Children burned to ashes by Boko Haram

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that at least 58 students were killed after Islamic militants attacked a secondary school in northeastern Nigeria late Monday night, February 24. The militants, suspected to be connected to Boko Haram, blocked the exits of a boys' dormitory, set it on fire and killed the boys who tried to escape the flames. Many of the boys who could not escape were burned alive. In an interview with Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Ibrahim Abdul, a teacher at the Federal Governmental College located in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, said the militants arrived at the school "around 11:30 p.m. and operated till around 4 a.m., killing 29 students." According to the most recent reports, at least 58 young men were killed in the attack. Many witnesses reported the Boko Haram militants either shot or slit the throats of boys who attempted to escape the burning buildings, but many died in the flames. "Some of the students' bodies were burned to ashes," Police Commissioner Sanusi Rufai toldCBS News. One Christian charity active in Nigeria claims the death toll could rise above 100. "I heard the cries of some people outside the school even before they [the militants] invaded the school," a student who survived the attack told Open Doors International, as reported by  Christian Today. "From where I was hiding I could hear other students crying at the top of their voices. I saw fire on the roofs of the hostels and other buildings in the school. But God saved my life. After they killed the students and burnt the structures, they fled."    In an interview with ICC, Special Counsel for The Justice for Jos Project, Emmanuel Ogebe linked attacks on federal schools to Christian persecution and explained why the Christian population is hard hit by these attacks. "There are already confirmed reports of Christian victims," Ogebe said. "There is a high likelihood that many Christians attended the school since many northern state governments, like Yobe, spend public funds on Islamic schools and discourage Christian schools," Ogebe explained."The federal schools [like the school in Buni Yadi] afford a rare opportunity for Christians to send their kids to government-owned non-Islamic school."  Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is a sin," has a stated goal of establishing a separate Islamic state in Nigeria's northern and central regions where it can implement its ultra-conservative interpretation of Sharia law. Boko Haram often targets schools, government institutions and religious minorities, mostly Christians, as part of a broader strategy to create a purely Islamic society in northern Nigeria. In 2012, Boko Haram demanded all Christians living in northern and central Nigeria to flee south. Since then, Boko Haram has targeted the Christian minority with church bombings, drive-by shootings and deadly raids on Christian villages as part of its strategy to 'purify' northern and central Nigeria. ICC's Regional Manager, William Stark, said, "Boko Haram continues to operate almost unchallenged in northern Nigeria, unleashing unending violence on civilian populations. This heinous attack on the school in Yobe state comes less than a week after Boko Haram militants raided the Christian village of Izghe in Borno state, killing over 100 Christian villagers because of their religious identity. ICC has applauded action taken by the U.S. to designate Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2013, but more decisive action must be taken. The Nigerian government, who declared a state of emergency in several of Nigeria's northern states, has shown an inability or unwillingness to protect civilians from Boko Haram. If no decisive action is taken either by the U.S. or Nigeria, the unbelievable violence being perpetrated in Nigeria will continue to accelerate and will likely reach genocidal levels in the near future if it has not already."

For interviews, contact William Stark, Regional Manager for Africa:  RM-AfricaAsia@persecution.org

