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JANUARY 2016
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Nigeria Hanging by a Thread
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President’s Letter
No words I write could ever say How sad and empty I feel today The Angels came for you A thousand words won’t bring you back I know because I’ve tried Neither will a thousand tears I know because I’ve cried So go and rest in peace now — “A Tribute to Tyrone” by Kiley Dunbar
Jeff King, President International Christian Concern
Lenin famously said that one death is a tragedy but that a million is a statistic. That’s the problem with mass murder. In Nigeria, the number of those killed by Boko Haram and their counterparts in murder, the Fulani tribesmen, is massive; possibly as high as 50,000 over the last 15 years. The problem with those kind of stats is that they paper over the immense pain and loss that even one death brings to the circle of loved ones around them. In our recent trip to Niger and Nigeria, we met too many of those loved ones who wander through life as emotional ghosts after their loss. Their grief is palpable and yet possibly made worse when the “dead” are living (as in the parents of the Chibok girls that we met) or for those whose grief is mixed with guilt over having to choose between dying with your loved one or leaving them to save your own life. See Arthur’s* story on page 17 and Phillip’s* story, “An Impossible Choice,” on page 25 for examples of what I mean. Persecution’s effect is complex. Yes, it strengthens the body and sometimes creates living saints. But most of the time, the cost for that growth is not something you or I would be willing to pay. So as we go about our blessedly safe lives, remember that another died that we should live. Pardoned and set free, we must live with a purpose and escape the Western curses of narcissism and materialism. Remember your broken brother and sister. Please come with me to pick them up. Together, we will stoop down and lift their arm over our shoulders and carry them for a while. We cannot take away their pain, but we can weep with them, ease their way and even carry them when they can only fall. God draws close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18), and so, therefore, should we. The persecuted are worth your time, treasure and talents. Whatever you give to us for their care will be used ethically, efficiently and effectively. I promise!
Jeff King President International Christian Concern / Persecution.org *Names changed for security.
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News
ISIS Releases 50 Christian Prisoners
8,000 Christians Flee Islamist Attacks
Islamist Terror Group Rising in Mali 1 | MALI For many years, the country of Mali has been affected by an aggressive Islamist insurgency from Al Qaeda of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The French had previously driven the terrorist group out of Mali, lifting the oppression of Sharia law that was imposed on locals. However, the terrorist group is now returning, and attacks are on the rise, including in the capital city of Bamako. The violence has already begun to seep into surrounding countries, causing great concern in the region. Many Christian Malians are leaving the country via cargo ship as shown in the above photo. Representatives from Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mauritania recently gathered in Mali to establish a collaborative force to combat the growing insurgency. While AQIM poses a deadly threat to Muslims and Christians alike, Christians, who represent approximately five percent of Mali’s population, are the most vulnerable, facing displacement, job discrimination, threats and lack of freedom to worship. As has happened the world over, AQIM’s extremist ideology is beginning to influence the moderate Islamic culture in Mali, causing them to shift closer toward extremism and leaving Christians in danger at the hands of their persecutors.
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2 | INDONESIA In mid-October, Islamic fundamentalists attacked a church in Aceh, Indonesia. The fundamentalists had decided that there were too many churches in Indonesia’s strongest Islamic area. Somehow, the radicals were able to attack and burn down the church despite the fact that the government had deployed hundreds of police and military to the area to prevent violence. As a result of the attack and the government’s refusal to protect them, thousands of Christians fled the area in search of relief from Islamist violence. As many as 8,000 Christians may have fled the region. According to local authorities, at least one person was killed and many were injured when a group of radical Muslims tried to destroy a second church. These attacks follow a disturbing pattern in which radical Islamists attack Christian churches in the region that do not have the required permits. Starting in 2006, church leaders were required to obtain permits to build a church, but the permits are almost impossible to obtain and are a means to legally keep out churches without being seen as discriminating. In 2012, local government officials began to close churches they declared to be illegal. According to police, approximately 20 people were arrested in connection to this recent attack that led to the mass evacuation of local Christians.
