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Nigeria

  • Sharia Law to be Implemented Despite Turmoil

    The governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, has reiterated that nothing will stop the full implementation of Sharia law in the state of Kano in northern Nigeria, despite pressure from within the state as well as outside pressure. This announcement came at a time when parts of northern Nigeria were in turmoil from a militant Islamic group attempting to establish an Taliban-like Islamic nation in the north-eastern state of Yobe.

     
    Christian Church in Kano

    The government says that the uprising which began on December 30 has been quelled. At least two police officers and six militants were killed and many were arrested as they attempted to flee to neighboring Niger. More than ten thousand people have fled their homes in fear. Also this week, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo joined Christian and Muslim leaders in calling for peace and religious harmony in Nigeria.

    Pray that there might be peace in Nigeria and that attempts to institute Islamic law will fail. Pray that states such as Kano will revoke Sharia law, so that there might be full equality for all people in Nigeria.

    For more information on Nigeria, visithttps://www.vomcanada.com/nigeria.htm.

  • Government Action Averts Christmas Attacks

     In the early morning of December 18, a combined team of army, air force and police raided a Muslim militant stronghold in the city of Jos, Nigeria in order to pre-empt attacks planned on Christians during the Christmas holidays. According to a December 30 report from Compass Direct, the Nigerian government ordered the raid after receiving reports that militants from Niger and Cameroon and come to join in attacks on Christians on Christmas Day.

    Jos, NigeriaIn the attack, five militants were killed and one hundred and seventy-five were arrested, including their leader, Mallam Ibrahim Mai-Mai. Some military and police personnel suffered gunshot and machete wounds in the attack. Mallam Mai-Mai ran an Islamic school, with three hundred students. It is believed that the school was used to train Islamic militants.

    Sources in Jos indicated to VOM in 2001 that foreign militants had been active in attacks on Christians in the city during the violence of September 2001 that left hundreds dead.

    In a December 20 broadcast on radio and television, Plateau Governor Joshua Dariye warned that patience with Islamic militants was running out and they would deal decisively with all those who threaten peace and order.


      
    For the past several years, the Christmas season has been a time of violence against Christians around the world. Praise God with us that this season has thus far been relatively calm in 2003, in part because of actions like that in Nigeria. Pray that Nigerian authorities will carry out their promises to enforce peace.

    For more information on persecution in Nigeria, click here.
     

  • Churches and Shops Destroyed in Riot

    Kazaure, Nigeria"During Ramadan people tend to be more devoted to God, more sensitive," the Muslim emir of Kazaure, Nigeria told Reuters. This was his response to a riot that destroyed all the churches in the northern Nigerian town of Kazaure, as well as numerous homes and shops.


    According to reports, at least twelve churches, over fifty shops, and several homes were burned to the ground when Muslim youths rioted on November 18 in response to a blasphemy case. The dispute began when a Christian student at Federal Government Girls College (FGGC) Kazaure was accused of insulting the Prophet Mohammad during a heated argument with her colleagues. A group of Muslims were not satisfied with the response of school authorities and protested, leading to the riot. Thankfully no one was killed, but scores of Christians have fled the town, fearing for their lives.

    Pray for peace between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. Pray that Christians will be free to worship and that they will not respond aggressively to the violence against them. Pray for courage for Christian leaders and confidence that their lives are in God's hands.
     

  • Public School Girls Ordered to Wear the Hijab

    On Friday, August 29, the Kano state government in northern Nigeria issued a directive making it compulsory for all girls attending schools run by the state government to wear the hijab Islamic headscarf, whether or not they are Muslim. Over one million Christians live in the state, which in June 2000 formally adopted strict Islamic or Sharia law but had previously hesitated to implement it. Changes were expected when Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who campaigned on a platform that he would rigorously implement Sharia, defeated the incumbent governor in April state elections.

    Christians in the state are understandably upset over the directive. The directive only applies to school operated by the state government and not to private schools or schools run by the Nigerian Federal Government, which has openly criticized the formal adoption of Sharia law in the northern states.

    However, as the World Evangelical Alliance notes, "Considering that the Kano state government has closed virtually all Kano's Christian schools, Christian families are not going to have much choice. Christian schools are closed in Kano on the grounds that they do not meet state mandated standards. The education standards, however, include the mandate that all schools (Christian schools included) must employ Islamic clerics to indoctrinate the children in Islam. Those schools that refuse are closed." (World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty News & Analysis, September 10).

