Taliban is back in power again

 Everyone in the world except for the Biden Administration knew that as soon as the US troops were taken out of Afghanistan that the Taliban would quickly take over.  That is what happened over the weekend because if the Afghan people were not ready to fight for their land over the past 20 years, then they were never going to be ready to fight against the Taliban.

In this post from International Christian Concern, we learn about the fall of Kabul.

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 15, 2021, has sparked a wave of new religious freedom concerns across the Middle East. Numerous terrorist groups, many of which are supported by the Republic of Turkey, publicly commented that the Taliban’s conquest of Afghanistan’s capital inspires hope for their own regional ambitions. Since 2014 in particular, those regional ambitions have largely been defined by committing genocide against local religious minorities.

Many within the region are comparing the rapid fall of Kabul with the fall of Mosul to ISIS in 2014. Those terrorists involved in the fall of Mosul were quick to congratulate the Taliban. For example, Abu Maria al-Qahtani, a former Mosul policeman and former commander of Syria’s Jahbat al-Nusra, reportedly said, “The victory of the Taliban is a victory for the Muslims, a victory for the Sunnis, a victory for all the oppressed.”  

Many Iraqi Christians were quick to voice their own fears that, given this history and the current political climate, their own country is not far behind Afghanistan in terms of a major security crisis. For example, one Iraqi journalist tweeted, “If a similar takeover of state happens in Iraq, it won’t be ISIS. It’s the PMF (Popular Mobilization Forces), the IRGC-backed (Iranian-backed) groups in particular, that will run down the army and state security apparatus. They’re taking notes from the Taliban right now.”  

Meanwhile in Syria, several mosques in Afrin and Idlib celebrated the victory of the Taliban over Kabul by reportedly handing out sweets. Turkey was actively recruiting terrorists within Syria for deployment into Afghanistan by potentially integrating them into the country’s only defense contractor, SADAT. Recruitment tactics often use the language of targeting Christians. The success of the Taliban, coupled with the promise of employment legitimization, further gives the appearance of validating extremist activity inside Syria.  

Turkey’s use of mercenaries has effectively turned them into the main regional superpower, giving them significant influence within multiple countries. President Erdogan was actively conducting outreach to the Taliban, saying, “Turkey has nothing that contradicts their beliefs.” This past Wednesday, he invited the Taliban to Turkey, saying, “Our relevant institutions are working on it, including talks with the Taliban, and I may also receive the leader of the Taliban.”    

Turkey’s embrace and integration of terrorist organizations within its own platforms are directly tied to the worsening of religious freedom conditions within the region. Turkey’s MHP party, which has a political alliance with the ruling government and is connected to the extremist Grey Wolf movement, shared in a statement, “One hundred years of history, cultural and religious ties between Turkey and Afghanistan are the excuse and support for our presence in Kabul… Afghanistan is a Muslim country.”

This language mirrors similar rhetoric used by Turkish authorities to justify religious freedom violations across the Middle East. It is often paired with anti-refugee language. As the world’s largest receiver of refugees, many Christians fleeing persecution travel to Turkey. Turkey’s current anti-refugee language in response to the Afghan crisis further complicates the situation for Middle Eastern Christians needing relocation assistance. 

Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “The atmosphere throughout the Middle East region has changed with the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. The Middle East had just entered the recovery stages following the defeat of ISIS, an ideology predicated on the genocide of religious minorities. Now those same terrorists feel empowered by the Taliban’s resurrection and success in Kabul. When ISIS captured new territory, Middle Eastern governments largely condemned it. Now, particularly in the case of Turkey, we see similar activities openly legitimized. This is potentially a significant turning point for religious freedom across the Middle East. We are watching the Middle Eastern response closely and with great concern.”

For interviews, please contact: press@persecution.org.

Sharia law comes for the texts in Pakistan

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that a Christian woman in Pakistan has been arrested for allegedly violating the country’s notorious blasphemy laws after she received a text message on WhatsApp. Following the arrest, the Christian woman’s family fled into hiding due to death threats from religious extremists.

