More violence rattles Pakistan

(Photos courtesy Morning Star News
 / Voice of the Martyrs Canada)

Pakistan (MNN) ― On Friday, days after a massive church bombing in Peshawar, Pakistan, another bomb exploded on a crowded bus carrying government officials. This blast killed 17 people and wounded more than 40. It was the second major attack in or near the northwestern Pakistani city in a week.

A Taliban splinter group claimed responsibility for that attack as well. Both were reportedly in retaliation for American drone strikes in the nearby tribal belt. However, the attacks also spurred new conversation about the wisdom of peace talks with the terror group as well as security for the minorities they were targeting.

In fact, the security issues provoked demonstrations on Monday and Tuesday that brought parts of Pakistan's cities to a standstill. Voice of the Martyrs Canada spokesman Greg Musselman explains, "That led to Christians protesting in cities around the country saying 'the military needs to do a better job of protecting us.' The police, in many cases, situations have happened, and we've seen government officials, police, and military, not be very active." Christians held crosses aloft, burned tires and blocked roads across the country as they demanded better protection from the government.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has warned that the attack on All Saints Church could be the first of many if Pakistan's government doesn't take decisive action to bring the perpetrators to justice. Musselman agrees. Violence tends to build its own momentum. "As one colony is attacked, or a church is bombed or Christians are attacked, then it causes others to say, ‘This is a good way of going after these infidels, these ones that love the West.' It's used as an excuse to attack. The fear definitely is that these kinds of things will continue and become more violent."

After confirming the attack on All Saints Church as the deadliest attack on Pakistani Christians in Pakistan's history, USCIRF said that words and promises to protect the religious minority will not be enough to stop the ever-escalating levels of intolerance sweeping across Pakistan. "Certainly, the government of Pakistan and local officials don't want to see these kinds of suicide bombings and massive attacks, but then what that led to was Christians saying, ‘You NEED to protect us.' That's the word coming from governments around the world: ‘You need to do a better job of protecting your minorities--in this case, Christians.'"

What's more, the Taliban group issued this threat through Reuters: "[The Christians] are the enemies of Islam, therefore we target them. We will continue our attacks on non-Muslims on Pakistani land." To that, Musselman adds, "This has been going on for a long time. I don't think it's going to get any better. But, it has caused the church of Christ in Pakistan and many corners of the country to stand up and say, ‘We're here, too, and we have a right to be here.'"

Pakistan ranked #14 out of 50 on the Open Doors USA World Watch List of countries that persecute Christians. If the pattern holds true, there will be more headlines and more bloodshed. To that end, Musselman urges solidarity among the followers of Christ. "Be praying that the Lord will continue to draw people to Himself. Then also, [pray] for the protection of these new believers, especially those from Muslim backgrounds, and then also for the Christian leaders that they would have wisdom on how they talk to their people."

Church barely dodges bombing

(Photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)

Nigeria (MNN) ― Revival Church in Central Nigeria just barely avoided a bomb attack on Tuesday, one of many moves against Christians in the country.

The bomb was discovered and safely removed by Nigeria’s Anti-bomb unit. So far, no groups have claimed the attempted attack.

This discovery came right on the tail of an attack the day before. Shooters surrounded Deeper Life Church in Central Nigeria, blocked the church entrance with a van, and murdered 19 believers. The pastor was among those killed.

While no group has claimed these attacks, the pattern matches that of the Muslim extremist group Boko Haram.

Carl Moeller with Open Doors USA says the targeting of Christians is part of an agenda. “This is an intentional effort on the part of the Muslim extremists to drive Christians completely out of the country, particularly out of the northern part of the country.”

Moeller says, “These attacks are an escalation of the violence that has plagued Nigeria along this north-south dividing line for years. It is accelerating at a rate that is very troubling.”

Boko Haram gives no indication of letting up on their attacks. Over the weekend, Boko Haram’s leader Abubakar Shekau released a video clip online. On the video, he demands that Nigerian Christian President Goodluck Jonathan “repent and forsake Christianity.” Shekau stated that if President Jonathan does not convert or resign, Boko Haram’s violent campaign will continue.

Reuben Abati, the presidential spokesman, dismissed the threat as attempted blackmail. But Boko Haram has been very systematic with carrying out their activities.

Such intimidation has failed to stomp out the faithfulness of Nigerian Christians. If anything, it has fanned the flame of devotion.

