"Telling it like it is"

Submitted by Lactantius Jr. (United Kingdom), May 21, 2008 at 08:23

To sTs

Not a "biased author" sTs neither are the others referred to below, and neither is it my "trend to smear and attack Islam in any possible way," but just to "tell it like it is."

.The current cruel reality, is that from Nigeria to Indonesia, Christians are under attack in virtually every single country in the Islamic world, including the countries you mention. This widespread and systematic discrimination, depredation, brutality and murder is well documented on many websites, for example,

http://tinyurl.com/4d899d

http://tinyurl.com/6zafof

http://tinyurl.com/49wmlw

http://tinyurl.com/5fzj9m

http://tinyurl.com/4qazs2

http://tinyurl.com/5z4cls

http://tinyurl.com/4ouwbj

http://tinyurl.com/5js8hb

http://tinyurl.com/5yd5dj

Algeria In recent years, Christians have been attacked by the Islamic Salvation Front, and Islamic Fundamentalists are pushing for the implementation of Shariah law. And over the last few months, there has been a sharp rise in both official and unofficial discrimination against active evangelical Christians .

Christians in Algeria have appealed for international prayers and support, amid a government crackdown on churches and suspected evangelists. At least seven house churches have been closed down in recent months. And several believers have been formally charged under legislation that has lain dormant for two years. Newspapers have published false claims that churches 'pay' their members for converts.

During the last week in April 2008, in the latest of a wave of detentions and court cases against Christians, an Algerian Christian was illegally detained for five days for carrying a Bible and personal Bible study books. He was fined $US 460 and given a one-year suspended prison sentence

Egypt The constitution gives preference to Muslims, and Christians are often treated as second-class citizens, denied political representation, and discriminated against in employment.

Jordan

In Jordan, a relatively moderate nation, 94% of the population practices Sunni Islam. The percentage of Christians in Jordan (including the West Bank) in 1952 was 18% but has fallen to under 4%, with the majority being Greek Orthodox. Two percent of the population follows other religions, including Shi'a Islam.

Christian emigration continues because anti-Christian persecution is still widespread. Christian schools have been harassed by the government and converts have been arrested and jailed. Christian businesses have been attacked.

http://tinyurl.com/5yd5dj

Morocco Anyone converting from Islam to Christianity can face charges of treachery and contact with foreign missions. A small Moroccan church is emerging, estimated to number some 500 indigenous believers in 2,000 AD

Palestine

After World War II, Bethlehem, the birthplace of the Lord Jesus Christ, was 80% Christian and Nazareth 60% Christian. Now those percentages are 20% and 30% respectively, and are shrinking. Jerusalem Christians were a plurality in the 1920s; today, they number under 2 percent of the city's population.

Serious violations of religious freedom are reported from within the Palestinian Authority, especially the persecution of Muslims who have converted to Christianity. In the Christian town of Bet Jella, a human rights lawyer reported brutal interrogation methods and arbitrary arrests based on fabricated criminal charges against Muslims and their families who have converted to Christianity. His report includes testimony about torture from victims who were terrified to criticize the Palestinian Authority and their secret police.

In Nazareth, the Christian population has decreased dramatically due to the rise and spread of militant Islam. The Islamic Movement (a radical Muslim group) has demanded the construction of a mosque near the Church of the Annunciation, a mosque even some moderate Muslims oppose. On Easter, 1999, the Muslim group burned Christian stores and targeted Christians over the issue; attempts to intervene were frustrated because Christians are terrified to speak out.

Hundreds of Christian families have left Palestinian towns like Bet Jella and Bethlehem during the al-Aqsa intifada, caught literally in the crossfire between Palestinians and Israelis. On the West Bank, a nearly-permanent Muslim boycott of Christian businesses is achieving its objective: driving the Christians to emigrate.

In October 2000, Christians were attacked in Gaza after a Palestinian Muslim leader called for a "jihad" against both Jews and Christians.

In February 2002 a Muslim mob, including Palestinian Authority Special Forces, burned Christian businesses and attempted to destroy the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches in Ramallah. The attack occurred after a Christian man killed a Muslim while being pursued by a Muslim gang, because he refused to pay protection money for safe passage to his home.

http://tinyurl.com/5yd5dj

Syria Christian minorities are tolerated and have freedom to worship and witness within their own community, but all activities that could threaten the government or communal harmony, are carefully watched.

This reliable, widely documented discrimination against followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, contradicts the rosy picture you paint, making it unnecessary to "go and live in Egypt, in Jordan and in Syria, In Algiers, in Morocco" as you suggest.

As Muslims becomes more numerous here in Britain, there are increasing reports of violence against Christians by Muslims, with Bishop Michael Nazir Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, and someone well-placed to understand Islamic persecution of Jesus' followers, coming from an Islamic background in Pakistan as he does, is now, because of threats from Muslims to kill him and his family, living under police protection, for ‘daring' to comment on those areas in Britain which have effectively become no-go areas for Christians, because of the fear of Muslim persecution and violence against them.

http://tinyurl.com/2l2yzv

http://tinyurl.com/2kfn6y

http://tinyurl.com/6p445c

http://tinyurl.com/4jrkwz

There are also increasing numbers occurring, of attacks against Christian priests by Muslims, for example

"Christianophobia comes to the East End"

http://tinyurl.com/65r7ay

"2^nd.London East End Priest Attacked & Beaten By Muslims"

http://tinyurl.com/4ayd2q

This is the reality of the Islamic "witness" sTs

With kind regards and best wishes

Lactantius Jr.

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