International
Christian Concern (ICC) marks the fourth anniversary of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ascension to power
with continued concern over the deterioration of religious freedom in
India. Since their rise to power, attacks on religious minorities,
especially Christians and Muslims, have dramatically increased, leading
many to fear for the future of religious minorities in India.
On March 26, 2014, Prime Minister Modi and the BJP-led government rose
to power in a landslide victory in the 2014 national elections. Founded
on a Hindu nationalist platform, many minorities feared that the rise of
the BJP and its leader, Prime Minister Modi, would lead to increased
hostility against their communities. Four years later, many of those
fears have been realized.
According to the Evangelical Fellowship of India, incidents of
persecution against Christians in India have increased from 147 in 2014,
177 in 2015, 250 in 2016, to now 351 in 2017. This marks a 232%
increase in documented incidents of persecution faced by Indian
Christians under the Modi administration.
These attacks ranged from physical assaults, to church vandalism, to
social boycotts against Christians, to even the murder of Christian
leaders. Many of these attacks were reportedly carried out by members of
radical Hindu nationalist groups such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh (RSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), or the Bajrangdal, emboldened
by the “tacit approval” of the current government. According to the U.S.
Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), “Members of
the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tacitly supported these groups
and used religiously-divisive language to further inflame tensions.”
In 2018, ICC conducted a survey of 1,000 Indian Christians regarding
the current administration and issues of religious freedom. Of those
surveyed, 84.45% said that minorities are less protected under the
current administration of Prime Minister Modi and the BJP-led
government. In states where anti-forced conversion laws are in force,
and often abused by Hindu radicals to attack Christians, 77.24% of
Christians reported experiencing discrimination seven or more times in
the last year.
“There is a sense of impunity,” Dr. John Dayal, spokesperson for the United Christian Forum, told ICC. “It has been a painful four years for the Christian community.”
“State impunity is aggravating the issue, as is the officials’
collusion in harassment and repressive laws severely curb Freedom of
Religion and Belief,” Dr. Dayal continued. “The leadership of Modi and the BJP has led to violence that has bruised both the constitution and psyche of the country.”
Pastor Santhosh Kumar Shiypuri, a recent survivor of an attack by Hindu radicals, said, “We
have been forced to stop several house churches in and around Kanpur.
In most cases, the police favor the Hindu radicals as the government
both at the state and national levels are pro-Hindu political parties.”
William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “Today marks the end
of another difficult year for Christians in India. Religious intolerance
and hostility continue to rise as the BJP-led government fails to
confront radical Hindu nationalist groups that perpetrate much of the
violence against India’s religious minorities. If India is to continue
to be considered one of the world’s leading secular democracies, this
trend cannot and must not continue.”
For interviews with William Stark, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org
International
Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that two Kurdish Muslim brothers
built an illegal home on the land of an Assyrian Christian in northern
Iraq’s Brefka village. According to the Assyrian Aid Society, one of the
brothers, Omar Karem, is the head of the Peshmerga Forces in the
region. The land-grabbing case took place on April 20, 2018 and was
reported in writing to the local authorities on May 2, 2018. There has
since been no change on the ground.
The letter to the local authorities was written by a local leader and two villagers. The letter reads, “This
action is a violation of the villagers’ rights and human rights. It is
an infringement on our lands by these transgressors and this is
disrespectful to the law. Thus, we ask you to consider our claim for the
purpose of removing the excess [illegal homes] on our village lands.
Also we ask for a site detection and to establish the village border and
remove all the abuses.”
The illegal seizure of Christian lands in this region has been ongoing
since 1991, according to the Assyrian Aid Society (AAS). They estimate
that approximately 180 acres of Assyrian-Christian land has been seized
by their Muslim neighbors. “Land has been taken in different places
in the village, especially near the river Khabour and near the school.
In 2005, Mr. Barzani sent [a delegation] to visit the village. They
promised to return the land back to Assyrians in one year, but nothing
has happened until this moment,” said the Assyrian Aid Society.
Instead, the following year, the Muslim tribal leaders took more land
and asked for $600,000 to prevent the land grab, according to AAS.
Kurdish Muslims also forcibly prevented Christians from bringing water
from the Khabour river to their apple orchards. Most Christians in the
village completely lost their agriculture in 2015, when unknown
militants burned their farmland, depriving the community of thousands of
dollars of income.
Ashur Sargon, President of Assyrian Aid Society—Iraq, said, “[This]
land grab is a sample case showing how Assyrian Christians are
indigenous peoples of Iraq… There [are] around 58 cases for land grabs
recorded in the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG). Most of them still
their owners are suffering without any real reaction or solutions from
the KRG… Now it is the last chance to stop land grabbing actions for
these cases.”
Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “The forced seizure of
Assyrian Christian lands in northern Iraq is an all too common
occurrence that has been taking place for decades. They are targeted by
Kurdish Muslims because they are a vulnerable minority group that owns
fertile farmland. Often, the authorities are either negligent in
righting this wrong or complicit in its execution. The failure of
neighbors and authorities to protect the rights of minorities has broken
community trust and furthered the decline of Christianity in Iraq.
Unless tangible steps are taken to protect the rights of Christians,
many will simply leave.”
For interviews with Claire Evans, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org
International
Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on May 13, bombings at three
churches in Surabaya, East Java, killed 13 and wounded more than 40
shortly before Sunday services.
The explosions took place at Saint Mary Immaculate Catholic Church
(STMB), Surabaya Pentecostal Church (GPPS), and the Diponegoro
Indonesian Christian Church (GKI). According to East Java Police, the
first explosion took place at STMB. The second and third explosions
followed five minutes apart.
Jakarta Post
noted that attempted attacks were also reported at two other churches –
Saint Jacob's Church in West Surabaya and Sacred Heart of Jesus
Cathedral. However, the bombs failed to explode.
A family of six – a father, mother, two sons, and two daughters –
belonging to the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), a group linked to the
Islamic State, is behind the suicide bombings. They recently returned
from war-torn Syria, where they lived in an area controlled by the
Islamic State.
National Police Chief General Tito Karnavian confirmed that the father
of the family initially brought his wife and two daughters –
12-years-old and 9-years-old – to GKI before making his way to Surabaya
Pentecostal Church.
The bomb blast at STMB was carried out by the two brothers –
18-years-old and 16-years-old – who carried a lap-bomb with them on
their motorcycle.
The bomb attacks are the deadliest in Indonesia since the 2002 Bali
bombings, which left more than 200 people dead and hundreds more
injured.
Pastor Yonathan Biantoro, one of the pastors of Surabaya Pentecostal Church, told ICC, “Honestly
I am really sad about this. We as members of this church really hope
that we would have a peaceful environment when we are in our devotion.
We want the government to protect us with our constitutional rights and
we are concerned about our religious freedom. I believe there is not a
religion that would allow its followers to kill each other. We will
however not be intimidated by the bombing. We still love them and
forgive. We hope they will not do this ever again.”
Three of his church staff members passed away on Monday due to severe burns.
“They try to create fear in us, instead we grow, trust, and hope in
Him. God is still in control, our churches united in prayers and believe
God’s will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The gate of hell
and its power cannot conquer His church,” Budi Setiawan, National Superintendent of Assembly of God Indonesia, shared with ICC.
The executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid,
called for the government to take swift action and to bring whoever was
responsible to justice.
Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “The terrorist attacks at
the three churches in Indonesia are pure evil. ICC strongly condemns the
reprehensible acts of violence against innocent lives. The use of
minors as suicide bombers is sickening and shows the absolute disregard
for humanity in radical ideology. Our hearts break for the victims,
knowing the horror they have experienced at their houses of worship, and
we urgently ask for your prayers for Indonesia.”
For interviews with Gina Goh, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org
International
Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on May 10 at 2:40 a.m., three
Korean-American detainees held by North Korea safely returned to the
United States, accompanied by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Kim Dong-chul, Kim Sang-duk, and Kim Hak-song’s release comes at a time
when the president of the United States and the leader of North Korea
are expected to meet next month in Singapore. Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo flew to Pyongyang on Monday to straighten out details for the
summit and the prisoners were then freed and allowed to return home with
him. The three appeared to be in good health when they were greeted by
President Trump on Thursday.
Reuters
reports that the three former prisoners were Korean-American missionary
Kim Dong-chul, who was detained in 2015 and sentenced in 2016 to 10
years’ hard labor on spying charges; Kim Sang-duk, also referred to as
Tony Kim, who taught for a month at the Western-funded Pyongyang
University of Science and Technology (PUST) before his arrest in 2017;
and Kim Hak-song, who also taught at PUST and was detained last year for
‘hostile acts.’
According to various media sources, all three are Christians, with Kim
Dong-chul and Kim Hak-song once serving as pastors, though it is not
confirmed whether their arrests are linked to their faith.
On the Facebook campaign page Free USA 3,
Tony Kim’s family expressed appreciation for all of the support that
they have received. “We are very grateful for the release of our husband
and father, Tony Kim, and the other two American detainees. We want to
thank all of those who have worked toward and contributed to his return
home. We also want to thank the President for engaging directly with
North Korea. Mostly, we thank God for Tony’s safe return.”
