The phenomenon of abduction, rape and forced Islamization of Christian girls in Egypt was shown for the first time on the Christian TV channel "Life TV", which broadcasts from outside Egypt and has nearly 60 million Arab-speaking viewers in Egypt and around the world.
The testimonies of the victims and their families came as a shock to many, including Egyptian Christians, since this issue is taboo for the Egyptian media, "Our role is to expose those behind those crimes," said Rasheed El Maghreby, the program's moderator.
The program was aired in mid-November 2009, and interviewed Mr. Magdi Khalil, an authority on Coptic affairs who has made a complete field study on forced Islamization of Christian minors in Egypt. Mr Khalil explained that this phenomenon in its present form is nearly 40 years old, and most of these conversion crimes, with a few isolated exceptions, are carried out by organized Islamization gangs or "Islamization Mafia", a termed coined by him, which are fully funded by the state and supported by State Security.
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Monday, December 28, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
2009 Report on International Religious Freedom
ይህ ሪፖርት በሚከተለው የፕሬዚደንት ኦባማ ቃል ይጀምራል፦
"የሀይማኖት ነጻነት ለህዝቦች አብሮ መኖር ዋና ጉዳይ ነው"
ይህን ጽሑፍ በምናቀርበት በዚህ የገና በዓል ዋዜማ ወቅት የሙስሊሙ ዓለም በክሪስቲያኖች ነዋሪዎቹ ላይ የሚካሄደው ጥቃት ቀጥሏል። ክርስቲያኖች ሆኑ አይሁዶች፡ አቴይስቶች ሆኑ ሙስሊሞች ይህን በተመለከተ ድምጻቸውን በማሰማት ወይም ሶሊዳሪቲ ለማሳየት አሻፈረን ብለዋል።
ወደ አሜሪካው ሪፖርት ስንመለስ፡ ኢትዮጵያን አስመልክቶ የሚከተሉትን ዋና ዋና ዓረፍተነገሮች ከሰነዱ እንወስዳለን፦
ሽብርተኛ ቡድኖች ጥላቻቸውን በዓለም ዙሪያ እያስፋፉ ባሉበት በአሁኑ ዘመን ሀይማኖታዊ ነጻነት ለዓለም አቀር ደህንነት እጅግ ወሳኝ ነው።
የኢትዮጵያ ህገ መንግስት ለሀይማኖት ነጻነት እውቅና የሚሰጥ ሲሆን ሌሎች ህጎችና ፖሊሲዎችም ለአጠቃላይ ነጻ የሀይማኖት እንቅስቃሴ አስተዋጽዖ አድርገዋል፡ መንግስቶ በአጠቃላይ ሀይማኖታዊ ነፃነትን በተግባር አስከብሯል፡ ሆኖም ግን አንዳንዴ የአካባቢ ባለስልጣናት ይህን ነጻነት ይጥላሉ (ሙስሊም ባለስልጣናት)
አልፎ አልፎ የሚፈጠሩ በሙስሊሞችና በክርስቲያኖች መካከል የሚታዩ ውጥረቶች ወደ ግጭት ያመሩበት ሁኔታ ነበር።
44 በመቶ የሚሆነው ህዝብ የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ቤተክርስቲያን (ኢኦቤ) ተከታይ ሲሆን ከዚህም አብዛኛው የሚኖረው በሰሚናዊ የአገሪቱ ክፍል በትግራይና በአማራ ክልሎች ነው
ሰላሳ አራት በመቶው ህዝብ የሱኒ እስልምና ተከታይ ሲሆን ከዚህም አብዛኛው የሱፊ ትምህርት ተከታይ ነው። እስልምና አብዛኛው የሚገኘው በምስራቁ ክፍል በተለይም በሶማሌና አፋር ክልሎችና በኦሮምያ ብዙ ቦታዎ ነው። በቅርብ እያደገ የመጣ የወግ አጥባቂ ሙስሊሞች ቁጥር ቢኖርም ከአጠቃላዩ ሙስሊም ህብረተሰብ አንጻር ይህ ነው የሚባል አይደለም።
በህዳር 25 2001 በፀደቀው አዲስ የፕሬስ ህግ መሰረት አንድ ሀይማኖታዊ ቡድን ከሌላ ጋር እንዲጋጭ የሚደረግ ቅስቀሳ ወንጀል እንደሆነ ተደንግጓል። ህጉ በተጨማሪም የሀይማኖት መሪዎችን ስም የማጥፋት ተግባር እንደ ወንጀል እንዲቆጠርና ክስ እንዲመሰረትበት ያዛል።
በሰሜናዊ የአገሪቱ ክልል በኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ቤተክርስቲያን እንደ ቅዱስ ከተማ በምትታየው በአክሱም ከተማ የሚገኙ የአካባቢው ባለስልጣናት እስካሁን ድረስ የከተማው ሙስሊሞች በተደጋጋሚ የሚጠይቁትን የመስጊድ መስሪያ ቦታ እንደከለከሏቸው ይገኛሉ። ሙስሊሞች በአክሱም ከተማ የግል መኖሪያ ቤትና ሀይማኖታዊ ያልሆኑ ህንፃዎችን ለመገንባት መሬት ያገኛሉ። የትግራይና የአማራ ክልላዊ መንግስታት ባለስልጣናት ሙስሊሞች መስጊድ ለመስራት ያቀረቡትን ጥያቄ አልተቀበሉም። ይህንን ውሳኒያቸውን የፊደራል መንግስቱ አልሻረውም። ለኢኦቤ ሌላ ቅዱስ ከተማ በሆነችው ላሊበላም የአካባቢው ባለስልጣናት ለመቃብር የሚሆን ቦታ እንጅ ለመስጊድ መስሪያ መሬት አልሰጡም።
መንግስት በህገ መንግስቱ ላይ የሰፈረው ሀይማኖትና መንግስት የተለያዩ ናቸው የሚለውን አንቀፅ የሚተረጉመው በመንግስትም ሆነ በግል ትምህርት ቤቶች ውስጥ ሀይማኖታዊ ትምህርት አይሰጥም በሚል ነው። በካቶሊክ፡ በኦርቶዶክስ፡ በወንጌላውያንና በሙስሊም ቡድኖች በንብረትነት የተያዙና የሚተዳደሩ ትምህርት ቤቶች ሀይማኖትን እንደ አንድ የትምህርት ዓይነት ማስተማር አልተፈቀደላቸውም። ቤተክርስቲያኖች የሰንበት ትምህርት እንዲያስተምሩ ሲፈቀድ ቁርዓንን በመስጊድ ውስጥ ማስተማር ይቻላል። የመንግስት ትምህርት ቤቶችም ሀይማኖታዊ ባህሪይ ያላቸውን ክበቦች ለማቋቋም ፈቃድ ይሰጣሉ።
በሰኔ 23 ቀን 2001 በደሴ ከተማ ቤተክርስቲያን አላግባብ ለመገንባት የተደረገው ሙከራ እንዲቋረጥ ከተደረገ በኋላ ይህንን በመቃወም ሰልፍ በወጡ ሰዎች ላይ ፖሊስ ተኩሶ ሁለት ሰዎች ገድሏል። የግንባታውን ቦታ ሙስሊሞችም ለኛ መሆን አለበት ብለው ነበር። ብዙ ሰዎች በተፈጠረው ግርግር የተጎዱ ሲሆን አንዲት ሴትም ከገደል ወድቃ ሞታለች።
በሚያዝያ 16 ቀን 2001 ሙስሊሞች ሂጃብ እንዲለብሱና በአዲስ አበባ ዩኒቨርስቲ ቅጥር ግቢ መስገድ እንዲችሉ መንግስት ፈቃድ እንዲሰጥ ለመጠየቅ ተማሪዎች ሰላማዊ ሰልፍ ባደረጉበት ጊዜ ፖሊስ ሰልፉን በመበተን 70 ተማሪዎችን ለአጭር ጊዜ በእስር አቆይቶ ነበር።
በህዳር 22 ቀን 2001 በጋሞ ጎፋ ዞን በአርባ ምንጭ ከተማ አንድ ቤተክርስቲያን አጠገብ እርስ በርስ በተጣሉ የኦርቶዶክስ ቄሶች ምክንያት በተቀሰቀሰ ግጭት ፖሊስ የተሰበሰቡትን ለመበተን ተኩስ ከፍቶ ሶስት ሰዎች አቁስሏል።
በየካቲት 9-10 እና በሚያዝያ 15-16 2001 የፌዴራል ጉዳዮች ሚኒስቴር በየክልሉ የአካባቢ ባለስልጣናት፡ የፀጥታ ቢሮዎችና የፖሊስ ኮሚሽነሮች ተካፋይ የሆነበት የምክክር መድረክ በማዘጋጀት በሀይማኖቶች መካከል ሊኖር ስለሚገባው መግባባትና የሀይማኖት ግጭቶችን ስለማስቀረት አወያይቷል።
በሀምሌ ወር 2000 በመንግስት የሚደገፍ የመያዶች በሀይማኖቶች መካከል ሰላም የመመስረት ጥረት አካል የሆነና የሰላም ባህል እንዲዳብር፣ በሀይማኖቶች መካከል የሚደረጉ ትብብሮችን የሚደግፍ፣ መተማመንና መልካም ግንኙነትን የሚያበረታታና ወደፊት ሊፈጠሩ የሚችሉ ግጭቶችን የሚከላከል ብሄራዊ የሀይማኖቶች የሰላም ምክር ቤት የሚል ተቋም ተመስርቷል።
በአብዛኞቹ ክልሎች ኦርቶዶክስ ክርስቲያኖችና ሙስሊሞች በአጠቃላይ ሲታይ አንዱ የሌላውን ሀይማኖት የሚያከብር ሲሆን አንዳንድ አካባቢዎች የተለያዩ ሀይማኖቶች ያሏቸው ጋብቻ ሲፈፅሙም ሆነ አንዱ ወደ ሌላው ሀይማኖት ሲቀየር እንደ ችግር አይታይም ነበር። ይሁን እንጅ አንዳንድ ህዝብ በብዛት የሰማቸው ሀይማኖታዊ ግጭቶች የነበሩ ሲሆን እነኝህም የመንግስትን ጣልቃ ገብነት የጠየቁ ነበሩ። በተጨማሪም አንዳንድ የሀይማኖት መሪዎችና የቤተክርስቲያን አባላት አካላዊ ጥቃትና የቃላት ማስፈራራት ስለደረሰባቸው የአካባቢው ባለስልጣናት እንዲከላከሉላቸው እስከ መጠየቅ ደርሰዋል።
የኢእጉበምቤ አንዳንድ በሳዑዲ አረቢያ የሚረዱ ሙስሊም ቡድኖች በክርስቲያኖችና በሙስሊሞች መካከል ቅራኔ ለማስፋፋት እንደሚንቀሳቀሱ በመግለጽ ስጋታቸውን በተደጋጋሚ አሰምተዋል። በሱፊ እስልምና ትምህርት የሚመሩትና በቁጥር የሚበልጡት ሙስሊሞች በሳዑዲ አረቢያ መያዶች ከሚረዱት ሙስሊም ቡድኖች ጋር ውጥረት ውስጥ የገቡበት ሁኔታ ተፈጥሮ ነበር።
በመጋቢት ወር 2001 አንዳንድ የሙስሊም ቡድኖች ከምክር ቤቱ ፈቃድ ሳይጠይቁ ስብሰባ እንዳያካሂዱ የኢእጉበምቤ አግዷቸው ነበር።
በጥር 17 ቀን 2001 በሀይማኖት ሰበብ በተነሳ ግጭት ጎንደር ከተማ ውስጥ አንድ ፖሊስ ሲገደል ስምንት ሲቪሎች ጉዳት ደርሶባቸዋል። እንደቀረበው ሪፖርት ግጭቱ የተነሳው ሙስሊሞች በኦርቶዶክስ እምነት ከፍተኛ ቦታ ባለው የጥምቀት በዓል ጊዜ ሁለት ታቦቶች የሚያርፉበት ቦታ ላይ መስጊድ መስራት በመጀመራቸው ነበር። ፖሊስ በወቅቱ 40 ሰዎችን ያሰረ ሲሆን ይህ ሪፖርት በተጠናቀረበት ወቅት እንደታሰሩ ነበሩ።
ከታህሳስ 30 እስከ ጥር 2 ቀን 2001 በድሬዳዋ ከተማ ተከታታይነት በነበራቸውና በየስፍራው በተቀሰቀሱ ሀይማኖታዊ ግጭቶች ሳቢያ አንድ ሰው ሲሞት 20 ቆስለዋል። እንደ ሪፖርት አቅራቢው በአንድ የከተማው ክፍል እስራዔል በጋዛ ላይ ያካሄደችውን ጥቃት በመቃወም ሙስሊም ወጣቶች በገና በዓል ላይ ሀይማኖታዊ መዝሙር እየዘመሩ በነበሩ ክርስቲያን ወጣቶች ላይ ድንጋይ ወርውረዋል። ክርስቲያን ወጣቶቹም አፀፋ በመመለስ ድንጋይ የወረወሩ ሲሆን ይህም ፖሊስ በስፍራው እስከደረሰ ድረስ ቀጥሎ ነበር። እንደነዚህ ዓይነት ግጭቶች ከአንዱ የከተማው ክልል ወደ ሌላው ተሰራጭተው ነበር።
በጥቅምት 26 ቀን 2001 ባለስልጣናት ብዛት ያላቸውን ቃወሪ የተባለ የሙስሊም ቡድን አባላት የሆኑ ሰዎችን 1998/99 ዓ.ም. በኦሮሚያ ክልል ኢሉባቡር፡ ጅማና ምዕራብ ወለጋ ውስጥ ክርስቲያኖችን በተጠና መንገድ በስፋት ለማጥቃት ተንቀሳቅሰዋል በሚል አስረዋል። በዚህ ሪፖርት መዝጊያ ጊዜ የነኝህ የታሰሩ ሰዎች ሁኔታ ምን እንደደረሰ አልታወቀም።
በህዳር ወር 2001 በሰቃ ቡዮ የሚገኙ የአካባቢ የመንግስት ባለስልጣናት በጥቅምት ወር 2000 ሙስሊሞች በ25 የፕሮቴስታንት እምነት ተከታይ ቤተሰቦች ላይ ያደረሱትን ጥቃት በቅርቅ ጨርሰዋል።
ሙሉው ሪፖርት
"የሀይማኖት ነጻነት ለህዝቦች አብሮ መኖር ዋና ጉዳይ ነው"
ይህን ጽሑፍ በምናቀርበት በዚህ የገና በዓል ዋዜማ ወቅት የሙስሊሙ ዓለም በክሪስቲያኖች ነዋሪዎቹ ላይ የሚካሄደው ጥቃት ቀጥሏል። ክርስቲያኖች ሆኑ አይሁዶች፡ አቴይስቶች ሆኑ ሙስሊሞች ይህን በተመለከተ ድምጻቸውን በማሰማት ወይም ሶሊዳሪቲ ለማሳየት አሻፈረን ብለዋል።
ወደ አሜሪካው ሪፖርት ስንመለስ፡ ኢትዮጵያን አስመልክቶ የሚከተሉትን ዋና ዋና ዓረፍተነገሮች ከሰነዱ እንወስዳለን፦
ሽብርተኛ ቡድኖች ጥላቻቸውን በዓለም ዙሪያ እያስፋፉ ባሉበት በአሁኑ ዘመን ሀይማኖታዊ ነጻነት ለዓለም አቀር ደህንነት እጅግ ወሳኝ ነው።
የኢትዮጵያ ህገ መንግስት ለሀይማኖት ነጻነት እውቅና የሚሰጥ ሲሆን ሌሎች ህጎችና ፖሊሲዎችም ለአጠቃላይ ነጻ የሀይማኖት እንቅስቃሴ አስተዋጽዖ አድርገዋል፡ መንግስቶ በአጠቃላይ ሀይማኖታዊ ነፃነትን በተግባር አስከብሯል፡ ሆኖም ግን አንዳንዴ የአካባቢ ባለስልጣናት ይህን ነጻነት ይጥላሉ (ሙስሊም ባለስልጣናት)
አልፎ አልፎ የሚፈጠሩ በሙስሊሞችና በክርስቲያኖች መካከል የሚታዩ ውጥረቶች ወደ ግጭት ያመሩበት ሁኔታ ነበር።
44 በመቶ የሚሆነው ህዝብ የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ቤተክርስቲያን (ኢኦቤ) ተከታይ ሲሆን ከዚህም አብዛኛው የሚኖረው በሰሚናዊ የአገሪቱ ክፍል በትግራይና በአማራ ክልሎች ነው
ሰላሳ አራት በመቶው ህዝብ የሱኒ እስልምና ተከታይ ሲሆን ከዚህም አብዛኛው የሱፊ ትምህርት ተከታይ ነው። እስልምና አብዛኛው የሚገኘው በምስራቁ ክፍል በተለይም በሶማሌና አፋር ክልሎችና በኦሮምያ ብዙ ቦታዎ ነው። በቅርብ እያደገ የመጣ የወግ አጥባቂ ሙስሊሞች ቁጥር ቢኖርም ከአጠቃላዩ ሙስሊም ህብረተሰብ አንጻር ይህ ነው የሚባል አይደለም።
በህዳር 25 2001 በፀደቀው አዲስ የፕሬስ ህግ መሰረት አንድ ሀይማኖታዊ ቡድን ከሌላ ጋር እንዲጋጭ የሚደረግ ቅስቀሳ ወንጀል እንደሆነ ተደንግጓል። ህጉ በተጨማሪም የሀይማኖት መሪዎችን ስም የማጥፋት ተግባር እንደ ወንጀል እንዲቆጠርና ክስ እንዲመሰረትበት ያዛል።
