Hmmm …
Have you been following the story about the kidnapped schoolgirls in Nigeria … ?
I can’t help but think the kidnappings are the militants equivalent to to the Warrington Bombings: which generated bad publicity — to say the least — for the Provisional IRA.
There’s ALSO the fact that yesterday, the Boko Haram leader issued a video in which he offered to exchange the schoolgirls for imprisoned militants.
Granted, the BBC journalist, John Simpson, has a point: this could well be the start of some sort of negotiated release.
All to the good.
Personally, though … ? I couldn’t help but notice that the group claims many of the girls had converted to Islam.
Outside of any discussion we wish to have about Stockholm Syndrome … ?
I can’t help but notice the hijab-clad girls in that video: with armed men standing over them.
And remember that one of the few verses I know from the Qur’an is verse 256 of the Al-Baqara sura: which opens with one of the most famous lines from Islam’s holy book.
“There shall be no compulsion in religion.”
An armed gunman … ?
Well, I don’t think armed gunmen counts as “No Compulsion” …
~≈‡≈~
