WWL: Countries Where the Situation Deteriorated

Apart from North Korea, the situation for Christians deteriorated in Uzbekistan, Eritrea, Comoros, Iraq, northern Nigeria, Algeria, Mauritania, Turkey, Ethiopia and northeastern Kenya.

11. Uzbekistan

More than one–and-a-half years has passed since the government suppression of the popular uprising in Andijan. Since that event, the politics of Uzbekistan have turned, and the government has begun a new period of heavy Christian persecution. That harsh period is still not over. Relations between the Uzbek government and Western countries deteriorated; the attitude towards Christians deteriorated. The people in Uzbekistan consider Christians as followers of a western religion or members of an extremist sect. In 2006 many expatriate Christian workers were deported from Uzbekistan. In June the government launched a new law that punishes printing of religious books with three years in prison. TV programs portrayed Christians in a very negative way, which led to more pressure on Christians, especially from relatives and local authorities. Christians from an Islamic background in remote parts of the country also encounter resistance from fundamentalist Muslims and are put under pressure to return to their former faith. They are publicly humiliated and hounded out of their homes and jobs for converting to Christianity.

13. Eritrea

In Eritrea, the government severely restricts freedom of religion for unregistered groups and violates the rights of some registered groups. Since May 2004, the only authorized religions recognized by the state are Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran and Islam. Anyone caught worshipping outside the four recognized religious institutions, even in private homes, has been subjected to arrest, torture and severe pressure to deny his or her faith. The already deplorable situation of Christians worsened further in 2006. More than 2,000 Christians, including pastors and priests from both Protestant and Orthodox churches, are now under arrest in police stations, military camps and jails all across Eritrea. Although many have been incarcerated for months or even years, none have been charged officially or given access to judicial process. In many cases, police authorities are subjecting the detained Christians to beatings and other physical mistreatment. Fifteen believers escaped a military camp in Asabe in May, where they had been kept in metal shipping containers for the past two years. They escaped at great risk into the desert bordering Djibouti. Five of the men died of exposure and the remaining 10 disappeared without any indication whether they have made it across the Djibouti border. In October, Eritrean security police tortured two Christians to death just two days after arresting them for holding a religious service in a private home south of Asmara. In its 2006 religious freedom report, the U.S. State Department for the third year in a row named Eritrea a "Country of Particular Concern," designating it one of the worst violators of religious freedom in the world.

15. Comoros

The Comorian constitution provides for freedom of religion. However, the government violates this right in practice. In May four men were sentenced to prison for being involved with Christianity. Three of them were arrested when the police barged into a Christian meeting place that a young Christian convert from Islam had been forced to show them. They were brought to court and sentenced to three months' imprisonment. During the trial, Muslim fundamentalists allegedly demanded that the accused be killed for the "crime" of being involved with Christianity. Two of them have reportedly endured physical and verbal abuse. The police beat them, shouted at them and have tried to get them to denounce their faith in Christ. Whereas there is widespread societal discrimination against Christians, persecution in this form has reportedly not happened in the Comoros since the late 1990s.

21. Iraq

Religious tensions continued to rise in Iraq during 2006. Besides the bloody strife going on between Sunni and Shia Muslims and the fact that many attacks are simply part of daily life in the chaotic post-Saddam era, Open Doors workers in Iraq have reported increased violence specifically against Christians in the country. Christians suffer from the anti-Western atmosphere in the country. Many Iraqis see the West as Christian, so they jump to the conclusion that when you are Christian; you are a collaborator. The cartoon incident; Ramadan and statements from Pope Benedict ignited an explosive climate. Other motives, especially when targeting Christians in kidnappings, are financial, since many Iraqi Christians are part of the middle class. In 2006, several Christians were murdered, abused and/or kidnapped, and churches have been fired upon and bombed. Demonstrations were held and threats expressed towards non-Muslims in Baghdad. With the increase of churches being bombed and priests being kidnapped in Mosul and Baghdad, Iraq's Christian population is estimated to have dropped below 450,000, half the size it was in 1991.

27. Nigeria (north)

Twelve northern Nigerian states have imposed Islamic law in the past six years. Repeated outbreaks of religious violence have erupted ever since, claiming thousands of lives. Northern Nigeria also saw a violent reaction to the cartoons of Mohammad in the Danish newspapers. Riots led to the devastation of over 50 churches and the murders of 60 Christians in Borno state and Niger state. Muslims also reportedly killed 25 Christians in February in the northern city of Bauchi over an alleged blasphemy of the Quran. Another outbreak of violence was reported in the northern state of Yobe. Muslim youths reportedly burned churches and houses belonging to Christians. Evangelization among Muslims met with violence. A Christian woman was stoned and clubbed to death by Muslim extremists for sharing the gospel with Muslim youths in Niger state in late June. The woman, who was accused of “insulting’’ Muhammad, is the first fatality as a result of Muslim evangelism in Niger state since Sharia was introduced in 2000. In September, a mob of Muslim youths injured six Christians -- one critically -- and burned 10 churches in Dutse, capital of Jigawa state. The attacks were sparked by allegations that a Christian woman had blasphemed the Muslim prophet Muhammad. Demanding that she be stoned, angry Muslims mounted a rampage, destroying not only churches but also 20 Christian homes and 40 shops and leaving more than 1,000 Christians displaced.

