Chicago Revival

Chicago pastor camps out against violence

2011-12-14T21:04:00.002-06:00

American Taxpayers Aiding the Slaughter of Egypt’s Christians | CNSnews.com

2011-10-20T11:54:00.001-05:00

American Taxpayers Aiding the Slaughter of Egypt’s Christians | CNSnews.com

Al Ahram is an Egyptian newspaper. It reported last week on the killing of 36 Coptic Christian demonstrators in Cairo.

Millions of us have seen the pictures on our television screens of armored personnel carriers plowing into unarmed protesters, mowing them down. Those vehicles, and their drivers, are being funded in part by the United States. We are lavishly paying the Egyptian military regime.

The Obama administration welcomed last February’s ouster of longtime Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak. President Obama and Secretary Clinton have referred to the mass demonstrations in Egypt ’s capital as part of a new and more hopeful “Arab Spring.”

Well, is it? We now know the Muslim Brotherhood is increasing its influence daily in post-Mubarak Egypt . This international Islamist group is well versed in using terror and threats of terror to advance its political objectives. The Obama administration takes at face value any statements from the Muslim Brotherhood that it seeks to work within the recognized boundaries of civil, cultural, and political life. It does indeed. But it also keeps in reserve its mailed fist. It has influence with Egyptian masses, in part, because it is known to use terror against its opponents.

American taxpayers continue to underwrite Egypt ’s military regime. Why? We are constantly told that without them, things would be even worse for the Copts. Yes. They might be, like Egypt ’s Jews, driven out of their homeland.

Egyptian violence against Christians is intolerable. When peaceful demonstrators demanding only protection of the law are attacked,we see a complete breakdown of civil order. More than that, the fact that Egypt ’s Christians are being killed with impunity means there is no Arab Spring.

We need a thorough reassessment of our foreign policy goals. American Christians tax dollars are being used to support this madness. The Obama administration earmarked aid to Libya, even under Gaddafi. Now, his administration is helping Gaddafi’s opponents, ostensibly to bring in a democratic republic.

But the Libyan transition government—installed by NATO--refuses to give up the Lockerbie bomber. How likely is it they will establish a recognizable democracy, one that respects human rights?

The Obama administration is also pressing to topple Syria ’s ruler, Bashar al-Assad.

We need have no sympathy for this brutal dictator, but has Mr. Obama contemplated what will happen to Syria ’s Christian minority when Assad goes? Or is that question out of line for an administration bent on making NASA’s new mission one of boosting Muslims’ self-esteem?

President Barack Obama is building an unenviable record in foreign policy. He is the most anti-Israel president in our history and also, de facto, the most anti-Christian.

He is washing his hands of the fate of millions of minority Christians in the Mideast . This cannot be beneficial to the United States or to the countries involved.

When Gen. Petraeus ordered the burning of Pashto language Bibles in Afghanistan, the justification was that Afghan Muslims would be enraged to see a Bible written in their own language. To allow such would endanger our troops and our mission in Afghanistan. But Gen. Petraeus was quick to condemn the burning of a single Koran in Florida by a foolish pastor in no way connected to the U.S. government.

Does the Obama administration know what it is helping to establish in Afghanistan? Do Americans realize what we are paying for? We know there are no churches left in Afghanistan . We know that Abdul Rahman had to be spirited out of the country under cover of darkness lest he be murdered by the government U.S. forces put in place in Kabul. Rahman’s crime? He converted to Christianity.

Is this what we are fighting for? Is this what we are being taxed for? The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom states that “to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical.”

That 1786 statute was a cornerstone of our own Great Republic . Jefferson and Madison worked in harness to achieve this Magna Carta of religious liberty. Has the U.S. Department of State forgotten who we Americans are?

Millions of Americans disbelieve and abhor what is being taught in Afghan schools, what is being done on the streets of Cairo, and what is likely to be done in Syria when Assad is toppled. Isn’t it time for a total reassessment of U.S. foreign policy and aid?

American Law Center Rebuts Claim of Retrial for Iranian Christian Pastor

2011-10-17T23:23:00.002-05:00

At Least 24 Dead In Cairo Clashes - Violence After Christian Protest

2011-10-10T12:48:00.001-05:00

Update !! Armored Vehicles Plow Into Protesting Christians In Cairo

2011-10-10T12:44:00.001-05:00

Iranian Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani Still on Death Row; Brazilian Senators Plea for His Life

2011-10-09T19:26:00.002-05:00

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is seen here in prison in Lakan, Iran. Nadarkhani faces execution for refusing to recant his Christian faith.

Brazilian senators have mobilized to support the release of the pastor who is facing execution in Iran because of his faith in Christ.

Paulo Paim, a Brazilian Senator (PT-RS), this week sent a petition of a motion in support of Iranian pastor Yousef Nadarkhani to the president of the Brazilian Senate, Jose Sarney.

"Under the Rules of the House, I require a motion in support of the Iranian pastor Nadarkhani Yousef," he says in the claim.

Pastor Nadarkhani faces execution for refusing to recant his Christian faith although more recent reports have indicated that the charges against him have been changed; saying that he is now on death row for “crimes against national security.”

The mobilization started from an appeal made by another senator, Marcelo Crivella (PRB-RJ) last month. In a speech, he urged his colleagues to call on the Iranian government to release the pastor.

"I would like to ask my fellow senators to make an appeal on behalf of democracy and human rights in particular, to the Iranian Government to save this innocent man's life, who was just exercising his right to express his conscience."

Paim says in the petition, "For Senate Committee on Human Rights is unacceptable and unbelievable that even today, in the twenty-first century, to say that someone will die if he does not deny his faith; that will be killed or have life imprisonment if he does not deny his faith."

Media organizations, human rights groups, Christian leaders and political figures have all been applying pressure for Iran to free the Christian pastor, and the efforts are, apparently, now bringing positive results. According to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which has followed the case closely, the pastor is still alive, despite numerous previous reports saying that his execution was imminent.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide is calling on all Christians to join the prayer day on October 9 for the life of Pastor Yousef.

Iranian officials are set to meet again Oct. 10, in what could be a decisive day for the life of the pastor.
More information at http://global.christianpost.com/news/iranian-pastor-yousef-nadarkhani-still-on-death-row-brazilian-senators-plea-for-his-life-57655/

At least 24 killed in Cairo clashes over church attack

2011-10-09T19:21:00.002-05:00

The Associated Press

CAIRO — Flames lit up downtown Cairo, where massive clashes raged Sunday, drawing Christians angry over a recent church attack, hard-line Muslims and Egyptian security forces. At least 24 people were killed and more than 200 injured in the worst sectarian violence since the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak in February.

The rioting lasted late into the night, bringing out a deployment of more than 1,000 security forces and armoured vehicles to defend the state television building along the Nile, where the trouble began. The military clamped a curfew on the area until 7 a.m.

The clashes spread to nearby Tahrir Square, drawing thousands of people to the vast plaza that served as the epicenter of the protests that ousted Mubarak. On Sunday night, they battled each other with rocks and firebombs, some tearing up pavement for ammunition and others collecting stones in boxes.

At one point, an armoured security van sped into the crowd, striking a half-dozen protesters and throwing some into the air. Protesters retaliated by setting fire to military vehicles, a bus and private cars, sending flames rising into the night sky.

After midnight, mobs roamed downtown streets, attacking cars they suspected had Christian passengers. In many areas, there was no visible police or army presence to confront or stop them.

Christians, who make up about 10 per cent of Egypt's 80 million people, blame the country's ruling military council for being too lenient on those behind a spate of anti-Christian attacks since Mubarak's ouster. As Egypt undergoes a chaotic power transition and security vacuum in the wake of the uprising, the Coptic Christian minority is particularly worried about the show of force by ultraconservative Islamists.

The Christian protesters said their demonstration began as a peaceful attempt to sit in at the television building. But then, they said, they came under attack by thugs in plainclothes who rained stones down on them and fired pellets.

"The protest was peaceful. We wanted to hold a sit-in, as usual," said Essam Khalili, a protester wearing a white shirt with a cross on it. "Thugs attacked us and a military vehicle jumped over a sidewalk and ran over at least 10 people. I saw them."

Wael Roufail, another protester, corroborated the account. "I saw the vehicle running over the protesters. Then they opened fired at us," he said.

Khalili said protesters set fire to army vehicles when they saw them hitting the protesters.

Ahmed Yahia, a Muslim resident who lives near the TV building, said he saw the military vehicle plow into protesters. "I saw a man's head split into two halves and a second body flattened when the armoured vehicle ran over it. When some Muslims saw the blood they joined the Christians against the army," he said.

Television footage showed the military vehicle slamming into the crowd. Coptic protesters were shown attacking a soldier, while a priest tried to protect him. One soldier collapsed in tears as ambulances rushed to the scene to take away the injured.

At least 24 people were killed in the clashes, Health Ministry official Hisham Sheiha said on state TV.

State media reported that Egypt's interim Cabinet was holding an emergency session to discuss the situation.

Writing in his Facebook page, Prime Minister Essam Sharaf said: "What is happening now are not clashes between Muslims and Christians but attempts to spark chaos and divisions. I call on all the children of the nation who care about its future, not to comply with calls of sedition, because it is fire that will burn us all."

The protest began in the Shubra district of northern Cairo, then headed to the state television building along the Nile where men in plainclothes attacked about a thousand Christian protesters as they chanted denunciations of the military rulers.

"The people want to topple the field marshal!" the protesters yelled, referring to the head of the ruling military council, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. Some Muslim protesters later joined in the chant.

Later in the evening, a crowd of ultraconservative Muslims known as Salafis turned up to challenge the Christian crowds, shouting, "Speak up! An Islamic state until death!"

Armed with sticks, the Muslim assailants chased the Christian protesters from the TV building, banging metal street signs to scare them off. It was not immediately clear who the attackers were.

Gunshots rang out at the scene, where lines of riot police with shields tried to hold back hundreds of Christian protesters chanting, "This is our country!"

Security forces eventually fired tear gas to disperse the protesters. The clashes then moved to nearby Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the uprising against Mubarak. The army closed off streets around the area.

The clashes left streets littered with shattered glass, stones, ash and soot from burned vehicles. Hundreds of curious onlookers gathered at one of the bridges over the Nile to watch the unrest.

After hours of intense clashes, chants of "Muslims, Christians one hand, one hand!" rang out in a call for a truce. The stone-throwing died down briefly, but then began to rage again.

In the past weeks, riots have broken out at two churches in southern Egypt, prompted by Muslim crowds angry over church construction. One riot broke out near the city of Aswan, even after church officials agreed to a demand by local Salafi Muslims that a cross and bells be removed from the building.

Aswan's governor, Gen. Mustafa Kamel al-Sayyed, further raised tensions by suggesting to the media that the church construction was illegal.

Protesters said the Copts are demanding the ouster of the governor, reconstruction of the church, compensation for people whose houses were set on fire and prosecution of those behind the riots and attacks on the church.

Last week, the military used force to disperse a similar protest in front of the state television building. Christians were angered by the treatment of the protesters and vowed to renew their demonstrations until their demands are met.

More information at http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20111009/christians-protest-church-attack-cairo-111009/20111009/?hub=CalgaryHome

Iran Now Claims Pastor Condemned for 'Rape'

2011-10-01T15:34:00.002-05:00

The Iranian Christian pastor who may be put to death for apostasy and refusing to renounce his religion is actually facing the death sentence for charges of rape and extortion, according to western rights groups monitoring Iranian state media.

Fars, the semi-official Iranian state news service, in reports Saturday, attempted to refute that Youcef Nadarkhani, 32, was facing the death sentence for refusal to renounce Christianity.

"His crime is not, as some claim, converting others to Christianity," Gholomali Rezvani, the deputy governor of the Gilan province, told Fars. "He is guilty of security-related crimes."

The Fars comments are part of an Iranian media push in recent days to counter reports from Western media, including Fox News, about why Nadarkhani was facing execution.

Nadarkhani’s attorney, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah told The Associated Press Thursday that his client had appeared before the appeals court within the last few days and that he believed there is a “95 percent chance” of acquittal.

Dadkhah said neither Iranian law nor clerics have ever stipulated the death penalty as punishment for converting from Islam to Christianity.

Also Thursday, the White House condemned the conviction and possible death sentence Thursday, saying the execution would further demonstrate Iranian authorities "utter disregard" for religious freedom.

Fox News’ Joshua Miller and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More information at http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/10/01/state-media-reports-iranian-pastor-facing-execution-for-rape-not-religion/

Iranian Pastor Sentenced to Death: Nadarkhani Refuses to Convert

2011-09-30T07:57:00.001-05:00

By Daniel D. Tovrov | September 29, 2011 10:35 AM EDT

Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who is facing the death penalty, again refused to convert to Islam to save his life.

Nadarkhani was arrested in 2009 for the crime of apostasy because he allegedly abandoned Islam for Christianity. As a pastor, Iranian clerics believe that Nadarkhani was preaching in order to convert Muslims.
Before his last hearing Wednesday, Nadarkhani had been given three previous chances to repent, and all three times he has refused. After his final refusal Wednesday, no verdict has been announced, but many expect that he could be put to death as soon as Friday.

The case has slowly garnered international attention, and there are a number of Christian rights groups advocating for his release.

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner also has spoken out against Iran. "While Iran's government claims to promote tolerance, it continues to imprison many of its people because of their faith. This goes beyond the law to an issue of fundamental respect for human dignity. I urge Iran's leaders to abandon this dark path, spare [Nadarkhani's] life, and grant him a full and unconditional release," said Boehner.

There were rumors on Wednesday night that Nadarkhani's execution sentence was to be waived after the final trial, but contradicting reports indicate that the news was incorrect.

"We've had some reports that there has been a verbal announcement from the court in Iran that the sentence is annulled but we urge caution," said Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a religious group campaigning for Nadarkhani's release.

"It's been known that verbal announcements have been directly contradicted by later written statements. We are still calling for international pressure to be kept up."

The American Center for Law and Justice said in a message titled "Troubling News" that the rumors were spread by the Iranian secret service in an attempt to get the media to stop reporting the story. ACLJ said Nadarkhani's lawyer Mohammad Ali Dadkhah called the center Wednesday to say the death sentence hasn't been overturned.

Even if the sentence were commuted, Nadarkhani could still face life in prison. And even if he were released, there would still be danger.

"In Iran about 18 years ago, they had released a pastor, but then came and assassinated him and his bishop later. We cannot stop the pressure," Pastor Firouz Sadegh-Khandjani, a Member of the Council of Elders for the Church of Iran, told the ACLJ.

Between June 2010 and January 2011, more than 200 people in Iran were arrested for their religious beliefs, according to Elam Ministries, a United Kingdom-based church with ties to Iran.

In August, a pastor named Haghnejad was arrested for the third time, according to Christian Solidarity. Police also confiscated 6,500 bibles, which Iran's social issues committee deemed were being used to deceive youths.

While no one has been hanged for the crime of apostasy in Iran for more than 20 years, the country has the second highest execution rate of any nation in the world. So far in 2011, there have been about 400 executions, a quarter of which occurred in September.

Original source
http://img.ibtimes.com/www/articles/20110929/222139_iranian-pastor-sentenced-to-death.htm

Dozens hurt in Egypt as Christians are attacked

2011-05-19T21:46:00.001-05:00

Riot police stand aside as motorists and residents in Cairo attack Coptic Christian demonstrators who set up a roadblock to press for more security after deadly sectarian clashes a week ago.
May 16, 2011|By Molly Hennessy-Fiske and Amro Hassan, Los Angeles Times

Scores of mostly Coptic Christian protesters were injured when their weekend demonstration blocking a street near the heart of downtown Cairo was attacked by motorists and residents as riot police stood by, prompting new questions about the ability and willingness of Egypt's military-led government to maintain security.

The attacks came hours after an explosion at the tomb of a Muslim saint in the northern Sinai town of Sheik Zweid and a week after sectarian clashes left 15 dead and 200 injured.

The violence erupted late Saturday on Cairo's busy corniche road that runs parallel to the Nile, within view of the balconies and terraces of the Marriott, Hilton and other major hotels frequented by foreign tourists.

For days, the protesters camped out on the street to call for government protection after a church was burned, sparking deadly clashes between Muslims and Christians in the Imbaba area of the city.

Late Saturday, crowds rushed in, lobbing gasoline bombs and charging at the several hundred demonstrators. The attackers also burned cars and trucks. Nearly 80 people were injured, including two with gunshot wounds, according to witnesses and the national health minister.

The attackers may have been angered when protesters blocked the roadway, said George Thabet, a demonstrator who witnessed the attack.

