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APRIL 2016
PERSECU ION
ALIVE!
Remembering Those We’ve Lost ICC marks the anniversaries of some special martyrs
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
Table of Contents
In This Issue: OVERVIEW
12 | Alive!
ICC marks the anniversaries of a few martyrs in this special issue. FEATURE
14 | Our Eye is to God
The families of the 33 Ethiopian and Eritrean martyrs still struggle to cope with the loss of their loved ones. FEATURE
16 | 200 Girls Abducted
The families of the 200 missing Nigerian girls still struggle to go on. FEATURE
18 | In the Steps of the Gunmen
In April 2015, 148 lost their lives in a terror attack on Garissa University that targeted Christians. The university’s dean walks ICC through the attack.
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FEATURE
20 | The Enduring Scars of Faith Witnessing a Christian community’s recovery after twin suicide bombings. FEATURE
22 | South of the Border
ICC continues to address the persecution of Christian minorities in Mexico. LETTERS
24 | Letters from the Children
Letters from children ICC supports in Egypt through your gifts.
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FEATURE
26 | The Legacy of the 21
ICC meets with the family members of the 21 martyrs beheaded in Libya.
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Regular Features
3 Letter from the President A few words from ICC’s president. 4 World News A snapshot of the persecution that impacts our brothers and sisters daily, in every corner of the world. 8 Your Dollars at Work Learn how your gifts are providing comfort, relief, Bibles, education and vocational training to the persecuted. 2
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President’s Letter
On the morning of December 22, 1899, Dwight L Moody, the Billy Graham of his day, awoke to speak his last words. Speaking slowly he said, “Earth recedes, heaven opens before me!”
Jeff King, President International Christian Concern
His son, Will, who was guarding his bedside, asked him if he was dreaming. His father’s reply left him stunned. “No. This is no dream, Will, it is beautiful, like a trance. If this is death, it is sweet. God is calling me, and I must go. Don’t call me back.” He died a short time later. Years earlier, in a sermon he said, “Someday you will read in the papers that Moody is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now…. I was born of the flesh in 1837; I was born of the Spirit in 1855. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit shall live forever.” I recently was at the deathbed of an old friend who passed yesterday (at the time of writing-see page 12). Like Moody and the martyrs that we remember in this issue, don’t believe for a second that he or she is dead. They have passed into life and soon, so will you if you have found Christ (or rather if He has found you)! So let us mourn the injustice of lives wrongly taken. Let us cry with their loved ones as they suffer a pain that is too much to bear on their own. Let us care for those left behind who are vulnerable or defenseless. But let’s also rejoice in the fact that unlike the lost and like the amazaing martyrs we cover in this issue, we can face life and death with courage and hope. 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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Christian Tortured to Death by Police
Police respond to ISIS attack on shopping center.
Seven Killed in ISIS Attack on Jakarta 1 | INDONESIA In January, Islamic State-inspired terrorists attacked a shopping center in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. This attack led to the deaths of seven people, in addition to injuring 19 others. In a similar manner to the 2015 Paris terror attacks, bombers entered a heavily populated area and proceeded to detonate explosives. This incident served as an unfortunate reminder that the Islamic State is a global threat and reaches far beyond the borders of Iraq and Syria. This attack came at a difficult time for the country’s Christian population, as persecution within Indonesia is already on the rise. Indonesia’s northwestern Aceh region, which has the authority to govern according to Sharia law, has closed over 1,000 churches since 2006 and demolished 10 churches in a two-week time span in October 2015. The rising threat of ISIS influence in Southeast Asia has potential to place Christians, as well as other religious minorities, at risk of further persecution for their faith.
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2 | PAKISTAN On January 14, the body of a Pakistani Christian, Liaqat Masih, was returned to his family by local authorities. Prior to his arrest and murder, Masih was employed as a servant for a Muslim businessman named Hameed. While Hameed and his family traveled out of town, their home was robbed. Shortly after notifying the police, Hameed accused his servant, Masih, of the crime. Upon this accusation, Masih and his son Khurram were arrested and forced to undergo intense interrogation. Both Masih and his son were stripped naked and beaten in an attempt to obtain a confession. During his detention, police also hung Masih from the ceiling by his hands, leading to the dislocation of his shoulders. Police continued to beat Masih with wooden logs until a guard noticed that he had stopped breathing. Doctors claimed to have determined from an autopsy that Masih died as the result of a heart attack, but failed to record the many injuries he suffered during his time in police custody. The Organization for Legal Aid, which is representing the Masih family, has filed a petition calling for a secondary autopsy with official supervision of the doctors. Masih is survived by four children, whose ages range from nine to 20.
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Christian Teen Killed For Rejecting the Advances of Muslim Men 3 | PAKISTAN Female Christians in Pakistan often find themselves victims of violence and discrimination, as their gender and religion make them “double minorities.” When 17-year-old Kiran, 18-yearold Shamroza and 20-year-old Sumble were walking home, they were approached by a group of four Muslim men in a car. The men spouted lewd comments and attempted to coerce the girls into the car. When the girls rejected their advances, the men ran their car into the girls. Shamroza and Sumble were both thrown to the ground. Shamroza suffered broken ribs, and Sumble’s hip was broken by the impact. Kiran was swept onto the hood of the car and thrown to the ground shortly after the car came to a sudden halt. The impact broke several of her bones, which resulted in internal bleeding that killed her in a matter of minutes. Please pray for all those involved in this attack. APRIL 2016
Niger: January 2015
A man protects his eyes and lungs from the smoke and flames that engulfed Niger last year in the aftermath of Charlie Hebdo protests.
One Year Later: Niger’s Christian Community is Still Rebuilding 4 | NIGER In January, the world recognized the first anniversary of the riots that shook the Christian community of Niger. On January 16 and 17 of 2015, angry protests swept across Niger — supposedly in response to Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine, publishing a cartoon of Muhammad. Unconfirmed numbers of Christians, ranging from five to 10, were killed in these attacks, and countless homes were destroyed.
ISIS Destroys Historic St. Elijah Monastery in Iraq 5 | IRAQ On January 20, the Associated Press confirmed via satellite imagery that the Islamic State had completely destroyed St. Elijah Monastery in Iraq. This 1,400-yearold Christian monastery had been preserved over the years and was treasured by Iraq’s Christian community as the oldest in the nation. The Chaldean Christians of Iraq view this attack as an assault on a major pillar of their history and culture and as yet another attempt to eliminate Christianity from the region entirely. Iraq’s Christian population once totaled approximately 1.3 million individuals; however, the population has now been reduced to slightly under 300,000.
St. Elijah Monastery was leveled by ISIS in Iraq.
Bombs Rip Through Christian Quarter of Syrian City 6 | SYRIA More than 16 people were killed and dozens more wounded when suicide bombers tore through three restaurants in the Assyrian and Syriac Christian quarter of Qamishli. The attacks took place in the midst of a week of Christmas celebrations in a street filled with families celebrating the holidays. The town of Qamishli, located near the Turkish border, had generally been viewed as a safe haven for Christians facing violence in the region.
