The Persecution of Christians Part 34

Having finished his Sunday sermon from Psalm 18 on God as a stronghold who delivers his people from their enemies, Enoch Adeboye then led them to a cemetery. It was an ironic yet appropriate choice. Wearing a bright green tuxedo, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Lagos, Nigeria, marched… Continue reading The Persecution of Christians Part 34

The Persecution of Christians Part 33

US President Donald Trump called for an end to religious persecution at a US event on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations featuring a woman whose Uighur father has been imprisoned in China. Trump announced at the event on Monday a US pledge of $25 million to protect… Continue reading The Persecution of Christians Part 33

The Persecution of Christians Part 32

The impact on Christians and on their food security with Fulani herdsmen attacking Christian farmers in Nigeria’s Middle Belt means that tens of thousands of Christian farmers and their families have been displaced from what is called the breadbasket of Nigeria. This is the most fertile and healthy land in the country and has the… Continue reading The Persecution of Christians Part 32

The Persecution of Christians Part 31

The religious driver is the fact that the Fulani are a primarily Muslim population. When they attack these farming villages, they often burn down churches, kill pastors, and destroy Christians homes and shops. It’s never been heard of a mosque being destroyed or imam being killed during these attacks, so there is a clear sign… Continue reading The Persecution of Christians Part 31

The Persecution of Christians Part 30

For the ethnic driver, there is a belief that the Fulani historically owned much of northern Nigeria in what was known as the Sokoto Caliphate. Due to this, some think that the Fulani are trying to regain control of what they see as their land. This leads them to then attack and take land from… Continue reading The Persecution of Christians Part 30

The Persecution of Christians Part 29

The major drivers of the Christian persecution for the Fulani militants is a very complex issue with socio-economic, ethnic, and religious drivers. For the socio-economic driver, the Fulani are mainly migrant herders who need access to land. The Christian farming communities of the Middle Belt also need access to this same land. This creates tensions… Continue reading The Persecution of Christians Part 29

The Persecution of Christians Part 28

The Christian Ethnic Cleansing has several different drivers, based on groups and location. For Boko Haram, they are dedicated to ridding Nigeria of all Western influence, of which they think Christianity is a part. They also seek to create an Islamic caliphate in the northeastern part of the country. ISWAP is very similar to Boko… Continue reading The Persecution of Christians Part 28

The Persecution of Christians Part 27

Besides ISIS, Boko Haram and al-Shabaab, there is another lesser known group which The International Christian Concern (ICC)  term “Fulani militants.” This is a hostile group of individuals who attack Christian farming communities throughout the Middle Belt of Nigeria. The term militants is used because there are many Fulani who are peaceful, but there are… Continue reading The Persecution of Christians Part 27

The Persecution of Christians Part 26

The International Christian Concern (ICC) has asserted that Nigeria is the biggest killing ground of Christians today. How big a problem is Christian persecution in Nigeria compared to what goes on in other parts of the world? The three biggest terrorist organizations in the world today are ISIS, Boko Haram, and al-Shabaab. Boko Haram has… Continue reading The Persecution of Christians Part 26

The Persecution of Christians Part 25

A picture taken on February 24, 2017 shows the damaged alter of Saint Moses Catholic Church in the village of Bakin Kogi, in Kaduna state, northwest Nigeria, that was recently attacked by suspected Fulani herdsmen. Long-standing tensions between herdsmen and farmers have flared up again in Kaduna state, northern Nigeria, leaving possibly hundreds dead in tit-for-tat violence. Last weekend at least 21 people were killed and several homes were destroyed when suspected cattle drivers attacked five farming communities.But the clashes between the Muslim, largely Hausa-speaking Fulani cattle drivers and the mainly Christian farmers have escalated since December, when a Fulani chief was killed. / AFP / STEFAN HEUNIS (Photo credit should read STEFAN HEUNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Attacks by Fulani herders in particular have had a devastating effect on Christian farmers -thousands have fled, leaving behind fertile farmlands. “Without the access to their land, they no longer have the ability to grow food to sustain themselves and their families. It is also hurting the larger community as a whole as there are… Continue reading The Persecution of Christians Part 25