Tag Archives: Christian Persecution

Al-Shabaab Threatens More Terrorist Attacks In Kenya

Authorities in Kenya have reported that Somalian Islamic terrorist group al-Shabaab is sending leaflets in the country threatening to carry out more attacks like the assault on Garissa University last month.

The terrorists singled out Christian students in the assault, asking students their faith before executing the non-Muslims.

“No amount of precaution or safety measures will be able to guarantee your safety, thwart another attack or prevent another bloodbath from occurring in your cities,” the terrorists said in an emailed statement days after the attack.

Security officials in Elgeyo-Marakwet County say that the messages on the leaflets focuses on the area’s four primary schools.  The local government has increased security in the area and investigators are looking into the leaflets to try and verify the source.

Kenya’s newspaper, the Daily Nation, reports that a Christian girl has been arrested on charges she was part of al-Shabaab.  She reportedly had just converted to Catholicism from Protestanism before joining al-Shabaab.  The newspaper said that threats like the leaflets have been common since the attack at Garissa.

Kenya has been attacked several times by al-Shabaab after sending troops to join the African Union force driving the terrorists out of Somalia in October 2011.

Iraqi Nun: Christians In Iraq Have Lost Everything

An Iraqi nun displaced by the Islamic extremist group ISIS testified before Congress that Christians in her country are having their identity wiped from the earth.

Sister Diana Momeka told the House Foreign Affairs Committee she is one of 120,000 civilians who had to leave their homes and property behind to flee from the terrorists’ takeover of the Mosul region.  She said that Iraqi Christians are in “dire need” of assistance to liberate their land.

Momeka said that Christians were the first to settle the Nineheh Plains and that the only Christians left in the area are the ones who were unable to escape the terrorists.

“Why should we leave our country? What have we done? The Christians of Iraq are the first people of the land,” Momeka said. “Uprooted and forcefully displaced, we have realized that ISIS’ plan is to evacuate the land of Christians and wipe the earth clean of any evidence that we existed. This is cultural and human genocide. The only Christians that remain in the Plain of Nineveh are those who are held hostage.”

Momeka admitted Christians have faced persecution for centuries, but that it’s currently worse than it’s ever been in the region.

“While our ancestors experienced all kinds of persecution, they stayed in their land, building a culture that has served humanity for the ages,” Momeka stated. “But the current persecution that our community is facing is the most brutal in our history. Not only have we been robbed of our homes, property and land, but our heritage is being destroyed as well. ISIS has and continues to demolish and bomb our churches, cultural artifacts and sacred places like Mar Behnam and his Sister Sara, a fourth century monastery, and St. George’s Monastery in Mosul.”

Federal Report Shows “Alarming” Increase in Global Persecution

A federal panel on religious freedom has issued their annual report showing that persecution of people of faith has increased significantly over the last year.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom examines religious freedom around the world and then provides the White House with a list of violations along with a report on the implementation of the International Religious Freedom act.

“Humanitarian crises fueled by waves of terror, intimidation, and violence have engulfed an alarming number of countries in the year since the release of [USCIRF’s] prior annual report last May,” the commission wrote. “The horrors of the past year speak volumes about how and why religious freedom and the protection of the rights of vulnerable religious communities matter.”

Much of the report focused on the persecution of Christians at the hands of the Islamic terrorist group ISIS.

“Yazidis and Christians have borne the worst brunt of the persecution by ISIL and other violent religious extremists. From summary executions to forced conversions, rape to sexual enslavement, abducted children to destroyed houses of worship, attacks on these communities are part of a systematic effort to erase their presence from the Middle East,” the commission explained.

The report also cited Boko Haram in Nigeria and their focus on Christians. The report also noted  situations where Christians are forced to flee.

“In Iraq, 2 million people were internally displaced in 2014 as a result of ISIL’s offensive,” it outlined. “More than 6.5 million of Syria’s pre-civil-war population now is internally displaced, and more than 3.3 million more are refugees in neighboring states.”

“In Nigeria, Boko Haram’s rampages are responsible for the displacement of more than one million individuals,” the report continued. “In Central African Republic, a million or more people have been driven from their homes. And in Burma, 140,000 Rohingya Muslims and at least 100,000 largely Kachin Christians remain internally displaced.”