Korean-American Pastor Detained 7 | NORTH KOREA According to reports, a 62-year-old Korean-American Christian pastor named Kim Dong Chul was arrested in October 2015 on “spying” charges. Chul was formerly a resident of Virginia before he moved to Yanji, China. Chul was traveling in Rason, North Korea, for business when he was detained. In 2013, Korean-American missionary Kenneth Bae was arrested for similar charges and sentenced to 15 years. Thankfully, Bae was released after serving two years in a North Korean prison camp. North Korea is widely known for its abysmal human rights record and is designated as a Country of Particular Concern by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.
A Korean-American pastor is arrested in North Korea.
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India has seen an increase in Christian persecution since the election of Prime Minister Modi.
Report Indicates Violence Against Christians on the Rise in India 1 | INDIA In an annual report published in January, a Christian rights group named Indian Christian Persecution reported that violence against Christians in India saw a dramatic increase in 2015. The report indicated that last year, India saw more than 365 documented incidents of violence against Christians. This statistic included the murders of seven individuals. These 365 incidents varied greatly in nature, but included the vandalism of churches, sexual assaults, the disruption of religious services and violent assaults. Unfortunately, the group’s director, Joseph Dias, stated that the number of violent attacks is likely much greater than the reported 365 incidents. Many crimes against Christians and other religious minorities go unreported due to fear of retaliation. Dias said that many Indian Christians stay silent in the face of persecution because they “do not want to antagonize those in power.” This rise in violence is due, in part, to the return to power
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of Hindu nationalist groups. Since the 2014 election of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has witnessed a substantial increase in violence against nonHindus. In 2014, Christians in India’s Bastar district began to experience abnormally severe discrimination. Soon after, a resolution was passed that effectively outlawed Christianity by banning “all non-Hindu religious propaganda, prayers and speeches” in more than 50 villages. These resolutions, which are continuing to spread, have only led to an increase in blatant discrimination and violence against Christians in the districts where they exist. Extremists have begun using these resolutions as an excuse to justify their violent acts against religious minorities.
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Nigeria’s Kidnapping Cartels Targeting Christian Pastors Two Pastors Kidnapped, One Shot 2 | NIGERIA For years, Nigeria has been plagued with kidnapping cartels that target leaders in the fields of business and government. However, recently, some of these groups have shifted their attention to religious leaders, specifically Christian pastors. On January 10, in the capital of Kogi state, Pastor Ayo Raphael was abducted from Redeemed Christian Church of God Resurrection parish in the middle of a worship service. A member of the church reported that gunmen stormed into the service and swept Raphael away at gunpoint. Reports indicate that his abductors demanded 50 million naira ($249,000 USD) as a ransom. On January 25, a group of gunmen kidnapped David Onubedo, the pastor of Kogi state’s Deeper Life Bible Church, following a Bible study. Pastor Onubedo’s captors also demanded 50 million naira as a ransom. In addition to the recent kidnappings, a pastor was shot and wounded on January 24 as he was delivering a sermon before his congregation in Bayelsa. This violence raises suspicions about the origin of the attackers because Kogi state and Bayelsa are located in southern Nigeria, much farther south than Boko Haram’s usual area of operation. However, the targeted nature of this persecution raises questions as to the true influence and reach that Boko Haram has in southern Nigeria. APRIL 2016
Government-Run Chinese Church Removes Pastor for Opposing Cross Removals 3 | CHINA Recently, two government-controlled Christian organizations, the local Three-Self Patriotic Movement and the China Christian Council, forcibly removed Pastor Gu Yuese from his position at China’s largest government-approved church. Although the organizations stated that the decision was made in order to bring the churches closer to proper management, it is likely that Gu was demoted due to his public opposition to the removal and destruction of crosses and churches in China.
Public opposition to the destruction of crosses and churches in China may have cost Pastor Gu Yuese his pastoral position.
Families Expelled for Refusing to Recant
4 | MEXICO On January 26, 10 Christian families, comprised of 18 adults and 10 children, were expelled from their community of Tuxpan de Bolanos in the Mexican state of Jalisco for refusing to recant their faith. A town agreement to evict the families was executed, and the families were gathered and abandoned in the nearby mountains shortly after. This is yet another incident in the ongoing persecution of evangelical Christians in rural Mexico and the government’s reluctance to protect religious minorities.
School Forced to Stop Saying, “God Bless America” 5 | UNITED STATES Since 2001, New Jersey’s Glenview Elementary School students and faculty have said, “God bless America” at the conclusion of the Pledge of Allegiance in commemoration of the September 11 attacks. However, after the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) issued a complaint, the school district terminated the practice in fear of a lawsuit. Despite the fact that no one was forced to say the phrase, but instead were doing so voluntarily, the ACLU-NJ claimed that the practice was unconstitutional.
Swiss Missionary Kidnapped in Mali for Second Time 6 | MALI Swiss missionary Beatrice Stockly, who was abducted for 10 days in 2012, has been kidnapped for a second time in Timbuktu, Mali. Stockly initially arrived in Timbuktu as a missionary with a Swiss church in 2000, but later began working independently. Stockly was abducted from her home in the early hours of January 8 by a group of armed attackers. Although Stockly returned to Switzerland briefly after her previous attack, she returned to Mali despite the ongoing threat. Northern Mali has been overrun by Muslim extremists who have imposed Sharia law, which has led to the death, displacement and social exclusion of countless Christians, in addition to the destruction of many places of worship. Thousands seeking safety have been forced to flee northern Mali in order to seek refuge in southern Mali or neighboring countries.
Swiss missionary Beatrice Stockly has been kidnapped a second time in Timbuktu, Mali.
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Your Dollar$ at Work Our Vocational Training Is Changing Lives
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Save Our Sisters
n Pakistan, Christian women face what we call “double persecution.” Due to both their faith and their gender, Christian women are relegated to the lowest rungs of Pakistan’s society and are considered “soft targets” for abuse, abduction, rape, forced marriage and forced conversion. Over the past three years, ICC has sought to change their situation by empowering Christian women with vocational skills and the tools to open their own small businesses. We aptly named this program the Save Our Sisters Vocational Training Program. Since starting in 2013, ICC has trained, graduated and started small businesses with almost 300 Christian women in Pakistan. “We have taken the most vulnerable women and are changing their lives,” ICC’s project manager recently said. “Our sisters are growing both in the skills we are teaching them, but also spiritually as we take time to disciple them while they are at the center.” Currently, 29 Christian women and girls are enrolled in our training program in Pakistan to be either seamstresses or beauticians. Both skills, along with an initial investment by ICC upon graduation, will allow these Christian women to open small businesses which they can safely run out of their homes. This ability to run a small business from home helps the graduates of the Save Our Sisters Vocational Training Program avoid the abuse that Christian women often face in the workplace or when employed as maids in homes. “I have peace of mind and am happy with the atmosphere at the training center,” one of the current students told ICC. “I hope I will achieve my goals here, but I need your prayers to do so.” Thank you to all those who have supported this truly life-changing project in Pakistan by donating to ICC’s Save Our Sisters fund.
