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JUNE 2015
PERSECU ION
Failed States
Christians flee crumbling nations
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
Table of Contents
In This Issue: FEATURE
14 | Failing States
A look at the events that have led to the advance of Islam and the displacement of Christians from their homelands in crumbling Middle Eastern nations.
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FEATURE
16 | A Region in Turmoil
A map highlighting the presence of Al Qaeda, ISIS, attacks on Christians and the resulting refugee populations across the beleaguered Middle East region. FEATURE
18 |A Desert Mirage
The unraveling of Syria and Iraq reveal the true colors of the Arab Spring. FEATURE
20 | In the Shadow of Terror
Approximately 2,500 Yemeni believers live under a shadow of Islamic terror, fearful that expressing their faith would threaten their lives. ADVOCACY
22 | Success in Advocacy
A look back at the battles ICC’s advocacy team has fought and won on behalf of the voiceless persecuted church around the world. FEATURE
26 | Nigeria Elections
Christians in Nigeria brace for an uncertain future after the election of a Muslim president who many fear may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
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Regular Features
3 Letter from the President A few words from ICC’s president, Jeff King, on the stability and glory of God in the midst of nation-shaking and turmoil. 6 World News A snapshot of the persecution that impacts our brothers and sisters daily, in every corner of the world. 10 Your Dollars at Work Learn how your gifts are providing medical help, relief, rebuilding and pastoral training to the persecuted.
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President’s Letter
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” Matthew 24:6-7 (ESV) “What is going on in the world? Everything seems to be breaking down.” Have you had a conversation like this lately? If so, you are not alone. The Middle East and North Africa are in flux as jihadis expand throughout the region. Radical Islam is gorging on blood and has taken control of parts of the most strategic real estate of the world — the oil fields. Gaining that real estate rewards them with massive wealth, which they can spend on spreading their cancer to new areas and digging in with more and better weapons.
Jeff King, President International Christian Concern
These jihadis are setting up shop and creating an “Islamic State.” As they do, Christians face the choice of “convert or be killed.” The existing states, as bad as they were for Christians, seem to be giving way to something even worse that leaves no place for Christians. The United States’ leadership role in the world is weakening by the year. Financially, the kingdoms of the world are staving off deflation and seem to be sitting on a debt powder keg. Jesus spoke about the end days, saying people’s hearts would melt with fear as the world came unglued (Luke 21:26). Whether we are seeing the arrival of those days or we are experiencing some temporary chaos as one world empire relinquishes its leadership role to another, remains to be seen. Whatever the case, in times like these, it is easy to be consumed with fear and anxiety. If you find yourself in this place, I have a word for you. In God’s temple, everything says, “Glory!” The LORD sat as King at the flood (Psalm 29:10). In other words, while the flood destroyed the world (the ultimate chaotic event), the true King sat on His throne in peace and order while everything around Him cried, “Glory to the King!” Everywhere you look, there is chaos and a continuing unraveling of the existing order, but none of this is a surprise to the Lord. His plan unfolds, and the existing world order must break, so we need not be surprised at the chaos engulfing the world. This unraveling is having a massive impact on the Christians of the Middle East and North Africa. As states are failing, many of them have fled, and those who’ve stayed are in enormous danger. Please join with us as we serve them and build and bandage the persecuted Church. As always, your donations will be used efficiently, effectively, and ethically. I promise! Jeff King
President, International Christian Concern www.persecution.org
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Rebel protesters feel their strength as Yemen’s government teetered on the brink of collapse
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News
World Still Waiting for Boko Haram to “Bring Back Our Girls” from Captivity
ISIS militants prepare to behead 21 Christians.
Persecution Continues for Families of the 21 Martyred in Libya 1 | LIBYA In February 2015, the world watched with horror as 21 Coptic Christians were martyred by ISIS militants on a beach in Libya. Unfortunately, the tragedy is still continuing for the families and friends of those who lost their lives. The families and other community members gathered to establish plans to erect a church in honor of their martyred loved ones. However, when the community was gathered at their present church, a mob of Muslim extremists arrived at the scene chanting that they would not permit the construction of the new church. The situation quickly escalated and turned violent as members of the mob began to throw rocks and small explosives at the church. The attackers also set multiple cars on fire, including one that belonged to a relative of one of the 21 martyrs. Several of the church members were injured during the attack. Though police eventually arrived at the church, the attack was already over and the protesters had already fled the scene.
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2 | NIGERIA On April 14, the world recognized the first anniversary of the abduction of Nigeria’s Chibok girls. Just a year prior, a group of militants from radical Islamist terror group Boko Haram stormed Chibok Government Secondary School. During this attack, they kidnapped 276 young girls, the majority of whom are Christians. Shortly after, the group released a statement saying that they planned to sell the girls as slaves into lives of forced marriages and sexual servitude. Although some of the girls have been able to escape captivity, 219 remain in captivity as the world waits with little insight as to where they might be. The abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls quickly drew global concern and gained worldwide attention through social media. The “Bring Back Our Girls” hashtag began to spread and has since been tweeted hundreds of thousands of times. As the days continue to pass, the challenge of finding all of the remaining girls mounts. Military operations in Boko Haram strongholds that were expected to lead to signs of the missing girls have unfortunately proven unsuccessful. If the Chibok girls are still alive, they will undoubtedly, as time goes on, continue to face various forms of abuse. For those who profess Christianity, the threat of abuse will be even greater because of their faith.
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Sudanese Pastor Endures 300 Lashes for Refusing to Deny Faith 3 | SUDAN Pastor Adam Haron, a leader of a church in South Sudan, was imprisoned and tortured for over three months after being accused of being a spy. Haron, a Christian pastor and former Muslim, received more than 300 lashes with a tree branch because he refused to deny his faith. Though evangelism is legal in South Sudan, three days after his arrival to the country, six armed men stormed Haron’s hotel room, searched his belongings and brought him to a detention facility. Haron’s life was threatened on multiple occasions by Muslim extremists who told him that they would kill him if he refused to stop evangelizing to Muslims near the Sudanese border. During his imprisonment, the men who captured Haron took 2,600 South Sudanese pounds ($820 USD) from him. In spite of the difficult odds that Haron faced, he has repeatedly stated that trials strengthened his faith.
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Mob of Police and Locals Beat Missionaries Outside a Police Station for Evangelizing in India 4 | INDIA It is reported that 20 Christian missionaries in India were attacked by police and locals alike for openly evangelizing. The attack took place in the city of Jaipur when the group was spotted distributing faith-based pamphlets. According to witnesses, the crowd who initially noticed the group of missionaries took them to a local police station, where they beat and hit the missionaries with belts before eventually allowing them to go free.
Muslims Burn Young Boy to Death 5 | PAKISTAN A 14-year-old boy, Nauman Masih, has died from severe burns after being attacked by a group of unidentified Muslim men in Pakistan. In Nauman’s statement to police, he stated that two Muslim individuals approached him and asked him about his religion. When he responded that he was a Christian, the men began to beat him. When he attempted to run away, the men doused him in kerosene and set him on fire. Although a group of onlookers began to throw sand on Nauman in order to extinguish the fire, the damage was already too severe, and he passed away a few days after he was brought to the hospital.
This 14-year-old boy died from severe burns after Muslims doused him in kerosene and set him on fire.
