WWR has already reported about the
kidnapping in Libya of 86 Eritrean migrants (some reports mention 88), fleeing political repression in their home country, by militants from Islamic State. From the Libyan perspective, there is more to be said about this incident. The Telegraph reports that
Christian refugees were separated from their Muslim counterparts by the militants. Those who claimed to be Muslims were forced to recite passages from the Koran to prove their religion.‚ This incident is far from an isolated event, but fits in a structural pattern of kidnapping and murdering of Christian migrants. In April, a similar incident occurred in which 79 Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees were also kidnapped and more than
thirty of them cruelly killed. In February 2015
21 mainly Egyptian Coptic Christian migrant workers were murdered by jihadists affiliated to the Islamic State.
Dennis Pastoor, persecution analyst for WWR, concludes: "These incidents clearly show the strength and visibility of radical Islamic groups in a country drifting into absolute lawlessness. With these incidents, radical Muslims, particularly those affiliated to Islamic State, are giving a clear message: "Libya is a Muslim country and no Christians are allowed to even pass through it." It doesn"t even matter whether the Christians are church workers or just economic migrants; all Christians are singled out as targets."
