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The Disappearing Church of the Middle East
Special Edition: Understanding Islam and ISIS
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
JUNE 2016
Volunteers
A Heart for The Persecuted
Love Costs Everything
DAVID RIDLEY VOLUNTEER AWARENESS TEAM
BLAKE BURGET VOLUNTEER AWARENESS TEAM
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n order to assist persecuted Christians throughout the nations, it is our duty to tell their stories that would otherwise go untold. As part of the Awareness team, David Ridley focuses his attention on spreading the stories of the persecuted within his own church. David has gotten involved in this ministry by working with his church and the missions board, as well as leaders from other local churches, to spread the message of the persecuted Church. In addition to spreading the word about persecution, he also provides visual aids by maintaining a bulletin board with a global map (as pictured above), tracking up-to-date persecution around the world. Part of the struggle in encouraging Westerners to get involved is that the persecuted Church seems so distant from their own lives. David has helped confront this dilemma by sharing the personal stories of those suffering for their faith. He said, “It helps people, including myself, in praying for the persecuted to get to know these people on a personal level.” In an effort to bridge the gap between the Western Church and the persecuted Church, David said, “It is the least that I can do to pray and shine a light on this persecution
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around the world.” In turn, through serving the persecuted, David has personally drawn closer to Christ. He said that this ministry has drawn him closer to the Lord in prayer and “had a significant impact on how [he] lives [his] life.” Not only has David’s community benefited through his involvement with persecution ministry, but David stated that “nothing has given [him] more joy and a closeness to Christ than serving the persecuted.” He reports that he has “found nothing more rewarding than to speak out and pray for the persecuted Church.” ICC volunteers from around the world have found the same joy in serving the persecuted, knowing that caring for God’s children is a gift that keeps on giving.
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me.”
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lso a member of ICC’s Awareness team, Blake Burget has served as a volunteer for the past six years, visiting local churches and small groups to share the message of the persecuted. One of the most effective ways that Blake has found to spread awareness about the persecuted Church is through teaching Sunday school classes. Within Sunday school, he said that he has “met some of the godliest people who are ready to learn and help out in any way they can.” Most recently, Blake partnered with a number of churches (as pictured above) to screen a documentary about the persecuted, “Love Costs Everything.” During this event, he also had the opportunity to give a brief presentation about ICC’s ministry. After viewing a video of persecution years ago, Blake felt the call to serve the persecuted and has been blessed ever since. He said, “This is one of the greatest gifts I have ever been given, and I know that anyone who serves the persecuted will be amazed at how they are blessed in return.” He continued, “To look after our hurting brothers and sisters…is a high calling and privilege”
– MATTHEW 25:40 (NIV)
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Looking for a Way to Make a Difference in the World? Join Our Team of Volunteers! For those hoping to make difference on behalf of the persecuted Church, many are not sure how to get started. However, volunteers all over the world are making a difference within their own communities as members of ICC’s five volunteer teams: Advocacy, Awareness, Office, Prayer, and Special Projects. By standing up for the persecuted in countless different ways, ICC’s volunteers have played a crucial role in connecting the global Church by bridging the gap between the persecuted and the Western Church. It only takes one person to make a difference.
Spreading the Word
The Power of Prayer
The Bible makes it abundantly clear that words can be powerful tools. ICC volunteers have taken advantage of the power of written language to spread the message of the persecuted. Several volunteers have made use of their language skills by writing blogs, authoring articles about persecution, spreading awareness through social media, writing in their church newsletters, and translating informational materials into other languages. By making information about the persecuted readily accessible to more people, these volunteers have encouraged others to get involved, thereby raising even more awareness and support for those in need.
The leading request that we hear from believers who are facing persecution is the request for prayer. ICC’s Prayer volunteer team has stepped forward to fill this need. Whether praying by themselves, leading prayer groups for the persecuted, or organizing prayer events, these volunteers are covering the persecuted in prayer from across the globe. During the first quarter, multiple volunteers were responsible for hosting regular prayer groups, both keeping them informed of recent incidents and leading them in prayer. These volunteers play a key role in bridging the gap between the Western Church and our persecuted brothers and sisters.
Volunteer Teams 1
Advocacy Fight for justice for the persecuted through petitions, Congress calls, and more.
Are you Interested in Serving?
2 Awareness Raise your voice through speaking in churches, writing, and social media. 3 Office Lighten the load of ICC’s staff by helping with administrative assignments.
