Niger declares war on Christianity! Boko Haram incites violence following Charlie Hebdo publication

Following the recent depiction of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad on the cover of French magazine Charlie Hebdo, Niger has erupted in violence that has left at least 10 people dead and 45 churches burnt.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Hotels, bars, a Christian school and orphanage, and other tourist areas were also targeted during the protests, and the Niger government has declared three days of mourning for the dead.

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Charlie Hebdo's cover featured Muhammad holding up a sign saying "I am Charlie" in French and weeping, in response to the two terrorists attacks earlier this month which left much of the magazine's staff and several other Paris inhabitants dead.

Many Muslim dominated countries, such as Turkey and Iran, criticized the new cover, calling it provocative. In most Islam denominations, any depiction of the Prophet is considered offensive.

The protests in Niger - whose population is 99% Muslim - showed a shocking side, as many of them held up flags that supported Boko Haram, a bloodthirsty terrorist organization based in neighboring Nigeria, which has waged a war to create a separate Islamic state in northern Nigeria.

In Niger's capital, at least five people were killed during the riots, and another five were killed in the southern Niger city of Zinder. Between 170 and 200 people were also injured.

Muslims in Niger are no stranger to demonstrating when they feel Islam is being mocked or attacked, but prior to these more violent clashes, nearly all such protests were peaceful and nonviolent.

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While Niger authorities were unable to explain why this most recent protest was so violent, one only needs to look towards the rising power of Boko Haram, which recruits from neighboring Muslims in a manner similar to the Islamic State.

Officials are investigating whether the group may have been involved in agitating the protesters and creating a riot. Since Boko Haram flags were seen, it is not a farfetched answer.

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