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21ST CENTURY WILBERFORCE INITIATIVE | 405 NORTH WASHINGTON ST., SUITE 300, FALLS CHURCH, VA 22046 571-297-3177 | [email protected] | WWW.21WILBERFORCE.ORG
SPEAKFREEDOM
TEXASChristianVillagesDestroyedandBeggingforFreedomCollectedbythe21stCenturyWilberforceInitiative,February2016Tags:Nigeria,BokoHaram,DestroyedVillageChristiansacrossBauchiStateinnorthernNigeriaarepartofareligiousminoritythatoftenliveintheforgottenshadowsofdiscriminationandpersecution.Dr.MarkOborilivesinonecommunityinthesouthernportionofthestatethathadapopulationofapproximately10,000.Thisparticularcommunitywasthehubforalocalareaoftwentyvillagesthathadroughlyanother10,000people.Themajorityofthese20,000peopleareChristian.InMarch2011,BokoHaramsweptthroughtheoutlyingtwentyvillages,attackinganddestroyingthecommunitiesastheymovedforward.Thiscreatedanovernightinfluxintothemaincommunityofaround10,000peopleseekingrefugefromtheterrorismandviolence.Duringthisattackonthetwentyvillagesthatdisplaced10,000people,818homeswereburned,153werekilled,200werewoundedand32churchesweredestroyed.Inthelastfiveyears,noonefromthegovernmentorfromanyInternallyDisplacedPersons(IDPs)humanitarianorganizationhasofferedanyhelporassistance.Infact,whentheLocalGovernmentAreaformedacommitteetoresettlethoseaffectedbyBokoHaram,thisentirecommunitywith10,000ChristianIDPswasexcluded.Moreover,since2011,theareathathadbeenoccupiedbythetwentyvillageshasbeenrezonedintodedicatedgrazingterritoryforFulanipastoralistspreventingthepossibilityofresettlementandvirtuallyeradicatingthehistoryandexistenceofthoseChristiancommunities.Dr.Oborilamented:
WehavebeenlefttothemercyofGod...TheissueofresettlingChristianIDPsisanissueforus.AlotofmoneyhascomeinforresettlingIDPs,butChristiansareexemptedfromthis.Theyarenotincludedintheprocess.ArewenotpartofNigeria?...Whythemarginalization?Whyarewebeingsilenced?
AnotherindividualinsouthernBauchiStatedescribedhowhisparticularvillageof5,000isvirtuallyentirelyChristian.Despitelegalrequirementstoprovidelocalvoting,thereisnotonepollingstationintheentirecommunity.Theclosestpollingstationisinthenextcommunitythreemilesaway,butthesoleconnectingroadisfirmlycontrolledbyBokoHaram,thuseffectivelyleavingthisChristiancommunityvirtuallyexcludedfromthepoliticalprocessandfurthermarginalized.Hisrequest,“Pleasefreeus.”AUniversityStudentStonedforHisFaithCollectedbythe21stCenturyWilberforceInitiative,June2014Tags:Eritrea,Refugee,StoningEritreaisoneofthemostbrutaloppressorsofChristianity,andhasthereputationofbeing“TheNorthKoreaofAfrica.”Thecountryisledbyadictatorwhoholdstoaradicalsecularideologythatbelievesallreligionsshouldberemoved.Whileallnationsthereforefacemarginalizationandoppression,evangelicalChristianityisparticularlytargeted.Scholarsestimatethatperhapsasmany
21ST CENTURY WILBERFORCE INITIATIVE | 405 NORTH WASHINGTON ST., SUITE 300, FALLS CHURCH, VA 22046 571-297-3177 | [email protected] | WWW.21WILBERFORCE.ORG
SPEAKFREEDOM
TEXASas2,000-3,000individualsareincarceratedfortheirfaithinEritrea.Manyoftheseareimprisonedinbrutalcircumstancesincludinginmetalshippingcontainersthatheatwiththerisingofthesuneachday.ThefollowingstoryisofauniversitystudentnamedSemerewhowasstonedforhisevangelicalfaithinJesus.Thesearehiswords:
DuringcollegeIwasvocalaboutmyChristianfaith.Inmyfirstyearofcollege,agroupofusChristiansmettopray.Onceaftersixofushadmetinahouseforprayer,wewentoutsideandweresurprisedtodiscoverthatamobhadgatheredandbeenwaitingforusinanearbyfield.ThemobofmostlyMuslimandOrthodoxcollegestudentsbegantoaccostusinthatopenfield.Theybeganthrowingstonesatus.Whilemostofmygrouptriedtorunaway,Iwashitonthebackofmyheadbyastone.Ilaythereseriouslybleedinginthefieldfrom7P.M.until1A.M.Eventually,Iwasabletogetupandgoforhelp.Sadly,Iwastheonlymaninthatgrouptosurvivethestoningmostlyunscathed.Oneoftheyoungmenbecamementallyillafterthestoning.ThiseventleadthecollegetodismissmeforayearbecauseofmyChristianbeliefs.
AfterbeingexpelledforayearbythecollegeforhisChristianfaith,becausetherearefewotheroptionswithinEritrea,Semereeventuallyreturnedtothatsamecollegetofinishhisdegree.Althoughhewasabletograduatehecontinuedtofacechallengeandoppositionevenafterhereceivedafulltimejob.EventuallyhewasforcedtofleeasarefugeetoEthiopia.Atthetimeoftheinterview,Semerehadbeenlivingforafewyearsasarefugeeunemployedandinextraordinarilyharshconditions.However,hiscommitmenttoChristremainedhighandhecontinuedtoremaininvolvedintheonechurchintherefugeecamp.
