Latest news with #martyrs
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Trump must not ignore Nigeria's humanitarian crisis
Christians in Nigeria are becoming modern-day martyrs. People of faith must raise our voices to respond to their plight. I read the account of the horrific terror attack on June 13, where over 200 Christians were slaughtered in Yewalta, Nigeria, while I was taking a break at the local pool with my youngest son. According to one report, 'the corpse of a boy, around 6 or 7 years old, lay flat on his back, his eyes wide open, his shirt covered in blood. His killer had left a giant gash across his face and head. His left hand was hanging loose at the joint; his right hand was severed completely.' My son is not that much older than the boy described in the photograph. I was shaken to my core. I'm unsure whether the mother of the young martyr escaped the attackers. If she is among the few survivors, she will need to draw deeply on her faith in order to believe in a loving God in heaven caring for the son she had lost. Yewalta is just one recent example of the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. Sixty-eight Christians were murdered in Fulani raids two weeks earlier. One of the attacks was on the hometown of Catholic Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi, who had recently testified before the U.S. Congress about atrocities in his diocese. Over 170 Christians in Nigeria's Middle Belt were killed earlier this year during Lent and Holy Week. Last week, three young Catholic seminarians were kidnapped at gunpoint in their seminary, more evidence of the growing targeted assaults on priests and seminarians. Open Doors, the Christian relief agency, includes Nigeria among the worst affected countries in its World Watch List, reporting that in 2024 over 3,000 Christians were killed there and more than 2,000 were kidnapped. Also, staggeringly large numbers of Christians in Nigeria have been driven from their homes by violence and conflict and are now live in displacement camps. Pope Leo XIV, who visited Nigeria several times as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, prayed for the victims of the 'terrible massacre' in Yewalta the following Sunday during his Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square. The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops similarly called for prayers for 'our brothers and sisters in Nigeria who are suffering violent religious conflict' during Religious Freedom Week celebrated last month. Christian relief organizations are responding to the grave humanitarian crisis that is unfolding. World leaders must follow suit. Having vowed to rid anti-Christian bias from the U.S. federal government, President Trump and his administration are perfectly poised to take the lead. The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, empowers the president to annually review the status of religious freedom in every country in the world and designate each country the government of which has engaged in or tolerated 'particularly severe violations of religious freedom' as 'countries of particular concern.' This determination has been delegated by the president to the secretary of State. While Nigeria was last listed as a country of particular concern for its affronts to religious freedom in 2020, it was bizarrely dropped from the list by the Biden administration in 2021. Biden's State Department blamed climate change for the increasingly violent attacks against Christians by militants among the Fulani Muslim nomadic herders. Congress should take action on the proposed resolution issued back in March by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa chair, calling for Nigeria to be designated and sanctioned as a country of particular concern. In the aftermath of the Yewalta massacre, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent, bipartisan commission that monitors the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad, similarly renewed its call for the Department of State to designate Nigeria a country of particular concern, citing its 'systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations.' Speeding up the confirmation of former-Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.) as President Trump's ambassador at large for International Religious Freedom will help Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a long-time advocate for international religious freedom, guarantee that diplomatic relations with Nigeria are better informed by reality. Terror-stricken Nigerian Christians deserve our attention and more. Given the uptick in numbers and the increasing barbarism of recent killings, I fear that that a mere designation is not enough. Maybe there is a better label for what's happening to Christians in Nigeria: genocide. Genocide has been declared in at least six other situations: Bosnia (1993); Rwanda (1994); Iraq (1995); Darfur (2004); against Yazidis, Christians and Muslims in areas of the Middle East under the control of the Islamic State (2016 and 2017); against the Uyghur in the Xinjiang region of China (2021); and Sudan (2025). More recent declarations include instances where non-state actors targeted victims because of their religious identity — which is what is happening in Nigeria. Although there are no specific or immediate required consequences that follow a declaration of genocide, it does carry moral weight. An acknowledgment that the violence against Christians in Nigeria has reached the level of genocide could inspire a global response of humanitarian aid, economic sanctions, diplomatic isolation and even intervention by the UN Security Council, not to mention action by the International Criminal Court to prosecute individuals and regimes responsible. The awful, inescapable truth is that in Nigeria, Christians are being relentlessly persecuted, kidnapped, tortured and killed for their faith. They have confidence in what Jesus promised in His Sermon on the Mount to those who are persecuted on account of their faith — 'your reward will be great in heaven.' If we remain silent to their plight, I shudder to think of what we merit. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is director of the Conscience Project. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Al Mayadeen
15-07-2025
- Al Mayadeen
Two martyred in Israeli drone strikes on southern Lebanon
One person was martyred on Monday following a drone strike by the Israeli occupation targeting a vehicle in the town of Deir Kifa, in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon, according to the country's Ministry of Health. Later, a second martyr was confirmed after another Israeli drone targeted a motorcycle in the vicinity of Beit Lif in the Bint Jbeil district, using two missiles. "فيديو من موقع الاعتداء الإسرائيلي الذي استهدف سيارة في بلدة #دير_كيفا – قضاء صور.#لبنان #الميادين_لبنان Mayadeen's correspondent in southern Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade over the town of Aita al-Shaab. Lebanon's National News Agency also confirmed that another drone dropped a stun grenade near a residential home on the outskirts of Kfar Kila. These incidents are part of the ongoing violations by the Israeli occupation of the ceasefire, as it continues its assaults on villages and towns across the South and the Bekaa, resulting in multiple martyrs and injuries. On Sunday, the occupation launched a strike on the town of Burj Rahhal in the Tyre district, wounding nine civilians. Additionally, a young girl sustained critical injuries and was transferred to intensive care following an Israeli airstrike on the town of al-Zrariyeh in the Saida district, the Health Ministry reported. Israeli occupation warplanes also launched a raid on the outskirts of Bouslaiya and bombed areas between the towns of Ain Qana, Sarba, and Houmin al-Fawqa. Four consecutive airstrikes also hit the outskirts of Irzay in the Saida district. In a related escalation, Israeli warplanes intensified their aggression with a strike on the outskirts of Bouday, west of the Baalbek district, followed by two additional airstrikes on the outskirts of nearby Flaoui.
