185 Christians Arrested During Raid in Eritrea

CharismaNews ^ | 11:30AM EDT 10/31/2013 | Mission Network News

[Pan_Yan]

...

Around 3,000 people flee Eritrea every month, despite a "shoot to kill" policy targeting escapees. Earlier this month, two boats carrying refugees sank off the coast of Italy. One was carrying around 500 people, mostly from Eritrea and Somalia, when it went down.

Some 30,100 asylum-seekers arrived on Italy's coastline between January and the end of September. According to a BBC report, 7,500 of them were Eritrean.

Release International, a VOMC partner in Eritrea, says 185 believers gathered recently to pray about the exodus. Suddenly, police broke into the house and arrested them all. Church leaders fear this may be a sign of things to come.

"They're [afraid] that the government's going to become even more intense in terms of the persecution," Musselman explains.

...

For the safety of their partners and staff, Musselman isn't able to share details of VOMC's work in Eritrea. However, he shared briefly the plight of one imprisoned pastor, Abraham*, and his family.

Abraham's daughter began a Christian fellowship at her school. When Eritrean officials began tracking her movements, Abraham's wife felt their family was no longer safe and that it was time to flee the country, though it meant leaving Abraham behind. When her letter reached him in prison, Abraham's response was simple yet powerful.

"He said, 'No matter where you go, keep our children in the church,'" recounts Musselman. "'I don't want to pay the price for nothing.'"

[Pan_Yan]

Eritrea is a small country on the northern coast of the Horn of Africa between Ethiopia and the Red Sea. It ranks lower than North Korea on the Press Freedom Index. Every adult is conscripted in the military and never discharged. It is believed that there are 10,000 political prisoners in the country. Eritrea is also a state sponsor of Al Shabab, the Somali Al Qaeda branch responsible for the Westgate Mall attack in Kenya.

[SunkenCiv]

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A map of the Sahel region showing where Al Qaeda operates (AFP/Graphic)

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Iran Deploys Troops, Ballistic Missiles To Eritrea

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[SunkenCiv]

Rand Slams Congress for Funding Egypt’s Generals:
‘How Does Your Conscience Feel Now?’
Foreign Policy | 15 Aug 2013 | John Hudson
Posted on 08/15/2013 5:44:10 PM PDT by Hoodat
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3055253/posts

Sen. Rand Paul is hammering his fellow senators for keeping billions in financial aid flowing to Egypt’s military — even as Cairo’s security forces massacre anti-government activists.

[by “anti-government activists” is meant church-burning jihadists]

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Pan_Yan.

[JimSEA]

There is a Christian family from Eritrea living in our town. Fine people who work very hard at their occupations and schools. The stories the tell reluctantly can quite raise your hair.

[Viennacon]

Praying for the Christians who live in places like Eritrea. What a hell.

[Riley]

Praying for the Christians who live in places like Eritrea. What a hell.

Sometimes their faith makes me feel small- never having had mine so directly and consequentially challenged.

I run into Egyptian Copts every once in a while. Same thing.

[SunkenCiv]

from the FRchives:

• Eritrea: the African North Korea which thousands will risk anything to escape
• Iran, Sudan Race to Control West Africa
• A Trail of Bullet Casings Leads From Africa’s Wars to Iran
• Eritrea/Uganda: Eritrean National Football Team Defects to Uganda
• Ethiopia attacks Eritrean base after tourist killings
• (Islamic) Eritrea-trained gunmen killed tourists
• Eritrea Calls Anticipated UN Sanctions Travesty of Justice
• Eritrean Refugees in Ethiopia Say 'Enough'; Demand Regime Change
• Report: Eritrea May Become Failed State
• Eritrean football team missing after match in Kenya
• Muslims Persecute Eritrean Christians
• ERITREA TYRANT'S PARANOID OUTBURSTS
• Report: Eritrea supplying arms to Somali jihadists
• Israelis warn of Eritrea flashpoint
• US threatens Eritrea over support for al-Qaeda-linked terrorists
• Christian Deaths Mount in Eritrean Prisons
• Islamist hardliner vows 'more war' after Ethiopian pullout
• The Eritrean people are not in need of any religion from foreigners: EOC Patriarch
• Iran Deploys Troops, Ballistic Missiles To Eritrea
• In Horn of Africa, Djibouti and Eritrea in Face-Off Over Border
• US gives stark warning to Eritrea
• US Gives Stark Warning To Eritrea
• Eritrean Christian Dies for Refusing to Renounce Faith
• Eritrean gospel singer 'released'
• EU mulls action against Eritrea
• The Criminalization of Christianity (Get ready, Soldiers of the Cross...)
• First expelled UN peacekeepers head for Ethiopia from Eritrea
• Annan sends officials to Eritrea
• Eritreans flee as war fears mount
• 5 million Returning To Home Countries In Africa (uncredited) Bush emphasis building Peace/Stability
• Eritrea steps up its persecution of Christians
• 57 Christian girls and boys held in metal containers for possessing bibles
• ERITREA - Voice of America correspondent arrested Press freedom
• US-Eritrean relations come under fire over human rights

[redfreedom]

Anyone interested in former US military bases in Eritrea, Google Kagnew Station in Asmara, US Army TTU in Massawa, Eritrea and US Army R&R Center, Keren.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kagnew_Station