4 Prayer Intercede for our brothers and sisters in Christ both individually and as a church.
5 Special Projects Volunteer on your own schedule through one-time projects.
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Apply online at http://www.persecution.org/how-you-can-help/volunteer/ or contact volunteer@persecution.org or (301) 585-5915 for more information. 3
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Wycliffe Bible Translators Killed in Middle East
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Chinese Law Restricts Non-Profits
1 | TURKEY Following months of conflict, the government of Turkey recently seized six churches in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, The churches were wide-ranging in denomination, representing both Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox faiths. They also ranged in historical significance, one dating back 1,700 years, while another was only built in 2003. However, all of these church buildings are now property of the predominantly Muslim nation of Turkey. Christian communities in the southwestern region of Turkey have suffered from regional conflict. Many Christians have been prevented from accessing their churches due to violence in the city center of Diyarbakir. According to Turkey’s Minister of Environment and Urban Planning, the churches were seized in order to protect the area due to the fighting. However, many local Christians have expressed concern, many believing that the decision was motivated by a desire to either acquire or destroy the buildings for ulterior motives. At present, there are no established plans to return the church buildings to their owners.
2 | CHINA The government of China is considering a new law that would significantly restrict non-profit groups. The law would prohibit these groups from participating in any activities which the government considers a threat to national security. This would also require international non-profits to be sponsored by Chinese entities and allow the Chinese government the authority to control their funding and day-to-day operations. The danger in this new law is that it would give the government a very broad interpretation of what it means to threaten national security. This would then make it simple for them to revoke the operating status of religious and humanitarian organizations. It would also open up the opportunity to charge non-profit employees as threats to the state if their political or religious ideologies conflict with that of the Chinese government. Although China has been moving in the right direction toward ensuring basic human rights throughout recent decades, recent crackdowns led by President Xi Jinping are a serious setback. According to reports, since 2013, the communist government of China has been responsible for the forcible removal of 2,000 church crosses. We, as an international community, must raise our voices and demand that the Chinese government protect basic religious freedoms and human rights for the wellbeing of their citizens.
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Turkish Government Seizes Churches
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3 | MIDDLE EAST In mid-March, a group of militants murdered four Wycliffe Bible translators working in the Middle East. The attackers stormed the Wycliffe office, fatally shooting two translators and two others died as they protected the lead translator. The attackers also ransacked the office, destroying all visible office equipment and translation resources. This report corroborates many others which indicate that ISIS burns literature with any mention of Christianity. Thankfully, by the grace of God, the hard drives containing the current translation work on eight different projects remained intact and the ministry stated that they would increase their efforts to share the Gospel in this region. Wycliffe has called for prayer regarding this tragedy, for the victims and their loved ones, the ones who committed the heinous act, and the remaining team members as they move forward in their ministry.
JUNE 2016
70 Killed in Pakistan on Easter Sunday 4 | PAKISTAN On March 27, Easter Sunday, suicide bombers from an offshoot group of the Pakistani Taliban attacked a park, killing at least 70 people and wounding more than 300 others in Lahore, Pakistan. This event signifies the second deadliest attack on Christians in Pakistan’s history, only falling shy of the 2013 attack on All Saints Church. A spokesman from the group responsible for the attack publicly took credit for the bombing and threatened to carry out further attacks.
Persecution Suspects Released in Churches Kenya Burned in 5 | KENYA Christians in Kenya are demanding justice Ethiopia following the acquittal of two suspects who had been charged in the 2014 attack in Mpeketoni, which killed 60 people. The assaults took place on June 15 through 17 and targeted police stations, markets, churches and crowded villages. One of the suspects was accused of transporting the attackers while the other was accused of charges related to planning and carrying out the attack. Local Christians have reported to ICC that this court decision was shocking to the community and has left Christians in the area doubtful about whether the government is prepared and willing to protect them.
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6 | ETHIOPIA According to reports, more than 2,000 Christians in Ethiopia are without a place of worship, following local riots which led to the burning of several churches. The attackers were protesting government marginalization and that Christians were allegedly converting people away from Islam. One church leader noted that the churches were threatened anonymously to stop converting Muslims approximately a month before the arsons took place.
Relief Groups Banned from Visiting 7 | THAILAND According to an investigative report conducted by the BBC, Thailand has denied humanitarian groups and family members access to the detention centers where many Pakistani Christians are being held. A significant portion of these refugees are asylum seekers who had to flee their homeland due to religious persecution. The report also revealed the horrible conditions of these detention centers, which include insufficient food supplies, poor sanitation, cramped quarters, and unclean water. Many families in these detention centers report that they have been waiting for years to be assessed for asylum by the U.N. In the meantime, they are unable to access proper education, work, or healthcare and cannot return to Pakistan due to safety concerns.
