Saturday, December 3, 2011

Christian Human Rights Group Highlights Plight of Papuan People On 50th Anniversary Of Independence

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries


PAPUA, INDONESIA (ANS) -- A UK-based Christian human rights group, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) says that it “remains deeply concerned at the plight of the Papuan people following reports of an alleged crackdown by Indonesian military and police on religious ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of West Papuan independence from the Dutch.”
A Papuan protester, with his cheek displaying the banned Morning Star flag, takes part in a rally (AFP, Bay Ismoyo)


The anniversary was marked around the region by religious ceremonies, including the raising of the Papuan “Morning Star” flag, a symbol of independence.

The Reverend Socratez Sofyan Yoman, Chairman of the Alliance of Papuan Baptist Churches, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that several people taking part in flag-raising ceremonies have been shot and others arrested by Indonesian security forces.

He stated, “We are here. How can they do this? We are the owners of this land. How can these outside people, these outside people be coming in and killing, arrest and torture us continually?”

CSW says that according to media reports, in one religious ceremony in Timika Indah field, four civilians were allegedly shot by police after the raising of the “Morning Star” flag. The four victims are currently alive and undergoing treatment at hospital, according to a local source. The commander of the Military Command in West Papua has denied the reports.

Reverend Socratez Sofyan Yoman
News of this crackdown comes just over a month after the Indonesian regime brutally suppressed peaceful demonstrations at the Papuan People’s Congress on October 19, killing six people.

CSW was instrumental in organizing a hearing on November 29, 2011, in the European Parliament’s Sub-committee on Human Rights, in which the worsening human rights situation in West Papua was discussed. In a written statement, Father Neles Tebay called upon the European Union (EU) to support the Indonesian government in engaging in open dialogue with the Papuan people.

CSW’s Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston said, “The ongoing and brutal suppression of peaceful protests in West Papua is a clear violation of the human rights of the Papuan people to freedom of assembly, expression and religion. CSW is concerned about rising tensions in West Papua and increased police brutality.

“We urge the international community to facilitate a meaningful dialogue between the Indonesian government and the Papuan people, with the help of international mediation, and to encourage the Indonesia, as a member of the UN Human Rights Council and Chairman of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), to uphold the rule of law and protect human rights in West Papua.”

Note: Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organization working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, emailkiri@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.

Dan Wooding, 70, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 48 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. He now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California which is also carried throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK and also in Belize and South Africa. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 200 countries and also provides a regular commentary for Worship Life Radio on KWVE. You can follow Dan Wooding on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. He is the author of some 44 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel “Red Dagger” which is available this link.


** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

Islamist Groups Leading in Egypt’s Parliamentary Elections

Christians fear mistreatment could increase.
By Wayne King
Injured Christian demonstrator in Cairo
(Courtesy Compass Direct News)
CAIRO, Egypt, December 2 (Compass Direct News) – Islamist groups made a strong showing this week in the first stages of Egypt’s parliamentary elections, according to figures released today by elections officials, renewing concerns Christians have about their future in the country.

The Freedom and Justice Party, affiliated with the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood, won 40 percent of the vote overall. The Al Nour Party, made up of members of the extremist Salafi group, garnered 20 percent of the vote. By comparison, the relatively liberal Egypt Social Democratic Party received 15 percent of the total vote.

The candidates where campaigning for 112 seats, but the total number of seats allocated from this round of voting will not be known until after a run-off election on Monday (Dec. 5).

The election results confirmed the fears of Egyptian Christians, many of whom believe that Islamists will take control of the country in the wake of the revolution that deposed former President Hosni Mubarak. Egyptians now wait for the run-offs and final two rounds of this election, another election to seat the second half of Egypt’s bicameral chamber, and then finally the election for the next president. Further wins by Islamists, Christians said, will guarantee increased persecution against them or at a minimum, entrench their second-hand status in the country.

Bloodied Christian Cairo demonstrator
(Courtesy Compass Direct News)
Echoing the remarks of most Christians in the country, Marcelle Mageh, 22, blamed conservative Muslims for the dramatic increase in attacks against Christians in Egypt after Mubarak fell from power. Sitting in the Church of St. Theresa in Cairo along with her fiancé shortly after casting their ballots on Monday (Nov. 28), Mageh said the prospect of the Muslim Brotherhood running the country along with the Salafis frightens her.

“You see all the problems that have happened before they got into power,” she said. “Imagine what will happen when they get into power.”

After the Revolution

After Mubarak stepped down from power on Feb. 11, there was a brief period of elation among Egypt’s Christians. But the joy was quickly replaced by fear after a string of attacks against Christians by self-identified members of the Salafi movement and other Muslims.

Members of the loosely affiliated Islamic group attacked Christian-owned homes and business, set church buildings on fire, and prevented congregations from opening or reopening churches, and in one incident “punished” one Christian after accusing him of renting an apartment to two prostitutes. They ordered him to convert to Islam or they would cut off his ear. He refused to convert.

For about two weeks in April, members of the Salafi movement, along with Muslims from across the country, blocked off the city of Qena when the interim government nominated a Coptic man as governor over Qena Province. He was later replaced with a Muslim.

Over the same year, the Egyptian army attacked at least two monasteries. And during an unusual show of brutality in October, the army killed at least 27 people in Cairo, at least 23 of them Christians, who were protesting the torching of a church in Aswan.

To date, no one has been tried for any of the attacks or killings. In fact, the government has instead arrested numerous Copts in connection with the incidents, claiming they incited “sectarian” violence or possessed illegal weapons.