On July 29, Shagufta Rafiq was accused of committing blasphemy and arrested in an armed police raid on her home in Islamabad. Shagufta was charged under 295-A and 295-B of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and could face life in prison if convicted.

“It was July 29 when dozens of policemen and members of law enforcement agencies forcibly entered our house,” Rafiq Masih, Shagufta’s husband, told ICC. “They harassed my family and took possession of our phones, laptops, and other valuables. The police were fully loaded with guns and ordered us not to move and keep our hands up. They arrested Shagufta, my two sons, and my daughter without any prior information or arrest warrants.”

According to Rafiq, Shagufta was arrested because she is a member of a WhatsApp group chat where someone shared an allegedly blasphemous post. Shagufta was accused of committing blasphemy against Islam despite not being the author of the post in question.

“Shagufta was unaware of the post, but has been accused of forwarding it,” Masih explained. “Shagufta has denied this allegation.”

Following the raid on the family home, Shagufta’s children were released from police custody. However, Shagufta was kept and charged with committing blasphemy.

“Due to threats, my family has moved to another city without any of our valuables or households,” Masih told ICC. “The fanatics in the neighborhood did not allow us to take anything from our house with us.”

In Pakistan, false accusations of blasphemy are widespread and often motivated by personal vendettas or religious hatred. Accusations are highly inflammatory and have the potential to spark mob lynchings, vigilante murders, and mass protests.

Since Pakistan added Section 295-B and 295-C to the country’s blasphemy laws in 1987, the number of blasphemy accusations has skyrocketed. Between 1987 and 2017, 1,534 individuals in Pakistan were accused of blasphemy. Out of that 1,534, 829 accusations (54%) were made against religious minorities. With Christians only making up 1.6% of Pakistan’s total population, the 238 accusations (15.5%) made against Christians are highly disproportionate.

ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, William Stark, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are very concerned by Shagufta’s arrest and the blasphemy allegation that has been leveled against her. No one should face the prospect of life imprisonment for simply receiving a text message on WhatsApp. Pakistan’s blasphemy laws must not be allowed to be misused in this case. Too often these laws have been a tool in the hands of extremists seeking to stir up religiously motivated violence against minority communities in Pakistan.”

For interviews, please contact: press@persecution.org.

Why India will never become a superpower

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Hindu nationalist leaders in India held an anti-Christian rally in the Bastar District of Chhattisgarh state. At this rally, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) perpetuated false narratives against Christians and advocated for acts of violence against the Christian community.  

According to local reports, the anti-Christian rally took place on Tuesday, August 3, and was held in Jagdalpur, the district capital. While the event was highly promoted and attended by prominent leaders of the BJP, less than 500 people attended the rally.

Speaking at the rally, Amit Sahu, President of the Chhattisgarh BJP, said, “Let us drag people from the church and stop conversions at any cost.” Sahu went on to challenge those gathered at the rally to make the Bastar District a “conversion free zone.”

Roop Singh Mandavi, another leader of the BJP, said, “We will frighten Christians who are involved in conversion work in the region. We will not allow the missionary work to be carried on in Bastar and will protect the Hindu religion by stopping the conversions.”

Many Christians in Chhattisgarh fear that the rally will trigger another wave of Christian persecution. Last month, ICC documented several incidents of persecution in the Sukma District of Chhattisgarh after the Superintendent of Police issued a circular ordering district police to monitor Christians and arrest those engaged in illegal conversion activities.

“We took a long breath after seeing the poor show in attendance,” a Christian leader from Chhattisgarh, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told ICC. “It was expected that 10,000 to 12,000 people would turn up for the rally. This was very concerning, but less than 500 people attended.”

