Attacks in Nigeria highlight new jihadist threat
(WNS)–Terrorists descended on four villages in northern Nigeria on April 12, destroying homes and killing villagers. Early reports from eyewitnesses say Fulani tribal fighters burned alive Christian residents, torched animals and houses, and destroyed farms. They estimate the attackers killed 44 villagers, but numbers are difficult to confirm because victims scattered to take refuge elsewhere. Fulani terrorism is on the rise in northern Nigeria but has generated less attention than attacks by Boko Haram, the militant group that last year formally pledged allegiance to Islamic State. Boko Haram gained international notice when it bombed the UN headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, in 2011. Since then, it’s been labeled the most deadly terrorist group in the world—responsible for the deaths of an estimated 11,000 Nigerians in 2015.
Malaysian court approves landmark Christian conversion case
(WNS)–A Malaysian court affirmed the right of a former Muslim to convert to Christianity in a landmark ruling handed down just before Easter. Rooney Rebit converted to Christianity in 1999 and was baptized at age 24, according to World Watch Monitor. But he was officially considered Muslim due to his parents’ conversion to Islam when he was 8. Rebit asked authorities to legally declare him a Christian and affirm his right to believe in Jesus. He also wanted the National Registration Department to change his identity card and for his state’s religious department and Islamic Council to officially release him from Islam, WWM reported. All Malaysian national identity cards list religion.
As policies tighten, international adoptions continue to decline
(WNS)–The number of children adopted internationally by Americans fell 12 percent last year to the lowest number since 1981, according to new U.S. State Department figures. Americans adopted 5,648 children during fiscal year 2015, down from an all-time high of 22,884 in 2004. Since 2004, intercountry adoptions to the United States have fallen every year. Adoption advocates say the drop is the result of a web of factors, including both internal U.S. policies and external factors that have closed or slowed adoptions in other countries. In 2008, the U.S. adopted the Hague Convention, an international agreement on standards and practices for intercountry adoption. The convention’s goal is to establish guidelines that prevent the abduction, sale, or trafficking of children. But the strict standards have forced some countries to slow or stop their adoption processes due to lack of resources to implement the new practices.
Nigerian military creates rehab program for Boko Haram fighters
(WNS)–Now that Nigeria is making headway against Boko Haram, it faces a new challenge created by terrorists who voluntarily surrender their weapons. How can the country reintegrate the former fighters into society and ensure they won’t become a future security threat? The current solution involves a rehabilitation camp established by the Nigerian military to repatriate surrendered Boko Haram fighters and encourage others to abandon the insurgency. Operation Safe Corridor will take the terrorists through various vocational training sessions to help them become productive citizens, said Defense Ministry spokesman Rabe Abubakar. He urged other fighters still on the loose to surrender and benefit from the program.
