Where is Pope Francis as Churches are Burned to the Ground by Radical Islamists in the Middle East?

 

Edited by: TJVNews.com

The 2023 World Watch List (WWL), released by Open Doors, provides a sobering account of the challenges faced by Christians worldwide. As the world grapples with religious intolerance and Islamic extremism, the report sheds light on the alarming statistics, revealing a concerning rise in violence against Christians and attacks on churches by radical Muslims and others. This comprehensive analysis spans regions, highlighting the epicenter of this persecution, noteworthy trends, and the evolving landscape of threats faced by believers.

Key Findings

Global Martyrdoms and Church Attacks: Over 5,600 Christians lost their lives for their faith in the previous year. More than 2,100 churches were either attacked or forcibly closed, showcasing the extent of religious hostility.

Forced Displacement and Refugees: A staggering 124,000 Christians were forcibly displaced from their homes due to religious persecution. Nearly 15,000 Christians became refugees, fleeing their countries in search of safety.

Sub-Saharan Africa: The New Epicenter of Violence: Sub-Saharan Africa, traditionally a stronghold of global Christianity, has become a hotspot for violence against Christians. The rise of Islamist extremism, particularly in Nigeria, has contributed to the escalation of persecution in the region.

North Korea Reclaims the Top Spot: North Korea is once again ranked as the most dangerous country for Christians, reclaiming the No. 1 position on the World Watch List.

The oppressive regime in North Korea continues to suppress religious freedoms, leading to the dire situation faced by Christians.

Open Doors emphasizes that these numbers represent an absolute minimum, and the decline does not signify genuine improvements in religious freedom.

All 50 nations in the World Watch List scored high enough to register “very high” persecution levels, a distressing trend consistent with the previous year.

A  January 2023 report on the Christianity Today website, said that Islamic oppression in 31 countries is the main source of persecution that Christians face in more than half of the watch list countries, including 8 of the top 10 overall. Most of the 31 are officially Muslim nations or have Muslim majorities; however, 5 actually have Christian majorities: Nigeria, CAR (No. 24), DRC (No. 37), Mozambique (No. 32), and Cameroon (No. 45). (Additionally this is the main driver in 15 nations with enough persecution to be tracked by Open Doors but ranking below the watchlist’s cutoff, including Christian-majority Kenya and Tanzania.)

The report also added that dictatorial paranoia in nine countries is the main source of persecution that Christians face, mostly in nations with Muslim majorities—Syria (No. 12), Uzbekistan (No. 21), Turkmenistan (No. 26), Bangladesh (No. 30), Tajikistan (No. 44), and Kazakhstan (No. 48)—but also in Eritrea (No. 4), Cuba (No. 27), and Nicaragua (No. 50). (Also in six nations being tracked: Angola, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burundi, Rwanda, and Venezuela.)

Five additional nations just missed the cutoff but still demonstrated alarming levels of persecution.

The 2023 World Watch List serves as a crucial tool to raise awareness about the ongoing persecution faced by Christians globally. As the world grapples with evolving challenges to religious freedom, the report underscores the urgent need for international attention and concerted efforts to protect the rights of believers from the hands of radical Islamists. The rankings aim to guide prayers, mobilize advocacy, and stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians, emphasizing that they are not forgotten in their plight.

The historian Maqrizi’s account of Muslim attacks on Christian churches, aligning with the Conditions of Omar, has resurfaced with alarming frequency in the modern era. While such patterns occur globally, Egypt stands out, with its substantial Christian population, as a hotspot for these disturbing incidents. The plight of Egypt’s Copts, a Christian minority, has been exemplified by a series of targeted attacks, most notably the 2011 bombing of the Two Saints Coptic Church in Alexandria and the subsequent destruction of St. George Coptic Church in Edfu.

Radical Muslims of all stripes have consistently expressed their utter disdain for Christianity, Judaism and any other religion other than Islam for hundreds of years but their war against all religions has seen a significant surge over the last few decades. Despite the fact that churches and synagogues have been attacked by radical Islamists, Pope Francis, the 266^th head of the Roman Catholic Church and his predecessors have said little or nothing about these attacks, nor have they taken measures to protect these churches and their parishioners. The question that begs to be answered is why? Why is it that the Pope has also remained silent about the 1200 Israelis and others who were brutally massacred by Hamas terrorists in Israel on October 7^th?

