European Parliament condemns Christmas massacre of Christians but blames climate change

The European Parliament has passed a resolution condemning Christmas attacks on Christians in Nigeria that left not less than 195 people dead and a whole lot more injured. 

In addition to the deaths, many 1000’s of individuals were displaced by the violence that destroyed homes and churches.

The resolution “strongly condemns all style of murderous attacks across Nigeria and expresses its solidarity with the Nigerian people”. 

It calls on Nigeria “to take meaningful steps to discover and address all root causes of the violence in Plateau state, equivalent to competition for scarce resources, environmental degradation and the disappearance of effective mediation schemes”.

While the resolution says that the perpetrators are “yet to be identified”, Christian groups have attributed the attacks to radicalised Fulani herdsmen.

The European Parliament has come under fire for blaming the attack on climate change and environmental aspects by saying that “whereas the conflict is increasingly described in religious terms … several aspects are to be taken under consideration equivalent to competition for land fuelled by rapid climate change and the failure of authorities to carry to account those liable for violence”. 

Dr Georgia Du Plessis, legal officer for the Alliance Defending Freedom International, challenged the European Parliament’s position on the violence.

“While we applaud the European Parliament’s recognition of the horrific Christmas massacre targeting Christians, we’re dissatisfied that the resolution downplays the religious causes of the violence while highlighting issues equivalent to climate change. Climate change doesn’t cause people to massacre whole Christian villages,” he said. 

MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen shared these concerns: “Saying that it’s a mere conflict between farmers and herders fails to acknowledge the opposite causes. It is Muslim extremists causing death and destruction.” 

Another MEP, György Hölvényi, said, “Blinded by ideology, some persons are totally insensitive to human suffering in relation to Christians.

“The timing of the attacks, brutal killings, and destruction of churches can’t be misinterpreted and may only be understood because the persecution of Christians and we should always have the option to say so.”