The Islamic State released 10 Assyrian Christian hostages Tuesday night in the Tel Temir town in Hasakah province, northeastern Syria, but over 150 remain captured and threatened with death.
CHR Comment: Those released seem to be persons who could not easily be held in captivity (sick and elderly). The captors seek millions of dollars in ransom money. Terrorist groups use these methods as a form of fundraising.
Source: ISIS Releases 10 Assyrian Christian Hostages; Over 150 Remain Captured
Pope Francis traveled to Uganda’s holiest shrine on Saturday, paying tribute to 19th century Christian martyrs killed for their faith.
CHR Comment: The 47 Ugandan martyrs were burned by King Buganda Mwanga II. One issue was the king’s homosexual advances toward boy pages in his court. Martyr Charles Lwanga was killed for trying to protect these boys. The story of this martyr intersects with current issues of homosexuality. Uganda has passed strong laws against homosexual acts, though western officials have regarded such laws as repressive.
Source: Pope Francis Visits Ugandan Shrine Amid Gay Rights Debate – NBC News
In 2015, more than 50 attacks, in which almost 1,000 civilians were killed, were committed in the name of ISIL.
CHR Comment: The number of Christians martyred by ISIS in 2015 is not readily available. Among those mentioned on this map infographic would be the 21 Coptic Christians abducted this January in Libya. The Huffington Post story below gives a detailed account of some these men’s lives. The USA Today article includes another map as well as a point by point description of ISIS attacks. ISIS also targets non-Sunni Muslim groups, Yazidis, and anyone who stands in their way. Lord, have mercy on Your Church and all who face these terrorists.
Source: Mapping ISIL’s attacks in 2015 – Al Jazeera English
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/18/isis-christians-killed-_n_6703278.html
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/11/25/islamic-states-reach-extends-far-home/76379144/
Christians in the predominantly Muslim country of Sudan continue to suffer intense persecution, with the government engaging in a systematic destruction of churches, a conservative law group has warned.
CHR Comment: The Sudanese government is applying narrow interpretations of Sharia law to destroy church buildings and to persecute pastors. Some Muslim groups are also targeted. Since 2003, war in the region has led to more than 300,000 deaths.
Source: 3 Churches Destroyed in 1 Month Amid Rampant Christian Persecution in Sudan
Pope Francis is due in Kenya at the start of a three-nation visit to Africa, with thousands expected to come out to welcome him on his first visit to the continent.
CHR Comment: According to the article, the chief topics that Pope Francis will address are corruption, poverty, and religious conflict. In some of the nations he will visit, Muslims have attacked Christians (e.g., Kenya). African Catholics are gaining influence at the Vatican due to their increasing numbers. The article notes that one out of six Catholics lives in Africa.
Source: Pope Francis due in Kenya at start of African tour – BBC News
President Obama said Monday there should be no religious test for refugees fleeing the crosshairs of a bloody Syrian civil war and the expanding reach of ISIS, but critics contend the current refugee placement process is rigged against Christians and the administration has turned a blind eye to the bias.
CHR Comment: Christians are not going to the United Nations refugee camps that would allow them to apply for asylum since those camps include groups that would persecute Christian refugees. As a result, fewer Christian refugees are accepted into the United States. According to reporter Cody Derespina, even though Christians make up 10% of Syrian refugees, Christians only represent 1.6% to 3% of refugees granted asylum since the civil war started in 2011.
Source: Refugee resettlement process leaves Syrian Christians in the cold | Fox News#.VlJvt2Az9g4.email
When a mob of Muslims swooped on a little church deep in rural Aceh in Indonesia this month, the local police were nowhere to be seen, although they had received warnings of a possible attack.
CHR Comment: The article points out that the Christian population of Aceh Singkil province has grown from 6% to 11% since 2000. That is a substantial change, which perhaps explains why Muslims, such as the Islamic Defenders Front, are growing more violent. Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, has a Christian governor. Christians and Muslims intermarry and convert to one another’s religions.
Source: In Indonesia, minorities under threat from Muslim hardliners
If you look to the left as your plane approaches the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport near Jakarta, one can easily see the 153-foot Christ Blessing statue in off in the distance in Manado City.
CHR Comment: Christians in the Aceh region face opposition from the Muslim majority. The region is governed by Sharia law. In October a group of Muslim’s carrying axes and machetes attacked a church in Suka Makmur. 8,000 Christians were “displaced”; one person, thought to be a Muslim attacker, died from a gun shot. Tensions are increasing in the capital, Jakarta, as Christians from outlying areas move into the city to find work. Attempts to start churches are being violently opposed or stopped through prejudicial regulations.
CHR Comment: An Aid to the Church in Need representative predicts that the c. 260,000 Christians in the region could be martyred or forced to emigrate if the ISIS Caliphate continues to grow. The article questions what Christians in other parts of the world should or could do to help Iraqi believers.
Source: ‘Convert or Die’: In a caliphate-ridden Iraq, Christians face ultimate choice | Fox News
The question of forgiving someone who did not ask for forgiveness was raised by the recent shooting at Emanuel AME Church. We have the example of St. Stephen who prayed of those killing him, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” We likewise have the example of Jesus praying, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Charleston shooting: Emanuel AME holds Bible study – CNN.com.
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