You may have heard the 17 people have recently been killed in Paris in an act of terrorism. It was a horrific, cowardly, atrocious act as the media has not failed to tell us. The killings caused international outrage. World leaders from all over the world came to Paris to march with 1.2 million people in solidarity. Debates were ignited all over the world on freedom of expression and Islamic terrorism. Social media was ablaze with odium and the the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie spread across the internet. Google, Facebook, Apple all showed support by displaying images of #JeSuisCharlie on their websites.

What about Nigeria?

The terrorist group Boko Haram had rampaged through towns killing countless Nigerian before the Charlie Hebdo incident. Two thousand people have been killed by Boko Haram. 2000. TWO THOUSAND.

Where is the outrage? Where are the world leaders flying to Abuja or Lagos to march in solidarity? Where are debates on Boko Haram terrorism. Where is the social media odium? Has the Eiffel Tower put out its lights for Nigeria? Where is Nigeria's hashtag? Where is #IamNigeria? Have Google, Facebook and Apple acknowledged the attack? No they haven't. Why is this?

In know way do I wish to dismiss the attack in Paris as less important but when 2000 INNOCENT people have been killed and there is no global outrage it seems disproportionate that when 17 people are killed the entire world lights ablaze with anger. The 2000 people that have been killed have done nothing to provoke the Boko Haram. Yet the cartoonists have provoked every religion in their magazine and published racist cartoons:



Now, I'm not even suggesting that the cartoonists deserve to be killed because of this- they absolutely do not. However the world seems to be making martyrs of the cartoonists and making them out to be faultless. They aren't.

So why isn't the Boko Haram attack getting any media coverage? Because they're in the non-Western world? Because they're people of colour? Because they're black? Because it happened in Africa? Because it's harder to sympathize with 2000 people that 17? Because this happens often in the non-western world?

Whatever the reason, the Boko Haram attack doesn't deserve to be dismissed or forgotten. Je ne suis pas Charlie. #IamNigeria.

Tags: Society, Nigeria, Jesuischarlie, Boko harmam, Charlie hebdo, Terrorism

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