በሰሜናዊ የአገሪቱ ክልል በኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ቤተክርስቲያን እንደ ቅዱስ ከተማ በምትታየው በአክሱም ከተማ የሚገኙ የአካባቢው ባለስልጣናት እስካሁን ድረስ የከተማው ሙስሊሞች በተደጋጋሚ የሚጠይቁትን የመስጊድ መስሪያ ቦታ እንደከለከሏቸው ይገኛሉ። ሙስሊሞች በአክሱም ከተማ የግል መኖሪያ ቤትና ሀይማኖታዊ ያልሆኑ ህንፃዎችን ለመገንባት መሬት ያገኛሉ። የትግራይና የአማራ ክልላዊ መንግስታት ባለስልጣናት ሙስሊሞች መስጊድ ለመስራት ያቀረቡትን ጥያቄ አልተቀበሉም። ይህንን ውሳኒያቸውን የፊደራል መንግስቱ አልሻረውም። ለኢኦቤ ሌላ ቅዱስ ከተማ በሆነችው ላሊበላም የአካባቢው ባለስልጣናት ለመቃብር የሚሆን ቦታ እንጅ ለመስጊድ መስሪያ መሬት አልሰጡም።
መንግስት በህገ መንግስቱ ላይ የሰፈረው ሀይማኖትና መንግስት የተለያዩ ናቸው የሚለውን አንቀፅ የሚተረጉመው በመንግስትም ሆነ በግል ትምህርት ቤቶች ውስጥ ሀይማኖታዊ ትምህርት አይሰጥም በሚል ነው። በካቶሊክ፡ በኦርቶዶክስ፡ በወንጌላውያንና በሙስሊም ቡድኖች በንብረትነት የተያዙና የሚተዳደሩ ትምህርት ቤቶች ሀይማኖትን እንደ አንድ የትምህርት ዓይነት ማስተማር አልተፈቀደላቸውም። ቤተክርስቲያኖች የሰንበት ትምህርት እንዲያስተምሩ ሲፈቀድ ቁርዓንን በመስጊድ ውስጥ ማስተማር ይቻላል። የመንግስት ትምህርት ቤቶችም ሀይማኖታዊ ባህሪይ ያላቸውን ክበቦች ለማቋቋም ፈቃድ ይሰጣሉ።
በሰኔ 23 ቀን 2001 በደሴ ከተማ ቤተክርስቲያን አላግባብ ለመገንባት የተደረገው ሙከራ እንዲቋረጥ ከተደረገ በኋላ ይህንን በመቃወም ሰልፍ በወጡ ሰዎች ላይ ፖሊስ ተኩሶ ሁለት ሰዎች ገድሏል። የግንባታውን ቦታ ሙስሊሞችም ለኛ መሆን አለበት ብለው ነበር። ብዙ ሰዎች በተፈጠረው ግርግር የተጎዱ ሲሆን አንዲት ሴትም ከገደል ወድቃ ሞታለች።
በሚያዝያ 16 ቀን 2001 ሙስሊሞች ሂጃብ እንዲለብሱና በአዲስ አበባ ዩኒቨርስቲ ቅጥር ግቢ መስገድ እንዲችሉ መንግስት ፈቃድ እንዲሰጥ ለመጠየቅ ተማሪዎች ሰላማዊ ሰልፍ ባደረጉበት ጊዜ ፖሊስ ሰልፉን በመበተን 70 ተማሪዎችን ለአጭር ጊዜ በእስር አቆይቶ ነበር።
በህዳር 22 ቀን 2001 በጋሞ ጎፋ ዞን በአርባ ምንጭ ከተማ አንድ ቤተክርስቲያን አጠገብ እርስ በርስ በተጣሉ የኦርቶዶክስ ቄሶች ምክንያት በተቀሰቀሰ ግጭት ፖሊስ የተሰበሰቡትን ለመበተን ተኩስ ከፍቶ ሶስት ሰዎች አቁስሏል።
በየካቲት 9-10 እና በሚያዝያ 15-16 2001 የፌዴራል ጉዳዮች ሚኒስቴር በየክልሉ የአካባቢ ባለስልጣናት፡ የፀጥታ ቢሮዎችና የፖሊስ ኮሚሽነሮች ተካፋይ የሆነበት የምክክር መድረክ በማዘጋጀት በሀይማኖቶች መካከል ሊኖር ስለሚገባው መግባባትና የሀይማኖት ግጭቶችን ስለማስቀረት አወያይቷል።
በሀምሌ ወር 2000 በመንግስት የሚደገፍ የመያዶች በሀይማኖቶች መካከል ሰላም የመመስረት ጥረት አካል የሆነና የሰላም ባህል እንዲዳብር፣ በሀይማኖቶች መካከል የሚደረጉ ትብብሮችን የሚደግፍ፣ መተማመንና መልካም ግንኙነትን የሚያበረታታና ወደፊት ሊፈጠሩ የሚችሉ ግጭቶችን የሚከላከል ብሄራዊ የሀይማኖቶች የሰላም ምክር ቤት የሚል ተቋም ተመስርቷል።
በአብዛኞቹ ክልሎች ኦርቶዶክስ ክርስቲያኖችና ሙስሊሞች በአጠቃላይ ሲታይ አንዱ የሌላውን ሀይማኖት የሚያከብር ሲሆን አንዳንድ አካባቢዎች የተለያዩ ሀይማኖቶች ያሏቸው ጋብቻ ሲፈፅሙም ሆነ አንዱ ወደ ሌላው ሀይማኖት ሲቀየር እንደ ችግር አይታይም ነበር። ይሁን እንጅ አንዳንድ ህዝብ በብዛት የሰማቸው ሀይማኖታዊ ግጭቶች የነበሩ ሲሆን እነኝህም የመንግስትን ጣልቃ ገብነት የጠየቁ ነበሩ። በተጨማሪም አንዳንድ የሀይማኖት መሪዎችና የቤተክርስቲያን አባላት አካላዊ ጥቃትና የቃላት ማስፈራራት ስለደረሰባቸው የአካባቢው ባለስልጣናት እንዲከላከሉላቸው እስከ መጠየቅ ደርሰዋል።
የኢእጉበምቤ አንዳንድ በሳዑዲ አረቢያ የሚረዱ ሙስሊም ቡድኖች በክርስቲያኖችና በሙስሊሞች መካከል ቅራኔ ለማስፋፋት እንደሚንቀሳቀሱ በመግለጽ ስጋታቸውን በተደጋጋሚ አሰምተዋል። በሱፊ እስልምና ትምህርት የሚመሩትና በቁጥር የሚበልጡት ሙስሊሞች በሳዑዲ አረቢያ መያዶች ከሚረዱት ሙስሊም ቡድኖች ጋር ውጥረት ውስጥ የገቡበት ሁኔታ ተፈጥሮ ነበር።
በመጋቢት ወር 2001 አንዳንድ የሙስሊም ቡድኖች ከምክር ቤቱ ፈቃድ ሳይጠይቁ ስብሰባ እንዳያካሂዱ የኢእጉበምቤ አግዷቸው ነበር።
በጥር 17 ቀን 2001 በሀይማኖት ሰበብ በተነሳ ግጭት ጎንደር ከተማ ውስጥ አንድ ፖሊስ ሲገደል ስምንት ሲቪሎች ጉዳት ደርሶባቸዋል። እንደቀረበው ሪፖርት ግጭቱ የተነሳው ሙስሊሞች በኦርቶዶክስ እምነት ከፍተኛ ቦታ ባለው የጥምቀት በዓል ጊዜ ሁለት ታቦቶች የሚያርፉበት ቦታ ላይ መስጊድ መስራት በመጀመራቸው ነበር። ፖሊስ በወቅቱ 40 ሰዎችን ያሰረ ሲሆን ይህ ሪፖርት በተጠናቀረበት ወቅት እንደታሰሩ ነበሩ።
ከታህሳስ 30 እስከ ጥር 2 ቀን 2001 በድሬዳዋ ከተማ ተከታታይነት በነበራቸውና በየስፍራው በተቀሰቀሱ ሀይማኖታዊ ግጭቶች ሳቢያ አንድ ሰው ሲሞት 20 ቆስለዋል። እንደ ሪፖርት አቅራቢው በአንድ የከተማው ክፍል እስራዔል በጋዛ ላይ ያካሄደችውን ጥቃት በመቃወም ሙስሊም ወጣቶች በገና በዓል ላይ ሀይማኖታዊ መዝሙር እየዘመሩ በነበሩ ክርስቲያን ወጣቶች ላይ ድንጋይ ወርውረዋል። ክርስቲያን ወጣቶቹም አፀፋ በመመለስ ድንጋይ የወረወሩ ሲሆን ይህም ፖሊስ በስፍራው እስከደረሰ ድረስ ቀጥሎ ነበር። እንደነዚህ ዓይነት ግጭቶች ከአንዱ የከተማው ክልል ወደ ሌላው ተሰራጭተው ነበር።
በጥቅምት 26 ቀን 2001 ባለስልጣናት ብዛት ያላቸውን ቃወሪ የተባለ የሙስሊም ቡድን አባላት የሆኑ ሰዎችን 1998/99 ዓ.ም. በኦሮሚያ ክልል ኢሉባቡር፡ ጅማና ምዕራብ ወለጋ ውስጥ ክርስቲያኖችን በተጠና መንገድ በስፋት ለማጥቃት ተንቀሳቅሰዋል በሚል አስረዋል። በዚህ ሪፖርት መዝጊያ ጊዜ የነኝህ የታሰሩ ሰዎች ሁኔታ ምን እንደደረሰ አልታወቀም።
በህዳር ወር 2001 በሰቃ ቡዮ የሚገኙ የአካባቢ የመንግስት ባለስልጣናት በጥቅምት ወር 2000 ሙስሊሞች በ25 የፕሮቴስታንት እምነት ተከታይ ቤተሰቦች ላይ ያደረሱትን ጥቃት በቅርቅ ጨርሰዋል።
ሙሉው ሪፖርት
Friday, December 11, 2009
Arab Countries Flop on Human Rights: Report
Cairo (AFP)
Human rights deteriorated across the Arab world in 2009 with torture widely practised in several countries, namely Egypt, an Arab watchdog said in a report released on Tuesday.
The report by the independent Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies surveyed 12 countries and said that most of them repressed human rights activists, press freedoms and discriminated against religious minorities.
The state of human rights in the 12 countries — Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen — “has worsened compared to 2008,” the report said.
“Arab governments remained wedded to a broad array of repressive laws that undermine basic liberties,” compared to the previous year, said the report, “Bastion of Impunity, Mirage of Reform.”
“Peaceful rotation of power through representative politics, and clean and competitive elections remained a dream in most countries covered by this report,” it said.
Egypt and Syria were singled out as leading offenders, with Cairo said to lead the region in practicing torture and Damascus for repressing rights activists.
“Egypt continued to top the list of countries in which torture is routinely and systematically practised,” it said, adding that dozens had died in the country of torture or excessive force by police.
The report also found torture was “routine” in Bahrain, “rampant” in Tunisia and practised in Saudi Arabia against terrorism suspects.
Human rights advocates faced harassment in several Arab countries, with Syria, which has jailed dozens of democracy activists, holding the “worst record in this regard.”
Religious and ethnic minorities also continued to suffer discrimination in several Arab countries, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the report said.
“Despite the Saudi regime’s attempt to appear to champion religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue in international forums, in practice the national religious police continue to exhibit violent behaviour,” it said.
Egypt, where roughly ten percent of the 80-million-strong population are Coptic Christians who frequently complain of discrimination, “is increasingly acquiring the features of a religious state,” it added.
The report also said that US policies were “wholly inimical to reform and human rights in the region,” and accused President Barak Obama’s administration of abandoning support for reform initiatives in the Arab world.
“The last spark of life in the initiatives was quashed once and for all with the arrival of a new US administration,” it said.
Bahey eldin Hassan, the rights group’s director, said the 12 countries surveyed were indicative of the region.
“We think that through analysing these countries we can get a general picture of the region,” he said.
Hassan said the report did not include recommendations because the governments would ignore them. “These are not governments that are going through a reform process and are waiting for advice.”
The rights group’s representative in Geneva, Jeremie Smith, warned at a press conference that Arab countries had exported attempts to undermine accountability to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
“Arab governments have largely taken strategies that they have perfected at a national level to avoid accountability, and they have exported them to the United Nations system,” he said.