Meriam Ibrahim Shares Details Of Her Torture By Sudanese Officials

Meriam Ibrahim spoke out on the National Day of Prayer about the horrors she experienced during her time held captive by the government of Sudan.

She said that at one point she was “heavily pressured” by guards for three days to renounce Christ and become Muslim but she refused each time.

“Meriam revealed how she refused to waver in her faith in Christ, believing God would save her even as she was shackled in chains and sentenced to 100 lashes and death. Making matters worse, her infant son was in prison with her and she was pregnant with another child at the time — forced to give birth while shackled in chains,” said in an article ACLJ Executive Director Jordan Sekulow, who introduced Ibrahim at the Virginia event.

“In the face of persecution and told by Sudanese officials that she could avoid a death sentence if she renounced her Christian faith, Meriam stood strong and refused to reject her faith. For three consecutive days, she was told to renounce Christ. For three consecutive days, she refused.”

Ibrahim has said that her faith was “the only weapon” she used to survive her captivity.

Ibrahim said that her family had to leave behind very successful businesses in Sudan and they’re rebuilding in America from the ground up.

Hindus Drive All Christians Out of Indian Town

A village in northeastern India is now without a single Christian after a vicious attack by Hindus.

At least three Christians, including a 7-year-old girl, were seriously wounded in the assault April 17th in Amtola village.

The assault began April 17th after a Christian church service.  The members were gathering for a meal when 100 Hindus armed with swords, bamboo sticks and rocks attacked the group.  At least 15 were injured in the assault, mostly with wounds on their upper bodies, with the three who were seriously injured taken to a hospital.

“Right now there are no Christians in the village – all have fled,” said David Boro, a pastor in Guwahati. “The Christian families who were the main target of the attack are now in a safe-house after they were released from the hospital. The more critically injured are still in the hospital, and when they will be released, they too will join the others in the safe-house.”

Church leaders said the Christians have nothing to return to in the village even if it were safe for them to come home.

“Not satisfied with merely beating the Christians, the mob led by Hindu extremists broke and destroyed the homes of these Christian families,” said another Christian leader, Kamleshwar Baglary. “All together, five houses have been completely destroyed along with household items.”

“Out of the five families who had declared themselves as Christians, two have gone back because of the constant attacks and social pressure against them,” Baglary said. “Members of the Hindu extremist groups earlier also had physically attacked these families during the time of the Bihu [Assam’s cultural] festival.”

Boro said that the attackers didn’t even spare the women and children, making it clear their goal was to eliminate the Christians.

Police have taken no action.

Pastor Saeed Abedini Celebrated His 35th Birthday Behind Bars In Iran

Saeed noted in a letter to his supporters and family that his birthday this year fell on the National Day of Prayer in America.

“As an American and as a prisoner for Christ, I have spent many hours praying and crying out to God for revival for this great nation. We all hope for the success of our nation and for America to be blessed, but without revival there can be no true success or blessing. As Ezra’s cried out to God in repentance and the Israelites joined him in weeping bitterly and turning from their sin, I would like to ask you to join me in repenting and praying for revival,” Abedini’ letter begins.

The American Center for Law and Justice, who represents the family, said the letter was given to a family member in Iran last week.

The ACLJ said that Abedini’s letter focused on American Christians and a call upon them to turn back to God and make Him the center of their lives.

“Change starts with us. Revival starts with us. The first step to revival is praying together in unity as a nation. the National Day of Prayer is a great opportunity for us to come out and use the freedom that we have been given. So many Christians around the world are imprisoned and martyred for their faith in Jesus,” Abedini wrote.

“You have the freedom to gather across the United States at your state capitol to pray. Please use this opportunity. Please use your freedom for the kingdom of God.”

 

Huckabee: Christianity Is Almost Criminalized

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee spoke to a group of Hispanic evangelicals in Texas and said that Christians are seeing their beliefs criminalized.

“We are living in perilous times where people who are Christian are on the brink of being criminalized for their convictions,” stated Huckabee.

“You are told that if you continue to hold to your Christian witness and belief that you ought to be put out of business, that you are going to be fined, you are going to be punished.”

