Be Wary of Stories of Persecution in Far Flung Corners of the World

JosephZ

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I'm in no way trying to downplay the persecution of Christians by creating this thread. There is a great deal of persecution taking place in the world, but you will often find that some of the stories about persecution don't always match up with the truth on the ground. I first became aware of this problem after moving to the Philippines in 2011, when I started to notice that some Christian websites and prosecution sites were misrepresenting events that were taking place there. Some of these events I had first-hand knowledge of and was working in the places where they took place.

This is the first story that made me realize that all persection stories are not as they seem:

Philippines: Islamic extremists attack a Christian majority city leaving 60,000 Christians as refugees

Jihadists attack Christian majority city, Zamboanga, in Southern part of Philippine, rendering 60,000 Christians without home... This massive attack has left about 60,000 Christians to flee from their homes. They have been forced to live as refugees now.

What is more, international media has turned a blind eye to this incident. Thousands of Christians have been left stranded as a result of this attack. No one has even highlighted their plight.

Muslim rebels held thousands of residents of these areas captives, for a period of six days. The coastal villages in the south came under attack by these Islamic rebels.

As a result of these attacks, the Islamic extremists killed about 56 people while about 60,000 local Christians were forced to leave their homes.


While the city this event took place in is a predominantly Christian city, it wasn't Christians who were displaced, although there were some. The six villages where the fighting took place were Muslim villages, and while some Christians live in these villages, the population would be 5% or less. How do I know this? I have been visiting those villages before and after this event took place. Based on my own observation, the number of Christians found in the refugee camps following the siege was less than 10%, with the remaining being Muslims.

Below is a local news report that confirms that it was primarily Muslims, not Christians, that were displaced.


Zamboanga City standoff not a religious war—ARMM gov

In Zamboanga City, the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s operations center reported that 62,329 persons are now staying in 20 evacuation centers in the city.

“A lot of people, about 90 percent Muslims, are suffering from this man-made calamity that Misuari is answerable for,” Hataman said. Hataman warned residents of Zamboanga City and Mindanao in general not to be misled by deceptive tactics aimed at driving deeper the wedge between Muslims and Christians. “We need to be informed properly and not to believe in deceptions,” he said.



When events like the example above and the ones I will give below happen in far-flung parts of the world, it's easy for media outlets and organizations that report on Christian persecution to misrepresent the facts to further their agendas. Not all are guilty of intentionally publishing misleading information, of course, but many are. Sometimes they rely on second-hand information from sources they believe to be reliable and run with a story without doing any fact-checking; in cases like that, they would not be at fault.



This next example comes from Uganda and is a story about a man who was killed for leading Muslims to Christ. Local news reports that he was killed for frequenting his ex-wife’s new home.


Christian Slain for Leading Muslims to Faith in Christ

story1.jpg


Body found with note in Arabic saying he was warned.

Islamic extremists in eastern Uganda on March 8 killed a Christian for leading Muslims to faith in Christ, sources said.

Kiisa Masolo, 45, had returned to his home in Nakitiku village, Bunabuka parish, Bubeza Sub-County in Sironko District at 7 p.m. after preaching on the streets of Nakaloke and Busajjabwankuba when seven masked men dressed in Islamic attire broke in and took him away, said his mother, Norah Nandege.

“After whisking him away, three men remained behind and told me that, ‘Allah is very displeased with your son, and we’re out to punish him,’” Nandege told Morning Star News. “Then the three men left.”

“I tried to advise my son to be very cautious with his life, but he used to tell me that his life was in the hands of God and that he was called to carry out the preaching of the gospel of Christ,” Nandege told Morning Star News. “Since then, I knew that the life of my son was in danger, and he might not live for long due to the many threatening messages of Allah who was out to kill him.”



MBALE CITY: Man Murdered for Frequenting Ex-Wife’s New Home

A body of a 45 year old man hailing from Nakitiku village, Bunabuka parish, Bubeza Sub County in Sironko district has been found dumped in River Namala in Mbale City

Kisa Masolo’s lifeless body was discovered by residents on the morning of Sunday, 10th March, 2024.

