(Note: HRAIC is not a Christian organization
but , thanks to International Christian Concern, we present this abridged summary
of human rights abuses in several Islamic countries in the hope that the ulama
try to remedy them.)
While the number of countries where
persecution against Christians continues to grow, the following are among those
countries deemed by ICC to be among the most persistent violators of religious
freedom and the most strategic in terms of having a negative impact on
surrounding countries. If a country is not listed, its omission does not imply
that no persecution against Christians exists or that abuses are any less
severe.
PERSECUTION
DEFINED - International
Christian Concern defines "persecution" as specific acts that are
targeted against people on account of their religious faith. These acts may
occur in one or more of various forms that are included but are not limited to:
1. the denial
of basic internationally accepted norms of human rights,
2. persistent
acts of violence and extrajudicial killings,
3. repeated
incidents of incarceration and/or interrogations,
4. the use of
unusual and inhumane punishment, such as torture, solitary confinement and
enslavement,
5. the
inability for the accused to obtain legal representation or a fair public
trial,
6. severe
limitations that prevent believers from the right to peacefully assemble or
practice their faith either in public or private,
7. the
interference or prohibition by government against Christian institutions,
8. unfair
laws, policies and practices that either severely impede or endanger the lives
of Christians on account of their faith.
(countries
listed in alphabetical order)
The selected countries meet the
above definition of a country where Christians are persecuted and meet all of
the following criteria:
1. When a consistent
number of acts of persecution are confirmed to be the result of government
sanctioned or tolerated acts of persecution against Christians on account of
their faith,
2. When a
government refuses to implement necessary laws or policy changes needed to
curtail acts of persecution and safeguard the Christian community,
3. When there
is a verifiable and consistent pattern of widespread acts of persecution that
pose a serious threat to the existence of an entire Christian community with
possible regional consequences.
Primary Source of Persecution:
A Government sanctioned B
Government tolerated, but perpetrated by political factions or religious
extremists Severity of Persecution against Christians
1. Frequent incidents of violent acts of force, including torture, slavery, expulsion or the withholding of food and humanitarian aid that frequently cause severe deprivation or death. 2. Repeated human rights offences that occasionally may result in the loss of life and include lengthy detentions, beatings and the confiscation or destruction of property.
3. Numerous violations that include fines, discrimination in education, employment or the electorate process, insufficient legal representation, and restrictions on places of worship.
POSTED:
October 22, 1998
Egypt
Iran
Pakistan
Saudi_Arabia
Sudan
Egypt's Christian population, numbering
approximately 5.7 million, is the largest Christian minority in the Middle East.
The government claims that all religions are treated equally in Egypt. However,
Islam remains the state religion. In 1997, Islamic terrorist violence again
shook Egypt as 21 Christians were martyred in El Mina. In February 1997, Muslim
terrorists attacked a church in Upper Egypt, killing 10 young people who were
attending a youth Bible study. In January 1998, several Christian businesses
were burned to the ground. One company lost 38 million dollars but the
insurance company will not help any of these terrorized Christian owned
businesses because they don't insure against terrorist attacks. In Alexandria
and Cairo, Christian owned businessmen were threatened with either paying the "jizya"
(an ancient tax on non-Muslims) or face the consequences. In March, seven
Christians were killed by a Moslem terrorist who was said to be responsible for
the killing of 24 others in 1995.
Also during the month of March, one family
who converted to Christianity had their 13-year-old daughter kidnapped, raped,
and forced to convert to Islam. The terrorist later released her and when she
returned home they attacked the family, killing them by slitting their bellies
and crushing their heads with stones. In a separate incident, another young
Muslim woman convert was abducted and held against her will as a local Muslim
leader attempted to rape her in an attempt to force her to return to Islam.
Another case of a female kidnapping took
place when Muslim extremists kidnapped a Coptic Christian's 12-year-old
daughter. They told the father that his responsibilities were over and that his
daughter had converted to Islam. When the Christian took the matter to court he
demanded they show his daughter. A female came forward wearing a veil and the
traditional black garb to cover her.
The Christian couldn't identify his daughter
and the judge refused his plea to remove the veil so that he could identify
her.
The survival of the church in Egypt has also
been hampered by the 1856 Ottoman Decree that is still in force which prohibits
the construction or repair of churches, including the repair of a toilet,
without a presidential decree. While mosques are allowed to flourish, the
construction of non-Muslim places of worship are curtailed. In January 1998,
President Mubarak transferred his authority on issuing building permits to the
regional governors. It remains to be seen if the granting of permits by the
regional governors will have any significant impact. Most Christian pastors
interviewed by ICC remained skeptical. Restricting church construction has been
used by the government as a means to limit church growth, and such restrictions
have been encouraged by the Muslim leadership.
Another great frustration to Christians is
the government-issued identity card. From the time of birth, every Egyptian
citizen is issued an identity card that states his or her religion. The card
will either state Muslim or Christian. If one has a card bearing the identity
of Christian on it, they are discriminated against in terms of jobs, and many
things similar to the 1960 civil rights offenses toward African Americans.