Thabet said he saw "young thugs in plain clothes" atop the nearby 6th of October bridge throw gasoline bombs at the protesters.

Riot police initially stood by, then left to fetch soldiers, witnesses said. About an hour later, police returned with soldiers, who parked their tanks at either end of the street, on opposite sides of the sit-in.

By 1:30 a.m. Sunday, nearly five hours after violence erupted, security forces said they had regained control of the area, according to state television. At least 44 people, including both attackers and protesters, were eventually arrested in connection with the incident, state television reported

Security forces and military officials declined to comment on the incident or to issue a statement.

Egypt's military leaders had vowed Friday to crack down on what they described "deviant groups" threatening stability and security. Political analysts said the slow response by security forces this weekend showed their inability and unwillingness to maintain control in the capital months after demonstrations that eventually unseated longtime President Hosni Mubarak.

.

"The military cannot stop these attacks and there is no political vision to deal with these types of sectarian clashes," said Emad Gad, a senior researcher at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo. "I'm afraid that we will see many attacks, many clashes, sectarian violence. We could see blood in the Egyptian streets."

The latest violence so alarmed the head of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Shenouda III, that he called for an end to the sit-in Sunday, according to a statement read by his spokesman on state television.

The statement warned that outsiders have infiltrated the group of largely Christian protesters, making the situation more explosive.

But protesters, in particular Coptic Christians, said late Sunday that they were determined to stay, and that even more demonstrators had joined them.

Legacy of Faith: Pastor David Wilkerson

2011-05-08T19:08:00.001-05:00

Rev. David Wilkerson, founding pastor of Times Square Church in New York City Killed in Car accident

2011-05-08T19:02:00.001-05:00

Rev. David Wilkerson Killed in TX Car Crash

2011-05-08T18:59:00.000-05:00

Rev. David Wilkerson Dies; Founded Times Square Church: MyFoxNY.com

Walid Shoebat Former PLO Terrorist Now Speaks Out For USA and Israel

2011-05-04T21:31:00.000-05:00

How the King James Bible Changed the World

2011-05-04T13:43:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON -- This week marks the 400th anniversary of the King James version of the Bible. Since mass production of the book began more than 400 years ago in England, it has changed the lives of many.

Before that time, it was a capital crime for an Englishman to read or print an unauthorized copy of the Bible. Author Larry Stone wrote about those days in his book, The Story of the Bible: The Fascinating History of Its Writing, Translation & Effect on Civilization.

"In other countries it wasn't against the law. But in England, it was against the law. In fact, it was against the law to read any unauthorized English translations," he told CBN News.

It wasn't physically possible for mass populations to have books until the invention of the Gutenberg printing press, like the one on display at the King James Bible 400th Anniversary Expo held on the National Mall in Washington this week.

"Before Gutenberg, the common person just didn't have the ability to read. He didn't have access to knowledge and understanding. After Gutenberg, literacy exploded because everybody could read," Stone explained.

It was perfect timing when in 1604, King James I of England authorized an English translation, and poured God's word -- God's truth into a mankind thirsty to exercise the new ability to read.

"The Bible was the force that created the modern world," said author Vishal Mangalwadi.

Mangalwadi wrote the book titled, The Book That Made Your World: How The Bible Created The Soul of Western Civilization. He says it describes why the Bible, mostly starting with the King James version, was crucial to modern civilization evolving.

"How the West became a thinking civilization, a rational civilization -- developing technology, science, education, universities, languages, literature, and I'm showing how the Bible created the modern world," Mangalwadi said.

Some Bible scholars warn "the King James version is monumentally inaccurate" as Dr. Joel Hoffman wrote on his blog, Goddidntsaythat.com.

Hoffman argues modern translators "know more about ancient Hebrew and Greek now than they did 400 years ago" and "about how to convey them in translation."

Stone disagrees, pointing out the fact that King James was himself a poet and published author. He gave the world a Bible full of beautiful, flowing language.

"Every Bible has the power of God unto salvation. The King James version has a majesty and a beauty and a poetic power. And as long as we speak English, that influence and that legacy will be here," he said.

The King James Bible Expo concluded with a rally and a call for the U.S. Congress to recognize the King James Bible's 400th anniversary for the version's importance and for the influence on the world that it has had.

Osama Bin Laden Killed

2011-05-01T22:53:00.001-05:00

Kate Middleton's brother James Middleton's Reading Scripture

2011-04-29T14:49:00.000-05:00

Royal Wedding: The Sermon

2011-04-29T14:48:00.001-05:00

Pakistan Punjab, Muslims attack a Christian village

2011-04-21T11:58:00.001-05:00

by Jibran Khan
The attack took place this morning in Khokarki, near the city of Gujranwala. Hundreds of Christians forced to flee their homes. Attack sparked by quarrel with Christian, his son and some Muslims, over false accusation of blasphemy. The two Christians held at the local police station.

Original Source : http://www.asianews.it

Gurjarnwala (AsiaNews) - Hundreds of Muslims attacked the Christian village of Khokarki this morning a few miles from the city of Gujranwala (Punjab), forcing its inhabitants to flee. According to AsiaNews sources, anonymous for security reasons, the attack took place following a dispute between Christian Mushtag gill and some local Muslims, who had accused the man and his son of blasphemy.

Mushtaq, 60, and his son, are accused of having desecrated the Koran. The police arrested them yesterday, after complaints of some Muslims who claim to have found torn pages of the Qu’ran in a bag hidden near the home of two Christians.

Mushtaq Gill is the vice president of the Christian Technical Training Center (Cttc), linked to the theological seminary in Gujranwala. After the arrest police took the man and his son to the local police station, for a preliminary interrogation. According to local sources, the case has not yet been registered by the police, who are conducting the investigation. The news sparked panic among the Christian community, while the family of the two accused were forced to abandon their homes and seek refuge with friends.

To help and Mushtaq and his son, the family contacted the Masihi foundation, an association specializing in the defence of religious minorities. Naz Masih Ishaq, vice president of the foundation, said he had already tried to contact the authorities of Gujranwala to resolve the situation.

Gujranwala and surrounding areas are among the most active centres of Islamic extremists. In the past, there have been several incidents in the city of attacks against churches, occupation of Christian property and murders tied to false accusations of blasphemy.

On 5 April in Chak Jhumra (Faisalab, Punjab), another Christian, Arif Masih, was arrested by police for allegedly ripping pages of the Qur’an. The Muslim community in the village took the defences of man, who is the victim of a personal vendetta for a matter related to land.

According to data from the National Commission for Justice and Peace of the Catholic Church (NCJP), between 1986 to August 2009 at least 964 people were charged with desecrating the Qur’an or defaming the Prophet Muhammad. Among these, 479 were Muslims, 119 Christians, 340 Ahmadis, 14 Hindus and 10 from other religions. It also provides a pretext for attacks, personal vendettas or extra-judicial killings: 33 in all, carried out by individuals or angry crowds.

Google Exodus What if Moses had Facebook?

2011-04-18T11:49:00.002-05:00

18 Christians arrested in India

2011-04-10T22:22:00.001-05:00

Original Source : http://vomcblog.blogspot.com

Eighteen Christians, including two pastors, were arrested on March 28 for converting to Christianity without official permit in Orissa's Mayurbhanj district, reported Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC).

The arrests came after a police complaint was filed against the two pastors and 16 newly converted Christians. The Christians were brought before the SDJM Court at Baripada and were released on bail on March 30 and 31, charged under the "Orissa Freedom of Religion Act," which bans any conversion lacking a permit issued by authorities.

Sajan K. George, president of GCIC, called on Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to withdraw the accusations and put a stop to anti-Christian violence in the state.

Pray all charges will be dropped and that freedom of religion will truly be experienced by the people of Orissa. Ask the Lord to minister to the new converts and deepen their faith to help them overcome this opposition. Pray the Lord will continue to build His Church. Pray for all those who would oppose Him in India.

Vietnam's Christians Not Afraid of Persecution

2011-04-05T12:05:00.001-05:00

Pakistan: Two more Christians killed, churches burned as Muslims respond to Florida Qur'an burning

2011-04-03T20:54:00.003-05:00

by Jibran Khan
In Hyderabad and Lahore, a mob of Islamic fundamentalists targeted the Christian places of worship. Desecrated several copies of the Bible. Anti-American slogans and demonstrations in different cities of Pakistan. The extremists pledge more violence, if Washington does not condemn pastor Jones to death. Bishop of Islamabad: the gesture of a "fanatic."

Original Source : http://www.asianews.it

Islamabad (AsiaNews) - Two believers killed, churches attacked, copies of the Bible burned: the Christian community in Pakistan is once again the victim of violence by Islamic fundamentalists, who have targeted places of worship in the country. The extremist violence was triggered by the insane act - repeatedly condemned by Christians in Pakistan and India – of the pastor Wayne Sapp, who last March 20, in Florida burned a Koran under the supervision of the evangelical preacher Terry Jones. The escalating violence has raised alarm over the fate of Asia Bibi, a symbol of the abuses committed in the name of the blasphemy law. The bishop of Islamabad / Rawalpindi defines the US pastor a "fanatic" who encourages followers to a "violent ideology", the consequences of which have an impact "on innocent Christians" across the world.

On March 25, a mob of Islamic extremists attacked a Pentecostal church in Hyderabad, killing two Christians and burning some copies of the Bible. Eyewitnesses said that the fundamentalists stormed the place of worship looking to set it on fire, but a group of believers defended the church. Security forces have fled the scene, leaving those present at the mercy of the crowd. The attackers hurled anti-Christian slogans and a feeling of anger toward the religious minority has spread. in the city The pastor of the church reports that "despite the condemnation of the burning of the Koran" the community "has come under attack because they think that we are linked to the Americans." He emphasizes that "we are Pakistanis, who were born in this land and we do not have any kind of relationship with the United States." "What fault did those two innocent people have – he ends - who were not Americans, but only Pakistani Christians?".

In a second incident, the Full Gospel Assembly Church, in the Badami Bagh area of Lahore, was attacked. Again fundamentalists burned the church, threw copies of the Bible into the street and accused the Christians of blasphemy, claiming they found pieces of the Koran, not far from the church. During the attack some security guards were injured.

Meanwhile, the weekend demonstrations were repeated against the burning of the Koran wanted by Pastor Terry Jones in different cities of Pakistan - among other Peshawar, Lahore and Islamabad. The demonstrators, who burned his picture and chanted slogans and chants against the United States, called for the death of U.S. preacher. Extremists also threatened reprisals and other targeted attacks against Christians, if the U.S. government fails to take action against Pastor Jones.

The Pakistani Christian community, however, in a show of support with Muslims, condemns, and demonstrates against the burning of the Koran. Catholic priest Fr. Anwar Patras, said that Christians are first of all Pakistanis, "we were born in this land and we will be buried here, we have no connection with Pastor Terry Jones and his sick ideas." Condemning the attack, the religious priest shows sympathy for the two Christians killed "and reiterates that" the community is in danger”.

Recent violence has raised the alert level around Asia Bibi, the 45 year old Christian mother of five children, sentenced to death based on the "black law" and in prison, pending appeal. The Masih Foundation reports that "despite security measures" adopted in the cell, the woman is in danger. "She cannot eat prison food - continue the activists - but ingredients are provided to cook her own food, she prays and fasts for her own sake and for the current situation in Pakistan. The Catholic Church has asked for special prayers for her.
Interviewed by AsiaNews, Mgr. Rufin Anthony, bishop of Islamabad / Rawalpindi, said that "Christian doctrine teaches tolerance and love," the U.S. minister is a "fanatic" promoting "a sick ideology." The prelate accused the American preacher of ignoring "the scope of his actions" and now Pakistani Christians "live with greater fear because his actions worsened our situation." "There are examples of threats to churches and Bibles burned in some areas - concluded Msgr. Anthony - now innocent Christians will face the consequences. "

Christians attacked, killed in Ivory Coast

2011-03-26T10:54:00.001-05:00

Original Source : http://mnnonline.org

Ivory Coast (MNN) ― Christians are now a major target in violence which is teetering Ivory Coast on the edge of civil war.

When the post-election violence began in November, believers were almost immediately at risk. Laurent Gbagbo refused to step down from his post as president when candidate Alassane Ouattara was voted in as president, despite international recognition of Ouattara as the country's new president.

Now Christians are in danger.

"In the city of Abidjan, there's a call by Islamic clerics against the Christians," confirms Carl Moeller with Open Doors, USA. "The fact of the matter is, in this part of the world, politics and religion are very difficult to separate."

Where does religion fit in? Gbagbo calls himself a Christian, and Ouattara calls himself a Muslim. Many Muslims associate believers with Gbagbo whether they actually support him or not. Christians' prayers for peace in Ivory Coast are seen as further evidence of Gbagbo loyalty.

As a result, Christians have been targeted directly. "Our coworkers on the ground say that several churches have been already burned, and many Christians have been beaten up. And there are actually--although we don't have firm numbers on this according to our coworker there--Christians who've been killed in these attacks," says Moeller.

The U.N. reports that over 430 people have died as a direct result of the hostilities.

Thousands of believers have been made homeless, and due to the lack of hospitals, many of them are dying as well. 40,000 people are gathered at churches in and around Abidjan. Christians undoubtedly make up some of the hundreds of thousands of refugees since violence began.

Pray for strength for our brothers and sisters in Ivory Coast right now. Pray for the safety of Open Doors workers as well, and that ministry would continue. Pray that believers would still manage to be a light for Christ in the middle of misunderstandings and malevolence.

Open Doors has works to build the church in Ivory Coast. Look for more updates on the country on their Web site.

Thousands of Christians Displaced in Ethiopia After Muslim Extremists Torch Churches, Homes

2011-03-24T21:59:00.002-05:00

Remains of burned down Kale Hiwot church in Asendabo, Ethiopia.

Original Source http://www.foxnews.com

Thousands of Christians have been forced to flee their homes in Western Ethiopia after Muslim extremists set fire to roughly 50 churches and dozens of Christian homes.

At least one Christian has been killed, many more have been injured and anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 have been displaced in the attacks that began March 2 after a Christian in the community of Asendabo was accused of desecrating the Koran.

The violence escalated to the point that federal police forces sent to the area two weeks ago were initially overwhelmed by the mobs. Government spokesman Shimelis Kemal told Voice of America police reinforcements had since restored order and 130 suspects had been arrested and charged with instigating religious hatred and violence.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said the Islamist group Kawarja is believed to have incited the violence.

"We believe there are elements of the Kawarja sect and other extremists who have been preaching religious intolerance in the area,” he said at a Saturday press conference. “In previous times, we have cracked down on Kawarja because they were involved in violence. Since then they have changed their tactics and they have been able to camouflage their activities through legal channels."

The string of attacks comes on the heels of several reports of growing anti-Christian tension and violence around the country where Muslims make up roughly one-third of the total population but more than 90 percent of the population in certain areas, 2007 Census data shows.

One of those areas is Besheno where, on November 9, all the Christians in the city woke up to find notes on their doors warning them to convert to Islam, leave the city or face death, a Christian from Besheno told FoxNews.com on condition of anonymity.

“Under the Egyptian constitution we are supposed to have freedom of religion, but Muslim leaders in our town don’t allow us that right,” the source said.

Later that month three Christians in Besheno were assaulted in religiously-motivated attacks and three others were forced to flee the city after being told that Muslim leaders had commissioned hit men to kill them, one of the exiled Christians told FoxNews.com.

“We were told by some Muslims that live in the city that there was already a plan to kill us and that the people who were assigned to kill us had already come from another city to do it.”

A witness to the three attacks was then assaulted in January after testifying about them in court, International Christian Concern (ICC), an organization that aims to fight Christian persecution, reported.

In the southern town of Moyale, a Christian was sentenced to three years in prison in November for allegedly writing "Jesus is the Lord" in a copy of the Koran, Compass Direct News reported. Christians from the area told the website he had actually written the phrase on a piece of cloth.

Sources also told Compass authorities had offered to release the man, Tamirat Woldegorgis, if he would convert to Islam, but he refused.

Additionally, two of his friends were fined for visiting him in prison and taking him food, Compass Direct reported.

And in Oma Village on February 26 a Muslim mob with rocks and rods assaulted and wounded 17 Christian college students who were distributing Bibles during a mission trip, ICC reported.

The mob overwhelmed government security forces that attempted to protect the students, but the students eventually fled, the ICC website said.

"The violence against Christians in Ethiopia is alarming because Ethiopian Muslims and Christians used to live together peacefully. Besides, it’s extremely disconcerting that in Ethiopia, where Christians are the majority, they are also the victims of persecution," Jonathan Racho, ICC's Regional Manager of Africa and South Asia, told FoxNews.com.

