Over at Gatestone institute (via RaymondIbrahim.com) appears my latest monthly installment of Muslim persecution of Christians — the “Christmas edition”:
As happens at Christmas every year throughout the Muslim world, Christians and their churches were especially targeted—from jihadi terror strikes killing worshippers, to measures by Muslim authorities restricting Christmas celebrations. Some incidents follow:
Iraq: “Militants” reported the Associated Press, “targeted Christians in three separate Christmas Day bombings in Baghdad, killing at least 37 people, officials said Wednesday. In one attack, a car bomb went off near a church in the capital’s southern Dora neighborhood, killing at least 26 people and wounding 38, a police officer said. Earlier, two bombs ripped through a nearby outdoor market simultaneously in the Christian section of Athorien, killing 11 people and wounding 21.”
Iran: Five Muslim converts to Christianity were arrested from a house-church during a Christmas celebration. Plain clothes Iranian security authorities raided a house where, according to Mohabat News, “a group of Christians had gathered to celebrate Christmas on Tuesday, December 24.” Before arresting the five apostates, authorities “insulted and searched those in attendance, and seized all Christian books, CDs, and laptops they found. They also took the Satellite TV receiver.” The original report received by Mohabat stated: “These Christians had gathered to worship and celebrate [the] birth of Jesus.”
Indonesia: Muslims in the Aceh province protested against Christmas and New Year celebrationsand called on authorities to ban them. Days earlier, an influential Islamic cleric organization, the Ulema Consultative Assembly, issued a fatwa, or edict, “prohibiting Muslims from offering Christmas wishes or celebrating on New Year’s Eve,” said the Associated Press. Aceh is the “only province in predominantly Muslim Indonesia that is allowed to implement a version of Islamic Shariah law.”
Kenya: “Youths,” reported Reuters, “threw petrol bombs at two Kenyan churches on Christmas day … in the latest bout of violence against Christians on the country’s predominantly Muslim coast.” The attacks occurred “in the early hours of December 25 after churchgoers held services to usher in Christmas.” The churches were located in Muslim-majority regions. One church was “completely destroyed.”
Somalia: The more “moderate” government—as it is often portrayed in comparison to Al Shabaab (“The Youth”) opposition—banned Christmas celebrations. Hours before Christmas Day, the Ministry of Justice and Religious Affairs released a directive banning any Christian festivities from being held in the east African nation. In the words of one ministry official: “We alert fellow Muslims in Somalia that some festivities to mark Christian Days will take place around the world in this week. It is prohibited to celebrate those days in this country.” All security and law enforcement agencies were instructed to quash any Christian celebrations.
Pakistan: During Christmas Eve services, “Heavy contingents of police were deployed around the churches to thwart any untoward incident.” In some regions, “prayer service at major churches focused on remembering the Pakistani Christians who lost their lives in terror attacks.” For example, three months earlier, Islamic suicide bombers entered the All Saints Church compound in Peshawar following Sunday mass and blew themselves up in the midst of some 550 congregants, killing some 130 worshippers, including many Sunday school children, women, and choir members, and injuring nearly 200 people.
Even in Western nations like Denmark, Christmas Eve witnessed Islamic demonstrations and cries of “Allahu Akbar” (or “Allah is greater”).
Also in December, Syria’s Greek-Catholic Church declared that it had three “true martyrs”—men from the small town of Ma’loula, an ancient Christian site where the inhabitants still spoke the language of Christ. According to Asia News, “When the town fell [in September, to al-Qaeda linked rebels], a climate of fear was imposed… When three men refused to repudiate their religion, they were summarily executed in public, and six more were taken hostage. This was followed by a failed attempt by Syrian government forces to retake the town.” In the words of Patriarch Gregorios III to Pope Francis in a meeting: “Holy Father, they are true martyrs. Ordered to give up their faith, they proudly refused. Three others however gave in and were forced to declare themselves Muslim, but later returned to the faith of their ancestors.” According to the families who fled from Ma’loula, “some of their Muslim neighbors took part in the attack that devastated this historic village where people still speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus. Muslims are approximately one third of the population of the village…”
The rest of December’s roundup of Muslim persecution of Christians around the world includes (but is not limited to) the following accounts, listed by theme and country in alphabetical order, not necessarily according to severity… Keep reading
shosh7154 says
Aramaic is not the language of the Jew from Israel called Yeshua. Hebrew is His language and the language of the prophets who received His words long before He was born. The Torah Yeshua’s book is written in Hebrew and the writings are in Hebrew. Above His head were the words in hebrew YESHUA HA MELECH YEHUDIM and also in greek and latin YESHUA KING OF THE JEWS.
Angemon says
Allen C. Myers, ed. (1987). “Aramaic”. The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans. p. 72. ISBN 0-8028-2402-1. “It is generally agreed that Aramaic was the common language of Palestine in the first century AD. Jesus and his disciples spoke the Galilean dialect, which was distinguished from that of Jerusalem (Matt. 26:73)”
bill says
You are correct he is wrong or mistaken. Aramaic is actually the name of a ‘family’ of languages of which Hebrew is one. Aramaic is also the script generally used for many languages in the region. So it the language in which the biblcal legends were written.
shosh7154 says
The language of the prophets is Hebrew. The Torah is written in Hebrew and the 10 WORDS (commandments) were written in Hebrew by G-d’s own hand:
Exodus 31:18 And HE gave unto Moses, when HE had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
Deuteronomy 4:13 And HE declared unto you HIS covenant, which HE commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and HE wrote them upon two tables of stone.
