It seems Benedict XVI, alone among all world leaders, has paid any attention at all to the terrorist killings of Christians in Nigeria that is part of the worldwide step-up in anti-Christian persecution. Two reports underscore why the Nigerian situation must not be overlooked nor under-estimated...
What is the world doing about
anti-Christian killings in Nigeria?
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 14, 2012 (CNA) - The faith-based organization Release International has launched an emergency appeal for victims of extremist attacks in Nigeria.
So far over 100 Christians have been killed this year in violence perpetrated by the extremist Islamic group Boko Haram in Northern Nigerian regions.
Thousands of Christians who have fled their homes as a result of the recent militant atrocities have been helped by local churches and by the authorities. But the situation remains desperate so funds are still needed to provide vital support.
As well as counselling for victims of the violence and medical help, financial aid is also needed for those who have lost the family breadwinner.
Linda Bordoni spoke to Matt Constant, communications manager at Release International about the current appeal and about the work of the organization itself.
Constant explains that the Charity has been going for some 40 years, and its basic ethos is to support and to serve persecuted Christians around the world.
Release' works in more than thirty countries supporting Church leaders and especially Christian prisoners and their families, as well as supplying literature, Bibles, and working for justice.
As regards the month of prayer organized this March for Christian victims of the violence in Nigeria, Constant says 'Release' is also asking people to write to the Nigerian authorities expressing their concern and urging them to do all they can to tackle the rise of extremist violence in the country.
Constant explains that 'Release' depends on partners on the ground to provide trauma councelling and for getting aid to where it is needed.
North Korea is one of the countries on Release International's list of countries in need of help. Many Christians there, Constant says, are in concentration camps; "Christians can be arrested just for owning a Bible, and if a family member is arrested, then up to three generations of that family can be imprisoned". We know, he says, that Christians are under that kind of pressure as well as the pressure all North Koreans are under for living under dictatorship.
In addition, he says, there is a food crisis. Last year, Constants says, 'Release' handed in a petition to the North Korean Embassy in London with just over 50.000 names calling for religious freedom in North Korea, hoping it will speak to the authorities to bring about change.
This petition was also handed in to No. 10 Downing Street urging the British Government to press for change in North Korea. And Constant says, "Release" urges countries throughout the world, who may have influence there, to bring up human rights issues in North Korea whenever they can.
More generally, Constant speaks of the situation of North Korea where the people are living an extremely difficult life. He says that for example because of the malnutrition there, North Koreans are getting shorter, and so the army has lowered the height levels for people entering the military.
Constant also speaks of the situtation in Pakistan where he says there are two main areas of concern: first of all Christians in Christian communities who can come under pressure from time to time; but also, significantly those who want to convert to Christianity can find themselves in dangerous situations.
He said that 'Release' has campaigned against the blasphemy laws in Pakistan that affect both Christians and Muslims. He says these laws are often used for reasons that have nothing to do with blasphemy but are a way at getting at Christians for a series of matters.
Constant says awareness is in fact on the rise as regards persecution of Christian. But, he says, he fears that that is just among the Christian community.
He says it is an issue that needs to be raised, and he says Pope Benedict XVI's appeals for religious freedom are extremely significant. But he says the issue must become more mainstream, and must be an issue not only when a tragic event triggers short-term interest and concern.
Constant concludes talking about the faith-based Release International itself, which was founded by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who was imprisoned and tortured by the Romanian secret police in the 1950s and 1960s because of his Christian faith. When he came out of Romania he travelled the world raising awareness as to the plight of Christians.
He says that today 'Release' has various sister affiliates and welcomes the involvement of anyone who would like to contribute to its work and to its campaigns.
Anti-Christian enmity should be acknowledged
as the root of current Nigerian violence
by Michelle Bauman
Washington D.C., Mar 14, 2012 / 02:09 am (CNA).- A U.S. advocate for international religious freedom says an attack on a Catholic church in Nigeria shows how religious tension should be acknowledged as the cause of recent violence in the country.
Nina Shea, who directs the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., predicted that violence in Nigeria between Muslim extremists and local Christians will “continue and escalate” unless something is done to prevent it.
Shea told CNA on March 13 that at the root of the problem is the fact that neither the Nigerian nor the U.S. governments are “willing to call this a religious conflict.”
The Associated Press reported at least 10 deaths in violence surrounding a suicide car bomb attack at St. Finbar's Catholic Church in the middle of Mass on March 11.
The bombing took place in the city of Jos – an area plagued with conflict over the last decade – which then led to more violence, as young people retaliated by burning down homes later in the day, witnesses said.
Although no group immediately claimed responsibility for the suicide attack, the city has been the target of violence perpetrated by Boko Haram, a radical Islamic sect that has claimed responsibility for a series of bombings leading to dozens of Christian fatalities and injuries in recent months alone.
Shea observed that Nigeria is split almost evenly between followers of Islam and Christianity, and the government generally alternates between Christian and Muslim leadership.
Under leaders of either religion, Nigerian authorities have been “reluctant” to respond to such attacks, she said, explaining that they prefer to ignore such problems rather than demanding justice and accountability from those who perpetrate acts of violence.
The U.S. government has also “consistently declined to call this a primarily sectarian conflict,” despite the fact that Boko Haram has clearly-stated sectarian goals, including the forcible conversion of others to Islam, she added.
“This is a problem,” she said, because such “flawed analysis” will not lead to policies that respond properly to the situation.
Shea said that it is unclear whether this oversight is due to a “secular blind spot” or fear of what may happen if the violence is identified for what it truly is.
But while government officials ignore the central problem, Christians of all denominations are continuing to die for their faith, she said.
In her work as a U.S. commissioner on international religious freedom, Shea said that she recently met with an Anglican bishop from Nigeria, who told her that Christians in the region are “terrified.”
However the country still has a “rapidly growing Christian church” and problems between religions will not disappear.
While the U.S. has offered some help, Shea called the efforts inadequate for a country that is weighed down by corruption and a dysfunctional justice system.
Nigeria’s fate is important, she said, because the country is a regional leader. As the most populous country in Africa
[although the richest in terms of oil production], a shift away from peace and stability could lead other nations in the same direction.
Shea called on the United States to exercise leadership in addressing religious violence in Nigeria, beginning by accurately identifying the root of the problem as the sectarian conflict that it is.
If this does not happen, Shea fears that the situation in Nigeria may “spiral out of control,” resulting in “catastrophic” consequences for the whole region.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 15/03/2012 01:27]