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3 | SYRIA According to reports, the Islamic State recently released 50 Assyrian Christians who they were previously holding captive. Those who were released were part of a larger group of 250 captives who were abducted by ISIS militants in Qaryatain, Syria, last year. Estimates indicated that this group of captives consisted of approximately 100 families, including women and children. Many of those who were captured during the initial attack were abducted from a Catholic monastery in central Syria. Although the reason for the release of these 50 individuals is not clear, ISIS has previously released hostages following the payment of the jizya, which is a tax imposed on religious minorities to be paid to their Muslim authorities (in this case, it was basically a ransom). Although a bright spot on a certain level, the crisis still continues for Christians in the Middle East.
JANUARY 2016
ISIS Executes Three Assyrian Men 4 | SYRIA A video released by the Islamic State on October 7, 2015, depicted the brutal execution of three Assyrian men. The men killed in the video were identified as Dr. Abdel-Maseeh Aniyah, Ashur Rustam Abraham and Bassam Issa Michael. It is believed that these men were among the 250 captives taken hostage by ISIS in February 2015. In the video, ISIS calls for ransoms for hostages who remain in captivity.
China’s Human Rights Lawyers Continue to Face Persecution
5 | CHINA A former judge in China’s Zhejiang province, Zhong Jinhua, recently fled to the United States in the face of the ongoing government crackdown on human rights advocates. Jinhua views the campaign as “unprecedented” and predicts it will not stop in the near future. Along with hundreds of others, Christian lawyer Zhang Kai (below) was detained after speaking out against the cross removals in the region. Even those who are only detained for a short period of time continue to live under surveillance, instilling fear in human rights lawyers throughout China. Estimates indicate that roughly 300 human rights lawyers, activists, staff and family members have been detained throughout this crackdown.
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Animism Attacks 6 | ETHIOPIA In August 2015, animists in Ethiopia murdered one pastor and injured 30 Christians in a machete attack during a Sunday service in the village of Guder. Shortly after, a woman from the same church was strangled and left for dead. Thankfully, she survived, though not without a traumatic emotional toll. Further still, a third attack took place in September, during which members of the church were beaten with sticks and machetes until some of them managed to fend off the attackers.
Christian Imposters Assault Pastor 7 | BANGLADESH In October 2015, a Christian pastor in Bangladesh, Luke Sarker, was brutally attacked by a group of individuals pretending to be interested in Christianity. As the pastor began to answer their questions, they attempted to murder him by slitting his throat. Thankfully, Sarker was able to fend off his assailants, but was rushed to a hospital soon after the attack. While recovering, five individuals were arrested in connection to the attack — one for physically attacking Sarker and the others for helping to plot the attack. Although violence against Christians in Bangladesh is relatively rare, a recent increase in attacks is leading many to suspect a regional spike in Islamic extremism.
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News
“Many denied refugee status in Cambodia are forced back to Vietnam ...” ISIS Propaganda Video Boasts of Forcing Syrian Christians to Sign Subservience Contract or Face Death 1 | SYRIA In a recent video produced by ISIS, the terrorist group explained that they are forcing Christians in Qaryatayn, Syria, to sign a subservience contract. They have threatened the men who refuse to sign the contract with death and the women and children with enslavement. The narrator of the video explained that for those who are unwilling to convert to Islam, the contract of subservience will officially establish them as inferior to Muslims and be used in conjunction with the jizya tax that all non-Muslims in the region are forced to pay. The video also depicted a group of ISIS militants raiding a church and discarding its cross. The narrator spoke directly to American Christians and the rest of the Western world. In a familiar message, the spokesman for ISIS explained that if Western Christians convert to Islam, ISIS will bring them no harm. The city of Qaryatayn was captured by the Islamic State in early August 2015. Reports indicate that during the capture of the city, ISIS militants specifically targeted Christians. This city in western Syria holds great strategic importance due to its location along the Damascus-Homs Highway. This route is vital to the group’s efforts to transport materials and personnel from one city to the next. According to a recent report by the U.S. State Department, terrorist groups, such as ISIS, are now the greatest threat to Christians around the world, specifically in the Middle East. Rising violence and acts such as these recent contracts have caused countless families to flee their homes and countries in the hopes that they will find refuge and safety elsewhere.