Roman Catholics in Mexico Give Protestants 18 Hours to Flee 6 | MEXICO Two Christian cousins from Hidalgo State, Mexico, were detained for approximately 30 hours by village authorities for refusing to abide by a local campaign which attempted to prohibit Protestants from participating in religious activities outside of Roman Catholicism. When the men were released from detention, they were informed they and their families had only 18 hours to flee their village.
Chinese Pastor Imprisoned 7 | CHINA In his efforts to defend the cross, Chinese pastor Huang Yizi received a one-year prison sentence. The pastor was convicted by Pingyang County’s People Court with the charge of “gathering crowds to disturb social order.” The accusation arose when Huang asked the local government to explain why police officers attacked a group of churchgoers as they were protesting the removal of the church’s cross. Shortly after Huang’s arrest, the cross from Salvation Church was officially removed. The trial brought in over 400 people, many of whom were Christians from the area there to support their pastor as he awaited his verdict.
Chinese authorities sentenced a pastor to one year in prison for “disturbing the social order.”
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News
1 | KENYA On April 2, a group of men from radical Islamist group, Al-Shabaab, carried out a major attack against Kenya’s Garissa University College. The gunmen stormed past campus guards at the main entrance and began spraying bullets indiscriminately. By the end of the heinous attack, at least 148 people were murdered and 79 others wounded. Once they made their way past the main entrance, the militants then began separating students according to their religion — letting the Muslim students go free and killing the Christian students. As witness testimonies began to emerge, the horror of what took place the morning of the attack began to take shape. Some of the students who survived the attack have reported that the gunmen forced them to call their parents to inform them that they were about to be killed. Other students were forced to line up and wait in silence as they anticipated their inevitable shootings one by one.
The university is located within 100 miles of Kenya’s Somali border. This makes the school an easy target for the Islamist group, whose aim is to eventually expand beyond Somalia and impose Islamic Sharia law on Kenya. Some survivors who were forced to call their parents report being told to tell their parents to contact the president of Kenya, requesting that he cease military attacks against al-Shabaab. Despite the horrendous nature of this attack, the world continuously downplayed its severity. U.S. President Barack Obama received intense criticism for refusing to publicly acknowledge the faith of either the Christians who were targeted or their Muslim attackers. Though he and many other world leaders expressed their condolences and condemned the attack, few acknowledged religious persecution as the source of the violence.
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A woman weeps in the aftermath of an Al-Shabaab attack that left at least 148 dead and 79 wounded in Kenya’s Garissa University College.
World Silent on Religious Motive Behind the Murder of 148 in Garissa
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“The [Christian] group was locked out ... and told that they may no longer hold meetings on campus.” University Revokes Recognition of Campus Christian Ministry Group 2 | UNITED STATES The Christian ministry group, Chi Alpha, had their official recognition as a campus organization revoked after being accused of “religious discrimination” by California State University-Stanislaus. The complaint initially arose because the group required that those who held leadership within the group be Christians. Within only a day of being informed of their revoked recognition, the group was locked out of their regular meeting place and told that they may no longer hold meetings on campus. Though Chi Alpha allows anyone to join the group, it simply requires that the leaders adhere to the national organization’s core Christian beliefs. Chi Alpha is a prominent student-led ministry organization with branches in more than 300 universities throughout the United States. The decision to deny the recognition of the group has caused controversy throughout the country, with many stating that the school administrators were the only ones guilty of discrimination. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty has come to the defense of Chi Alpha, strongly urging the college administration to restore the group’s title as an official campus organization. This incident is one of many recent occasions in which Christian organizations have been reprimanded for requiring their leaders to be Christian. Another similar instance occurred when California State University revoked the recognition of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. JUNE 2015
Muslim Migrants Murder 12 Christians Aboard a Ship Traveling to Italy 3 | ITALY A group of 15 Muslim migrants have been arrested by authorities in Italy after allegedly killing 12 Christians from Ghana and Nigeria who were traveling aboard a boat heading toward Italy, likely to escape poverty and violence. Following the murders, the bodies of the Christians were subsequently thrown overboard. Witnesses report seeing the Muslim men murdering the Christians and throwing them over the edge of the boat after a fight broke out. According to the BBC, once the boat arrived in Sicily, the men were taken into custody and charged with “multiple aggravated murders motivated by religious hate.” Though police have yet to explain the origin of the initial brawl, they have confirmed that religious discrimination was a primary cause for the murders.
Christians embrace after a church bombing in Cairo.
Christians in India protest the rape of an elderly nun.
Bombings Continue to Rock Churches in Egypt
Elderly Nun Raped by Gunmen in India
4 | EGYPT In a series of recent instances of violence against Christians in Egypt, Islamic extremists struck Egypt’s two largest cities in early April. In one day, radicals carried out a bombing in Cairo and an attack on a church in the city of Alexandria. The incidents left one police officer dead and seven others injured. Just prior to the attacks, the founder of the radical group Ajnad Misr, which has attacked police officers and military personnel in the past, was killed by security forces. Minor bombings such as these have grown to be increasingly common throughout Egypt in recent years.
5 | INDIA In the early morning of March 14, a group of men stormed into West Bengal’s Convent of Jesus and Mary and raped an elderly nun. The gunmen overpowered a security guard at the entrance of the convent and began to ransack the grounds for cash. After they gathered the money, the group demanded the eldest nun, who is in her seventies, and proceeded to sexually assault her. Though at least two men have since been arrested, the incident caused great frustration among Christians throughout India who have been calling out for greater protection for religious minorities.
Double Church Bombings in Pakistan Lead to Riots 6 | PAKISTAN On March 15, 15 people were murdered and more than 70 were injured following two church bombings in the predominantly Christian city of Youhanabad, Pakistan. The attack occurred when a suicide bomber approached St. John’s Catholic Church during their Sunday morning prayer services. Just minutes after the first explosion, another suicide bomber carried out a second attack against Christ Church, located in the same city. Shortly after, the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombings. Following the church attacks, riots broke out which led to the lynchings of two individuals who were suspected to be responsible for the attacks. In response, local authorities arrested approximately 200 people, many of whom are Christians. They were indiscriminately taken into custody without first being identified. Most were not informed of where they would be taken, and their families were unable to contact them. Sixteen Christians were officially indicted for the lynchings.
A woman mourns following two back-to-back church bombings in Youhanabad, Pakistan.
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Your Dollar$ at Work Providing Food and Medication to a Convert from Islam
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Hand of Hope
hen Mounira placed her faith in Christ and effectively turned her back on Islam, she paid a steep earthly cost while looking forward to her better, eternal reward. Rejection. Harassment. Murder. These are all words you would never associate with your earthly family. Sadly, for Mounira and countless other converts from Islam to Christ around the globe, persecution inside their homes is a day-to-day reality. Mounira’s husband hated her so much that he beat her unconscious, nearly killing her for praying and reading her Bible. He would lock her in a room to prevent her from worshiping Jesus at church on Sundays. He then divorced her and cast her and her son, Maoulé, onto the streets to fend for themselves. Mounira’s family even hired a mob to kill her and a sorcerer to afflict her with an evil spirit. That’s when ICC stepped in. We provided Mounira and Maoulé with three months of food supplies and bought Mounira her diabetes medication that she had been lacking for months. We also equipped Maoulé with textbooks, notepads, pens, pencils and erasers and even paid for the fees to enroll him back in school. Today, Mounira’s faith is strengthened because she trusts that her heavenly Father works all things together for good because she loves God and is called according to His purpose. Mounira praises God and thanks ICC and our generous supporters who helped her and who continue to pray for her in her time of most desperate need. “I’m still under threat and pressure because both my family and the one of my former husband are still looking for ways to kill me,” Mounira said to ICC’s Niger representative, René Benoît. “However, I rejoice every day in the Lord, because He is my strength, my comforter and my protector. I know He will never forsake me.”
