Although Open Doors has provided close to 30,000 Bibles over the last year, the team brought a small supply of 100 children's Bibles for the orphans. One boy told Mark through tears how his father was murdered and his mother had died: "We asked him if he had any friends. He replied 'no.' Like most of the children there, however, he had a thirst for learning and his favorite hobby was reading. He was thrilled with the children's Bible. He was told how in the Bible he could read that God is His father."
It has been reported that hundreds of Islamic mercenaries were recruited from the neighboring republics of Niger and Chad to invade Christian towns and villages. Army uniforms were sold to fundamentalists and they were given motorbikes while the mobs were provided with knives and machetes.
According to Open Doors, churches, houses and vehicles of Christians, Christian villages and Christian pastors were targeted during the raids. The targeted states are in the center of Nigeria, separating the predominantly Muslim north from the predominantly Christian south.
Shariah (Islamic law) has been implemented in 12 northern states. There are Islamic forces seeking to institute Shariah Law throughout the country. Religious violence has characterized the move to Shariah Law in many of the northern areas.
Compass Direct reports church and government leaders in northern Nigeria are growing restless over President Olusegun Obasanjo's failure to prevent northern states from using Shariah Law to persecute Christians. Nigeria's northern Christian leaders have demanded that Obasanjo's government put a stop to the Islamic law practiced in those northern states.
Saidu Dogo, secretary general of the northern chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), said the organization has written Obasanjo about Muslims demolishing church buildings, rejecting applications to build new churches and denying land to Christians, according to Compass. "Yet, we see mosques being built on every corner of the streets - you don't even need government approval in these states to build mosques," Dogo told Compass.
"Nigeria is such a key country in the spread of Christianity throughout Africa," says Open Doors USA President Dr. Carl Moeller. "The battle is certainly real in Nigeria. Please pray with me for our brothers and sisters there as they face many atrocities. Thousands have died for their faith in Jesus Christ."
To partner with Open Doors, call toll free at 888-5-BIBLE-5 (524-2535) or visit www.opendoorsusa.org .
