Iraq: Witness to Christ

Although Christians make up only 2% of the population in Iraq, the UN High Commission for Refugees reports that they make up 40% of the 1.6 million Iraqis in search of asylum abroad. This striking disproportion is caused by the persecution and almost total lack of protection suffered by Iraqi Christians: since 2003 about 2,000 Christians have been killed in multiple waves of violence throughout the country. Their number has plummeted from 900,000 before the invasion, down to approximately 200,000 today. Of those who remain in the country, many are internally displaced.

Christians targetted in Syria

The Christian community in Syria has been hit by a series of kidnappings and brutal murders; 100 Christians have now been killed since the anti-government unrest began.

A reliable source in the country, who cannot be identified for their own safety, told Barnabas Fund that children were being especially targeted by the kidnappers, who, if they do not receive the ransom demanded, kill the victim.

And the source provided detailed information – some of which cannot be made public for security reasons – about incidents that have taken place since Christmas. Two Christian men, one aged 28, the other a 37-year-old father with a pregnant wife, were kidnapped by the rebels in separate incidents and later found dead; the first was found hanged with numerous injuries, the second was cut into pieces and thrown in a river. Four more have been abducted, and their captors are threatening to kill them too.

On 15 January two Christians were killed as they waited for bread at a bakery. Another Christian, aged 40 with two young children, was shot dead by three armed attackers while he was driving a vehicle.

These latest reports are reminiscent of the anti-Christian attacks that have become commonplace in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion, and heighten concerns about the future for Christians in Syria as the anti-government protests there continue.

Syria pivotal in regional power battle

Several expert commentators are calling into question the narrative being spread by Western media about the nature of the unrest in Syria. They argue that it is not merely an internal conflict between the government and the rebels but has become an international battle for the balance of power in the Middle East.

Aisling Byrne, writing for Asia Times Online on 5 January, argues:

What we are seeing in Syria is a deliberate and calculated campaign to bring down the Assad government so as to replace it with a regime 'more compatible' with US interests in the region… Not for the first time are we seeing a close alliance between US/British neo-cons with Islamists (including, reports show, some with links to al-Qaeda) working together to bring about regime change in an 'enemy' state.

The battle for the regional balance of power pits an alliance of the US, Israel and the Sunni Muslim states of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the Gulf against the Shi’a regime in Iran and Hizbollah, the terrorist organisation that it sponsors. Syria is integral to Iran’s position, and, says Saudi King Abdullah, “Other than the collapse of the Islamic Republic itself, nothing would weaken Iran more than losing Syria”. Much of the conflict is being driven by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, who are now repeating in Syria what they have done in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya to establish a Sunni Wahhabi Salafist entity, thus intensifying the pressure on Iran.

A Western-backed military campaign in alliance with the Syrian rebels against the Assad regime is looking increasingly likely, and this could be devastating for the Church in Syria. Christians in Syria have enjoyed a considerable measure of freedom and protection under President Assad; if he falls, there could be a repeat of the tragic near-extermination of the Church in post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.

On 6 January, 2012, the Council of Evangelical Churches in Baghdad was dissolved, signalling another nail in the coffin for Christianity in Iraq. The once sizeable Christian minority there has been reduced to no more than a few hundred thousand today.

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund, said:

The Christian community in Syria is already suffering as a result of the unrest there and this will surely only intensify in the event of Western-backed military intervention. Christians in the West should not stand by and allow their governments to destroy Syria – and the Syrian Church – in pursuit of their own political interests in the region. I urge Christians not to accept blindly all the mainstream media reports about this conflict but to read for themselves the carefully considered arguments of dissenting voices (links below). And we must pray that the Lord will protect His people in Syria from a repeat of what happened to the Church in Iraq following the illegal US-led war. When Barnabas Fund carried stories about the horrific anti-Christian violence in Iraq post-2003, there were many sceptics who did not believe us. Today, this is accepted reality.

Source: Barnabus Fund

Keeping Nigeria in our prayers

Over the last few years Fr George from Nigeria has been a regular visitor to my local church. He usually covers for the parish priest, Fr Kevan, while he has a break in the summer. Fr George is a dedicated and learned man. He studied in Rome and has an impressive theological knowledge. His affable nature, dedication and piety have made him popular among parishioners.

Back in Nigeria, Fr George is the head of a seminary. Since he is still a young man this is quite an achievement. I’m pleased to say he has become a good family friend over the years. He has visited my house a few times and we have had interesting discussions. It’s always a pleasure to talk to someone who is intelligent, offers good advice and shows Christ-like compassion. I like to keep in contact with him via email.