Meles said that the government is doing everything it can to stop religious violence.

"We knew that they were peddling this ideology of intolerance, but it was not possible for us to stop them administratively because they are within their rights," he said. "If we can find some association between what they are doing by way of preaching and what happened by way of violence, then of course we can take them to court."

Racho, originally from Ethiopia, said the fact that the government waited a full week before sending troops to Asendabo shows that it’s not doing enough. Going forward, he said he hopes the government "will take measures to ensure that such attacks will not happen in the future," including bringing all responsible parties to justice to show this will not be tolerated.

"The Ethiopian government has arrested around 130 of the perpetrators, and we hope they will be prosecuted according to the law."

Christians in Iran Sentenced for "Crimes Against The Islamic Order"

2011-03-24T14:29:00.001-05:00

Original Source : http://au.christiantoday.com

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has learned that on 8 March, five Iranian Christians were sentenced to one year’s imprisonment for “Crimes against the Islamic Order”.

Pastor Behrouz Sadegh-Khandjani, Mehdi Furutan, Mohammad Beliad, Parviz Khalaj and Nazly Beliad, all members of the Church of Iran, a Jesus-Only Pentecostal denomination, were found guilty by the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz. They have 20 days to appeal the sentence.

The five men were arrested last June, but released on 13 February 2011, after posting high bail payments. They had spent nearly eight months in prison in Shiraz on charges of apostasy, political meetings, blasphemy and crimes against the Islamic Order. However, four of the charges were dropped during the trial.

A source close to the defendants revealed that in the period between his arrest and late November 2010, 33-year old Pastor Sadegh-Khanjani was held in solitary confinement and given access to his attorney only once. His health suffered due to extremely unhygienic conditions and the infliction of deliberate harm. A second generation Christian from Tehran, Pastor Sadegh-Khanjani has been arrested for his faith a total of three times in the past four years. Most members of the group have been caught in cycles of detentions and releases by the authorities for a number of years, and some have suffered severe levels of torture during previous detentions.

Concern also remains high for another Church of Iran leader, Pastor Yousef Nadakharni, who has been sentenced to death for apostasy. Pastor Nadarkhani is currently held incommunicado in Lakan prison, and his appeal is pending at the Supreme Court.

Christians in Iran have recently been subjected to waves of arrest, with 282 now confirmed to have been arrested in 34 cities since June 2010. At least 15 of these Christians remain in prison, while others have been released, generally after posting large amounts of bail.

CSW’s National Director Stuart Windsor said, “We condemn the conviction of these five individuals, as well as the continuing detention of many other Christians in Iran. Clearly these men have been convicted for simply exercising their right to freedom of religion and belief, and it is imperative that the international community presses Iran to rescind these unjust sentences at the appeal. Iran is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and therefore has an obligation to uphold international standards of religious freedom for all its citizens.”

Pastor Nadakharni was arrested on 13 October 2009 while attempting to register his church. He had earlier questioned the Muslim monopoly on the religious instruction of children in Iran, which contravenes the Iranian Constitution. Pastor Nadarkhani was reportedly tried and informed orally in late September 2010 that he was to receive the death penalty, although the written sentence was not issued until 13 November. Pastor Nadarkhani’s lawyer filed an appeal on 5 December; however, the date for the hearing has yet to be announced.

“ People Can Live Again ”

2011-03-23T11:24:00.001-05:00

Original Source : http://www.samaritanspurse.org

Japanese Congressman Ryuichi Doi became emotional as he walked the streets of Sendai for the first time since the tsunami waves devastated the city. There was so much damage, so much destruction. So many people lost their lives. So many people don’t know where to turn for help.

“It was such a big disaster,” he said. “But we must have hope. We must overcome. We must overcome.”

Congressman Doi has been instrumental in getting emergency relief supplies from Samaritan’s Purse into the affected area. He personally assisted our team to ensure the immediate issuance of travel permits for emergency access to highways and priority gasoline rations. He also has been a key partner in mobilizing the relief effort through the local church.

As one of the few Christian senators in the Japanese parliament, he knows the Japanese people need more than physical aid.

“This is my responsibility, to tell the people," he said. "As a Christian, and also as a politician. Let’s start from this. Let’s have hope.We need faith. If we don’t have faith, nobody can have hope. Here in Japan we are a very small group, as Christians in this society. So we must tell them how to have faith.

“From this situation, people can live again.”

Family mourns American teacher's death in Japan

2011-03-22T10:31:00.000-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Operation Blessing, Others Help in Japan Despite Risk

2011-03-20T21:34:00.000-05:00

Japanese Church launches aid centre for tsunami victims

2011-03-20T21:28:00.002-05:00

The centre is based in Sendai, in the areas affected by the tsunami. Message from the Bishop of Sendai. The diocese also reports children dead in kindergartens, churches destroyed and damaged. Families offer hospitality to the homeless elderly. Shelters without water, electricity, fuel, medicine, causing physical and mental fatigue of the displaced.

Original source http://www.asianews.it

Tokyo (AsiaNews) - The Japanese Catholic Church today opened an aid centre for survivors of the earthquake and tsunami. The centre has its headquarters in the Cathedral of Sendai, one of the worst affected areas. The bishops are calling on the faithful to raise funds, but also offer shelter to the homeless.

Speaking to AsiaNews Fr. David Uribe, provincial superior of the Missionaries of Guadalupe in Japan, confirmed to that already this morning, five Japanese families in Tokyo expressed their willingness to accommodate, survivors of the disaster, especially the elderly, in their homes for as long as necessary.

The aid centre, opened today, is managed by the Bishop of Sendai, Mgr. Martin Hiraga, the Bishop of Niigata, Mgr. Tarcisius Kikuchi, the Bishop of Saitama, Mgr. Marcellino Tani and Caritas Japan. Its remit is to raise funds that will go to thousands of people affected by the tsunami.

Marking the launch Mgr. Hiraga today sent a message expressing his sadness for the destruction caused by the earthquake and tidal wave, which has so far left over 15 thousand people dead or missing. The powerful earthquake devastated four provinces that form the area of the diocese of Sendai: Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima.

In his message, the bishop invites every Christian to become involved in this charitable initiative and help those who have lost everything. He also recalls that in these difficult times is important not to forget the infinite mercy of God The Catholic Church in Japan is made up of about 500 thousand believers, a disproportionate group in comparison to the huge number of people affected by the disaster. The bishop hoped, however, that even the smallest act of charity will help many people.

In the north-east of the country, destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami, there are about half a million homeless, housed in makeshift centres. The situation of the survivors is critical: they lack water, electricity and fuel (diesel and oil), medicine and many essential items. The shortage in basic necessities and lack of immediate prospects, is provoking great physical and mental fatigue among the displaced. According to some estimates, it will take at least 10 years and investments in excess of those used after the Kobe earthquake of 1995 (almost 160 billion U.S. dollars) to return to a normal way of life in the affected areas.

The chancellor of the diocese of Sendai, Fr. Peter Komastu, also announced the first figures regarding Catholic face of the disaster. He confirmed that an unspecified number of children, pupils of the Catholic Diocesan kindergarten, lost their lives. Moreover, the structures damaged by earthquake and tsunami include: in the province of Iwate, the first floor of the Kamaishi parish, in the province of Myagi, serious damage to the parishes of Furukawa and Stukidate; the parish of Kesenuma has been damaged and its kindergarten is currently being used as makeshift accommodation for the displaced. Finally, all the parishes of the south coast of Fukushima (in the area of the nuclear power plant currently at risk) were destroyed by the tsunami.

Christian Aid Mission Asks Pastors to "Pray and Act for Suffering Japanese" in Sunday Services

2011-03-19T21:26:00.002-05:00

Original source : http://www.christiannewstoday.com

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA -- The Christian Aid Mission relief coordinator for Japan is calling on Americans to pray and collect aid in Sunday services for the Fukusima families who lost who lost loved ones in last week's killer quake.

Christian Aid Mission is sending the aid to Japanese believers working among residents evacuated from the nuclear reactor town on the northeastern coast of Japan. Fukusima is located just below the epicenter of the quake near Sendai.

"This weekend, the emphasis should be on prayer in our churches and collecting a special emergency offering," says Stephen Van Valkenburg, the overseas director in charge of disbursements to Japanese pastors and missionaries who are delivering relief on the ground.

Contributions for the suffering survivors may be made to Christian Aid Mission and designated to Japan Disaster Relief, gift code 850DIS. Credit card donations may be made online at www.ChristianAid.org or by calling 800-977-5650.

"Your contributions to Christian Aid Mission will be sent directly to strategic indigenous ministries in Japan that are meeting basic needs and planning for the future," says Van Valkenburg. "Gifts are not sent through a bureaucracy or to pay for overhead, but go directly to Japanese Christian missionaries who are already physically there on the disaster scene. They are with the suffering people, reaching out to the survivors in word and deed - in the name of Christ, the one who loves and cares for them in this time of tragedy."

Van Valkenburg listed three requests for prayer:

* Pray for the families who are burying their dead or still searching for lost loved ones. From 50-60 are still missing from one of the four chapels in Fukusima. When people face the death of loved ones and the loss of all their earthly possessions, their hearts are laid bare. Christians need the strength to face their trials and then the ability to reach out to those around them.

* Pray for believers to be used by the Lord to personally pray for the hurting ones around them. If a Buddhist and a Christian believer are together in a shelter, the believer needs special grace from the Lord to show hope.

* Pray that the authorities will get the nuclear plants under control and that these problems will turn the hearts of many in that nation to cry out to God.

"These believers need our help to reach out to the suffering in the name of Christ," says Van Valkenburg.

"Christian Aid Mission is sending financial assistance to provide basic needs and to give Christians the resources to reach out to the unbelievers around them. At this critical time, the Japanese people are seeking answers and looking for hope. With Christian Aid's help, local believers are able to provide comfort, encouragement and hope through Jesus Christ.

"As physical needs are met through generous gifts sent from all over the world, there is a still special role that Christians have in enabling Japanese believers to show their fellow countrymen how to have peace with God. In times of crisis, the needs of the spirit are always far deeper than the physical needs. Even if it were possible for Japan to be totally restored, the spiritual cries of people's hearts would remain.

"Japan has been resistant to the gospel. Pray that God will pour His love upon these people and they will come to know a love that is deeper than their present sorrow."

Pastors and church group leaders who want to send an offering by mail should forward funds to Christian Aid Mission, P.O. Box 9037, Charlottesville, VA 22906. Checks should be designated to gift code 850IDS, Japan Disaster Relief.

About Christian Aid Mission:

Founded by Bob Finley in 1953, Christian Aid Mission is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. It links American churches and mission-minded individuals to indigenous missions in 122 countries. Today it sends help to more than 800 native mission ministries that deploy over 80,000 missionary workers serving the Lord among 3000 tribes, tongues and nations. Visit online at www.ChristianAid.org or call 434-977-5650 for more information.

Japan Earthquake updates Live

2011-03-12T21:19:00.001-06:00

Online video chat by Ustream

SOS Japan Christians, 'Please Help Us'

2011-03-12T09:30:00.002-06:00

A massive search and rescue effort is underway in northeast Japan, a day after a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck the nation. Christians across the country are also joining the relief mission.

CBN's Senior International Correspondent George Thomas spoke with Dan Iverson, a missionary with the Presbyterian Church in America.

Iverson lives some 200 miles south of the epicenter in the Japanese city of Chiba.

He's asking the world to pray for Japan as the church seeks ways to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the country.

DEVASTATION IN JAPAN

2011-03-11T10:41:00.000-06:00

Original Source www.cnn.com

How Muslim Convert of Afghanistan Said Musa's Case Got Attention

2011-03-10T12:25:00.002-06:00

(Updated: Musa Released from Prison)

Read more at the original source http://www.christianitytoday.com

A Red Cross employee has captured international attention after being imprisoned and sentenced to death in Afghanistan for converting to Christianity.

Said Musa, who lost his leg to a land mine while serving in the Afghan army, worked with fellow amputees for the International Committee of the Red Cross for 15 years. Eight years ago, he converted to Christianity.

International Christian Concern (ICC) reports that Musa was released from prison last week. "The call came on February 21 from an official from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul confirming that Said Musa was released and safely out of the country," ICC reports. Compass Direct has confirmed Musa's release.

"According to Afghanistan's constitution, if there is no clear verdict as to whether
an act is criminal or not in the penal code of the Afghan Constitution, then it would be referred to sharia law where the judge has an open hand in reaching a verdict," Qamaruddin Shenwari, director of the Kabul courts' north zone, told CNN.

Converting from Islam to Christianity is a capital offense under Shari'ah law. Over the past several weeks, Musa's story has gained attention in Europe and the United States, with articles appearing in London's Sunday Times and The Wall Street Journal, along with a high-profile Twitter campaign by prominent evangelical pastors, including Bethlehem Baptist Church's John Piper and Saddleback pastor Rick Warren.

Musa, who was sexually and physically abused in prison, was quietly transferred to a different prison last fall after he wrote a letter to the international church and President Barack Obama detailing his abuse and pleading for help. His wife and six children have fled to Pakistan.

The attention paid to Musa's case leaves some wondering why this case has been scrutinized in the Western media while many other Christians face similar persecution.

"It's a sympathetic case," said Paul Marshall, senior fellow in the Center for Religious Freedom. "Here he is, himself an amputee who lost a leg, working with amputees for Red Cross Red Crescent. He has six children. One is handicapped."

Musa's handwritten letter from prison also has an attractive quality, Marshall said. It's a strong affirmation of his faith but his English is imperfect, he said.

"He's an appealing figure," Marshall said. "He hasn't done things which secular media might not like, like trying to convert people." That makes this one of the clearest and most uncluttered religious freedom cases with a sympathetic figure, he said.

It's a good story, and the media were ready for the story, he said. Last October gunmen attacked a Catholic church in Baghdad during Mass, taking more than 100 hostages and killing 58. Two months later, a bomb during a New Year's Eve service killed 21 people at a Coptic church in Egypt.

"Those are two unusually large attacks and largely close in time, so that got attention," Marshall said. "That sort of deliberate bombing is unusual. The antennae are up."

Musa's location is also part of the equation, said Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors USA. The case should be a wake-up call to Americans that this is happening in Afghanistan—a country where we have invested American lives and billions of dollars, he said.

"We would have imagined that to be the case under the Taliban," Moeller said. "We would have assumed someone professing Jesus Christ as their Savior would be killed. But here is the government, in a nation we fought in and our boys and girls died for, [doing the same thing]. That's crazy to me that this is going on."

Musa's testimony has not been marred by any political angles, Moeller said. "In many ways he is a pure model of what Christian suffering looks like when it's at the hands of people who have no regard for the rights of people to convert," he said. "It's just wrong at every level."

While Musa's case has garnered lots of recent media attention, there are many more Christians who are suffering for their faith all over the world, Moeller sahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifid, pointing to Asia Bibi, who has received a death sentence in Pakistan for alleged blasphemy against Islam. In China, others are facing years in prison for their faith, he said. "They may never get the press Musa is receiving but it doesn't mean their stories are any less meaningful to God," he said.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect Musa's release.

Original Source http://www.christianitytoday.com

Christian Convert Said Musa Released from Afghan Prison, No Longer on Death Row

2011-03-09T22:02:00.003-06:00

Original Source http://www.persecutionblog.com
UPDATED FEB. 25TH - THE VOICE OF THE MARTYRS HAS NOW CONFIRMED THIS STORY IS ACCURATE.

Earlier today numerous places reported that Afghan prisoner Said Musa has been released from prison and is now out of the country.

Aidan Clay from International Christian Concern told The Christian Post Thursday that "I got confirmation today that he is out of the country," and he went on to say, "It was a very tense situation. The U.S. government and others didn't want anything to go wrong. Everything needed to be done very, very quietly because of the political ramifications that it could have had," and "I'm so thankful to the Lord that he is free and know it was a concerted effort on the part of so many people," the ICC source in Kabul said.

"The Lord has allowed us to take part in this momentous event and I praise Him that it has ended with the freedom of Said Musa. Through Said’s letters, he spoke publicly to the world a powerful testimony of his faith and perseverance."

The Christian Post also reported that they had contacted other persecution watchdog organizations, but the release was not confirmed.

