UNITED NATIONS: The Organisation of Islamic Conference has expressed its outrag at the abduction of over 200 school girls in Nigeria

and the admission by a group calling itself “Jama’atu Ahlus Sunnah lid Da’awati wal Jihad” otherwise known as “Boko Haram”, that it carried out the abduction.

The Independent Human Rights Commission, a component of OIC, said in a statement that it was extremely saddened by the misguided claim of Boko Haram that the abduction of the girls and the threat to sell them off as ‘slaves’ was in conformity with the injunctions of Islam.

“Right to education is a fundamental human right, and is in consonance with the basic tenets of Islam. In this regard, IPHRC wishes to stress that the abduction of the Chibok girls by Boko Haram, thus depriving them the full enjoyment of their right to education as well as right to live in safety, dignity and peace is not only a violation of international law and human rights law, but also a gross misrepresentation of Islam, which enjoins its adherents to go to any extent in the pursuit of knowledge.”