by Raymond Ibrahim
"Despite the declarations of tolerance and inclusion by the new government in Syria, this attack on Christian sites is not the last, because jihadists continue to act and have fought for the new Syrian government. In particular, some, who are as close as two peas in a pod to the Islamic State, with the same patches on their combat uniforms." – caliber.az, December 24, 2024, Syria.
"Experts warn of a growing trend of youth radicalization through online platforms, where extremist groups exploit vulnerabilities to indoctrinate and recruit individuals. This year alone, 15 minors have been arrested across Spain for terrorism-related offenses...." — rmx.news, January 2, 2025, Spain.
"Despite the declarations of tolerance and inclusion by the new government in Syria, this attack on Christian sites is not the last, because jihadists continue to act and have fought for the new Syrian government. In particular, some, who are as close as two peas in a pod to the Islamic State, with the same patches on their combat uniforms." – caliber.az, December 24, 2024, Syria.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, jihadist warlord and current leader of Syria, swiftly turning into an Islamic state, confessed in a Dec. 17 interview that, "When we build the Islamic caliphate, Christians will pay Jizya under Islamic Sharia." — X.com, December 17, 2024.
The word jizya -- a payment for protection -- is often translated to "tribute" or "tax." The requirement originates in Koran 9:29: "Fight those among the People of the Book [Christians and Jews] who do not believe in Allah, nor the Last Day, nor forbid what Allah and his Messenger have forbidden, nor embrace the religion of truth [Islam], until they pay the jizya with willing submission and feel themselves humbled."
The following are among the abuses and murders inflicted on Christians by Muslims throughout the month of December 2024.
Jihadist Hate and Terror for Christmas
Germany: On December 4, an Iraqi asylum seeker was arrested for plotting a terror attack, by plowing his vehicle into the crowd at a popular Christmas market in Augsburg. The man, known only as Ali al-G, has a long "history of posting pro-IS content on social media." The report adds:
"This incident is the latest in a series of thwarted plots targeting Germany's Christmas markets, which are particularly vulnerable to attacks. Last month, a 17-year-old male of Turkish descent was arrested in Elmshorn, Schleswig-Holstein, on suspicion of planning a truck attack on a local market. In November 2023, another Iraqi national was detained in Hanover after authorities discovered plans for a similar assault. Two teenagers were also apprehended last year for conspiring to execute an attack in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, using a fuel-laden truck. Authorities have been on heightened alert following the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack that claimed 12 lives."
Spain: On Dec. 19—"just days before Christmas, a period of heightened security risks due to festive gatherings," notes a report—police arrested four Muslim migrants of Moroccan origin (aged 14 to 17), for plotting a terrorist attack on the Basilica of Santa María in Elche, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that draws large crowds, especially around Christmas time. One of the terrorists, "a fourth-year secondary school student, reportedly showed no prior behavior that might have raised alarms among classmates or teachers, adding to the concerns over hidden radicalization," says the report before adding:
"Experts warn of a growing trend of youth radicalization through online platforms, where extremist groups exploit vulnerabilities to indoctrinate and recruit individuals. This year alone, 15 minors have been arrested across Spain for terrorism-related offenses, sparking calls for urgent action to counter extremist propaganda and prevent radicalization."
Pakistan: On Christmas Day, three Christians were shot and wounded in an attack on the home of Pastor Shahzad Siddique in Lahore. The attack came as a result of an altercation on the night before, when, according to one of the pastor's neighbors,
"Pastor Siddique was leading a rally comprising church members including young girls and women on Dec. 24 when a group of local Muslims riding a car started misbehaving with the participants. Pastor Siddique and other elders confronted the Muslims and told them not to tease the congregants. This must have stoked anger in the Muslims and led them to plan the attack."
On Christmas Day, more than a dozen gunmen randomly opened fire on the pastor's home. "I had just returned home from my church and was resting when unidentified motorcyclists opened fire outside my house," the pastor recalled. He called police, who arrived nearly 30 minutes later:
"I was briefing the policemen about the firing incident when, all of a sudden, youths riding motorcycles came there and opened indiscriminate fire on us. Unfortunately, three people – my uncle, driver and a church member – received bullet injuries on the arm, stomach, and leg. We were able to catch one attacker while the others fled on foot, leaving behind five motorcycles... I believed that this country was safe for us, but now I'm forced to admit that it isn't safe to be a Christian in Pakistan. I've always preached peace and tolerance, but this unprovoked attack has shown that extremist elements do not want a peaceful society."
