Prayer Vigils Mark 100 Days Since Nigerian Schoolgirls' Abduction

Amanda Casanova | ChristianHeadlines.com Contributor | Updated: Jul 24, 2014

Prayer Vigils Mark 100 Days Since Nigerian Schoolgirls' Abduction

Prayer vigils and rallies are taking place worldwidetoday to mark 100 days since roughly 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria were abducted by Boko Haram.

Most of the girls are still missing.

In Washington, D.C., a rally is set at the Embassy of Nigeria with the Institute on Religion & Democracy, Jubilee Campaign and The Working Group on Nigeria.

"The intentions of Boko Haram to forcibly Islamize Nigeria through horrific violence are a very serious threat both to U.S. security and to the citizens of Nigeria," said IRD Religious Liberty Program Director Faith J. H. McDonnell in a statement released Wednesday.

The girls were taken April 14 from a school in Chibok and are thought to be held in the Sambisa Forest, a jungle and savannah area. Official reports say 219 are still missing.

A few dozen girls were able to escape and have detailed forced conversions to Islam and forced marriages.

Just before the 100 day mark, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan met with parents and survivors of the abduction.

Thus far, 11 parents of the schoolgirls have died. Seven were killed during an attack on a village this month and four more died from stress-related illnesses.

"The State Department continues to downplay Boko Haram's Islamist nature, preferring to see the terrorist murderers as victims of poverty and marginalization, even though they have been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Moral equivalency is not the way to handle Boko Haram," McDonnell said.

Publication Date: July 24, 2014. 



Prayer Vigils Mark 100 Days Since Nigerian Schoolgirls' Abduction