Radical Muslims seek to turn Ethiopia into an Islamist state

In a recent press conference, the Ethiopian government expressed its concern over the growing violence against moderate Muslims and Christians by radical Wahhabi Muslims, reports International Christian Concern.

The government also announced discovering plans of the Wahhabi Muslims to turn Ethiopia into an Islamic country governed by Shariah law.

"We have found evidences and pamphlets were publicly distributed during the month of Ramadan calling on the Muslim community to stand up against all non-Wahhabi Muslims and followers of other religions," said Mersessa Reda, the Director General at the Ministry of Federal Affairs of Ethiopia.

Please join us in praying. 

• Pray for protection and courage for Christians living in Muslim-dominated areas of Ethiopia. 
• Pray that the Father would frustrate every plan of the Wahhabi Muslims to turn Ethiopia into an Islamist state, which would lead to increased persecution of Christians. 
• Pray for the leaders of Ethiopia.

To read the full report, click here. For more information on persecution in Ethiopia, click here.

4 Ethiopian Muslims beat evangelist to death, assault his pregnant wife

Pray for Ethiopian believers today!

International Christian Concern (ICC) learned that four Muslims beat an evangelist to death and assaulted his pregnant wife in Worabe, Ethiopia, on April 21.

An ICC spokesperson told ASSIST News Service that the Muslims lured Evangelist Abraham Abera from Kale Hiwot Church, his home and place of ministry, telling him that his friend was sick and needed his immediate attention.

Abraham left with the men; they turned on him and began to beat him with rods. The minister’s wife, Birtukan, ran to intervene, but the Muslims beat her as well.

Abraham died on the spot and his wife, who sustained a severe head injury, was left unconscious in the street. She was found and taken to a hospital in Butajira, where she regained consciousness on April 22.

Birtukan spoke with an ICC source and said that she knew two of the attackers. She said that as the Muslims were beating her and her husband, they told them, “You (Christians) are growing in number in our area. You are spreading your message (the gospel). We will destroy you.”

Birtukan’s unborn baby fortunately survived the attack.

The attackers remain at large. A Christian leader in the area told ICC that the men may not be arrested because the local officials are also Muslims. The area is 97 percent Muslim.

Christian students attacked by Muslim mob in Ethiopia

Pray for Christian college students
attacked in Ethiopia.

A Muslim mob assaulted and wounded 17 Christian college students on a mission trip in Oma village, Ethiopia, on February 26, reported International Christian Concern (ICC).

The mob overwhelmed the government militia who attempted to protect the students. When the Christians fled the village, the mob unsuccessfully attempted to set fire to their car.

The students, who were from Meda Welabu University, went to the Muslim village in Bale province on a short-term mission trip. After the students started to distribute Bibles and speak with the Muslims, one of the villagers angrily argued with them, inciting a mob to attack the students. The Muslims hurled stones at the Christians and beat them with rods.

Speaking with ICC, one of the victims who wanted to remain anonymous said, “We thank God that no one was killed. It’s sad that we suffered the attacks despite the Ethiopian laws which say there is freedom of religion and equality in the country.”

While Ethiopia’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion, Muslims occasionally attack Christians living in Muslim-majority areas.

Please pray for believers in Ethiopia today!

Persecution escalates in Muslim areas of Ethiopia

Pray for Ethiopian believers who are
experiencing an increase in persecution.

The Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) recently released a Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin about escalating persecution in Ethiopia. Elizabeth Kendal, an international religious liberty analyst and advocate, wrote it.

Here is a brief summary:

When the Ethiopian Government federalised the state in 1996, it devolved power to nine autonomous, ethnic regions. Rather than appeasing and pacifying Ethiopia's diverse peoples, this ethnic federalism only undermined nationhood while magnifying ethnicity and differences. Divisive forces are now stronger than ever.

Ethiopia's traditional Sufi Muslims are being radicalised by Saudi (Wahhabi) entities, inflaming religious tensions. Protestant believer Tamirat Woldegorgis (30s) is in an Islamic prison, having been falsely accused of defacing a Qur’an. Also, Christians in the southern town of Besheno are being told they must convert to Islam, leave or die. Persecution and application of Shariah law are increasing.

Yet, the central Government appears loath to intervene lest self- determination, “harmony” and “national unity” be undermined.

Please pray specifically that God will:

• Protect Tamirat Woldegorgis and deliver him safely back to his family; may the family all know the sustaining presence of the Lord, their provider.
• Protect the Christians living in restive Oromia and Islamic Somali, particularly the persecuted and threatened Christians in Besheno.
• Grant Christian leaders great wisdom to know how to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16 NKJV).
• Give the Federal Government much wisdom, strength and courage to tackle the issue of constitutional rights and the supremacy of the Federal Constitution over regional Islamic courts.

You can read the full prayer bulletin here.

Ethiopian Muslims warn Christians to convert, leave city or face death

Pray for believers in Ethiopia today.

International Christian Concern has learned that Christians in the Ethiopian city of Besheno are being harassed and physically abused after Muslims posted notices on the doors of Christian homes, warning them to convert, leave the city or face death, reported the Assyrian International News Agency.

Three Christian leaders were forced to flee the city and two Christians have been forced to convert to Islam. In the Muslim majority city, the entire evangelical Christian community consists of about 30 believers.

Evangelist Kassa Awano remains in critical condition after Muslims attacked him on November 29, 2010. A few days after the attack, nearly 100 Muslims surrounded a vehicle carrying Christian leaders on their way to negotiate for peace with Muslim leaders. Two men, Tesema Hirego and Niggusie Denano, were seriously wounded, and the other leaders suffered minor injuries. On January 2, Muslims assaulted Temesgen Peteros with a knife after he testified about the attacks on these Christians in court.

Christians in Besheno have been targeted by Muslims for many years. Unfortunately, the local Muslim officials of the city refuse to protect the Christians. The officials ignore their appeals for justice, declining repeated requests for the building of a place of worship and a cemetery.

Besheno is a city located in the province of Alaba in Southern Ethiopia. According to the 2007 national census, 93.84 percent of the population of the province is Muslim. Christians make up 5.82 percent of the population.

You can read the full report here.

Ethiopian Christian accused of defacing Qur’an

Ethiopia continues to be torn
by social, political and
economic crises.

Compass Direct News is reporting that Ethiopian Christian Tamirat Woldegorgis, father of two and member of the Full Gospel Church, was sentenced to three years in prison for allegedly desecrating a Qur’an.

Tamirat was arrested in early August after a Muslim co-worker in the clothes-making business the two operated discovered Tamirat had inscribed “Jesus is Lord” on some cloth, area Christians said. His business partner later accused him of writing “Jesus is Lord” in a copy of the Qur’an, although no evidence of that ever surfaced.

Tamirat was sentenced on November 18 and was subsequently transferred to Jijiga prison, a source said. Jijiga is the capital of Ethiopia’s Somali Region Zone Five, which is governed by Islamic principles. Tamirat’s transfer there puts his life in great danger, a church leader said.

Pray Tamirat will be blessed with the Lord’s comforting strength and presence. Pray for his release from prison and, in the meantime, pray for his protection. Pray the Lord will ease the grip of Islamic rule and influence over parts of Ethiopia.

Read the full story here.

For more information on the challenges facing Christians in Ethiopia, visit www.persecution.net/ethiopia.htm.