Speaking Out

Barnabas Fund: Pakistan - Evicted Christians Living in Squalor

2009-08-26T07:41:00.001-04:00

2,000 Pakistani Christians evicted to the roadside and living in fear of typhoid

Local doctors and experienced news correspondents are shocked by the appalling conditions being endured by some 2,000 Christians in downtown Islamabad, the Pakistani capital. Despite being only ten minutes from health centers, two people have died in the 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) heat, with many more in danger of dying from dehydration, infection or the cumulative effects of poverty.

How did they end up here? Approximately a year ago, around 214 Christian families were promised land in the Chak Shahzad district of Islamabad. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) of Islamabad arranged their move and told the families to set up tents there until possession had been finalized. Then three months ago the CDA changed their minds forcing the Christian families to live in the road amidst squalid conditions, where their only water supply runs all too close to an open pit latrine and a waste dump. There are up to 20 people sharing one tent, which only adds to the discomfort.

Our partners in Pakistan commented, “Since Christians are discriminated against by the majority population, nothing has been done to help them.”

Whilst the Pakistan authorities are still to act, Barnabas has been able to secure a way to provide practical aid to the families now. This aid will take the form of food items including rice, lentils, onions and cooking oil for each affected family, as well as buckets and water containers to reduce the risk of typhoid affecting the tightly packed camp.

For only $56.94 (£34.75 or €40.33) you can feed a whole family for a month. Five water containers each capable of carrying 20 liters, costs only $12.15 (£7.40 or €8.60). Any one of these items could be a lifesaver. Donate here.

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund says, “Here is a real opportunity to save lives. Our brothers and sisters in Islamabad are in dire need of material assistance to prevent disease ravaging their already stricken camp. Please be praying that we can raise the necessary funds quickly to meet this life-threatening need.”

ICC: (From the Seoul Times) - Pakistan: Christians Burned Alive in Retribution

2009-08-25T12:05:00.002-04:00

Pakistani Christians in Gojira, as many as six, and possibly more, have reportedly been burnt alive by Islamic extremists following a rumor of desecration of the Koran (with no evidence).

Read more here:

http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd.php?hnewsid=1313

Compass Direct: Somalia - Christian Convert Murdered

2009-08-25T08:31:00.002-04:00

8/22/09
Somalia (CompassDirect)

A Somali man who converted from Islam to Christianity was shot dead Tuesday morning near the Kenya border by members of Al Shabaab, the Muslim extremist group. The group is currently hunting converts to Christianity as they seek to establish Sharia (Islamic law) throughout the country.

Read more at:

http://persecution.org/suffering/newssummpopup.php?newscode=10719

Florida School Administrators Face Prison Time (OneNewsNow)

2009-08-13T08:08:00.003-04:00

A principal and an athletic director are facing criminal charges for a lunch-time prayer.

Last year, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against Pace High School in Santa Rosa County, Florida. The ACLU claimed some teachers and administrators were endorsing religion, but the school chose to give in to the ACLU's demands rather than fight them in court.

According to the settlement, all school employees are banned from engaging in prayer or religious activities before, during, or after school hours. Now two school officials are facing criminal charges for offering meal-time prayers at an appreciation dinner for adults who had helped with a school field house project. Principal Frank Lay and athletic director Robert Freeman are scheduled to go on trial next month on criminal contempt charges. If convicted, both are subject to fines and imprisonment.

Matt Staver is founder of Liberty Counsel, which will argue the court order prohibiting prayer at school-related events violated Lay's and Freeman's constitutional rights.

"In this particular case, Principal Frank Lay asked the athletic director to have a prayer for the meal at an honorary luncheon in celebration for some of the athletic achievements. And then in [another] situation, the clerical worker at an event where some employees of the school were present asked her husband, who is not an employee of the school, to have a blessing over a meal," he explains. "Because of those two events, these individuals now face criminal contempt."

Staver believes that the accusers in this case are students who recently graduated. If that is the case, he says the case is moot. However, Staver adds it is outrageous to punish a school official with potential jail time for simply praying.

Florida School Administrators Face (OneNewsNow)

2009-08-13T08:08:00.000-04:00

VOM: Pakistan - Third Instance of Houses Burned, Christians Killed

2009-08-06T08:10:00.002-04:00

According to VOM contacts, Muslims have burned 45 Christian homes, as well as a church in Toba Tek, Punjab. Nine people, including women and children, may have died during the violence according to Window International Network. Some victims are assumed to have been burned alive. The rampage began after Muslims announced on loudspeakers they were going to “to teach a lesson to infidel Christians,” whom they accused of burning pages of the Quran. Muslims also blocked the road to keep assistance from reaching Toba Tek.

This mass destruction of homes is the second wave of violence in Punjab province. The first came on July 1, 2009, when Muslims made a similar false accusation of blasphemy against Christians in the village of Bahamin Wala.

Please Pray!
Pray for God's comfort and peace to reign in the hearts of the victims and families affected by this latest attack against Christians in Pakistan. Pray for the salvation of the Muslims in Pakistan, and that the perpetrators of these crimes will to be brought to justice.

Open Doors: Pakistan - Christians burned out of homes, killed

2009-08-06T08:05:00.000-04:00

Following an accusation of “blasphemy” of the Quran, Islamic extremists set ablaze more than 50 houses and a church in the town of Gojra in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, August 1. At least 14 Christians died in the attacks. The dead include women and children, with several other burn victims unable to reach hospitals for medical care, according to the Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS).

Clerics at local mosques broadcasted messages that those “who love Muhammad and Islam should gather with them to defend the Islam because it is in danger,” according to CLAAS and reported by Compass. As the crowd size grew, the attacks intensified. The Islamists managed to block main roads and railways to keep fire brigades from fighting the house fires. Authorities, in an effort to keep more Muslims extremists from entering from neighboring villages, blocked the roads into Gojra. Another six people died when Islamists shot at police and the police responded in return with tear gas and gunfire.

The same rumor of desecration of the Quran prompted an arson assault by Islamic extremists on the village of Korian last Thursday. At least 60 houses were gutted in that attack. Punjab Minister for Law Rana Sanaullah reportedly said an initial investigation of allegations of the Quran being blasphemed indicated “there has not been any incident of desecration.” Pakistan is ranked No. 13 on the 2009 Open Doors World Watch List of 50 countries which are the worst persecutors of Christians.

Father we pray for the victims of these heinous and violent crimes, asking for Your peace that passes all understanding to dwell in their hearts and homes. We bring before You the families enduring the loss of a loved one. Father, please replace their pain with love and forgiveness. We trust to You their comfort and ask that You empower believers in Pakistan to stand strong in their faith in You. Amen.

Forum 18: Uzbekistan

2009-08-01T10:18:00.002-04:00

28 July 2009
UZBEKISTAN: "JOY" CHILDREN'S HOLIDAY CAMP ATTACKED
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1332

Uzbekistan Baptist Union is facing criminal charges for allegedly unlawfully teaching children religion, and for supposedly misusing their property as a summer camp, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. As a result, Baptist Union Chair Pavel Peichev faces huge fines, the confiscation of the property, imprisonment, or some combination of these penalties. Baptists have vehemently denied the allegations. The authorities have also instituted checks on the tax and other obligatory payments by the Baptist Union. The first sign of trouble for the Baptists were two articles published by a government-sponsored news agency. Independent human rights defender sources think that the agency is sponsored by the NSS secret police, and that the author may be an NSS officer. The authorities have refused to discuss the details of the case, although the main prosecutor claimed to Forum 18 that "we have nothing against the [Baptist]denomination.". Repeated attempts to contact the author of the articles and the news agency have been unsuccessful.

Open Doors USA: Email - Weekly Prayer Alert - Third Christian this Year Dies in Eritrean Military Prison

2009-07-30T07:40:00.000-04:00

Open Doors USA: Email - Weekly Prayer Alert - Third Christian this Year Dies in Eritrean Military Prison:

"Yemane Kahasay Andom, 43, died last week on July 23 at Mitire Military Confinement Center in Eritrea. According to sources, he was kept in solitary confinement in an underground cell two weeks prior to his death for his refusal to sign a recantation form. It is not clear what the contents of the recantation form were, but most Christians interpret the signing of such a form as the denouncement of their faith in Christ. Weakened by continuous torture, Andom was also suffering from a severe case of malaria.

Andom becomes the third recorded Christian to die while being incarcerated at the Mitire Confinement Center. In early January this year Mogos Hagos Kiflom, 37, died allegedly as a result of torture, and Mehari Gebreneguse Asgedom, 42, died as a result of ongoing physical torture and complications from his diabetes.

With the death of Andom last week, the number of Christians who have died while imprisoned for their faith in Eritrea now total nine. More than 2,800 Christians still remain imprisoned for their faith in Eritrea, which is ranked No. 9 on Open Doors’ World Watch List of the 50 countries which are the worst persecutors of Christians.

Father, please visit the imprisoned with your gentle company and comfort. Send strength to the families of those who have died while incarcerated. Give them grace to grieve, forgive their oppressors and reach out with Christ's love to a dying world. We pray you would turn the hearts of men in power; that the government would end the persecution of Christians and grant religious freedom to all.

“Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ.” (2 Cor 2:14)"

VOM: Two Boys Beheaded by Islamic Extremists

2009-07-29T07:52:00.000-04:00

Islamic extremists have beheaded two boys in Somalia because their Christian father, 55 year-old Musa Mohammed Yusuf, refused to give them information about an underground church leader.

The extremists from the group al shabaab killed 11 year-old Abdi Rahaman Musa Yusuf and 12 year-old Hussein Musa Yusuf, after abducting them in front of their mother. The terrorists are currently looking for Yusuf in Kenyan refugee camps.

ICC: Burmese Army attacks ICC Orphanage

2009-06-08T16:25:00.002-04:00

ICC has advised that their orphanage in Burma was attacked by the Burmese Army as a result of fighting against the Karen people of that country. Some 400 children and adults were forced to swim the nearby river to Thailand, and they are now (those who made it) homeless, in wet clothing and without food.

ICC is requesting donations to help these children and the orphanage staffers. Please go to http://www.persecution.org/suffering/donation.php and help out. Make sure to note that you are contributing to assist the "Burma Orphanage" when you do so.

Forum 18: Azerbaijan (Direct Post)

2009-06-08T16:23:00.001-04:00

3 June 2009
AZERBAIJAN: REPRESSIVE NEW RELIGION LAW AND NEW PUNISHMENTS ENTER INTO FORCE
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1305
Azerbaijan's repressive new Religion Law, and amendments to both the Criminal Code and the Administrative Code came into force on 31 May, Forum 18 has learned. New "offences" - such as more severe censorship - and new punishments are introduced for religious activities and organisations the government does not like. All registered religious organisations must reregister by 1 January 2010, the third time reregistration has been demanded in less than twenty years. It is implied that unregistered organisations are illegal, and stated that "all religious organisations" can act only after gaining state registration. Parliamentary Deputy Fazil Gazanfarolgu Mustafaev told Forum 18 that "the new Religion Law will limit people's rights to freedom of conscience - that is clear." He thinks the Law should have been drafted in accordance with international human rights standards, and that this would have been more likely if expert advice from organisations like the OSCE and Council of Europe had been sought.

Prayer Bulletin from Voice of the Martyrs: China - Church Members Arrested

2009-05-14T08:01:00.004-04:00

On April 30, 2009, 18 house church Christians and leaders were arrested by Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers, while they were gathered for communion at a house church in Xinye city, Henan province, according to China Aid Association.The Christians were taken to the PSB office in Xinye city and each forced to pay a 1000 Yuan (about US$150) fine. Currently 16 Christians are still being held by the PSB, including 10 preachers from Hubei province. The imprisoned pastors are, Wang Donggui, Yang Chengqun, GuoDaying, Hao Xuecheng, Lun Zhidian, Lian Fengmei, Chen Mingao, Ren Zhiai, Zhai Laoxue and Zhai Jinai

Please Pray !

The Voice of the Martyrs has supported persecuted believers in China for more than 30 years. VOM has numerous projects assisting believers in China some of which are, providing emergency aid to the families of imprisoned believers and supplying Mandarin Bibles to the Chinese church.

Ask God to encourage those remaining in prison and pray their testimonies will lead others to Christ.

Pray also that these believers are released.

Forum 18: Azerbaijan (Direct Post)

2009-05-13T11:04:00.001-04:00

6 May 2009
AZERBAIJAN: WILL REVISED RELIGION LAW BAN UNREGISTERED WORSHIP?
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1291
Azerbaijan is apparently rushing restrictive amendments to its Religion Law through parliament, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. "Only the parliamentary deputies have the text, and it will only be published after its adoption," a parliamentary aide told Forum 18. The amendments - which reportedly include a ban on unregistered religious activity - have not been made public, and the full parliament is due to begin consideration of them on Friday 8 May. The refusal to make the text public denies the opportunity for public discussion of the proposals, complains Eldar Zeynalov of the Human Rights Centre of Azerbaijan. "Everything prepared in top secrecy is bad for human rights," he told Forum 18. Parliamentary Deputy Rabiyyat Aslanova, who chairs one of two committees which prepared the draft, told Forum 18 that state registration will be compulsory, but claimed that: "No one will be punished for practicing without registration, as long as they don't preach against the national interest or denigrate the dignity of others." She declined to discuss what this means, and confirmed that religious communities will have to re-register. Religious communities -especially of minority faiths - have struggled to re-register afterprevious changes.

WEA RLP: More bad news from Orissa/Prayer Request (Direct Post)

2009-03-25T07:53:00.002-04:00

KANDHAMAL DISTRICT, ORISSA STATE, INDIA, where Christians made homeless by the Hindu August-September 2008 pogrom are too afraid to leave the relief camps. Those who do return to their villages are finding that Hindus persecute and impose humiliating and repressive restrictions on them with impunity.

UPDATE: CHRISTIANS BEING EVICTED FROM ORISSA RELIEF CAMPS On 16 January 2009 the Orissa High Court rejected a petition from rights activist Keshamati Pradhan against the Orissa State Government's forcible closure of Kandhamal relief camps. The High Court said this was because the Supreme Court was considering Kandhamal riot cases, so Pradhan took her petition to the Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court returned the petition to the High Court on 23 March, saying it wanted to hear the State's position first. Meanwhile, the Orissa State Government is declaring peace and evicting Christians from the relief camps in order to close them. The traumatised, homeless Christians are then forced to return to their villages without any protection or security. Pradhan's petition goes before the Orissa High Court on 6 April. Please pray.

ANOTHER RSS LEADER MURDERED IN ORISSA -- SITUATION 'EXPLOSIVE' On 19 March some 15 suspected Maoist rebels shot dead Hindu nationalist RSS leader Prabhat Panigrahi in Rudhiguma village, Kandhamal district. Just as in August 2008, the Hindu nationalists are saying that a 'nexus' between the Maoists and Christians is responsible. According to local Hindu nationalist BJP officials the situation in Kandhamal is 'explosive'. Meanwhile the BJP has named the Hindutva activist Ashok Sahu as its candidate from the Kandhamal Lok Sabha (Federal parliament) constituency. According to Sahu, Kandhamal is the 'model area' for Hindutva in the entire country. The Indian elections commence on 16 April. Please pray.

Forum 18: Tajikistan (Direct Post)

2009-03-17T15:28:00.001-04:00

TAJIKISTAN: "THIS LAW WILL WORSEN THE SITUATION WITH RELIGIOUS LIBERTIES"
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1266

Tajikistan's restrictive new Religion Law, approved by both Houses of Parliament with little debate this month, could go to President Emomali Rahmon for signature within days, Akbar Turajonzoda, an independent member of Parliament's Upper House, told Forum 18 News Service. "This Law contradicts Tajikistan's Constitution and international norms," he insisted. "I voted against." Protestant communities are also concerned,with one pastor telling Forum 18 that "this Law will worsen the situation with religious liberties". The new Law favours the Hanafi school of Islam over other schools, restricts the number of mosques, requires the state to name all imams, restricts religious education, imposes compulsory censorship of religious literature and imposes wide-ranging state control over the activity of all religious associations. Officials reject the possibility of allowing debate on the Law. "We have already had enough public debates," a parliamentary official told Forum 18. "What we need is just to finally adopt it."

Forum 18: Uzbekistan (Direct Post)

2009-03-06T08:02:00.002-05:00

6 March 2009
UZBEKISTAN: HOW MANY RELIGIOUS BELIEVERS BARRED FROM TRAVELLING?
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1264
Natalya Kadyrova is one of several Protestant Christians known to Forum 18News Service to have been denied the exit visas Uzbek citizens need before they can leave their own country, apparently as punishment for their religious activity. The wife of a pastor of a Tashkent Protestant church,Kadyrova has already been fined for her involvement with her church.Muslims and Jehovah's Witnesses have told Forum 18 that their adherents have faced exit visa denials in the recent past. Human rights defenders are among others who face similar problems. However, Saken Kojahmetov, head of the Department of Entry and Exit at the Interior Ministry's Department of Entry, Exit and Legalisation of Citizenship in Tashkent, denied this to Forum 18. "We don't obstruct Uzbek citizens from travelling freely," he claimed. Asked why a number of religious believers cannot get exit visas,he responded: "If some people are saying this, let them come to me and raise their case and we will resolve it."