Norah Nandege, the deceased’s mother says her son and wife only known as Jane separated in February, 2024 meaning each has been staying independently here in Mbale City.

She adds that the wife got another lover (names withheld) with whom she has been living with in a rented house in Namatala.

She told this reporter, that the deceased used to visit her at the rented house pleading with her to go back to him.

Nandege also says that the deceased used to tell her about how his wife’s new lover was threatening his life. She now strongly believes, the death of her son is related to these threats.

The body was taken to Mbale city mortuary for postmortem and later handed over to the relatives for burial.




This example says this man was killed by Muslims in retaliation for preaching. The local news reports that his ex-wife killed him, and a source said that she had planned to kill her husband with poison.


Muslim extremists beat, kill evangelist in his home in retaliation for preaching

story2.jpg


Muslim extremists on July 29 came to the home of an evangelist who had held open-air events in eastern Uganda and killed him, sources said.

Cut with a sharp instrument that left his head and neck with deep wounds, Sozi Odongo was killed at his home in Omorio cell, Agule Town Council, Pallisa District, while his wife and four children hid in a room, she said. Odongo was 45.

on July 29, he arrived home and had eaten dinner with his family when they heard a group of people coming toward their house at about 7:15 p.m., said his wife, Stella Kilo. They locked the door.

“We heard them talk in the Arabic language and wondered what could be the matter,” Kilo said. “They then arrived and knocked at the door.”

She and their children went into the bedroom, but Odongo unlocked and opened the door, and the assailants began beating him on all parts of his body, she said.

The neighbor arrived and informed the LC1 chairperson of the area, George Ochola, who came and found Odongo’s body cut several times in the head, neck and arm, Kilo said. Ochola called police, and officers immediately arrived.



Woman Arested Over Husband's Murder

The Police in Pallisa district is investigating circumstances under which a 45-year-old man was killed. Sozi Odongo, a resident of Omorio cell, Agule Town Council in Pallisa district was murdered while in his house on Friday morning.

Stella Kilo the wife of the deceased who had slept in the same house with the husband woke up at around 0300hrs and heard the deceased (husband) who had slept in another bedroom, alone, unwell.

"She informed him about the situation and he also informed the LC 1 of the area, George Ochola who came and found the deceased body was cut several times in the head,neck and the arm.

Sarah Akurut a neighbour said Kilo should be held responsible.

A young man who pleaded anonymity said Kilo had planned to kill her husband with poison and that case was still open at Agule police station.

Umar Mugerwa the Pallisa district police commander said communities are ever policed in how to handled issues arising from domestic violence and which office to go to before they take murder as the best option.




This example says that a man was killed by Muslim extremists because he led four men to Christ. The local news reports that he had recruited four men to make liquid soap and that these men may be connected to his death.

Muslim extremists target evangelist in eastern Uganda.

story3.jpg


In Busei B village, Nakalama Sub-County in Iganga District, sources said Ronald Twinomugisha had received threats by text message from Muslims before he was hacked to death on March 30. He was 32.

Twinomugisha moved to the area from western Uganda in February 2022, and by the end of 2023 he had led four Muslims to Christ, a source said. The four former Muslims had relocated elsewhere due to threats from their families.

“In March 2023, Twinomugisha came to my office and reported threatening messages from Muslims,” area chairperson Gozan Waiswa told Morning Star News. “Their complaint was him changing Muslims to Christianity.”



Police in Iganga district are hunting for four men over the murder of a businessman.

Ronald Twinomugisha, 35, of Twinos Investment Ltd was murdered in cold blood using an axe in his compound.

Twinomugisha, who was a resident of Busei B village in Nakalama sub-county, was dealing in making plastics and liquid soap.

According to the Police, the deceased recently hired four people to help him in making liquid soap but the said persons escaped in the night purportedly after the tragic incident.

"Recently, he had recruited four workers and during day time, they were making liquid soap. However, after his death, they are nowhere to be seen,” he said.


"We have started hunting for four men whose identities are yet to be established. They are suspected to have information about the deceased,” Nandawula said.

