Muslims worldwide have condemned the abduction a month ago of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls by the Muslim extremist group Boko Haram.
Muslim leaders have criticized Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, for using Islamic teachings as his justification for threatening to sell the girls into slavery. Others have focused on what they view as a slow response by Nigeria's government to the crisis.
Muslim leader Faisal Suliman, chair of the South Africa Muslim Network (SAMNET), appeared on the South African radio show Voice of the Cape's Breakfast Beaton Wednesday to distance Boko Haram’s actions from Islam.
"This is a totally un-Islamic act. It is contrary to the Sharia and what is in the Koran. There is no place for this in Islam no matter who does it, regardless of whatever cause they try and perceive it to be," Suliman said.
14/05/2014
Muslims Denounce Boko Haram's Nigeria Abductions
Muslims worldwide have condemned the abduction a month ago of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls by the Muslim extremist group Boko Haram.
Muslim leaders have criticized Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, for using Islamic teachings as his justification for threatening to sell the girls into slavery. Others have focused on what they view as a slow response by Nigeria's government to the crisis.
Muslim leader Faisal Suliman, chair of the South Africa Muslim Network (SAMNET), appeared on the South African radio show Voice of the Cape's Breakfast Beaton Wednesday to distance Boko Haram’s actions from Islam.
"This is a totally un-Islamic act. It is contrary to the Sharia and what is in the Koran. There is no place for this in Islam no matter who does it, regardless of whatever cause they try and perceive it to be," Suliman said.
He questioned some of the coverage by mainstream media, whom he claimed were trying to link the kidnappings to the beliefs of Islam. He also questioned the use of words such as “Islamist” and “fundamentalist” to describe the group's actions.
"It was an act worthy of condemnation across all communities, religions and ethnicities, and we are trying to make that clear. But certainly in the mainstream media, it is still being presented with that Islamic connotation," he said.
Earlier this week, Boko Haram released a video that allegedly shows some of the kidnapped girls dressed in Islamic attire and reciting verses from the Koran.
Suliman said the video seemed contrived and designed to touch every sensitivity of a non-Muslim in order to stir up hatred toward Muslims.
In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, the Jakarta Post published an editorial earlier this month condemning the Boko Haram leader for "wrongly" citing Islamic teaching as his excuse for selling the abducted girls into slavery.
Recalling the Taliban's shooting of 15-year-old Pakistani girl Malala Yousafzai in 2012 because of her outspokenness in defense of girls' right to an education, the editorial said: "Malala's message needs to be conveyed to all people who use their power to block children's access to education. It is saddening that religion is misused to terrorize people and to kill the future leaders of the world."
Nigerian president criticized
The newspaper also criticized Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, noting that "only after international condemnation and street demonstrations poured in did President Jonathan tell his nation that he would take all necessary actions to return the young women to their parents and schools, while also acknowledging that the whereabouts of the abductees remained unknown."
In an editorial, The New York Times also faulted the Nigerian president: "It wasn't until Sunday, more than two weeks after the kidnappings, that he called a meeting of government officials, including the leader of the girls' school, to discuss the incident.
On May 7, Al-Azhar University in Cairo, one of Sunni Islam's most prestigious institutions, urged Boko Haram to release the kidnapped schoolgirls.
Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb of Al-Azhar said the abductions “completely contradict Islam and its tolerant principles.”
Egyptian Religious Endowments Minister Mohammed Mohktar Gomaa also said, "The actions taken by Boko Haram are pure terrorism, with no relation to Islam, especially the kidnapping of the girls."
Dawn, an English language newspaper in Pakistan, published an opinion piece that takes Nigeria to task for not moving against Boko Haram.
"The popular upsurge in Nigeria in the wake of the latest unspeakable atrocity provides some scope for hoping that the state will finally act decisively to obliterate the growing menace," wrote columnist Mahir Ali.
In Sweden, in an editorial posted on the left-wing news website politism.se, blogger Nikita Feiz criticized the international community for its slow response and asked why the situation hadn't triggered as loud a reaction as when Malala was shot in Pakistan.
