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Today's Top Five

1. Dozens dead after church attacks in Nigeria; Pakistan churches also hit
As if the Muhammad cartoons controversy story wasn't complicated enough, related violence over the weekend has complicated the matter even more. The events are stark enough: Muslims attacked two churches in Sukkur, Pakistan, and have continued to riot in Nigeria, where at least 30 churches were burned and at least 45 people have been killed. Most of the Nigerian attacks have been in the city of Maiduguri, capital of Borneo state.

But the riots aren't only about the cartoons. Pakistan's riots were mostly about rumors that a Christian teenager had thrown pages of the Qur'an into a trashcan, but, as AFP notes, "Sukkur has recently been the scene of almost daily protest rallies against the cartoons." Nigeria's latest riot, in Bauchi, was over a teacher's confiscation of a student's Qur'an. Riots in the country over the weekend were tinged with political tension over rumors that President Olusegun Obasanjo, a Christian, will seek a third presidential term, and concerns over a looming national census.

Still, it appears that outrage over the cartoons set the stage for the riots. And outrage over the riots seems to be the next big story in Nigeria. The statement issued by Peter Akinola, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (and head of the Anglican Church there) is dramatic. "From all indications, it is very clear now that the sacrifices of the Christians in this country for peaceful co-existence with people of other faiths has been sadly misunderstood to be weakness," says his written statement. It continues:

It is no longer a hidden fact that a long standing agenda to make this Nigeria an Islamic nation is being surreptitiously pursued. The willingness of Muslim Youth to descend with violence on the innocent Christians from time to time is from all intents and purposes a design to actualize their dream. … . May we at this stage remind our Muslim brothers that they do not have the monopoly of violence in this nation. Nigeria belongs to all of us—Christians, Muslims and members of other faiths. No amount of intimidation can change this time-honored arrangement in this nation. CAN may no longer be able to contain our restive youths should this ugly trend continue.

It will be interesting to see whether this statement gets much play in the international media (so far it's just in a Reuters story), and whether Akinola's declaration is taken as a warning or as a threat. A new blog called CartoonBodyCount.com is rounding up the violent incidents connected to the Muhammad drawings. When the Catholics and other Christians start murderous rampages over South Park's "Bloody Mary" episode, we'll be sure to let you know.

2. Nigerian bishop's family attacked
Akinola is a familiar name to many American Christians because of his leadership in calling the Anglican Communion back to biblical standards. One of his bishops, Benjamin Kwashi, is particularly well known to American Anglicans and is a frequent speaker at orthodox meetings. Christianity Todayinterviewed him in September. His family was savagely attacked by a group of about 20 armed men apparently bent on assassination. The attackers apparently knew that he had been in London on ministry business, but mistakenly thought that he had been due to return Friday afternoon. His wife, Gloria, is in the hospital. The attackers remain at large, their motives unknown. Jos, where Kwashi serves as bishop, has been the center of much of Nigeria's Muslim violence against Christians.

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February (Web-only) 2006, Vol. 50