Christians killed in Egyptian clashes

2011-03-09T11:40:00.002-06:00

Original Source www.gulfnews.com
At least 45 were injured in religious clashes in the Egyptian capital

AFP
Published: 12:35 March 9, 2011

At least 45 were injured in religious clashes in the Egyptian capital

AFP
Published: 12:35 March 9, 2011

Cairo: Ten people were killed and 110 wounded in clashes Tuesday between Muslims and Christians in the Egyptian capital, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

"We have at the clinic the bodies of six Copts, all of them shot," local priest Samann Ibrahim told AFP.

The clashes between Christians and Muslims erupted in the poor working class district of Moqattam late Tuesday after at least 1,000 Christians gathered there to protest the burning of a church last week.

A hospital official had initially reported one person dead late Tuesday.

Group Urges Prayer for Libya's Christians

2011-03-08T11:11:00.000-06:00

As anti-government protests continue to escalate across Libya, the group Arab World Ministries is asking believers around the world to pray for Libya's small Christian community.

Dictator Moammar Gadahfi told the country he's ready to die a martyr's death after ruling Libya for 41 years.

Protestors have taken over major cities, but Gadhafi is hanging on in the capital of Tripoli.

Arab World Ministries says Libya's churches need a spirit of boldness in this chaotic time, and greater freedom to worship and evangelize.

Christians account for only 2.5 percent of Libya's 6.5 million residents.

The majority are Catholic and Orthodox, however there are a growing number of house churches.

Christians are forbidden to share their faith with Libyan citizens.

Many residents learn about Jesus through satellite television.

The Christian ministry Sat-7 reported its broadcast signal has been blocked by the Libyan government since protests began.

75% of Those Killed for Religious Hatred Are Christian

2011-03-08T00:17:00.000-06:00

* By anti-Catholic, anti-Christian, religious freedom, religious bigotry
* 3/7/2011
* Zenit News Agency (www.zenit.org)

Vatican Urges UN to Protect the Right to Seek Truth

Citing a study that found 75 out of every 100 people killed for religious hatred are Christian, the Vatican's representative at the U.N. offices in Geneva is reiterating that freedom of religion is at the heart of fundamental human rights.

GENEVA, Switzerland (Zenit.org) - Citing a study that found 75 out of every 100 people killed for religious hatred are Christian, the Vatican's representative at the U.N. offices in Geneva is reiterating that freedom of religion is at the heart of fundamental human rights.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, permanent representative of the Holy See to the U.N. offices in Geneva, affirmed this last Wednesday when he addressed the 16th ordinary session of the Human Rights Council on religious freedom.

He said that an "increased proliferation of episodes of discrimination and acts of violence" shows how principles proclaimed in law are being denied in practice.

And religious strife, the archbishop warned, "is a danger to social, political, and economic development. Religious conflict polarizes society, breaking the bonds necessary for social life and commerce to flourish. It produces violence, which robs people of the most fundamental right of all, the right to life. And it sows seeds of distrust and bitterness that can be passed down through the generations."

Referring to the frequency with which Christians are the target of religious hatred (75 out of 100 people killed), the prelate asserted that such a "concentration of religious discrimination should cause concern to all of us."

"But," he added, "the Holy See's purpose in this intervention is to reaffirm the importance of the right to freedom of religion for all individuals, for all communities of faith, and for every society, in all parts of the world."

Kamal Saleem: A Muslim Cries Out to Jesus

2011-03-04T10:55:00.001-06:00

Islamic Terrorists silence another Christian who was a voice of interfaith harmony

2011-03-03T09:35:00.003-06:00

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani standing by the side of Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti’s dead body, consoling his family members at Shifa International Hospital. – APP Photo

Original Source : http://www.dawn.com

ISLAMABAD: More or less two months after the assassination of Punjab governor Salman Taseer, Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti has lost his life in a well-planned attack for his alleged opposition to the misuse of the blasphemy law.

The minister was shot dead just yards away from his mother’s house in broad daylight on Wednesday, just 57 days after Mr Taseer was assassinated for his opposition to the same law, by his own guard on Jan 4.

Riding in his official black Toyota Corolla driven by his personal driver, Mr Bhatti came out from his mother’s house located in Sector I-8/3. He was headed for office-cum-residence, in nearby I-8/4, when his car was intercepted by a white Mehran near the Tipu Sultan Road in front of a public park around eleven in the morning.

Two gunmen, clad in shalwar-kameez, disembarked from the small car and fired two bullets on the windscreen of Mr Bhatti’s car. The driver Gul Sher dived down inside the car. The gunmen then approached the left side of the vehicle and fired at the minister sitting in the rear.

After making sure that he was dead, the killers escaped from the scene. It was reported that there were other passengers in the car who were spared, but this was not confirmed till the filing of this report.

Mr Bhatti’s relatives heard the gunshots and rushed out of the house to the car. One of his relatives told Dawn that “I saw his lifeless body on the rear seat.”

An eyewitness Tahir Mughal, a neighbour of the slain minister, said: “I heard gunshots and ran out. I saw the minister lying in blood before his driver sped the car away.” He took the minister to the nearby Al Shifa International hospital.

At the hospital the minister was pronounced dead. Later his body was shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences for the autopsy. He is reported to have suffered 30 bullet injuries in the upper part of his body.

Pamphlets were discovered at the scene of the assassination, in which the Tehrik-i-Taliban Punjab claimed responsibility for the attack. More commonly known as the Punjabi Taliban, which is a euphemism for the militant group Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, the group claimed in the pamphlet that they had targeted Mr Bhatti for his opposition to the blasphemy law.

Born again AGAIN! Chilean miners who spent 69 days underground are baptised in the River Jordan

2011-03-01T12:21:00.002-06:00

Special ceremony: The Chilean miners were baptised in the River Jordan as part of their eight-day trip to Israel

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

After they survived underground for 69 days, they emerged to say they felt reborn.

But now 25 of the 33 Chilean miners, who made headlines around the world after their amazing rescue from a collapsed mine last October, have come closer to rebirth after being baptised in Israel.

The men, dressed in white robes, underwent the religious ceremony at the Yardenit site in the country's River Jordan near the sea of Galilee - where, according to Christian belief, Jesus was also baptised.

It was just one of the highlights of their week-long trip to Israel, which they describe as a 'pilgrimage of Thanksgiving'.

During their visit, the miners - many of whom are accompanied by their wives and children - have had the chance to visit key Catholic sites in the Holy Land, including the Via Dolorosa and Bethlehem's Church Of The Nativity in the occupied West Bank.

But the group also found some time to relax at the Dead Sea, where they floated in the water and took advantage of the mineral-rich mud around the area, which is the lowest place on Earth.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Afghan Christian converts plead for refugee status in India

2011-02-26T20:03:00.002-06:00

Read at the Original source http://in.christiantoday.com
A Christian advocacy group is calling for urgent intervention on behalf of six Afghan converts who have been refused refugee status by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in India.

Barnabas Fund has been campaigning for the six converts from Islam to Christianity who are facing execution for apostasy in Afghanistan.

Rahimullah, Rita, Mohammad, Aisha, Shazia and Sunita face deportation to Afghanistan after UNHCR closed their applications for refugee status.

In their appeal application to UNHCR, Rahimullah and Rita wrote: "As we are converted and baptized Christians, we are deeply fearful for our lives. In the light of the situation in Afghanistan, we will be sentenced to death and executed by the government or we could be stoned and burned by the people."

Images of four of the six Christians' baptisms, which took place in 2008, were among several shown on national Afghan TV last May. The footage led to a frenzied anti-Christian response, including public demonstrations and government threats, according to Barnabas Fund.

Abdul Sattar Khawasi, Deputy Secretary of the Afghan Lower House of Parliament, had openly called for the public execution of the Christians who were shown in the TV footage.

Libyan Christian clergy vow to stay on amid violence

2011-02-24T11:11:00.000-06:00

Read more at the original source http://www.christiancentury.org

Feb 23, 2011 by Fredrick Nzwili

Nairobi, February 23 (ENInews)--Christian clergy in Libya said they have no intention of leaving the country, where several days of protests and retaliation by government armed forces have left hundreds of people dead.

"We feel we belong here with our sisters who are giving their services in social centres. Their work is so much appreciated by the Libyans here and often finds support and appreciation," Rev. Daniel Farrugia, a senior Roman Catholic priest at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Tripoli told ENInews on 22 February.

He said the leaders were safe as well as the church structures, with the church’s life in the mornings being almost normal, although many foreigners were leaving the country.

"We pray for all those who are suffering in these moments and for the leaders to have wisdom in their decisions," said Farrugia. In Libya, 1.8 percent of 6.7 million people are Christians. Islam is the dominant religion.

The Catholic Church, which is the largest denomination in Libya, has been allowed two places of worship: St. Francis Church in the capital of Tripoli and Immaculate Conception church in Benghazi. There are also Anglican, Greek Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox and some Pentecostal churches.

The priests serve more than 80,000 Christians who come from Asia, Africa and Europe. Together with the pastoral care service, the church also offers social services to large number of African immigrants. Nearly 100 nuns are working in hospitals and health centers in various places.

With violence intensifying, Bishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli in Libya was quoted media reports on 22 February saying that many Christians were going into the churches to pray for peace.

"The two churches in Tripoli and Benghazi have not suffered any damages. The different communities of religious sisters working in hospitals in Cyrenaica (the eastern coastal region of Libya which includes Benghazi, Tobruk and other areas), are busy treating those wounded in clashes," said Martinelli.

Bible distributing American missionaries killed by Somali pirates

2011-02-23T16:01:00.002-06:00

Read more at the original source at http://www.christianexaminer.com

MARINA DEL REY, Calif. — A Southern California couple who had logged more than 60,000 nautical miles in their quest to deliver Bibles around the world has been shot and killed by Somali pirates who hijacked their yacht, the Quest. A Washington state couple traveling with them was also gunned down.

Killed in the attack were Scott and Jean Adams from Marina Del Rey, and their friends, Phyllis Macay and Robert Riggle of Seattle.

The deaths came Feb. 22 as negotiations were being conducted on a U.S. naval vessel, one in a flotilla that was trailing the pirated yacht.

Scott Adams was a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. He received a master of divinity and a master of theology from the school.

Fuller Seminary had posted a message on its homepage asking for prayers for the missionaries saying, “Adam is a beloved friend of the seminary.”

According to the Adams’ website the couple was headed to Djibouti for a refueling stop. The small Muslim country, located in Northeast Africa on the Gulf of Aden, shares borders with Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.

“I have no idea what will happen in these ports, but perhaps we’ll do some local touring,” Jean wrote on the site. “Due north is the Red Sea where we plan to tuck in when winds turn to the north.”

The Adams were members of St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Santa Monica, Calif. "They were very heartfelt in their response to this great gospel and they came to know Jesus in a very special way here," their pastor, Lloyd Torgerson, said to KABC.

“Jean actually sang in our 11:30 choir Sunday mornings. Both of them had a great outreach, of course, through this ministry to take the scriptures, the Bibles, to places across the world. And they felt that call to do that, and that’s what they were doing I presume when this happened.”

Before the hijacking the yacht was heading around Somalia, a hot spot for escalating piracy. The country is home to marauding pirates and radical Muslim extremists who have been known to target Christians and Americans.

There is speculation the hijacking and killing may be retribution for the Feb. 16 sentencing in New York of a Somali pirate who was given a 34-year prison term for his role in the 2009 hijacking of the Maersk Alabama, a merchant marine vessel. The ship’s captain was taken hostage in that siege. U.S. Navy Seals eventually rescued the crew chief.

In an interview with the Associated Press after the sentencing of Phillips’ captor, a Somali pirate said they would target Americans and that they would suffer “regrettable consequences.”

Negotiations started, then interrupted
According to numerous news sources, two of the pirates boarded the U.S. ship to negotiate release of the hostages, who were seized off of the coast of Oman three days earlier.

As the negotiations proceeded, gunfire was heard from the cabin of the Quest. U.S. special operation forces boarded the yacht and found all four Americans had been shot. Although several were still alive, attempts to save them failed.

“We express our deepest condolences for the innocent lives callously lost aboard the Quest,” Gen. James N. Mattis, U.S. Central Command Commander told Associated Press.

Two pirates were killed when the U.S. forces boarded the pirated vessel, and two other pirates onboard were found to be already dead. No further information on their deaths was immediately available. The military also arrested 13 other pirates.

Embattled Christians in Egypt, Iran, Libya, Other Hot Spots Need 'Special' Help

2011-02-22T12:42:00.000-06:00

Open Doors USA Urging Support of U. S. House Bill To Appoint Envoy for Religious Minorities

Read more at the original source http://www.standardnewswire.com

Contact: Jerry Dykstra, Open Doors USA, 616-915-4117, jerryd@odusa.org

SANTA ANA, Calif., Feb. 22, 2011 /Standard Newswire/ -- The countries of Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Yemen, Iraq, Uzbekistan and Pakistan are among the top 11 persecutors of Christians, according to the Open Doors 2011 World Watch List.

And countries such as Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia and Libya have drawn worldwide attention the last few weeks as their citizens have taken to the streets to protest lack of basic human rights, along with other issues. On Feb. 11 the demand for reforms by protesters led to the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

In addition, there have been numerous attacks against Christians since Christmas. On New Year's Day a suicide bomber killed 22 Christians in front of the Two Saints Church in Alexandria, Egypt. Also, according to Open Doors, over 120 Iranian Christians have been arrested since December, including several worshipping in a home.

To address some of the abuses of religious freedom, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) has introduced H.R. 440, a House bill which would create the post of "Special Envoy." According to the bill, its main focus is to have the special envoy promote religious freedom of minorities in countries of the Near East and South Central Asia.

The Near East Countries include Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and also the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The South Central Asia countries include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. All of these countries are on the World Watch List’s top 50 except Israel, Lebanon, Nepal and Kazakhstan.

The Special Envoy would be appointed by the President and report to the President and Secretary of State.

St Mary's service to be dedicated to New Zealand quake victims

2011-02-22T12:37:00.001-06:00

Read more at the Original Source St Mary's service to be dedicated to quake victims
The Taranaki Cathedral Church of St Mary's 10am service today will be a special communion service dedicated to those who have lost their lives in the Christchurch earthquake, Dean Jamie Allen said yesterday.

"What a sense of devastation we are all feeling here at the cathedral.

"Our thoughts, our love, our prayers and our sense of heartache is with all those families who are watching and waiting and especially those who know they have lost loved ones. We are in prayer for them now."

Anglican deans from around the country sent supportive messages and emails to Christchurch Dean Peter Beck immediately after they heard of the quake, he said.

"It's a very tight group, a supportive and loyal group between the cathedrals of New Zealand.

"Our concern is deeply for the community and for the people," he told the Taranaki Daily News shortly after 2pm.

Bible Edited Out of Film 'Soul Surfer' to Appeal to Non-Christians, Added Back In

2011-02-17T10:47:00.001-06:00

Bible Edited Out of Film 'Soul Surfer' to Appeal to Non-Christians, Added Back In

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/

The upcoming film “Soul Surfer,” slated for release in April, is based on the true story of spirited teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a 2003 shark attack, but courageously returned to her board and become a champion again months later.

However, it appears as though the uplifting story hit a sour note with the film's producers where the family's Christianity was concerned.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the real-life Hamilton family – all devout Christians – were upset to learn that the words “Holy Bible” were digitally removed from the cover of a Bible in a scene featuring Bethany Hamilton's father Tom reading by his ailing daughter’s hospital bedside.

An executive at Mandalay Pictures pushed to soften the Christian element of the film, presumably in an effort to appeal to non-Christian audiences. However, after the upset family complained, they were pleased to discover that the “Holy Bible” had been reinstated in the final cut, THR reported.

“I could see the words bright and clear. I looked at my wife and whispered, ‘Thank you God, they put it back,” Tom Hamilton told THR.

At Hindu Kumbh in Madhya Pradesh, Christians are “bugs to kill”

2011-02-16T13:26:00.005-06:00

A Flyer distributed at the Kumbh meeting alleges connection between Vatican and Hitler also Church is the cause of Terrorism

by Nirmala Carvalho

Read more at the original source Asianews.it

2/14/11 India (AsiaNews) – With a final volley of verbal attacks against Christians, the Narmada Samajik Kumbh closed yesterday. Commissioned by a group of associations that includes armed Hindu militants, the gathering involved two million people in Madhya Pradesh, and has pushed Christians and other religious minorities to urgently seek government protection for fear of clashes or violence. (02/09/2011 Fear of violence at a 2 million-strong Hindu gathering in Madhya Pradesh).

Father George Thomas, a Catholic priest in charge of mission Mandala, visited, the Kumbh Mela every day. On the, third and final day, he told AsiaNews: on the last day, one of the speakers launched an anti Christian tirade terming Christians as Bed Bugs’”. But he also noted that many people were not interested in political manipulation.

