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There were two new attacks against Ethiopian Christians over the past few weeks, according to a report from VOMC sources.

On November 5, Semu Hailu -- an elder of a Mennonite Church in Jimma, Ethiopia -- was imprisoned after a group of Muslims accused him of insulting the prophet Mohammed. The accusation came after Hailu refused to move out of his house and sell his property to a nearby mosque. The Muslims responded by telling him that "kafirs" should not live around mosques and threatened him repeatedly, demanding that he leave his property. When he refused, they eventually accused him of insulting Mohammed, resulting in his arrest. During Hailu's November 9 court hearing, Muslims brought in false witnesses to testify against him. The court ordered him to be imprisoned for an unspecified period of time.

On November 17, the house of Jemal Tasisa was burned by Muslims in the village of Tongo. Tasisa, an elder in a local Lutheran church, has fled to Assosa, Benishangul state with his five children. VOMC is providing him and his family with aid through our Relief and Development Fund.

Ask God to comfort Semu in prison. Pray that, like Paul, his imprisonment will result in the advancement of God's kingdom (Philippians 1:12-14). Ask the Lord to keep Jemal and his family safe from harm. Pray that increased persecution in Ethiopia will result in increased boldness among the believers (Acts 4:29-31).

For more information on the persecution facing Christians in Ethiopia,click here.

Religious tension continues to generate severe violence against Christians in Western Ethiopia (for information on recent attacks in this area, click here).

On October 11, local Muslims burned seventeen churches in the town of Begge and killed an evangelist named Mekayel Kena, according to VOMC sources. Three other Christians were also injured in these attacks. Many Christians had their houses burned down and were forced to flee to neighbouring towns for refuge. These attacks were initiated after a tape urging local Muslims towards jihad was officially circulated in the area. VOMC is providing emergency aid to those affected by this attack.

Over the weekend of October 14-15, five people were killed in the city of Jimma as a result of violence between Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and Muslims. A Federal Police spokesman said, "The crisis was touched off by a few individuals who were attempting to create discord between the people of Jimma by using religion for their cheap political ends." Police have made several arrests and are continuing to search for more suspects. 

Ask God to give wisdom to those in authority as they seek to restore peace to Jimma and the surrounding region. (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Pray that Mekayel's Christian friends will be comforted in knowing he is with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18). Pray that Christians will have the courage to share Jesus' love with Muslims in the area (Matthew 5:43-48).

On September 27, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church celebrates the festival of Meskel. This is a national holy day with feasts and a large bonfire around which thousands gather to sing and commemorate what they believe is the discovery of actual cross of Christ in the fourth century.

While the majority of Ethiopia's population is Ethiopian Orthodox, Islam is growing rapidly in many areas, particularly in the southwest. Intent on stopping this feast which takes place during the Muslim fast of Ramadan, Muslims planned protests against the celebration. In the town of Denbee, 405 km southwest of Addis Ababa, the protests turned deadly and as many as nine people were killed in the violence. According to VOMC sources in Ethiopia, the violence started when an Orthodox woman and her son were killed for refusing to recant their faith. In retaliation, the woman's husband killed four Muslim men. This reciprocal attack led to escalating violence against all Christians. Many of those suffering are not Orthodox and have nothing to do with the Meskel celebration.

Hundreds of Christians have since been attacked. Reports state that more than fifteen hundred members from the evangelical Kalehiwot ("Word of Life") denomination have been displaced from their homes. Five churches in the area were burned: three Kalehiwot, one Lutheran and one Catholic. Five Kalehiwot churches were confiscated and turned into mosques. More than 750 believers were kidnapped and forcibly converted to Islam after being starved for four days. Property has been confiscated, Muslim men are forcing Christian girls to marry them and believers are being forced to ingest a traditional narcotic drug. The Ethiopian military has since moved into the area to prevent further violence and is restricting all travel into the region.

In a further incident in southwest Ethiopia on October 8, Muslims burned the Full Gospel Church in the town of Kober, near Begge as well as setting fire to the house of a Christian, Isaac Bayou (26). The next day, a Full Gospel Church in Begge was also burned. VOMC sources are continuing to monitor the situation and further reports will be forthcoming as they become available.

While the initial violence initiated by Muslims and then reciprocated by Orthodox Church members is regrettable, the devastating attacks by Muslims against Christians who have no association with either group are deplorable and go far beyond retaliation. Apparently local Muslims are using the situation as an attempt to rid the area of all Christians.