Barnabas Fund: Violence in Nigeria (Direct Post)

2009-03-03T07:50:00.001-05:00

NINE CHRISTIANS KILLED AS VIOLENCE ERUPTS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

An outbreak of violence between Muslims and Christians in the capital of Bauchi province in Northern Nigeria has left at least eleven people dead. Nine of the victims are said to be Christians, six of whom were shot and three killed with machetes. At least six churches, perhaps as many as 13, have been destroyed by fire, as well as three mosques and over 200 houses. Around a hundred people have been injured. About 4,500 people were displaced from their homes, and many of them have taken refuge in military barracks.

The latest eruption arose from a dispute between the congregations of a mosque and a nearby church on February 20, although the details remain unclear. Violence appears to have continued for at least three days. A night-time curfew has now been imposed, and a military and police presence established on the streets; the federal government has sent soldiers to the state to provide additional security. The security forces have also been deployed or placed on alert in adjoining states.

The police have given assurances that those responsible for the outbreak will be punished, and the state governor has asserted his resolve to maintain peace. However, some doubt the authorities’ commitment to the security of lives and property, especially those of Christians. Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund, says, “The chair of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Bauchi, Musa Tula, has expressed dissatisfaction over the measures being taken to ensure the safety of Christians in the state. He has also disputed the governor’s claim that the crisis is politically motivated, attributing it instead to religious tensions.”
Nigeria is almost evenly split between a mainly Muslim North and a largely Christian South. Some of the territories that lie along the dividing line explode into violence from time to time. Tensions have been running high in Bauchi since November 2008, when more than 300 people died in Jos, in neighboring Plateau State.

Christian and Muslim leaders have called for calm and for peaceful co-existence between adherents of the two religions. But various Christian groups have asserted that violence in the North is likely to stop only if the government acts more strongly to prevent the killing of Christians and to bring their murderers to justice.

Please Pray:

For the Christians injured and bereaved in the violence, and for those whose churches, homes or businesses have been destroyed. Ask that God will comfort them in their distress and provide for their needs.
For the rapid restoration of order in Bauchi, and that those responsible for the killings will be brought to justice. Pray too that the continuing tensions between Christians and Muslims in Northern Nigeria will not erupt into further violence.
That the Nigerian authorities will act decisively at local and national level to provide protection for the country’s Christian citizens and to deter attacks upon them.

Forum 18: Azerbaijan, Serbia, Russia, Uzbekistan (Direct Post)

2009-02-27T12:27:00.002-05:00

24 February 2009
AZERBAIJAN: LITERATURE CENSORSHIP FOR EXPORT ALSO?
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1259
Azerbaijan's wide-ranging religious literature censorship system has started to affect the export of such literature, Forum 18 News Service has found. Customs authorities recently confiscated Christian religious literature from Azerbaijani citizens leaving Azerbaijan. No mention is made in Azerbaijan's laws of censorship of religious literature taken out of the country. Similarly, Forum 18 was told by a customs official that customs regulations are also silent on this point. An official of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations, speaking after the confiscation of Muslim literature, told Forum 18 that "our society doesn'tneed books that don't suit our laws and our beliefs." He claimed that unspecified religious literature could cause unspecified "social harm andpossibly inter-religious and inter-ethnic violence."

26 February 2009
RUSSIA: GOVERNOR ORDERS CHURCH LAND GRAB
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1261
Apparently unaware that he was giving a public address, the governor of Kaluga Region has ordered that land legally owned by Word of Life Pentecostal Church be seized by "any" means, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. The order, made at a recent local government meeting broadcast live via the regional administration's website, has been captured and posted on the Internet site YouTube by a church member. No official was prepared to comment to Forum 18. Word of Life has complained of frequent bureaucratic harassment ever since its land and building became an impediment to shopping mall construction plans in Kaluga. In Udmurtia, Philadelphia Pentecostal Church is the latest congregation to report similar bureaucratic obstruction, which state officials usually insist is lawful and routine. Such problems are usually encountered by Protestants, who are more likely to have unsecured worship premises.

26 February 2009
SERBIA: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM SURVEY, FEBRUARY 2009
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1260
In its survey analysis of freedom of thought, conscience or belief in Serbia, Forum 18 News Service notes that the most serious remains violent attacks, especially on Jehovah's Witness and Adventist property. The numbers of these attacks have been declining, and a crucial factor in this has been positive changes in media portrayals of non-Serbian Orthodox communities. Gaining legal status is difficult for communities defined by the Religion Law as "non-traditional" who must apply for recognition, and may face apparently arbitrary denials of status. This leads to practical problems for some communities, such as an inability to employ people.Restitution of confiscated property is a problem for most religious communities, including the Serbian Orthodox Church which suffered most communist-era confiscations. Legally, restitution of Jewish property confiscated in the Second World War is also difficult. Education is a sensitive issue, with problems such as negative portrayal of"non-traditional" communities in school religious education.

27 February 2009
UZBEKISTAN: "YOU CALL WHITE BLACK AND BLACK WHITE"
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1262
Uzbekistan imposed harsh prison sentences yesterday (26 February) on five writers for the Islamic periodical Irmoq (Spring), Forum 18 News Service has learnt. The verdicts were: Bakhrom Ibrahimov and Davron Kabilov received 12 year sentences in general regime labour camps; Rovshanbek Vafoyev received a ten year general regime labour camp sentence; and Abdulaziz Dadahonov and Botyrbek Eshkuziyev each received eight year general regime labour camp sentences. Uzbek officials have refused to discuss the case with Forum 18. All five were arrested in mid-2008 by the NSS secret police on "suspicion of being sponsored by a Turkish radical religious movement Nursi." The Ezgulik human rights society stated that the defendants insisting they had violated no laws. "We want children to know the truth, to be able to tell the difference between black and white," they told the court. "But you call white black and black white." The verdict in a similar case against contributors to the Yetti Iqlim (Seven Climates)Islamic periodical is awaited. As part of the continuing crackdown on religious literature, pressure also continues on Baptists distributing literature in the street.

Open Doors: Egypt, Kenya (Direct Post)

2009-02-26T07:56:00.001-05:00

February 25, 2009

Egyptian Law Granting Twins to Muslim to be Reviewed

In a turn of events the Egyptian Prosecutor General last week granted the mother of 14-year-old twins the right to appeal a custody decision awarding her sons to their Muslim father. The boy's father, who is a Muslim convert, was granted custody of the boys last September, contrary to Article 20 of Egypt’s Personal Status Law, which states children should remain with their mother until age 15.

Family Court decisions are not usually given recourse to the Court of Cassation, one of Egypt’s highest courts. “The Court of Cassation will pronounce a decision on the legal rule that Christian children, when one of their parents converts to Islam, should be automatically moved to the Muslim parent’s custody,” told the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) Director Hossam Bahgat to Compass News. “So it is very important in terms of changing the legal rule.”
Praise God for these turn of events and pray for the intersession of the Holy Spirit in their circumstances. Read the full story>>

Kidnapped Nuns from Kenya are Released

Two nuns who have been held captive in Somalia since last November have been freed. Praise God!

In an early morning ambush, gunmen snatched Sister Olivero and Sister Caterina from the small north east Kenyan border town of El Wak taking them across the border into Somalia. Father Bongiovanni Franco, who worked with the sisters, told Compass that the sisters are fatigued. “Their movement from one place to another, and living in house confinement most of their stay in Mogadishu, seems to have affected their health it was like a prison cell.”

Both of the nuns have worked in Kenya since the 1970s providing much needed medical and nutritional care to malnourished children, expectant mothers and the elderly. We thank God for His protection and their safe release. Read the full story>>

Pray for the Egyptian mother and her children. Pray for their witness before the Muslim community in which they serve Christ. May His light shine forth through them and touch the hearts of many. To God be the glory!
Pray for Sister Olivero and Sister Caterina as they recover from their incarceration. Pray for their physical and emotional healing as well as a special time of refreshing. Praise God for orchestrating their release!Pray for many Christian worldwide who suffer because of their faith in Jesus. Pray for His protection, provision and anointing as they build the church. Pray with them “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” 1 Peter 3:15-17

Forum 18: Maldives, Serbia and Uzbekistan (Direct Post)

2009-02-20T08:14:00.002-05:00

18 February 2009
MALDIVES: REFORM EXCLUDES FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1257

Mohamed Nasheed's election as President of the Maldives was hailed as the dawn of a new era of democracy and freedom in the Indian Ocean country.Under former President Gayoom, the once religiously tolerant Maldives -which tended towards folk Islam - was changed into a society intolerant ofall beliefs except state-approved Sunni Islam. President Nasheed has, Forum18 News Service notes, taken no steps to dismantle the Gayoom legacy of continuing religious freedom violations. Indeed, the scope for violations has been increased by the creation of a new and powerful Ministry of Islamic Affairs. The 2008 Maldivian Constitution, inherited from the Gayoomera, also places many obstacles in the way of establishing human rights.Many Maldivians - especially secular and non-Muslim Maldivians forced to conceal their beliefs - have begun using anonymous weblogs to voice their concern over the situation. Fear of social ostracism and government punishment prevents this concern from being openly expressed. If President Nasheed does not respect all Maldivians' right to freedom of religion or belief, he will not be able to fulfil his promises to respect their human rights.* See full article below.

20 February 2009
SERBIA: WHO CAN GAIN LEGAL STATUS?
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1258

State registration, or legal status, is difficult for "non-traditional"religious communities to gain in Serbia, Forum 18 News Service has found.This can prevent communities from, for example, employing people as clergy or other religious workers. However, although some religious communities known to Forum 18 are without legal status, this has not practically affected them. There does not appear to be a pattern in why some communities are practically affected but not others, and the Religion Ministry itself is not actively harassing unregistered organisations. Several unregistered religious communities are challenging the decision not to register them. These include the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement, and the Montenegran Orthodox Church, which is not recognised by other Orthodox churches. A number of smaller communities have considered trying to register as non-governmental organisations(NGOs), but as a draft NGO Law has not been passed by Parliament it is unclear when this will be legally possible.

17 February 2009
UZBEKISTAN: MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS LATEST VICTIMS OF RELIGIOUS LITERATURE CRACKDOWN
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1256

Uzbekistan continues to attack the sharing of information and opinion in religious literature, Forum 18 News Service notes. In the most recent known cases, contributors to two Islamic religious periodicals - Irmoq (Spring)and Yetti Iqlim (Seven Climates) - are facing criminal charges, allegedly for distributing information on the Turkish Muslim theologian Said Nursi. Obiddin Makhmudov of Uzbekistan's state Agency of Press and Information told Forum 18 that "I just found out yesterday from the national TV channel that the magazine's [Irmoq's] staff are suspected of having ties with a banned religious organisation." Baptists are being punished for distributing religious literature free-of-charge, in one case being questioned for seven hours without food or water. A different Baptist has been fired from his job as an electrician, after the NSS secret police and ordinary police confiscated his religious literature from his mother-in-law's flat. Asked by Forum 18 why police raided the flat, Police Inspector Alisher Umarov claimed they were "allowed" to do passport control"anywhere and anytime."

Open Doors: Bangladesh, Turkey, Nigeria (Direct Post)

2009-02-19T07:48:00.002-05:00

Bangladeshi Christians Seek Justice in Church Bomb Blast

About 70 people were attending Sunday prayers at Baniarchar Catholic Church in Gopalganj, when a bomb went off killing 10 people and injuring 20 others. Anna Halder, whose son Suman Halder was killed in the 2001 bomb attack, told Compass she wants to see justice within her lifetime. “I want this government to investigate properly to find the real culprits,” she said.

With the election of a new government, the chief priest of Baniarchar Catholic Church, Father Jacob Gobbi, said he has urged officials to revive the investigation. “A completed investigation also would restore the dignity of Christians who became suspects, as police used the initial call for an investigation to detain and harass some Christians,” he said.

The Awami League-led Grand Alliance, which won a landslide victory in elections last Dec. 29, does not include Islamic fundamentalist parties and now carries with it the hope for justice.

Read the full story >>

Two More Arrested in Malatya, Turkey Murders

A Turkish court has charged two more men for instigating the murder of three Christians in Malatya in 2007: Huseyin Yelki, a former employee of the Christian publishing house where the Christians were killed, and Varol Bulent Aral, an ex-journalist suspected of ties to a group that tried to engineer a political coup.

While the plaintiff’s attorneys said they don’t believe Aral and Yelki are the masterminds themselves, they hope these two men could act as links for the investigation to go higher up the chain of command. “In my opinion, Yelki and Aral are just middle guys between the real instigators and the ‘hit-men,’” said Cengiz, representing the plaintiff lawyers. “Their inclusion into the court file has sparked hope for the first time since the case started. I hope we will be able to reach the higher links and deliver justice to them.”

Read the full story >>

Open Doors Responds to Recent Violence in Jos

Christians in Jos are traumatised by the religious riot of November 28. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) reports that 129 Christians, including five pastors, were killed. About 45 churches were torched and looted, and more than 30,000 people were displaced during the violence.

Many Christians believe that Muslims used the recent elections as an excuse to cleanse Jos and to forcefully claim the city for Islam. “The Muslims betrayed our trust. We are trying to show them the love of Jesus Christ. We give them land. We welcome them into our houses… God knows our love for them and even after this incident we still love them. They are God’s creatures. We must pray for them,” shared Rev. John Kisa, pastor of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA Church) in Jos.

The Open Doors (OD) team in Nigeria is working around the clock to address the immediate needs of victims. OD visited injured Christians in hospitals, gave them Bibles, prayed with them and offered some assistance to cover their medical expenses. OD is planning to provide for fifty widows, including the widows of the five murdered pastors, with trauma counselling, three month’s relief aid as well as school fees for the remainder of this year. OD will also rent temporary housing for the families, while helping them reconstruct their homes. In a few informal displacement camps, OD also had a time of encouragement with Christians as hundreds of Bibles were handed out.

“This is a wonderful development! While others are thinking of physical food, you have brought us Life in its entirety. This is what we need in a time like this,” said a thankful recipient of a Bible.

Please Join in Prayer For:

Pray for Christians in Bangladesh, Istanbul and Nigeria seeking justice.
Pray they will allow God to be the author of the justice they seek.
“I know the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. Surely the righteous will praise Your name.” Psalm 140:12-13.
Pray for the authorities in these countries as they investigate and attempt to prosecute.
Pray their hearts will be open to the truth and that they will be willing to be used by our Father as He imparts justice.
Pray for the families in Jos as they rebuild their community.
Pray for OD’s workers as they model Christ while assisting in the rebuilding efforts.
Pray for divine inspiration and protection.
Praise God for the example of His servants and followers in the persecuted church. Pray for their courage, strength and boldness as they proclaim His name and endure the cost.

China Aid: Chinese Attorney Being Held Hostage By Government

2009-02-18T07:17:00.002-05:00

Gao Zhisheng Held Hostage

Gao Zhisheng, part of the ChinaAid Legal Defense Team, was kidnapped by more than a dozen police on February 4. He has not been seen or heard from since. Gao wrote an account in his own words which reveals the severe torture he suffered for more than 50 days when he was first abducted.

He wrote how he was forced to lie naked on the floor for 13 days and nights:

"The electric shock baton was put all over me. And my full body; my heart, lungs
and muscles began jumping under my skin uncontrollably. I was writhing on the
ground in pain, trying to crawl away. Wang (one of the interrogators) then
shocked me in my genitals…. Every time when I was tortured, I was always
repeatedly threatened … 'Your death is sure if you share this with the outside
world.'"

Gao's family is concerned that Gao may be experiencing the same abuse now. Because of his work defending underground Christians and others persecuted in China, the Chinese government has tried to silence him since 2005. His wife and two children have also been abused, tormented and cut off from the outside world during this time.

ChinaAid calls all Christians and those who value human dignity and justice around the world to act on Gao Zhisheng’s behalf.

» Find out how.

China Aid: Shuang Shuying released; sends thanks for prayers and support

2009-02-16T07:28:00.003-05:00

“A Letter of Thanks to the Brothers and Sisters All Over the World”
from Shuang Shuying

I am Shuang Shuying, 79 years old. Two years ago, my son Hua Huiqi (a house church pastor in Beijing) was put in jail by the Chinese police. In order to force my son to compromise his faith and betray brothers and sisters, I was sentenced to two years in prison as a hostage by the Public Security Bureau. During my imprisonment, the PSBs of Beijing came to my prison interrogating, threatening and harassing me numerous times. They even directed other prisoners to take off all of my clothes and forced me stand alone outside in the evening without letting me sleep. Seven prisoners kept watching me in turn. I was not allowed to move even when the mosquitoes bit me or I would be slapped on my face and poked in the veins on my hands. I still had wounds that were unhealed on my hands. The PSB officers even forced me to drink my own urine. They threatened me not to tell anyone about the tortures I experienced.

During these terrible circumstances, I prayed without ceasing. I asked God to give me strength. Every time when my son came to visit me and shared with me that brothers and sisters from all over the world had been praying for me, I felt greatly strengthened and empowered which has enabled me to continue to live. When I was released from jail this morning (February 8), I went to visit my hospitalized old companion (husband), who is not even able to recognize me anymore because of losing consciousness. So I sincerely plead to brothers and sisters all over the world to continue to pray for me and my husband. At the same time, I want to thank each one of you for your continuous prayers, care and support for my husband, Hua Zaichen, and me.