Father George said that most of the anti-Christian speeches at the Kumbh were directed against the Christian missionaries, and their generous work towards the poorest of the poor. In particular, the last speaker said that Christians are here primarily to carry out conversions. He continued comparing Christians to bugs. He said that “Christians are like bed bugs, who hide under the guise of so called missionary work, and drink the blood of the innocent vulnerable people and bed bugs should be killed or else they will continue drinking blood.”

Slain U.S. Missionary Receives Medal of Freedom

2011-02-16T11:37:00.001-06:00

Original Source http://www.cbn.com/

New Kumbh Mela targets Christians in Madhya Pradesh

2011-02-16T10:20:00.002-06:00

Read more at the original source http://www.christianmessenger.in/
A fact-finding team of the AICC recently spent three days in the Mandla-Jabalpur region and is deeply concerned over imminent threats to the Christian community.

Two million attendees are expected during the Narmada Samajik Kumbh from Feb 10 to 12, 2011 in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Earlier this week, the All India Christian Council (AICC) sent appeals for preventative action to state and national government officials to halt anti-Christian hate speech and ensure peace.

John Dayal, AICC secretary general, said: “We support the freedom of the majority community to hold massive religious events. But, we fear that, even if there is no violence or a forcible conversion of Christians to Hinduism during the Kumbh, the Hindutva campaign has poisoned the atmosphere in Madhya Pradesh. This will negatively impact relationships between Christian and other tribals in the hamlets, villages, and townships of the region.”

The team uncovered plans for ‘ghar wapsi’ (homecoming celebration) or conversion to Hinduism of local Christians despite Madhya Pradesh’s Freedom of Religion Act which requires prior notice of such actions.

Literature distributed near the site talks about purging the region of ‘Christian missionaries’ who are falsely accused of large-scale conversions of tribals, mostly Gonds. The fact-finding report was submitted this week to the Madhya Pradesh Governor, the Union Minority Affairs minister, the Union Home minister, and the National Commission for Minorities.

“The penetration of hard core Hindutva activists in Madhya Pradesh may have a long-term dampening affect on freedom of religion in this region. It may also negatively impact the continuing social work of Christians, including schools and medical centers in under-developed districts,” said Dayal.

The fact-finding team was comprised John Dayal, member, National Integration Council, Government of India, and AICC secretary general, and Vijayesh Lal, human rights activist and secretary of the Religious Liberty Commission, Evangelical Fellowship of India. The organisers of the ‘kumbh’ are Sangh Parivar groups such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Read more at the original source http://www.christianmessenger.in/

Critics Slam U.S. Government, Media for 'Weak' Response to Anti-Christian Attacks

2011-02-15T21:18:00.003-06:00

Read more at the original source Foxnews

At least 65 Christians have been killed in attacks across the Muslim world in recent months, sparking sharp criticism from human rights groups that charge the U.S. government and media aren’t doing nearly enough to speak out against the violence.

A shooting in Egypt last month that killed a Christian man and injured five Christian women was just the latest in the series of attacks, several of which occurred around the holiday season: A New Year’s bombing at a Coptic Christian church in Alexandria, Egypt, killed 23 people and injured more than 100; Christmas Eve blasts in Nigeria killed at least 32 -- just part of a night of terror across the country that saw three other churches attacked and six worshipers killed; six perished in a Christmas Day Catholic Church bombing on the island of Jolo, in the Philippines; and a string of New Year’s Eve bombings in Iraq left two dead and at least 13 wounded.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/02/15/critics-slam-government-media-weak-response-anti-christian-attacks/#ixzz1E5Xy9ZDV

Controversial 'Kumbh' focusing on conversion begins in Madhya Pradesh

2011-02-14T23:35:00.001-06:00

Read more at the Original source at Hindustan Times

A different kind of Mahakumbh began in Mandla in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday. Unlike the rituals of bathing, devotional singing, and mass feeding of holy men and the poor held on the banks of the river at Mahakumbhs, this kumbh, initiated by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, is focussing on conversion.

This kumbh is more on the lines of the Shabri Kumbh held in 2006 in Gujarat in which a public awareness drive was launched against religious conversion and Christian missionaries.

Lakhs of people, comprising a good number of tribals, are participating in the Mahakumbh at Mandla, over 400 km away, where it is being held for the first time.

Since the past fortnight, Mandla has been witnessing distribution of pamphlets against religious conversion.

The pamphlets state that if the Hindu community awakens then no one can get religious conversion done in the name of social service. Religious conversion would end only when the Hindu community gets united and powerful. It also talks of the "coming home" of those who have been converted.

Some of the pamphlets distributed in Mandla also contain abusive language for certain sections of the society that has led to a controversy.

Christians in India fear backlash at massive ‘reconversion’ event

2011-02-14T14:15:00.002-06:00

Tribal locals oppose Hindu nationalist rally in Madhya Pradesh; 2 million pilgrims expected.
Read more at the original source Christianity Today Australia

NEW DELHI – Responding to a petition by the state Catholic Bishops Conference, the High Court of Madhya Pradesh yesterday directed the state government to ensure the safety of Christians during a massive Hindu nationalist rally scheduled tomorrow through Saturday (Feb. 10-12) in Mandla.

Organizers of the Maa Narmada Samajik Kumbh (Mother Narmada Social Kumbh, with “kumbh” literally meaning, “pot”) on the banks of the Narmada River hope to draw 2 million pilgrims to the event. Christian leaders said that the Kumbh is the latest in a series of anti-Christian propaganda events that Hindu nationalist organizations have held in recent years.

“We are worried about our safety and security, as our attempt to get adequate protection from the state government received a very cool response,” said Bishop Gerald Almeida of Jabalpur.

A similar event in Dangs district, Gujarat state in 2006 was filled with hate speech against Christians and attempted mass “reconversions,” and area media in Mandla district have already begun carrying false stories of “forced conversion” and other malicious accusations against Christians.

Read more at the original source Christianity Today Australia

Afghan Woman's New Beginning

2011-02-11T22:35:00.001-06:00

Image of disfigured Afghan woman wins photo prize

2011-02-11T12:59:00.004-06:00

* World Press Photo of the Year 2010 by Jodi Bieber shows Bibi Aisha, an 18-year-old woman from Oruzgan province in Afghanistan, who fled back to her family home from her husband's house, complaining of violent treatment. The Taliban arrived one night, demanding Bibi be handed over to face justice. After a Taliban commander pronounced his verdict, Bibi's brother-in-law held her down and her husband sliced off her ears and then cut off her nose. Bibi was abandoned, but later rescued by aid workers and the American military. After time in a women's refuge in Kabul, she was taken to America, where she received counseling and reconstructive surgery. Bibi Aisha now lives in the US.
* Image Credit: AP

To read more Click here Gulf News

Image of disfigured Afghan woman wins photo prize

Jodi Bieber's posed picture contrasts the woman's arresting beauty against the results of the violence done to her

Christians Fear Islamic Rule in Egypt

2011-02-07T15:53:00.001-06:00

As a power struggle continues in Egypt, Christians fear Mubarak will be replaced by the Muslim Brotherhood, a radical Islamic group that will likely be even more intolerant of the Christian community.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/02/07/amid-unrest-egyptian-christians-fear-future/

Read more by clicking here Foxnews

Christian Persecution Continues in Egypt

2011-02-04T16:25:00.002-06:00

Foxnews is reporting that Christian Persecution Continues Amid Egypt Turmoil, 15 Christians Murdered

Please read the full report by clicking the original source Christian Persecution Continues Amid Egypt Turmoil

Egypt's uprising stirs fears of persecution of minority Coptic Christians

2011-02-04T13:09:00.001-06:00

By Michelle Boorstein
Friday, February 4, 2011

With attacks on Christians already increasing in the Middle East, the populist uprising in Egypt has triggered fears among some that the region's largest non-Muslim population - Egypt's 7 million Coptic Christians - could be at risk.

Copt leaders in the United States said they are terrified that a new Egyptian government with a strong Islamic fundamentalist bent would persecute Christians. They are quietly lobbying the Obama administration to do more to protect Christians in Muslim countries and are holding prayer vigils and fasts, such as one that ended Wednesday evening at Copt churches across the country, including four in the Washington area.

Read here more by clicking on the original source Washington Post

Christianity 'could vanish from Middle East'

2011-02-01T17:05:00.002-06:00

(AFP) – 5 days ago

STRASBOURG — Christian communities could disappear from the faith's birthplace in the Middle East because of persecution and low birth rates, the Council of Europe's parliament warned Thursday.

"The Assembly is convinced that the loss of Christian communities in the Middle East would also endanger Islam as it would signal the victory of fundamentalism," a resolution approved by the 318-member body said.

It condemned the October 2010 massacre of worshipers in the Syriac Catholic cathedral in Baghdad and the January 2011 suicide bombing in a Coptic church in Alexandria as two "particularly tragic" events in a growing number of attacks on Christian communities worldwide.

The representatives from the 47 member states said the co-existence of religious groups was a sign of pluralism and an environment favorable to the development of democracy and human rights.

Relations between Christian communities in the Middle East and the Muslim majorities have not always been easy, the assembly said, while public authorities in some Muslim countries have not always conveyed the right signals about other religious communities in these countries.

It called for a Council of Europe strategy to enforce freedom of religion -- including the freedom to change one?s religion -- as a human right.

Member states should also promote educational material which addressed anti-Christian stereotypes and bias as well as "Christiano-phobia" in general, the assembly said.

They should also insist on a "democracy clause" when making agreements with third countries, and take account of the situation of Christian and other religious communities in their political dialogue with these countries.

Coptic Christians fear the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt

2011-02-01T14:25:00.001-06:00

Coptic Christians fear the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt

Lee Jay Walker

The Modern Tokyo Times

The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is clearly hoping to install an Islamic state on the rubles of the Hosni Mubarak regime. The mass media in the West may focus on genuine factors behind current events in Egypt and some Egyptians may speak about democracy and liberty. However, it is abundantly clear that Islamists in the Muslim Brotherhood desire an Islamic state and given their past history and ongoing political intrigues, then it is reasonable to expect an Islamic grab for power.

This raises serious questions for many in Egypt but the purpose of this article is to focus on the minority Christian community which is between eight to twelve million according to different statistics. After all, the reality of the demise of Saddam Hussein in Iraq led to the complete marginalization and persecution of the Christian community and Christian numbers in Iraq have dropped dramatically because of constant persecution.

Therefore, despite the anti-Christian nature of the Mubarak regime the Christian community is faced with “the authoritarian leader they know” against “the devil leadership” which may take power in Egypt?

It is clear that the Coptic Christian community faces many genuine concerns because they suffer institutional discrimination in Egypt under Mubarak. However, given the reality that democracy is not a flourishing concept within the majority of Muslim dominated nations then the worst must be feared. This applies to an Islamic state under the Muslim Brotherhood whereby Islamic Sharia law is governed more tightly over Egyptian society rather than the pick and mix version under Mubarak.

Eli Avidar who is a former Israeli diplomat warns about the threat of the Muslim Brotherhood. He does this by highlighting the reality of Hamas in Gaza. After all, the elections ushered in Hamas and clearly this organization is not interested in power sharing or a pluralistic society based on different value systems and protected by the democratic ballot box.

Read more at the Original Source Lee Jay Walker

Revolution in Egypt will create Islamic Middle East - Iranian Foreign Minister

2011-02-01T08:25:00.001-06:00

Published: 02.01.11, 10:36 / Israel News

Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said the revolution in Egypt "will create an Islamic Middle East," and condemned the involvement of the United States and its attempts to "thwart" the popular movement for freedom.

"The great and revolutionary Egyptian people, who are making history at these very moments, will have a key role in the creation of an Islamic Middle East," said Salehi on Iranian national TV. (AFP)

Egypt revolt is 'step towards Islamic Middle East'

Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi faces death

2011-01-29T20:04:00.001-06:00

What is the (Egypt's) Muslim Brotherhood?

2011-01-29T19:50:00.002-06:00

Original Source CNN
London, England -- The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt this week urged its followers to protest after Friday prayers -- the first time in the latest wave of unrest the group has made such a call.

What is the Muslim Brotherhood?

The Muslim Brotherhood is a religious and political group founded on the belief that Islam is not simply a religion, but a way of life. It advocates a move away from secularism, and a return to the rules of the Quran as a basis for healthy families, communities, and states.

The movement officially rejects the use of violent means to secure its goals. However, offshoots of the group have been linked to attacks in the past, and critics blame the Brotherhood for sparking troubles elsewhere in the Middle East. Many consider it the forerunner of modern militant Islamism.

When was it created?

The Muslim Brotherhood has been part of the political scene in Egypt for more than 80 years. It was formed there by Hassan al-Banna in 1928.

Teacher Al-Banna and his followers were initially united by a desire to oust the British from control in Egypt, and to rid their country of what they saw as "corrupting" Western influences.

Click here to read more CNN

Egypt's Friday of Wrath

2011-01-28T14:25:00.000-06:00

Karnataka church attacks: Government gets clean chit

2011-01-28T12:41:00.001-06:00

Vasanthi Hariprakash, Updated: January 28, 2011 23:12 IST
Original Source : NDTV
Bangalore: Finally, some good news for the beleaguered BJP government in Karnataka. A commission set up to investigate a series of attacks on churches in 2008 has said neither the government nor the police can be faulted. The report submitted by the one-man commission states: "There is no basis to the apprehension of Christian petitioners that the politicians, BJP, mainstream Sangh Parivar and state government directly or indirectly, are involved in the attacks."

That leaves Karnataka wondering who exactly vandalized its churches in eight different districts. The report dodges that bullet, stating, "The attacks are indulged in by misguided fundamentalist miscreants of defined or undefined groups or organisations against Christians and Christianity who have mistakenly presumed that they would be protected by the party in power with their policies at the relevant time."

In September 2008, churches were vandalized in different parts of Karnataka like Mangalore, Udupi, Kolar, Bellary.

BK Somasekhara, a former judge, was assigned to investigate the attacks by the newly-elected BJP government which was confronting its first major crisis.

"This is not an attack on Christians. This is an attack against conversions, against those who hurt Hindu feelings," Mahendra Kumar had said at the time. He was then the convener of the Bajrang Dal and he seemed uninhibited about justifying the offense.

Christians in the state describe Mr Somasekhara's findings as a please-all pardon. "It has given a clean chit to everybody. As you are aware, our churches were attacked, innocent people were attacked," said Father Jayanathan, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Bangalore.

The chief minister, BS Yeddyurappa, is currently dealing with multiple allegations of corruption and persistent demands for his resignation by the Opposition. There's also a public and shrill war between the government and the Governor of the state, who has sanctioned the chief minister's prosecution.

So Mr Yeddyurappa is cautious when it comes to discussing today's developments.

"The Home Ministry will examine what the government should do further in this regard. Till then, it's not appropriate to discuss any other point at this stage," he said.

Celebrating a national treasure - the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible | Christian News on Christian Today

2011-01-27T12:25:00.001-06:00

Celebrating a national treasure - the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible | Christian News on Christian Today

Celebrating a national treasure - the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible

2011 marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible and Tim Brearley, director of the King James Bible Trust, is hoping that Christians will seize the opportunity to explore its beauty, mystery and of course its truth.

ETHIOPIAN MUSLIMS WARN CHRISTIANS TO CONVERT, LEAVE CITY OR FACE DEATH

2011-01-25T21:51:00.001-06:00

Published 01/25/2011 - 12:04 p.m. CST

WASHINGTON, DC - International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Christians in the Ethiopian city of Besheno are being harassed and physically abused after Muslims posted notices on the doors of Christian homes warning them to convert, leave the city or face death.

Three Christian leaders were forced to flee the city and two Christians have been forced to convert to Islam. In the Muslim majority city, the entire evangelical Christian community consists of about 30 believers.

Evangelist Kassa Awano remains in critical condition after Muslims attacked him on November 29, 2010. A few days after the attack, nearly 100 Muslims surrounded a vehicle carrying Christian leaders on their way to negotiate for peace with Muslim leaders. Two men, Tesema Hirego and Niggusie Denano, were seriously wounded, and the other leaders suffered minor injuries. On January 2, Muslims assaulted Temesgen Peteros with a knife after he testified about the attacks on these Christians in court.

Christians in Besheno have been targeted by Muslims for many years. On May 21, 2004, Muslims murdered the 7 year-old daughter of Evangelist Tesfaye Hobe. Muslims continuously attack Christians for listening to Christian songs and watching Christian videos.

