CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION

They Cry in Silence Mar/Apr 2011

Somali Girl Shot to Death for Embracing Christ. A 17-year-old girl in Somalia who converted to Christianity from Islam has been shot to death in an apparent “honor killing.” Nurta Mohamed Farah…

They Cry in Silence Jan/Feb 2011

We have been hearing reports that the sprawling Muslim country of Indonesia is a model of pluralism and religious harmony. According to an article on www.america.gov by Louise Fenner, “Indonesia…

They Cry in Silence Nov/Dec 2010

On August 6 Afghan police discovered the bodies of 10 Christian-aid workers in a remote village in northern Afghanistan. Six of the slain were Americans. All were members of the International…

Now That the Smoke Has Cleared

Nine years have passed since the tragedy of 9/11. Are we wiser and more diligent, or have we become what Lenin called “useful idiots”?

They Cry in Silence Sep/Oct 2010

Compass Direct News recently gave us a glance at life for Christians in Pakistan, a country that is 97 percent Muslim and purported to be an ally of America and…

When God Opens a Door…

After the Communists released Richard Wurmbrand from prison in 1965, an American heard him preach in Norway and encouraged him to tell his dramatic story in the United States. According…

A Martyr for Messiah

In every generation God raises up men who are faithful to Him in even the most difficult circumstances. One such man was Pastor Isaac Feinstein, a Jewish believer in Jesus who befriended…

An Old Man Wept

Due to the prayers of an old German carpenter named Christian Wolfkes, Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, founders of The Voice of the Martyrs, came to faith in 1938. Soon they led Jews…

The Story of Richard Wurmbrand

He endured imprisonment by the Nazis and torture by the Communists to become one of the 20th century’s most inspiring men of faith.

They Cry in Silence Jul/Aug 2010

Sometimes statistics are not enough. Those of us who report on the persecution of our brothers and sisters in Christ in so many parts of the world live in a constant…

They Cry in Silence May/Jun 2010

The bloody war al-Qaida is waging against America and the Western democracies is relentless and indiscriminate. And though al-Qaida terrorists actually kill more Muslims than “infidel” Westerners, they make sure…

They Cry in Silence Mar/Apr 2010

Compass Direct News reports that Christians in India were battered last year by radical Hindu extremists. A partial listing of the violent attacks confirmed that Christians were assaulted more than three…

They Cry in Silence Jan/Feb 2010

On October 27, Reuters reported that Somali pirates captured a British couple sailing in the Indian Ocean. The Britons, Paul and Rachel Chandler, were taken to Somalia and held for ransom…

They Cry in Silence Nov/Dec 2009

Think of the plight of a partially paralyzed 80-year-old Christian and his wife, Hanifa, 73, who were unable to flee their town in northeastern Pakistan as hundreds of Muslim radicals went…

They Cry in Silence Sep/Oct 2009

For all of the talk in the highest echelons of American politics and religion about conciliation between Islam and Christians, nothing is changing for beleaguered believers in Jesus in countries where…

They Cry in Silence Jul/Aug 2009

Iran is an increasing concern for the Middle East and the world, and no one seems to have a workable plan for how to control it. Its radical Islamist leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad…

They Cry in Silence May/Jun 2009

Those were the words Jesus spoke to His disciples in what we know as the Sermon on the Mount—words that traveled across the centuries to lodge in the heart of a 10-year-old…

They Cry in Silence Mar/Apr 2009

What could you expect if you were among the 2,000 to 3,000 Christians living in the Gaza Strip now controlled by the Hamas terrorist organization? Nothing good. As we have reported…

They Cry in Silence Jan/Feb 2009

Read these statistics and then try to tell yourself that all is well in the world of Christianity. According to the All India Christian Council (AICC), as reported by Compass…

They Cry in Silence Nov/Dec 2008

According to Compass Direct News, Muslims are murdering Christians because the leader of the radical Islamist group Tibliq died in May from injuries sustained in a 2006 auto accident. Ali Olukade’s followers now…

Map of the Middle East.

