MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

By Luiza Oleszczuk – “A recently erected church was burned in southern Ethiopia on Nov. 29 by a group of over 500 Muslim students allegedly supported by local police, four days after local Muslim authorities ordered demolition of the building, human rights watchdog International Christian Concern (ICC) reported Thursday.

The Saint Arsema Orthodox Church in the village of Qoto Baloso in Silte Province found itself entangled in conflict between the Muslim population, predominant in the region, and the minority Christians community.

On Nov. 25, police tore down the church’s roof, following a dispute started by a Muslim businessman who claimed he owned the piece of land, ICC’s regional manager for Africa, Jonathan Racho, told The Christian Post Friday. The Christian community has been using the land for holding service for the past 60 years, and in a recent decision, the Supreme Court of the South Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State (SNNPRS) (a counterpart of a state supreme court) ruled the community had a right to build its temple there.

However, a local court ruled that the building was erected without proper authorization, head of police in Silte Province told ICC.

Chief of Qebet district police, Hassan Shomolo, has a reputation for anti-Christian attitude, the agency said. So does Judge Daro Jamal, who reportedly issued the order for the police chief to deploy 30 officers on the night of Nov. 25 to demolish the church. The law enforcement only managed to damage the roof, as local Christians began protesting.

On Nov. 29, a group of more than 500 Muslim students poured gasoline on the building and burned it in broad daylight, Racho said.” Read more.

By Alex Murashko – “Violent attacks against Christians by Muslim extremists in Syria have increased as the byproduct of the country’s volatile political situation, much like what has transpired in Egypt, said a persecution watchdog this week.

Open Doors International officials say that while much of the world’s attention is focused on the Egyptian elections and American troops withdrawing from Iraq, the situation inside Syria is getting worse, especially for Christians.

‘Christians inside Syria are caught in the crossfire as they are in many other Middle Eastern countries,’ said Open Doors president and CEO Dr. Carl Moeller. ‘Until the protests started against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, the Christian community enjoyed some protection. Now they are afraid of the future. Will they have to flee their country like Iraqi Christians have done over the last several years?’

Paul Estabrooks, communication specialist for the international organization, told The Christian Post that the group’s workers in Syria have reported various atrocities, including the kidnapping of two Christian women who entered taxi cabs driven by Muslim fundamentalists.

The fundamentalist Muslim taxi drivers in Syria have made a vow that they will harm all women taking their taxis who are unveiled, according to Open Doors.

‘These women, mostly less orthodox Muslims and Christians, are being kidnapped, raped or even killed,’ said the field worker. ‘Some months ago two Christian women were kidnapped. One managed to jump out of the driving car, but the other was taken. That woman remains missing. This didn’t happen in a remote area of the country but in the capital of Damascus. For women the situation is unsafe now.'” Read more.

Flashback: Syria’s Choice: Murderous Secular Regime or Islamic Fundamentalists – “As Syrian dictator Bashar Assad continues to slaughter his people, there are growing indications that the Islamists are increasing their efforts to replace his regime. What started as a secular Facebook revolution against the Assad regime is now beginning to look more like a jihad [holy war] led by Muslim fundamentalists. The Muslim Brotherhood is clearly seeking to hijack the anti-Assad protests, in both the political and military fields. In the past few months, there have been many signs of a ‘return to Islam’ in Syrian society.” Read more.

Flashback: The Islamic Revival in Syria – “Islamic fundamentalism in Syria has spread rapidly in recent years, and not just among the urban poor. The spectacle of veiled women driving brand new Mercedes through the bustling streets of Damascus illustrates that religious revivalism has penetrated high society. In posh residential neighborhoods of the capital, most restaurants have stopped serving alcohol and there are traffic jams every Friday outside local mosques. As in other Arab states, the Islamist resurgence in Syria has been fueled by the resounding failures of secular political parties in the region, the contrasting successes of militant Islamist groups, and widespread feelings of powerlessness in the face of perceived Israel and American encroachments in the region.” Read more.

This story is finally making its way into a couple of media outlets, but still nowhere near the attention it deserves …

By Judson Berger – “A rash of attacks on Christian-owned businesses in northern Iraq has raised troubling questions about the future safety of the country’s shrinking Christian community, particularly as U.S. forces withdraw completely from the nation they’ve refereed since 2003.

The attacks, which have received little international attention, raged through northern cities following a sermon last Friday by a local mullah. Video purportedly from the riots posted online shows mobs burning and wrecking businesses, which included liquor stores, hotels and hair salons.

