They died with prayers expressing their love for God and forgiveness for those who committed the horrific act. Such stories serve as an inspiration for many, reaffirming their faith in Jesus Christ. Here, we present some of these inspiring stories:

1. Coptic church blasts, Egypt

On Palm Sunday in 2017, bombs exploded inside Egypt’s two historic Coptic churches. The explosion killed nearly fifty parishioners and over a hundred others were injured. Amid much grief and outrage, Father Boules George stepped before his packed church just hours after the blast. 

He then gave the terrorists responsible for the act a three-point sermon, which went viral throughout the world. It was titled ‘A Message to Those Who Kill Us’. These simple points were simple, yet very powerful. They were “Thank you”, “We love you”, and “We’re praying for you”. Father George’s had said “Thank you” to the terrorists. 

It was to tell the terrorists that they had given the dead a rare honour. They got the opportunity to die as Christ died. The actions of terrorists had reminded people of their eternal destinies. It was truly surprising to see that the place overflowed with people who usually didn’t attend the church. 

Father George said “we love you” because the followers of Jesus Christ were taught to love their enemies. The message was concluded with “We’re praying for you” for the terrorists. If they ever tasted the love of God even once, it would drive away hatred from their hearts.

2. The memoir of Kim Eun Jin, North Korea

Before the Korean War, about 13 per cent of the population of North Korea was Christian. Today the number has declined to almost 2 per cent. Among them is Kim Eun Jin. She was born in a Christian family in the country’s capital city, Pyongyang. When she was in school, Kim was taught that there was no God. She was also taught that the people of North Korea should worship the leaders of their country. 

While growing up, she was also told that her hometown was once called ‘Jerusalem of the East’. This was due to the fact that it had a great base of Christianity. On Saturday nights, her family would gather at the back of their tiny apartment. Then they would whisper their worship and Bible studies with their heads covered to muffle the noise. 

Kim’s grandmother had converted to Christianity before the Second World War and had a Chinese Bible. Kim’s mother had translated it into Korean by hand. The family was held together by those precious pages. Eventually, her father was discovered and arrested by the police along with her uncle. 

She never saw her father again. Kim, her mother, her grandmother, and her siblings managed to escape North Korea. Today, she is 31 years of age, married, and has a child. She is often invited to speak to groups about North Korea and its human-rights abuses. 

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Most recently, many Assyrians have been displaced from their homeland as a result of ethnic and religious persecutions. This happened due to the Iraq War and the Syrian Civil War. Here are some lesser-known facts about Assyrian Christians:

1. They had a glorious past

In the ancient Middle East, the Assyrian Empire was a major power. Their history can be traced back to the formation of the city of Assur during the 25th century BC. Today, the Assyrians have been reduced to an ethnic minority group and are predominantly Christian. 

2. The traditional Assyrian homeland

Most of the 2-4 million Assyrians in the world live around their traditional homeland. It comprises parts of Syria, northern Iraq, Iran, and Turkey. Many have fled to the neighbouring countries in recent times to escape persecution from Shiite and Sunni militants. The Assyrian diaspora has its members spread all over the world. There are about 100,000 Assyrians living in the United States of America.

3. Syriac is one of their major languages

The three main Assyrian churches have their official language as Syriac. It is a dialect of the Aramaic language, which is believed to have been spoken by Jesus Christ. Many of the Assyrians speak the Aramaic dialects. Today, they often speak the local languages of the regions where they reside.

4. Victims of persecution

The Assyrians have faced persecution for centuries, including the horrific Assyrian genocide. It took place during the First World War when the Ottomans killed about 250,000 Assyrians. Following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the Iraqi Assyrians have faced increased persecution. 

These include attacks on Assyrian churches. Some believe that nearly 60% of Iraqi Assyrians have fled the country when the Iraq war began.

5. Escape from ISIS

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) captured Mosul, a major city of Iraq in 2014. Many of the Assyrians living in Northern Iraq fled owing to fears of persecution. ISIS had demanded that the Christians living under its control must take down their crosses and pay ‘jizya’. It is a tax levied on religious minorities by an Islamic state. 

Those who didn’t pay the jizya had to face a choice between exile and death. Around that time, ISIS had attacked the Assyrian villages and killed or imprisoned hundreds.

6. Appeal to Western governments

The Assyrian leaders described ISIS’s violent campaign against their people as ‘genocide’. As a part of their plan, the ISIS militants destroyed ancient Assyrian artefacts. These artefacts were displayed at the Mosul Museum. The militants destroyed the remains of ancient Assyrian cities. 