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Pastor Training Supporting in Ethiopia Beijing Pastors
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Underground Pastors
n a majority-Christian nation like Ethiopia, you might not expect followers of Jesus to face persecution from Muslims, but Ethiopia contains pockets where Muslims predominate and increasingly infringe upon Christians’ right to worship. Harar is one of those places. In order to prepare Christians in this climate of hostility, ICC conducted a pastors’ training workshop for three days in March. The program educated 25 church leaders about their legal rights to follow Christ and promoted unity among the local churches. Pastor Mesfin said, “The training gave us new insight and created consensus among evangelicals in defending churches from persecution.” ICC also provided funds to help release three attendees from prison after they were held without charge just days following the training.
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Underground Pastors
hrough your assistance, ICC has had the opportunity to support house church pastors in Beijing through the Christian organization China Aid. One of the pastors, Liang Wei*, founded a humanitarian work studio in his city to help fellow Christians who were facing a variety of misfortunes, ranging from illness to government persecution. Though Pastor Wei has personally faced many medical problems and been through three cardiac surgeries, his life is a testament to the healing power of Christ. Through the countless prayers of others, financial support and a number of medical procedures, Pastor Wei has been cured. Since his healing, Pastor Wei has continued to lead his house church and helped other house churches to defend their legal rights. In spite of the numerous obstacles that he has faced, Pastor Wei has remained firm in his faith, trusting in Christ to see him through.
Medical Help for Pastor
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Hand of Hope
n December 2013, Pastor Moses and his family began facing intense persecution at the hands of Hindu radicals in their village. One night, radicals broke into their house and attempted to end the local church by murdering Pastor Moses and his wife. Since June 2014, ICC has been assisting Pastor Moses in recovering from this incident and other severe incidents of persecution. Recently, ICC provided Pastor Moses with a new roof for his church. The original roof was damaged in many places when radicals stoned Pastor Moses’ church on different occasions. This damage has allowed rain to leak into the church, which has affected the church’s ability to hold regular Sunday worship. Through your donations to ICC’s Hand of Hope: South Asia fund, ICC is able to help persecuted Christians in South Asia like Pastor Moses and his family.
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Your Dollar$ at Work
Assistance to Burned Church
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Hand of Hope
n January 16, Christians in the village of Tadur, India, received reports that the village’s only church had been set on fire by Hindu radicals. Built of nothing but simple materials commonly found in rural India, this simple structure was easily consumed by the flames. Only part of the church remains due to the efforts of local Christians who rushed to save the church when they heard the church was set on fire. Through ICC’s Hand of Hope: South Asia fund, ICC extended aid to this persecuted community of Christians by providing them with new musical instruments, chairs, blankets and Christian literature. As ICC looks to repair the church in Tadur, these simple gifts will allow the Christian community to fully participate in worship, despite the damaged sustained by their church. Keep this community in your thoughts and prayers.
Rebuilding Hope in Hindi, Kenya
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Community Rebuild
n the night of July 5, 2014, Islamist al-Shabaab militants attacked Prisila’s village of Hindi, Kenya. “They pulled my husband out from the sitting room by force, and then they slaughtered him,” she recalled. “We got scared by this excruciating act. Then my son, who was in another room, tried to escape, but was gunned down outside as he tried to flee.” The extremist Muslim attackers burned the entire village to ashes, widowing nine women and leaving dozens of children fatherless. The blazes also destroyed the church and the house where Pastor Elizabeth Odipo lives. ICC partnered with Lifeway Mission International to rebuild 15 homes and provide plowing and planting assistance on one acre of land, which will feed six families. Please pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Hindi to cling to the Lord in the midst of this severe persecution.
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Your Dollar$ at Work
Paying it Forward
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Hand of Hope
fter suffering from great persecution in Kyrgyzstan, which resulted in being exiled from their own town, without the ability to find steady income, ICC was able to purchase lambs for a man named Peace and his wife, Happiness. The lambs gave the couple their own small business and, therefore, a source of income as
well as a sense of pride associated with being able to provide for themselves. The lambs have since had babies! Peace and Happiness will sell some of the newborns, but also plan to give some of the lambs to another Christian family who has suffered similar persecution. These lambs have been the gift that keeps on giving for persecuted families in Kyrgyzstan.
Special Delivery for Iraqi Family
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Hand of Hope
CC and our partners in Iraq were able to make a special delivery for one young family who was forced to leave her home because of ISIS and flee to Iraqi Kurdistan. When she arrived, she came as most did, with no provisions, no excess clothing or medicine. However, this young lady arrived carrying something that most of the other IDPs did not — a baby due to be delivered in just a few weeks. When our team arrived, she was within a couple of weeks of giving birth and had no idea how she would pay the several hundred dollars for the delivery. We were able to meet this need. The day arrived, and the mother was able to get to the proper medical facility where a beautiful child was born, away from home, but safe and healthy. Thank you for helping us to care for hundreds of people in need with food, blankets and mattresses, as well as for helping us to care for one very special new life.
ISIS Driving Muslims from Islam
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Underground Pastors
e’ve seen the news of how ISIS and other extremist groups in Syria have driven millions from their homes, but the news doesn’t talk about how they are also driving many to leave Islam. Through ICC’s Underground Pastors fund, we are supporting a Syrian refugee who is leading outreach and church planting work
with 14 small groups of refugees, many of whom are former Muslims who are wanting to leave Islam. In one group, three Muslim families from the western side of Syria came to the conclusion on their own to denounce their old faith and the demonic teaching of the Quran and give full allegiance to Christ the Savior. They often have said, “Thank you for enlightening us to the truth, we just didn’t know it before.”
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FAILED STATES & FLEEING CHRISTIANS ‘When your choice is these butchers from ISIS or anyone else, you will choose anything else.’
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– A CHRISTIAN IN LEBANON WHO FLED HIS HOME TO ESCAPE ISIS
region in chaos is one label to describe the Middle East of the past five years. While conflict and war is nothing new for the region, even still there are seismic shifts underway that may radically alter the region for many years to come. In the midst of this, Christianity is under threat and, in many cases, seems to be vanishing from its very birthplace. Yet, as has been the case throughout history, the blood of the martyrs — and there have been many in recent months — has become the seed of the church. Though the church may be shrinking in numbers as Christians have had to flee for safety, many are finding a deeper relationship with God. “When you’ve lost everything but God, you cling to him more tightly,” an Iraqi woman told ICC after she and her family were forced to flee for their lives in the middle of the night.
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As turmoil swirls around, Christians, who represent just a small fraction of the region’s population, are more under threat than ever.