Two-Faced Rhetoric

Part of the reason Copts are so nervous about the Islamists gaining power, the Salafis in particular, is that they accuse them of being deceptive with their rhetoric. When the Islamists are trying to gain power, they espouse policies they later deny or scoff at in private among their co-religionists, said Coptic Catholic Antowan Zekaria, 25.

“If they are in power, they show their real faces,” he said.

In the case of the Qena protests, Salafi leaders said their objection to the Coptic governor was not because he was a Christian, but because he was allegedly connected to the Mubarak government. But video shot at the protests later showed protestors screaming because, they said, having a Christian “rule” over a Muslim was against Islamic law.

Salafi religious leaders have also made numerous statements emphasizing Christian’s second-citizen status in Egypt, such as saying no Christian is fit to be president over Egypt. Several mass attacks against Christians in Upper Egypt happened this year after Salafi sheiks prompted attacks during Friday prayers.
Not all Christians in Egypt are convinced that the country under Brotherhood and Salafi leadership would lead to more persecution.

“It depends on the maturity of the leadership that comes afterward and how much they realize the importance of the image of Egypt internationally,” said the Rev. Mouneer Anis, bishop of the Episcopal and Anglican Diocese of Egypt.

Lilian Sobhy, a surgeon who worked at a medical clinic in Kasr El Dobara during the recent riots, said that more persecution is coming, but that Christians who focus on that miss the larger point. The point, she said, isn’t that persecution will come, but how to deal with it when it does.

“We believe that if the church is standing in the right place it is going to be glorious, so we don’t really care who is going to win,” she said. “Wherever it is going to happen, we believe that the Lord is sovereign.”

END

Copyright 2011 Compass Direct News

Muslim Extremists Destroy Lives, Church Buildings in Nigeria

One woman, three girls killed as northeastern states of Yobe, Bauchi heat up.
By Obed Minchakpu
 
The blood-stained home of Samaila
 Darabo in Gargari, Bauchi state.
(Courtesy Compass News Direct)
GEIDAM, Nigeria, December 2 (Compass Direct News) – In Nigeria’s increasingly dangerous northeast, Muslim extremists in this town in Yobe state helped members of the Islamic terrorist sect Boko Haram destroy five church buildings last Saturday (Nov. 26), while previously in neighboring Bauchi state Islamic radicals killed four Christians, including three girls.
 
Boko Haram members’ weekend rampage in the Yobe state town of Geidam destroyed all Christian-owned businesses, as area Muslims pointed them out for the sect raiders, according to local Christians. Five of the eight church buildings in town were ruined, and the violence displaced about 700 Christians, sources said.
 
When Compass visited the town on Tuesday (Nov. 29), only two of the eight pastors in the town remained. The other six pastors and their families had fled.
 
The Rev. Amos Ajeje, 48, vice chairman of the Geidam chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, told Compass that local Muslims assisted Boko Haram members in carrying out the attacks on Christians. He said the attack by Boko Haram, which seeks to impose a stricter version of sharia (Islamic law) than that already in place in northern Nigeria and expand it to the rest of the country, had driven all other Christians from town.
 
Ruined interior of the Deeper Life
 Bible Church in Geidam, Yobe state.
(Courtesy Compass News Direct)
“There are no more Christians in this town,” Ajeje said. “All shops belonging to Christians have been looted and then destroyed by these Muslims. Many of these Christians who fled into bushes when the attack was going on have never returned.”
 
The Rev. Bitrus Mshelbara, pastor of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) at Geidam, confirmed that local Muslims led the Boko Haram members to the church buildings and Christian-owned businesses.
 
“The Muslims in this town were going ‘round town pointing out church buildings and shops owned by Christians to members of Boko Haram, and they in turn bombed these churches and shops,” he said.
 
Destroyed in the attack were worship buildings belonging to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Emmanuel Anglican Church, Living Faith Church, Deeper Life Bible Church and Cherubim and Seraphim Church. These buildings were located in the Geidam areas of Kafela, Akodiri Street, and Low-Cost Housing Estate.
 
“Boko Haram members came in a convoy of cars last Saturday at about six o’clock in the evening,” Ajeje said. “They were well-armed. They attacked the police station. They exchanged gunshots with the police and overpowered them. After this they broke into the First Bank and removed money there, before they were joined by Muslims here to bomb churches. That is how the five churches were destroyed.”
 
Because of the attack, the three remaining churches in town were unable to hold worship services on Sunday (Nov. 27), he said.
 
“Our church members who ran away when the attack took place could not come back, so it was not possible for us to conduct worship services on Sunday,” Ajeje said. “Our fate is hanging in the balance because we do not know what will happen next.”
 
Pastor of an Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) congregation of about 120, Ajeje added that Boko Haram members set fire to a local government building and the town’s high court.
 
Ajeje’s ECWA church building was among the three remaining in Geidam.
 
“We thank God that no one was killed, but I must say that this has brought fear to Christians since we are a minority here,” he said. “In all we just have about 700 Christians in the town, and all are dependent on their small businesses to survive. With these businesses now destroyed, how will they survive if they remain here? I guess that must be the reason they have not returned since fleeing the town on the day of the attack.”
 
Mshelbara told Compass that his COCIN church building is standing only because of the pleas of a Muslim neighbor boy.
 
“My church was spared because of a son of my Muslim neighbor who was among the local Muslims that accompanied Boko Haram members as they burned down churches,” Mshelbara said. “He pleaded with them not to set fire on our church because burning down our church will affect their house, as their house shares walls with our church building. More so, our neighbor the Muslim was sick and was in his house at the time. Based on the pleas of the young Muslim man, our church was spared.”
 