Asharq Al-Awsat
07-07-2025
- Health
- Asharq Al-Awsat
7 more Turkish Soldiers Die from Methane Gas in Iraqi Cave, Raising Deaths to 12
Seven more Turkish soldiers have died from methane gas poisoning following a cave search operation in northern Iraq, Türkiye's Defense Ministry said Monday, bringing the death toll to 12. The soldiers had been searching for the remains of a fellow soldier previously killed by Kurdish militants. The troops were searching a mountain cave when 19 of them were exposed to the gas, according to the ministry. Five of the soldiers died Sunday from the colorless, odorless, flammable gas that can cause asphyxiation in sufficient concentration, and seven more succumbed on Monday, Reuters reported. 'We pray for God's mercy upon our heroic martyrs who lost their lives in this tragic event,' the ministry said Monday, also expressing hope for a rapid recovery for other troops that were affected. It said Defense Minister Yasar Guler and armed forces' commanders were traveling to the region to carry out 'inspections and evaluations' and attend a ceremony as the soldiers were flown to their hometowns for burial. Speaking at the ceremony, Guler commended the troops' 'great courage and sacrifice,' adding: 'Our grief is immense and our feelings are beyond words.' The ministry said the incident took place in the 'Claw-Lock Operation region' — a reference to an operation launched against the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq in April 2022. There was no immediate information on the condition of the seven other soldiers who were affected by the gas. Türkiye and the PKK have waged a 40-year conflict that has often spilled over into Iraq and Syria. Türkiye has set up a series of bases in northern Iraq, where the PKK has been established for decades. The PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by Türkiye and most of the West, announced in May that it would disband and renounce armed conflict as part of a new peace initiative with Türkiye. Its fighters are expected to begin handing over their weapons over the next few days in the first concrete move toward disarmament. According to the ministry, the Turkish unit overcome by methane gas had been searching for the remains of an infantry officer killed by 'terrorist gunfire' during a search-and-clear mission in May 2022. Recovery teams have been scouring the area for the past three years. The cave where the incident occurred sits at an altitude of 852 meters (2,795 feet) and had previously been used by the PKK as a field hospital.
Associated Press
07-07-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
3 more Turkish soldiers die from methane gas in Iraqi cave, raising deaths to 8
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Three more Turkish soldiers have died from methane gas poisoning following a cave search operation in northern Iraq, Turkey's Defense Ministry said Monday, bringing the death toll to eight. The soldiers had been searching for the remains of a fellow soldier previously killed by Kurdish militants. The troops were searching a mountain cave when 19 of them were exposed to the gas, according to the ministry. Five of the soldiers died Sunday from the colorless, odorless, flammable gas that can cause asphyxiation in sufficient concentration, and three more succumbed on Monday. 'We pray for God's mercy upon our heroic martyrs who lost their lives in this tragic event,' the ministry said Monday, also expressing hope for a rapid recovery for other troops that were affected. The ministry said the incident took place in the 'Claw-Lock Operation region' — a reference to an operation launched against the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq in April 2022. Turkey and the PKK have waged a 40-year conflict that has often spilled over into Iraq and Syria. Turkey has set up a series of bases in northern Iraq, where the PKK has been established for decades. The PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and most of the West, announced in May that it would disband and renounce armed conflict as part of a new peace initiative with Turkey. Its fighters are expected to begin handing over their weapons over the next few days in the first concrete move toward disarmament. According to the ministry, the Turkish unit overcome by methane gas had been searching for the remains of an infantry officer killed by 'terrorist gunfire' during a search-and-clear mission in May 2022. Recovery teams have been scouring the area for the past three years. The cave where the incident occurred sits at an altitude of 852 meters (2,795 feet) and had previously been used by the PKK as a field hospital.
LBCI
06-07-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Hezbollah's Naim Qassem: Resistance will continue, Israel is the real problem
Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said Sunday that the group would continue to confront Israel, describing armed resistance as a national duty that will not waver with time. 'In Lebanon, we face the Israeli enemy by defending our country and our resistance,' he said. 'This defense will continue because we believe that liberation is a duty, no matter how long it takes.' Qassem rejected any compromise with Israel, saying, 'We cannot yield to aggression while we carry the responsibility of the martyrs, the wounded, the detainees, and their families.' 'Israel is the problem, not the resistance,' he added. 'Resistance is part of the solution.' He emphasized that Hezbollah will not be part of any effort to legitimize Israeli occupation in Lebanon or the region. 'We reject normalization, and [...] we will continue, and we will resist.' Qassem also voiced willingness for peace and reconstruction, saying, 'We are ready for peace and to rebuild the country. We are an integral part of Lebanon's peace and revival — but we are also prepared for confrontation and defense.' He added that once the first phase of a ceasefire agreement is implemented, discussions on Lebanon's national defense strategy can begin. 'Israeli threats will not push us to surrender or lay down our arms,' he declared.
