Marketing
SAMO UZ BOŽIJU POMOĆ
Hundreds of Christian prayer warriors from around the world congregated in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday for the first National Day of Prayer for Eritrea, sharing afterwards that they feel change was imminent.
“We are really expecting miracles,” said one key Eritrean leader, according to U.K.-based human rights group Christian Solidarity Worldwide. “We are expecting to see the God who answers prayer by fire and to witness divine intervention in our nation.”
Another leader added, “Something huge, beyond our imagination is about to take place.”
The event was organized by the Eritrean Evangelical Fellowship in Africa and the Middle East and reportedly lasted nearly 9 hours.
Many of those that participated were members of the Eritrean Christian diaspora, but attendees also included Kenyan, American, Ethiopian Christians and messianic Jews – one of whom traveled from Israel.
Eritrea is infamous for its persecution of Christians, particularly evangelicals whom the country regards with great suspicion because of its newer history. Reports indicate that the government has raided churches, religious wedding ceremonies, and gatherings to arrest Christians, many of which are imprisoned without trial or charged for an indefinite time. Some are even imprisoned in metal shipping containers under the hot African sun.
It is estimated that some 2,000 Christians are currently detained.
The U.S. State Department recognizes Eritrea’s horrific religious freedom violations and has designated Eritrea as a “country of particular concern” – the most severe religious freedom label - for three years in a row.
Currently, there is also international concern over the arrest of the ordained Patriarch of the Orthodox Church, Abune Antonios, who was forced out of office in January 2006 and is currently under stringent house arrest. A new patriarch was recently appointed but many religious leaders in the Orthodox Church have accused the government of orchestrating his appointment.
“Now that Eritrea is such a closed nation, we rely on the power of prayer to see an end to the spiritual repression they are suffering,” said Stuart Windsor, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, in a statement. “Christians around the world have a duty to pray for the approximately 2,000 Eritrean Christians, including the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church, who are currently indefinitely detained and often tortured for their faith.”
The Eritrean Christian leaders at the event expressed gratitude to Christians around the world for their prayers and concern.
An Eritrean Christian man recently died after spending four-and-a-half years in jail for his participation in a banned protestant church, reported a persecution watchdog group.
Magos Solomon Semere, 30, died of torture and chronic pneumonia in a facility near the port city of Assab in southeast Eritrea, according to Compass Direct News sources. He died on Feb. 15 after refusing to deny his faith in exchange for medical treatment.
Moreover, during his years in prison, the Christian leader was barred from seeing his fiancée who he was shortly engaged to before being arrested in 2002.
“Magos was determined to obey the lord rather than men,” reflected one of Semere’s prison mate, according to Compass.
The small East African nation is infamous among Christian persecution watchdog groups and religious freedom organizations for its intense persecution of people of faith it deems illegal or dangerous.
There is no state religion in Eritrea, but the government officially recognizes the Orthodox Church of Eritrea (Coptic Orthodox), the Roman Catholic Church and the Evangelical Church of Eritrea. However, recent reports indicate that the government is beginning to increase attacks on the Orthodox Church of Eritrea as some of its churches have increased evangelism efforts.
The government is particularly suspicious of newer Christian groups such as Protestant Evangelicals and Pentecostals in the region.
Semere, a protestant Christian from a group not recognized by the government, was first imprisoned in 2001 for evangelizing and holding worship meetings. He was released after 18 months, but re-arrested three months later during a large Protestant worship gathering in July 2002, according to Compass.
Eritrea is ranked high on many persecution and religious freedom violation lists including Open Doors and International Christian Concern. In addition, Eritrea is designated as a “Country of Particular Concern” by the U.S. Department of State for three straight years for its severe and “egregious” religious freedom violations.
A CPC status is a serious red flag to the U.S. government that can lead to actions such as sanctions against the designated country.
It is estimated that there are more than 2,000 Christians imprisoned, most likely indefinitely, without charge in Eritrea.
Jennifer Riley
Christian Post Reporter
Nema šale sa predsjednikom Eritreje. Kod njega je sve po kratkom postupku.
Post je objavljen 17.05.2007. u 14:23 sati.