# Beautiful Women are Coming to Nigeria! Let's Riot! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 21, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049 "2002-11-21T23:18:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dave\_D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@Dave\_D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_D)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/41 "2002-11-23T07:05:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by masonite \* > \*\*They moved the pageant to London! > > The terrorists have already won. \*\* Yup, and I’m sure a rich country like Nigeria certainly wouldn’t have benefitted from the money something like this could have brought into the country:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/42 "2002-11-23T14:10:01Z")
Of course, the victims of these riots will turn out to have stashed away millions of dollars and only you can help. Now if you’ll just give us your name, SS #, and PIN #, we’ll share the wealth with you. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/43 "2002-11-26T17:24:56Z")
Here’s what editorialist Rex Murphy [had to say](http://cbc.ca/national/rex/rex20021125.html): > [@](#): > > …Dropping this quintessential piece of Western wretched excess into a culture and country not likely to be attuned or appreciative to the utility of cleavage on parade, and Grade 3 speeches on world peace, wasn’t a great nugget of wisdom to begin with. > > …This is worth pausing to think about. Should there have been, by whatever weird combination of circumstances, 200 people killed in any Western city of the globe, and should the Miss World pageant in any way have been implicated in such a slaughter, every media outlet on the continent would be wringing its hands 24 hours a day with specials and panels and experts non stop. > > The contest would be history. They’ve halted Olympics for less, and Miss World, whatever it is (and that’s a good question), is unquestionably not the Olympics. > > What do they plan to do? Dedicate the bathing suit parade to the Nigerian dead? Have a minute of silence before the dance routine? Sing a dirge in their evening gowns? What do they think of the current Miss World, Miss Nigeria, is going to do? Hang crepe from her tiara? > > …There are times the simply ridiculous – Miss World contests – become absolutely immoral, and vile to boot. This is one of them. ---
**Author:** ![BF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@BF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BF)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/44 "2002-11-26T18:11:49Z")
No riot would be complete without a [fatwa](http://sg.news.yahoo.com/021126/1/352r3.html). ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/45 "2002-11-26T18:36:03Z")
For the love of Gawd, people, they didn’t suddenly decide Let’s Go to Nigeria. They went there because MISS NIGERIA WON LAST YEAR. SHE WAS THE FIRST BLACK AFRICAN TO DO SO AND IT WAS GOING TO BE A SPECTACULAR SHOWCASING THE BEST OF THE LARGEST COUNTRY IN WEST AFRICA TO OVER TWO BILLION PEOPLE WATCHING. Now Nigerians have to be embarrassed that they’ll be seen as a backwards, superstititous country where people can get KILLED about a beauty contest! Non-Muslim Nigerians, to judge from the BBC Africa boards, are quite ashamed and angry at the North. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/46 "2002-11-26T18:56:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Dangaladima told AFP: "The state government did not on its own pass the fatwa. It’s a fact that Islam prescribes the death penalty on anybody, no matter his faith, who insults the Prophet. > > “Therefore the state government has retained this verdict as it applies to Isioma. This is our position,” he said, explaining that Islamic youth organisations had come to the Zamfara government to ask for action against the offending journalist You can expect to have people here plead that Islam is the Religion of Peace[sup]TM[/sup] and that the article must mean something else other than what it says. According to many posters here, religion is a benevolent force for good and that there has never been any conflict inspired by any religion at any time in the history of the world. My idea is, that people, being bastards, delete the passages about love, peace, and tolerance from various holy texts to use religions as rallying points for hate, and then when called on their perversion of faith, say, “But our religion teaches only peace.” This phenomenon isn’t unique to Muslims; it’s pretty common around the world–just look at Europe in the 16th century. Of course, there’s more going on here than religion; Nigeria is a dirt-poor country with a bloated, entrenched kleptocracy that has looted the country and left the citizenry poor, uneducated, and ripe for ethnic clashes and relgious zealotry. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/47 "2002-11-26T20:18:53Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by matt\_mcl (quoting Rex Murphy)_ > **They’ve halted Olympics for less** , and Miss World, whatever it is (and that’s a good question), is unquestionably not the Olympics. No doubt Murphy is right that the contest should have been withdrawn from Nigeria due to the riots (the Mayor of London doesn’t want it here either), but when did this happen exactly? VI[sup]e[/sup] – Cancelled due to World War I XII[sup]e[/sup] – Cancelled due to World War II XIII[sup]e[/sup] – Cancelled due to World War II XX[sup]e[/sup] – 1972 Munich, West Germany. Oh that’s the one he means is it? [But after suspending competition for 24 hours](http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0114715.html) and holding a memorial service attended by 80,000 at the main stadium, 84-year-old outgoing IOC president Avery Brundage and his committee ordered “the Games must go on.” Funny definition of “less” if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/48 "2002-11-26T20:47:41Z")
