Mother’s Day. A day meant for celebration, for honoring the incredible strength and love of mothers everywhere. A day filled with flowers, cards, and heartfelt gratitude. We trace its origins to ancient festivals, to secular traditions that recognize the profound impact of motherhood.

But this year, for many, the joy feels hollow. This year, the celebration is tainted by a deep, unsettling sorrow.

Nearly a month has passed since the horrifying abduction of approximately 276 young schoolgirls in Nigeria. These girls, barely teenagers, aged 12 to 15, were snatched from their school on April 14th by the militant Islamist group, Boko Haram. The very name, “Western Education is a Sin,” echoes with a chilling disregard for knowledge, for progress, for the fundamental right of a child to learn.

And in a sickening twist, the group’s leader threatened to sell these innocent girls into forced marriages, into a life of unimaginable suffering.

Is this not a sin? What twisted ideology justifies the kidnapping of young girls, the theft of their futures, the crushing of their dreams? This is not strength; it is cowardice. This is not faith; it is a monstrous perversion of it. These militants are terrorizing communities, stealing daughters, stealing children, whose only “crime” is their desire for education, for a better life.

Every child, regardless of gender, has the inherent right to learn, to grow, to contribute to society. And girls, especially, deserve the chance to be girls, to dream, to thrive.

Thankfully, the world is beginning to rise. A powerful movement, fueled by the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, has ignited on social media, demanding action, demanding justice. It is a collective cry for these stolen daughters, a plea to the Nigerian government and world leaders to bring them home.

But today, on Mother’s Day, how can we truly celebrate when so many mothers’ cradles are empty, their eyes filled with tears, their hearts aching for their missing daughters? How can we offer platitudes when their world has been shattered?

Today, I cannot offer a “Happy Mother’s Day.” Instead, I offer my unwavering support to the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. I join the chorus of voices demanding the safe return of these innocent young women. I wait, with a heavy heart, for the day they are finally rescued.

May God be with them, and may justice prevail.