“As the Gospel spreads, it comes in contact with more and more hostile forces. They persecute those [who] are bringing the Good News of Christ,” says Moeller. “As persecution comes, Christians are forced to deal with the fact that superficial faith won’t cut, and so their faith becomes deeper and stronger. That of course encourages them to more boldly witness. This cycle continues.”

Open Doors has been working with the Nigerian church to bring encouragement and to help rebuild. According to Moeller, “It’s a daunting challenge because there’s so much violence in the area. Open Doors is often the primary organization going in when others are coming out.”

Projects include training churches to stand strong before violence occurs, and where violence occurs; rebuilding sanctuaries, replacing Bibles and books, and providing trauma counseling.

“We are there as a shoulder to cry on in many cases,” Moeller says. “But also with the hope of Christ in the midst of that trauma, Christ can actually come in and through the Holy Spirit heal the deep wounds that are caused by it.”

Open Doors also gives a voice to persecuted Nigerian Christians. They are actively involved in the media and present their case before authorities in Washington D.C. and the United Nations.

Moeller asks for prayer. “Pray for the church in Nigeria…that they would pray for those who persecute them, not attack them. And then that they would be able to rebuild and continue to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to their fellow countrymen.”

Bomb Blast in Kaduna, Nigeria Leaves at Least Eight Dead

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

KADUNA. NIGERIA (ANS) -- A powerful bomb blast rocked Kaduna metropolis yesterday, leaving at least eight dead, many badly injured and causing millions of naira worth of destruction to properties and businesses.

Eyewitnesses told Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria (CSWN) that the bombers were on motorcycles, and were heading towards a spare part shop in a busy trading area, before residents heard the sound of an explosion, which killed one motorcyclist.

According to news reports, the National Emergency Management Agency, Red Cross, Federal Road Safety Corps, Police and Army worked for hours to evacuate the injured and the decapitated bodies of victims.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) www.csw.org.uk  says the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police is reported to have attributed the explosion to gas cylinders and batteries in the shops. However, CSW reports, Mr Sunday Mba, the Chairman of the Spare Part Seller’s Union, has said that shops in the area do not sell gas and that a battery explosion would not cause such extensive damage.

According to the Associated Press (AP), the Red Cross has confirmed that the explosion in Kaduna was a bomb, corroborating eyewitness reports made to CSWN; however no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

CSW explained that Kaduna was one of the sites of deadly post-election violence in April. More recently, several people were killed when two villages in southern Kaduna were attacked by armed Fulanis.

Andrew Johnston, Advocacy Director for Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), said: “We extend our condolences to the families of those killed in this deadly blast.

“Although the authorities have claimed this was a case of exploding batteries and gas cylinders, eyewitness reports are unequivocal that this was a bomb, detonated in a busy trading area to inflict maximum damage to people and property, and there are suspicions that Boko Haram may have been involved. “We urge the state authorities to take these reports seriously, and conduct a thorough investigation in order to swiftly apprehend the perpetrators of this appalling attack.”

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organization working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, emailkiri@csw.org.uk  or visit www.csw.org.uk .

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** Michael Ireland is the Senior International Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior International Reporter

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** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

Refugees at risk in South Sudan

Sudan (MNN) ― While South Sudan is a new country, it hasn't taken very long for tensions to rise between the North and South. According to reports, Sudan has been attacking the new nation in the states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan. The conflict appears to be over how the two nations will share the South's sizable crude oil reserve.

President of Open Doors USA Carl Moeller describes the problem. "We have seen and documented bombs falling on refugee camps in critical areas. Christians are indeed caught in the crossfire here. This is a very complex problem."

Moeller says the situation is bad. Will it get worse? "If there's a full-scale war going on, eventually it'll come to the world's attention. But unfortunately, at that point it may be too late to do anything about it."

The situation already is not good. Moeller says, "We have 300,000 displaced in that area. We've got people being killed on a regular basis and literally bombs being dropped, and it's as if nothing is taking place."

International news organizations aren't talking about it. "Why doesn't the world stand up and recognize that Sudan is attacking its neighbor to the south, South Sudan, and do something more officially in the U.N. to condemn this and to provide some troops on the ground to help prevent additional violence?"

Thankfully, the years of civil war and most-recent violence have not destroyed the church. Moeller says, "It is a church that has literally come through the Refiner's fire of persecution. After such horrible persecution, they can't take anything else away from these people."

In the meantime, Open Doors USA is asking Christians to get actively involved in the plight of these brothers and sisters in Christ. "We are praying for the church in Sudan. We are comforting those who have lost [loved ones] and homes; we are providing the material resources they need, and we're alerting the world to what's going on."

