>As many as three Christians killed
>Dozens of churches destroyed
>130 people detained, official says
By BosNewsLife Africa Service
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (BosNewsLife)– Thousands of Christians are fleeing violence in western Ethiopia where Muslim extremists killed several Christians and burned dozens of churches, rights activists and officials said Wednesday March 9.
Advocacy group Barnabas Fund, which supports Christians in the Muslim-majority area, told BosNewsLife that 55 churches and dozens of homes are reported to have been torched in recent days near the city of Jimma, in western Oromia region, “with many more properties looted by the mob.”
Ethiopian government spokesman Shimelis Kemal said in a radio interview that two Christians had been killed in the incidents in the town of Asendabo and surrounding areas and that police reinforcements had moved in to restore order.
“In Jimma area, some extremists and some fundamentalists have instigated some people to burn a few prayer places, praying places, and this has been investigated by police and those who are suspected to have set fire on those churches have been apprehended,” he told the
Voice of America (VOA) network in an earlier interview.
CLASHES CONTINUE
Barnabas Fund said Wednesday, March 9, that three Christians had been killed. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy, but with tensions continuing the death toll was expected to rise.
“Attacks involving thousands of Islamists have continued, spreading systematically through five districts in the predominantly Muslim area,” said International Christian Concern (ICC), another U.S. based rights group closely monitoring the situation.
Government officials said so far 130 suspects had been detained and charged with instigating religious hatred and violence.
ICC quoted a Christian leader as saying that the attacks were organized by members of Kwarej, a radical Islamic group that fights to establish an Islamic state in Ethiopia.
The Muslim attackers allegedly came from different parts of Ethiopia, including the Somali region. “It’s very sad that a radical Muslim group destabilizes the unity of Ethiopian Christians and Muslims. We are devastated by the attacks and we urge all concerned people to help us. We call upon Ethiopian officials to prevent similar attacks from happening in the future,” the church leader reportedly said, apparently speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
VIOLENT PAST
The government has not yet confirmed the background of those detained.
Asendabo is a town located in an area that was the scene of violent attacks against Christians in 2006 when Muslims killed more than a dozen Christians and burned down several churches, ICC said.
“Islamic radicals are fighting to establish an Islamic state in Christian majority Ethiopia. Unfortunately, the Christians have borne the brunt of the Islamic attacks,” said ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, Jonathan Racho told BosNewsLife in a statement.
“Christians will continue to be killed unless the government of Ethiopia starts taking serious measures to stop Islamists from carrying out similar attacks,” Racho said, adding that his group has urged the international community to pressure Ethiopia’s government to improve the situation.
The most recent census reportedly indicates that Ethiopia is about 60 percent Christian and 40 percent Muslim, though Muslims dispute the figures. (With reporting by BosNewsLife’s Stefan J. Bos and reporters in the region).
>As many as three Christians killed
>Dozens of churches destroyed
>130 people detained, official says
Fake New, this is American propaganda period.!!!!!!!!
Dear A.K,
Most likely you don’t like this report, but could you be a bit more concrete why you believe that this is fake news?
BosNewsLife News Center
This maybe a real news but why don’t u leave Ethiopia alone and mind your own bussiness all this ‘war’ is probably becouse of you and you are here trying to put some more gas on the fire so that we go there and fight with the Muslims…. we used to live side by side with love and harmony till you white deveils come….
typical christian propaganda, go to muslims to evangelise, and when you find out that muslims are immune to evangelical assaults, cry, “terror” and attack muslims.
Why Muslims religion and their Qur’an teach violence in any country where Muslim religion is practiced?
Ethiopian government could have stopped if they would have responded in timely manner immediately after they received religion disturbances in that location and region but I don’t know why they didn’t respond to the call that was needed immediate attention.
Government of Ethiopia should not allow any kind of religion conflict in the future. Government should make a law that any religion institutions or member of any religion group that against the other religion should be receive harsh punishment including fine and imprisonment.