At Emmanuel Anglican Church, Mshelbara said, a church program was underway at the time of the attack.
 
“But they were alerted, and they all escaped by jumping over the fence constructed around the church premises before Boko Haram members got there – you can see the destruction yourself,” Mshelbara said, pointing at the charred church building.
 
Christians at the Deeper Life Bible Church in the Low Cost Housing Estate area also escaped, he said.
 
“Deeper Life members were holding an evening service, too, when the attack by Boko Haram was going on,” Mshelbara said. “They too were alerted, and they all escaped from the church before it was destroyed.”
 
Peter Mgoni, secretary of the Geidam ECWA church, said the Muslims looted shops and churches before burning them.
 
“Boko Haram is an anti-Christian movement out to establish sharia in Nigeria,” he said. “This is the reason they attack churches, just as they attack government institutions. They know that they cannot establish sharia without first crippling the government, and that is the reason they attack the police, after which they now come for us Christians by destroying our churches and businesses.”
 
Gargari Killings
In neighboring Bauchi state, 48-year-old Samaila Darabo called the members of his household together for the evening family devotion in Gargari village on Nov. 17. He led them in the reading of the Bible and prayer, and shortly afterwards they went to bed.
 
At about 2 a.m., he was suddenly awakened by his barking dogs. He stepped out of his room only to be confronted with bright lights from different directions around his compound. Stunned, he blindly pushed away part of the mud-brick walls closest to his room. Climbing over the fence and bolting out, he escaped to alert other neighbors about a raid on the village.
 
The assailants were later identified as local Muslim extremists who came in groups to attack the village on Nov. 18. Darabo’s escape and warning are credited with saving the entire community except for some family members in three residential compounds. Darabo lost his 12-year-old daughter, Laraba Samaila, and his wife, Rifkatu Samaila. She was 48.
 
In another home, the Muslim extremists killed 11-year-old Gloria Zakka and 7-year-old Martha Zakka, daughters of Zakka Jumba, Darabo’s brother. After attacking these and another residential compound of the Christian community in Gargari in the Bogoro Local Government Area, the assailants withdrew.
 
Six other people were injured in the attack, including relatives of Darabo’s other brother, Harunna Jumba.
 
“I climbed a fenced wall just beside the door to my room, and in the process a part of the wall collapsed with me,” Darabo said. “The collapsing wall forced some of the attackers to move away from the spot, and this gave me the opportunity to escape.”
 
After alerting neighbors, they quickly contacted soldiers in nearby Gobbiya village, he said.
 
“By then, the attackers had already left, having set fire on my house and that of my brothers,” he said. “They killed my wife, Rifkatu, and my daughter, Laraba. They also attacked some of my family members with machetes and shot them too. My brother had two of his daughters, Gloria and Martha killed. That is the grave where we buried the four of them you are seeing over there.”
 
Receiving hospital treatment from injuries sustained in the attack were 2-month-old Matwi Mathias, Esther John, Rebecca Zakka, Yelshi Zakka, Sarauniya Samaila, and Mummy Zakka.
 
Aminu Gida, 38, told Compass that he was awakened by sounds of gunshots and the cries of children and women that night.
 
“The men who attacked us are Muslims whom we know live just across the river north of our village of Gargari,” Gida said. “They came in groups that night and started the attack from the western part of the village.”
 
Yakubu Lawal, 58, said attacks on Gargari village began as far back as 1991 and have become more regular. This year alone, he said, the community has been attacked about four times.
 
“The first attack was on June 28, when at about 10 a.m. six Christian girls from the village who were returning from their farms were attacked by a group of Muslim attackers,” he said. “They took one of the girls away and raped her in turns before leaving her to die in the bush.”
 
The girl survived and was found days later, he said. Two young Christian men were also attacked the same day while working on their farm, and the assailants also stole two cows, Lawal said.
 
The second attack on the village, Lawal said, came on July 6, when seven members of the community returning from Bogoro town were ambushed by another group of Muslims.
 
“Three of them were killed – Yohanna Godiya, Appollos Godiya and Rhoda Gashon,” Lawal said. “The remaining four were injured in the attack – the wife of the village pastor, Mrs. Talatu Karmus, and Rahila Gashon and Ruth Gashon. The fourth victim of the attack was a 6-month-old baby.”
 
On Oct. 8 at about 8 p.m., four members of the Christian community were returning from the neighboring village of Gobbiya when they were attacked by another group of Muslims, he said. They escaped unhurt, but before the Muslims withdrew from the village they set fire to the house of Joseph Ezekiel.
 
Ishaku Gambo, 58, pastor of the village COCIN congregation, told Compass the attacks have crippled worship. The church had an average attendance of about 200 at Sunday services; now only about 105 show up, he said.
 
“The reason is that some members have to keep watch over the village while church service is going on,” he said.
 
Gambo urged the Nigerian government to urgently find a lasting solution to attacks on Christian communities in northern Nigeria.
 
Another Village Attacked
In neighboring Tudun Wada Gobbiya Kazar village, Christians have been forced to flee, with more than 60 residents now living in Gobiyya town as displaced persons, Christians said.
 
Tudun Wada Gobbiya Kazar village was last attacked on Oct. 1, when its Christian village head, Bitrus Ramako, was killed. A member of the local ECWA in Gobbiya, Ramako was killed at about 10 p.m., area Christians said. Muslim assailants set fire to his house after killing him and then raided the entire village, forcing the Christian villagers out, they said.
 