Yonadam Kanna, a Christian member of the Iraqi parliament and secretary-general of the Assyrian Democratic Movement, confirmed to FoxNews.com that dozens of shops — many Christian owned — were attacked across multiple cities.

‘The extremists prepared themselves to attack on more locations … but they were prevented by local police and security in addition to some guards from the villages,’ Kanna said in an email.

The incident underscored the perilous circumstance the country’s dwindling Christian population finds itself in, as U.S. forces withdraw and the surrounding region takes what could be an Islamist turn, if early results in the Egypt elections are any gauge.

‘The Iraqi Christians … are living in fear,’ said U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., who is pushing for the creation of a special religious freedom envoy in the region. ‘Now with the forces leaving … I think the Iraqi Christians are going to go through a very, very difficult time.’

Urging the U.S. government to do more to draw attention to security concerns, Wolf said he ‘would not be surprised’ if Iraqi Christians continue to face these kinds of threats.

The latest attacks began in the northern city of Zakho, and spread to several other cities…

Juliana Taimoorazy, founder of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council, said the Christians — who over the past decade have fled to surrounding countries to escape the violence — are faced with limited options today. She said they simply can’t go to Iran, Jordan can’t handle more refugees and Syria is no longer safe.

‘They don’t know what tomorrow or the next day will bring, but really there’s nowhere else to go,’ she said.

She questioned the security for Christians in northern Iraq, claiming the Kurdish regional government there did not initially intervene to stop the recent violence.

She also said it’s ‘disturbing’ the U.S. government has not spoken up on the latest attacks.

‘We’re on the verge of extinction,’ she said.” Read more.

Islamists in Iraq to Christians: ‘If Anyone Decides to Reopen His Store, We Will Kill Him’ – “The Islamist campaign against all things contrary to Sharia Law continues, and to drive home just how dead serious they are about preventing Christians in Zakho and elsewhere from buying and selling products, notes have been left for Christians informing them that if they reopen their stores, they will be killed …” Read more.

“Salma Emmanuel and her husband, Rashid Emmanuel, were tortured by Pakistani police over a three-day period after Salma, a maid, was falsely accused of stealing from her employer, according to news reports.

‘I begged them for mercy, pleading that I am five months pregnant, but they continued their merciless onslaught,’ said Salma, referring to the policewomen who tortured her. ‘They continued to try to force me to admit to the crime, even threatening that they would kill my baby, but I refused to confess a false allegation.’

‘I had complete faith in Jesus and trusted that He would rescue me and Emmanuel from this great problem,’ she said. ‘It was our faith that kept us going.’

‘The police beat me up mercilessly,’ her husband added. ‘A policeman offered to remove the theft charges against me if I was willing to renounce Christianity and convert to Islam. I told him that no matter what happens, I will not renounce my faith, nor would I confess the false charges made against us.’

Following their detention, both Salma and Rashid lost their jobs, and Salma is at risk of losing her unborn child.” Source – CatholicCulture.org.

“Islamabad: December 5, 2011. (PCP) A Christian girl named Mariah Manisha killed by a Muslim on defying enforced conversion and Islamic marriage was put on sale under Islamic Sharia law of ‘Compensation’ by rich influential family of killer and Islamic clerics in Pakistan.

A Catholic Christian girl named Mariah aged 18, was allegedly kidnapped on gunpoint by a Muslim named Mohammad Arif Gujjar on November 27, 2011, when she was on way to get drinking water with her mother.

Mohammad Arif Gujjar accompanied with his Muslim friends dragged Mariah Bibi in front of her mother shouting loudly ‘You are a beautiful girl and must convert to Islam to be my wife’ which Mariah Bibi denied and cried for help.

Mohammad Arif Gujjar became furious on denial of Mariah Bibi to accept Islam and shot her killing instantly and forced her mother Razia Bibi to run away to save her life.

Mariah Bibi was living in a village of Samundari with her five siblings, mother Razia Bibi and Father Manisha Masih.

The killer Mohammad Arif was arrested and local Muslim elders visited Manisha Masih to condole death of Mariah Bibi to express solidarity with grieved Christian family.

The Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad immediately called Mariah Bibi ‘Martyr of Faith’ and forward it to Vatican for inclusion in list of Martyrs.

The Christian media called Maria Bibi to be ‘Martyr Maria Goretti of Pakistan’ to remember her martyrdom.” Read more.