It is regrettable that Christians are being killed in their own country. Muslims took refugee when their own people prosecuted them in time past. Is this the wage of hospitality? I do not think so. The government should do something before these externally funded fundamentalists turn the country into chaos. A.K 47, I do pray for you. May God help you to come to your senses and stop blaming America for all the aliments of the world. .
Round UP ALL the Muslim Extremists in all parts of Ethiopia and prosecute them!!! That is the only way Ethiopia can deal with this scourge. This is a relatively new development for Ethiopia for Ethiopian Muslims have been Moderate in the past. The Ethiopian government can’t ignore the Extremists within the country while going all across to another country, to Somalia, to fight Islamic Extremists!!!
Thank you BosNewsLife Center for becoming voices for the voiceless. As to habesha, I can imagine how his response could have been if one of those burned down churches is his own and he belongs to those looted and chased people. Habesha! please feel the pain before starting to tell us the sayings of Abbote of Uganda.
Dear Habesha (or are you also A.K 47?),
Thanks for slowly but surely admitting that “This maybe a real news”. So much for the “American propaganda” allegation. I am not sure what evidence you have that “All this ‘war’ is probably becouse of you” meaning apparently BosNewsLife. We obviously report on “real news” wherever that may be, including Ethiopia. You say that “we used to live side by side with love and harmony till you white deveils come….”. As far as we know, the Christians were attacked by African Muslim extremists. You apparently think that all Americans are white. That’s not the case. Think President Obama, Colin Powell, to name a few leaders. But obviously these Americans too had nothing to do with the anti Christian attacks. And ‘to ‘Jesus is Muslim’. You apparently did not read the article carefully as it pointed out that Muslim extremists were involved in attacking Christians. I encourage to read the Bible as you will notice that Jesus was here before the Islamic religion/ideology was invented.
Best regards,
Stefan J. Bos, BosNewsLife
This is a worrisome development. When I was a kid we had Muslim neighbors and they were celebrating our Christmas with us. They were also inviting us to their homes on their Eid. They were nice people. But I think there is a lot of money coming in from Saudi Arabia, Iran and elsewhere to radicalize our Muslims. Although there is no conversion from Christianity to Islam on a large scale, I know some Christians who were converted to Islam attracted by financial incentives. On the other hand we don’t see Muslims converting to Christianity. Rather they are becoming increasingly bold in asserting themselves. I think Christians should stop this modesty and show some courage to defend their religion and propagate its message boldly. There is no reason why the minority should be allowed to harass the majority. It is not just right.
Solomon
Unfortunately muslim extermists have become reality in Ethiopia too, and fanatic people understand nothing but harsh retaliation. Perpetrators of religious related hate crimes and those that instigate such acts should be punished the hardest way possible. Appeasement policy that the Ethiopian government has been persuing is wrong, because these idiot Ayatollahs seem to start bloody religious-cleansing in their neighborhoods whenever a crazy imam cries “blasphemy!”.
its true stefan i have family friend living that area its not american propaganda its true and its not new they killed christians before in jimma the place called beshasha in vicious way its discs ding it has to stop ethiopian government wake up protect your people. for jesus is muslim chiristian means follower of christ he dont teach to kill to love.
I grow up in a Muslim neighborhood experiencing a strong social life between the Muslim and christian community. However, once the radical Muslim groups, who come from different countries, begin to dispatch their ideology our Muslim brothers and sisters are starting to reflect that.The government should take a serious measure to stop such kind of violence not to happen again.
Combine growing up under a Marxist-Leninist government and its beyond insane indoctrination propaganda with the growing Muslim population, pagan fusion influence, and lastly growing up in 6000’+ above sea level low oxygen level conditions and what do you get?
Millions upon millions of half retarded slave minds brainwashed in fear and satanic delusions and unable to even realize it. See only a minor example of it in the comments on this article.
There are reasons dogs can murder, rape and pillage all who stand in their way without feeling any shame or guilt.
