by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - Continuing a campaign of harassment against the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) in Sudan’s Al Hag Abdalla, Muslim extremists attacked the church’s pastor on April 10 and then had him charged with breaching the peace, Morning Star News reports.
Christians in Sudan are once again increasingly vulnerable to persecution by Islamic extremists, as the moderate transitional government which took over after the ousting of dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019 was itself ousted in a military coup on 25 October 2021.
Located in Madani, Al Jazirah state, the congregation at SCOC was in the middle of a worship service when three Muslim extremists stormed in and punched Pastor Stephanou Adil Kujo before assaulting two of the women, the pastor’s attorney Shanabo Awad told MSN. The attackers then tore up Bibles and broke chairs as well.
Pastor Kujo went to file a complaint with police, but he himself was charged with disturbing the peace and public disturbance. “It is surprisingly strange that the pastor is accused and charged,” Awad told MSN. Both of the two women who were assaulted in the attack required medical treatment: one for cuts to her mouth, the other for a hand injury.
Sudan ranks 13th on the US Open Doors Watch List 2022 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
“Persecution remains incredibly high in Sudan and hasn’t changed much in the last year. Churches were burned down and Christians reported being beaten or attacked during the World Watch List reporting period,” Open Doors said in a website statement earlier this year.