By Jibran Khan – “Lahore (AsiaNews) – A Christian of 25 was yesterday accused of blasphemy in the district of Qazi, Shahdra, Lahore. Construction worker Khurram Masih, married for two months, was working at the residence of Abdul Majeed. After completing the installation of marble tile he collected some pieces of paper, newspapers and wooden boards to burn. Abdul Majeed once he saw the burnt leftovers started screaming that Khurram Masih had ripped and burned parts of the Koran. Other workers gathered, attacking Masih and dragging him to the police station.

Abdul Majeed made the request to file a complaint against Khurram Masih for blasphemy. Religious leaders, along with human rights activists gathered at the police station and tried to resolve the issue, but the officers and local residents did not want to let Masih go, and continued to insist that the complaint be upheld. And this morning a FIR (First Information Report) for blasphemy under the Pakistan Penal Code was registered against Khurram Masih.

Human rights activists, including Khalid Shahzad and Khalid Gill, were present at the police station, they asked for protection for the accused and have protested that the charge was false. Extremist groups have announced through loud speakers that a Christian had desecrated the Koran and had to be punished. The human rights activists are concerned about the safety of Khurram Masih, who is not safe in the Shahdra police station. Father Francis Xavier, of the diocese of Lahore, told AsiaNews: ‘It is a very sad incident, the young man was falsely accused of blasphemy. The person who made the complaint is linked to religious groups, and is known for his hatred toward non-Muslims. There have been ads in the area inciting hatred towards Christians. We fear for the life of Khurram Masih, he must be assured protection from those who want to kill him.'” Read more.

Islamist Note to Christians reads, “If anyone decides to reopen his store, we will kill him”

Robert Spencer’s Jihad Watch has posted an update to this story. The Islamist campaign against all things contrary to Sharia Law continues, and to drive home just how dead serious they are about preventing Christians in Zakho and elsewhere from buying and selling products, notes have been left for Christians informing them that if they reopen their destroyed stores, they will be killed …

“… Islamic extremists targeted Christian shops and activities in the Kurdistan region of Iraq: in Zakho, 470 miles from Baghdad, near the border with Turkey, a fundamentalist group incited by the local imam’s sermon devastated dozens of liquor stores, a hotel and massage centres, injuring at least 30 people. The attacks have continued even in the following days in Dohok, where three shops and a community centre belonging to Chaldean Christians were burnt.

Christian sources for AsiaNews, anonymous for security reasons, add that ‘in Baghdad liquor stores are subject to threats’, the managers have received threatening letters, which state that the exercise ‘will be blown up.’ The attacks are the result of a ‘campaign’ that targets ‘all that is contrary to Shariah,’ promoted by Islamists who want to radicalize the country. Unfortunately, the source adds, there is no ‘moderate movement’ capable of containing the fundamentalist drift.” Read more.

Matthew 24:9, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.”

By Milena Faustova – “Christian believers all over the world have found themselves in jeopardy amid massive attacks on Christians and Christianity in the Middle East, North and South Africa and South East Asia. Unless appropriate measures are taken, the Christian civilization will vanish completely, warn the participants in the International Conference on the Freedom of Religion and Discrimination against Christians, which is currently under way in Moscow. The religious forum has brought together representatives of Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Islamic communities and religious experts from Russia and countries of the near and far abroad.

About 100 million Christians worldwide are suffering persecution and thousands die in religious conflicts. The biggest number of persecutions against Christians is taking place in the countries of Africa and the Middle East, said Metropolitan Hilarion, who heads the Russian Orthodox Church’s Foreign Relations Department:

‘In Libya, Christians have been leaving the country en masse following the toppling of Gaddafi’s regime and the coming to power of the National Transitional Council. According to the Open Doors human rights watchdog, 75 percent of Christians have left Libya. Tunisia’s government advocated the principle of religious tolerance before the revolution. Right after the revolution, Christians in Tunisia began to come under frequent attacks and a number of Christian churches were seized and turned into mosques.’

Anti-Christian sentiment has become strong in Egypt, which reports new victims among Christians regularly, and in Iraq. Christian believers come under fierce attacks in Algeria, Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and the Philippines…

The mounting anti-Christian moods were also evoked by a greater role of Islamic radicalism, aggressive missionary work by representatives of different non-Christian sects, and distortions of Christian teachings.” Read more.

“Jakarta (AsiaNews) – An Islamic extremist group in Pracimantoro, a town in the district of Wonogiri, in central Java, has appealed to local government for the demolition of five Protestant churches in the area. The alarm is launched by Theophilus Bela, human rights activist and promoter of interfaith dialogue, according to whom that the fundamentalists complaint claims the Christian communities lack the building permits (IMB) for places of worship. The tension in the area is steadily increasing, and rumors of threats of demolition, circulating since yesterday evening in a series of documents, is not contributing to calming tempers. Previously, adds the Christian activist, extremist threats have focused on nine other churches in Bekasi regency, West Java.

