Persecution

The president of the Christian Association of Nigeria has suggested that Muslim extremists, specifically al-Qaida-linked Boko Haram, are not simply trying to push Christians out of the mostly-Muslim northern areas, but are actually using violence in an effort to expel believers from the country altogether.

Nigeria has been suffering from religious violence for years, with attacks often occurring during the Christmas season. At least three dozen people were killed in a string of bombings last month. Since December, more than 80 Christians have been killed by radical Muslims, according to the International Christian Concern (ICC), an advocacy group. In addition, the violence has also spread to southern Nigeria, where Muslims and their places of worship have been attacked in apparent retaliation for the killing of Christians in the north.

Jerry Dykstra, Media Relations Director at Open Doors USA, told CP Tuesday that Christians have been feeling increased pressure to take revenge. His organization fights Christian persecution worldwide. more >>

An international Christian organization has voiced its concern over news that the Muslim Brotherhood's leader is to become the speaker of Egypt’s newly-minted Parliament, a move that heightens fears that Egypt's Christian community could very well be in danger.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) nominated its Secretary-General, Mohamed Saad al-Katatni, to lead the country's first Parliament chosen since the ousting of former President Hosni Mubarak during the Arab Spring uprisings. 

It is the first time in decades that an Islamist is taking over that post, according to CNN. more >>

Christians in Syria have found themselves faced with a moral dilemma. On the one hand, many feel they have an obligation to oppose President Bashar al-Assad, despite calls from protesters for a toppling of his authoritarian regime. Others, however, are concerned with the possibility that if they do support the pro-democracy protests, believers could eventually find their lives threatened by Muslim extremists.

Although President Assad, who has been in power since 2000, is seen as a dictator, his regime is considered secular, according to experts. Syria has also been a safe haven for religious minorities in the Middle East.

While individual Christians may be unsure of where to place their support, church officials, on the other hand, have uniformly expressed support for the government, having called for an end to protests and a move toward reconciliation. more >>

As Nigeria continues to deal with prolonged violence from terror sect Boko Haram, persecuted Christian and Muslim communities are beginning to work together to root out the terrorist group and curb its mounting influence and destruction in their country. 

Thousands of Christians and Muslims protected each other from possible terror attacks while taking prayer breaks during a protest of high fuel prices this weekend (as seen below).

The unifying events at the protest coincide with a new initiative from the Nigerian Muslim group, Concerned Citizens of Kano State, that puts Muslims in Christian churches to ease any misdirected tensions between the two religious groups. more >>

For many critics, Indonesia’s religious persecution is exemplified by the GKI Yasmin Church, which is an example of the local government’s continued apathy towards the plight of the Christian minority.

The GKI Yasmin Church, located in Bogor, Indonesia, has suffered a round of attacks in the past years. The most recent attack happened on Sunday, Jan. 15, when two members of the country's House of Representatives, Eva Kusuma Sundari and Lily Wahid, joined the GKI Christian congregation during their morning service.

The service was interrupted when members of Muslim hardline groups, the Indonesian Muslim Communication Forum (Forkami) and the Islamic Reform Movement (Garis), assaulted the Christian worshippers. more >>

Today marks national Religious Freedom Day, enacted in 1993 by then-President George H.W. Bush to address the importance of both freedom of conscience and separation of church and state.

Historically, the day marks the anniversary of the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, passed Jan. 16, 1786.

"Almighty God hath created the mind free," reads the statute, rooted in former President Thomas Jefferson’s philosophy of religious freedom and separation of church and state. more >>