WWW.PERSECUTION.ORG
OCTOBER 2015
PERSECU ION
Overview A Global
of Persecution
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
President’s Letter
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:2 (NIV)
I came back from vacation today rested and refreshed having spent precious time with my wife and kids in safety and in ease at the beach. Each day we rode bikes, played in the pool, went fishing, and swam in the ocean. I even began to teach my kids how to surf. They were able to live as care-free youth and their biggest concerns were over whose turn it was to play on the tablet. All-in-all, it was a classic American vacation and a perfect investment of time into what really counts.
Jeff King, President International Christian Concern
On my first meeting of the day back at the office though, I sat down with two of my Regional Managers who had recently returned from Nigeria which they described as a killing ground for Christians. They told me about their journey and the river of victims that passed in front of them. Boko Haram and the Fulani herdsman they have armed are butchering Christians on a ferocious scale. Christians in the North that haven’t been killed or kidnapped to face a life of rape, like the Chibok girls, have been driven off their ancestral lands to live in extreme poverty as refugees in their own land. They are Internally Displaced People. The old among them will die away from their ancestral lands, a grievous burden that haunts them. The young grow up in rags and face a life of poverty due to the lost years without education. Many others though have lost a father, mother or both. I listened to my RMs and felt the pain they had experienced and were trying to process. Together we felt the frustration of not being able to solve a problem of massive pain and severe suffering of our brothers and sisters. Don’t get me wrong, we will help many, but we will not solve the problem. One national politician there told us that most of his colleagues don’t really care. Even worse, many politicians, police, and military leaders are aiding and abetting the enemy within. The contrast between my vacation and the experience of my kids and the experience of Nigeria’s IDP’s was strking. Like you, I don’t really know how to deal with it. We have been blessed in America. Truly blessed. There is a reason that so many around the world still come to our shores. It’s not that we don’t have cares and burdens; they just pale in comparison to the plight of those targeted because of the name of Jesus. For that reason, I am thankful for you and your care for your brother and sister. As you read this issue and get an overview of what’s happening around the world, take some measure of satisfaction in the fact that you are part of a small minority of Christians that are aware of and care for their persecuted brother and sister. Without you, their lives would be measurably worse. 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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Christians Among 1,000 Women Forced into Islamic Marriage Annually
Imprisoned in Pakistan in 2009, Asia Bibi is facing a death sentence on false blasphemy charges.
Despite Progress on Supreme Court Hearing, Asia Bibi Remains in Danger 1 | PAKISTAN Asia Bibi was imprisoned in Pakistan in 2009 when she was accused of blasphemy during an argument with Muslim co-workers. A year later, she was sentenced to death. Although Bibi’s case made some progress this July when Pakistan’s Supreme Court agreed to hear her appeal, she remains in serious danger. The lack of rule of law in Pakistan, especially in matters regarding religious minorities, emboldens extremist Muslims to take the law into their own hands. Not only has Bibi’s family been forced into hiding, but local Muslims have already placed a bounty on her head to be put in place if she is released. Furthermore, those who have defended the wrongly accused and spoken out against blasphemy laws have often faced violence themselves. Bibi’s case is simply one of many demonstrating the misuse of blasphemy laws against religious minorities in Pakistan.
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2 | PAKISTAN According to a recent report from the Aurat Foundation, at least 1,000 girls in Pakistan are forced into marriages with Muslim men and forced to convert to Islam on a yearly basis. Of these, it is estimated that up to 700 are Christians and approximately 300 are Hindus. Both are religious minorities in Pakistan. Christian women are common victims of discrimination in Pakistan due to their double minority status with regard to their gender and religion. Girls who face this type of persecution are typically subjected to various types of abuse, including human trafficking in some cases. The majority of these women and girls are typically only between the ages of 12 and 25 when they are taken from their families and forced into lives of heartache. Unfortunately, their abductors are often never brought to justice as many forced marriages and conversions go unreported. Further still, in the cases that are actually taken to court, the women are often threatened or coerced by their husbands and in-laws into stating that they converted of their own free will. According to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, Pakistan is considered a Tier 1 Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for their “systematic, ongoing, egregious” violations of religious freedom.