Ask God to give wisdom to those in authority so that residents in the region will be able to live quietly and peacefully together (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Pray that the displaced and suffering believers will know that the Good Shepherd walks with them through this terrible ordeal (Psalm 23). Pray that those forced from their homes will be able to return.

For more information on the persecution of Christians in Ethiopia,click here. The persecution of Christians is featured in the October edition of VOMC's new video "Persecution Report" available on our home page. The October edition of The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter features testimonies of Christians in Ethiopia suffering for their faith. To subscribe to this free monthly newsletter, click here. Those who subscribe will be able to read the feature article online. Sorry, but this publication is sent free only to Canadian addresses. Contact our office for pricing for international subscriptions.

Eyewitness reports from VOMC sources in Ethiopia provide evidence of the severe but under-reported persecution facing Christians in the Muslim regions of Bambesi and Tongo near the Sudanese border. This remote area is without modern means of communication requiring VOMC personnel to travel by foot for several days to collect these reports.

On July 20, hundreds of Muslims occupied the compound of a Christian woman and forcibly erected a mosque on her property. The building was erected as part of a plan to build a mosque every two kilometres.

In the last three months, the harvest of more than thirty-five Christians has been completely destroyed, creating severe hardship for the families of these subsistence farmers. VOMC was able to provide some funds for their needs.

On June 28, the home of an evangelist named Tareku from the village of Begge was destroyed and the building where almost seventy new believers gathered for worship was also burned down.

On July 5, a convert from Islam named Shek Hamed Adem was severely beaten and hanged on a cross. While beating him, the crowd told him, "Jesus was hanged on a cross and beaten and as his follower you also deserve the same punishment."

These are only a few of the incidents compiled by VOMC staff who met with many of the local believers last week. They report that the reason for the persecution is because the church is growing. More details on these and other incidents will be forthcoming in the next few days.

Pray that the Christian woman who has experienced the loss of her home will experience the joy of knowing that Christ is preparing a far greater inheritance for her (Hebrews 10:32-39). Ask God to enable Tareku and his congregation to hold fast to the hope they have in Christ as they encourage one another toward love and good works in their regular meetings, with or without adequate buildings to do so (Hebrews 10:23-25). Pray that Shek will rest in the love of his Heavenly Father, finding peace in the fact that as he has suffered with Christ so he will be glorified with Him (Romans 8:15-17).

For more information on the persecution of Christians in Ethiopia,click here. When possible, VOMC attempts to help in practical ways to alleviate the suffering of believers who have lost everything because of their faith in Christ. To assist in these efforts, gifts can be made online to our Relief and Development fund.

In the town of Yebu, Ethiopia, local Christians were able to obtain a piece of land for the purpose of constructing a building where they could meet to worship. Aware of the dangers facing them from Muslims in the community, they had delayed construction until they finally decided that they would begin at midnight on July 2. The construction project continued until the following day, when an angry mob heard about what they were doing and attacked the workers. The Muslims completely destroyed the building. They confiscated the materials and used them to construct a building of their own. Many of the Christians were injured in the attack and two, Yoseph Gebresadek and Terefe Jirga, were still in hospital at last report. Three of the Christian leaders were also accused of disturbing the peace and stability of the region. If found guilty, the leaders could face imprisonment.

In another incident, the Assembly of God church in the town of Alemaya was lit on fire in the middle of the night on June 30. Thankfully, believers were able to intervene and prevent the total destruction of the building. Alemaya is ninety-eight percent Muslim and the church had been threatened with violence several times to stop evangelizing.

VOMC contacts in Ethiopia ask for prayer in the face of intensifying persecution from Muslims. Pray that God's people will continually maintain a clear testimony for Christ. Pray that those wounded in the attack in Yebu will recover from their injuries. Pray that they would be able to forgive and love their attackers, knowing that the Heavenly Father loves them (Matthew 5:43-48). Pray that the accused believers in Yebu will be found innocent. Pray that evangelistic efforts in Alemaya will continue regardless of continued threats. Pray that the Lord will fill them with the joy of sharing in the sufferings of Christ (1 Peter 4:12-13).

For more information on Ethiopia and the persecution facing Christians there,click here.