Solomon Jingina, 41, pastor of the ECWA Church in Gobbiya, told Compass the displaced Christians are living outside their village without any form of assistance. Jingina said there is an urgent need for the Nigerian government to intervene.
 
“These 60 members of my church are now homeless, and they cannot return to the village because of the incessant attacks on them,” he said. “I want to appeal for the Nigerian government to address this problem of attacks on Christians, as this is threatening the peaceful co-existence of the people of this country.”
 
 
END
 
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Copyright 2011 Compass Direct News
 

Friday, December 2, 2011

Clinton's visit has ministry hopeful about Burma reform

Burma (MNN) ― A couple of months ago, Burma appeared to be turning a new leaf. The brutal military rule had finally given way to a civilian government. Desire for reform seemed genuine.

That was October. In early November, several reports came in from Burma about attacks on Christians by the Burmese government.

The back and forth between true reform versus years-old genocide has been confusing over the past few months, and it's been difficult to know whether or not the nation is really ready for change. But a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has provided some hope.

Clinton is the first top U.S. official to visit Burma in 50 years. The Secretary of State had several reasons for her current visit, including a hope to see whether or not the nation is genuinely ready to change, to thus see if the U.S. could strengthen ties with Burma, to encourage the nation to sever ties with North Korea, and to urge an end to the country's genocide.

Vision Beyond Borders assists several refugee camps that are home to those who have fled Burma's ethnic cleansing. VBB's Dyann Romeijn says Clinton's visit is encouraging.

"They're not just talking about the changes that have occurred. They're also talking about more change that needs to happen, and that there needs to be an end to the violence and the ethnic cleansing that is going on," says Romeijn. "They're not just rewarding the government for the small steps that they've made, but encouraging them to take bigger steps to end the violence."

Still, after decades of painful oppression in Burma, could it really be ready to change? Romeijn says they're hopeful.
"We're cautiously optimistic that maybe there is change occurring in Burma. We have had opportunities to talk with our contacts there in Burma: they're cautiously optimistic as well," explains Romeijn.

"I don't think anybody knows exactly how this will go," she adds. "There are some changes. Aung San Suu Kyi has been released, and it looks like she will be running for office, and there are some encouraging things. But at the same time, attacks are occurring as well. So we're just cautiously optimistic."

If the government is ready for reform, it could mean a great deal of relief for persecuted believers. Romeijn says Aung San Suuu Kyi, a former Burmese leader and Nobel peace laureate, is rumored to be a Christian and may make it much easier for the Gospel to spread if she were to take office.

Change does seem to be in the air. The question is: how long will it linger?

At this point, Romeijn says the best thing to do is to pray. Pray for direction for the nation, its leaders, and ministry leaders. Pray that oppression would indeed be coming to an end. At the same time, pray for the safety of believers who are still being hunted by many. Pray that the Gospel would reign in Burma.

VBB has been working in and around Burma for years. To learn more about their outreach, visit visionbeyondborders.org.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Muslims in Pakistan Beat, Shoot at Christians in Land Grab

Police help cohorts of retired military official in seizure of Christian’s property; two women assaulted.
By Murad Khan
 
LAHORE, Pakistan, December 1 (Compass Direct News) – In an attempted land-grab in southern Punjab Province, police and cohorts of a retired military official beat two Christian women and shot at Christians who came to help them on Friday (Nov. 25), area Christians told Compass.
 
About eight police officials led by Sub-Inspector Muhammad Arif of Kot Sarwar Shaheed police station, along with armed associates of a retired senior military officer, Air Marshal Maqbool Shah, arrived at the fields of Nazeer Masih in the Kot Addu area and ordered the six or seven women working there to leave, said area Christian rights advocate Waseem Shakir. The women included Nazeer’s wife, Martha Bibi, and daughter-in-law, Nasreen Bibi.
 
The men told the workers that they had come to take possession of the 12.5 acres that Nazeer Masih owns in Mauza Sadiqabad area of Muzaffargarh district, which they claimed had now been allotted by the Revenue Department to the Pakistan Army for distribution among retired officials.
 
Martha Bibi told Compass the women were still in shock.
 
“We were cultivating chickpeas when the Muslims arrived at our fields,” she said. “They asked us to leave everything and never return because it was their land now. [We said] we have been cultivating the land since 1976, how could we just leave? This angered them, and they attacked us. They pulled away our headscarves from our heads and started hitting us indiscriminately with clubs and punches.”
 
About 800 Christians have lived in the Mauza Sadiqabad and Mauza Azizabad areas of Muzaffargarh district for the last 50 years, rights advocate Shakir told Compass by phone.
 
“The Christians are settled on 10,000 acres of land which they made cultivable over the years,” he said. “The land is actually owned by the government, but the Christians have been given ownership of the properties, and the record to this effect is present with the local revenue department.”
 
In the last few years Muslims have made several attempts to seize the land from the Christians, usually succeeding because Christians are a marginalized minority, while Muslims carry out illegal activities with impunity and official blessing, Shakir said. A similar attempt to take possession of Nazeer Masih’s land was made last year, resulting in a pending case in the Lahore High Court.
 
This time, Shakir said, the “land mafia” attempting to take the property was led by a senior military official.
 
“Martha, around 40, and Nasreen, about 28, refused to leave the land, which infuriated the Muslims, and they attacked the women, hitting them with batons and punches,” Shakir said. “The Muslims also inflicted a very serious wound near Nasreen’s left eye.”
 
