouts and well-being?

And why aren’t more people angry about the fact a woman has had to go underground simply because she drew a cartoon?

It’s hard to say what’s a bigger scandal: That a bunch of humourless Islamists still want to kill someone for drawing a little cartoon three years ago? Or that there are so many people out there who won’t even acknowledge the situation?

Shame on everyone who didn’t stand up for Molly Norris.

She should be living freely right now, drawing whatever cartoons suit her fancy.

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/st ... 74349.html

[1nick]

This touches on the rise of Islam in Iran during the 50's and an interesting read of that time.

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/1161 ... k-deknatel

[logicalview]

West Java: Islamists close down children’s public library
by Mathias Hariyadi

After weeks of intimidation and (unfounded) accusations of proselytism, the Taman Bacaan Masyarakat is forced to cease activities . The Executive Director, a Catholic , says that "for some time" a fundamentalist wing has hindered his work on behalf of children in rural areas. An activity open to all, regardless of religious faith.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - After weeks of pressure, intimidation and (unfounded) accusations of proselytism made by a local Islamic extremist group, the leaders of the Sanggar Rebung Cendani have closed a public library for children recently opened in West Java . The space especially for children, is called Taman Bacaan Masyarakat ( TBM , which stands for "center for free reading") and Kalimulya is a village in the district of Depock , in Bogor , in the Indonesian province of West Java .

The Executive Director Yoseph Budisantoso confirmed the shut down of his activity. "It all began in December, just before the Christmas holidays - he told AsiaNews - when some Islamic fundamentalist leaders made false accusations, accusing TBM of being a center devoted to Catholic proselytism." He adds that for some time now an extremist fringe has promoted attacks and provocations to cast a shadow over its humanitarian efforts and prevent it from promoting "education" in rural areas and among poorer sections of the population .

The Sanggar Rebung Cendani group, active in rural areas of the province, aims to drastically reduce illiteracy among children, as well as foster a passion for reading among children. The NGO also promotes programs focused on eco-friendly "green" and education policies, again aimed at children of the agricultural areas.

The various threats and demands launched by extremists against Sanggar Rebung Cendani include the demand to make public the names and addresses of all the benefactors and supporters of the various projects, and the amount of their donations. Budisantoso clarifies that all the initiatives undertaken so far by the group have had an interdenominational character, while proudly declaring his own Catholic faith. He also expressed his profound sorrow for the local people who had, on several occasions, shown great support and commitment to his humanitarian project, despite the insults and threats from extremists.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has seen a rise in the number of attacks or acts of intolerance against minorities, including Christians, Ahmadi Muslims and others. After the Aceh province in which Shariah law reigns, West Java is considered one of the most intolerant in the country. In recent years there has been an increase in Islamist anti- Christian movements, which on more than one occasion have committed acts of violence against the local Catholic and Protestant communities . An example are the dozens of assaults against the Yasmin Church in Bogor . The Ahmadi religious sect considered heretical Sunni Islam are also targeted. Catholics are a small minority of about seven million people, equivalent to about 3% of the population. The constitution provides for freedom of religion, but the community is the victim of incidents of violence and abuse.

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/West-Jav ... 29995.html

[Merry]

It's unfortunate that Islam the religion, is getting confused with the Islamic terrorist movement. Because while the former is simply a world view that promotes peace, the latter is clearly a dangerous movement that needs squashing.

Unfortunately the fact that many folks confuse the two, renders it difficult for people to speak out against the latter, without being accused of using "hate speech" against the former.

But that also raises the question as to what exactly constitutes "hate speech". Simply saying you disagree with someone's world view does not, in the minds of many, mean that you are inciting hate against such people. Yet these days, one is walking on "thin" ice if one wants to say something negative about a particular group. The concept of "free speech" is dead in the water if one says something that the "hate police" disagree with.

I think it's time we all began leaning on our Government to dismantle some of the processes in place which are infringing on our democratic right of free speech. Obviously nobody wants to see citizens promoting hatred against another group of citizens but, in our zeal to prevent that from happening, I think many of us would agree that we've crossed that invisible line differentiating between "hate" speech and "free" speech.

