Meriam Ibrahim released for two years

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that, according to an official in Khartoum, the government of Sudan intends to release Meriam Yahia Ibrahim, a mother of two and wife to an American citizen, from death row for two years to nurse her newborn daughter, Maya, before carrying out her death sentence.  Under-secretary Abdullahi Alzareg of Sudan's foreign ministry told the BBC Saturday that Sudan "guaranteed religious freedom and was committed to protecting the woman." According to both the BBC and The Washington Times, Sudan intends to release Ibrahim for a period of two years prior to carrying out her death sentence. No mention has been made as to whether Ibrahim's sentencing to 100 lashes for committing adultery in the eyes of Sudan's El Haj Yousif Public Order Court in Khartoum, will also be stayed until after the two-year period. Likewise, the terms of Sudan's alleged intention to release Ibrahim from her cell at the Omdurman Federal Women's prison remain unclear as of the issuance of this release. No mention was made of the Sudanese government's intention to place Ibrahim under house arrest or to restrict her ability to travel freely. A Foreign Office spokeswoman for the United Kingdom (U.K.) told The Guardian Saturday, "We are aware of and urgently seeking clarification from the Sudanese authorities of reports that Meriam Ibrahim, the mother facing the death penalty in Sudan, is to be freed." According to The Telegraph, "A foreign ministry spokesman said that Meriam Ibrahim would be released and not face further charges." As Ibrahim will remain sentenced to death regardless of her being or not being released, it remains unclear as to what "further charges"the spokesman may or may not have been alluding to. Ibrahim was arrested and detained by Sudan's Public Order Police on February 17. She was subsequently charged with adultery and apostasy on March 4 and was convicted of both charges on May 11. Upon being convicted, Ibrahim was allotted three to days to publicly recant her Christian faith or face sentencing. On May 15, Ibrahim refused to recant her faith and was sentenced to 100 lashes and death by Judge Abbas al-Khaleefa after stating before the court, "I am a Christian, and I will remain a Christian." As of the issuance of this release, Ibrahim, her 20-month old son, Martin and Maya, her daughterborn in the prison's hospital wing at 3:30am May 27, remain imprisoned. Ibrahim's husband, Daniel Wani, a South Sudanese Christian, United States (U.S.) citizen and resident of New Hampshire, told the BBC that Martin's "attitude has changed a lot." He elaborated, saying, "He [Martin] used to be a happy boy. When I went there, he just looked at me. No smile." ICC's regional Manager for Africa, Cameron Thomas, said, "We are incredibly relieved to hear that an official of the government of Sudan has come stated the administration's intention to release Meriam in the coming days. We will continue, however, to apply pressure to the Sudanese government to acquit Meriam of all charges, the only available action in line with its claim to guarantee religious freedom. We remained concerned for Meriam's, baby Maya's, and Martin's health and look to the international community for leadership in ensuring the Ibrahim's, if released, are provided proper medical care and any and all assistance to ensure their safe return to their husband and father. Today is Meriam's 104th day in prison, we pray that tomorrow the count will end." For interviews, contact Cameron Thomas, Regional Manager for Africa:  RM-Africa@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.