He said that on seeing the commotion, some Christians working in nearby fields ran to rescue the two women, but the land-grabbers began shooting at them. No one was injured, and the assailants left with a warning that they would return, Shakir said.
 
He added that Nazeer’s family has been cultivating the land since 1976 and possessed legal documentation recorded with the revenue department.
 
“It is quite clear that Shah has used his influence and money to illegally get Nazeer’s property transferred in his name,” Shakir said. “How is it otherwise possible that any person can just come and lay claim on the land, which is already in the possession of someone for the last many years? Everyone is involved in this mafia, which is specifically targeting Christians.”
 
Area Christians had worked hard to make the land cultivable, as it used to be barren before the government settled them there, he said.
 
“Can the Punjab government justify this methodical injustice against the Christians of this area?” Shakir said. “The Muslims are grabbing any piece of land they can get their hands on. They haven’t even spared our graveyards.”
 
Muslim land-grabbers had demolished 150 Christian graves and desecrated holy relics to build shops in the Kot Addu area in November 2010, their efforts fully supported by local government officials (see www.compassdirect.org, “Pakistani Officials Back Muslim Land-Grabbers, Christians Say,” March 9).
 
Shakir said that five days after the incident and repeated appeals to the Punjab government, officials had taken no action against police for the violence done to the Christian women, much less investigating the attempted land seizure.
 
“The government doesn’t care at all,” he said. “Deeply frustrated at the treatment being given to us, we blocked the road for some time in protest. It was then that the area’s deputy superintendent of police, Asadullah Khan, assured us that he would request the district police officer to probe the matter himself, because the people involved in this matter were beyond his authority. The assurance is turning out to be eyewash yet again, as there has been no progress in this regard.”
 
Khan declined to comment on the case. He referred Compass to the district police officer, who was unavailable for comment.
 
Gulzar Masih, headman of the area, told Compass that Muslims had also set fire to the house of a Christian man named Jalal Masih a year ago in an attempt to grab his property.
 
“We knocked on every possible door, but the local government remained indifferent to the situation,” he said. “Even though we somehow managed to get the chief minister to mark our application for registration of a case against the arsonists, the police refused to listen to us and threatened us with dire consequences if we did not stop pursuing the matter. The Muslims eventually grabbed Jalal Masih’s property.”
 
Gulzar Masih said that the entire revenue department was involved in tampering with property documents of Christians to render them landless.
 
“It is economic persecution of Christians of the area,” he said. “The government must intervene before it’s too late.”
 
 
END
 
**********
Copyright 2011 Compass Direct News
 

Two People Killed, Homes and Stores Torched in Attack on Coptic Christians in Egypt

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service


CAIRO, EGYPT (ANS) -- Thousands of Muslims attacked and besieged Copts in elGhorayzat village, population 80,000, killing two Copts and severely wounding others, as well as looting and torching homes and businesses, according to the Assyrian International News Agency (www.aina.org ).

In an article for AINA, Egyptian journalist Mary Abdelmassih says that a quarrel between a Copt, John Hosni, and Mahmoud Abdel-Nazeer, who later died in hospital, turned into collective punishment of all Copts in the majority Christian village of elGhorayzat, in the Maragha district of Sohag province.

AINA reports that Muslims vowed not to bury Abdel-Nazeer until John Hosni is punished. Hosni apparently fled from the village with his family, "fearing a wholesale massacre of Copts," reported activist Mariam Ragy.

The news agency says the events started on Monday, November 28, when John Hosni, a building supplier, had a quarrel with his neighbor, Mahmoud Abdel-Nazeer (48), over some steel rods and cement Hosni had left in the street to use for erecting a wall around his house.
This was perceived by Mr. Abdel-Nazeer as extending the home into the street, which is public property, AINA says.

"Instead of reporting this building transgression to the police or local authorities, Abdel-Nazeer took the matter in his own hands and brought some Salafists and torched the store and the home of the Copt," said an eyewitness.

In the altercation between the neighbors, Hosni hit Abdel-Nazeer in the head with a wooden branch, which lead to his death later in hospital, AINA reported.

In its report, AINA says that angry Muslims murdered two Christian brothers, Kamel Tamer Ibrahim (55) and Kameel Tamer Ibrahim (50), in revenge. The brothers were not a party to the altercation. Kamel Tamer, who was defending his shop from looting, was murdered in front of his wife. His brother was also murdered in front of his wife for defending his home.

AINA goes on to report that three other Christians, Maher Samir Gota, his wife, and his brother Osama Samir Gota, were severely injured and are in intensive care.

The AINA report says: “They were in their homes when their shop was broken into and looted by Muslims. Maher and his wife were stabbed and Osama received a blow on the head. The ambulance could not go to them to transport them to hospital. He was privately transported by his friends. There were reports of Muslims preventing the fire brigades from reaching the burning homes.”

After killing the Copts, Muslims went on a rampage, looting and burning Christian owned homes and businesses, AINA reported.

AINA went on to state that despite killing the two Coptic brothers the Muslims insist they have not yet avenged Abdel-Nazeer's death.

"This is not revenge; this is simply an excuse to kill people because they are Christians, as well as loot their property," said an eyewitness.

"Security was present in all the streets, and protected the churches, but they did nothing in the face of Muslims killings, looting and torching of Christian property," said another eyewitness, who managed to get out of the village "by a miracle," as he put it, leaving all his belongings and money behind.

"We do not know whether we will be able to go back to the village as the Muslims refuse to bury the dead Muslim before killing all Copts in the village."

