To bring some balance and accurate stats to this thread I thought I would
post the following link - see below BBC website.
I would add that Turkey is a mainly Muslim country but there is also a
large Christian population. Some of the surrounding countries also are
muslim only on the face of it, but they have a large Christian underground
network.
The reason I know this is that I know the staff and director of radio world wide
which is a branch of WEC.
They broadcast Christian programmes into turkey and the surrounding
countries. Every year my church along with other churches in the area, do
a missions trek to turkey and hold many women's conferences and also
general Christians conferences and pray days.
Hundreds and hundreds attend these not just from turkey but also from
the underground persecuted Christian church of the surrounding countries.
We have had exchanges where teams of Christians from these countries
have visited our church on short trips. It is heart breaking to hear their
stories but also heart warming to hear the amazing testimonies of
salvation, blessings God has bestowed on these people and the miraculous
answers to prayer.
Yes there are a lot of migrants but the percentage who commit the terrible
crimes mentioned are very small. In among all these migrants are christians
who are all escaping the problems and conflicts.
I would add that the women of these countries have especially experienced
all sorts of atrocities and that is one of the reasons why the missions to
Turkey seek to especially reach the women to show them the love of God
to let them know they are in the thoughts and prayers of Christians in the
west.
Aid both in form of practical and spiritual is also supplied to these countries
by the churches. Clothing, bibles, to name a few items.
I have also posted a link to the open doors website which supports the
persecuted church. This is as unbiased I think as it is possible to get.
Situations are never quite as clear cut as people think. Yes I believe
milions are trapped in bondage following the dreadful religion of
islam. Many want to escape it and are trapped by custom, family
ties, bigotry, fearful for their lives. Yes it's wrong that this same
bondage and fear is perpetuated and distributed into other countries
with terrible crimes committed by a small proportion of migrants.
It is also wrong that Satan has got these people under such terrible
bondage.
Equally it is terrible that Christians in the west can be quick to jump on the
bandwagon and condemn all Muslims as rapists, murders. Or that they
cannot see that many migrants are Christians some of them openly,
others dare not admit it for fear of their lives.
I just pray that God will give us as individual and also governments of all
countries, wisdom to be decerning and exercise justice. Extending the hand
of compassion and Gods love, protecting the vulnerable, while at the same
time receiving the knowledge to weed out those that would seek to
destroy.
Ephesians 6:12-18 AMP
[12] For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood contending only with
physical opponents, but against the despotisms, against the powers, against
the master spirits who are the world rulers of this present darkness, against
the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.
[13] Therefore put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist
and stand your ground on the evil day of danger, and, having done all the
crisis demands, to stand firmly in your place. [14] Stand therefore hold
your ground, having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having
put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing
with God, [15] And having shod your feet in preparation to face the enemy
with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced
by the good news of the Gospel of peace. [16] Lift up over all the covering
shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles
of the wicked one. [17] And take the helmet of salvation and the sword
that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God. [18] Pray at all times
(on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all manner of prayer
and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and
perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people).
Serving Persecuted Christians Worldwide - World Watch List - Open Doors UK & Ireland
Migrant crisis: Migration to Europe explained in graphics - BBC News
Note also the following paragraphs
A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people
on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum.
This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are
likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and
better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.
Asylum applications from Syrians in Europe have surged in 2015, fuelled by
the country's vicious civil war which began more than four years ago and
shows no sign of ending. The vast majority of refugees have fled to neighbouring
countries such as Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, and the number of Syrians there
far outweighs those who have made the difficult journey to Europe.
The conflict in Syria continues to be by far the biggest driver of the migration. But
the ongoing violence in Afghanistan, abuses in Eritrea, as well as poverty in Kosovo
are also leading people to look for new lives elsewhere.
