January 2024 Persecution Magazine
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ICC Newsroom<br />
YOUR SOURCE FOR PERSECUTION NEWS<br />
Christian Church<br />
Bombed in Sudan<br />
A church was bombed in Omdurman,<br />
Sudan, leaving multiple communities<br />
devastated. The Church of Savior, which<br />
stood for 81 years, has been shared<br />
amongst two communities. In an attack<br />
believed to be related to the ongoing<br />
violence in Sudan, the bombing left the<br />
roof in ruins and the inside completely<br />
burned, including all the Bibles and<br />
hymnals.<br />
This incident is one of many church<br />
bombings in 2023. Since former President<br />
Bashir was removed from power in 2019,<br />
Sudan has been in a stat of flux, increasing<br />
in April 2022 when the two leading forces<br />
split clashed.<br />
Christian Killed in His<br />
Home by Muslim Extremist<br />
Farhan ul-Qamar, a 20-year-old<br />
Christian man in Pakistan, was shot<br />
and killed in his home by a Muslim<br />
extremist claiming hatred toward both<br />
Christians and Jews.<br />
The killer, identified by police as<br />
Muhammad Zubair, broke into the<br />
home on the night of Nov. 9 and fatally<br />
shot ul-Qamar three times. After the<br />
murder, he held the family hostage for<br />
nearly an hour, refusing to allow them<br />
to call for help. Doctors later told the<br />
media that he could have been saved if<br />
help had arrived sooner.<br />
Zubair’s violence seems to have<br />
worsened in recent weeks, escalating<br />
in response to the current conflict in<br />
Israel and Gaza. He has a reputation<br />
that, even after hearing three shots<br />
fired in the home, neighbors remained<br />
inside for fear of being his next victims.<br />
Other Christians in the village have fled<br />
their homes with the same fear, in an<br />
attempt to remove themselves from the<br />
community for their own protection.<br />
Zubair is currently in police custody after<br />
being arrested in his home shortly after<br />
the incident and his case is still waiting<br />
for resolution. The family of the victim<br />
is currently seeking financial assistance<br />
to secure legal representation. Without<br />
this, the murderer may be set free.<br />
War Escalates, Tatmadaw<br />
Loses More Control<br />
Fighting in Myanmar is escalating<br />
quickly, posing the biggest threat to the<br />
Tatmadaw’s control of Myanmar since<br />
they took power in a ruthless coup in<br />
2021. In early December, indigenous and<br />
pro-democracy forces launched numerous<br />
offenses against the Tatmadaw in specific<br />
states. One Myanmar political and military<br />
analyst claims that the Tatmadaw is<br />
actively collapsing across the country.<br />
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<strong>Persecution</strong> | JANUARY <strong>2024</strong>
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