Christian Persecution – Africa

Four Examples of Courage and Faith in 2001

There is no such thing as a “typical” persecuted Christian. Yet among the millions of persecuted believers worldwide, some qualities might be considered typical: courage, patience, persistence, and faithfulness. Below are the stories of four Christians currently under great pressure for their faith. They and their families have come to typify those very qualities. They would not claim to be “persecuted Christians of the year” or even desire it. They would only ask not to be forgotten.

Islam and Church Disunity Combine to Dull the Impact of the Church by Geoff Stamp BAMAKO, Mali (Compass) — For some time, Muslim city authorities in Magnambougou planned for a beautiful new mosque in this new suburb of Bamako, the Malian capital. They acquired land in the middle of the urban dwellings and began to build a mosque that would dominate the area and accommodate more than 2,000 Muslims for prayers, much to the distress and dismay of local Christians. The authorities had rejected the Christians’ repeated requests for permission to build new churches. “It is becoming harder as every … Read more

ZARIA, Nigeria (Compass) — Five Christian students died during a clash between Muslim and Christian students of the Kaduna State Polytechnic University in Zaria city in northern Nigeria.

The conflict broke out on Monday, August 27, during students’ union elections of the school, which saw the Christian students’ candidates sweeping the polls.

DAMBOA, Nigeria (Compass) — A Christian-Muslim conflict in Damboa in northeastern Nigeria’s Borno state resulted in the deaths of 15 Christians, and four churches were burned.

ISTANBUL, July 6 (Compass) — Officials from Egypt’s powerful State Security Intelligence (SSI) agency detained a Coptic Orthodox Christian for the fourth time in early June, interrogating him under torture on accusations of preaching Christianity to Muslims.

GARFIELD, NJ (ANS) — The indiscriminate slaughter of more than two million people, mostly black Christians, but also Muslims and animists, in southern Sudan, has been brought about by the National Islamic Front (NIF) who long ago declared a jihad (holy war) on the south. Human rights observers say that NIF violates almost every provision of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Screams pierced the air as invaders forced their way onto the farm just outside Gweru, Zimbabwe.

Officers from Brunei’s Internal Security Department (ISD) have questioned indigenous church leaders during the last few months about an organized prayer program authorities are concerned is a threat to the stability of the Southeast Asian Muslim sultanate.

Pushing aside years of internal disputes, churches in the West Africa country of Niger are finding unity is giving them a new boldness to face violent crime and a more aggressive Islam.

Five Nigerian Christians — two priests and three church members — are currently facing trial for assisting two Christian girls who escaped from arranged marriages.

Rev. Al Sharpton recently returned from Sudan after a fact-finding trip to address the issue of slavery in the Africa’s largest nation.

The Bauchi state government in northern Nigeria has threatened to demolish two churches for zoning violations.

Ethnic violence between the Bajju and Ikulu ethnic groups in the Zangon Kataf region of Kaduna state in northern Nigeria have led to the killing of a pastor and two others.

Every Friday, during the Muslim holy day, a special group of Christians meet in a house.

Christian leaders in northern Nigeria’s Zamfara state have accused the government of coercing Muslim converts to Christianity into attacking Christians and demolishing church buildings.

The leader of a Kenyan “Jesus” film team ministry supported by churches and individuals through Christian Aid narrowly survived a murder attempt April 3. However, three neighbors who rushed to his aid in the 3 a.m. attack were shot and killed by the attackers.