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Muslims forcing closure and demolition of churches all over Ethiopia

Dec 9, 2014 6:53 pm By Robert Spencer

Ethiopian-Church“Corrupt officials willing to defend their religion rather than the laws they’ve sworn to uphold, are violating Christians’ rights by forcibly closing, destroying and demolishing churches across Ethiopia.” Islamic law forbids non-Muslims to build new houses of worship or to repair old ones. It seems as if Muslims in Ethiopia, with help from corrupt officials, are trying to establish that prohibition.

“Ethiopia Destroys Evangelical Church Building; 100 Christians Forced Underground,” BosNewsLife, December 5, 2014:

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (BosNewsLife)– Some 100 evangelical Christians in eastern Ethiopia were without a central place for worship Friday, December 5, after local authorities destroyed their church building, a church official and rights activists said.

The Y Semay Birihan Church, or Heaven’s Light Church, was demolished last week by Shenkore district police in the heavily Islamic city of Harar, said Pastor Zemach Tadesse, the 30-year-old senior pastor of the church.

Just days before the perceived attack, officials forcibly removed the church’s exterior sign and warned believers not to worship there citing complaints by a local Muslim, according to Christians familiar with the case.

After Christians refused to halt worship services, police reportedly arrived November 28 to destroy the church building. Security forces were allegedly seen removing roofing materials and the church’s siding while confiscating church properties. Police officials could not immediately be reached for comment….

Christians, who had been gathering in the church building for five years, are now meeting in smaller groups in homes of individual believers as they were instructed by local officials “not to gather under what remains of the church building,” Pastor Tadesse said.

These are no isolated incidents, explained ICC, adding that it had documented “numerous ongoing land rights battles between churches and their local governments across Ethiopia.”

In many cases, ICC said, “churches have been operating peacefully for decades on land given to them by now-deceased former congregants.”

However efforts by local majority Muslim populations to “eliminate the public presence” of churches resulted in the forceful closure, destruction and demolition of several church buildings in recent years, according to ICC investigators.

LAND PUBLIC

In Ethiopia, all land is publicly, rather than privately, owned. Churches are forced to lease land for a limited period of time, after which they will have to either renegotiate the lease or vacate the premises and demolish any amendments or additions to the land,Christians said.

“In Muslim-majority areas of Ethiopia, Christians’ applications to lease their individual land to the local church have been wrongfully denied on multiple occasions,” complained ICC in a statement to BosNewsLife.

ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, Cameron Thomas, accused Ethiopia of violating the rights of devoted Christians. “Corrupt officials willing to defend their religion rather than the laws they’ve sworn to uphold, are violating Christians’ rights by forcibly closing, destroying and demolishing churches across Ethiopia,” the official said….

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Filed Under: Ethiopia, Featured, Muslim persecution of Christians, Sharia Tagged With: Y Semay Birihan Church, Zenach Tadesse


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Comments

  1. Mac-101 says

    Dec 9, 2014 at 7:28 pm

    When did Ethiopia become dominate Muslim? It’s time for a COMBINED Christian resurgence /alliance in Africa or ALL the men will be killed or enslaved and the women sex slaves for Allah.
    .
    The Left better worry also. Their ALLIES,, these Muslims, will take special delight in killin them. Just like Kolmenie(SP) hung 30,000 Iranian Commies in the first year who helped him overthrow the Shah.

    • Jay Boo says

      Dec 9, 2014 at 9:45 pm

      Islam is only about a third of the population..
      Of course that third must be a vile place to survive as a non-Muslim.

  2. Jay Boo says

    Dec 9, 2014 at 7:44 pm

    According to David Wood on a recent ABN show, that of the 20 worst places to live for a woman 19 of them are in Islamic countries.
    19 out of 20 — That is 95% of the 20 worst are Islamic.

    The lone exception Ethiopia has a high Muslim population of 30%.
    30 % Muslims is enough to turn a country into a hell hole.

    Reply

    • cs says

      Dec 9, 2014 at 9:52 pm

      All ME countries, apart from India.

  3. Jay Boo says

    Dec 9, 2014 at 8:27 pm

    “Islam was introduced to Ethiopia in 615 AD when the followers of Prophet Mohammed, including his wife sought refuge in Aksum.
    The king of Aksum welcomed them, respected their religion and offered them protection.”

    http://www.ethiopiantreasures.co.uk/pages/rel-war.htm

    • Charli Main says

      Dec 10, 2014 at 8:41 am

      Yes, Muslims have a long history of biting the hands that feed them, house them and protect them.
      All those ” poor Muslim asylum seekers” flooding into the infidel West have already started to emulate the behaviour of their ” prophet” in the countries stupid enough to offer them a home and the chance of a new life.

  4. Champ says

    Dec 9, 2014 at 9:34 pm

    “muslims forcing” …

    Now there’s an adjective that describes islam and company really well: forcing!

  5. Jay Boo says

    Dec 9, 2014 at 9:35 pm

    Christians in Ethiopia saved Islam.
    Islam brought the Islamic slave trade to Africa.
    Remember the quote, “No ‘good’ deed goes unpunished”

    Excellent video of Muslims using Ethiopia as an example of Mecca verse thinking when weak (feigning friendship)
    Read between the lines to get the real story of the video.

    • Arthur says

      Dec 9, 2014 at 10:19 pm

      Ah, poor Christy must be frustrated you stole his opening line (sort of)!

      • Jay Boo says

        Dec 10, 2014 at 12:40 pm

        Good point Arthur,
        I didn’t notice that until you mentioned it and I went back to that other thread for a belated follow-up.

  6. Richie says

    Dec 9, 2014 at 9:44 pm

    and the narrative used by Muslims and their liberal cheerleaders is that all land Muslims invade were always Muslims lands- and anyone with a problem with their invading are somehow Islamophobic

  7. Salah says

    Dec 10, 2014 at 2:26 am

    “Corrupt officials willing to defend their religion rather than the laws they’ve sworn to uphold…”

    Was he talking about Obama? just asking!

  8. David says

    Dec 10, 2014 at 4:06 am

    It should be remembered that when the early Muslims had problems in Mecca some were given refugee in Ethopia – that was a big mistake.

  9. David says

    Dec 10, 2014 at 1:48 pm

    “Yet simply identifying anti-Christian persecution with Islam is misleading. ”
    That is partly true. However of course Mo persecuted Christians and some of his followers do today.
    Fortunately many Muslims don’t follow his teachings or his example very faithfully.

  10. terry says

    Dec 10, 2014 at 5:45 pm

    Christy,

    F**k off!

  11. KeepItSimple says

    Dec 11, 2014 at 6:06 am

    Islam is about hate, war, terrorism, rape, torture, slavery, FGM, beheading, deception and conquest. There is not a religion or race or nation that can come close to the credentials of Islam. It is only a matter of time when more Muslims and the rest of the world understand this problem through reading the Koran.

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