The Assyrian leaders appealed to international organizations and Western governments to intervene against the militant group. These leaders also requested aid for the Assyrian refugees. 

7. Calls for the creation of an autonomous region

The Assyrian groups have renewed their calls for the creation of an Assyrian autonomous region. It lies in the Nineveh Plains of Northern Iraq, which has traditionally been an Assyrian stronghold. 

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The Armenians belonged to the Christian faith and lived as second-class citizens under the Islamic Ottoman rule. Their population was largely concentrated in eastern Anatolia. The Armenian genocide destroyed more than two millennia of Armenian civilization in the eastern part of Anatolia. Nearly 1.5 million Armenians died in this massacre. Here are some of the few who survived:

1. Aris Alexanian

Born as Aris Luke Alexanian, he was a noted world traveller and a prominent Armenian Canadian businessman. He was born in the Turkish town of Agin during Ottoman rule. Owing to the untimely death of his parents, he was orphaned at an early age. 

In order to escape the Armenian genocide, he went into hiding for 6 months in the Anatolia region. Although he was shot and wounded during this period, he managed to escape. He arrived in New York City in 1920 and moved to Canada in 1921.

2. Grigoris Balakian

Besides being a survivor of the Armenian genocide, he was a bishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church. He was born in Tokat under the Ottoman Empire and graduated from the Sanasarian College. He studied architecture for two years in Germany and obtained a degree in civil engineering. Later, he was ordained under the monastic name, Grigoris Balakian, and became a celibate priest. 

He was among the prominent Armenians of Constantinople, who were arrested and deported in 1915. Luckily, he managed to escape the genocide by fleeing to a construction site on the Bagdad railway. He was helped by German engineers and finally succeeded in escaping to Paris from Constantinople.

3. Pailadzo Captanian

She was an author who survived the Armenian genocide of 1915. Pailadzo is also credited for being an inspiration for the creation of Rice-A-Roni. It is based on her own recipe of Armenian pilaf. During the genocide, she was forced to march through the Syrian desert to Aleppo while pregnant. Before the deportations, she had entrusted her two sons to a Greek family. 

In 1919, she was reunited with her sons and they moved to the United States. She worked as a seamstress and sewed draperies for the home of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in New York. She published the Armenian original of her memoirs in 1922.

4. Arshile Gorky

He has been hailed as one of the most powerful painters of America from the 20th century. Arshile Gorky was born as Vostanik Manoug Adoian in the village of Khorgom under the Ottoman Empire. During the Armenian genocide of 1915, he escaped into a Russian-controlled territory with his mother and three sisters. 

His mother died of starvation in Yerevan in the aftermath of the genocide in 1919. He claimed to be a Georgian noble in the process of reinventing his identity and changing his name. Gorky reunited with his father after arriving in America in 1920, but they never grew close.

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Such policies have resulted in problems, which affects the patriarchate’s functioning. One of them is the denial of residence and work permits to the clergy coming from abroad. There are many restrictions that have also been criticized by human rights groups. Here are some of them:

1. The interference of the Turkish government in patriarchal elections

The individuals who vote for the Ecumenical Patriarch and Hierarchs must be Turkish citizens. This is one of the requirements that come from the Turkish government. In this way, restrictions are imposed on the election of the Ecumenical Patriarch and Hierarchs. 

One of the facts that can’t be ignored is the dwindling population of Hierarchs and Orthodox Christians in Turkey. In the distant future, electing an Ecumenical Patriarch seems almost impossible. This can be attributed to the Turkish government’s direct intervention in the matters of the Christian population.

2. Lack of a legal identity

The Ecumenical Patriarchate has no bona fide legal identity in the country. This is one of the major sources of problems for the Ecumenical patriarchate. As a result, there is no recognition of its right of ownership. Residence and work permits for non-Turkish priests is essential for the continuity and functioning of the Ecumenical patriarchate. 

Obtaining work permits and residences is not possible owing to the restrictions placed by the Turkish government. Owning of a property by the Ecumenical patriarchate is not allowed by the Turkish authorities. Even the deed for the Girls and Boys Orphanage Foundation on Buyukada Island is not recognized by the government.

3. Non-recognition of the Ecumenical status

The use of the term ‘Ecumenical’ is not allowed by the Turkish authorities for any religious activity. One important thing to note here is the fact that it has been used since the 6th century. The term is recognized throughout the world, but not in Turkey. 