Discussing this incident, Joseph Jansen of the human rights group Voice for Justice said:
"This act of violence, driven by religious hatred, highlights a grave issue of intolerance and discrimination. The government of Pakistan must act decisively to hold accountable those inciting such hatred and attacking individuals and places of worship. Inaction against perpetrators has allowed extremist forces to thrive unchecked, further exacerbating the threat to vulnerable communities. Pakistan's failure to safeguard minority rights and prevent religious based violence also undermines its international commitments."
Bangladesh: Seventeen Christian homes in the Muslim-majority nation were set ablaze on Christmas Eve, when all the Christians were celebrating midnight mass at a neighboring village. Of the small village's 19 Christian homes, 17 were completely consumed in the flames, leaving their former owners homeless. "Our houses have been completely burned to ashes," remarked one of the victims; "[we] could not save anything."
Separately, in the days leading up to Christmas, instead of receiving well-wishing from their neighbors, as happens throughout the world, Muslims missives threatening to attack Christians during "their Christmas celebrations—including threats of murder," according to a Dec. 19 report. After saying that they had repeatedly asked that Christians not celebrate Christmas over the last few years, to no avail, one such letter, from an Islamic party, continued:
"Now, we are going to take stronger action—Inshallah [Allah willing]. ... [Moreover] those who have been converting from Islam to Christianity, we have a list of your leader's names. We believe very soon we will get the proper permissions to take actions against those on this list – Inshallah. On Christmas day, at the same time together in 64 Districts, we have plans for that night....Many local people have complained against you. You have been converting Muslim people to Christianity for a long time by luring them with money. We know you have baptised hundreds of people in a pool inside your campus... We are coming for you—anytime and anywhere. Also, you are not going to enjoy your upcoming Christmas meal – before eating remember to say your goodbyes to all your family members and to the world. Alongside this, we give a very special farewell to those who have converted from Islam to Christianity in the Rangpur district."
"The lengthy letter," the report adds, "made the church members panic and fear for their safety and protection, especially those from a Muslim background." One local Christian leader also shared the personal threats he had been receiving:
"A couple of Muslim religious leaders... threatened me not to 'convert Muslims' and not to do ministry among the Muslims and Christians from a Muslim background... If you do not listen to our request and continue converting Muslims, we will take strong action against you. So be careful from now on.'"
Turkey: On Dec. 23, Turkish journalist Uzay Bulut reported that "Muslims armed with axes attacked the Christmas tree on the campus of Küçükçekmece Sebahattin Zaim University." She also quoted a Turkish human rights activist saying "We must stop those who attack a tree in this way before they cut off our heads tomorrow."
Separately, according to a Dec 18 post:
"The only Christian (Assyrian) deputy in Turkey, George Aslan, attempted to convey a Christmas message in parliament but the deputy speaker of the parliament, Bekir Bozdag, turned off his microphone the moment Aslan started speaking his mother tongue, Aramaic, which is also the language of Jesus."
Responding to the disrespect he was subjected to, Aslan said:
"When verses from the Koran are recited here, the microphone is not turned off. Because they say it's a holy language. The language I just spoke is Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ. If holiness matters, this is a holy language too. Then the microphone should also be turned off when the Koranic verses are recited."
Lebanon: In the Christian town of Faraya, a stronghold of the nation's Maronite Catholics, a Baby Jesus statue from a Nativity Scene set up in the town square was stolen and replaced with a gun. Addressing this act of anti-Christian sentiment, Fr. Charbel Salameh, a parish priest, said:
"We will be vigilant in protecting our village. We will maintain unity and harmony, for the Lord unites us.... May God forgive those who are trying to destabilize us. We are here to stay—this is our land and this is our neighborhood. As children of the Church, we pray that whoever committed this act will understand that our sacred places cannot be violated so easily... We pray that the Lord Jesus will bring peace to the hearts and minds of the people and our country, Lebanon, in these difficult times."
The report adds:
"Last year, Lebanon saw a series of attacks on Christmas symbols, particularly in the northern region of Tripoli, home to a vocal Christian minority. The attacks ranged from dousing a Christmas tree in Mina's St. George's Church with gasoline to throwing a Molotov cocktail at another tree in Zakharia's St. George's Square."
