Take action!
How to Get Involved
 
 

Developing: Ethiopian Muslims Burn Down Five Churches, More Attacks Feared

Developing: Ethiopian Muslims Burn Down Five Churches, More Attacks Feared

Church Leaders Ask for Government Protection from the Ongoing Muslim Attacks

Washington, D.C. (March 3, 2011)–International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that in the past two days, thousands of Muslims have razed five churches and the homes of two evangelists in Asendabo, Ethiopia. Christian leaders are asking for protection after the Muslim attackers continued burning churches even after the federal police were sent to the town. 

The Muslims started the attacks yesterday after falsely accusing the Christians of desecrating the Qur’an. More than ten thousand Muslims shouted “Allah Akbar” (Allah is great) as they burned down five evangelical churches. The government sent the federal police force to protect the Christians after the Muslims burned down the first three churches. The Muslims overwhelmed the police force and burned down two more churches today.

Speaking with ICC, Christian leaders expressed their fear that Muslims will start killing the Christians unless the government sends more security forces to contain the Muslim attackers.

At the time of the writing of this report, none of the Muslim attackers have been arrested. The government officials detained some Christians and took them to the nearby Jimma town stating that they need to do that for their own security.

Ethiopia is a Christian majority country and was one of the first nations to accept Christianity. However, in the areas of the country where Muslims are the majority, Christians face attacks. 

“We urge Ethiopian government forces to send reinforcement to protect the Christians in the city of Asendabo from the Muslim attacks. We ask Christians around the world to prevent any further attacks by calling the Ethiopian officials in their countries and asking them to protect the Christians and their property,” said ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, Jonathan Racho.

Please urgently contact the Ethiopian officials in your country and urge them to send more security forces to protect the Christians from the Muslim attacks.

Ethiopian Embassies:

USA (202) 364-1200, Canada 416 482 6637, Germany 493077206, UK 020 78383897/020 7838 3898

Forward to a friend
  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Paulette-Ulloa-Castillo/100000533882332 Paulette Ulloa Castillo

    We must pray for our brothers in persecution, GOD will help us, I'send greetings from chile and GOD bless you so much

  • hugo cesar rodriguez

    estimados hnos cuanto lamento lo sucedido en Etiopia con las 5 iglesias que fueron incendiadas ,oramos al señor para que el tome su directam intervencion alli.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Child-Jesus/100000531274039 Child Jesus

    I told you its not a religion comming with peace.. its Anti Christ.. which is against Christians! Christians & Jewish martyrs say; "I will die for what I believe".
    A Muslim martyr says; "you will die for what I believe"....
    “I am the prophet that laughs when killing my enemies.” (Hadith)
    '' Jesus said Love your enemies.. feed them if they hunger..let the world knows you by your Love'' (Bible)
    Jesus give Enternal life and saves! Mohamed(Allah) kills,offer hell,destroy! (Bible) (Quran and Hadith)
    A.C. ''The Law of God command christians not to kill, nor to fight New testament there is NO word said ''Kill'' or make war.. But gave us command to ''Love'' others!!!
    Afeter 500 years laster Quran and hadith bring exactly 123 verses in the Qur'an about killing and fighting to spread Islam.
    Jesus also warn us about false Prophet..and his followers..Evil (which is Anti Christ) keep your faith and endure Christians ... we have Life even if we die! Praise the Lord

  • Christineyancee

    I don't know anymore what to believe. I know some muslims who are good people, but they claim that there are bad muslims and good ones, but I have never heard of Christians burning down Muslims place of worship. Are all muslims bad? I do know of some that actually have given their money to restore churches burned down by muslims, so does this mean that there are good and bad muslims? This is really puzzling me.

  • egyptian muslim

    suppose that the news is true , we should ask ourselves that why did the muslims do that ? why did the christians there desecrate the quran ? we live here n egypt muslims and christians as brothers , we help eachother , and in our revolution we were standing hand in hand having the same demands , muslims were praying in tahrir square while christians were calling ( allah akbar - god is the great ) the muslims' call for every pray , we should be more and more tolerance and inform those bad minds in ethiopia that men is free in his believes , and we live only in peace with the others

  • Rahel Legesse

    God is great ,Ethiopia is a blessed countery . We don't need war and hate God bless the muslim peopel. Jesus is our Lord !!! we pray for the peopel who lost thier house and churches. Our Lord is greater than any other hate and war.
    God is Love!!