The procedure for the construction of a church in Indonesia – Catholic or Protestant – is complicated and it can take five to ten years to obtain all required permits. The procedure is governed by the Izin Mendirikan Bangunan (IMB), a written resolution that allows the opening of a building site and is issued by local authorities. The story gets more complicated when it comes to a place of Christian worship: it has to be cleared by a quorum of residents in the area where the building is to be constructed and the local Interreligious Dialogue committee. And “unspecified reasons” that lead officials to block the projects, under pressure from radical Islamic movements often take over.

A document released at the weekend explains the Christian community’s reasons for concern. The Pracimantoro Islamist group is led by a religious who ‘ also holds the post of Head of the local Government Department for Religious Affairs.’ On December 1, during a committee meeting, it emerged that the Islamic extremist group submitted a demolition request. The five churches, local sources tell, have received authorization to operate from the office for religious affairs of Semarang, the provincial capital, but have not yet been handed over the IMB.

Christians have submitted documentation to the local department of Pracimantoro, but so far officials have purposely avoided evaluating their case or granting the appropriate permissions. Churches waiting to receive permission are: the Pentecostal church in the village of Ngalu Wetana, the All Nations Church in Gebangharjo, the Protestant Church in Javanese Godang, the Bethel Tabernacle Church, also in Gebangharjo and finally, the Christian Nazareth Church in Lebak.” Source- AsiaNews.it.

The Mark of the Beast is alive and well.  Below is an update to this story first reported over on Jihad Watch.  Muslims in Iraq apparently don’t like the fact that Christians can own a business and make a living by buying and selling.  Egypt’s example may be inspiring the rest of the Ummah …

“Baghdad (AsiaNews) – A group of protesters linked to the Islamic extremist wing, composed mostly of young people, yesterday stormed several Christian-owned shops, a hotel and a beauty parlour. The violence erupted yesterday afternoon in the town of Zakho, about 470 km from Baghdad, Iraqi Kurdistan located a few kilometers from the border with Turkey, and caused the wounding of at least 30 people, including 20 policemen. The fundamentalist wrath was unleashed by the vitriolic sermon of an imam in the local mosque, after which punitive raids were launched across the city. Pro-government Kurdish factions have already responded to the onslaught of the xtremist groups, who burned at least six sites of the Islamic Party of Kurdistan in the city and surrounding areas.

A video posted on YouTube (click here to view it), shows the assault against Christian shops and properties. Local Christian sources interviewed by AsiaNews – anonymous for security reasons – were involved in the raid confirm that ‘hundreds of people, especially young people’ destroyed ‘at least 13 liquor shops, but the number could reach 30.’ Witnesses added that ‘the police did not react’ and it is likely that ‘the assault was pre-planned.’ The extremist crowd, that carried out the attack in Zakho, then headed for Sumaili – town 15 km from Dohuk, the third largest Kurdish city – where once again exercises owned by Christians and Yazidis were targeted.

In Sumaili, said the source for AsiaNews, there are at least 200 Christian families who are now terrified. The violence continued in the Christian village of Shiuz, where 180 families live, and ‘ the Kurdish police intervened to restore calm only two hours later ‘. ‘The extremist crowd – he adds – chanted jihad, or holy war, and anti-Christian slogans.'” Read more.

Click here and here to view photos of the destruction …

Robert Spencer- “I just received this email from a reader in Iraq:

Subject: Muslims attacked our liquor shops, salons, hotels

Message: Hello, I’m an Assyrian in Iraq. Today after Friday prayers, Muslim Kurds in Zakho (near Dohuk) attacked and besieged liquor shops, salons, hotels, massages that are owned by Christians. The security didn’t do anything and the rampage has continued til now! You won’t see this news in the media.

Indeed not. But you will see it at Jihad Watch.

UPDATE 1:23PM PST: I just received this new message from the same man on the scene in Iraq:

Thank you so much for putting the news out there, Robert.

The attacks haven’t stopped, and I just go the word that they are ATTACKING a Catholic Diocesan office.

The security is standing still and watching as I am writing this to you.

Christian homes are being fired upon as well.

And I just learned that they’re starting to attack small villages on the outskirts of the town as well. This could be a major news as it unfolds.

It seems to me that it already is.” – Source – Jihad Watch.