Persecuted Church News: 7/15/12

Friday, July 20, 2012

Ramadan begins today amid war on Egypt's horizon

Egyptians praying in Tahrir Square last year.
(Photo by Kodak Agfa)

Egypt (MNN) ― Today is Day One of Ramadan and the start of what could be a trying 30 days for Egypt.

The atmosphere in much of Egypt has been tense for over 17 months. But the announcement of Mohammed Morsi as president, followed by the military's decision to dissolve parliament, have forced Egypt to the brink of civil war.

Things are shaky at best, but bigger tremors may be on the way to Egypt. During Ramadan, says Middle East expert Tom Doyle with e3 Partners, "Spiritually, it's heightened there. It's just that push for Islamic dominance, and there could be major conflict that turns into a civil war as early as this week."

Doyle just returned from Egypt earlier this week. He says zealous supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood packed Tahrir square to the breaking point. Ramadan will increase the likelihood of disagreement -- if not for spiritual reasons, for physiological ones.

During Ramadan, Muslims are to fast during the day. Most drink and eat at night, but refraining from food during the day often causes emotional problems.

"We notice in Muslim countries [during Ramadan] people are much more grumpy, more jumpy, more angry. So this just kind of breeds any situation to get bigger and larger such as the situation we find ourselves in in Egypt right now," Doyle explains.

In this sense, Ramadan could mean a lot of trouble in Egypt. But at the same time, Ramadan brings with it a great deal of opportunity for believers.

In any year, throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Muslims are seeking God, says Doyle. "They are looking for something that will be life-changing. They are caught up in legalism and the law, and it is not satisfying to them. So they look for something to happen during the 30 days of Ramadan."

Within the corrupt and frightening times Egyptians currently are experiencing, people are searching even to Christ in recent months. Fed up with politics and the corruption they see in the name of Islam, many are looking for something else.

But even for those who aren't looking yet, Ramadan can change that. In the past, as believers have prayed during Ramadan, Muslims have begun to have visions and dreams of Jesus.

With this in mind, says Doyle, "As Christians, we shouldn't worry about the 30 days of Ramadan and what happens during that time. We should just be on the offensive and pray for Muslims, who have an open heart at that point. [Pray] for something to happen: a believer to share with them, for them to hear something maybe on Christian radio, or for even a dream."

TERROR IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Nigeria has been the scene of violence against
Christians, witnesses say. (Photo: BosNewsLife Africa Servbice

On Saturday 7 July some 100 Fulani (Muslim) herdsmen launched attacks on nine Berom (Christian) villages in Riyom and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State. Wearing bullet-proof vests and armed with sophisticated weapons, they killed 63 people, wounded dozens and torched more than 60 homes. The next day they attacked the funeral, killing another 22. A further 50 bodies were found later in the burnt-out home of a local pastor who had sheltered fleeing Christians. Boko Haram claimed responsibility but the terror bears all the hallmarks of a Fulani raid aimed at ethnic cleansing and colonisation. Boko Haram incites and participates in the killings, with rogue elements in the military aiding both Boko Haram and the Fulani. Christians are not safe anywhere.

To view this RLPB with hyperlinks, visit the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog.

“Tweet for Youcef” Campaign Surpasses 2.7 Million Globally

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

MANASSAS, VA (ANS) -- A Twitter-based campaign launched by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) to free an imprisoned Iranian pastor is now reaching over 2.7 million people in over 230 countries.

The ACLJ 'Tweet for Youcef' campaign logo.

The ACLJ’s “Tweet for Youcef” campaign http://aclj.org/nadarkhani , which launched in January, is pressing for the release of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who marked 1,000 days in prison on July 8, according to an online report by the National Religious Broadcasters association (NRB).

The ACLJ argues that Nadarkhani has been illegally imprisoned and says increased international pressure for the pastor’s immediate and unconditional release is more important now than ever.

