Algerian Christians face wave of church closures

05 Juin 2020

by   RABAH ARKAM

New York, USA, June 5 (Infosplusgabon) - Algerian authorities radicalize by using religion to divert the real stakes of the country, which in this case is a blocked political situation and turbulence at the socio-economic level despite the freedom of worship, however guaranteed by the Constitution, which has been violated Many times.

Unfortunately, these actions were aimed at creating unrest in the population, since the end of October 2019, several churches have been closed by the Algerian authorities in several regions of the country, notably in Kabylie, with four churches including “Church of the Full Gospel ", Sealed. This flagship church in North Africa had more than 1,200 faithful members and gathered more than 800 people for each celebration, not to mention the closed Protestant church of Ain el Turk (Oran), at west of the country, some in the south The Algerian regime has ordered the closure of some of them, but their objective is to close all the churches in Algeria.

At the individual level, several convictions were pronounced for proselytism, notably in Kabylie, or young people of Christian beliefs were sentenced to prison terms. Christian literature bookstores also had to close their stores, as well as some Bible schools. It is the 2006 ordinance which is then invoked because it provides for prison terms against anyone "who incites, coerces or uses means of seduction in an attempt to convert a Muslim into another religion". It must be said that the multiplication of conversions to Christianity annoys the government, which wants to curb what it calls "a harmful phenomenon".

Algerian Protestant churches do not obtain authorization to exercise their cults from the ad hoc committee. Authorities consider them a threat when they count many Muslims who have converted to Christianity. Some 3,000 people are currently denied a rally

the places are at home in the so-called house churches. But this too is prohibited.

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