By Kevin Mittal’15, News Editor

Boko Haram’s abduction of 200 schoolgirls from Chibok, Nigeria is an issue that has been mainly discussed on social media outlets, such as Twitter. Largely ignored by American mainstream media, the terrorist organization remains un-discussed in Newark Academy’s community.

Boko Haram, literally meaning, “Western education is forbidden” in the Hausa language, is an Islamist militant group working out of northern Nigeria. The group believes that Muslims should not participate in any political or social activity associated with the western world.

It drew international attention and outrage in April 2014 after its abduction of 200 schoolgirls and its later video with its leader, Abubakar Shekau, laughing as he discussed his horrific plans for the women. “I abducted your girls,” he said. “I will sell them in the market, by Allah. I will sell them off and marry them off.”

The terrorist organization has been an enormous domestic issue for Nigeria ever since May 2013 after a similar plot when the group released a video saying it had taken women and children – including teenage girls – hostages in response to the arrest of its members’ wives and children. Although there was later a prison swap releasing both women and children, the group’s actions prompted President Goodluck to declare a state of emergency in three northern Nigerian states, Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa.

Currently, Amnesty International, a human rights group, has reported that thousands of civilians are now at “grave risk”. Boko Haram specializes in bombings and has a fighting force of thousands of men and terrorist cells. By raiding military bases and banks, Boko Haram has gained vast amounts of weapons and money.

Mainly a result of domestic dissatisfaction, BBC analysts say the threat of Boko Haram will disappear if Nigeria’s government manages to reduce the region’s chronic poverty and build an education system, which will gain the support of local Muslims. But despite the magnitude of the terrorist problem for Nigerian residents, the group still remains largely unknown to Newark Academy students.

When asked, Anu Sharma ’15, Newark Academy’s Think Tank President and Current Events Leader, indicated that the group had not yet discussed the issue and she was unaware of the problems facing Nigerians. Morgin Goldberg ’15, leader of the social justice day during Newark Academy’s Revolution Week and a major creative force behind the visual installations, was only able to say that it might receive some attention during the day’s “visual display”.

When pushed, Goldberg stated that the lack of awareness was largely due to the fact “that Newark Academy’s media and public sphere is a microcosm of the greater American one and it’s grossly underreported. As to why, I would probably blame apathy, racism, Eurocentric/western-centric thinking, etc.” Whatever the reason, it does appear that the human rights violations that the group has committed will remain largely unknown to the greater Academy community.