Three more churches closed in Algeria, but Christians are “not fearful”

According to the pro-religious freedom group Middle East Concern, three more churches in Algeria, the city church of Oran (L’Oratoire), the Ain Turk House of Hope and a church in El Ayaida, were closed by an order of a court in the Oran area released on 7 July. Now the number of the houses of worship closed in the region ascended to 16.

This action of closing churches taken by the goverment started four years ago, where  these three churches, had been sealed by order of the Governor of Oran in 2017 and 2018, but then re-opened in 2018.

Days earlier, Pastor Salah, the President of the Algerian Protestant Church (EPA) with a group Christians took to streets in Tizi-Ouzou to protest against the closureof churches. They were holding signs reading “No to the abuse of power” and “Stop the closure of churches”, while some others sang worship songs. Pastor Salah took theoportunity to record a video denouncing the situation churches are facing intheregion. The video was shared on Youtube.

What is taking place in the country shows that Christians have decided to speak out to defend their rights, affirming that “The church in Algeria is not fearful, they are not feeling intimidated”, said by a source who is in close contact with Protestant leaders in the country.

Despite there sealed temples, “the reality is that the Algerian Christians are free in a Biblica sense, they can worship God, those who are not free are those who have not been able yet to meet God, and for those Argelians we pray in the first place”.

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During an interview with Evangelical Focus in February, Salah Chalah said that Protestants felt “wronged in their constitutional right to worship in public and freely”. However, he added that despite the actions taken by the government, they would not stop their spiritual life, noting that “We gather in houses or outdoors… just like the early church”.

The World Evangelical Alliance has denounced what Christians in Algeria have been suffering. Meanwhile the United Nations Human Rights Council and The European Parliament arealso concern about the situation, to the point of asking the Algerian government to explain their actions.

Source: Evangelical Focus