Terrorism: We Ignore Nigeria At Our Peril

As the world pays attention to terribly violent events in the Middle East and the economic crises across Europe, it is easy to forget that much of the rest of the world is not at peace either. With all of the remarkable successes that the United States has attained in its effort at crushing Al-Qaeda around the world, it is crucial to remember a few facts. First, the ideology that created and drives the terrorist acts of Al-Qaeda is not dead. Secondly, the social and political realities within which a terrorist organization like Al-Qaeda thrives are alive and well, and in fact strengthening in some parts of the world where such might not have been expected before now. One of such countries is Nigeria , arguably Africa's most famous and most populous country. Nigeria is a multicultural nation where people had lived in relative peace for several decades, despite significant religious and ethnic differences. In recent years, aspects of the Islamic North of Nigeria have become increasingly radicalized and this fact has been playing out as violent incidents resulting in several hundreds of deaths mostly across the Islamic North. Even without listing all of the incidents that have occurred over the last few years, most of the terrorist acts that have occurred in Nigeria over the past few months should concern everyone. In August 2011, the UN Building in the nation's capital of Abuja was attacked by a suicide bomber who left carnage in his wake. It was not long before the attack was linked to Boko Haram, an Islamic sect in Northern Nigeria that openly sympathizes with Al-Qaeda. Then on Christmas day in 2011, the same Islamic sect claimed responsibility for the bombing of churches that killed dozens of worshipping Christians in Northern Nigeria. Then in January 2012, the same Islamic sect carried out orchestrated bombing attacks in Kano, one of Nigeria's largest and most historic cities and killed almost 200 people. Before, between and since all of these attacks, the same group has carried out several less-reported attacks. There are several reasons why this is important. First, investigative reports, including some published by UK's Daily Telegraph, have established a link between Al-Qaeda and Nigeria's Boko Haram. Secondly, the government of Nigeria is corrupt and too inept to successfully handle the challenges of Boko Haram. Thirdly, Western politicians who believe that Africa is not in the security interest of the West are ignorant and will deserve blame if terrorism strengthens in that part of the world beyond its current state. Fourth, if Nigeria explodes, so could the rest of Africa. Even for that alone, the rest of the world must not stand by and watch innocent Nigerians get killed by terrorists driven by the same ideology that has wreaked extensive horror in so many parts of the world.