by George Whitten
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Worthy News)-- Twenty-five Muslims burned down ten Christian homes, leaving eighty Christians homeless in Ethiopia, a Washington-based rights' group said Thursday, September 30.
International Christian Concern (ICC) said on July 15 at 8 PM local time, attackers who were led by a local government militia, destroyed the homes in the Goda district of Jimma, Ethiopia. They also set fire to their barns, killing their animals and destroying their harvest.
"The assailants asked the Christians to leave their homes and told them, 'We will show you what we are going to do to your homes, and if you inform this to anyone we will burn you the way we burn your homes.' Then they set the Christian homes on fire and began celebrating by singing near the burned homes," ICC quoted a Christian leader, who apparently spoke anonymously due to security concerns.
The attackers then prevented the victims from leaving the village for 16 days. Finally, one of the Christians managed to escape and report the attacks to district officials after walking for 16 hours. The police temporarily arrested the person who led the attack and a local official. However, they were later released on bail.
The Muslims have prevented the Christians from rebuilding their homes and the Christians now live under trees.
ONGOING PERSECUTION
This is not for the first time that Christians have been attacked in Jimma. In October 2006, a Muslim mob killed six Christians. In June 2010, Muslims destroyed coffee farms belonging to two Christian converts from Islam.
According to a 1994 national census, 82.57% of the population in Jimma are Muslim. Christians complain that Muslim officials in Jimma deny them land for building churches and cemeteries.
CALL TO ACTION
ICC urged Christians to call the Ethiopian Embassy in your country and bring the attacks against the Christians to their attention and demand that all the perpetrators be brought to justice.
Ethiopian Embassy: USA- (202) 364-1200 Canada- (613) 235-6637 Germany- 49.30-77-20-6 UK- 020 7838 3897 / 020 7838 3898