Jubilee Campaign Calls on Algerian Government to #OpenTheChurches in Time for Christmas

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”. Matthew 18:20

This Christmas, Algeria’s faithful are once again restricted from celebrating the day most essential to their religion, the day commemorating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Over the past few years, the Algerian government has been arbitrarily shutting down churches, detaining Christians, and wholeheartedly cracking down on religious freedom. Jubilee Campaign calls on Algeria to #OpenTheChurches so that Christians are able to exercise their #FreedomToRejoice this Christmas.

Since 2017, the Algerian government has arbitrarily shut down tens of protestant churches for dubious reasons, including that they had not obtained permits to operate or that they failed to meet safety regulations. While it is true that many Algerian churches do not hold licenses to operate, that can be attributed solely to the inaction of the National Commission for Non-Muslim Religious Groups, which is tasked with reviewing and approving operation licenses for faith minority houses of worship but which has never issued a single permit. Algerian protestant churches have repeatedly applied for operation licenses, but they have been forced to operate in secrecy and illegally for no reason other than discrimination by the National Commission for Non-Muslim Religious Groups. Moreover, churches have spent thousands of dollars in renovations in order to meet safety regulations but have still been prohibited from re-opening. Now, a total of 16 Algerian churches have been closed by the government, the most recent occurring in July 2021 in which three churches in Oran were sealed shut. For more information on the situation of the numerous closed churches in Algeria, please see the following rejoinder by Jubilee Campaign in which we debunk the Algerian government’s claims of non-discrimination regarding faith:

The Algerian Protestant Church (EPA) released the following video regarding the church closures:

The Algerian government has not limited its religious persecution simply to arbitrary and indefinite church closures, however. Authorities have arrested and charged numerous church leaders and influential people of faith. In January 2021, Algerian Christian Hamid Soudad was arrested for a cartoon of Muhammad that he had shared to his Facebook three years earlier in 2018. Without initial access to legal counsel or a fair trial, Soudad was sentenced to the maximum five years in prison on charges of blasphemy. Soudad’s current lawyer has expressed his belief that Soudad was targeted specifically for his Christian faith: firstly, he was detained a whole three years after the alleged crime took place. Secondly, the Algerian courts usually apply milder prison sentences for individuals who spread allegedly blasphemous posts than for individuals who create the material; despite that Soudad was not the original creator of the cartoon, he was still handed the harshest prison sentence.

Another noteworthy individual who has been targeted by the Algerian government’s onslaught against Christianity is pastor Rachid Seighir who is the leader of one of the Oran churches shut down by the government in July 2021. Seighir was arrested alongside his Christian bookstore salesman Nouh Hamini on charges of “distributing publications or any other propaganda undermining the faith of a Muslim”. Both Seighir and Hamini were sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of 500,000 dinars each. After their appeal hearings, however, they received commuted one-year prison sentences and 200,000 dinar fines.

Meanwhile, Algerian authorities participated in the abduction and repatriation to Algeria of Christian man Suleiman Bouhafs. Bouhafs was originally arrested and imprisoned in Algeria for two years after he made Facebook posts critical of Islam; after receiving a presidential pardon in 2018, Bouhafs fled to neighboring Tunisia where he has lived ever since. While in Tunisia, Algeria raised new baseless charges of terrorism against him. In August Bouhafs disappeared from his home in Tunisia after being stuffed into a black vehicle by plainclothes police and then reappeared days later in Algeria. He is now facing terrorism charges as well as newfound blasphemy charges.

How Can You Help?

Sample Tweets (English):

Let the #AlgerianChurch be #FreeToRejoice this #Christmas. #LetThemMeet The Algerian government has been closing down churches and arresting Christians and interrogating them for choosing Jesus. As of December 2021 – they have closed 16 churches.
- Que #LÉgliseAlgérienne soit #LibreDeSeRéjouir Ce #Noël. Le gouvernement algérien a fermé des églises et arrêté des dirigeants chrétiens et les a interrogés pour avoir choisi Jésus. En décembre 2021 – 16 églises avaient été fermées
- فلتكن الكنيسة الجزائرية حرة في أن تبتهج بعيد الميلاد هذا. أغلقت الحكومة الجزائرية الكنائس واعتقلت القادة المسيحيين. اعتبارا من ديسمبر 2021 ، تم إغلاق 16 كنيسة. #الحريةلنفرح

