Two Dutch MP’s, Martin Bosma and Geert Wilders (both of the PVV party), certainly believe so and warn Westerners that action is required:
Oil-rich Nigeria, population 140-million, now is very close to an all-out”Islamic takeover’, warn two Dutch MPs. And this would have a massive impact: from Nigeria, Africa’s islamisation would spread fast — resulting in hundreds of millions of refugees.
This would have a massive impact on the future of all of Africa and of the West, warn Dutch parliamentarians Geert Wilders and Martin Bosma of the Party for Freedom, writing in an editorial in the Dutch religious daily, the Reformatorisch Dagblad….
They said in their joint Dutch-language editorial that the international news media ‘often describes such warfare erroneously as isolated conflicts, without placing any importance on the wide-ranging effects these ‘isolated local conflicts’ will have on any other countries, but especially on the West.
“A conflict is far too often described as a ‘civil war’, and journalists will write of ‘religious tensions’ or ‘sectarian violence’ – thus also constantly creating the immediate impression that these are mere dog versus cat fights which would not affect Western countries in the least. see video and also this video
“However, when one examines such ‘civil wars’ closely however, these often are imperialistic wars of conquest – in which Islam is always the engine which drives their stated end purpose of Islamic world dominance’.
Obviously that last paragraph is a simplification of what’s happening – that people call themselves Muslims etc. doesn’t mean that they are tremendous representatives for “Islam as a whole” – but that doesn’t diminish the fact that both men are right when it comes to the threat Islamists pose to Nigeria and to some other African countries. Another ‘but’ has to be pointed out: saying that Islamists may take over everywhere on this continent is, I believe, incorrect. Firstly, many African countries have a Christian majority, secondly not all majority-Muslims countries have the potential to be taken over by extremists.
But, losing Nigeria to Islamists – and possibly other countries in the region because Nigeria is an African powerhouse with much influence in the region – would be a tremendous blow to the West and, of course, to those Africans who are oppressed by the Jihadis. Lets not forget that Christians aren’t the only ones suffering from extremists’ rule, the average (African) Muslim suffers as well.
In any case, Nigeria was once quite a stable and wealthy (for African standards) country. The attempted takeover by extremists is reason for tremendous concern. Something has to be done.
Interestingly enough, however, Bosma and Wilders don’t seem to have any suggestions as to what the West and other African countries who oppose extremists should do. Should we send forces? Should we bomb them out of Nigeria? Should we talk to them? Should African countries deal with this themselves?
Wilders wants to withdraw forces from Afghanistan, while the situation in that country is comparable to what’s happening in Africa. Without Western forces in Afghanistan, however, the country will probably quickly be taken back by extremists who will once again turn the country into the safe haven it was before 9/11.
It’s clear where I stand: the West should, if absolutely necessary, send forces into Nigeria. When there, the West should do everything in its power to empower moderates, Christians, and others who want to live in peace and don’t dream of dominating everyone else. Of course, reaching out to some Jihadi groups may in the end be necessary (as we’ve done in Iraq and are even doing in Afghanistan right now). Not all of them are the same, not all adhere to the exact same ideology, they don’t necessarily share the exact same goals.
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