A branch of the Body of Christ
Shuang Shuying

The day after this letter was written, Shuang Shuying’s husband Hua Zaichen, 91, went Home to the Lord. We are grateful for the witness of this elderly couple who have laid down their lives for the Truth and for religious freedom in China. Shuang Shuying and her family continue to suffer persecution from Chinese officials. Thank you to all who are praying for this family and are providing aid for them in their hour of great trial.

Write an encouraging letter to Shuang Shuying as she rebuilds her life:

Mrs. Shuang Shuying
Room #107
Building #23
Tai Ping Qiao Xi Li
Fengtai District
Beijing, CHINA 100076

Forum 18: Armenia (Direct Post)

2009-02-13T14:37:00.001-05:00

9 February 2009
ARMENIA: TWO YEARS' IMPRISONMENT FOR ORGANISING SHARING OF FAITH?
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1251
If two draft Laws which began passage through Armenia's Parliament on 5 February are adopted, spreading one's faith would be banned, Forum 18 NewsService has learnt. Those who organise campaigns to spread their faith would face up to two years' imprisonment, while those who engage in spreading their faith would face up to one year's imprisonment or a fine of more than eight years' minimum wages. Gaining legal status would require 1,000 adult members, while Christian communities which do not accept the doctrine of the Trinity would be barred from registering. "These proposed Laws contain violations of all human rights." Russian Orthodox priest Fr. David Abrahamyan told Forum 18. Religious affairs official Vardan Astsatryan told Forum 18 the government backs the draft Laws "in general". He declined to explain why the government has not involved the OSCE in preparation of the draft Laws.

ICC: ACTION ALERT - Sign petition for Sri Lankan Christians (Direct Post)

2009-02-11T08:26:00.001-05:00

SRI LANKA - New attempt to enact anti-conversion law

Buddhist monks have once again introduced an anti-conversion bill to restrict conversions in Sri Lanka.

The Jathika Hela Urumaya (National Heritage Party), which is led by Buddhist monks, introduced the bill under the title "Prohibition of ForcibleConversion of Religion Bill" on Tuesday, January 6. The bill was first introduced in the Sri Lankan parliament in 2004, and was subsequently challenged in the Sri Lankan Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that the bill was valid except for two clauses, and since then the bill had remained in committee after being revised in accord with the Court's ruling.

Reports indicate that the bill will be debated in parliament in February and is likely to pass. Though proponents claim that the bill would only restrict "fundamentalist" groups from using monetary rewards or coercive methods to convert people, the language is so broad that it would criminalize any form of humanitarian assistance from religious groups.

The bill is especially concerning because it is the culmination of a widespread pattern of violent attacks on Christians in Sri Lanka (see photo of a church in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo attacked in July 2008). Similar measures enacted in several Indian states such as Orissa have led to an increase in attacks on Christians. If this bill is passed, it would likely serve to legitimize anti-Christian persecution.

Here's How You Can Help

#1 Pray: The first thing you can do to help is stop right now and ask the Lord to intervene.

#2 Next, review our petition. Sri Lankan officials are concerned about their relationship with the United States and other Western countries, so when the people shout, they will listen. We have also found that evil prefers to stay hidden and when we shine the light on it, it flees.

#3 Electronically sign the petition by clicking here.

#4 Print out the petition and take it to your church and have everyone you know sign it. Send it back to us so we can present it to the Sri Lankan Ambassador. Feel free to print out extra signature pages for large numbers of sign ups. When you have collected all your signatures, please mail the signature pages to :

ICC
PO Box 10277
Silver Spring, MD 20914-0277

or fax them to us (301-989-1709).

Please get them back to us by March 12.

#5 Forward this email to all your email contacts and ask them to do the same.

Sincerely in Christ,

Jeff King
President, ICC

Open Doors: Eritrea (Direct Post)

2009-02-10T12:15:00.001-05:00

ERITREA

Christians Arrested During Communion

January 28 – On January 25, security officials arrested 27 members of the Rhema Church in Assab during their Sunday worship service. The 20 men and seven women were beaten as they were taken to a local police station. More than 300 Christians have been arrested since October 2008.

President Denies Persecution

January 20 – After banning all independent Protestant churches in May 2002, President Isaias Afwerki and his government deny that religious persecution exists in Eritrea, insisting such reports are based on “false allegations, exaggeration and baseless fabrication.” However, the arrest of believers has continued unabated into 2009, bringing the total number of Christians in prisons to almost 3,000.

Forum 18: Kazakhstan (Direct Post)

2009-02-06T08:12:00.003-05:00

3 February 2009
KAZAKHSTAN: "THIS IS A HIGHLY DANGEROUS PRECEDENT"
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1248

Kazakhstan has resumed jailing Baptists, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Yuri Rudenko from Almaty Region was the third unregistered Baptist pastor to be jailed for three days for refusing to pay fines for unregistered worship. Baptists point out that this breaks Kazakhstan's Constitution, but officials have refused to discuss this with Forum 18. The jailing took place as Elizaveta Drenicheva, a Russian working as a missionary for the Unification Church (commonly known as the Moonies), was jailed for two years for sharing her beliefs. Other religious believers who strongly disagree with her beliefs, as well as human rights defenders, are alarmed by the jail sentence. "This is a highly dangerous precedent," one Protestant who preferred not to be identified told Forum 18. "It seems to me that any believer who preaches about sin and how to be saved from it could be convicted in the same way." Baptist churches in Akmola region have also been raided and their members questioned, and another Baptist pastor is facing the threat of jail tomorrow (4 February).

5 February 2009
KAZAKHSTAN: MEDIA INTOLERANCE "HAS ONE SOURCE: THE KNB SECRET POLICE" http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1250

Human rights defenders and religious minorities have complained to Forum 18 News Service of a "wave" of hostile media coverage of religious communities. They think this is part of a government-sponsored campaign to gain greater public acceptance of a new Law restricting freedom of thought, conscience and belief. "All these articles have one source: the KNB secret police," Ninel Fokina, head of the Almaty Helsinki Committee, told Forum 18. Told that journalists and editors had denied this to Forum 18, she responded: "Who's going to admit such coverage is ordered?" Protestants such as Seventh-day Adventists, Baptists and Pentecostals have faced media attacks along with Ahmadi Muslims, the Hare Krishna community and Jehovah's Witnesses. One of many examples of media intolerance is four separate newspapers publishing an identical article attacking the Jehovah's Witnesses. One of the newspapers credited the article to a named former Jehovah's Witness, one credited a different author, and two of the newspapers credited KNB secret police offices in different Kazakh regions.

Open Doors: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Gaza (Direct Post)

2009-02-04T16:18:00.002-05:00

Saudi Arabian Authorities Arrest Christian Convert

Saudi authorities have reportedly arrested a 28-year-old Christian man for describing his conversion and criticizing the kingdom’s judiciary on his website. On Jan. 13, Saudi police arrested Hamoud Bin Saleh “because of his testimony that he converted from Islam to Christianity,” according to the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI). Bin Saleh, who had been detained for nine months in 2004 and again for a month last November, was reportedly being held in Riyadh’s Eleisha prison.His journey to Christ began after witnessing the public beheading of three Pakistanis convicted of drug charges. Shaken, he began an extensive study of Islamic history and law, as well as Saudi justice. His research led him to an exploration of other faiths and of the Bible. After reading how Jesus forgave rather than stoned a woman condemned for adultery, Bin Saleh prayed to receive Christ as his Savior. According to Compass Direct News Bin Saleh encouraged others to “just look and ask for the light of God.”

Please pray for those living in darkness, that they too will seek the “light” of Jesus.

Read the full report>>

Egyptian Christians Sent to Prison

On Jan. 22 a judge sentenced six Christian brothers to three years in prison with hard labor for resisting arrest and assaulting authorities.

Last September, police officers raided a café in Port Sa’id, because they were open for business during Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting. When they tried to defend their café, the brothers were arrested and charged with resisting arrest and assaulting authorities.

There is no law in Egypt under which the brothers could be prosecuted for opening their café during Ramadan. “Police did not want to see people eating during Ramadan. This is unfair, because whatever people’s beliefs are, the law is something else and they should not be mixed,” said Ramses el-Nagar, the Christians’ lawyer. “We would like to see Egypt free and treating all citizens equally.”

Read the full report>>

In a separate Compass Direct News report, Martha Samuel Makkar, who was arrested at Cairo’s airport last December for carrying forged identification documents, was granted bail on Jan. 24th. In the documents it listed her religion as Christian. Makkar explained in court her reasons for conversion, avowing her Christian faith and repudiating the judge’s claims that converting from Islam to Christianity was impossible.

Bail was granted to Makkar only after the judge took her aside and threatened her saying “Nobody changes from Muslim to Christian you are a Muslim.” She replied, “No, I am a Christian.” Judge Tawfiq then said, “If I had a knife now, I would kill you.” Praise God he gave the decision to let her go free.

Read the full report>>

Relief for Gaza -Update Report

The Bible Societies in Israel and Palestinian Areas launched a joint initiative called “Standing in the Gap,” offering practical as well as spiritual relief for the suffering Gazan people. Open Doors is co-supporting a part of the program which is called “Love your Neighbor/Comfort my People.” It is not for Christian families only but also will be used in reaching out to Muslim neighbors in Gaza.

Working through several churches and organizations in Gaza they are trying to reach the neediest by setting a criteria of priority. Included in this aid program is help for 50 Christian families who fled Gaza and have found refuge in the West Bank. John Fox, an Open Doors fieldworker says: “We are very grateful for this great program and are happy to be able to co-support this initiative.”

Please Join in Prayer for:

Divinely inspired compassion and justness for Bin Saleh in Saudi Arabia and all who will be deciding his fate. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy… Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:7, 10
Thanksgiving to God for the boldness and courage of Christians like Bin Saleh and Martha Makkar to speak forth His truth in love without fear of consequence. “…But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1Cor 15:57
The Egyptians brothers who have been unjustly accused and sentenced to prison. Pray for all Christians persecuted because of righteousness. Pray they are strengthened and encouraged daily.
Love and mercy to prevail in Gaza. Pray that the humanitarian efforts will provide much needed relief and that it will pave a way for them to receive hope for salvation in Jesus Christ.

Open Doors provides the 2009 World Watch list

2009-02-04T07:44:00.002-05:00

Open Doors today announced their 2009 World Watch list of the countries who have been the worst when it comes to persecuting Christians among their citizens. Once again, the primary position of shame belongs to North Korea.

You can download a copy of the report here and get educated on where things stand in the world. There's also an e-card function that lets you e-mail a copy to some else.

Let's let people know where things stand.

Open Doors: Iran, Pakistan (Direct Post)

2009-01-29T07:50:00.003-05:00

Three Iranian Christians Arrested from Homes in Tehran

Jamal Ghalishorani, his wife Nadereh Jamali, and Hamik Khachikian were arrested on January 21st and are being held without charges by Iranian authorities. These Christians were taken from their homes in the early morning. Their families have not been notified as to where they have been taken or how they will be charged, according to a Compass Direct News report. Arrests and pressure on Christians from authorities have ramped up even further in the past few months, the source said.

“We are quite sure that these arrests are part of a bigger operation from the government. Maybe up to 50 people were arrested. In Tehran alone already some 10 people were arrested all on the same day.”

The arrests are particularly disturbing in light of the Iranian parliament’s approval last September of a new penal code calling for a mandatory death sentence for “apostates,” or anyone who leaves Islam for another faith (i.e. followers of Jesus Christ). Under the new penal code, male “apostates” would be executed, while females would receive life sentences.

Read the full story>>

Pakistani Christians Acquitted in ‘Blasphemy’ Case

This is a historic victory for Christians in Pakistan … the first victory of its kind, according to Compass Direct News.

“This case can set a precedent for future blasphemy cases against Christians,” stated Shahzad Kamran, a case worker for SLMP (Sharing Life Ministries Pakistan). SLMP advocated for the men through reconciliation meetings with local Islamic leaders.

Nearly two years ago in March of 2007, during a religious holiday celebrating Muhammad’s birthday, Salamat Masih, his son Rashid, Ishfaq, Saba and Dao Masih were arrested and charged with “blasphemy” against Islam. Join us today in thanksgiving for the news of their release.

“This is a wonderful sign that has made history,” said Shahzad Kamran. The Islamic clergymen agreed to issue a fatwa (religious edict) declaring the accused men innocent of blasphemy. The Muslim witnesses in the case withdrew their testimony and the five Christian men were acquitted. “The cleric said he would do it because he did not want to bring harm and injustice to the community.”

Read the full story>>

Please Pray for:

Pray for persecuted Christians in Iran, Pakistan and all over the globe to be encouraged and strengthened as they give their all in service for Christ.
Pray for the families of the three Christians arrested in Iran.
Pray for their comfort and for the intercession of the Holy Spirit for all of their needs.
Thank our heavenly Father for the example that Islamic clerics recently set in Pakistan.
Pray that their heart for peace and justice will serve as an example to the entire Muslim community.
Pray that all Christians wrongfully accused of "blasphemy" will be the beneficiaries of this new precedent of reconciliation at the local level between Islamic leaders and Christian organizations.
Pray for open hearts, open minds, and a new beginning of revelation in Christ through reconciliation.

Open Doors: Pakistan, Eritrea (Direct Post)

2009-01-27T07:47:00.001-05:00

Young Pakistani Sisters Returned Home
The ordeal of two teenage Christian sisters in Pakistan is over, but difficult times still loom ahead. Parvisha Masih, 18, and Sanam Masih, 14, who were kidnapped and assaulted last November, said “We are happy to return to the family, but we are feeling ashamed because there is no respect for us in society now.” In addition, these young girls face a long legal battle that will inevitably bring them into contact with their captors. “We feel very afraid, and we are still receiving threats,” Parvisha Masih told Compass Direct News. “I don’t ever want to see those men again.”

According to Javaid, a Pakistani member of parliament based in Karachi, Christian girls from poor families make easy targets, and many cases go undocumented. High legal fees often make it impossible for poor families to bring a case to court. On top of this, a biased legal system that favors Muslims over Christians is particularly reluctant to pass judgments that would undermine conversion to Islam.

This is the second known case of its kind in recent months. Saba and Aneela Masih underwent a similar ordeal last July, and although 10-year-old Aneela has been returned to her family, her 13-year-old sister, forced to marry one of the men who kidnapped her, remains with her captors. Read more

Dark Month for the Church in Eritrea
In early January, Open Doors learned of the death of two Christians under the harsh conditions in the Mitire Military Confinement. Mogos Hagos Kiflom (37) died as the alleged result of the continued physical torture he endured for his refusal to recant his faith. Mehari Gebreneguse Asgedom (42) died in solitary confinement. Sources say he died as a result of ongoing physical torture and complications from diabetes.

These deaths came amid the government’s continued campaign against Christians across the country. Late November, 34 members of the Kale-Hiwot Church in Dekemhare were arrested. Shortly before Christmas, at least 49 key leaders of underground churches in Asmara were rounded up over a two week period. The government arrested 15 members of the Kale-Hiwot Church in Keren on January 11 and around the same time closed down a printing press while arresting the owner. Read the full report on the events in Eritrea.

Please Join In Prayer For:

Parvisha and Sanam in Pakistan. Pray for God’s strength to help them endure judgment and criticism from their community.
Pray also for their family as they bravely stand alongside them.
Pray for Saba and Aneela.
Pray for Saba to be supernaturally protected from the mistreatment by her captors.
Pray for young girls in Pakistan and other parts of the world who face similar fears. “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4
The passing of our brothers Mogos and Mehari in Eritrea. “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.” Psalm 116:15
The many Christians in Eritrea that they feel God’s mighty presence.
Pray for Him to protect and comfort them that “We may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6.

Open Doors: Egypt, Bangladesh (Direct Post)

2009-01-27T07:37:00.001-05:00

Egyptian Wins Rare Legal Victory to Revert to Christianity
Fathi Labib Yousef, who had long ago converted to Christianity, spent 31 years officially identified as a Muslim but has now won a rare legal victory to be officially registered in his “new” faith. According to Compass Direct News*, changing one’s official religious identity from Islam to any other religion in Egypt is extremely difficult. Religious reversion cases are difficult to win, but it is far more difficult for Muslim-born converts to Christianity to officially change their religious status. Read more about Yousef’s case on our website.

Bangladeshi Muslims Threaten Pastor for Evangelizing
A Christian pastor in Meherpur district suffers continued torture and harassment at the hands of 4,000 Muslims. Jhontu Biswas, 31, said residents of Fulbaria town accused him of misleading Muslims by distributing Christian booklets. They confronted him on Dec. 9 as they gathered for the Islamic Eid al-Adha festival of sacrifice. “They also accused me of converting poor people by offering money,” said Biswas. “They called several local journalists in that massive assembly to publish news against me and my activities. They took my photograph and interviewed me but did not publish anything in their respective newspapers.”

Biswas denied the accusations against him, and the Muslims threatened to harm him and others who converted from Islam to Christianity. Read more on the continual persecution Biswas endures for his faith.

Mexican Church Facing Lawsuit for Speaking Out - OneNewsNow (Direct Post)

2009-01-26T13:16:00.001-05:00

Charlie Potts
OneNewsNow (1/24/09)

Mexican socialists are threatening the Catholic Church for opposing abortion, homosexual "marriage," and euthanasia. Mexico's Social Democratic Party members say they will file suit if the church does not keep quiet.