Jeremiah 31:23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity; The LORD bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness.
Luke 23:38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and HEBREW, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
If you search for the word “Aramaic” in the New Covenant you will not find it, but you will find HEBREW.
Jay Boo says
Al Jazeera sponsored NPR loves to do in depth reporting about Muslims and Islamophobia.
They could do a human interest special on this if the chose to.
Instead they are daily giving out the most minute details about they ‘evil’ Russians in Ukraine. There must be pockets of Muslims terrorists in Ukraine who feel threatened about being routed out. Why else would NPR be running continuous interference against the Russians.
Brian Hoff says
It the Ukraiine want to get rid of it pro-Russian and the Russian military behjead those touble maker and sent war criminak Putain the head only burn the bodies.That would Putin to get out of the Ukraline.
Jay Boo says
Only Muslims and leftists care about Russia and the Ukraine
boakai ngombu says
these wonderful people down at the mosque just can’t stand the truth of the narrative about Jesus – “the seal of Holiness” – but, as found in the NT.
they just can’t stand the idea that the Unique God would produce an atonement sacrifice that would be pleasing and satisfactory to Him through a flesh and blood baby, conceived in a miraculous way, but not the way the Allah god of Islam (unknowable; the best of all deceivers) intended.
they feel compelled to squash any idea Two Natures in the Person of the Christ, Jesus. and so they murder, destroy, seek to obliterate any who do, because the Allah god of Islam commanded such to be done.
and there can be no tolerance of the idea that sin can be forgiven, passed over, even for one or other of the brothers. don’t want contamination of such Mercy even though it is freely offered, remembered so at Christmas.
there can be no joy, no hope, in Islam, and; sure as hellfire, they will allow none anywhere else, especially at Christmas (and Easter).
bill says
It is fallacious to quote Christianity to oppose and criticise Islam. You must recognise that all religion is a form of insane behaviour, but Islam is by far the worst as it is using Bronze Age legends to try to rule the 21st century world with
laws and customs thousands of years old. We do not live in that world any more.
As long as people cling to ancient myths we cannot progress.
boakai ngombu says
Bill, it is not fallacious to refer to Christian faith and life to oppose and criticize Islam. and i “must” NOT recognize what you propose as being trustworthy for life.
i mentioned ATONEMENT because the scholars of ISLAM – unbelievers of and teaching falsely about Christ – have not a better way to reconcile to the Unique God. these would prefer that followers of Muhammad (lately contrived; full of lust) make sacrifice to get close to the Allah god of Islam (unknowable; the best of all deceivers). … make sacrifice, like kill a chicken … to make things right, or maybe, to throw rocks at a stick out in the desert.
it is the Unique God through the ANOITED ONE who makes complete atonement for your sins and mine. the brothers down at the mosque don’t want that information known, justifying their acts of killing Christians as if they were chickens using words and admonitions that are false, but believed and obeyed out of ignorance and fear when there is no need for such.
you apparently haven’t traveled. most of the world does not live as you propose but do cling to “ancient myths” as if their life depended upon it.
i prefer to depend upon the Unique God and His Way and have thought about it. i must examine the teachings of Islam all the more because they do not bring righteousness to the land, only misery… the slaves to SHARIA are not happy and fulfilled and could be but must shed SHARIA to be so
Jay Boo says
Muhammad’s life was about Pride and Hate
Muslims spy on each other claiming for Allah’s sake.
Christ is about love and life
Jay Boo says
Disgusting Diversion
The topic is Muslims slaughtering Christians like chickens
Yet your agenda is mainly to proselytize atheism it seems
The fact that troll Ismail Mohamed who NOW calls himself an atheist does not aid your heap of garbage.
BTW
Most ‘atheist’ websites are nothing but leftist Saudi inspired hate sites against Christians posing as atheist.
JW’s Check for yourselves
Jay Boo says
Above comment @bill
Reuther says
Islam is a satanic death cult.
Jay Boo says
Easter falls on a Sunday.
Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Christians celebrate life.
It is to only be expected that the filthy hateful ideology of Islam would claim Friday as their most holy day of prayer.
bill says
Islam is a religion of servitude and misery so one can only expect they want everybody else to be miserable also.
XYZ says
The west instead of giving refugee status to Christians being murdered give refugee status to the muslims committing these attacks. They move to the west and force their beliefs there too.
They get protection claiming Islamaphobia but it is a plain fact that they get more than the US nationals out of the system in the US. you guys need to look at the politicians implementing these laws Or the US will become like one of the muslim countries like i live in.
Wake up people.. see whats happening in the world.. save yourselves. We cant be saved. the media even never reports the crimes committed against us. Even if they do they will never mention than muslims are killing Christians. You guys have the tools use it before its too late for u guys as well.