Political Chaos
When Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian fruit vendor, set himself aflame in December 2010, no one could have anticipated the series of events that would follow. Protesting unemployment, government corruption and human rights abuses, crowds took to the streets across Tunisia, then spread to Egypt, Libya, Yemen and nearly every country across the Middle East. While many of the voices initially were calling for greater rights and freedoms, the aftermath of political upheaval was first capitalized on by Islamist groups and then by jihadist extremists. A number of long-ruling authoritarian leaders were forced from office — Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia, Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, Muammar Gaddafi in Libya and Ali Abdullah Saleh in Yemen. Even those who survived the protests were forced to make changes. In Egypt, the revolution forced Mubarak from office, but after a military-led tran-
sitional government, the Muslim Brotherhood took power and the situation for all but those who were part of their inner circle worsened. After just one year in office, Egyptians were in the streets in even greater numbers than in 2011 and forced the Muslim Brotherhood president, Mohammed Morsi, to resign. In the aftermath, Egypt witnessed the most intense period of attacks on Christians in recent memory. As dozens of churches and hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed, many Christians were left to wonder if there remained a place for them in Egypt. In Syria and Iraq, they are asking the same questions.
Wave upon Wave of Displacement In Damascus, the regime of Bashar al-Assad is still clinging on to power after more than four years of fighting. The opposition groups seeking to remove him from office in 2011 were very quickly overrun by Islamic jihadists. The conflict in Syria has created the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II — more than 12.2 million people in need, (4.2 million refugees who
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Photos Top ISIS releases video on social
media as propaganda announcing their arrival in Yemen.
Bottom Coptic Christians march in
Washington, D.C., in protest of the martyrdom of the 21 Christians beheaded by ISIS in Libya. Photo by AINA
have left, 7.6 million displaced still in Syria). In 2014, the Syria conflict spilled over into Iraq as ISIS claimed large portions of the country, driving 2.6 million people from their homes. In both countries, Christians left fearful of the future. Many of them see no hope of ever returning home. “When your choice is these butchers from ISIS or anyone else, you will choose anything else,” a Christian in Lebanon told ICC. Not long ago, Syria was one of the better places in the region for Christians, but now more than 500,000 of the estimated 1.5 million have left the country. In neighboring Iraq in the early 2000s, there were also about 1.5 million Christians, but now that number has decreased to 350,000. When ISIS swept through the Christian heartlands of central Iraq in 2014, about 200,000 Christians fled their homes and are now living in the Kurdistan region.
Rise of ISIS, et al.
In the chaos of the region, the groups gaining the fastest are Islamic jihadists. Al Qaeda JUNE 2015
Timeline of Terror A five-year chronology of events that have led to the advance of Islam and crumbling of Middle Eastern nations. 2011 Dec. 17 (2010): Tunisian fruit vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, sets himself aflame, sparking protests Jan. 14: Tunisian President Zine el Abidine flees to Saudi Arabia Jan. 25: Egyptians fill Tahrir Square, force Hosni Mubarak to resign March 15: Syrian protests start in Damascus and Allepo, calling for reform by Assad government Oct. 20: Muammar Gaddafi is killed and Libya is declared liberated three days later Dec. 18: Last of U.S. troops leave Iraq after 2003 invasion
2012 Jan. 24: Jabhat al-Nusra, an Al Qaeda-linked group, is created in Syria, leads jihadists to fight a civil war Feb. 27: Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh resigns after protests June 24: Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi wins presidential election in Egypt Sept. 11: U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya, is attacked, Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans are killed
2013 July 3: As millions of Egyptians march in the streets, Mohammed Morsi is forced out of office Aug. 14-15: Muslims torch more than 70 churches across Egypt after military disperses sit-in protests in Cairo Aug. 21: Nearly 1,500 are killed by a chemical attack by Assad regime in a Damascus suburb Sept. 3: Number of Syrian refugees reaches 2 million, more than 450,000 Christians are among those who have fled
2014
remains active carrying out operations in Yemen, across North Africa, and playing a significant role Syria. In 2014, the world awoke to the group now known as ISIS, or the so-called Islamic State. They emerged from extremists in Iraq, but then expanded through their fighting in Syria and now have gained affiliates across the globe. ISIS has gripped international headlines through its savvy use of social media to broadcast highly-produced videos of their most brutal exploits to the world. Serving as one part propaganda and one part recruiting material, they have declared a war on Christianity. Christians have been given the choice to convert, pay a tax or face the sword. As a result, Christians have fled by the hundreds of thousands, watching as their churches and homes are demolished behind them. As chaos continues to overwhelm the region, Christians in the Middle East need the Church to help them survive.
June 10: Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, falls to ISIS militants, 500,000 flee the city June 29: ISIS declares it has re-established the Islamic Caliphate July 4: ISIS “Caliph” Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi delivers speech at Great Mosque in Mosul, Iraq Aug. 8: U.S. launches airstrikes to halt ISIS advance in Iraq Aug. 14: Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki resigns as ISIS continues to gain ground in Iraq Nov. 18: ISIS takes control of Derna, Libya, population: 100,000 Dec. 31: Total Iraqis displaced exceeds 2 million, more than 150,000 Christians counted among the displaced
2015 Feb 6: Iranian-backed Shi’a rebels take control of Yemen’s capital Feb. 15: ISIS releases video showing the beheading of 21 Christian captives in Libya Feb. 24: ISIS abducts more than 250 Christians from Syria April 19: ISIS releases video showing execution of 30 Ethiopian and Eritrean migrants in Libya
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A REGION IN TURMOIL Tunisia The beginning of the Arab Spring in 2011, Tunisia has since become one of the largest suppliers of foreign fighters for ISIS, with at least 3,000 Tunisians fighting alongside the jihadists in Iraq and Syria. A March 18 ISIS attack killed 21.
Libya After the fall of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has become a training ground and safe haven for militant Islamic extremists. Groups like Ansr al-Sharia and now ISIS have a stronghold in Libya and have been abducting and executing Christians across the country.
Egypt Since 2011, Egypt has had five governments and two revolutions. The radical Muslim Brotherhood took power for one year. In June 2013, the people removed them from office, sparking the largest and most violent wave of attacks on Christians in 1,400 years.
The Spread of ISIS
ISIS Control Syria Legend Attack on Christians
Iraq
Refugees Al Qaeda Presence ISIS Presence Capital
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ISIS “Remaining and expanding” is the official slogan of the Islamic jihadist group that claims to have established the caliphate and seeks to restore the Islamic kingdom in preparation for the end times. In the midst of political instability, ISIS has captured a stronghold in large parts of Syria and Iraq. The group’s military gains have allowed it to swell its ranks with more than 20,000 foreign fighters. ISIS has received pledges of loyalty from more than 30 Islamic jihadist groups across the region, giving it a large base of operations. They have also inspired attacks across the world — from Sydney and Paris to Ontario and New York City.
Syria
Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has for decades used its vast oil wealth to finance the spread of fundamental/violent Islam around the world. Much of the growth of Islamic extremism has been fueled by Saudi money, but many of the extremist groups now threaten Saudi’s leaders as corrupted Sunni Saudi Arabia is locked in a power struggle with Shi’a Iran for influence in the region.
In its fifth year, the Syrian conflict has devastated the Christian community that once lived in relative peace. An opposition made up largely of Islamic extremists is battling the regime of Bashar al-Assad. More than 450,000 Christians have fled the country, and hundreds of thousands more are in hiding. Clergy members and believers have been abducted, executed or held for ransom.
