Death threats condemned: CEN 4.18.08 p 5. April 18, 2008
Posted by geoconger in Church of England, Church of England Newspaper, Church of Nigeria, Persecution.trackback
Davis Mac Ayalla of Changing Attitude Nigeria
The Archbishop of Canterbury has condemned threats of violence made against leaders of Changing Attitude UK and Nigeria.
In late March unknown assailants attacked the head of Changing Attitude Nigeria and sent death threats via a text message from Nigeria to the head of Changing Attitude UK. The death threats followed the beating of the Bishop of Kano by a mob, which left the Rt. Rev. Zaka Nyam near death.
On April 9, Dr. Rowan Williams said the “The threats recently made against the leaders of Changing Attitudes are disgraceful.”
He noted the Anglican Communion, through resolutions passed by the Lambeth Conference and in statements made by the Primates’ Meetings, had “unequivocally condemned violence and the threat of violence against gay and lesbian people. I hope that this latest round of unchristian bullying will likewise be universally condemned.”
On April 8 Changing Attitude released a statement saying that on March 24 “gay leaders of Changing Attitude Nigeria were seriously assaulted. They, and the Director of Changing Attitude England, were also threatened with death because ‘they are polluting Nigeria with abomination and immorality’.”
Changing Attitude also released a letter signed by twenty Anglican bishops and church leaders inferring that attacks on the gay leaders was driven by conservative opposition to the normalization of homosexuality within the life of the Church.
The Rev. Colin Coward said some “highly judgemental and often abusive comments and pronouncements about LGBT Anglicans” had “lead some members of Anglican Communion churches to believe that threats and violence against those who are LGBT (or those who support a more open stance towards LGBT people) are not only justified but are authentic expressions of Christianity.”
However, critics of the Changing Attitude statement note that the group had produced no evidence to substantiate its claim that conservative Anglicans were behind the threats.
The culprits behind the beating of the Bishop of Kano have been identified and are the subjects of a police investigation. On March 3 a gang of young men affiliated with the Evangelical Church of West Africa in Kano attacked Bishop Nyam as he was leaving the church, dragging him from his car and beating him into unconsciousness.
The Bishop was pulled to safety by members of the congregation, who had been meeting with the Bishop to discuss plans to rebuild the church, which had been damaged during last years’ Muslim-Christian riots.
The motive for the attack, Church of Nigeria officials tell The Church of England Newspaper arose from a false story circulated by Muslim government officials that state assistance to rebuild the church had been embezzled by Bishop Nyam, the chairman of the local chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). Bishop Nyam survived the assault but was hospitalized and is expected to recover. When queried by CEN, Lambeth Palace stated they were unaware of the attack.
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