Tag: church

Niger: 45 to 61 Churches Attacked in Opposition to Free Press

In the African nation of Niger, reports state between 45 to 61 churches were set on fire by extremist opposed to the cartoons published by the Charlie Hebdo magazine in France, under their freedom of press. These attacks happened over the weekend of January 17-18, 2015, and more details are coming out. The extremist attacks also resulted in 10 killed, as part of attacks also on a local bar owned by people from France, as well as attacks on the Niger police, and burning of Niger police vehicles.

Niger: Evangelical church in Niger torched (Source: Danette Childs)

Many of the attacks on Christian houses of worship were in the Niger capital city of Niamey.

Niger: Protesters Burn Roadblock in January 17, 2015 Protests (Source: AP Photo/APTN)

CNN and AFP reported: “AFP, the France-based news wire service, said police reported that 173 people have been injured; at least 45 churches have been ‘set ablaze in the capital (Niamey) alone,’ and a ‘Christian school and orphanage were also set alight.’ Numerous sites were pillaged before being burned. Video from Niamey showed protesters waving Qurans and yelling ‘God is great’ while tearing apart Bibles and throwing them onto the ground.”

Niger: January 17 Protests with Burning Police Vehicle

AP and local Nigerian media also reported that 45 churches were attacked in Niger.

A Christian outreach organization, Open Doors, with Christians in the nation of Niger, stated that 61 churches had been burned over the weekend, according to missionary Neal Childs. Mission Networks News (MNN) reported that “61 churches in Niger over the weekend” were attacked by protesters torching the churches.

Niger: Despite the burning of church, this Bible wasn't completely burned. (Source: Danette Childs)

MNM interviewed Neal Childs, who stated: “Last week, churches all across the nation went on without any idea that churches would be burned. Four of our churches were attacked. Three [they] actually got in and did great damage. Two of our pastors’ homes were also burned. A Bible school was also burned.” According to MNM, “Childs says the attacks happened simultaneously in Niamey. It appears police and other security officers were overwhelmed and couldn’t control it.”

Niger: Arson Terror Attack on St. Gabriel Church (Source: Redemptorists)

According to the Redemptiorists, “[i]n Niamey, the churches of St. Paul, St. Augustine, St. Gabriel, St. John, St. Theresa and St. Joseph were burned down and looted, as well as two convents of religious women.” the Redemptorists reported “[i[n the Dioceses of Maradi and Niamey, several churches were burned down along with some religious houses that were attacked. Other Protestant churches were also damaged by the demonstrators.”

Niger: Arson Terror Attack on St. Gabriel Church (Source: Redemptorists)

Similar protests on Friday in the second city of Zinder also saw five people killed and 45 wounded. AFP also reported that “The death toll from riots a day earlier in Niger’s second city of Zinder had climbed from four to five after a body was found ‘burned inside a church,’ he added.”

Niger: Arson Terror Attack on St. Gabriel Church (Source: Redemptorists)

The attacks by extremists and violent mobs against any house of worship anywhere in the world is a direct attack on our shared universal human rights.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) rejects the efforts of extremist mobs, organizations, and individuals to attack the universal human rights of all. Our support for those we find holy cannot be honored by unholy violence and hatred. Our religious freedoms cannot be supported by denying the religious freedom of others. We support all of our universal human rights, including our freedom of press, freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, human dignity, and our shared security.

Nigeria: 185 Churches Burned by Boko Haram

In Nigeria, the Nigeria news is reporting that “185 churches have been razed and 190,545 people displaced.” This was after the global terror organization Boko Haram’s attack on Nigerian towns in Borno and Adamawa states.

This was announced by the Director of Communications of the Diocese, Fr. Gideon Obasogie, who stated these crimes against our fellow human beings, against houses of worship, and against our universal human rights were perpetrated by Boko Haram. Fr. Gideon Obasogie indicated that these 185 churches were burned (torched) in the Maiduguri Diocese. The territory of the Maiduguri Diocese includes the states of northern Nigeria: Borno, Yobe, and some areas of Adamawa.

