According to Jerry Dykstra of Open Doors International, some 1,500 Nigerian Christians were massacred by Islamic fundamentalists last year. In addition, 173 churches were burned to the ground and 75,000 people were displaced.
In the states of Plateau and Bauchi, more than 1,000 widows and 9,000 fatherless or orphaned children were left without hope as a result of the massacres.
Open Doors, an international Christian ministry that supports and strengthens persecuted believers, is delivering relief aid, offering trauma counseling, providing Bibles and rebuilding churches for suffering Christians. Open Doors is also mobilizing churches in Nigeria to assist persecuted brothers and sisters in their congregations.
An Open Doors team recently visited Nigeria to encourage the believers there and to assess their ongoing needs. Mark, an Open Doors worker, tells how Christians are coping:
"It was very hard coming to these villages, past the burnt houses, cars and churches, seeing the widows with the ravages of their suffering evident in their eyes. And meeting the destitute and orphans. Wherever we went, hundreds of Christians traveled from miles around to meet with us. People were desperate for encouragement and for teaching from the Bible."
According to Mark, the people waited for hours before the team arrived, spending the time praying and worshipping. "There was so much power and joy evident in these times of worship," he says. "It was amazing and humbling. It was wonderful to see and hear the widows praising God in song and dance despite their terrible suffering."
He adds, "It was so good to begin sharing a word from the Bible with 'Praise the Lord' and hearing the reply of 'Hallelujah!' almost blasting the church roof off."
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.
