20/12: Christians in Nigeria Suffer Under Muslim Persecution
Category: Religion and History
Posted by: an okie gardener
Story here from Compass Direct News: some excerpts:
After the government destroyed its church building in 2001, a Church of the Brethren in Nigeria congregation bought the Bight of Benin Hotel for 5.5 million naira (US$46,610) as a place of worship. But the Rev. James Zoaka said his church’s 13-year-old struggle to survive is far from over. “We still have the fear that we may not survive this ordeal, as we are yet to get approval for us to continue to use this place as a place of worship,” said Rev. Zoaka. “The Kano state government may decide at any time to declare this place illegal and then demolish it.” The Kano government offered Rev. Zoaka no explanation for the previous demolition, much less compensation.
. . .
The sanctuary the state demolished had been rebuilt, Rev. Zoaka said, after Muslims burned it down – for the third time. “We first had our church building at the Brigade area of this city,” he told Compass. “But in the 10 years that religious conflicts have engulfed Kano state, our church has been burnt down three times by Muslims.” Barrister Haruna Isa Dederi, Kano state information commissioner, declined to comment on the onslaught on Rev. Zoaka’s church by the government and other Islamic agents. A Christian source in Nigeria told Compass that persecution “is becoming high” in all 44 local government areas of the state.
. . .
The anti-Christian policies in Kano state came atop the violence the church suffered in Muslim rioting that erupted in 2001. Emmanuel Bappah, a church elder, recalled how 11 members were killed defending the church on October 11 of that year. “We heard that Muslims in the city of Kano were rioting,” Bappah said, “and sensing that our church could be set on fire as they rioted, some of us in the church decided, ‘We should go and be on the premises of the church in case they come, then we can try to defend the building from being set on fire,’ as was done twice previously.” As soon as they entered in the building, he said, a crowd of Muslims came up against the church chanting, “Allahu Akbar [God is Great]” and wielding weapons such as guns, machetes and cudgels. “We remained quiet, and then suddenly they began to attack us,” he said. “We tried repelling them, but it became impossible to fight back with our bare hands. They set the church on fire while we were trapped inside.” Those who tried to escape were chased down like animals and killed, he said. Bappah said he received four machete cuts on his back, and one of his ears was cut off.
Religions of Peace, yeah, right.
After the government destroyed its church building in 2001, a Church of the Brethren in Nigeria congregation bought the Bight of Benin Hotel for 5.5 million naira (US$46,610) as a place of worship. But the Rev. James Zoaka said his church’s 13-year-old struggle to survive is far from over. “We still have the fear that we may not survive this ordeal, as we are yet to get approval for us to continue to use this place as a place of worship,” said Rev. Zoaka. “The Kano state government may decide at any time to declare this place illegal and then demolish it.” The Kano government offered Rev. Zoaka no explanation for the previous demolition, much less compensation.
. . .
The sanctuary the state demolished had been rebuilt, Rev. Zoaka said, after Muslims burned it down – for the third time. “We first had our church building at the Brigade area of this city,” he told Compass. “But in the 10 years that religious conflicts have engulfed Kano state, our church has been burnt down three times by Muslims.” Barrister Haruna Isa Dederi, Kano state information commissioner, declined to comment on the onslaught on Rev. Zoaka’s church by the government and other Islamic agents. A Christian source in Nigeria told Compass that persecution “is becoming high” in all 44 local government areas of the state.
. . .
The anti-Christian policies in Kano state came atop the violence the church suffered in Muslim rioting that erupted in 2001. Emmanuel Bappah, a church elder, recalled how 11 members were killed defending the church on October 11 of that year. “We heard that Muslims in the city of Kano were rioting,” Bappah said, “and sensing that our church could be set on fire as they rioted, some of us in the church decided, ‘We should go and be on the premises of the church in case they come, then we can try to defend the building from being set on fire,’ as was done twice previously.” As soon as they entered in the building, he said, a crowd of Muslims came up against the church chanting, “Allahu Akbar [God is Great]” and wielding weapons such as guns, machetes and cudgels. “We remained quiet, and then suddenly they began to attack us,” he said. “We tried repelling them, but it became impossible to fight back with our bare hands. They set the church on fire while we were trapped inside.” Those who tried to escape were chased down like animals and killed, he said. Bappah said he received four machete cuts on his back, and one of his ears was cut off.
Religions of Peace, yeah, right.