Your financial support can help not only the persecuted church in Sudan, but around the world. 

Blast Near Church in Kirkuk, Iraq Injures 13

Christian leaders say senseless violence designed to confuse, shock.

By Damaris Kremida

 

ISTANBUL, August 3 (Compass Direct News) – A car blast outside a Syrian Catholic church in Kirkuk, Iraq yesterday morning left 13 wounded as police located and disarmed two more car bombs targeting churches in the city, according to area sources.

 

Online video images of the attack against the Holy Family Church showed one of its walls blasted open and all its surfaces covered with broken glass, rubble and dust from the entrance where the explosion took place to the sanctuary on the far end of the building. The explosion occurred on the second day of the month-long Muslim fasting period of Ramadan.

 

Nearby houses in one of Kirkuk’s oldest quarters, where Muslims and Christians had lived together peacefully, were seriously damaged, and cars on the street were left in twisted piles of metal. Shattered glass wounded 13 residents as they slept, area sources said.

 

“We are sad because this is nonsense, and people are discouraged,” the archbishop of Kirkuk, Monsignor Louis Sako, told Compass. “We try to encourage them and give them hope. We have asked the mayor-governor to help the families that lost their houses and cars before thinking to restore the church.”

 

Today all but one of the wounded residents in the church’s neighborhood – an elderly man who was seriously injured – reportedly had been released from the hospital. The Rev. Imad Yalda, the parish priest, was in the church building at the time of the blast and was also slightly wounded.

 

Though Yalda and the community were sad about yesterday’s events, a local pastor who requested anonymity told Compass such attacks have become a normal part of the lives of Christians in Iraq.

 

“He accepted what happened, but he was very sad for the building of his church,” the pastor said. “But this has become ordinary for us, and we expect that any minute something will happen here. When you are living in this situation, you are used to accept what is happening.”

 

No terrorist or extremist group has taken responsibility for yesterday’s attack in Kirkuk, and local church leaders said it seems Christians in Iraq are trapped in a senseless game of power and intimidation.

 

“Sometimes we feel there is some pressure over the Christians all over Iraq to make them leave their cities and go to the northern part of Iraq, to Kurdistan,” said the pastor, “but who knows? I can’t say those who did this want us to leave our city.”

 

Sako said the perpetrators, whether they are Islamic extremists with anti-Christian motives or terrorists with political motives, are trying to create an atmosphere of confusion by attacking Christians during the Muslim holy month of fasting, Ramadan.

 

“They are using this to shock people,” said Sako. “They are getting the attention of politicians in Kirkuk and in Iraq and saying, ‘We are here and powerful, and we can do whatever we want.’ It’s just confusing – [they want to] say they are here and create a chaotic situation and make a panic among the people.”

 

Car Bombs Defused

Authorities also located two other cars full of explosives in the area. One was parked in front of the church building of Mar Gourgis, of the Assyrian Church of the East. A school is located next to the church building.

 

Another vehicle packed with explosives was parked in front of a Protestant church in the neighborhood. When the church pastor and others in the neighborhood heard the blast at the Holy Family Church at 5:30 a.m., they came out to see what had happened.

 

In front of the Protestant church complex they saw a suspicious car filled with containers of gas. Before noon, special forces confirmed the car was full of explosives and disarmed it. In the process there was a small explosion that broke 21 windows of the church complex.

 

Kirkuk’s Christian leaders said they fear more Christians will decide to migrate abroad after this attack. The Protestant church that was targeted yesterday has 70 members, of which nine will be leaving the country in the next two months, according to its leaders. Yet they hope that Christians will remain in Iraq.

 

“We continue to witness to Jesus Christ and our Christian values; we are not afraid,” Sako said. 

 

Kirkuk, 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Baghdad, is a culturally diverse city with about 10,000 Christians.

 

There have been at least 45 abductions in Kirkuk since the start of the year, with most victims coming from well-to-do families, Agence-France Presse (AFP) reported last month.

 

A special report prepared for U.S. Congress last month stated that Iraq’s security is declining and is less safe than it was a year ago.

 

AFP also reported that June was the deadliest month in Iraq so far this year, with 271 people killed in attacks according to a government count.

 

A Baghdad court found four men guilty of “planning and preparing” an attack on the Syrian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Salvation last October in which 58 people were killed. The judge handed three perpetrators the death sentence and a 20-year jail term to another, according to The Associated Press. The men, whose names authorities did not release, have one month to appeal.