The leader of the patriarchate is seen as the spiritual head of only the Orthodox Christians living in Turkey. In reality, this leader is the spiritual head of 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.

4. Confiscation of several properties

Thousands of properties belonging to the Ecumenical patriarchate has been confiscated by the Turkish government. By using various methods, the monasteries, an orphanage, private homes, schools, and other buildings were confiscated over the years. 

If such activities are continued by the government, many properties would be lost. The remaining Greek Orthodox community of Constantinople will be under threat. These cultural heirs of the glorious Byzantine Empire would be no more.

5. Closing of the seminary

The Turkish authorities forced the Theological School of Halki to close down in 1971. After this incident, the Ecumenical patriarchate has been unable to train its new clergy. The young men from its community aspiring to be priests are sent to one of Greece’s theological schools. In many cases, they do not return owing to restrictions in getting work permits. 

They also feel uncomfortable owing to the general climate of intimidation prevailing in Turkey. Many promises have been made by the government of Turkey over the years to re-open the theological school. Yet, there has been no progress to this day.

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These authorities were mainly the Roman emperors and magistrates. Today, even though Christians enjoy religious freedom, persecution remains a fact of life for them in certain places. Let’s now explore the history of Christian persecution right from earlier times.

The Roman Empire

Details of Christian persecution can be found in the New Testament. Among the first Christian martyrs was Stephen according to the book of Acts. He was a member of the early church who was charged with blasphemy as was brought before the assembly of Jewish religious leaders, called Sanhedrin. He was then stoned and mass persecution of Christians began, which was led by the Saul of Tarsus. 

However, Saul later changed his name to Paul and became a Christian himself. The reason was his vision of Jesus Christ in the clouds. After he converted to Christianity, he was subject to several beatings and imprisonments.

The Middle East

With the rise of Islamic rule in the Middle East during the 7th century, many conquests happened. Large communities of Christians became victims of these conquests. The Islamic rulers set forth a set of principles that limited the practices of Christians. The followers of Christ were forbidden from displaying the cross on churches and using the bell to summon believers. 

Soon, the status of ‘dhimmi’ or ‘protected status’ was given to the Christians. They were seen as inferior to Muslims and had to pay a tax called ‘jizya’. Christians were encouraged to convert to Islam, but Muslims who converted to Christianity were considered apostates.

The French Revolution

By the early 18th century, Christianity had attained dominance in most of Europe. Despite this, there was mass persecution of Christians in France during the 1790s. The French Revolution overthrew the monarchy of Louis XVI. A republican form of government replaced the monarchy in France. This proved to be an unfortunate event for the Catholic Church, which held great power and wealth. 

It owned almost 6% of the land in the country. This prompted the new government to take some serious steps to curb the power of the Catholic Church. Soon, a mass campaign against the Christian faith took place, which led to the Reign of Terror. 

The churches and Christian monuments, symbols, and signs were destroyed. Even religious education was forbidden as a part of this campaign. It came to an end only when Napoleon Bonaparte took over as the new head of government.

20th Century Europe

The Soviet Union was established under Vladimir Lenin in Russia in 1922. This led to the government targeting religious practices, particularly of the Russian Orthodox Church. The new communist government of Russia wanted to eliminate religion. As a result, many of the clergymen were either sent to labour camps or executed. 

Then, in 1941, the invasion from Nazi Germany caused Joseph Stalin to revive the Orthodox Church. This didn’t last long, as curbs on religious worships returned under his successor, Nikita Khrushchev, during 1959. Religious freedom for Russian Christians was revived only when the Cold War ended.

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Christians abhorred the pagan practices, as their religious beliefs prohibited idolatry. This led to the Christians being punished by the members of the state and civic society. Often, the victims were charged with treason, illegal assembly, and the introduction of an alien cult. Now, let’s examine the reasons for Christian persecution during the times of the Roman empire in detail:

1. Ideological conflict

Most of the persecutions carried out were a result of ideological conflict. In the Roman Empire, Caesar was considered divine and Christians couldn’t accept this. Owing to this clash of ideologies, ordinary Christians had to face a constant threat of denunciation. It became difficult for the followers of Christ to hide their religion. 

Besides, their beliefs involved several departures from the conventional pursuits and norms. Most of the civic festivals, games, and theatrical performances were held in the honor of pagan deities. The Christians couldn’t accept this and stay away from these events.