“We ask for our constitutional right [to freedom of religion] to be respected. We want this inhumane act to stop. We are unable to live in our own city due to the inhumane acts,” one of the Christian leaders who fled the city told ICC.

The local Muslim officials of the city refuse to protect the Christians. The officials ignore their appeals for justice, declining repeated requests for the building of a place of worship and a cemetery. On January 19, a Christian mother was forced to bury her deceased daughter in a town more than 20 miles from Besheno, due to the absence of a cemetery for Christians.

Besheno is a city located in the province of Alaba in Southern Ethiopia. According to the 2007 national census, 93.84% of the population of the province is Muslim. Christians make up 5.82 % of the population.

“We are alarmed by the posting of threats on Christian homes and the attacks against Christians in Besheno. We urge Ethiopian officials to bring the perpetrators of the attacks to justice, protect the Christians from further attacks and grant them permits to build a place of worship as well as a cemetery,” said Jonathan Racho, ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa.

Please contact the Ethiopian officials in your country and politely ask them to protect Christians in Besheno from the ongoing attacks by Muslims and grant them land for building churches and cemeteries. Ethiopian Embassies: USA (202) 364-1200 Canada (613) 235-6637 Germany 493077206 UK 020 78383897/020 7838 3898.

Original Source : Cyprus Times

'Harry Potter' Actress' Brother Sentenced in Her 'Honor Beating'

2011-01-23T00:41:00.005-06:00

The brother of the Muslim actress Afshan Azad, who played Padma Patil in the “Harry Potter” films, was sentenced to six months in prison Thursday for beating his sister after he heard her talking to her Hindu boyfriend.

Ashraf Azad, 28, called his sister a “prostitute” and screamed ''Marry a Muslim or you die!''

during a three-hour beating, during which, the actress said in a Manchester, England court, she feared for her life.

Afshan Azad, 21, was punched, strangled, and dragged by her hair by her brother, but she still pleaded for the judge’s leniency during the sentencing hearing, and asked he not be jailed.

Judge Roger Thomas would not hear of it, noting ''The background to this offense lies in the concern that you, and perhaps other family members, had about Afshan's relationship with a young man who was not of the Islamic faith.''

The judge also pointed out the “persistent attack was accompanied by serious and very hurtful abuse and threats. It must have been a miserable and frightening experience for your sister.”

''This is a sentence that is designed to punish you for what you did and also to send out a clear message to others that domestic violence involving circumstances such as have arisen here cannot be tolerated,” the judge said.

Afshan Azad’s family members recounted in court a harrowing night in which her father and mother also called her names, made threats and started making plans to give her away in an arranged marriage to a Muslim man in Bangladesh.

"I'm going to kill you. I'm actually going to kill you," the brother said, according to court testimony. He was then heard shouting
"Where are the knives?"

Apparenty his own wife had already hidden them.

"She was told she had to marry a Muslim or you die," prosecutor Richard Vardon said.

Afshan Azad snuck out a window the next morning.

"She realized she would have to leave and felt she could not live any longer in that environment," Vardon said.

Original Source Foxnews

Graham Staines case: Supreme Court refuses death penalty

2011-01-21T17:22:00.001-06:00

New Delhi (NDTV): The Supreme Court has upheld the life sentence for Dara Singh for killing Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons in Orissa in 1999. Singh's accomplice, Mahendra Hembram, has also been sentenced to life in prison.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) wanted the death sentence for Singh, who was linked with Hindu right-wing group Bajrang Dal.

The Staines family was burnt alive in Keonjhar. Graham Staines had worked with leprosy patients in Orissa for 30 years. He was sleeping with his sons, aged 8 and 10, in a car on their way home on a cold January night. A mob in Manoharpur village poured petrol over the Staines' car and set fire to it.

The Staines tried to escape, but a mob of about 50 people allegedly prevented them.

In 2003, a trial court in Khurda convicted all 13 accused. While Dara Singh was awarded the death sentence, the others were sentenced to life in prison. In 2005, the Orissa High Court commuted Singh's sentence to life. The High Court convicted Hembram along with Singh, and acquitted 11 others.

The Supreme Court said today, "We hope Mahatma Gandhi's vision of religion playing a positive development integrating into a prosperous nation will be realized. There is no justification from interfering in someone's belief through force, conversion or false premise that one religion is better than the other."

Reacting to the court's verdict and comments, Father Babu Joseph, spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, said, "We accept it (the verdict) as the outcome of years of legal procedure. Two innocent children and father were killed in a brutal manner. They were serving lepers for many years. The allegations made that they were involved in religious conversions were utterly baseless. It's a serious reminder that there are organizations in this country operating with a hate agenda which want to create hate between different communities." He also stressed that all religious groups have the constitutional right to propagate their religion.

Original Source : NDTV

Karnataka, pastor attacked calls for government protection

2011-01-19T10:24:00.004-06:00

by Nirmala Carvalho

Isaac Samuel, who escaped a deadly attack on January 2, rejects the charges of inciting religious hatred and demands that the government allow him to pray in safety. He denounces police injustice against nomadic Christians.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Isaac Samuel, a Protestant pastor miraculously escaped a deadly attack on January 2 at Davanagere, Karnataka, asks for protection for himself and his fellow pastors. Isaac Samuel, was assaulted by a group of Hindu extremists wielding an axe while leading a prayer service at Davanagere. (03/01/2011 Attempted murder of an Indian Christian leader in Karnataka). His attackers then filed a complaint against him, claiming that he was making conversions, and inciting religious hatred. Isaac Samuel suffered wounds that resulted in him receiving 11 stitches.

In an exclusive interview with AsiaNews, he rejects accusations of proselytizing and says: "I have been conducting peaceful worship services for the Akki Pikki normads for the past two years and never before has there been any accusation of conversion activities”. “These are nomadic tribes – he adds - “who live in a squatters colony and our church is a little hut in the squatters colony. I have only told these nomads of the Love of Jesus Christ, the worship gives hope to these people and for this I was beaten".

Isaac Samuel also made an appeal: "I would like the Karnataka Government to give protection to me and my family and to give me security to carry on my worship services. And Importantly to give protection to all the pastors in Devangere and Karnataka who are regularly attacked by the Hinduvta extremists. "

Isaac Samuel went on to denounce police collusion with extremists: "Additionally, these 15 Nomadic families were chased away by the Police, following the assault on me on 2nd Jan,. These are the marginalized and poorest people who have been living in that camp for the past ten or so years, and the police just drove them away….without any other place or shelter. This is a gross injustice to the poor people".

Original Source : http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Karnataka,-pastor-attacked-calls-for-government-protection-20478.html

South Sudan hits majority needed for independence

2011-01-19T10:13:00.003-06:00

Bishop Paul blows into a vuvuzela (trumpet) after casting his vote on South Sudanese independence at a polling station in Juba. South Sudan has achieved the majority needed to break away in an independence vote, partial preliminary results collated by AFP show, with many counties still to report.

AFP - South Sudan has achieved the majority needed to break away in an independence vote, partial preliminary results collated by AFP showed on Wednesday, with many counties still to report.

The figures gathered from state and county referendum commission chairmen showed that 2,198,422 votes for independence have already been returned, comfortably exceeding the simple majority of 1.89 million votes needed for secession on the 96 percent turnout of the 3,932,588 registered voters.

Original Source http://www.france24.com/en/20110119-sudan-hits-majority-needed-independence

Churches Attacked in Malaysia "Allah" Row

2011-01-18T08:36:00.002-06:00

3 Churches Firebombed as Muslims Pledge to Block Christians from Using Word "Allah"

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Firebombs were thrown at three more churches in Malaysia on Sunday and another was splashed with black paint, the latest in a series of assaults on Christian houses of worship following a court decision allowing non-Muslims to use "Allah" to refer to God.

Despite the attacks, thousands of Christians nationwide attended Sunday services and prayed for national unity and an end to the violence.

The unprecedented attacks have set off a wave of disquiet among Malaysia's minority Christians and strained their ties with the majority Malay Muslims. About 9 percent of Malaysia's 28 million people are Christian, most of whom are ethnic Chinese or Indian. Muslims make up 60 percent of the population and most of them are ethnic Malays.

Religious minorities have often complained about what they say is institutionalized religious discrimination here.

On Sunday, a Molotov cocktail was hurled at the All Saints Church in Taiping town in central Perak state early in the morning before it opened, said state police chief Zulkifli Abdullah. He told The Associated Press police found burn marks on the wall but there was no damage to the building.

A broken kerosene bottle with an unlit wick was found early Sunday inside the compound of the St. Louis Catholic church, also in Taiping, said the Rev. David Lourdes. He said it appeared to be a failed attack.

In southern Malacca state, the outer wall of the Malacca Baptist Church was splashed with black paint, police said.

Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein said a church in Miri town in eastern Sarawak state on Borneo island also reported an arson attempt.

"The situation is under control and the people should not be worried," he was quoted as saying by the national Bernama news agency. An aide confirmed his comments but couldn't give further details.

Four churches were hit by gasoline bombs on Friday and Saturday. No one was hurt and all suffered little damage, except the Metro Tabernacle Church. Parishioners there moved services after fire gutted the first floor. The other churches held regular services Sunday.

The dispute is over a Dec. 31 High Court decision that overturned a government order banning non-Muslims from using the word "Allah" in their prayers and literature. The court was ruling on a petition by Malaysia's Roman Catholic Church, whose main publication, the Herald, uses the word Allah in its Malay-language edition. The government has appealed the verdict.

On Sunday, men, women and children from the Metro Tabernacle parish assembled in the cavernous, 1,800-seat meeting hall of the Malaysian Chinese Association party for the service. They lifted their hands and sang "We put all our faith in you," and "You are the God of love and peace."

"My wife was worried, but we want to be here to support the church," said Michael Chew, 40, who came with two children, aged 1 and 6.

Rev. Hermen Shastri, general secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, said Christians won't be intimidated by the attacks, describing them as the work of an extremist minority among Muslims.

"We all have to stand together to stamp out terror perpetuated by these extremist groups," he said.

The government contends that making Allah synonymous with God may confuse Muslims and ultimately mislead them into converting to Christianity.

Still, government leaders and many Muslims have condemned the firebombings, saying it is un-Islamic to attack places of worship.

Prime Minister Najib Razak visited the Metro Tabernacle church late Saturday and announced a grant of 500,000 ringgit ($147,000) for rebuilding it at a new location, a major concession in a country where permission is rarely given for building new churches or temples.

The Allah ban is unusual in the Muslim world. The Arabic word is commonly used by Christians to describe God in such countries as Egypt, Syria and Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/01/10/churches-attacked-malaysia-allah-feud#ixzz1BOjk1FPu

Christian Southern Sudan votes in independence referendum

2011-01-16T19:24:00.000-06:00

Hardliners rally against Pope across Pakistan's Punjab

2011-01-14T12:27:00.000-06:00

LAHORE: Hardline religious parties and extremist groups, including the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, organised rallies across Punjab province today to protest Pope Benedict's call for the repeal of Pakistan's controversial blasphemy law.

The rallies were organised under the banner of the Tehrik Tahaffuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat, an alliance of Islamist groups opposed to any move to repeal or amend the blasphemy law.

Members of the JuD, Sunni Tehrik, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl joined the protests.

Speaking outside the JuD's headquarters at Chauburji in Lahore, its leader Hafiz Saifullah Mansoor criticised the Pope for supporting Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death last year for allegedly insulting the Prophet Mohammed.

Mansoor alleged that when an American priest had announced plans to desecrate the Quran, the Pope and the Western world did nothing to stop him.

Abdur Rehman Makki, another senior JuD leader, said the Pope's statement amounted to interference in Pakistan's internal affairs.

He warned the government not to yield to "foreign pressure" and said the rulers would be held responsible if Asia Bibi is allowed to flee the country.

The protestors carried banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the Pope and in favour of the blasphemy law.

They also shouted slogans against the Pope, the US and Israel.

Senior Jamaat-e-Islamai leader Sirajul Haq said the Pope's demand had hurt the feelings of the Muslim world.

He warned Pakistan's rulers that the people would organise a march to Islamabad if any move is made to amend the provisions of the blasphemy law.

Amir Ameerul Azeem, another Jamaat-e-Islami leader, criticised the government for showing "cowardice" in handling the case of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani woman who was given a long prison term in America following her conviction on terror charges.

Azeem claimed Pakistan's rulers had not spoken out for Siddiqui but were sympathising with a woman convicted for blasphemy.

He asked the government to lodge a protest against the Pope's statement and said a bill seeking amendments to the blasphemy law should be withdrawn from parliament.

He also said a "grand rally" would be organised in Lahore on January 30 to "compel the rulers not to play with the sentiments of Muslims".

Salmaan Taseer, a senior leader of the Pakistan People's Party and the Governor of Punjab, was recently gunned down by a police guard who said he was angered by the politician's criticism of the blasphemy law.
Original Source : Times of India

Police, Islamists Put Up Obstacles to Worship in Indonesia

2011-01-12T12:36:00.003-06:00

Church services over Christmas season blocked; property seized.

JAKARTA, Indonesia, January 10 (CDN) — Government officials in West Java Province blocked one church from worshipping, and Islamic groups pressured authorities to seize the property of another during the Christmas season.

The Bogor Regency Administrative Leadership Council tried unsuccessfully to forbid the Gereja Kristen Indonesia (Indonesian Christian Church, or GKI) in Bogor’s Taman Yasmin area from holding a Dec. 25 Christmas service, but authorities did block it from its regular Sunday service on De.26. In Rancaekek, Bandung, Islamic demonstrators on Dec. 19 got police to remove items from a Huria Kristan Batak Protestan (HKBP) church building that had already been sealed.

In Bogor, GKI Yasmin spokesperson Bona Sigalingging said police telephoned church leaders to forbid Christmas services that were to begin at 7 p.m. on Dec. 25.

“At that time the leaders rejected the police order,” Sigalingging told Compass.

Church leaders went to a strip of land in front of the GKI Yasmin building, which the Bogor city government has sealed, to set up a rented tent for the Christmas service. Local police arrived and ordered that the service be cancelled, but again church leaders refused, Sigalingging said.

They continued setting up the tent and arranging benches, and at about 5:30 p.m., 10 women wearing Muslim head coverings (hijabs) arrived to demonstrate against the Christmas service. Male demonstrators in Muslim clothing joined the demonstration at 7 p.m., and protestors from the Islamic People’s Forum (FUI) pressured police to stop the service.

At 8 p.m., the Christmas prayer and reflection service began, with demonstrators screaming, “Allahu akbar [God is greater]!” and “Break it up!” They also yelled, “Arrest the provocateurs,” Sigalinging said.

Though upset, the congregation continued to worship, he said. As they sang “Silent Night” and lit candles, the demonstrators shouted all the louder, moving toward the worshippers. They came within three meters of the worshippers before police were finally able to restrain them.

The congregation continued in solemn prayer and song, with the mob yelling until the service finished at 9 p.m.

Church leaders were meeting at 12:45 a.m. to plan the next morning’s 8 a.m. worship service when a member of the legal team received a phone call asking them to meet with members of the army and intelligence services, as well as with Bogor city and West Java police. At the meeting, a soldier speaking for the Bogor municipality requested that the GKI cancel Sunday morning worship scheduled for Dec. 26, Sigalingging said.

“The soldier also spoke about the growing issue of defamation of religion [Islam defaming Christianity], and how this would be very embarrassing if the issue spread,” Sigalingging said. “Because of this, he asked the church to cancel services.”

Church leaders rejected the request, saying that the way to resolve religious defamation problems was to enforce the law and stand firm against intolerance and intimidation, Sigalingging said.

“They could also obey the decision of the State Administrative Court, which had found that the church had a legal building permit and had the right to worship even by the roadside,” said Sigalingging.

The roadside services marked a retreat from the church legal position, he said, as the administrative court had ruled that the church could worship in its building.

“Although the City of Bogor had requested a rehearing, this is no reason to delay the execution of the decision according to law 14/1985,” he said.

Sigalingging said that the decision of the administrative court had the force of law, and that the GKI Yasmin congregation should have been allowed to worship in its building. The court had found that the building permit was legally obtained and that the Bogor municipal government could not revoke the permit. The court had ordered Bogor to rescind the revocation order.

The meeting finished at 1:30 a.m., with the church firmly committed to holding Sunday worship on Dec. 26. Bogor officials responded by sending police to the worship site on Abdullah bin Nuh Street in Yasmin Park; from early morning on, the road was barricaded at both ends.

As a show of force, water canon trucks appeared.