 

Last year’s attack was the deadliest one against the country’s Christians since Islamic extremists began targeting them in 2003. On Oct. 31, 2010, during evening mass, al Qaeda suicide bombers stormed the church building and held some 100 worshipers hostage for hours after detonating bombs in the neighborhood and gunning down two area policemen.

 

The militants sprayed the sanctuary with bullets and ordered a priest to call the Vatican to demand the release of Muslim women whom they claimed were held hostage by the Coptic Church in Egypt. When security forces stormed the building, the assailants started to kill hostages and eventually blew themselves up.

 

It is estimated that more than 50 percent of Iraq’s Christian community has fled the country since 2003. There are nearly 600,000 Christians left in Iraq.

 

www.compassdirect.org

 

END

 

Car Bomb in Northern Iraq Injures at least 20 People Outside Church Building

By Michael Ireland
Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

BAGHDAD, IRAQ (ANS) -- A car bomb exploded outside a Catholic church in central Kirkuk, Iraq, early Tuesday, wounding at least 20 people, authorities said.

According to CNN, the attack took place in Kirkuk's Shatterlo neighborhood around 5:30 a.m. (10:30 p.m. Monday ET). The network cited a police official who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

CNN said the wounded included staff from the Holy Family Church and people with homes nearby. The Interior Ministry stated 23 people were injured.

The CNN report said police told the network the explosion damaged the church and a number of nearby houses. Kirkuk is an ethnically-divided city located about 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Baghdad.

In the past few years, extremists have carried out major attacks against churches. An October 31, 2010 attack on the Sayidat al-Nejat Cathedral, or Our Lady of Salvation Church, left 70 people dead and 75 wounded, including 51 congregants and two priests.

CNN said the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group that includes a number of Sunni Muslim extremist organizations and has ties to al Qaeda in Iraq, claimed responsibility for the Baghdad church siege.

CNN expalined that religious minorities, such as Christians and Yazidis, make up less than 5 percent of Iraq's population, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Since 2003, attacks against these minorities by insurgents and religious extremists have driven more than half of the minorities out of the country, according to UNHCR statistics.

Ivana Kvesic, reporting for the Christian Post at www.christianpost.com , said that in a coordinated effort to generate fear among Iraqi Christians, the attack occurred in the ethnically- and religiously-diverse city of Kirkuk outside a Syrian Catholic Church on Tuesday around 6 a.m.

In an online report, The Christian Post said at least 23 people were wounded in the attack, mostly from surrounding homes. The church's parish leader, Imad Yalda, was inside the church during the bombing and was also among the wounded.

Following the attack, two other car bombs were also found outside Kirkuk's Christian Anglican Church and the Mar Gourgis church.

The bombs were defused by security forces prior to their explosion, the website said.

Kirkuk's Deputy Police Chief, Torhan Abdulrahman said of the attack, "It was a coordinated attack to target churches at the same time."

The Rev. Haithem Akram, of one of the targeted churches in today's attacks said, "The terrorists want to make us flee Iraq, but they will fail. We are staying in our country."

According to the Christian Post, Iraqi's Christian minority, formally standing at around 1.4 million, has been significantly downsizing its presence in the country since the ousting of Saddam Hussein in 2003, with close to 1 million having fled to other regions in Iraq or leaving the country to seek refuge.

The website explained that Christians in Iraq are targeted predominately by Sunni extremists who find Christians in the country to be "non-believers." Christian pastors in Iraq have spoken out against Christian persecution in their country arguing for more government support and protection.

Canon Andrew White, who leads the St. George's Anglican Church in Baghdad, has spoken out against the violence, but has also argued that the violence has only served to strengthen Christian unity in the country.

Violence directed at Iraq's Christian minority hit an all-time high last October when 52 people were killed and dozens wounded in an attack on Baghdad's Our Lady of Salvation Catholic Church.

The website said an al-Qaida affiliated group claimed responsibility for the attacks that saw gunmen and suicide bombers storm the church and kill worshipers.

It was the most deadly attack on Christians in Iraq since the 2003 U.S. invasion of the country.

The wesite said that today's attacks come on the same day that a Baghdad court convicted three Iraqis to death for their role in last year's church siege.

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** Michael Ireland is Senior Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Ne wswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior Reporter

Two Bombs Explode Near Churches in Jos, Nigeria

Police probe motives for weekend blasts in areas where Islamic sect leaders live.