Hell will be the abode of the wicked and unsaved for all eternity.
dear stefan bos
first of all i’m not AK 47 or someone else!
and what i want you to know is that i don’t have nothing against you and your site my problem is with the way you exaggerate things I’m not a Muslim and where i used to live back home in addis we used to live greatly side by side all the problems come when the Islamic extremist come there to brain wash them like you are tryin to brain wash us here (for your information i didnt even knew that your site exists or something its just a coincidence that brought me here ) anyway you extremists (Muslims or Christians or what ever ) stay where ever you are and live you extreme life as extreme as you want and leave us alone). and next time when u start your replay by sayin “dear habesha” write it to me only and not for all the other peoples who wrote you all other things becouse i can only be responsible for what i wrote and i’m sure you can see the ip log’s and you can see that i’m not anyone else unless you want to belive it that way…. and before i finish i’ll recomand for you and for all the white devils who think they can save the world to read and undesratnd this first…..
Matthew 7
“1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye; and lo, the beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
etehiopia is aunique country in the world that both the muslim and christian brother and sister lived together peace fully with out any problem for along period of time but after the coming of the aparthied regime the so called EPDREF- TPLF ethiopia became the land of misery any way the true childern of ethiopia must unite together to save our mother land
Dear Habesha,
Thank you for pointing out that you’r not AK 47. We are not in the business of brain washing people. All I did was just reporting a news development in Ethiopia. Are you sure you have read Mathew 7 carefully? Indeed it says “judge not, that eye be not judged”. Please don’t judge me as a ‘white devil’ for simply reporting the truth. No I can not save the world. I have never said that. Jesus Christ is the Only One who can save the world (people), according to the Bible. It it, John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (New International Version).
Best regards,
Stefan J. Bos, BosNewsLife
“etehiopia is aunique country in the world that both the muslim and christian brother and sister lived together peace fully with out any problem for along period of time”
You are so brainwashed in ignorant delusions it is beyond normal human understanding. I advise you to go down to sea level for a decade or so and then start to reexamine history and the world, you have been without enough oxygen to your brain for too long, it may already be too late.
“mind your own bussiness all this ‘war’ is probably becouse of you”
“you exaggerate things”
“all the problems come when the Islamic extremist come there to brain wash them like you are tryin to brain wash us here ”
“you extremists (Muslims or Christians or what ever ) stay where ever you are and live you extreme life as extreme as you want and leave us alone)”
“you and for all the white devils”
“Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” I guess by your judgements you think you see clearly now eh Marxist Antichrist hypocrite?
“it shall be measured unto you” Consider yourself measured upon hypocrite Marxist-Leninist slave mind.
REPENT
Dear All,
I come from the land of Palestine/Israel (and by the way, a point off the record, we have many thousands of Ethiopians here, and thousands more are expected to arrive this year – mini-Ethiopia here and Ethiopian brothers and sisters sure know how to be good soldiers). Beautiful people.
In my opinion, this Islamic ambition to conquer and take over is not new and is WAY BEFORE the whites assumed power globally. It is simply a struggle for power, started in the 7th century where Muslims would try to invade the whole Middle east and Africa regions.
Of course, in many areas Muslims did manage to take over, the likes of Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Bosnia, Sudan, India (yes, India), Italy, Spain, and so on.
However, with the whites assuming power, it was a huge interruption of Muslim extension, and Muslims started retreating and losing power, such as in India, and many of the previously-enslaved nations (such as the Hindus of India, Serbs and Croats who rebelled against Ottomans and Spaniards of Spain, to name a few)…
Now concerning Ethiopia, historically, the Ethiopian brothers and sisters did maintain their rich Christian faith and they were actually invaded by Muslims earlier in history.
What truly pisses off today’s Muslims with Expansion ideology is colonization. But the only reason they hate colonization is because white colonization managed to restrict another kind of colonization, Islamic colonization.
Wahhabis of KSA clearly playing a role… but I think that Ethiopians need to be alert and awake…. SOBER to be able to defend themselves and their rights from such threats…..
However, if you keep the faith mates, your country wouldn’t go astray.
Many Muslims are moderate including in Ethiopia.. but the problem is that they could easily be offset by the extremists and actually in such cases, the extremists put all normal muslims in danger and them muslim peoples’ life will be hell and reputation will be in trouble…