Libya is a major seedbed for Islam in Africa. Its leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, has longstanding ambitions to spread his religion throughout the continent, and to this end he aspires to bring Africa under a single government or create a United Islamic States of Africa with a single currency. His government uses the oil wealth of Libya to finance the promotion of Islam elsewhere, and the staterun Islamic university trains Muslim clerics from non-Arab countries to promote its version of Islam in their own contexts.

In July 2009, nine Christian families (53 people) in Laos each had one of their pigs seized and slaughtered by village officials. The officials stated that this was to punish the families for believing in the Christian faith. A pig is worth about six weeks’ wages. Six days later, the village chief announced at a village meeting, “Those who follow the Christian faith are practising a foreign religion, not a religion of Laos. We have banned the Christian faith in our village.” He said that those who persisted in the Christian faith would “no longer be under the official provision and protection of the village”.

Kyrgyzstan was one of the least restrictive of the Central Asian countries for Christians until a new religion law was unanimously approved by parliament on 12 January 2009. Amongst other repressive measures, the new law states that any religious organisation needs at least 200 members to register. This makes it virtually impossible for most churches to register and thus gain the protection of a legal status. Distribution of religious literature is prohibited in public places, and activities directed to the conversion of others are forbidden altogether. The law thus brings Kyrgyzstan in one leap to a situation of intolerance comparable with many of its neighbouring countries.

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo

This paper is published to promote discussion of a vital issue in the contemporary Church. It is not intended in any way to impugn the Christian integrity of any of the people or organisations whose views are considered or critiqued.

Introduction: The impact of 9/11

Since 11 September 2001 (9/11) there has been a sea change in relations between Islam and the non-Muslim world, fed by the fear of a cataclysmic clash of civilisations and a war of religions. The devastating attacks by Muslim terrorists from al-Qaeda on the USA evoked not just condemnation of the violence but also a wave of sympathy for Muslims around the world, with Christians and many others in the West pointing out that most Muslims had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks and asserting that their religion is peaceful.