“Though the rally was not successful in terms of numbers, the Hindutva activists will be more aggressive,” a pastor from Jagdalpur told ICC. “It is their plan to do reconversion programs, particularly in the villages and interior places. We won’t know about these incidents of persecution because of the remoteness of these areas. Only God can save His people.”  

“The state is already in tremendous turmoil and Christians and pastors are targeted for what they believe and practice,” the pastor continued. “This rally will add fuel to the fire. We need prayers and someone to stand with us.”

Radical Hindu nationalists across India continue to promote false narratives against Christians to justify religious intolerance and violence. The issue of forced religious conversions is often used to vilify Christians and justify anti-Christian policies like anti-conversion laws.

In states where similar anti-conversion laws are enacted, including Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, they are widely abused. Radical nationalists falsely accuse Christians of forcefully converting individuals to Christianity to justify harassment and assault. Local police often overlook violence perpetrated against Christians due to false accusations of forced conversion.

To date, no individual has been convicted of forced conversions in India. This is even though some of the anti-conversion laws have been in force since 1967.

William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of Christians in the Bastar District of Chhattisgarh. Rallies like the one held on August 3 and hateful statements made by nationalist leaders often act as the trigger point for surges in persecution. In Uttar Pradesh, a similar promotion of anti-Christian narratives led to a wave of persecution and arrests. In the past seven weeks, at least 14 incidents of persecution have taken place in Uttar Pradesh, leading to the arrests of at least 45 Christians on trumped up forced conversion charges. Action must be taken against events like this to ensure they do not evolve into new waves of persecution.”

For interviews, please contact: press@persecution.org.

Terrorism continues to be committed by the Fulani

 Have you ever wondered why so many people leave Nigeria even though Nigeria is the richest country in Africa?  The reason is Islamic terrorism.

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that in the early hours of August 2, 2021, seven predominantly Christian communities in Plateau and Southern Kaduna, Nigeria, were attacked by Fulani militants. Sources in the communities disclosed that the bodies of forty-three persons, including women and children, have so far been recovered in villages of, Zirshe, Isho, Chuweh,  Kangbro, Dundu, Hwrra /Mai-Yanga and Angwan Magaji and Kigam. Several injured are currently receiving treatment in various hospitals. More than a hundred homes were also destroyed during the attacks.

These latest attacks came barely twenty-four hours after the Irigwe Development Association released a Press Statement raising the alarm - “the terror being unleashed by Fulani Herdsmen on Rigwe people has continued unabated and without any sign of remorse or regret.”  The August 1 press statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the Association, Davidson Malison, had it that on July 31, Fulani herdsmen’s militants launched attacks on Zanwra, Nche-Tahu, Rikwe-Rishe A &B, Ri-Dogo, Nchu-Nzhwa all under Kpatenwie (Jebbu-Miango) of Kpachudu Community in Miango District of Plateau State, setting homes ablaze. “The attacks which started around 7pm lasted for over four hours unhindered and undistracted,” according to the Press Statement, and seven persons were killed in this set of villages with unspecified number of injured persons.

A Pastor who is very familiar with the local communities attacked, Luka Ndohi, described the situation as “terrible.” He confirmed the attacks and further disclosed that a soldier also suffered gunshot wounds by the Fulani gunmen but could not tell whether the soldier survived. Assertions were that the number of the attackers seemed to have overwhelmed the few soldiers stationed in some of the communities though other views had it that the commander over those units, for whatever reasons, did not give orders to the soldiers to firmly engage the rampaging militants.

Responding to further enquiry on latest update on the attacks, the President of the Irigwe Development Association, Robert Ashi, lamented that corpses were being recovered from the bush, and not less than one hundred and two (102) houses across five villages have been burnt down while crops on farms measuring not less than twenty hectres have been destroyed. He described the situation as “catastrophic” and continued that “it is a form of genocide and I am yet to see the role of the Government in stopping it.  We are under siege!”

ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, Nathan Johnson, states, “these barbaric and devastating attacks must be stopped. The loss of so many lives with no support or aid from the government means that violent attackers are likely to continue their violence. The Nigerian government must figure out a way to stop these attacks quicker and then must severely pumish those who commit these atrocities.”

 
For interviews, please contact: press@persecution.org.

Arrested for travelling to Malaysia

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on July 28, five Christians from a house church in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province were arrested and detained for attending a Christian conference in Malaysia last year.

According to Preacher An Yankui from Xuncheng Reformed Church, one of their church members in Fenyang city named Zhang Ligong was detained on July 13 for his faith. After serving his 15-day administrative detention, he was released yesterday from the detention center. Two other church co-workers went to pick him up and were arrested on the spot.

In the meantime, the police arrested three other co-workers from their homes. The five of them all flew to Malaysia last year to attend the “KL2020 Gospel and Culture” Christian conference hosted by the prominent Chinese Indonesian pastor Stephen Tong.

From January 28 to 31, they heard from influential speakers such as Pastor Tim Keller and Pastor D.A. Carson, along with thousands of other participants. Yet, although they legally departed and returned to China with their passports, they are now being hit with trumped-up charges.

Preacher An Yankui sent out an urgent prayer request through Facebook yesterday, asking brothers and sisters to pay attention and pray for these arrested individuals. “May God never forsake His children and continue to grant mercy to His church on the path carrying the cross,” he stated.

At the time of writing, none of the family members have received a detention notice from the police. It is unclear how long they will be detained for.

Xuncheng Church has been heavily targeted in recent months, including constant harassment and the detention of a preacher and several members last November. One of the members, Zhao Weikai, was arrested on May 17. While he was initially accused of “committing religious fraud” and later released after 15 days of administrative detention, he was again arrested on July 7 and criminally detained for “allegedly possessing items that promote terrorism and extremism.” He can face up to three years of imprisonment.

Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager for Southeast Asia, said, “Since the Revised Regulations on Religious Affairs took effect in February 2018, the Chinese government has added more laws seeking to curb religious activities that are not state-sanctioned. Beijing is paranoid about Chinese Christians’ interaction with Christians overseas. As a result, they are penalizing Christians to deter them from ‘receiving foreign influence.’ It is a shame that the Chinese government constantly manipulates laws to violate the religious freedom of its citizens.”

For interviews, please contact Addison Parker: press@persecution.org.

Uttar Pradesh is utterly wack!

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that at least 30 Christians in India’s Uttar Pradesh state have been falsely accused of engaging in forced religious conversions and arrested in the last month. This new wave of persecution was triggered in late June after two Muslim men were arrested and charged under the state’s new anti-conversion law.

Hindu nationalists, including members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claimed that the two Muslim men were involved in the forceful conversion of more than 1,000 people. Using the incident as an opportunity for political gain, BJP politicians publicly lauded the arrests and warned against fraudulent conversions of Hindus to non-Hindu faiths.

Since then, ICC has documented at least 30 Christians in Uttar Pradesh being attacked by radical Hindu nationalists. In each of these incidents, perpetrators justified their attacks by falsely accusing their Christian victims of engaging in fraudulent conversions.

“This is a grave situation for Christians in the state,” a church leader, who requested anonymity, told ICC. “There is zero response from the Yogi administration, which empowers the attackers to do more.”

“The number of incidents and arrests in recent weeks shows increased persecution in Uttar Pradesh,” the church leader continued. “The attacks are mainly perpetrated by the hardcore Hindutva activists who enjoy the support of the politicians.” 

On June 27, Ram Keval and three other Christians were arrested as they attended a Sunday worship service in the Ambedkarnagar district. The four Christians spent 11 days in jail.

“We gathered with nearly 20 other people for Sunday worship,” Keval told ICC. “We were forcibly taken to the police station and later sent to jail for no crime.”