Dr. Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission says the socialists are practicing humanist religion. "So it's just basically an example of one religion trying to lord over another religion, and it's a violation of any sense of equity and fairness," he explains. Cass adds that the church cannot afford to be intimidated into submission. "The church has a responsibility to God to speak to all issues as it pertains to our values: our family values, our corporate values, the activities of the church," he notes. He says a good example is John the Baptist "who spoke out against Herod because of living in open adultery." "It cost John the Baptist his head," Cass points out.

Free Shuang Shuying - China Aid (Direct Post)

2009-01-26T08:45:00.000-05:00

Free Shuang Shuying

Shuang Shuying, a 79-year-old Christian grandmother, has been imprisoned by the Chinese government for almost two years, because of her family's work helping the poor and oppressed. Read more.

She has become extremely thin and fragile and her health is deteriorating from the harsh conditions, almost to the point of death during the past two years in prison. However, the greatest injustice is that her husband Hua Zaichen, 90, is dying and authorities have denied her a last visit with him even though her prison sentence ends February 8.

Government officials mock Shuang Shuying’s desperate longing to see her husband. They have told her that if he dies, they will escort her in prison uniform, handcuffed and shackled, to see his body for 10 minutes.

You can bring aid to this family as Shuang Shuying’s husband struggles daily to stay alive in the hope he might see his wife before he dies. Will you let your voice be heard on behalf of this elderly couple who have laid down their lives to serve others?

» Two ways you can act now to bring justice.

Compass Direct: Bangladesh - Buddhists force Christians from home (Direct Post)

2008-12-29T16:32:00.001-05:00

DHAKA, Bangladesh, December 26 (Compass Direct News) – Buddhist villagers in southeastern Bangladesh’s Rangamati district last week beat a young father and drove him from his house for converting to Christianity. The Buddhists in Asambosti, in the Tabalchari area some 300 kilometers (186 miles) southeast of Dhaka, warned Sujan Chakma, 27, not to return to his home after beating him on Dec. 18. Chakma, who converted to Christianity about four months ago, has come back to his home but some nights the likelihood of attacks forces him to remain outside. He is often unable to provide for his 26-year-old wife, Shefali Chakma, and their 6-year-old son, as area residents opposed to his faith refuse to give him work as a day laborer. Chakma, his wife and son do not eat on days he does not work, he said. “They threatened me that if I come back to my home, I will be in great trouble,” he said.

Earlier this year in Rangamati district, Bengali Muslim settlers killed a tribal Christian for defending indigenous peoples from illegal land-grabs. On Aug. 19 Ladu Moni Chakma, 55, was stabbed repeatedly and his throat was cut at Sajek in Baghaichuri sub-district in Rangamati district after he reported to the Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission how a military commander helped settle Bengali Muslims on area lands.

Forum 18: Nagorno-Karabakh (Direct Post)

2008-12-09T08:03:00.002-05:00

NAGORNO-KARABAKH: "THE LAW IS LIKE RUBBER"
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1225

President Bako Sahakyan of the internationally unrecognised entity of Nagorno-Karabakh is considering a restrictive new Religion Law, Forum 18 News Service has found. The new Law imposes vaguely formulated restrictions, including: an apparent ban on unregistered religious activity; state censorship of religious literature; an undefined "monopoly" given to the Armenian Apostolic Church over preaching and spreading its faith, while banning "soul-hunting" and restricting others to undefined "rallying their own faithful". Garik Grigoryan, head of the parliamentary Commission on State Legal Issues, claimed to Forum 18 that "it will be a more liberal, democratic Law."

Members of religious communities have expressed serious concerns to Forum 18. One member of the Armenian Apostolic Church rhetorically asked Forum 18: "Where's the freedom?"Another described the Law as "like rubber," noting that "you can't see exactly how it's going to be put into practice." The Law also does not resolve the issue of a civilian alternative to compulsory military service.

Open Doors: India, Nigeria, Egypt (Direct Post)

2008-12-04T07:32:00.002-05:00

Please Pray for India
News about the terrorist attacks last Wednesday in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, infiltrated the homes of many Americans this past Thanksgiving weekend. Several news sources reported that terrorists targeted many tourist sites, a hospital, and even a Jewish center, killing nearly 200 people. Even though the Indian government has declared the siege in Mumbai officially over, violence continues in the northern Indian state of Orissa against the Christian community, claiming the lives of at least 500 people. In the past few months more than 18,000 have been injured and around 4,500 houses and churches have been destroyed. Join our campaign and ask your Representative to sign a resolution to stop the violence in Orissa.

Violence Erupts in Jos, Nigeria
Communal violence broke out in the central Nigerian city of Jos on Nov. 28 after Muslims began attacking Christians on claims of vote-tampering, leaving hundreds dead and thousands fleeing their homes. Local residents said the fight was sparked after officials reportedly refused to post local council election results the previous day, prompting speculation that a party backed largely by Christians had won. Muslim gangs in the Ali Kazaure area of the city began attacking Christians, which resulted in a death toll estimated to be in the hundreds. According to Compass Direct News, Muslim militants burned several churches, including that of the Church of Christ in Nigeria in the Sarkin Mangu area of Jos. Several mosques were also reportedly razed in the tumult. Read more about the attacks in Nigeria.

Two Christians Wrongly Detained, Tortured in Egypt
On November 22 Egyptian authorities sent brothers Refaat and Ibrahim Fawzy Abdo to a detention camp near the Egypt-Sudan border where they were tortured so authorities could try to extract a false confession, according to Compass Direct News. The two Christians were originally arrested for allegedly killing a Muslim during an attack back on May 31 at the Abu Fana monastery in Egypt. The brothers’ attorney, Zakary Kamal, said the timing of the murder at the monastery rules out any possibility of the two brothers committing the murder. Monks at Abu Fana say the Fawazy Abdo brothers were far from the monastery at the time of the attacks. Read the full story about their arrest on our website.

For more information on persecuted Christians worldwide, download the Persecution Update.

Prayer Points:

Pray for God's comfort and healing for all those bereaved or injured in recent attacks in Mumbai, Orissa and Jos.
Pray that the police and military will be able to contain any further unrest and that Christians in Nigeria will not be tempted to participate in any of the violence.
Pray for the continuing safety of Open Doors' staff in Nigeria, India and Egypt.
Pray for the release of the two brothers who have been wrongfully detained and tortured in Egypt.

Open Doors: Egypt, Vietnam, Iraq (Direct Post)

2008-11-26T07:08:00.002-05:00

Christians Arrested, Shops Looted in Egyptian Village
Authorities in an Egyptian village arrested 50 Christians, whose shops were then looted to pacify Muslims following violence that erupted on Nov 4. Muslim villagers attacked the homes and shops of the Christians after 14-year-old believer Mina William failed to dismount his donkey as a funeral procession passed. Members of the procession reportedly beat William before completing the procession. According to Compass Direct News, the processional members later attacked homes and shops of local Christians before police broke up the crowd with tear gas. Police in the village have since harassed Christians through intimidation, “fines” and racketeering, taking an estimated $50,000 from village Christians, sources said. Read more on these attacks on Christians in India.

Vietnamese Authorities Pressure New Christians to Recant
According to church leaders in Lao Cai province, authorities in Vietnam’s far north are pressuring new Christians among the Hmong minority to recant their faith and to re-establish ancestral altars, which is in violation of Vietnam’s new religion policy. According to Compass Direct News, when the authorities in the Bac Ha district discovered that villagers had converted to Christianity and discarded their altars, they sent “work teams” to the area to apply pressure. Earlier this month, several high officials were sent to try to convince the converts that the government considered becoming a Christian a very serious offense. Christian leaders in the area told Compass Direct News that there were threats of being cut off from any government services. They also said that when this failed to deter the new Christians, the officials threatened to drive the Christians from their homes and fields, harm them physically and put them in prison. Read more about the government supported persecution in Vietnam.

Special Prayer Request from Maria’s Father, Abdurahman*
Last week Compass Direct News reported that Maria, an Iraqi Christian girl, was released from prison for defending herself and her family from her uncle’s attack. Her uncle had cut her mother with a knife and was fiercely beating them for converting to Christianity and for “shaming” the family.
As we thank the Lord for her early release, we want to also pray for her father, Abdurahman, as he looks for a job or a way to get out of Iraq. Abduraham converted to Christianity in 1998 and has suffered opposition from his Muslim family ever since. Read more about Maria’s release from prison and the obstacles that her family continues to face.

Prayer Points:

Please pray that the attacks in Egypt will cease and that this violence-prone area will become a place of peace and unity.
Pray for Mina William, the Egyptian Christian boy who suffered the severe beating from Muslim attackers.
Pray for a reversal of the new religion policy in Vietnam.
Pray for the believers in the Bac Ha to stand strong in the face of persecution.
Pray that Maria’s father, Abdurahman, will find a job and be able to provide for his family.

Barnabus Fund - Palestinian Muslim speaks out for Persecuted Christians (Direct Post)

2008-11-25T07:11:00.002-05:00

Palestinian Muslim columnist speaks up for persecuted Christian minority in the Middle East

Christians in the Middle East have been facing much discrimination, harassment and persecution in recent years, and very often the perpetrators are members of the Muslim majority. The number of Christians in the Middle East has been declining continually over past decades, and there is fear that in some countries, such as Iraq, there is a real push to drive out the whole Christian community.

On October 25th the Palestinian columnist, `Abd Al-Nasser Al-Najjar, wrote a column for the Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam, focusing on this persecution of Christians in Arab countries. `Abd Al-Nasser Al-Najjar, himself a Muslim, warned that the expulsion of Christians and the attempt to denounce them as “infidels” was causing great damage to the Arab culture, of which Christians are an essential and original part. In his article he criticized the fact that no one dared to come to the help of persecuted Christian minorities in the Middle East and he condemned the unwillingness of Arab intellectuals, the elite, non-government organizations and leaders of the private sector to act on behalf of Christians. The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), a non-profit organization that translates and analyzes the media of the Middle East, translated the article into English and published the following excerpts on its website.

"In Iraq, a crime is currently being committed – another in a series of
iniquities brought by the winds of change that came in the wake of the [U.S.]
occupation, which sought to impregnate Iraq with the seed of democracy. [But]
the [resulting] fetus emerged deformed and weird. The worst outcome of this
situation is, possibly, the carnage against ethnic communities and minorities
that has swept through Iraq. Neither Sunnis, nor Shi`ites, nor Christians, nor
Kurds, nor Turkmen, nor [members of] other [groups] have managed to escape it.

"However, the string of murders and expulsions of Christians, which has
been going on for several months, is by far the most grievous – [and] it [must
be taken as] a warning that hostility and crimes against minorities may spread
to the neighboring countries [as well].

"Christians are being persecuted not only in Iraq, but in most Arab
countries, regardless of their numbers there. They are subjected to every
possible kind of discrimination, as well as expulsion. The problem is that it is
not only Arab officials who are remaining silent [in the face of these crimes] –
[they do so] because their primitive mentality is centered on the cult of the
ruler – but, alarmingly, so are Arab intellectuals, the elites, non-government
organizations, and leaders of the private sector. All these groups look on at
these unprecedented [acts of] folly without apprehending the danger with which
these crimes are fraught.

"Statistics show that in 2005 the number of Christians in Iraq was as high
as 800,000. By early 2008, it had dropped by half, [indicating] that 50 percent
of Iraqi Christians had been expelled from their homes and lands.

"Today, this problem is also rampant in Egypt, Lebanon, Algeria, and
Palestine – and while the situation may be slightly different in Palestine, the
trend is the same.

"Let us be honest with ourselves and courageously say out loud that
Palestinian Christians are taking many severe blows, yet are suffering in
silence so as not to attract attention. I do not refer here to the suffering
caused by the occupation... but to actions of the past 20 years at least – that
is, since the beginning of the occupation in 1967 – involving the confiscation
of Christian property, especially in Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Al-Birah.

"What makes things worse is that those who are plundering [the Christians`]
property are either powerful [in their own right] or are backed by various
elements, among them high-ranking military officials or influential members of
large clans.

"Attempts by the political leadership to partially rectify this situation
have failed. Nor has the judiciary system been able to [resolve] many of the
problems, which we still face today. Over the past few years, several of my
Christian friends have told me of the harm they have suffered, including various
threats, even death threats, for trying to gain access to their lands after they
were taken over by influential Bethlehem residents.

"Furthermore, there has been an attempt to marginalize Christian culture in
Palestine, even though it is rich and deeply rooted [there]. This began with
[accusations] of unbelief [against Christians] – a move that ultimately harmed
Palestinian society as a whole...

"Despite all the injustices [against the Christians], no one has seen or
heard of any constructive action to curb it and to [defend] the Christians`
rights – whether by the elites, by any of the three branches (executive,
legislative, and judiciary), by non-government organizations, or even by the
political factions themselves. [Such action should have been forthcoming] not
out of kindness and compassion, but [due to] regarding Palestinian Christians as
indigenous to this land, and [therefore] no different from us, with the same
rights and obligations [as Muslims].

"But the most fundamental problem here may be related to culture. We
continue to instill a horrific culture in our children, one that sees Christians
as infidels... and as `the other.` We need an injection of humanistic and
national awakening; we must raise an outcry and stand up to restore the
Christians` rights, of which they have been deprived – [and we must do this] in
order to preserve the demographic balance, which will safeguard the unity of our
homeland and the justness the Palestinian cause.

"[Let us] remember that the tribes of Arabia were Christian. The best
writers and poets were Christian, as were [many] warriors and philosophers... It
is they who bore the banner of pan-Arabism. The first Palestinian university was
established by Christians.

"Enough [examples]! It is not words that we need, but progressive
attitudes, and the truth, so that it can be presented to tyrannical rulers, and
so that clerics and old men will not be the only Christians left in the Holy
Land and in the city of [Jesus`] birth."

It is very encouraging to read words like these and to know that Muslims are speaking up on behalf of Christians who are persecuted and discriminated against in Muslim-majority contexts. It gives hope that the peaceful co-existence of Christians and Muslims is possible and that mutual respect is a key element to preserving a culture to which both Muslims and Christians have contributed over centuries.

Please Pray

Praise God for Muslims like ‘Abd Al-Nasser Al-Najjar, who dare to challenge the current anti-Christian developments in the Islamic world. Pray that many more will join him and others in promoting respect and equality between Christians and Muslims and demanding an end to discrimination, harassment and violence against Christians in Muslim countries.

[My note: And in the end, let us pray for their salvation.]

Forum 18: Kazakhstan (Direct Post)

2008-11-21T10:42:00.000-05:00

KAZAKHSTAN: NEW LAW STILL IN PARLIAMENT AND HARSHENED
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1218

Kazakhstan's Senate has significantly harshened the draft Law amending several laws on religion, before returning it to the Majilis, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Officials are still refusing to make the draft text public, but Forum 18 has seen the latest changes. Among the increased restrictions on freedom of thought, conscience or belief, the Senate changed the draft text to require permission from both parents for children to attend any religious event, and removed judges' discretion over the level of fines imposed for violating the Religion Law. The draft Law already contains many restrictions, including only allowing religious literature distribution in permanent buildings designated by the state, and possibly endangering religious-based charitable activities. Kazakhstan has also not agreed to publication of an OSCE review of an earlier text of the Law, although the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights told Forum 18 that it "has recommended to the Kazakh authorities that the legal review be made public, as is normal practice." Kazakh officials have refused to say when the Majilis will discuss the Senate changes, but Forum 18 has learned that this will be on 24 November - the same day a roundtable with OSCE experts is scheduled [to] begin.

Open Doors: Kenya (Direct Post)

2008-11-20T07:29:00.001-05:00

Nuns Abducted in Kenya near Somali Border
Negotiations continue for the release of two nuns abducted by insurgent Somali militia at midnight on Nov. 9 from Kenya’s northern Mandera district near the Somali border. Pastor Alois Maina of Community Church in Mandera told Compass Direct News that the two nuns were being held in El-Haddah, Somalia, about 19 miles from the border. A pastor in Mandera who requested anonymity told Compass Direct News that Christian leaders were collaborating with village elders in both Kenya and Somalia to negotiate with the militia for the nuns’ release. “What we need at the moment is prayer,” said the pastor. View the full story on our website.

Compass Direct: Update on Laos (Direct Post)

2008-11-19T07:23:00.001-05:00

Lao officials have released three prisoners from Boukham village, Savannakhet province, after several weeks of detention, but restrictions on Christian worship in the village are still in force.

Pastor Sompong Supatto, 32, and two other believers, Boot Chanthaleuxay, 18, and Khamvan Chanthaleuxay, also 18, were released on Oct. 16 against the wishes of the village chief, who had threatened to hand Supatto a life sentence at a maximum-security prison. Village officials remain hostile to the presence of Christians, according to Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF).

Authorities initially arrested Supatto and four other believers on July 20, storming their house church and ordering the 63 Christians present to cease worshiping or face arrest and imprisonment for “believing and worshiping God.” The five were briefly detained after the raid and released on condition that they would cease holding worship meetings.

Police targeted the believers because their church was not officially registered. Because such registration comes with strict limitations on church activities, many Christians prefer not to register.

When they continued to gather for worship, police arrested Supatto and two members of the Chanthaleuxay family on Aug. 3, detaining them in handcuffs and wooden foot-stocks in the nearby Ad-Sapangthong district police detention cell. Police initially said they would not release the men until they renounced their faith, HRWLRF reported.

