FEBRUARY, 2022 – REFORMADVOCATE.COM NEWS/VIEWS Toronto, Canada Jeffrey S. Ram, Editor, February 1, 2022
INDIA-CHRISTIANS APPEAL TO PRESIDENT AND CHIEF JUSTICE FOR SAFETY
UCA News reported on January 20,2022, that the leaders of various Christian denominations of Madhya Pradesh state sent a memorandum to the President of India, Chief Justice, and others. They sought protection from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) affiliated organizations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its youth wing Bajrang Dal.
The leaders accused the state government and police authorities of supporting the Hindu groups’ terrorism and violence against Christians.
The memorandum appealed to the President, Chief Justice, and other constitutional authorities to protect Christians and help them lead their lives in peace.
According to the human rights group Open Doors, India ranks as the tenth most dangerous place to follow Jesus. Details at:
INDIA- MODI’S INDIA HAS NOW ENTERED GENOCIDALISM, THE MOST ADVANCED STAGE OF NATIONALISM
According to Professor Arjun Appadurai, an expert on the vicious cycle of nationalism and violence, “Modi’s India has now entered into the phase of genocidalism, the most advanced stage of nationalism. This stage, however, requires the open fuelling of the genocidal machine, even in the face of critics at home and the likely horror of critics abroad.”
Appadurai added, “The Haridwar Sansad of December 17-19, 2021, in this regard, offers a strong parallel with the infamous Wannsee Conference of January 1942, when the Final Solution was made into official Nazi policy.” Details at:
PAKISTAN- CHRISTIANS PROTEST AGAINST ABDUCTION OF CHRISTIAN GIRLS
Four teenage Christian girls were reportedly abducted in different cities in the first two weeks of January. The protest took place at Karachi Press Club on Jan. 17. Members of the human rights group Voice of Justice expressed grave concern about increasing cases of Christian girls' abductions, gender-based violence, and child abuse.
Voice for Justice organization demanded that "courts decide rapidly on cases where minors are abducted and forcefully converted and ensure that girls are brought back into the custody of their parents."
More than 1,000 women from Hindu and Christian communities are abducted and forcibly converted and married to Muslim abductors or rapists every year. Details at:
PAKISTAN – ONE PASTOR SHOT DEAD, ANOTHER INJURED
Mourners chanted, “Long Live Jesus Christ.”
in Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar, two assailants shot Pastor William Siraj and Pastor Patrick Naeem while returning home from church on Sunday, January 30. Pastor Siraj died instantly, but Pastor Naeem survived with a bullet wound. Police described it as a “terror attack.”
People chanted “Long Live Jesus Christ” as Pastor Siraj’s body was moved from the car. Church of Pakistan’s Bishop Azad Marshall said, “We demand justice and protection of Christians from the Government of Pakistan.”
In Open Doors’ 2022 world Watch report, Pakistan occupies second place in two categories - Where Christians Face the Most Violence and Where Christians Were Martyred Most. Pakistan also had the fourth-highest number of churches attacked or closed. Details at: https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/january/pakistan-priest-peshawar-church-parish-attack-sunday.html
WORLD - OPEN DOORS' 2022 REPORT ON WORLDWIDE PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS
On January19, Christian human rights group Open Doors released its 2022 World Watch List of the countries where it is most dangerous to be a Christian.
According to the Open Doors 2022 World Watch List (WWL) of Christian persecution, Nigeria has 4 out of 5 martyrs worldwide, China has 3 out of 5 church attacks, and Afghanistan is now worse than North Korea.
Overall, 360 million Christians live in nations with high levels of persecution or discrimination. That’s 1 in 7 Christians worldwide, including 1 in 5 believers in Africa, 2 in 5 in Asia, and 1 in 15 in Latin America. Open Doors reporting period: Oct. 2020 to Sept. 2021
Where It’s Hardest to Follow Jesus:
1. Afghanistan 2. North Korea 3. Somalia 4. Libya 5. Yemen 6. Eritrea 7. Nigeria 8. Pakistan 9. Iran 10. India
Where Christians Face the Most Violence:
1. Nigeria 2. Pakistan 3. India 4. Central African Republic 5. Democratic Republic of Congo 6. Mozambique 7. Cameroon 8. Afghanistan 9. Mali 10. South Sudan
Where Christians Were Martyred Most:
1.Nigeria: 4,650 2. Pakistan: 620 3. Name withheld: 100* 4. Burkina Faso 100* 5. Democratic Republic of Congo: 100 6. Mozambique: 100* 7. Central African Republic: 29 8. Cameroon: 27 9. Tanzania: 25 10. Indonesia: 15 Details at:
AFGHANISTAN- CHRISTIANS ARE THE FIRST TARGET FOR THE TALIBAN
According to the Open Doors 2022 World Watchlist, Afghanistan tops the list of the most dangerous countries to be a Christian.
David Curry, CEO of Open Doors said, “We believe that every Christian who's still in Afghanistan — and there are thousands of them — are either in hiding or on the run. That's what has raised Afghanistan to #1 on the World Watch List."
The human rights group International Christian Concern noted Taliban as one of the three top Persecutors of the Year. The ICC report cited the Taliban “going door-to-door to find out who is and isn’t going to the mosque” and searching the homes of Christians.
ICC President Jeff King remarked, “When you’re operating in a culture of radical, fundamentalist Islam, that means you have a bullseye on your back.” Details at:
NIGERIA – WHERE CHRISTIANS FACE THE MOST VIOLENCE
According to the Open Doors 2022 report, Nigeria is the most violent place globally for Christians, and Sub-Saharan Africa is the region where most Christians are attacked for their faith.
About 80 percent of the 5,898 Christians killed for their faith globally in 2021, 4,650 Christians were slaughtered by Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Fulani Militants.
Nigeria has been identified as one of the three top persecutors of Christians by the religious freedom advocacy group International Christian Concern. According to ICC report, ““Nigeria is one of the deadliest places on Earth for Christians, as 50,000 to 70,000 have been killed since 2000.”
Rev. Joseph John Hayeb, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Kaduna State, lamented, “This crime has government sponsorship. This crime has government backing. This crime has government approval.” Details at:
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE WORLD CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY TO TAKE STRONG ACTION AND STOP THE PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIAN MINORITIES.
[Toronto, Canada-based, ReformAdvocate.com encourages the Christian minorities, immigrants, women, elderly, and other weaker groups to empower themselves and others.]
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