Help Persecuted Christians and The Least Amongst Us.
For decades Christians are being persecuted around the world. In North Korea, Africa, Asia and Middle Eastern countries for no other reason but the belief in Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior, Son of God and only way to God the Father Almight. For many year North Korea has raked number one in persecution of Christians. Christians are arrested, tortured, maimed and murdered regularly. According to Open Doors World Watch List (WWL) over 50,000 Christians are presently imprisoned Or forced labor camps. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran , Iraq, Eritrea, Libya and Yemen also rakes very high for the most violence against Christians in church attacks, abductions and forced marriages. It’s not a coincidence that all of these countries—except North Korea and Eritrea—are predominately Muslim. In fact, “Islamic extremism remains the global, dominant driver of Christian persecution, responsible for initiating oppression and conflict in 35 of the 50 countries on Open Doors WWL list.
While there're fewer reports of violence against Christians in Syria because of the defeat of ISIS for the most part there, Syria is hardly cause for celebration. Though ISIS has lost most of its territory, accurate persecution numbers are hard to get from the war-torn country. In addition, many of the country’s Christians have already fled and there were still Syrian Christians being abducted, physically and sexually abused. Like Open Doors, the US State Department tagged mostly Middle Eastern and Asian countries: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan as counties where there's still some persecution of Christians.
In India “Radical Hinduism and Indian nationalism are tensely increasingly the driving factors in the increasing levels of unrest and instability Christians face,” Open Doors reported.
India’s Hindu nationalism has been growing since the election of a nationalist government in 2014, religious freedom violations against Christians—such as social exclusion, abuse, and imprisonment—have spread unchecked. In 2017, Open Doors counted more than 600 persecution incidents, though “most cases actually not reported due to fear of repercussions and overall cases way much highly. Religious nationalism has swelled over India’s borders, spilling into neighboring Nepal. Hindu-majority Nepal took aim at evangelism by increasing social hostility and criminalizing religious conversion.
Buddhist nationalism in countries such as Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Myanmar is less obvious but still there. Parents have to send their children to Buddhist schools, where children must learn about Buddhism and participate in its rituals, Open Doors said. And Christians often are refused permits to rent a place to hold worship services.
Nearby Vietnam and China can also be hard places for Christians—not because of religious nationalism, but because Communism sees religion as an “opium for the masses” that should be eliminated. In Vietnam, levels of violence dropped, but that didn’t lead Open Doors to optimism. “While it is good that no Christians died for their faith in Vietnam, the authorities continue to crack down on ethnic minority Christians and will start implementing a new law on religion for all Christians.”
In Africa the countries of Comoros and Tanzania... “Tanzania is the most eye-catching example of a country where the situation for Christians considerably improved,” Open Doors said. The majority-Christian country was struggling against a Muslim minority that was growing more radical when President John Magufuli was elected in 2015. “His administration made serious work of cracking down on radical Islamic groups,” Open Doors said. “Many leaders were caught, and others went into hiding. The violence against Christians decreased a lot.” Tanzania was the best case of improvement. Though there was also improvement in Ethiopia and Kenya due to Muslims and Christians finding common ground in politics, both nations also saw more violence. Ethiopia’s violence was directed against both Muslims and Christians who were protesting the government, asking for more democracy and an end to corruption. In Kenya, the radical al-Shabaab Islamist group killed more than 30 Christians, beheading many. “This seems to be a new tactic to instill fear in the Christian community and get them to flee en masse,” Open Doors noted.
Unfortunately, the country with the most persecution of Christians fatalities in the whole entire world is the west African country of Nigeria. Persecution of Christians has escalated at a staggering rate in recent years in Nigeria. Churches continue to be destroyed and burnt down. Christians Continue to be harassed, intimidated, imprisoned, tortured, raped, maimed and killed sometime in mass. The most alarming of them is Christian persecution in Nigeria, where Islamic religious extremist groups like Fulani Headsmen, ISWAP (Islamic state of west African Province) and Boko Haram has for many years continue to terrorize Christian at their convenience backed by fundamental Islamist individuals, groups and government officials with deep pockets and huge war-chest. In fact the north region of Nigeria is now being referred to as the "Killing Fields" giving the frequency and barbarism of Christian persecution there.
