Delivering Critical Oral Intervention To UN to Stop Deadly Violence Against Christians in “Killing Field” of Nigeria
They’re calling Nigeria a “killing field of defenseless Christians.”
The ACLJ is demanding that the international community take action NOW to end this deadly violence before it’s too late.
Islamic radicals are slaughtering Christians in Nigeria, and there is no end to their deadly rampage in sight. Recent reports have stated at least 350 innocent Christians have already been mercilessly slaughtered in Nigeria just three months into 2020.
Earlier this year, we reported on the horrific beheading of Christian Pastor Luwan Andimi by Boko Haram – the Nigerian Islamic militia that has sworn its loyalty to ISIS. Days before he was assassinated by cowardly terrorists, Pastor Luwan sent a message via a hostage video, demonstrating his humbling, unshakable faith, committing his faith to the hands of God:
“By the grace of God, I will be together with my wife, my children, and my colleagues. [But] if the opportunity has not been granted, maybe it is the will of God . . . . I have never been discouraged because all conditions that one finds himself in is in the hands of God.”
Even in the darkest of circumstances, Pastor Lawan told his family and friends: “Don’t cry. Don’t worry. But thank God for everything.”
Days after Pastor Lawan Andimi’s death, radical Islamic gunmen reportedly attacked a village and murdered two young Christian women.
And Boko Haram continues to hold Leah Sharibu hostage – the Christian teen that the vile Islamic group kidnapped along with 110 other schoolgirls. As we recently told you, it’s now been over two years since Leah was violently abducted. Her captors refuse to free Leah because she won’t renounce her faith in Jesus Christ.
The widespread violence against Christians has gotten so out of hand, the United States has placed Nigeria on a Special Watch List for "severe violations of religious freedom."
We have a moral obligation to defend our Christian brothers and sisters around the globe and stop the bloodshed and abductions of innocent believers.
We recently told you how we delivered a critical written submission to the U.N. highlighting the gruesome murder of Christian Pastor Lawan Andimi by Boko Haram, and the murder of the two innocent Christian girls just days later.
Once again, the ACLJ just appeared before the U.N. Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva through our European affiliate office, the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), to deliver an urgent oral intervention to defend these dying Christians, and to free young Leah Sharibu.
As we said in our presentation:
The U.N. Refugee Agency estimates that Boko Haram’s terrorist activities have internally displaced over 2 million Nigerians, created nearly 250,000 refugees, and killed more than 37,500 people. In addition, Christians are attacked by Fulani Herdsmen who – like Boko Haram – kill, destroy homes and churches, and kidnap Christian girls to marry them to Muslim men.
The future for Africa’s Christians looks grim. And just as we previously warned in our written submission, the violence is spilling over Nigeria’s borders into other African regions:
Action must be taken to not only stop the spread of violence within Nigeria but also the spread of violence in west Africa. Boko Haram has in fact already begun carrying out attacks in neighboring Chad, Cameroon and Niger. The UN Refugee Agency estimates that Boko Haram activity in these three countries has created more than 550,000 IDPs [Internally Displaced Persons].
The violence against Christians in Africa is quickly spreading. Just days ago, two Christians were killed and another kidnapped across the continent in Kenya by Islamic radicals who have reportedly warned of their anti-Christian campaign:
“Al-Shabaab is following through with its threat to target and attack non-local Christians,” Nathan Johnson, ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, said. “They have increased this type of attack greatly already this year. If this continues, 2020 could be one of the deadliest for Kenyan Christians in recent history. Though I commend the Kenyan government for taking this situation seriously, they must figure out a better way to stop these attacks before dozens more Christians are killed.”
We must urge the international community to take immediate action to quell the violence and provide essential protections and aid to Nigeria's Christians. If we do nothing, Africa's Christians face a very real threat of extinction.
Be their voice.