A fatwa is an ordered hit - no more different than an organized crime hit. It’s ordered not because Allah or Mohammed is offended; rather because some person or group believes themselves offended, and wants to show their power. It’s a criminal act of intimidation and terrorism, and any person who agrees with it or remains in a church or sect\* that supports it is complicit in that act, and should be treated as a terrorist. I want to see the links to widespread, universal public statments of condemnation by Muslim religious leaders over this fatwa **now**. I want to see the majority of the leaders of Islam come out to publicly castigate the people who called for this terrorist act. Not all of them, and not even most, as that would not be fair - I just want to see a _majority_. Think those links will be rolling on in? I guess we’ll have to wait and see… \*[sub]Now, since I know Ugly Americans[sup]TM[/sup] like myself are not allowed to criticize anyone, anywhere, anytime, as we are all tryannical intolerant murdering planet-raping ignorant backwoods scum who only want to commit genocide and cram Christian Hate down the throat of the oppressed peoples of the World - I should clarify that by “church” or “sect” I do not refer to Islam in general or even localized to a country - but refer to it in the very specific case of the followers of people like the gentleman calling for the fatwa. I no more believe that the average Muslim worldwide supports these things than I believe that the average Christian wants to burn down the local library. But great galloping fuck - can’t they see that continued silence on these things only gives the appearance of approval? No, in a perfect world, people should not have to weigh-in on every single political position, atrocity, and act - but when you are in a leadership position of a religion - any religion - you have to take some responsibility to the acts of others in your religion. It’s part of your freaking job as an appointed officer of your church. Fuck, this is not rocket science, people, and the continued defense of terrorists under the guise of “you just don’t _understand_ why fatwa’s are needed by the Religion of Peace” that I see here on this Board and have seen for years now sickens me.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/49 "2002-11-26T20:55:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mehitabel \* > \*\*Just hate having to add yet another country to those I Must Understand. My 'Fuck ‘em all!’ reaction must be Why People Hate Americans. > > The news gets even worse–people were burned alive in the streets! Crowds were actually chanting “Down with beauty!” > > That says it all. \*\* It sure does. Personally I think people like that need to hate someone, anyone, and the US is the easiest target. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/50 "2002-11-27T11:19:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anthracite \* > Now, since I know Ugly Americans[sup]TM[/sup] like myself are not allowed to criticize anyone, anywhere, anytime, as we are all tryannical intolerant murdering planet-raping ignorant backwoods scum who only want to commit genocide and cram Christian Hate down the throat of the oppressed peoples of the World You must get very tired carrying that cross around all the time. Aaawww poor little Anthracite. I don’t know but maybe people are just disagreeing with you and not your Nationality. > [@](#): > > Fuck, this is not rocket science, people, and the continued defense of terrorists under the guise of “you just don’t _understand_ why fatwa’s are needed by the Religion of Peace” that I see here on this Board and have seen for years now sickens me. Continued defense? I read quite a bit of this board. Where are people saying that fatwa’s are needed and terrorists defended? A couple of cites would be nice as it’s “continued defense” Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/51 "2002-11-27T13:01:48Z")
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2518159.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2518159.stm) Several Muslim scholars and leaders have come out against the declaration of a fatwah. ---
**Author:** ![Wabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wabbit)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/52 "2002-11-27T18:21:57Z")
Eh, I only saw one in that article. Are there any others? Not upset, just curious. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/53 "2002-11-27T18:31:22Z")
I thought it mentioned a scholar and a leader, as well as the two it mentions calling for the Fatwah. ---
**Author:** ![CRorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CRorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CRorex)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/54 "2002-11-27T20:27:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TwistofFate \* > \*\*[http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm\_714198.html](http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_714198.html) > > “The Red Cross says thousands of Muslims have sought refuge in army bases and police stations from mobs of revenge seeking Christian youths.” > > Still want to say its Islam at fault? \*\* Generally, and i’m speaking in broad general terms here, you have to do something to someone before they try to kill you seaking revenge. Like burning down their churches. That’ll piss em off. ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/55 "2002-11-28T08:08:53Z")
Okay, I usually don’t respond to slam dunks like this one, but this outraged me _so_ much that I can’t help it. [Deep breath]…Here goes. Re. the choice of city. Okay, it definitely wasn’t an ideal location for a “decadent” contest such as this. But, as Mehitabel already mentioned, there was a very good reason for this. And I hardly think that it’s asking too much for the people of any region, no matter how volatile, to not go ape-excrement over a beauty pageant. Re. that stupid, stupid metaphor. GAWD, was that ever moronic. Look, I know you _thought_ it was witty and harmless, but in any corner of the world where people take their religion incredibly seriously, if you value your life, you do not mention Muhammed. Got that? Anyone else. Hugh Hefener. Pierce Brosnan. That guy who was on The Bachelor. Hell, Bill Clinton if you don’t being a little behind the times. ANYONE EXCEPT MU-FRICKIN’-HAMMED. Okay? As stupid as this was, however, this did not, repeat, _not_ justify the mass slaughter of people who had nothing whatsoever to do with the pageant or the article. Re. Islam vs. Christianity You know what? I don’t care. Really, I simply don’t give a damn. I’ve experienced both religions, and the actual, quantifiable differences between them wouldn’t fit on an index card. And I know it’s only the extremists who would go out of their freaking minds and kill and kill and kill, but that’s no comfort to the friends and families of those who got slaughtered. Conclusion: You can add Nigeria to my ever-expanding list of places I’m glad I live far, far away from. (Sheesh, no wonder The Amazing Race has such an uncertain future…) ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/56 "2002-11-28T13:27:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yojimbo \* > **You must get very tired carrying that cross around all the time. Aaawww poor little Anthracite. I don’t know but maybe people are just disagreeing with you and not your Nationality.