CAN demands ‘truth-based’ terror reports from US

Pastor Oritsejafor The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has urged the United States to work with it to achieve a truth-based peaceful resolution to the terrorism and extremism that threaten “the very life” of Nigeria. In a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, CAN President Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor said sometimes facts were misrepresented by the American government on the true situation of things. He said some pronouncements from the State Department have distortions, omissions and in some cases clearly misrepresent facts on the ground in a manner that beclouds the crisis facing Nigeria. That, he said, is “ultimately deleterious” to the quest for a peaceful and truthful resolution of the crises. For instance, Oritsejafor said information contained in CAN’s memorandum to the presidential panel on Post-Election Violence was not included in the 2011 State Department International Religious Freedom Report. “Our memo presented widespread incidents of violence targeting Christians in 12 northern states in April last year during the reporting period of the 2011 report. “Unfortunately the destruction of over 700 churches and the systematic massacres of hundreds of Christians in 48 hours – the largest single attack on Christendom in contemporary world history anywhere on the planet - were not included in your report. “Even more surprising, the report failed to accurately describe the horrific Christmas Day multi-city church attacks. These coordinated attacks on three states, comprising Niger, Plateau and Yobe, claimed over 60 lives and, for a second consecutive year, stunned the world. “The report merely mentions the Christmas Day church bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic church in Madalla, then fails to communicate the scope and significance of the Christmas Day attacks,” he said. The cleric added: “It is deeply troubling that your report makes an unsubstantiated claim that more Muslims than Christians died in the attacks of last year. “This theory was predicated on erroneous assumptions that since the attacks were in ‘predominantly’ Muslim areas, it ‘follows’ that Muslims would be hardest hit. “Even if such assumptions could be made without empirical data, the more credible and more plausible proposition is that given Boko Haram’s declared intent to obliterate Christianity in northern Nigeria and its systematic attacks which began almost a decade ago, the majority of the victims are Christians. “Since Boko Haram has stated that it does not theologically or operationally target mosques and has so far not succeeded in attacking any, it is only logical that Muslims cannot be the majority victims. “We recognise that the State Department reports cannot cover every incident of religiously motivated violence in a country the size of Nigeria. “However, the State Department has a statutory duty and moral obligation to give an accurate picture of events on the ground. “Although your report indicates that your embassy had “regular” meetings with religious leaders, it is somewhat odd that key data such as what we are now submitting was never asked for.” Advertisment