By Obed Minchakpu

 

JOS, Nigeria, August 2 (Compass Direct News) – Security officials are trying to determine suspects and motives for two weekend bomb explosions in predominantly Muslim areas of Jos where three churches and the residences of Islamic sect leaders are located.

 

The explosions led many Christians to remain indoors on Sunday (July 31). One bomb exploded on Saturday night (July 30) in the Angwan Rimi area of Jos near a Baptist Church building no longer in use because of previous damage by Muslim extremists. A second bomb exploded early Sunday morning near a Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) building on Sarkin Mangu Street and an Assemblies of God sanctuary in the Kwarrarafa Area, according to police reports obtained by Compass.

 

No one was hurt in either of the explosions.

 

Prominent Islamic leaders residing in the area of the Sunday morning blast include Sheik Balarabe Dawud, chief imam of Jos Central Mosque, and Sheik Sani Yahaya, leader of the Izala Islamic sect.

 

The churches near both blasts are located in areas that are predominantly Muslim because of displacement of Christians during religious conflict earlier this year. Christians have been forced to relocate to safer areas of the city.

 

Fears that large-scale violence by the Islamic extremist Boko Haram sect would seize Nigeria at the end of July, on the two-year anniversary of the death of the group’s leader, were not borne out.

 

The explosion on Saturday (July 30), from a bomb disguised as an empty can of groundnut oil, occurred in an area of Jos where Sheikh Saidu Hassan, deputy leader of the Izala Islamic sect, lives. The bomb exploded in the Angwan Rimi area at about 9:30 p.m., according to police.

 

An incident report obtained by Compass at the Angwar Rogo police station states that the bomb caused no death or injury but shattered the windows of a parked taxi.

 

The explosions occurred a week after five persons were killed in violence that broke out on July 26 between Muslims and Christians in the Angwan Rukuba area of Jos.

 

“Five people have been confirmed dead and 12 seriously injured,” said Capt. Charles Ekeocha, spokesman of the Special Task Force of a Special Military Operation in Jos to restore peace.

 

The Angwan Rukuba area became a hotbed of violence in Jos following multiple bomb explosions there last Christmas Eve. The bombs went off in three different locations in the area, killing over 100 Christians and injuring many others. Security agencies confirmed they were planted by members of the Boko Haram sect.

 

Emmanuel Dipo Ayeni, commissioner of police for Plateau state, called for calm over the explosions and said police were working hard to discover those responsible.

 

www.compassdirect.org

 

Lawyer Accuses Egyptian Military Council of Burying Church Bombing Case

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT (ANS) -- A lawyer for the Two Saints Church in Alexandria has accused the military council of ignoring the church bombing case.

Blood covered mural outside Two Saints Church in Alexandria

According to a story by Mary Abdelmassih for the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA), the bombing occurred on New Year's Eve in front of the church, and claimed the lives of 25 Copts and injured over 100 others who were attending midnight mass.

AINA reported that Joseph Malak, lead lawyer for the case, said the Coptic Church intends to file a lawsuit against the President of the Council of Ministers, the Interior Minister, and the Attorney General.

The suit is intended to compel them to re-open the investigation into the bombing, pointing out that a large number of affidavits, with the participation of a number of families of the victims, have been sent to the attorney general and the military council, without any reply.

According to AINA, Malak made these statements at a conference held by the Egyptian Center for Development Studies and Human Rights on July 24 at the Church of St. Mark in Alexandria. The conference was attended by the media, Alexandria priests, members of the Coptic Confessional Council in Alexandria and family members of the victims.

"We will demand the Attorney General to take determined action to complete the investigation into the case and to speed up detection of the perpetrators and bring them to trial," Malak said. AINA reported he explained this would include questioning former Interior Minister, Habib al-Adli, and the disclosure of the reasons for the release of the suspects who were arrested after the bombing.

AINA said he added that the lawsuit will also ask for the cancellation of the prohibition of publication of the bombing incident imposed by the attorney general in January, which is still in effect. It also obligates the Ministers of Interior and Justice to complete investigations and sentencing as soon as possible.

AINA said Father Makkar Fawzi, Pastor of the Two Saints Church, asked the media to press the issue, saying "You are our last resort; we have talked with many officials without any answer."

He added the State is fully responsible to search for the perpetrators, and the issue should not be ignored.

Rev. Abraham Emil, Deputy Pontifical for Alexandria and the priest of the Church of St. Mark, said the security and intelligence services are able to find the offenders.