She added that the deceased's body was found with two deep cut wounds on the head and Police managed to retrieve an axe suspected to have been used for the murder and will be used as an exhibit.

"The body of the deceased was found in the compound with deep cuts on the head while the axe was next to the dead body,” Nandawula said.

She noted that the body was taken to Iganga Hospital Mortuary for a postmortem as the hunt for the suspects continues and once arrested, they will be charged with murder.

Amidu Kawanguzi, the LCIII chairperson of Nakalama sub-county decried the murder which has caused fear in the community.

He noted that he was informed about the death of the deceased through his local council community members.

“It's on a sad note that we have lost a business person who had come in the area and employed people who turned against him and took his innocent life,” he said.

Gozani Waiswa, the Busei B village LC1 chairperson, said the deceased had lived in the area for over two years.

He noted that on a glance into the house, the deceased's properties where distorted and we highly suspect the four retrieved documents he was asking from them on employment which include photocopies of national identity cards and passport photos.




And finally in this example, it says a man was killed for leading Muslims to Christ, but the local report says he was killed over a land dispute.

Muslim Extremists Suspected in Killing of Church Elder in Uganda

Muslim extremists in eastern Uganda are suspected in the killing of a 60-year-old Christian elder who had led Muslims to Christ, sources said.

“He was a peaceful man whose murder shook the community members and the Church of Christ at large,” said the Christian, unidentified for security reasons. “He was a very respectable elder and leader who frequently offered timely advice and God’s messages to warring parties within our community. We were shocked to find out that he had been butchered by Muslim extremists.”


“The murderers are not from heaven but from the community, so we call upon the community to give us information about the incident which can help us in arresting those behind this brutal murder,” Oese said.



60-year-old man beheaded, body dumped in sugarcane plantation in Luuka

Suleiman Dhabasadha, a resident of the area, says that Mukasa was a peaceful man whose murder has shocked his community members. "He was a very respectable elder who frequently offered timely advice to warring parties within our community. We were shocked to find out that he had been butchered," he said.

Kyotanalya told Daily Express that the deceased has been having misunderstandings with some people caused by land wrangles. The land in question according to Kyotanalya is over 40 acres and it’s found at Busandha LC 1 B in Bukoova Town council.


”He has been having misunderstandings with some people on land issues which is over 40 acres at Busandha LC 1 B. One of these people threatened to stab Mukasa one day,” Kyotanalya said before adding that they suspect them to be behind the brutal murder.

”The murderers are not from heaven but from the community, so we call upon the community to give us information about the incident which can help us in arresting those behind this brutal murder,” DPC Oese said adding that police will intensify investigations by involving the community.
 
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AlexB23

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I'm in no way trying to downplay the persecution of Christians by creating this thread. There is a great deal of persecution taking place in the world, but you will often find that some of the stories about persecution don't always match up with the truth on the ground. I first became aware of this problem after moving to the Philippines in 2011, when I started to notice that some Christian websites and prosecution sites were misrepresenting events that were taking place there. Some of these events I had first-hand knowledge of and was working in the places where they took place.

This is the first story that made me realize that all persection stories are not as they seem:

Philippines: Islamic extremists attack a Christian majority city leaving 60,000 Christians as refugees

Jihadists attack Christian majority city, Zamboanga, in Southern part of Philippine, rendering 60,000 Christians without home... This massive attack has left about 60,000 Christians to flee from their homes. They have been forced to live as refugees now.

What is more, international media has turned a blind eye to this incident. Thousands of Christians have been left stranded as a result of this attack. No one has even highlighted their plight.

Muslim rebels held thousands of residents of these areas captives, for a period of six days. The coastal villages in the south came under attack by these Islamic rebels.

As a result of these attacks, the Islamic extremists killed about 56 people while about 60,000 local Christians were forced to leave their homes.


While the city this event took place in is a predominantly Christian city, it wasn't Christians who were displaced, although there were some. The six villages where the fighting took place were Muslim villages, and while some Christians live in these villages, the population would be 5% or less. How do I know this? I have been visiting those villages before and after this event took place. Based on my own observation, the number of Christians found in the refugee camps following the siege was less than 10%, with the remaining being Muslims.

