A Christian denomination in Nigeria is asking its government for help in rebuilding 1,125 church buildings destroyed over the years by the Islamic jihadist group Boko Haram.
The Church of the Brethren, according to the Nigeria Daily Mail, said the destroyed buildings include its headquarters office complex, a church auditorium and an adjacent pastor’s residential quarters.
Robert Spencer, the editor of Jihad Watch, commented: “Imagine if Christians anywhere destroyed 1,125 mosques. The outcry would be immediate, sustained, impassioned – and justified. There would governmental studies and lavish media examination of Christian ‘Islamophobia.’ But no one will take any particular notice of this.”
Boko Haram was responsible for the kidnapping of 276 school girls in 2014. Since its insurgency started in 2009, members have killed tens of thousands and displaced 2.3 million from their homes. In 2015, Boko Haram was ranked as the world’s deadliest terror group by the Global Terrorism Index.
The Nigeria Daily Mail said the president of the denomination, Rev. Joel Billi, recently submitted the request for reconstruction of destroyed churches during the 2019 Ministers’ Annual Conference, which was held at the denomination’s headquarters in Kwarhi.
The report said he asked: “For how long are we going to wait in vain? We are tired of fictitious promises. Are worship places not included in the rebuilding of the Northeast? Is Adamawa State excluded from the rebuilding of the Northeast?”
