NIGERIAN humanist Leo Igwe, a frequent contributor to the Freethinker, has just sent me a horrifying account of five youngsters in Malawi who set fire to themselves in an apparent act of religious mania.
According to their father, the children – named as Lamace, Etta, Annie, Petro and Maria  - established a  ”strange church” in his house and commenced their prayers around 10 pm each day. He tried stopping them without success.
Nigerian humanist Leo Igwe
Then one night recently, the children, during the course of their prayers, made a fire with some household items which they soaked with petrol. They then took off their clothes and jumped into the fire holding copies of the Bible. Three of them died.
As you know, I try wherever possible to accompany reports on this site with a photograph or illustration, but so horrifying was the picture sent by Igwe that I decided instead to to put a link to it. PLEASE don’t click on it if you are squeamish.
Igwe learned of the bizarre incident this week when he came to Malawi to address meetings at Chancellor College in Zomba and in Blantyre. A local humanist group, the Association of Secular Humanism in Malawi was  organising the events.
A full account of his visit has now been published in the Nigerian Guardian. In it, Igwe wrote:
No one knew exactly what led the children into acting in such a strange way. But some of the witnesses interviewed by a local newspaper said the children acted on the advice of a local pastor who told them that their parents were responsible for their joblessness and not getting married.
He added:
This kind of bizarre religious experience is not new to Malawi. Last year, police rescued some women who locked themselves up in a hut in one of the country’s remote villages. They were reading their Bible, fasting and praying for weeks expecting some revelations from God.
Poverty, ignorance, hopelessness and bad governance have driven many Africans to religious insanity, absurdity and extremism. Africa is literally in a dark age. There is a proliferation of churches, mosques and worship centres. Blind faith, thoughtlessness and spiritual mumbo jumbo direct people’s lives. Many Africans spend a lot of their time praying, fasting and keeping vigil at their homes, in churches, on the hills (also known as holy mountains) and valleys, besides rivers and streams.
Malawi, like many other African countries, is trapped in the vicious circle of poverty, ignorance, superstition and religious fanaticism. Independence has not brought this nation emergence and prosperity. Education has not resulted to emancipation, civilization and enlightenment. The different religious groups in the country are living together in peace. They are not fighting or killing each other as is the case in Nigeria. But many Malawians are suffering and dying due to crazy religious notions, superstitious and irrational beliefs.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
September 17th, 2010 at 9:22 am
In the words of Stephen Fry, Religion, I shit it.
September 17th, 2010 at 9:38 am
Just horrible. (I looked at the photo, as I’m not very sqeuamish)
That pastor should be investigated, although I’m sure he won’t be.
Thanks to Leo, for bringing us a story that we would otherwise probably never have heard about.
September 17th, 2010 at 9:44 am
Seconded, Pete.
September 17th, 2010 at 10:41 am
This is why the religious are so keen to get their hands on children!
September 17th, 2010 at 11:53 am
Another gruesome reminder of the good things religions keep on giving mankind; I wonder what Ratzinger’s comment on this would be, but he seems to be too busy renouncing Atheists, or Nazis as he likes to call us.
September 17th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
That’s why it must have seemed such a tasty target for Madonna and her Kabbalah school.
http://www.nyasatimes.com/nati.....ement.html
I weep for how children of Africa are being manipulated and abused in the name of religion.
September 17th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
“Five youngsters set fire to themselves after reading the Bible and praying”
Sadly two survived, these were five people the world could do without.
Here in Britan there is a child abuser brainwashing children as I type. The thing known as the pope is a disgrace to humanity. Why has our spineless MPs allowed this bastard to set foot in this country, I would love to read in tomorrows papers that the pope has been killed but there is not much chance of that happening if he’s being driven around in an armoured vehicle. So much for gods protection.