Iraq Modern Iraq was created after World War I by the British. It encompasses a Kurdish north, Sunni middle and Shia south. These groups could cause the country to split apart, as it is ungovernable except by a strongman. Since 2003, more than one million Christians have fled Iraq. In June 2014, ISIS militants overran Mosul and the Christian heartland. Overnight, 200,000 Christians fled to the Kurdistan region. ISIS continues to hold much of Iraq and is seeking to erase the history of Iraq’s Christian community. Although the Christians are temporarily safe in Kurdish regions, the rumor on the Kurdish street is that they will attack the Christians once they gain statehood.
Yemen An Al Qaeda stronghold center of the Sunni/Shia (Saudi/ Iran) proxy war. Iranian-backed rebels seized control of government institutions, sparking a reaction from Sunni states and ISIS-affiliated groups.
Somalia This war-torn country is the home of the Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab. The jihadist group has carried out numerous attacks throughout Africa, targeting Christians and Westerners. They were implicated in the 2013 attack on Nairobi’s Westgate Mall that killed 67, and they killed 148 at Garissa University on April 2. In both attacks, the militants specifically targeted Christians.
ISIS Refugees Jordan Lebanon Turkey Iraq Syria
0.6MM 1.1MM 1.7MM 2.7MM Disp 7.6MM Disp
Source of ISIS Fighters US Tunisia Europe Saudi Fmr USSR N. Africa
100 5,000 4,000 7,000 3,000 5,300
ISIS Annual Revenue (Billions) Oil/Gas 1.6 0.12 Kidnap 0.3 Concrete Chemicals 0.05 0.50 Tithes 0.36 Extortion Agriculture 0.20 Total $3BB / Year
Christian Population % in Middle East 10%
Christian Exodus By Country 1MM
450K 5%
66% of Pop.
45% of Pop.
100K 1900
Present
Iraq: last 12 years
Syria: last 5 years
2.5% Egypt: last 5 years
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A Desert Mirage The Unraveling of Syria and Iraq Reveal the True Colors of the Middle East’s “Arab Spring”
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By Rosalie Thompson
hope you know your government is arming the wrong type of rebels in Syria. These rebels are not freedom fighters, but rather Sunni jihadists with an extremist agenda.” The words of my Kurdish colleague floored me as I sat with him in his office in Duhok, Iraq, during the winter of 2012. Little did I know, then, how deadly accurate his statements were.
Syria Unravels
In the spring of 2011, as the spirit of Arab political uprising made its way into Syria, young Syrians erupted in rage against the beating and torture of teenage boys by the Assad regime. Concurrently, Islamist fighters were quietly making their way into the country from every corner of the world and waiting for a spark that they could use to inflame Syria. The streets of Damascus began to tremble with anti-government uprisings as battle-hardened Islamist insurgents from Iraq flowed into Syria, disguising themselves as freedom fighters and humanitarians seeking to redeem Syrians from the Assad regime. As local uprisings grew into nationwide violence, Syria’s Christian community was caught in between a rock and a hard place. On one side, violent jihadis intent on overthrowing Assad and establishing an Islamic state, and on the other, the Assad regime that had trusted and empowered Syria’s Christians from Islamic fundamentalists. In the West, the Arab Spring movement was upheld by a naïve press as a great democratic uprising, and the man on the street looked on with awe as a new democratic dawn arose in the Middle East. During this time, ICC’s newsletters and press releases decried the
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Arab Spring and repeatedly told those who would listen that it was the coming of an Arab Winter. In Syria, attacks and counterattacks increased, and the country began to become unglued. The Muslim calls to prayer from the mosques were frequently spiced with fatwas, death sentences and announcements of expulsions. Rather than the brightening of a democratic dawn, Christians awoke to a nightmare where large swathes of their country were ruled by Islamic extremists who had placed a bull’s-
“Most of the world has yet to understand that the Arab Spring was about recapturing an old ideal, one that began 1,400 years earlier with the founder of Islam, Muhammad.” PERSECU ION.org
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eye squarely on their backs. In October 2013, a Syrian pastor told ICC, “The majority of the rebels aren’t Syrian. They behead people and are especially focused on killing Christians and making us leave the country. It’s a terrible situation.” In the country where the apostle Paul launched his ministry, persecution, crucifixions and beheadings made it abundantly clear that truly the seasons had changed and it was an Arab Winter. Nearly five years since the beginning of the Arab Spring, most of the world has yet to understand that the movement was never about democracy or social justice. On the contrary, the Arab “awakening” that began in December 2010 was about recapturing an old ideal, one that began 1,400 years earlier with Muhammad, the founder of Islam. The unraveling of the Middle East and the attempted rise of a caliphate (an Islamic super state ruled by the laws of Muhammad) goes beyond the Arab Spring or the United States’ incursion into Iraq. A free and democratic Arab world, envisioned by the Western world, is nonexistent and, in fact, was never a reality. The Arab Winter has been in place for 1,400 years, and Syria’s plight is merely the latest chapter in the long and deadly history of asphyxiation of the Arab world by Islam.
Iraq’s Descent into Chaos
The rise of ISIS in Syria and the establishment of the “caliphate” in Mosul have served to make clear that 2,000 years of Christian history in the city are gone forever. Mosul, once the heart of the Syriac Orthodox Church, is now a jihadist playground. The very same jihadists who recently marched for freedom and stability now roam the streets of Raqqa and Mosul, chanting hatred and extremism. “Allahu akbar” (God is great) can be heard JUNE 2015
from almost every corner of Syria and northern Iraq as they wield their swords in the faces of Christians. Ancient Christian monasteries that still recited the Scriptures in Aramaic, the language of Christ, now lay in shambles. Most people have no idea that discrimination and attacks against Iraqi Christians predate the 2003 U.S. invasion and the rise of ISIS. During the 14th century, the Turco-Mongol warlord, Tamerlane, beheaded 70,000 Iraqi Christians. In 1988, Christians were targeted in the al Anfal campaign, headed by Saddam Hussein. Two thousand Iraqi Christians were cleansed from their towns and villages. Somehow, Christianity had always endured and held on in Iraq, but that changed overnight in July 2014, when Mosul and the Nineveh plains were emptied of Christians for the first time in history. For me, watching the fall of Mosul from the U.S. was not a surprise. I had lived in northern Iraq for two years and had heard firsthand from the Iraqis how the jihadis had infiltrated Syria and Iraq, but after 10 years of war, I wanted to believe that Iraq was headed toward a brighter future.
A 1,400-Year Problem
The problem was that, in reality, the fall of Syria and Iraq were in the making 1,400 years before the Arab Spring. True, the Western world played our part in the deconstructing of the Arab world with our incursion into Iraq, but we compounded our mistake by telling the lie of the Arab Spring. We were selling a desert mirage that gave an army of jihadis room to grow and eventually destroy what little was left of civilization and human dignity in Iraq and Syria. I remember very well an Iraqi Christian telling me that the Middle East was a ticking bomb waiting to detonate. “It’s just a matter of when,” he said, referring to the 1,400-year religious war that Islam was continually fighting internally (Sunni/ Shia) and externally (Islam’s eternal quest to bring territory into submission [Islam means submission] to Muhammad’s and Allah’s commands). This is the curse that keeps the Middle East from ever achieving peace and stability. For a while, I was caught up in the myth of a free and stable Iraq. Now, I see that what I saw in the distance was merely a desert mirage.
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In the Shadow of Terror
ISIS released this photograph to announce their arrival in Yemen.