7 Egyptian Christians killed in Libya

International Christian Concern (ICC) is deeply troubled by the brutal killing of seven Egyptian Christians who were working in Benghazi, Libya. The bodies of the seven men were discovered by Libyan authorities Monday morning on a beach in a suburb east of Benghazi. The men were found with their hands bound and appeared to have been executed, security officials  reported. According to ICC sources in Egypt, Sunday evening, February 23, masked gunmen broke into a building housing Egyptian workers and began asking the residents whether they were Muslim or Christian. Upon entering a first floor apartment and after hearing that the eight men were Christians they forced the men outside and loaded them into a vehicle. Tony Sabry, media spokesman for the Maspero Youth Union told ICC, they were "killed because they are Christians. The killers asked them to show them the right hands to see the sign of the cross on their hands and when they saw the cross they knew that they are Christians," he said. One of the men who was in the apartment, Kareem Rizk, was able to escape and went to the Egyptian embassy to report the abduction. He was able to provide authorities with the names of the seven men who were killed. They are: Talaat Sadeek Bibawi, Hani Habib Girgis, Ndha Habib Girgis, Fathi Fawzi Sadeek, Edward Nashed Boles, Ayoub Sabri Tawfik, and Sameh Tawfik Roman, as reported by Elfagar News. The security situation in Libya has been extremely unstable in recent months. Since the removal of Muammar Gaddafi, Libyan Islamists "have been carrying out the Islamic mission of religious cleansing through discrimination, kidnapping, and execution," Dr. Ashraf Ramelah, President of Voice of the Copts, told ICC. "Even though democracy was the stated goal of Gaddafi's toppling it was not the goal of his murder in the street by Islamists," he continued. Egyptian Christians have faced abuse on multiple occasions in Libya over the past few years. In March of 2013, dozens of Egyptians were detained and, in some cases, tortured over accusations of proselytizing, Mina Thabet of the Maspero Youth Union toldMideast Christian News. This incident came just a few months after an Egyptian church was burned down resulting in two deaths and multiple injuries.    Commenting on this latest incident, Hal Meawad, spokesman for Coptic Solidarity told ICC, "The execution of the seven Copts in Libya is a big sign for the whole world to see about the suffering of the Christian minority in the Middle East." Meawad continued, "We don't need tears and mourning of the dead. We need action to preserve lives and alleviate the suffering of the innocent before it is too late." Todd Daniels, ICC Regional Manager for the Middle East, said, "The brutal execution of seven Egyptian Christians on the basis of their religious identity is troubling. This is just the latest example of the horrific dangers of religious extremism. We urge the Libyan officials to quickly and thoroughly investigate this matter and bring those guilty of this crime to justice. We urge for the Egyptian government and the United States to strongly condemn these actions and assist the Libyan government in strengthening its institutions to combat this extremism."

For interviews, contact Todd Daniels, Regional Manager for the Middle East: RM-ME@persecution.org

North Korea arrests another missionary

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Australian missionary John Short, 75, was arrested by North Korean authorities on Sunday in the nation's capital, Pyongyang. John, a career missionary based in Hong Kong, was traveling to the reclusive nation with a tour group and was carrying Christian literature translated into Korean. In an interview this morning with ICC, John's wife, Karen, revealed that the Beijing-based tour company John had been traveling with had initially made contact with North Korean authorities on Monday and inquired about his whereabouts. The North Korean authorities reportedly responded, saying, "It's a very serious charge we have against him. He's carrying illegal materials and we have made no decision as to what we will do with him."  Karen says this was the last time the North Korean authorities could be reached by the Beijing-based tour company. North Korea is widely regarded as the world's worst persecutor of Christians, with as many as 50,000 North Korean Christians believed to be imprisoned in concentration like camps around the country where starvation and arbitrary executions are common. A landmark United Nations report on Monday condemned North Korea for "crimes against humanity" and specifically noted that "severe punishments are inflicted on people caught practicing Christianity." In November, ICC reported that several Christians had been publicly executed in cities across North Korea for the "illegal possession of Bibles." Referring to the tremendous amount of attention the case has been receiving after news broke of her husband's arrest earlier today, Karen told ICC, "It's been quite grueling. Nothing compared to what I imagine John is going through though. I'm being held up by the Lord's people in prayer. I really am. I'm so thankful." In a separate interview with Reuters, Karen also said that John is unflinching about his Christian beliefs and had even read his Bible openly in front of North Korean officials on a previous trip to the country. "He won't be intimidated by the Communists," she said. "He's courageous. This is my husband's character." Originally from Barmera in southern Australia, John moved to Hong Kong in 1964. He and his wife, Karen, raised three sons in Hong Kong while running a Christian bookstore called the Christian Book Room. John now joins Kenneth Bae, an American missionary detained in North Korea on Nov. 4th, 2012, as the second foreign missionary to be detained by the regime in recent years. Ryan Morgan, International Christian Concern's Regional Manager for Southeast Asia, said, "I was terribly saddened to hear the news this morning that John had been taken into custody by the North Korean authorities. I had the great pleasure of meeting John and Karen last year in Hong Kong and got a very real sense of their genuine love for the people of China and North Korea. It is so rare to meet anyone who has dedicated more than 40 years of their life to bringing hope and healing to a people not their own. John, Karen, and their family will be in our constant prayers as we take every step possible to advocate for his release. We also take this time to remember the hundreds of thousands of Christians in North Korea who must practice their faith in absolute secrecy and for the thousands more facing unimaginable horrors while imprisoned by the regime in concentration camps."