Christians in the town of Alaba, south of Addis Ababa, have been facing various pressures in recent weeks as Muslims attempt to reinforce the concept that "Alaba is Muslim and Muslim is Alaba."

On June 7, the Kalhiwot church in Alaba was holding a conference with approximately 500 people in attendance when a group of Muslim teens forced their way to the front. They grabbed the microphone from the preacher and warned the believers to leave immediately or they will bombard the building. Four days later, a meeting of Christian high school students and teachers was also interrupted by Muslims.  The church has been given permission from the government to build a new elementary school. Muslims in the village showed their opposition to the project on June 15 by destroying the newly-built bricks. On June 17, building materials intended for the construction of a new church building in the community were also stolen.

Believers in the community do not anticipate cooperation from leaders in the community in bringing those responsible for these attacks to justice, since local officials in Alaba are all Muslims. Church leaders have brought their case to state officials but consider justice unlikely because of the strong Muslim control of all levels of government in the state.

Ask God to fill the believers' hearts with peace beyond comprehension as they bring their needs to the Lord. Pray that they will be able to rejoice in the midst of hatred and continual opposition (Philippians 4:4-7). Pray that the building projects will be able to move forward, despite the opposition.

For more information on the persecution of Christians in Ethiopia,click here.

According to reports received by VOMC, on May 24, as many as one hundred Muslim youth rioted in the streets of the eastern Ethiopian city of Jijiga, throwing stones at the homes and businesses of Christians in the community. The riots apparently began after rumours that a Christian-run restaurant was using pages from the Quran to wrap food.

Three days later, three businesses owned by Ethiopian Orthodox Christians were bombed. Forty-two people were injured in simultaneous attacks on the Central Hotel, London Café and Family Café at around 8:00 p.m.  The state-run Ethiopian News Agency referred to the attacks as "futile attempts to disrupt the ongoing development programs in the region."  However, VOMC sources in the area report the arrests of a Somali evangelist Hussen Rahafa and two believers named Ishmael and Mohamed who work for a Christian radio station in Kenya. The prisoners are reportedly advising local believers not to visit them in jail for fear of further arrests. The authorities have searched their homes and confiscated tracts, Bible and other Christian literature to be used as evidence against them. The three men have not yet been charged and there is no indication how long they will remain in this legal limbo. In 2005, another evangelist was kept in jail in Jijiga for more than a year without being charged.

Jijiga is located in the Ethiopian state of Somali which is closely affiliated with neighbouring Somalia. People in the state are ninety-eight percent Muslim and are strongly opposed to other religions in a region they want to rule under Islamic ideology.

Pray that those injured in the blasts will fully recover, both emotionally and physically. Pray that the Christians in Jijiga will not be ruled by fear but by Christ (1 Peter 3:14-15). Pray that there will be many who will come to Christ through the testimony of His people (Matthew 5:16). Pray for the three Christians who are in jail. Pray that they will be faithful witnesses to Christ through their bonds. Pray for their timely release.

For more information on the persecution of Christians in Ethiopia,click here.

As more than one hundred believers gathered for worship on the evening of April 15 at the Emmanuel Church in Jijiga in eastern Ethiopia, Muslims opposed to the Christian presence there threw a bomb at the building.  The building was completely destroyed and five people were injured, one critically. According to VOMC sources in Ethiopia, the area is almost entirely Muslim and pressure against Christians has been strong.  Police have openly intimidated believers and imprisoned anyone found to be sharing their Christian faith with others. Two years ago, a Full Gospel church in Jijiga was also bombed.

Pray that the believers in Jijiga will not be controlled by fear. Pray that they will be ruled by the Holy Spirit resulting in boldness and peace (Revelation 2:10). Pray that those who were injured in the bombing will fully recover from their injuries. Pray that the local authorities will recognize the need to respect the religious rights of everyone and work to protect the believers.

Last month, the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on violence in the region of Kemisse resulting in the burning of three churches and several other buildings (for details, click here).  According to VOMC sources in the country, the World Vision office in Senbete, 25 km from Kemisse, was damaged by a bomb on April 10.  It is believed that this attack was a continuation of the violence in Kemisse.  Five church leaders in Kemisse were also reportedly arrested for spreading the Gospel (to read more, click here).  Three of the five were released on April 15.  Those still in custody are Tesfaye Negga and Abessa.