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Christian Greeting Turns into Night of Terror
3 | INDIA In late January of this year, a Christian woman was returning to her home after an evening of prayer with a friend in a neighboring village. On the way home, Nirmala met another Christian woman, Kalavathi, with whom she shared a Christian greeting that means, “Praise the Lord.” The exchange was overheard by a number of youth, who the women later discovered belong to a radical Hindu group. The youth immediately began to harass and verbally abuse the women. The next morning, Nirmala and her husband awoke to find more than 40 Hindu radicals surrounding their home, chanting antiChristian slogans. The couple was told by the radicals that if they did not flee the village or stop following Christ, they would be killed. Although police arrested eight of the attackers after the incident, they have since been released and are living in the same village as the Christians. OCTOBER 2015
Continued Persecution After Deadly Garissa University Attack Drives Many Christians to Flee
4 | KENYA Months after al-Shabaab carried out a deadly attack on Garissa University, Christians in Kenya continue to face persecution. Due to continued threats, many Christians in Garissa believe that it is no longer safe for them to live and openly worship in their town. While some have fled in search of safety, others have refused to leave their homes and churches, choosing instead to risk their lives in the face of future attacks.
ISIS Converts Famous Church to Mosque Christians Ask for Prayer for 5 | IRAQ The Islamic State recently transformed Mosul’s Nepal’s New once famous Chaldean Church of St. Joseph into a mosque. The building, which held historical significance Constitution
for Christians in Iraq, has now been robbed of all its crosses and Christian symbolism, and its dome has been painted black. Since ISIS took control of the city of Mosul in June 2014, many Christians have been forced to flee in search of safety. Overnight, more than 500,000 fled the city and, since then, the total number of displaced Iraqis has reached 3 million. Unfortunately, this has left ISIS militants to have their way with Christian places of worship. While some of these historic sites have been demolished, others have been renovated for Muslim worship.
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6 | NEPAL As their religious freedom hangs in the balance, Christians in Nepal are calling out for prayer and support. There are currently questions over whether the country’s new constitution will include anti-conversion laws which would make it illegal for anyone to convert to Christianity. This provision would also make it illegal for ministries to spread the Gospel in Nepal. If the provisions are put in place, both in writing and in practice, Christians in the region may soon face great persecution.
Hindu Nationalists Putting Increasing Pressure on Christians to Convert 7 | EGYPT Hindu nationalist organizations have escalated their efforts to convert Christians and other religious minorities in India to Hinduism. Despite the fact that it violates India’s constitution, Hindu nationalists have been increasingly steering government welfare benefits away from poor Christians, pressuring them to first convert in order to receive the benefits. Although people in low castes are usually granted government stipends, they are often denied to people who are registered as Christians or Muslims. Unfortunately, Christians are disproportionately found in the poor Dalit class, making the decision to maintain their faith a significant one.
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Christians Decry China’s Campaign to Demolish Churches and Crosses 1 | CHINA As the “Three Rectifications, One Demolition” campaign continues in China’s Zhejiang province, groups are calling out for change. Leaders from both the Church Affairs Commission and the Catholic Patriotic Association released a report condemning the destruction and removal of crosses. Hundreds of churches have felt the effects of this campaign as their buildings have been either partially or completely demolished. One report from UCA News indicated that 1,100 crosses had been removed from church buildings in Zhejiang Province alone. The egregious targeting of places of worship is officially being conducted under the guise of “removing or modifying illegal constructions” for the purpose of “urban development.” However, it has been made clear that Christian churches are being targeted regardless of the legality of their construction. Although the law demands the demolitions be carried out by members of the Religious Bureau or the Housing and City Planning Bureau, a significant number have been done by armed SWAT members, police forces and, in some cases, unidentified individuals claiming to represent local authorities. This abuse of authority is yet again leading to Christians in China speaking up to demand their rights. The government of China must immediately take action and cease the removal of crosses and the destruction of churches in order to ensure the religious freedom of its citizens.
