This is what is irresponsible journalism. So many people died because of
the article by this writer and the editor of the paper.

----------------

LAGOS, Nov 24 (AFP) - Nigerian newspaper This Day on Sunday sacked the
author of an article on the Miss World beauty contest which has sparked
violent unrest that has left more than 200 dead.
   On November 16 newspaper This Day published an article suggesting that
the  Prophet Mohammed would not have opposed the staging of the pageant in
Nigeria and might have married one of the beauty queens competing for the
Miss World crown.
   The story was regarded as blasphemous and insulting by many and sparked
bloody protests in the northern city of Kaduna and the Nigerian capital
Abuja.
   The chairman of the media company that owns the paper said on Sunday
the  management had sacked style writer Isioma Daniel, who wrote the
offending story. The announcement came in the latest of a string of front-
page apologies for the piece.
   "As for the writer of the offensive article, she is pleading
forgiveness.
She has also offered her resignation for inadvertently causing so much pain
to the nation and the paper," chairman Nduka Obaigbena said.
   "We find her action inexcusable and therefore have accepted her
esignation. "
   On Friday Nigeria's state security service said it had arrested Daniel
and  the editor of the paper's Saturday edition. They have not yet been
charged and there was no news of their fate Sunday.
   Obaigbena expressed regrets and apologies for the losses of life and
property as a result of the publication.
   "Whatever errors we made were not intentional. We seek forgiveness from
all  our Muslim brothers and sisters," he added.
   On Saturday prominent Muslim leader Lateef Adegbite appealed for calm
among  the protesters and urged them to accept the apologies of the
newspaper.
   "They have shown remorse and repentence and I urge Muslims to forgive
and  forget in the spirit of Islam," he said.
   The organisers of the Miss World contest annouced earlier on Saturday
they  were shifting the event to London for the December 7 grand finale.
   More than 90 beauty queens left Nigeria early on Sunday for London to
vie  for the crown currently held by Nigerian Agbani Darego.

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