    Pray for the Christians of Kano state during this tense time. Pray that the concerns expressed by the Christians will not escalate into violence as it has on occasion in the past. Pray for the young women who will be subjected to this form of religious discrimination. Pray that the church in Kano state will glorify God by staying faithful to His teachings regardless of the uncertainties that they increasingly face.

  • Increased Persecution Feared Due to Controversial Bishop

    As many conservative Christians in North America struggle to come to grips with the latest decision of the U.S. Episcopal Church in appointing an openly homosexual bishop, Christians in other areas of the world fear the repercussions that could come from Muslims around them. In an August 7 article in CNSNews.com, the Anglican bishop of Owerri in Nigeria, Cyril Okoracha, said African Christians would face "severe persecution [from] our Muslim neighbors because they keep accusing us of maintaining relationships with those who deny the Scripture."

    Christians in Islamic countries often face opposition because of western clothing styles, consumption of alcohol, and the ethical behaviour promoted by the "Christian" west. With an openly homosexual bishop in a Christian church, Muslims may well see one more reason to actively oppose Christians, justifying it as a way of preventing sinful behaviour in their country.

    Pray for wisdom for Christians throughout the world as they address this issue with their Muslim neighbours. Pray that God will give them the words to say to disarm the opposition and be able to share the truth of the Gospel of Christ.

  • Pastor and Family Burned to Death

    A pastor, along with six members of his family, died in a fire in the northern Nigerian city of Kano which Christian leaders suspect was deliberately set. The only survivor was his son, Daniel, who remains in critical condition. According to a May 6 report from Compass Direct, Pastor Madumere and his family were asleep in their home on April 22 when it was engulfed by flames. While police authorities say the fire may have been caused by an electrical fault, Christian leaders have ruled out that theory, insisting that the pastor and his family were victims of religious intolerance. Pastor Madumere was known for his powerful preaching and many Muslims in Kano had converted to Christianity through his ministry, angering Muslim militants in the city.

    In speaking about the incident, Bishop Nyam of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, said, "We are not surprised at all about this incident.... We saw it coming."

    For several years militant Muslims having been carrying out a jihad against Christians in northern and central Nigeria. Hundreds of Christians have been killed and homes, churches and businesses destroyed. Representatives from The Voice of the Martyrs recently visited Christian brothers and sisters in Nigeria who have been brutalized for their faith. Greg Musselman from VOM Canada visited hospitals in Nigeria's Plateau state where he saw women, men, and children with bullet wounds and deep slash marks on their necks and heads inflicted by machete-wielding attackers. Despite this suffering, however, Musselman also witnessed how they were committing themselves to God's care. The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter will have a special feature on the suffering and faith of believers in Nigeria in an upcoming edition this summer. For a free subscription to this publication, visit https://www.vomcanada.com/nlonline.htm.

    Pray for a full recovery for Daniel as well as healing emotional scars with the loss of his family. Pray for members of Pastor Madumere's church as they deal with this tragedy.

  • Elections May Bring Sharia Law

    As presidential elections are set to begin in Nigeria on April 19, the possibility of Sharia law spreading to more states increases. The front-runners in the election are Olusegun Obasanjo, the current president and a Christian from the south, and Muha-mmadu Buhari, a Muslim northerner.

    At present, twelve of Nigeria's thirty-six states are governed by Islamic Sharia law. According to a March 31 report from CNSNews, Josiah Warron, press attache at the Nigerian Embassy in Kenya, expects this number to increase if Muha-mmadu Buhari wins the election.

    Since the election is taking place during the Easter Season, some Christian leaders are concerned that Christians may be less likely to vote. Pray that the elections will be free of violence and corruption. Pray that the upcoming elections will not increase the tensions already existing in the country and that religious freedom will be strengthened throughout the country.

  • Four Christians Killed by Police

    Nigerian federal police officers killed four Catholics and injured eight others for refusing to pay a bribe, according to a report from Compass Direct received on January 27. A group was returning from a crusade and prayer vigil on December 14 when police stopped their bus. According to one of the passengers who escaped, the bus driver refused to pay a bribe because of his faith and was then shot point-blank. When others in the group intervened, they were also shot while the rest fled on foot.

    In response to the killings, the governor of Enugu, Chinwoke Mbadinuju, ordered all federal police units to leave the state and is calling for the federal government to address the issue of violence by security forces.

    Bribery of officials in Nigeria is extremely common. Pray that those who refuse because of conscience will be protected. Pray that justice and the rule of law will be enforced. Pray for the families and friends of those killed. Pray for a full and quick recovery for those injured.