For interviews, contact Ryan Morgan, Regional Manager for Southeast Asia:   RM-SEAsia@persecution.org

Pastor Kashkumbayev released from prison

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that retired Pastor Bakhytzhan Kashkumbayev has been released on three years' probation following a grueling imprisonment and trial. Released on February 17th after being found guilty of intentionally "harming the health" of a parishioner, Kashkumbayev is not allowed to leave Kazakhstan. His lawyer said, "In my experience as a lawyer, this is one of the strangest cases I have seen...." Despite the fact that Judge Gulzhakhan Ubasheva of Astana's Almaty District Court No. 2 found Kashkumbayev guilty, those close to the pastor are rejoicing that he is now out of prison and able to seek medical care. "I have a wonderful news!" a source told ICC."Today [Pastor  Kashkumbayev] came home!" According to Felix Corley of Forum 18, Kashkumbayev must pay a fine of 2 million tenge ($10,800 USD) for "moral damages" to his alleged "victim," who denied any harm to her health. Pastor Kashkumbayev's lawyer, Nurlan Beysekeyev, spoke with Forum 18 after the verdict saying, "In my experience as a lawyer, this is one of the strangest cases I have seen in terms of legality.  It was not just strange, but from the standpoint of the law, all types of violations occurred, when the case was opened, when it was being investigated and during the trial." Originally, five charges, including extremism, were brought against Kashkumbayev. Without disclosing their reasoning, prosecutors dropped four of those charges, leaving only Criminal Code Article 103, Part 1, which accused the pastor of "intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm" by putting hallucinogens in the communion juice.  Thousands of concerned individuals across the world signed petitions and called the embassy demanding Kashkumbayev's release. ICC thanks  other key organizations, such as Russian Ministries and Forum 18, who worked tirelessly to report on this case and advocate on behalf of the pastor. Jeff King, President of ICC, referred to ICC's many interactions with the Kazakh embassy, including a meeting with Ambassador Kairat Umarov scheduled for February 19th, saying, "We appreciate the embassy's help in getting this issue resolved." Corey Bailey, Regional Manager for Central Asia, said, "We are rejoicing at the release on probation of Pastor Kashkumbayev, who is no longer being tortured in prison. Though not allowed to leave the country, he is now able to receive the medical help he has been denied since his arrest in May 2013. We support his lawyers' decision to appeal the wrongful 'guilty' charge and exorbitant fine. We are grateful for all those who remembered Kashkumbayev in prayer and relentlessly advocated for his release."

For interviews, contact Corey Bailey, Regional Manager for Central Asia:  RM-Asia@persecution.org

