Islamic militants in West Africa have executed at least four people after searching their belongings for evidence of their Christian faith.
A Barnabas Fund contact revealed the massacre took place in Bani, Burkina Faso, the seventh in a spate of Islamic attacks targetting Christians in the region.
According to the source, the gunmen laid everyone down and “looked for signs of Christianity in their baggage.” Those who did not profess Christianity were then released, while the Christians who remained were “slaughtered.”
“They declared that this is the way they will treat all Christians of the country… unless they become Muslims,” he said.
The Barnabas Fund went on to say, the Islamists are targeting church gatherings as well as political and local leaders who are favourable to Christians. Between April and June, at least 53 Christians were murdered for their faith.
How often we take for granted our safety, our freedom to openly assemble, to walk down the street without fear of being stopped, searched, and killed for carrying a Bible.
The horrors Christians face in other parts of the world ought to prompt us to pray, for their protection and freedom, but also in gratitude for all the things they long for which we daily take for granted.
