I don’t believe in comparing tragedies because I think that is an unfair lens to view the world, because no one’s pain should be deemed greater than someone else’s. But, with that said, it’s more than fair game to ask why certain stories can be run into the ground past the point of any relevancy (CNN’s Flight 370 coverage for example), while other important stories aren’t given any consideration at all, like the 234 missing African schoolgirls, ages 15 to 18, who were abducted from their school two weeks ago.
You’re probably feeling a small knot of guilt develop in your stomach as you ask yourself, “How did I miss this story?” Just relax and let that feeling fade — because this story has been buried deep underneath news of Cliven Bundy, Donald Sterling, and even Beyoncé and Jay Z‘s tour. It’s sad, but this story simply did not receive the attention it deserves … but hopefully we can change that today.
Here’s the story of the 234 missing African schoolgirls:
On April 14, a local terrorist group kidnapped more than 230 girls from a boarding school in Chibok, Nigeria. As the search wears on, families are starting to lose hope, The Guardian reports.
Smart News has reported that Boko Haram militants have been fighting to keep Nigerian children uneducated. The abductors are assumed to be part of Boko Haram, a terrorist organization tied to Al Qaeda. The group’s name translates to “western education is sin.” Boko Haram has been on a campaign against schools around Nigeria, but the group also targets markets, churches, mosques, and other public places.
[Stock image: Pal Teravagimov / Shutterstock.com]
It’s been 16 days since the girls’ abduction and no progress has been made on finding them, either by the military or machete-wielding parents searching the countryside. The search for the kidnapped girls also has been compromised by misinformation. Immediately after the kidnapping, the Nigerian military claimed to have found and freed the girls, and captured one of the terrorists involved. This claim, however, was proven wrong and ultimately retracted. And, now, the Boko Haram kidnappers are threatening to kill the girls if search operations don’t cease, according to a report by Voice of America.
Northeastern Nigeria has been in a state of emergency for a year, according to The Guardian. The school from which the 234 girls were kidnapped was the only one still open in the region. The students had been recalled in order to take a physics exam, even though all the other schools in the area were closed for security reasons.
The best thing we can do is keep spreading this story around and demanding that something be done to bring these young girls home to their parents. It goes without saying that we would want the same in return if it was our daughters who were abducted.
Ed. Note: If you are so moved, please consider signing the petition on Change.org dedicated to helping the girls: Over 200 girls are missing in Nigeria – Please FIND THEM! #BringBackOurGirls
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Lincoln Anthony Blades blogs daily on his site ThisIsYourConscience.com, he’s an author of the book “You’re Not A Victim, You’re A Volunteer” and a weekly contributor for UPTOWN Magazine. He can be reached via Twitter @lincolnablades and on Facebook at This Is Your Conscience.