The shrinking Iraqi church

The votes may be in for the Iraqi parliamentary elections, but the verdict is still out on the much-needed religious freedom in Iraq. As violence increases in the country, its Christian population continues to flee. In the past decade, more than a million Iraqi Christians have left the country. A broad coalition of nearly  300 religious leaders and activists, led by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) have expressed their solidarity with Middle East Christians. With the sustained hostility towards Christians in Iraq, this election comes at a very important time in Iraq's history and a crucial moment for the Iraqi Church. Unending Religiously Motivated Attacks Iraq continues to remain a country in turmoil. In 2013, the death toll reached its highest level in five years, totaling nearly 8,000 civilians and over 1,000 members of the security forces, according to the UN. Much of the conflict has occurred along religious lines, as the country's Sunni and Shi'a groups battle for power and the Christians and other faith groups are left vulnerable as the targets for extremists on both sides. The political unrest gives cause for concern regarding the government's ability to stop the attacks on religious minorities. "In the past year, the government failed to stem egregious and increasing violence by non-state actors against Iraqi civilians, including attacks targeting religious pilgrims and worshippers, religious sites, and leaders, as well as individuals for their actual or assumed religious identity," the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in its  2014 report on Iraq. As instability grows, the violence towards Christians continues to remain high. On Christmas Day, twin blasts in the Baghdad neighborhood of Dora, one outside the St. John Catholic Church and the other in a predominately Christian market, claimed more than 35 lives, as ICC reported in December. Christians have had their homes seized by gangs with no recourse or support from the government to see the property returned."We've received dozens of such cases" said William Warda of the Hammurabi Human Rights Organization. "Most of them are afraid of submitting complaints to the government, because they do not believe they can protect themselves if they file a lawsuit - they are fearful of being kidnapped." During more than a decade of political turmoil in Iraq, Christians have been targeted and killed in their churches, school buses, neighborhoods, and shops. Canon Andrew White, vicar of the Anglican St. George's Church in Baghdad, has said "all the churches are targets." These realities have Iraq listed as the fourth worst country in terms of Christian persecution according to the 2014 World Watch List. USCIRF has again recommend Iraq as a "Country of Particular Concern" for its lack of religious freedom. "The government has proven unable to stop religiously-motivated attacks and bring perpetrators to justice," its report stated. Steps Forward with the New Government Iraq's political situation has had a direct impact on the violence in the country. "The future and political stability together in Iraq continue to deteriorate and remains ominous," Joseph Kassab, the president of Iraqi Christians Advocacy and Empowerment Institute (ICAE), told International Christian Concern (ICC) Kassab. "We need leaders who care about Iraqis before themselves, their parties, and their interests,"Kassab continued. The party headed by current Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, received the most votes in the election, but now needs to bring together a coalition to establish a government. It is a task that could prove very challenging, as Reuters explains. Iraq is facing the challenge of trying to unite a population split along both ethnic and religious lines, and in the midst of it all, has witnessed the near extinction of Christians from the region. Even among the Kurdish population in the north, what had been viewed as a safe haven for Christians is now in flux with talks of a referendum "on independence and separation from Iraq," writes Michael Knights. If a split were to happen, we could actually witness the extinction of the Christian demographic in Iraq, as the northern Kurdish providences hold the majority of the remaining Iraqi Christian population, just a fraction of what it was a decade earlier. Will the Church Go Silent? Iraq's Christians feel they have been left helpless and unprotected amidst the persecution. As Baghdad's Catholic Chaldean Patriarch Louis Sako recently cried out:"We feel forgotten and isolated. We sometimes wonder, if they kill us all, what would be the reaction of Christians in the West? Would they do something then?" Canon White shared a similar story with a gathering of political and religious leaders, hosted by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) in Washington, D.C., who were gathered to pledge solidarity with the Christians of Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. "I walked into church the other day and my young people said to me, 'Has the world forgotten us? Has the world forgotten that we are there?'" With nearly 300 religious leaders having signed the  Pledge of Solidarity and Call to Action, Canon White can tell his young people that "no, the world has not forgotten that they are there." Though so many Christians have left, Joseph Kassab pointed to the unity that has come out of this persecution in the Iraqi church. "Iraqi Christians became united under the cross," he told ICC. The violence against religious minorities and Christian persecution is a vital issue that the Iraqi government must work to address. As ICC continues to press for support and recognition on this issue, it is urgent to keep our brothers and sisters in Christ in prayer through this time of persecution. We must let them know the church has not forgotten them. 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.