Below is a local news report that confirms that it was primarily Muslims, not Christians, that were displaced.


Zamboanga City standoff not a religious war—ARMM gov

In Zamboanga City, the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s operations center reported that 62,329 persons are now staying in 20 evacuation centers in the city.

“A lot of people, about 90 percent Muslims, are suffering from this man-made calamity that Misuari is answerable for,” Hataman said. Hataman warned residents of Zamboanga City and Mindanao in general not to be misled by deceptive tactics aimed at driving deeper the wedge between Muslims and Christians. “We need to be informed properly and not to believe in deceptions,” he said.



When events like the example above and the ones I will give below happen in far-flung parts of the world, it's easy for media outlets and organizations that report on Christian persecution to misrepresent the facts to further their agendas. Not all are guilty of intentionally publishing misleading information, of course, but many are. Sometimes they rely on second-hand information from sources they believe to be reliable and run with a story without doing any fact-checking; in cases like that, they would not be at fault.



This next example is a story about a man who was killed for leading Muslims to Christ. Local news reports that he was killed for frequenting his ex-wife’s new home.


Christian Slain for Leading Muslims to Faith in Christ

View attachment 346765

Body found with note in Arabic saying he was warned.

Islamic extremists in eastern Uganda on March 8 killed a Christian for leading Muslims to faith in Christ, sources said.

Kiisa Masolo, 45, had returned to his home in Nakitiku village, Bunabuka parish, Bubeza Sub-County in Sironko District at 7 p.m. after preaching on the streets of Nakaloke and Busajjabwankuba when seven masked men dressed in Islamic attire broke in and took him away, said his mother, Norah Nandege.

“After whisking him away, three men remained behind and told me that, ‘Allah is very displeased with your son, and we’re out to punish him,’” Nandege told Morning Star News. “Then the three men left.”

“I tried to advise my son to be very cautious with his life, but he used to tell me that his life was in the hands of God and that he was called to carry out the preaching of the gospel of Christ,” Nandege told Morning Star News. “Since then, I knew that the life of my son was in danger, and he might not live for long due to the many threatening messages of Allah who was out to kill him.”



MBALE CITY: Man Murdered for Frequenting Ex-Wife’s New Home

A body of a 45 year old man hailing from Nakitiku village, Bunabuka parish, Bubeza Sub County in Sironko district has been found dumped in River Namala in Mbale City

Kisa Masolo’s lifeless body was discovered by residents on the morning of Sunday, 10th March, 2024.

Norah Nandege, the deceased’s mother says her son and wife only known as Jane separated in February, 2024 meaning each has been staying independently here in Mbale City.

She adds that the wife got another lover (names withheld) with whom she has been living with in a rented house in Namatala.

She told this reporter, that the deceased used to visit her at the rented house pleading with her to go back to him.

Nandege also says that the deceased used to tell her about how his wife’s new lover was threatening his life. She now strongly believes, the death of her son is related to these threats.

The body was taken to Mbale city mortuary for postmortem and later handed over to the relatives for burial.




This example says this man was killed by Muslims in retaliation for preaching. The local news reports that his ex-wife killed him, and a source said that she had planned to kill her husband with poison.


Muslim extremists beat, kill evangelist in his home in retaliation for preaching

View attachment 346766

Muslim extremists on July 29 came to the home of an evangelist who had held open-air events in eastern Uganda and killed him, sources said.

Cut with a sharp instrument that left his head and neck with deep wounds, Sozi Odongo was killed at his home in Omorio cell, Agule Town Council, Pallisa District, while his wife and four children hid in a room, she said. Odongo was 45.

on July 29, he arrived home and had eaten dinner with his family when they heard a group of people coming toward their house at about 7:15 p.m., said his wife, Stella Kilo. They locked the door.

“We heard them talk in the Arabic language and wondered what could be the matter,” Kilo said. “They then arrived and knocked at the door.”

She and their children went into the bedroom, but Odongo unlocked and opened the door, and the assailants began beating him on all parts of his body, she said.