  • Rahel Legesse

    It is not to be good muslim or bad muslims. The kuran orderd them to kill the Chrstians , that is sad !

  • Shine-ethio

    The muslims desecrate also the Bibel but no one burned thier Mosq, why the muslims do this with the name of Allah ? hmm . Any way God bless them , God is love we love our brother muslims in Ethiopia but we don't accept the teaching it self to kill the other relgion like chrstians ! God bless you dear.

  • Mendidadenu

    Thanks to our prime minister He like this kind of confilicts so that he cling to his post while ppl focus on their problems. This has never ever happend in peviouse rigimes. This recisit government keep the country dicided in religious and racial difrences and keep them busy fighting so that he and his gangs can enjoy life in those poor peapl labour. God will give djugment some day.

  • Anonymous

    allah doesn't exist. Islam is a false religion founded by a bloodthirsty murderous rapist. That's what to believe.

    Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

    That's what to believe.

  • Cromulent

    The passions may wax and wane with the centuries, but these are surely the fruits of Islam.

    My first real job was in a local business - Detroit area - owned by a Copt who brought his family here in the 60s. This is common stuff.

  • Wad295

    in your islam majority misrayim how are my christian brothers treated????????????endless false accusations right? now for your info hassen dabo is is islam majority tiny town in christian majority ethopia this is what it is when 12366 get the number-not a surprise at all. the time is now to help terrified school children who are fleeing the town, voice for them please.

  • Anonymous

    That's not quite true. Nowhere does the Qur'an order the killing of Christians or Jews, who are considered 'People of the Book'. If Christians resist during the fighting of jihad, they may be killed. Afterwards, they (and Jews) are considered ahl al-dhimma or dhimmis, which protects their lives and property while putting them into an inferior position. Burning churches and killing Christians outside a true jihad situation is a major breach of Islamic law and should be denounced as such. The position of non-Jews and non-Christians is, of course, quite different. In practice, a lot of Jews and some Christians have been killed in Islamic states when pogroms have occurred. The best way of protecting Ethiopian Christians (apart from the full force of the law) will be for the Ethiopian government or the patriarch of the Orthodox Tewahedo Church to approach some leading Muslim authorities (such as the shaykhs of al-Azhar in Cairo) and appeal to them to issue a fatwa condemning these attacks as contrary to Islamic law and doctrine.

  • Anonymous

    Islam is peaceful religion . there is no God but ALLAH
    Mohammed is his messenger
    Jesus Christ is also his messenger
    Ethiopian Christian you should respect Muslim holy book (quran)
    respect 40m Ethiopian Muslims

  • Anonymous

    are you sure. Did jesus christ (pbuh) say i am god or worship me in the bible. if you point out a single word that jesus (pbuh) said i am god or worship me i will ready to accept Christianity

  • Shine-ethio

    Yes Jesus is a God not a god ! if you look for that Jesus is a god , i am sorry i can't show you that but if you want to know Jesus is God you can ask him and he can answer you right now ! Jesus can hear you ! becouse he is God!
    Jesus is our life our way and our truth !

  • Shine-ethio

    What is your point? don't you think the Quran never ordered his beliver to kill the chrstians ? so why they killed then? hmmm I don't think you know the Quran !

  • Shine-ethio

    yes i agree

  • Meqmac

    My point is simple: the Qur'an does not order Muslims to kill Christians. I used to teach Qur'anic Studies at university level and myself studied it under one of the world's leading authorities. I do not deny that the Qur'an preaches violence and that early Muslim history is violent; but the Qur'an, although it preaches jihad, does not anywhere command the killing of Christians. Pretending otherwise does not help Christians in Ethiopia. Getting some fatwas to declare that Muslims who kill Christians without cause will go to hell might do a great deal more good.

  • esasi

    Let me ask Why muselims usually fight against christians why not their god (allah) fight for them ? Is he weak to fight?
    I think YES HE IS WEAK!!!!

