Greetings to all the congregants in the name of Jesus.
We recently learned with outrage, shock and horror of the abduction of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok, Nigeria on the 14th of April by Boko Haram. A further eight girls were abducted by the same group from their village in the North of Nigeria.
These are mere children who are between 11 and 18 years old. We call on their immediate release from and safe return to their homes!
The kidnapping of the girls is a serious human rights violation and a crime against humanity. More shocking are reports that the girls might be sold by their captors. This means that these our children will be exposed to enslavement, rape, sexual slavery, and human trafficking.
In most conflict or wars women and children are the biggest victims, often ending up as sex slaves, raped and trafficked while boys are forced to become child slaves or even child soldiers. This has been the case in DRC, Darfur, Sudan, CAR and other regions going through war.
Our prayers and thoughts are with the families and girls at this difficult time.
We call on all religious groups to join the call for the release of our girls and expose Boko Haram, a terrorist group that has no respect for human rights and human life. They claim to commit all these atrocities in the name of religion. Let religions all over the world stand up and join the outcry for the release of the girls.
Today is Mothers’ Day and UN International Family Day, let us use this day to pray for peace in the world and challenge militarism and end violence against women and children.
As we celebrate Mothers’ Day and Family Day with our children, let us keep the Nigerian mothers and families whose girls are abducted in our thoughts and prayers.
We call on the UN, AU and the international community to support the Nigerian government and community in their effort to secure the safe release of the girls.
Let us also continue to pray for our women and girls here in South Africa and many other countries in Africa who continue to suffer brutal abuse including rape and murder mostly in the hands of their husbands/spouse or close relatives.
We believe that if there is no peace in the home, there will be no peace in the community and there will be no peace in the world.
Let us also pray for all the women and girls who live in conflict, war-torn, regions in Africa.
Let us pray for peace in the home, peace in our country, peace in Africa and peace in the world.
Let us pray for justice to prevail.
We again call on all religious leaders to fight and exorcise the demons of Satanism and terrorism wherever they rear their ugly heads on the African Continent.
Bring back our girls home! Bring back our girls home! Bring back our girls home!
I thank you.