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Clergymen Kidnapped in Iraq and Syria 2 | IRAQ The Arab Christian world is growing increasingly concerned over the kidnapping of both their clergymen and innocent civilians, particularly in Iraq and Syria. Pope Francis has repeatedly called for an end to violence against Christians, even going so far as to call the acts of terror “a form of genocide” and referring to the onslaught as a “third world war.” Over 200 Assyrian Christians were captured by ISIS this February, and their locations and conditions have yet to be determined. Religious minorities are particularly vulnerable to kidnappings and are often held for steep ransoms. Unfortunately, this decrease in security has caused many Christians to flee the area, making the future of Christianity in the Middle East appear dim. PERSECU ION.org
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Boko Haram’s Allegiance to ISIS Resulting in Increased Persecution 3 | NIGERIA In early March 2015, the radical Islamist group Boko Haram pledged their allegiance to ISIS. Although there were few initial differences in the months immediately following the pledge, the recent spree of increased attacks against Christians and moderate Muslims seems to be a manifestation of their pledge of loyalty. Since claiming affiliation with ISIS, Boko Haram has begun to refer to themselves as the Islamic State’s “West Africa Province.” During the Muslim holiday month of Ramadan, Boko Haram followed the calls of ISIS for increased violence among “non-believers.” It appears as though Boko Haram is attempting to demonstrate both their abilities and loyalty in an effort to garner support. The past few months have been characterized by suicide bombings targeting both Christian and Muslim worship services alike. In addition to the violent nature of their assaults, Boko Haram has recently been attacking groups in Nigeria’s Plateau state, which lies on the border between the mostly Christian south and the mostly Muslim north. Their attacks in the region may be interpreted as attempts to spark further violence between the groups. Please keep our brothers and sisters in this region in prayer.
OCTOBER 2015
70 WORDS
Two Sudanese pastors who were facing a possible death penalty in Sudan were acquitted in August.
Imprisoned Sudanese Pastors Freed in August
China Cracks Down on Human Rights Lawyers
4 | SUDAN On August 8, Pastors Yat Michael and Peter Yen were acquitted by a court in Khartoum, Sudan, after serving more than seven months in prison. The men faced flogging and a possible death penalty or life sentence on multiple charges, including espionage, undermining the Constitution and waging war against the state. The pastors’ cases drew international attention and sparked calls for their release by many international advocacy groups. Both pastors have expressed gratitude for the prayers and hard work that made their freedom possible.
5 | CHINA In recent months, police in China have launched an organized crackdown on human rights lawyers. Over 50 people, including human rights lawyers and law firm employees alike, have been detained or summoned by police. Human rights lawyers have played a vital role in defending the rights of Chinese Christians and their churches against the abuse of power by government officials. The detention of numerous human rights lawyers clearly points to the Chinese government’s attempts to maintain a tight grip on the freedom of their citizens.
ISIS Announces Abduction of Three Christians in Libya
6 | LIBYA On July 19, the Islamic State announced they had abducted three Christians of African descent in Libya. It was announced that an Egyptian, Nigerian and Ghanaian were abducted when ISIS released photos of the captives’ passports on social media. According to a family friend of one of the kidnapped men, negotiations over ransoms for the release of the men are currently under way. This is just one of countless cases of Egyptian Christians who have been kidnapped by radicals in Libya. Most infamous is the case of the 21 Christians, 20 of them from small towns in Egypt, who were violently beheaded by ISIS militants. Although Libya is known for its population of Islamic extremists who operate freely, many Egyptian Christians are forced to leave their country in search of work in this dangerous, neighboring country.
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