On Aug. 25, the village chief encouraged family members to apply for bail for the two teenagers but said Supatto did not qualify for bail, as his punishment for leading the Boukham church would be “life in prison.” Days later, the chief again pressured family members to sign documents renouncing their faith to secure the teenagers’ release, but they refused.

In September, the chief of Boukham village called a special community meeting to resolve the “problem” of eight resident Christian families who refused to give up their faith. Normally all adults would attend these meetings but on this occasion Christians were excluded.
The meeting ended with plans to expel all 55 Christians from the village; at press time, however, no expulsion had taken place, according to Compass sources.

Following the prisoners’ release, credited to international advocacy efforts, Boukham Christians began traveling to other house churches in the district for worship, but they hoped to resume services in their own community if restrictions were lifted.

Still Worshiping in Another Village, Despite Threats

Christians from Katin village, Saravan province, have continued to meet together despite threats from local authorities.

Officials on July 21 detained 80 Christians in the village after residents seized one believer, identified only as Pew, and poured rice wine down his throat, killing him by asphyxiation. When family members buried him and placed a wooden cross on the grave, officials accused them of “practicing the rituals of the enemy of the state” and seized a buffalo and pig from them as a fine.

They also threatened other Christians with confiscation of livestock if they did not give up their faith, a significant threat as farm animals are essential to the agrarian lifestyle of the villagers and are expensive to replace.

On July 25, officials rounded up 17 of the 20 Christian families in the village – a total of 80 men, women and children – and detained them in a school compound, denying them food in an effort to force the adults to sign documents renouncing their faith. The remaining three families had already signed the documents under duress.

As their children grew weaker, 10 families signed the documents and were permitted to return home. The remaining seven families were evicted from the village and settled in an open field nearby, surviving on food found in the nearby jungle.

Open Doors: Columbia (Direct Post)

2008-11-13T07:22:00.000-05:00

Church Leaders under Fire in Colombia

Christians in Colombia are anxious to learn the fate of Pastor William Reyes, missing since Sept. 25. Reyes left a meeting in Valledupar, Cesar, at 10 a.m. that morning heading home to Maicao, La Guajira. He never arrived. According to Compass Direct News, family members and fellow ministers fear that Reyes may have been murdered by illegal armed groups operating in northern Colombia. The pastor’s association had been receiving repeated threats from both the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and right-wing paramilitary units since March. Read the full report about the missing pastors in Columbia on our website.

Forum 18: Azerbaijan (Direct Post)

2008-11-11T07:34:00.001-05:00

6 November 2008
AZERBAIJAN: PASTOR AWAITS TRIAL HEARING UNDER HOUSE ARREST
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1214

Baptist pastor Hamid Shabanov - on trial since July for allegedly possessing an illegal gun - was transferred from prison to house arrest at a hearing in Zakatala on 5 November, church members told Forum 18 News Service. He had been detained for twenty weeks. His next hearing is due on 17 November. He insisted that the accusation against him is fabricated. "The police came into my house back in June and placed the pistol there," he told Forum 18. "The first time I saw it was when they claim to have found it." He believes he will eventually be cleared. "The Word of God is stronger than a pistol." Shabanov's church has been denied legal status since the 1990s, one of three Baptist congregations whose applications have failed. Also denied registration is an Assemblies of God congregation in Baku, whose pastor insisted to Forum 18 that the authorities simply do not want to register any more Christian churches. The State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations refused to discuss registration denials with Forum 18, but its head Hidayat Orujev told the local media on 5 November: "Not one religious organisation applying recently for registration was denied it."

Open Doors: Eritrea (Direct Post)

2008-11-05T07:38:00.001-05:00

Eritrean Christian Dies in Military Prison

Open Doors has received word of another evangelical Christian who has died while in military confinement. Teklesenbet, a member of the Full Gospel Church, was arrested during a prayer meeting in Assab about a year ago. According to sources, he suffered very harsh military punishment during his incarceration. He allegedly died after the commanders refused to give him medical attention for his critical case of malaria. In 2002 all independent Protestant churches were outlawed in Eritrea. Only Islam and the Eritrean Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran Christian denominations were given official recognition. Buildings of all other churches were closed and private gatherings in homes were banned. Worshippers caught disobeying these restrictions have faced arrest and torture in prison camps that are notorious for their horrific conditions.

Compass Direct News estimates that more than 2,000 Christians, including pastors and priests from both Protestant and Orthodox churches, are now under arrest in police stations, military camps and jails all across Eritrea because of their religious beliefs. Although many have been incarcerated for months or even years, none have been charged officially or given access to judicial due process. Read more about persecution in Eritrea on our website.

Compass Direct: Laos (Direct Post)

2008-11-04T08:03:00.002-05:00

LAOS: AUTHORITIES DETAIN 90 CHRISTIANS
Officials crack down in three provinces; some believers held in wooden stocks.

Authorities in Laos have detained or arrested at least 90 Christians in three provinces, including the arrest of a pastor and two other believers from a house church in Boukham village, Savannakhet province.

Arrests were reported in the southern provinces of Saravan and Savannakhet and in Luang Prabang province in the north.

In one incident, Compass sources said officials detained 80 Christians in Katin village, in the Tah Oih district of Saravan province, after residents seized a Christian neighbor identified only as Pew and poured rice wine down his throat. The wine flooded his lungs and killed him, according to the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

When mourning family members buried him – an immediate necessity because of the warm climate – and put a wooden cross on the grave, village officials accused them of “practicing the rituals of the enemy of the state” and seized a buffalo and pig from the family as a fine.
A few days later, officials rounded up 17 of the 20 Christian families in the village – a total of 80 men, women and children – and detained them in a local school compound, denying them food for three days in an attempt to force the adults to sign documents renouncing their faith.

Three other Christian families in the village had already renounced their faith under increasing pressure from authorities, according to a report from Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF).

As their children grew weaker, 10 families signed the documents and on July 30 were allowed to return home. The remaining seven families, however, were evicted from the village and have since settled in an open field outside the village, building small shelters and surviving on food found in the nearby jungle.

Compass Direct: Somalia - Christian Beheaded for Converting from Islam (Direct Post)

2008-11-04T08:00:00.002-05:00

SOMALIA: CHRISTIAN AID WORKER BEHEADED FOR CONVERTING FROM ISLAM
Anti-Christian violence spills into Kenya as Somali Muslims attack in Nairobi.

NAIROBI, Kenya, October 27 (Compass Direct News) – Among at least 24 aid workers killed in Somalia this year was one who was beheaded last month specifically for converting from Islam to Christianity, among other charges, according to an eyewitness.

Muslim extremists from the al Shabab group fighting the transitional government on Sept. 23 sliced the head off of Mansuur Mohammed, 25, a humanitarian aid worker, before horrified onlookers of Manyafulka village, 10 kilometers (six miles) from Baidoa.

The militants had intercepted Mohammed and a driver, who managed to escape, earlier in the morning. Sources close to Mohammed’s family said he converted from Islam to Christianity in 2005.

The eyewitness, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said the militants that afternoon gathered the villagers of Manyafulka, telling them that they would prepare a feast for them. The people gathered anticipating the slaughter of a sheep, goat or camel according to local custom.

Five masked men emerged carrying guns, wielding Somali swords and dragging the handcuffed Mohammed. One pulled back Mohammed’s head, exposing his face as he scraped his sword against his short hair as if to sharpen it. Another recited the Quran as he proclaimed that Mohammed was a “murtid,” an Arabic term for one who converts from Islam to Christianity.
The Muslim militant announced that Mohammed was an infidel and a spy for occupying Ethiopian soldiers.

Mohammed remained calm with an expressionless face, never uttering a word, said the eyewitness. As the chanting of “Allah Akubar [God is greater]” rose to a crescendo, one of the militiamen twisted his head, allowing the other to slit his neck. When the head was finally severed from the torso, the killers cheered as they displayed it to the petrified crowd.
The militants allowed one of their accomplices to take a video of the slaughter using a mobile phone. The video was later circulated secretly and sold in Somalia and in neighboring countries in what many see as a strategy to instill fear among those contemplating conversion from Islam to Christianity.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that a similar incident took place in Lower Juba province of Somalia in July, when Christians found with Bibles were publicly executed. Their families fled to Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, and such killings are forcing other Christians to flee to neighboring Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti.

Compass Direct: India - Orissa (Direct Post)

2008-11-04T07:58:00.000-05:00

INDIA: FAITHFUL MOURN DEATH OF PRIEST ATTACKED IN ORISSA
Hindu extremists beat Fr. Bernard Digal unconscious, leaving him bleeding in forest.

NEW DELHI, October 31 (Compass Direct News) – More than 3,000 people today attended the funeral in Bhubaneswar, Orissa of a Catholic priest who died on Tuesday (Oct. 28) from injuries sustained in anti-Christian violence that began in August. Father Bernard Digal died in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, after an operation to remove a blood clot that developed in his brain due to a head injury from Hindu extremists attacking him on Aug. 25-26 in Kandhamal district, Orissa state. He was 46.

“He was smashed like a pulp,” Raphael Cheenath, archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, told Compass. “Because of the hate campaign of the [Hindu extremist] Sangh Parivar, the attackers lost their humanity and they became devils. Human beings can’t do what they have done.”

Fr. Digal was visiting Sankarakhole parish when violence flared after Maoists killed Hindu leader Laxmanananda Saraswati and his disciples on Aug. 23. Though police suspected Maoists from the start and the outlawed Marxists had claimed responsibility for the murders by Sept. 1, Hindu extremists bent on stoking anti-Christian flames continued to publicize that Christians had committed the crime – and have not stopped doing so.

GFA: Uttar Pradesh (Direct Post)

2008-10-28T12:11:00.001-04:00

Persecution a "Way of Life" in India

The attacks taking place in Orissa are making the news, yet so much of the ongoing persecution throughout India goes largely unnoticed by the outside world.

Every day, Gospel for Asia missionaries and Bible college students make a calculated choice to serve Jesus, knowing that they could be beaten or even face martyrdom for their Christian faith.

Raju in Uttar Pradesh is one of them. So are Vikram in Delhi and several Bible college students in Maharashtra.

Anti-Christian extremists do not like the fact that Raju's church in Uttar Pradesh has grown to more than 150 believers. And two weeks ago, they found a way to let him know it.

Around 7 p.m., returning home from visiting new believers, Raju was attacked from behind by an extremist mob of 10 people piled on three motorbikes. The radicals pushed him down and kicked him repeatedly in the face.

Raju's own motorbike fell on him, fracturing his hand. He was also left with injuries on his face from the kicks. He was unconscious for about five hours and unable to speak for a while after being admitted to a hospital. He was released several days later and is doing much better, but doctors have advised him to rest for a few more days because of internal injuries.

Forum 18: Uzbekistan (Direct Post)

2008-10-28T08:52:00.001-04:00

23 October 2008
UZBEKISTAN: SEVEN PROTESTANTS IN SELF-FINANCED DETENTION
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1208

Seven members of a Tashkent-based Pentecostal church are due to complete 15-day prison sentences on 25 October, imposed to punish them for attending a prayer gathering in a private home, Protestants told Forum 18 News Service. The seven have to pay for their own detention.

Five other church members were fined. The judge refused to tell Forum 18 why the twelve had been punished for peaceful religious activity and why she had ordered Bibles and other Christian literature confiscated from them to be destroyed.

Open Doors: Soldier protecting Christians Killed in Orissa, India (Direct Post)

2008-10-22T18:23:00.001-04:00

Soldier Protecting Christians Mutilated, Killed in Orissa, India

A paramilitary soldier assigned to protect Christians from Hindu violence in Orissa was mutilated and killed by a mob on Oct. 13. The body of the soldier was recovered from a nearby forest. According to Compass Direct News, the death marks the first time that central security personnel have been targeted in Orissa of the riots powered by Hindu extremist fervor. The violence stems from a Hindu extremist group that insists on blaming Christians for the Aug. 23 murder of Hindu leader Laxmanananda Saraswati, even though Maoists admitted killing him and four associates.

Read more about this horrific attack and the continual violence in Orissa state.

China Aid: PSB Beats Christians (Direct Post)

2008-10-22T15:10:00.001-04:00

PSB Officers Beat Pastor's Son, Wife

Around noon on October 16, Zhang Jian received an urgent phone call from his mother. Plainclothes Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers had broken into her upstairs apartment and were throwing all the family's belongings out into the street:

"When I got there, I saw my mom lying on the ground being knocked down by these thugs ... I tried to use my body to protect my mom from being hurt by them. Then this group of 15 officers immediately surrounded me and started beating my head and body with iron bars and said, 'We need to teach you a lesson as a troublemaker.'"

The violent attack lasted 25 minutes.

Authorities persecute this family simply because they are Christians. Their ministry to orphans and house churches - ordinary Christian activities - are considered crimes in China. Zhang Jian was severely injured in the attack and needs immediate surgery. His family is now in hiding with nowhere to live. His father is missing, believed to be kidnapped by authorities.

» Learn more about Zhang Jian and his family and how you can send emergency help.

Open Doors: Various (Direct Post)

2008-10-22T07:37:00.000-04:00

INDONESIA A mob of extremist Muslims has stormed a church service in Cipayung, East Jakarta, forcing the Christians to flee. The mob then erected banners in the street declaring a ban on “churches and religious services.”

MALAYSIA A court in Malaysia has denied a woman’s appeal to renounce Islam and convert to Christianity. Thirty-five-year-old Lim Yoke Khoon is expected to appeal to Malaysia's top civil court.

NIGERIA Blaming the death of their leader on Christian prayers, an Islamist group in the Kwara state capital has launched a new wave of violence against believers. Since June, at least three Christians have died and several others have been injured.

Read More

Forum 18: Kyrgystan, Kazakhstan (Direct Post)

2008-10-21T09:24:00.002-04:00

KAZAKHSTAN: NEW PUNISHMENTS FOR UNAPPROVED RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY IN CONTROVERSIAL DRAFT LAW
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1202

Kazakhstan's controversial amendments to various laws affecting religion or belief reached the Senate on 29 September after being approved by parliament's lower house and are now with the Senate's Committee for Social and Cultural Development. Committee chairman Akhan Bizhanov three timesrefused to tell Forum 18 News Service whether the new Law aims to increase state controls on the activity of religious communities and individuals. The text of the Law as approved by the lower house - and seen by Forum 18 -would for the first time explicitly ban unregistered religious activity, ban sharing beliefs by individuals not named by registered religious organisations and without personal registration as missionaries, require all registration applications to be approved centrally after a "religious expert assessment" of each community's doctrines and history, and impose a wider range of fines on individuals and communities and bans on religious communities who, for example, conduct activity not specifically mentioned in their charter. Groups without full registration would not be able to maintain publicly-accessible places of worship.

16 October 2008
KYRGYZSTAN: SECRECY SURROUNDS RELIGION LAW BEFORE FINAL PARLIAMENTARY READING
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1204

Kyrgyzstan's Parliament has passed without discussion the first reading of a restrictive draft Religion Law, which may, according to some, pass its final reading on 21 October. However, others have told Forum 18 News Service that the second and final reading will be later. It is unclear what is in the current text, as officials refuse to release the latest version. Deputy Zainidin Kurmanov told Forum 18 that the latest text is on the parliamentary website, but other deputies state that they do not know what is in the draft Law. Kurmanov revealed that the draft Law includes: a ban on unregistered religious activity; a threshold of 200 adult citizens to gain state registration; a ban on "proselytism"; a definition of a "sect"; and a ban on the free distribution of literature.

Kurmanov claimed he didnot understand objections as "only criminals should be afraid of law and order." Protestant, Jehovah's Witness and Baha'i religious minorities have all expressed concern at the secrecy surrounding the Law, the lack of public consultation, and the restrictions thought to be in the first reading text. A joint Venice Commission / OSCE legal review of a July text of the Law is also highly critical of it. Officials claim to be organising a roundtable, but religious communities say they have not been invited to it.

Open Doors: Phillippines (Direct Post)

2008-10-16T08:58:00.001-04:00

Philippine Christians Fear Failed Pact Increases Risk of Reprisals

Militant Islamists in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao have stepped up their attacks on majority-Christian villages following the failure of a peace agreement that would have enlarged an existing Muslim autonomous region there.

“The problem is that many people living in these areas don’t want to be part of a Muslim autonomous region,” a source in Mindanao who preferred to remain anonymous told Compass Direct News. “The closer you get to these zones, the more nervous people are,” he said. “The town of Kolambugan, where most of the fighting took place in mid-August, became a virtual ghost town for a while. It had a population of 25,000. But people are slowly returning to their homes.”

A Christian family from the area said many people were afraid to sleep at night because they kept hearing reports that they would be attacked at midnight.

Read more about the ongoing violence in Mindanao.

Barnabas Fund: Iraq (Direct Post)

2008-10-14T10:01:00.001-04:00

Iraqi Christians flee Mosul as Islamic extremists launch campaign against them:
"We left everything behind us. We took only our souls."

