by Andrew Halloway. Nigerian villagers slaughtered, massacre in a Syrian church by suicide bomber, villagers in India attacked for second time, persecution of Christians in Kyrgyzstan
SYRIA: 25 killed in church suicide bombing
A terrorist killed 25 Christians and wounded over 60 after opening fire in a church near Damascus, then detonating his suicide vest. The attack on the congregation of around 350 happened on Sunday 22 June.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa condemned the attack on the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church, according to International Christian Concern. Although no group claimed responsibility, the Syrian government blamed Islamic State (IS – formerly known as Isis), the Sunni terrorist organisation that rampaged across Iraq and Syria in 2014 and was finally defeated by a US and UK-led ‘Global Coalition’ in 2017.
President al-Sharaa ordered an attack on an IS hideout, resulting in two IS fighters being killed, including one who allegedly was linked to the church bombing. IS is resurgent in Syria, although many of their plots have been foiled by security services. Security experts are concerned that IS may attempt to free the 9,000 IS fighters currently held in massive prison camps.
NIGERIA: Over 100 villagers massacred
The slaughter of Christians in Nigeria continues unabated, although the latest atrocity did receive a response from the President. A massacre of over 100 people in the predominantly Catholic village of Yelwata in Benue State took place on 13-14 June. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu later called for action against the assailants, and met with local leaders in the state capital of Makurdi, according to Morning Star News.
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the violence and visited the area, promising justice. But President Bola Tinubu’s statement referring to the incident as a “reprisal” angered locals, according to Within Nigeria News: “We did nothing to provoke this,” said Fr Jonathan, a Catholic priest in the community.
At the meeting, the ruler of the Tiv tribe, James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse, made it clear to the President that the ongoing attacks were part of an orchestrated campaign. He said: “It’s not herders-farmers clashes, not communal clashes or reprisal attacks. It is a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herder terrorists and bandits.”
Although the President did not visit the village, according to Truth Nigeria he did demand a better response from Benue State security officials, asking Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun: “How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals.” Christian Solidarity Worldwide report that the final death toll could be as high as 200, and that the assailants chanted the jihadist slogan, “Allahu Akbar” (“Allah is greater”).
INDIA: Mobs attack church and prayer meeting
A church already decimated by a previous attack has shrunk even further after every member was attacked by Hindu extremists during a service. The leader of the independent Penial Prayer Fellowship in Chhattisgarh State’s Dhamtari District, Pastor Wakish Sahu, told Morning Star News that the Hindu mob burst into the service on 8 June, told the Christians to stop their worship, broke all the chairs and musical instruments, and burnt all the Christian literature and Bibles they found. All 15 people present suffered injuries, including co-leader Pastor Mannohan Sahu, Wakish’s father, who was beaten with wooden rods and kicked until he lost consciousness. Seven others had to be taken to hospital for treatment
Pastor Wakish says: “Since the attack, the believers have stopped coming for worship as they are too scared… but our family members, around ten of us, still worship. We have decided that we will not give in to fear. Hindu extremists attacked the same church in June 2024: “Since then, our congregation of close to 50 people had reduced to 15.” Later, on 20 June, a mob of around 300–400 Hindu nationalists attacked a Christian prayer meeting in Matapaka Village in the Malkangiri District of Odisha State
Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that the attack, with axes, iron rods and other weapons, left at least 28 Christians injured, with most requiring urgent medical treatment at the local hospital. The mob falsely accused the Christians of forcefully converting Hindus – a claim often used to justify attacking religious minorities.
CENTRAL ASIA: Persecution on the rise in former Soviet countries
Christians are finding life more difficult in the former USSR countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. International Christian Concern (ICC) reports that a combination of government authoritarianism and Islamism in these Muslim-majority nations has increased intolerance of religious minorities.
In Kyrgyzstan, a new religion law in 2021 made it more difficult to start and maintain churches. ICC says: “Even the comparatively less repressive nation of Kyrgyzstan has just this year returned to the Open Doors Top 50 list for the first time in more than a decade.” Police have raided state-registered Protestant and Catholic churches and even threatened to close all Catholic churches. Earlier this year, the state introduced a new requirement that a minimum of 500 adult Kyrgyzstan nationals was needed for a church to be registered. If any of the 500 are judged to be ineligible, the whole church application is rejected.
In Turkmenistan, secret police, cyber surveillance and imams combine to crack down on any religious activity of which they disapprove. The country has become more Islamic since the 1990s, although the Government also opposes radical Muslims since they are seen as a threat.
Andrew Halloway is a British freelance editor, writer and publishing consultant. He is also editor of Good News—a national monthly evangelistic newspaper (www.goodnews-paper.org.uk). Andrew has 18 years’ experience as an editor and publishing manager in the Christian publishing world, and holds a first class honours degree in Humanities. He has long had an interest in the creation/evolution debate, and is the contributing editor of ‘The Delusion of Evolution’, a magazine-style evangelistic booklet that has sold over 23,000 copies in the UK (available from www.newlife.co.uk).