In this mailing:
- Raymond Ibrahim: "Too Many to Count": The Global Persecution of Christians
- Uzay Bulut: Algeria: Persecution of Christians Continues Unbroken
- Amir Taheri: The High Risks of Soleimani's Solution for Iraq
by Raymond Ibrahim • November 10, 2019 at 5:00 am
"It's easy to go about our lives and forget that in places like Nigeria, Iran and North Korea being a Christian can often lead to death." — Vernon Brewer, founder and CEO of World Help, Fox News, November 4, 2019. "4,136 Christians were killed for faith-related reasons. On average, that's 11 Christians killed every day for their faith." — Open Doors, World Watch List 2019. More than 245 million Christians around the world are currently suffering from persecution. — Open Doors, World Watch List 2019. "Evidence shows not only the geographic spread of anti-Christian persecution, but also its increasing severity... close to meeting the international definition of genocide, according to that adopted by the UN." — Review led by Rev. Philip Mounstephen, the Bishop of Truro, April 21, 2019.
The "Independent Review into the global persecution of Christians" was commissioned by then UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (pictured) and led by Rev. Philip Mounstephen, the Bishop of Truro. The report concluded that the persecution of Christians is near "genocide" levels. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
November 3 was International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). Initiated over 20 years ago by the World Evangelical Alliance, 100,000 congregations around the world and millions of Christians participate on this day. "This November let us unite in prayer for our persecuted brothers and sisters," IDOP noted in a brief video that highlights a few examples of recent persecution, including the Easter Sunday church bombings in Sri Lanka and the ongoing slaughter of Christians by Islamic groups in Nigeria and, increasingly, Burkina Faso. Discussing this day's significance, Vernon Brewer, the CEO and founder of World Help, a Christian humanitarian organization, wrote:
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by Uzay Bulut • November 10, 2019 at 4:30 am
"[A] 2006 law states that any non-Muslim worship be conducted in specific, designated buildings. But since this law came into effect, no Christian places of worship have been designated by the government of Algeria." — William Stark, regional manager of International Christian Concern (ICC), to Gatestone. "Algeria's blasphemy laws make it difficult for Christians to share their faith out of fear their conversation may be considered blasphemous and used against them." — Open Doors, 2018. Sadly... even Pope Francis is sugar-coating the plight of his co-religionists in the North African country.... "The time of peace to which he refers remains unclear." — Bethany Blankley, Patheos, 2018.
Christians continue to be persecuted by the Algerian government. The most recent example is the closure in mid-October of three churches and the forced eviction of their congregants by police. Pictured: The Basilica of Notre-Dame-d'Afrique in Algiers, one of the most famous churches in Algeria. (Image source: Damien Boilley/Flickr/Wikimedia Commons)
Although Christians make up a mere one percent of Algeria's Muslim-majority population, they continue to be persecuted by the government in Algiers. The most recent example is the closure in mid-October of three churches and the forced eviction of their congregants by police. William Stark, regional manager of International Christian Concern (ICC), told Gatestone that shuttering the churches is just part of a broader campaign that began two years ago to target places of Christian worship. Stark said his organization's sources in Algeria report that 12 churches have been closed by Algerian authorities since the beginning of 2019 alone:
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by Amir Taheri • November 10, 2019 at 4:00 am
If the Tehran media are to be believed Soleimani defeated the Israeli army in 2006, crushed Bashar al-Assad's opponents in Syria and dismantled ISIS's so-called "Caliphate" in Iraq and Syria while installing stable governments in Beirut, Damascus and Baghdad. To me, at least, it is clear that Soleimani has achieved virtually nothing in Syria apart from helping prolong a tragedy that has already claimed almost a million lives and produced millions of refugees. Regardless of what denouement this tragedy might produce, future Syria will in no way reflect the fantasies of Soleimani and his master Khamenei. ...Soleimani's militias in Lebanon are likely to be in self-preservation mode rather than acting as the vanguard of further conquests. In other words, in medium-term, the Islamic Republic has already lost in both Lebanon and Syria. An Iraq where gunmen in Soleimani's pay paste portraits of Khomeini and Khamenei on every wall may look good to the octogenarian mullahs still in control in Tehran. However, an Iraq where peace and stability reign without the paraphernalia of Khomeinism is better for Iran's own national security and interests.
For almost two decades, Major-General Qassem Soleimani, a former bricklayer from Kirman, Iran, has been in charge of an empire-building scheme launched by the Islamic Republic. Pictured: Qassem Soleimani. (Image source: Tasnim News/CC by 4.0)
For almost two decades, a former bricklayer from Kirman, southeast Iran, has been in charge of an empire-building scheme launched by the Islamic Republic in the early years of the new century. The man in question is Qassem Soleimani, believed to be "Supreme Guide" Ali Khamenei's favorite military commander. One of Iran's only 13 major-generals, the highest rank in the regime's military, Soleimani has the added advantage of commanding his own military force, known as the Quds Corps, that is answerable to no one but Khamenei. In addition, when it comes to his army's budget, the general is given what comes close to a blank cheque.
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