"Looking at the situation in Nigeria, Malala appears like a false promise from the West that it would stand up for girls' rights to attend school without fear of being subjected to sexual exploitation and abuse," Feiz said.
"It is difficult not to draw the conclusion that the West's assurance to act for girls' rights suddenly isn't as natural when it comes to girls' rights in a country in Africa," Feiz said.(voanews)
Muslim leaders have criticized Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, for using Islamic teachings as his justification for threatening to sell the girls into slavery. Others have focused on what they view as a slow response by Nigeria's government to the crisis.
Muslim leader Faisal Suliman, chair of the South Africa Muslim Network (SAMNET), appeared on the South African radio show Voice of the Cape's Breakfast Beaton Wednesday to distance Boko Haram’s actions from Islam.
"This is a totally un-Islamic act. It is contrary to the Sharia and what is in the Koran. There is no place for this in Islam no matter who does it, regardless of whatever cause they try and perceive it to be," Suliman said.
He questioned some of the coverage by mainstream media, whom he claimed were trying to link the kidnappings to the beliefs of Islam. He also questioned the use of words such as “Islamist” and “fundamentalist” to describe the group's actions.
"It was an act worthy of condemnation across all communities, religions and ethnicities, and we are trying to make that clear. But certainly in the mainstream media, it is still being presented with that Islamic connotation," he said.
Earlier this week, Boko Haram released a video that allegedly shows some of the kidnapped girls dressed in Islamic attire and reciting verses from the Koran.
Suliman said the video seemed contrived and designed to touch every sensitivity of a non-Muslim in order to stir up hatred toward Muslims.
In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, the Jakarta Post published an editorial earlier this month condemning the Boko Haram leader for "wrongly" citing Islamic teaching as his excuse for selling the abducted girls into slavery.
Recalling the Taliban's shooting of 15-year-old Pakistani girl Malala Yousafzai in 2012 because of her outspokenness in defense of girls' right to an education, the editorial said: "Malala's message needs to be conveyed to all people who use their power to block children's access to education. It is saddening that religion is misused to terrorize people and to kill the future leaders of the world."
Nigerian president criticized
The newspaper also criticized Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, noting that "only after international condemnation and street demonstrations poured in did President Jonathan tell his nation that he would take all necessary actions to return the young women to their parents and schools, while also acknowledging that the whereabouts of the abductees remained unknown."
In an editorial, The New York Times also faulted the Nigerian president: "It wasn't until Sunday, more than two weeks after the kidnappings, that he called a meeting of government officials, including the leader of the girls' school, to discuss the incident.
On May 7, Al-Azhar University in Cairo, one of Sunni Islam's most prestigious institutions, urged Boko Haram to release the kidnapped schoolgirls.
Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb of Al-Azhar said the abductions “completely contradict Islam and its tolerant principles.”
Egyptian Religious Endowments Minister Mohammed Mohktar Gomaa also said, "The actions taken by Boko Haram are pure terrorism, with no relation to Islam, especially the kidnapping of the girls."
Dawn, an English language newspaper in Pakistan, published an opinion piece that takes Nigeria to task for not moving against Boko Haram.
"The popular upsurge in Nigeria in the wake of the latest unspeakable atrocity provides some scope for hoping that the state will finally act decisively to obliterate the growing menace," wrote columnist Mahir Ali.
In Sweden, in an editorial posted on the left-wing news website politism.se, blogger Nikita Feiz criticized the international community for its slow response and asked why the situation hadn't triggered as loud a reaction as when Malala was shot in Pakistan.
"Looking at the situation in Nigeria, Malala appears like a false promise from the West that it would stand up for girls' rights to attend school without fear of being subjected to sexual exploitation and abuse," Feiz said.
"It is difficult not to draw the conclusion that the West's assurance to act for girls' rights suddenly isn't as natural when it comes to girls' rights in a country in Africa," Feiz said.(voanews)
Muslims Denounce Boko Haram's Nigeria Abductions
Muslims worldwide have condemned the abduction a month ago of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls by the Muslim extremist group Boko Haram.