AINA said he rejected the ongoing silence about the case, and called for the need to give the injured and the families of the victims their rights as Egyptians, and the state to be held responsible for the care of their families financially and socially.

"They have same rights as victims of the Revolution," he added.

AINA said Camil Saddik, Secretary of the Coptic Confessional Council in Alexandria, said it was not acceptable for the State to abandon the rights of the Copts killed during worship at church, stressing that their demands for revealing the real perpetrators is the least the victims deserve. He said the way the government is evading its responsibilities is a "stigma."

AINA said Saddik speculated on whether they was a connection between the bombing of the Two Saints Church and the threats issued to the Coptic Church eight hours before, demanding the release of detainees held by the Church.

AINA reported Coptic activist Edward Fahmy said, "Saddik is voicing what the majority of Copts believe, that the Salafists in collaboration with State Security carried out the bombings of the Alexandria Church."

Tamer Salah al-Din, one of the organizers of the conference, accused the Egyptian State Security of complicity in the bombing and spoke of their role in causing sedentary strife between Muslims and Christians.

AINA said he added that suspicions about the involvement of the State Security have risen after revelations that officers and security personnel who were assigned to protect the church at the time were not at their posts at the time of the bombing.

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Jeremy Reynalds is Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service, a freelance writer and also the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter,http://www.joyjunction.org He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "Homeless in the City." Additional details on "Homeless in the City" are available at http://www.homelessinthecity.com. Reynalds lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds atjeremyreynalds@comcast.net.

Nigeria: Bomb Explodes at All Christian-Fellowship Mission in Niger State, While Maiduguri Is Rocked by Violence

By Michael Ireland
Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

SULEJA, NIGER STATE, NIGERIA (ANS) -- A man and two women died when a bomb exploded at the All Christian-Fellowship Mission in Suleja, Niger State on Sunday July 10, while Maiduguri in north eastern Nigeria was rocked by violence that has been described as the worst this year.

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW - www.csw.org.uk ) , the blast in the Suleja church occurred just after 3pm, as several church members were taking part in a committee meeting after the church service. Two people died on the spot, including Justina Odogbo, the wife of the committee chair. Four others were critically injured, and were rushed to hospital, where one died.

Niger State is a state in the western part of Nigeria and the largest state in the country. The state capital is Minna, and other major cities are Bida, Kontagora, and Suleja. It was formed in 1976 when the then North-Western State was bifurcated into Niger State and Sokoto State. The state is named for the River Niger.

Suleja is situated close to the Nigerian capital, Abuja. The area may have been picked as a softer target, since security in the capital has been tightened and a curfew is in place there.

CSW says that although no group has claimed responsibility for the blast, the attack follows unconfirmed reports of a message issued by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram warning Nigerians to avoid Christians, security agents, and government institutions and functions, or risk death.

CSW stated that over the weekend the north-eastern city of Maiduguri suffered a further upsurge in violence, which one resident described as "hell let loose."

In a media advisory, CSW said that on Saturday night, two days after the Borno State government banned the use of motorcycles in order to thwart further attacks by Boko Haram, multiple explosions rocked parts of Maiduguri.

Also on Saturday, members of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) charged with security in the state are reported to have gone "on a rampage and caused a lot of havoc" after an army patrol was targeted in a bomb and gun attack by Boko Haram.

According to local residents, the military closed off the area where the attack occurred, and went from house to house rounding up and executing males within a certain age bracket, who were deemed to be possible members of Boko Haram.

On Sunday, churches in Maiduguri remained closed following the previous night's violence and warnings of imminent targeted attacks by the Islamist group.

Stuart Windsor, Special Ambassador for Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said, "If the alleged Boko Haram statement is accurate and their target is now shifting increasingly towards the church, Christians are in greater danger than ever, as their places of worship provide soft targets."

Windsor said: "It is vital that state and federal authorities ensure that adequate protection is afforded to these establishments, and that security is deployed during church services. However, reports of possible irregular actions and extra-judicial executions by some members of the JTF are deeply worrying and must be investigated as a matter of urgency."

He added: "It is crucial that security arrangements for the country as a whole and for Maiduguri in particular are conducted with sensitivity, in order not to alienate and further victimize innocent members of the public, who are already traumatized by the actions of this violent group."

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organization working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, email kiri@csw.org.uk  or visit www.csw.org.uk  

Michael Ireland is Senior Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior Reporter