Human rights deteriorated across the Arab world in 2009 with torture widely practised in several countries, namely Egypt, an Arab watchdog said in a report released on Tuesday.
The report by the independent Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies surveyed 12 countries and said that most of them repressed human rights activists, press freedoms and discriminated against religious minorities.
The state of human rights in the 12 countries — Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen — “has worsened compared to 2008,” the report said.
“Arab governments remained wedded to a broad array of repressive laws that undermine basic liberties,” compared to the previous year, said the report, “Bastion of Impunity, Mirage of Reform.”
“Peaceful rotation of power through representative politics, and clean and competitive elections remained a dream in most countries covered by this report,” it said.
Egypt and Syria were singled out as leading offenders, with Cairo said to lead the region in practicing torture and Damascus for repressing rights activists.
“Egypt continued to top the list of countries in which torture is routinely and systematically practised,” it said, adding that dozens had died in the country of torture or excessive force by police.
The report also found torture was “routine” in Bahrain, “rampant” in Tunisia and practised in Saudi Arabia against terrorism suspects.
Human rights advocates faced harassment in several Arab countries, with Syria, which has jailed dozens of democracy activists, holding the “worst record in this regard.”
Religious and ethnic minorities also continued to suffer discrimination in several Arab countries, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the report said.
“Despite the Saudi regime’s attempt to appear to champion religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue in international forums, in practice the national religious police continue to exhibit violent behaviour,” it said.
Egypt, where roughly ten percent of the 80-million-strong population are Coptic Christians who frequently complain of discrimination, “is increasingly acquiring the features of a religious state,” it added.
The report also said that US policies were “wholly inimical to reform and human rights in the region,” and accused President Barak Obama’s administration of abandoning support for reform initiatives in the Arab world.
“The last spark of life in the initiatives was quashed once and for all with the arrival of a new US administration,” it said.
Bahey eldin Hassan, the rights group’s director, said the 12 countries surveyed were indicative of the region.
“We think that through analysing these countries we can get a general picture of the region,” he said.
Hassan said the report did not include recommendations because the governments would ignore them. “These are not governments that are going through a reform process and are waiting for advice.”
The rights group’s representative in Geneva, Jeremie Smith, warned at a press conference that Arab countries had exported attempts to undermine accountability to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
“Arab governments have largely taken strategies that they have perfected at a national level to avoid accountability, and they have exported them to the United Nations system,” he said.
Eritrea Arrests 30 Evangelical Christian Women
Security forces on Dec. 5 rounded up a group of mostly elderly women praying together at a house and took them to a police station in Asmara, the capital city, according to International Christian Concern.
The women are mostly members of the Faith Mission Church, an evangelical church with a Methodist background. The church has an over 50-year history in Eritrea but became a target of government crackdown after a law requiring churches to register with officials was adopted in 2002.
It is impossible for the Faith Mission Church to register, however, because the government only allows three Christian denominations to legally exist: the Eritrean Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Evangelical Church of Eritrea.
MORE
The women are mostly members of the Faith Mission Church, an evangelical church with a Methodist background. The church has an over 50-year history in Eritrea but became a target of government crackdown after a law requiring churches to register with officials was adopted in 2002.
It is impossible for the Faith Mission Church to register, however, because the government only allows three Christian denominations to legally exist: the Eritrean Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Evangelical Church of Eritrea.
MORE
Somalia suicide bomber 'was from Denmark'
A suicide bomber who killed at least 22 people at a graduation in Somalia was brought up in Denmark, officials say.
Somali Information Minister Dahir Gelle told the BBC that the bomber's parents, who live in Copenhagen, identified their son's body from photographs.
Reports say he left Somalia when he was a child and spent 20 years in Denmark, before returning to Somalia last year.
He reportedly joined the hard-line Islamist group al-Shabab - although they have previously denied the attack.
Al-Shabab and other radical Islamist groups control much of the country.
MORE
Somali Information Minister Dahir Gelle told the BBC that the bomber's parents, who live in Copenhagen, identified their son's body from photographs.
Reports say he left Somalia when he was a child and spent 20 years in Denmark, before returning to Somalia last year.
He reportedly joined the hard-line Islamist group al-Shabab - although they have previously denied the attack.
Al-Shabab and other radical Islamist groups control much of the country.
MORE
Monday, December 7, 2009
Coptic Priest Fearlessly Spreading God's Word
CBN News Senior International Correspondent
Egyptian evangelist Father Zakaria Botros is one of the most controversial figures in the Middle East.
He's a born again Coptic priest who's led thousands of Muslims to Christ via the Internet and television-- and militant Muslims want him dead because of that.
Zakaria is perhaps the most hated man in the Middle East. He's confronting Islam with an "in your face style" of TV and Internet evangelism.
"Muslims are fainting. They are brainwashed," he said. "They believe that Islam is the most beautiful religion in the world."
CBN News spoke with Amani Mustafa, co-host of Father Zakaria's show Truth Talk. Click play for her comments on how the priest's efforts are helping Muslims in the Arab world.
Click here to watch
"You cannot preach to him gently about your beliefs because he rejects all of them," Zakaria explained about his style. "You have to awaken him. And my method is a short, sharp shock. Which means an electric shock."
It's a jolt that's leading Muslims to critically examine their own faith, he added. Then they start posing questions to Islamic religious leaders. When they go unanswered, they begin to question their faith.
That's the story of one woman on a Middle East talk show. She asked her co-host Sheik Jamal why Islam treats women as possessions to be used by men for sexual gratification. Zakaria said that part of her faith is hard to accept.
His weekly 90-minute television program, Truth Talk airs Friday during prime time throughout the Middle East. It's broadcast on the al-Hayat satellite channel and is watched by nearly 60 million Arabs.
Zakaria's Internet discussion show Pal Talk is broadcast online for six hours every Tuesday and Thursday.
He recently celebrated his 75th birthday and says he's faced many hardships and challenges during his life journey.
Perhaps the greatest affecting his spiritual walk was the tragic slaying of his older brother more than 60 years ago.
"He was not only a Christian, but he was a believer-- a true believer," Zakaria recalled.
Zakaria said when his brother was in his twenties he started to share Christ with anyone who would listen-- Coptics and Muslims alike. He was murdered by Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood in 1947, They were very powerful in those days and they killed him," Zakaria said. "They cut his tongue and beheaded him. It was very hard."
The priest was a teenager at the time and inherited his brother's Bible. He said the notes written on the pages inside helped him to know Christ.
Zakaria thought good works would help him get into Heaven. It wasn't until he studied the writings of Cyril-- the fourth century bishop of Jerusalem-- that he came to believe in redemption and salvation through grace.
He fell on his knees and prayed.
After that, Zakaria walked into another kind of service-- a ministry to Muslims that led to imprisonment and eventual exile from Egypt in 1989.
He started Pal Talk while living in England and began his television broadcasts in 2003.
Today, he is in hiding. Al Qaeda terrorists have placed a $60 million bounty on his head and that has made him cautious, but unafraid.
"Because I believe that I am in the hands of God and He protects me and there is no fear," Zakaria said. "Jesus said don't fear and there are about 366 promises in the Bible, don't fear.
So, Islam's public enemy number one presses on.
"People see the program on the TV, but I see the hand of God's work among all of them in the heavenly TV," he said. "I see by faith what God is doing among Muslims today.
"I'll be so happy to have my life ended on earth because I will start my eternal life with Jesus Christ whom I love," Zakaria added.
*Original broadcast November 30, 2009.
Egyptian evangelist Father Zakaria Botros is one of the most controversial figures in the Middle East.
He's a born again Coptic priest who's led thousands of Muslims to Christ via the Internet and television-- and militant Muslims want him dead because of that.
Zakaria is perhaps the most hated man in the Middle East. He's confronting Islam with an "in your face style" of TV and Internet evangelism.
"Muslims are fainting. They are brainwashed," he said. "They believe that Islam is the most beautiful religion in the world."
CBN News spoke with Amani Mustafa, co-host of Father Zakaria's show Truth Talk. Click play for her comments on how the priest's efforts are helping Muslims in the Arab world.
Click here to watch
"You cannot preach to him gently about your beliefs because he rejects all of them," Zakaria explained about his style. "You have to awaken him. And my method is a short, sharp shock. Which means an electric shock."
It's a jolt that's leading Muslims to critically examine their own faith, he added. Then they start posing questions to Islamic religious leaders. When they go unanswered, they begin to question their faith.
That's the story of one woman on a Middle East talk show. She asked her co-host Sheik Jamal why Islam treats women as possessions to be used by men for sexual gratification. Zakaria said that part of her faith is hard to accept.
His weekly 90-minute television program, Truth Talk airs Friday during prime time throughout the Middle East. It's broadcast on the al-Hayat satellite channel and is watched by nearly 60 million Arabs.
Zakaria's Internet discussion show Pal Talk is broadcast online for six hours every Tuesday and Thursday.
He recently celebrated his 75th birthday and says he's faced many hardships and challenges during his life journey.
Perhaps the greatest affecting his spiritual walk was the tragic slaying of his older brother more than 60 years ago.
"He was not only a Christian, but he was a believer-- a true believer," Zakaria recalled.
Zakaria said when his brother was in his twenties he started to share Christ with anyone who would listen-- Coptics and Muslims alike. He was murdered by Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood in 1947, They were very powerful in those days and they killed him," Zakaria said. "They cut his tongue and beheaded him. It was very hard."
The priest was a teenager at the time and inherited his brother's Bible. He said the notes written on the pages inside helped him to know Christ.
Zakaria thought good works would help him get into Heaven. It wasn't until he studied the writings of Cyril-- the fourth century bishop of Jerusalem-- that he came to believe in redemption and salvation through grace.
He fell on his knees and prayed.
After that, Zakaria walked into another kind of service-- a ministry to Muslims that led to imprisonment and eventual exile from Egypt in 1989.
He started Pal Talk while living in England and began his television broadcasts in 2003.
Today, he is in hiding. Al Qaeda terrorists have placed a $60 million bounty on his head and that has made him cautious, but unafraid.
"Because I believe that I am in the hands of God and He protects me and there is no fear," Zakaria said. "Jesus said don't fear and there are about 366 promises in the Bible, don't fear.
So, Islam's public enemy number one presses on.
"People see the program on the TV, but I see the hand of God's work among all of them in the heavenly TV," he said. "I see by faith what God is doing among Muslims today.
"I'll be so happy to have my life ended on earth because I will start my eternal life with Jesus Christ whom I love," Zakaria added.
*Original broadcast November 30, 2009.
No to Intolerance
The following text excerpt is from an interview the Russian Orthodox Priest, Fr. Daniel Sysoyev recently gave. Fr. Daniel was murdered inside a church by Muslims in November 2009.
Do you know what tolerance in medical settings mean? It means a lack of immunity, and tolerance is a sign of serious sickness. It happens when people have cancer, AIDs… Our society is getting very dangerously sick. We don’t know our faith anymore, we are beginning to lose our strong faith in God (even if most people think otherwise) The lives of many Ethiopians is still based on moral values, but the number of Ethiopians that prefers to live material oriented lives is growing. We, as Christians, have to remember what Bible tells us, and remember that faith without actions is DEAD. We have to put GOD as a purpose of our life, we have to remember that our life here is a temporary one.
Muslims want us to be tolerant to them. But what does it mean? They sued me for my book where I encourage Christian girls to avoid marriage with Muslims. Muslims said this book creates hatred between Christians and Muslims. My book was published for Christian audience, it was distributed through churches’ bookstores. What rights do Muslims have to tell me, a Christian priest, what should I tell to my godchildren for their good? I don’t ask to use violence, I just explain the difference between us, and such serious decision in Christian life as marriage should be made on safe grounds between people who have same values, otherwise there would be a tragedy, and the victim (almost always) will be the Christian person.
Another example: In disputes with Muslims, I openly say that my religion is right and theirs is wrong, I give them my reasonings. Muslims get mad, and want me to be quiet. Why should I be quiet? I have the right to believe in my God, and anybody who believes in different God would also think that their religion is true and best. I have no problem to hear the same things from Muslims about Allah. But if my arguments are stronger and they feel defeated they don’t give me arguments anymore, but just threaten to kill me if I don’t get quiet. But Jesus Christ said: DO NOT BE AFRAID. And that’s why I’m not.
Muslims want to control what Christians should believe, say and teach among Christians. I don’t believe in such tolerance. True believers are never tolerant, because the TRUTH is one. And person who believes in God (in any religion) is never tolerant to agree in his heart with other gods.
Christianity asks us to tell nonbelievers about true God, but it is up to the people to accept our teaching or not, because our God wants only those who want to chose Him freely. We don’t force our religion on others, we respect their free choice. But Muslims do force people to convert, and kill the people who chose to convert from Islam to Christianity….
We have no rights to be tolerant today, we have to follow Christ sincerely, and to protect our faith in our hearts. We have to grow good seeds in our hearts and prepare for future eternal life with warm hearts. We can not tolerate wrong values FOR OUR LIVES, we have to reject them if we want to be true Christians.
“Blessed are those, who are persecuted for righteousness sake,
For great is their reward in Heaven”. Glory To God.
Do you know what tolerance in medical settings mean? It means a lack of immunity, and tolerance is a sign of serious sickness. It happens when people have cancer, AIDs… Our society is getting very dangerously sick. We don’t know our faith anymore, we are beginning to lose our strong faith in God (even if most people think otherwise) The lives of many Ethiopians is still based on moral values, but the number of Ethiopians that prefers to live material oriented lives is growing. We, as Christians, have to remember what Bible tells us, and remember that faith without actions is DEAD. We have to put GOD as a purpose of our life, we have to remember that our life here is a temporary one.
Muslims want us to be tolerant to them. But what does it mean? They sued me for my book where I encourage Christian girls to avoid marriage with Muslims. Muslims said this book creates hatred between Christians and Muslims. My book was published for Christian audience, it was distributed through churches’ bookstores. What rights do Muslims have to tell me, a Christian priest, what should I tell to my godchildren for their good? I don’t ask to use violence, I just explain the difference between us, and such serious decision in Christian life as marriage should be made on safe grounds between people who have same values, otherwise there would be a tragedy, and the victim (almost always) will be the Christian person.
Another example: In disputes with Muslims, I openly say that my religion is right and theirs is wrong, I give them my reasonings. Muslims get mad, and want me to be quiet. Why should I be quiet? I have the right to believe in my God, and anybody who believes in different God would also think that their religion is true and best. I have no problem to hear the same things from Muslims about Allah. But if my arguments are stronger and they feel defeated they don’t give me arguments anymore, but just threaten to kill me if I don’t get quiet. But Jesus Christ said: DO NOT BE AFRAID. And that’s why I’m not.
Muslims want to control what Christians should believe, say and teach among Christians. I don’t believe in such tolerance. True believers are never tolerant, because the TRUTH is one. And person who believes in God (in any religion) is never tolerant to agree in his heart with other gods.
Christianity asks us to tell nonbelievers about true God, but it is up to the people to accept our teaching or not, because our God wants only those who want to chose Him freely. We don’t force our religion on others, we respect their free choice. But Muslims do force people to convert, and kill the people who chose to convert from Islam to Christianity….