The neighbor arrived and informed the LC1 chairperson of the area, George Ochola, who came and found Odongo’s body cut several times in the head, neck and arm, Kilo said. Ochola called police, and officers immediately arrived.



Woman Arested Over Husband's Murder

The Police in Pallisa district is investigating circumstances under which a 45-year-old man was killed. Sozi Odongo, a resident of Omorio cell, Agule Town Council in Pallisa district was murdered while in his house on Friday morning.

Stella Kilo the wife of the deceased who had slept in the same house with the husband woke up at around 0300hrs and heard the deceased (husband) who had slept in another bedroom, alone, unwell.

"She informed him about the situation and he also informed the LC 1 of the area, George Ochola who came and found the deceased body was cut several times in the head,neck and the arm.

Sarah Akurut a neighbour said Kilo should be held responsible.

A young man who pleaded anonymity said Kilo had planned to kill her husband with poison and that case was still open at Agule police station.

Umar Mugerwa the Pallisa district police commander said communities are ever policed in how to handled issues arising from domestic violence and which office to go to before they take murder as the best option.




This example says that a man was killed by Muslim extremists because he led four men to Christ. The local news reports that he had recruited four men to make liquid soap and that these men may be connected to his death.

Muslim extremists target evangelist in eastern Uganda.

View attachment 346767

In Busei B village, Nakalama Sub-County in Iganga District, sources said Ronald Twinomugisha had received threats by text message from Muslims before he was hacked to death on March 30. He was 32.

Twinomugisha moved to the area from western Uganda in February 2022, and by the end of 2023 he had led four Muslims to Christ, a source said. The four former Muslims had relocated elsewhere due to threats from their families.

“In March 2023, Twinomugisha came to my office and reported threatening messages from Muslims,” area chairperson Gozan Waiswa told Morning Star News. “Their complaint was him changing Muslims to Christianity.”



Police in Iganga district are hunting for four men over the murder of a businessman.

Ronald Twinomugisha, 35, of Twinos Investment Ltd was murdered in cold blood using an axe in his compound.

Twinomugisha, who was a resident of Busei B village in Nakalama sub-county, was dealing in making plastics and liquid soap.

According to the Police, the deceased recently hired four people to help him in making liquid soap but the said persons escaped in the night purportedly after the tragic incident.

"Recently, he had recruited four workers and during day time, they were making liquid soap. However, after his death, they are nowhere to be seen,” he said.


"We have started hunting for four men whose identities are yet to be established. They are suspected to have information about the deceased,” Nandawula said.

She added that the deceased's body was found with two deep cut wounds on the head and Police managed to retrieve an axe suspected to have been used for the murder and will be used as an exhibit.

"The body of the deceased was found in the compound with deep cuts on the head while the axe was next to the dead body,” Nandawula said.

She noted that the body was taken to Iganga Hospital Mortuary for a postmortem as the hunt for the suspects continues and once arrested, they will be charged with murder.

Amidu Kawanguzi, the LCIII chairperson of Nakalama sub-county decried the murder which has caused fear in the community.

He noted that he was informed about the death of the deceased through his local council community members.

“It's on a sad note that we have lost a business person who had come in the area and employed people who turned against him and took his innocent life,” he said.

Gozani Waiswa, the Busei B village LC1 chairperson, said the deceased had lived in the area for over two years.

He noted that on a glance into the house, the deceased's properties where distorted and we highly suspect the four retrieved documents he was asking from them on employment which include photocopies of national identity cards and passport photos.




And finally in this example, it says a man was killed for leading Muslims to Christ, but the local report says he was killed over a land dispute.

Muslim Extremists Suspected in Killing of Church Elder in Uganda

Muslim extremists in eastern Uganda are suspected in the killing of a 60-year-old Christian elder who had led Muslims to Christ, sources said.

“He was a peaceful man whose murder shook the community members and the Church of Christ at large,” said the Christian, unidentified for security reasons. “He was a very respectable elder and leader who frequently offered timely advice and God’s messages to warring parties within our community. We were shocked to find out that he had been butchered by Muslim extremists.”