Fr. Gideon Obasogie issued a signed press statement tagged “state of captured towns;” and made available to newsmen in Maiduguri, the state capital.

On October 6, 2014, the Nigerian “The Vanguard” newspaper and other news media reported on this. The Vanguard stated: “185 churches in the diocese were torched and 190, 545 people displaced.” It also reported: “According to the statement, the “ransacking and torching” of churches in the captured towns and villages, have already displaced many priests, and are taking refuge in either Yola or Maiduguri metropolises for the last one or two months.”

“He said the capturing of towns along with the torching of about 185 places of worship is, ‘sad, heart arching and potentially dangerous to the territorial integrity and common good of Nigeria.’

Fr. Gideon Obasogie reportedly stated: “It is over 30 days now that our Church communities in Gulak, Shuwa, Michika, Bazza…. were sacked by the callous attacks of the Boko Haram terrorists. While Gwoza and Magadali had been under the tyrannical and despotic control of the terrorists and this is almost the sixtieth day. Our Priests are displaced, while citizens, who were supposed to celebrate their independence as a free Nation, were rather counting their losses and regrets as they had been reduced to the status of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs. Where is the freedom? Life is really terribly difficult. We are waiting eagerly to go back home, even as it is obvious that we are going to reconstruct our looted and burnt houses and ecclesiastical structures. We have been sacked for months, sleeping in uncompleted buildings, camps and school premises.”

“We have been absorbed into houses of relations and friends in sixties and seventies. Meals time is always difficult and shameful. We have counted weeks rolling into months, must we also count years? We are waiting to go back home! Nigerians are waiting to go back to their ancestral homes!!! Our minds are greatly troubled, do we think about our status, Or about our family members yet to be connected with ever since we fled our homes?”

“Do we worry about our aged parents who were not so strong to run, they always fed us with words of encouragement and wisdom. Do we worry about our sick members, women and infants who had been trapped? Most of whom we heard had been rape and killed. Or worry about the health, education and future of our children? We have got a lot of questions yet to be answered.”

“Talking about resumption, our children have not been fed and well clothed so resumption to schools is practically out of our calculation. In our opinion if thousand of Nigerian children can’t go to school then in the long run boko is really haram.”

“While our people perish inaction, or rather slow action is what we get. Political activities in neighboring communities were on-going as though nothing were a stake.”

Nigeria: 50 Churches Burned, 500 Christians Killed

Attacks in Nigeria are being reported that 50 churches have been burned and 500 Christians killed by the global terrorist organization Boko Haram.

The New Telegraph reports on these attacks:
“Diocesan Secretary, Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri, Rev. Father John Bakeni Bogna, disclosed this yesterday at a press conference in Maiduguri. Also speaking, Director, Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri, Rev. Fr. Gideon Obasogie, said more than 500 of their members have been killed, while more than 50 churches were burnt. The church said about 90,000 people were displaced, while 170 children were killed and more than 300 women were made widows. According to Obasogie, 1, 500 orphans have also been recorded by the church within the period under review while 34 parishes were completely destroyed in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States. When giving details of the loss in schools and the health sector, the Project Manager, Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri, Very Rev. Fr. Bature Fidelis Joseph, said; ‘At least 33 schools built after the takeover by government earlier, made up of 23 primary and 10 secondary schools have been destroyed with three completely burnt.'”

Responsible for Equality And Liberty condemns such murderous attacks on the Nigeria people, and calls for the support by the Nigerian government and all governments for our universal human rights, and a defeat of those global terrorist organizations who seek the destruction of our fellow human being’s lives and universal human rights, including freedom of conscience.

Our support for the Universal Human Rights of all people must be for all nations, all continents, and every place on Earth. We seek to be responsible for equality and liberty for the oppressed people in Africa and every part of our shared world. We must call upon the nations of the world to take action to stop the growing violence and threat from the international terrorist organization Boko Haram, their kidnapping of children, their efforts to deny freedom of conscience, and their rejection of our shared universal human rights of equality, liberty, dignity, and security.