Christmas under Syria's New Jihadist Leadership
On Dec. 8, jihadist rebel forces captured Damascus, and with it the whole of Syria. Some in the Western media argued that, although jihadist in nature, the new regime promises to be inclusive of the nation's Christians and other religious minorities. Below, however, are some developments that occurred during the rest of December, 2024 (three weeks) which suggest otherwise:
One of the first things the jihadists did is drive around Damascus while brandishing disturbing messages on their vehicles, including "Your Time Has Come, worshippers of the Cross."
On Dec. 10, "Jihadist rebels looted the treasury and donation box of St. George's Syriac Orthodox Church in Damascus, disrupting religious services and preventing the Mass from being held. The priest was ordered to leave the premises."
On Dec. 11, a Christian priest reported that Muslims attacked the farmers of a Christian village of Homs: "The Christians were ridiculed and beaten for being 'infidels.'"
Even right before Damascus fell, its aspiring jihadist rulers were reported as looking to find and behead the leader of the largest Christian community in Syria, Metropolitan Ephraim of the Antiochian Orthodox Church. In response, the metropolitan tried to comfort the nation's Christians in a sermon:
"[O]ur beloved children in Aleppo, we remain here, in Aleppo, with our flock in all circumstance—from the most difficult to the most joyful. This is our pastoral ministry, and we will steadfastly continue to fulfill it... We assure you that prayers in our churches will continue as circumstances and available means allow. In prayer, dear ones, we cast our burdens upon God and trust in Him. Therefore, I urge you: pray without ceasing! Let us patiently follow Christ's path to the cross, until we rise with Him in His Resurrection!"
The report adds:
"Metropolitan Ephraim assumed leadership of the Aleppo Metropolis on December 17, 2021, following the kidnapping and martyrdom of his predecessor, Metropolitan Paul (Yazigi), who was murdered by Islamists in 2016."
On Dec. 13, a Christian couple, Samaan Satme and Helena Khashouf, of the village al-Jamasliyye in Homs province, were brutally murdered inside their home. According to one report:
"Although the murder was initially reported as a burglary gone wrong, it later emerged that Samaan was beheaded and Helena shot, indicating that there were other motives."
Suggesting that the murder comes in the wake of uncorked jihadist hostility against the nation's Christians, the report adds that, around the same time of this double homicide, a Christian man and his mother, living in Latakia, were attacked by their longtime Muslim neighbors, upon the jihadist rebels' arrival: "You're Christians," they were disparagingly told, "leave the house, we don't want you here!"
On Dec. 18, the jihadists opened fire on the Greek Orthodox cathedral of Hama. The gunmen, using automatic weapons, shot up the walls of the church and tried to demolish the building's cross.
That same day, the jihadists also "violated the sanctity of the dead" and "vandalized the cemeteries of Christian families" in Mhardeh, north of Hama, said a local source. Pictures of desecration (here) show a beheaded Virgin Mary statue and several smashed crosses and tombstones scattered on the ground.
On Dec. 11, jihadists destroyed and vandalized the contents of the St. Sophia Church in Suqaylabiyah, another predominantly Christian town, also in Hama province (video footage here).
Nearly two weeks later, and just a couple of days before Christmas, eight foreign jihadists, of Uzbek origin, set fire to a large public Christmas tree in Suqaylabiyah (image here). According to one report, "the perpetrators kept observers and firefighters at bay while the stories-high artificial tree burned in the main square."
This act of arson, along with the ongoing "series of thefts, desecrations of churches, and anti-Christian provocations by jihadists from the Russian Caucasus and Central Asia," prompted protests from the region's indigenous Christians. While shouting "enough is enough!," protestors marched through their village carrying a large cross, "to show the jihadists that they are Christians and not afraid."
Discussing all these flagrant attacks, one report observes:
"Despite the declarations of tolerance and inclusion by the new government in Syria, this attack on Christian sites is not the last, because jihadists continue to act and have fought for the new Syrian government. In particular, some, who are as close as two peas in a pod to the Islamic State, with the same patches on their combat uniforms. Although Christmas for Catholics has been declared a holiday for civil servants, nothing changes the fact that in Syria the Islamist armed gangs, including the most radical ones, have total freedom."