What is provided here is a thorough history of attacks on churches in Egypt and throughout the Middle East, in order to gain some perspective on the existential danger that the radical Islamist movement represents and its growing number of zealous adherents.

The historical backdrop is the Conditions of Omar, a set of restrictions imposed on non-Muslims living under Islamic rule, outlining limitations on religious practices and societal visibility. In the modern era, this historical framework has manifested itself in the recurrent targeting of Christian churches, particularly in Egypt.

The onset of the new year in 2011 was marred by a gruesome attack on the Two Saints Coptic Church in Alexandria. During midnight mass on January 1, a bomb detonated, leaving at least 23 dead and around 100 injured. Eyewitnesses reported the harrowing scene of body parts strewn in the street, desecrated by some Muslims chanting jihadi slogans. Disturbingly, security forces withdrew an hour before the blast, raising questions about complicity or negligence.

A year prior, in 2010, six Christians were shot to death in Nag Hammadi as they left a church after celebrating Christmas mass. This drive-by shooting exemplifies the vulnerability of Christians during religious festivities.

The saga of St. George Coptic Church in Edfu serves as a poignant illustration of the challenges faced by churches in Egypt. Built nearly a century ago, the church underwent renovation, which triggered complaints from local Muslims. Demands were made to remove crosses, bells, and even the church’s dome. When the bishop resisted the removal of the dome, a Muslim mob of around 3,000 people attacked the church in September 2011. The church was torched, and the dome demolished, with security forces passively observing. The governor of Aswan even justified the destruction, claiming the church’s height violated regulations, using this as a pretext for the attack.

The destruction of St. George Church led to widespread protests in October 2011, culminating in the Maspero Massacre. The Egyptian military intentionally targeted and killed dozens of Christian protesters, portraying them as aggressors and manipulating the narrative disseminated by Western mainstream media.

The targeted attacks on churches in Egypt have deep historical roots, reflecting a pattern of persecution against the Christian minority. Instances of violence, such as the 2011 assault on a pregnant Christian woman and the destruction of churches in villages like Elmadmar, are not isolated incidents but are part of a broader narrative tied to the historic Conditions of Omar and the concept of “collective punishment.”

In May 2011, a violent attack unfolded in the Imbaba region near Cairo, where an estimated 3,000 Muslims fired guns, hurled Molotov cocktails, and looted Coptic homes and businesses. The rampage resulted in 12 Christian deaths, with snipers targeting victims from rooftops. Three churches were set ablaze amid cries of “Allahu Akbar.” Egyptian authorities responded inadequately, arriving nearly five hours later, allowing the assailants to terrorize the Coptic community with impunity. The pretext for the attack was the alleged abduction and torture of a Christian girl who had converted to Islam.

In May 2011, hundreds of Muslims protested and rioted in front of the Church of the Virgin Mary and St. Abraam in Ain Shams, Cairo. The outrage stemmed from the prospect of the government reopening the church in their neighborhood. As tensions escalated, fights erupted between Copts and Muslims, leading to injuries and arrests among the Christian community. The church, scheduled for reopening, was surrounded by Muslims preventing access and trapping priests inside. The siege resulted in a tense standoff, with Muslims threatening to kill the head priest, demonstrating the hostility faced by Christians.

In June 2011, hundreds of Muslims surrounded St. George Church south of Minya, threatening to kill the priest who was conducting morning mass. The crowd chanted menacing slogans, including vows to “cut him to pieces.” Security forces, as in previous incidents, arrived hours later, leaving the priest appearing as if he were the criminal when escorted out of the church. Reasons for the attack ranged from objections to renovations on the 100-year-old church to demands that local Christians pay jizya, a tax imposed on non-Muslims.

In July 2011, a Muslim mob engaged in a violent spree, targeting Christians, including a pregnant woman who was brutally attacked. The assault was linked to the presence of a church bell, forbidden in Islam, highlighting the underlying tension surrounding religious symbols and practices.

In Elmadmar, an Upper Egyptian village with only two churches to serve 15,000 Christians, Muslim mobs targeted St. Mary’s Church. The violence erupted despite the church having state security approval to operate, with Muslims claiming disturbances caused by daily masses and the ringing of a non-existent church bell. This incident reflects the recurring theme of hostility toward Christian practices and places of worship.

The desecration of relics, such as the scorched remains of saints and martyrs in Sool, south of Cairo, is a disturbingly continuous detail in the attacks on Coptic churches. The act of playing “soccer” with ancient relic-remains symbolizes the intentional humiliation and disrespect shown towards the Christian faith.