“The murderers are not from heaven but from the community, so we call upon the community to give us information about the incident which can help us in arresting those behind this brutal murder,” Oese said.



60-year-old man beheaded, body dumped in sugarcane plantation in Luuka

Suleiman Dhabasadha, a resident of the area, says that Mukasa was a peaceful man whose murder has shocked his community members. "He was a very respectable elder who frequently offered timely advice to warring parties within our community. We were shocked to find out that he had been butchered," he said.

Kyotanalya told Daily Express that the deceased has been having misunderstandings with some people caused by land wrangles. The land in question according to Kyotanalya is over 40 acres and it’s found at Busandha LC 1 B in Bukoova Town council.


”He has been having misunderstandings with some people on land issues which is over 40 acres at Busandha LC 1 B. One of these people threatened to stab Mukasa one day,” Kyotanalya said before adding that they suspect them to be behind the brutal murder.

”The murderers are not from heaven but from the community, so we call upon the community to give us information about the incident which can help us in arresting those behind this brutal murder,” DPC Oese said adding that police will intensify investigations by involving the community.
It seems like we need to be wise when it comes to reading information, even about persecuted Christians. However, be wary, as some local papers may be influenced by the governments of said countries, so it is best to fact check everything.
 
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Chesterton

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I'm in no way trying to downplay the persecution of Christians by creating this thread. There is a great deal of persecution taking place in the world, but you will often find that some of the stories about persecution don't always match up with the truth on the ground.
I know you're some kind of terrorism expert, but in my 17 years as Eastern Orthodox, my experience from hanging out with people from far-flung corners is the exact opposite of what your OP tries to portray. In every case, what they report is worse than what gets reported in the media. I swear this is true - just today, at lunch after our service, I made friends with a catechumen from Nigeria. He told me shocking things. In parts of Nigera under sharia law, a Muslim basically has a license to kill anyone he wants to, so long as they are non-Muslim. They will not be prosecuted. Why would they be, when the religion teaches that infidels should be killed?

I could mention many other things and places. Many of my friends from the Middle East agree that Egypt is one of the most dangerous places to be a Christian, but you never hear that in the news.
 
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JosephZ

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my experience from hanging out with people from far-flung corners is the exact opposite of what your OP tries to portray. In every case, what they report is worse than what gets reported in the media.
I didn't say all stories about persecution are fake or that all sources sharing stories of persecution are intentionally sharing information. Many are, though.

There is a great deal of persecution taking place in the world, but you will often find that some of the stories about persecution don't always match up with the truth on the ground.
Not all are guilty of intentionally publishing misleading information, of course, but many are. Sometimes they rely on second-hand information from sources they believe to be reliable and run with a story without doing any fact-checking; in cases like that, they would not be at fault.

Unfortunately, the organizations that do share misinformation about persecution will make people question the legitimate organizations that are sharing true stories of persecution. There are plenty of real stories out there, so why do these organizations feel like they have to exploit families of murder victims and victims of conflict to draw attention to persecution? Is it for attention? To bring more traffic to their websites? More donations? Greed?
 
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Chesterton

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Unfortunately, the organizations that do share misinformation about persecution will make people question the legitimate organizations that are sharing true stories of persecution. There are plenty of real stories out there, so why do these organizations feel like they have to exploit families of murder victims and victims of conflict to draw attention to persecution? Is it for attention? To bring more traffic to their websites? More donations? Greed?
I agree with that. It's similar with fake claims of racism in the U.S. The fake stories will naturally cause people to question the legitimacy of real stories. Kind of like a "boy who cried wolf" effect.
 
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JosephZ

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To:OP
- Interesting/informative post.
Thanks. Even if it's not widespread, false reporting of Christian persecution is definitely a problem. It only takes one or two fake stories to make people question everything these organizations are claiming. Unfortunately, this is a problem that goes unnoticed for the most part because so many Christians accept and expect the information they find on Christian websites and from organizations that help persecuted Christians around the world to be true. I never questioned it myself until I started noticing these sites and organizations giving different accounts to incidents that were taking place in the Philippines.

