First Libya—Now Ethiopia

TheTrumpet.com, March 26, 2011

Back when it was relatively quiet in both nations, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry warned that Libya and Ethiopia would be important nations to watch in the events unfolding in the Middle East.

In his February 6 Key of David broadcast (recorded on January 27), Mr. Flurry asked, “Can you just imagine if the radical Islamic movement gets control of those vital sea lanes? [Red Sea and Mediterranean sea trade routes].”

Fast-forward one month. On March 2, Islamist attacks on Christians broke out across Ethiopia after a Christian in Asendabo was accused of desecrating the Koran. The attacks have continued to this day and have displaced about 10,000 Christians.

“Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said the Islamist group Kawarja is believed to have incited the violence,” Fox News wrote on Thursday.

Besides setting buildings on fire, attackers have issued assassination threats and assaulted college students attempting to distribute Bibles.

The Fox News article wrote, “‘[I]t’s extremely disconcerting that in Ethiopia, where Christians are the majority, they are also the victims of persecution,’ Jonathan Racho, [International Christian Concern’s] regional manager of Africa and South Asia, told FoxNews.com. …

“Racho, originally from Ethiopia, said the fact that the government waited a full week before sending troops to Asendabo shows that it’s not doing enough.”

Following the Key of David program taped on January 27, the Trumpet alerted readers to Ethiopia’s prophesied realignment into the radical Islamist camp, ultimately coming under Iranian influence. Now would be a good time to brush up on that material.