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Tag: bringbackourgirls

  • Salma Hayek: #BringBackOurGirls at Cannes Film Festival

    Salma Hayek launched a demonstration at the Cannes Film Festival this week in support of the kidnapped Nigerian school girls taken at the hands of Boko Haram. She carried at #BringBackOurGirls sign on the festival’s red carpet as she promoted the premiere of her film The Prophet.

    She is latest in a string of celebrities to show support for the 267 girls who were taken by these terrorists last month. Hayek’s political move was considered to be “most unusual” by many at the film festival, including its director of communications Marie-Pierre Hauville.

    “It’s rare,” Hauville said during an interview. “But clearly this is happening all over the world and was a personal impulse.”

    The director, however, did not seem thrilled with the notion since Cannes is noted for its adherence to tradition and its rather strict dress code. Salma Hayek likely knew that would be the reception to her actions, but no doubt realized that this was far more important than haute couture and film premiere. Kudos to her.

    U.S. Intelligence officials were in Paris this weekend. They met with African leaders for a summit on how to safely rescue the school girls from their captors and how to battle the Islamic extremist group.

    African officials agreed to wage what both sides are calling a “total war” on the militants and they approved an action plan to stop them. Boko Haram is also blamed for more than 2,000 deaths this year.

    “Boko Haram is no longer a local terrorist group. It is operating clearly as an al Qaeda operation. It is an al Qaeda of West Africa,” Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said following the summit in Paris.

    Salma Hayek stood up for something far more important than what was going on at the Cannes Film Festival on that event’s red carpet. Instead she used the festival as a forum to speak out against an atrocity that is presently endangering nearly three hundred children. Do you think she will be scrutinized before attending the event in Cannes in coming years or will it simply blow over as a political stunt?

    Hopefully even more celebrities will follow in the actress’s footsteps and make #BringBackOurGirls a mission on everyone’s behalf–all around the world.

    What do you think of Salma Hayek’s bold move?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Bring Back Our Girls: Boko Haram Offers Swap

    In the ongoing saga that is the abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls from Chibok in northern Nigeria, a new wrinkle has developed.

    We told you last week about the characters that have been at the leadership of Boko Haram, the ideology that is behind the group, and what they have said they would do with the girls they have abducted. You will recall that the Islamic militants have claimed that they were going to sell the girls as wives, saying that this is the only appropriate use for them, that Allah commands it.

    The rest of the world has responded, rallying behind the parents of the abducted girls, launching a hashtag campaign #bringbackourgirls (Bring Back Our Girls).

    Now the self-proclaimed leader of Boko Haram says he is willing to do that with some of the girls. But he has a condition.

    In a new video released by the group, Abubakar Shekau says that he still has the girls, that many of them have converted to Islam while in the custody of Boko Haram, and that he would release the youngest of them in exchange for jailed militants.

    “These girls, these girls you occupy yourselves with… we have indeed liberated them. These girls have become Muslims,” Abubakar Shekau says in the video.

    He then showed footage of some girls that he says are part of the abducted group, wearing full-length hijab, traditional Muslim garb for women, praying.

    Three girls speak in the video. One said she was a Muslim. Two others say they were Christians and have converted to Islam.

    “We will never release them until after you release our brethren,” the leader said in the video. He referred to jailed militants as “brothers in arms”. He also specified that he is only willing to release the youngest of the girls, those who have not converted and are not currently marriage material.

    Nigerian officials say they reject any deals from Boko Haram.

    “The issue in question is not about Boko Haram… giving conditions,” said Interior Minister Abba Moro.

    Image via YouTube

  • Boko Haram Offer To Swap Girls For Prisoners

    Weeks ago, a terrorist organization abducted hundreds of schoolgirls in Nigeria. Now it seems there may be a way to get most or all of them back to their families.

    In order to do so, a figurative deal with the devil may occur.

    Agence France-Presse reports that the Islamic extremist organization Boko Haram has released a video.

    The group of girls in the video are allegedly some of those that the extremists abducted.

    The rebel group’s leader claims that they are willing to release about 200 girls in exchange for the release of prisoners.

    On the surface, this represents a real chance to a number of Nigerian girls with their families. However, it’s not that simple.

    This is a terrorist organization that has murdered thousands of Nigerians over the past few years.

    Their aim is to fill the surrounding citizens with so much fear, their bid for control of the region will not be challenged.

    The response of the Nigerian government to the Boko Haram prior to the outpouring of international support and criticism has largely been lethargic.

    Are we to expect the situation to end with these girls being given back to their families? It’s not as if these men have no idea where to find the girls they release—or where to obtain new victims.

    This is one of the downsides to attempting to negotiate with terrorists like Boko Haram.

    Often these people reveal themselves to be cruel and without remorse. There is no limit to the horror they are unwilling to unleash to achieve their goals. Those who negotiate reveal exploitable weaknesses that are seldom forgotten by terrorists.

    Am I saying that I feel that these innocent girls should be abandoned and left to a horrible fate? No, not at all. I want the safe return of these young women and girls as much as any empathetic human being.

    I am simply skeptical that the solution put forth by these cold-blooded killers is coming from a desire to “do the right thing”. I also don’t believe that a group that is ready to murder and harm children can be trusted to never do it again following a single hostage exchange.

    Image via YouTube