മിൻഡാറ്റ്: മ്യാൻമർ സൈന്യം നടത്തിയ വ്യോമാക്രമണത്തില്‍ രാജ്യത്തിന്റെ വടക്കുപടിഞ്ഞാറൻ ഭാഗത്തുള്ള ചിൻ സംസ്ഥാനത്തിലെ മിൻഡാറ്റിലുള്ള തിരുഹൃദയ കത്തോലിക്ക ദേവാലയത്തിന് ഗുരുതരമായ കേടുപാടുകൾ സംഭവിച്ചു. ജനുവരി 25 ന് ഫ്രാൻസിസ് മാർപാപ്പ സ്ഥാപിച്ച മിൻഡാറ്റ് രൂപതയുടെ കത്തീഡ്രലായി ഈ പള്ളിയെ അടുത്തിടെ ഉയര്‍ത്തിയിരിന്നു. ചിൻലാൻഡ് ഡിഫൻസ് ഫോഴ്‌സും (സിഡിഎഫ്) മ്യാൻമർ സൈന്യവും തമ്മില്‍ അടുത്ത നാളുകളില്‍ നടന്ന ഏറ്റുമുട്ടലിന്റെ വേദിയായിരുന്നു മിൻഡാറ്റ്. ഫെബ്രുവരി ആറിനാണ് കത്തീഡ്രലില്‍ ബോംബ് സ്‌ഫോടനം നടന്നത്. എന്നാൽ പുറം ലോകം വാര്‍ത്ത അറിയുന്നതു ദിവസങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് ശേഷമാണ്.

നിരവധി ബോംബുകൾ കെട്ടിടത്തിൽ പതിച്ചുവെന്നും മേൽക്കൂരയും ഗ്ലാസ് ജനലുകളും നശിപ്പിക്കപ്പെട്ടുവെന്നും ‘ഏജന്‍സിയ ഫിഡെസ്’ റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ട് ചെയ്യുന്നു. അരക്ഷിതാവസ്ഥയും പോരാട്ടവും കാരണം വൈദികരും വിശ്വാസികളും പ്രദേശം വിട്ടുപോയതിനാൽ ആളപായമില്ല. തങ്ങളുടെ പള്ളി ബോംബാക്രമണത്തിൽ തകർന്നതിൽ വളരെ സങ്കടമുണ്ടെന്നും ഇത് ഹൃദയത്തിലേറ്റ മുറിവാണെന്നും പക്ഷേ, തോൽപ്പിക്കാൻ അനുവദിക്കില്ലായെന്നും ദേവാലയം പുനർനിർമ്മിക്കുമെന്നും പ്രാദേശിക വൈദികനായ ഫാ. പോളിനസ് പറഞ്ഞു.

പുതിയ രൂപതാധ്യക്ഷനായി നിയമിതനായ ഫാ. അഗസ്റ്റിൻ താങ് സാം ഹംഗിൻ്റെ മെത്രാഭിഷേകം ഉൾപ്പെടെ ആരാധനക്രമ ആഘോഷങ്ങൾ ആസൂത്രണം ചെയ്യുന്നതിനായി അടുത്ത ദിവസങ്ങളിൽ പ്രാദേശിക വൈദികർ പള്ളിയിൽ പരിശോധനകൾ നടത്തിയിരുന്നു. സൈനിക ഭരണകൂടത്തിനെതിരെ ഉയർന്നുവന്ന സിഡിഎഫ്, പ്രദേശത്തിന്റെ നിയന്ത്രണം ഏറ്റെടുക്കുകയും ഈ പ്രദേശം മോചിപ്പിക്കപ്പെട്ടുവെന്ന് ഔദ്യോഗികമായി പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തത് കഴിഞ്ഞ മാസമാണ്. നിരവധി അതിർത്തി പ്രദേശങ്ങളിൽ, സിഡിഎഫ് സ്വയംഭരണത്തിനായി പോരാടുന്ന വംശീയ സായുധ ഗ്രൂപ്പുകളുമായി സഖ്യമുണ്ടാക്കി പ്രവര്‍ത്തിച്ച് വരികയാണ്. ഇവരുമായി സൈന്യം നടത്തിയ ഏറ്റുമുട്ടലിലാണ് ദേവാലയം തകര്‍ന്നതെന്ന് വിലയിരുത്തപ്പെടുന്നു.
കടപ്പാട് :പ്രവാചക ശബ്ദം

A newly-designated Catholic cathedral in Myanmar was bombed by the military regime last week amid an ongoing conflict in the region.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Mindat was severely damaged by airstrikes by the Myanmar military regime in Chin, Myanmar’s only Christian-majority state.