“He is still alive today because of international pressure on Iran – people worldwide raising their voices, demanding that his life be spared,” the group told campaign supporters. “We need to keep that pressure on.”

Last year, Dr. Frank Wright, President and CEO of the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB), sent letters to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and to Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Suzan Johnson Cook, respectfully requesting that they use their positions in the Obama Administration to intervene on Nadarkhani’s behalf.

“NRB is an ardent advocate of religious liberty for all people domestically and abroad,” Dr. Wright said at the time. “Many of our members have followed with great concern the situation of Pastor Nadarkhani, who was arrested almost two years ago. We find it unconscionable that the Iranian government would sentence him to death because he refuses to recant his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.”

According to reports, Nadarkhani was arrested on Oct. 13, 2009, after protesting the government's decision to force all children, including his two sons, to read the Qu'ran. The pastor was initially arrested for protesting but was later charged with apostasy and evangelism to Muslims.

Since then, Nadarkhani has been repeatedly asked to renounce his Christian faith, but the pastor continues to hold true to his belief in Jesus Christ.

Sources in Iran say his next scheduled court date is Sept. 8.

** 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.

Unrest in Jos as Nigerian Army Launches Offensive in Plateau State

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

JOS, NIGERIA (ANS) -- Trouble flared briefly in the Plateau State capital Jos Tuesday (July 17) when a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) fired from a moving vehicle on the Ungwar Daba Bukuru Express Way damaged nearby buildings and killed a seven year-old boy, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (www.csw.org.uk)

While it has been reported internationally that the target was the Nurul Islam School, there is local speculation that it may have been aimed at the National Youth Service (NYSC) orientation camp at Zang Commercial Secondary School, CSW reported.

According to CSW sources, upon hearing the explosion Muslim youths in the area took to the streets with guns, but were eventually brought under control by the security forces. No casualties were reported. Earlier that day, raiders had attacked the Sabon Gida Kanar area, also in Bukuru, killing three people.

CSW reports that elsewhere in Plateau State, hundreds of people from five villages in Riyom and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas (LGAs) have moved to allocated camps after the Special Task Force (STF) issued a 48-hour deadline for evacuation, ahead of a large scale offensive targeting the group responsible for the spate of deadly attacks on non-Muslim villages in these areas that have claimed hundreds of lives since 2010. Although the STF has described this is a temporary measure to avoid civilian deaths in crossfire, some representatives of the Fulani villages claim it may be permanent.

CSW said the offensive comes after an estimated 100 people died in co-ordinated armed attacks on an estimated 12 villages, and a subsequent attack on funeral goers that claimed the lives of three politicians.

CSW also reported the Islamist sect Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the shootings in Plateau State and for the suicide bombing at Maiduguri’s Central Mosque on 13 July, in which five people were killed, the first time that Boko Haram has attacked a mosque. The teenage bomber is thought to have been targeting dignitaries in attendance, in particular the Shehu of Borno, a prominent traditional Muslim ruler, and the Deputy Governor of Borno State.

On the same day, three gunmen murdered the education secretary of Marte Local LGA in the state at his home, CSW stated. Then on Monday, Nigerian news agencies reported that the councillor who represented Bolari Ward 1 had been shot dead in her Maiduguri home during curfew hours by unknown gunmen who also stole her jewellery.

CSW went on to explain that Boko Haram is also thought to be responsible for a car bomb that exploded at a filling station near a Living Faith church in Okene, an area close to Lokoja, the Kogi State capital on Sunday 15 June. One of the would-be bombers was apprehended, and two days later security forces in Kogi uncovered a bomb-making factory in Okaito, Okehi LGA. The two room bungalow was reportedly disguised as a mosque in one room and a church in the other, and among other things, stored 46 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

Meanwhile, in Kaduna State, three members of Boko Haram were apprehended by local youths in Rigasa and Mahuta suburbs of Kaduna metropolis on July 16. The gunmen had entered the compound of the District Head of Afaka, Alhaji Abdulwahab, in a bid to kill him. Local police report that one of the suspects led them to a hideout where a number of items were recovered, including two bags of chemicals, a jerry can of acid, and eight car alarm systems.