31. Algeria

In Algeria a law was approved prohibiting efforts to convert Muslims to another religion and giving the government the right to regulate every aspect of Christian practice. The move seems aimed at maintaining stability after Islamist violence had plagued the country for a decade. Before the law was passed there was no legal barrier to the conversion of Muslims to other religions, though authorities did consider it to be subversive. By North African standards, Christians enjoyed a relatively high measure of religious freedom during the past few years. Last year the news came out that many Algerians were converting to Christianity. It seems that this extent of relative religious freedom has come to an end now. Local sources confirm that the situation in Algeria has worsened during the past year and that authorities are trying to isolate Christians by not granting visas. If we add to this the release of Islamist fighters imprisoned during Algeria’s civil conflict in exchange for peace, these could well be signs that the Algerian government is trying to appease Islamists, a move which could have serious consequences for the local church.

32. Mauritania

The Islamic republic of Mauritania recognizes Islam as the religion of its citizens. The (transitional) government limits freedom of religion in part by prohibiting the distribution of non-Islamic religious materials and the evangelization of Muslims. The total points for Mauritania increased considerably in 2006. Partly this is due to the fact that we recently received more information on the country. On the other hand, there was also an increase in harassment of national believers and expatriate African churches during the past year. The details have not been published at the request of Christians in the country.

35. Turkey

The climate on religious tolerance seems to have changed in Turkey in comparison to the previous year. In February, a Roman Catholic priest was shot and killed after Sunday mass. The murder was probably committed as a reaction against the caricatures of the prophet Muhammad. Several other clergy have been threatened and attacked. In total, there were four attacks on Catholic clergy and two assaults on Turkish Protestant church leaders. Apparently local media incited the misguided and nationalist motives of the culprits. In October, two Turkish converts to Christianity were accused of “insulting Turkishness, inciting hatred against Islam and secretly compiling data on private citizens for a local Bible correspondence course.’’ In November a Protestant church was firebombed. The attack followed months of repeated harassment by unknown elements against the small Protestant congregation in the town of Odemis,
65 miles east of Izmir. Last December, Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer blocked a key piece of reform legislation to broaden religious freedoms in Turkey. In its final amended form, the bill would have permitted minority religious foundations to reclaim dozens of valuable properties confiscated by the Turkish state over the past 32 years.

37. Ethiopia

Although the constitution of Ethiopia provides for freedom of religion, local Christians feel the government controls this freedom. Evangelical believers are not recognized, and they report that their churches are monitored. In majority Islamic regions, Christians experience most of the opposition from local authorities and radical Muslims. There are many Somalis living in the border region between Somalia and Ethiopia. The influence of Islamic extremists in Somalia encouraged the surge of extremism in this border region in Ethiopia. Hostility towards Christians was also incited across Ethiopia after the caricatures of the prophet Muhammad were published in Denmark. Proclaiming jihad or holy war, Muslim extremists attacked three churches and a Christian organization in northern Ethiopia in March, burning them to the ground along with Bibles, spiritual books, musical instruments and other property. Radical Muslims attacked several other churches and beat converts. A number of believers have been imprisoned because of their faith or have remained in hiding throughout the year. In September, violence erupted between Muslims and followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church during an Orthodox celebration in Oromia state, southwestern Ethiopia. The initial stone throwing escalated to the murdering of Christians and Muslims, the burning of buildings, forceful conversions to Islam and the displacement of 2,000 people. Christians from an Islamic background are often fiercely persecuted by family members. Not only are they ostracized from the community, but they also face threats and attacks. In other regions, the church has quite some freedom. Overall, the situation worsened to a certain extent.

47. Kenya (northeast)

Generally, there is freedom of religion in Kenya. Nevertheless, in majority Muslim areas like the northeast, Christians face restrictions and harassment due to their faith. This pressure increased to some extent during 2006. In March, three missionaries were expelled after several Muslims converted to Christianity. The District Security Committee of Wajir made this decision “for security reasons’’ following protests from local imams. In May, Muslim extremists attacked a Christian radio station at a Pentecostal church in Nairobi after a weekly Christian radio program aimed at evangelizing Muslims was broadcast. The brutal raid left one person dead and three injured. Part of the building was torched.