Eye on the Future

Two preachers were handing out tracts in England recently when a police officer threatened to throw them in jail for committing a hate crime. “They were warned that if they came back and were beaten

They Cry in Silence Sep/Oct 2008

At least 30 serious instances of persecution of Christian believers have occurred over a one-month period, reports Compass Direct News. Attacks, arrests, incarcerations, rapes, treason charges, destruction of church properties, blasphemy charges…

Silhouette of man speaking.

Who Speaks for Evangelical Christians?

It’s been rather amusing over the years to observe those who think they call the shots for evangelical and/or fundamentalist Christians when it comes to making social or political decisions in American life.

They Cry in Silence Jul/Aug 2008

Ami Ortiz, 15-year-old son of Israeli Pastor David Ortiz, arrived home in March to find an impeccably wrapped package on his front porch. Since it was the season of Purim…

Rabbi Bernstein Still Battling Freehold

If you want to hold a growth group, Bible study, prayer meeting, or weekly religious gathering of any type in your home in Freehold, New Jersey, you likely will find yourself before the zoning…

They Cry in Silence May/Jun 2008

When the Archbishop of Canterbury recently suggested the inevitability of instituting some aspects of Muslim Sharia law in Britain, he caused a justifiable furor. His comments also raised hackles in Canada…

Map of the Middle East.

Eleven Things Christians Should Know

“Bethlehem will become a town of churches devoid of Christians if you transfer the area to the Palestinian Authority,” predicted the late mayor of Bethlehem, Elias Freij, pleading—in 1993—not to transfer…

They Cry in Silence Mar/Apr 2008

Media producers and conservative Christians have long argued about whether film and television fare can so affect people, especially youth, that it influences their actions. Secularists in the celluloid industry have loudly…

While We Were Sleeping

Unbelievers will go to the mat to prevent dog fighting, but believers won’t do the same to prevent worldwide persecution of their brethren in Christ. Read what is happening while we sleep.

Persecution Update

COMPASS DIRECT NEWS—Pastor Mark Jaikumar was recovering recently in a private care facility in Bangalore, Karnataka state, India, after being kidnapped and blindfolded and overhearing Hindu extremists’ plans to kill him…

Seeds of the Great Persecution

Ancient Rome was no friend to Christianity. Christians simply didn’t fit in, and they paid a heavy price. Is America following in Rome’s footsteps? See for yourself.

‘Amisha’: The Heroic Housewife

I had never seen a Bible or even touched one. In 2001 I was living with my uncle who abused me and threw chairs at me. I went to a friend’s house…

The Everlasting Hatred

Born-again believers and Jewish people have been persecuted for millennia. And, unfortunately, the worst is yet to come. Why? Because of the everlasting hatred.

They Cry in Silence Nov/Dec 2007

Jim Jacobson, president of Christian Freedom International (CFI), said recently, “Christians in this nation don’t realize how fortunate they are to live in the U.S.” In a CFI press release, Jacobson said American…

Map of the Middle East.

Kissing Freedom Goodbye

For years realists on Middle East affairs said a Palestinian state would become a platform for radical Islamist terror and that the most dangerous merchants of death would populate the ministate…

They Cry in Silence Sep/Oct 2007

Sacred to the Hindus of India are monkeys, cobras, cows, and other animal and plant species. Unfortunately, the same respect, to say nothing of reverence, is not extended to Christians. Hindu extremists…

Then They Came for Me

When an American public school feels comfortable staging a hostage drill that makes Christians the terrorists, can something more sinister be far behind?

They Cry in Silence July/Aug 2007

Freedom of speech is not a right for Christians in many parts of the Muslim world. Compass News Direct has reported a gruesome example of the price Christians in a host…

They Cry in Silence Mar/Apr 2007

A 24-year-old man known only as Hasanuddin has admitted planning the savage, October 2005 beheadings of three Christian girls in Poso, Indonesia, as a “gift” to Muslims in celebration…

‘People Just Want Nice.’ Oh, Really?

