Dozens of charred, smouldering bodies littered the streets of this bustling commercial centre after three days of rioting in which Christian mobs wielding machetes and clubs set upon their Muslim neighbours.
Rioters have killed scores of people here, after burning their homes, businesses and mosques in the worst violence yet linked to the caricatures of the prophet Muhammad first published in a Danish newspaper.
The violence erupted after similar attacks on Christians in northern Nigeria last week by Muslims.
At least 33 bodies were still visible on the streets of Onitsha on Thursday and a local organisation reported that it had already picked up 80 others.
Sectarian violence has pushed the total death toll in the last week well beyond 100, making Nigeria the hardest-hit country so far in the cartoon controversy.
The main thoroughfare leading into the city across the Niger River was covered in bodies of Muslim Hausas who had tried to flee rampaging bands of youths, witnesses said. Many appeared to have been beaten to death; most had been doused with petrol and burned.
Looters combed through the destroyed shops and homes of Muslims.
Well, the European perspective (in UK anyway) was that “they were tough and could take it.” This means that they are to behave in a more civilized, tolerant way and that they will just clean up after such things like 7/7, or ask everyone to become more tolerant of Islam. Unfortunately, this tolerance of Islam is the biggest Trojan Horse of our time. Asking us to be more accepting of their ways whilst they have no intention of doing the same begs the hypocrisy question. Also, since most people don’t know what the jihadist philosophy is, they have no concept of what these people are capable of doing or when or where NO MATTER what agreements they might may with you in the interim. Mohammed was famous for making the false agreement with the Meccans way back in history then totally ignoring it when his armies became stronger and wiping out the very people that they had made the agreement with. I can’t remember the treaty by name, but it’s important to understand that these modern day Muslims take their cue’s from this very type of history (e.g., witness all of the cease fire agreements that Hamas/PLO have agreed to but never followed through with-these fake agreements are known as hudna’s). We’re all in big trouble. Period.
Maggie in Kansas