"Once and for all" closure of Algerian churches ordered by police

Submitted by Lactantius Jr (United Kingdom), May 26, 2011 at 14:17

To sTs

Writing around 2 years ago, you said I should "go and live in Algeria," for denying your claim that Christians are treated better than Muslims in Muslim countries.

I denied your fallacious claim then, and I deny it now.

The majority of Algerian Churches belong to the ETA (the Algerian Protestant Church Association). and a notice dated 22nd.May was sent to the head of the EPA by a police High Commissioner, informing him that a decision had been taken to close down all places of Christian worship throughout the country "once and for all," that are not designated for religious purposes.

Following stringent regulations introduced in 2006 designed to restrict the religious activity of non-Muslims, it has proved impossible to obtain registration from the authoties, and so, most church buildings have not been officially designated as such.

The closure order applies to existing church buildings and to those under construction, with the High Commissioner of police threatening "severe consequences and punishments" for violation of the order to close.

Following the end of the civil war in 2006, Algerian Christians enjoyed six years of relative religious freedom, but since then, the authorities have been clamping down on their activities after the new regulations were introduced, which required churches to register with a National Commission specifically set up for this purpose, but numerous applications met with no response, and churches have been subjected to sporadic closures and police clampdowns on their unregistered activities, with this closure order being the latest and most worrying development in a systematic attempt by the Algerian authorities to eradicate Christianity in Algeria, but all praise and glory to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, despite the worst efforts of the Algerian authorities, the Christian church in Algeria is growing, and I pray that the Lord Jesus will give wisdom to the Algerian church leaders on how to respond to this latest wave of persecution of His church, and that His Spirit of power, love and self-control, will enable them to stand firmly against the threats of the Algerian authorities, and that He powerfully demonstrates His salvation and glorious victory against whatever would harm His church.

With kind regards and best wishes

Lactantius Jr

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