When will we learn that some people don’t care about “nice” and that annihilating Israel is merely the warm-up to something far more nefarious?

The Price of Faith

In Pakistan, death awaits everyone who opposes Islam. Mujahid el Masih knows. In 1997 thousands of Muslims attacked his Christian village, setting fire to 1,500 homes, plus cars and medical clinics…

Silhouette of man speaking.

The Certainty of Our Security

As the year turns, Americans find themselves moving into a new political reality. The operative word in most quarters is uncertainty. Where will the “new direction” take us? No one…

They Cry in Silence Jan/Feb 2007

Before the November elections in the United States, politicians burned the roads and airwaves trying to convince voters they had the solution to the dilemma Saddam Hussein and his henchmen…

Silhouette of man speaking.

Questions That Beg for Answers

Here we go again. Just as they exploded with rage over 12 cartoons published in a Danish newspaper in September 2005, Muslims again are demonstrating that they will not extend freedom of the press…

They Cry in Silence Nov/Dec 2006

Some of you will remember the terrible atrocity we wrote about last year when radical Islamists in Indonesia beheaded three Christian schoolgirls on their way to class-es. Although the tragedy did not touch…

Brigitte Gabriel Conclusion

When the Palestinians started fighting in Lebanon [in the 1970s], the war took on such savagery that it was inconceivable. They would massacre the Christian cities. City after city. A signature Palestinian way…

They Cry in Silence Sep/Oct 2006

Two years ago, attending high school in Zaria city, Kaduna, Nigeria, went from tension to tragedy when Muslims attacked their Christian classmates. This was not a scuffle. The assault was brutal, and its effects…

Israel in the News: Special Report

Brigitte Gabriel is a survivor of Islam’s jihad against Lebanese Christians. Her story will astound you. Reared in an Arab country that taught her to hate Israel, her love for the Jewish state…

Silhouette of man speaking.

Ignoring the Obvious

While Americans burn time arguing the merits, or lack thereof, of the absurd fiction The Da Vinci Code (24 percent of its readers said the novel aided their “personal growth and spiritual understanding”), a real-time…

They Cry in Silence Jul/Aug 2006

Thousands of people rallied in Washington on April 30, hoping to pierce the conscience of America concerning the slaughter that continues in the Sudan. The focus of the demonstration was to protest…

Jihad, American Style

A crusade is under way to rid America of Christianity. If this statement seems harsh to you, you may change your mind after reading this article.

They Cry in Silence May/Jun 2006

The accusation is often leveled that The Friends of Israel is anti-Palestinian and, therefore, without sympathy for Palestinian Christians. This is in no sense the case. These accusations usually come…

Islamic Imperialism in the Real World

Many people snicker and jeer at the idea of a “seventh-century caliphate.” But the Muslims aren’t snickering. And their push to power could change your world.

They Cry in Silence Mar/Apr 2006

In October 2001 we reported on a terrible massacre of Christians in Pakistan. It was Sunday morning, and a congregation of some 100 believers was meeting for worship. Suddenly four radical…

Silhouette of man speaking.

A War Strictly off the Record

The teenagers were on their way to their Christian school in Poso (Sulawesi), Indonesia. As they walked through a cocoa plantation, none could have imagined the horror awaiting them. Hiding beside the path, hooded jihadists…

They Cry in Silence Jan/Feb 2006

On the first day of September, all schools in the Russian Federation celebrate a holiday that has come to be known as the Day of Knowledge. Children attend dressed in their best…

They Cry in Silence Nov/Dec 2005

Good news and bad news are coming out of Indonesia. As you may know, this is a country dominated by Muslims (88 percent), many of whom are radically opposed to Christians…

They Cry in Silence Sep/Oct 2005

It is hard for those of us in freedom-loving countries to imagine being thrown in jail for teaching children the things of God and the love of Jesus. But this is precisely what is taking…

They Cry in Silence Jul/Aug 2005

In 1936, Kazakhstan, a state just south of Russia, was incorporated into the Soviet Union. With the Soviet breakup in 1991, Kazakhstan became an independent nation, which allowed for a religious renewal and the freedom…

They Cry in Silence May/Jun 2005

And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure (1 Cor. 4:12). In a strikingly significant way, this verse expresses what Indonesian Christians practiced in the aftermath…

They Cry in Silence Mar/Apr 2005

For most people, coming home to family, friends, and loved ones is a cherished privilege. In the West, where physical persecution for our faith is virtually unknown, it is something we take for granted.