We have no rights to be tolerant today, we have to follow Christ sincerely, and to protect our faith in our hearts. We have to grow good seeds in our hearts and prepare for future eternal life with warm hearts. We can not tolerate wrong values FOR OUR LIVES, we have to reject them if we want to be true Christians.
“Blessed are those, who are persecuted for righteousness sake,
For great is their reward in Heaven”. Glory To God.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Outrage on Swiss minaret vote, but how do Muslim states handle churches?
Muslim reaction across the world to Sunday’s Swiss referendum banning the construction of further minarets for mosques in the tiny Alpine nation has been almost entirely negative.
Indonesia’s Maskuri Abdillah, leader of the largest Muslim organization in the world’s most populous Muslim nation said the vote reflected Swiss “hatred” of Islam and Muslims.
Egyptian Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa, close to the regime of President Hosni Mubarak, said the ban was an attempt to “insult the feelings of the Muslim community in and outside Switzerland.”
Yet the referendums outcome pales in comparison to restrictions on non-Muslims who aim to practice their faith in Muslim lands. In fact, the vote only brought Swiss legal practice closer to that of many majority Muslim states that also place limits on the construction of houses of worship.
Here’s a review of practices in four large majority Muslim states:
1. Indonesia
In a state with large minority populations of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and animists, the US State department reported in 2009 that at least 9 churches – and 12 mosques associated with the Ahmadiyya Islamic sect (which mainstream Muslim groups consider heretical) – were forced shut by violence or intimidation from community groups, and that a number of churches and Hindu temples have struggled to receive official permits in recent years. The Indonesian government has on a number of occasions stepped in to prevent church construction, largely over fears that it would stoke sectarian violence. But religious practice, by and large, is freer in Indonesia than most other Muslim majority states.
2. Egypt
The country has a sizeable minority of Eastern Orthodox Christians, or Copts. By law, their churches must receive the permission of local Muslim communities before new construction is allowed. The State Department’s religious freedom report on Egypt in 2009 says in part: “Church and human rights leaders complain that many local officials intentionally delay the permit process. They charge that some local authorities refuse to process applications without ’supporting documents’ that are virtually impossible to obtain.”
3. Saudi Arabia
Home of Mecca and Islam more generally, is one of the least religiously free nation’s on earth. In the Kingdom, the public practice of any faith but Islam is illegal. Christian’s and Jews receive 50 percent of the compensation that a Muslim would receive in personal injury court and the country has no churches at all, though it officially tolerates private worship in homes.
4. Pakistan
Freedom of religious worship is constitutionally guaranteed, but in practice the government sets limits and there has also been a rise in attacks by militant groups on both Christians and Shiites in the majority Sunni Muslim country in recent years. The State Department found that “societal discrimination against religious minorities was widespread, and societal violence against such groups occurred.” District level government “consistently refused to grant permission to construct non-Muslim places of worship, especially for Ahmadiyya and Baha’i communities” the State Department found, while also noting that missionaries are allowed to work inside the country. In 2009 “public pressure routinely prevented courts from protecting minority rights and forced judges to take strong action against any perceived offense to Sunni orthodoxy,” the report said.
MORE
Indonesia’s Maskuri Abdillah, leader of the largest Muslim organization in the world’s most populous Muslim nation said the vote reflected Swiss “hatred” of Islam and Muslims.
Egyptian Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa, close to the regime of President Hosni Mubarak, said the ban was an attempt to “insult the feelings of the Muslim community in and outside Switzerland.”
Yet the referendums outcome pales in comparison to restrictions on non-Muslims who aim to practice their faith in Muslim lands. In fact, the vote only brought Swiss legal practice closer to that of many majority Muslim states that also place limits on the construction of houses of worship.
Here’s a review of practices in four large majority Muslim states:
1. Indonesia
In a state with large minority populations of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and animists, the US State department reported in 2009 that at least 9 churches – and 12 mosques associated with the Ahmadiyya Islamic sect (which mainstream Muslim groups consider heretical) – were forced shut by violence or intimidation from community groups, and that a number of churches and Hindu temples have struggled to receive official permits in recent years. The Indonesian government has on a number of occasions stepped in to prevent church construction, largely over fears that it would stoke sectarian violence. But religious practice, by and large, is freer in Indonesia than most other Muslim majority states.
2. Egypt
The country has a sizeable minority of Eastern Orthodox Christians, or Copts. By law, their churches must receive the permission of local Muslim communities before new construction is allowed. The State Department’s religious freedom report on Egypt in 2009 says in part: “Church and human rights leaders complain that many local officials intentionally delay the permit process. They charge that some local authorities refuse to process applications without ’supporting documents’ that are virtually impossible to obtain.”
3. Saudi Arabia
Home of Mecca and Islam more generally, is one of the least religiously free nation’s on earth. In the Kingdom, the public practice of any faith but Islam is illegal. Christian’s and Jews receive 50 percent of the compensation that a Muslim would receive in personal injury court and the country has no churches at all, though it officially tolerates private worship in homes.
4. Pakistan
Freedom of religious worship is constitutionally guaranteed, but in practice the government sets limits and there has also been a rise in attacks by militant groups on both Christians and Shiites in the majority Sunni Muslim country in recent years. The State Department found that “societal discrimination against religious minorities was widespread, and societal violence against such groups occurred.” District level government “consistently refused to grant permission to construct non-Muslim places of worship, especially for Ahmadiyya and Baha’i communities” the State Department found, while also noting that missionaries are allowed to work inside the country. In 2009 “public pressure routinely prevented courts from protecting minority rights and forced judges to take strong action against any perceived offense to Sunni orthodoxy,” the report said.
MORE
Al Shabab blamed for Somalia bombing. Is Al Qaeda's influence rising?
A suicide bombing at a Somali student graduation ceremony which killed three government ministers and at least 16 other civilians on Thursday bore Al Qaeda's hallmark and further endangered the future of the country's wobbling administration, analysts says.
A man strapped with explosives and disguised as a woman apparently gained free access to what was supposed to be one of the few parts of Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, that was safe for the country's government.
But Thursday's strike appears to be the latest in a fresh offensive by Al Shabab, deploying tactics that Somalia-watchers say have been imported directly from Al Qaeda.
US government officials are convinced that Osama bin Laden's terror organization is strengthening its links to its Somali proxy – in part by by sending trainers to the Horn of Africa to instruct new jihadists there.
MORE
A man strapped with explosives and disguised as a woman apparently gained free access to what was supposed to be one of the few parts of Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, that was safe for the country's government.
But Thursday's strike appears to be the latest in a fresh offensive by Al Shabab, deploying tactics that Somalia-watchers say have been imported directly from Al Qaeda.
US government officials are convinced that Osama bin Laden's terror organization is strengthening its links to its Somali proxy – in part by by sending trainers to the Horn of Africa to instruct new jihadists there.
MORE
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
What Ethiopian Christians need to know
Islam Wants to take the World by every possible means
The Muslim feels certain that one day the entire world will be in submission to Mohammed. The Muslim has a long view of history and many are patient to see this submission develop over time, generation after generation. Islam continues its long march through history, bringing the world into submission.
The places that are not yet considered to be within the House of Submission are called the House of War (dar al-harb, دار الحرب). Ethiopia belongs to this House of War.
Islam requires that Muslims spread Islam to the extent that the entire world is under the submission of Muslim rule. This injunction to spread Islam is linked with the concept of jihad (جهاد), which is often translated "holy war" but which actually means "struggle".
Jihad is a Responsibility of every Muslim
The community obligations to Jihad are clear in Islamic theology. If some in the community are waging jihad effectively (such as organizations like al-qaida) then everyone in the community does not bear an individual responsibility for personally waging violent jihad. In other words, they are off the hook and can go about their lives using non-violent jihad.
However, if a jihad war needs to be waged and no one in the community is doing it, then every Muslim individually bears the responsibility and will be held accountable.
For this reason Muslims often seem complacent in the face of the minority who are advancing the jihad war. When in fact, non-violent forms of jihad among the seemingly complacent is actually a method of supporting the overall jihad effort to transform the House of War into the House of Submission.
Are Ethiopian Muslims in a State of Jihad?
From the perspective of the violent jihadists, Ethiopian Muslims are in a constant state of jihad. But do Ethiopian Muslims honestly view themselves as living in a state of constant jihad until Ethiopia comes into the House of Submission? Surely there must be various viewpoints on this question among Muslims in Ethiopia.
The critical issue for Muslims in Ethiopia is to evaluate the concept of dividing the world between the House of Submission and the House of War, which they nowadays they tend to share with the Wahabi movement from across the Red sea. Nowadays, it has become important for them to clearly state and actively teach a new ideology that is extremely incompatible with the divine mission of the Ethiopian nation and the principles of Ethiopianism.
From the Islamic perspective, the problem is a political problem between the House of Submission and the House of War. But, in fact, the problem is a spiritual problem which has people trapped by the powers of darkness. As such, this ideology will not be eliminated by a small group of friendly, soft-spoken Muslims and their politically correct apologetics who make simplistic statements about Islam and tolerance. Only Jesus Christ can deliver from the House of Submission and the House of War.
As the influence of Islam grows throughout the world, the role of the mosque in society should be understood by all non-Muslims. The latest decision of the Swiss people to prohibit the construction of minarets in their country demonstrates the fear and anxiety that Islam is entertaining among the indigeneous populations of Europe.
Every non-Muslim, Christians in particular, should learn more about the importance of the mosque and its central role in the growth and promotion of Islam.
Much of the folloqinf information presented in this article is taken from the book, The Mosque Exposed by S. Solomon and E. Alamaqdisi
Many people, as in most, assume the mosque is simply a place where Muslims go to worship, almost like a “Muslim church,” but this is not really the full story. You see, Islam is predominately a works-based system and unlike Christianity, which is a faith-based system. And how does the average Muslim know how he or she should act? Allah has given them the perfect example in Mohammed. Muslims should imitate him.
The Way of Mohammed
While the Quran is believed by Muslims to be the revelation of Allah’s word, the “perfect example” of Mohammed’s life, teachings and character are recorded in another body of writings called the Hadith. These writings, called the Sunnah, record the way Mohammaed lived and taught, and are used to interpret the Quran and develop Islamic ideology.
Because Muslims view the mosque through Mohammed’s life, the role of the mosque can only be understood as it was used by Mohammed. It would be a fatal error for Christians to assume that the mosque functions like a church. We must see the mosque in the context of Mohammed’s life.
Mohammed did indeed go to the mosque to worship. Therefore it is a house of worship. He performed his prayers in the mosque and taught all Muslims that it is an important place to say prayers. Every Friday, Muslims around the world go to their local mosque and face toward the city of Mecca to perform their ritual prayers.
Command and Control
But worship for Mohammed was not limited to religious ritual. Worship is an entire way of life. For Mohammed, worship is about implementing Allah’s law. This is called Shariah law, and it encompasses every area of life. Shariah means “path.” In the desert context from which it comes, it means “a path leading to water.” While for the Christian, the words of Christ are “living water,” for the Muslim, it is this law which is a life-preserving force, and water in the desert.
Since worship is not merely religious ritual, Mohammed acted in his role as the supreme leader of the community and the mosque was his base of operation. Here are some examples of how Mohammed used the mosque to implement his all-encompassing Shariah law:
· He made legislative decrees from the mosque. It is the seat of legislative government.
· He taught his followers his ideology in the mosque. It is the educational seminary.
· He sent and received official delegations at the mosque.
· He conducted the affairs of the Islamic state, entertained heads of state, and appointed judges there. It is the seat of executive power.
· He issued legal decrees and developed Sharia law there. It is the supreme court.
· He issued social decrees. It is the social center of the community.
· He proclaimed the superiority of Muslims over non-Muslims, issued death sentences against those who opposed him, and dispatched the executioners to carry out their duties. It is the place and symbol of Islamic rule.
·He proclaimed the superiority of men over women at the mosque. It is place of inequality.
· It is where he issued marching orders, proclaimed jihad, and recognized his warriors. It is a military base.
In short, THE MOSQUE IS THE COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTER OF ISLAM.
Hijra and Taqiyah
The number of mosques in Ethiopia has increased dramatically in recent years. Based on Mohammed’s example, everyone should walk to the mosque as he did. Therefore, there needs to be a mosque in every neighborhood. In larger communities, there would need to be many mosques, one in each neighborhood. Additionally, since Muslims who are living in a non-Muslim nation are in a perpetual state of jihad,2 the role of the mosque should be understood in this context, along with two other concepts: migration (hijra هجرة) and concealment or disguise (taqiyah تقية).
Migration
The Islamic calendar begins in the year A.D. 610, when Mohammed migrated with his followers from the city of Mecca to the city of Medina on the Arabian Peninsula. The Quran speaks highly of those who migrated to Medina for the cause of Islam in passages such as Surah 2:218, 3:195, and 4:100.
Hijra is used by Muslims to spread Islam. There is a method to the process. As Solomon and Alamaqdisi state in their book,
Migration is legally obligatory on a Muslim as preparatory to other forms of jihad for the victory of Islam and Muslims in other countries . . . . Migration precedes jihad and both are inextricably linked . . . . It is not possible to consolidate the Islamic religion without migration. There is no way to raise the profile of Islam in the abode of apostasy without the help of Muslims and the increase of their numbers.
Since the role of the mosque is so critical in securing victory over non-Muslims, mosques are sometimes built for the purpose of raising awareness of Islam among non-Muslims rather than serving the needs of the Muslim community as a place of worship. This is why a small group of Muslims in a non-Muslim community sometimes build a large mosque which far exceeds the needs of their group.
Migration and the building of mosques serve the purpose of bringing a witness to non-Muslims that Islam is superior.
Disguise
Solomon and Alamaqdisi state,
Despite the overtly cruel, harsh, and intolerant Quranic views toward others, namely Jews and Christians, there are injunctions in the Quran that enable the Islamic community to disguise, play down, and when necessary, deny both the intensity and the validity of these anti-Semitic and anti-Christian teachings of its religious system.
This particular injunction is taqiya, which permeates almost all the activities and dealings of Muslims within non-Muslim societies, be they religiously sacred or religiously temporal, secular or civic, since . . . Islam does not distinguish between sacred and secular.
For this reason, the so-called moderate Muslim leaders worldwide should not be trusted to support and uphold the principles of freedom, peace and tolerance. Their leadership position within the Muslim community makes them guardians and promoters of Islamic ideology, even if they must conceal and disguise their true intentions.
The Mosque in Ethiopia
As it's stated above, in recent years, authorities in Ethiopia, not only encouraged the building of mosques, they actually help facilitate their construction in the name of equality, tolerance and freedom of religion. It should be said and realized that, non-Muslims, in effect, are helping build the enemy’s command and control centers within their own Christian country.
Political leaders don’t seem to understand the problem Ethiopians are facing in this regard—or they are simply unwilling to intervene.
This is why it is critical for Ethiopians to learn about the true nature of Islam. We need to tell the truth, to educate ourselves and pass on the knowledge, it's our obligation and utmost mission.