Muslim leaders have criticized Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, for using Islamic teachings as his justification for threatening to sell the girls into slavery. Others have focused on what they view as a slow response by Nigeria's government to the crisis.
Muslim leader Faisal Suliman, chair of the South Africa Muslim Network (SAMNET), appeared on the South African radio show Voice of the Cape's Breakfast Beaton Wednesday to distance Boko Haram’s actions from Islam.
"This is a totally un-Islamic act. It is contrary to the Sharia and what is in the Koran. There is no place for this in Islam no matter who does it, regardless of whatever cause they try and perceive it to be," Suliman said.
He questioned some of the coverage by mainstream media, whom he claimed were trying to link the kidnappings to the beliefs of Islam. He also questioned the use of words such as “Islamist” and “fundamentalist” to describe the group's actions.
"It was an act worthy of condemnation across all communities, religions and ethnicities, and we are trying to make that clear. But certainly in the mainstream media, it is still being presented with that Islamic connotation," he said.
Earlier this week, Boko Haram released a video that allegedly shows some of the kidnapped girls dressed in Islamic attire and reciting verses from the Koran.
Suliman said the video seemed contrived and designed to touch every sensitivity of a non-Muslim in order to stir up hatred toward Muslims.
In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, the Jakarta Post published an editorial earlier this month condemning the Boko Haram leader for "wrongly" citing Islamic teaching as his excuse for selling the abducted girls into slavery.
Recalling the Taliban's shooting of 15-year-old Pakistani girl Malala Yousafzai in 2012 because of her outspokenness in defense of girls' right to an education, the editorial said: "Malala's message needs to be conveyed to all people who use their power to block children's access to education. It is saddening that religion is misused to terrorize people and to kill the future leaders of the world."
Nigerian president criticized
The newspaper also criticized Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, noting that "only after international condemnation and street demonstrations poured in did President Jonathan tell his nation that he would take all necessary actions to return the young women to their parents and schools, while also acknowledging that the whereabouts of the abductees remained unknown."
In an editorial, The New York Times also faulted the Nigerian president: "It wasn't until Sunday, more than two weeks after the kidnappings, that he called a meeting of government officials, including the leader of the girls' school, to discuss the incident.
On May 7, Al-Azhar University in Cairo, one of Sunni Islam's most prestigious institutions, urged Boko Haram to release the kidnapped schoolgirls.
Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb of Al-Azhar said the abductions “completely contradict Islam and its tolerant principles.”
Egyptian Religious Endowments Minister Mohammed Mohktar Gomaa also said, "The actions taken by Boko Haram are pure terrorism, with no relation to Islam, especially the kidnapping of the girls."
Dawn, an English language newspaper in Pakistan, published an opinion piece that takes Nigeria to task for not moving against Boko Haram.
"The popular upsurge in Nigeria in the wake of the latest unspeakable atrocity provides some scope for hoping that the state will finally act decisively to obliterate the growing menace," wrote columnist Mahir Ali.
In Sweden, in an editorial posted on the left-wing news website politism.se, blogger Nikita Feiz criticized the international community for its slow response and asked why the situation hadn't triggered as loud a reaction as when Malala was shot in Pakistan.
"Looking at the situation in Nigeria, Malala appears like a false promise from the West that it would stand up for girls' rights to attend school without fear of being subjected to sexual exploitation and abuse," Feiz said.
"It is difficult not to draw the conclusion that the West's assurance to act for girls' rights suddenly isn't as natural when it comes to girls' rights in a country in Africa," Feiz said.(voanews)
Muslim leaders have criticized Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, for using Islamic teachings as his justification for threatening to sell the girls into slavery. Others have focused on what they view as a slow response by Nigeria's government to the crisis.
Muslim leader Faisal Suliman, chair of the South Africa Muslim Network (SAMNET), appeared on the South African radio show Voice of the Cape's Breakfast Beaton Wednesday to distance Boko Haram’s actions from Islam.