‘Sometimes it Gets Scary’

Haiti has been an independent nation since 1804. In the West, only the United states is older. The tragedy of Haiti is that it has been ruled and ruined by unscrupulous dictators, the worst…

Sharia: It’s Closer Than You Think

Amina Lawal, a 30-year old woman accused of adultery, was tried in a Nigerian court and found guilty. She was a divorced mother who bore a child…

They Cry in Silence Nov/Dec 2004

We often report in this space statistics related to Christian persecution. We’ve publicized the horror of the genocide being committed by Muslim radicals…

No More Villages to Burn

Christians are being killed in record numbers. If you think Muslims want to dominate the Middle East only, you are dangerously mistaken.

They Cry in Silence Sep/Oct 2004

That stand has led to extreme persecution in Communist Laos. Since 1975, Laos has been under the control of the Communist Pathet Lao. As is the norm for Communist-controlled countries, there is a one-party…

They Cry in Silence Jul/Aug 2004

Warren and his wife, Donna, were missionaries with the Africa Inland Mission (AIM). They were on loan from AIM to Here Is Life, a Ugandan Christian ministry that runs the Esther Evangelical School of Technology…

They Cry in Silence May/Jun 2004

Each Sunday, millions of Western Christians go to worship with Bibles in hand, usually one for every member of the family. Such a public display of God’s Word is an inherent right we seldom think…

They Cry In Silence Mar/Apr 2004

These startling figures reported by senior reporter George Thomas of CBN News reveal the very real problems confronting the Christians of postwar Iraq. A Christian leader surveying the situation in his country declared…

They Cry in Silence Jan/Feb 2004

A pastor from an evangelical church was ordered to appear before local security police on August 20, 2003. Upon his arrival, he was forced to stand “like Christ was hung on the cross,” with arms…

Getting the Picture

Paul Marshall’s deeply moving observation in his book Their Blood Cries Out (see adjacent article) helped inspire the Friends of Israel “Remember” pin that reminds us to pray for our Christian brethren who suffer…

They Cry in Silence Nov/Dec 2003

In mid-July a Muslim convert to Christianity left his home and headed for a mountainous region of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank. He took with him Christian materials, including audio cassettes, videos…

They Cry in Silence Sep/Oct 2003

Christians in Nigeria, Africa, breathed a deep sigh of relief when the vote tallies from the April presidential elections were announced. A large majority of Nigerians reelected President Olusegun Obasanjo, a born-again Christian, over his Muslim…

They Cry in Silence Jul/Aug 2003

They call them “chop squares,” execution sites usually outside mosques where the condemned meet their deaths at the hands of a sword-wielding executioner. For people found guilty of any of the following— murder, rape, armed…

They Cry in Silence May/Jun 2003

In his book, Their Blood Cries Out, author Paul Marshall shared this observation: Years ago, I drove up Bathhurst Street on my way to work in Toronto. I would pass synagogues of varying strictness, but each…

What’s Wrong with the Religious Right?

Who are these “dangerous” religious fanatics the secular media insists are running and ruining America today? Don’t be surprised if they are you!

They Cry in Silence Mar/Apr 2003

Everything seemed normal for Christian and Missionary Alliance worker Bonnie Witherall as she approached the prenatal clinic in Sidon, Lebanon, last November 21. Bonnie and her husband, Gary, had served in Lebanon for three…

Running the Race of Faith

Living for Christ brings great reward. But life can be rough, full of ups and downs. Here’s how to get through the tough times and win the race of faith.

