Christian Persecution – Africa

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.

A top leader of Timothy Training Institute in Mozambique was murdered Sunday in a robbery in Maputo.

Legislation designed to further the United States’ involvement in helping end a Sudanese campaign marked by religious persecution has been reintroduced in Congress.

At least five churches were destroyed during February in northern Nigeria as the controversial implementation of Islamic law continued in several states.

Dozens of Nigerian Christian families have fled to Nigeria’s neighbor, Cameroon, because of mounting pressure resulting from the implementation of the Islamic legal system, or “sharia,” by the Borno state government.

Five of seven Christians arrested in December and January for alleged “cult” activities and detained under Brunei’s Internal Security Act have been released. It was not known if any conditions were attached to their release, which occurred during the week of February 12, but they were reportedly told not to leave the country or talk about their detention, according to a source who did not want to be identified.

Muslim extremists have been deliberately targeting Christian women for rape in northern Nigeria’s Sokoto state since the introduction of the Islamic legal code, or “sharia,” Christian leaders there say.

Three Christians arrested in December and four Christians arrested in January for alleged “cult” activities are being detained under Brunei’s Internal Security Act, which allows them to be held 60 days before they are officially charged.

A Sudanese pastor has appealed to US President George W. Bush to intervene against Sudanese government bombing of churches, hospitals and schools by declaring Southern Sudan a no-fly zone for military aircraft.

Nigeria came into the international limelight in the year 2000 as the country began a full year of democratic government following prolonged military rule. It also saw the rise of Islamic fundamentalism as several northern Nigerian states have moved to implement Islamic (sharia) law. The resulting Christian-Muslim conflicts have threatened to permanently divide Africa’s most populous nation.

The Russian-made MU2 Antonov aircraft, with Sudanese government markings, made six bombing runs on Thursday, March 23, over the grounds of the Christian Liberty Academy of Southern Sudan in Western Equatoria, dropping one or two 250-pound-shrapnel bombs at a time. This bombing mission by the Islamic-led government forces of Sudan inflicted numerous injuries on students and their parents.

“If you want to save your lives, don’t show this film again.” This was the warning made to the Great Commission team after they had shown the Jesus film in Birnin Kebbi, capital of Nigeria’s Kebbi state. Kebbi, along with several other northern Nigerian states, has adopted “sharia” (Islamic law) to operate above the local and national legal systems.