The Muslim feels certain that one day the entire world will be in submission to Mohammed. The Muslim has a long view of history and many are patient to see this submission develop over time, generation after generation. Islam continues its long march through history, bringing the world into submission.
The places that are not yet considered to be within the House of Submission are called the House of War (dar al-harb, دار الحرب). Ethiopia belongs to this House of War.
Islam requires that Muslims spread Islam to the extent that the entire world is under the submission of Muslim rule. This injunction to spread Islam is linked with the concept of jihad (جهاد), which is often translated "holy war" but which actually means "struggle".
Jihad is a Responsibility of every Muslim
The community obligations to Jihad are clear in Islamic theology. If some in the community are waging jihad effectively (such as organizations like al-qaida) then everyone in the community does not bear an individual responsibility for personally waging violent jihad. In other words, they are off the hook and can go about their lives using non-violent jihad.
However, if a jihad war needs to be waged and no one in the community is doing it, then every Muslim individually bears the responsibility and will be held accountable.
For this reason Muslims often seem complacent in the face of the minority who are advancing the jihad war. When in fact, non-violent forms of jihad among the seemingly complacent is actually a method of supporting the overall jihad effort to transform the House of War into the House of Submission.
Are Ethiopian Muslims in a State of Jihad?
From the perspective of the violent jihadists, Ethiopian Muslims are in a constant state of jihad. But do Ethiopian Muslims honestly view themselves as living in a state of constant jihad until Ethiopia comes into the House of Submission? Surely there must be various viewpoints on this question among Muslims in Ethiopia.
The critical issue for Muslims in Ethiopia is to evaluate the concept of dividing the world between the House of Submission and the House of War, which they nowadays they tend to share with the Wahabi movement from across the Red sea. Nowadays, it has become important for them to clearly state and actively teach a new ideology that is extremely incompatible with the divine mission of the Ethiopian nation and the principles of Ethiopianism.
From the Islamic perspective, the problem is a political problem between the House of Submission and the House of War. But, in fact, the problem is a spiritual problem which has people trapped by the powers of darkness. As such, this ideology will not be eliminated by a small group of friendly, soft-spoken Muslims and their politically correct apologetics who make simplistic statements about Islam and tolerance. Only Jesus Christ can deliver from the House of Submission and the House of War.
As the influence of Islam grows throughout the world, the role of the mosque in society should be understood by all non-Muslims. The latest decision of the Swiss people to prohibit the construction of minarets in their country demonstrates the fear and anxiety that Islam is entertaining among the indigeneous populations of Europe.
Every non-Muslim, Christians in particular, should learn more about the importance of the mosque and its central role in the growth and promotion of Islam.
Much of the folloqinf information presented in this article is taken from the book, The Mosque Exposed by S. Solomon and E. Alamaqdisi
Many people, as in most, assume the mosque is simply a place where Muslims go to worship, almost like a “Muslim church,” but this is not really the full story. You see, Islam is predominately a works-based system and unlike Christianity, which is a faith-based system. And how does the average Muslim know how he or she should act? Allah has given them the perfect example in Mohammed. Muslims should imitate him.
The Way of Mohammed
While the Quran is believed by Muslims to be the revelation of Allah’s word, the “perfect example” of Mohammed’s life, teachings and character are recorded in another body of writings called the Hadith. These writings, called the Sunnah, record the way Mohammaed lived and taught, and are used to interpret the Quran and develop Islamic ideology.
Because Muslims view the mosque through Mohammed’s life, the role of the mosque can only be understood as it was used by Mohammed. It would be a fatal error for Christians to assume that the mosque functions like a church. We must see the mosque in the context of Mohammed’s life.
Mohammed did indeed go to the mosque to worship. Therefore it is a house of worship. He performed his prayers in the mosque and taught all Muslims that it is an important place to say prayers. Every Friday, Muslims around the world go to their local mosque and face toward the city of Mecca to perform their ritual prayers.
Command and Control
But worship for Mohammed was not limited to religious ritual. Worship is an entire way of life. For Mohammed, worship is about implementing Allah’s law. This is called Shariah law, and it encompasses every area of life. Shariah means “path.” In the desert context from which it comes, it means “a path leading to water.” While for the Christian, the words of Christ are “living water,” for the Muslim, it is this law which is a life-preserving force, and water in the desert.
Since worship is not merely religious ritual, Mohammed acted in his role as the supreme leader of the community and the mosque was his base of operation. Here are some examples of how Mohammed used the mosque to implement his all-encompassing Shariah law:
· He made legislative decrees from the mosque. It is the seat of legislative government.
· He taught his followers his ideology in the mosque. It is the educational seminary.
· He sent and received official delegations at the mosque.
· He conducted the affairs of the Islamic state, entertained heads of state, and appointed judges there. It is the seat of executive power.
· He issued legal decrees and developed Sharia law there. It is the supreme court.
· He issued social decrees. It is the social center of the community.
· He proclaimed the superiority of Muslims over non-Muslims, issued death sentences against those who opposed him, and dispatched the executioners to carry out their duties. It is the place and symbol of Islamic rule.
·He proclaimed the superiority of men over women at the mosque. It is place of inequality.
· It is where he issued marching orders, proclaimed jihad, and recognized his warriors. It is a military base.
In short, THE MOSQUE IS THE COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTER OF ISLAM.
Hijra and Taqiyah
The number of mosques in Ethiopia has increased dramatically in recent years. Based on Mohammed’s example, everyone should walk to the mosque as he did. Therefore, there needs to be a mosque in every neighborhood. In larger communities, there would need to be many mosques, one in each neighborhood. Additionally, since Muslims who are living in a non-Muslim nation are in a perpetual state of jihad,2 the role of the mosque should be understood in this context, along with two other concepts: migration (hijra هجرة) and concealment or disguise (taqiyah تقية).
Migration
The Islamic calendar begins in the year A.D. 610, when Mohammed migrated with his followers from the city of Mecca to the city of Medina on the Arabian Peninsula. The Quran speaks highly of those who migrated to Medina for the cause of Islam in passages such as Surah 2:218, 3:195, and 4:100.
Hijra is used by Muslims to spread Islam. There is a method to the process. As Solomon and Alamaqdisi state in their book,
Migration is legally obligatory on a Muslim as preparatory to other forms of jihad for the victory of Islam and Muslims in other countries . . . . Migration precedes jihad and both are inextricably linked . . . . It is not possible to consolidate the Islamic religion without migration. There is no way to raise the profile of Islam in the abode of apostasy without the help of Muslims and the increase of their numbers.
Since the role of the mosque is so critical in securing victory over non-Muslims, mosques are sometimes built for the purpose of raising awareness of Islam among non-Muslims rather than serving the needs of the Muslim community as a place of worship. This is why a small group of Muslims in a non-Muslim community sometimes build a large mosque which far exceeds the needs of their group.
Migration and the building of mosques serve the purpose of bringing a witness to non-Muslims that Islam is superior.
Disguise
Solomon and Alamaqdisi state,
Despite the overtly cruel, harsh, and intolerant Quranic views toward others, namely Jews and Christians, there are injunctions in the Quran that enable the Islamic community to disguise, play down, and when necessary, deny both the intensity and the validity of these anti-Semitic and anti-Christian teachings of its religious system.
This particular injunction is taqiya, which permeates almost all the activities and dealings of Muslims within non-Muslim societies, be they religiously sacred or religiously temporal, secular or civic, since . . . Islam does not distinguish between sacred and secular.
For this reason, the so-called moderate Muslim leaders worldwide should not be trusted to support and uphold the principles of freedom, peace and tolerance. Their leadership position within the Muslim community makes them guardians and promoters of Islamic ideology, even if they must conceal and disguise their true intentions.
The Mosque in Ethiopia
As it's stated above, in recent years, authorities in Ethiopia, not only encouraged the building of mosques, they actually help facilitate their construction in the name of equality, tolerance and freedom of religion. It should be said and realized that, non-Muslims, in effect, are helping build the enemy’s command and control centers within their own Christian country.
Political leaders don’t seem to understand the problem Ethiopians are facing in this regard—or they are simply unwilling to intervene.
This is why it is critical for Ethiopians to learn about the true nature of Islam. We need to tell the truth, to educate ourselves and pass on the knowledge, it's our obligation and utmost mission.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Rain from Ethiopia to Mecca
The rain is like a baptism
Heavy rain moving from east to the Arabian peninsula from the Ethiopian Mountains is pouring down on Mecca during this year's Hajj pilgrimage might be another sign from the generous and merciful God, Jesus Christ showing to the lost sheep the way, the only way, the truth and life to his kingdom?
Yesterday, November 25, rare, heavy rainstorms, the heaviest in 25 years, soaked pilgrims and flooded the road into Mecca, snarling Islam's annual hajj as millions of Muslims headed for the holy sites. The downpours add an extra hazard on top of intense concerns about the spread of swine flu.
Pilgrims in white robes holding umbrellas, some wearing face masks for fear of the flu, circled the black cube-shaped Kaaba in Mecca, the opening rite for the hajj. But the shrine — Islam's holiest site — and the nearby, rain-soaked streets did not see the usual massive crowds, because many tried to stay inside nearby hotels or were caught up in the traffic jams heading into the city.
Heavy rain moving from east to the Arabian peninsula from the Ethiopian Mountains is pouring down on Mecca during this year's Hajj pilgrimage might be another sign from the generous and merciful God, Jesus Christ showing to the lost sheep the way, the only way, the truth and life to his kingdom?
Yesterday, November 25, rare, heavy rainstorms, the heaviest in 25 years, soaked pilgrims and flooded the road into Mecca, snarling Islam's annual hajj as millions of Muslims headed for the holy sites. The downpours add an extra hazard on top of intense concerns about the spread of swine flu.
Pilgrims in white robes holding umbrellas, some wearing face masks for fear of the flu, circled the black cube-shaped Kaaba in Mecca, the opening rite for the hajj. But the shrine — Islam's holiest site — and the nearby, rain-soaked streets did not see the usual massive crowds, because many tried to stay inside nearby hotels or were caught up in the traffic jams heading into the city.
Russian Priest Killed in Church
The Rev. Daniil Sysoyev, a priest in the Russian Orthodox Church who was known for promoting missionary work among Muslims, was shot and killed in his parish church late Thursday night, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Father Sysoyev, 35, died at a Moscow hospital of gunshot wounds to the head and chest, RIA Novosti said. The Web site of the Moscow patriarchate confirmed his death. The parish’s choir director was wounded in the shootings at the Church of St. Thomas by the unidentified assailant.
A Moscow Patriarchate official called Father Sysoyev a “talented missionary” whose work among Muslims, including Tatars, might have been the motive for the shooting.
“I don’t exclude that the murder is connected to the fact that he preached among and baptized those who belong to Muslim culture,” the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk with the news media, said in a telephone interview.
Father Sysoyev had spoken out in opposition to Islam and had warned Russian women against marrying Muslim men.
MORE
Father Sysoyev, 35, died at a Moscow hospital of gunshot wounds to the head and chest, RIA Novosti said. The Web site of the Moscow patriarchate confirmed his death. The parish’s choir director was wounded in the shootings at the Church of St. Thomas by the unidentified assailant.
A Moscow Patriarchate official called Father Sysoyev a “talented missionary” whose work among Muslims, including Tatars, might have been the motive for the shooting.
“I don’t exclude that the murder is connected to the fact that he preached among and baptized those who belong to Muslim culture,” the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk with the news media, said in a telephone interview.
Father Sysoyev had spoken out in opposition to Islam and had warned Russian women against marrying Muslim men.
MORE
Copts between the rock of Islamism and a hard place
The first two months of the Coptic new year have been a sombre time for Egypt’s ancient Christian community. The new year fell on the inauspicious date of September 11. And a spate of attacks on this large and downtrodden community by Islamist extremists or villagers giving a religious pretext to petty quarrels have provoked accusations of officially tolerated discrimination and heightened fears that Islamists will be emboldened to undercut the laws that promise religious freedom and legal equality in Egypt.
MORE
MORE
Muslim Violence Ongoing in Egypt -- Christians Plead For Help
Since the early morning of November 21, the Upper Egyptian town of Farshoot has been the scene of ongoing Muslim mob violence against Coptic Christian residents.
The violence has also extended to a number of neighboring villages,
According to a story by Mary Abdelmassih for the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA), the mob ramsacked and burnt Coptic property, while Copts hid indoors fearing to go outside. Reuters Cairo reported a witness said, “Chaos is overwhelming (in the city).”
The violence was prompted by reports of sexual abuse of a girl by 21 year-old Copt Guirgis Baroumi, from Kom Ahmar, on Nov. 18.
AINA said the 12-year-old Muslim girl has been identified as “Yousra.” Baroumi is being detained by the police pending an ongoing investigations and forensic results. Many Copts believe that the rape incident is being used by Muslims as a pretext to start violence against them.
The violence is continuing. There are reports that seven Coptic women have been abducted.
Witnesses said nearly 3000 angry Muslims gathered in front of the Farshoot Police Headquarters. They were there, AINA reported, planning to kidnap and kill Baroumi while he was being transported to court.
MORE
The violence has also extended to a number of neighboring villages,
According to a story by Mary Abdelmassih for the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA), the mob ramsacked and burnt Coptic property, while Copts hid indoors fearing to go outside. Reuters Cairo reported a witness said, “Chaos is overwhelming (in the city).”
The violence was prompted by reports of sexual abuse of a girl by 21 year-old Copt Guirgis Baroumi, from Kom Ahmar, on Nov. 18.
AINA said the 12-year-old Muslim girl has been identified as “Yousra.” Baroumi is being detained by the police pending an ongoing investigations and forensic results. Many Copts believe that the rape incident is being used by Muslims as a pretext to start violence against them.
The violence is continuing. There are reports that seven Coptic women have been abducted.
Witnesses said nearly 3000 angry Muslims gathered in front of the Farshoot Police Headquarters. They were there, AINA reported, planning to kidnap and kill Baroumi while he was being transported to court.
MORE
20 Somalis charged for terrorism in the U.S.
United States officials on Monday unsealed terrorism-related charges against men they say were key actors in a recruitment effort that led roughly 20 young Americans to join a violent insurgent group in Somalia with ties to Al Qaeda.
With eight new suspects charged Monday, the authorities have implicated 14 people in the case, one of the most extensive domestic terrorism investigations since the Sept. 11 attacks. Some of them have been arrested; others are at large, including several believed to be still fighting with the Somali group, Al Shabab.
The case represents the largest group of American citizens suspected of joining an extremist movement affiliated with Al Qaeda, senior officials said. Many of the recruits had come to America as young refugees fleeing a brutal civil war, only to settle in a gang-ridden enclave of Minneapolis.
MORE
With eight new suspects charged Monday, the authorities have implicated 14 people in the case, one of the most extensive domestic terrorism investigations since the Sept. 11 attacks. Some of them have been arrested; others are at large, including several believed to be still fighting with the Somali group, Al Shabab.