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Bringing Relief Sustaining the to Persecuted Families of Converts Martyrs
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Hand of Hope
iger is a country where the Christian Church is always under threat. However, one church in central Niger has been described as one of the most vibrant Christian communities in the country where evangelism and discipleship are exploding! ICC is working with this local church to support their efforts to bring the Gospel to unreached people in the region. ICC has provided food to two Muslim-background believers for three months as they try to get back on their feet, having been rejected and excommunicated from their families for trusting Christ. One of the brothers aspires to become a tailor, so ICC has also provided him with a sewing machine, which he will receive upon graduation from tailoring school. Please pray for God to continue to move in Niger
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Suffering Wives & Children
hen Christians are martyred, their families are left devastated emotionally but also financially. Christian workers and pastors are poor already but when they lose their breadwinner they left in an unendurable situation. We recently set up a factory for several families that had lost their breadwinners to persecution in a rural area where the average income is only $3 per day. Your support enabled ICC to purchase machines, inventory, and training to start a clothing factory for the martyrs’ families to own and operate. We spent countless hours meeting with the families in the village, setting up training sessions and preparing the facility so that these families will never again have to worry about finances.
Distributing the Gospel to the People of Laos
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Bibles to the Persecuted
he Southeast Asian country of Laos has a rich history and culture, but also of a history of human rights abuse. Religious freedom is not tolerated from the Marxist government and any deviation from the benign Buddhist faith is perceived as dangerous. Christians and other religious minorities are thus considered foreigners and a threat to Lao culture. NGOs are heavily regulated since the passage of new laws in 2014, making any inroads into the landlocked country difficult. Despite setbacks, God is powerful and has aided ICC and our partners’ efforts to penetrate into the secluded nation. To date, we have been able to support the transportation of over 8,000 Bibles into Lao villages, spreading the Gospel and giving Christians hope for a better tomorrow. *Photo from previous distribution
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Your Dollar$ at Work
Pastor Opens New Bookstore
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Underground Pastors
n 2013, Pastor Moses and his wife were attacked by Hindu radicals in his church. He was stabbed multiple times and it was a miracle that he survived. Following the attack, fear spread among the local Christian community, and many Christians were too afraid to return to his church. Pastor Moses told ICC that he feared he was finished. ICC stepped in through our Underground Pastors fund to help rehabilitate Pastor Moses and his ministry. “It’s been two years since the attack,” Pastor Moses said. “We are so thankful for all the assistance. Beginning with the medication and surgery, then replacing the damaged church roof and now with the help starting a Christian bookstore in our church.” This Christian bookstore will allow Pastor Moses to both spread the Gospel and serve the local Christian community, but also sustain him financially.
Small Business Supporting Widow & Family Suffering Wives & Children
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ndonesia is the largest Muslim nation in the world according to population. Christianity boasts a minority population of around 25 million, garnering an estimated 10 percent of the population. ICC has worked to support an Indonesian widow in setting up a small business to provide for her young family. Her husband, a Christian convert from Islam, recently died of cancer, after years of persecution from radical Muslims leaving her with no means of support. However, his faith in Christ was so strong that nothing could convince them to turn from Jesus. Before passing, he told his wife, “No matter what happens, remember that Jesus is the only one. He is the way, the truth and the life. Bring up our boy in God’s way, and I pray that one day he too will be the fisher of men.”
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Your Dollar$ at Work
Advocating for India’s Persecuted
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New Speaker for Attacked Kenyan Church
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Advocacy
n December 2015, ICC’s advocacy department conducted their third advocacy tour of 2015 by presenting the cases of Christian persecution in the heart of India. Over 50 villages in central India have illegally passed an ordinance that bans any non-Hindu faith, subsequently barring religious minorities from openly practicing their faith.
Those who keep worshiping are threatened with violent assaults, their food supplies are cut off, and they suffer financial hardships. The Modi-led government is part and parcel of the problem and hasn’t curbed the attacks as Hindu nationalism gains strength. ICC and other NGOs have been working behind the scenes in Congress and have had amazing success which we will reveal in next month’s issue.
Underground Pastors
astor “Warren” is fearless. He preaches the Word boldly each Sunday in a section of Mombasa, Kenya, dominated by Muslims and experiencing increasing radicalism and influence from the terrorist group al-Shabaab. In the summer of 2014, al-Shabaab gunmen raided Warren’s church during the Sunday school hour, murdering six church members, including the associate pastor, and left Warren’s wife traumatized. Warren escaped unscathed because he had not yet arrived at church to preach the main worship service. “After your church gets shot up, what do you have to fear?” Warren boldly declared. ICC stepped in to empower Warren’s ministry as he continues to serve faithfully. Even though fear has shrunk his congregation from 120 to 19 nearly two years later, Warren still preaches every Sunday in a church sanctuary riddled with bullet holes and blood stains from the attack. ICC provided a new loud speaker for worship and street evangelism, since his old speaker had been pierced through by bullets.
Legal Assistance for the Persecuted
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Legal Assistance
ho could imagine that widespread religious persecution would be taking place in Mexico? Evangelical Christians have been victims of harassment, expulsion from their villages, blocked access to basic food stuffs and imprisonment at the hands of local village authorities. ICC has been at the forefront in advocating and supporting those
affected by the illegal actions of government officials in Mexico. As ICC works tirelessly on Capitol Hill, we are also underwriting a legal suit against the governement to provide protection for vicitms as the Mexican government continues to ignore the situation. Our hope and prayer is that the persecuted receive the basic rights granted to them by the Mexican Constitution and that their voices will be heard loud and clear.
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Alive! Observing the Anniversaries of the Faithful Fallen
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By Jeff King, President, International Christian Concern
ourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.
We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate - we cannot consecrate we cannot hallow - this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Lincoln’s Address at Gettysburg, 11/19/1863
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One hundred fifty three years ago, in mid-November, one of America’s most revered presidents uttered 272 words that I suspect will live outlive this republic. Epic in scope yet masterfully brief, few orators in history have had the ability to pack so much pathos into so few words. His speech had been prepared for the dedication ceremony for the National Cemetery of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. Gettysburg, which was the site of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Almost 8,000 men were killed in that battle alone. I couldn’t help but think the message was a fitting opening as we remember our spiritual countrymen that have fallen in battle. Lincoln noted that those who gave their lives did so to protect the United States.
