By Rose Rushe
DESPITE poor weather and short notice, a crowd of men and women gathered today at People’s Park in solidarity with the plight of the 223 kidnapped schoolgirls in Nigeria.
ADAPT Domestic Abuse Services took the lead with ADAPT head Monica McElvaney addressing the assembly from the bandstand, and calling for a moment’s silence.
With reference to the Twitter account, hashtag Bring BackOur Girls, the online campaign supported by Michelle Obama for the Nigerians, the crowd also cried out the slogan: “Bring back our girls – Limerick!”
Internationally, it is confirmed that Britain, China, the US, France and Israel have each sent counter-terrorist teams and hostage negotiators with experts from other intelligence agencies to Nigeria in an advisory capacity. Nigeria continues to lead the operation.
Boko Haram kidnapped the c.276 girls from their school hostel on April 14 in Chibok town and it is thought they are held in the forest of Sambisa on the south Sahara. 53 have escaped at various times. While the girls are mostly Christian, some Muslims are held also. The names of most were released after some time.
Boko Haram is a violent minority protest/ guerrilla group that abhors Western values and the education of women. The name means, quite literally, ‘Western education is forbidden’ in Hausa language. The kidnappees are threatened for use as ‘comfort women’ for troops or to be forcibly married if the terrorists’ demands are not met.
At People’s Park today, ADAPT Domestic Abuse Services Ciara Morris made the observation, “Girls have the right to education. Girls have the right not to be weapons of war”.