"This is a totally un-Islamic act. It is contrary to the Sharia and what is in the Koran. There is no place for this in Islam no matter who does it, regardless of whatever cause they try and perceive it to be," Suliman said.
He questioned some of the coverage by mainstream media, whom he claimed were trying to link the kidnappings to the beliefs of Islam. He also questioned the use of words such as “Islamist” and “fundamentalist” to describe the group's actions.
"It was an act worthy of condemnation across all communities, religions and ethnicities, and we are trying to make that clear. But certainly in the mainstream media, it is still being presented with that Islamic connotation," he said.
Earlier this week, Boko Haram released a video that allegedly shows some of the kidnapped girls dressed in Islamic attire and reciting verses from the Koran.
Suliman said the video seemed contrived and designed to touch every sensitivity of a non-Muslim in order to stir up hatred toward Muslims.
In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, the Jakarta Post published an editorial earlier this month condemning the Boko Haram leader for "wrongly" citing Islamic teaching as his excuse for selling the abducted girls into slavery.
Recalling the Taliban's shooting of 15-year-old Pakistani girl Malala Yousafzai in 2012 because of her outspokenness in defense of girls' right to an education, the editorial said: "Malala's message needs to be conveyed to all people who use their power to block children's access to education. It is saddening that religion is misused to terrorize people and to kill the future leaders of the world."
Nigerian president criticized
The newspaper also criticized Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, noting that "only after international condemnation and street demonstrations poured in did President Jonathan tell his nation that he would take all necessary actions to return the young women to their parents and schools, while also acknowledging that the whereabouts of the abductees remained unknown."
In an editorial, The New York Times also faulted the Nigerian president: "It wasn't until Sunday, more than two weeks after the kidnappings, that he called a meeting of government officials, including the leader of the girls' school, to discuss the incident.
On May 7, Al-Azhar University in Cairo, one of Sunni Islam's most prestigious institutions, urged Boko Haram to release the kidnapped schoolgirls.
Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb of Al-Azhar said the abductions “completely contradict Islam and its tolerant principles.”
Egyptian Religious Endowments Minister Mohammed Mohktar Gomaa also said, "The actions taken by Boko Haram are pure terrorism, with no relation to Islam, especially the kidnapping of the girls."
Dawn, an English language newspaper in Pakistan, published an opinion piece that takes Nigeria to task for not moving against Boko Haram.
"The popular upsurge in Nigeria in the wake of the latest unspeakable atrocity provides some scope for hoping that the state will finally act decisively to obliterate the growing menace," wrote columnist Mahir Ali.
In Sweden, in an editorial posted on the left-wing news website politism.se, blogger Nikita Feiz criticized the international community for its slow response and asked why the situation hadn't triggered as loud a reaction as when Malala was shot in Pakistan.
"Looking at the situation in Nigeria, Malala appears like a false promise from the West that it would stand up for girls' rights to attend school without fear of being subjected to sexual exploitation and abuse," Feiz said.
"It is difficult not to draw the conclusion that the West's assurance to act for girls' rights suddenly isn't as natural when it comes to girls' rights in a country in Africa," Feiz said.(voanews)
Muslims Denounce Boko Haram's Nigeria Abductions
Muslims worldwide have condemned the abduction a month ago of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls by the Muslim extremist group Boko Haram.
Muslim leaders have criticized Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, for using Islamic teachings as his justification for threatening to sell the girls into slavery. Others have focused on what they view as a slow response by Nigeria's government to the crisis.
Muslim leader Faisal Suliman, chair of the South Africa Muslim Network (SAMNET), appeared on the South African radio show Voice of the Cape's Breakfast Beaton Wednesday to distance Boko Haram’s actions from Islam.
"This is a totally un-Islamic act. It is contrary to the Sharia and what is in the Koran. There is no place for this in Islam no matter who does it, regardless of whatever cause they try and perceive it to be," Suliman said.
He questioned some of the coverage by mainstream media, whom he claimed were trying to link the kidnappings to the beliefs of Islam. He also questioned the use of words such as “Islamist” and “fundamentalist” to describe the group's actions.