Non-Muslims may change their identity to read "Muslim" but Muslims
are not allowed to change their identity to read "Christian."
Moreover, there are no restrictions on non-Muslims converting to Islam, but
Muslims face serious legal problems and social pressure if they convert. While
there have been no recent charges brought against converts in the past two
years, previously the government has used provisions in the penal code that
prohibit falsifying documents as a means to punish converts who attempted to
change their religious affiliation. A common charge that had been brought
against converts cites the penal code violation that prohibits religion to
"ignite strife, degrade any of the heavenly religions, or harm national
unity or social peace."
International Christian Concern visited Egypt
early in 1998 to assess the persecution of Christians. In a separate visit to
Egypt by clergymen from the New York City Council of Churches, after having
only government arranged meetings, it was falsely reported that there is no
government sponsored persecution. To the contrary, the ICC delegation received
numerous reports from Christian leaders that the Egyptian government is indeed
directly involved in persecuting Christians. Government surveillance of
converts and pastors was a common complaint heard by the ICC delegation. A
special branch of the secret police that is assigned to monitor the activities
of drug dealers is also responsible for monitoring the activities of
Christians.
This Muslim
country along with Sudan and Saudi Arabia is ranked among the worst and most
violent persecutors of Christians. The Iranian government continues to
persecute those who openly proclaim their faith. In August of 1997 the Administrator
of Osghofi Church was arrested and remained in prison until last December. He
is not allowed to leave Iran and was arrested when he tried to follow his wife
and child who had fled to the Netherlands. Also 20 to 30 Christians from a
Church in Shiraz were arrested and remain in prison. The condition of these
Christians is unknown.
Most of the
evangelical churches in Iran have been forced to meet in secret since being
threatened by the authorities. The threats are taken seriously since the murder
of four Christian pastors in recent years. Their deaths were attributed to the
government. Moreover, the church in Iran must constantly be on guard for
government-paid spies who infiltrate the church. Christians are strictly
forbidden from sharing their faith with Muslims. Pastors have been severely
punished and their churches closed for having allowed Muslims in their church
services.
Government
brutality has become the common means of suppressing those who share the Gospel
and those who convert to Christianity. Documented evidence indicates that there
has been an escalation of persecution against converts since the May 1997
election of Sayed Mohammad Khatami as president. There have been reports since
1997 of several converts being arrested and tortured.
One Iranian
convert to Christianity was injected with a radioactive material before being
released so that he might die a slow death. Pastors, church leaders and
converts are frequently targeted for assassination and are kept under heavy
surveillance.
Muslims from
within the Pakistani government and Islamic extremist groups continue in their
attempt to Islamize all Pakistan. The infamous "blasphemy" laws
(Penal codes 295-B&C) are used primarily against Christians as a means to
oppress the Christian minority. The blasphemy laws are frequently used to
settle grudges held by Muslims against Christians, using the mandated
punishment of death as a means to retaliate against
Christians who
have been wrongfully accused of having blasphemed the Prophet Mohammed or the
Koran, the Muslims' holy book. A number of Christians are in prison or are
under threat of being charged under Pakistan's blasphemy laws. Christian
prisoners report having been subjected to harsh treatment, including severe
torture. There have been several suspicious deaths of Christians while in
detention.
On April 28, 1998,
Ayub Masih was found guilty of blasphemy and sentenced to death. Masih was
arrested on October 14, 1996 after allegedly telling a neighbor to read Salman
Rushdie's novel, "The Satanic Verses," considered to be blaspheming
Mohammed. While in court, an attempt was made on his life by Muslim gunmen. Due
to international protests, the courts have yet to carry out the death sentence
against a Christian. However, increasing pressure and threats against the
judiciary by Muslim extremists heightens concern that the government may allow
the execution of Ayub Masih to be carried out. Other Christians sentenced and
then later acquitted, including 14-year-old Salamat Masih in 1996, have had to
flee the country because of Muslim death threats. Under sharia law, a
Muslim may kill a Christian and only be punished by having to pay the "diyat"
(blood money) to the victim's family. However, should a Christian murder a
Muslim, the Christian would be sentenced to death.
In May 1998, out
of frustration, the popular Catholic human-rights advocate Bishop John Joseph
took his own life as a protest of the increasing persecution against
Christians. His suicide was sparked by the death sentence handed down against
Ayub Masih and the government's refusal to abolish the blasphemy laws. As more
than 10,000 mourners gathered for the Bishop's funeral, Muslim extremists
attacked and burned Christian homes and shops, while shouting slogans in
support of Pakistan's blasphemy laws.
