Momodou,
I agree with you that the author of that article was really insensitive in
writing that article. But that's absolutely no excuse for those rampaging
fanatics attacking non-Muslims and burning churches. I know a couple of
people on gambia-l would have raised hell if it had been other people from
other religions who were attacking Muslims. I found the silence on this
issue very disturbing.
That writer certainly lacked judgement and in hindsight, was very reckless.
But the blame for the destruction in Nigeria lies on those rampaging
vandals. I don't even need to say this but a far more effective response
would have been calmly written response a Muslim leader to the newspaper.
This particular newspaper, by the way, did apologize several times after
that article was published.

Ousman




>From: Momodou Camara <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>
>This is what is irresponsible journalism. So many people died because of
>the article by this writer and the editor of the paper.
>
>----------------
>
>LAGOS, Nov 24 (AFP) - Nigerian newspaper This Day on Sunday sacked the
>author of an article on the Miss World beauty contest which has sparked
>violent unrest that has left more than 200 dead.
>    On November 16 newspaper This Day published an article suggesting that
>the  Prophet Mohammed would not have opposed the staging of the pageant in
>Nigeria and might have married one of the beauty queens competing for the
>Miss World crown.
>    The story was regarded as blasphemous and insulting by many and sparked
>bloody protests in the northern city of Kaduna and the Nigerian capital
>Abuja.
>    The chairman of the media company that owns the paper said on Sunday
>the  management had sacked style writer Isioma Daniel, who wrote the
>offending story. The announcement came in the latest of a string of front-
>page apologies for the piece.
>    "As for the writer of the offensive article, she is pleading
>forgiveness.
>She has also offered her resignation for inadvertently causing so much pain
>to the nation and the paper," chairman Nduka Obaigbena said.
>    "We find her action inexcusable and therefore have accepted her
>esignation. "
>    On Friday Nigeria's state security service said it had arrested Daniel
>and  the editor of the paper's Saturday edition. They have not yet been
>charged and there was no news of their fate Sunday.
>    Obaigbena expressed regrets and apologies for the losses of life and
>property as a result of the publication.
>    "Whatever errors we made were not intentional. We seek forgiveness from
>all  our Muslim brothers and sisters," he added.
>    On Saturday prominent Muslim leader Lateef Adegbite appealed for calm
>among  the protesters and urged them to accept the apologies of the
>newspaper.
>    "They have shown remorse and repentence and I urge Muslims to forgive
>and  forget in the spirit of Islam," he said.
>    The organisers of the Miss World contest annouced earlier on Saturday
>they  were shifting the event to London for the December 7 grand finale.
>    More than 90 beauty queens left Nigeria early on Sunday for London to
>vie  for the crown currently held by Nigerian Agbani Darego.
>
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