Displaying items by tag: Islamic extremism

Attendees at the Bring Back our Girls conference heard that twenty parents have now died before being reunited with their daughters. ‘I’m Chibok girl Dad. Bring Back Our Girls Now’, read the white letters on one man’s red T-shirt. On 15 April seven years ago, he woke to hear his daughter had been abducted from her school. He has not seen her since and has no idea if she is alive, but amidst his anguish he pleads, ‘Our people are being killed on a weekly basis’. 112 Chibok girls remain unaccounted for. The dad pleaded, ‘ Why has the government abandoned us? I appeal to Governor Zulum to bring peace to our land’. ‘No amount of intimidation will stop us demanding the girls’ rights’, said another parent. There have been three attacks this week in Damasak town, 200 miles north of Chibok, this time by an IS group which has splintered away from Boko Haram.

Global persecution of Christians has risen for the fourth year in a row and is on a "rapid rise" in Asia fueled by "extreme religious nationalism," a new report warns.

The report from Open Doors UK, released Wednesday, offers a stark picture of Christian persecution around the world.

"Religious nationalism is sweeping the globe according to figures released today as part of the Open Doors 2017 World Watch List," said Lisa Pearce, CEO of Open Doors UK & Ireland, Catholic News Agency reported.

"Persecution levels have been rising rapidly across Asia and the Indian subcontinent, driven by extreme religious nationalism which is often tacitly condoned, and sometimes actively encouraged, by local and national governments."

According to the report, all top 10 countries with the worst persecution of Christians are in Asia and Africa.

North Korea is still the most difficult place in the world to be a Christian, with Somalia ranking second, followed by Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, and Eritrea, the report found.

Other "key findings" were:

• Islamic extremism is the main engine of persecution in 14 out of the most hostile 20 countries in the World Watch List, and 35 of the top 50.
• In the Middle East, Christians face pressure under both radical and autocratic regimes.
• Over 200 million Christians in the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian experience high levels of persecution because of their faith.

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/christian-persecution-middle-east-africa/2017/01/12/id/768326/

Let’s pray for the rejection and overthrow of religious nationalism and for our brothers and sisters in Christ, especially in the countries listed, who continue to suffer great abuse and even death for their faith.