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1 | NIGERIA For two weeks spanning the months of February and March, Christians in Agatu Local Government Area (LGA) in Nigeria’s Benue State experienced unimaginable horrors. From February 22 to 24, radical Islamic Fulani herdsmen stormed the region, ravaging entire villages. When the dust settled, more than 500 people were brutally murdered during these attacks. In addition to the death tolls, countless homes and farms were destroyed, along with the accompanying livestock. Villages that were attacked during this assault include Adogbo, Ogboju, Abugba, Akwu, Ayilla, Okokolo, and several others. Although Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari launched an investigation into the matter, the violence continued. Although locals are thankful that the government is taking action to investigate the attacks, they are still waiting for relief from the violence. While the media focuses on the growing body counts, let us not forget the thousands who are also now displaced with nowhere
to go. For fifteen years, Christian farming communities have suffered terrible persecution in the Middle-Belt region of Nigeria. The most concentrated violence has ravaged LGAs in Benue and Plateau states, which have Christian majorities. While Boko Haram garners international media attention, rightfully so, Christians in the Middle-Belt region have long suffered from persecution with few speaking out on their behalf. This tragedy in Benue is a solemn reminder of the everyday persecution that Christians in this area are facing from Fulani militias. The prevailing narratives that focus on historical tribal struggles, turf wars, and conflicts over resources no longer serve as reasonable explanations for this level of violence. It is clear that this violence is a systematic assault on the Christian population of Nigeria.
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Hundreds Killed in Benue
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“Radical Hindu groups view the lack of government action as unspoken approval for their actions.” Attacks Continue Despite Congressional Letter to Modi 2 | INDIA On February 26, 2016, an open letter signed by 34 members of the US Congress was sent to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting that he specifically condemn attacks on India’s religious minority communities. However, ICC documented 27 incidents of religiously motivated violence in only one month following the letter. In total, these attacks affected more than 1,400 Christians and Modi has yet to speak out on the issue. Further still, India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed these recent incidents of violence as “aberrations.” According to reports, there were 365 recorded attacks on Christians in India in 2015, making last year the worst year for Christians in India’s independent history While the Indian government continues to stay silent, non-Hindus are facing threats and violence for exercising their faith. This is a freedom which is meant to be protected by India’s constitution but, sadly, reality does not match the law on the books in this case. As reported by media outlets in India, radical Hindu groups view the lack of government action as unspoken approval for their actions. Unfortunately, this means that the situation for Indian Christians will likely worsen unless Modi takes action and calls out for an end to violence against religious minorities. JUNE 2016
180 Hostages Rescued from Boko Haram 3 | NIGERIA In March, Nigerian military officials reported the rescue of 180 hostages held captive by the radical Islamic group Boko Haram. The freed hostages were mainly women and children who had been held captive for months. Boko Haram is notorious for abducting women and children and forcing them into conversion, marriage, sexual slavery, and suicide missions. During this mission, five militants from Boko Haram were killed.
Christians Held Hostage By “Thugs”
Sudan Cracks Down on Pastors
4 | VIETNAM A group of people in Vietnam has been held against their will under the authority of police in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. The group was coming to visit Tran Minh Nhat, a Christian activist who served a four year prison sentence and was attacked by local police leading to a head injury. When the group reached Nhat’s home, people described as “thugs,” allegedly sent by local authorities, surrounded the home and prevented the group from leaving.
5 | SUDAN Authorities in Sudan continue to crack down on Christians, particularly targeting pastors with arrest, questioning, and detention. Pastor Ayoub Tilian was detained by intelligence officials at an unknown location before being released on March 21. At the time of writing, two other pastors, Abdulrahim Tawor and Telal Nogossi are also being held incommunicado, without any official charges. Due to Sudan’s horrific human rights record, particularly against Christians, the US State Department has labelled them as a Country of Particular Concern since 1999.
Pastor Released From Detention 6 | CHINA As previously reported, Chinese pastor Gu Yuese was detained in January and charged in February for alleged embezzlement after publicly opposing the Chinese government’s cross removal campaign. Thankfully, the pastor, who served at China’s largest government-approved church prior to his detention, was released on April 1. However, following his release, Pastor Gu was placed under “residential surveillance.” It is likely that his release took place as a precursor to the Chinese president, Xi Jinping’s, visit to the United States. Depending on the restrictions that Pastor Gu will face as a part of his surveillance, he may not be allowed to leave his home or communicate with others. While it is a blessing that he was released, it is very concerning that he still is facing restrictions at the hands of the Chinese government.
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The Disappearing Church of the Middle East
Overlooking the Ninevah plains, the heartland of Iraq’s Christian population, the absolute decimation of Iraq’s Christian population is evident.