The case represents the largest group of American citizens suspected of joining an extremist movement affiliated with Al Qaeda, senior officials said. Many of the recruits had come to America as young refugees fleeing a brutal civil war, only to settle in a gang-ridden enclave of Minneapolis.
MORE
Friday, November 13, 2009
How mosques suffocate churches in Egypt
A Christian "dreaming" of building a church in Egypt must adhere to the ten stringent conditions laid by the Ezaby Pasha along the Hamayouni decree(Ottoman Empire-laid rules for building Churches), and may even have to seek the consent of the street stall radish seller in the vicinity !!
Simply put, building of churches in Egypt is almost impossible.
Amongst the conditions of Ezaby Pasha is one which stipulates that the church may not to be built in the vicinity of a mosque, as "churches are houses of sin and shirk" !!. Mosques, however, may be built at will, adjacent to any church, suffocating the Church and the Churchgoers physically and mentally, and ironically, it is called "national unity" between Muslims and Christians with hollow slogans of "Long live Egypt", "Long live national unity", but you would be crazy to believe it works both ways and that building a church next to the mosque is considered "national unity" too!!.
It is common that you will see the Muslim call of prayer coming out of 6 loud speakers in a mosque directed at the adjacent church, just to annoy Christian worshipers during their prayers, specially during Sunday liturgy
Take for instance the Church of the martyr "Abu Kastor" in Berdanoha of Matai, an ancient church dating back to the second century AD where the Muslims built a new mosque adjacent to and facing the old church Martyr "Abu Kastor" was born in the town of Berdanoha in 195 A.D. SO, and the church is one of the most ancient churches in Egypt and the world. However, like other Coptic villages which suffer from the persecution by the majority, Muslims did not find any other a place to build a mosque except adjacent to an archaic Church, and they built one about a year ago and proceeded to install six loud speakers and directed them towards the "infidels" and their church !!. Another way of Jihad by "Noise" which result in stopping prayers at the Church with the speakers broadcasting the Koran continuously, especially when Christians go to church to attend Mass.
And the Copts have no right to express their indignation and rage, for as they would be considered traitors of the cause of "national unity ".... of course!!
It is worth mentioning that the Christians of the village have been applying to get a building permit to add a services building to the church for twenty years, but alas, the rule of "national unity" stood in the way.
This is Egypt, the country of faith and of worshipers, although it depends whom you worship.
Simply put, building of churches in Egypt is almost impossible.
Amongst the conditions of Ezaby Pasha is one which stipulates that the church may not to be built in the vicinity of a mosque, as "churches are houses of sin and shirk" !!. Mosques, however, may be built at will, adjacent to any church, suffocating the Church and the Churchgoers physically and mentally, and ironically, it is called "national unity" between Muslims and Christians with hollow slogans of "Long live Egypt", "Long live national unity", but you would be crazy to believe it works both ways and that building a church next to the mosque is considered "national unity" too!!.
It is common that you will see the Muslim call of prayer coming out of 6 loud speakers in a mosque directed at the adjacent church, just to annoy Christian worshipers during their prayers, specially during Sunday liturgy
Take for instance the Church of the martyr "Abu Kastor" in Berdanoha of Matai, an ancient church dating back to the second century AD where the Muslims built a new mosque adjacent to and facing the old church Martyr "Abu Kastor" was born in the town of Berdanoha in 195 A.D. SO, and the church is one of the most ancient churches in Egypt and the world. However, like other Coptic villages which suffer from the persecution by the majority, Muslims did not find any other a place to build a mosque except adjacent to an archaic Church, and they built one about a year ago and proceeded to install six loud speakers and directed them towards the "infidels" and their church !!. Another way of Jihad by "Noise" which result in stopping prayers at the Church with the speakers broadcasting the Koran continuously, especially when Christians go to church to attend Mass.
And the Copts have no right to express their indignation and rage, for as they would be considered traitors of the cause of "national unity ".... of course!!
It is worth mentioning that the Christians of the village have been applying to get a building permit to add a services building to the church for twenty years, but alas, the rule of "national unity" stood in the way.
This is Egypt, the country of faith and of worshipers, although it depends whom you worship.
The first Christian satellite television channel in Egypt began broadcasting
Aghapy Television was established by the Coptic Christian church, the main church in Egypt.
Copts make up an estimated 10% of the Egyptian population and they complain of discrimination.
Three people died in Alexandria in October after Muslim demonstrators attacked a church which had put on a play seen as offensive to Islam.
Aghapy TV is the first ever television channel in Egypt to broadcast programmes with a purely Christian outlook.
The Coptic channel will carry church services, family programmes and documentaries about ancient monasteries.
But some here are worried that the presence of a Coptic channel may exacerbate the tensions between Muslims and Christians which periodically flare up into violence, says the BBC’s Heba Saleh in Cairo.
Restrictions
The bishop in charge of Aghapy TV says the channel will not carry anything that could upset Muslims.
The aim, he says, is to provide a link with the church to all those Copts who may not have access to a place of worship or who live abroad, but in the current volatile atmosphere many will be watching closely to see if the new channel gives offence in any way.
Last month three people were killed when Muslims tried to storm a church in Alexandria because a play had been performed there two years earlier which was deemed offensive to Islam.
Egyptian Christians complain of discrimination in employment and of restrictions on the construction of churches.
The violence in Alexandria prompted an unusually frank debate in the press, with many commentators accusing the government of ignoring the festering problems between the two communities.
According to a new report on religious freedom in Egypt says Coptic Christians, who make up about 10 percent of the 80 million population (CIA factbook), face major rights violations and are being increasingly persecuted.
The quarterly 36-page report (see Arabic version) by independent rights organization the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), said the government denies Copts the right to build churches or pray at home.
It said the homes of some Copts, particularly in southern Egypt, were demolished or closed because the government suspected them of being clandestine churches, and that physical attacks against Copts had continued over the past three months, with at least three losing their lives.
According to EIPR, there are an average of four attacks against Copts every month; there have been 144 attacks nationwide over the past three years.
Copts make up an estimated 10% of the Egyptian population and they complain of discrimination.
Three people died in Alexandria in October after Muslim demonstrators attacked a church which had put on a play seen as offensive to Islam.
Aghapy TV is the first ever television channel in Egypt to broadcast programmes with a purely Christian outlook.
The Coptic channel will carry church services, family programmes and documentaries about ancient monasteries.
But some here are worried that the presence of a Coptic channel may exacerbate the tensions between Muslims and Christians which periodically flare up into violence, says the BBC’s Heba Saleh in Cairo.
Restrictions
The bishop in charge of Aghapy TV says the channel will not carry anything that could upset Muslims.
The aim, he says, is to provide a link with the church to all those Copts who may not have access to a place of worship or who live abroad, but in the current volatile atmosphere many will be watching closely to see if the new channel gives offence in any way.
Last month three people were killed when Muslims tried to storm a church in Alexandria because a play had been performed there two years earlier which was deemed offensive to Islam.
Egyptian Christians complain of discrimination in employment and of restrictions on the construction of churches.
The violence in Alexandria prompted an unusually frank debate in the press, with many commentators accusing the government of ignoring the festering problems between the two communities.
According to a new report on religious freedom in Egypt says Coptic Christians, who make up about 10 percent of the 80 million population (CIA factbook), face major rights violations and are being increasingly persecuted.
The quarterly 36-page report (see Arabic version) by independent rights organization the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), said the government denies Copts the right to build churches or pray at home.
It said the homes of some Copts, particularly in southern Egypt, were demolished or closed because the government suspected them of being clandestine churches, and that physical attacks against Copts had continued over the past three months, with at least three losing their lives.
According to EIPR, there are an average of four attacks against Copts every month; there have been 144 attacks nationwide over the past three years.
Muslim Extremists Attack Worship Service in Uganda
About 40 Muslim extremists with machetes and clubs tried to break into a Sunday worship service outside Uganda’s capital city of Kampala on Nov. 1, leaving a member of the congregation with several injuries and damaging the church building.
Eyewitnesses said the extremist mob tried to storm into World Possessor’s Church International in Namasuba at 11 a.m. as the church worshiped.
“The church members were taken by a big surprise, as this happened during worship time,” said Pastor Henry Zaake. “It began with an unusual noise coming from outside, and soon I saw the bricks falling away one by one. Immediately I knew that it was an attack from the Muslims who had earlier sent signals of an imminent attack.”
The pastor said the disturbance brought the worship service to a standstill.
“There was a tug-of-war at the entrance to the church as members tried to thwart the Muslim aggression from making headway inside the church,” he told Compass.
MORE
Eyewitnesses said the extremist mob tried to storm into World Possessor’s Church International in Namasuba at 11 a.m. as the church worshiped.
“The church members were taken by a big surprise, as this happened during worship time,” said Pastor Henry Zaake. “It began with an unusual noise coming from outside, and soon I saw the bricks falling away one by one. Immediately I knew that it was an attack from the Muslims who had earlier sent signals of an imminent attack.”
The pastor said the disturbance brought the worship service to a standstill.
“There was a tug-of-war at the entrance to the church as members tried to thwart the Muslim aggression from making headway inside the church,” he told Compass.
MORE
Monday, November 2, 2009
Somali Group threatens Israel
Al-Shabab, which is fighting to control the east African country, accused Israel of "starting to destroy" the Al Aqsa mosque, where standoffs have taken place recently between Israeli police and Palestinians. The mosque is part of the complex that Jews call the Temple Mount and Muslims call Haram al-Sharif.
"The Jews started to destroy parts of the holy mosque of Al Aqsa and they routinely kill our Palestinian brothers, so we are committed to defend our Palestinian brothers," said Mukhtar Robow Abu Mansur, a prominent Al-Shabab commander.
His threat was part of a series of fiery sermons delivered after Friday prayers in Baidoa in southwest Somalia. Al-Shabab controls the region, which is part of a country that has been without an effective national government for nearly 20 years.
Other leaders of the group also threatened Israel, the first time the group is known to have done so.
"We will transfer and expand our fighting in the Middle East so we can defend Al Aqsa mosque from the Israelis," Al-Shabab commander Abdifatah Aweys Abu Hamza said in Mogadishu, the Somali capital.
MORE
"The Jews started to destroy parts of the holy mosque of Al Aqsa and they routinely kill our Palestinian brothers, so we are committed to defend our Palestinian brothers," said Mukhtar Robow Abu Mansur, a prominent Al-Shabab commander.
His threat was part of a series of fiery sermons delivered after Friday prayers in Baidoa in southwest Somalia. Al-Shabab controls the region, which is part of a country that has been without an effective national government for nearly 20 years.
Other leaders of the group also threatened Israel, the first time the group is known to have done so.
"We will transfer and expand our fighting in the Middle East so we can defend Al Aqsa mosque from the Israelis," Al-Shabab commander Abdifatah Aweys Abu Hamza said in Mogadishu, the Somali capital.
MORE
Egyptian Christians hide in homes
Egyptian security forces have intensified their presence in the Upper Egyptian town of Dairout, in anticipation of a recurrence of Muslim violence against Christians. Copts expressed their fear over leaflets entitled "These have to Die!" which are being distributed to all Muslims in Dairout and neighborhoods, enticing them to "burn, vandalize and clean the country of these evil immoral infidels."
Reports from Dairout, 313 km south of Cairo, confirm that Christian Copts are afraid to leave their homes and have stayed indoors since violence against them erupted on October 24, 2009. This collective punishment of Copts was caused by an illicit sexual relationship between a Muslim girl, Hagger Hassouna, and the Christian Romany Farouk Attallah. It was rumored that he sent videos of them intimately together to cell phones in Dairout before fleeing. This prompted the Hassouna family to kill his father, Farouk Attallah, on October 19, 2009, in revenge. Four of the Hassouna killers were detained by prosecution, leading to Muslim riots against the Copts
MORE
Reports from Dairout, 313 km south of Cairo, confirm that Christian Copts are afraid to leave their homes and have stayed indoors since violence against them erupted on October 24, 2009. This collective punishment of Copts was caused by an illicit sexual relationship between a Muslim girl, Hagger Hassouna, and the Christian Romany Farouk Attallah. It was rumored that he sent videos of them intimately together to cell phones in Dairout before fleeing. This prompted the Hassouna family to kill his father, Farouk Attallah, on October 19, 2009, in revenge. Four of the Hassouna killers were detained by prosecution, leading to Muslim riots against the Copts
MORE
Friday, October 30, 2009
Ethiopia Court Releases Jailed Evangelists
Last Friday, October 23, a local court in Debiretabor acquitted Temesgen Alemayehu and Tigist Welde Amanuel on the “insulting” charge
Both men of Wengel Lealem church in Addis Ababa, had gone to Debiretabor in Ethiopia's Amhara state in July to help establish a church.
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Both men of Wengel Lealem church in Addis Ababa, had gone to Debiretabor in Ethiopia's Amhara state in July to help establish a church.
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Somalia Militants Kill Christian Woman For Refusing To Wear Veil
Islamic militants have shot and killed a Somali Christian woman because she declined to wear a veil as prescribed by Muslim custom.
Members of the Suna Waljameca group killed Amina Muse Ali, 45, on October 19 in her home in Galkayo, in Somalia's autonomous Puntland region, said Compass Direct News, a well-informed Christian news agency.
Ali had told Christian leaders that she had received several threats from members of Suna Waljameca for not wearing a veil, symbolic of adherence to Islam, Christians said. She had said members of the group had long monitored her movements because they suspected she was a Christian.
MORE
Members of the Suna Waljameca group killed Amina Muse Ali, 45, on October 19 in her home in Galkayo, in Somalia's autonomous Puntland region, said Compass Direct News, a well-informed Christian news agency.
Ali had told Christian leaders that she had received several threats from members of Suna Waljameca for not wearing a veil, symbolic of adherence to Islam, Christians said. She had said members of the group had long monitored her movements because they suspected she was a Christian.
MORE
Somali women beaten for violating Islamic law
Somali Militants who control parts of Somalia's capital city are beating women in broad daylight for violating their radical brand of Islamic law, according to local officials and witnesses in Mogadishu.
"Just today, Al-Shabaab dispatched men with whips to the streets around Bakara market and they are flogging any woman who is found not wearing socks," according to a female maize trader at the Mogadishu market, who spoke Thursday.
She did not want to be named for security reasons.
In the past two days, more than 130 people, including women who were not wearing headscarves and men chewing dried khat leaves, have been detained for violating Al-Shabaab's interpretation of sharia, or Islamic law, according to witnesses and officials.
MORE
"Just today, Al-Shabaab dispatched men with whips to the streets around Bakara market and they are flogging any woman who is found not wearing socks," according to a female maize trader at the Mogadishu market, who spoke Thursday.
She did not want to be named for security reasons.
In the past two days, more than 130 people, including women who were not wearing headscarves and men chewing dried khat leaves, have been detained for violating Al-Shabaab's interpretation of sharia, or Islamic law, according to witnesses and officials.
MORE
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Somalis 'made to view executions'
Hundreds of people in Somalia have been forced to watch Islamist militants executing two people accused of spying.
People in Merca said al-Shabab militia patrolled the town with loudspeakers, demanding they attend the executions.