  • Imohammednur

    no he can't me he is God. b/c he didn't say he is God in the bible.
    if you can show me

  • Imohammednur

    NO JESUS CAN'T TELL ME HE IS GOD. B/C HE DIDN'T SAY HE IS GOD IN THE BIBLE.
    CAN U TELL FROM YOUR BIBLE?

  • BLABLABLA

    PEACEFUL RELIGION MY ASS

  • believers in WHAT?

    AND MUHAMMAD WAS A PRETTY SICK PERSON. YOU MUSLIMS FOLLOW A PEDOPHILE--- BUT YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT, IF YOU'VRE READ THE CORAN.

  • Peace

    Do what you want people to do for you and don't what you didn't want.
    Even if the cause is true, since it wasn't done by mass, as what the quran said Muslim is peace full religion.
    for that reason they shouldn't do that. I still belive that the action taken is in appropriate. Tolerance is the best policy.

  • http://twitter.com/rosamystical arama

    ethopian muslims burn down 5 churches

  • Abebe Tadesse

    Nano
    I live in Ethiopia I know this kind of old reason for more than five times. Who throw this toured Quran near to church?= EPRDF security officers only. I am not inviting attack on the Ethiopian Orthodox Churches and its properties but for this specific event the attack was orchestrated on Evangelical Churches property only. The logic behind is that if the majority orthodox were attacked the back fire on the government will very strong. The foolish EPRDF to divert the attention of Ethiopian from the punishment of the world oldest dictators the easy solution is to creating religious conflict. This is great lesson which is written on the blood of evangelicals. We have to aware of the act of the ruling party to keep ourselves to revise our theology and never trust EPRDF and all evangelical Christian believes who serves the evil politics of EPRDF including the deputy Ethiopian prime minister you need to re think how you are playing in innocent your fellow brothers blood. GOD is Alive

  • Sheepkeeper2116

    I can point out at least four places where Jesus claimed divinity (to be God): John 8:57-59 - Why did they want to stone him? Because he took the divine name "I AM" to himself, claiming pre-existence as the God who met Moses. #2 - John 10:30 #3 - In case you think #2 is a metaphor - John 14:8-11 - "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" - with the rest of the context it is clear and evident. But just in case you need one more ... Jesus accepts worship in John 20:27-29, where Thomas calls him "my God" - and Jesus accepts his belief and calls for greater belief in those who haven't seen him. You said "a single word" - this should be more than sufficient I hope - it doesn't even include the epistles or Revelation. But you said Jesus' words, so I limited it those. I hope the Spirit has opened the door for you. If so, praise be to God.

  • Sheepkeeper2116

    see above please

  • Sheepkeeper2116

    Please see several posts above - the Gospel of John alone has half a dozen references from Jesus' own lips which claim divinity. If he didn't himself claim equal standing with God the Father, I probably wouldn't be a Christian today. Oh, one last one, why does Jesus say in Matthew 28 for us to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Why would we baptize anyone in any mere human's name. It is clear Jesus claimed equality with God whereas Mohamed claimed only to be a prophet.

  • Complexmeasures

    Ethiopia...home of the Ark of the Covenant.  And of the home of some of the oldest Christian outposts...

  • Pingback: Prison Sentences for Over 500 Ethiopian Muslims Responsible For Burning Down Churches, Christian Homes « Persecution News

  • Ibrahem Salib

     Islamic  countries support all kind of actions against Christians starting with increasing the population  till  terrorism  and military training, after the all country become Islamic religion they start in another place (like Somalia) and so one.  
    these problems will never stop or end , cause the Islamic in deep push and support the violent always and rule, think, in a barbarian way   (since Ismael, the old testimony)   

  • Kids

    Care for orphans and hurting children

    read more
  • Families

    Support wives and children of imprisoned or martyed pastors

    read more
  • Pastors

    Spread the gospel by supporting underground pastors

    read more
  • Women

    Save women from abduction and sexual exploitation

    read more
  • Communities

    Help rebuild communities devastated by persecution

    read more

Other Projects

other projects

ICC is constantly monitoring the state of Christian persecution in countries around the world and looking for ways that we can act as bridge between our supporters and the persecuted church. Beyond the projects you see above, we are working in many other areas to provide practical assistance to our brothers and sisters in Christ. View our other projects page to understand more of our work and keep up to date on our current projects.