ICC Note:
For decades, diverse religious dynamics have played out across the continent; but, in recent years, those divisions have lead to greater conflicts and high levels of violent persecution against Christians than ever before recorded. In many countries across Africa, increasing radicalization has lead to sectarian clashes formulated along religious divides. As the CatholicJournal reflects on some of the more recent violent attacks on African Christians, keep the continent, its nations, and their Christian populations in your prayers.
04/26/2014 Africa (CatholicJournal) – On September 21, 2013 a shocked world watched as Islamic gunmen attacked the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya targeting Christians, Westerners, and Muslims who were seen as not true-believers. The attack lasted four days, leaving 72 dead, including 61 civilians, six Kenyan soldiers and five attackers. More than 200 people were wounded in this attack.
The Westgate massacre was only part of a larger war against Christians that raged across Africa over the past three years. Stories of atrocities are numerous and horrific. The brutality of these attacks should awaken Christians globally and be a warning to Western leaders that the attack on the American embassy in Benghazi and the later Westgate killing spree were not isolated events, but part of a continuing pattern. Expect more reports of atrocities committed against Christians in the region.
The Islamist terrorists who are committing these atrocities in the name of religion make the Romans who persecuted Christians in ancient times look like 18th- century European philosophes. Eventually Rome converted to the powerful message brought by Christians — one that promised peace to the world through the salvation of Christ. These Islamist terrorists are not open to reason or conversion to the Christian message of “love thy neighbor.” These fanatical Islamists seek to impose their beliefs through the sword by bringing death to the infidel unless their narrow interpretation of the Koran is accepted.
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