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The war we find ourselves in is of course a spiritual one: a worldwide battlefield with its bloodiest battles occurring in places with names like Mosul, or Borno, or Sirte. Like the fallen at Gettysburg, their deaths further their cause as the martyr’s blood drops as seed into the ground causing the Church to grow. Our “soldiers” didn’t have to die but being especially loyal to their cause and Commander, they couldn’t summon the frailty to denounce Christ even to save their lives. They each consecrated their graves far above our ability to add or detract even if most of their names will remain forever unknown to the masses. As humans, we can’t help but mourn the earthly passing of loved ones whether the martyr or loved ones around us. Two nights ago, my family visited an old friend at his home. At one end of the living room, his wife lay in a hospital bed, sedated and frail, with yellowed skin, breathing her last breaths. Cancer had taken its toll on her body—her exterior shell, once vibrant in health now ravaged by sickness. We gathered around her, taking turns to stroke her head and hands while we said our last goodbyes. Before leaving, we stopped to pray and sing a hymn, and I was struck, once again, by the difference between Christians and the world when it comes to facing death. Whether the dying is lost to cancer or martyred in a brutal and inhumane way, the Christian dying with hope, courage, and after a life well-lived stands out in this world.
I’ve often spoken to my children about death and how, although our shells (our bodies) will wear out and break, I remind them that their souls—“what makes you, YOU”—will live on, and that in dying, you will live like you never have lived before. In the first few months after Christ found me and took me in, I was so bathed in His presence that I felt I would break into a million pieces, crushed by His joy and love. It is one of my most powerful memories I possess and I often refer to it as I speak to others about death. The Lord tells us that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those that love Him. (1 Cor 2:9). Whatever life you and I have lived is a pale imitation of what is coming. That “crushing” joy and love I experienced will soon be experienced unveiled by flesh and we will not break but bloom. With that in mind, we mourn the passing of our persecuted brethren, remembering that they have been given the Crown of Martyrdom and have found true life. The loved ones left behind are suffering, but the dead are Alive! So let us resolve that our “dead” shall not have died in vain—that the body of Christ shall have a new birth of revival from the example of the faithful martyr. Let us live with the unrelenting faith God desires for us to possess. May we remember to pray for the persecutors of this world, that they would be overcome by the inexplicable and hope of the martyr in the face of death, and would long to find the hope they witnessed and will long to find the reason for it.
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“OUR EYE IS
TO GOD” Despite the passage of time, the families of the 33 Ethiopian martyrs struggle to cope with the loss of their loved ones By Emma Lane
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In Ethiopia, time has not healed all wounds for the surviving family members of the 33 Eritrean and Ethiopian martyrs who were killed one year ago by ISIS. In the United States, when a family undergoes the loss of their breadwinner, the surviving family has several options: return to school, seek another job, or simply start a small business. In Ethiopia, none of these options were viable solutions for the surviving family members of the 33 martyrs that died at the hands of ISIS in Libya in April 2015. ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, Troy Augustine, wrote previously about two of the Ethiopian victims when their
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story was first publicized just months after their public murder in Libya: Eyasu Yekuneamlak and Balcha Belete were best friends growing up in the impoverished Cherkos neighborhood of Ethiopia’s capital city, Addis Ababa. At age 31, Yekuneamlak was responsible for caring and providing for his weak and destitute mother. As the youngest in the family, he was tasked with covering his mother’s expenses, a tradition most Ethiopians hold. Since his mother was unable to work for herself, Yekuneamlak [was] the main breadwinner for the family. Financial stress forced [them both] out of Ethiopia to seek better employment abroad [which is how they ended up kidnapped by ISIS in Libya]. Both men died
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Top Left Troy Augustine, ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, purchased this plate from the widow of one of the beheaded Ethiopian martyrs. Her husband, one of the 33 martyrs, was responsible for the beautiful calligraphy.
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Mothers of the 33 beheaded Ethiopian martyrs meeting with ICC to share the stories of their sons’ lives before they were brutally taken by ISIS in April of last year
“Christians should treat people as God’s children wherever they happen to live and work, allowing everyone equal opportunities for acquiring skills and living a life of dignity.” – DANIEL THOMPSON, EXPERT IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE HORN OF AFRICA
refusing to deny Christ. They were shot execution style in the head from point-blank range somewhere in Libya. Ethiopia is Africa’s second most-populated country, with approximately two-thirds of its citizens professing Christianity. With limited economic choice, family breadwinners like Eyasu and Balcha often travel to Libya or Europe in search of employment to support their families back home. With their financial providers gone, the families of these brave Christ-followers are undergoing immense financial hardship in addition to the devastating grief they still feel from the tragedy. Unfortunately, these
surviving family members do not have the financial resources to provide for their families, much less learn a new vocational skill. Without their breadwinner to provide necessities, they have little hope of caring for their children without outside assistance. That’s when ICC stepped in. Six months after the news of the 33 martyrs hit, Troy Augustine, ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, traveled to Ethiopia to meet with these families and deliver food packages door to door for those affected by the martyrs’ deaths in Libya. The food packages came as a complete shock to the families of the martyrs who felt left behind by the inter-
national community. Troy sensed immeasurable gratitude from the family members of the martyrs. “We thought everyone forgot about us,” noted Burtukan, widow of a martyr and mother of two. She discussed how people rallied around the families of the Ethiopian martyrs immediately following their deaths, but within a few months, the moral support had become a distant whisper that was never followed up with action to help sustain her family. Several months later, ICC delivered Christmas gifts to the children of the martyrs by bringing toys door to door. While the needs of these families are great, ICC has provided them
hope. Working with our regional staff in Africa, ICC discussed possible solutions for long-term economic sustainability in their villages to provide continual and selfsustaining assistance to these families. Over the past several months, ICC’s Africa team has been working on a process for developing plans to create a viable market that will provide long term stability in Ethiopia so that the families of these 33 brave martyrs will never again feel forgotten by their brothers and sisters in Christ. Our prayer is that they may find peace through economic stability in their community to aid and restore the Christians affected by martyrdom on a long term basis.
Ethiopia remembers its Christian martyrs with a billboard in the streets of Addis Ababa.
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HUNDRED GIRLS
ABDUCTED
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hat do you say to console a grieving father whose daughter was kidnapped and sold as a sex slave as he lives day-to-day not knowing if she’s alive or dead? Yaga Lawan, the father of one of Nigeria’s infamous Chibok girls from northeastern Nigeria, lives a tortured existence and his pain is evident through his vacant, glaring eyes. Two Christmases, two birthdays, two Easters, indeed, two full years have passed since the last time Lawan saw his precious beloved teenage daughter, Naomi. “I would rather know she was dead than live like this,” he told ICC. “People die, but no one should have to experience this.” Naomi and nearly 300 of her fellow high school classmates awoke abruptly in the late evening of April 14, 2014, jarred by crazed exclamations of “God is Great” (Allahu Akbar) as jihadists went from dorm to dorm to abduct the Christian girls and drag them down to the hell of a new life of unimaginable horror. This month we mark the two year anniversary these horrific events.