Slaughter by Boko Haram continues unabated

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that106 Christians were brutally murdered by suspected Boko Haram militants in an attack on a Christian village in northern Nigeria over the weekend. According to reports, the vast majority of the Christians killed were men rounded up by the militants and executed by either having their throats slit or being shot in the village square. This marks the deadliest single attack on Christian in Nigeria in months. According to  BosNewsLife, the attacked on the Christian village of Izghe, located in Nigeria's northern state of Borno, began late Saturday night, Feb. 15.  Around one hundred militants, suspected by Nigerian government officials to be connected to the Boko Haram terrorist network, wearing military uniforms surrounded the village with armed vehicles and began to round up Christian men living there. After rounding up a large group of Christian men, the militants began to execute them in the village square. Survivors of the attack reported to the BBC that many of the Christian victims were shot, but several had their throats slit by the militants. Next, the militants went door to door in the village searching for Christian men they failed to kill in the village square. In total, it is believed that 106 Christians were murdered in the attack on Izghe, which lasted 5 hours. Of those 106, 105 were men and 1 was an elderly woman trying to protect her grandson, the senator of Borno state told the BBC. "All the dead bodies of the victims are still lying in the streets," resident Abubakar Usman told Reuters. "We fled without burying them, fearing the terrorists were still lurking in the bushes."      Boko Haram is an Islamic terrorist network group currently fighting the Nigerian government for control of northern Nigeria. The Boko Haram group desires to establish a separate Islamic state in Nigeria's northern states where it can enact an ultra conservative interpretation of Sharia law. Since beginning its armed insurgency in 2009, Boko Haram has killed thousands of people in Nigeria, often targeting Christians for some of the most brutal acts of violence. In early 2012, Boko Haram leaders demanded all Christians to leave northern Nigeria so that the group could create a purely Islamic society. Since then, Boko Haram has perpetrated church bombings, drive-by shootings and Christian pogroms across northern Nigeria. ICC's Regional Manager for Africa, William Stark, said, "The attack on Izghe marks the single deadliest attack on Christian in months. 106 Christians were murdered in Izghe for no other reason than their religious identity. Attacks like the attack on Izghe are meant to terrorize the Christian community that continues to live in northern Nigeria. The United States designated Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2013, which would allow the U.S. to take more direct action against the terrorist network.  Unfortunately, the U.S. has yet to do this. The Nigerian government continues to fail protect Christian villages and has allowed hundreds of Christians to be killed in 2014 already. More decisive action must be taken to end the bloodshed. If action is not taken, the slaughter of Christians in northern Nigeria could reach genocidal levels in the near future."

For interviews, contact William Stark, Regional Manager for Africa:  RM-AfricaAsia@persecution.org

