Paul Keenan
A group in Nigeria calling itself the Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders (NDRC) has threatened to carry out reprisal attacks on Muslims and their mosques if Boko Haram follows through with threats to increase its attacks on Christians.
In a statement issued by the group following the threats, made by Abu Musab al Barnawi, the new leader of Boko Haram, the NDRC vows: “We want to warn [Boko Haram] that we, the Niger Delta youths, in this 21st Century will not accept killing of innocent Christians or burning of churches. That if they try it in the north or any part of Nigeria, we the Niger Delta youths will not see any Muslim or mosque in the Niger Delta.”
The NDRC is just one of numerous groups in the oil-rich Niger Delta claiming to be revolutionary groups fighting to protect the region’s natural resources for ordinary Nigerians.
Chinese worshippers have welfare payments terminated
A monitoring group which highlights persecution of Christians in China has revealed that worshippers in a central province have had their welfare payments cut off as punishment for gathering at a church in July.
According to China Aid, the local government in Guizhou have terminated both welfare and old-age insurance for those found celebrating Mass together in the province and are demanding via other local authorities that Christians sign an undertaking accepting that if they gather for worship, they too will lose all welfare entitlements. China Aid pointed out that this tactic of punishing Christians was previously used in China two years ago as means of dissuading church gatherings.