A horrific, Islamic terrorist group, located in northern Nigeria and other African countries, has begun attacking multiple areas in the North African region.

According to the British Broadcasting Channel, Boko Haram, which, in Arabic, means “Western education is a sin,” is the name of this terrorist group, and their mission is to rid the world of Western education, culture, and society.  Boko Haram strives for a nation based on strict, Islamic law, where women cannot be educated, and Allah (meaning “God” in Arabic) must be praised correctly.

The group was founded in 2002 by a Muslim named Ustav Mohammed Yusuf, and he led Boko Haram until 2009, when he was killed by the Nigerian government.  Also according to the British Broadcasting Channel, the group’s current leader is Abubakar Shekau, and he is one of Nigeria’s most wanted men.  Shekau is a Muslim extremist who believes that it is Allah’s will to carry out acts of terror and killings in order to spread the Islamic faith.

Boko Haram is comprised of a diverse group of militants.  People of all races travel to Nigeria to become members of Boko Haram, and Shekau claims that they will accept any willing Muslims with open arms.  The group is also said to be affiliated with al Qaeda, another terrorist group, which was responsible for the 9/11 attacks on New York’s Twin Towers.  This relationship alarms the U.S. because al Qaeda is known to despise America.

Boko Haram has carried out multiple terrorist attacks in the last 12 years, and their actions seem to be increasing in harshness.  According to themail.com, they have committed crimes ranging from killing 118 people in a car bomb in Jos, Nigeria, to more recently, kidnapping more than 200 schoolgirls from a boarding school in Chibok, Nigeria.  All of these attacks have one purpose in mind: to destroy any sort of Western culture in their homeland of northeast Africa.

LHS geography teacher Mr. Bill Mix believes that Boko Haram is a terrible group, and they need to be stopped.

“[Boko Haram] is perverting religion for their own purposes,” Mr. Mix explained.  “Most Muslims do not agree with their tactics.”

Their recent kidnapping of the Nigerian schoolgirls has sparked the interest and anger of people worldwide.  Everyone from professional athletes to celebrities to political figures have heard about the kidnappings, and an unprecedented number of people are spreading the word through social media.  Thanks to all of the support, our government is working diligently to locate and rescue the girls.

The kidnappings took place at a boarding school in Chibok, Nigeria, in April of this year.  According to an article on The Star World News, the girls were going about their daily business when they heard gunshots and explosions.  They were confused and disoriented, and they saw armed men who claimed to be in the military.  The armed men led the frightened girls onto trucks, and carried them into to the vast Sambisa Forest, where they have yet to be rescued.

The reason for the kidnappings is to convert the girls into strict Muslims, then sell them in the black market.  In a video released by Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau is seen laughing as he admits that Boko Haram is responsible for the kidnappings, and that he will sell the girls on the black market.  In a separate video, the girls are seen wearing Islamic attire and repeating Islamic phrases.

There are millions of people around the world who are hoping that the girls will return home safely, but those most saddened by the events are their families.  The stress these families face is unimaginable.  It is incredibly tough for the family members to wake up every day and wonder whether or not they will ever see their daughters, sisters, nieces, or granddaughters again.

“Their families must feel a whole gambit of emotions,” Mr. Mix stated. “Frustrated, angry, concerned, looking for payback.”

The United States is doing the absolute best it can to bring these girls back to their families. According to the Huffington Post, the U.S. government and the Nigerian Government has located the missing girls.  However, despite the knowledge regarding the whereabouts of the girls, the governments still need to formulate a plot in order to rescue them.  Boko Haram has a large number of heavily armed and well-trained members, and the government is worried about the girls being harmed in the reconnaissance mission.