Editing P'ent'ay (section)

===Persecution===
According to [[Voice of the Martyrs]] there have been brutal killings of P'ent'ay Christians in rural areas that tend to be overlooked by the Ethiopian rural officials and stay undisclosed to international organizations. Some Oriental Orthodox families expel children out of their house if the children convert to Protestantism. Since the majority population is Orthodox, Voice of the Martyrs claims no criminal investigations are carried out against Oriental Orthodox mobs who burn Evangelical churches, destroy houses and even murder P'ent'ay Christians.

Voice of the Martyrs also states that Evangelical Christians have been murdered by [[Islamic terrorism|Islamic militants]] because they wouldn't renounce their faith in Christ. Islamic militants have stopped at least one bus (near [[Jijiga]], a rural area) and demanded Christians recite the [[Shahada|Islamic creed]], killing those who refuse. The mostly rural churches like Kale Heywet have historically faced persecution with aggressors often doing so with impunity. During the previous 1970s and 1980s government, persecution was equally severe in the urban cities as well, with the likes of Mulu Wongel church (Full Gospel) and Mesereke Kristos Church facing widespread persecution and mass imprisonments and killings. Lacking western ties, the Mulu Wongel church was outlawed by the [[Derg]] Ethiopian government.

More persecution followed Ethiopian Protestants for more than a decade. However, after a change of government, religious equality including the right to worship, build churches and evangelize were restored. Minor and rural issues still exist. Despite these issues, compared to the past, the 1990s have brought the most freedom of religion in Ethiopia. Most of the Evangelical churches, especially Mulu Wongel, Assemblies of God, and Kale Heywet, faced persecution and detentions by previous governments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-1/119467904282650.xml&coll=6 |title=religious leaders jailed and some disappeared during 1980s government |publisher=Mlive.com |access-date=22 March 2016}}</ref> The state sponsored persecution of Protestants by the 1980s government created what some scholars call an "invisible church" and an underground evangelism where the membership of these churches drastically increased despite this era of persecution.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-1/119467904282650.xml&coll=6 |title=Evangelical and protestant population explosion during 1980s communist government |publisher=Mlive.com |access-date=22 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-1/119467904282650.xml&coll=6 |title=1980s government attempt to "eliminate evangelical Christianity" helped evangelical growth |publisher=Mlive.com |access-date=22 March 2016}}</ref>

Since the early 1990s, persecution has mostly ceased, particularly in the cities and areas near the cities, and there is a growing level of tolerance between Evangelical Christians and other religious groups. The ruling party however established a Faith and Religious Affairs Directorate (similar to those in China) to issue licenses, to demand loyalty, and to infiltrate hierarchies of Christian and Islamic institutions. Even though it is not comparable to the state sponsored persecution of the past, P'ent'ay Christians in Ethiopia still face persecution from private citizens in Muslim dominated rural areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2000/0608/p17s1.html |title=Freedom of religion improved 1995, but private citizen abuse remains |publisher=Csmonitor.com |date=8 June 2000 |access-date=22 March 2016}}</ref> Despite Ethiopia's well-known religious tolerance, culture related acceptance issues and the growth of some Evangelical churches have also led to some violence, especially as non-Orthodox Christians and Muslims seek to gain equal economic and social status as the traditionally privileged Orthodox Christians.

New challenges Christians face in Ethiopia include the [[Islamic fundamentalism]] movement mostly coming from radical Islamist organizations or followers of an extreme form of [[Wahhabist]] Islam coming from Saudi Arabia-linked Muslim Non-governmental organizations and projects.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ethiopia's Increasing Vulnerability to Islamic Extremism and What That Means for the Horn of Africa|url=https://religionunplugged.com/news/2020/11/17/ethiopias-increasing-vulnerability-to-islamic-extremism-and-what-that-means-for-the-horn-of-africa|access-date=11 December 2020|website=Religion Unplugged|language=en-US}}</ref> In Eritrea, [[torture]] is used against Protestant Christians, more than 2000 Christians are subject to arrest (2006).<ref name="Open Doors International">{{cite web|title=Open Doors International|url=http://sb.od.org/index.php?supp_page=wwl_deteriorated&supp_lang=en&PHPSESSID=32106507f5331659725a|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927201947/http://sb.od.org/index.php?supp_page=wwl_deteriorated&supp_lang=en&PHPSESSID=32106507f5331659725a|archive-date=27 September 2007}}</ref> The U. S. state department names it a Country of Particular Concern due to its violation of [[religious liberty]].<ref name="Open Doors International"/> It has been reported that entire families are thrown into jail.<ref>{{cite web|title=ADVOCATING FOR PERSECUTED EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS IN ERITREA|url=http://eritreanchristians.com/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926220845/http://eritreanchristians.com/|archive-date=26 September 2007}}</ref> According to the [[Barnabas Fund]], in April 2010 a 28-year-old student died after she was held in a metal shipping container for 2 years, after being arrested for attending a Bible study.