"It was an act worthy of condemnation across all communities, religions and ethnicities, and we are trying to make that clear. But certainly in the mainstream media, it is still being presented with that Islamic connotation," he said.
Earlier this week, Boko Haram released a video that allegedly shows some of the kidnapped girls dressed in Islamic attire and reciting verses from the Koran.
Suliman said the video seemed contrived and designed to touch every sensitivity of a non-Muslim in order to stir up hatred toward Muslims.
In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, the Jakarta Post published an editorial earlier this month condemning the Boko Haram leader for "wrongly" citing Islamic teaching as his excuse for selling the abducted girls into slavery.
Recalling the Taliban's shooting of 15-year-old Pakistani girl Malala Yousafzai in 2012 because of her outspokenness in defense of girls' right to an education, the editorial said: "Malala's message needs to be conveyed to all people who use their power to block children's access to education. It is saddening that religion is misused to terrorize people and to kill the future leaders of the world."
Nigerian president criticized
The newspaper also criticized Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, noting that "only after international condemnation and street demonstrations poured in did President Jonathan tell his nation that he would take all necessary actions to return the young women to their parents and schools, while also acknowledging that the whereabouts of the abductees remained unknown."
In an editorial, The New York Times also faulted the Nigerian president: "It wasn't until Sunday, more than two weeks after the kidnappings, that he called a meeting of government officials, including the leader of the girls' school, to discuss the incident.
On May 7, Al-Azhar University in Cairo, one of Sunni Islam's most prestigious institutions, urged Boko Haram to release the kidnapped schoolgirls.
Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb of Al-Azhar said the abductions “completely contradict Islam and its tolerant principles.”
Egyptian Religious Endowments Minister Mohammed Mohktar Gomaa also said, "The actions taken by Boko Haram are pure terrorism, with no relation to Islam, especially the kidnapping of the girls."
Dawn, an English language newspaper in Pakistan, published an opinion piece that takes Nigeria to task for not moving against Boko Haram.
"The popular upsurge in Nigeria in the wake of the latest unspeakable atrocity provides some scope for hoping that the state will finally act decisively to obliterate the growing menace," wrote columnist Mahir Ali.
In Sweden, in an editorial posted on the left-wing news website politism.se, blogger Nikita Feiz criticized the international community for its slow response and asked why the situation hadn't triggered as loud a reaction as when Malala was shot in Pakistan.
"Looking at the situation in Nigeria, Malala appears like a false promise from the West that it would stand up for girls' rights to attend school without fear of being subjected to sexual exploitation and abuse," Feiz said.
"It is difficult not to draw the conclusion that the West's assurance to act for girls' rights suddenly isn't as natural when it comes to girls' rights in a country in Africa," Feiz said.(voanews)
Muslim leaders have criticized Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, for using Islamic teachings as his justification for threatening to sell the girls into slavery. Others have focused on what they view as a slow response by Nigeria's government to the crisis.
Muslim leader Faisal Suliman, chair of the South Africa Muslim Network (SAMNET), appeared on the South African radio show Voice of the Cape's Breakfast Beaton Wednesday to distance Boko Haram’s actions from Islam.
"This is a totally un-Islamic act. It is contrary to the Sharia and what is in the Koran. There is no place for this in Islam no matter who does it, regardless of whatever cause they try and perceive it to be," Suliman said.
He questioned some of the coverage by mainstream media, whom he claimed were trying to link the kidnappings to the beliefs of Islam. He also questioned the use of words such as “Islamist” and “fundamentalist” to describe the group's actions.
"It was an act worthy of condemnation across all communities, religions and ethnicities, and we are trying to make that clear. But certainly in the mainstream media, it is still being presented with that Islamic connotation," he said.
Earlier this week, Boko Haram released a video that allegedly shows some of the kidnapped girls dressed in Islamic attire and reciting verses from the Koran.
Suliman said the video seemed contrived and designed to touch every sensitivity of a non-Muslim in order to stir up hatred toward Muslims.
