Kyrgyzstan Christians Receiving Death Threats As Ethnic Violence Kills 190
ICC Note
Church members helping Uzbek Christians were stopped by an angry mob, armed with knives and axes
By Stefan J.Bos
June 17, 2010 Kyrgyzstan (BosNewsLife)-- Kyrgyz Christians were risking their lives Thursday, June 17, to help and shelter Uzbek believers in southern Kyrgystan, where ethnic clashes killed at least 190 people, injured 1,800 others and uprooted some 400,000 residents, Christian aid workers said.
"Amid the carnage, Kyrgyz Christians are trying to help their Uzbek brothers and sisters escape the violence – despite the prospect of severe retribution from fellow Kyrgyz if they are caught," explained Barnabas Fund, a group supporting minority Christians in predominantly Islamic nations.
A Kyrgyz pastor, identified only as Pastor K. for security reasons, his wife and church members are among Kyrgyz Christians receiving death threats for supporting Uzbek Christians, added the group.
"On Tuesday, June 15, Pastor K. and some members of his church were helping an Uzbek Christian woman to find a safe place when they were stopped by an angry mob, armed with knives and axes. The group demanded to know who Pastor K. was trying to help a and threatened to set fire to his car and kill them," Barnabas Fund said.
"A man wielding an axe came close to cutting off the pastor’s arm. When Pastor K. told the mob that he was distributing aid, they kept three Christian women, including his wife, hostage and went with him to see where the aid was being distributed, to check the truth of his story," Barnabas Fund told BosNewsLife.