“The police excused their action by saying that it was designed to stop troublemakers who might try to use religion as a mask,” Sigalingging said. “These kinds of people had been there since morning. However, such excuses were not accepted by the congregation. The congregation could not get close to their church, and they were even asked about their permission to worship.”

As a result, the congregation was not able to worship; they did pray in the middle of the street, he said.

In a press conference at the Wahid Institute protesting the discrimination, GKI Yasmin leaders along with representatives of the Indonesian Fellowship of Churches said that they were concerned.

“Discrimination is becoming systemic and spreading, yet it is ignored by the nation in many places,” Sigalingging said in a statement he read that was also signed by Pastor Ujang Tanusaputra and Pastor Esakatri Parahita.

An interfaith group that has been assisting the GKI church issued a three-point appeal: cease all slander and obstructions to finishing construction of the GKI church building, which was legally underway, and allow the congregation to worship in it; the state must be firmer in dealing with intolerant groups that terrorize those of a different faith; and strengthen the constitution, Pancasila (the state philosophy that includes belief in one God without specifying any particular religion) and the practice of unity in diversity (Bhineka Tunggal Ika).

The executive secretary for research and communication for the Fellowship of Churches in Indonesia, the Rev. Henry Lokra, said at the press conference that contrary to the claims of protestors, no illegal worship exists in the nation.

“Because of this, when the government apparatus is passive, it is violating the constitution,” Lokra said. “In the case of GKI Yasmin, passivity has led to the blocking of those who wish to worship rather than blocking those who demonstrate. This is a basic human rights violation.”

Organizations such as the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), the FUI and the Islamic Reform Movement (Garis) “have absolutely no constitutional right to forbid the building of a place of worship, because the forbidding of permission for a place of worship is the right of the government,” he said.

Chairul Anam of the Human Rights Working Group commented that the incident was a violation of the constitution and the law by the Bogor municipal government, which sealed the church even though the GKI had won decisions in the case all the way to the Supreme Court.

“When Bogor asked for an appeal, the Supreme Court refused,” Anam said.

An appeal in any legal system does not nullify a previous decision, said Anam. “Because of this [principle], the Supreme Court decision regarding GKI Yasmin cannot be revoked,” he said.

The central government should sanction or otherwise take strong actions against those in the Bogor city government who disobeyed the law and the constitution by sealing the church building, he said.

Another problem, Anam said, was the extreme measures police took, using mobile barricades and water cannons to control 50 demonstrators.

“What the police did was actually terrorizing the congregation,” he said, adding that the measures prevented GKI members from getting to their church site. “The police were supposed to neutralize the 50 demonstrators that were propagandizing, instead of blockading the congregation from worship.”

The state has given in to a small gang of Muslim thugs, “and this small gang of Muslims does not represent the Indonesian Islamic community,” he said, adding that the Bogor city government should quickly remove the seal. “The police must act decisively and not make those who disobey the law heroes.”

The head of the Legal Advocacy and Human Rights Association of Indonesia, Hendrik Sirait, said that politics played a role in the GKI Yamin church’s problems. A Bogor police official, Sirait said, indicated that obstacles to the church’s worship resulted from a pact between the Bogor government and a political party.

“The police have become intimidators rather than peace officers,” he said.

Church Property Seized
In Rancaekek, Bandung, Islamic protestors occupying the front part of the Huria Kristan Batak Protestan HKBP church premises on Dec. 19 clamored for police to remove property from the building; eventually authorities removed the pews and other items.

The local government had already sealed the building, but demonstrators from the hard-line Muslim Intellectuals Gathering Forum of Rancaekek arrived at 4 a.m. on Dec. 19 calling for its belongings to be removed, sources said.

The Rev. Badia Hutagalung said he was sleeping in the rented house adjacent to the place of worship when he saw 15 demonstrators locking the property fence and calling for him to wake up and leave the premises.

“Why do you live in a place that has been sealed?” asked one in the crowd when Hutagalung came out. He explained to the protestor that the district head had unsealed his home when he realized it had nothing to do with the church worship.

At 7 a.m., when the mob forced the pastor to leave the house, he climbed over the 1.5-meter fence – the crowd had glued shut the lock – and called one of the elders, Jawadi Hutapea. He arrived, and Hutagalung also called police and the district head to ask them to come immediately. Three policemen arrived but only watched the mob from a distance, he said.

When Compass arrived at 8:30 a.m., nearly 100 protestors were occupying property in front of the fence and shouting for the local government remove all property inside.

The district head of Rancaekek, Meman Nurjana, arrived at 9 a.m. but was unable to calm the protestors. The district head, police chief, representatives from the Police Civil Service (Satpol PP) and the Muslim Intellectuals Gathering Forum held a discussion in the middle of the crowd. Authorities promised to remove the items later, but the crowd demanded it be done immediately.

Local officials ultimately brought three cars to take property out of the place of worship, and at 10:30 a.m. the pews along with other items were seized.

The chairman of the Bandung Muslim Intellectuals Gathering Forum, Abu Sofyan, told reporters that the HKBP Rancaekek church should have been closed since 2006. A lawyer for the HKBP Rancaekek church, Usman Poncho Silitonga, said he did not understand why demonstrations were continuing after the church and others had been sealed.

“There’s no rule that allows the removal of property from the the HKBP church,” he said.

The sealing by the local government was illegal, a church representative said, because it was not given public notice.

One Egyptian Christian shot dead on train

2011-01-11T12:42:00.003-06:00

An unidentified gunman on Tuesday boarded a northbound train in Upper Egypt and opened fire on passengers, killing one Christian man and injuring five others, security and medical officials said.

The motive for the shooting was not immediately known, although the incident comes less than two weeks after a suicide bomber killed 23 Christians and wounded scores of others outside a church in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, some 250 kilometers north of the capital Cairo.

Officials said the gunman had boarded the Cairo-bound train at the town of Samalout in Egypt's Minya province, roughly 260 km south of Cairo.

Police arrested the gunman as he attempted to flee the scene, according to security officials.

Egypt's state news agency has confirmed the incident, reporting that police were currently questioning the assailant.

A security source told Al-Masry Al-Youm that police had identified the victim as Fathy Ghattas, 71, from Cairo's middle-class Zeitoun neighborhood.

Sources said the assailant had checked passengers for the green cross traditionally tattooed on the wrists of Coptic Christians in Egypt. After identifying several Copts, the culprit killed one of them and injured five others.

The same sources said that investigators were looking into the possibility that the assailant was a policeman, but this remains unconfirmed.

Source : http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/breaking-71-year-old-coptic-christian-shot-dead-train-upper-egypt

Christians Under Siege in the Muslim World

2011-01-10T14:54:00.001-06:00

Christians Under Siege in the Muslim World

Click on this link to view the photogallery

Amid massive security, Egypt's Christians protest peacefully

2011-01-04T22:23:00.002-06:00

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Hundreds of supporters of Egyptian Christians protesting a New Year's bombing that killed nearly two dozen of their members marched Tuesday night on a church in a Cairo suburb, where they were met by an equal number of security officers in riot gear.

For the first night since the car bomb, which detonated in front of a Coptic church in Alexandria, there were no reports of violence during the protests.

The car bombing death toll rose to 23, Egypt's state news agency MENA reported Tuesday.

Christians and Muslim supporters in the Shubra neighborhood of Cairo shouted their outrage over the Alexandria attack on Coptic Christians.

"With my blood and my soul I will defend the cross," chanted crowds of protesters, as they wended their way down Shubra Street toward a church. Some carried crosses -- up to 4 feet (1.22 meters) long -- emblazoned with messages of protest written in red ink to represent blood. Some protesters lay down on the street, prostrating themselves in the shape of a cross.

Protests had broken out in Christian areas of Egypt every night since the car bombing outside the Church of the Two Saints. But security forces beefed up their presence Tuesday in Shubra and Alexandria. Hundreds of officers -- outfitted in helmets with visors, body armor and carrying shields and night sticks -- lined the street, leaving a path for the Shubra demonstrators to pass.

Millions of people live in the Shubra neighborhood, home to a strong Christian population and many churches.

About 9 percent of Egypt's 80 million residents are Coptic Christians, according to the CIA's World Fact Book.

The Coptic Church bases its theology on the teachings of the Apostle Mark, who introduced Christianity to Egypt, according to St. Takla Church in Alexandria, the capital of Coptic Christianity. The religion is known for its rift with other Christians in the fifth century over the definition of the divinity of Jesus Christ.

Original Source http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/01/04/egypt.coptics/

Bomb at New Year's Mass kills 21 in Egypt

2011-01-04T14:10:00.001-06:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Egypt's Christians pick up the pieces after deadly News Year's Eve church bombing

2011-01-04T12:30:00.004-06:00

Alexandria, Egypt

Worshipers in Alexandria, Egypt, returned Sunday to the church that was the target of a deadly New Year's Eve bombing to hold a somber mass amid sobering reminders of the worst attack on Egypt's Christian minority in more than a decade.

Glass and debris still lay strewn about on the floor of the Al Qidiseen church where the dead and wounded fell after a suspected suicide bomber detonated explosives shortly after midnight Friday evening, killing 21 and wounding more than 90.

In the sanctuary, some sobbed as they followed the priest in chanting prayers and took communion. But when they emerged, along with wails of grief, there were cries of anger.

Worshipers, many of whom were present on Friday night, bitterly accused the government of failing to protect them. “Where is the government? Where is the security?” screamed one distraught man as others attempted to restrain him.

Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s population, have long accused the government of discrimination and injustice, feelings that have only escalated this year. Officials are already working in overdrive to prevent the bombing from deepening the rising tension between Christians and Muslims. But the startling violence of the attack is also likely to exaggerate the growing distrust of and isolation from their government felt by Copts.

“Christians believe that they are under attack,” says Sameh Fawzy, a Coptic columnist for El Shorouq newspaper. “They think that they are discriminated against in some fields, they think that some crimes against them continue without proper judgment. They think that they are denied access to some key positions in the state. They think that they are politically underrepresented.” Their reaction to this violent attack, he says, “reveals their feeling that there is prejudice against them.”

EU team meets Kandhamal riot victims

2010-02-04T22:12:00.003-06:00

IANS, 4 February 2010, 08:22pm IST

BHUBANESWAR: An 11-member European Union(EU) team on Thursday interacted with riot victims in Orissa's Kandhamal district to find about the situation in the region and heard their accounts, police and eyewitnesses said.

Several victims of the riots apprised the visiting team about the steps the state government has taken for their rehabilitation and the difficulties they are currently facing.

The team members, led by EU's counsellor (head of political affairs) Christophe Manet, visited several affected villages and rehabilitation camps and saw the restoration work carried out by government and private agencies. They also gave the victims a patient hearing.

An eyewitness said that tribals danced to the tune of their traditional music and welcomed the delegation at Nandagiri, a riot-hit village, showering flower petals on the delegates. He said that the team also visited a church nearby.

"The government kept us in relief camps... provided food... provided us land... and helped us to build our houses," a victim told the delegation.

Some people, including women, were in tears while narrating the hardships they went through and their plight in the aftermath of the violence to the team.

Sushama Digal, a woman standing along with over a dozen women at G. Udayagiri village, said: "We are still facing trouble. People are still threatening us."

The delegation will also meet local police and district officials and representatives of NGOs working in the region.

The team, which comprises members from Spain, Hungary, Poland, Ireland, Finland, Sweden and Britain, had earlier met top police officials, Christian leaders and social activists in Orissa capital before heading for Kandhamal.

"Events in Kandhamal had their impact in Europe. Our visit is a reflection of the concern," a member of the team told select media persons here.

Kandhamal, about 200 km from here, witnessed widespread violence after the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides at his ashram Aug 23, 2008.

More than 25,000 Christians were forced to flee their homes after their houses were attacked by rampaging mobs, which held Christians responsible for Saraswati's killing, although police blamed the Maoists.

VHP and Bajrang Dal activists staged protests at the Biju Patnaik airport
on Tuesday night when the EU team arrived here, saying the visit will only flare up the situation in Kandhamal.

There was, however, no such protest in any part of Kandhamal, Superintendent of Police S. Praveen Kumar told IANS.

The delegation is scheduled to return on Friday.

Original Track Back URL http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/EU-team-meets-Kandhamal-riot-victims/articleshow/5536044.cms

Egyptian Teen's Emotional Plea to Obama

2010-01-26T12:59:00.005-06:00

January 26, 2010 - 11:41 AM | by: Dana Lewis

Egyptian Maher El-Gowhary and his 15 year old daughter Dina never pray twice at the same church, never stay longer than a month in any one apartment. They are constantly under threat, always on the run because they converted to Christianity in a largely Muslim country.

Maher and Dina nervously agreed to meet us at a Church in Cairo. The priest at the Church said he feared problems from the Egyptian authorities and while he agreed to have us watch his Sunday mass, the Priest declined to speak to us about what is happening in Egypt and to the El-Gowhary's.

They tell their story out of fear and desperation. Born Muslims they chose to convert to the Christian Church after both claim they had religious visions.

Now Maher says "Muslims try to kill us, and will kill us if they find us."

Several religious fatwas have been issued for "spilling his blood" after Maher asked an Egyptian Court to legally recognize his conversion, so he can one day be buried as a Christian and so his daughter won't be forced into a marriage by her Muslim mother.

The court ruled a legal conversion to Christianity would threaten public order. His lawyer told us it's a dangerous double standard because in Egypt a Christian can convert to the Muslim faith in a week, but a Muslim cannot convert to the Christian faith.

Ten percent of Egypt is Christian, largely the Coptic Christians who increasingly say they face daunting discrimination and even death.

We had to hide our camera as we followed the El-Gowhary's because we were told if the authorities discovered we were preparing our story we would be arrested.

Religious tensions are running high in Egypt.

On January 6th, the Coptic Christmas eve, three Muslim men sprayed gunfire at a Church in Upper Egypt killing six Christians and wounding up to a dozen more. Christians rioted the next day and the area is still closed to outsiders including the press.

Human rights activist Hussein Bahjet say's Egypt has the potential to become like Lebanon because of growing sectarian violence.

"Civil strife that could engulf the country" Bahjet says.

The U.S. State Department reports respect of religious freedom in Egypt is declining, Christians are denied Government jobs, Priests are threatened and harassed, Christians are increasingly attacks in what State describes as "a climate of impunity that encourages violence."

In some cases authorities turn a blind eye to attacks on Christians, in other cases there is evidence police sparked the attacks.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been largely silent about the problem, but this week he spoke out saying Egyptians must up-root "fanaticism and sectarianism, which threatens the unit of our nation."

Dina has written a letter to President Obama which has been published on Christian websites. She has been pulled out of school. She has only a blue jean jacket to stay warm and little food to eat. Her letter was a desperate plea. "I wrote that we are a minority Christian Community treated very badly and I want to tell President Obama to tell the Egyptian Government to treat us well."

Her father Mayer says he can't stay in Egypt anymore. He and his daughter are in such grave danger we can't report where they are in Egypt now, or where they are planning on moving tomorrow.

In recent days the two met with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in Cairo. They asked for refugee status to get out of Egypt.

A source at the Commission say's its a complicated matter because Dina has a Muslim mother and there are legal issues, but their request is being considered.

The Commission source also says because of religious discrimination in Egypt, last year the State Department down graded Egypt to being on a watch list. This year it could potentially be downgraded further to a Country of particular concern. That means the U.S. might even consider sanctions against a Country which receives some 2 billion dollars in U.S. aid every year.

As I write this Dina and her father are packing, moving to another area of Egypt. Out of money. And running of out hope.

Christian janitor died saving Muslim students

2009-11-12T21:22:00.001-06:00

Islamabad, Paksitan (CNN) -- Life is slowly getting back to normal at the women's campus of Islamabad's International Islamic University.

The young women who study here chatter on the school's well-manicured lawns, their brightly-colored scarves and Pakistani dresses blowing in the wind on a sunny autumn day.

Barely three weeks ago, this quiet place of learning was the scene of a nightmare. On October 20, two suicide bombers launched near simultaneous attacks on both the men's and women's side of the campus.

Afsheen Zafar, 20, is in mourning. Three of her classmates, girls she describes as "shining stars," were killed on that terrible day.

Still, she says the carnage could have been much worse if not for the actions of a lowly janitor, who was also killed.

"If he didn't stop the suicide attacker, there could have been great, great destruction," Zafar says.

"He's now a legend to us," says another 20-year-old student named Sumaya Ahsan. "Because he saved our lives, our friends' lives."

The janitor's name was Pervaiz Masih. According to eyewitness accounts, the attacker approached disguised in women's clothing. He shot the guard on duty, and then approached the cafeteria, which was packed with hundreds of female students.

