Every church building in Zinder, the second city of Niger, was destroyed by Muslim rioters on 16 January. The next day riots in the capital Niamey burned or destroyed another 55 churches, bringing the total to 72, as well as 30 homes of pastors or Christians, at least four Christian schools and two orphanages. The rioters were protesting against the publication of cartoon of Muhammad by the French magazine Charlie Hebdo. Pray for tiny Christian minority in this desperately poor nation, as they struggle to deal with this destruction. Ask God to comfort those who mourn for ten people killed over the weekend of violence, one of them burned to death inside a church.
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