Home destroyed by Hindu radicals

A Christian's home was destroyed by Hindu radicals in village of Budrukia located in the Kandhamal District of Odisha state in India. The incident took place on April 12, 2014 and was intended by the radicals to drive the Christian family out of the village once and for all. In the middle of the night on April 12, Sirba Digal's house was completely destroyed for the third time in six years. Hindu radicals came to Digal three days prior to the attack and told him to stop the construction of his nearly completed home. They said, "We do not want a Christian presence in the village; you better leave or face the consequences." Budrukia is one of the villages in the Kandhamal District hit worst by violence during the 2007 and 2008 anti-Christian riots that swept the area. The violence perpetrated in the Kandhamal District during December 2007 and August 2008 specifically targeted Dalit and tribal Christians. The results of both of these riots were devastating for Kandhamal's Christian community. Fifty-six thousand people were internally displaced, 5,600 homes, mostly belonging to Christians, were destroyed and almost 300 churches were burned down. Several Christian women, including a nun, were raped and about 96 people, again mostly Christian, were killed. Digal, whose home was destroyed in the December 2007 anti-Christian riots, was given financial assistance through a housing initiative headed by the Odisha state government. Digal's family returned to their village two months after the riots and rebuilt their home. However, it was destroyed again in the August 2008 anti-Christian riots. After the second attack, the family left the village and sought shelter with their relatives from another village, where they still remain. They had planned to return to their home village after the completion of their home, which was under construction and nearing completion. The destruction of their house came as a shock to the family for whom returning to their home village remains a dream. Unfortunately, the threats accompanying this most recent attack have left the family with little hope of realizing this dream. Three people were arrested in connection to the incident, but were later were released on bail. Days after the release of the accused, on April 18, more than 10 Hindu radicals confronted Digal, threatening him and advising him to leave the village. This time, things were different. The radicals told him that they would kill him, accusing Digal of "land grabbing," in an effort to frighten him and the entire Christian community into fleeing the village. The village of Budrukia has 15 Christian families currently living in it from various denominational backgrounds. The threats from the Hindu radicals to Digal and his family have many Christian families very concerned.    Local Christian leaders are initiating discussions with the village authority to create peace between both parties and to reach to an amicable solution. Anti-Christian attacks by Hindu radicals continue to pop up creating fear and unrest among Christian communities in Kandhamal, leaving them hopeless and in unsafe situations. Persecution didn't end six years ago for Christians who continue to live in the state of Odisha. For them, to practice their faith in certain villages continues to be life threatening. For interviews, contact William Stark, Regional Manager for South Asia:  RM-SAsia@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, D.C.-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.

Christian vote in Egyptian elections

Egyptians have cast their votes in the first presidential election since the removal of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi. As preliminary results come in, it appears that Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has received more than 95 percent of the vote. Over 25 million votes were cast, according to Ahram. Many Christians hope the election of Sisi will bring greater protections from violent attacks and that they will see their rights as Egyptians respected.

While there was little doubt that recently retired Field Marshall Abdel Fattah El-Sisi would win, there are mixed expectations about his ability to restore stability to the deeply divided country.

With many Muslim Brotherhood and Islamists boycotting the elections, voting was extended for a third day, as voter turnout was a concern.

There were reports of intimidation and threats by Islamists to keep voters away from the polls. Muslim Brotherhood supporters threw rocks at the homes of Christians and set fire to tires in front of St. George Church in Delga village, church leaders told International Christian Concern (ICC). The mob was chanting slogans against Christians, the Coptic Pope, and the military, hoping to intimidate and keep voters from making it to the polls.

During Mohammed Morsi's year of rule, he sought to further Islamize the country, advancing the interests of his Muslim Brotherhood supporters at the expense of Egypt as a whole, and the Christian community in particular. In the wake of his removal, in which Sisi was a leading figure, Egypt witnessed the worst attacks on Christians the country has seen in centuries.

Sisi's role in the removal of Morsi and as leader of the Egyptian armed forces gave him an aura of "savior" and defender of the Christians. Egypt's Christians were often the targets of much of the violence that swept the country as Islamist retaliated after Morsi was removed from office.

This is one of the reasons why Christians have largely put their support behind Sisi, Mahmoud Farouk, Executive Director of the Egyptian Center for Public Policy Studies (ECPPS), told ICC. "Many Christians, and even Muslims, think that Sisi saved them from the Islamic groups and he is the hero and savior that we are all waiting for," said Farouk. "In Egypt you have to choose from two choices: Military or Islamist. So, if I am Christian, for sure I'll choose the military even if I don't like them," he continued.

The experience with Islamists was awful for Egypt's Christians, and it was even more costly to see it end. "The Christian paid a precious price to remove the Muslim Brotherhood. Their properties were looted, destroyed and burnt. Many churches were burnt, destroyed and demolished," Father Youannis Shawky, a priest from Minya province, told ICC.

"I support El-Sisi," Shawky continued. "He was a divine providence to save the Egyptians from the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood and I think that El-Sisi is capable of ending the chaos in Egypt and ensuring equality among all Egyptians," Shawky told ICC.