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JUNE 2016
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Feature Article
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n the near past, 21 Christians were martyred by Islamic extremists for their faith. Perhaps you have heard about them? No, these were not the 21 Christians brutally executed on a beach in Libya whose deaths were broadcast to the world on a highly produced video published by ISIS’ media arm. These 21 Christians, three women, eighteen men, were mostly unknown, killed in the small city of al-Qaryatayn in central Syria. The town of approximately 40,000, built on a desert oasis in central Syria, provides a microcosm of the situation confronting Christians across the Middle East. From ancient churches bulldozed, to ancient communities fleeing both persecution and war, from abducted church leaders, to lists of martyrs and hostages still held captive by Islamic extremists, from a disappearing Church, to glimmers of hope emerging from the ashes, the story of al-Qaryatayn is one that is echoed by Christians across the region.
Al-Qaryatayn: A Community Destroyed For the first four years of the conflict in Syria, residents of the town, both Christian and Muslim tried to remain neutral, keeping the fragile peace they had shared in a country torn apart by conflict. They were stuck between an authoritarian regime that had killed tens of thousands of its own citizens on one side, and an opposition group made up primarily of Islamic extremists on the other. Many fled the fighting to other parts of Syria, while others left for the massive refugee camps in neighboring countries, and still others fled to Europe. On August 3, 2015, ISIS fighters stormed the town and captured it. Nearly 300
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“Daesh is responsible for genocide against groups in areas under its control, including Yezidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims.” Christians were trapped and under ISIS control. A video published by ISIS showed the Christians as they were forced to sign a contract of dhimmitude, Islam’s semi-slave legal status for non-Muslims living in land under the control of Islam. The penalty for violating the rules of dhimmitude would be death, and for 21 of them, this was the fate they suffered.
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A Larger Story of Christians Under Attack ISIS militants also boasted on social media about the bulldozing of the St. Elian monastery; 1,500 years of Christian history reduced to a pile of rubble in the Syrian desert. The destruction of the St. Elian monastery is unfortunately just one of dozens of churchJUNE 2016
Top Left ISIS
recruits exhibit strength in numbers by raising their guns to the air.
Top Right The Ninevah plain, once occupied by Christians, is now almost entirely owned by ISIS. Bottom Left
An Iraqi Christian waits for medical attention in a tent.
Bottom Right
Iraqi Christians line up for food and medicine at a medical center in Erbil.
es and buildings across the Middle East that has been attacked in recent years. As ISIS militants swept through Iraq in the summer of 2014, the church bells across Mosul and the villages of the Nineveh Plain fell silent. ISIS was and is intent on destroying any presence of Christianity or other non-Muslim religion in the lands they control. The reality of what has happened to Christians led Secretary of State John Kerry to issue a declaration in March 2016, that ISIS or “Daesh is responsible for genocide against groups in areas under its control, including Yezidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims. Daesh is genocidal by self-proclamation, by ideology, and by actions – in what
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it says, what it believes, and what it does.” As ISIS captured land in Syria and Iraq, they abducted as many as 7,000 women. They are forced into sexual slavery, given as prizes to become the “wives” of commanders or sold on the slave markets in Syria. Those who have escaped have told horrific stories of the abuse they suffered. The impact that these attacks have had on the Christian community in the Middle East has been devastating. In village after village, lands that have had a Christian presence for centuries, some dating back to the era of the apostles themselves, are now empty of Christians for the first time. Iraq was home to approximately 1.5 million Christians in 2003; now it is less than
200,000. More than 700,000 have left Syria since its conflict started in 2011. Egypt, the Middle East’s largest Christian community, has seen hundreds of thousands also leave the region. As you talk with church leaders about what comes next, they always look at the children around them. “What future is there for them?” they will ask. What drives so many to flee is that Christians feel that there is no place for them in the Middle East. They have seen neighbors turn on them and governments fail to protect them. Radical Islamic ideology has taken root and the region is fragmenting along sectarian lines. Many Christians believe that there is no future left for them. ISIS militants controlled al-Qaryatayn for eight months before the Syrian army was able to recapture it in April 2016. Much of the city was destroyed. The monastery was leveled, a church mostly destroyed, and both the Christian and Muslim graveyards were desecrated by the ISIS extremists. Now that al-Qaryatayn is freed, slowly some of the residents, both Christian and Muslim, have started to return and rebuild a life among the rubble. They do this knowing that ISIS still holds dozens of their neighbors and loved ones as captives, many sold into the slave markets. They also feel the loss of at least 21 of their neighbors that were executed for breaking the rules of dhimmitude. Yet there is still hope. Syriac Orthodox Patriatch Mar Ignatius Aphrem II, while visiting the city gave his hope for the future. “We lived (together) for centuries, we learned how to respect each other, we learned how to live with each other. We can live together again.” If it can happen again in al-Qaryatayn, perhaps it can happen elsewhere, but until then, we continue to watch the churches of the Middle East disappear.
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