Andrew Johnston, Advocacy Director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said: “We offer our deepest condolences to all who have lost loved ones in recent violence. CSW welcomes the security breakthroughs in Kogi and Kaduna. While very concerned at the latest attack in Jos and the use of an RPG, we also welcome the effective intervention by the security forces that ended the subsequent violence and efforts by the STF to apprehend the perpetrators of the incessant murders in Riyom and Barkin Ladi, which are long overdue.”

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

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Indian Christians forced into Hindu worship, driven from homes

“Freedom of Religion” law on the books, but reality is different

JAWANGA, Chhattisgarh state, India, July 17 (Open Doors News) - Hindu extremists forced 15 Christians to participate in Hindu worship rituals, then beat them up and rousted them from their village, according to an evangelical organization in India.

The Evangelical Fellowship of India said that on June 19, 150 Hindus rounded up 12 Christians in Jawanga, a village in the tropical Dakshin Bastar district of Chhattisgarh state, in eastern India.

The Christians were taken to the Pendevi Temple, where they were forced to worship tribal and Hindu deities, and to participate in Hindu rituals, Akhilesh Edgar of the Evangelical Fellowship of India told Open Doors News. He said the abductors then assaulted the Christians, though Edgar did not provide detail about the extent of any injuries they may have suffered.

Rather than let the Christians return home, the Hindus chased them out of the village. The Christians sought the help of John Nag, a pastor in Geelam about 5 kilometers from Jawanga, and Sonsingh Jhali, known locally as an advocate for Christians.

The Evangelical Fellowship of India said Nag and Asaram Bech, in whose house the Jawanga Christians sometimes held prayer meetings, approached the elected head of the village, who refused to permit the Christians’ return. The uprooted Jawanga villagers are staying with other Christians in Geelam, the organization said.

The evangelical group said the Christians did not file a complaint with the police, for fear of stirring religious tensions.

The June 19 episode is only the most recent example of harassment of Christians in Chhattisgarh. The Evangelical Fellowship of India reported in April that 300 residents of Belgal village disrupted the attempted burial of a man who had converted to Christianity. Ten people were injured, and the burial was completed after district authorities intervened.

At the national level, India is religiously pluralistic, encompassing the world’s third-largest Muslim population and about 25 million Christians, or about 1 of every 50 people in the country. Persecution of religious minorities generally intensifies at the regional and local levels, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Chhattisgarh is one of five Indian states that has adopted a Freedom of Religion Act, which the commission says has had the opposite effect.

“While intended to reduce forced conversions and decrease communal violence, states with these laws have higher incidents of intimidation, harassment, and violence against religious minorities, particularly Christians,” the commission concluded in its 2012 annual report.

India is listed at No. 32 on the Open Doors World Watch list of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. “Persecution is largely due to the amazing growth of Christianity among the low castes and Dalits, which threatens Hindu leaders,” according to the World Watch List. “Violence against pastors and church gatherings continues on a monthly basis, usually in rural areas.”

END

**********

Grave Concerns for Health of Iranian Pastor Benham Irani

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

KARAJ, IRAN (ANS) -- Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) www.csw.org.uk says it is gravely concerned about the health of Pastor Benham Irani, who reportedly lost consciousness three days ago.

Pastor Benham Irani with his family. (Courtesy Present Truth Ministries).

In a media update, CSW says that although Pastor Irani has now regained consciousness, his health is said to be declining steadily as a result of the harsh treatment he has endured in Karaj's Ghezel Hesar Prison, where he is serving a five-year sentence.

Benham Irani pastors the Church of Iran in Karaj, was arrested in December 2006, and sentenced to six years imprisonment on charges of “action against the state” and “action against the order.”

CSW reported that the verdict against him includes text that describes Pastor Irani as an apostate and reiterates that apostates “can be killed.”

