The Inside Story: Mexican Persecution

Mexican Persecution Investigated

Earlier this year, I personally traveled to Mexico with a wonderful British advocacy organization (CSW) to unravel the story of persecution in Mexico. I had known for years about persecution there but was always too busy with the Far East or Middle East to get there. 

What I found blew me away. Loss of lands and homes, physical attacks, rape, and even murder were all faced by Christians there. I also saw the same governmental apathy or complicity that we see overseas. 

Warnings Issued

In meetings with government human rights staffers there, I warned them that Mexico had been given a pass for too long in regards to persecution. I told them that I was going to go home and embarrass Mexico's federal officials. 

I then looked them in the eye and said that the typical response we saw around the world when we did this was that federal officials start knocking heads around to stop the pressure. 

I asked them if they could guess whose heads typically rolled when federal officials get embarrassed. 

They were able to figure out the answer! 

A Planned Pressure Campaign

On my return we started issuing press releases, we created a movie to inform people of the situation, and we even created a powerful mass awareness campaign for social media to reach our 650,000 followers. All those efforts were directed toward calling the Mexican embassy and other officials to apply pressure. 

Next, we developed an advocacy campaign, brought in experts from Mexico and went to Capitol Hill with CSW to visit senators and congressional offices to inform and activate them on the issue. 

Finally, we organized an insiders' only congressional staffers briefing where we brought in CSW, Amnesty Intl., and Human Rights Watch to educate Congress about Mexican persecution. 

Amnesty and Human Rights Watch are the biggest names in human rights on the secular side. Together we are able to form an alliance whose message can be heard beyond the evangelical/Christian Right core.

Results

Several congressional offices including Senator Marco Rubio grabbed the issue and began to put pressure on the Mexican government to work on the situation. Senator Rubio even publicly questioned the new US ambassador to Mexico about the subject. Quoting ICC by name and our findings, he asked her what she intended to do about it at her confirmation hearing!

After ICC's briefing at the State Dept., they sent an investigative team to Mexico to apply pressure. 

On the ground in Mexico we saw results. Cases that had been stymied for years saw resolution. On one new case, a human rights official confronted village officials and told them he would have them all arrested if they didn't stop persecuting their Christians.  

A Tool For the Whole Christian Community
For twenty years we have honed our skills and connections to serve the whole body of Christ in regards to persecution. We are Evangelicals but serve the whole Christian body regardless of denomination or sect. We don't care if the victims of persecution are Assyrian, Coptic, Catholic, Pentecostal, Evangelical, or Orthodox. 

We care and will serve and defend any Christian who suffers because they won't turn away from Jesus!

There are precious few organizations in the whole world that can effectively can use direct assistance, the Press, and advocacy to serve the Body of Christ like we do. 

Will You Invest In the Kingdom Tool of ICC? 

For that reason, I would ask you to invest in ICC here at year-end. This is our most important giving season. We receive 40%+ of our annual giving in the next two months. This giving will largely determine our level of service in 2016. 

Few Christians in the Kingdom care about their persecuted brother and sisters. You do! For that, I am profoundly grateful but please realize that you are a minority in the Christian world. 

You already know that because of the blank stares or apathy you receive when you talk to others about persecution.  

You are vital to us and the persecuted body of Christ. 

Please give now so that we can serve the body of Christ well in 2016. 

Bless You for Your Amazing Care for the Persecuted, 

Jeff King
President 

International Christian Concern