Niger Christians start meeting again with “fire in their hearts”

After the violent demonstrations, life has come slowly back to some of the Christians communities attacked last week in the violent Islamistic demonstration in Niger 10 days ago.

Christians in Niger are “joyfully meeting in homes under police protection as they plan to rebuild church buildings and houses after attacks last weekend (Jan. 16-18)”, reports the Morning Star News Agency.

“Nothing of this magnitude has ever happened in this nation”, wrote one missionary couple in the capital, Niamey. “Nearly every church in the capital city of Niamey was burned or looted, along with some schools and orphanages and several other churches and Christian homes throughout the nation.”

Muslims protesting the depiction of the prophet of Islam in the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo destroyed 72 church buildings and killed at least 10 people in attacks that began in Zinder on Jan. 16 and hit Niamey the next day, according to Christian support organization Open Doors. A church leader  later put the total of ruined church structures at 68, and a final count remained uncertain.

“DARK ROOM, BUT FIRE IN THE HEARTS”

“Last night the church members met for prayer as the pastor, who lost everything, encouraged them by flashlight to not only stand strong, but to move forward and to know that this attack will grow the church”, wrote the missionary couple to concerned partners. “The room was dark on the outside but illuminated by the fire in the hearts of His people, even as stones were being thrown on the roof”.

In spite of the violence, so many present at the church meeting were eager to share testimonies of God’s faithfulness during the attacks that they were asked to wait until Sunday, they added.

“Our two churches in Niamey, along with the pastors’ homes, were destroyed”, they wrote. “We also have three Bible schools that sustained various amounts of destruction. The overall damage was extensive, and there is much loss. Now begins the process of rebuilding and restoring what was lost”.

The Rev. Mai’aki Kadaidai, president of the Evangelical Church in the Niger Republic (EERN), told Morning Star News by phone that attacks on Christians and churches were spread across five regions and the capital.

“This is the first time we are witnessing violence of this magnitude against the church and Christians,” Kadaidai said. “In all, 68 churches were destroyed across five regions of Agadez, Damagaram, Diffa, Maradi, Zinder, and in our country’s capital city of Niamey. The Muslim rioters destroyed five of our [EERN] churches, destroyed four homes of our pastors and many of our members were adversely affected.”

Muslims make up about 98 percent of Niger’s population and have lived in relative peace with the country’s miniscule (0.3 percent) Christian minority. In spite of growing Islamic extremist elements within the country, few in Niger expected to hear the chants of “Kill the infidels, kill the Christians,” as protestors ransacked the nation. Niger was unranked on Open Doors’ 2015 World Watch List of the worst persecutors of Christians.

The president of Niger called several Christian leaders together to give him counsel on how to restore calm after the devastation on Saturday (Jan. 17), pastors said.

AFRICAN EVANGELICALS’ LEADER:  “WHERE ARE TRUE MUSLIMS?”

A few days ago leader of Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA, the African Evangelical Alliance) commented to Evangelical Focus on the violence happened in Niger and Nigeria. Aiah Foday-Khabenje strongly condemned the burning of churches and issued a statement in which he to Muslim leaders to stand up against violence: “Where then are the true Muslims?”. 

“Can we (...) deal with basic beliefs, values and assumptions in a rational way and with our community? Resistance to talk about this and critically reassess the values is itself the danger”, AEA leader said.