Why do most so called “Free Thinkers” preach about tolerance of other peoples religious views etc? Do “Free Thinkers” think by being so tolerant of peoples beliefs they are an example of what religion is not? Religion cannot be anything other than oppressive, so why respect or tolerate religious followers at all. The sooner religion is wiped from the planet the better but it will not happen unless people fight it and that starts by speaking the truth. I speak the truth when I say I hope the pope is killed but suspect people would ask what kind of world would we would live in if everyone thought as I. Hopefully an honest world and free. We are all animals and we must fight to survive and unfortunately that means killing our enemies which of-course includes the pope. Religion is what takes our freedom away, religion is what frightens children into submission, religion is what makes people strap bombs round their waists, religion allows stupid old men to wear dresses and insert their penises into choir boys, Religion is what makes people soak themselves in petrol and set fire to themselves whilst holding a bible. Why would anyone of sound mind not want kill the people who want to take your freedom and control every part of our lives? Look at the way religion is rooted in our world, I can hardly bring myself to believe this is the 21st century! The time for religious tolerance is over, it doesn’t work, thousands of children have suffered directly as a result of these men of god, even our governments are protecting the abusers and spending our money doing so, they should be killed plain and simple, or am I being intolerant?
Sorry, I’m only joking, I have just given up cigarettes a few days ago and feel like ranting, I really think the pope is a lovely paedophile protector and is worth spending all that hard earned tax-payers money on. All those abused children should pull their socks up and get on with it (excluding the ones who have committed suicide). Remember god loves you but, so do ticks and fleas.
September 17th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
It’s a shame David Cameron can’t invite Leo Igwe for some sort of ‘official’ all-expenses paid tour of the UK. The guy’s a secular saint – if he’d excuse me putting it that way.
He’d be far cheaper than Rat’s Arse, talk far more sense about the relationships between humanity and religion, and in general probably leave us with a far more positive sense of what we might do to end misery around the world.
September 17th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Speaking of Ratslinger, I have just been alerted by Holland that “Five men held over papal terror alert”.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11346001
September 17th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Stuart: Abolishing religion might be a good start to “ending misery around the world”!
I have just heard that His Pofacedness has said that the safety of children in schools is a priority, and that they should be protected from “the limitations of science”! God help us all!!
September 17th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Graham: I’m sending you a packet of Woodbines!
September 17th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Well, yes. Science shows that the HIV virus can’t pass through latex, so it must be wrong …
September 17th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
So I am a Nazi? Just a few points in my defence:
1. I was not a member of Hitler Youth although I was in the Scouts for a short time. I acknowledge some similarities but, really,they are not the same.
2. I do not need to be protected from arrest for covering up paedophilia because of a feeble claim to statehood granted to a Mickey Mouse state by a genuine Nazi/fascist i.e. Mussolini.
3. I am not a holocaust denier and did not appoint as a bishop a man who is and who denies the slaughter and torture of millions of Jews and others.
4. My predecessor was not a Pope who supported the Nazis, inveigled against the Jews and was a contemptible traitor to humanity.
5. I am not blocking birth control for suffering third world women, lying that condoms do not help control Aids, want the mother to die rather than be aborted even when the pregnancy is the result of rape by one of my priests, ignore and exacerbate the major reason for environmental disaster in encouraging unrestricted births, regard women as inferior and unworthy as anything other than serfs, view gays as the scum of the planet while protecting thousands of real scum i.e. my own paedophile priests.
6. I am open, as far as possible, to my own internal tensions and flaws (and they are many) but I am not a desperately repressed homosexual who is inflicting my repressions on all gays.
For Ratzinger to categorise atheists as Nazis is an act of desperation. He hits out in fear. This categorising means the Deputy Prime Minister of the UK, Nick Clegg, is a Nazi. Will anyone, Clegg or his sidekick Cameron, or any other politician, or the supine Rowan Williams have the minimal guts to throw this smear back in the old fraud’s face. Nazi? Look in the mirror, Ratzinger.
September 17th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
I have just read this on the MailOnline site. Have we been told lies?