Ghezal Hesar is one of Iran’s most notorious prisons and, according to CSW’s sources, Pastor Irani has been beaten regularly by his cell mates and prison authorities.

CSW stated: “As a result of injuries sustained during these assaults, he has difficulty walking. His health has further deteriorated due to the harsh prison conditions; he has suffered severe bleeding as a result of ulcers and complications with his colon, which led to his recent loss of consciousness. He is also unable to see very well and there are growing concerns that he could die within the next few months.”

CSW says its sources also report that during the first few months of his imprisonment, the pastor was held incommunicado in a small cell, where guards would repeatedly wake him from sleep as a form of psychological torture. He was moved into a cramped room where inmates could not lie down to sleep, before being transferred to his current cell.

CSW’s Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston said: “CSW is deeply concerned for the health and welfare of Pastor Irani, and urges the Iranian government to ensure that he receives urgent medical attention and is protected from assault, in accordance with the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. Though the charges against him are couched in political language, in reality Pastor Irani, like so many other Christian prisoners, has been imprisoned solely on account of his faith.

“We continue to call on Iran to honor its obligations as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees freedom of religion, and to release Pastor Irani unconditionally as a matter of urgency, given his deteriorating health. We also call for the unconditional release of Pastor Nadarkhani, Pastor Farshid Fathi Malayeri and all others unjustly detained or facing execution due to flawed judicial processes.”

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) 78 2332 9663 or visit www.csw.org.uk.

Anglican Vicar: ‘Things Get Worse by the Day in Iraq’

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

BAGHDAD, IRAQ (ANS) -- Canon Andrew White, the popular ‘Vicar of Baghdad’, says in his latest update from the Middle East, where he serves at St. George’s Church in the Iraqi capital, that “Things are getting worse by the day in Iraq, and most of us do not even know.”

Canon Andrew White, the Vicar of Baghdad (Courtesy FRRME.org)

Writing for The Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the

Middle East (FRRME) http://frrme.org , Canon White said: “There were 90 killed the other day in a truck bombing in Baghdad and it was not even on the news. There are very little media left in Iraq: they have been threatened, killed and made to leave Iraq by the Government.”

White says that a recent article by Ned Parker, "one of the best journalists reporting on Iraq in my opinion,” gives an excellent insight into the reality of Iraq now.

Parker’s most recent article appeared in the prestigious American magazine, "Foreign Affairs." He also writes for the Times.

In ‘Foreign Affairs,’ to quote briefly, he wrote: ''Nine years after US troops toppled Saddam Hussein and just a few months after the last US soldier left Iraq, the country has become something close to a failed state.

“Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki presides over a system rife with corruption and brutality, in which political leaders use security forces and militias to repress enemies and intimidate the general population. The law exists as a weapon to be wielded against rivals and hide the misdeeds of friends. The dream of an Iraq governed by elected leaders answerable to the people is rapidly fading away.”

Parker writes: “The Iraqi state cannot provide basic services, including regular electricity in summer, clean water and decent health care; meanwhile, unemployment among young men hovers close to 30 percent, making them easy recruits for criminal gangs and militant factions.

"Although the level of violence is down from the worst days of the civil war in 2006 and 2007, the current pace of bombings and shootings is more than enough to leave most Iraqis on edge and deeply uncertain about their futures. They have lost any hope that bloodshed will go away and simply live with their dread. Acrimony in the political realm and the violence in the cities create a destabilizing feedback loop, whereby the bloodshed sows mistrust in the halls of power and politicians are inclined to settle scores with their proxies in the streets.''

Canon White says this article “shows the sad reality of the present situation, despite being written before the recent upsurge in violence.”

He adds: “Sadly, this catastrophe has meant that I must forgo my time in the UK with my family and return to Iraq. Urgent work is needed to try and deal with the present crisis. It is going to be very difficult. The temperature is so hot, in the high 50's [Centigrade]. Parliament has even stopped meeting because of the heat and Ramadan [the Muslim Holy Month] is about to begin.