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A Houthi rebel leads a protest. Photo by EPA/Yahya Arhab.
Yemenis flee fighting. Photo by ITV.
Saudi airstrikes pound Sana.
eeting in a basement villa in the capital city of Sana’a, a group of Christians have gathered in secret to pray and worship together. As they made their way to the prayer meeting, bombs were falling overhead as part of a Saudi-led coalition intent on striking back at Houthi rebels, who, with support from Iran, had made gains in the country. Christians have to remain “invisible” in order to stay safe, Bishop Paul said of the small gathering of expatriate Christians. His statement is also true for the some 2,500 Yemeni believers across the country. They must stay in the shadows or find them-
Saudi Arabia responded by leading a coalition of Sunni countries in a large-scale bombing campaign to drive back the Houthi rebels, keeping Iran from gaining a stronghold on its southern border. The most immediate result of the surge in violence was more than 150,000 people driv-
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selves the targets of the Islamic extremists operating in the country or facing the persecution from their families in a culture that remains hostile toward anyone who would leave Islam to follow Jesus.
Islamists’ Latest Battle Ground Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East, has become an important battleground for control and influence in the region. The Sunni vs. Shia conflict, led by Saudi Arabia and Iran, is playing out as Iranian-backed rebels have gained control of a large portion of the country, fighting against troops loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who has fled to Saudi Arabia.
‘Yemen has never had a stable government, and this makes it an ideal place for terrorists to breed chaos.’
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en from their homes and more than 1,000 killed. Huge numbers were looking to flee the country, and most Western governments, including the United States, have pulled their diplomatic staff out of the country. Yemen is not only a battleground between Saudi Arabia and Iran, but it is also a stronghold for Al Qaeda and has ISIS cells operating, as well. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has been linked to several of the failed attacks on the United States and also claimed credit for the attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris. Its leaders include Ibrahim al-Asiri, the bombmaker behind the 2009 Christmas Day underwear bombing and other attempted attacks. JUNE 2015
Many experts see AQAP as the most dangerous branch of the Al Qaeda network. Since August 2014, they’ve claimed responsibility for over 400 attacks in Yemen alone. As the country continues in chaos, without a functioning central government, AQAP has increased its hold on a large portion of southern Yemen, including control of an airport and seaport. While AQAP is the most dominant terrorist group, ISIS is quickly gaining ground in Yemen. It is a fertile recruiting and training ground for the jihadist organization. ISIS claimed responsibility for the March 20 bombing of a Shia mosque in Sana’a that claimed 137 lives. With its growing reputation of brutality and territorial claims in Iraq and Syria, ISIS is attempting to rival AQAP for recruits and financial support for their jihadist aims.
Christians Staying in the Shadows Behind the conflict that gains the attention of international press is the danger that Christians face in Yemen. There are an estimated 2,500 Yemeni Christians living in the country, but they must remain hidden or their lives are at great risk. “All Christians in Yemen are from a Muslim background,” Sam*, a Yemeni believer, told CBN News in a recent interview. “According to Islamic Sharia law, it is forbidden for Muslims to convert to Christianity.” “Yemen has never had a stable government, and this makes it an ideal place for terrorists to breed chaos,” Sam explained. “It’s unfortunate, but they are playing with the souls of people. The simple Yemeni citizen doesn’t want these groups with their Islamic agendas to influence the country. What ends up being destroyed is people’s lives and businesses.” But as another leader who works closely with some Yemeni believers told ICC, “Believers will face persecution from actually everybody: family, government, extremists and even their own spouses.” Yet even with these great risks, there are still some who have come to believe in Jesus who though often in secret, are meeting with other Christians to pray and worship together. As Sunni and Shia states battle for control of territory, and ISIS and AQAP battle for funding and recruits, beneath the surface, Christians are battling in love to free those who have been gripped by the chains of darkness.
A First Person Account:
Church Leader Gives Insight on Life for Christians in Yemen ICC spoke recently with an Arab church leader who has been working closely with the underground church in Yemen for years. The latest conflict has forced them to move workers out of the country, but he shared insights on life as a believer in Yemen. Very few know anything about believers that live in Yemen. What is life like for a believer? How many believers are living in the country?
There are a very limited number of believers in the whole country, scattered as individuals with the exception of one group. Believers in Yemen live very dangerous and risky lives. They meet underground and certainly can’t reveal their true beliefs within the community.
Certainly many believers have to stay quiet or they face persecution. Where does persecution come from? Believers will face persecution from actually everybody: family, government, extremists and even their own spouses.
Over the past months, there has been chaos in Yemen and extremists battling for control. How has this impacted believers? In the midst of this terrible time, believers have been suffering like anybody else in the country. They suffer from insecurity and injuries. There are shootings and bombings with heavy weapons in the streets. There is no electricity, and there is a huge shortage of food and water.
How has the conflict affected those who were in Yemen working to share Jesus?
“E” was trapped for several days without any hope of return after all the airports were closed. He tried several times to reach Aden’s port, but all the attempts failed because he was caught in the midst of battles and strikes. He had to return back to where he was staying. There, he encouraged believers and helped people in the streets with all he had until he felt encouraged to try again to go to the port. When he arrived safely, he found his name listed on an Indian ship — [a remarkable thing] when thousands were trying to find a place to ride. The trip was so laden with danger that they believed only a miracle could have made them arrive safely. By God’s grace, they arrived in Djibouti. From there, he flew to Qatar and finally back home.
Underneath all the chaos, do you see God at work in the lives of Muslims to come to know Him?
‘God is shaking the whole country … shaking all the foundations and postulates and giving us great opportunities to share the truth and speak eagerly about His love.’
God is shaking the whole country. He is opening many eyes and touching many hearts. People are asking so many questions and trying to find the truth. The Lord is shaking all the foundations and postulates and giving us great opportunities to share the truth and speak eagerly about His love.
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Advocacy
ICC Success in Advocacy A BRIEF HISTORY OF ICC ADVOCACY SUCCESSES 08.05.12
Following an extensive advocacy campaign, Saudi Arabia releases 35 Ethiopian Christians arrested nine months earlier at an underground church service in Jeddah.
Three years of speaking truth to power and proclaiming liberty to captives
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or five years, Daniel Gill* had spent every single moment of his life living behind the bars of a maximum security prison in one of the most dangerous and violent countries on earth. Sentenced to die because of his faith, the world had largely forgotten Daniel. Yet on the other side of the globe, his forgotten story was quietly and persistently being told to those who had the power to make a difference. Not long after, the door to Daniel’s cell was opened one final time. Instead of being led away to the execution chamber, Daniel was led to the front door, where he was told that he was free to go. The story above, though largely simplified and with many details withheld for security, is a true account of the power and effectiveness in changing lives that can take place when we advocate for the persecuted Church. Though far less visible than the clear and horrendous struggle that so many Christians face on the ground in the world today, a behind-the-scenes battle is being waged in the halls of power over the fate of nations, and within that battle the lives of millions of believers and their freedom to live out and proclaim their beliefs are at stake.
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02.20.13
Pastor Bakhytzhan Kashkumbayev (B.K.) is released after months of captivity and torture. ICC’s #FreePastorBK campaign and advocacy work with the Kazakh government helped secure his release.
05.07.13
The Indonesian government is warned by key members of Congress about the forced closure of places of worship. Closures drop to almost zero for the next seven months.