They Cry in Silence Nov/Dec 2002

On a day in late July, students, faculty, and employees were taking a leisurely lunch inside the popular Frank Sinatra Cafeteria on the campus of The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Without warning, a thunderous explosion…

They Cry in Silence Sep/Oct 2002

When people think of Colombia, South America, they usually think of drug trafficking and the scourge of addiction it produces. The murder of public officials there is commonplace as the war to curtail the drug

They Cry in Silence Jul/Aug 2002

On April 26, 2002, the government of Vietnam hosted a cultural festival in Bac Ha (in Lao Cai province) to demonstrate “religious freedom” to religious leaders from around the world who appeared on the guest…

They Cry in Silence May/Jun 2002

Although Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was Jewish, not Christian, in many ways his execution parallels that of Christian believers in other parts of the world. Not only was it strikingly similar in manner…

Happy Mother’s Day

Donald Grey Barnhouse, a great man of God who ministered for many years at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia until his death in 1960, once told the true story of a boy whose mother died…

They Cry in Silence Jan/Feb 2002

Saturday, October 14, was another very bad day for Christians in Nigeria, West Africa. According to a CNN report, Muslim terrorists used the cover of anti-American riots, held in protest of the bombing of Osama…

They Cry in Silence Nov/Dec 2001

Until the Al-Aqsa Intifada erupted in Israel a year ago, the Arab-Christian village of Beit Jalla, just outside Bethlehem, was a quiet place overlooking Jerusalem’s Jewish suburb of Gilo.

They Cry in Silence Sep/Oct 2001

Indonesia is a nation splashed across thousands of miles of the Indian Ocean and Java Sea in Southeast Asia. The nation is comprised of a mind-boggling 13,660 islands and ranks as the world’s fourth largest…

They Cry in Silence Jul/Aug 2001

The supreme leader of Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban movement warned on Monday that any Afghan converting to Christianity or promoting other religions will be executed. . . . Therefore, all countrymen are seriously notified that any…

They Cry in Silence May/Jun 2001

Their remains were found in the shallows of the Curaray River in the jungles of Ecuador. Crudely crafted lances protruded from the bodies of the men. A few days earlier, five young Christian missionaries…

Dimming the Light of Christian Liberty

The land of freedom is gradually becom- ing a land of oppression, and number one on this new America’s hit list are Bible-believing Christians.

The Zion Connection: Jews and Christians—Common Ground

A growing alliance of Jews and Christians is attracting increasing attention today. It is an alliance rooted in Judeo-Christian values. The Christians involved are known as evangelicals or Bible-believing Christians. They are joining…

How Israelis Feels About Jewish Believers

There has been much talk over the last few years about the state of religious freedom in Israel. Some have accused the government and Israelis in general of being hostile toward those who believe in Jesus as their Messiah. This perception is…

Silhouette of man speaking.

Watching the Russians

For all of the political turmoil we’ve been experiencing in Washington, DC, things are much worse in Russia—that is, for the United States, Christians, Jewish people, and the Russians themselves. In the former mecca of communism…

The Trail of Blood

Hidden somewhere deep in the recesses of our memories is the record of those who, in biblical times or since, have forfeited their lives for their faith in Christ. This generation, saturated by its affluence, has forgotten the price our forefathers paid…

Their Blood Cries Out

The mounting persecution of Christians eerily parallels the persecution of Jews, my people, during much of Europe’s history. Today, minority Christian communities have become chosen scapegoats in radical Islamic and remnant…

The Fiery Trial

Early Christians probably did not fully realize how serious the persecution would eventually become. John Foxe’s classic volume, Book of Martyrs, describes in rather gruesome detail the horrors of the arena, the stake, and the wild beasts that…

Of Whom the World Was Not Worthy

The women and children clung to each other, sobbing convulsively as they watched in horror. This time it was almost a thousand men. Who knew how many it was the last time. Husbands, fathers, brothers—all sick and weakened from abuse…