“While we rejoice that these three men have safely returned home,”
Suzanne Scholte, chair of North Korea Freedom Coalition, told ICC, “we
should not forget the fact that they were unjustly detained and that
there are many other innocent people being unjustly held by the North
Korean regime.”
Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “The release of Kim Dong-chul,
Kim Sang-duk, and Kim Hak-song shows the goodwill of North Korean leader
Kim Jong-un ahead of the imminent US-NK summit. However, this goodwill
must also be extended to his own people – the 25 million North Koreans.
They should be able to live free in their country, not denied their
fundamental rights by the government. Pyongyang’s ongoing human rights
violations should not go unnoticed as the international community deals
with the regime.”
For interviews with Gina Goh, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org
International
Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on May 7, the Tangerang
District Court in Indonesia sentenced Reverend Abraham Ben Moses to four
years in prison and issued him a 50 million Rupiah fine (~3,500 USD)
for religious defamation.
If he cannot afford to pay the fine, “it can be replaced with a
one-month prison term and we also give the defendant a chance to refuse
the verdict seven days from tomorrow to appeal to the High Court,” said presiding judge Muhammad Damis at the hearing.
According to Voice of the Martyrs,
Reverend Abraham, 53, is a well-known former Muslim and Christian
apologist in Indonesia. As part of his ministry, he is involved with
online evangelism and debates with local Muslim groups.
Abraham was arrested on December 5, 2017, after a video went viral that
depicted him sharing his faith with a Muslim taxi driver. In the video,
he speaks with the taxi driver about converting to Christianity and the
Prophet Muhammad’s flawed teachings on marriage.
Members of Indonesia’s second largest Islamic organization,
Muhammadiyah, immediately lodged a complaint against him on December 8.
According to Jakarta Post, Damis said that “Abraham
was convicted under Electronic and Information Transactions Law No.
11/2008 as he intentionally spread information intended to incite hatred
against an individual, group and society based on religion.”
Although the verdict was more lenient than the prosecutors’ demand of a
five-year prison term, Abraham’s legal team plans to file for an
appeal.
A Muhammadiyah official, Pedri Kasman, admitted that he was content about the verdict. “This decision should be appreciated and should serve as a valuable lesson for all parties,” he said.
In a message to Indonesian Christians, Abraham’s wife Sara Ibrahim asked Christians to “pray for pastor Abraham’s punishment to be lighter.”
Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “The Indonesian government
should revisit the country’s blasphemy law, as it is increasingly being
exploited by radical Muslim groups to target individuals who they find
to be offensive and theologically ‘out-of-line.’ To honor religious
freedom as enshrined in Indonesia’s constitution, the government must
respect all religions and stop criminalizing Christians when they are
merely exercising their right to free speech.”
For interviews with Gina Goh, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org
For
Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, April has been the
deadliest month in 2018 thus far. Over the past month, there have been
reports of more than 350 people killed in the Middle Belt due to the
Fulani militant crisis. These attacks spanned eight states; however, the
vast majority of the attacks took place in Benue State. Of the 27
attacks that have been reported, 20 of them took place in a state which
has already outlawed open grazing in an attempt to end the violence.
This shows that these attacks are not merely about farmers denying
herders land. These herders were not denied land by the farmers, but by
the government who told them that they must purchase land to graze on.
In a more blatant show of religious motivation, Fulani militants also
carried out two attacks on churches in Benue State this past month. On
April 24, Fulani militants stormed St. Ignatius Catholic Church in
Mbalom. During the attack, they killed two priests and at least 17
parishioners in addition to burning down more than 50 homes. Less than a
week later, Fulani militants attacked and killed seven internally
displaced people who were taking refuge in a church in Mbamondo.
Below are the largest attacks that took place in April.
1. April 14-16, 2018: Fulani militants attack several villages in Nasarawa State, killing at least 39 and destroying more than a dozen homes.
2. April 24, 2018: Fulani militants attack St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Mbalom, killing two priests and 17 others.
3. April 26, 2018:
Fulani militants attack three villages, Tse-Umenge, Mbakpase and
Tse-Ali villages, killing 39 and destroying more than 150 houses.
In spite of the tragedies, there are encouraging signs of progress. In
April, President Trump hosted Nigeria’s President Buhari in Washington
D.C. During an interview, President Trump said, "We've had serious
problems with Christians who have been murdered, killed [in Nigeria].
We're going to work on that problem and work on that problem very, very
hard." This brings hope that the international community is starting to
realize the dire situation that is taking place in Nigeria. It is time
for the Nigerian government to direct its full attention toward these
deadly militants.