Fr George is based in northern Nigeria, which is generally poorer the south. While the north is predominantly Muslim the south is mainly Christian. Over the Christmas period a number of churches were attacked by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram (“Western education is sin”). The group, which has suspected links to al Qaeda, is fighting to create an Islamic state ruled by Sharia; it exploits the differences within the country as well as the failings of the government.

Fortunately Fr George and his family members were not harmed in the church attacks. The situation, however, remains tense. Added to the sectarian tensions are economic woes. Nigeria should be a prosperous country because of it’s oil reserves, but corruption is so rampant that wealth stays in the hands of a small elite. In his latest email to me, Fr George said:

“On 1st January 2012, we woke up to the rude shock of the Federal government withdrawal of subsidy on petrol by 130% and immediately the cost of goods and services rose by that same percentage at the least. There is right now, proposed indefinite nationwide strike from next Monday. The strike will further paralyse the economy. The problem is the government is not ready to tackle corruption... Every goods in the market has doubled in price. There is serious outrage. If nothing is done immediately, I am afraid the military might come back to governance in the pretext of protecting the internal territorial integrity of the nation. Life is terribly bad for Nigerians.”

We will remember Fr George and Nigeria in our prayers. We hope and pray that things improve in Nigeria, peace returns and there is a reduction in corruption.

'Devil worshippers' attack church in Pune

Suspected devil worshippers attacked St Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church in Pune’s Warje Malwadi neighbourhood on Monday. Father Varghese Valikodath, who is in charge of the church, said several people “broke into our church in Warje Malwadi in the small hours on Independence Day, vandalized the altar, burnt the tabernacle, as well as tearing up the bible and prayer books.”

Paintings of Jesus, Mary and other saints were defaced, and the words “Satan is God” were written on walls. Robbery is not thought to be a motive as collection money and valuables were not stolen.

According to Father Valikodath, it could be the work of “some devil-worshipping group”. This would not be the first time suspected devil worshippers have attacked a church in India. In 2006 they entered a church in Mizoram and burned bibles, urinated on the pulpit and tore up pictures of Jesus and Mary. They also sacrificed an animal and splattered its blood on the altar.

Such incidences are fuelling suspicion of a rise in Satan worship in some parts of India. According to faculty members of Theological College in Aizawl, Mizoram, youth who are influenced by drugs and inspired by films about the paranormal and the occult practice bizarre rituals.

This is, however, the first incident of its kind involving Pune’s Syro-Malankara community. The local Catholic community have condemned the act. They have also appealed to the state authorities to bring the culprits to justice.

According to AsiaNews, “more than 3,000 attacks have been recorded against Indian churches in the past few years. Last Saturday, the glass protecting an image of Christ in St Anthony’s Catholic Church in Vashicherry, Alapuzha, in Kerala, was also smashed, the second attack this month.”

Arab spring or Christian autumn?

The dominant reaction in the West to the spread of revolution was one of enthusiasm; some commentators even spoke of an “Arab spring” in North Africa and the Middle East. It was widely believed that the resulting political changes would be for the better, leading to the establishment of real freedom for the region’s peoples – including its Christian minorities – and of Western-style democracy. An important reason for this optimism was the apparently secular character of the revolts: they appeared to have little or no religious dimension, and certainly not to be Islamic revolutions on the Iranian model.

If this were so, the uprisings would indeed be good news for the Christians of these nations. For years they have suffered discrimination in many areas of life, restrictions on their freedoms by the authorities, and outright violence from the Muslim majorities. If the twilight of the old regimes really did herald the dawn of freedom, Christians could hope at last to take their place as equal members of society and to practise and share their faith in peace and safety.

Sadly, however, the widespread positive response to recent events in misplaced, even naïve. North African and Middle Eastern concepts of freedom and democracy, shaped by centuries of Islamic domination, are simply not the same as Western ones. So, for example, when political leaders commit themselves to “support freedom,” they do not intend to include religious freedom in this, and their Muslim audiences do not understand them to do so.

Nor can religion be separated from politics in any Muslim context, where the two are inseparably connected. For most of the people involved in them, the Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings are not “secular” revolutions; they are profoundly religious events, waiting to be led by the strongest religious players.

The best organised and funded groups among the rebels in Tunisia and Egypt are the Islamist movements, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, who are aiming to play a leading role in the future government of their countries. There is already significant evidence of their growing influence in the post-revolutionary fervour:

The return of Islamist leaders Rashid al-Ghannoushi and Yusuf al-Qaradawi to Tunisia and Egypt respectively, amidst great public enthusiasm; the latter led a million people in prayer in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.