Thousands of Iraqi Christians have fled the city of Mosul in northern Iraq over the past week after Sunni Muslim extremists launched a deadly campaign to remove the Christian community from the city. “We left everything behind us. We took only our souls,” said Ni’ma Noail (50), a civil servant who had to abandon his home in Mosul and is now living in a church. At least seven Christians were murdered between 4 and 8 October, killed execution-style by gunmen. Other estimates suggest the number of Christians killed is as high as 25 or even 40. Christian houses have been blown up, and at least 744 Christian families (approximately 3,750 people) have left their homes to find refuge with relatives or in churches and Christian centres in seven towns and villages to the north and east of Mosul. Some are sleeping in their cars. They are in desperate need of food, clothes, bedding, items for personal hygiene and other basic necessities. (13th October 2008)

Forum 18: Kazakhstan (Direct Post)

2008-10-12T13:31:00.001-04:00

6 October 2008
KAZAKHSTAN: MONTHS IN PRISON FOR LEADING UNREGISTERED WORSHIP?
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1199

If convicted at his trial due on 9 October in the northern town of Esile, Baptist pastor Andrei Blok could face up to four months' imprisonment. He is being tried for refusing to pay an earlier fine for leading his unregistered church, part of what local Council of Churches Baptists describe as the authorities' "economic war" against them. Local Baptists told Forum 18 News Service Blok considered the fine "unfounded and illegal". The town police chief admitted to Forum 18 Blok is being prosecuted because of his unregistered religious activity. In mid-September, another Baptist pastor, Aleksandr Kerker, was given his second massive fine for leading unregistered worship, amid moves to seize his land and two cows for failure to pay his first fine. "The Baptists still go on holding their meetings - no one is really pressuring them," the judge who rejected Kerker's appeal told Forum 18. In the southern city of Shymkent, officials raided the Protestant New Life church's Sunday morning worship service.Like other religious leaders, the pastor was forced to fill out an intrusive questionnaire asking about the ethnic composition of his community. One official accused the pastor of "corrupting Kazakh nationals to change their religion".

Compass Direct: India (Direct Post)

2008-10-08T07:50:00.000-04:00

INDIA: THREE MORE CHRISTIANS MURDERED IN ORISSA
At least two killed today, another succumbed to axe injuries Wednesday; 400 houses burned.

NEW DELHI, October 3 (Compass Direct News) – At least two more Christians were killed today in Orissa state’s Kandhamal district after Hindu extremists this week set fire to nearly 400 homes there and in Boudh district. A third man succumbed to axe injuries on Wednesday (Oct. 1).
Weeks after Hindu extremist violence erupted against Christians, this morning tribal peoples in Sindhipankha village killed Dushashan Majhi, a local influential Christian, first shooting him and them cutting him to pieces. Local Christian leaders reported that Majhi was a government servant working in the treasury.

The mob then turned on Sanyasi Majhi, also said to be Christian, who was with Dushashan Majhi. There were unconfirmed reports that a third victim was killed along with the other two.

A local Christian who wished to remain unnamed told Compass that after killing the two men, the assailants massacred cattle belonging to village Christians and burned Christian-owned houses. Sindhipankha is about seven kilometers (four miles) from Tumudiband.

Local news reporter Lalit Jena told Compass from Kandhamal that the attacks – which have continued unabated since Hindu extremists blamed Christians for the death of Hindu leader Laxmanananda Saraswati on Aug. 23 even though Maoist militants admitted murdering him – involve women first ransacking the Christian homes.

“The modus operandi of the tribal mob is such that women go first and attack the Christian houses,” he said. “They ransack and rob the household’s gold and other jewelry, TVs and all that is precious. The men then follow and burn the houses. Lately it has been reported that now they are fighting among themselves for the booty.”

Jena added that tribal peoples who lived in poverty before the violence now have obtained many heads of cattle, including goats and cows, within a short span, as well as household goods.

“They may have no electricity in their villages, but one can see lots of television sets, nearly all of it looted from the Christians,” he said.

Read more here ...

Compass Direct: Indonesia (Direct Post)

2008-10-08T07:47:00.000-04:00

INDONESIA: PASTOR FORCED TO STOP WORSHIP SERVICES IN HOME
Residents reject letter of permission from Religious Affairs department.

JAKARTA, September 25 (Compass Direct News) – Residents in North Jakarta have ordered the pastor of a small congregation to cease holding services in his home, despite a letter of permission issued by the Religious Affairs department. On Sept. 12 village officials in South Rawa Badak, Koja district called a meeting with pastor Syaiful Hamzah and his wife Tiolida Sihotang, police officers, and representatives from the village mosque. At the meeting, officials urged Hamzah and his wife to sign a document agreeing to cease all worship services in their home, effectively rejecting permission granted by Religious Affairs officials. A sympathetic Muslim cleric, Wasi Sholeh, informed Hamzah that “certain people” had made violent threats against him, and that he could not guarantee Hamzah’s safety if he refused to sign the agreement. The couple eventually signed the document under duress.

Compass Direct: Kenya (Direct Post)

2008-10-07T10:17:00.001-04:00

KENYA: ISLAMISTS ATTACK CHURCH IN NORTHERN TOWN
Effort to replace building with mosque injures 10 Christians, ruins structure.

GARISSA, Kenya, September 29 (Compass Direct News) – A longstanding effort to replace a church with a mosque in Kenya’s northern town of Garissa culminated in an attack by 50 Muslim youths this month that left the worship building in ruins.

The gang stormed the building of Redeemed Gospel Church on Sept. 14 and pelted the congregation with stones, sending many Christians fleeing while others became embroiled in fistfights. Ten Christians received hospital treatment for minor injuries and were released.

Church leaders said the Muslim mob also destroyed pews, damaged the church building’s walls of corrugated iron, smashed the glass-mounted pulpit and burned the church banner with its stand.

“We had just started the Sunday service when, without warning, a rowdy group of about 50 Muslim youths invaded the church, pelting stones at us and destroying our structures,” said the church youth chairman, identified only as Suma.

Local media reported that the 10 church members were hospitalized, but a district nurse at the hospital told Compass that no one was admitted due to the violence. A church elder at East Africa Pentecostal Church in Garissa, about 400 kilometers (249 miles) from Nairobi, confirmed that the church members were treated at the hospital and allowed to go home.

Tensions between Christians and the Muslim-majority population in the semi-desert town of 20,000 people began simmering after Muslims built a mosque next to the church plot at No. 21 Windsor in June 2007. Purchasing its land on Nov. 1, 1999, the church had begun worshipping there by early 2001, eventually growing to 400 members.

Church leaders complained to the district commissioner in June 2007 that the new mosque was built too close to the church – only three meters separate the two structures – and that it was blocking the church entryway.

“Prior to that, the owner of that land had promised to use half of it and sell the other half to the church,” the church leaders reported to the district commissioner in June 2007. “But in 2007, she changed her mind and gave it to the sheikhs to build the mosque. We reported the matter to the DC’s office that it would not go well with the church.”

Officials had ruled that no further permanent structures were to be set up on the land by either party until a later date to be determined by the district commissioner.

“The church faithfully obeyed, but the Muslims defied the orders and began immediately to put up a permanent structure,” according to the letter church leaders wrote to the district commissioner. The building of the mosque was allegedly sponsored by M.K. Roble, a wealthy Muslim in Garissa, according to the letter.

“The problems between the church and the Muslims began and have escalated since then,” it states.

Government security intelligence had reported that Muslims planned to destroy the church if it continued to operate within the residential area, District Commissioner (DC) Alois Okango told Compass. The administration had proposed a new site for the church to worship, Jamhuri Club, but two days before the attack church leaders wrote two letters to Okango saying they would remain worshipping in their building.

“We would like to notify you that our church members have decided to have our Sunday service at our usual place on September 14 and not at the new site of Jamhuri Club,” they wrote in one of the letters, “because we have come to realize that the new site is only temporary, and we will only move out of our premise if we are guaranteed a permanent place of worship.”

Okango told Compass that to avert a crisis, the administration has decided that the church should relocate temporarily to a site near an agricultural showground. The government also advised the church to sell its property near the mosque and buy another piece of land, preferably outside Garissa town center.

This suggestion, Okango told Compass, did not augur well with church members, who felt they had already established the church at the site and that it was the mosque that should be moving.

“The Christians threatened to go and worship in the ruined premises if no action was taken,” Okango said. “They said they were ready to die for the sake of their faith.”

The government is striving to avert further incidents by preventing the Christians from returning to the ruined structure, according to a Provincial Police official identified only as Chelimo. With tensions expected to rise during the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, he said police were taking precautionary measures to ensure that the congregation never returned to their property.

“To allow this would be suicidal,” Chelimo told Compass. “We have deployed five security guards every day to make sure that the members of the church will not enter its structure.”

Elusive Justice

Wondering why those who attacked the church had not been arrested and charged in court, Redeemed Gospel Church pastor David Matolo said the government should punish the assailants.

“The church has the right to be protected by the government – allowing the minority Christians to suffer is quite wrong,” Pastor Matolo told Compass. “Why should the Muslims interfere with the church’s worship? I as their pastor cannot shy away when my members are ill-treated. We are ready to pay the price, but we want justice to be done.”

He said church leaders had agreed on an alternative site only to have the district commissioner suddenly revoke it.

“The DC had promised to locate us to the provincial residential area, and we had cleared the said site, only to be stopped without prior notice,” Pastor Matolo said. “Now we have no place to worship.”

A missionary from Tanzania who works in the area informed Compass that Muslims have distributed leaflets threatening to destroy all churches in Garissa. They have also threatened to burn Garissa’s open-air market operated by Christians from “down Kenya,” that is, non-Muslims, he said.

The missionary said the safety of the more than 2,000 Christians in Garissa is in jeopardy, and he appealed to the government to protect the right of worship of all people.

“It is quite unfair that the Redeemed Gospel Church has been displaced and is now praying under a tree in an open space with no amenities,” he said.

District Commissioner Okango said that the administration must protect Muslims from the noise of worship emanating from church at night that has disturbed residents, as well as prevent clashes. In both the mosque and church, loud speakers had been set up facing each other with confrontational messages blaring from each.

“The government is sensitive to the feelings of the people,” Okango said. “We cannot allow disorder to reign in North Eastern Province in the name of religious patriotism.”

Land issues alone have not been responsible for tensions in the area. The Rev. Ibrahim Kamwaro, chairman of the Pastors’ Fellowship in Garissa, said Pastor Matolo had offended Muslims when he preached to a lame Muslim man.

Muslims were said to be upset that the pastor persuaded the disabled man to stop going to the mosque and instead join his church. Pastor Matolo’s alleged promise to the disabled man of a better life offended area Muslims, Rev. Kamwaro said.

Muslims restrict churches in Garissa in various ways: Christians are not allowed conduct prayers, sing or use musical instruments in rented homes owned by Muslims. No teaching of Christian Religious Education in schools is allowed; only Islamic Religious Knowledge is taught.
Garissa has more than 15 Christian denominations, the main ones being the East Africa Pentecostal Church, the Redeemed Gospel Church, the Anglican Church, Deliverance Church, the Full Gospel Churches of Kenya, the Africa Inland Church and African Christian Churches and schools.

Open Doors: Kyrgystan, Kazakhistan (Direct Post)

2008-10-03T08:09:00.002-04:00

2 October 2008
KYRGYZSTAN: RESTRICTIVE PROPOSED NEW RELIGION LAW TO PARLIAMENT THIS MONTH
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1197

Kyrgyzstan's proposed new Religion Law - which ruling party deputies say will make it more difficult for religious communities to gain legal status and for people to share their faith - is set to reach the full Parliament in the second half of October, Kanybek Osmanaliev, Chair of the State Agency for Religious Affairs, told Forum 18 News Service. "There are many inadequacies in the current law," a parliamentary press officer told Forum 18. "Religious organisations function freely without any control. This law will bring control." Osmanaliev has expressed concern over the"abnormality" of a rising number of people changing faith, especially young ethnic Kyrgyz joining Christian churches. He complained of "illegal" activity by "various destructive, totalitarian groups and reactionary sects", among whom he included the Hare Krishna and Mormon communities. FrIgor Dronov of the Russian Orthodox Church told Forum 18 of his support for the proposed new Law. "The earlier Law was too liberal and led to the spiritual destruction of the country. Thank God the state is starting to act."

29 September 2008
KAZAKHSTAN: WHAT RESTRICTIVE LEGAL CHANGES WILL PASS SENATE "WITHIN DAYS"?
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1194

Kazakhstan's controversial new restrictions on freedom of thought,conscience and belief have passed the lower house of parliament, the Majilis, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. "The Senate will consider the Law within days, then it will go to the President," Kayrat Tulesov, Deputy Head of the state Religious Affairs Committee told Forum 18. "We're trying to have this law adopted in its current form." He brushed aside the many strong criticisms from human rights defenders and religious organisations of the draft Law, which amends the Religion Law, the Administrative Code, and other laws. Kamal Burkhanov, who leads the Majilis Working Group preparing the text of the Law, is finalising the text. He refused to make it public, telling Forum 18: "We cannot provide you with a copy of the text - it is our law after all, and it should be none of your concern."

Kazakh human rights defenders, such as Ninel Fokina, head of the Almaty Helsinki Committee, strongly criticise the lack of openness and delay in releasing the text. She pointed out to Forum 18 that "clarifications" can still be introduced into the draft before it is sent to the Senate. A senior official has allegedly suggested that the authorities plan to "very delicately, very exactly, in a very coordinated way and without noise" close some religious organisations.

Open Doors: Eritrea (Direct Post)

2008-10-01T15:45:00.000-04:00

ERITREA

An evangelist imprisoned since 2006 for his Christian activities is receiving especially harsh treatment because of his ministry to fellow inmates. Teame Weldegebriel’s family is worried about his health after trying repeatedly, without success, to get permission to visit him. “Please tell the brethren to continue praying for me. I am not sure I will see them again,” Weldegebriel said. According to Compass Direct News, there are more than 2,000 Christians in Eritrea who are imprisoned for their faith.

In mid-July, a Christian woman and her children were rounded up from a prayer meeting and placed in a metal shipping container until their release last month. “I remember the horrible ordeal I went through with the children. After three weeks I was released with my two children, while the other Christian soldiers remained locked in the prison cells,” said the woman, who requested anonymity for security reasons. Her husband had been previously arrested but the family has not been able to make contact with him since June 2007. Read more about the ongoing persecution in Eritrea.

Open Doors: Iran (Direct Post)

2008-10-01T15:43:00.000-04:00

IRAN

Without international pressure, there is little to stop the Iranian government from ratifying a bill that will make apostasy (leaving Islam) a capital crime, warns human rights groups and experts. On Sept. 9, the Iranian parliament approved a new penal code by a vote of 196-7 calling for a mandatory death sentence for apostates, or those who leave Islam. The Christian and Baha’i communities of Iran are most likely to be affected by this decision. “Unless there is a coordinated and very strong effort from the international community to place pressure on Iran for this, I don’t think there will be anything stopping the Iranian government from passing this legislation,” Joseph Grieboski, founder of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, told Compass Direct News. Read more about the apostasy bill and its effects in Iran.

Forum 18: Russia (Direct Post)

2008-09-30T10:09:00.000-04:00

22 September 2008
RUSSIA: UNREGISTERED BAPTISTS PRESSURED
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1190

Baptists in different parts of Russia have experienced state harassment in recent months, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. This has included interrogation by the FSB security service, defamatory state television coverage, a warning for home worship and a fine for preaching in public. The congregations concerned all belong to the Baptist Council of Churches,whose communities do not register with state authorities. In one example, two FSB security service officers in Kurgan Region separately questioned two Yurgamysh church members for four hours about internal church matters. Regional state TV later broadcast a programme on the church called"Criminal News". This made unsubstantiated allegations, such as that children from the church are "retarded, downtrodden, dress differently from other [school] pupils and often have to repeat the year," and that church members live off illegal business. The region's parliament is to consider proposals "to protect citizens from religious sects" on 30 September. Proposals include compulsory notification of the existence of an unregistered religious group and compulsory registration for communities with ten or more members.

Barnabas Fund - Indonesian Village Destroyed (Direct Post)

2008-09-30T10:02:00.000-04:00

Indonesia - Help Needed to Restore Destroyed Christian Village

We reported in May on the destruction of Horale, a mainly Christian village in a remote area of Maluku province in Indonesia. It is home to 175 families. On the night of May 2 a mob from a predominantly Muslim village nearby attacked Horale, wounding 56 Christians and brutally killing four, including an 84-year-old man and a six-year-old girl. The local school, three churches and 120 houses were burnt down and crops, fishing boats and motor-cycles destroyed. The villagers fled to the jungle to hide from the attackers.

Barnabas Fund is helping the Christians of Horale to rebuild their homes and their lives. The first grant was sent earlier this month. The main aim is to help the villagers to reconstruct up to 120 houses, by providing funds to cover the building materials. An average house costs about $1,840, and the villagers will do the building work themselves. If sufficient funds are available Barnabas Fund intends also to assist with the reconstruction of the community center and village school, and also to provide fishing boats. In order to highlight the plight of the Christians of Horale we have put together a Powerpoint presentation containing background information and images which could be used within a church service or study group. Download as a Powerpoint presentation, or PDF.

Open Doors: Laos (Direct Post)

2008-09-24T16:08:00.000-04:00

Christians Pressured to Renounce Faith

LAOS - Confronted with evidence of rights abuses, an official in Champasak province, Laos, said district officials had “misunderstood” religious freedom regulations when they arrested and detained two men for converting to Christianity, according to Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF). District police officers, in cooperation with the village chief, arrested Khambarn Kuakham and Phoun Koonlamit on Sept. 8, accusing them of “believing in Christianity, a foreign religion,” HRWLRF reported.

