Displaying items by tag: violence

Friday, 22 February 2019 09:20

Nigeria: election postponed, pastor murdered

President Buhari said that the independent National Electoral Commission has questions to answer over the postponement of the general election to 23 February. He warned those planning to snatch ballot boxes that they will pay with their life. Open Doors said, ‘For Nigerian Christians, elections draw attention to a long-term crisis and can intensify attacks on them. Christians are fearful because they have been targeted so often.’ The most recent was when Pastor Jatau’s car was ambushed and he and his family were dragged away. His body was found two days later but his wife, three children, and two sisters-in-law are missing. Kidnappers are demanding a ransom for the family. They were travelling to take up a new ministry when they were attacked. See

Published in Worldwide
Friday, 01 February 2019 09:46

UK churches threatened

In the past two months fifteen UK churches have been sent anonymous threatening letters telling them to stop services or be attacked. The letters were handwritten, threatening petrol bomb attacks and mass stabbings. ‘Stop all your services straight away’, said one letter sent to a Sheffield church. ‘If you don’t, your church will be petrol bombed while in service. Continue behind closed doors and your congregation members will be stabbed one by one. Blood on your hands. You have been warned.’ One of the handwritten letters, bearing a West Midlands postmark, demanded that they stop their services and threatened to bomb the church. Services are continuing, and police have been deployed to the churches affected. A local faith school decided to withdraw pupils from services after they received the threatening letter. A police investigation has been opened, and inquiries are ongoing. See also last week’s article on violence against clergy here

Published in British Isles
Friday, 25 January 2019 09:43

Violence against clergy

Among CofE clergy, one in ten have experienced violent behaviour in the last two years, and the same percentage are experiencing more hate crime than they did two years ago. Over 66% have received verbal abuse and one in five has experienced threatening behaviour. Most threats were to harm the cleric personally, but 20% had relatives threatened and 35% experienced threats to church property. 25% of cases were because they declined to give money to someone who asked them for it. Clergy who have suffered violence are likely to find their work ‘more challenging’ than they did previously. This situation has necessitated National Churchwatch to produce a personal attack alarm for clergy; it looks like an ID badge, but has a button on the back to press if they feel at risk or needs assistance. The button connects immediately to a control room which can monitor what is going on and call the police if necessary. See

Published in British Isles
Friday, 25 January 2019 09:10

Zimbabwe: violence against protesters

Zimbabwe is going through an economic crisis and is battling severe fuel shortages. The government recently announced a 150% petrol price increase, igniting widespread discontent, strikes and violent demonstrations. Then, while President Mnangagwa was out of the country, seeking much-needed foreign investment, police and soldiers launched large-scale operations against suspected protesters, activists and strike organisers. At least twelve people were killed and 78 treated for gunshot injuries, according to a local human rights group which recorded over 240 incidents of assault and torture and 700 arrests. People were hunted down in their homes by security forces and severely beaten, with arrests continuing after Mnangagwa had returned. He said, ‘Violence or misconduct by our security forces is unacceptable and a betrayal of the new Zimbabwe.’ Accused of conducting a deadly crackdown on dissent, the army and police denied any wrongdoing, saying some assailants raiding homes were wearing official uniforms to pose as security personnel.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 17 January 2019 21:33

Uganda: mother and pastor fear for their lives

Uganda’s constitution provides for religious freedom, including conversion from one faith to another. Muslims make up 12% of Uganda’s population. Recently, Muslims in eastern Uganda sent a Christian mother to hospital with injuries for praying in Jesus’s name, and tore down a church building nearby. Both the woman and the church’s pastor fear that their lives are in danger. Deborah Gimbo was attacked while praying by herself in her home. She also prays three evenings a week in her home with two Christian women. The assailants said, ‘Today we warn you that you should avoid noisy prayers and the use of Issa [Jesus] in your prayers.’ A local imam told the assailants, ‘People who pray in Jesus’ name should be fought and pressured until they only worship Allah, or are killed’. Pastor Simon Mustafa Waseke, a former Muslim, had his church destroyed by villagers. The assailants threatened to kill him if he stays in the area.