Dealing with persecution in Pakistan

Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws continue to be at the root of many incidents of Christian persecution in the South Asian country. The simple accusation of a Christian blaspheming against Islam is enough to incite mob violence, extrajudicial killings and the destruction of entire Christian communities. Unfortunately, these extreme reactions have led to Pakistan's blasphemy laws being among the most abused laws in the land. Sometimes used to settle personal scores, other times used to pressure Christians into renouncing their faith, Pakistan's blasphemy laws are routinely used as the weapon of choice for extremists looking to persecute Christians. For one Christian family in Pakistan, the blasphemy laws have been used against them in this way for generations.  Family Forced to Flee Blasphemy and Forced Conversion    Zafar* Masih (name changed for security reasons), now age 65, used to live in a small settlement in Pakistan's Punjab province with his wife and children. In that small settlement, he taught at a small government school. Because he was a religious minority working at the school, several of his Muslim colleagues tried to get him to convert from Christianity to Islam. After Zafar refused several times, his fellow Muslim teachers became upset. They didn't understand why Zafar didn't want to convert to Islam. Unfortunately, some of these teachers felt so insulted that they generated a plan to teach Zafar a "lesson." On October 2, 2000, while Zafar was teaching his students, one of his Muslim colleagues burst into his classroom and accused Zafar of desecrating the name of the Prophet Muhammad by writing it on the ground. The colleague was then joined by several others in Zafar's classroom. The group began to shout that Zafar had blasphemed against Islam. Using the blasphemy accusation as leverage, Zafar's Muslim colleagues gave Zafar 20 days to convert to Islam or else they would officially file the blasphemy accusation against him at the local police station. They also threatened that "something" bad would happen to his family. Although Zafar's colleagues never officially registered the blasphemy accusation against Zafar, his colleagues did follow through on their other threats. On October 23, Zafar and his entire family were abducted by Islamic extremists and were forced to sign documents stating they had converted to Islam. Zafar and his family were also forced into reciting the Shahada (the Muslim profession of faith). After this attack, the family fled to one of Pakistan's larger cities and went into hiding, leaving behind their home and all of their belongings.    Sons Inherited the Persecution of their Father Unfortunately, that is not where the suffering of this Christian family ended. After being forced to flee due to the threat of a blasphemy accusation and the attempted forced conversions, Zafar and his family believed they had found safety hiding in one of Pakistan's major cities. Unfortunately, the persecution that happened in their hometown followed them to their hiding place in the city. In June 2010, Zafar's oldest son, Awais* (name changed for security reasons), was attacked and kidnapped by three masked men. While in captivity, the kidnappers tortured Awais and told him they knew his father had been accused of blasphemy and that his entire family had converted to Islam. Again under torture and the threat of a new blasphemy accusation, Awais was forced to convert to Islam. After about a week, Awais was released and he fled to a new hiding place. Then, in October 2013, the family was struck another blow when Zafar's youngest son, Younis* (name changed for security reasons), was accused of circulating text messages profaning the Prophet Muhammad. "My son had been forced to leave a job at a factory after Muslim colleagues attempted to persuade him to convert to Islam,"Zafar told ICC in an interview. When their attempts to convert Younis became aggressive, Younis left the factory and established a successful garment shop. In late September or early October, Younis lost his mobile phone along with the SIM card registered to his name. "Unfortunately, he did not deactivate his SIM," Zafar told ICC. Then, on October 2, a former colleague from the factory who had participated in the attempts to convert Younis to Islam filed a statement with the police claiming Younis had circulated blasphemous text messages. Upon hearing a blasphemy accusation was filed against him, Younis immediately went into hiding; however, he was discovered on October 10 by police and severely beaten before being locked up where he has remained awaiting trial.  One Christian Family's Bleak Future For Zafar and his family, blasphemy accusations, forced conversion and other forms of persecution have forced them into living a life dominated by fear and pain. With one son facing a blasphemy accusation that could earn a death sentence and other children who will likely be forced to face more persecution due to the stigma of being related to an accused blasphemer, the future of this Christian family does not look bright. This story, unfortunately, is not as exceptional as one would think or hope. Thousands of Christian families across Pakistan daily live with the threat of a false blasphemy accusation overshadowing their ability to exercise their Christian faith freely. Without change, persecution and false blasphemy accusations will continue to torment and destroy the lives of countless Christians who are forced to call Pakistan home.

For interviews, contact William Stark, Regional Manager for Africa:  RM-SAsia@persecution.org

More abductions in Egypt

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that at least eight Egyptian Christians from the Minya province have been abducted since January 25, 2014. The abductions, thought to be carried out by members of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), are just a handful among the hundreds of similar cases in the last few years.   On January 25, a "Muslim mob" abducted a 17-year-old Christian boy named Marcos Zakaria, Ezzat Ibrahim, the director of the World Center for Human Rights in Minya and Assiut, told ICC. Zakaria lived in Upper Egypt in Dier Mawas city in Minya province and is a student in his final year of secondary school. The kidnappers"contacted his family demanding a ransom of million Egyptian pounds for his return,"said Ibrahim. On February 1, a 10-year-old boy named Marcos Ibrahim Ayoub, was abducted "by a Muslim mob" from his father's farm in the village of Barsha in Minya Province, Ibrahim told ICC. That same day, in Khanka city in Qalyubia Governorate, a 10-year-old Christian girl named Sandy Girgis Ramses was kidnapped in a similar fashion while she was playing in front of her home, Ihab Mourad, a Christian in Khanka, told ICC. In both cases, the kidnappers have demanded ransom, though neither of the children has yet to be recovered. Shop owner, 23-year-old Nazlat El Malak, was abducted from his store on February 1 when he refused to pay extortion fees to "armed Muslim thugs," according to Nashat Khalf, a Christian in Sahel Selim. El Malak is from Sahel Selim city in the Assiut Governorate. The day before, on January 31, those same thugs stole a car and pick-up truck from Christians and demanded they be given an exorbitant fee for their return. On February 2, "masked Muslims abducted Esther Kadis at gunpoint while she was on her way to church," said Ayoub Wasfy, a Christian from her city, Nag Hammadi. That same day, police arrested the kidnappers and released Esther back to her family. "On Monday evening, February 3, a mob of armed Muslims abducted two Christians at gunpoint," said Ibrahim. The two men, Ashraf Sobhi Khalil and Magdy Fayez, are residents of Deir El Malak village and El Bayadeya village respectively. Known to be Christians, the men were transporting sand when they stopped to change a flat tire and were abducted. The kidnappers have demanded a ransom from each of their families. On Tuesday, February 4 a 25-year-old Christian, Kerolos Adel Abdel-Malak, was abducted at gunpoint enroute from Minya city to his home in the village of Towa. The kidnappers demanded a ransom for his safe return and threatened his family that they"will kill him if they report this to the police,"  Ibrahim told ICC. Jeff King, president of ICC says, "It is clear that Muslim radicals, most likely MB members, are targeting Christians in Egypt, specifically in the Minya province. It is in Egypt's best interest to pay attention to and do something about this matter, as funds received from these illegal activities likely fuel the MB radicalism that is tearing at the very fabric of this great country."