I found the examples from Uganda by reading the persecution section of this forum. I took the names of the people and the towns where the alleged persecution took place from the post and was able to find local stories that came out days or weeks before they were being reported by the Christian websites that gave a different account. Apparently some persecution sites find local stories and either twist a few words around or add a few to make them appear as though the victims are killed or injured because of their faith.

I was once contacted by the co-founder of a fairly well-known website that claims to bring attention to Christian persecution. He was looking for priests in Mindanao that could give him examples of persecution. Below is a screenshot of a portion of that conversation. I've edited out most of the individual's name and will not name the website he is associated with since this was intended to be a private conversation. Neither I nor any of the priests I know wanted to share our experiences with him, even with his offer of help for the victims.

edited response.jpg


Below is an article that was posted on this "Christian Persecution" website that was written by the individual who contacted me.

edited response2.png


While the article doesn't make the claim the fishermen were Christian, since it is a Christian persecution site and it says "Remember, that the Muslims are constantly hunting after and killing Christians. Please help your brethren and donate now.", what else would readers be led to believe?

The fishermen in this story were not Christians and the incident had nothing at all to do with religion.

Remains of 8 executed Badjao fishermen found

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Villagers and authorities recovered the remains of eight fishermen, who were executed by suspected pirates and were missing for 10 days, separately along the seas of the coastal village and island east of this city, according to police and officials.

The police said the victims were among the 11 local sea gypsies known as Badjao of the Muslim tribe in this southern port city who were executed by pirates on Christmas day.


It just doesn't make sense to me why these organizations feel like it's necessary to fabricate stores of persecution when there are so many true examples to be found, or why they would feel it's a good idea to even do this. Fake stories of persecution damage the Christian witness. Imagine if a Muslim who is personally familiar with an event that took place in their country were to read one of these fake stories of persecution. Will it make them angry? Make them think that Christians are liars?



Question:
How is 'Mindanao'?
- 'Muslim-Christian' issue/conflict..
I wouldn't say the conflict in Mindanao is a necessarily a Muslim-Christian issue. The vast majority of Christians and Muslims in Mindanao live peacefully, in harmony with their neighbors, and without fear of each other. Those who do live in fear based on the religion of their neighbors would be few and far between. Unfortunately, the media often decides to focus on that minority.

The conflict in Mindanao is a result of deep-rooted injustices that have been carried out against what is today a minority Muslim and indigenous population.

Islam predated Christianity by 200 years in the Philippines and arrived in Mindanao in the 14th century. Since that time, there have been many attempts throughout history to convert the Moro people to Christianity, first by Spain as part of the "Spanish Inquisition," followed by the United States' continued policy of "Manifest Destiny" following the Spanish-American War. Up until the involvement of the United States in 1898, the Moros, for the most part, were able to resist attempts at external dominance of Mindanao. The US, and later the independent government of Manila, promoted the settlement of Christians from the northern provinces of the Philippines to the most fertile lands of Mindanao. This in turn displaced the local Moro and other indigenous populations, and by the 1960s, the Moro population had become a minority in their own homeland.

The biggest push of Christians from the north occurred in the 1950s and 1960s, and there are countless Moro's alive today who experienced having their lands stolen from them firsthand. Many of these same Moros have also experienced violence and lost loved ones at the hands of colonizers or in the many conflicts that were a result of the colonization of Mindanao. Since 1970, more than 100,000 lives have been lost and many more displaced in Mindanao, with a vast majority of those affected being Muslims.

The terrorist groups are simply exploiting past injustices and are motivated more by greed and self interest rather than religious ideology. These groups are often involved in the illegal drug trade, arms smuggling, abductions, and extortion.

While Christians are often targeted by these groups, those who suffer the most are Muslims.