Remembering Chibok
Though the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian girls captured the world’s attention for a time, two years later, their families still struggle to go on, wondering if their daughters are dead or alive. By Troy Augustine
for 6,664 deaths in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon in 2015. They were the world’s deadliest terror threat last year. However, the reality on the ground tells an even more grisly story of persecution faced by the Church of Jesus Christ. Christian survivors speak of militants specifically targeting their homes, destroying and looting, their churches, and stealing their children. This holds true in the Chibok incident. The majority of the 279 girls initially taken were Christians, mostly from the Nigerian Brethren (EYN) denomination. The kidnapping garnered global attention surrounding the Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls; re-tweeted one millionplus times in the first two weeks following the event. Even U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama posted a photo of herself to social media holding a sign displaying the hashtag. Two years later, at least 219 remain missing, and confusion swirls around whether or not they will ever be rescued. Within days of the abduction, Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, promised to sell them into slavery. “Allah instructed me to sell them: they are his properties,” he declared in a YouTube video. “I will sell them in the market by Allah.” Naomi and her friends are likely dispersed across the region.
In their quest to establish a radical Islamic caliphate in West Africa, Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram has ravaged northern Nigeria in a near seven-year insurgency in which Christians have faced the brunt of their fury. The movement has recently morphed into a slithery, unpredictable, guerilla-style insurgency, waging mostly suicide bombing attacks on population clusters such as displacement camps, markets, churches, and even moderate mosques. Amnesty – ABUBAKAR SHEKAU, BOKO HARAM LEADER International credited Boko Haram with responsibility
“Allah instructed me to sell them: they are his properties. I will sell them in the market by Allah.”
The Politics of Rescue Nigerian politicians have long declared and broken their promises to bring back our girls. Nigeria’s former president, Goodluck Jonathan, once declared his confidence in the belief that the girls would be rescued by the end of his term in office. Current President Muhammadu Buhari was elected in 2015 on promises that he would quickly
defeat Boko Haram and bring back the Chibok girls. On Christmas Eve 2015, Buhari comically declared that the terrorists were “technically defeated.,” His comments stood as an excmation to the long line of lies from politicans in relation to Boko Haram. In February, former President Olusegun Obasanjo also weighed in on the subject. “If any leader is promising to bring back the Chibok girls now, he is lying,” Obasanjo told Nigerian media. From time to time, suspicious reports surface about a supposed Boko Haram commander who claims to know the girls’ whereabouts and flouts his willingness to negotiate for their release. In the meantime, Yaga Lawan, and too many thousands of other loved ones of victims live a tortured existence hoping for resolution or justice.
Endless Tears
The stress is so extreme on these parents that the number of them who have died or suffered heart attacks in the past two years has climbed to double digits, according to reports. The everyday memory of April 2014 creates a torturous suspension of regular life for parents who cannot compartamentalize or forget. While the world can respond with a helpful retweet or a passing prayer, Yaga Lawan and his family struggle mightily. His wife lacks the energy to even pull the hoe on their Chibok-area farm in order to complete daily chores. Just one example of the after-effects of persecution in a corner of the world where the heat on the Church is hotter than anywhere else. All this reminds me of a a Pakistani proverb: “When I heard of your suffering, I forgot my own.” As the Bible calls us to bear burdens with others, two years later, the Church stands with Yaga Lawan. We will weep with you as you weep, and we will stand ready to rejoice with you as you rejoice, Lord willing.
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Garissa University: In the S
A solitary desk left outside on the campus of Garissa University acts as a symbol of the 148 fallen students.
On April 2, 2015, 148 Garissa University students, faculty and guards lost their lives in a terror attack that targeted Christians. The university’s dean leads ICC through the path of the gunmen. By Jeremiah Castelo
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T
he absence of students in these halls may be due to their weekly scheduled day of prayer, but the emptiness in the atmosphere of the entire campus is a result of something else altogether. It’s been one year since al-Shabaab gunmen ravaged the campus of Garissa University, yet the memory is not easily forgotten as bullet holes still remain in some of the walls. Since the attack, security at Garissa University has increased significantly. Kenyan Defense Force (KDF) checkpoints are now stationed along all major
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roads leading to the school, the front gate is guarded by armed soldiers and campus security has implemented identification procedures at all of the entrance and exit points.
The Pathway of the Gunmen The Dean of Students, a tall, Somali Muslim man, recounted the events of the attack and led ICC on the exact route the attackers took. A long, cracked cement pathway directed us toward the prayer room where the first 12 students were killed. The setting seemed untouched since the attack, as all of the chairs were still thrust to one side of the room, and a pool of dried blood still stained one corner of APRIL 2016
e Steps of the Gunmen the floor. The pathway continued toward the first dormitory, where the majority of the students were killed. One hundred and twentythree lives were taken in the now gated building. The second dorm, where five more students were killed, was also gated and locked. Five guards and three faculty members were also killed, leading to a death toll of 148.
RECCE Company, Kenya’s highly trained counter-terrorism unit based in Nairobi, approximately six hours away, arrived in Garissa at 4:00 p.m. The alShabaab threat was neutralized in 15 minutes. Out of the five gunmen, four were killed and one was detained. One RECCE soldier was killed by a suicide bomb. The heavy burden that the CEO still carries is evident in his facial expressions, his tone of voice and his body language. Though a few of the students who survived the attack have returned to school, many have not. Despite the scars that the staff and students at the university still carry, the campus still strives to be a harmonious place of education for both Christians and Muslims alike.
“I think about it every night before I go to sleep. If I only had a gun, I could’ve done something!”
A Beacon of Light
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– GARISSA UNIVERSITY CEO
Bearing the Burden
In the office of the CEO of the university, we heard the testimony of the man whose burden weighs the heaviest. “I think about it every night before I go to sleep,” he told ICC as he stared blankly at the wall. “If I only had a gun, I could’ve done something!” Without notes, he detailed every event, beginning with the first gunshot heard all the way down to the last. Bullets started firing at 5:45 a.m. Though KDF soldiers had been notified immediately, they didn’t engage the gunmen in combat. Instead, they formed a perimeter around the campus at 6:00 a.m. and remained there until late into the afternoon. With the gunmen, students and staff trapped within the campus grounds, KDF soldiers told faculty to remain inside until more appropriately trained anti-terror units arrived.
A long, cracked cement pathway directed us toward the prayer room where the first 12 students were killed.
With a greater than 90 percent Muslim population, the town of Garissa is a place where Christians are not only an easy target for Muslim extremists, but are often persecuted as a minority. Many Christian women are often victims of workplace violence and rape, due to the social exclusion created by their underprivileged position. Despite the difficult odds, many of the Christians in town continue to serve the community through spiritual, educational and charitable means. In many public institutions, such as schools, Christians and Muslims are able to live in harmony despite their theological differences. These settings are often used as indirect evangelical platforms, first by being good neighbors, then by showing the love of Christ and openly speaking the Gospel. The events at Garissa University represent a prime example of what living for Christ looks like, especially when persecuted for His name’s sake.