Masih intercepted the bomber in the doorway, however, and the bomber self-detonated right outside the crowded hall, spraying many of his explosive vest's arsenal of ball bearings out into the parking lot instead of into the cafeteria.

"The sweeper who was cleaning up here saw someone outside and went towards him," said Nasreen Siddique, a cafeteria worker who was wounded in the head, leg and arm by the blast. "[Masih] told him that he could not come inside because there were girls inside. And then they started arguing. And then we heard a loud blast and all the glass broke."

"Between 300 to 400 girls were sitting in there," said Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik, the rector of the university. "[Pervez Masih] rose above the barriers of caste, creed and sectarian terrorism. Despite being a Christian, he sacrificed his life to save the Muslim girls."

Masih was a member of Pakistan's Christian minority, traditionally one of the poorest communities in the country.

When the attacker struck, Masih had been on the job for less than a week, earning barely $60 a month.
Masih lived with seven other family members, in a single room in a crowded apartment house in the city of Rawalpindi. Until the attack his mother, 70-year old Kurshaid Siddique, worked as a cleaning lady at a nearby house to help make ends meet. Now, she makes a daily pilgrimage to the cemetery where Masih is buried.

Siddique is inconsolable. Asked if she was proud that some people were calling her son a hero, Siddique waved a hand in the air dismissively, answering, "My hero is dead now."

She pulls out a framed photo of her son, pictured wearing a button down white shirt and a thick mustache. When Masih's three-year-old daughter Diya sees his photo, she reaches for it, saying, "Mama, I want that picture."

From time to time, Diya turns to her mother and repeats one word, "Papa."

The Islamic University offered to give Diya a free education and employ Masih's widow, Shaheen Pervaiz.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani government has promised to award Masih's family 1 million rupees (about $12,000) for his bravery.

"He is a national hero because he saved the life of many girls," said Shahbaz Bhatti, minister of minorities in the Pakistani government. "As a Christian, a person of minority, he stood in front of the Taliban to protect the university."

But the grave of this national hero is a sorry sight. It is located in the poorer, garbage-strewn Christian half of a neighborhood cemetery, less then three feet from a muddy road.

Masih's mother and widow visit every day. One of his sisters crosses herself, then stoops down to pick up an empty pack of cigarettes someone threw onto the little mound of earth.

The family had to borrow money to pay for Masih's funeral and they are now behind on paying the rent. If the government money comes through, Masih's mother would like to decorate her son's grave.

"I would like him to have his name in cement with a nice poetry verse," she says. "And there should be a fence surrounding his grave."

Judge Rules Christian Convert Teen Must Go Back Home

2009-10-13T15:24:00.000-05:00

Original Track Back URL

A Florida judge has ruled a teenager from Ohio must return after running away to Florida in fear that her parents would harm her for converting from Islam to Christianity.

The judge ruled Ohio has jurisdiction over the case involving the teen, Rifqa Bary.

No date has been set for when she will be returned back home.

The 17-year old girl ran away from her parents' home in July, saying she feared being killed for changing religions. But a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation found no credible threats to Bary.

She has been staying in foster care in Orlando since she ran away.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Christians in Orissa rebuilding their lives after attacks

2009-10-11T20:17:00.001-05:00

Original Track Back URL

Christian villagers are rebuilding their lives and relationships more than a year after being attacked by a group of Hindu nationalist extremists in the eastern Indian state of Orissa.

A World Council of Churches (WCC) 'Living Letters' team travelled recently to Kandhamal, Orissa, in solidarity with the victims of the violence which broke out following the murder of the hard-line Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on 23 August 2008.

The team of eight representatives from churches around the world visited one of the remaining Christian-supported relief camps in the Kandhamal region. They were also welcomed by Christian Pano Dalits and Kandho tribals on land recently demarcated as the site of a new village.

'Living Letters' are small ecumenical teams visiting a country to listen, learn, share approaches and challenges in overcoming violence and in peace making, and to pray together for peace in the community and in the world.

Dalit and tribal Christians told the group how their homes were burned to the ground and their loved ones murdered when an organized mob terrorized the region in the days following the killing of the radical Hindu leader by Maoists. Thousands of people were forced to flee to the forest before they found shelter in government-run relief camps, which quickly became squalid.

"I lost my husband in the attack," said Lurdu Mary, 50, from Raikia in Kandhamal. “My sons are alive but they are not with me because they had to flee. The mob came and smashed and looted our house."

Hindu extremists destroyed 500 churches, 126 Christian shops and 5,000 homes leaving 50,000 people homeless. Christian schools and hostels were also attacked. Refugees fled to the nearby towns of Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Berhampur and Jharsuguda as well as to the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

"We have been providing blankets, saris and mosquito nets to the relief camp nearby," said Sam Naik, director of Happy Valley Children’s Home in the Kandhamal district. "We had two medical camps also. The people in the camp have the hope that once the government pays compensation, they are going to rebuild their houses and settle down in their villages. They are very strong in faith and have continued to hold worship."

Some of the homeless told the Living Letters team that they had begun to rebuild their homes, but added they were afraid to return to their villages permanently in case of further attacks. The refugees had been told that unless they renounced their Christian religion, the extremists would not allow them to return.

"Many groups have responded to the crisis situation, including the government, but I think the churches have done a lot," said Rama Hansraj from Catholic Relief Services. “Much work has been done in the district to help the victims go back home."

The Living Letters team also met with the Orissa United Christian Forum at the Stewart School in Bhubaneswar and the Utkal Christian Council in Berhampur.

"By God’s grace, the situation is calming down in Kandhamal and work is in progress," said Bishop Samson Das of Cuttack Diocese. Authorities are taking control. But there are still villages where peace and harmony has to be worked out."

The cost of reconstruction of one destroyed house is estimated at 82,000 rupees. Although the Indian Government has committed 50,000 rupees per destroyed house and 20,000 rupees per partially destroyed house, the forum reported that not all victims had received the money to which they are legally entitled.

The Orissa United Christian Forum has committed to providing a further 30,000 rupees per destroyed house. Forum members reported that 300 houses had already been rebuilt with the churches’ aid.

Father Manoj Kumar Nayak from the Bhubaneswar Archdiocese said a committee had been set up in every village to ensure rebuilding work was completed. Father Ajaya Kumar Singh from the Kandhamal Response Programme said legal work was continuing in order to ensure justice was done in the courts and that witnesses were protected.

Das added: "So far we have committed to financing 30,000 rupees to 3,000 houses. We will be able to commit to the remaining 2,000 houses in the days to come. The legal aspect is a huge challenge for us."

Ecumenical organisations and NGOs have also started running community projects designed to foster amicable relationships between Hindus and Christians in Kandhamal. Christian and Hindu children have once again begun playing with each other in some villages.

Kandhmal riots : US lawmakers seek action

2009-10-11T20:06:00.003-05:00

Original Track Back URL

BHUBANESWAR: The ghost of last year's anti-Christian riots in Orissa's Kandhmal district, which left over 40 dead and thousands homeless, is back
to haunt the state government with a group of American lawmakers seeking action against those involved in the violence.

As many as 21 US lawmakers, led by Republican Trent Franks, have written a letter to chief minister Naveen Patnaik expressing concern over the alleged intimidation of the Christians in the communally-divided region and the possibility of the perpetrators of the violence going scot-free.

"Such attacks on the fundamental freedom of religion threaten not only India's reputation for religious diversity, but also the very stability of India's secular democracy," said a news agency report, quoting the letter sent late last month.

"Given the recent experience with religiously inspired terrorism, we're concerned that if Hindu extremists can act with impunity toward religious minorities in India, these extremists and their ideologies will begin to affect international security as well," it added.

The letter comes after the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in August put India under its Watch List for the "country's failure to protect the rights of religious minorities".

The letter hasn't gone down well with Hindu organisations. "Who're they to interfere in Orissa's internal problems?"

Bajrang Dal leader Subash Chouhan asked, "How can anyone say that Christians are the victims of violence at a time when bombs and firearms are being seized from Christian rehabilitation camp?"

Hindu Jagaran Sammukhya Orissa chief Ashok Sahu, who unsuccessfully contested the Kandhmal Lok Sabha seat in the recent polls, too, objected to the letter. "On what basis have they written such a misleading letter, if at all they have sent one? It’s uncalled for and the US lawmakers have no role to play in Orissa matters," he said.

Even some Christian leaders have also taken exception to the latter. ‘‘The term Hindu extremists in the letter is unfortunate because we’ve maintained that criminals have no religion and whatever happened in August-September, 2008, was never the act of Hindus,’’ said Orissa Minority Front president Swarupananda Patra. ‘‘Blaming Hindus doesn’t make minorities happy, as they are aware of Hinduism’s secular tenant which probably isn’t known to the US lawmakers.’’

Powerful earthquake kills 57 in Indonesia - Pray for the People Affected

2009-10-04T11:05:00.005-05:00

At least four people have been killed and dozens injured after a series of powerful earthquakes hit eastern Indonesia, officials say.

The strongest tremor, with a magnitude of 7.6, struck north of the city of Manokwari in West Papua province at 0443 (1943 GMT on Saturday).

It was followed by another big quake and a string of aftershocks.

Witnesses said the tremors triggered mass panic in Manokwari, where several buildings were flattened.

A tsunami alert was issued by Indonesian authorities following the earthquakes, but withdrawn within an hour.

Assessment teams and medical supplies are expected to arrive in the remote region, some 2,955km (1,830 miles) east of Indonesia's capital Jakarta, within the next 24 hours.

The first quake struck on land about 95 miles (150km) north of Manokwari at a depth of 22 miles (35km), the US Geological Agency said. It was followed by another tremor and aftershocks.

Deadly Church Collapse In Nepal

2009-10-01T12:59:00.003-05:00

In Nepal’s Dharan city a church collapsed during a Christian convention killing at least 30 people. Over 60 people have been injured.

[Suneil Koirala, Eyewitness]:
"30 people have died out of which four are male and the rest women. One boy and a girl have also been killed. 63 people have been injured and some are in critical condition.”

The convention was being held at the Zion Prayer House. It is common in Nepal to construct temporary huts to house different social and religious functions.

Christians account for less than one percent of the country’s 27 million people, the majority being Hindu.

Attorney Targets Alleged Terror Ties in Case of Runaway Girl - Rifqa Bary Fathima

2009-09-01T10:50:00.002-05:00

Christian Convert Rifqa Bary Allowed to Stay in FL for Now

2009-08-23T22:03:00.001-05:00

Technorati Tags: rifqa bary, florida, ohio, chicago, chicago revival

In Pictures: Muslim-to-Christian convert Fathima Rifqa Bary faces her family in court - OrlandoSentinel.com

2009-08-23T21:50:00.002-05:00

In Pictures: Muslim-to-Christian convert Fathima Rifqa Bary faces her family in court - OrlandoSentinel.com

Posted using ShareThis

ABC follow up video on teen who left islam found Christ

2009-08-22T08:39:00.002-05:00

Technorati Tags: fathima rifqa bary, florida, chicago, chicago revival

Rifqa Bary: "I am fighting for my life"

2009-08-22T08:38:00.001-05:00

Technorati Tags: rifqa bary, florida, ohio, chicago revival

17 Year Old Fathima Rifqa Bary Convert Flees from Muslim Parents - Must Watch

2009-08-22T08:33:00.001-05:00

Technorati Tags: rifqa bary, florida, ohio, chicago revival

A Prayer For Christians Persecuted In Pakistan

2009-08-15T12:00:00.001-05:00

A Prayer For Christians Persecuted In PakistanTechnorati Tags: gojra, pakistan, christian, india, orissa, chicago

Kandhamal peaceful on VHP leader's death anniversary

2009-08-15T11:21:00.001-05:00

Phulbani, Orissa The first death anniversary of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati, whose killing triggered anti-Christian riots in Kandhamal district was peaceful on Thursday.

"There was no untoward incident at any place in Kandhamal. We have taken steps to ensure that peace is maintained across the district," Director General of Police (DGP) Manmohan Praharaj, who has been camping in Kandhamal for two days, told PTI over phone.

Over 2,000 security personnel, including the CRPF, Orissa Special Strike Force, Special Operations Group, Orissa State Armed Police and Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force have been deployed, while the district administration has refused permission to rallies and dharnas.

"People observed the day at their villages instead of participating in a silent rally proposed by VHP," the DGP said.

The VHP observed the anniversary as 'Sacrifice Day' in the district.

People who felt insecure were asked to take shelter in camps, he said.

Maoist posters warning certain Hindu leaders to refrain from observing Saraswati's death anniversary were seen at Tumudibandh, Daringbadi and Kotgarh areas of the district.

The DGP said "We suspect it to be handiwork of anti-socials and not Maoists."

"We have seized some threatening posters. It is suspected to be the work of mischief mongers," said Raikia Police station in-charge officer R N Barik.

Saraswati's followers held yagnas and took out kalas processions at Jalespeta and Chakapada ashrams. The turnout, however, was low because of Maoist threats.

Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Archbishop Raphael Cheenath told reporters in Bhubaneswar, "though there was no incident of violence in Kandhamal, Christians are living in fear."

Hoping that the Janmastami would be peaceful, Cheenath said he was satisfied with the security arrangements made by the government.

The VHP submitted a memorandum to Governor M C Bhandare stating that though chief minister Naveen Patnaik had given written assurance to nab the conspirators and killers of Saraswati, nothing has been done.

The VHP also staged a silent dharna before Raj Bhavan.

State VHP secretary Gouri Prasad Rath said "many Hindus were killed, but no effort was made to apprehend and punish the culprits.

He alleged that while government assistance was given to riot-hit people of a particular community, no such provision was made for Hindus.

Claiming that religious conversion was a major factor behind the riots, he demanded proper implementation of the existing Orissa Freedom of Religion Act.

Technorati Tags: kandhamal, christian, india, pakistan, chicago, chicago revival, orissa

US body on religious freedom puts India on ‘watch list’

2009-08-15T11:05:00.001-05:00

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has put India on its watch list. The move has evoked sharp reaction from New Delhi.

The USCIRF has of late announced that India earned the ‘Watch List’ designation due to the ‘disturbing increase’ in communal violence against religious minorities — specifically Christians in Orissa in 2008 and Muslims in Gujarat in 2002. New Delhi termed the move “regrettable”.

A press release issued by the USCIRF quoted its chairman Leonard Leo saying that it was “extremely disappointing” that India had done “so little to protect and bring justice to its religious minorities under siege”.

“India’s democratic institutions charged with upholding the rule of law, most notably state and central judiciaries and police, have emerged as unwilling or unable to seek redress for victims of the violence,” said Leo. He added that India should do more to ensure future violence did not occur and that perpetrators were held accountable.

New Delhi in its official reaction reminded the USCIRF that India, a country of 1.1 billion people, was a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society.

“The Constitution of India guarantees freedom of religion and equality of opportunity, to all its citizens, who live and work together in peace and harmony,” said Joint Secretary and spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs, Vishnu Prakash.

“Aberrations, if any, are dealt with promptly within our legal framework, under the watchful eye of an independent judiciary and a vigilant media,” he added.

The USCIRF was created by America’s International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments. It is an independent and bipartisan US federal Government Commission.

The USCIRF commissioners are appointed by the US President and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives. It gives independent policy recommendations to the US President, the Secretary of State, and Congress.

Any country designated on the USCIRF Watch List requires “close monitoring due to the nature and extent of violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by the Government”.

Apart from India, Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Laos, the Russian Federation, Somalia, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Venezuela are also on the Watch List.

The USCIRF issues its annual report on religious freedom each May. But this year’s report on India was delayed, because some of its commissioners had requested to visit India.

However, according to the USCIRF, the Government of India denied visas to them resulting in the delay in the release of the report.

The report recommends that President Barack Obama’s Administration should urge the Indian government to take new measures to promote communal harmony, protect religious minorities, and prevent communal violence by calling on all political parties and religious or social organisations to publicly denounce violence against and harassment of religious minorities, women, and low caste members, and to acknowledge that such violence constitutes a crime under the law of India.

What added to New Delhi’s ire is that the USCIRF had deliberately timed the release of the report “to mark the one-year anniversary of the start of the anti-Christian violence in Orissa”.

Technorati Tags: uscirf, religious freedom, new delhi, chicago, chicago revival, minorities

Philadelphia Protests Against Christians Burned in Gojra, Pakistan

2009-08-09T18:18:00.001-05:00

GOJRA PAKISTAN 7 CHRISTIAN MEN WOMEN BURNED ALIVE - GRAPHIC

2009-08-08T08:40:00.002-05:00