The eyewitness added that Muslims are openly walking the streets carrying firearms and clubs while the police standby and do nothing. The number of police is not enough, there are about 500 Muslims for every one policeman.

AINA explained the Copts have been prevented from fleeing the village by Muslims, who have imposed a blockade. Some were able to flee with the aid of some Muslims, who drove them out in a truck, telling the guards at the exit point these people have nothing to do with the ongoing problem.

AINA said Christian inhabitants are still afraid to venture into the streets.

Father Lucas Aghapios, pastor of St. George's Church in alGhorayzat, described the situation in the village today as "cautioned" peace. He said that although the Muslim attack started at 11 AM, security forces turned up late in the evening, and Muslim transgressions occurred in the presence of the security forces.

Father Lucas said that yesterday Muslim attacks resulted in 25 incidents of looting and torching of Christian-owned shops, in addition to 8 homes. He confirmed the eyewitness accounts of the events, but could not confirm that John Hosni had surrendered to the police.

He told AINA:"Yesterday John Hosni was in a safe place, but he is not in the village, I do not know his whereabouts." He also does not know whether any Muslims were arrested in connection with the slaughtering of the two Coptic brothers.

AINA said a funeral for Abdel-Nazeer was held on Tuesday.

Bishop Bachoum of Sohag said yesterday evening on CTV Coptic Channel that funerals for the two Copts were held in Sohag and they were buried in their village of elGhorayzat, under heavy security. He said that efforts are under way for a "reconciliation" meeting between Muslim and Christians elders.

Commenting on the elGhorayzat events, Dr. Fawzi Hermina, a Coptic activist who lives in Sohag, said that Copts are living in a state of Statelessness -- with no state, no security and no law.

"Unfortunately the Copts, being the weak party in society, are paying the price," he said.


** Michael Ireland is the Senior International Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior International Reporter

** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

San Juan Capistrano, home to the historic Mission, Backpedals from Its Bible Study Shutdown

The city has returned the fines to the Southern California Christian couple that they were told to pay

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries


SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA (ANS) -- The Southern California city that issued citations against homeowners Chuck and Stephanie Fromm, for holding Bible studies in their home, has reversed course after attorneys for Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) took the case to court.
Stephanie and Chuck Fromm were cited twice for holding Bible studies in their home in the Mission Hills neighborhood of the city (Photo by Jonathan Volzke)


The Fromms 4,700-square-foot home is situated on more than an acre of land with one side of the street not having any houses and ample parking. The couple had been hosting two Bible studies per week, one with about a dozen people and the other with approximately 50; that was until a complaint by an unnamed neighbor caused the city to step in.

The Fromms have since paid $100 and $200 in fines to the city for the citations after they had determined that the couple was in violation of a municipal code that prohibited “religious, fraternal, or non-profit” groups to meet in residential neighborhoods without a permit.

They were also told that they would be fined an additional $500 if they continued to hold the gatherings.

But now, after a huge outcry from local Christians and worldwide negative publicity, the city has decided to drop its action against the couple and has refunded the fines they had paid. In response, the Fromms have agreed to drop their lawsuit against the city, which had been in process since August.

However, the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net) has discovered that city has not yet changed its laws that led to the controversy.
Scene inside the Bible study


In a letter to the couple, Karen P. Brust, San Juan Capistrano City Manager, who had been working with the Fromms, stated, “City staff will commence the discussion with the Planning Commission…about the issue of the need to clarify the Land Use Code with respect to places of public assembly and gatherings at single family residences.”

PJI had filed an appeal of the citations in the Orange County Superior Court.

“While that case has now been favorably resolved, PJI will continue to press city officials for a resolution of the underlying problems, which include unfettered discretion on the part of code enforcement officers,” said a spokesperson for PJI.

Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, noted that the resolution was a timely reaffirmation of core religious values. “From the landing of the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock, through the founding of San Juan Capistrano as a mission, the freedom to worship God has been a bedrock American principle. This victory is an important reminder of that principle.”

Michael Peffer, who heads PJI’s Southern California office and handled the case, added, “We will continue fighting to ensure that SJC and other cities put freedom first—especially when it comes to informal gatherings in private homes.”
Yvonne and Fred Collins pictured at the Mission San Juan Capistrano in May 2095. They were both close friends of Dan and Norma Wooding from the UK who have sadly both since passed away


The irony of this controversial case is that took place in the birthplace of the Mission San Juan Capistrano, which has been called the “Jewel of the Missions” and has been the center of Orange County, California, since its founding by Padre Junipero Serra on November 1, 1776.

The Mission's namesake was Giovanni de Capestrano, who was born in 1386. He was a respected warrior and missionary, who died October 23, 1456. He was canonized in 1690, and was a favorite of Father Junipero Serra. Serra, in 1776, gained permission to name one of the missions after Capestrano.

Today it is one of California's most important historical, cultural, and educational centers. The Mission is the seventh of 21 Spanish Missions established in California by Franciscan Padres. Spain controlled California until 1821, when Mexico won its independence. In 1845, the Mission was sold for $710 to Don Juan Forster. His family lived at the Mission for 20 years. In 1865, Abraham Lincoln returned the Mission to the Catholic Church. In 1815, Mary Pickford was married in the Mission chapel.

About Chuck Fromm

The three Chucks -- Chuck Smith and his son Chuck Smith Jr. in the studios of KWVE with an inset of Chuck Fromm
Chuck Fromm is the nephew of Pastor Chuck Smith, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, California, and the son of Chuck's sister, Virginia.