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The Enduring Scars of Faith
Christ Church, Youhanabad
The wall of Christ Church, scarred by the blast of a suicide bomb, remains a testament to the scarred but resilient faith of this Christian community.
Witnessing a Christian community’s recovery after twin suicide bombings.
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A Tragedy to Remember
By William Stark
or me, it’s hard to believe that it has already been more than a year since St. John’s Catholic Church and Christ Church were bombed. For myself and for many of the Christians affected, it still feels as though the tragedy just took place. People say time heals all wounds, but looking over the past year, I see that some
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as possible. Although the truly heroic efforts of Christians volunteering as security guards were able to keep the terrorists from entering the churches, 19 people were still killed and more than 80 others injured.
wounds simply won’t be fully healed. The scars remain and change us and, if we allow, take us to a place spiritually we’ve never been before. Last year, on March 15, militants from the Pakistani Taliban attacked two churches in a predominately Christian neighborhood of Lahore called Youhanabad. Using guns and suicide vests, the terrorists attempted to break into St. John’s and Christ Church during regular Sunday services to kill as many
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“I was leading the church in a song during the offering when we were attacked,” Fr. Francis of St. John’s told me in an interview days after the bombings. “Thank God for the volunteer security people. They really saved our people.” Outside, a terrorist armed with a handgun and a suicide vest was fighting to enter the church. At the expense of their own lives, security volunteers from the church’s own congregation were able to tackle and hold down the terrorist before he detonated his suicide vest, killing himself and a young security APRIL 2016
helped Akash deter the terrorist at St. John’s, his body is a physical reminder of what happened to him last year. “I lost an eye in the bomb blast last year,” Sikandar said. “The ball bearings are still in my legs and stomach, and I am still unable to hear out of my right ear.” “For me, the past year has been full of tension and challenges,” Sikandar continued. “However, I am still thankful to God for sparing my life. I was standing in front of the main gate when the attack happened. The suicide bomber was right in front of me, trying to get into the church. We managed to stop him, but (it’s a miracle) I survived.”
Scarred Faith Akash gave his life to stop a suicide bomber from entering his church.
ICC spoke with the families of those killed in twin suicide bombings. volunteer named Akash Bashir. “When the bomber shot at the church security, Akash stood firm,” Fr. Francis said. “He stopped the bomber from getting inside the church; he would have killed many more.” “After the attack, I went to the main gate to see what had happened,” Fr. Francis continued. “I saw the gate had been blasted 35 yards back, and the ground was covered in blood and body parts.” “The first blast took place at St. John’s,” Rev. Irshad Ashknaz, head pastor at Christ Church, told me last year. “The second blast was at our main gate and only happened five second[s] after the blast at St. John’s.” Similar to the events at St. John’s, Christian security volunteers sacrificed their own lives to keep the terrorist from entering Christ Church. A Christian man named Zahid Yousaf, nicknamed Goga, apprehended the terrorist
and pushed him 20 feet away from the church before the suicide vest was detonated. When the dust settled, hundreds of Christians were affected by these two attacks and left with both emotional and physical scars. Scars they have had to learn to live with over the past year.
A Challenging Year
“It’s been nearly a year since the bomb blast,” Fr. Francis told me recently. “The situation faced by the Christian community has been very difficult. There has been a lot of pressure on the community.” “People still think a lot about the incident, the bodies, the people who died and those who were injured,” Fr. Francis continued. “It was a terrible scene, and it happened to us. It has been like a mental block for the community.” For Sikandar, a security volunteer who
Despite the scars the Christians in Youhanabad continue to carry, there still remains a commitment to their faith and a hope that better things are still to come. This “scarred faith” was something I encountered in the days following the bombings last year. In one of the first interviews I conducted following the bombings, Akash’s mother told me, “We are depressed because we lost our son, but we are also proud of his sacrifice. He saved hundreds. I am happy that God has given him the crown of martyrdom.” This is a feeling that remains strong even a year later. “He was such a brave person, and today the whole nation recalls him,” Akash’s mother told me recently. “One of the questions people keep asking me is about the attendance of the church following the bombings,” Fr. Francis told me. “It is true that after the bombings, many people left Youhanabad, but many have come back … and they are stronger in their faith.” In fact, attendance at St. John’s and Christ Church has increased since the bombings. This has been a real testament to the strength of the Christian community in Youhanabad. “We remember the people who died for this cause and in this incident,” Fr. Francis continued. “We especially remember our hero, Akash. His sacrifice and the sacrifices of others who saved the churches that day have really increased our faith.” Looking over the past year, it’s truly amazing to be connected with a community like the Christian community of Youhanabad. To show such strong faith in the face of such an intense tragedy is something I pray I can emulate in my own Christian journey.
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Christian Persecution South o
ICC President, Jeff King (far right), and CSW’s Anna Lee meet with Chiapas State Human Rights Officials
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ICC’s continues to address the persecution of minority Christians in Mexico. rticle 24, of the Mexican Constitution states: “Every man is free to pursue the religious belief that best suits him, and to practice its ceremonies, devotions or cults, as long as they do not constitute a crime. Congress cannot dictate laws that establish or abolish any given religion.” Despite clearly established constitutional protection for freedom of worship, enforcing Mexico’s constitution has proven to be a different matter. While minority Christians are persecuted for their faith, ICC has engaged in a year-long, ongoing campaign to encourage the Mexican government to provide them this freedom. Of all the countries in which International Christian Concern provides advocacy, awareness and assistance, Mexico may not be the first to come to mind. However, over the past
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year, ICC and Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) before us have documented a number of cases throughout Mexico in which minority Christians are being persecuted for their faith. The persecution is typically perpetrated by village councils who are dominated by a majority belief system seeking to force minority Christians in their communities to convert and help pay for village festivals. In an effort to coerce these conversions, villagers have expelled minority Christians from their homes and villages, denied them resources like public utilities and have even banned them from burying their dead in the public cemetery. Last June, ICC estimated there to be more than 70 open cases of religious persecution, like those described above, against minority Christian communities, each case involving between 20 and 200 victims. These cases exist in the states of Chiapas, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Puebla, Guerrero and, most recently, Jalisco. Despite the frequency and intensity of persecution, the Mexican government’s silence
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on the matter has been deafening. With the U.S. government and the general public relatively unaware of this persecution, CSW and ICC were led to be the voice for Mexican Christians who are impoverished and have little political power to advocate for their rights. To that end, ICC arranged for a tour of 19 meetings with elected leaders in Congress, the U.S. State Department and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom in June 2015. These meetings led to this issue being raised at multiple levels within the Mexican government. ICC also hosted a briefing for congressional staff on persecution in Mexico with other Christian non-governmental groups and a guest speaker from Mexico. In addition, on July 15, 2015, Senator Marco Rubio questioned Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson, the current nominee for the next U.S. ambassador to Mexico, on how she would address this trend of persecution with the Mexican government. APRIL 2016
h of the Border Setting Legal Precedents in Chiapas, Mexico
ICC President, Jeff King, delivers aid to one persecuted community
“Every man is free to pursue the religious belief that best suits him, and to practice its ceremonies ” – ARTICLE 24, MEXICAN CONSTITUTION At the grassroots level, an ICC petition addressed to Mexico’s ambassador to the United States, calling for the immediate end to violence against and displacement of religious minorities in Mexico, garnered nearly 4,000 signatures from over 90 countries. In addition, ICC mobilized its volunteer base and supporters to make calls to the Mexican embassy in support of the persecuted Christians. In terms of direct assistance, ICC was able to provide food aid to victims of persecution in Mariano Matamoros, in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, where the Christian minority was denied public utilities and had their crops destroyed for refusing to convert. In Chiapas, ICC has provided legal assistance by hiring a lawyer to file a case in the state court regarding the plight of the
Christians in Mariano Matamoros, as well as those in the village of Leyva Valasquez, who were expelled from the community for refusing to convert. Our hope is that a win on this court case will set a precedent for the country as a whole. Looking ahead, ICC will continue to put pressure on the Mexican government to prosecute those responsible for persecuting religious minorities. We ask for your continued prayers for our Mexican brothers and sisters in Christ who are unable to worship the Lord freely. For the leaders of Mexico, we ask that you would pray that their hearts and eyes would be open to this suffering and that they would act to enforce their own laws.
