Young Woman Killed in Eritrea for Refusing to Renounce Jesus Christ
Christians have been left outraged by the death of a young woman in Eritrea, allegedly tortured to death in a military facility for refusing to renounce her faith in Jesus Christ.
by Daniel Blake
Posted: Saturday, September 8, 2007, 10:12 (BST)
Christians have been left outraged by the death of a young woman in Eritrea, allegedly tortured to death in a military facility for refusing to renounce her faith in Jesus Christ, Open Doors has reported.
Migsti Haile, 33, died 5 September, at the Weaa Military Training Centre, and is the fourth Christian known to have been killed this way in the past year.
Open Doors, a Christian persecution and human rights watchdog, said Haile was tortured for refusing to "sign a letter recanting her faith".
It is believed she spent 18 months in prison "under severe pressure" since she and nine other single Christian women were arrested at a church gathering in Keren.
The latest news of persecution will further increase international pressure for the Eritrean Government to take action to guarantee religious freedom.
At least 2,000, mostly Christian evangelicals, are detained in Eritrean prisons, police stations, military camps and other facilities, including even shipping containers, according to a number of human rights groups, however, the Eritrean Government has denied any such abuses.
The Director of the Office of the Eritrean President, Yemane Gebremeskel, said recently that reports of mass arrests are "distorted and exaggerated".
Open Doors expressed grave concerns that more prisoners, including priests and pastors, would be killed by the same method of torture.
The organisation reported that the prisoners "remain locked up and [are] subjected to severe torture for their religious beliefs in the nation's jails, police stations and military camps. All have been denied legal counsel or trial, with no written charges filed against them".
Open Doors USA President Carl Moeller has said: "We need to keep up our prayer vigil for the Christians in Eritrea. Eritrea is a small country in Africa, but that doesn't mean the persecution is less intense than in larger countries."
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The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.
Added: Sunday, September 16, 2007, 12:28 (BST)
A women dies refusing to renounce Christ but we as free christians find it so hard to praise His name around friends and family who are lost.A woman dies because she does not give one inch to deny God but we are afraid what other people think at work or at school that we even know Him.I heard a preacher once say what's wrong with christian today with thier faith is noone is trying to kill them like the early christians.Now I know he was talking about us american christians.
If this hurt your feelings or was not "pc",let me finish with this .If you're reading this story about this brave woman who had the guts to do what is right and the Holy Spirit is not steering in you then you are lukewarm or you are not saved.
I thank God for this woman.Her light has shown me on what is important and what need to be done.Tell other about Him.
thank you for your time.
chris curtis, waverly,ohio america
Added: Thursday, September 13, 2007, 15:47 (BST)
Dear friends [believers and others]
God our Father hears and knows the cries of His people in Eritrea. It is NO SMALL MATTER to HIM. I pray for those in the know, especially Christians and leaders of all faiths who are God-fearing that they turn around, repent and plead mercy if their hands are stained by such atrocities against the children of God. God forgive them, as St Stephen cried out.
"Father intervene now for your children who are in Prison. Set them free in Jesus Name!"
Tim Sng, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Added: Monday, September 10, 2007, 11:04 (BST)
Why Why Why the world is kept quite about things what is happing to eritrea Christians. the government is doing so many terriable thngs to christians. I now nigist Haile is one of the victemis. there are so many untold strories in eritrea. let us pray and stand for our beloved brothers and sisters
God bless
Daniel, kenya
Added: Monday, September 10, 2007, 4:00 (BST)
Dear Simon,
If you "truly" believe, then why oh why whould you want even one Muslim to perish as, "NO-ONE get's to the FATHER except through "Christ"! & --"IF"-- you truly believe in your faith then you must realize they that do not accept "Christ" WILL perrish.It is not FATHER's will that any of us perrish. So we are charged with collecting the flock. Also, any Christian that is led away by money,.... they are not fit for the Kingdom.....
Maximus Alexander, Lancaster, USA
Added: Sunday, September 9, 2007, 22:07 (BST)
The characteristic PFDJ propaganda of readers Mo Jo and Simon (PFDJ is the sole party in Eritrea) is so boring. I spent the last few years in Eritrea and the story reported is not only extremely creedible, it is just the tip of the iceberg: I have known several people who were in jail solely for their Christian faith. It is telling that both readers do not even know how to argue properly, missing what would be required to rebutt the story - just like in the country itself, Higdefites (the Eritrean name for party loyalists) are too stupid to argue coherently and never present hard facts that can be verified, not the least because it is hard to argue against the sad truth of what is happening on the ground in Eritrea. That so-called Eritreans in the US and Britain profit from the freedom in their host countries, yet defend the most brutal dictatorship on the African continent, is something that leaves me speechless indeed: with friends like these, Eritrea needs no enemies.
Hanna, Brussels, Belgium
Added: Sunday, September 9, 2007, 18:43 (BST)
You can be assured that the persecution reported here is very real. One of the detainees is from the town of Keren and is a personal friend of mine. I am in two minds as to whether to give her name here - but I am not sure that it will work in her favour or her family's.
This persecution does not apply to "established" versions of Christianity - Orthodox and Catholic - or other religions, such as Islam. It applies to minority faiths, in particular to people referred to inside Eritrea as Pentecostalists. Their activities have by necessity become more secretive, which is presumably why you do not see their worship in public.
Danyal, Warrington, UK
Added: Sunday, September 9, 2007, 14:15 (BST)
thnak you for bringing this to light. the eritrean government is routingly arresting christians in eritrea. i'm sure God will see to this.
daniel, london, englad
Added: Saturday, September 8, 2007, 17:59 (BST)
50% of the country is Christian. These allegations are false.
Mo Jo, Washington, USA
Added: Saturday, September 8, 2007, 13:24 (BST)
I wish you would not spread this utter rubbish unsubstanciated allegation.
I am Eritrean and Orthodox Christian that believe in Jesus Christ and I can pray freely and follow my faith. I don't see what is being reported in reality in Eritrea. You can easily go and check it.
The government biggest gripe is aggresive evangelists trying to convert people from other denomination, with financial aid from outside. This was upsetting the cohesive ballance between the mainly Christian and Muslim polulation. I am sure I would not like it all the same, if a fanatic moslem from Saudi Arabia comes to Eritrea and tried to convert christians using finance.
Simon.
Simon, Lonon