In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, the Jakarta Post published an editorial earlier this month condemning the Boko Haram leader for "wrongly" citing Islamic teaching as his excuse for selling the abducted girls into slavery.
Recalling the Taliban's shooting of 15-year-old Pakistani girl Malala Yousafzai in 2012 because of her outspokenness in defense of girls' right to an education, the editorial said: "Malala's message needs to be conveyed to all people who use their power to block children's access to education. It is saddening that religion is misused to terrorize people and to kill the future leaders of the world."
Nigerian president criticized
The newspaper also criticized Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, noting that "only after international condemnation and street demonstrations poured in did President Jonathan tell his nation that he would take all necessary actions to return the young women to their parents and schools, while also acknowledging that the whereabouts of the abductees remained unknown."
In an editorial, The New York Times also faulted the Nigerian president: "It wasn't until Sunday, more than two weeks after the kidnappings, that he called a meeting of government officials, including the leader of the girls' school, to discuss the incident.
On May 7, Al-Azhar University in Cairo, one of Sunni Islam's most prestigious institutions, urged Boko Haram to release the kidnapped schoolgirls.
Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb of Al-Azhar said the abductions “completely contradict Islam and its tolerant principles.”
Egyptian Religious Endowments Minister Mohammed Mohktar Gomaa also said, "The actions taken by Boko Haram are pure terrorism, with no relation to Islam, especially the kidnapping of the girls."
Dawn, an English language newspaper in Pakistan, published an opinion piece that takes Nigeria to task for not moving against Boko Haram.
"The popular upsurge in Nigeria in the wake of the latest unspeakable atrocity provides some scope for hoping that the state will finally act decisively to obliterate the growing menace," wrote columnist Mahir Ali.
In Sweden, in an editorial posted on the left-wing news website politism.se, blogger Nikita Feiz criticized the international community for its slow response and asked why the situation hadn't triggered as loud a reaction as when Malala was shot in Pakistan.
"Looking at the situation in Nigeria, Malala appears like a false promise from the West that it would stand up for girls' rights to attend school without fear of being subjected to sexual exploitation and abuse," Feiz said.
"It is difficult not to draw the conclusion that the West's assurance to act for girls' rights suddenly isn't as natural when it comes to girls' rights in a country in Africa," Feiz said.(voanews)
13/05/2014
Chibok - Our Daughters Not in Boko Haram Video - Some Parents
Some parents of the girls abducted at Goverment Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State by Boko Haram terrorists have distanced themselves from the latest video purportedly released by the leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau who claimed that the kidnapped students, particularly the Christians have converted to Islam. They said they could not identify any of their daughters in the video obtained by AFP.
It would be recalled that Governor Shettima ordered the mass production of the video for possible identification by parents after he saw the clip on the BBC world service. The governor thereafter directed the mass duplication of the video to be shown to parents, some abducted but freed students, teachers and management staff of the school among others.
Speaking with Vanguard, Mallam Zannah Chibok, one of the parents who had seen the video said he couldn't identify any of his daughters, pointing out that some of the faces in the video are not even students, as their ages can be put at between 30 and 40 years.
A screengrab taken on May 12, 2014, from a video of Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram obtained by AFP shows girls, wearing the full-length hijab and praying in an undisclosed rural location. Boko Haram released a new video on claiming to show the missing Nigerian schoolgirls, alleging they had converted to Islam and would not be released until all militant prisoners were freed. A total of 276 girls were abducted on April 14 from the northeastern town of Chibok, in Borno state, which has a sizeable Christian community. Some 223 are still missing.
Likewise, another parent who did not want his name mentioned for security reasons, admitted that he watched the video on a cable news channel, as well as, on the social media, but to his dismay, he couldn't identify any of his missing daughters in it.
Also speaking to our correspondent on phone, some parents and other residents of Chibok, especially those residing in remote villages said they are yet to come across the released video, not to talk of identifying their missing children. (allafrica)
12/05/2014
Nigeria 'rejects Boko Haram prisoner exchange offer' after video message appears to show kidnapped schoolgirls for first time
The Nigerian government has reportedly rejected an offer from the militant group Boko Haram to release more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls in exchange for prisoners.