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Cambodia Turning Away Refugees 2 | CAMBODIA Throughout 2015, there were multiple attempts by Montagnards, a Christian minority group, to flee government persecution in Vietnam, hoping to seek asylum from the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Cambodia only to have their attempts thwarted by the government of Cambodia. In 2014, only 13 of approximately 200 applications for asylum were granted, according to Asia News. Despite international outcry from NGOs and other experts who have repeatedly stated that the Vietnamese government has systematically persecuted the Montagnards, Cambodia continues to deny asylum to those in need. The Montagnards are an ethnic group from Vietnam that is largely Christian. According to UCA News, ever since the Montagnards began to call out for greater religious freedom during the early 2000s, they have found themselves facing government-led persecution. Recently, the government of Cambodia instituted a three-month maximum for the U.N. refugee agency to deport these minority Christian refugees back to Vietnam. Unfortunately, many denied refugee status in Cambodia are forced back to Vietnam, only to face the same persecution they were fleeing in the first place. JANUARY 2016
300 U.S. Troops Land in Cameroon to Fight Boko Haram 3 | NIGERIA U.S. President Barack Obama recently announced the deployment of 300 American troops to Cameroon in an effort to support the African task force in defeating the Islamic radical group Boko Haram. Boko Haram has increased the frequency of their attacks in the region since Cameroon began supporting Nigeria’s military in their fight against the terrorists. American troops will assist local forces with intelligence and surveillance operations in order to effectively confront Boko Haram.
Radical Hindus Push for Anti-Conversion Laws
Kenyan Woman Rescued from Muslim Radicals
4 | INDIA Following reports of many tribals in Jharkhand, India, converting to Christianity, Hindu nationalists from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) recently demanded that an anti-conversion law be added to the state’s laws. They also demanded a probe into the conversions, targeting the funding of missionaries working in the region. Hindu nationalists have already made it clear that they intend to propose a national ban on non-Hindu conversions, threatening the rights of Christians and other religious minorities alike.
5 | KENYA In an effort by Kenyan defense forces, Judy Mutua alShaba was rescued in Difa, Somalia, after being abducted earlier by al-Shabaab. Following her rescue, al-Shaba received treatment and was airlifted to Nairobi by members of the Kenyan Air Force. She was initially captured during an ambush when the vehicle she was traveling in was attacked by armed militants. Religious freedom advocates have praised the successful rescue of al-Shaba from the grips of radical terrorists.
Pakistan’s Infamous Blasphemy Laws to be Reformed? 6 | PAKISTAN In late October 2015, Christians and human rights activists rejoiced over a noteworthy judgment from the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The court decision opened the door for Pakistan to make positive reforms to the country’s infamous blasphemy laws. Time after time, these laws have been used for personal gain, to settle scores and to persecute already vulnerable religious minorities, including Christians. During this case, the court upheld the death sentence for a man who assassinated former Punjab Governor Salman Taseer in 2011 for allegedly committing blasphemy. A few weeks later, the three-judge bench issued a judgment that called for reforms to be made to the blasphemy laws in order to create a safeguard against their misuse and false allegations. This decision is widely considered a step in the right direction toward greater religious freedom in Pakistan.
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est atch InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Wins Case Against California State University (CSU) System After Being Banned
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he InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, which identifies itself as an “evangelical campus mission,” lost its recognition as an official student organization in 23 state institutions in the California university system based on their requirement for leaders to be believers in Christ. The student organization lost its recognition based on an executive order in 2011 that stated no school may recognize any group that discriminates on race, religion, origin, age, gender or sexual orientation.
According to the Director of Public Affairs for the California State System, all organizations must sign a non-discriminatory agreement, but InterVarsity did not comply. If the group had signed the agreement, it would enable non-Christians to hold leadership positions within the organization. In June 2015, the decision was reversed when the CSU system agreed to recognize the 23 school chapters, allowing for the group to regain all privileges afforded to student organizations.
Houston Pastors File Suit Against Abusive Lesbian Mayor
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n October 2014, Christians across the United States were shocked when the city of Houston sent subpoenas to five area pastors demanding that they hand over emails and sermons dealing with homosexuality, gender identity or the city’s first openly lesbian mayor. If the pastors refused,
Mt. Soledad Cross Memorial Sold to Private Organization After Years-Long Legal Battle
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t. Soledad Memorial has been a prominent fixture in San Diego, California, since it was created in 1954. It was originally created to honor American Korean War veterans, both living and deceased. Beginning in 1989, the memorial began a legal battle that has finally come to a close after a quarter of a century. In 2006, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit on behalf of several California residents that culminated in a court ruling in December 2013 stating that the cross was unconstitutional and must be removed within 90 days. The ruling was then appealed and had been on the court’s docket until July 17, 2015, when the site was sold to a private organization by the Department of Defense.