Ahmed al-Sharaa, jihadist warlord and current leader of Syria, swiftly turning into an Islamic state, confessed in a Dec. 17 interview that, "When we build the Islamic caliphate, Christians will pay Jizya under Islamic Sharia." The word jizya -- a payment for protection -- is often translated to "tribute" or "tax." The requirement originates in Koran 9:29:
"Fight those among the People of the Book [Christians and Jews] who do not believe in Allah, nor the Last Day, nor forbid what Allah and his Messenger have forbidden, nor embrace the religion of truth [Islam], until they pay the jizya with willing submission and feel themselves humbled."
As should be evident from that verse, jizya is not limited to monetary tribute from "infidels," but is also a reminder of their inferior status—one of submission and humility—within the Islamic state that Syria has become.
The Beating and Killing of Muslim 'Apostates' to Christ
Uganda: On Dec. 26, a Muslim couple and their adult son were burned to death for accepting Christ in their lives. The three, Kaiga Muhammad, 64, his wife Sawuya, and their son, Swagga, 26, had converted on Nov. 22. Then, on Dec. 16, after Kaiga was spotted entering a church, a Muslim sheikh, Abdu, confronted him, to which the convert openly declared that he and his family had embraced Christ. Angered by such effrontery, the Muslim man gave the family a week to return to Islam, or else: "Abudu said that our family had blasphemed the name of Allah and embarrassed the Muslim community," a family member recalled.
Then, on Dec. 26, area Muslims "set ablaze the family's house with gas and burned the three members of the family beyond recognition," said a neighbor who arrived too late to save them.
Separately, on Dec. 16, Muslims caught and killed a Muslim convert to Christianity. Soon after James Mukenye, 29, and his wife and children converted in January 2022, "the whole family threatened to kill us if we continued with the Christian faith," his wife said. That very night they fled to another district. Nearly a year later, hoping matters had cooled down, and that it was safe for them to return, they rented a home near their family village. On learning that the apostates had returned, family members and other Muslims began sending them threatening texts, some explicit:
"We know where you are, and soon we are coming there and you will not escape the wrath of Allah. You left here and disappeared from us for three years thinking that Allah was in a sleep. Has Allah not brought you back for back justice? Soon we are going to behead you and get a big reward from Allah, and this time you're not going to escape from us."
On the evening of Dec. 16, James left his home on a motorcycle for a gospel outreach with another evangelist. His widow added:
"At about 7:30 p.m., I received a call from my husband telling me of people who have been following/tracking him for about half an hour and requesting prayers. Since then, there was no communication from him."
On the following morning, she and others went searching for James only to find "my husband lying in a pool of blood."
An eyewitness reported that he saw and heard from a distance people yelling in Arabic as they stabbed someone who was crying and calling out, "Jesus! Jesus! I am dying, please help me, please help me, help me!" James is survived by his wife and three small children (2, 4, and 7).
Somalia: On Sunday, Dec. 8, a Muslim man severely beat and injured his wife after learning she had converted to Christianity. The beating was so bad, that the 30-year-old woman, Fatuma, fled her home, leaving behind her two children, aged 4 and 6. She explained:
"I miss my children, but I cannot go back to my husband because he will kill me. I live in great pain due to my fractured hand and serious scars which have disfigured my face, as well as a stressful life of being absent from my children. I have forgiven my husband and am praying for God to change his life. I am very hurt and need prayers to heal my broken heart."
Fatuma was first caught praying to Jesus on Dec. 4 by her mother-in-law, who rebuked her:
"Islam requires us only to pray in the name of Allah and Muhammad... Let this be your first and last prayer in such a bad way. This is devilish, and if you do not stop then you will be thrown out of the family."
When her mother-in-law caught Fatuma praying in Christ's name again two days later, she became furious:
"I had given you a serious warning, but you have deliberately decided to ignore it – my son then will have to divorce you."
On returning home and being informed by his mother, the son began to violently beat his wife with sticks, until she managed to flee and go into hiding. The report adds:
"Somalia's constitution establishes Islam as the state religion and prohibits the propagation of any other religion.... It also requires that laws comply with sharia (Islamic law) principles, with no exceptions in application for non-Muslims. The death penalty for apostasy is part of Islamic law according to mainstream schools of Islamic jurisprudence."
Separately, according to a Dec. 25 report, "Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabab claims attack on Christian missionaries near Somalia-Kenya border, killing one and wounding three."