He is also the Publisher and founder of Worship Leader magazine and CEO of its parent company Worship Leader Media. The latter is a pioneering nondenominational communications company that serves churches through remediating ancient content in contemporary language and imagery. He has lectured on communications, theology, and worship at graduate schools and seminaries (Princeton, Fuller Theological Seminary, Liberty University, Baylor, and USC, Annenberg, among others).

Chuck holds a PhD from the School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. He received a communication award from Fuller for his doctoral thesis Textual Communities and New Song in the Multimedia Age: The Routinization of Charisma in the Jesus Movement. He has founded numerous print and digital-based magazines, as well as creating diverse learning environments for pastors, worship leaders, technologists and more.

Chuck Fromm has served as an adjunct at USC in the Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism, teaching “Communicating Religion.” He presented “New Song the Sound of Spiritual Awakening” at Oxford, and co-presented “The Odes of Solomon” At Fuller Theological Seminary (with James H. Charlesworth and Lee McDonald).

He entered into the recording business from the field of city management when he was 25. As President of Maranatha! Music for 22 years, he developed the series: Praise (that launched an entirely new genre—Praise & Worship—fueling an industry and a movement), Kids Praise, Psalms Alive!, and The Words of Worship. His leadership there was rewarded with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gospel Music Association in ’90 and a President’s award from the National Religious Broadcasters in ’91, as well as a Grammy (Best Children’s recording 1992, A Cappella Kids) produced and released by his recording label.

About the Pacific Justice Institute:

The Pacific Justice Institute is a non-profit 501(c)(3) legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties. Its website is:www.pacificjustice.org 


Dan Wooding, 70, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 48 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. He now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California which is also carried throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK and also in Belize and South Africa. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 200 countries and also provides a regular commentary for Worship Life Radio on KWVE. You can follow Dan Wooding on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. He is the author of some 44 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel “Red Dagger” which is available this link.


** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

Egypt: Christians Vote and Hope for a Democratic Future

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries


CAIRO, EGYPT (ANS) -- The high turnout of Egyptians voting on their parliamentary future has prompted SAT-7 to continue with its unique current affairs series, Salt & Light*, until the Eastern Christmas, January 7, 2012.
Ballot boxes being collected from a polling station near Tahrir Square in Cairo on Tuesday after a second day of voting in Egypt’s parliamentary elections (Photo: Andersen/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)


Broadcast live on Wednesday evenings, each episode helps raise awareness about issues that will impact the country’s Christian community and other minorities, and their potential future status– encouraging everyone to participate in the political process rather than passively awaiting an outcome determined by others.

The show invites both Muslim and Christian politicians to answer tough questions and provides a platform for Christian leaders to bring a biblical perspective on key issues.

SAT-7’s Egypt Bureau Director, Farid Samir, explained, “It’s a new initiative to have Muslim guests on such programs. We started inviting them last month because SAT-7 wants to bring all voices to this public debate while at the same time avoiding any political position. In fact, this definitely is not a political program, but one intended to help raise awareness about important issues, encourage appropriate participation and, above all, bring people hope.”

“The slogan for Salt & Light is ‘changing the news to Good News,’” Samir added.

According to a SAT-7 news release, this week’s edition will provide analysis of this first round of elections–including a look at any violations by some of the parties and individuals–and encourage all Egyptians, especially Christians, to continue their involvement in the coming weeks of voting.

“Islamists will only have a majority in the new parliament if moderate Muslims and Christians do not go out and vote for candidates that they think are best for the country--no matter what their background,” added SAT-7 CEO, Terry Ascott.

Logo
Samir says that another reason to continue the program is that it provides a valuable and uniquely Christian perspective for those in other countries who will also be facing critical elections in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings.

After casting his vote on Monday, Samir, said, “I feel so encouraged by the good atmosphere on the street and at the polling stations–especially after the violence of the past week which left 40 demonstrators dead and more than 2,000 wounded. Overall, the elections have been peaceful and people have organized themselves well with the cooperation of the army.”

Many Christians feel the Church needs to be the “salt of the earth” and play a practical role in the community–not just praying in church. This has been exemplified by the use of Kasr El Doubara Evangelical church as the main field hospital for anyone needing treatment in Tahrir Square.

With a Muslim Brotherhood doctor overseeing all the medicines and supplies, and working alongside Christians, there were a lot of raised eyebrows. This resulted in secular TV channels visiting and interviewing Christian and Muslim volunteers, which in turn attracted a number of political figures and other journalists, wanting to see for themselves how the two communities could work side-by-side.

Speaking on Salt & Light, the head of Egypt’s Coptic Evangelical Church (and The Vice Chair of SAT-7’s International Council), Rev. Dr. Safwat El Baiady said, “This is true worship! I cannot be praying while my brothers are injured and in need of help...before I go to pray, I must help those in need and stand with those who fight injustice.”

*Transmission: Wednesdays 8pm Cairo, 9pm Cyprus & Beirut

Note: Launched in 1996, with US headquarters in Easton, MD, USA, SAT-7 provides a spiritual solution and hope to the region using Christian programming created by and for the people of the Middle East and North Africa. SAT-7’s five channels include: SAT-7 ARABIC, SAT-7 PARS (Farsi), SAT-7 TÜRK (Turkish), SAT-7 KIDS (Arabic) and SAT-7 PLUS (Arabic). SAT-7 has an estimated 15-17 million viewers (Intermedia research, 2009) and broadcasts in three languages: Arabic, Farsi and Turkish. SAT-7 can be viewed via satellite in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, much of Central Asia and worldwide at sat7.org. For more information about SAT-7 go to: www.sat7usa.org.