The key people who will be working with me on this are the very people who won our peace prize last week.”

Canon White asks for prayer “as we take on this huge challenge.

“Before I return, I am meeting with the Israeli Ambassador, to talk through our much needed work there. The sad fact is that there is so much to do there, not least the revitalization of the Alexandria Process which we began there,’ he said.

“I ask prayers for the family of our closest friend and colleague in Israel, Rabbi Michael Melchior. His dear son, father of four boys, is literally on his deathbed dying of cancer in his 30's. Please pray that our Lord G_d will comfort them in this time of tragedy.”

Canon White said when he next writes, he will be back in Baghdad.

Donations to Andrew's work in Iraq may be made at http://frrme.org/get-involved/donate.

American pastor and two other hostages, kidnapped in Sinia, released by their Egyptian captors

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

CAIRO, EGYPT (ANS) -- Kidnappers in Egypt have released two Americans, one of them a pastor, and their Egyptian tour guide, after holding them hostage for three days, news source stated Monday.

Mohamed Fadel, writing for the online presence of CNN in a report to which CNN's Salma Abdelaziz and Ed Payne contributed, cited Gen. Ahmed Bakr, head of security in northern Sinai.

"They are at security headquarters with us now, in good condition. The negotiations succeeded, but we did not give in to the kidnappers' demands," said Gen. Bakr.

Pastor Michel Louis, from Boston, was released after two days. (Photo via Google Images).

CNN reported the Americans were happy and relieved to be free.

"We are heading directly to Israel to join the members of our church as soon as we get our passports sent to us from Cairo," said Michel Louis, the pastor of a Pentecostal church in Boston.

"I tell my family I am in good health and in good spirits, but I have not taken my medicine since Friday, so I am a little tired.”

Family members had previously said that Louis suffers from diabetes and they weren't sure if he had his medicine with him, according to the CNN report.

Lisa Alphonse, a parishioner at another American church, said the group was "treated really well," the CNN report said.

Earlier Monday, a senior Egyptian government official told CNN that intelligence officers had visited with the alleged kidnapper, Germy Abu Masouh, on Friday and on Sunday, and communicated with him by phone.

"We saw the hostages, who seemed to be composed, but in a state of shock and fatigue from the grueling heat, especially Michel Louis, who said he had suffered a minor diabetic attack and avoids eating much," the official said before the hostages' release.

CNN said that Abu Masouh, a member of a prominent Bedouin tribe in the Sinai, had said he wanted Egyptian police to free his uncle, whom Bakr said had been caught in Alexandria, Egypt, with a half-ton of drugs.

CNN also reported that family members said the two Americans and their guide were taken hostage Friday when gunmen boarded their tour bus, which was on its way to Israel.

Louis offered himself as a hostage after gunmen took the female parishioner, his son, the Rev. Jean Louis, told CNN on Monday.

"Being the leader of the missionary group, my mom said that ... he stood up and he just asked that they leave the lady and take him. So this is why there's two people in addition to the translator detained right now somewhere in Egypt," he said. Michel Louis' wife was on the bus when the kidnapping occurred.

Jean Louis told CNN the family was not aware of security concerns about travel across the Sinai, where Americans had been kidnapped and swiftly released in two separate incidents since February.

"If we were aware, I would believe we would use correct judgment not to enter that area," Louis said.

According to the CNN report, Bakr earlier said the situation was "partially the fault of the travel agency," which he said had not informed police of their route. If it had, "we would have sent a police escort," he said.

Kidnappings and armed robberies have increased since the ‘Arab Spring’ popular uprising which ousted Egypt's long-ruling dictator, Hosni Mubarak, last year.

Syria's war: civil, regional, or world?

Syria (MNN) ― Daily attacks. Piles of bodies. Scurrying refugees. There's still no end in sight for the human tragedy taking place in Syria. In fact, things may just be getting started.

