Witnessing: The True Cost

Friday, November 28, 2003

SAUDI BOMBING "AIMED AT" LEBANESE CHRISTIANS
Attack part of strategy to expel Christians from region, report

By Stefan J. Bos
Special Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA  (ANS) -- A massive suicide bombing of a residential compound in Riyadh that killed 17 people and injured over 120 others earlier this month was aimed at Lebanese Christians, a human rights watch-dog revealed Friday, Nov. 28.

The well informed Barnabas Fund, which investigates the plight of Christians in mainly Muslim nations, said it has learned from a spokesman of the international terrorist network Al-Qaida that the bombers "were targeting mainly Americans and Christians."

"Months of surveillance had revealed (to Al-Qaida) that the inhabitants (of the al-Muhaya residential complex) were mainly Americans and Lebanese Christians. Both groups were deemed legitimate targets as enemies of Islam," the Barnabas Fund said.

"Of the seventeen people killed (among them five children), seven were Lebanese while among the 122 injured some 90 were Lebanese," the organization established.

WESTERN LIFESTYLE

It stressed the world media wrongly "focused its attention on the targeting of Arabs and Muslims living a western lifestyle, claiming that killing of Muslims would backfire and weaken support for the terrorist group. Some saw it as mainly aimed at destabilizing the Saudi Royal family."

Indigenous Christians living in Muslim lands have long been a target of radical Islamist violence, analysts say.

"Violence against Christians is also part of their strategy to destabilize the regime and expose its inability to ensure the safety of Christians under its protection. It is also part of a wider strategy to purge Christianity from the Arabian Peninsula and from the Muslim world as it is hoped that many will flee to the West because of the fear of further attacks," noted The Barnabas Fund.

THERE IS NOT ONE CHRISTIAN NATION ON EARTH WHERE MUSLIMS ARE PERSECUTED.

Yet in most nations where the majority of the population are Muslims, there is systematic government persecution of Christians.

"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."

--Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights--

Christian Conversions - According to the Bible - Can NEVER be forced.

Any Conversion to Christianity which would be "Forced" would NOT be recognized by God. It is in His True and KIND nature, that those who come to Him and choose to believe in Him, must come to Him OF THEIR OWN FREE WILL.



Don't Let anyone tell you that Christians support Forced Conversions.

That is False. True Christianity is NEVER forced.

Core Universal Rights

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one's belief or religion
The right to join together and express one's belief