Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria, is experiencing concurrent crises this year, highlighted in a recent spate of violent attacks in the north of the country, and the World Council of Churches has expressed alarm about the destruction to life taking place.

The Executive Committee of the WCC, in a video conference on July 20-24, took “special note” of several situations of concern brought to its attention in Nigeria.

“A recent spate of violent attacks in northern Nigeria has once again cost many lives, destroyed much property and resulted in further displacement of affected people and communities,” said the WCC.

“Christian communities and church leaders have been among those seriously affected by such attacks,” said the message.

This has triggered growing insecurity in the north-west of the country exacerbating the challenges posed by a longstanding Islamist extremist insurgency in the north-east.

Nigeria has an estimated population of 214 million people of whom nearly half are believed to be Christians and just over half Muslims.

The WCC said recent attacks and insecurity have particularly affected the states of Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto.

“Further, alarming rises in food insecurity and gender-based violence have accompanied the coronavirus pandemic, prompting calls for legal and social reforms,” said the council.

IMPACT OF COVID-19

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are also deeply felt in the economic arena, which has Africa’s biggest economy.

Officials responsible for developing Nigeria’s economic recovery plan estimate that 39.4 million people could be unemployed by the end of 2020 without major government intervention and support.

“The recent lockdown imposed in some states to limit the spread of the virus has also compounded a long-term crisis of sexual and gender-based violence in Nigeria,” said the WCC.

It cited a major spike in cases of such violence prompted 36 governors to declare a state of emergency over rape and attacks against women and children in the country.

Nigeria’s police chief reported 717 rapes nationally between January and May this year, equating to one rape every five hours.

Furthermore, results of a 2019 survey suggest that up to one in every three Nigerian girls could have experienced sexual assault by the time they reach 25.

“However, the number of successful prosecutions of rape suspects remains low and stigma often prevents victims from reporting incidents,” said the WCC statement.

The executive committee noted the extensive ecumenical and interreligious engagement there and “expresses deep solidarity and prayers for the churches of Nigeria in their efforts to respond to such a constellation of crises [and] celebrates the signs of hope offered by the churches and their partners in the initiatives.”

The WCC statement noted the increased inter-religious cooperation for peace – including through the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council.

This is reflected in the establishment of the International Centre for Interfaith Peace and Harmony (ICIPH) in Kaduna, supported by the WCC and the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought (RABIIT).

The WCC said the center is a hub for cooperation among the Nigerian Christians and Muslims for the purpose of fostering peace and harmony between people of different religions

The executive committee of the World Council of Churches has approved a new date for the WCC 11th Assembly, which will now be held in Karlsruhe, Germany, from August 31 to September 8, 2022.

Initially planned for 2021, the event was postponed by one year because of the gravity and uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the WCC said.

“Inspired by the theme ‘Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity,’ our fellowship will come together as a whole in prayer and celebration in Karlsruhe,” said Rev. Ioan Sauca, interim WCC general secretary.

“Being the most diverse Christian gathering of its size in the world, the assembly will be a unique opportunity for the churches to deepen their commitment to visible unity and common witness,” Sauca said.

“We will draw renewed energy for the WCC’s work far beyond the event itself.”

Bishop Petra Bosse-Huber, from the Evangelical Church in Germany, said that the host churches welcomed the WCC’s acceptance of a renewed invitation to hold the 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe.

The assembly symbol was presented to the WCC executive committee on July 27.

The WCC said the design was inspired by the dynamic expressions and variety of the ecumenical movement in its search for Christian unity and promotion of justice and peace.

The symbol has a cross, a dove, and a circle alluding to the concept of reconciliation. It has crossed paths representing the various journeys, movement, freedom, and vibrancy of life that drive the WCC and its churches worldwide.

The WCC brings together churches, denominations, and church organizations in more than 110 countries and territories throughout the world, representing over 500 million Christians as it strives for gobal Christian unity.