The festival atmosphere in Glasgow was in deliberate contrast to the pageantry of Edinburgh. This is a visit to test the most pedantic scholars of protocol. Everyone has been calling it a ‘state visit’ but it is not. As Palace, Government and Vatican aides attempted to explain to anyone who would listen, it is a ‘Papal Visit with the status of a state visit’. Think of it as the diplomatic equivalent of brunch. It is breakfast with the status of lunch.
In practice, this means that the Pope gets some elements of a state visit – a formal welcome from the Queen, meetings with party leaders etc – but not others.
Shome mishtake shurely!
September 17th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Daz: According to that stupid bitch whom Peter Tatchell interviewed, you haven’t got a powerful enough microscope (I kid you not!).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDrzNE2q2-c
September 17th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Seriously Graham, you are not helping the cause for rational thought at all. Wishing someone dead makes you just as fanatical as these religious zealots and it shows a lack of critical thinking skills on your part.
September 17th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
Seriously Graham, you are not helping the cause for rational thought at all. Wishing someone dead makes you just as fanatical as these religious zealots and it shows a lack of critical thinking skills on your part.
September 17th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Barriejohn: Yeah I saw that. She was like Ken Ham in drag. The look of horror on her face when he confronted her with the anti-homosexual policy was priceless. I can manfully admit to a small tear or two during the section in the Philippines, though.
Now I need a drink to remove the image of Ken Ham in drag. I really wish I hadn’t thought of that simile.
September 17th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Does anybody still deny that religion is child abuse?
September 17th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Graham:
You’ve gone ’round the bend. Please don’t joke like this again.
September 17th, 2010 at 5:55 pm
Watching parts of the coverage yesterday, I hoped that, maybe, just one person would turn to the camera and say ‘it’s a load of shit!’
But you could clearly see the glassy eyes of the indoctrimated.
September 17th, 2010 at 6:05 pm
Just watched Ratty’s speech, but I’m in a really bad signal area and it kept cracking up. It seemed to me to be 3/4 patronising tosh about what nice people the bits are, and 1/4 whining that the religious should have a totally unelected voice in the corridors of power. Does that about cover it?
September 17th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
what nice people the **brits** are
That’ll teach me to wander off during the countdown.
September 17th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
See what word you can make from these letters, Daz:
ZITRANGER
September 17th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
These were youngsters?
I’m probably having problems with perspective but the three corpses in the picture look like adults to me.
Compare their sizes to the adult on lookers.
September 17th, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Barriejohn: I’m stuck. I just can’t make ‘hypocritical power hungry misogynistic homophobic child-abuse-enabling murdering lying bastard’ out of those letters.
lennylonglegs: Older children, I assume. The story makes reference to them not being able to find jobs or partners.
September 17th, 2010 at 10:11 pm
Daz: try “Pope” then!
Re tolerance: On a forum that I visit (for GAY men, of all people) threads referring to religion have been barred now, after complaints from RC members of the site. And I bet that sort of thing is going on all over the place as well!
September 17th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
Barriejohn: On a gay men’s forum? *speechless*
I managed to get blocked from the Catholic Herald a few days ago, but to be fair I think they blocked everyone on both sides of the argument.
September 17th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
You often do find gay men on gay men’s forums, Daz!
September 17th, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Yeah I meant the ban on religion, especially problems re the RCC…
Generally I find gay men (or man, at least) by getting to work early enough to get first dibs on what part of the line to work on. The only other science geek in the place is gay, and we try to work together when we can. Passes the time so much easier than getting stuck with the soap-opera fans and such!
September 18th, 2010 at 3:41 am
A religion that based its position on a two-thousand-year-old book that denounced left-handed persons as sinful/ disobedient/ perverted (the same Hebrew word means all of those things) would surely have no left-handed members. Such persons would know firsthand that they are not unrighteous, and that any god that thinks otherwise is itself unrighteous, even insane.
A god that thinks victimless consensual behavior, based on genetic programming as irreversible as left-handedness, is immoral, is itself immoral. There are no left-handed Dexterites. So why are there any gay Catholics?