NIGERIA

The New York Times today has an article titled "Nigeria Counts 100 Deaths Over Danish Caricatures."

This post is to voice my frustration at such a headline. It is misleading, not to say simplistic. The violence in Nigeria certainly was ignited in part by the publishing of the cartoons, but the tension between Christians, Muslims and other groups has been building up for years and years (actually, more like centuries). It is no news to anyone remotely familiar with Nigerian history that ethnic and religious differences have only been made worse in recent years by the rocky political scenario of this African nation.

The cartoons were nothing more than an excuse for each group to act upon their long-burning contempt for the others.

In fact, the article does go on to provide some background and explain that conflicts of such nature have happened many times before in Nigeria. After all, this is a country with over a hundred different ehtnic groups - as pretty much all former colonies in the continent of Africa (modern Nigeria as we know today was defined under British rule, which in turn was established in large part through slave trafficking).

So why the headline? Something like "Ethnic, Religious Clashes in Nigeria Claim 100 Lives" would be more accurate. Then, mention the cartoons as the last event in a cycle of violence that has been around for too long.