The appointment of an Islamist judge to head the committee drawing up Egypt’s new constitution.

The sudden and sharp upsurge in anti-Christian violence in Egypt, involving not only Islamist militants but also the Egyptian authorities.

The outcome of recent events in North Africa and the Middle East is impossible to predict with confidence at this stage. But the essentially religious character of political events in Tunisia and Egypt, and the presence there of powerful Islamist groups, raises grave concerns for the future of Christian communities in those countries. If Islamism does seize control of the various revolutions, whether slowly or suddenly, it will impose a much stricter Islamic character on politics and society, threatening the very survival of Christianity across the region.

Please pray that the Arab spring does not become a Christian autumn.

Source: Barnabus Fund

Hope Without Fear Event, Westminster

On Saturday 16 October 2010 I went to Westminster Cathedral, the mother church of the Roman Catholic community in England and Wales, to attend Aid to the Church in Need’s annual mass and ‘Hope Without Fear’ event. I am a supporter of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), which is an association connected with the Catholic Church that works for oppressed and persecuted Christians around the world. It was founded by a Dutch priest, Fr Werenfried van Straaten, on Christmas Day in 1947 to help refugees in the wake of the Second World War. Since then its mission has gradually expanded to help poor, forgotten and persecuted Christians in more than 140 countries.

Westminster Cathedral

This was my first visit to Westminster Cathedral, which is situated a short distance from Victoria Station. Constructed between 1895 and 1903, the cathedral has a neo-Byzantine style with large domes, balconies and a tall tower, all made from red brick and Portland stone. I loved the mosaic work both on the exterior and in the interior of the building.

The sung Latin mass was celebrated by Fr Edward Hiiboro Kussala from Sudan. Not so long ago, Pope Benedict XVI also celebrated sung Latin mass in the same cathedral during his papal visit to Britain. To be there, in such an august setting, and celebrate the Eucharist with fellow Catholics was a wonderful experience.

Hope without Fear

ACN’s Hope Without Fear Event was held in the Cathedral Hall after mass. The event was attended by at least three hundred people. Speakers included: Neville Kyrke-Smith, UK Director of ACN; Fr Martin Edwards, ACN UK’s Ecclesiastical Assistant; Fr Martin Edward Hiiboro Kussala; Fr Michael Shields from Magadan, Siberia; and John Pontifex, ACN’s UK Head of Press and Information. There was a reflection by Fr Martin Edwards on Pope Benedict XVI’s highly successful recent visit to Britain and the close relationship between ACN and the Holy Father. This was followed by reports on various ACN priority countries.

Sudan

Fr Edward Hiiboro Kussala talked about his native Sudan, which has been blighted by bloody internal conflict for many years. Fr Edward lost his own mother during a military raid when he was just two months old. Somehow his life was spared, and he was brought up by his grandmother who was a strong Christian woman.

Northern Sudan is predominantly Muslim while the southern part of the country has a sizeable Christian population. Over one and half million, predominantly Christian, people have been killed over the last two decades by government backed militia in Southern Sudan. Although some peace has prevailed since the signing of a peace agreement in 2005, tension is increasing again because people in Southern Sudan are due to vote in a referendum on self-determination soon. The president of Sudan has made it clear that he will not accept independence for Southern Sudan; and to complicate matters further, Southern Sudan has substantial oil deposits, which countries like China wish to exploit. Fr Edward expressed his gratefulness for the work of ACN in Sudan and for supporting his studies.

Magadan, Siberia

Alaskan-born Fr Michael Shields spoke about Magadan, Siberia, where some two million people, including many Catholics, perished in former communist gulags (labour camps). He told how his parish is involved with helping survivors of those gulags, who had previously been social outcastes. Things have certainly improved in the Russian Far-East since the end of the old Soviet regime, but there are some persistent social problems including alcoholism, unemployment and abortion. Russia has the highest abortion rate in the world with 13 terminations for every 10 live births. Fr Shields, with the help of ACN, is involved in pioneering pro-life work in Magadan.

Pakistan

John Pontifex began his talk about Pakistan by quoting the nation’s founding father, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who wanted Pakistan to be a homeland for Muslims but not an Islamic state. The reality is that Pakistan has not turned out to be the tolerant, secular state Jinnah expected. Over time, minority ethnic and religious groups have faced more and more discrimination and persecution. According to Catholic bishops in Pakistan, the country today is experiencing a ‘Talibanisation’ of society due to the influence of extremists.

Pakistan has notorious blasphemy laws that are meant to protect Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, but they have frequently been used as a pretext to attack minorities. Innocent Christians can sometimes find themselves the victims of malicious accusations made by angry Muslim mobs. Although the current government is beginning to think again about the blasphemy laws, change is likely to be a slow process.