Even if the
government did abolish the blasphemy laws, the Federal Sharia Court has the
authority to overturn any legislation that is deemed "inconsistent with
Islamic belief." Members of the judiciary, although they themselves being
Muslim, fear reprisals from Muslim extremists. In 1997, a Supreme Court judge
was assassinated by extremists for having acquitted two Christians charged with
blasphemy. As a result, it has become increasingly more difficult to find a
lawyer to represent Christians and judges fear reprisals from extremists if
they pass a fair judgement acquitting the accused. Nevertheless, ICC is
encouraging the international community to pressure the government of Pakistan
to abolish the blasphemy laws as well as the separate electorate system that
further relegates Christians to live as second class citizens.
Evangelical
Christians and converts experience the greatest persecution. Scores of
Christians have been forced to flee their homes and are living in hiding, with most
unable to return or able to find a way of escape to freedom outside the
country.
Islamic extremists
in Chapianwali have started a campaign targeted at persecuting the Christian
minority. Just before Christmas 1997, a young Christian worker accused of blasphemy
was beaten up by a Muslim cleric who charged into the church at Toba Tek Sing
and desecrated crosses and Bibles in the church. In the same town, a
13-year-old boy was forced to convert to Islam and ordered to "never call
yourself a Christian again or I'll shoot you." The boy is under police
"protective custody" and the family has fled their home for safety.
Saudi Arabia, having no
constitution, is a Muslim monarchy under the leadership of King Fahd Bin Abd
Al-Aziz. Saudi Arabia can be fairly described as the most repressive Muslim
country in the world. By the end of the 7th century, Muslim raiders
had either killed or expelled all Christians from the country. Today, churches
are banned, prayer meetings in private homes are prohibited, Bibles are
confiscated, and proclaiming the Gospel is punishable by such extreme measures
as execution by beheading or life in prison. Any display of Christian symbols
is entirely forbidden and the practice of Christianity even by foreigners is
strictly prohibited, with a few exceptions.
The expatriate church, numbering
over 30,000, is forced to meet in secret and the Saudi Muslims converting to
Christianity, which are growing in number, are taking extreme measures to guard
their identity in fear of severe reprisals from the government or family
members. The government's religious police, the Mutawah, routinely searches for
Christians holding Bible studies in their homes or otherwise sharing their
faith in public. In 1997, two Filipinos who became Christians while in prison,
were beheaded after being warned numerous times to halt their evangelistic
activities and to stop leading Bible studies. Scores of expatriate Christians
have been imprisoned and expelled on account of their beliefs. In June 1998, 31
believers were arrested in an apparent crackdown in Riyadh. ICC hosted the
international coordinator for the underground house churches in Saudi Arabia
and together initiated efforts in Washington that led to the release of all 31
in an unprecedented short period of time. Fortunately, all of them escaped the
customary 70 lashes, but nevertheless were immediately deported. Many of them
had been employed in Saudi Arabia for more than 10 years.
Christian leaders in Saudi Arabia
are concerned that the government's actions of arresting and deporting
Christians is a deliberate plan aimed at eliminating all Christian activities
in Saudi Arabia.
The degree of human suffering in
Sudan is perhaps worse than all travesties committed by mankind during this
century. As many as two million people have perished over the past ten years as
a result of government instigated famine, genocide and military action.
Millions of nonconforming Sudanese have been dislocated from their homes as
thousands of villages have been destroyed and the survivors deprived of food
and medical treatment.
Nearly one fourth of all the people
in the south are Christians. These Christians have been subjected to forced
conversions to Islam in exchange for food and "protection." However,
many Muslims are converting to Christianity because of the suffering that they
too have encountered at the hands of militant, government-sponsored Muslim
forces.
Thirteen people are currently
imprisoned in Khartoum and face possible execution for their alleged involvement
in resisting the government's militant Islamic agenda. Christian convert Faisal
Abadallah, detained since June 1997, remains in prison and is said to be
suffering head pains and a kidney ailment due to beatings.
Among the most barbaric human
rights violation is the decapitation of hands and feet from captured men who
refuse to comply with demands imposed by raiding Muslim forces. Equally
inhumane is the government's involvement in rounding up and marketing women and
children as slaves. Young Christian children are forced to recite the Koran and
are given Muslim names. The Christians of the fertile Nuba Mountain region are
especially hard pressed and continue to be cut off from all international aid
while being subjected to violent attacks by Sudan's military forces.
In a trip to Southern Sudan in May
1998, Britain's Baroness Caroline Cox uncovered widespread destruction and loss
of life. Vast areas of northern Bahr-El-Ghazal were found to have been laid
waste by Sudan's National Islamic Front (NIF) forces and government-backed
Mujahadeen and Murahaleen. More than 160 people were found slain and many more
are still missing. The bodies of a countless number of others were seen
floating in the river. Hundreds were abducted, mostly children. Thousands of homes
and crops were destroyed. On May 10, an early morning raid on the trading
village of Abin Dau took residents by surprise. Sudan's Public Defense Force
(PDF) and government-backed forces swept through the village. All escape routes
were cut off and many terrified civilians perished. An estimated 30-40,000
survivors from the raids have fled to swamps and are living off of the roots of
water lilies. The death toll among the survivors is rising daily due to
starvation and disease.