Read Battleground Shifts from Kiev to Crimea, by Katey Heart, at Mission Network News.




"The battle for Ukraine has shifted from Kiev to southern Crimea. Protestors took to the streets of the regional capital yesterday as officials met to discuss their options and Russia flexed its military muscle.

"As interim president Oleksandr Turchynov prepares to build a new government, Ukraine’s unrest shows no signs of stopping..."

"'...
Just pray for Ukraine, pray for peace,” implored one Christian leader. “What is happening in Ukraine is like a sign from God of the urgency to share the Gospel. We will keep preaching.”

"Pray that this upheaval can be used to share the hope of Christ. Pray that violence will not escalate."

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #241
Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org  |  E-mail: icc@persecution.org

Media Contact: William Stark, Regional Manager for Africa RM-AfricaAsia@persecution.org


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dozens of Young Men Burned to Ashes by Boko Haram in Northeastern Nigeria 
Islamic Extremists Attack Government School, Killing Male Students

2/26/2014
Washington D.C.
International Christian Concern

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that at least 58 students were killed after Islamic militants attacked a secondary school in northeastern Nigeria late Monday night, February 24. The militants, suspected to be connected to Boko Haram, blocked the exits of a boys' dormitory, set it on fire and killed the boys who tried to escape the flames. Many of the boys who could not escape were burned alive.

In an interview with Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Ibrahim Abdul, a teacher at the Federal Governmental College located in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, said the militants arrived at the school "around 11:30 p.m. and operated till around 4 a.m., killing 29 students."

According to the most recent reports, at least 58 young men were killed in the attack. Many witnesses reported the Boko Haram militants either shot or slit the throats of boys who attempted to escape the burning buildings, but many died in the flames. "Some of the students' bodies were burned to ashes," Police Commissioner Sanusi Rufai told CBS News. One Christian charity active in Nigeria claims the death toll could rise above 100.

"I heard the cries of some people outside the school even before they [the militants] invaded the school," a student who survived the attack told Open Doors International, as reported by  Christian Today. "From where I was hiding I could hear other students crying at the top of their voices. I saw fire on the roofs of the hostels and other buildings in the school. But God saved my life. After they killed the students and burnt the structures, they fled."   

In an interview with ICC, Special Counsel for The Justice for Jos Project, Emmanuel Ogebe linked attacks on federal schools to Christian persecution and explained why the Christian population is hard hit by these attacks. "There are already confirmed reports of Christian victims," Ogebe said. "There is a high likelihood that many Christians attended the school since many northern state governments, like Yobe, spend public funds on Islamic schools and discourage Christian schools," Ogebe explained."The federal schools [like the school in Buni Yadi] afford a rare opportunity for Christians to send their kids to government-owned non-Islamic school." 

Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is a sin," has a stated goal of establishing a separate Islamic state in Nigeria's northern and central regions where it can implement its ultra-conservative interpretation of Sharia law. Boko Haram often targets schools, government institutions and religious minorities, mostly Christians, as part of a broader strategy to create a purely Islamic society in northern Nigeria. In 2012, Boko Haram demanded all Christians living in northern and central Nigeria to flee south. Since then, Boko Haram has targeted the Christian minority with church bombings, drive-by shootings and deadly raids on Christian villages as part of its strategy to 'purify' northern and central Nigeria.

ICC's Regional Manager, William Stark, said, "Boko Haram continues to operate almost unchallenged in northern Nigeria, unleashing unending violence on civilian populations. This heinous attack on the school in Yobe state comes less than a week after Boko Haram militants raided the Christian village of Izghe in Borno state, killing over 100 Christian villagers because of their religious identity. ICC has applauded action taken by the U.S. to designate Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2013, but more decisive action must be taken. The Nigerian government, who declared a state of emergency in several of Nigeria's northern states, has shown an inability or unwillingness to protect civilians from Boko Haram. If no decisive action is taken either by the U.S. or Nigeria, the unbelievable violence being perpetrated in Nigeria will continue to accelerate and will likely reach genocidal levels in the near future if it has not already." 
 

For interviews, contact William Stark, Regional Manager for Africa:  RM-AfricaAsia@persecution.org 

# # #

You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference ICC (International Christian Concern) and include our web address, www.persecution.org. ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church.  For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441.

Please read Iraqi Government Finally Taking Note of Modern-Day Exodus, by Katey Hearth, at Mission Network News.






"Iraq is taking steps to preserve its Christian heritage in light of a modern-day exodus, according to a recent al-Monitor report. Iraq’s Ministry of Education is reportedly adding Syriac and Christian religious classes to its public school curriculum. "Voice of the Martyrs Canada spokesman Greg Musselman isn’t sure the offer is attractive enough to keep Iraqi believers in-country.

“'Is it too little, too late? Probably so,” he states..."

“'...Most Iraqi Christians–unless they have a firm conviction that that’s where God wants them to be–are leaving.”