08.21.13
ICC Advocacy Director joins Brett Baier’s “Special Report” on Fox News to discuss the torching of more than 40 churches in Egypt.
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Throughout its history, and especially over the past several years, ICC has plunged headfirst into this battle, working to shape the conversations, the thought processes and the pen strokes that will one day make the difference between freedom and oppression. Individual lives like Daniel’s are not the only thing at stake. Entire political systems and the power that they wield to bring about greater religious freedom or to destroy the right to practice one’s faith can be influenced. Governments can be moved from persecutors to those who defend and assist the persecuted. In the seeming banality of meeting after meeting on Capitol Hill, change is being shaped that will impact generations. The opposition to this change is tremendous. In our work, we regularly meet with congressmen, senators, the State Department and even foreign governments to urge action on behalf of the persecuted. When doing so, ICC faces well-entrenched economic, security and political interests. These interests, and those who represent them, are not only numerous, they are extremely well-funded and often have every incentive to ensure that the nations who employ them (the same nations that support or attempt to hide persecution) are kept in the best possible light. In one particular instance, a congressional staff member who supported an ICC initiative was bombarded with angry calls from a foreign embassy and even confronted by other congressional staff who had been influenced by the foreign government. Yet despite this, ICC’s advocacy efforts have seen success after success over the past several years. Truly, God has done “immeasurably more than anything we could ask or imagine” and has used our very limited resources in ways we never would have thought possible. From White House protests on behalf of Meriam Ibrahim, to the increase in U.S. aid to Christian communities targeted by ISIS, to the release of Pastor B.K. in Kazakhstan, God is using advocacy to effect change around the world. Behind each of these successes lies the very real, and often far from glamorous, grunt work of advocacy. In the past three years alone, we’ve conducted well over 250 meetings with congressional staff, the State Department and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (among others). We’ve organized briefings for everyone from staff assistants to assistant secretaries of state and foreign ambassadors. We’ve conducted scores of radio, television and print interviews, from Fox News to the Times, and we’ve collected petition signatures from more than 70,000 individuals in more than 100 countries around the globe. While there are some achievements we can’t discuss because of the sensitive nature of the issues, today we take a look back at just a few of the major public highlights from the past three years. *name changed for security JUNE 2015
Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. Isaiah 1:17
ADVOCACY SUCCESSES 11.13.13
The U.S. designates Boko Haram a “Foreign Terrorist Organization,” putting in place economic sanctions and travel bans against the group. ICC and others campaigned on this issue for nearly two years.
12.30.13
The Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States agrees to investigate reports of Christian children being trafficked in the Chittagong Hill Tracts following ICC advocacy campaign.
SAUDI ARABIA
35 Ethiopian Christians Set Free On September 15th, 2011, police in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, stormed the services of an underground Ethiopian church. They arrested every Christian present, including 29 women and six men. For months, the Saudi government refused to release them, pressuring many to convert to Islam. ICC went into action, holding 26 briefings on Capitol Hill to bring the case to light. Our allies in Congress responded by repeatedly summoning staff from the Saudi embassy to explain why they were holding the Christians captive. After months of pressure, all 35 Christians were eventually released. AFRICA
Boko Haram Designated an FTO Today, Boko Haram is widely known as one of the most prolific killers of Christians in Africa. In the summer of 2012, despite mass killings, the U.S. had not even officially acknowledged the group as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).” This designation would require the U.S. to block funding and visas for anyone known to be associated with the terrorists. ICC conducted 26 briefings on Capitol Hill, and, as a result, 28 members of Congress called for the FTO designation. Boko Haram was finally designated an FTO in late 2013.
03.26.14
Seventy members of Congress write to President Obama, urging him to address human rights and religious freedom in Saudi Arabia. Letter campaign is led by ICC and Amnesty International. KAZAKHSTAN
Pastor Released from Prison
In May 2013, the government of Kazakhstan arrested 67-year-old Pastor Bakhytzhan Kashkumbayev (Pastor B.K.). Pastor B.K.’s only real crime was effectively preaching to his church and witnessing to the Muslims in his community. Two months after his arrest, Pastor B.K. wrote to the United Nations, saying, “It will not take much for the authorities to make me a vegetable … I am begging you to protect me.” Three weeks later, he was transferred to a psychological hospital and subjected to 19 examinations in just 30 days. ICC went into top gear and launched a seven-month “Free Pastor B.K.” campaign. We contacted various leaders in Congress and put pressure directly on the Kazakhstan government. First, several charges were dropped, and then, in February 2014, Pastor B.K. was released and allowed to return to his family.
BANGLADESH
Christian Children Trafficked
In late 2013, ICC became the first known organization to shed light on the activities of a trafficking ring operating in the remote eastern Bangladesh region of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The ring targeted the children of impoverished Christians and other religious minorities by luring them with false promises of a free education. Once the children were picked up by the traffickers, they disappeared, only to be discovered later forced into Islamic schools, their names changed and identification as Christians erased. We took this information to Congress, providing precise details on the names of the traffickers and organizations involved. Soon, the Bangladesh government was contacted by congressmen and senators appalled at the trafficking. In January 2014, we learned that the Bangladesh ambassador and the U.S. were investigating the ring.
05.13.14
ICC works with Congressman Trent Franks to publish first congressional news release of Meriam Ibrahim’s case. News release is picked up by New York Times, case becomes international sensation.
06.23.14
Meriam Ibrahim, sentenced to die by hanging for blasphemy, is released from prison in Sudan, along with her two children, Martin and Maya.
07.01.14
ICC joins Human Rights Watch, United to End Genocide and U.S. Campaign for Burma in congressional staff briefing. Language promoting religious freedom and human rights in Burma is added to National Defense Authorization Act.
09.27.14
ICC is honored by the Family Research Council for its role in securing the release of Meriam and her children from prison.
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Advocacy
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Proverbs 31:8
Delivering aid to Iraqi Christians who were displaced from their homes by ISIS.
ICC visits with a persecuted Christian family in Iraq.
IRAQ
$65 Million in Aid to Displaced Victims of ISIS In August 2014, ICC advocacy staff went into Northern Iraq just as ISIS seemed on the verge of assaulting Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Over 100,000 Christians had been driven from their homes and were living on the verge of extinction. During our investigation, ICC uncovered that, despite millions of dollars in donations, little to no aid was flowing from United Nations agencies to the hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals. Temperatures were reaching over 115 degrees, and tens of thousands of Christians were living without adequate food and shelter. After returning to D.C., ICC immediately briefed the State Department on the situation and strongly advocated that U.S. aid be given directly to “implementing partners,” allowing it to flow more quickly into the hands of those who needed it most. Through our efforts, a small team of congressional staff formed to provide oversight of the aid distribution, and ICC began working directly with the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) that was in charge of allocating aid. We provided precise GPS coordinates to this team and other United Nations “cluster groups” with lists of needs for Christian and Yazidi communities that were still unreached. We also held a briefing on Capitol Hill, bringing in experts from Open Doors USA, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and ICC to brief more than 90 congressional staff and NGO participants on the situation. Partially as a result of our efforts, the U.S. responded, eventually shifting more than $65 million in aid directly to implementing partners working with Christian groups and others in northern Iraq.
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ICC hosted a press conference at the National Press Club on behalf of the persecuted.
Introducing persecuted Christians to policymakers on Capitol Hill.