As persecution of minority Christians in Mexico continues to increase, ICC has added a new arrow to its quiver in an effort to force the Mexican government to restore religious freedom in the country. As ICC continues to work with the U.S. government to put pressure on the Mexican government through political means, we are also running a parallel legal case in the state court of Chiapas, Mexico. The case specifically cites instances of persecution in Mariano Matamoros and Leyva Valasquez, two villages in the state of Chiapas which have seen minority Christians threatened with violence, expelled from their community, and denied public utilities for refusing to convert from their faith. Last June in Mariano Matamoros, minority Christians in the village had their utilities and sewage disposal cut off by the local government after refusing to convert. The persecution reached new heights in late November 2015 when the perpetrators of this persecution and their allies plundered crops of corn, pineapple and coffee and divided property and land belonging to these religious minorities. Despite multiple state government offices being notified, the perpetrators have committed these attacks without the intervention of any competent judicial authority. In Leyva Valasquez, 30 Christian minority families were expelled from their community by local leaders and saw their homes and property destroyed in early January of this year. This is the latest incident of many acts of harassment and persecution by community leaders in this village. Although state and federal officials have been notified of these illegal acts, the Mexican government continues to ignore pleas for help. ICC has hired a lawyer in Chiapas who filed a case on February 9 in order to force all levels of government in Chiapas to answer for their refusal to take action in enforcing the law and allowing persecution to persist. It is our prayer that the court will force the government to take action, simultaneously setting a precedent for the rest of the country to follow suit. Perhaps then the Mexican government will take seriously the need to enforce their own constitution which is meant to protect freedom of worship.
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Letters from Our Kids ICC’s Kids Care fund supports kids with education, discipleship, and food. Here are a few of the letters they have written to us Dear ICC, Thank you so much for everything that you do for me. I’m so sad for my mother because she’s always in conflicts with my uncles. My mother cries and gets really mad, which makes me sad. Nobody feels how I feel, even my father, because he is old and sick and he can’t do anything about it. You have no idea how bad it is to be living in conflicts and with your family. Have you ever been through this before? Please pray for me that God would solve these conflicts.
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Dear ICC, I’m happy to write to you again and will be even happier if you come visit me at home. How is (ICC Staff) doing? Can he speak now? I am at grade six now, and I joined the singing team at Sunday school and I really like being part of a team. I want to share with you that the past time was very hard for me since my dad passed away. I am very upset, and I miss him very much. Please pray for me and for my mom. Thank you so much. Dear ICC, How are you? I am glad I’m writing you this letter. Please visit Egypt and meet my mom, dad and siblings. I am in grade five now. My siblings are (names). I am very good at memorizing verses, and I like the verse that says, “I AM, do not be afraid.” My mom always tells me to say this verse whenever I face something that scares me. Please pray for my brother Attia, because he is sick. Thank you for your sponsorship.
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APRIL 2016
Dear ICC, My family is thanking you for your care and love, and we thank you for the food you send. You know, something very weird happened to us a little while ago. My brother was going to work with someone he knew, and some Muslim people kidnapped them and hit them, but when they knew that we were poor people and can’t afford the hostage fee, they let him go. They took a very big fee from the other guy with him. When my brother came home, he was very tired and scared and injured very badly. Do you get any of these incidents in your country? Please pray for us. Dear Friends, Thank you for caring for me. Thank you for your help financially and emotionally, as you gave me the chance to be educated. I’m asking for prayer because I want to be like you and help the needy. I love the color red. I’m in fifth grade, and I would like to have a doll.
Dear ICC, Thank you so much for your care, because my father is dead. But you search for me like a father and you always ask me for my needs and fulfill them. Please pray for my mother and me. I like the color brown, and I’m in the sixth grade.
Dear ICC, Thank you for helping me without knowing me personally. Thank you for always asking about my needs and demands. Please pray for my brother, because he is abroad and he takes care of me after my father died. I’m in fifth grade.
Dear Friends at ICC, How are you? I always pray you are fine. Thank you so much for loving me, caring for me and sending me food every month. You know, I’m really tired and sad because so many people bully me and call me names and some of them are very close to me. At these times I wish my father would come back and hug me and protect me. I really miss him. Have you ever felt lonely with people around?
Dear Friends at ICC, Thank you so much for sponsoring me and for praying for me. Thank you for the nice monthly meal you send me. You know, my grandfather died. He used to take my father’s place. He was so kind to me and he loved me very much. But he also died and left me alone. I really feel so lonely. Please pray for God to console me. I want to see your picture, or please come and visit.
Dear ICC, I truly thank you for everything. I also thank you for the good food you send us. You know, my father was traveling and came for a short vacation, and when he was here I felt so safe. He played with me a lot. When he traveled again, I couldn’t sleep. I was so scared and worried. I don’t find anyone to defend me. Please pray for me and let me know how you’re doing.
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Remembering the Legacy of the 21 When ICC had the honor of meeting with the family members of the 21 martyrs beheaded in Libya, we were moved by their willingness to forgive and inspired by their strength of faith. By Emma Lane
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APRIL 2016
Tears still glisten in the eyes of Bishoy and Samer’s father, mother and sister (left to right) a year after the two brothers were beheaded by ISIS in a martyrdom that has profoundly impacted their family and strengthened their faith.