"Thousands have already fled the persecution that’s keeping Iraq at #4 on the Open Doors World Watch List, a ranking of 50 countries where persecution of Christians is most severe. Iraq’s Christian population has decreased by 75% within the past 11 years, dropping from around 1.5 million to less than 300,000 believers.

"Some analysts say there may be no Christians left in Iraq within ten years."

Please read CAR Alone on the Road to Recovery, by Ruth Kramer, at Mission Network News.





"The United Nations refugee agency called once more for stepped up security to protect more than 15,000 people surrounded by armed groups across the northwest and southwest portions of Central African Republic.."

"...More than 700,000 are internally displaced, including some 273,000 in Bangui spread over 66 sites, while more than 288,000 people have fled to neighboring countries. People need medicine. They need shelter, and they need food.

Over concerns that the refugee populations were vulnerable to more attacks, Mulders notes, “Especially in the West, people are settling down. Peace is coming slowly. And there are small pockets of local Muslim population that remained behind. Between those Muslims and the rest of the population, peace has to be created...'”

",,,CAR is ranked No. 16 on the Open Doors World Watch List of the worst persecutors of Christians. "

Recently, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) urged the Obama Administration to "redouble" its efforts to silence conservative groups.

The Administration has answered his call. Newly proposed IRS rules threaten the constitutional rights of conservative and Christian groups, censoring their free speech.

Even the ACLU opposes the new rules, saying they would repeat the IRS targeting of free speech.

We cannot allow the Obama Administration to trample the First Amendment and silence our voice.

We filed official legal comments, detailing exactly how this proposed rule would violate the Constitution. We've taken care of the legal research, but we need your voice.

Last week, we defeated the Obama Administration's attempt to control the media; today, we can stop its assault on your free speech.

Sign the Petition: Hands Off the First Amendment.

Jay Sekulow
ACLJ Chief Counsel

Please read Muslim Nation Bans Christians from Using 19 Religious Words, by Kate Tracy, at Christianity Today.






"Following a decision to implement Shari'ah law in the country, the Brunei government has banned 19 Islamic words from use by non-Muslims.

"The words, which include Allah--long used by regional Christians to refer to God—and other words with religious associations, can no longer be used in reference to other religions after the new penal code takes effect in April, according to the Brunei Times.

"The government also plans to implement strict punishment for crimes, including death by stoning for adultery and amputation of limbs for theft, Religion News Service reported in October. Those penalties will take effect in phases, beginning in April..."

"...The country rose this year from No. 27 to No. 24 on Open Doors' World Watch List for severe Christian persecution. The country implements full Islamic law, considers pastors "enemies," and monitors Christians through spies and the police."

Please read Ukraine Names Pabtist Pastor as Acting President, by Timothy C Morgan, at Christianity Today.





"Ukraine Names Baptist Pastor as Acting PresidentAfter 88 die in protests, Ukrainian evangelicals call nation "to learn to love yesterday's enemies." Timothy C. Morgan.  Russian Ministries At Independence Square, Kiev, Ukraine, a woman holds the national flag while reading the Gospel of John. Church members handed out 100,00 copies for free. Oleksandr Turchynov, a well-known Baptist pastor and top opposition politician in Ukraine, took office on Sunday, Feb. 23, as acting president after the Parliament voted to oust President Yanukovych.

"The collapse of the Yanukovych regime follows three months of growing protests that exploded in last week's violence, which claimed more than 88 lives. Many of these protests took place in the Maidan, or Independence Square in the capital city of Kiev.

"At issue was Yanukovych's decision to move Ukraine into a much closer economic and political relationship with Russia. This move triggered outrage among younger Ukrainians who wish for their nation to cast its lot with the European Union. After the vote to oust him, Yanukovych fled Kiev and is reportedly in Crimea, an autonomous republic in southeast Ukraine. According to media reports, the new government has charged Yanukovych with murder and has issued a warrant for his arrest.

"Monday night in Kiev, Turchynov, 49, spoke publicly for the first time since taking office as acting president. According to an unofficial translation, he said, "Unprecedented cruelty and brutality of the dictatorial regime did not stop citizens. They selflessly gave their lives to defend their rights—and won.

"'Our first task today is to stop the confrontation, to regain control … to ensure peace and tranquility, to prevent new victims, local rivalries and lynchings. Another priority is returning to European integration. We must return to the European family. We recognize the importance of relations with the Russian Federation, and are ready for dialogue with the Russian leadership to build relations with this country on a new, truly equitable and good-neighborly basis, which implies recognition of accounting Ukraine's European choice.'"

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #241
Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org  |  E-mail: icc@persecution.org

Media Contact: Todd Daniels, Regional Manager for the Middle East RM-ME@persecution.org



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Seven Egyptian Christians Killed in Libya

02/25/2014
Washington D.C.
International Christian Concern

International Christian Concern (ICC) is deeply troubled by the brutal killing of seven Egyptian Christians who were working in Bengazi, Libya. The bodies of the seven men were discovered by Libyan authorities Monday morning on a beach in a suburb east of Benghazi. The men were found with their hands bound and appeared to have been executed, security officials  reported.