Abdel Malak Rizk, a Christian from Assiut, listed several hopes he has for the new president, foremost among them being security. "We hope the new president will defend and protect the Christians in Egypt. We are hoping we'll be better protected from the violence," Rizk told ICC.

Not all Christians have been so optimistic. During the interim period, while attacks on churches have slowed, kidnappings and other violent attacks have persisted and the security forces have been either unable or unwilling to stop them.

Hany Farouk, a Christian from Sohag in Upper Egypt, told ICC, "I'm pessimistic. I fear our situation may go from bad to worse after El-Sisi is elected because the supporters of Muslim Brotherhood consider that the Christians supported El-Sisi in the presidential election. So after the success of El-Sisi, the attacks against Christians, their properties and churches in Egypt will be increased to take revenge on the Christians, to incite the sectarian strife between Muslims and Christians, to weaken Egypt, and to show to the whole world that El-Sisi failed to protect the Egyptian Christians."

While this is a possibility, Mahmoud Farouk of ECPPS, thinks for the short term it will not be the case. "I don't think there will be attacks as big as last August in the short term. In the long term, it might come back again, but not now," Farouk said. "The Islamists will keep their feeling of blaming the Christians for what is happening to them."

Trying to overcome the deep divisions in the country is among the biggest challenges facing Sisi in his presidency.

The long series of events dating back to January 25, 2011 and the removal of Hosni Mubarak to the present have left many in Egypt worn out. The aspirations they had for a more democratic country seemed to have been hijacked by the Islamists, leaving the country more deeply divided.

Ezzat Ibrahim, Director of the Word Center for Human Rights in Minya and Assiut, told ICC, "We thank God for the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood. They have been rejected by the entire nation, Muslims and Christians. All the people have known that they are false and terrorists and the rule of them was not designed to serve the interest of the country but to serve the interests of their organization only," Ibrahim said.

"Now we are optimistic and we feel that Egypt has become our homeland again and it will be a safe and peaceful country and a country for all Egyptians without discrimination," said Ibrahim.

The discrimination in Egypt has shown up in many facets of society, from blasphemy laws, to rebuilding churches, to the economy. "We are so persecuted in Egypt because we are Christians. We are treated as second class citizens and denied jobs," Rizk told ICC.

In addition to hopes for greater security, "We also hope that the new president can ensure the equal rights and equality of job opportunities, and we hope that there won't be discrimination against Christians," Rizk continued.

Making this reality in Egypt will be a long process. While Sisi promised to take many of the right steps in his campaign, he still must make them happen during his presidency.

"I support him because he has promised us that he will do his best to serve the Egyptian citizen and eliminate the illiteracy and he will combat the terrorism in Egypt and defend the Christians [and] the church. He also has promised the youth that he will create new jobs for them," Nariman Gaber, a Christian woman in Cairo told ICC.

"I feel that he will achieve his promises to all Egyptians," Gaber said.

The election is just a step on a very long road, but there is hope that it will produce a safer and freer country for Egypt's Christians, and for all Egyptians. 

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, D.C.-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.

