From Chistian Aid Mission. For Immediate Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (ANS -- January 23, 2015) —When
protests against depictions of the prophet of Islam in a French satire
magazine emerged across some of the most hardline Islamic countries this
month, the West African nation of Niger was not on too many people’s
radar. It is now.
Rioting Muslims vented their
anger at Charlie Hebdo magazine and France over the weekend of Jan.
16-18 by killing Christians and burning church buildings and other
Christian institutions, including medical clinics and an orphanage.
Violence in the country with a 98 percent Muslim population that had
lived in relative peace with its tiny (0.3 percent) Christian minority
for decades pointed to extremist elements that analysts have long
suspected.
There are signs that there could be future incidents.
“There have been rumors of
people going around marking Christians’ houses for further attacks,” a
Nigerien ministry leader assisted by Christian Aid Mission wrote to
concerned parties on Tuesday (Jan. 20). “Later in the night, we received
several phone calls from local Christians and missionaries that
confirmed that their houses were marked. Please continue to pray for the
very insecure situation in Niger.”
Christian Aid Mission is an
evangelical missionary organization based in Charlottesville, Virginia,
that assists indigenous missionary ministries overseas through prayer,
advocacy and financial support. Since 1953, Christian Aid Mission has
identified, evaluated and assisted more than 1,500 ministries in more
than 130 countries that are reaching the unreached for Christ in areas
of the world where there is no witness for Christ, where Christians
suffer from poverty or persecution, or where foreign missionaries are
not allowed.
Christian Aid Mission assists two ministries in Niger.
Analysts say the rise of violent
Islamist groups across Africa, such as Boko Haram (supported by Al
Qaeda in the Maghreb) in neighboring Nigeria, have fed the growth of
radical elements in Niger. They theorize Islamic extremist groups were
an important factor in Muslim Nigeriennes shouting, “Kill the infidels,
kill the Christians,” burning 72 church buildings and killing at least
10 people.
While protests raged across
countries with high-profile Islamic extremist elements, like Somalia and
Pakistan, the violent response in Niger was surprising. Niger was
unranked on Open Doors’ 2015 World Watch List of the worst persecutors
of Christians.
In the capital, Niamey, furious
Muslims burned 46 Protestant worship sites and 15 Catholic church
buildings, a locally-based Christian leader said. Among church buildings
destroyed was one a half mile from the compound of a ministry Christian
Aid Mission assists, he said.
“Also this morning we learned of
the Assemblies of God church being destroyed; this has very close
proximity to the new office building,” he added. “Today we have many
blessings to count, one of which is the fact that our church was
spared.”
Violence began on Friday (Jan.
16) in Zinder, where several church buildings and Christians’ homes were
razed. The rampaging continued, ruining church buildings in Gouré,
Tanout, Magaria, Maradi, Birnin Gaouré, and hitting Niamey the next day.
Besides Christian targets, angry Muslim youths also looted shops,
attacked police stations, bars and hotels, as well as businesses that
were either owned by non-Muslims or linked with France.
Following the Jan. 7 shooting
deaths of 12 editorial staff, workers and police at Charlie Hebdo
offices, by two Islamic extremists avenging cartoon depictions of the
prophet of Islam, the periodical published a cover showing a weeping
Muhammad carrying a sign with the slogan (“I am Charlie”) that had
quickly come to signify solidarity with the victims and free speech.
Depictions of Muhammad of any
kind are forbidden in most strains of Islam, and key schools of Islamic
jurisprudence prescribe death for defaming him.
Among the dead from the attacks
in Niger were at least three Christians trapped inside church buildings.
Another leader of the ministry assisted by Christian Aid Mission
condemned the violence.
“Of
what crime are the churches and Christians of Niger guilty?” he said.
“We condemn these disturbances and deplore the loss of human life and
the high number of injuries among the innocent citizens they attack.”
The ministry leader in Niamey said he and other church leaders did not witness further demonstrations on Monday (Jan. 19).
More than 170 people were
injured, officials said, and the scale of the rioting suggested other
factors contributing to the chaos besides a magazine cover. Rioters also
expressed anger that Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou participated in
a unity march in Paris against the attack on Charlie Hebdo. Analysts
also pointed to the violence beginning in Zinder, where there is a
strong opposition to the ruling party, suggesting political rivals were
stoking the fires following the president’s presence in Paris.
The hand of Islamic extremist
groups was suspected, and officials were said to be investigating
whether Boko Haram of neighboring Nigeria was involved. Boko Haram
leader Abubakar Shekau is from Niger, and Boko Haram flags appeared amid
the chaos.
While the majority of Niger’s
Muslims may not have approved of Charlie Hebdo’s depiction of Muhammad –
including President Issoufou, who emphasized that he was marching
against terrorism and not supporting the magazine – most did not seem
sympathetic to the scale and degree of the riots. Many Nigerienne
Muslims helped Christians who were fleeing in terror.
“I look forward to the fact that
next month I have the opportunity to meet each and every Muslim who
aided the safety of God’s people in Niger and to thank them,” said one
leader of a ministry assisted by Christian Aid Mission.
He likened those who attacked to
those who crucified Jesus, saying Christians must forgive them because
they knew not what they were doing.
“Just as Jesus was wrongly
condemned and tortured, so were the Christians in Niger, but I
wholeheartedly believe that they [the assailants], too, ‘know not what
they have done,’” he said. “So as Jesus made the bequest to the Father, I
too plan to forgive these people.”
Photo captions:
1) Cross amid ashes in burned church in Niamey, Niger (Photo by Danette Childs)
2) Bible charred in attack on church building in Niamey, Niger (Photo by Danette Childs)
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