Islam in Action: 4,000 Displaced as Soldiers Battle Islamists in Nigeria

The global jihad on the march. Where is Obama, the 'freedom loving son' (ugh) of that continent?

‘Taliban’ of Nigeria: Who Are They? hat tip Armaros

In addition to numerous national problems of fuel scarcity, poverty, banditry, unemployment and ecological dangers, the people of the north-eastern region and indeed the entire nation were last week stunned by the eruption of a new form of civil insurrection by a group of youths who style themselves the ‘Taliban.’ The violent clash between security agents and the youths who reportedly sought to establish an independent Muslim state close to Nigeria’s boarder with Niger Republic have sent chills of fear across the nation of a new era of religious and social insurgence.

Contrary to early reports that it was a "Maitatsine" group, the Taliban, otherwise known as the Hijrah movement composed of young graduates and post-graduates most of whom were from highly placed and influential families with an understanding of the Islamic religion that completely denounces sin, corruption and immorality.

The society, to them, is so mired in moral and political poverty that the best thing for a devout Muslim was to migrate out of the sins and the corruption to a place or society where Islamic justice, lawful means of livelihood obtain. Hence, their name the Hijrah group.

4,000 displaced as troops battle Nigeria militants Yahoo hat tip Alan

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Soldiers in tanks and armored cars besieged the shelled compound of a radical Islamist sect and sporadic gunfire exploded as hundreds of innocents fled Wednesday, the third day of fighting in Nigeria's northern city of Maiduguri.

Relief official Apollus Jediel said about 1,000 people had abandoned their homes Wednesday, joining 3,000 displaced this week in four states caught up in the violence.

It is not known how many scores of people have been killed. Police say most of the dead are militants, from a group that wants to impose Taliban-style rule across this multi-religious country of 140 million. Dozens of people have been arrested.

Reporters on the ground say the trouble started with militants attacking a police station in Bauchi state Sunday. Then they attacked police in Kano, Yobe and Borno, of which Maiduguri is the capital.

But President Umaru Yar'Adua disputed that, saying troops struck first.

"I want to emphasize that this is not an inter-religious crisis and it is not the Taliban group that attacked the security agents first, no. It was as a result of a security information gathered on their intention ... to launch a major attack," the Nigerian leader told journalists before he left Tuesday night for a state visit to Brazil.