Though the damage took place on Feb. 6, news of the bombing has only recently come to light. The church’s roof and stained-glass windows were destroyed, rendering the church unusable, according to Fides, the information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies. No injuries were reported and the area had recently been evacuated.

Less than two weeks before the bombing, on Jan. 25, Pope Francis designated the church a cathedral for the newly-formed Diocese of Mindat. In the days leading up to the attack, local Catholics were planning upcoming liturgical celebrations, including the consecration of the newly-appointed bishop, Father Augustine Thang Zawm Hung, Fides reported.

The newly-formed Diocese of Mindat has a total population of almost 360,000, with more than 14,000 Catholics and 23 parishes, according to the Holy See.

A local priest, identified as Father Paulinus, told Fides that the faithful are determined to rebuild.

“We are very sad that our church has been hit by the bombs. It is a wound in our heart. But we will not let ourselves be defeated. We will rebuild it,” the local priest said. “We are certain that the Lord will ‘bombard’ us with his grace and blessing: This will bring peace and prosperity to our people.”

Soon after the destruction of the Mindat church, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon urged Catholics to pray for those who were displaced by the violence of the conflict in Myanmar.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has for years been wracked by violent conflict following a military coup at the beginning of 2021 in which the military junta overthrew the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who had promised a new democratic era for the nation. The coup triggered widespread resistance, mass protests, and an escalation of armed conflicts across the country, thrusting Myanmar into its current humanitarian and human rights crisis.

Since 2021, civilian casualties have risen to more than 6,000 according to United Nations estimates, while millions have been displaced. The military junta has killed thousands, detained tens of thousands, and bombed hospitals, schools, and religious buildings. As the local economy has collapsed, the country is on the verge of famine.

The military junta announced an election for 2025 in which only junta-vetted parties may take part.

Since gaining its independence from the United Kingdom in 1948, Myanmar has experienced repeated armed clashes and spent decades under military rule from 1962 to 2011.

Bo has highlighted religious freedom concerns in recent years. While the predominantly Buddhist country protects religious freedom in its constitution, Bo noted that more than 100 places of worship were bombed or damaged in the Southeast Asian country. In April 2024, a Myanmar priest was fatally shot while celebrating Mass in the state of Kachin. The nation has also experienced ethnic-based conflict, with more than 100 distinct ethnic groups in the country. Pope Francis visited Myanmar in 2017 following stories of horrifying human rights abuses of the Rohingya minority, a predominantly Muslim group denied citizenship in Myanmar.

The Chinland Defence Force and other rebels reportedly control a large amount of Myanmar’s northwestern Chin state, where Mindat is located.

Soon after the bombing, Bo called for prayers for Myanmar during an interfaith event, according to Vatican News.

“Let us envision a Myanmar where the divisions of war give way to the unity of peace,” Bo said.

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ഗോംബെ: രാജ്യത്തിന്റെ വടക്കു കിഴക്കൻ മേഖലയിൽ അക്രമം തുടരുന്നതിനിടെ, നൈജീരിയയിലെ ഗോംബെ സ്റ്റേറ്റില്‍ ഇസ്ലാമിക തീവ്രവാദി സംഘടനയായ ബോക്കോഹറാം തീവ്രവാദികൾ വചനപ്രഘോഷകനെ കൊലപ്പെടുത്തി. കറുത്ത വസ്ത്രം ധരിച്ച തോക്കുധാരികൾ യമാൽട്ടു-ദേബ കൗണ്ടിയിലെ ലുബോയിലെ ഇസിഡബ്ല്യുഎ പള്ളി വളപ്പിലുള്ള വചനപ്രഘോഷകന്റെ വസതിയിൽ അതിക്രമിച്ചുകയറി ബാല ഗലാഡിമ എന്ന സുവിശേഷപ്രഘോഷകനു നേരെ വെടിയുതിർക്കുകയായിരിന്നു.

ഇക്കഴിഞ്ഞ ആഴ്ച അയൽ സംസ്ഥാനമായ ബോർണോയില്‍, ബോക്കോഹറാം തീവ്രവാദികൾ ചിബോക്ക് കൗണ്ടിയിൽ ആക്രമണം നടത്തി രണ്ട് ക്രിസ്ത്യാനികളെ ക്രൂരമായി കൊലപ്പെടുത്തിയിരിന്നു. രണ്ട് പേർക്ക് പരിക്കേറ്റു. അഞ്ച് ദേവാലയ നിര്‍മ്മിതികളും 74 വീടുകളും അക്രമികള്‍ കത്തിച്ചുവെന്ന് ‘ക്രിസ്ത്യന്‍ പോസ്റ്റ്’ റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ട് ചെയ്യുന്നു. നൈജീരിയയിലെ ബ്രദറൻ പള്ളി (ഇവൈഎൻ) തീവ്രവാദികള്‍ അഗ്നിയ്ക്കിരയാക്കിയതായി പ്രദേശവാസികള്‍ പറയുന്നു.