The Lao Movement for Human Rights confirmed that both men had been placed in criminal detention for five days and ordered to renounce their faith. According to Compass Direct News, officials warned Kuakham that he had violated the terms of his employment by having contact with Christians and converting to the Christian faith. He must renounce his faith in order to return to his teaching position, they said. If he refused, he would face a lengthy detention. Read more about persecution in Laos on our website.

ICC: More news from Orissa (Letter from ICC)

2008-09-23T07:51:00.003-04:00

I'm sure you have heard the terrible news coming out of Orissa, India where the Christian community has been brutalized.

Up to 50 Christians have been murdered and 100 churches destroyed, with 20,000 in refugee camps and up to 50,000 Christians hiding in the jungles and left homeless.

As we speak, ICC has 2 representatives inside Orissa. One will be distributing emergency aid to devastated Christians and the other is investigating/recording the ongoing tragedy.

We are doing an initial distribution of aid that will help 500 believers and are hoping to do a lot more. We are distributing blankets, soap, baby food, etc.

The brother doing the investigative work is about to go into areas without phone or email. This morning I received this email from one of the brothers and thought I would send it out to you as he tells us that we must mobilize prayer for the believers there.

Dear Jeff,

In spite of all the assurance given by state govt. the local administration
has not done any thing to subdue violence in Kandhamal. The death toll is
increasing everyday. The demolition of houses and forceful conversion has become
everyday news.

Day before yesterday, someone tricked Ishwar and his wife Pranati to
come out of the relief camp (by saying his father died). Having heard this
tragic news he and his wife came out of the relief camp and went through the
forest to reach their village where they found that the news given to them was
false. On the way back to the relief camp Pranati told police that a group of
tribals forced her husband to accompany them deep into the jungles and then
killed him. Pranati has lodged a case with the police but the dead body is not
recovered by police.

We need to mobilize prayer even more intensively than before. Our
rescuer is God himself. No one seem to (care for the) Christians in Orissa. The
police and the administration are in partners with (the radical Hindus who are
attacking us) and their schemes. Only God can intervene in our situation. Thank
you for praying for us.

Brother ______ is traveling today to ___________ in south Orissa.
Fifteen Christian villages were set on fire there, and an evangelist was burnt
alive.

Thank you for the immediate help extended to persecuted Christians in
Orissa.

God bless you.

With you in the Kingdom building
_____________

This incredible outpouring of hate against believers in India is staggering. Please lift up your brothers and sisters right now and in the coming days and ask God to protect the believers as well as our two representatives inside.

Be Blessed,
Jeff King
President, International Christian Concern

Open Doors: Eritrea (Direct Post)

2008-09-18T07:48:00.000-04:00

ERITREA

Imprisoned and tortured for her Christian faith since December, 37-year-old Azib Simon died of malaria in Eritrea’s Wi’a Military Training Center in late July. Christians in the prison are rarely given medical attention, and sources said authorities refused to provide treatment for Azib’s malaria. Five Christians have now died in Eritrean prisons after being tortured for refusing to recant their faith.

VOM: Saudi Arabia (Direct Post) - Muslim Cleric kills sister after she converts

2008-09-17T07:57:00.002-04:00

In August, a Muslim cleric and member of Saudi Arabia’s Commission of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, killed his sister 26-year-old Fatima Al-Mutairi, after she proclaimed her faith to her family, in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The Voice of the Martyrs contacts report Fatima’s fellowship with other believers was mainly limited to Internet forums and phone correspondence. "As part of her testimony to the family, she proclaimed that the way of Christ is the most pure and most holy way of all. After sharing with her family, she found her brother in her room with her laptop open before him," VOM contacts said. "Her laptop contained notes about her spiritual journey, which he was searching in order to find more evidence against her. Her brother locked her in the room for four hours, during which time she wrote a final letter on the Internet. Fatima was killed soon thereafter," VOM contacts added.

Prior to her martyrdom Fatima wrote a poem that shows her love for Christ and her desire to share His love with her family.

And We For the Sake of Christ All Things Bear

A poem written by Fatima Al-Mutairi before her martyrdom

May the Lord Jesus guide you, Oh Muslims
And enlighten your hearts that you might love others
The forum does not revile the Master of the prophets
It is for the display of truth, and for you it was revealed
This is the truth which you do not know
What we profess are the words of the Master of the prophets
We do not worship the cross, and we are not possessed
We worship the Lord Jesus, the Light of the worlds

We left Mohammed, and we do not follow in his path
We followed Jesus Christ, the Clear Truth
Truly, we love our homeland, and we are not traitors
We take pride that we are Saudi citizens
How could we betray our homeland, our dear people?
How could we, when for death - for Saudi Arabia - we stand ready?
The homeland of my grandfathers, their glories, and odes - for it I am writing
And we say, "We are proud, proud, proud to be Saudis"
We chose our way, the way of the rightly guided
And every man is free to choose any religion
Be content to leave us to ourselves to be believers in Jesus
Let us live in grace before our time comes
There are tears on my cheek, and Oh! the heart is sad
To those who become Christians, how you are so cruel!
And the Messiah says, "Blessed are the Persecuted"
And we for the sake of Christ all things bear
What is it to you that we are infidels?
You do not enter our graves, as if with us buried
Enough - your swords do not concern me, not evil nor disgrace
Your threats do not trouble me, and we are not afraid
And by God, I am unto death a Christian - Verily
I cry for what passed by, of a sad life

I was far from the Lord Jesus for many years
Oh History record! and bear witness, Oh Witnesses!
We are Christians - in the path of Christ we tread
Take from me this word, and note it well
You see, Jesus is my Lord, and He is the Best of protectors
I advise you to pity yourself, to clap your hands in mourning
See your look of ugly hatred
Man is brother to man, Oh learned ones
Where is the humanity, the love, and where are you?
As to my last words, I pray to the Lord of the worlds
Jesus the Messiah, the Light of Clear Guidance
That He change notions, and set the scales of justice aright
And that He spread Love among you, Oh Muslims

Gospel for Asia: Pictures of Orissa Violence

2008-09-16T07:56:00.001-04:00

http://www.gfa.org/orissa-update?cm_mmc=GFA-_-Email-_-377991-_-080912

Forum 18: Kazakhstan (Direct Post)

2008-09-15T07:45:00.001-04:00

11 September 2008
KAZAKHSTAN: "ECONOMIC WAR" AGAINST BELIEVERS CONTINUES
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1186

Baptists who do not wish to receive state registration continue to be punished for meeting for worship without legal status, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Three local administration officials and a police officer raided the Sunday worship service of a small congregation in Ayagozin East Kazakhstan Region in July. Church member Pavel Leonov was later fined 100 times the minimum monthly wage after refusing to register the congregation. On 3 September the Regional Court rejected his appeal, court officials told Forum 18. In Pavlodar Region, Oleg Voropaev was fined ten months' minimum wages for leading his Baptist congregation. "The state's compulsion of the community to register violates the rights to freedom of conscience and religion guaranteed by the Constitution," Voropaev told thecourt. Both Leonov and Voropaev have been fined in earlier years for their peaceful religious activity. Baptists have described the state's actions against them as an "economic war".

Open Doors: Evangelical Family Attacked (Chiapas, Mexico) - Direct Post

2008-09-10T07:31:00.001-04:00

Three Family Members Murdered in Chiapas, Mexico*

When the 11-year-old daughter of Antonio Gomez became ill of a stomach ailment, her father decided that it was due to witchcraft committed by his evangelical neighbor. On August 23, Gomez and seven of his friends allegedly killed three adults and wounded six children with machetes. According to Compass Direct News, the attackers burst into the family’s hut and killed the eldest son, Rene, and then fatally attacked his father and mother as well. Mariano Lopez Perez, public prosecutor of Indian Justice, said neighbors regarded the father in the attacked family, Gomez Diaz, as “an evangelical who prayed a great deal.” Read more about the Chiapas massacre on our website.

More violence in Orissa: Barnabas Fund (Direct Post)

2008-09-09T07:25:00.002-04:00

India: Renewed Upsurge of Anti-Christian Violence by Hindu Extremists in Orissa

We have to report a shocking new outbreak of violence against Christians in the Indian state of Orissa, which has continued for several days.

On Saturday August 23, the Hindu leader Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his associates were assassinated. Saraswati, who was a senior figure in the nationalist VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad), had called for India to become a Hindu nation, and strongly opposed the conversion of Hindus to Christianity. The police and state officials have blamed the attack on suspected Maoist rebels, and Christian leaders in India have clearly condemned it. But the VHP and its allies alleged in inflammatory speeches that Christians were responsible, and they called a protest that rapidly escalated into violence.

The media have very limited access to Orissa at present, and reports from the region are still somewhat confused. But it is already clear that damage to property is extensive. Scores of church buildings have been demolished, and hundreds of homes destroyed. Other Christian institutions, including schools, offices and prayer houses, have been vandalized, looted or burned. Buses and other vehicles have been torched.

Many Christians have been attacked, especially in rural areas where mobs are attacking whole villages. Church leaders have been beaten up and women raped, and as many as 10,000 believers may have fled into the jungle for safety, without food or protection from the monsoon rains. Current reports of the death toll range from 12 to 36.

Some of the stories emerging from the area are truly horrific. A young woman attempted to stop the extremists from attacking the children at a Christian orphanage, and was thrown alive into the burning building, where she died. A paralyzed man in another village was unable to escape from a fire and was burned to death. A pastor was killed and his body cut in pieces.

The response of the state government appears to have been patchy at best. At first the rioters blocked roads to hinder the progress of government forces. Later it was reported that curfews had been imposed, but these have not been consistently enforced. Additional protection has been provided in the towns, but not in the countryside. Christian leaders have appealed to the national government for help, and thousands of Christian schools and colleges have been closed in protest.

Forum 18: Tajikistan (Direct Post)

2008-09-05T08:14:00.001-04:00

TAJIKISTAN: CONFISCATION AND DESTRUCTION OF RELIGIOUS PROPERTY "WITH UNDUE CAUSE"?
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1181

Worship for religious communities is becoming more difficult in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe, Forum 18 News Service has learned. Several mosques were demolished in 2007 and a synagogue and a Protestant church were demolished with no compensation in summer 2008 amid city rebuilding plans. Two other Protestant churches and the Jehovah's Witnesses have been banned. Now the High Economic Court ruled on 29 August in the long-running dispute over the property of a further Protestant church, Grace Sunmin. But Judge Zulfiyya Yusupova - who had barred international observers from the courtroom - refused to tell Forum 18 what the decision was. The authorities want to seize the building back, despite the fact that the church bought it legally ten years ago. "For nine years we have been working on this place and renovation still continues," one church member told Forum 18. "But now the authorities think the time has come for them to take a ready building away from us." The OSCE office in Tajikistan is concerned about the confiscations and destruction, especially over the lack of transparency and the failure to ensure adequate compensation. "If the City of Dushanbe truly needs the said compounds for its civic and public plans, it should compensate the said religious groups accordingly," it told Forum 18. "Sheer confiscation and destruction of property, if done outside of national and international laws and with undue cause, would be contrary to the OSCE commitments of Tajikistan."

Open Doors: Indonesia (Direct Post)

2008-09-03T07:30:00.000-04:00

The manager of a campground in East Jakarta asked staff members and 600 female students from a theological college who had taken refuge there to leave and pay fees. Officials had sent the students to the facility after a violent mob attacked the Arastamar Evangelical School of Theology (SETIA) in East Jakarta on July 25. When police intervention failed, staff members and students were evacuated on July 26 and 27, even as protestors armed with swords, machetes, bamboo stakes and acid continued to attack them. At least 20 students were injured in the attack, some with sword slashes. Read more about these attacks on the Open Doors website.

Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world. The Ramadan prayer campaign is now available for you to unite in prayer with other believers who are praying for the Muslim world during the month of September.

Prayer Points:

Pray that the staff members and students from SETIA will be able to return to their school soon and that the violence in East Jakarta will cease. (Psalm 7:9)
Pray for the love of God to infiltrate the hearts of the violent perpetrators in both Indonesia, and also in Orissa. (Acts 3:19)
Pray for the family and friends of those who have been killed amidst the violence in Orissa. (Isaiah 61:2)
Pray for Muslims to receive Jesus Christ in their pursuit of holiness this Ramadan. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

[*News Source: Compass Direct News ]

One News Now: India (Direct Post)

2008-08-28T15:17:00.000-04:00

Violence against Christians continues in one state in eastern India in the wake of the murder of an anti-Christian activist.

This past weekend a top leader in the World Hindu Council was killed by a mob of 20 men suspected of being Maoist rebels. Since then, other leaders of the World Hindu Council have incited followers to go on a rampage against Christians in India's Orissa state. At least eight people have been killed, including six members of churches affiliated with Gospel for Asia. GFA reports that the buildings of at least 15 of its churches -- and the homes of more than 125 church members -- have been burned. GFA founder and president K.P. Yohannan encourages Christians around the world to pray for and help those affected by the rioting. He recalls when Jesus pleaded with his disciples to remain awake for at least one hour, waiting with him in prayer. "Which means he is saying, 'I'm in great pain and great sorrow. Share my suffering,'" Yohannon says. "And I think as believers, in a free nation like this, we need to be asking the Lord to give us a burden to understand the pain and suffering of multitudes of Christians, our brothers and sisters, and [to] pray for them. [Perhaps to] take a day of the week to fast and pray for them."

Hindu extremists are blamed for torching a Christian orphanage and raping and murdering a nun. In an online video address, the ministry leader also shares that they know nothing of the whereabouts of dozens of their GFA missionaries.

Open Doors: China (Direct Post)

2008-08-27T14:25:00.001-04:00

Chinese Government Plans Crackdown on House Church Leaders

As the Olympics have concluded, there is new evidence of religious freedom abuses that reveals a stark contrast to China’s effort in providing religious services for athletes and visitors during the Games. According to Compass Direct News, China hired religious clerics and published a special bilingual edition of the Bible for distribution to athletes and official churches during the event. Simultaneously, officials asked house church leaders in Beijing to sign documents agreeing not to hold services during the Games, the China Aid Association (CAA) reported on August 13. As most Olympic athletes, tourists, and journalists will be gone by October, China has a new strategy on dealing with what they call four “troublesome elements,” which includes house church leaders, CAA reported on August 18. Read more about the government crackdown on house church leaders in China.

Forum 18: Uzbekistan

2008-08-26T08:17:00.001-04:00

UZBEKISTAN: ATTACKS, INCLUDING VIOLENCE, AGAINST RELIGIOUS MINORITIES CONTINUE
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1176

Uzbekistan is continuing its nationwide attacks on religious minorities, Forum 18 News Service notes. The trial of Aimurat Khayburahmanov, a Protestant detained since 14 June in the north-west of the country, is in progress. He faces a possible sentence of between five and 15 years' imprisonment, and is being tried for teaching religion without official approval and establishing or participating in a "religious extremist"organisation. In a related case, Jandos Kuandikov, another local Protestant, has been fined for unregistered religious activity. The judge in that case, Bakhtiyor Urumbaev, claimed to Forum 18 that the Immanuel and Full Gospel churches were banned in Uzbekistan. Kuandikov disputes this, pointing out that his church is seeking re-registration.

Forum 18: Kazakhstan

2008-08-26T08:15:00.002-04:00

KAZAKHSTAN: NATIONWIDE RELIGIOUS PROPERTY SEIZURES CONTINUE
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1174

Almaty regional Public Prosecutor's Office seems keen to seize property from religious communities, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Six property cases against Christian and Muslim religious organisations in the region are known to have been initiated since mid-June. Amongst them is Agafe Protestant Church, the regional Economic Court ruling - despite numerous violations of due process - that the Church's building and land should be confiscated. A defence lawyer has received anonymous death threats, and an appeal will take place on 27 August. The regions' Hare Krishna commune also continues to struggle to retain its property. Similar attempts to seize religious property continue elsewhere in Kazakhstan. Near the north-western town of Alga, New Life Protestant Church has been evicted from its building. Grace Protestant Church in Semey, eastern Kazakhstan, has been forced to brick up windows, as the Fire Brigade insists on this "in case there is a fire in the neighbouring property." The Church has also been prohibited from using its own building.

Forum 18: Uzbekistan - 15 years for "reading prohibited literature"

2008-07-23T15:36:00.002-04:00

http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1158

Aitmurat Khayburahmanov, a Protestant from Nukus in Karakalpakstan, faces a criminal trial later in July on charges of teaching religion without official approval and establishing or participating in a "religious extremist" organisation, the investigator in the case, Bahadur Jakbaev, told Forum 18 News Service.

The latter charge carries a penalty for those found guilty of between five and fifteen years' imprisonment. Justifying the accusation of extremism, Jakbaev said that Khayburahmanov gathers people in his home to read "prohibited" Christian literature. Jakbaev said the Bible was not banned, but refused to specify what the prohibited books were. Protestants told Forum 18 Khayburahmanov's body is "covered with bruises" from beatings administered in isolation cell since his 14 June arrest.

Meanwhile, the head of Uzbekistan's Jewish community, Chief Rabbi Abe David Gurevich, finally left Uzbekistan on 5 June after the Justice Ministry refused to renew his accreditation. "His return to the country depends onwhether or not he will get a visa from the Uzbek authorities," a Jewish representative told Forum 18 from Tashkent.

South Phillipines: Basilan Island - Islam: Convert, pay jizya or face violence!