Wiseman came from afar, shepherds were visited by angels with news of Jesus’ birth. Believers in Algeria come to worship the King but there is no room in the Inn. #OpenTheChurches so the #AlgerianChurch has room to meet #FreedomToRejoice. #LetThemMeet
- Les sages venaient de loin, les bergers étaient visités par des anges avec la nouvelle de la naissance de Jésus. Les croyants en Algérie viennent adorer Dieu mais il n’y a pas de place dans l’Auberge. Le gouvernement doit #OuvrirLesÉglises
- جاء وايزمان من بعيد ، وزار الملائكة الرعاة بأخبار ولادة يسوع. يأتي المؤمنون في الجزائر لعبادة الملك ولكن لا يوجد مكان في النزل. يجب على الحكومة فتح الكنائس حتى يكون لدى المسيحيين مساحة للقاء عيد الميلاد هذا. #فتحالكنائس

Let the #AlgerianChurch be #FreeToRejoice this Christmas. The Algerian government has been closing down churches and arresting Christian leaders. As of December 2021, 16 churches have been shuttered #LetThemMeet
- Que #LÉgliseAlgérienne soit #LibreDeSeRéjouir Ce #Noël. Le gouvernement algérien a fermé des églises et arrêté des dirigeants chrétiens et les a interrogés pour avoir choisi Jésus. En décembre 2021 – 16 églises avaient été fermées.
- فلتكن الكنيسة الجزائرية حرة في أن تبتهج بعيد الميلاد هذا. أغلقت الحكومة الجزائرية الكنائس واعتقلت القادة المسيحيين. اعتبارا من ديسمبر 2021 ، تم إغلاق 16 كنيسة. #الحريةلنفرح

Matthew 18:20 – ‘For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ The Algerian government has closed 16 active churches. Let the #AlgerianChurch meet.”
- Matthieu 18:20. “Car là où deux ou trois sont assemblés en mon nom, je suis au milieu d’eux.” Le gouvernement algérien a fermé 16 églises actives. Que #LÉgliseAlgérienne se rencontre. #LetThemMeet #LesLaisserSseRecontrer
- ماثيو 16: 18 – ” لأنه حيث اثنين أو ثلاثة معا في اسمي ، هناك أنا في وسطهم.”أغلقت الحكومة الجزائرية 16 كنيسة نشطة. دع الكنيسة الجزائرية تلتقي في عيد الميلاد هذا. امنحهم مساحة للقاء #فتحالكنائس #مجانللعبادة

Algerian Christians are forced to be alone in their homes on Christmas instead of in fellowship; the government has closed 16 churches. “For Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
- chrétiens algériens contraints de rester seuls chez Noël; 16 églises fermées. “C’est pourquoi je me plais dans les faiblesses, dans les outrages, dans les calamités, dans les persécutions, dans les détresses, pour Christ; car, quand je suis faible, c’est alors que je suis fort.”
- يجبر المسيحيون الجزائريون على البقاء بمفردهم في منازلهم في عيد الميلاد بدلا من الزمالة; أغلقت الحكومة 16 الكنائس. “لذلك اسر بالضعفات والشتائم والضرورات والاضطهادات والضيقات لاجل المسيح. لاني حينما انا ضعيف فحينئذ انا قوي.”

This Christmas, while 16 churches in Algeria remain closed by the government, we hope Algerian Christians find a way to celebrate freely and with their loved ones. “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14 #FreeToRejoice
- Ce Noël, alors que 16 églises en Algérie restent fermées par le gouvernement, nous espérons que les chrétiens algériens trouveront un moyen de célébrer librement et avec leurs proches. “Gloire à Dieu dans les lieux très hauts, Et paix sur la terre parmi les hommes qu’il agrée.”
- في عيد الميلاد هذا العام ، بينما لا تزال 16 كنيسة في الجزائر مغلقة من قبل الحكومة ، نأمل أن يجد المسيحيون الجزائريون طريقة للاحتفال بحرية مع أحبائهم. المجد لله في الاعالي وعلى الارض السلام وبالناس المسرة 2:14 لوقا

Christmas approaching, we call on the Algerian government to open the 16 churches and give Christians #RoomToMeet. Church closures will not silence Algeria’s believers. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
- Ce Noël, nous demandons au gouvernement algérien d’ouvrir les 16 églises et de donner aux chrétiens un #EspaceDeRencontre. Les fermetures d’églises ne feront pas taire les croyants d’Algérie. “Heureux ceux qui sont persécutés pour la justice, car le royaume des cieux est à eux.”
- مع اقتراب عيد الميلاد ، ندعو الحكومة الجزائرية إلى فتح 16 كنيسة وإعطاء المسيحيين مساحة للقاء. إغلاق الكنائس لن يسكت المؤمنين الجزائريين.“ طوبى للمطرودين من اجل البر. لان لهم ملكوت السموات.” #فتحالكنائس #مجانللعبادة

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