A Special Report by ICC
10/20/2013 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – After the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Christians are being targeted for violent crimes, while Libya’s struggle for a political identity is being exploited by extremists attempting to wrest control over the country’s oil fields.
Religiously Motivated Crimes Against Christians
On Sept. 25, a group of Muslims cornered two Coptic Christians and killed them after they refused to convert to Islam, relatives told Morning Star News. The two men were surrounded by the Muslims on a rural road in the Derna District in northeastern Libya. After being robbed, they were asked to recite the shahada – the declaration of conversion to Islam. When they refused, the group tied them up and shot them.
It wasn’t until later that they were discovered by a Shepherd boy and rushed to the hospital. One of them, Waleed Saad Shaker, 25, was pronounced dead on arrival. His skull had been beaten in by the Muslims. Later, it was confirmed that the injuries to his head were the cause of his death. The other victim, Nash’at Shenouda Ishaq, 27, survived long enough to recount the attack to his relatives before he finally succumbed to his injuries.
Since they were discovered in the desert, no one has been arrested in connection with the killings. This was the third reported attack in two weeks involving the robbery and murder of a Coptic Christian in the Derna District, which along with the surrounding region is known as a hotbed of extremist Islamic activity, according to Morning Star News.
Todd Daniels, ICC’s Regional Manager for the Middle East, summarizes the situation for Christians, saying, “The political vacuum in Libya since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi has created a climate where armed gangs of extremists are fighting for control and there has been a spike in the persecution of Christians in this context. We express our deepest sympathies for the families of these men who were killed because of their faith.”
Extremists Seeking Control of Oil Fields Increases Terrorist Threat
Several political groups of diverse backgrounds and ideologies contributed to the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, including a number of Islamist extremist groups. The season leading to the fall of Gaddafi was marked by a fervent race for power, with much conflict and infighting among these groups. At the end of the Gadaffi regime, some extremist groups saw a unique opportunity to seize the moment and exploit the unstable situation to their advantage.
What followed was a troubling conflict between the government and Islamist militia, over control of Libya’s oil resources, something that is yet to be resolved. Armed militias halted production and exportation from ports, causing a sharp fall in Libyan oil supplies, which led to a significant increase in prices.
If armed militias gain control of Libya’s oil production, it will give them increased financial resources to carry out an aggressive campaign of Islamization and take their terrorist agenda abroad.
Libyan oil and gas workers union have already claimed that elements guarding the oil installations in the al-Hilal region have illegally exported a 700,000-barrel shipment to a certain company, making it vital for the extremist influence in Libya to be overcome, according to Al Monitor.
Jihadists Claim Secession to Impose Sharia Law and Seize Control of Oil
The extremist intent to wrest control over Libyan oil resources is typified by a group calling itself the Barqa Youth Movement, which claimed secession from Libya, declaring the eastern region to be an autonomous federal province. The movement’s statement said that Islamic Sharia “is the source of legislation in the province.” It also declared the appointment of a temporary President and the establishment of a defense force to protect the province and maintain security.
Although it isn’t the first attempt at secession, it is being seen as the most realistic one, owing to the support of key figures, who are leaders of armed groups that have demonstrated their ability to control the ground, according to Al Monitor.
Uncertain Future for Christians in Libya
After decades of an oppressive dictatorship, Libya is trying hard to find its political identity, but it faces the greatest danger from the political vision of Islamist extremists, who not only threaten the safety of Christians in the country by imposing Sharia law, but also seek to control the oil trade to further their terrorist ambitions.
As Libya fumbles its way through a transitional period of governance, Christians are suffering through one of the worst periods of persecution in their history, with nothing but a glimmer of hope that better days are in the offing.

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For interviews, contact Todd Daniels, Regional Manager for the Middle East: RM-ME@persecution.org

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