2. Privatizing of religion

This was another major factor that caused the prosecution of Christians in those times. People of the Christian faith moved their activities to the more secluded spaces. Thus, instead of the streets, they moved their activities to homes, shops, and apartments of women. 

This affected the normal ties between them and live in the cities and nations. Christians usually met in secret at night. This raised suspicion among the pagan population, for whom, religion was a public event. As a result, rumours spread to Christians that were evil and wicked people.

3. The inclusive nature of Christianity

The early Christians were highly inclusive in terms of social categories. The role of women was much greater than in Judaism or paganism of those times. Christians were told to love even their enemies. No matter which class they belonged to, they would always call each other ‘sister’ or ‘brother’. 

This was perceived by their opponents in the Roman Empire as a threat to their traditions. It was something that challenged their class or gender-based order.

4. The disregard of traditions

The tendency of Christian converts was to renounce their family and country. This aroused a feeling of apprehension in their pagan neighbours. By embracing the Christian faith, they incurred an offence that was unpardonable. They violated the religious institutions of their country and despised what their fathers had revered as sacred. The Christian converts also dissolved the sacred ties of education and custom.

5. Rejection of pagan beliefs and practices

Most of the pagans believed that if their established gods were not revered, something bad would happen. Towards the end of the 2nd century, a widespread perception prevailed about Christians. The pagan population believed that the Christians were the source of all disasters. The refusal of Christians to offer sacrifices to the Roman gods were considered an act of defiance. 

The Christians just couldn’t practice Roman religion owing to conflicting beliefs. The prejudice became much more intense. Even if a person confessed to being a ‘Christian’, it provided sufficient grounds for his or her execution.

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Sometimes, they’re even killed for their faith. The world has witnessed the worst of persecutions in history, such as the Armenian and Assyrian genocides. Although the persecutions have declined in scale after the Second World War, they still haven’t stopped. 

It is the religious and moral responsibility of every Christian to support the persecuted followers of Christ. There are many good organizations that support the persecuted Christians globally. Some of them have been listed below.

1. Open Doors

It is a non-denominational mission, which has a presence in 60 countries around the world. The mission supports persecuted Christians by providing emergency relief aid and other forms of practical help. It works with local partners for the distribution of Christian literature and Bibles. It also provides discipleship training. 

Open Doors aims to raise awareness of global persecution and mobilize prayer, support and action among Christians worldwide. Based in The Netherlands, it was founded by Andrew van der Bijl, popularly known as Brother Andrew. He is a Christian missionary known for distributing Bibles in communist countries during the peak of the Cold War.

2. Release International

This is an inter-denominational Christian ministry with a presence in over 25 countries across the world. It works through local church partners and helps persecuted Christians practically and in many other ways. This ministry is based on the principle mentioned in Hebrews 13:3. 

Release International was founded in the year 1968. It was inspired by the ministry and testimony of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand. He was sent to prison for 14 years in communist Romania for his faith. His experiences are documented in the book Tortured for Christ.

3. Barnabas Fund

An inter-denominational Christian aid agency, Barnabas Fund is based in Coventry, in the West Midlands county of England. It supports Christians facing persecution or discrimination across the world for their faith. Barnabas Fund channels aid to projects that are run by Christians in over 50 countries. 

Established in 1993, it acts on behalf of the persecuted Church, making their needs known to Christians globally. It seeks to meet the practical as well as spiritual needs of the persecuted Christians. This is done by encouraging, strengthening, and empowering the persecuted Christian church and communities.

4. Christian Solidarity Worldwide 

This is a human rights organization that works for the Christians who are persecuted for their beliefs. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has a team of specialist advocates that work in more than 20 different countries across the world. They ensure that the right to freedom of religion is upheld and protected. 

The current president of CSW is Jonathan Aitken, a former member of parliament in the UK. He succeeded Caroline Cox or Baroness Cox, who is a cross-bench member of the British House of Lords. She had also founded an organization called Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust.

5. Christian Freedom International

This international human rights organization aids equips, and advocates for Christians persecuted or oppressed for their faith. Based in Virginia, United States, Christian Freedom International (CFI) provides spiritual and material support for persecuted Christians. 

It also provides income for Christian refugees by running micro-enterprises. It has been advocating for the rights of the persecuted followers of Christ since 1998. The organization has helped thousands of suffering men, women, and children by distributing food, water, medicine, clothing, and Bibles.