Published in Worldwide
Friday, 04 January 2019 09:26

Israel: early elections could lead to violence

On 26 December the Knesset disbanded and called elections for 9 April. The same day, Mahmoud Abbas disbanded the Palestinian legislature, with a view to 2019 elections. Many say it is hard to see how new parliamentary elections can take place in the West Bank and Gaza at the same time. ‘When Abbas dissolves the Palestinian parliament and the Knesset dissolves itself in the same week, Hamas smells trouble’. There is concern that Israel will block Qatari financial aid and seek an excuse to suspend the cease-fire deal. The Zionist Union, a joint list of the Israeli Labour party and the Hatnuah party, has broken up ahead of the Knesset elections. At the same time the Labour party, which has dominated Israeli politics for the past thirty years, is declining in popularity: see https://worldisraelnews.com/zionist-union-party-dissolves-ahead-of-elections/ An Israeli defence source told Al-Monitor that Israel assumes Hamas is gearing up for another round of widespread violence. The relative calm could end at any moment.

Published in Worldwide
Friday, 04 January 2019 09:21

Congo: Ebola crisis, rumours, violence

Ebola relief efforts by Doctors Without Borders are being hindered by violence and rumours. The outbreak began when a family, fearful of treatment centres, fled authorities to visit traditional healers. Healers keep few records of their patients, making it difficult to trace and break the chains of transmission. Before national elections on 30 December, opposition politicians exploited the crisis by spreading rumours that Ebola has been concocted by the government to kill people’, claiming that ‘thermo-guns aimed at people’s foreheads to take temperatures are weapons to steal votes’. In Beni and Butembo, where Ebola is worsening, and in Yumbi, where hundreds have been killed in ethnic Mai-Mai violence, people were not allowed to travel to polling stations to vote (see http://www.africanews.com/2018/12/26/drc-polls-ceni-says-no-election-in-beni-butembo-and-yumbi-cities-until-march/). Civilians don’t know who to trust, and fend off all outsiders. When police tried taking an infected baby to doctors, his grandmother threatened them with a machete. On 1 January volunteers from Samaritan’s Purse arrived in the region to help those who are fighting for their lives. Hundreds are already dead. See https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/samaritans-purse-sends-team-to-congo-to-help-fight-ebola-outbreak

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 06 December 2018 23:50

France: deep-rooted anger

In Florian Dou’s shopping cart there was a packet of sausages and not much else. He had spent all his salary ten days before the end of the month. To survive when the money runs out before the next payday is a monthly challenge for him and many others in provincial French towns. Mr Dou was angry, and used what money he had left to drive 250 miles to join fiery protests in Paris, where police moved in with teargas, water cannon and rubber bullets against those protesting against fuel tax and price rises. Dou vowed the protesters are not going anywhere: see https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/02/world/europe/france-yellow-vest-protests.html The gilets jaunes (‘yellow vests’) protests have come to embody widespread disillusionment with President Macron and are gaining intensity. Macron has now abandoned fuel tax increases. Some protesters said his surrender came too late, and does nothing to quell the mounting anger at a government they consider out of touch with the problems of ordinary people.

Published in Europe
Thursday, 22 November 2018 23:53

Central African Republic: Christian mission massacre

More than forty people were killed in a militia attack on a Christian mission in Alindao, around 180 miles east of CAR’s capital Bangui, on 15 November. The attackers torched a church and forced 20,000 displaced persons who were sheltering in an adjacent compound to flee. A local politician told journalists, 'We have counted 42 bodies so far, and we are still searching for others. The camp has been burned to the ground, and people fled into the bush.' Christian-majority CAR has been wracked by violence since 2012, when Seleka Islamists overthrew the government. The deployment of a UN international peace-keeping force and repeated negotiated ceasefires between the government and armed groups have had little impact on the ground.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 25 October 2018 23:48

Sri Lanka: violence against Christians escalates

Attacks against Christians in Sri Lanka have escalated this year, with Hindu extremism beginning to take root along with long-time Buddhist aggression, according to rights advocates. An attorney who requested anonymity said, ‘We are witnessing communities being mobilised in an increasing manner against Christians. We see the Hindu extremists influencing entire communities; then the communities lead violent mob attacks against Christian places of worship and Christians.’ Among recent cases, a large mob in Southern Province gathered to protest against a church in their community. This became a violent attack, and then discrimination against the Christians and harassment of the women. When a Buddhist monk joined them it further aggravated matters and the crowd became uncontrolled, not allowing the pastor or anyone else to leave. They assaulted a Christian who tried to leave. Later 500 people, including Buddhist monks, staged a protest against the pastor and church worship.

Published in Worldwide