SIX CHURCHES DESTROYED IN NIGERIA ISLAMIC VIOLENCE

At least six churches were destroyed in the last few days in Northern Nigeria as a result of the violence by members of a radical Islamic group.
Militants of the group Boko Haram, which translates to “western education is sin,” have damaged at least half a dozen churches across four states ruled by Sharia, or Islamic law, according to Open Doors sources.

A Baptist church was burnt to the ground in Potiskum, Yobe state. Another five churches were reportedly burnt in Maiduguri, Borno state.

Moreover, the Christian ministry has learned that unlike what the government is saying, the number of deaths may be over 250 people. The official figure is about 50 deaths.

This past Saturday, the group Boko Haram, also known as the Nigerian Taliban, launched a series of attacks in Bauchi state against police stations and state facilities in Northern Nigeria. The violence soon spread to three other states: Borno, Yobe and Kano states.

Boko Haram is reportedly attacking police because it felt the government has become too secular and it wants to cleanse Nigeria of western influences. The extremist group also wants to impose Sharia law throughout the country.

The Islamic group was allegedly also behind the violence in Bauchi back in February, during which at least eleven people died, over 1,500 Christians were displaced, and 14 churches, and numerous homes were destroyed.

With the latest attacks, Christians in the affected areas are said to be living in fear and “holding their breath.”

The Rev. John Hayab, the secretary of the Kaduna branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has asked the government to protect Christians who may be the next target.

“We were unable to sleep throughout the night as there was an exchange of fire between the group and the security operatives a stone throw from our residence,” said one Christian in Yobe, according to Open Doors. “They burnt one of our churches (the Baptist Church). Our lives are at risk. The group claimed not to be fighting Christians, but…we are not secured at all.”

In Bauchi state, Christians have taken refuge in police barracks. Some in the barracks are said to be wounded with machete blows received while they fled the violence on the streets.

While the atmosphere remains tense in Northern Nigeria, some Christians have started to return home, believing that the police have the situation under control. But Christian leaders urge them to remain on high alert.

“Our Christian brothers and sisters in Northern Nigeria are repeatedly the victims of mass violence, with churches burnt and people killed, just as we have seen again in the last few days,” said Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo, international director of U.K.-based Barnabas Fund. “All too often, as in this case, it is apparent that the attacks have been well planned and orchestrated.

“Please pray for peace and stability in this part of Nigeria, also for freedom and justice for its Christian minority, which suffers much in the states where full Sharia is in force.”

He added, “Pray that Christians will not retaliate.”

The latest violence is the deadliest since last November, when more than 300 people died in the central city of Jos during sectarian violence between Muslims and Christians.

Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, is about evenly split between Muslim in the north and Christians in the south with minorities of both religions living where the other faith is dominant. Since democracy was restored in 1999, there have been at least 15,000 deaths due to religious, communal or political violence, according to BBC.

LIST OF NATIONS WITH WORST VIOLATORS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM EXPANDED

WASHINGTON – An annual list of countries that names the worst violators of religious freedom expanded to include two new countries – Iraq and Nigeria – announced a U.S. government body on Friday.

This year, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended to the Obama administration a total of 13 countries that it should designate as “countries of particular concern” (CPCs).
Iraq was added in December because of the ongoing, severe abuses against minorities and the government’s tolerance of the violence, particularly against Iraq’s “smallest and most vulnerable” religious minorities, including Chaldo Assyrians and other Christian groups.
Nigeria, meanwhile, which has been on the commission’s watch list for seven years, was recommended to be a CPC because of evidence found by USCIRF during a recent trip to the country of the government’s toleration of “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom and beliefs.”
Thousands of people have been killed, displaced or somehow affected by ongoing sectarian violence in Nigeria, reported Commissioner Leonard Leo. The Nigerian government has also allowed destruction of churches and mosques to go with impunity.
Though noteworthy, the addition of Iraq and Nigeria to USCIRF’s annual report was not what drew the most attention during the press conference announcing this year’s list. Instead, the commission highlighted the dangerous situation in Pakistan, where Taliban extremists are strengthening and expanding its grip.
The Taliban’s growth in strength coupled with continuous persecution of religious minorities caused the commission to renew its call for the State Department to designate Pakistan as a CPC.
“We are releasing this report at a critical time,” said Felice D. Gaer, chair of USCIRF, at the opening of the press conference on Friday. “With Taliban associated extremists advancing to within 60 miles of Pakistani capital Islamabad, the relevance of our work is crystal clear.
“In fact, a key focus of the commission during this reporting period is the threat that religious extremists poses to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief worldwide, and to global and regional security,” she said.
Commissioner Elizabeth Prodromou, who reported on Pakistan, highlighted how the Pakistani government does not provide adequate protection to religious minorities, and how perpetrators of religious violence are seldom brought to justice.
She also noted how anti-blasphemy laws have been abused and can be used by extremists against minorities because allegations can be made without evidence.
And Prodromou noted how women and girls in Taliban-controlled areas are denied equal rights and education.
Since 2002, USCIRF has recommended for the State Department to designate Pakistan as a CPC. But the State Department has not followed the commission’s recommendation.
Aside from comments on Pakistan, the commission also reported how 2008 marked the worst year of religious tolerance in China since USCIRF was created in 1998.
USCIRF is a bipartisan federal government commission that is in charge of advising the U.S. Administration and Congress on policies designed to protect and promote religious freedom in the world. It was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA).
Included in this year’s report, which covers the period from May 2008 through April, are: Burma, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
On the commission’s Watch List, meanwhile, are Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Laos, Russia, Somalia, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Venezuela.
The commission will travel to India next month to study how the world’s largest democracy is promoting religious freedom in light of the massive anti-Christian campaign affecting tens of thousands of people in its Orissa state. The group plans to release the chapter on India this summer after the trip.