On the Ethiopians who were killed in Libya, and why we should expect more to come.
NRO note: This weekend ISIS released a new video showing some 30 Ethiopian Christian men being beheaded in Libya for refusing to convert to Islam (or to pay a tax for refusing to do so). This comes two months after 21 Egyptian Coptic Christian men were martyred at the hands of ISIS for the same reason. Christians and other religious minorities are being targeted, and their future in the Middle East is in peril. Raymond Ibrahim, author of Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians (2013) and The Al Qaeda Reader (2007), and Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and a Judith Friedman Rosen Writing Fellow at the Middle East Forum, talks about what we know. — KJL
KATHRYN JEAN LOPEZ: What do we know about the Ethiopian Christians killed by ISIS?
RAYMOND IBRAHIM: Like the 21 Copts slaughtered before them in February, they were likely impoverished migrant workers from the days of Qaddafi, trapped in post–“Arab Spring” Libya. ISIS killed them in two sets — the first were shot execution-style in the backs of their heads, the second had their heads hacked off. The video is horrific — the blood and gore puts Hollywood’s gory movies to shame.
By way of context: Soon after Qaddafi’s overthrow, Ansar al-Sharia — the “Supporters of Islamic Law” — offered rewards to any Muslim who finds any Christians (most being from neighboring Egypt). In the past few years, scores of Coptic Christians were randomly killed — in one instance, a family consisting of a mother, a father, and their young daughter (graphic pictures here). But since Ansar al-Sharia morphed into an affiliate of ISIS, the slaughter of Christians has been even more systematic.
LOPEZ: In the ISIS video they are described as “worshipers of the cross belonging to the hostile Ethiopian Church.” Is the Ethiopian Church hostile, or is this just propaganda?
IBRAHIM: This is pure propaganda, more “Muslim grievances” that have no grounding in reality. Here’s another example: When ISIS slaughtered the 21 Coptic Christians, it cited hackneyed grievances against the Coptic Church. The late Coptic Pope Shenouda III was portrayed as “a U.S. agent, an abductor and torturer of female Muslim converts from Christianity, who was stockpiling weapons in monasteries and churches with a view to waging war against the Muslims and dividing Egypt to create a Coptic State.”
Such is Islamic propaganda and projection — always accusing others of what Islamists habitually do.
These accusations were proven false several times — one woman even appeared on video saying she had voluntarily returned to Christianity — but, regardless, ISIS still cited it in its justification to kill the 21 Copts (as “payback”). Even the 2011 attack on Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad — the attack killed around 60 worshipers, many of them women and children — was blamed on the aforementioned allegations against the Coptic pope in Egypt (as if Iraqi Christians had anything to do with them, even if the allegations were true).
Bottom line, as shown in The Al Qaeda Reader (and in this article): The messages that these jihadi organizations send to the world at large are antithetical to the messages they send to fellow Muslims. To the former, they play the grievance card; to the latter, they say Islamic law commands that they attack, slaughter, plunder, rape, and enslave “infidels.”
LOPEZ: Why is that propaganda effective?
IBRAHIM: The effectiveness of this propaganda is simple: No matter how absurd, there are some in the West who are more than happy to leap on such “grievances” and say “Aha, that’s why Muslims are angry! It has to do with economics and politics, and grievances relating to them — not with hostile Islamic teachings.” Anyone acquainted with the “mainstream media,” Mideast academic departments, and, of course, the White House knows what I mean.
LOPEZ: Is this just like what happened with the Coptic martyrs?
IBRAHIM: Yes, the recent butchery of the Ethiopian Christians is nearly identical to what happened to the Egyptian Christians. Speaking of propaganda: There is an important but overlooked point to be made here about both groups. They had their heads hacked off because they refused to renounce the Christian Trinity and embrace Islam. Because this little fact does not sit well with ISIS — who are more interested in demoralizing Western/Christian viewers than in inspiring them through the courage of these martyrs — this aspect is not always readily apparent. But ISIS has left many conquered Christians and other non-Muslims who convert to Islam in peace. It has also let some Christians remain, as long as they pay jizya, extortion money, and live as third-class citizens, according to Koran 9:29 and the Conditions of Omar.
In the video, ISIS says that the Ethiopian Christians did not pay jizya (likely because they didn’t have any money). This means that the Ethiopians were given Islam’s classic three choices: convert to Islam, pay jizya and remain Christian, or die (according to Islamic prophet Muhammad’s teachings). If they had no money, it came down to convert to Islam or die. Their execution is proof that they refused to convert. It’s the same with the 21 Copts before them — some of whom could be seen uttering Christ’s name in prayer seconds before being barbarously beheaded. And it’s the same with the four Iraqi children who were beheaded for “loving Jesus” and refusing to profess Muhammad the prophet of God…. Keep reading
Jaladhi says
Or a better question would be why persecution and genocide of any human beings by Muslims doesn’t concern and bother westerners?? Why is is the Western media totally silent when it comes to atrocities done by Muslims. Telling the truth and calling spade a spade is not racists or bigoted as our media stupidly imagines!!