നൈജീരിയയില്‍ ഏതാണ്ട് 34 ലക്ഷത്തോളം ആളുകള്‍ ഇസ്ലാമിക തീവ്രവാദി ആക്രമണങ്ങള്‍ കാരണം ഭവനരഹിതരായിട്ടുണ്ടെന്നാണ് കണക്കാക്കുന്നത്. ക്രൈസ്തവ വിരുദ്ധ പീഡനങ്ങള്‍ നിരീക്ഷിക്കുന്ന ഓപ്പണ്‍ഡോഴ്സ് യു.എസ്.എയുടെ 2025 റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ട് പ്രകാരം ലോകത്ത് ക്രൈസ്തവര്‍ ഏറ്റവുമധികം പീഡിപ്പിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന രാഷ്ട്രങ്ങളുടെ പട്ടികയില്‍ ഏഴാമതാണ് നൈജീരിയയുടെ സ്ഥാനം. നൈജീരിയയെ ഇസ്ലാമിക രാഷ്ട്രമാക്കി മാറ്റുക എന്ന ലക്ഷ്യത്തോടെ ബൊക്കോഹറാം ഉള്‍പ്പെടെയുള്ള തീവ്രവാദി സംഘടനകളും, ഇസ്ലാമിക ഗോത്രവര്‍ഗ്ഗമായ ഫുലാനികളും വലിയ ആക്രമണമാണ് ക്രൈസ്തവര്‍ക്ക് നേരെ നടത്തുന്നത്.
കടപ്പാട് :പ്രവാചക ശബ്ദം

Suspected militants of Islamic extremist group Boko Haram killed a pastor at his home in Gombe state, Nigeria on Sunday (Feb. 9), as violence continued to terrorize the country’s northeast, sources said.

The Rev. Bala Galadima of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) was shot to death at about 1 a.m. on Sunday (Feb. 9) in Lubo, according to members of the local ECWA congregation. They said gunmen dressed in black robes broke into his residence on the premises of the ECWA church in Lubo, Yamaltu-Deba County and shot him point black in the back while he was in bed.

Congregation members said the terrorists entered the town shooting into the air to discourage anyone from attempting to stop them. First arriving at a house they mistakenly believed to be that of Pastor Galadima, they asked for directions to his home, demanding money at gunpoint from those informing them before going on to the ECWA property.

“Our hearts are heavy, as we are left alone in a complicated world with the killing of our pastor, Rev. Bala Galadima,” said church member to Lami Sabo. “His courage, advice, teachings and generosity will be highly missed by us his church members.”

The pastor’s death deeply affected the church, she said.

“We members of ECWA Church Lubo will really miss him,” Sabo said. “It’s very hard for us to say goodbye to our general in the Lord, Rev. Bala Galadima.”

Buhari Abdullahi of the Gombe State Police Command said in a statement that officers arrived at the church premises after the assailants had escaped.

“Gombe State Commissioner of Police Bello Yahaya visited the hospital where the body of the deceased pastor was taken to and has deployed a special squad of police personnel to the area,” Abdullahi said. “We have coordinated a special operation, and we are confident that the culprits would be arrested.”

Chibok Attacks

In neighboring Borno state, Boko Haram militants again attacked in Chibok County in January, killing at least two Christians, injuring two others and burning down five church buildings and 74 houses, residents said.

Meantime, the Nigerian government on Jan. 30 set free 5,000 Boko Haram terrorists captured in military operations in Borno state, stating that they had been de-radicalized and had repented. On the same day, Boko Haram militants attacked Kauthlama village in Chibok County, burning down a Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN) building, said area resident Paul Mauntah.

“This is a report about a distressing incident that occurred on 30 January, 2025, at 11:46 a.m., in Kauthlama B.,” Mauntah said. “Unfortunately, a church and several shops were burnt down, and livestock, including cows, goats, and sheep, were taken away by Boko Haram terrorists.”

Despite repeated calls for help, officials seemed unresponsive, he said.

