Are authorities actually expecting Muslims to behave violently toward Christians? How dreadfully Islamophobic! Surely it ain’t so. After all, everyone knows it’s a Religion of Peace! Maybe officials in Egypt, Pakistan and Indonesia are expecting attacks from “right-wing extremists.” Oh wait, the “right-wing extremists” will all be inside the churches, since everyone knows that “right-wing extremists” are devout Christians. How terribly confusing it all is!
“Armed guards posted at Christmas church services in majority Muslim countries,” by Gul Yousafzai and Augustinus Beo Da Costa, Reuters, December 24, 2017:
Christmas church services and other celebrations are being held this weekend under the gaze of armed guards and security cameras in many countries after Islamic State gunmen attacked a Methodist church in Pakistan as a Sunday service began.
Majority-Muslim countries in Asia and the Middle East were particularly nervous after US President Donald Trump’s recent announcement he intends to relocate the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a decision that has outraged many Muslims.
In Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country, police said they had stepped up security around churches and tourist sites, mindful of near-simultaneous attacks on churches there at Christmas in 2000 that killed about 20 people.
Muslim volunteers in Indonesia are also on standby to provide additional security if requested.
“If our brother and sisters who celebrate Christmas need … to maintain their security to worship, we will help,” said Yaqut Chiolil Qoumas, chairman of the youth wing of the Nahdlatul Ulema, one of the country’s biggest Muslim organisations.
In Cairo, where a bombing at the Egyptian capital’s largest Coptic cathedral killed at least 25 people last December, the interior ministry said police would conduct regular searches of streets around churches ahead of the Coptic celebration of Christmas on 7 January.
Egypt’s Christian minority has been targeted in several attacks in recent years, including the bombing of two churches in the north of the country on Palm Sunday in April.
At the Heliopolis Basilica, a Catholic cathedral in northeastern Cairo, security forces had set up metal detectors at the main doors and police vehicles were stationed outside ahead of masses on 25 December, which marks Christmas Day for Catholic and Protestant Christians.
German police brought in experts and an explosives robot to investigate a suspicious package at a Christmas market in the city of Bonn late on Friday.
Germany is on high alert a year after a failed Tunisian asylum seeker killed 12 people when he hijacked a truck and drove it into a Berlin Christmas market.
In the Pakistani city of Quetta, members of a Bethel Memorial Methodist Church were repairing the damage done by a pair of suicide bombers who attacked during a service last Sunday, killing 10 people and wounding more than 50.
Broken pews and damaged musical instruments were still strewn around church grounds on Thursday, with about a dozen police standing guard.
“We’re making efforts to complete repairs and renovation before Christmas, but it seems difficult in view of the lot of damage,” said Pastor Simon Bashir, who was leading the service when the attackers struck. He was not hurt.
The government of Baluchistan province, of which Quetta is capital, plans to deploy 3,000 security personnel in and around 39 Christian churches this Sunday and Monday….
Thomas Brewster says
I think all the deployed security personnel here in Europe during Christmastide is meant to prevent stampedes: all those loving Muslims want to hug their Christian friends (or so I’m told, repeateatedly). There’s just too much love going around and people might get trampled. Nothing says “religion of peace” more than machine guns and riot police at the entrance of a Church. ‘Tis the season!
Jayell says
Who the hell wants to be hugged by a muslim unless they’ve got death wish?
MFritz says
To adapt a quote by Stephen Colbert (just for once): “It is a well known fact that reality has *islamophobic* bias.”
Matthieu Baudin says
“… The government of Baluchistan province, of which Quetta is capital, plans to deploy 3,000 security personnel in and around 39 Christian churches this Sunday and Monday…”
Gee, I hope they remember which way to shoot.
mortimer says
The Christians are surrounded by 2 rings of armed Muslims! One jihadists and the others jihadist sympathizers! I wonder if they feel safer?
Carolyne says
I truly believe that any believing Muslim, although he, himself or herself, might not be a terrorist, will rejoice and thank Allah when a terrorist is successful in killing infidels. It is ingrained in them since childhood just as any religion is and most people, iMO, stick to the religion in which they were born. Nothing will ever change their minds about Allah and Mohammed. They cannot peacefully live among us.
gravenimage says
Good questions–especially given that after Jihad terror attacks the surviving Christian victims are often arrested in Pakistan.
Carolyne says
Pakistan is no friend of the US and we must stop all aid to them immediately. We are financing terrorism with our own tax dollars. It is likely against Pakistani law for a Christian to survive a terrorist attack so they are arrested for it.
Bodega says
I hope this is real news and not fake. It is about time Everyone, literally Everybody who is not Muslim to protect him or herself and their families. I really think the process of forgive and forget must be forgotten with regard to those who murder..
I pray for those who pray in all ways but not Muslim ways.
gravenimage says
Why would Christians being at risk from Muslim attack at Christmas time be fake news? This happens all the time.
Carolyne says
Yet there are still Christians who say “Turn the other cheek and pray.” I have no more cheeks to turn and I have not found praying to be especially effective.
Jeff Jones says
Because it’s got nothing to do with Islam…Right?
CRUSADER says
Merry Christmas to all those in Dar al-Harb….
And for those who are languishing in Dar al-Islam….well….
May you see the Light !
+++++++++++++++++
gravenimage says
Merry Christmas to all–especially those at risk in Dar-al-Islam.
Adrian says
yeh, right… it’s all Trump’s fault because Muslim countries are “…particularly nervous after US President Donald Trump’s recent announcement he intends to relocate the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a decision that has outraged many Muslims.”
How intolerant of the media to keep implying that Muslims cannot be expected to abide by civilized Western behavior – unless enforced by police guards…
Thomas Brewster says
Good point. The media keeps treating the Muslim world like a bunch of toddlers. “Careful, they might get a tantrum.”
gravenimage says
Yesterday there was a segment on news radio about Christmas in Bethlehem. They noted that tourists had been scared away, and crowds were small. Then they interviewed a “Palestinian” lamenting the state of things, who said “Trump took away our joy at Christmas”.
I don’t know if this was a dhimmi Christian, or a Muslim hoping to make a buck, but they didn’t blame the violent Jihad threats–just the American president. *Ugh*.
Carolyne says
President Trump said that we are free again to say “Merry Christmas” which I think is a great thing. I never actually stopped saying it, searched out cards that had it printed on them and responded to “Happy Holidays” with “Merry Christmas. I do not believe in Christmas as religious do, but I believe it is a joyous time of peace and generosity and promotes good will. There is no Muslim holiday which does the same. Their holidays commemorate great battles with thousands of innocents slaughtered.
sagravenimage says
Islamophobia breaks out all over: Armed guards posted at Christmas church services in majority Muslim countries
……………………………..
Muslims showing their love for their Christian neighbors…sarc/off
gravenimage says
Sorry, the above is a post by gravenimage.
Lydia Church says
At least someone is still operating within reality!