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=Muslim Persecution of Christians =

Muslims have a long history of persecuting Christians. That is true even to the present day. The Star states "Virtually every human rights group and Western government agency that monitors the plight of Christians worldwide arrives at more or less the same conclusion: Between 200 million and 230 million of them face daily threats of murder, beating, imprisonment and torture, and a further 350 to 400 million encounter discrimination in areas such as jobs and housing. A conservative estimate of the number of Christians killed for their faith each year is somewhere around 150,000." [1] This paper will look at the historical and current violation of human rights against Christians by Muslims, explore the violations of God's principles that are underlying causes. The main issue that this paper will address is what can be done about the issue, and what can we do about the situation. ho are the Moslem people? Where did they come from? And how are they related to the Arabs? The bible.ca website claims that" After the fall of the Roman Empire, Arab armies conquered... about 637 A.D. (the term Arab originally referred to nomadic tribes of the Arabian Peninsula. It came to refer to those who speak the Arabic language and that became the language of Moslem culture. Today it refers to a group of nations which share a common political interest across the top to Africa and in western Asia.). Bagdad, which now is the capitol of Iraq, was the capitol of the Arab Empire from 750 to 1258 A.D." [2] That is why the Arab people today are often thought to be Moslems. There are many non-Arab Muslims in countries like China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia. Indonesia, in fact, has the largest Moslem population of any country in the world today. [3] Though the nationality of the Moslem people is widely varied, they are united in their hatred toward Christians. The killing of Christians by Moslems is a violation of human rights today. This is a major issue since it is happenning on an increasing level. the web site skepticalconservatives.org states that "Christians in Islamic states are continually persecuted. Massacres of Christians by Muslims are increasing in number and ferocity." [4] According to standupamericanow.org, "On January 2, 2000, at least 21 Christians were killed by muslims in Al Koshh in southern Egypt. Christian properties were also burned." [5] Atrocities like this are sadly not that uncommon. his persecution is clearly a violations of God's principles. God emphasizes that we should love each other (1 John 4:8), be kind (Eph 4:32), and not kill (Ex. 20:13). The persecution and killing of Christians is an ovious work of the devil in his attempts to "steal, kill, and destroy," while Jesus said that He came to "that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly," (Jn 10:10). What can be done about the issue? What can we do about the situation? christianhistorytimeline.com gives hope and some practical advice for Christians to follow to help with this situation. It gives some examples of Christians who were persecuted but with help from letters written by caring people from free countries they were able to give hope and encouragement to these struggling Christians. Here is an exerpt from the web site: We Can Make a Difference In an editorial in //Christianity Today,// David Neff points out that American Christians do not lead typical Christian lives. "The typical Christian lives in a developing country, speaks a non-European language, and exists under the constant threat of persecution -- of murder, imprisonment, torture, or rape," he says. "The persecutor's sword dangles by a hair over Christians in the still-communist countries and in lands where the rising tide of Islamism overwhelms political efforts at fairness, tolerance, and due process." ("Our Extended Persecuted Family," April 29, 1996). The persecution of Christians did not end with the collapse of the Roman or even the Russian empire. It's still alive around the world. Like Alexander Ogorodnikov, our persecuted brothers and sisters need to know that the world holds other Christians who care and who love them. Is there anything we can do for persecuted Christians? Yes. We can pray. And we can support ministries that work to bring these Christians liberty. I had first learned of his plight from a letter he had written to former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The letter was published by Keston College, a British-based organization that monitored persecution in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. In the letter, Ogorodnikov told Gorbachev that he had been in prison for five years and had not received one letter or a visit from any Christian. "Have Me Executed" "I know it is a sin to commit suicide, but I am so lonely that I wish to ask you to have me executed by firing squad," he wrote. After reading his appeal, I immediately organized a letter-writing and prayer campaign on his behalf in the United States. Within weeks, thousands of letters had arrived at his camp, and waves of prayer went up to heaven on his behalf. Soon, his case came to the attention of then British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. Thatcher interceded with Gorbachev on Ogorodnikov's behalf, and the prisoner was released. Now running a soup kitchen for Moscow's homeless, Ogorodnikov told me, "You don't know what it was like to discover that there were Christians who cared -- who wanted me to live and who loved me." [6] People in free countries like Canada can help by praying, sending letters of encouragement, supporting ministries that are assisting the persecuted Christians, and by getting involved as the opportunity arises.

[1] http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/901492--christianity-arguably-the-most-persecuted-religion-in-the-world [2] http://www.bible.ca/islam/islam-iraq-history.htm [3] http://www.islamicweb.com/begin/population.htm [4] http://www.skepticalconservatives.org/?cat=838 [5] http://www.standupamericanow.org/groups/islam/persecution-of-christians-in-muslim-countries [6] http://www.christianhistorytimeline.com/GLIMPSEF/Glimpses/glmps105.shtml

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