4 Ethiopian teenagers on trial for distributing Christian books
Four Ethiopian teenage girls are currently on trial after they were arrested for distributing a Christian book in the town of Babile last September.
According to a report by the World Watch Monitor, the four girls, Eden, 15, Gifti, 14, Mihiret, 14, and Deborah, 18, were arrested for distributing a book written in the Ethiopian Amharic language titled "Let's speak the truth in love: Answers to questions by Ahmed Deedat." The book intends to respond to questions posed by the late South African Islamic Scholar Ahmed Deedat regarding Christianity.
The Christians in the area decided to distribute the book after going through a cross-cultural evangelism training. Local Muslims objected to the distribution, claiming that the book is an insult to Islam.
On Sept. 19, the Meserete Kristos Church (MKC) in Babile was attacked. The leaders of MKC and Full Gospel Church (FGC) were called to a meeting the next day and reportedly apologized for the distribution of the book.
After the meeting, a man named Bekele was arrested along with Deborah, Eden and Eden's mother.
In another meeting that occurred on the same day, town officials warned that they would take action against those who would "incite religious clashes." A local Christian pointed out that Islamic literature is circulated in Babile but there has been no backlash against it.
The FGC was reportedly attacked that same night and a group of young Muslims allegedly threatened the life of the MKC leader the next day. Bekele and Eden's mother were released separately but the officials arrested Gifti and Mihiret afterwards.
Eden was reportedly beaten on the first night of her incarceration. An unnamed source told the World Watch Monitor that the girls are holding on to their faith despite their difficulties.
"This [suffering] is an honor for us. We should expect persecution. We are not afraid. We are singing and praying here in prison," Eden said.
"It is an honour to be jailed for God's Kingdom," added Deborah.
The girls first appeared in court on Sept. 28. The judge adjourned the hearing until Oct. 14 to give the prosecution more time to finalize the charges against the girls.
The Ethiopian government guarantees freedom of religion but Christians suffer attacks in areas where Muslims are the majority. The Open Doors World Watch List ranks the country as the 18th most difficult place to live as a Christian.