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O
ne year ago today, the world was subjected to a gruesome display of mass murder in Libya. While those in the West try to empathize with the victims of violent, non-state warfare at the hands of terrorists, we are often unable or unwilling to visualize it as reality. ISIS made that visualization possible. Islamist Jihadists in Libya under the leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had only recently come on to the global stage at this time last year. On February 15, 2015, they released a video of the beheading of 21 Christians: 20 from Egypt and one from Ethiopia. At this point, rather than retrace the past and focus on the bloodshed and horrific nature of that tragedy, I want to talk about the legacy of those 21 courageous Christians. The nature of the infamous video makes it difficult to watch, but if you haven’t I would urge you to watch the video up to the point where they are killed. As I watched the video, one main thing that stood out is that as they are about to be horrifically murdered, the Christians in orange, on their knees, were singing hymns on that beach and mouthing the name Jesus. For days, their ISIS kidnappers demanded that their captives renounce their faith in Christ and accept Islam; yet they refused. They would have been told they would could go home and see their families if only they muttered a few simple words to renounce their faith in Christ. Yet, every single one of them refused. I wonder if I would refuse to renounce my faith when faced with imminent and certain death, after undergoing the torture they sustained as captives. Recently, I had the incredible privilege to meet some of the family members of these men. In the midst of my Westernized inability to comprehend how to undergo a conversation with such “victims,” I was immediately overwhelmed by their faith. I asked the surviving family members, as a group, what message they would give to followers of Christ in
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“All of us must be ready to die for our faith. … We have been told what we will face in this world, and should be prepared to accept that in faith and in joy, no matter what.” America if they could say one thing. The first answer I heard was from Jaya Stephanos Kamel. She and her brother Bashir watched two of their brothers, Bishoy and Samer, die on that beach. “All of us must be ready to die for our faith. We are proud of our brothers, but we have been told what we will face in this world, and should be prepared to accept that in faith and joy not matter what.” Jaya’s words have continued to replay in my head. Her
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voice (and the voices of the others I met with) was firm and strong, seeping up through deep emotions and scars that may never heal on this Earth. The balance of deep loss contrasted with unrelenting faith in Christ was something I had never witnessed firsthand and that I will always treasure. She asked me later that day what I would do if it were my family. Would I forgive the ISIS militants that were shown in that video? APRIL 2016
Photos Top Left
A burning candle on an altar dedicated to the memory of Mina Fayez Aziz, one of the 21 beheaded martyrs, reminds his family of his sacrifice for his faith.
Top Right
ICC met with Jaya Kamel (left), the sister of two brothers who were martyred by ISIS in Libya. Jaya’s wise words on the reality of persecution and martyrdom in the midst of her own pain touched our hearts.
Bottom Left
ICC staff meets with the family members of the 21 Christian martyrs.
Bottom Right
Two children hold a picture of Samuel Alham Wilson, one of the few memories that will likely remain of their father who answered the call to martyrdom on the beach at Libya.
I quickly answered that I believe in a powerful evil that can overtake the soul of any human who doesn’t belong to Christ and, because of that, I can forgive all who seek true forgiveness and restoration. She and her cousin both nodded in agreement. That is something they have worked hard to do – forgive the militants that took their brothers’ lives in front of the entire world. I was struck by their question about my ability to forgive and as I turned it over and over in my mind I came to the conclusion that I really don’t know if I could do the same. I don’t know if I possess the capacity to even understand their pain. I hope that if I am ever forced to understand it, I will have an ounce of the faith and forgiveness these families do. I asked myself what excuse did I have to
judge my fellow man rather than show love and forgiveness, especially to someone who doesn’t know Christ? The believers I met are giants of the faith because their love of Christ is unbending in the face of overwhelming pain and it is growing daily. Their unwavering faith is evidenced by their obvious peace. They know, without a doubt, that all who die in Christ are immediately united with our Lord God and King. This fact does not, of course, erase their pain, but it tempers it. They are comforted by the picture of their loved ones wearing the Crown of Righteousness in heaven The days of apathy and persecution only being seen in the Bible are behind us; the time is coming when we all must be willing to ask what we are called to do as followers
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – MATTHEW 5:10 (NASB)
of Christ. Are we willing to stand firm in our faith when it costs our careers or our child’s education? What if it cost everything? Are we ready to undergo persecution because of our faith and withstand it to the end? Are we ready to “be hated by everyone because of [Christ]” as we remain steadfast in our adherence to the Gospel that his death that paid our price? What has He called us to do? Why has He allowed us to undergo the hurts that we have faced in this World? Is there a higher purpose that we must begin to grasp? You see, I can’t write about a “tragedy” on this horrific anniversary because I have met the families of the 21 martyrs, and I have been awakened by their triumphant example. I can’t write about sorrow because I see again the songs of praise coming from the martyr’s lips before their lives were taken. I can’t recount horror that feeds the fears of the people when those closest to the situation do not fear death because they know exactly where they are going. Today, I will choose to look at the 21 martyrs’ death as a wakeup call to the followers of Christ. I pray that it ignites just a few believers in the West, that has grown cold and lost their devotion and seems more enamored with political agendas rather than proclaiming the Good News. I will celebrate the legacy of these men by standing today with their families and invited you to proclaim with me that, “We are ready to stand firm in our faith.”
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Will You Cross The Bridge?
On July 7, 8, and 9, we are gathering the Church in the US at a national conference to meet the persecuted Church, learn about them, and meet them, as well as those that work on their behalf. From members of Congress, to nonprofits, to churches, to missionaries, to the persecuted themselves, we are gathering the free and persecuted Church together to learn from each other and learn how to connect and fight on behalf of the persecuted. This is not an ICC conference, but rather a conference about persecution where leaders and speakers from various organizations will gather to give you the inside scoop on ISIS, persecution, how to engage your church, as well as how to connect and assist Christians in persecuted countries. Finally, the core of this conference is not just to gather and speak to each other about persecution, but to go deeper in our faith through the example of the persecuted. We seek for this conference to be used as a call for revival in the Western Church. In the persecuted Church, you find real devotion, sacrifice, and great love for the Lord in spite of the terrible cost that Christians pay for their faith. With that in mind, there is no better musician to lead us during our conferrence than Jason Upton. Jason is an anointed and gifted Christian singer/songwriter (18 albums) with the heart of a pastor. Whether Jason is leading people in worship through singing or speaking, he brings the heart of our heavenly Father into his ministry. Come with us and let’s cross The Bridge together! Jeff King President Persecution.org (International Christian Concern)
To register for The Bridge and/or to receive updated information, please visit: www.thepersecutionconference.org 30
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APRIL 2016
2016 INVITED SPEAKERS
Jason Upton
Jeff King
Juliana Taimoorazy
Hidden for Security
Daniel Shayesteh
Dr. Nemam Ghafouri
Father Douglas
Dr. Sharon Linzey Ackerman
Senator Marco Rubio
David Saperstein
Rep. Frank Wolf
Rep Trent Franks
Knox Thames
Robert Seiple
Rep. Joe Pitts
Rep. Chris Smith
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You Can Help Today!
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