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ICC hosts advocacy campaigns throughout the year to speak up for the voiceless. JUNE 2015
ADVOCACY SUCCESSES 09.30.14
The U.S. Agency for International Development announces that $65,366,662 has been allocated for direct aid in northern Iraq. Substantial portions of this aid will assist displaced Iraqi Christians.
10.16.14
ICC hosts first congressional staff briefing on Capitol Hill focused on the plight of religious minorities in Syria and Iraq. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Open Doors USA join ICC panel. More than 90 staff and NGO participants attend.
12.18.14
INDONESIA
SUDAN
Helping End Forced Meriam Ibrahim’s Church Closures Case Brought to In 2012, ICC estimated that at World Stage least 50 churches had been forced closed by radical groups across Indonesia. Intimidated by threats of violence and riots, local authorities often buckled under the pressure, forcing churches with up to several hundred members to shut down or relocate, even though Indonesia was often lauded as the most “tolerant” Muslim-majority nation in the world. In 2013, ICC brought a local pastor from Indonesia to Capitol Hill to explain just what was happening to so many churches. In addition to other efforts, a key Senator whose oversight included more than $1.56 billion in U.S. aid to Indonesia, wrote to the Indonesian government, urging them to put a stop to the forced church closings. Over the course of the next seven months, church closings dropped precipitously, and ICC contacts could only find a single incident in the whole country.
On Mother’s Day of 2014, Meriam Ibrahim was sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging in Khartoum, Sudan, unless she renounced her faith in the next three days. Despite being several months pregnant and jailed with her 20-month-old son, Meriam refused. She was subsequently condemned to death. Two days after her sentence was passed, ICC confirmed Meriam’s case was authentic (it was relatively unheard of outside of NGO circles). ICC took the case to leaders in Congress and helped them prepare a press release that was issued the same day. It was the first press release by a member of Congress on Meriam’s case, and it was quickly picked up on Twitter by a wellknown New York Times columnist and retweeted to 1.43 million followers. The case of Meriam Ibrahim had hit the world scene.
SAUDI ARABIA
Congressional Call for Religious Freedom in Saudi In 2014 and 2015, ICC joined forces with Amnesty International to move Congress on behalf of the persecuted in Saudi Arabia. Despite being considered a U.S. ally, Saudi Arabia bans all nonMuslim places of worship and routinely cracks down on underground Christian groups. In March 2014, ICC worked with key leaders in Congress and other NGOs to inspire one of the most widely supported, bipartisan human rights initiatives in recent memory. Seventy members of Congress called on the president to address human rights and religious freedom on his visit to Saudi Arabia. One congressional staffer suggested the campaign be included in every “Government 101” textbook on conducting advocacy. In 2015, ICC repeated this campaign, helping to garner signatures from 67 members of Congress on the same issue.
Nine members of Congress call on the attorney general of Egypt to release Bishoy Armia Boulous, a Christian convert from Islam jailed on charges of blasphemy. It is the first known congressional action in support of his case.
02.14.15
Ethiopian Christian Soka Araro is released from prison in Ethiopia after an international calling campaign is organized by ICC.
03.03.15
67 members of Congress send letter to the newly-appointed King Salman of Saudi Arabia calling for increased human rights and religious freedoms. ICC and Amnesty International lead letter campaign.
04.14.15
ICC holds its first press conference at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. The conference focused on Pakistan. Speakers included a member of Congress, a member of the UK Parliament, Amnesty International and the attorney representing Asia Bibi in a Pakistan blasphemy case.
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ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA …
Christians in Nigeria are bracing for an uncertain future after the election of a Muslim president. Despite campaigning against Boko Haram, experts fear Buhari may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. 26
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ife for Christians in Nigeria’s M u s l i m majority north and central regions is harrowing and constantly in peril. Christians who live in this region can be enjoying dinner with their family one moment and then be staring down the barrel of an AK-47 a few minutes later. They often find themselves forced to kneel in the dirt and terrified while they are asked to do the unthinkable: deny Jesus or die. This is the experience of countless persecuted Christians who face threats from Islamic extremists in Nigeria.
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Two Sources of Persecution Two major Muslim groups terrorize and target Christians in Nigeria. In the north, militant jihadists, Boko Haram, have murdered Christians, abducted young girls and sold them into marriage to be sexual slaves and killed thousands of Nigerian civilians over the last decade in their quest to recreate Nigeria as an Islamic state in Africa. Across Nigeria’s Middle Belt, Muslim Fulani herders often ravage Christian farming communities, burning churches and shooting those who attempt to escape. Christians have endured this persecution under the watch of a Christian president, Goodluck Jonathan, for the past six and JUNE 2015
… the Answer or the Noose? a half years, and they brace for an uncertain future now that a Muslim president, General Muhammadu Buhari, has been sworn into office.
Only Minor Violence The election did not finish without violence. Boko Haram killed at least 41 people in attacks across northern Nigeria during election weekend (March 28-29). But that number pales in comparison to the carnage from the 2011 poll. After Jonathan defeated Buhari in 2011, post-election riots resulted in thousands of Christians killed and more than 800 churches burned. Buhari won on a platform of getting tough on Boko Haram versus a Christian opponent in Jonathan who has been relatively ineffective against the terrorists. Boko Haram murdered many thousands of Christians, burned hundreds of churches and abducted hundreds of young girls during Jonathan’s administration, including almost 300 from Chibok in April 2014. More than 200 of those girls remain missing. “Boko Haram will soon know the strength of our collective will and commitment to rid this nation of terror and bring back peace and normalcy to all the affected areas,” Buhari said during his victory speech. “We shall spare no effort until we defeat terrorism.” Then again, this may be all talk. He is, after all, a politician. Nigerian Christians are divided about the effect Buhari will have on their safety and freedom to follow Christ in majority-Muslim areas.
A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing? Whether Buhari will be effective against Boko Haram is one
thing, whether he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing is a much more frightening and fundamental question. Emmanuel Ogebe, a Nigerian expert with Jubilee Campaign, is convinced Buhari is a wolf in sheep’s clothing as he has never backed off from past radical statements supporting the expansion of Sharia law across Nigeria. “Buhari is not your average Muslim. His statements on Sharia law in the past are well-documented,” Ogebe said. And yet, Buhari even enjoyed support from Christian leaders during his election campaign. The Northern Christian Leaders’ Eagle-Eyes Forum, a non-partisan Nigerian Christian organization, actually endorsed Buhari. The group said that Nigeria needs a leader who can protect both Christians and Muslims. From the Middle Belt north, Nigeria is one of the most dangerous places on earth to follow Christ. No swift wind of political change will likely mitigate the threats our brothers and sisters face every day, but at least for now, many Christians who endure the fiery trials of persecution have seen a steep decrease in violence, one that is at least related to Buhari’s ascension to power.
Lift Them Up!
“With the successful election in Nigeria, peace has increased,” said Peter Johnson, a Nigerian missionary from Borno State. Whether this election is a step toward victory over Boko Haram or part of a nefarious scheme to expand radical Islam in Nigeria remains to be seen. Pray that God would give wisdom and peace to our long-suffering brothers and sisters in Nigeria who have lived so long under the knife of extremist Muslims who desire nothing less than their extinction.
‘Buhari is not your average Muslim. His statements in the past [in support of] Sharia law are well documented.’
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