Franklin Graham Condemns Bombing of Sudanese Bible School
'Attacks Like These Will Not Be Tolerated,' Says Graham
Franklin Graham has condemned Wednesday's attack on the Heiban Bible Study schools and has expressed concern for the welfare of the Sudanese people.
Franklin Graham, CEO and president of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, issued a statement condemning the bombing of Bible College buildings near the Nuba Mountains in Sudan.
The Sudanese air force dropped eight bombs on two Heiban Bible College buildings in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan on Wednesday. The attack destroyed the buildings, which were full of students and teachers, but no one was hurt or killed.
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"We at Samaritan's Purse condemn the repeated attacks on the innocent people who are being terrorized in the Nuba Mountains," Graham said in a statement. "Many have been forced to flee their homes, and we are committed to helping those in need."
Graham added that he and his staff were deeply concerned for the welfare and lives of the people who were terrorized by the bombing at the hands of the Sudanese government.
Graham also prays that people around the world will not watch idly and only hope for things to get better in Sudan.
"My prayer is that the world will not just sit by and watch and hope for the best, but make it clear to the government of Sudan that attacks like these will not be tolerated," Graham said.
According to Graham, the bombs ignited grass in and around the campus, and the extent of the damage is still unknown.
Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said she was outraged and also condemned the attack, which she called "heinous."
"It was the first day of school, and the campus was full of students, teachers and families," Rice said.
"While miraculously, no one was killed, this attack- involving eight bombs dropped from the air- underscores the viciousness of Sudan's ongoing military campaign in Southern Kordofan and [the] Blue Nile states."
The Nuba Mountains have been an area of conflict, affecting over 500,000 people, according to Rice.
She said that the Sudan's military and a rebel group, formerly aligned with South Sudan, have been trading blows for months. Thousands of people have fled the violence and if the conflict continues, it could lead to a famine, Rice said.
Sudan is also preventing aid groups from accessing parts of Sudan's South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, according to the Associated Press.
Samaritan's Purse has also offered relief to refugees who fled to South Sudan to escape the fighting in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, offering them food, shelter and medical aid.
The Bible study school, which is dedicated to train local pastors, was sponsored heavily by Samaritan Purse. The Christian aid organization has spent over $100 million to help the Sudanese people since 1993, according to DeMoss News. They have provided food, medical aid, vocational training and built hundreds of churches. They also worked to rebuild churches that were destroyed during the country's civil war.