These Islamic extremist terrorists have been slaughtering Christians in Nigeria for decades and there is no end to their deadly rampage in sight. They continue to terrorize Christians by burning churches, torture, rape, maim, kidnap, murder at convenience. Boko Haram pledged allegiance to ISIS-the Islamist state. The same notorious group who claimed responsibility for kidnapping 276 female teen age students from their school on April 14th 2014 In the town of Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria. Same year 2,484 killings and 108 church attacks.
In 2015, there were 4,028 killings and 198 church attacks that Open Doors was able to record. The figures recorded for the previous year were 2,484 killings and 108 church attacks.
In 2016 according to World watch list there was a staggering 62% increase in violent killings of Christians in northern Nigeria as churches in Nigeria unite to highlight this problem for the first time. A report released by Open Doors and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), ‘Crushed but not defeated’ shows detailed impact of persistent violence on the church in the norther region.
A partner director for West Africa says: Christians living under Sharia law face the possibility of imminent death as a reality. An estimated 30 million Christians live in northern Nigeria form the largest minority in a mainly Muslim environment. They are constantly at risk of violent persecution. For decades, Christians in the region have suffered marginalization, discrimination and constant danger.
From February through mid-March 2019 as many as 280 people in Christian communities in northern and middle Nigeria were killed in attacks. Islamic Funalani militant and Boko Haram continue to target and attack Christians in the country — in 2018, there were thousands killed- men, women and children and up to 100 homes and churches destroyed in attacks in Inkirimi and Dogonnoma villages in Maro, Kajuru Local Government Area (LGA), according to the Christian Broadcasting Network. Thousands are displaced after so much violence has forced them to flee their homes. Christians who survived recent attacks have appeared in photos with machete wounds and burns from fires, according to CSW an advocacy group supporting Christians worldwide.
On December 26th 2019 Boko Haram released a video showing the killing and beheading of eleven (11) Christians as part of revenge of the targeted killings of their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi...Purposely releasing the video as Christians celebrate Christmas. Recent report have stated at least 350 innocent Christians have already been mercilessly slaughtered in Nigeria just three months into 2020 by these Islamist terrorist groups. Earlier this year, it was reported on the horrific beheading of Christian Pastor Luwan Andimi by Boko Haram. Days before he was assassinated by cowardly terrorists, Pastor Luwan sent a message via a hostage video demonstrating his humbling, unshakable faith, committing his faith to the hands of God: “By the grace of God, I will be together with my wife, my children, and my colleagues. [But] if the opportunity has not been granted, maybe it is the will of God . . . . I have never been discouraged because all conditions that one finds himself in is in the hands of God.” There've been many like Pastor Luwan Andimi. Eunice Olawale was stabbed to death by Muslim extremists one July morning as she practices are faith envangelizing in Nigeria's capital city of Abuja.
Leah Sharibu’s was kidnapped from her classroom along with her classmates by Boko Haram Islamic militants. While Leah’s schoolmates were eventually freed, the terrorist group refused to release the soft-spoken student because she would not relinquish her faith In Christ. Micheal Nnadi was an 18 year old seminarian who loved Christ and planned to live his life serving God but was targeted, kidnapped and killed my Islamic militants just because he was a study at good shepherd seminary. The pastor of an evangelical church along with three members of his church including a ten year old boy were shot dead by Fulani herdsman. Sebastian's Stephen a Christian student died at the hands of Islamic militants in Kaduna as he traveled home to his parents over concerns of covid-19.
These are only a few of our Christian brothers and sisters taken by hate because of their faith in Christ Jesus. There're many more known and unknown Christian martyrs whose orphan children, each left with little or no hope and a questioned faith. It is partly our mission at Christlikeness Christian Network to do all we can, so they do not lose their faith. As scriptures tell us. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12 - KJV.
The battle is against principalities, powers and wickedness in high places. These Islamist terrorist individuals and groups do have wicked powerful allys in high places. It is our responsibility as Christians, individuals and as a collective to do all we can, joins forces and resources, ally with men and women of good faith in low and high places to ensure the end of all religious persecution.