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By and large, magazines are still sold by their front pages. The face that graces the cover can make or break sales, which is why most of the time, every glossy you see will feature a celebrity striking a power pose.
This month, Relevant took a very different — and refreshing — approach. The cover features a small child with an amputated arm, staring directly at the camera under the headline “The New Face of Martyrdom.” It’s a story on Boko Haram, the Islamic Extremist group that’s been killing Christians — and any Muslims that the group decides hasn’t been living in line with its principles. The feature sheds light on the group’s devastating impact on Nigeria, specifically, but also looks at Boko Haram’s overall devastation –it’s estimated that the group’s killed 10,000 people in 2014 alone.
Like the cover image, the story is both heartbreaking and eye-opening. It’s hard to read, just as it can be hard to look at, especially from our relatively comfortable lives (suddenly, that late night at work or the awful commute where a stranger coughs in your face no longer seems worthy of griping about). It forced me to stop and pay attention, and start thinking about how I could support groups that are fighting to restore peace in Nigeria and help people escape Boko Haram’s brutality.
At one point in the article, a woman who had been held captive by Boko Haram explains how she was forced to kill people — and when she refused, how they murdered her sister in front of her as punishment. Over time, the woman explains, captives can start to be brainwashed in a way. Some of the most vicious people she met, the article states, were part of the “Chibok girls” who were abducted by Boko Haram in April 2014 (they’ve been the focus of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign on social media). The story also addresses how Boko Haram’s attacks have inspired imitators, who have conducted murderous raids as they pass through Nigeria on their way to neighboring countries. The stories underscore just how much this issue cannot be ignored, because this problem won’t just go away.
But what can we do? What’s the best course of action, once your awareness has been raised?
The story suggests supporting an organization like Voice of the Martyrs, which provides protection and health care services for Christians in Nigeria.
According to The Week‘s feature on Boko Haram, the critical way to stop the group is for Nigeria to address the corruption within its military, build up its education system and increase funding for special programs in the impoverished Northeastern part of the country. It’s no easy task, that’s for sure, but the more we collectively say that this isn’t okay — and refuse to ignore what’s happening — the more pressure there will be to take action.
I certainly don’t have the answers; I’m just trying to figure things out myself.
One thing’s for sure though: Change needs to happen.
This post is part of Life Between Weekends’ Tuesday Takeaway series. Every Tuesday, we’ll share the most compelling insight we’ve gleaned from a book, movie, tour, documentary or article.