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they would be held in contempt of court. The subpoenas were issued in an aggressive legal attack by the mayor’s office as a bid to crush resistance by the churches to a new city HERO ordinance allowing adults to use public bathrooms of the opposite gender if they self-identified as that gender. Since Mayor Parker backed off in October 2014, Houston pastors filed suit against the mayor in August 2015, claiming that their civil rights were attacked when the mayor subpoenaed their sermons. The HERO ordinance will be included on the November election ballot as residents vote on whether to allow “gender-neutral” public restrooms.
Crazed Gunman Targets Christian Students in Mass Shooting
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n October 1, 2015, a crazed gunman entered Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, approximately 180 miles south of Portland, opened fire and killed 10 students while injuring 20 more. Students present during the attack reported witnessing the gunman ask his victims whether they were Christian and, if they were, asking them to stand up immediately. For those who said they were Christians, the gunman responded, “Good, because you are going to see God in just about one second.” He then proceeded to shoot them in the head. Little is known about his motive for directly targeting Christians, but it sheds
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light on the reality that religious persecution of Christians is no longer isolated to the international community.
JANUARY 2016
IRS Surveillance of Churches Could Go to Court After Advocacy Group Files Lawsuit
Christian High School Football Coach Under Fire for Post-Game Prayers
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n 2012, the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) sued the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), demanding that they enforce the Johnson Amendment, a provision that strips a church of its tax exempt status if they involve themselves in political rhetoric or activity. In the summer of 2014, both organizations agreed to the enforcement if violations were brought to their attention. The details of the agreement were not disclosed to the public. As a result, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a legal advocacy group, filed suit against the IRS in April 2015, requesting that the federal entity divulge the details of their agreement with FFRF. It is possible that their suit, filed in District Court, could reach a hearing which would plunge the IRS into a legal battle against religious organizations and their involvement in the church. Currently, there are no updates as to the progress of the lawsuit, but it does remain a focus of interest by the ADF.
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Atlanta Fire Chief Terminated for Distributing Book Containing His View of Same-Sex Marriage
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evin Cochran spent his childhood dreaming about the day he would become a firefighter. In 2015, the Atlanta fire chief was forced to watch his career crumble after voicing his beliefs in a devotional book that he authored. In one section of the book, Cochran made a brief reference to his opinions on homosexuality and stated his belief that marriage is intended to take place between a man and a woman. Cochran was accused of distributing the book to staff. Atlanta’s Mayor Kasim Reed then publicly condemned Cochran on his official Facebook page and suspended him without pay. Cochran was subsequently fired over the matter. In February 2015, Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit against the city of Atlanta and Mayor Reed on behalf of Cochran. In spite of the fact that an internal investigation conducted by city officials concluded that Cochran was innocent of discriminating against anyone, the city upheld his termination.
Washington High School football coach has been under fire and investigation since September 2015 for leading prayers at the conclusion of each game. Reports indicate that neither students nor staff are compelled to join in prayer as the act is considered purely voluntary. At times, students on both sides of the field do join the coach in prayer and, on the occasions where they choose not to, Joe Kennedy prays alone, as he has done since 2008. The school district has now placed a prayer ban on the coach after concerns were raised from unknown sources. With legal support from the Liberty Institute, Kennedy has rejected the ban under its constitutionality. Since rejecting the school’s prayer ban, he was placed on leave after continuing to pray at the end of the games.
Christian Woman in the U.K. Loses Battle Over Job Suspension for Evangelizing
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n employment tribunal ruled against Victoria Wasteney, a Christian woman in the United Kingdom who was suspended from her job for allegedly attempting to “convert” a Muslim coworker. Wasteney and her co-worker had many discussions regarding their faiths until one conversation led to Wasteney offering prayer and religious literature. The Muslim co-worker filed a complaint, and Wasteney was subsequently suspended for nine months. In April 2015, Wasteney appealed her suspension, but the case was ruled in favor of the employer as they determined there was no malice or wrongdoing in their decision. It was a controversial ruling, as the European Convention on Human Rights “enshrines the freedom to be able to speak about faith in the workplace and not be disciplined for it.”
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