For interviews, contact Todd Daniels, Regional Manager for the Middle East: RM-ME@persecution.org

Obama speech at 2014 national prayer breakfast

International Christian Concern (ICC) applauds remarks made by U.S. president Barack Obama on the topic of international religious freedom and religious persecution. In his remarks, made in a speech at the annual national prayer breakfast in Washington D.C. earlier today, the president pledged to elevate religious freedom as a part of U.S. foreign policy and addressed specific cases of religious persecution. "Today, we profess the principles we know to be true...the right of every person to practice their faith how they choose, to change their faith if they choose, or to practice no faith at all, and to do this free from persecution and fear," said the president. He went on to add, "...promoting religious freedom is a key objective of U.S. foreign policy. And I'm proud that no nation on Earth does more to stand up for the freedom of religion around the world than the United States of America." The remarks come at a time when religious minorities, including Christians, are facing unprecedented levels of violence and government restrictions around the world. According to a report published in January by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, Christians face hostility and violence in 110 countries and hostility towards religion globally has reached the highest level recorded in the six years since the report began. In addition, persecution watchdog organizations reported last month that the number of Christian martyrs worldwide had doubled between 2012 and 2013. The president's speech also comes little more than three months after America's top ambassador for international religious freedom, Suzanne Johnson Cook, unexpectedly resigned from her post at the State Department after 30 months on the job. President Obama has previously been criticized for leaving the position vacant for nearly a year- and-a-half after his first inauguration in 2009. The president apparently sought to allay these concerns in his speech today, saying, "I look forward to nominating our next ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom to help lead these efforts."   Towards the end of his remarks, the president also called for the release of Pastor Saeed Abedini and missionary Kenneth Bae, both Christians and U.S. citizens imprisoned for more than a year in Iran and North Korea, respectively, as a result of work related to their faith. Members of the international religious freedom community, including International Christian Concern, have long pushed for the White House to publicly call for the release of these prisoners and to dramatically step up the nation's commitment to international religious freedom as a foreign policy priority. Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, said, "It was very encouraging to hear the president's comments today on religious freedom and persecution, but words must be backed with action. I want to reiterate the call we made to President Obama on November 13 of last year to swiftly appoint a highly qualified ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom to fill the empty position at the State Department. I also welcome the president's commitment to work more closely with religious leaders and faith communities on issues of international religious freedom. Religious persecution is one of the greatest human rights issues of our time, and tragically one of the most overlooked. Every day thousands upon thousands of men, women, and children face violence and discrimination simply because of their religious beliefs. Any assistance the administration can offer in helping us to relieve their suffering is welcome."

For interviews, contact Isaac Six, ICC's Advocacy Manager:  advocacy@persecution.org