For interviews with SAT-7 USA president Rex Rogers regarding this press release, perspectives on current Middle East developments, or SAT-7’s distinctive work, contact the SAT-7 USA office, 410-770-9804.


Dan Wooding, 70, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 48 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. He now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California which is also carried throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK and also in Belize and South Africa. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 200 countries and also provides a regular commentary for Worship Life Radio on KWVE. You can follow Dan Wooding on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. He is the author of some 44 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel “Red Dagger” which is available this link.


** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

Mexican Senate Adopts Official Statement Condemning Pastor Nadarkhani’s Death Sentence For Apostasy in Iran

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service


MEXICO (ANS) -- The Mexican senate yesterday approved (Nov.29) an official statement condemning the death sentence for apostasy currently faced by Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani in Iran.
Pastor Youcef and his family. (Courtesy of Present Truth Ministries).


According to the UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) www.csw.org.uk , the statement says that “although Iranian officials have claimed that the he was sentenced to death for different crimes and not that of apostasy, the international community has consistently spoken out in defense of Mr. Nadarkhani’s civil and political rights.”

“As such, the statement proposes that the Senate join the international community, and condemns the death sentence handed down to Yousef Nadarkhani for religious reasons.”

The Mexican senate statement quotes Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Articles 2 and 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Iran has ratified. Article 18 of the ICCPR states that “No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of his choice,” and asserts that “freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to limitations prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.”

CSW says the Mexican Senate joins members of the international community including Britain, the US, the Council of Europe, Canada and members of the Uruguayan Senate in condemning the death sentence for Pastor Nadarkhani on religious grounds.

Pastor Nadarkhani’s apostasy case has been referred to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Hoseyni Khamenei, for a decision. Two letters have been written to the Supreme Leader by the court in Rasht, asking for his opinion on the case, but so far there has been no response. 

CSW’s sources have been told that a decision may be issued by the court in mid-December.

On a recent trip to Mexico, CSW’s Chief Executive, Mervyn Thomas, met with members of the Senate, including Senator José Luis García Zalvidea, and discussed a number of issues, including the case of Pastor Nadarkhani. He also spoke at a two-day conference on religious freedom, jointly hosted by CSW and the Federal District’s Human Rights Commission in Mexico City, alongside Jorge Lee, a respected legal expert on religious freedom and equality in Mexico, representing recently-launched CSW Mexico.

He said, “CSW welcomes the resolution by the Mexican Senate. The pastor’s life remains in the balance and it is vital that international petitions for his release continue and that international actors continue to urge Iran to uphold its obligations concerning religious freedom under the ICCPR.”

Jason DeMars of Present Truth Ministries (www.presenttruthm.com ) told ANS: “I greatly appreciate the Mexican government’s involvement in the case of pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. It is truly the duty of all elected governments to stand for freedom.

"The statement of the Mexican Senate is a good start, but it falls short of calling for the immediate release of pastor Youcef. I ask that all governments call for and work towards the release of brother Youcef and all Christians who are imprisoned because of their faith and activity as evangelicals.”

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organization working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice. Present Truth Ministries provides relief for believers suffering for their faith and has been following Nadarkhani’s case closely.
_____________________________________________________
For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, emailkiri@csw.org.uk  or visit www.csw.org.uk   . 


** Michael Ireland is the Senior International Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior International Reporter

** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

ChinaAid to tell European Parliament ‘Religious Freedom in China at Lowest Point Since 1989’

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service


MIDLAND, TEXAS (ANS) -- Human rights and religious freedom in China has deteriorated to its lowest point since the period after the crackdown on the 1989 Tiananmen Square student-led pro-democracy demonstration.

Bob Fu will testify before the European Parliament.
ChinaAid founder and president Bob Fu will be telling the European Parliament about the current situation with several other ChinaAid witnesses on Wednesday (Nov.30).

Fu and the other witnesses were invited by the European Parliament to testify at its hearing on "The human rights situation in China" at the parliament building in Brussels, Belgium.

In a media update, ChinaAid says the delegation will the next day be in The Netherlands to participate in a human rights forum on "The situation of Christians in China," where Fu will be making a similar presentation on the serious deterioration of religious freedom, the rule of law and human rights in general.

For the EU hearing, ChinaAid was asked to make recommendations that would help the European Union set its China policy so as to address human rights problems in China.
In attendance at the hearing will be members of the European Parliament and their assistants.
This is the second time that ChinaAid and Fu have appeared before the European Parliament. In 2009, Fu and two Christian lawyers engaged in rights defense work also testified before the same body.

Speaking in a media release, Fu expressed appreciation to the European Parliament for the opportunity to testify.

"The grave human rights violations by the Chinese government is a global issue," he said. "We urge the European leaders to take more concrete steps to encourage the Chinese government to improve its record by building an international coalition founded on an unwavering solidarity with the Chinese rights defenders community."

In Ridderkerk, The Netherlands, the ChinaAid delegation will be speaking to an audience of mainly NGOs, representatives of the missionary organizations of several churches, some individuals with ties to China and members of the Dutch Political Reformed Party (SGP), Holland's most orthodox Protestant party, as well as members of the Dutch media.

Both reports will be posted on ChinaAid's websites www.ChinaAid.org  and www.MonitorChina  as soon as they are delivered.

** Michael Ireland is the Senior International Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior International Reporter

** You may republish this story with proper attribution.