It includes most of the world’s Orthodox churches and Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed churches, and many United and Independent churches.

Myanmar’s Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, a regional Catholic Church One of Asia’s most prominent has criticized China’s new security law in Hong Kong saying it “destroys the city’s high degree of autonomy.”

Bo is the president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences and called for all people in Asia to pray for Hong Kong and China “with great insistence.”

“I am concerned that the law poses a threat to basic freedoms and human rights in Hong Kong.

“This legislation potentially undermines freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, media freedom and academic freedom. Arguably, freedom of religion or belief is put at risk,” he said, the Catholic publication Crux reported July 2.

Conversely, the Anglican Archbishop of Hong Kong, Paul Kwong, has backed the new security law introduced by China.

He said that international criticism of the law, which gives the state wide-ranging powers to suppress opposition, is not an expression “of Christian charity but of anti-China sentiment.”

‘SERIOUS VIOLATION OF ACCORD’

The UK Government has described the new law as a “clear and serious violation” of the terms under which it handed Hong Kong back to China. It has offered three million Hong Kong residents a path to British citizenship.

Archbishop Kwong defended the law in a strongly worded letter to the Church Times newspaper.

He wrote that he welcomes the new national security law, “although it is one that I wish were not necessary” and insisted it will not threaten religious freedom.

For his part, Bo, in his July 1 statement said China’s action “brings a most significant change to Hong Kong’s constitution and is offensive to the spirit and letter of the 1997 handover agreement” with the United Kingdom.

The 1984 Joint Declaration signed by Britain and China on the handover of Hong Kong said that the city would have its own special status.

That accord preserved the freedoms Hong Kong had under British sovereignty after it was transferred to China, creating the “one country, two systems” policy.

The new security law came into effect on June 30 and outlaws secessionist, subversive and terrorist acts, as well as any collusion with foreign powers in interfering in the city’s affairs.

It allows suspects to be sent to stand trial in mainland China if Beijing deems that it has jurisdiction.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says the Beijing-imposed legislation “is a clear and serious violation” of the 1984 agreement.

Cardinal Bo said that while a national security law “is not in itself wrong,” he said “such legislation should be balanced with protection of human rights, human dignity and basic freedoms.”

“Hong Kong is one of the jewels of Asia, a ‘Pearl of the Orient,’ a crossroads between East and West, a gateway to China, a regional hub for free trade and until now has enjoyed a healthy mixture of freedom and creativity,” the cardinal said.

“The imposition of the law by China’s National People’s Congress seriously weakens Hong Kong’s Legislative Council and Hong Kong’s autonomy. It radically changes Hong Kong’s identity,” he added.

Bo noted that that religious institutions on Mainland China are “suffering the most severe restrictions experienced since the Cultural Revolution.”

“Even if freedom of worship in Hong Kong is not directly or immediately affected, the new security law and its broad criminalization of ‘subversion,’ ‘secession’ and ‘colluding with foreign political forces’ could result, for example, in the monitoring of religious preaching,” the cardinal said.

It could result in the criminalization of candlelit prayer vigils, and the harassment of places of worship that offer sanctuary or sustenance to protesters.

ARCHBISHOP SUPPORTS NEW LAW

Anglican archbishop Kwong said that he supports the right to peaceful protest.

But in his letter he said months of “wider violence”, which Hong Kong’s legislature had failed to quell, had made the law “necessary for our wellbeing”.

The rioters had committed acts “which cannot be tolerated in any country”.

European Union Minister for Foreign Affairs Joseph Borrell said in a statement last week that the EU took stock of serious challenges to Hong Kong’s autonomy, stability and freedoms over the past year: “[W]e will not simply stand back and watch as China attempts to curtail these freedoms even more, with its imposition of the draconian national security law.”

“It is in the whole world’s interest that Hong Kong can thrive both as a part of China and as a vibrant and unique international business center and crossroad of cultures based on its high degree of autonomy as enshrined in the Basic Law.”