** It’s funny that in a post that in no way attacked you, your country, your religion, your ethnicity, the European Union, your manhood, your heritage, your football team, your sexuality, or your philosophy of life, you still could not withhold your hatred enough to resist making a personal swipe at me, rather than generalizing your complaint. As a result, your persuasive argument for listening to anything you say here is unclear at best. Goodbye for now, and have a fortunate day. **TwistofFate** - Thank you - I had read that too last night, but I think that’s kinda not what I was searching for. The article says “other Muslim leaders”, but only quotes one “Muslim scholar” (is that like asking a divinity student about something that a Bishop says? 😕 ) as saying the fatwa must be withdrawn. I am very concerned that there is not a widespread condemnation of the fatwa by Muslim leaders. And that link also has some scary text in it, such as the “killing of parents” quote. And like I said - in a perfect world, people should not have to weigh-in on every single political position, atrocity, and act - but when you are in a leadership position of a religion - any religion - you have to take **some** responsibility to the acts of others in your religion. It comes with the territory and the job, and it’s an equally applicable notion to _all_ religions. Maybe I’m in the wrong here - I mean, from a general religious standpoint, should that responsibility fall upon the leaders to clarify and correct statments made by others? Or is it just that I’m ignorant of the structure of Islam, and that this branch Muslims in Nigeria is akin to the Branch Davidians and their relation to Christianity? I’m not trying to be argumentative, I just don’t know. Of couse, even with the Branch Davidians, Christian leaders scrambled for camera-time to denounce their religious practices and actions… But I can’t even find statements by prominent Muslim leaders in America, of all places. 😕 Not that America is so elightened or anything, but due to the different culture I would have expected something to be said here. Twisty - could part of the problem be that people are seeing the “Miss World” event as the frivilous thing which it (arguably, I guess) is, and therefore as a result are blowing off the true importance of the events unfolding in Nigeria? ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/57 "2002-11-28T13:50:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anthracite \* > It’s funny that in a post that in no way attacked you, your country, your religion, your ethnicity, the European Union, your manhood, your heritage, your football team, your sexuality, or your philosophy of life, you still could not withhold your hatred enough to resist making a personal swipe at me, rather than generalizing your complaint. As a result, your persuasive argument for listening to anything you say here is unclear at best. Goodbye for now, and have a fortunate day. Hatred HA! Get a grip will ya. Why the fuck would I hate you? I have a bigger problem with the 1cent coin that’s stuck on my desk than I do with you personally… Oh wait a minute you’re American aren’t you so I must have hatred for you. Ah I see now :rolleyes: Why should I generalise when I had a problem with **you** and **your** _everybody has a problem with Americans_ shite? Can’t see any links to > [@](#): > > the continued defense of terrorists under the guise of “you just don’t _understand_ why fatwa’s are needed by the Religion of Peace” that I see here on this Board > [@](#): > > have a fortunate day. And you too. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/58 "2002-11-28T16:00:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cuauhtemoc \* > \*\*And that’s the difference between the West and the Third World (well, some places in the Third World). It puts those crackpot letters to the editor you always see in newspapers in perspective, doesn’t it? You could read them and go “Jesus, what the hell kind of country am I living in?” or you could think “Well, at least they’re not rioting and suicide-bombing.” \*\* A reasonable point but in the still-not-yet-part-of-the-Third-World UK, when a sunday rag ran articles naming paedophiles it provoked local riots not only where alleged paedophiles lived but the unwashed masses took it as the green light to have a go at anyone they suspected, including those goddam evil Paediatricians. The witch-burning Middle Ages never seem far away when permission is given any populance to demonise a sub group. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/59 "2002-11-28T18:38:31Z")
I think “riots” might not be the correct word here **tagos** , but there certainly have been [attacks on innocent people](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1887835.stm) falsely accused, and not only in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049/60 "2002-11-29T04:39:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yojimbo \* > Hatred HA! Get a grip will ya. Why the fuck would I hate you? I have a bigger problem with the 1cent coin that’s stuck on my desk than I do with you personally > [@](#): > > Why should I generalise when I had a problem with **you** … These two statements are either in conflict, or are not worded well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-women-are-coming-to-nigeria-lets-riot/138049.md?page=4)