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* Raymond Ibrahim: The Jihadist Genocide of Christians in Nigeria Intensifies
* Amir Taheri: Iran: When Preconditions Disappear


** The Jihadist Genocide of Christians in Nigeria Intensifies ([link removed])
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by Raymond Ibrahim • October 10, 2021 at 5:00 am
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* What several international observers have for years characterized as a "pure genocide" of Christians in Nigeria has reached new levels.
* "We have never seen an evil government in this country like the one of today. The government is fully in support of the bloodshed in Nigeria. We are being killed just because we are not Muslims. These evil Fulani jihadists are enjoying the backing of the government to go about killing people, destroying their houses and farmlands, yet when we try to defend ourselves, the government will go about arresting our people. What kind of justice is this?" — Rev. Jacob Kwashi, Anglican bishop, during a funeral for 17 murdered Christians, Morning Star News, August 30, 2021.
* "[T]here is an ongoing genocide in Southern Kaduna targeted at the indigenous Christians population.... Not a single church or school is left standing. Not a single herdsman has been apprehended all these years. It is unfortunate that... the western media do not believe that our lives are worth any news." — Jonathan Asake, a former member of Nigeria's House of Representatives, The Epoch Times, August 4, 2021.
* "Since the government and its apologists are claiming the killings have no religious undertones, why are the terrorists and herdsmen targeting the predominantly Christian communities and Christian leaders?" — The Christian Association of Nigeria, International Centre for Investigative Reporting, January 21, 2020.
* "It's tough to tell Nigerian Christians this isn't a religious conflict since what they see are Fulani fighters clad entirely in black, chanting 'Allahu Akbar!' and screaming 'Death to Christians.'" — Sister Monica Chikwe, Crux, August 4, 2019.

Since the Islamic insurgency in Nigeria began in earnest in July 2009, more than 60,000 Christians have either been murdered or abducted during raids. The abducted Christians have never returned to their homes and their loved ones believe them to be dead. In the same time frame, approximately 20,000 churches and Christian schools have been torched and destroyed. Pictured: The burnt First African Church Mission in Jos, Nigeria on July 6, 2015. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)

What several international observers have for years characterized as a "pure genocide" of Christians in Nigeria has reached new levels.

Since the Islamic insurgency began in earnest in July 2009 — first at the hands of Boko Haram, an Islamic terrorist organization, and later by the Fulani, who are Muslim herdsmen also radicalized and motivated by jihadist ideology — more than 60,000 Christians have either been murdered or abducted during raids. The abducted Christians have never returned to their homes and their loved ones believe them to be dead. In addition, in the same time frame, approximately 20,000 churches and Christian schools have been torched and destroyed.

Some of these findings are documented in an August 4, 2021 report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, also known as "Intersociety," a nonprofit human rights organization based in Nigeria. Although the entire report is worth reading, a few notable excerpts follow:

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** Iran: When Preconditions Disappear ([link removed])
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by Amir Taheri • October 10, 2021 at 4:00 am
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* The blood-curdling outburst may be caused by the fact that the usual chorus of verbal revolutionaries hasn't yet realized that their regime is in rather poor shape and can no longer afford the luxury of pseudo-revolutionary logorrhea. On the other hand, the soothing tune may be a lullaby to send real or imaginary foes into a slumber.
* Taken as it is, this represents a huge climb-down by the Islamic Republic.
* Biden might seize the opportunity provided by Tehran's claimed "pragmatism" to tackle the real source of tension with the Islamic Republic in the past four decades: its efforts to "export" the Islamic revolution and carve out an ideological empire in the name of its brand of Islam.
* Some of us have always believed that the "nuclear issue" was a side show designed to divert attention from the fact that, even without a putative nuclear arsenal, the Khomeinist regime has been and remains a threat to regional peace and stability. It has always said it does not intend to make a nuclear bomb but uses the promise not to do what it says it doesn't want to do as a license for doing what it shouldn't be doing in other domains.
* Our guess is that Tehran's new show of pragmatism does not represent a genuine change of nature by the regime.... Trust is useful only if it is coupled with stringent verification.

Pictured: Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi speaks before parliament in Tehran on August 25, 2021. (Photo by Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)

Is it because they are still learning the ropes or have they understood that they can no longer afford a change of course? The question concerns President Ebrahim Raisi's new team in the Islamic Republic of Iran sending conflicting signals.

At one level, we have the usual blood-curdling outbursts, mostly coming from the few hundred mullahs and military men who provide the backbone of the Khomeinist regime for the past four decades. At another level, one hears a soothing tune designed to signal that the new team may not be the bitter-ender outfit that former President Hassan Rouhani and his team claimed.

The blood-curdling outburst may be caused by the fact that the usual chorus of verbal revolutionaries hasn't yet realized that their regime is in rather poor shape and can no longer afford the luxury of pseudo-revolutionary logorrhea. On the other hand, the soothing tune may be a lullaby to send real or imaginary foes into a slumber.

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