At least two churches (some reports say three) have been set on fire in the capital of Niger amid fresh protests against French magazine Charlie Hebdo's cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
No doubt some of the rioters were genuinely angry at the depiction of Mohammed in Charlie Hebdo's latest publication. Others, I suspect, were just taking advantage of the opportunity to attack Christian churches and businesses.
Christians had nothing to do with Charlie Hebdo. I would bet a small fortune, if I had one, that there was not, and is not, a single Christian on staff there. Yet Christians are the focus of Islam's anger. These riots are less an expression of anger than one of hatred.
Saturday's protests began outside Niamey's grand mosque with police using tear gas a day after at least four were killed in the second city of Zinder.
The French embassy has warned its citizens to stay indoors.
Last week, Islamist gunmen killed 12 people at the magazine's Paris offices.
Eight of them were journalists. Subsequent attacks in Paris killed another five people, four at a Jewish supermarket.
A church, which was damaged after it was set on fire by protesters during a demonstration against French weekly Charlie Hebdo's publication of a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad in Niamey.
The cover of the magazine's latest edition, published after the attack, featured a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad weeping while holding a sign saying "I am Charlie".
Seven million copies of the edition are being printed in view of extraordinary demand, distributors announced on Saturday. The magazine's print run before the attack was 60,000.
Congratulations, radical Islam, you have succeeded in increasing the circulation of Charlie Hebdo by 12,000%.
Many Muslims see any depiction of Islam's prophet as offensive. Many non-Muslims see the murder of 17 people as offensive.
Protests against the magazine were also seen on Friday in Pakistan, where protests turned violent in Karachi, the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and the Algerian capital, Algiers.
People in Somalia took to the streets on Saturday.
In Niger, a former French colony, hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Niamey's grand mosque, shouting "God is Great" in Arabic.
At least two churches were set on fire - similar to Friday's demonstration in Zinder where protesters also raided shops that were run by Christians.
The French cultural centre in Zinder also came under attack.
The centre's director, Kaoumi Bawa, said an angry crowd of around 50 people had smashed the building's door and set fire to the cafeteria, library and offices.
It doesn't take much to set off Muslims. They are an unstable lot and are capable of becoming radicalized in very short order. This is why we should be very cautious about allowing them to immigrate to western countries by the tens or hundreds of thousands. Sooner or later, something will happen to set them off, and then God help us.
No doubt some of the rioters were genuinely angry at the depiction of Mohammed in Charlie Hebdo's latest publication. Others, I suspect, were just taking advantage of the opportunity to attack Christian churches and businesses.
Christians had nothing to do with Charlie Hebdo. I would bet a small fortune, if I had one, that there was not, and is not, a single Christian on staff there. Yet Christians are the focus of Islam's anger. These riots are less an expression of anger than one of hatred.
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| Niamey's grande mosque where the trouble began Do you think the Imam's might have had something to do with it? This is a police truck burning. |
The French embassy has warned its citizens to stay indoors.
Last week, Islamist gunmen killed 12 people at the magazine's Paris offices.
Eight of them were journalists. Subsequent attacks in Paris killed another five people, four at a Jewish supermarket.
 |
| A number of churches have been burned or ransacked in Niger's capital Niamey |
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| Churches and French interests have been targeted in Niger - a former French colony |
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| The French embassy has called on its nationals living in Niamey to remain at home |
Seven million copies of the edition are being printed in view of extraordinary demand, distributors announced on Saturday. The magazine's print run before the attack was 60,000.
Congratulations, radical Islam, you have succeeded in increasing the circulation of Charlie Hebdo by 12,000%.
Many Muslims see any depiction of Islam's prophet as offensive. Many non-Muslims see the murder of 17 people as offensive.
Protests against the magazine were also seen on Friday in Pakistan, where protests turned violent in Karachi, the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and the Algerian capital, Algiers.
People in Somalia took to the streets on Saturday.
 |
| Somali protesters chant slogans holding placards reading "I am a Muslim, and I love my prophet", on 17 January. |
At least two churches were set on fire - similar to Friday's demonstration in Zinder where protesters also raided shops that were run by Christians.
 |
| Zinder, Niger's 2nd City erupted on Friday |
The centre's director, Kaoumi Bawa, said an angry crowd of around 50 people had smashed the building's door and set fire to the cafeteria, library and offices.
It doesn't take much to set off Muslims. They are an unstable lot and are capable of becoming radicalized in very short order. This is why we should be very cautious about allowing them to immigrate to western countries by the tens or hundreds of thousands. Sooner or later, something will happen to set them off, and then God help us.
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