#MyJihad in Libya: Muslims threaten nuns, force them to leave the country

These nuns are careful not to proselytize, as that would earn them antagonism in a land where proselytizing by non-Muslims is forbidden. But they have won the hearts of many in Cyrenaica by their love -- which probably infuriated all the more the Islamic supremacists who threatened them and forced them to flee the country. Will any Western Christians speak for them? Will Bishop Robert McManus of the diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts allow any discussion of their plight and of the Muslim persecution of Christians in his diocese? Or would such discussion be "Islamophobic"?

"Islamists chase nuns from Libya, people pray for their return," by Simone Cantarini for Asia News, February 1 (thanks to Jerk Chicken):

Rome (AsiaNews) - "Islamic extremists threatened us to leave, not the Libyan people, who instead protected us by coming to visit every day until our departure", Sister Celeste Biasolo, former superior of the convent of the Holy Family of Spoleto in Derna tells AsiaNews. In October she was forced to leave Libya with four other sisters, because of the spread of Islamic extremists in Cyrenaica. The situation described by the religious is also confirmed by Msgr. Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli, who recently pointed out that two other religious communities will leave Cyrenaica after having been threatened by Islamists: the Franciscan Sisters of the Infant Jesus of Barce and the Ursuline Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Beida.
Sister Celeste Biasolo describes a climate of fear in Cyrenaica, which is especially affecting the Libyan people: "The same Muslim population is being terrorized by this situation. The people of Derna miss us and often contact us imploring us to come back. At Christmas more than 100 families called to our monastery in Spoleto with greetings for us". "In Cyrenaica - she explains - the Islamists do not want to attack the Church as such, but the West, and unfortunately we are seen as foreigners. This is because the country is without a government and can not even guarantee the security of its citizens".

The presence of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Spoleto in Libya dates back to 1921. The founder of the Institute, Blessed Peter Bonilli, wanted to open a mission in Cyrenaica, in the city of Derna. Sister Celeste notes that until their departure, the mission of the religious and the Church in Libya has focused primarily on health care and care for the elderly. "In these years - she says - we have tried to show joy of his own life of Christians and the Gospel through our presence and humanitarian work." According to the religious this struck the Muslim population who continue to consider the sisters a fundamental part of their community.

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6 Comments

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DJM | February 2, 2013 8:28 AM | Reply

48:29 - "Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are harsh against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves."

exsgtbrown | February 2, 2013 8:36 AM | Reply

because health care and care for the elderly are Un-Islamic...

Champ | February 2, 2013 3:10 PM | Reply

This headline could be fill-in-the-blank ...

muslims threaten ___________________

and force them to leave ____________

They threaten EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE, and without an end in sight.

LORD, please come quickly!

Murray | February 2, 2013 5:27 PM | Reply

In an effort to understand both sides, I read all of Sheila Musaji's critique of this post.

Her first objection is in regard to the title used by Robert in citing Simon Cantarini's article http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Islamists-chase-nuns-from-Libya,-people-pray-for-their-return-27021.html.

Robert appears to have changed it from the original

"Islamists chase nuns from Libya, people pray for their return" to

"Muslims threaten nuns, force them to leave the country".

Touché. Not a big deal in my view but Robert should have kept the original title to avoid all appearance of bias. This oversight gave Sheila the opening she needed to proclaim

"The impression he attempts to give is that this event was caused by Islam."

She advances her case with

"Nowhere does Spencer mention that MUSLIMS are being terrorized by these same extremists,...".

However, Robert Spencer's concern for "terrorized" Muslims is a matter of record, especially women and girls who commit the dishonor of being raped, or those murdered in the West who dared to shed the head scarf in order to assimilate with their piers at school or at work. Sheila knows Robert's track record on this but still completes her thought in the same sentence

"...or that the majority of the MUSLIM Libyans are angry about the threats to the nuns."

In fact the article reprinted by Robert makes that very point. Nevertheless Sheila contends that Robert hides that truth. I would count that as the first incontrovertible deceit in her critique.

Next she claims that Robert altered the article. He did not, except for having paraphrased the title - an innocent mistake in my judgment. The only difference between her reproduction of the article and Roberts is that she bolded certain of its sentences.

She implies treachery by Robert in her statements

"I am certain that most of them did not actually read the article in Asia News that Spencer distorted to get across his own bigoted message." and

"The facts of what happened do not back up Spencer’s bigoted distortions.".

Actually the only distortion of the article is her's by having bolded sentences that were originally in plain type.

Next she takes issue with Robert's having alluded to a recent reneging on an invitation to address the Worcester Catholic Men’s Conference. Sheila claims

"This is an attempt to use a terrible political situation in Libya to cover his embarrassment at being dis-invited from speaking on Islam at a Catholic conference in that diocese.".

The emotions Robert expressed were outrage, sadness, surprise, and perplexity that this proud Catholic organization so easily buckled to pressure from some Muslim spokesman. I detected in Robert not the slightest hint of embarrassment.

PCPCP | February 3, 2013 7:43 AM | Reply

The only person who needs to be embarrassed (but likely lacks the good sense to appreciate her shame) is Sheila Musaji.
People like her, CAIR and Loonwatch and Reza Aslan love to hate on Robert , to slander and abuse him. They are unworthy of the truth.

desidude replied to comment from Murray | February 3, 2013 9:22 AM | Reply

Who is this Sheila Musaji, but another brainless muslima.
The fact is all the islamists are muslims. They consider themselves to be good muslims. But the so callled moderate muslims, who wanted the nuns to stay do not have the weapons or the will to stand up to these islamists.

This is how it is through out the muslim world. This is how it is through muslim history. the islamists always have a free hand to do anything for allah. The so called moderate muslims will not fight them. They instead get respect from them. muslim do respect those who memorize the koran and fight for allah.

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