South Sudan: After her husband stabbed her in the head with a knife for converting to Christianity, Halima Mohammed Ali, fled, only eventually to return to be with her five children (aged nearly 2 to 14). "He still threatens me, that I return to Islam," she said, "But I refuse." Her resilience has only prompted her husband's relatives to pester him into doing away with her, saying, "We cannot stay with a Christian woman." According to a church leader:
"She has refused to renounce her faith and continues attending church services... She asks for prayers to remain firm in her faith." He added that he hoped that making her story public "will deter her husband from further attacks."
Muslim Attacks on Churches Celebrating Christmas
Indonesia: On Sunday, Dec. 1, Muslims forcibly stopped a church choir rehearsal for Christmas on the false claim that the Christians needed governmental permission to conduct such rehearsals. But Indonesian Movement for All, a leading moderate interfaith organization, said "The ban is incomprehensible. Since when does practicing choir for Christmas require permission from the local government?" The organization added that only the establishment of a Christian house of worship requires a permit in Indonesia, whereas "Choir practice needs no permit. People who prohibit this must be handled immediately."
One week later, on Sunday, Dec. 8, a similar incident took place: about 100 Muslims blocked Christians from entering and holding a Christmas service in a pastor's home. According to one report:
"The Muslims claimed the site was not officially approved by the government, but church Pastor Nicky Jefta Makary said he had given prior notice of the 3 p.m. Christmas service to the neighborhood association, the head of the residents' association, the local police chief and a Military Unit Command. A meeting in a private home does not require permission in Indonesia, and Pastor Nicky said he knew the regulations governing Christmas services."
"Why are we being hindered," he continued to ask, "when we want to do something good?"
Not only should they not have been banned, but "the state should intervene when minorities experience such persecution," said one Christian journalist, adding:
"There should be no one in any name to prevent other people from carrying out their worship according to their religion and beliefs on the grounds of 'permission,' and law enforcement officers should act firmly if there are parties who try to carry out persecution by preventing others from worshiping according to their beliefs, because that is against the law and must be processed according to applicable law."
In the end, the congregation was given permission to hold a Christmas service in a remote field.
Lebanon: According to a Dec. 22 post, a Muslim man entered a church in Jbeil district and disrupted its service by crying "Allahu akbar!"
France: On Christmas Day, a Muslim man entered a church during worship service, walked to the altar, and began to shout, "Allahu Akbar," before concluding his act by exposing his buttocks before the bewildered Christians.
Sudan: On Friday, Dec. 20, the Sudanese Air Force (SAF) deliberately targeted and destroyed a church, as well as five homes near it. Several civilians were killed and injured in the homes, including the caretaker of the church. The response of Philemon Hassan Kharata, pastor of the Baptist Church in question, was:
"The Lord is good, and we pray that He protects the souls that are more important than the property, and that He comforts the neighbors of the church who died during the strike. We also pray for healing for our brother Bakhit Hassan."
Then, on Dec. 30, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked a church prayer service in al-Jazirah state. It was attended by 177 Christians, "who were praying and fasting for the end of the military strife in Sudan." According to the report:
"The militants of the Islamist RSF, which has been battling the equally Islamist Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023, stormed into the worship building and beat church members."
Fourteen Christians were left wounded.
Separately, a Christian priest was attacked by these same two leading rivals of the nation (both Muslim): the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). First, "From the side of the army [SAF]," Yunan Tombe, bishop of the El-Obeid Diocese in North Kurdufan state, said that they beat him and stole his USD cash, on the "pretext that I was carrying the forbidden hard currency." Then, "on the side of Rapid Forces, I was given countless heavy blows on the neck, forehead, on my face and two sides of my head," completely damaging his jaws so that "I can't bite food. Together with deacon [Joseph], we missed narrowly martyrdom when one leader said that is enough."
The report explains that the RSF militants "initially intended to execute him before one member persuaded them to release him." The bishop experienced both beatings as he was returning from a Eucharistic Congress and celebrations in Juba marking 50 years of the Catholic Church hierarchy in Sudan and South Sudan.
Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West, Sword and Scimitar, Crucified Again, and The Al Qaeda Reader, is the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
About this Series
While not all, or even most, Muslims are involved, persecution of Christians by extremists is growing. The report posits that such persecution is not random but rather systematic, and takes place irrespective of language, ethnicity, or location. It includes incidents that take place during, or are reported on, any given month.
Raymond Ibrahim
Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21342/persecution-of-christians-december
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