BY SUCCESS KANAYO UCHIME
In an effort to pressure the Ethiopian Government to see reason to enforce the fundamental rights of Christians as it regards their right to propagate their religious believes, a Washington-DC based human rights organization International Christian Concern (ICC) (http://www.persecution.org/) has formerly petitioned the government.
In a statement, its president, Jeff KingJeff King said they are extremely concerned about the growing persecution of Christians in Muslim-majority areas of Ethiopia and that Christians living in these areas of the country face discrimination, harassment, attacks and even murder at the hands of Muslim radicals.
“Unfortunately, the local Muslim officials of the regions have repeatedly failed to protect the Christians resulting in spike in attacks against Christians,” he stated.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
He pointed out that in attacks starting on March 2, Muslims in Asendabo and the surrounding areas of Jima province, Muslims killed a Christian, burned down over 50 churches, a Christian orphanage, a Bible school and a church office. At least 4,000 Christians were displaced following the attacks. The Muslim local government failed to protect the Christians.
According to King, in another attack, 25 Muslims burned down 10 Christian homes, leaving 80 Christians homeless in Goda district of Jima. The attackers were led by a local government militia. Muslims in the city of Besheno attacked an evangelist.
He stated: “When Christian leaders came to the city to negotiate peace with Muslim leaders, they were also attacked. Muslims posted notices on the doors of Christian homes in Besheno warning them to convert, leave the city or face death.”
He said that over a dozen Christians were murdered and close to 38 churches burned down by Muslims in 2006 in Jima and West Wellega provinces of Ethiopia. The on-going attacks are direct violations of the religious freedom enshrined in Ethiopia’s constitution.
He request the Ethiopian government to take the following actions: ensure that all the churches and homes that were burned down by Muslims will be reconstructed and remove the local officials who failed to protect the Christians and bring them to justice; bring the perpetrators of these incidents to justice, demonstrating the foundational rule of law that Ethiopia was founded on.
“Please contact the Indonesian officials through these numbers and politely ask them to protect the vulnerable religious communities of Indonesia. Indonesian Embassies: United States: (202)775-5200
UK: (44-171) 499-7661
Germany: (0049-30) 478-070
Australia: (61-02) 6250-8600. And so sign the electronic petition, click here: http://www.persecution.org/pdf/Petition-Ethiopia.pdf,” he further stated.
For more reports from this writer, click here: http://www.allvoices.com/users/success4u
In an effort to pressure the Ethiopian Government to see reason to enforce the fundamental rights of Christians as it regards their right to propagate their religious believes, a Washington-DC based human rights organization International Christian Concern (ICC) (http://www.persecution.org/) has formerly petitioned the government.
In a statement, its president, Jeff KingJeff King said they are extremely concerned about the growing persecution of Christians in Muslim-majority areas of Ethiopia and that Christians living in these areas of the country face discrimination, harassment, attacks and even murder at the hands of Muslim radicals.
“Unfortunately, the local Muslim officials of the regions have repeatedly failed to protect the Christians resulting in spike in attacks against Christians,” he stated.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
He pointed out that in attacks starting on March 2, Muslims in Asendabo and the surrounding areas of Jima province, Muslims killed a Christian, burned down over 50 churches, a Christian orphanage, a Bible school and a church office. At least 4,000 Christians were displaced following the attacks. The Muslim local government failed to protect the Christians.
According to King, in another attack, 25 Muslims burned down 10 Christian homes, leaving 80 Christians homeless in Goda district of Jima. The attackers were led by a local government militia. Muslims in the city of Besheno attacked an evangelist.
He stated: “When Christian leaders came to the city to negotiate peace with Muslim leaders, they were also attacked. Muslims posted notices on the doors of Christian homes in Besheno warning them to convert, leave the city or face death.”
He said that over a dozen Christians were murdered and close to 38 churches burned down by Muslims in 2006 in Jima and West Wellega provinces of Ethiopia. The on-going attacks are direct violations of the religious freedom enshrined in Ethiopia’s constitution.
He request the Ethiopian government to take the following actions: ensure that all the churches and homes that were burned down by Muslims will be reconstructed and remove the local officials who failed to protect the Christians and bring them to justice; bring the perpetrators of these incidents to justice, demonstrating the foundational rule of law that Ethiopia was founded on.
“Please contact the Indonesian officials through these numbers and politely ask them to protect the vulnerable religious communities of Indonesia. Indonesian Embassies: United States: (202)775-5200
UK: (44-171) 499-7661
Germany: (0049-30) 478-070
Australia: (61-02) 6250-8600. And so sign the electronic petition, click here: http://www.persecution.org/pdf/Petition-Ethiopia.pdf,” he further stated.
For more reports from this writer, click here: http://www.allvoices.com/users/success4u
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