For interviews with Nathan Johnson, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org
International
Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that President Trump and President
Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria have met in Washington D.C. where they
planned to discuss security and economics in Nigeria. However, during
the initial televised meeting of the two leaders, President Trump also
said that they need to discuss the killing of Christians in Nigeria.
"We've had serious problems with Christians who have been murdered, killed," President Trump stated. "We're going to work on that problem and work on that problem very, very hard."
This statement and visit took place only days after 18 Christians,
including two priests, were killed in Benue State, Nigeria, during a
burial service. The assailants in this attack are believed to be Fulani
militants. This hostile group, though only a radicalized fraction of the
larger ethnic community, has conducted many attacks so far this year,
especially in Benue State.
To date, the exact reasons for these attacks have been difficult to
pinpoint. Unlike Boko Haram and other extremist groups, the Fulani
militants do not have a defined goal or structure. They have, however,
conducted more large-scale attacks and caused more devastation over the
past year than any other group in Nigeria.
When asked about President Trump’s comment, Rev. John Terlumun of Benue State said, "Trumps'
comments were very soothing, and have given us hope for a quick
intervention in the madness of Islamic terror on our people. We are very
thankful for his help."
Solomon Musa, President of the Southern Kaduna People's Union, said, "President
Trump's comment to President Buhari on the killings in Nigeria is very
timely. We couldn't have hoped for anything [more]. But I [would] rather
also talk about what Buhari said. Buhari told President Trump that
herdsmen carry sticks and not guns, but that's quite strange… It's
strange what Buhari said because the other week he was saying that the
people killing Nigerians were trained by Muomar Gadaffi.”
It is not only President Buhari who can’t determine the source of the
conflict either. The governor of Kaduna State said that the killers are
Fulani radicals from 14 African countries. The Minister of Defense,
Monsur Dan Ali, said that the killings are a result of anti-open grazing
laws. The Inspector-General of Police said that the killings in Benue
are a communal conflict. Finally, the Director of State Security
Services said that the killings are led by ISIS. It is no wonder that
the government has not effectively stopped these killings since they
cannot agree on why they are happening.
ICC’s Regional Manager, Nathan Johnson, stated, “It is amazing to
see that this cause is finally getting some of the attention that it
deserves. We are very glad to see that President Trump was willing to
stand up for the many Christians who have lost their lives to this
crisis in Nigeria. We hope that this interaction will lead the Nigerian
government to finally respond to this devastating situation.”
For interviews with Nathan Johnson, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org
International
Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Uttarakhand, India has become
the seventh state to put into force a Freedom of Religion Law, referred
to by many as an anti-conversion law. Christians across the state now
fear that Hindu radicals will use the new law to harass the community’s
Christian leaders.
According to the law, signed on April 18 by Governor Krishna Kant Paul,
forced conversions will be punishable by a jail term between one and
five years. If the victim is a minor, woman, or person belonging to
either a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe, the minimum jail term is
two years.
The law also makes it mandatory for individuals to obtain permission
from the state government prior to their religious conversion. An
affidavit must be submitted to the District Magistrate one month prior
to the conversion. If not, the conversion will be invalidated and
considered illegal. Clergy are also required to give one-month notice
prior to performing the conversion ceremony. This notice initiates an
inquiry by police into the proposed conversion.
Christians in Uttarakhand fear that Hindu radicals will abuse this new law to harass their community. “Almost on a daily basis, we hear about Christians being threatened and abused by Hindu radicals,” Bishop Vinod Tyagi from Roorkie told ICC. “Having
the anti-conversion bill passed will be much worse for Christians. I
have been threatened a number of times and told to close down my church.
They even told me they will kill me if I continue my ministry.”
“We did protest against the law, saying it directly targeted the
rights of minority communities and organized a rally in the state
capital Dehradun,” Bishop Tyagi continued. “Over 500 Christians came, but we doubt such a micro-minority voice can be heard by the government.”
The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has held power for
only one year in Uttarakhand. The passing and signing of the
anti-conversion law took less than six months. The bill was drafted on
March 12 and introduced and passed by the State Legislative Assembly,
where the BJP enjoys a three-fourths majority, on March 22. The law was
then sent to the governor for approval on April 17 and received that
approval on April 18.
William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “We here at
International Christian Concern are deeply disappointed to see another
state in India pass an anti-conversion law. These laws are widely abused
by Hindu radicals due to the legal ambiguity within the laws
themselves. Often, these laws provide an easy justification for radicals
to attack Christian leaders with impunity. One simply needs to claim
that a pastor was forcefully converting people following an assault. As a
result, instead of the pastor’s assailants being arrested, it’s the
assailed pastor who is arrested by police following an attack. With
attacks on Christians skyrocketing, the adoption of a law that would
only incite more violence seems to be another step away from religious
freedom for all in India.”