The situation has improved a lot since a peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front was signed in 2014 and the formation of what's known as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in February 2019, but clashes still take place between the government and terrorist groups that have aligned themselves with ISIS. Here are a few examples over the past couple of weeks:

5 suspected militants killed in southern Philippine clashes

Philippine troops kill 12 suspected Muslim rebels in clash that wounded 7 soldiers

Abu Sayyaf militant linked to 15 beheadings, killed in Basilan clash

3 Dawlah Islamiya terrorists killed in Lanao clash

Terrorists kill 4 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Maguindanao del Sur ambush

There are also occasional terrorist attacks that target civilians, but they have decreased significantly over the past few years. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the Marawi Siege, which took place in 2017. This was a conflict that involved terrorist groups aligned with ISIS taking over the city of Marawi, a city with a population of more than 200,000, 96% of which are Muslims. While Marawi is predominantly Muslim, there were Christians that lived and worked there that were directly targeted during the attack.

'The Battle of Marawi' - Death and Destruction in the Philippines

Militants often executed Christians at de facto checkpoints, which the Christians were approaching in order to exit the city. Militants usually performed the killings with a pistol, a rifle, or by cutting the victim’s throat. Journalists have reported cases where civilians were beheaded. Most victims were shot and killed immediately after being questioned by the militants. Most victims were shot and killed while standing or kneeling on the ground; some were shot and killed while running away.

Many Muslim residents helped Christians to evacuate by escorting them out of the city in their vehicles, disguising them in traditional Muslim clothing, or persuading militants that the Christians were Muslim.

Adam, in his forties, was in the parking lot of the Amai Pakpak Medical Hospital when he saw militants hijack the hospital’s ambulance and execute the driver. “I saw them stop the ambulance,” he said. “They asked [the driver] to say the Shahada, but the driver was not able to answer so they shot him. ... Then they came to me and asked me to recite the Shahada [and I did], and they let me live.”

Hassan, a driver and shop-owner in his thirties, witnessed militants kill six people by cutting their throats. He did not know the victims, but he was told that they were Christian carpenters.

John, a Christian construction worker in his thirties, from Iligan City, was working on a house in Marawi, in the neighbourhood of Basak Malutlut. From the balcony where he was standing, John noticed armed men, dressed all in black, approach his colleague. The armed men asked if he was Muslim or Christian and he answered Christian. Immediately afterwards, one of the men shot him with a rifle and killed him. “He shot him in the head. He was shot suddenly,”

Hafiz, a Muslim religious leader and merchant from Marawi, was standing in the plaza in Banggolo, in a large chaotic line of people and cars trying to evacuate from the city, when militants shot and killed an unarmed civilian. Hafiz told Amnesty International that the man was shot because he could not recite the Shahada.

Ameera, in her forties, was attempting to evacuate from Marawi City with a group of about 20 people when militants shot one member of their group. Ameera told Amnesty International that a militant approached the group and singled out a man in his twenties and asked him if he was Maranao. The man responded that he was a Balik Islam – a convert to Islam. The militant asked the man to recite the Shahada, and the man was unable to say it. The militant then asked him to bow down and then shot the man with his pistol twice in the head and killed him.

Aden, in his twenties with four children, witnessed militants summarily execute eight civilians because they were Christian. “I have a friend who owns a bake shop. He said please come with me to save these Christians... [We all got in a car and started driving to Iligan] ... when we got to [neighbourhood] Emie, the ISIS stopped the car and made the Christians line up... and shot them. I saw it. They killed them one by one... Before getting out of the car they were asked by the ISIS [fighters] to say Takbeer [Allahu Akbar], and the Christians could not recite it..." All the men were forced to crouch down with their hands on their head, and then they were shot in the head. All eight were killed by the same fighter, who was using an Armalite rifle.

Some Christian workers elected not to risk attempting to evacuate during the first few days of the siege. They decided to remain hidden – ‘trapped’ – in houses and buildings in Marawi rather than risk being killed or captured by militants. Many of these trapped Christians were ultimately able to escape; however, others were killed by militants while attempting to flee.


After five months of fierce fighting, the government was finally able to regain control of the city; unfortunately, much of it was destroyed during this time, and much of the city is still in ruins to this day, with more than 80,000 people remaining displaced. The government's failure to rebuild the city and address the needs of those who are still displaced continues to fuel terrorist recruitment and activities in the region. One example of this would be an attack that took place during a Catholic Mass in December:

At least 4 dead, 45 hurt in explosion during Mass in Marawi

 
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