ERITREA - Overwhelming sense of hope
31/03/06 - despite prison, hunger, torture and excecution, the Eritrean Church is strong
Despite unimaginable cruelty and deprivation, Christians in Eritrea are strong in their faith and active in their witness.
James*, a Director with Open Doors, brought back some amazing testimonies, following his visit to Eritrea. He stated, “When we left Eritrea, we did so with an overwhelming sense of hope, that despite the atrocities, the persecution and the desperate situation, God is building His Church and there are faithful and courageous believers to lead the different churches.
This hope was inspired by meeting the believers and hearing their testimonies:
Looking Beyond the Horizon
Angela” was kicked out of her house, in a remote village, after she became a believer. Her family regarded her as dead and she was forced to go to a remote construction site and live in one of the empty houses, with no belongings, no fellowship and no comfort.
The old carpet on the floor does not provide much protection against the freezing winter cold and the 40+ degree temperatures in summertime are unbearable. When she was asked, “Are you sad that you accepted Christ?” she replied as if the answer was obvious: “No, I am not; because I look beyond the horizon, I look towards an eternity with God!”
Faithful unto death
Christians who are members of the army in Eritrea face particular danger. Many are deliberately sent to the frontlines in the most dangerous areas. With tears running down his face, Gideon* told James his eyewitness account of the execution of six fellow believers (five men and one woman) in his regiment.
First, they were told to deny their faith. When they refused, they were chained for weeks.
"When they still continued to serve Jesus, they were chained to the barrel of a tank and lifted up and down and sometimes taken for a drive. Again the question was asked, 'Are you ready to deny your faith?' The answer always came as 'No!'
"One evening three of them were taken from their cells and killed, execution style. It was later reported that they died in action, and I am an eyewitness: I know the names and how they died. Few believers in Eritrea know what really happens."
"Believers are sent to the frontlines where death is almost inevitable. Women especially are exposed to many dangers.”
A buried Bible
However, through the witness of these Christians, many are coming to faith in the Lord Jesus. Isaac* came to faith during his military training, at least three years ago. Persecution started immediately and for the next year, his rations and income were withdrawn. However, he was thrilled when he obtained his first Bible and buried it close to his quarters. Every night, and even during his lunch break, he would secretly dig up his Bible and read it – until his secret was discovered.
He was forced to dig a hole nearly four metres deep and get inside it. His hands were tied to his feet, behind his back into the 'helicopter' position, and for the next months, he had to spend every night in that position, following days filled with hard labour.
Gideon described Isaac as follows: “He is probably one of the strongest believers in Eritrea today. He has not known one day as a believer without persecution, and that has strengthened him in his faith”.
Today Isaac is still in prison for his faith.
At least 1,750 Eritrean Christians are in prison for their faith, following a decree issued in May 2002 which outlawed all Christian activity that does not take place in Orthodox, Lutheran or Catholic churches.
To die is gain
Gideon, a former army tank driver was imprisoned when he was caught reading a Bible. James asked him how he had coped with his time in prison.
He replied. “I learned a lot in prison. I was in an isolation cell in complete darkness under very bad conditions for five months. When they moved me to a bigger cell, I immediately started sharing the gospel. When they discovered that I was evangelising, they threatened to punish me and send me back to the isolation cell. At this, the words of Paul came to mind: ‘For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.’ What I witnessed and experienced strengthened me more than it discouraged me.”
Four types of prison cells are used to detain Christian prisoners in Eritrea:
The worst is a dark isolation cell which is entirely underground. There is no light, food is limited. The heat in these airless places in summer is unbearable with temperatures of over 40°C and the isolation is terrible.
The second type of cell measures three by four metres containing 14 prisoners. It is impossible for prisoners to straighten their legs when sleeping. Two Christians became paralysed in one of those cells due to not being able to stretch their legs.
Prisoners in both these cells have to urinate in bags in the cell and are only allowed out once a day into a corridor.
The third kind of cell is a larger shipping container and can accommodate 20 prisoners, many of whom are used for hard labour during the day.
Prisoners are allowed outside once a day, may eat in the corridors and are allowed to go to the toilet.
Eritrean Christians who are locked in metal shipping containers endure freezing cold temperatures at night and searing heat in the daytime.
The fourth type of cell is similar to large tents. There are normally 300–350 prisoners in a unit, and most prisoners are placed here before their release.
Prisoners are continuously pressured to renounce their faith as they are told things like “Do you know that your wife (or mother or father) is desperately ill? Why not just sign the form and you can go and care for them?”
Very few, perhaps 1%, sign the renunciation papers; but the vast majority don’t.
Twenty-nine-year old Helen Berhane, an Eritrean gospel singer, has been detained by the military since 13 May 2004, after releasing a CD of Christian music. Helen is reportedly being held in a shipping container at the Mai Serwa military camp, until she agrees to sign a paper recanting her faith and promising not to continue to participate in Christian activities.
Even the officially authorised churches are not immune from persecution: three Orthodox priests – Dr Futsum Gebrenegus, Dr Tekeleab and Rev Gebremebhin – are still in prison after being arrested in November 2004;
In January this year, Orthodox Patriarch Abune Antonios was forced out of office and placed under house arrest, apparently in retaliation for his outspoken criticism of the Eritrean government's interference in church matters.
However, it is possible for Christians in the West to make a difference.
After international exposure and a day of prayer and fasting by Christians around the world, 91 Christian prisoners were released from the Sawa Military camp, Eritrea on 6 August 2005.
To make a difference to Eritrean Christians in prison, you can download the Eritrea petition in Microsoft Word format (1Mb), sign it and get others to sign it too.
Open Doors Advocacy – You can also write to Eritrean government officials on behalf of persecuted Eritrean Christians.
Open Doors UK & Ireland tel 01993 885400, email info@opendoorsuk.org www.opendoorsuk.org.
*names changed to protect the identity of the individuals.
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