I've heard of riots out of patriotism and team-pride, but this is something else!
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AP Report: Congo soccer riot over 'witchcraft' leaves 13 dead
KINSHASA, Congo -- Accusations that a soccer player was using witchcraft during a match in eastern Congo sparked a riot that killed 13 people, a U.N.-funded radio station reported Monday.
Most of the victims were between the ages of 11 and 16, Radio Okapi said. They were suffocated as panicked crowds ran for the exits during the mayhem Sunday in Butembo in eastern Congo's North Kivu province.
Radio Okapi said police tried to control the violence at Matokeo stadium by firing into the air to protect their commander, who was hit in the head and wounded by fans.
The two local clubs involved were Socozaki and Nyuki System, the radio said.
Dozens of teenagers marched through Butembo's dirt streets Monday in protest, and the regional governor, Julien Mpaluku, paid a visit to the hospital.
Mpaluku said the government was investigating.
He made no mention of witchcraft, but confirmed that soldiers had fired into the air to calm angry crowds.
The shooting prompted panic instead, which became fatal "when the crowds all tried to leave at the same time."
"Most of the dead were children, only two or three were adults," Mpaluku said.
North Kivu has been the epicenter of violence between Congo's army and rebels over the last year which has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
Welcome to the Middle Ages: 13 Killed in Soccer Riot Due to "Witchcraft"
by daniel-p 12 Replies latest social current
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daniel-p
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flipper
DANIEL P- It certainly shows violence promoted by superstitions knows no bounds and the tragic results that can materialize from the belief in it. What a tragic incident ! Peace out, Mr. Flipper
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daniel-p
To clarify my point, dawg, there are hundreds of millions of people who live perfectly civilized lives and who have faith in God and what have you. And yet, the vast majority of those people are peaceful and do not kill each other. It's only those who, for one reason or another, are estranged from civilized society that perpetrate these types of crimes. in this case, it's an entire culture that is estranged from civilization. Thus the cynical reference to the Middle Ages. It is very sad to see such disparity in the world. Disparity which has international economics at its root.
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dawg
Tell that to the most "civilized" and lest violent nations in the world... also the ones with the most non believers in God..
Facts are, the nations with the least believers, have the least violence, less abortions, and less over all crime... check out Japan and Sweden... -
daniel-p
Correlation is not causation.
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White Dove
Oooo, Daniel!
Sociologists are HOT!
SSSSSSSSSSSS
And, I agree with you.
What I read is that the more education one gets, the less religious one becomes.
Have you read that, too?
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DoomVoyager
On the same note, the selling of "magical amulets" is big business in Congo. Incredibly poor people will spend huge portions of their income on these amulets because they think having an amulet will make all their money troubles disappear. Incredible.
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dawg
As White Dove states, the less religious the more educated. Look man, look at the article you posted... those are people that believe in myths... myths always ask the believer to drop empirical knowledge... to believe in make believe fairy tales...
How can you expect people to act rational under these conditions.... and you don't think dropping rational behavior makes the ones doing so to commit irrational actions like the one you posted? Show me an agnostic that has killed a witch! -
John Doe
I have little respect for religion, but let's not forget that the panic stampede began when the cops fired guns in a crowded atmosphere. Whether people believe in god or not, they're likely to stampede when they hear gun shots in a crowded place.
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gymbob
You can use the witnesses as a great example of what you guys are discussing.
The only real growth the witness religion is making is in 3rd world (uneducated) countries. Plus, look what they teach about higher education! Gymbob
p.s. I'm just glad I got me a edumacation now!