In January 2012, members, mostly Salafis and Muslim Brotherhood affiliates, disrupted the Epiphany Mass at the Abu Makka church. Claiming the church lacked proper permits, they declared that no Christians could pray within its walls. The incident showcased the growing influence of radical Islamist ideologies, as one individual even suggested converting the church into a Muslim mosque.

In February 2012, thousands of Muslims launched an assault on a Coptic church, demanding the death of its pastor. The pastor and nearly 100 terrified Copts sought refuge inside the church as rioters pelted it with stones, attempting to break in and torch the building. The cause of the violence stemmed from a Christian girl who, according to Islamic law, became a Muslim when her father converted. Fleeing her father, she was rumored to be hiding in the church, triggering a violent reaction from the Muslim community.

In March 2012, approximately 1,500 Muslims, armed with weapons and shouting Islamic slogans, terrorized the Notre Dame Language School in Upper Egypt. Local mosques falsely claimed that the private school was building a church, inciting a violent response. Two nuns were besieged in the school’s guesthouse for eight hours, with the mob threatening violence. The incident resulted in the ransacking and looting of the property, causing a significant drop in school attendance. Attacks on educational institutions further illustrate the broader challenges faced by Christians in Egypt.

The recurring attacks on Christian churches in Egypt, reminiscent of historical restrictions, paint a bleak picture for the Coptic minority. The international community must be vigilant in acknowledging and condemning these acts of violence, ensuring the protection of religious minorities and upholding the principles of religious freedom and coexistence. The plight of Egypt’s Copts serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by vulnerable communities in regions marked by religious tensions and historical grievances.

The Emergence of ISIS & the Destruction of Churches

Since the emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the early 2010s, the group has carried out a systematic campaign of destruction against churches, monasteries, and religious sites in Iraq and Syria. This targeted assault on cultural and religious heritage has resulted in the irreversible loss of numerous historically significant sites, marking a dark chapter in the region’s history.

Virgin Mary Church, Mosul (July 2014): ISIS destroyed the Virgin Mary Church in Mosul using improvised explosive devices (IEDs), signaling the beginning of a wave of attacks on religious structures.

Dair Mar Elia Monastery, Iraq (Late August to September 2014): The oldest monastery in Iraq, Dair Mar Elia, fell victim to ISIS’s rampage, with its demolition going unreported until January 2016.

Al-Tahera Church, Mosul (February 2015): This early 20th-century church in Mosul faced possible destruction as ISIS militants continued their campaign to erase religious diversity.

St Markourkas Church, Mosul (March 9, 2015): A 10th-century Chaldean Catholic church was razed, and a nearby cemetery was bulldozed, accentuating the brutality of ISIS’s actions.

Church in Mosul (July 2015): A church, described as “thousands of years” old, was blown up in July 2015, resulting in unintended casualties, including the deaths of four children.

Sa’a Qadima Church, Mosul (April 2016): Dating back to 1872, the Sa’a Qadima Church met a similar fate as ISIS continued its relentless assault on religious structures.

Armenian Genocide Memorial Church, Syria (September 21, 2014): In Deir ez-Zor, Syria, ISIS militants detonated explosives, destroying the Armenian Genocide Memorial Church.

Green Church, Tikrit (September 24, 2014): The 7th-century Green Church, affiliated with the Assyrian Church of the East in Tikrit, was targeted and destroyed by ISIS terrorists.

Mar Behnam Monastery, Khidr Ilyas, Iraq (March 2015): ISIS carried out the demolition of the historic Mar Behnam Monastery near Bakhdida, Iraq, in March 2015.

Virgin Mary Church, Tel Nasri, Syria (May 4, 2015): On Easter Sunday, ISIS destroyed the Assyrian Christian Virgin Mary Church in Tel Nasri, Syria, as Kurdish and Assyrian forces attempted to retake the town.

Monastery of St. Elian, Homs Governorate, Syria (August 21, 2015): ISIS inflicted irreversible damage on the historic Monastery of St. Elian near Al-Qaryatayn in the Homs Governorate.

The systematic destruction of churches and religious monuments by ISIS represents a deliberate effort to erase cultural diversity, heritage, and religious pluralism in the region. The loss of these historically significant sites underscores the urgent need for international efforts to protect cultural heritage during times of conflict and to hold those responsible for such destruction accountable for their actions.