LAGOS, Nigeria, November 22, 2002 — Over 100 people were killed in Northern Nigeria, according to reports from Red Cross officials, and hundreds more injured in mob riots sparked by a local newspaper article suggesting the founder of Islam would have approved of the Miss World beauty pageant.
Reports also indicate at least four, possibly as many as 10 churches were destroyed in the violence.
Gangs of angry Muslims began demonstrating November 20, with the burning of a ThisDay newspaper office in Kaduna. The daily paper had published an article November 16, questioning Muslim groups that had condemned the Miss World pageant, and suggesting Mohammed might have married one of the beauty queens.
The pageant, which muslim groups said promotes sexual promiscuity and indecency, was cancelled by the organisers and moved to London where it will go on as scheduled on December 7.
Christian mobs retaliated, setting fire to mosques and smashing windows.
Source: Bible Network News, with notes from Associated Press, Reuters
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