Miss World Riots

Violence has darkened this year's Miss World Contest, turning it
into a deadly affair. When a Lagos-based newspaper suggested that the
Prophet Muhammad would have approved of the contest, riots began in
Kaduna, then spread to the nation's capital, Abuja. An estimated 215
people have been killed and more than 500 injured since November 20 in
related incidents. The contest and fate of those vying for the title of
Miss World have been moved to London as Nigerians recover from the
violence.

The psychological rationale behind this violent reaction boils down
to tensions that have long existed in the area. Religious conflicts
between the largely Muslim north and predominantly Christian south have
erupted frequently in Kaduna. In this case, anxiety was already high
before the contest, as Muslims claiming it goes against Sharia or Islamic
law were already planning to condemn it. The pageant's sponsors had
decided to push forward anyway, despite warnings of protest.

Is there hope for preventing violence such as this in the future?
Not much, says Herman Feifel, Ph.D, a clinical professor of psychology at
the University of Southern California School of Medicine. In these
instances, it is extremely difficult to soothe tensions that have built
up for so long. "The nature of man is to be violent,” explains
Feifel. “It doesn't have to be that way, but it is.”