Displaying items by tag: death threats

Kidnapping Christians is a tactic frequently used by the jihadists who have been waging an insurgency in Mozambique since 2017. The UN said at least 2,600 people have been killed and more than 700,000 made homeless. Even nuns have been taken hostage. Reports emerge of a Christian man in Mozambique who risked his life by refusing to convert to Islam after extremists seized him and held him captive in the bush. Father Kwiriwi Fonseca said, ‘We met a Christian who was asked “Do you want to stay here and become Muslim, or do you want to go home?” It is risky as some people who say they want to go home are slaughtered on the spot. He thought he would be killed but he said it is better to go home. The men decided he could go home; it is very mysterious.’

‘If people constantly say they want to kill you, you don't feel safe at all’, says Aima, a Black Lives Matter (BLM) activist. Standing up for the rights of black people has a high price for many protesters in the UK. But lack of trust in the police means many threats go unreported. That trust has been eroded by decades of racism. An inquiry into botched investigations into the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence found institutional racism in London's Metropolitan Police. Despite some changes since then, black people and ethnic minorities are still disproportionately represented when it comes to police checks, imprisonment, and deaths in custody. A 2020 survey by the charity ‘HOPE not hate’ revealed 65% of people from ethnic minority backgrounds felt the police were biased against their community. When a new generation of activists addressed the UK’s racial divide they were met with curiosity and sympathy, but that turned into defensiveness and outright denial from some in Britain's ruling class and opinion influencers.

We recently prayed for a teacher now in hiding after showing images from the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in a lesson about blasphemy. In the wake of the furore Ms Akram, a Muslim Labour councilor, posted a message on Facebook saying she was 'shocked and saddened' that the teacher was forced to go into hiding. She added, 'To the teacher, if you need to leave Batley - which I wouldn't blame you! - come to Slough. We will welcome you and your family.' Her local Muslim community say Ms Akram was disrespecting the Prophet, and now she is receiving death threats. A petition is now online with over 1,300 signatures describing her as 'evil'. Angry protesters have picketed Slough Borough Council for three weeks demanding she resign. Pray for the education authority and schools curriculums to be free to decide what children are taught in school - not parents.

Bob Fu, who lives in Texas, is a former Tiananmen Square protester who now runs ChinaAid and campaigns for religious freedom in China. He has been targeted with death threats and his family were traumatised by bomb threats and protests outside their home as Fu delivered an address in Washington on Christian persecution in China. The threats necessitated the family being evacuated from their home and taken into protective custody. His 15-year-old daughter had to be taken out of school by armed police. Although they have now returned home, they remain under police protection. Fu said, ‘I have no doubt this is directly from Beijing. The goal is clear. It's to silence my voice for freedom in China and to destroy the ministry of ChinaAid. We cannot let them stop us: it's business as usual.’

Maqsood Bakhsh, a Christian, who has sought asylum in the UK for six years, has appealed to the Prime Minister to allow him to stay, fearing that he and his family face death if they return to Pakistan. He fled Pakistan with his wife Parveen and their sons Somer and Areebs, after Islamic extremists threatened to kill him because of his faith. The catalyst was the murder of two Christians shot outside a court, while in police custody. Pastor Rashid Emmanuel and Sajid had been accused of writing a pamphlet critical of the Prophet Muhammad. Those responsible for the murders believe Maqsood was in league with them, and will kill him and his family if they have the chance. The Home Office has repeatedly rejected their asylum applications. They have no right to appeal, but plan to launch a legal challenge.