According to ICC sources in Egypt, Sunday evening, February 23, masked gunmen broke into a building housing Egyptian workers and began asking the residents whether they were Muslim or Christian. Upon entering a first floor apartment and after hearing that the eight men were Christians they forced the men outside and loaded them into a vehicle. Tony Sabry, media spokesman for the Maspero Youth Union told ICC, they were "killed because they are Christians. The killers asked them to show them the right hands to see the sign of the cross on their hands and when they saw the cross they knew that they are Christians," he said.

One of the men who was in the apartment, Kareem Rizk, was able to escape and went to the Egyptian embassy to report the abduction. He was able to provide authorities with the names of the seven men who were killed. They are: Talaat Sadeek Bibawi, Hani Habib Girgis, Ndha Habib Girgis, Fathi Fawzi Sadeek, Edward Nashed Boles, Ayoub Sabri Tawfik, and Sameh Tawfik Roman, as reported by Elfagar News.

The security situation in Libya has been extremely unstable in recent months. Since the removal of Muammar Gaddafi, Libyan Islamists "have been carrying out the Islamic mission of religious cleansing through discrimination, kidnapping, and execution," Dr. Ashraf Ramelah, President of Voice of the Copts, told ICC. "Even though democracy was the stated goal of Gaddafi's toppling it was not the goal of his murder in the street by Islamists," he continued.

Egyptian Christians have faced abuse on multiple occasions in Libya over the past few years. In March of 2013, dozens of Egyptians were detained and, in some cases, tortured over accusations of proselytizing, Mina Thabet of the Maspero Youth Union told Mideast Christian News. This incident came just a few months after an Egyptian church was burned down resulting in two deaths and multiple injuries.   

Commenting on this latest incident, Hal Meawad, spokesman for Coptic Solidarity told ICC, "The execution of the seven Copts in Libya is a big sign for the whole world to see about the suffering of the Christian minority in the Middle East." Meawad continued, "We don't need tears and mourning of the dead. We need action to preserve lives and alleviate the suffering of the innocent before it is too late."

Todd Daniels, ICC Regional Manager for the Middle East, said, "The brutal execution of seven Egyptian Christians on the basis of their religious identity is troubling. This is just the latest example of the horrific dangers of religious extremism. We urge the Libyan officials to quickly and thoroughly investigate this matter and bring those guilty of this crime to justice. We urge for the Egyptian government and the United States to strongly condemn these actions and assist the Libyan government in strengthening its institutions to combat this extremism." 


For interviews, contact Todd Daniels, Regional Manager for the Middle East: RM-ME@persecution.org  

# # #

You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference ICC (International Christian Concern) and include our web address, www.persecution.org. ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church.  For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441.

Please pray!  Read more at Boko Haram Attacks Escalate in Nigeria, by the staff at Baptist Press.




"Islamic militants have killed about 200 adults and children in three attacks in Christian villages in northeastern Nigeria within the past 10 days, killing as many as 40 students at a boarding school Monday (Feb. 24) in Yobe, CBS News reported.

"Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan’s appointment of new military leaders in December, 2013 and his declaration of a state of emergency in the region last May, have not stopped the violence.

"In Monday night's attack at the secondary school, Boko Haram killed the students, all male, and burned the school to the ground, Police Commissioner Sanusi Rufai told CBS news.

"'Some of the students bodies were burned to ashes," CBS quoted Rufai. No girls were harmed, Rufai said.

"The attack followed two raids on the mostly Christian village of Izghe in Borno State, when Boko Haram killed as many as 106 people on Feb. 15, burned and destroyed homes and businesses, and returned days later to kill any who remained in the town, Morning Star News reported. Thousands of residents displaced from Izghe and nearby villages have fled to Cameroon, creating a crisis of humanitarian aid, according to news reports."

Read Three Nanle County Christians Confirmed Missing, Family Members Ask Public Security Bureau for Answers at China Aid.





"Three Christians from the centrally-located Henan province have been confirmed as missing since the black jail they were previously held in was closed on Sunday; their family members tried unsuccessfully to obtain help from local authorities yesterday.

"ChinaAid previously reported that the illegal detention center was found vacant on Sunday after believers had called local authorities to report their suspicions.

"Of the nine remaining believers in detention, six have been placed under criminal detention. Those include Nanle County Christian Church Pastor Zhang Shaojie, Fan Ruiling, who is disabled, and Zhang Cuijuan, who are all being held at the Puyang Municipal Detention Center. The other three under criminal detention are being held at the Nanle County Detention center and include Zhao Junling, Zhao Zhijun and Yan Beibei.

"The remaining three Christians are those who were held in the black jail: Li Cairen, Wu Guishan and Zhao Guoli. Since the black jail shut down, the three were moved during the night to an unknown location."