Fr. Basil says
We should not be surprised by the actions of mahometan jihadistas. Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ Himself said, “The time will come when people who kill you think they do God service.”
deja vu says
Fr. Basil, I think this is such an important teaching we need to quote the context in which Jesus is speaking. He is warning His followers of perilous times to come. Christians have gone through periods of persecution since the 1st century, but more have been persecuted in the last 50 years than in the last 20 centuries. And today the hatred of Christians (not only by Muslims) is rising at an astonishing rate. In the West it tends to be on the level of prejudice, discrimination and ridicule but the motive (and the ‘motivator’) is the same whatever form it takes. Little do they realise that increasing persecution is one of the main signs of the soon return of Jesus.
Here are the verses which give the context of John 16:2
John 15:18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know Him who sent me. 23. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
John 16:1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.”
somehistory says
From the article: “thanks to Mideast academics in the West, everyone now refers to jizya as a “tax” or “poll tax.” It’s not. It’s money given to purchase one’s life from the sword of jihad. For example, Georgetown professor John Esposito speaks of jizya in almost glowing terms, saying that it was money Christians paid to Muslims to buy their protection against “outsiders,” when in reality the money was, and is, to buy protection against Muslims themselves.”
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This is a very, very important point for Christians to remember. The muslims are demanding a *ransom* to be paid for the life of each Christian. A ransom, a Real Ransom, the only one that means Life has been paid already by Christ Himself. If a Christian dies faithful, he/she can expect a resurrection because the Ransom…through the death of Christ Jesus…has been paid and the life of the Christian has been purchased.
Death, although not something we seek, is better than to be made a slave to satan.
somehistory says
Something else, on the news the other evening, the presidents of the uae and u.s. were in a press conference. Someone in the press corps asked a question about this very thing, the Christians being slaughtered. directed at o and instead of answering the question, he just grinned big and said, ‘thank you.’
Despicable, but not surprising as the truth of these times is coming more and more to the surface where all can see.
Zomby Poet says
Make sure you candidate for higher office answers the following:
What are their views on Sharia Law?
What do they think about the following statements:
The West Will Tolerate Itself To Death.
Why Do We Tolerate Violence Against Women?
What are their plans to halt violence against women around world including:
1) Female genital mutilation
2) Punishing rape victims
3) Honor killing
4) Strapping bombs to children
5) Sexually enslaving women
6) Murdering homosexuals
7) Child marriage
8) Domestic Violence
9) Disciplining or Punishing Wives
What are her views on Sharia Law?
What does she think about the following statements:
The West Will Tolerate Itself To Death.
Why Do We Tolerate Violence Against Women?
Peggy says
That comment goes beyond the pale. Now ‘justin’ is promoting more than self-defense, but he’s inciting what can only be described as criminal behavior.
This is outrageous!
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So how would you deal with the threat of Islam then?
Justin might go about it in a different way to some here but he is obviously very angry at western governments for allowing Muslims to take such a hold in our society. This is so obvious and you guys can’t see that? You call him a troll and a Muslim but he agrees with us all here about Islam. We all have the same views and we all know that we cannot be just defensive any longer but offensive. Yes, you call that outrageous but i call it survival. Yes, it is kill or be killed.
I know, now I will be called Justin and a Muslim. I assure you, I am not Justin but someone who can see the message no matter how it is delivered.
Champ says
Wow you’re really sick, you know that, because you will defend ‘justin’ no matter WHAT he states …
“So how would you deal with the threat of Islam then?”
Hey self-defense is one thing and I fully support that, but that *isn’t* what ‘justin’ is suggesting in his above rant. What ‘justin’ is promoting is MURDER and vigilantism–which is immoral, unlawful and criminal–good gawd!
Champ says
justin wrote:
AND DESTROY YOUR ENEMY BEFORE HE DESTROYS YOU. THE NAME OF THE GAME IS ‘KILL OR BE KILLED’. PERIOD.
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Right here ‘justin’ is promoting *murder* by stating, “DESTROY YOUR ENEMY BEFORE HE DESTROYS YOU”. In other words ‘justin’ is saying to “go out and find them and murder them before they come to you” …this is MURDER. This is WRONG. Hello are you that stupid? Are you that twisted? Apparently!