For interviews with William Stark, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org
International
Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that overnight on April 30, 2018,
at least one Turkish nationalist vandalized the Surp Takavor Armenian
Church in Istanbul’s Kadıköy municipality. The nationalist wrote “This
homeland is ours” on the wall and dumped a large pile of garbage outside
of the church’s door.
According to Agos, “The
church administration, who was studying the camera images, found that
the person who wrote [on] the wall and [placed] the garbage [on the]
door was the one who had come to church the day before the ritual and
was in unbalanced movements and creating disturbance.”
It is unclear whether this individual acted alone or with the support
of a group. However, the church is located at a major intersection that
is heavy with foot traffic both day and night.
“The Kadıköy Municipality condemned the incident as a ‘racist
attack’ in a Twitter post, saying the necessary work has been initiated
to clear the writing and remove the trash,” reported The Armenian Weekly. A police investigation has been launched.
An Armenian journalist from Istanbul, Hayko Bagdat, tweeted, “Attacks
on Armenian churches during election periods (in Turkey) have become
routine. If you ask him here, it’s Ergenekon. If you ask him there, it’s
political Islam. If you ask the other, it’s the outside forces… But it
always happens.”
The Armenian Church has reported multiple incidents of harassment and
aggressive incidents targeting community members within the last year.
Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist formerly based in Ankara, stated, “The
current Christian population of Turkey, a once Christian civilization,
is only 0.2 percent of its entire population. But cultural genocide
against churches is ongoing. One of the main reasons of all this
intolerance and aggression seems to be that political Islam does not
recognize or respect the pre-Islamic history of ‘conquered’
territories.”
“Unfortunately, Turkey, an EU candidate, has also adopted this
worldview and refuses to give its citizens a truthful and objective
education about world religions and history. And this helps create
millions of hate-filled, brainwashed individuals who can attack even the
descendants of genocide survivors,” Uzay added.
Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “Christians in Turkey
are a heavily harassed community, with incidents such as the vandalism
of Surp Takavor becoming increasingly common. Religious nationalism is a
significant driver of many of these incidents, as Christianity is
viewed as a foreign religion that insults Turkishness. Turkey, however,
has a rich history of Christianity. Thankfully, there were no reported
injuries in this incident and the authorities responded quickly.
Hopefully, those responsible for this deed will be swiftly apprehended
and brought to justice through due process of law.”
For interviews with Claire Evans, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org
International
Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on the morning of April 29, a
37-year-old Catholic priest in the northern Philippines was gunned down
in Gattaran town, Cagayan province, shortly after the conclusion of
Mass.
Father Mark Anthony Ventura was giving the blessing and talking with
choir members in Peña Weste gymnasium after Mass, when two men riding on
a motorcycle arrived. At 8:15 a.m., one of the men entered through the
back of the gym and shot Ventura twice. Ventura sustained gunshot wounds
to the head and chest and died on the scene.
The suspects fled on a motorcycle with an accomplice toward the highway heading to Baggao town.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) condemned
the killing of Ventura and appealed to the authorities to apprehend his
killers and bring them to justice.
According to the police, the motive has yet to be determined. However, according to Inquirer, the CBCP said that Ventura was known for his opposition to mining and for helping the indigenous peoples of Cagayan.
PhilStar also quoted Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay, “There
is no doubt that there is a disturbing trend of church people being
persecuted for their stance and involvement in human rights.”
In a statement, Tuguegarao Archbishop Sergio Utleg called the death of Ventura a “brutal and cowardly act.” Utleg stressed, “We
just lost a young priest, zealous and dedicated, one who smelled like
his sheep, to an assassin’s bullet right after he said Mass and was
baptizing children. Let us offer our prayers for him, for his bereaved
family, and the lay faithful of our beloved Archdiocese.”
This is the second time that a Catholic priest was killed in Luzon
during the last five months. Father Marcelito Paez, a 72-year-old
retired Catholic priest, was fatally shot by unidentified gunmen last
December, just a few hours after he facilitated the release of a
political prisoner in Cabanatuan. His case remains unresolved.
Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “The deliberate attack on
Catholic priests in the Philippines is wicked and disheartening.
Religious clergy should be able to perform their duty and engage in
community work without fear, yet their lives were cut short for their
dedication to the people they served. ICC condemns the killing of Father
Ventura and calls for the government of the Philippines to bring
justice to the slain. The country should not add another name to the
list of murders carried out with impunity.”
For interviews with Gina Goh, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org