He also emphasized his belief that the nation of Israel needs to have our full support and that there is no other way to believe than pro-life because “there is no such thing as a disposable person.”

Huckabee was speaking to the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference in Houston.  He was one of several speakers to talk about their faith to the group of over 1,000 attendees that included former Florida governor Jeb Bush.

“There is no more powerful or liberating influence on this earth than the Christian conscience in action and today in America it is important to respect and to protect Christians acting on their faith,” said Bush.

“Not just talking about their faith, but there is a constitutional right and more importantly for a loving society Christians need to have the space to be able to act on their conscience.”

Christian Persecution In China Worse In 2014

A new report from China Aid says that Christian persecution in China significantly climbed during 2014.

The Texas-based advocacy group said that China saw a 300 percent increase in instances of religious – mostly Christian – persecution in 2014 compared to 2013.  The 572 confirmed cases of persecution impacted 17,884 people, a rise of over 10,000 from the previous year.

“In 2014, the scope, depth, and intensity of persecution against religious practitioners far surpassed that of 2013,” China Aid reported. “The increase in government-sanctioned persecution against religious practitioners and human rights lawyers and advocates reflects the overall political transformation that is occurring within the Communist Party in China (CPC), namely an orchestrated effort to consolidate power and suppress dissent and any perceived threats to the Chinese government, including the growth of religion in China.”

A significant rise was seen in the detention of church leadership.  In 2013, 54 church leaders had been arrested or detained by government officials.  In 2014, that number jumped to 449.

The Chinese government claimed that actions taken against Christian groups, which included the destruction of churches and the removal of crosses from church buildings, were attempts to eliminate “attacking cults.”  They said the “cults” were attempting to “undermine law enforcement.”

The report from China Aid backs up the earlier report from Open Doors regarding religious freedom worldwide that showed China deteriorating in freedom.  China fell from 37th to 29th in the most recent Open Doors report.

ISIS Attempting to Eliminate Last Christian Speakers of Aramaic

Islamic terrorist group ISIS is attempting to eliminate any Christian that speaks the ancient language Aramaic in an attempt to wipe out the language that was spoken by Christ.

The Associated Press reported that thousands of Christians in Syria have fled their homes in Syria because of the terrorists but that ISIS has placed a bounty on them.  These Assyrians are so valued by ISIS that kidnapped Assyrians are being held for $100,000 each.

“Assyrians remain the last Aramaic-speaking people of the world. So the disappearance and displacement of these people pretty much spells the closing chapter of Aramaic use in the world,” Middle East historian Eden Naby told the AP.

Pockets of Assyrian communities existed in Turkey and Lebanon, but the majority of the Aramaic speaking Assyrians lived in Syria and Iraq.  The communities belong to Eastern Rite churches that we’re founded by the apostles Thomas, Thaddeus and Bartholomew.

The community of Assyrians has fallen from 1.4 million to an estimated 400,000.

Middle East watchdogs say that ISIS is involved in a systematic cleansing of Assyrians although they do not acknowledge their actions.

“They don’t care what it’s called; they are just following their ideology and that means getting rid of churches and minorities. It is the Islamic State, and there’s no room for anyone else,” said MEMRI Director Steven Stalinsky.

“This has been going on for some time, a systematic campaign to rid the region of any vestiges of Christianity.”

ISIS Kills Ethiopian Christians In Libya

The White House has condemned ISIS after a release of a video showing the execution of Ethiopian Christians in Libya was released Sunday.

The video shows ISIS terrorists shooting and beheading the Christians.

“We express our condolences to the families of the victims and our support to the Ethiopian government and people as they grieve for their fellow citizens,” National Security Council spokesperson Bernadette Meehan said in a statement. “That these terrorists killed these men solely because of their faith lays bare the terrorists’ vicious, senseless brutality.”

The 29-minute video comes on the heels of Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani saying ISIS was behind a suicide attack that killed at least 35 people.  The attacks show ISIS is beginning to develop the ability to attack far outside their strongholds in Iraq and Syria.

The video also mirrors their previous killing of Coptic Christians in Egypt.

Ethiopia has been in the sights of Islamic terrorists because they are part of the African Union force that has driven the Islamic terrorists group al-Shabaab out of their neighbor Somalia.