Despite the many adversities Christians face in Pakistan, many of them are willing to suffer and even lay down their lives for the sake of their faith. ACN continues to provide disaster relief in the wake of the devastating floods, as well as helping to repair damaged churches and building a new seminary outside Karachi.

Ukraine

Finally, Neville Kyrke-Smith gave a report on Ukraine. In this former Soviet state the Orthodox and Catholic churches faced widespread oppression under the communists, but today they are undergoing a major revival. The number of seminarians has picked up markedly since the Soviet Union imploded and church attendance is high among the population. Although the shadow of Russia is still there, the revival of the church’s fortunes in Ukraine gives hope for Christians in other countries where they face oppression. In Ukraine, ACN is supporting the training of priests in seminaries, catechetical education and construction of churches.

Final thoughts

I enjoyed this event which was well organised. All the talks were highly interesting and informative. It was clear the church faced some serious challenges in various countries like Sudan and Pakistan, but the revival of Christianity in states of the former Soviet Union showed that the church had incredible staying power despite severe persecution. That was the inspiring lesson for me.

ACN does some sterling work in many different countries throughout the world, helping to support persecuted Christians and fulfil the church’s missionary commission. All the speakers were grateful to ACN’s benefactors who made the organisation’s work possible, and rightly so. It was an event that made me feel proud to be a Catholic.

Persecution: Swaroopa's story

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12)

In August 2008 the worst anti-Christian violence in the history of independent India broke out in the state of Orissa. More 50,000 people were forced to flee their homes. Many of their houses, churches and schools were destroyed, and more than 40 people were killed.

I would like to tell the true story of Swaroopa Naik (courtesy Barnabus Fund, a UK based charity working for persecuted Christians around the world).

Escape in the jungle

Swaroopa was brought up in a Christian home with her brother and two sisters. Her father, Sunil, is a farmer. On Monday 25 August 2008 the family was busy with the housework as usual while Swaroopa was having a bath. Suddenly she heard terrible noises outside, and running out of the house she saw her family rushing into the forest. Swaroopa ran too and was chased by the attackers, but she was quick enough to escape them.

Swaroopa eventually found her parents in the jungle. Taking shelter under a tree, they heard the dreadful sound of homes being destroyed and saw a plume of smoke rising into the sky. But Swaroopa says, "Both of my parents were consoled by the very thought that this tragic attack has been due to the fact that we believe in Jesus Christ and are Christians." "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 5:10)

After a while the family heard the attackers coming along the path they themselves had taken, so they ran and hid themselves in the bush. The sunny weather changed to cloudy skies, and they prayed that the Lord would send rain. And then - a heavy downpour! The pursuers called off the chase and went back the way they came. Swaroopa and her parents praised God.

The Lord who provides

When the rain stopped the family went back to their village. There they found that their house had been reduced to a pile of ashes and debris. No one in the village would take them in for the night, so they returned to the jungle to shelter under the trees. Early next day they set off to escape the pursuing assailants.

In the evening Swaroopa and her family reached Phulbani, a large township, where they felt safe enough to stay for two weeks. After this they moved on to Cuttack, the largest city in Orissa, where they stayed with a family member.

After the anti-Christian violence had subsided, Swaroopa's parents were able to return to their village to visit what was left of their house. They learned from their pastor about a ministry (supported by Barnabus Fund) that offers vocational training to young people displaced from Orissa by the violence. This is designed to equip them to return to the region later, not only to live there, but also to make a positive contribution to the community and to witness for Christ.

Swaroopa obtained a college place to study nursing and midwifery and is about to complete her first year of training. She writes, "We thanked and rejoiced in the Lord for having miraculously saved our lives and now for providing me with an opportunity to become a nurse. The Lord is really 'Jehovah Jirah' (the Lord who provides)."

Final thoughts

Swaroopa’s story is both touching and uplifting. It demonstrates the reality of persecution that Christians often have to suffer, particularly in non-Western countries, simply for their faith. Despite their hardship, Swaroopa and her family did not renounce their faith but trusted in the Lord. Their faith was rewarded, for in their darkest hours they saw the Lord guiding them. They came out of the experience with their faith strengthened, not weakened.

Anti-Christian hatred is nothing new. From New Testament times to the present day Christians have had to suffer for bearing witness to Christ. Jesus warned his disciples that this would be the case, but those who persevered would be rewarded in heaven. We too must heed this message. Do not cower and renounce your faith, even if you are persecuted, but boldly witness to Christ. That way you show your fidelity and love of Christ, for which you will be rewarded.