ETHIOPIA: Statement from the Ethiopian Catholic Bishops’ Conference on ISIS killings of Ethiopian Christians in Libya
On our 36th ordinary
assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia, held between 18-23
April 2015, we received the sad news of the atrocious killings of 30 innocent
Christian Ethiopian Migrants in Libya with great indignation and anger. We pray
that the souls of our departed children may rest in peace and all the bereaved
family members obtain consolation from God our Father.
We the Ethiopian Catholic Bishops
of Ethiopia condemn in unambiguous terms this barbaric terrorist act and call up
on all international communities and Governments to provide protection to
migrants where ever they live, so that such acts may never be repeated to the
lives of innocent people.
These Ethiopian Martyrs who were
butchered on the coast and desert of Libya were not politicians, nor military
soldiers, or they were not armed people, considered to be dangerous people for
security, rather they were young innocent migrants hopeful for a better future
on the other end of their destination; capable of transforming their lives, the
lives of their families and even contribute for the betterment of the country
of their destination.
We are saddened that these young
people were killed, because they refused to change their faith in a world where
every human being regardless of race, color, and religion should live in any
country with their human rights respected.
In fact these terrorist acts do
not represent any religion; it is known that these are cruel killers who murder
even followers of their own religion. However, the blood of innocent people
should never be shed in the name of the Lord in any country.
Most of the religions spread in our
world through migrants. The Jews became a nation after their migration to
Africa. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to Africa as a refugee and returned to his
birth place after receiving African hospitality. The first persecuted Christians
scattered to surrounding countries for the sake of their faith and spread their
faith in Jesus Christ. The first Muslims came to Ethiopia around 615 A.D. and
preached Muslim religion in Ethiopia. We Africans and especially Ethiopians
have a great tradition of welcoming refugees and hosting them in our country.
Even today Ethiopia is hosting tens of thousands of refugees from different
countries without any discrimination. Why such atrocity and bloodshed up on the
innocent Children of Ethiopia? Ethiopian refugees in any country should be
treated according to international refugees’ agreements like any other nationals;
it is a crime to take away their lives.
We plead to the human traffickers
who are tricking the youth to leave their country through illegal means to stop
their acts; to those young persons who are still planning to migrate from their
country, even though it is your right to move from one country to another, we
ask you not to travel without making sure that your country of destination provides
you protection or fall in the traps of the human traffickers and travel without
the necessary legal documents. Moreover, we ask the youth to consider the
option of working and prospering in your own country and drop the idea of
migrating to another country where there is no safety.
We will keep the Martyrs in our
prayers. May their souls rest in peace in heaven among the Angels and Saints.
We pray for all the bereaved family members that the Lord may grant you his consolation.
May our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Consolation, intercede for our
Martyrs and console their families and relatives.
May God bless Ethiopia with his
peace.
Metropolitan Archbishop of Addis
Ababa
President of the Ethiopian
Catholic Bishops’ Conference
AMECEA Chairman
April 21, 2015
