June 2017 Persecution Magazine

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News 5 1 6 2 4 3 Aftermath of the St. George’s Church bombing in Tanta. Two Churches in Egypt Bombed on Palm Sunday 1 | EGYPT On April 9, Palm Sunday, two suicide bombers targeting Coptic churches devastated the Christian community in northern Egypt. The first blast hit St. George’s Church in Tanta, which is located approximately 50 miles north of Cairo. Several reports indicate that an explosive was placed under a seat in the church’s main prayer hall before it detonated during the service. Only hours after the bombing at St. George’s Church, another bombing took place at St. Mark’s Church in Alexandria. At the time of writing, these bombings have killed at least 44 people, and injured more than 100 others. Eyewitness reports and video footage of the aftermath depict a grisly scene. According to an eyewitness of the St. George’s attack who spoke with ICC, “The church became dark and there were screams everywhere.” He continued, “The blood splattered all over the church.” Egypt’s president called for a state of emergency in response to the severity of the attacks. In a matter of hours after the bombings, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks on its website. Unfortunately, ISISled violence is nothing new for Egypt’s Christian community. Last December, a suicide bomber attacked St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo. Twenty-five Christians, primarily women and children, were killed in this incident. ISIS not only claimed responsibility for the attack but also promised to carry out more attacks on Christians—a promise that is clearly being fulfilled. These Palm Sunday bombings are indicative of the rising violence facing Egypt’s Christians. Unless Egyptian authorities take decisive action to protect the already vulnerable Christian community and their places of worship, incidents of this nature will likely continue. In the meantime, let us pray for all of those affected by these senseless acts of violence. Christian Female ‘Untouchables:’ A Triple Minority in India Christian “Untouchables” Form Group to Promote Rights 2 | INDIA Although technically prohibited by Indian law, the class structure of untouchables remains prevalent throughout India. They are often banished from normal society. Untouchables, or “Dalits,” qualify for government benefits, but if they identify as Christians they lose any benefits associated with their Dalit status. Unfortunately, more than half of Christians in India come from a Dalit background. Dalit Christian women face perhaps the most discrimination as they are a ‘triple minority.’ They are discriminated against for their religion, their gender, and their low-caste background. As a result, society treats them as the lowest outcasts and they often struggle financially and face various obstacles that make everyday life difficult. The vast majority of Dalit women in rural India do not receive a proper education, and are therefore illiterate. This then forces them into menial work. Tragically, some succumb to human trafficking because limited prospects make them vulnerable and easy targets. In response, a group of approximately 40 Christian Dalit women have banded together to call for justice. They have formed a network, called the Dalit Christian Women for Change, to help prevent abuse and encourage education among local women. 4 PERSECU ION.org JUNE 2017 INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
Indonesian Authorities Ban Three Churches from Meeting 3 | INDONESIA In direct opposition to their declarations of religious freedom, authorities in West Java, Indonesia, have banned three Christian churches from leading religious services. The churches were told that they are not permitted to meet because “the government cannot guarantee their safety.” The affected churches are Methodist Church Indonesia, Huria Batak Protestant Church, and a group of Catholics who used a home for both catechism and Sunday school. This ban came about shortly after a radical Muslim group staged a protest, demanding that the churches be shut down. Hassan Muwanguzi was falsely accused of human sacrifice. Evangelist Falsely Accused of Kidnapping and Human Sacrifice 4 | UGANDA In late February, an Islamic leader in Uganda falsely accused a Christian evangelist of kidnapping and making a human sacrifice of his adult daughter after she converted to Christianity. After converting, the daughter sought refuge with the evangelist when her father reportedly abused her for leaving Islam. This led to the false charges and the evangelist’s subsequent arrest. Thankfully, after the plaintiff failed to appear in court twice and because there were no public witnesses, a judge decided to dismiss the case. Furthermore, the judge encouraged the evangelist to file a defamation case over the matter. Primary school in France. French Teacher Suspended After Reading Bible Verses to Students 5 | FRANCE A primary school teacher in central France was recently suspended from his position after a group of parents anonymously complained that he read Bible verses to their children. The parents wrote a letter to the school’s headmaster, alleging that the teacher was attempting to convert the students by promoting his own beliefs. In accordance with France’s strict secularism laws, the headmaster suspended the teacher while the school board investigates the matter. While the teacher’s suspension has been met with mixed reactions, it is one of several incidents in which Christianity has been pushed out of the public school system in both Europe and North America. Asia Bibi’s Anniversary of Arrest 6 | PAKISTAN On June 19, Christians around the world will recognize the beginning of a painful ordeal for a woman named Asia Bibi. June 19, 2017, marks the eighth anniversary of the arrest of Bibi. In June 2009, Bibi got into a dispute with her Muslim coworkers after allegedly drinking from the same water bowl as them. They claimed that, as a Christian, she contaminated their water. As the argument escalated, Bibi defended her faith and stated, “What did your prophet Muhammad ever do to save mankind?” Shortly after, Bibi was accused of blasphemy and has been sentenced to death for the crime. Her case has gone through countless obstacles with several delays along the way, as she continues to wait on death row. Bibi’s case is widely seen as an international example of the danger and potential misuse of blasphemy laws. PERSECU ION.org INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN Asia Bibi has been on death row since 2009. 5
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June 2017 Persecution Magazine

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