2008-07-23T15:34:00.001-04:00

From WEA/RLC - Christians on Basilan Island -- which is in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Southern Philippines -- are being terrorised by Islamic militants, and police are reluctant to intervene. Islamic 'holy warriors' issued an ultimatum on Friday 18 July that all Christians on Basilan must either convert to Islam, submit to Islamic subjugation and pay jizya (tribute / protection money), or face violence. It gives the Christians 15 days before terror is unleashed. Early Sunday morning 20 July, Islamic militants ambushed a passenger jeepney and kidnapped the five Christians (including two children) but left the Muslims. Please pray for the Church in Muslim Southern Philippines, especially for security for the Christians of Basilan.

Barnabas Fund: Somalia (Direct Post)

2008-04-20T14:22:00.001-04:00

Four Christian teachers murdered in Somalia

Four Christian teachers, two of them converts from Islam, were murdered by Islamic militants last Sunday, April 13, in Beledweyne in south-central Somalia.

Mr Daud Assan Ali (aged 64), Ms Rehana Ahmed (aged 32), both of Somali origin, and two Kenyans were shot and killed when militants stormed the school where the Christians were sleeping.

Both Mr Ali and Ms Ahmed lived in the UK and were converts from Islam to Christianity. Mr Ali returned to his home town in 2004 to realize his life-long dream of establishing a school. The Hiran community education project Private English School was only completed one month ago. In his blog for supporters of the school, Mr Ali expressed concern about night-time raids by militant fighters in his last posting on March 30.

A spokesman for the Islamist group responsible for the attack on the town claimed that the killings were not premeditated, but that the four teachers had been caught in cross fire. However, several residents of Beledweyne are convinced that Mr Ali and his colleagues were singled out because they were Christians and the Islamists feared that they were teaching their pupils about Christianity. Mr Ali’s wife also said in an interview that her husband had been targeted because he was a convert from Islam to Christianity.

There are a tiny number of Somali converts to Christianity living in Somalia, many of whom have been murdered in recent years by Islamic radicals, who have vowed to wipe out all Somali Christians. Recent fighting between Somali Islamic militias and Ethiopia has heightened anti-Christian feelings, as there is a long history of conflict between Somalis, who historically have all been Muslims, and Ethiopians, who historically have been majority Christian.

“Somali converts from Islam to Christianity are specially at risk at this moment in time. They need our prayers urgently,” says Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund.

Please Pray

Please pray for the families and loved ones of those killed. Pray that the Lord will comfort them and keep them strong.
Pray for the small number of Somali Christians, all converts from Islam, both in Somalia and in other countries, that God will protect them from violence and further attacks.

Open Doors: Chiapas (Update - Direct Post)

2008-04-16T07:26:00.002-04:00

On December 22, 1997, a tragedy occurred in Acteal village, located in Chiapas, Mexico. Long-festering ideological and political differences led to an armed confrontation resulting in the senseless killing of 45 indigenous Tzotzil Indians, 37 of whom were women and children. The manhunt for the perpetrators resulted in the arrest and imprisonment of 90 people, of which 83 were unjustly imprisoned. An Open Doors contact reports that about 60 percent of the prisoners in the Acteal case are Christian.

We have recently been updated that the prisoners are doing well in general, although many of them suffer from some sort of illness. The illnesses that are most often suffered are gastritis, diabetes, and hemorrhoids. For this reason, Open Doors has brought in medical groups to help provide the prisoners and other evangelicals with the necessary medical attention.

Fortunately, the imprisoned brothers are allowed to hold church services. Among the incarcerated are six preachers who faithfully lead the services. To supplement the encouragement and Bible instruction from these services, Open Doors provides workshops on the theme of Standing Strong Through the Storm. These workshops strengthen the brothers through biblical lessons that they are able to follow along in their own Bibles, which are printed in their native language, Tzotzil--though some of the brothers can also read Spanish. Most of the brethren have learned to read while in prison and the few who can’t are starting to learn with the help of the others.

Please Pray:

That the believers falsely imprisoned for the murders in Acteal will be healed from their illnesses and released from prison. (Matthew 8:8)
For the families of the men imprisoned to be able to stand strong in the face of adversity. (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Open Doors: China (Direct Post)

2008-04-16T07:25:00.001-04:00

As China deals with the fallout of protests in Tibet and alleged protests in neighboring Xinjiang province, the family of Alimjan Yimit fears that he may be sentenced to death this month after officials accused him of endangering national security. Officials closed Yimit’s business last September and accused him of using it as a cover for “preaching Christianity among people of Uyghur ethnicity.” When they detained him on January 12, they told his family that the arrest was a matter of “national security.”

With the recent crackdown on Tibetan protestors, and an alleged protest in the Uyghur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang that reportedly saw 400 Uyghurs detained by late March, Yimit’s family fears he may be branded as a separatist, a crime punishable by death. Read More…

Please Pray:

That the Chinese government officials will have mercy upon Yimit and release him from prison. (Matthew 12:7)
That the Uyghur Christians who have been taken from their families and imprisoned on alleged crimes would be cleared of their charges and be released back to their families. (Matthew 5:19)

The Fruits of Apathy - South Africa

2008-04-01T12:26:00.002-04:00

From Barnabas Fund:

CHRISTIAN SCHOOL TAKEN OVER BY MUSLIM PARENTS

The School Governing Body (SGB) of a Christian-majority high school in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, has been taken over by Muslim parents. By law meetings must be held to elect members of the SGB. Apathy among the Christian parents meant that hardly any Christians showed up at an electoral meeting, allowing the Muslim parents to seize control of the SBG by winning six of the seven elected positions. In South Africa the curriculum of the school is established by the government, however almost all other management issues relating to the school are decided upon by the SGB. This includes decisions on the headmaster, staff, sport, culture and ethos. This allowed the new SGB to instruct the long-serving principal to stop the traditional praise and worship at the morning assemblies and replace it with a minute of silence. The principal refused and was soon forced to resign. He was then replaced by a Muslim head who has stopped all Christian publications in the school. The Christian parents and pupils have demonstrated against the SGB and the new head and have even taken the matter to court. However, as the SGB was legally and constitutionally elected, the court found in favor of the Muslim SGB. The school has to abide by all SGB decisions.

• Pray that a new election can be held in which a Christian SGB can be elected. Pray for strength and courage for the parents, staff and pupils of this school during this very difficult time.

• Pray that this incident will serve as a reminder to Christians in other contexts that they need to take an active stand in their communities and be alert to Muslim strategies.

Open Doors: Sri Lanka (direct post)

2008-03-26T08:49:00.001-04:00

Attacks on Bible School in Sri Lanka Continue

A Provincial Council member, identified as Winton Appuhamy, assaulted a security guard at a Bible college in Lunuwila two weeks after an attack on the institution’s students. Appuhamy appeared at the college gate at midnight on March 15 and assaulted the unarmed security guard. After beating the security guard, he left, threatening to return and rape female students who are residents at the college. When Appuhamy was arrested by the police, he claimed that he had acted out of patriotic concern, accusing the school of harboring Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorists.

In the previous March 2 attack, a group of masked men had beaten the Bible college students as they walked from the railway station to the school, injuring nine of them. Rev. Lal Vanderwall, Diocesan Overseer of the Believers’ Church said “There were about 10 men on motorbikes who assaulted them, kicking and beating them with fists and rods”. Read Full Report

Please pray:

For God’s protection over our brothers in sisters in Sri Lanka. As in Psalm 37:39, "He is their stronghold in time of trouble."
For compassion toward our enemies. “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” Psalm 145:8

Open Doors: India (direct post)

2008-03-26T08:48:00.001-04:00

Rajasthan, India Passes New ‘Anti-Conversion’ Bill

On March 20, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party passed a new “anti-conversion” bill in Rajasthan state, an area situated in the north-western part of India. The constitutionally questionable bill states that if a group or organization is found to be “contemplating” the use of money for converting people, its registration can be cancelled. Christian groups fear this provision would provide the pretext for numerous complaints against Christian organizations.

The bill also obliges anyone intending to convert to send notice at least 30 days in advance or face a fine of up to 1,000 rupees ($25 US). It adds that the same requirement and penalty will not be applied to a person wishing to revert to her or his “original religion.” Read Full Report

News Round-up: Saudi Arabia, Uganda, Israel

2008-03-25T07:32:00.005-04:00

(ADNKronos) Saudi Arabia, in negotiations with the Vatican, has announced that it might be possible to have churches in that country -- if Christians acknowledge the Prophet Mohammed. Read more.

(BBC) Moammar Qaddafi, during a visit to Uganda, has declared that the Bible has been "forged", since it doesn't mention the Prophet Mohammed. A leading Ugandan Christian has called for forgiveness for Qaddafi's remark. Read more.

(YNetNews) After a Purim attack on a 15-year-old Messianic Jewish boy from Ariel, Messianic Jews speak out about harassment by religious Jews in Israel. Read more.

Compass Direct: Ethiopia

2008-03-24T12:19:00.004-04:00

Two churches in Southern Ethiopia were attacked by Muslims, leaving one worshiper dead and wounding 23 others. The attacks were eventually stopped by local militia, although a Christian policeman was attacked while militia did nothing, and was shot by a militiaman who claimed to be shooting at his attacker. Eyewitnesses say that this is unlikely, and that the militiaman is Muslim and was sympathetic to the attackers.

Read more.

Compass Direct: Forcible Reconversion in Himachal Pradesh

2008-03-19T13:12:00.003-04:00

Hindus in India have long accused Christians of "forcibly converting" Hindus to Christianity. Now they have done for real what they have only be able to accuse Christians of. Two hindutva organizations, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) lured, pressured, threatened and bribed known Christians to a Hindu temple and forced them to sign papers, eat food offered to Hindu idols and drink water from the Ganges.

Sadly, some of the Christians capitulated for real, but many were adamant that what had been done was forced on them and they still intended to follow Christ.

Read more.

Compass Direct: China

2008-03-19T08:37:00.004-04:00

Compass Direct news reports that a Chinese Christian, Liu Huiwen, imprisoned for distributing a Christian leaflet to Muslims, has been placed in a Muslim-majority prison and is being mistreated. After a recent (twice-monthly) prison visit, his wife said he looked very thin and was limping. His wife attempted to go to Beijing to report this mistreatment, and was warned by the police to stay home and keep quiet.

Please write to or fax the Chinese Embassy on Liu's behalf.

Chinese Embassy in Washington DC
2201 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W.
Washington D.C. 20007
Tel: (202) 338-6688
Fax: (202) 588-9760

Read more.

Forum 18: Uzbekistan

2008-03-17T07:50:00.002-04:00

UZBEKISTAN: PUNISHMENTS AND CHURCH CLOSURE
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1099

Uzbekistan continues to attack peaceful religious activity, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. A Baptist in the eastern city of Fergana, Eduard Kim,was fined the equivalent of nine months average wages, after a raid by ten state officials on his house where about 40 local Baptists were meeting for Sunday morning worship. A Pentecostal pastor near the capital Tashkent, Kamal Musakhanov, has been fined over two months average wages for"violating the rules on teaching religious doctrines." His congregation is affiliated to a registered Pentecostal church. Jehovah's Witnesses in the central city of Samarkand were raided and some of their members were severely assaulted by police. And Grace Presbyterian Church in Tashkent has been forced to halt all its activities. Asked why the church was stripped of legal status and property, an official told Forum 18 that "they violatedthe laws on religious propaganda and not everything was in order with the auction whereby they had purchased their building."

Forum 18: Russia (Direct Post)

2008-03-17T07:49:00.001-04:00

RUSSIA: METHODIST CHURCH DISSOLVED FOR MINOR BUREAUCRATIC SLIP
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1098

A regional court in Russia has dissolved a functioning Methodist congregation because it did not file a report about its annual activities on time, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Deprived of legal personality status, the church may now only gather for worship at premises provided by its existing members and give them religious instruction. Methodist Pastor Vladimir Pakhomov told Forum 18 News Service that the Belgorod branch of the Federal Registration Service "even told me there was no point in attending court, as the church would be closed in any case." The court did not - contrary to a Constitutional Court decision - attempt to find out whether the church operates or not. "They could close us and others down in exactly the same way - many registered communities don't submit this information in time as they see it as a formality," a local Baptist pastor commented. The Methodists did not submit their report on time due to the near impossibility of Protestants finding a suitable legal address in Belgorod Region. "We sent them letters, two official warnings," a local official told Forum 18. "When we got no response we had no choice but to take them to court."

WEA RLP: Iraq (Direct Post)

2008-03-13T08:35:00.003-04:00

[Edited] - Update: CNN has just reported that the Archbishop has been found dead:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/03/13/iraq.main/index.html

There has been no word from Archbishop Rahho since his abduction and, while the kidnappers have twice raised the ransom price, they refuse to give any proof he is alive. Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk told Aid to the Church in Need that they are deeply worried that Archbishop Rahho is either extremely ill or dead. Further to this, 20 March marks the fifth anniversary of the start of the US-led war on Iraq. Terrorists have vowed that on this anniversary they will 'open a new page in the fighting' and focus on operations that will 'cause the maximum pain and bewilderment to the enemy'. This might be sheer bluster, or it might be a legitimate threat. Please pray that God will protect his remnant Church in Iraq.

WEA RLP: Tensions Escalating in Sri Lanka (Direct Post)

2008-03-13T08:34:00.001-04:00

ANTI-CHRISTIAN VIOLENCE SUDDENLY ESCALATES IN SRI LANKA

Ethnic and religious tensions have grown again in Sri Lanka over the past two years as hostilities between Tamil separatists and the Sinhalese-dominated government have escalated. The Church bridges the Tamil-Sinhalese divide and is therefore targeted by extremist militants from both sides. The war, which officially resumed mid-January 2008, gives Buddhist nationalists a perfect opportunity to attack the Church under the cover of the prevailing chaos, and even blame the Tamil separatists. Christians have been the targets of several appallingly violent attacks in recent weeks. In Ampara on 17 February, Pastor Neil Edirisinghe (37) was fatally shot in a contract killing, while his wife Shiromi (31) was critically wounded. Please pray for peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

Action Item: Letters to North Korea from America (Direct Post)

2008-03-13T08:25:00.001-04:00

Free North Korea Radio has launched a special program entitled Letters from America. They have asked Christians in America to share their personal thoughts about North Korea with North Korean people. These letters will be read aloud and broadcasted into North Korea on a special program.

These letters are intended to give North Koreans a better perspective on how Americans really think and live. If you are interested in taking part in this program, send an email to prayer@odusa.org, including what you would like to say to the North Korean people. Please keep the letter short-- with approximately 200-300 words in length. You can write more than once since this radio program is aired weekly.

View CNN segment on Kim Seung Min and Free North Korea Radio

Open Doors: Somalia (Direct Post)

2008-03-13T08:24:00.002-04:00

Hawa Ahmed has survived 17 years of war in Somalia . At 30 she is the mother of 3 small children. Until the recent fighting near her home in Mogadishu , she and her husband were making a living by selling fruit in the market. As the fighting broke out, it got more and more dangerous to stay, so they fled with hundreds of others to a makeshift camp on the outskirts of war-torn, war-tired Mogadishu which was once Somalia 's beautiful and prosperous capital.
The 19 mile long road in Somalia from the edge of Mogadishu to the town of Afgooye is filled with camps for displaced people. Family after family has been crammed into tiny shelters made of bent twigs and scraps of cloth. Hawa is tired and thin. She says, "I have never begged, but I am close to it now."

Somalia is currently Number 12 on Open Doors 2008 World Watch List of most persecuted countries in the world. Due to the high risk to both missionaries and converts Open Doors has in the past been cautious when communicating about Somalia. It is time to break the silence - Somalia desperately needs change. Register to receive the monthly prayer points beginning April 1st. Be a part of the global prayer campaign.

Open Doors: Laos

2008-03-13T08:18:00.004-04:00

According to Compass Direct, nine Hmong church leaders in Laos have been sentenced to 15 years in prison because their churches had grown past the point Laotian leaders deemed "acceptable". Laos has no guaranteed freedom of expression, in fact, previously, Laotian believers were ordered to sign forms renouncing their faith. If they did not do so, they were evicted from their homes and villages. Please pray for these leaders, their families and churches and Laotian leaders, that they will come to know Christ and recant these imprisonments. (More info here.)

Forum 18: Belarus (Direct Post)

2008-03-13T08:16:00.002-04:00

BELARUS: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM PETITION DELIVERED, BUT PROTESTANT FINES CONTINUE
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1097

Belarus seems to be increasing its use of technical building regulations to harass Protestant churches, Forum 18 News Service notes. The fire safetyd emands for which one church was fined would have involved moving walls, Pastor Mikhail Kabushko, a Pentecostal in Brest Region, told Forum 18. "Every time they check, there is something new. Even if we were to fulfil everything now, there's no guarantee they won't come up with something more." Separately, the pastor of a Minsk-based charismatic church, who also thinks health and safety demands are being used to oppress Protestants, faces prosecution for refusing to admit state inspectors onto church property. Officials have avoided answering Forum 18's questions. A 50,000-signature, 3,442-page long petition from across Belarus calling for a change to the Religion Law has been submitted to the Constitutional Court, Parliament and Presidential Administration. The Constitutional Court has replied that appeals should be submitted via President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Parliament or other authorised state bodies. These state bodies now have a month to reply to the petition.