There is a big difference between promoting hatred and simply saying something that someone else finds offensive.

[logicalview]

Great post Merry! You are exactly correct - a lot of very small-minded people hide behind the "hate" moniker whenever you try to talk about anything that might contradict their world views. Try mentioning that you would like to help Natives in this country some time, and see the uproar, if you state that you don't think the current system works and is helping them properly. The only narrative that is acceptable is "we need to spend more money". No changes should ever be made, no matter how badly the current system is working. It's no different with our health care system either. "More money is needed" is all that you can say, mention looking at any other alternatives that don't involve billions more being dumped in to the system, and people start screaming. People need to separate the emotion from the issues, and try and look at the reality of the situation.

You might find this article interesting as well...

http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2014/01 ... -most.html

Nine of the Ten Countries Ranked Most Oppressive Towards Christians are Muslim Countries
But if you say there's a problem, you're a racist, Islamophobic, hate-mongering bigot.

WASHINGTON – Nine out of the ten countries ranked the most oppressive for Christians to live in were due to Islamic extremism, according to Open Doors' annual World Watch List, which was released Wednesday.

With the exception of North Korea – ranked No. 1 for the 12th year in a row – every other country on the top 10 list had as its source of persecution, Islamic extremism. North Korea's persecution of Christians was due to communist oppression and dictatorial paranoia, explained Open Doors in its 2014 World Watch List. According to the report, the countries with the most extreme persecution besides North Korea are: Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Pakistan, Iran, and Yemen, respectively.

Open Doors announced the rankings for its 2014 World Watch List, which documented the 50 nations least tolerant of their Christian population, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The Christian persecution watchdog group's methodology involved measuring the level of Christian freedom found in five spheres of life: private, family, community, national, and church. A sixth sphere regarding degree of violence also factors in to the rankings. (Continue Reading.)

I found it interesting that the Maldives made the list, and that they would be persecuting the religion still most predominant in Western society, given how many times they've come to the table, hat in hand, demanding money from the West to pay to help them "fight" the global warming myth, because of the hoax that's been perpetrated that they are "sinking". What a bunch of losers - maybe they should be going to the Saudis instead for their man-made climate change pay off.



http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/10/18/m ... ity-stunt/

[logicalview]

Maldives president vetoes marital rape bill as ‘un-Islamic’

By Vishal Arora | Religion News Service, Published: January 16

NEW DELHI — Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen has refused to ratify a bill that seeks to partially criminalize marital rape, calling it “un-Islamic.”

The parliament voted 67-2 last month to limit a husband’s right to have non-consensual sex with his wife. The bill says a husband cannot force his wife to have sex if the couple have filed for divorce, dissolution or mutual separation, and if the intent is to transmit a sexual disease.

Yameen vetoed the bill about a week after the vice president of the Maldives Fiqh Academy, Mohamed Iyaz Abdul Latheef, criticized its passage saying the Quran and the Sunnah, or the teachings of Islam, do not give a wife the authority to deny sex to her husband.

“With the exception of forbidden forms of sexual intercourse, such as during menstrual periods and anal intercourse, it is not permissible under any circumstance for a woman to refrain from it when the husband is in need,” Latheef said.

Latheef added that a woman must show “complete obedience to her husband” even if she has filed for divorce.

At a victory rally following the presidential run-off vote last November, Yameen said his coalition had received a mandate “to save the Maldivian nation, to protect the sacred religion of Islam.”

The Maldives, an Indian Ocean archipelago of about 330,000 people, claims to have a 100 percent Muslim population. Its constitution states that “no law contrary to any tenet of Islam shall be enacted.”

A 2007 government study found that more than 92 percent of Maldivian women believe a good wife obeys her husband even if she disagrees with him. Nearly 30 percent of respondents also said a husband can beat his wife if she refuses sex.

The Maldives drew global criticism last February after a juvenile court sentenced a 15-year old girl — who was raped by her stepfather — to 100 lashes on charges of fornication. The ruling was overturned by a higher court six months later.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ ... story.html

What does it matter anyway? The Maldives isn't going to be around after 2003, er 2007, oh 2010 for sure, well now definitely 2015, thanks to man-made climate change.

