Dr Carl Moeller, Open Doors USA: Persecution of Believers in Eritrea
by Dr Carl Moeller, President of Open Doors USA
Posted: Thursday, August 2, 2007, 10:20 (BST)
Eritrea is a small country of four million located in eastern Africa on the Red Sea. But its lack of size and population doesn’t mean it’s not becoming one of the worst persecutors of Christians in the world.
An Open Doors co-worker recently paid a visit to the wife and children of an Eritrean pastor who was arrested three years ago, a victim of the Eritreatn Government’s clampdown on unregistered evangelical churches.
He met the pastor’s wife, Hadas, and their three daughters. Working as a hairdresser, Hadas struggles to provide for her girls. In addition to financial pressures, Hadas also feels stretched when it comes to the emotional care of her children. But despite the challenges, she reminds herself of the Lord’s miraculous provisions for them.
She said: “There are times when things are too much for me. Then I cry before God. I ask friends and relatives to pray for me to come out of that situation. Then God reminds me of His promises and I am encouraged.”
Compass Direct News reports there are approximately 2,000 Eritrean Christians under arrest without trial or legal charges solely for their religious beliefs. The prisoners include dozens of pastors and priests incarcerated in jails, police stations and military camps in 14 different cities and towns, some of them for more than three years.
Eritrean security forces began a harsh crackdown against the country’s evangelical Protestant community five years ago, outlawing all churches not under the umbrella of the Orthodox, Catholic or Lutheran denominations.
Since May 2002, anyone caught worshipping outside the government-approved religious institutions, either in church buildings or in private homes, has been subjected to arrest, torture and extreme pressure to deny their faith. Even weddings and other social activities held within Christian communities have been raided and the participants hauled off to jail, according to Compass.
Under the totalitarian regime of President Isaias Afwerki, religious repression has escalated even further in the past two years.
Targeted groups have included the Orthodox Church’s flourishing renewal movement and Muslim leaders who oppose the government-appointed mufti, according to Compass.
Have your say on this article
The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.
Added: Saturday, August 4, 2007, 11:53 (BST)
What a ridiculous government Eritrea has!!! The President is a Christian, majority of the cabinet are Christians, and what it seeks is to Eliminate Christians? Eritrea has a population of 50% Christians and 50% Muslims. There is no freedom of press, no democracy, no freedom of religion... Eritrea just got rid of one dictator and has another 'renewed' dictator.
Anyways, unless the world reacts to this, there is nothing to be done. We Christians should work hard to bring peace and stability on every Christian nation and society. Modern Christians are always on the risk of getting endangered, getting terrorist attacks, and many other harms. Even Eritrea, with a 'Christian' president discriminates many Christian groups.
It is not only Eritrea which harms Christians, there are many others. We recently heard about the kidnapping of more than 20 Korean fellow-Christians kidnapped by the Satan-led group, Taleban. Christians should show that we are strong and we are always under the protection of our Lord Christ, no matter what happens.
Eritrea is one country, with a dictator who puts many Christian groups under pressure till death. We all should pray together for the betterment of the lives of Christians in Eritrea, who are indirectly forced to 'disbelieve'.
Eyoel Asmerom Haile, Riyadh - Saudi Arabia
Added: Saturday, August 4, 2007, 6:07 (BST)
What strikes me is the total silence of so many evangelical pastors and preachers. I watch a lot af pastors on tv and listen to on the radio. What is taking place in Eritrea is going to spread elsewhere like wild fire because , Some very powerful persons here in the USA ignor it as if it is a niusance. They have forgotten that God put them in power in the most powerful nation on Earth for a special reason, to save man kind from the kind of evil dictators like that in Eritrea, whose hatred for evangelicals has no bounds.
Esau , Phoenix Az USA
