How is this happening in Ethiopia, a country that is 63% Christian and only 34% Muslim?
More than 50 churches, nearly 30 houses, a school and an orphanage along with other Christian-owned buildings have been destroyed by rampaging Muslims in Ethiopia’s Jamma region, according to reports from the Christian news service Compass Direct and others.
International Christian Concern’s Jonathan Racho has been in contact with a pastor in Ethiopia who confirms that more than 50 churches have been burned — along with a school, an orphanage and an office.
Racho said the wave of arson was touched off by Muslims framing Christians for desecrating a Quran.
“The Muslims desecrated a Quran and put it in a church compound and then accused Christians of desecrating a Quran, then started attacking,” Racho said. “Since this happened, since it happened in a part of Ethiopia where Muslims have the majority, the police failed to protect the Christians.
“So the Muslim mobs were able to carry out attacks in many cities,” he said.
“This is unprecedented in Ethiopia because Ethiopia is considered to be a Christian majority country. There have been attacks against Christians in the past but it’s unprecedented because of the number of churches,” Racho explained.
“The church leaders were able to tell us that there is a very radical Islamic movement called Kwarej. . . . This group believes that Muslims should only live in an Islamic state and only obey laws which are made by Islamic states,” Racho stated.