In a similar incident, Pastor Shiva Kumar and three other Christians were arrested by police on June 28 while attending a house dedication ceremony in Dhawrara. According to local reports, an unknown person called the police and claimed religious conversions were taking place at the ceremony.

Another nine Christians were arrested in two separate incidents on July 18. Sadhu Srinivas Gautham, one of the Christians arrested, reported that a mob of 25 radical Hindu nationalists stormed a prayer meeting he attended in Gangapur. The mob accused the Christians of illegally luring Hindus into converting to Christianity.

“They raged against me,” Gautham told ICC. “It was as if they wanted to kill me on the spot. However, police arrived and escorted us to the police station.”

“The police officer and officials from the district administration demonized us, saying we have deserted India’s traditional religion of Hinduism and have accepted a foreign religion,” Gautham continued. “They told us we should deny our Christian faith and go back to Hinduism.”

In states where similar anti-conversion laws are enacted, including Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, they are widely abused. Radical nationalists falsely accuse Christians of forcefully converting individuals to Christianity to justify harassment and assault. Local police often overlook violence perpetrated against Christians due to false accusations of forced conversion.

To date, no individual has been convicted of forced conversions in India. This is despite the fact that some of the anti-conversion laws have been in force since 1967.

William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are deeply concerned by the surge in persecution being reported in Uttar Pradesh. In the last month alone, at least 30 Christians have been arrested after being falsely accused of violating the state’s anti-conversion law. Like we have seen in other states, Uttar Pradesh’s anti-conversion laws provides a legal cover for radical Hindu nationalists seeking to persecute Christians. If the government of Uttar Pradesh allows this to continue, radical Hindu nationalists will know they have absolute impunity to harass Christians and close down their places of worship.”

For interviews, please contact Addison Parker: press@persecution.org.

Kidnapping continues in Nigeria

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that in the early hours of July 5, 2021, gunmen invaded Bethel Baptist High School, Damishi, in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria, and kidnapped 153 students. A statement released by the president of the Baptist Conference, Kaduna, Reverend Ishaya A. Jangado, stated, “We received a distress call in the early hours of Monday 5th July 2021, that bandits have attacked Bethel Baptist High School, Damishi Kaduna. The situation we have found ourself is indeed pathetic, particularly for the parents of the kidnapped students and the school community.”

As of July 6, 2021, 28 of the students were recovered, while 125 are still missing. In a brief comment, the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Kaduna State Chapter, Reverend Joseph Hayab disclosed that his son attends the same school and was among those who narrowly escaped. “When I heard the news, I kind of gave up, though still kept making some contacts. Surprisingly, I got a call later that my son had surfaced.” Rev. Hayab’s son told his father that when the gunmen entered, they ordered all of the children to lie down prostrate, while they started shooting. They then commanded all of the students to move out of the hostel. When some of the students ran out, the gunmen chased after them. Rev. Hayab’s son carefully escaped through another exit while the gunmen weren’t looking. When he noticed an adult running and recognized him as one of his teachers, he ran behind him and escaped. It was this teacher who called Hayab to inform him that his son escaped and was with him.

The Baptist Conference president stated that when he heard about the attack, he immediately contacted security operatives and mobilized other stakeholders for a rescue mission. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing. Commenting further, he said, “In Kaduna, there is no Islamic school that has been attacked in this manner. A mission school was targeted and they took away our students.” He offered words of comfort to parents of the students. “Our trust is in God, and I urge all our parents to remain calm and keep faith with God for there is nothing He cannot do. God Almighty will arise and intervene in this unfortunate incident.”

ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, Nathan Johnson, said, “We pray for those who have been taken. We pray that they are able to return home safely and swiftly to their families. We call on President Buhari and the government of Nigeria to step in and secure the release of these children, just as they did in the case of Dapchi and Kankara. They must act swiftly to ensure that none of these children are injured or killed. Governor El-Rufai must work with the community to ensure that these kinds of attacks do not continue.”

For interviews, please contact Addison Parker: press@persecution.org.