The militants also ordered schools to close for the day as they were keen for children to watch the two men being shot dead by a firing squad.
Most of those at the execution, on a patch of open ground, are reported to have been women and children.
MORE
People in Merca said al-Shabab militia patrolled the town with loudspeakers, demanding they attend the executions.
The militants also ordered schools to close for the day as they were keen for children to watch the two men being shot dead by a firing squad.
Most of those at the execution, on a patch of open ground, are reported to have been women and children.
MORE
Somalia hates Christians
WHERE is the hardest place in the world to be a Christian citizen? North Korea, perhaps? Saudi Arabia? Try Somalia. There are thought to be no more than a thousand Christians in a resident population of 8m people, with perhaps a few thousand more in the diaspora. The Islamist Shabab militia, which controls most of southern Somalia, is dedicated to hunting them down.
Christian men attend mosques on Fridays, so as not to arouse suspicion. Bibles are kept hidden. There are no public meetings, let alone a church. Catholic churches and cemeteries have been destroyed. The last nuns in the smashed capital, Mogadishu, were chased out in 2007. The year before, an elderly nun working in a hospital there was murdered. The only Christian believers left are local Somalis.
“It is amazing to see the level of Christians persecution in the hands of Muslims. Where are the 53 OIC member states? – As the organization of Muslim countries, which Somalia being one of its members, they have a responsibility to stop this human right abuse. If they can't, how about OIC addresses the UN Human Rights Commission for assistance?” (Readers comment)
MORE
Christian men attend mosques on Fridays, so as not to arouse suspicion. Bibles are kept hidden. There are no public meetings, let alone a church. Catholic churches and cemeteries have been destroyed. The last nuns in the smashed capital, Mogadishu, were chased out in 2007. The year before, an elderly nun working in a hospital there was murdered. The only Christian believers left are local Somalis.
“It is amazing to see the level of Christians persecution in the hands of Muslims. Where are the 53 OIC member states? – As the organization of Muslim countries, which Somalia being one of its members, they have a responsibility to stop this human right abuse. If they can't, how about OIC addresses the UN Human Rights Commission for assistance?” (Readers comment)
MORE
Monday, October 26, 2009
A Somali Imam preaches hatred of Jews and Christians
In Canada, a Toronto-area imam is under fire for using derogatory language against Jews and Christians, calling for Allah to "destroy" the enemies of Islam from within and calling on God to "damn" the "infidels."
Throughout the 35-minute speech he uses the word "kuffar" to describe non-Muslims.
MORE
Somali Jihadists threaten to bomb Kampala and Bujumbura
Uganda and Burundi have condemned threats made by Somalia's Islamist Al Shabaab insurgents to strike Kampala and Bujumbura. The threats come in response to a firefight Thursday between peacekeepers and insurgents in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, killing at least 30 people.
The violence broke out after Islamists fired on Somali president's plane as he headed to Kampala for an African Union summit on refugees and internally displaced persons.
Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni has warned the Islamist rebels that they will pay a heavy price if they carry out their attacks, and Burundi authorities say they take the threats seriously.
MORE
The violence broke out after Islamists fired on Somali president's plane as he headed to Kampala for an African Union summit on refugees and internally displaced persons.
Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni has warned the Islamist rebels that they will pay a heavy price if they carry out their attacks, and Burundi authorities say they take the threats seriously.
MORE
Egypt Muslims stone Coptic churches in sectarian clash
Muslims students stoned Coptic Christian churches and homes in a southern Egyptian village on Saturday after four Muslims suspected of killing a Copt were kept in custody, police said.
The unrest began when the prosecutor extended the detention of the Muslims in the village of Dairut who are suspected of killing an elderly Copt in his home last week, a police official said.
MORE
The unrest began when the prosecutor extended the detention of the Muslims in the village of Dairut who are suspected of killing an elderly Copt in his home last week, a police official said.
MORE
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Ethiopian Pentes Attacked by Muslims
Hundreds of angry Muslims reportedly attacked evangelical churches in the western Arsi zone of Ethiopia, injuring at least three Christians.
U.S.-based advocacy group International Christian Concern (ICC) told Worthy News that some 300 people "ransacked Mulu Wongel Evangelical Church and set fire to church property" in the town of Senbete on September 11, after Christians allegedly desecrated the Koran, seen as holy book by Muslims.
Muslims also attacked the nearby home of a church leader, identified as Evangelist Gizachew, destroying his clothes, chairs, tables, sofa, bicycles, and television, ICC said.
The mob then reportedly marched to Kale Hiwot Evangelical Church where they attacked Christians who were celebrating the Ethiopian New Year. The country follows its own Orthodox calendar that is almost eight years behind that of the West.
MORE
U.S.-based advocacy group International Christian Concern (ICC) told Worthy News that some 300 people "ransacked Mulu Wongel Evangelical Church and set fire to church property" in the town of Senbete on September 11, after Christians allegedly desecrated the Koran, seen as holy book by Muslims.
Muslims also attacked the nearby home of a church leader, identified as Evangelist Gizachew, destroying his clothes, chairs, tables, sofa, bicycles, and television, ICC said.
The mob then reportedly marched to Kale Hiwot Evangelical Church where they attacked Christians who were celebrating the Ethiopian New Year. The country follows its own Orthodox calendar that is almost eight years behind that of the West.
MORE
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Petition To The Synod of The EOTC
በስመ አብ ወወልድ ወመንፈስ ቅዱስ አሐዱ አምላክ: አሜን!
በተለያዩ የዓለም ክፍሎች ከምንገኝ የኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ተከታዮች፣
ለኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶከስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን ቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ አዲስ አበባ።
ቀን፦ ጥቅምት 6/2002 ዓ.ም
መግቢያ
ቤተ ክርስቲያናችን መሠረቷና ጉልላቷ ክርስቶስ ሆኖ ከተመሠረተ ጀምሮ ሕዝቦቿን በፍቅር በሰላም በአንድነት ስትመራ ስለ ክርስቶስ ወንጌል እና በሰማያት ስላለው ክብር ስትመሰክር እስከ ዛሬ ደርሳለች። ሆኖም እስከ ዛሬ የደረሰችው ያለ ችግር እና ያለ ፈተና አይደለም። ታሪክ እንደሚያስታውሰን ፈተናዋ ብዙ ቢሆንም በሁሉ ላይ ሥልጣን ያለውን እግዚአብሔርን በመያዟና በትክክለኛው የእግዚአብሔር ቃል የሚሄዱ፣ ከዚህ ዓለም ተድላና ደስታ ይልቅ ለእግዚአብሔር ራሳቸውን ጃንደረባ ያደረጉ ልጆች ስለነበሯት ነው። እነርሱ ፈተናውን በመንፈሳዊ ድል አሸንፈው ለእኛ አስተላልፈውልናል።ይህም ከአባቶቻችን የተሰወረ አይደለም።
የቤተ ክርስቲያን አስተዳደር በክርስቶስ ወንድሞቻችን በሚሆኑ በግብጽ አባቶቻችን ተይዞ ቢቆይም በእግዚአብሔር ፈቃድ በአባቶቻችን ያላሰለሰ ጥረት ቤተ ክርስቲያን ከራሷ ልጆች ጳጳሳትን መሾም ከጀመረች ጀምሮ የማይናቁ ተግባራትን አከናውናለች። ቤተ ክርስቲያን በአሁኑ ጊዜ ጥሩ ጥሩ የአገልግሎት ጅምሮች ቢኖሯትም እንኳን መሥራት ከሚገባት ብዙ ተግባር አኳያ ሲታይ ገና ምንም ያልተነካ እንዲያውም ለሕልውናዋ እንኳን የሚያሰጋት ፈተናዎች በተጋረጡበት ዘመን ላይ ትገኛለች።
በቤተ ክርስቲያናችን ውስጥ የምናያቸው ችግሮችን ለመፍታት ሁሉም የቤተ ክርስቲያኒቱ አካላት (ምዕመናን፤ ካህናት፤ ቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ) እና በልዩ ልዩ ቦታዎች በቤተ ክርስቲያኒቱ አስተዳደር ያሉ ሰዎችን የሚመለከት ነው። እነዚህን አካላት ሁሉ የሚያዝዝ በቤተ ክርስቲያን ላይም ሙሉ ሥልጣን ያለው ቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ ስለሆነ ቅዱስ ሲኖዶሱ ለቤተ ክርስቲያኒቱ የሚያስፈልጋትን እያቀደ ቢያዝዝ ችግሮቹ በአብዛኛው እንደሚፈቱ እናምናለን።