“The people of Chibok LGA are in dire need of support and protection,” Mauntah said. “The ongoing insecurity has caused immense suffering, and it is imperative that our leaders take concrete steps to address the root causes of the conflict and provide adequate support to those affected.”

On Jan. 16, Boko Haram militants attacked Yimirmugza village in Chibok County, where they burned down an EYN church building, said area resident James Ayuba.

“Some members of the Islamic sect called Boko Haram attacked the village and burned down an EYN church, houses and shops,” Ayuba told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News in a text message.

Area resident Moses Hameed confirmed the attack, saying the militants also struck Chibok County villages of Bamzir, Njilang and Shikarkir.

Hameed said gunmen attacked predominantly Christian Zillang village on Jan. 13, from 11:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. the next day.

Bamzir resident Iliya Dauda said his village was attacked on Jan. 12 at about 2 a.m., with Boko Haram terrorists destroying an EYN church building and killing two members of the church.

“During the attack, two brothers, Enoch Pogu Pudza and Josiah Pogu Pudza, who are both members of EYN church, were killed by the terrorists,” Dauda said. “The church worship building of EYN in the community was burned down by the terrorists.”

A Christian woman, Esther Yohanna, was shot and wounded by the terrorists, while dozens of houses were destroyed, he said.

Mustapha Madu, chairman of the Chibok Local Government Council, confirmed the attacks as carried out by “Boko Haram terrorists.”

“We’re currently looking into ways the victims can be assisted,” he said.

Amos Dauda, an EYN member, said it was disheartening that while Christians are under constant attacks from Boko Haram terrorists, some of these terrorists were being released on claims that they were de-radicalized.

“The repeated claims by government officials and security agencies that Boko Haram has been weakened in southern Borno areas are being contradicted by the recent devastating attacks in Bamjir, Shikarkir Njilang and Yimirmugza in Chibok Local Government Area,” Dauda said.

Th attacks over the course of two weeks resulted in significant loss of lives and properties, leaving the affected communities in despair, he said.

“The aftermath of these attacks has left the people in an unbearable situation,” Dauda said. “Churches, houses and food stores have been burnt to ashes, leaving many without shelter, food, or a place to worship. The survivors are now facing extreme hardship, struggling to access basic necessities like food.”

The government must provide immediate humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of innocent people and support them in rebuilding their lives, he said.

A statement issued by a Borno state official said that recent attacks in Chibok resulted in the killing of five persons, two others injured, and the destruction of five church buildings and 74 houses. Usman Tar, Borno state commissioner for information and internal security, said in a press statement that market stalls and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed during the attacks on Bamzir, Njilang, Shikarkir and Yimirmugza villages.

Nigeria remained among the most dangerous places on earth for Christians, according to Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of the countries where it is most diffiucult to be a Christian. Of the 4,476 Christians killed for their faith worldwide during the reporting period, 3,100 (69 percent) were in Nigeria, according to the WWL.

“The measure of anti-Christian violence in the country is already at the maximum possible under World Watch List methodology,” the report stated.

In the country’s North-Central zone, where Christians are more common than they are in the North-East and North-West, Islamic extremist Fulani militia attack farming communities, killing many hundreds, Christians above all, according to the report. Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and the splinter group Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), among others, are also active in the country’s northern states, where federal government control is scant and Christians and their communities continue to be the targets of raids, sexual violence, and roadblock killings, according to the report. Abductions for ransom have increased considerably in recent years.

The violence has spread to southern states, and a new jihadist terror group, Lakurawa, has emerged in the northwest, armed with advanced weaponry and a radical Islamist agenda, the WWL noted. Lakurawa is affiliated with the expansionist Al-Qaeda insurgency Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, or JNIM, originating in Mali.

Nigeria ranked seventh on the 2025 WWL list of the 50 worst countries for Christians.

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Nigeria — Fulani Islamic extremists stormed a village in Ebonyi state in the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 2, shooting Christians and setting homes on fire. At least 16 people died in the attack.

Those killed belonged to The Lord Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry. Local sources reported that the attack occurred after several days of threats were made following accusations that villagers had killed cattle belonging to the Fulani herders. Community leaders denied the allegations.

Ebonyi State Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru condemned the attack and urged residents to remain calm, assuring them that security forces had been deployed. “Our people are hospitable, but strangers should not take advantage of their calmness,” he said.

Amnesty International issued a statement urging Nigerian authorities to conduct an independent investigation into the killings and destruction. Security agencies have launched an inquiry, but no arrests have been reported. Local leaders have called for stronger security measures to protect communities.
Sources:persecution

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