One of the popular slogans towards the end of 2015 was that of “#black lives matter”primarily in response to the indifference and hostility demonstrated  by  the the Amrican state, much of the public and European media) often referred to as “mainstream”) as a result of the killing of unarmed Afrikan men such as Eric Garner, Michael Brown and 12 year old Tamar Rice.

Earlier this month when gunmen burst into the offices of French satirical paper Charlie Hebdo it set off an orgy of violence that left 17 dead (although, like the Lee Rigby incident there are those questioning the veracity of the official account).  The reported rationale was that the paper routinely insults Muslims with its depictions of their Prophet Mohammed.   There was an outpouring of grief from the “international community.”  The term “je suis Charlie (I am Charlie)” became a widespread slogan the sanctity of “freedom of speech” was affirmed around the world.  World laeders joined the masses in Paris that weekend for march in defiance of the “terrorists” and in defence of western values.

Around the same time a reported 2,000 men, women and children were slayed in a sustained attack by radical Islamic group Boko Haram in the northern Nigerian town of Baga.  For this though there was no major expressions  of heartache or sympathy.  In fact, while Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan was keen to share  his condolences with the people of France, on the Baga massacre he stayed silent.

As the declarations of solidarity with France continued, some began to look into the nature of Charlie Hebdo’s satire.  Depictions of Afrikan politicians and monkeys and the “sex slave” children kidnapped by Boko Haram as welfare queen were regarded by many racist.  The paper’s defence was that it was satirising the views of France’s political right. Howvever, it’s not clear in what sense rape (as the Boko Haram child “sex slaves” would be victims of) can be satirised, especially in contrast to one of their writers that was sacked for suggesting that former president Sarkozy’s son would go far if he converted to Judaism.

Perhaps Boko Haram’s atrocities are so common that the media no longer finds them newsworthy.  Or perhaps, as groups like the Green White Coalition suggest, Boko Haram are part of a CIA plot to neutralise Afrika’s most populous country as a threat to US interests in the continent.  Others like renowned scholar Chinweizu suggest that the terror group are funded by northern Muslims in a bid to Islamise the country.

So we ask the question:

Charlie Hebdo Vs Boko Haram:  Do white lives matter more?

1. Are you Charlie?
2. Is Charlie Hebdo satirical or racist?
3. Why wasn’t the Baga massacre more widely reported?
4. Who is really behind Boko Haram?
5. Does a unified, peaceful Nigeria pose a threat to US interest in Afrika