7 of them who were unarmed and helping,  beheaded by Muslims

The Monks of Tibhirine had all decided to stay in their African posts despite the risks. In this, it is difficult not to feel that we have a window into the same spirit with which Christ himself remained firm in his decision to go up to Jerusalem near his end, even though he knew what the result would be.

0n Christmas Eve 1993, in the remote Atlas Mountains of Algeria, several men carrying machine guns appeared in the courtyard of the Trappist monastery at Tibhirine.

Besides the unexpected presence, recent events made their appearance ominous. On December 1 of the same year, a one-month grace period had expired in which the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), rebels fighting the government, had warned all foreigners to leave the country.

Two weeks later, twelve Croatians working at a hydraulic plant nine miles away from the monastery had had their throats cut, partly in retaliation for what the rebels regarded as ongoing mistreatment of Muslims in Bosnia at the time, partly because the Croatians were foreign Christians.

The same man who had ordered the slaughter of the Croatians Sayat-Attya, led the armed group that entered the Trappist monastery and demanded to see the Trappist father superior.Father Christian de Chergé, a Frenchmen like all the other monks, appeared, but was not intimidated:

"This is a house of peace. No one has ever come in here carrying weapons. If you want to talk with us, come in, but leave your arms outside. If you cannot do that, we will talk outside."

It was a bold gesture, but Dom Christian had learned something living among the Algerian Muslims for almost twenty-five years: in their own way, even the armed bands respected religious commitment to peace. Nonetheless, the intruders made three demands.

First, the monastery was rich and had to support the rebels; second, the Trappists had to send their doctor to take care of the GIA wounded; finally, as religious, the monks should donate medicine to the revolutionary cause.