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At a few other places, pastors were imprisoned and people of Christian faiths were sent to concentration camps. Christians can help people of their faith facing persecution at various corners of the world in many ways. Here are some of them:

Providing practical help

There are incidents involving attacks on the homes of Christian individuals or families. In such cases, their houses are vandalized or set on fire. Such individuals or families become homeless. Under such circumstances, they stay with their close relatives who don’t have the means to rebuild their homes. Often, it’s not a priority for the government to help them. 

This is when the local Christian ministries and non-governmental organizations come to their rescue. Christians all over the world can help by participating in the settlement process. They must reach out in love and provide the persecuted believers with practical help.

Engaging in interfaith dialogue

Christians are usually a minority in countries where they are persecuted. Efforts must be made by the local as well as international Christian organizations to have an inter-faith dialogue. The aim of such engagements must be to maintain a healthy relationship with the majority faith in those countries. 

This would be a much better way of gaining an understanding of each other. For positive outcomes, the global Christian organizations can engage the religious leaders of the majority faith in such dialogues.

Standing with the persecuted Christians

We cannot imagine being abandoned by our family in times of great hardships. This is exactly what Christians must feel when their fellow believers of Christ are persecuted. They must show concern and raise their voices more strongly against all forms of injustice done to Christians. 

The global body of Christians can serve as a source of massive encouragement to the suffering church. Even small acts of encouragement can go a long way in assuring the persecuted Christians that they’re not alone. They include sending letters expressing the commitment of their fellow Christians towards their well-being.

Raising awareness among Christians

Many of the Christians, especially in Western countries, aren’t aware of the conditions of their persecuted people elsewhere. Some of them find it hard to believe when they’re told about the harsh realities. Efforts must be made, therefore, to raise awareness. They must know about the persecution that followers of Christ face in various parts of the world. 

Churches can hold seminars, workshops, and conferences to highlight such issues. People who know well about such topics must be invited to share their experiences. This would spread greater awareness among Christians about the persecuted church.

Prayer

This must be a priority of Christians across the world to help their persecuted brothers and sisters. One of the ways to do this is to form a group that comes together at a designated time. Then, all members of the group can pray for the persecuted church. 

Every member of the church must be encouraged to join the prayer session. Christians must never forget that this was how the early church responded. The church earnestly prayed to God when Peter was in prison.

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As a result, the followers of Jesus Christ have to live under constant surveillance. Traditionally, most of the countries in the Middle East have been known for violence against Christians. However, the people of the Christian faith living in sub-Saharan Africa have been under threat from violent ethnic groups. 

Such incidents are common in regions with weak or non-existent government controls. Some of the Asian countries are also among the places where Christian believers have been persecuted. Listed below are the countries that are well-known for their persecution of Christians:

1. North Korea

North Korea is known for its religious persecution of Christians and has been for quite a long time. Although it presents itself as a communist nation, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea encourages Kim worship. The leader of the ruling Kim dynasty is considered divine and must be worshipped by the citizens. 

People with religious beliefs are viewed as a threat. If any such individuals or groups are identified, they’re sent to labour camps. There have been cases where Christians were either killed or deported to labour camps as political criminals.

2. Afghanistan

Even after two decades of support from the United States of America, this country is unsafe for Christians. It is constantly threatened by the militants and the Taliban controls most of the areas. Additionally, there have been reports of an ISIS-affiliated group targeting Christians at certain places.

3. Somalia

This African country has been plagued by tribalism, civil war, and violent militancy. Conversion is seen as a betrayal of the Somali clan and family. The militants often target the converts and the Christian population has been subject to extreme violence.

4. Libya

Libyan Christians with a background of the Muslim faith often face intense pressure to renounce their religion. As a result, they have been living under threat for several years. The lack of a central authority for maintaining law and order has been a major contributor to this problem. This has created extreme pressure in national as well as church life for Christians.

5. Pakistan

Pakistan is known worldwide as an inhospitable place for Christians and other religious minorities. It was used as a safe haven by the dreaded terrorist, Osama bin Laden. The country is used as a hub for terrorism-related activities by militants and extremists. 

These people also target Christians and Christian churches. The extremists specifically target churches that are involved in evangelism. Anti-blasphemy laws are often applied against the Christian minorities. As a result, they find it difficult to live out their faith in public.

6. Eritrea

A north-eastern African country, Eritrea is often referred to as the North Korea of Africa. It has a nearly equal population of Muslims and Christians. Every citizen suffers under the totalitarian regime of the country. Hundreds of Christians who were members of unregistered churches were sent to prison. Some of them have been living in captivity for more than a decade.

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