The Unheard Massacre in Nigeria

Over 20 towns have been completely destroyed. 2,000 people are missing and many presumed dead, with around 10,000 fleeing into the neighboring country of Chad. So why the hell has no one been talking about it?

Why aren’t these victims mournable?

Boko Haram hit Nigeria last week in an uncontrollable rampage. Reports of bodies filling the streets have come from the area and “most victims are children, women and elderly people who could not run fast enough.” This now marks the most deadly assault by Boko Haram to date, and is being stated as the worst terrorist attack in modern history.

Where were the marches? The twitter campaigns? The news coverage?

Why does our media only care about the victims of terrorist attacks when they are Western?

While it is extremely difficult for journalist in this area to report due to the targeting by Boko Haram and the never-ending struggle for proper communication and internet access, this does not excuse putting this massacre as a side note on the evening news.

Why did we have international attention with the kidnapping of 200 girls by the same group for only a few months, if that? Do any of you know what actually happened to them? Did any media actually understand the difference between Boko Haram and the Taliban?

As a country, we need to stand up for ALL people who experience terrorist attacks, not just white or Western people. Most of the victims of terrorism are non-Western and Muslim, but rarely get the same media coverage as a white, Western journalist. We need to demand an end to only covering terrorist attacks if they can be twisted to support a Western agenda.