የዚህ ደብዳቤ ዓላማም ቤተ ክርስቲያን ያለችበትን ዘመን በመዋጀት ለምዕመናን ምሳሌ እና አርአያ በመሆን በነገር ሁሉ የሚጠበቅባትን ለመሥራት እንድትዘጋጅ እንደ ቤተ ክርስቲያን ልጅነታችን ለማሳሰብ፤ በአሁኑ ጊዜ በአባቶቻችን መካከል የተፈጠረው አለመግባባት እልባት እንዲያገኝም ለማመላከት ነው። ይህን ሐሳብ ከዚህ በታች ስማችን የተያያዘ የቤተ ክርስቲያኒቱ አማኞች ተወያይተን ያጸደቅነው ሲሆን ምንም እንኳን ሁሉንም ምዕመናን አግኝቶ ማሳተፍ ባይቻልም ይህ ሀሳብ ሀሳባቸው መሆኑን ለማወቅ አያዳግትም። በመሆኑም ቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ በሚገባ ጊዜ ሰጥቶ ይህንን ሐሳባችንን እንዲመለከትልን እና የምዕመናንን ጥያቄዎች ችላ እንዳይልብን በአክብሮት እንጠይቃለን።
ክፍል አንድ
በቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ ውስጥ ስላሉ ችግሮች
በአሁኑ ጊዜ በቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ አባላት መካከል የተከሰተው ችግር ምዕመናንን በጽኑ ያሳዘነ፣ የቤተ ክርስቲያንን ጠላት ያስደሰተ፣ እግዚአብሔርን ያስቀየመ ነገር ነው። ቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ አባላቱ ብጹዓን አበው ሰዎች በመሆናቸው የሐሳብ አለመግባባት ቢፈጠር ሁሉም የተለያየ ሐሳብ ሊኖራቸው ስለሚችል አይገርመንም። ሆኖም ከቤተ ክርስቲያን ሕግ፣ ሥርዓትና ደንብ ውጭ እንዲሁም መመሪያችን ከሆነው ከእግዚአብሔር ቃልም በተቃራኒ የተፈጸሙት ነገሮች የሚያሳዝኑ እና አንገትን የሚያስደፉ እንደነበረ አባቶቻችንም ራሳችሁ የምታውቁት ጉዳይ ነው።
በመሆኑም ይህንን ችግር አስመልክቶ አቋማችንን እና ወደፊት ሊደረጉ ስለሚገባቸው ጉዳዮች እንደሚከተለው እንገልጻለን።
በአባቶች መካከል የተፈጠረውን አለመግባባት ተከትሎ በአንዳንድ የቤተ ክርስቲያኒቱ ጳጳሳት ላይ የተከሰተው የማስፈራራት እና የድብደባ ሙከራ ፍጹም የተወገዘ ተግባር ነው። ይህን ያደረጉ አካላትም በህግ ፊት ቀርበው እንዲጠየቁ ቤተ ክርስቲያን መንግሥትን እንድትጠይቅ፣ ቤተ ክርስቲያንም በቀኖናዋ መሰረት ተገቢውን እርምት እንድትሰጣቸው።
ቤተ ክርስቲያን መንፈስ ቅዱስ በሾማቸው ጳጳሳት ብቻ እንድትመራ ፤አንዳንድ ግለሰቦች የሚያደርጉት ጣልቃ ገብነት እንዲቆም፤
ለወደፊት በሲኖዶስ አባላት መካከል ችግር/አለመግባባት/ ቢኖር በቤተ ክርስቲያን በጸሎት እንዲታሰብ የሚደረግበት ሁኔታ እንዲመቻች፤
ከቤተ ክርስቲያን አባቶች መካከል ማንም በስጋዊ እና በሚያስነውር ስራ ቢገኝ ቤተ ክርስቲያን በቀኖናዋ መሰረት ማረም እና ማስተካከል እንጂ ለምዕመናንም ሆነ ለማያምኑ ሰዎች አሳልፋ እንዳትሰጥ፤
የቅዱስ ፓትርያርኩን ሐሳብ በተቃወሙ አንድ ሊቀ ጳጳስ ላይ የተጻፈውን ሰም አጥፊ ጽሑፍ የጻፉም ሆነ ያሰራጩ ግለሰቦች ኦርቶዶክሳውያን ከሆኑ ቤተ ክርስቲያን ባላት ሕግ መሠረት እንድትጠይቃቸው። ለወደፊትም በዚህ ዓይነት መንገድ አባቶችን ለማሳፈር እና ለማሸማቀቅ በሚሰራ ሥራ የቤተ ክርስቲያናችን ሰዎች ተባባሪ እንዳይሆኑ እንዲሁም ይህ ሥራ በይፋ እንዲወገዝ፤
ቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ የሚያሳልፋቸውን ውሳኔዎች የቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ አባላትም ሆኑ አጠቃላይ የቤተ ክርስቲያኒቱ ምዕመናን እንዲያከብሯቸው፤
ቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ ቤተ ክርስቲያኒቱን የሚመራ የመጨረሻው አካል በመሆኑ ከጊዜው ጋር እንድትራመድ የሚያደርጋትን አሠራር በውስጡ ለመዘርጋት በአንድ ልብ እና በመንፈስ ቅዱስ ለቤተ ክርስቲያን እንዲሠራ፤
ቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ በራሱ አባላት መካከል ችግር ቢፈጠርበት እንኳን በሳል ሊቃውንትን እና ምዕመናንን እየጠራ እንዲያማክር እንጂ ነገሩ የማይመለከታቸው ሰዎች በቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ ጉባኤ እንዳይጋበዙ፤
ማንኛውም የቤተ ክርስቲያኒቱ ጳጳስ ከቤተ ክርስቲያኒቱ ሊያገኝ የሚችለውን የሕግ ከለላ እና ደኀንነት ማግኘት እንዲችል እንዲደረግ በእግዚአብሔር ስም እንጠይቃለን።
ክፍል ሁለት
በቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ እና በውጭ ያሉ አባቶችን (የቀድሞ የቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ አባላትን) ግንኙነት በተመለከተ
ቤተ ክርስቲያን በቅርቡ ከተከሰቱባት ታላቅ ፈተናዎች እና አሳዛኝ ጉዳዮች አንዱ በስሟ የሚጠራ ሌላ አካል መቋቋሙ ነው። ይኸውም “ስደተኛው ሲኖዶስ” በመባል የሚታወቀው እና መቀመጫውን በሰሜን አሜሪካ ያደረገው በቀድሞው ፓትርያርክ የሚመራው አካል ነው። እኛ ምዕመናን በሁለቱ አካላት መካከል የሃይማኖት ልዩነት እንደሌለ እንገነዘባለን። የሃይማኖት ልዩነት ሳይኖር በአስተዳደራዊ ችግር ምክንያት ቤተ ክርስቲያን መከፋፈሏ እኛ ምዕመናን አርአያ የምናደርገው አባት እንደሌለን ያሳየን እና አባቶች ምን ያክል ለመንጋቸው እንደአማይራሩ የሚጠቁም አሳዛኝ ድርጊት ነው። በመሆኑም ሁለቱን አካላት በተመለከተ የሚከተለውን አቋም ለቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ ለማቅረብ እንወዳለን።
ስለ ቅድስት ቤተ ክርስቲያናችን ህልውና እና ስለ ምዕመናን ሲሉ ቀርበው እንዲነጋገሩ እና ችግራቸውን በጠረጴዛ ዙሪያ ለመፍታት እንዲሞክሩ፤
ሁሉም የቤተ ክርስቲየን አባቶች በመፈቃቀር እና በአንድነት ላይ የተመሠረተ አገልግሎት እንዲኖራቸው ለማድረግ ራሳቸውን እንዲያዘጋጁ በእግዚአብሔር ስም እንጠይቃለን።
ክፍል ሶስት
አጠቃላይ የቤተ ክርስቲያን ችግሮችን ስለመፍታት
ቤተ ክርስቲያናችን ቀላል የማይባሉ ችግሮች በዙሪያዋ እየተደቀኑባት ይገኛል። በመሆኑም እነዚህን ችግሮች መረዳት እና በተቻለ መጠንም መፍትሄ መስጠት ይገባል። ከዚህ በታች ያሉ ችግሮችን በጥልቀት የተወያየንባቸው ስለሆነ ቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ በራሱ መፍታት የሚችላቸውን በራሱ እንዲፈታ ባይችል ግን ከሚመለከታቸው አካላት ጋር በመነጋገር ችግሮችን መፍታትን እንዲቻል እንጠይቃለን።
ሀ. ከቤተ ክርስቲያኒቱ ውጭ ያሉ የቤተ ክርስቲያን ችግሮች፡ ቤተ ክርስቲያን በአሁኑ ጊዜ ከእርሷ ውጭ ያሉ እና ቢቻል መጥፋቷን ባይቻል ደግሞ መድከሟን የሚፈልጉ አካላት መኖራቸው ግልጥ ነው። በመሆኑም ከመንግሥት ጋርም ሆነ ከሌሎች የሚመለከታቸው አካላት ጋር በመሆን ችግሮቹ የሚፈቱበት ሁኔታ እንዲመቻች እንጠይቃለን። ከችግሮቹም መካከል፦
በአክራሪ ሙስሊሞች አማካይነት በምዕመናን እና በቤተ ክርስቲያን ላይ የሚደርሰው ትንኮሳ እንዲገታ፤
ምዕመናን በእምነታቸው እንዳይኖሩ ቤተ ክርስቲያንን እምነት እና ትውፊት በአጠቃላይ የእርሷ የሆነውን ሁሉ እያጥላሉ እና እየዋሹ የሚናገሩ መናፍቃን አላግባብ ድንበር ዘለል ትችት እንዲቆም፤
ቤተ ክርስቲያን በትውልዱ ዘንድ ተቀባይነት እንዳይኖራት ታሪክን እያዛቡ የሚያቀርቡ ግለሰቦች እና አካላት እየጨመሩ መምጣታቸው እንደ ቤተ ክርስቲያን ልጅነታችን የሚያሳስቡን ስለሆነ ችግሮቹ ትኩረት እንዲሰጣቸው በእግዚአብሔር ስም እንጠይቃለን።
ለ. በቤተ ክርስቲያኒቱ ውስጥ ያሉ የቤተ ክርስቲያን ችግሮች፦ ቤተ ክርስቲያን ከውጭ ከሚደርስባት ችግር ይልቅ ለድክመቷ እና ወደ ዃላ እንድትሄድ እያደረጋት ያለው በራሷ ቤት ውስጥ እየተፈጠሩ ያሉት ችግሮቿ ናቸው። በመሆኑም ቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ የሚከተሉትን የቤተ ክርስቲያን የውስጥ ችግሮች እንዲፈቱ የሚያደርግበትን ሁኔታ በጥልቀት እና በሰከነ መንፈስ አይቶ እንዲያሻሽል የሚከተሉትን ሐሳቦች እናቀርባለን።
በቤተ ክርስቲያን ውስጥ እየተፈጸሙ ያሉት የአስተዳደር ችግሮች ትኩረት እንዲሰጣቸው እና እንዲፈቱ፦ አሁን ባለው የቤተ ክርስቲያን ሁኔታ ከአንድ አጥቢያ እስከ ጠቅላይ ቤተ ክህነት ድረስ ልንናገረው ከሚገባው በላይ የአስተዳደር በደል እና ሙስና እንዳለ ተረድተናል። ቤተ ክርስቲያን ትልቅ ተቋም ባለ ድርሻ አካላቶቿም ብዙዎች በመሆናቸው ይህችን ታላቅ መንፈሳዊት ተቋም በሚገባ በተደራጀ እና በተጠና መንገድ ማስተዳደር ይገባል።
አለመተማመን እና እርስ በእርስ መናቆር ከቤተ ክርስቲያን አገልጋይ አካላት ዘንድ እንዲጠፋ፦ ቤተ ክርስቲያን አሁን ባለችበት ደረጃ ብዙ አገልጋዮች ቢኖሯትም እርስ በእርስ አንዱ አንዱን ሲከስ ይታያል። በመሆኑም በእያንዳንዱ ቡድን መካከል ያለውን ችግር ለመፍታት ቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ ዋናው በመሆኑ ሁሉንም አገልጋዮች በፍቅር እና በአንድነት፤ በመተሳሰብ እና በመከባበር እንዲሰሩ መመሪያ እንዲሰጥ። ችግሮችም ሰፈጠሩ የሚመለከታቸውን አካላት እንዲያናግር እና እንዲያርም፤
የተቀናጀ እና የተጠናከረ አሠራር አለመኖሩ፦ አገልጋዮች እርስ በእርሳቸው የሚናቆሩ በመሆናቸው፤ ቤተ ክርስቲያንን የሚመራው ቅዱስ ሲኖዶስም አባቶች እንደሚናገሩት በሚገባ መልኩ እየተንቀሳቀሰ ባለመሆኑ ቤተ ክርስቲያን ወጥነት ያለው እና የተቀናጀ ሥራ እየሰራች አይደለም። በዚህም በሐገር ውስጥ ደረጃ እንኳን ወጥነት ያለው እና ለትውልድ የሚተላለፍ መሰረት የሚጥል ሥራ መስራት አልተቻለም። ስለዚህ ለዚህም ተገቢው መፍትሔ እንዲሰጠው፤
ክፍል አራት
ቤተ ክርስቲያን በርእይ እና በዕቅድ እንድትሠራ ስለማድረግ
ዘመናችን በርእይ እና በዕቅድ የሚመሩበት እና ስለ እያንዳንዱ ነገርም በጥንቃቄ በመመርመር ትክክለኛውን መንገድ ችግር ካለበት እየለዩ የሚሰሩበት ጊዜ ነው። ቤተ ክርስቲያን ትልቅ ተቋም እንደመሆኗ እና አገልግሎቷም ሕዝብን ወደ እግዚአብሔር መንግሥት ማቅረብ በመሆኑ በዕቅድ እና በርእይ ልትሠራ ይገባታል። ሁሉን ፈጻሚ እግዚአብሔር ቢሆንም ግን ቤተ ክርስቲያን የዛሬ አምስት ዓመት፤ አሥር ዓመት፤ ሃያ እና ሃምሳ ዓመት ውስጥ ልትሠራተቸው እና ልትደርስባቸው የሚገባትን ግቦች እየተለመች ልትሠራ ይገባታል። በአሁኑ ጊዜ ግን በቅርብ ያጋጠሟትን ችግሮቿን በመፍታት ላይ ያነጣጠረ ሥራ አቅዳ ልትሰራ ይገባታል።
በሁሉም አገልግሎቷ ማቀድ ቢኖርባትም እንኳን ለወደፊቷ ቤተ ክርስቲያን በጣም አስፈላጊ በሆኑ በሚከተሉት ጉዳዮች ላይ አቅዳ ርዕይ እና እቅድ ኖሯት ልትሠራባቸው ይገባል እንላለን።
አሁን ባለው አካሄድ ቤተ ክርስቲያን ከአስርት ዓመታት በኋላ በገጠር አካበቢ የሚረከቧትን መምህራን እና ካህናትን ማግኘት አዳጋች ይሆናል።ለዚህም ደግሞ በአሁኑ ጊዜ በየገጠሩ በአገልጋይ እጦት እየተዘጉ ያሉ አብያተ ክርስቲያናት ከቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ የተሰወረ አይደለም። በመሆኑም ወደ ፊት በገጠሪቱ ኢትዮጵያ በሁሉም አካባቢዎች አገልጋዮችን እንዴት ማፍራት እንደሚቻል፤ ባይቻል ደግሞ በገጠሪቱ ያሉ ምዕመናን እንዴት ማገልገል እንዳለባት ሁኔታዎችን አይታ ልታቅድ ይገባታል።
ኦርቶዶክሳዊት ቤተ ክርስቲያናችንን በሀገራችን እንዳላት ምዕመና ብዛት እና ጥንታዊት እንደመሆኗ የሚጠበቀውን ያክል በማኀበራዊ ዘርፍ እየተንቀሳቀሰች አይደለም። የዚህም ምክንያት ከበጀት ጋር የተያያዘ ምክንያትም ሊኖረው እንደሚችል ማወቅ ቢቻልም የአቅሟን ያክልም እየተንቀሳቀሰች ስላልሆነ ክርስቲያናዊ ተራድዖ ኮሚሽኑ በሚገባ ተጠናክሮ ሥራውን እንዲቀጥል ቢደረግ፤ ይህንንም ከዓለም አቀፍ ለጋሾች እና ከምዕመናን ጋር በቅርበት የሚሰራበት ሁኔታ እየተጠና ታቅዶ መሠራት ይኖርበታል።
ቤተ ክርስቲያን የምትኖረው በምዕመናን በሚያወጡት ስዕለት እና አስራት መሆኑ ይታወቃል። ሆኖም አሁን ካላው ኑሮ ውድነት አንጻር ምዕመናን የሚያደርጉት አስተዋፅኦ ብቻውን የካህናትን ኑሮ ደህና ደረጃ ላይ እያደረሰው አይደለም። ካህናትም በተለይ በከተማ ያሉ ካህናት ሙሉ ቀን በአገልግሎት ተጠምደው የሚኖሩ አይደሉም። በመሆኑም ቤተ ክርስቲያን ካህናት ከአገልግሎታቸው በተጨማሪ አንዳንድ ሥራዎችን እንዲሰሩ የምታበረታታበት ሁኔታ እንዲመቻች የሚሆንበትን ሁኔታ እንድታቅድ።
ቤተ ክርስቲያን ዘመናዊ አስተዳደርን በማስፈን አሁን እየተፈጠሩ ያሉ እንደ አላግባብ የቤተ ክርስቲያን ስራ ቅጥር፤ ገንዘብ መባከን፤ሊቃውንት ተገቢ ቦታ አለማግኘትን፤ጎቦ፤እና ሙስናን የመሳሰሉ ነገሮችን ፈጽማ መቆጣጠር፣ ማረምና ማስወገድ ይኖርባታል።
ቤተ ክርስቲያን ሐዋርያዊ አገልግሎቷን ለራሷ ልጆች እየፈጸመች ቢሆንም እንኳን ከሀገራችን ውጭም ክርስትናውን ልታሳያቸው የሚገቡ ብዙ ሕዝቦች እና ሀገራት አሉ። በመሆኑም ቤተ ክርስቲያን ወንጌልን በሀገር ውስጥ በተጠናከረ መልኩ የምታስተምርበትን፣ ለውጭው ዓለምም ውጤት ያለው አገልግሎት አጠናክራ የምትጀምርበትን ሁኔታ ልታቅድ ይገባታል።
ቤተ ክርስቲያን በራሷ ውስጥ የሚከሰቱ ጉዳዮችን በጥልቀት የሚመለከት እና ተግባራዊ ስራ የሚሰራ የህግ ክፍል እንዲኖራት ያስፈልጋል። ይህም ቤተ ክርስቲያን ከውጭ አካላት የሚሰነዘርባትን ማነኛውም ዓይነት ችግር በባለቤትነት ተከታትሎ አግባብ ባለው ህግ ፊት መብቷን የሚያሰከበር ይሆናል።ከዚህም በተጨማሪ በአብያተ ክርስቲያናት፤ በማኀበራት፤ በቀሳውስት፤ በአጠቃላይ በቤተ ክርስቲያን አገልጋዮች መካከል የሚፈጠሩ ችግሮች በቤተ ክርስቲያን ውስጥ እንዲፈቱ መደረግ አለበት። ይህም የቤተ ክርስቲያንን ገመና በቤተ ክርስቲያን ውስጥ መጨረስ ያስችላል።
የቤተ ክርስቲያን አስተዳደርም ሆነ ስርዓታችን በየጊዜው ሃይማኖትን በማይቃረን መሰረት ሲኖዶስ እያየ ከጊዜው እና ከትውልዱ ጋር የሚሄድበትን መንገድ ማመቻቸት ይኖርበታል።
ከውስጥም ሆነ ከውጪ የሚጠየቁ ሃይማኖታዊ ጥያቄዎችን በአግባቡና በተደራጀ መልኩ ለመመለስ የሊቃውንት ጉባዔ እንዲጠናከር፤ የሊቃውንት ጉባዔም የቤተ ክርስቲያንን ትምህርተ ሃይማኖት፣ ሥርዓትና ትውፊት በግልጽ ለጠያቂዎች ሁሉ መመለስ እንዲችልና ተግባራዊ የሆነ ሥራ መሥራት እንዲችል እንዲደረግ፤ ማንኛውንም ሃይማኖት ነክ ጉዳዮች በተመለከተ በሙሉ ሥልጣን የሚወስንበት አሠራር እንዲመቻችለት፤ ጥናት የሚፈልጉ ሃይማኖታዊ ጉዳዮችን ማጥናት እንዲችልም ሁኔታዎች እንዲመቻቹለት እንጠይቃለን።
በጠቅላላው ቅድስት ቤተ ክርስቲያናችን ራሷን ችላ፣ ራሷን አስተዳድራ፣ የራሷን ችግር በራሷ ፈትታ የተሠማራችበትን ሃይማኖታዊና ማኀበራዊ ተልእኮ እንድትወጣ ቅዱስ ሲኖዶሱ ኃላፊነቱን በሙሉ ተረክቦ እንዲሠራ እንጠይቃለን።
እግዚአብሔር ሀገራችንንና ተዋሕዶ ሃይማኖታችንን ይጠብቅልን።
በተለያዩ የዓለም ክፍሎች የምንገኝ የኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ምእመናን፣
ጥቅምት 6 ቀን 2002 ዓ.ም
ወስብሐት ለእግዚአብሔር
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