More people killed by Boko Haram

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that suspected Boko Haram militants burned down six churches and killed eight civilians in an attack on Chinene Village in Borno State late on May 26. In a number of other attacks across the predominantly Christian region, suspected Boko Haram militants killed 40 others, most of whom were unarmed civilians. Chinene, a small village located in predominantly Christian Gwoza area 80 miles from Borno State's capital city of Maiduguri, suffered an attack by multiple suspected Boko Haram militants with AK-47s who enteon motorcycles. According to the Daily Post, an online Nigerian newspaper, an eyewitness recounted, "Some terrorists came to our community on Monday night while we were asleep; they shouted 'Allahu Akbar' in Arabic, meaning God is Great and shot sporadically at fleeing residents, killing eight people, while two others sustained gunshot injuries... After the sporadic shots, they set ablaze two of our churches."Reporting a higher level of destruction, a local government official, Nglamuda Ibrahim, told Osun Defender, "In last night's attack... six churches were burned." The attack was but one in a series. According to the Premium Times, "More than 40 were killed, and several others who escaped made it to Kirenowa Village with serious injuries,"in what Vanguard has termed a "four-hour reign of terror." The Premium Times reported,"The insurgents also hoisted their flags in Ashigashiya ward of Gwoza Local Government Area... which they have now declared their headquarters." Thursday, May 29, President Goodluck Jonathan said, "I am determined to protect our democracy, our national unity and our political stability, by waging a total war against terrorism," in a televised speech on Nigeria's Democracy Day. The rampage followed a separate attack in which suspected Boko Haram militants reportedly massacred 21 members of a church in Gwoza town, according to the Daily Post. Boko Haram, which translates roughly as "Western education is forbidden," is a radical Islamic insurgency designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the United States Department of State in November of 2013. Made famous by its mass-abduction of more than 240 schoolgirls from a secondary school in Chibok, the group was recently recognized by a United Nations Security Council Committee as a known affiliate of al-Qaeda. Responsible for12,000 deaths over the course of its existence, Boko Haram has killed more than 1,500Christians, civilians, educators, and security personnel this year alone. ICC's Regional Manager for Africa, Cameron Thomas, said, "We are appalled by this latest series of attacks perpetrated by Boko Haram militants against defenseless Christians and their communities. The culture of impunity in the increasingly lawless Nigerian northeast has allowed Boko Haram to nearly eliminate once vibrant Christian communities that lived at peace with their Muslim neighbors. While the Nigerian state has promised to dedicate every resource in waging a 'total war' on Boko Haram, more must be done to ensure the safety and security of the largest African nation's Christian and civilian populations."  For interviews, contact Cameron Thomas, Regional Manager for Africa:  RM-Africa@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 D.C.-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.

Massacre at church in Bangui

05/28/2014 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) - International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Muslim militants have attacked Notre Dame de Fatima in the capital city of the Central Africa Republic (CAR), Wednesday, May 28. The pastor of the church estimated that more than 30 were killed in the attack. Notre Dame de Fatima, a Roman Catholic compound situated in KM5, a neighborhood located 5 kilometers (or 3.1 miles) from Bangui's city center, suffered an attack by Islamic militants allegedly affiliated with the radical Islamic insurgency known as Séléka. A coalition of largely Muslim forces, Séléka took control of the CAR on March 24, 2013, before being ousted from power in January of this year. "We were in the church when were heard the shooting outside," Reverend Freddy Mboula told The Associated Press, saying, "There were screams and after 30 minutes of gunfire there were bodies everywhere." According to Reuters, the attackers hurled grenades into the compound's "garden," killing 30 of the hundreds that have reportedly sought refuge behind Notre Dame de Fatima's walls. For months the CAR has been plagued by sectarian violence between Islamic militants, including active Séléka remnants, and anti-balaka (or anti-machete) militias, which have been widely associated with the CAR's Christian populations. Archbishop of Bangui, Dieudonné Nzapalainga, told Vatican Insider, "the anti-balaka do not represent the ideas and beliefs of us Christians, even though they are associated with us." The anti-balaka militias, which initially formed to protect vulnerable communities, have committed reprisal attacks against both Séléka militants and Muslim civilians. Attacks by militia members on Muslim civilians have incited violent reprisals, including the massacre of a Christian family in Bangui and a series of violent attacks perpetrated Easter week against Christians. Séléka (or "coalition" in Sango, one of two national languages in the CAR) formed as result of an agreement between a fundamentalist group that splintered off the Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace (CPJP) and the Patriotic Convention for Saving the Country (CPSK). While not an overtly religious group, Séléka militants have committed egregious attacks against Christians throughout its 9-month reign under then-President Michel Djotodia. ICC's Regional Manager for Africa, Cameron Thomas, said, "Today's attack on a Christian compound in Bangui tragically exemplifies the ongoing culture of reprisal that has gripped the Central African Republic. As anti-balaka militias continue to commit attacks against both militants and civilians, with Séléka remnants returning such attacks in kind, innocent civilians, including Christians seeking refuge behind church walls, continue to suffer the consequences of growing sectarian violence. The future of the Central African Republic will continue to darken so long as the international community does not take decisive action to stem the ongoing violence and bring about the necessary resolution to prevent future attacks." For interviews, contact Cameron Thomas, Regional Manager for Africa:  RM-Africa@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.