[logicalview]

January 2014 is in the books!

Monthly Jihad Report
January, 2014
Jihad Attacks: 239
Countries: 23
Religions: 5
Dead Bodies: 1431
Critically Injured: 2162

[logicalview]

[logicalview]

CBS/Wire Services/February 25, 2014, 7:00 AM

Boko Haram Islamic militants storm Nigeria boarding school, kill 29 children

DAMATURU, Nigeria -- Gunmen from Islamist group Boko Haram stormed a boarding school in northeast Nigeria overnight and killed 29 pupils, many of whom died in flames as the school was burned to the ground, police and the military said on Tuesday.

“Some of the students bodies were burned to ashes,” Police Commissioner Sanusi Rufai said of the attack on the Federal Government college of Buni Yadi, a secondary school in Yobe state, near the state's capital city of Damaturu.

Female students were spared in the attack, said spokesman Abdullahi Bego. The attackers went to the female dormitories and told the young women to go home, get married and abandon the Western education they said is anathema to Islam, he said. He was relating to The Associated Press what survivors and community leaders told Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam when he visited the now-deserted and destroyed Federal Government College at Buni Yadi, a secondary school 45 miles south of the state capital, Damaturu..


Soldiers guarding a checkpoint near the government school were mysteriously withdrawn hours before the attack, said Abdullahi Bego, the spokesman for the governor of Yobe state.

The militants locked the door of one dormitory where male students were sleeping and then set it ablaze, slitting the throats of those who tried to clamber out of windows and gunning down those who ran away, said teacher Adamu Garba.

Some students were burned alive in the attack that began around 2 a.m., he said.

Bego said the entire complex of the relatively new school had been burned out by firebombs - six dormitories, the administrative building, staff quarters, classrooms, a clinic and the kitchen.

The governor would be asking questions about why the school apparently was left unprotected, he said.

"The community complained to the governor that yesterday the military were withdrawn and then the attack happened," he said. A group of about eight soldiers manned the checkpoint when an AP reporter visited recently, and the nearest military base was a unit of about 30 soldiers in Buni Gari town, 1.2 miles away.

But soldiers from Damaturu did not arrive until noon, hours after the attackers had finished their work and taken off, according to community leaders who said they buried the bodies of 29 victims. Most appeared to be between 15 and 20 years old, Bego said.

The Islamists, whose struggle for an Islamic state in northern Nigeria has killed thousands and made them the biggest threat to security in Africa's top oil producer, increasingly are preying on the civilian population.

Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is sinful” in the northern Hausa language, have frequently attacked schools in the past. A similar attack in June in the village of Mamudo left 22 students dead.

In September, suspected Islamic extremists attacked an agricultural college in the same region, gunning down dozens of students as they slept in dormitories and torching classrooms.

More than 200 people were killed in two attacks last week, one in which militants razed a whole village and shot panicked residents as they tried to flee.

A teacher from the school, who escaped with some other staff members, told The Associated Press that he feared as many as 40 pupils might have been killed. Military forces were still on the scene, trying to locate victims.


The failure of the military to protect civilians is fueling anger in the northeast, the region worst affected by the four- and-a-half-year-old insurgency. An offensive ordered by President Goodluck Jonathan in May has failed to crush the rebels and triggered reprisals against civilians.

A military spokesman for Yobe state, Captain Lazarus Eli, confirmed the attack and said “Our men are down there in pursuit of the killers.”

Addressing a news conference on Monday, Jonathan defended the military's record, saying it had had some successes against Boko Haram. He also said Nigeria was working with the Cameroon authorities to try to prevent the militants from mounting attacks in Nigeria and then fleeing over the border.
The military shut the northern part of the border with Cameroon on the weekend. The insurgents mostly occupy the remote, hilly Gwoza area bordering Cameroon, from where they attack civilians they accuse of being pro-government. They have also started abducting scores of girls, a new tactic reminiscent of Uganda's cult-like Lord's Resistance Army in decades past.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/boko-haram- ... -children/