Earlier today the terrorist group released a new video message in which they purported to show some of the hundreds of girls they have captured from a town in the north-east of the country.
Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the militant group, also said that the girls had been converted to Islam while in captivity, which he referred to as a "liberation".
The 17-minute video, obtained by the news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), showed around 100 girls wearing full veils and reportedly praying in an undisclosed location.
In a separate part of the video, Shekau said that the girls would remain captive until the Nigerian government releases all imprisoned Boko Haram militants.
When asked if the government would reject any offer of a deal in exchange for prisoners, interior minister Abba Moro told AFP: "Of Course."
He said: "The issue in question is not about Boko Haram giving conditions."
The video has raised further concerns that the girls have now been split up into a number of groups across a remote stretch of Nigeria, as well as fears some may have been smuggled out of the country altogether.
The Nigerian government has previously said it will not "pay a ransom" to get the girls back, and on Thursday the president, Goodluck Jonathan, vowed that he would make the incident "the beginning of the end" of terrorism in the country.
Three girls were reported to have appeared individually in the videos, with one of them saying that they had not been harmed by their captors.
Two girls reportedly said they were Christian and have converted to Islam and the third said she is a Muslim.
Speaking to Sky News earlier, the father of one of the kidnapped girls said he did not want the government to accept Boko Haram's offer of an exchange for prisoners.
"It's not right," he said. "They'll do it again."
Though reports vary on the exact number of schoolgirls taken by Boko Haram initially, it is believed that 276 remain missing from the more than 300 kidnapped on 14 April from Chibok in the state of Borno, which has a large Christian community.
A number of the girls were able to break free from the group, and speaking yesterday one of them said more would have escaped had they not feared being shot by their captors.
The government’s failure to rescue the remaining girls has attracted mounting outrage. After appearing to ignore earlier offers, last week Mr Jonathan accepted international help.
The team expected in Nigeria to assist in search and rescue efforts will include US hostage negotiators, counter-terror experts and intelligence agents from Britain, France, China and Spain. Israel also offered assistance on Sunday.
Around the world, the effort to rescue the captives has been fuelled by a social media campaign, under the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls. Yesterday it was joined by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, who later came in for criticism that there were more practical things he could do to help.
Responding to the video that emerged today, Downing Street condemned it as showing "the horror and the barbarity of the actions in the kidnapping of these girls".
A spokesperson for Mr Cameron said: "It underlines the importance of working with and in support of the Nigerian authorities and Nigerian people in terms of trying to bring about the release of the kidnapped girls." (independent)
US won't Use Drones to Search for Missing Nigerian Schoolgirls
US drones won't be involved in the search for over 200 Nigerian Schoolgirls who were kidnapped from Government Secondary School, Chibok in Borno state because the Nigerian government is yet to accept drone flights over its skies.
According to Fox News, during a Pentagon Briefing session Rear Adm. John Kirb said, "There are no active discussions with the Nigerian government about the use of “unmanned aerial surveillance,” or drones".
He said the relatively small “coordination team” of U.S. military, law enforcement FBI and intelligence officials is the only offer of assistance that the Nigerian government has accepted.
"We urge them (Nigerians) to use all resources at their disposal".
Also, NBC News quoted a U.S. official familiar with U.S. intelligence options in the region, saying, "No permission, no flights". (nigerianbulletin)
According to Fox News, during a Pentagon Briefing session Rear Adm. John Kirb said, "There are no active discussions with the Nigerian government about the use of “unmanned aerial surveillance,” or drones".
He said the relatively small “coordination team” of U.S. military, law enforcement FBI and intelligence officials is the only offer of assistance that the Nigerian government has accepted.
"We urge them (Nigerians) to use all resources at their disposal".
Also, NBC News quoted a U.S. official familiar with U.S. intelligence options in the region, saying, "No permission, no flights". (nigerianbulletin)
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