Analysts have long been suggesting Syria's regime-versus-rebels battle is a civil war. The Red Cross now has actually officially declared the conflict a civil war. But it could be turning into something much greater.

Tom Doyle with E3 Partners returned from Jordan earlier this week. While there, he was mainly meeting with some of the 130,000 Syrian refugees who have fled to Jordan for solace. Speaking with Syrians who had just recently escaped with their lives only solidified the severity of the conflict for Doyle, a Middle East and North Africa expert.

Doyle says with other nations in on the conflict, things could be taking an ugly turn.

"You've got Iran sending arms, money, aid--everything to the government to keep the Bashar Assad regime propped up. Russia has been supportive. China even said that they were supportive of Assad. So you've got that side that's strong," Doyle explains. "Then, you've got the Sunni Muslims that are backed by other Arab countries. If the United States would get involved in this, it at least would be a regional war, but this could even spiral into a world war."

With Syria potentially a world war away from ending its disputes, the distribution of humanitarian aid -- and, more than that, the Gospel -- is crucial.

E3 is responding in Jordan with blankets, food, clothing and the saving message of Christ. It may seem inconsequential in the light of civil and potentially world war, but after being in Jordan, Doyle says it's clear that the work has been absolutely transformative. Even some radicals are changing their ways as a result.

"We do know of some Sunni Muslims that had been involved in radical activities: now that they're in Jordan and away from those terrible front-lines, they have ended up praying to receive Christ as Savior," explains Doyle.

It's probably best that believers stay out of the Syria mess politically, Doyle says, but we do need to pray for peace. And in the end, it's stories like this that truly explain the significance of what e3 and other Christian groups are doing:

"One woman -- I'll never forget this woman -- said, ‘When we fled Syria and went into one of these refugee camps, we retreated like we weren't human,'" says Doyle. The woman went on to say, "'But the Bible people came.' (She called Christians the Bible people.) ‘They showed us love, and they gave us food, and they gave us everything we needed for our children. Now we have this great relationship with them.' And this woman looked at me (and she's fully covered as a Muslim woman), and she said, ‘I want you to know: I love Jesus now.'"

Many friends of Mission Network News have already committed to support victims of this crisis financially or through prayer. If you feel led to help e3 continue reaching out, click here.

Gaza Christians protest

Gaza (MNN) ― Despite their low status in the region, Christians were bravely protesting on the streets of Gaza on Monday after two believers were forcibly converted to Islam, according to the Associated Press.

Carl Moeller of Open Doors USA says, "A young man, Ramez, was forced to convert back to Islam after having been a believer. This is just an example of the kind of pressure that Christians live under."

Ramez's parents say he was held against his will and forced to give up his faith in Christ. A woman was also reportedly re-converted.

Moeller says this is not only an unacceptable practice, but it's one that threatens the very existence of Christians in Hamas-led Gaza.

There are less than 2,000 total Christians in Gaza -- whether nominal or evangelical -- out of a population of 1.7 million. Moeller says, "It's quite likely that if pressure continues at this level for any length of time, the community will cease to exist altogether. And then the Christian churches in Gaza will simply be museums about what used to be there."

It's looking similar to the extermination of Christians in Iraq, actually. Although Moeller says the attacks against believers are much more violent in Iraq, the situation is still dire in Gaza due to the low population.

"If the radicals in Gaza -- and that probably defines the majority of the population: radical Islamist ideology -- wanted to, they could eliminate the Christian population very, very rapidly. And this is the great fear."

So although it may only be two believers today, more could follow. And regardless, Open Doors wants all believers there to know that other Christians worldwide are standing with them in prayer.

"The questions that the Christian community have there are fundamentally 'Can they survive?' 'Can they be preserved?' Our commitment at Open Doors is to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the persecuted Christians in this context," says Moeller.

"Pray that the Church would remain and that they would be given more civil protections. For the tiny minority, these are very important things: that they have the rights that every other person has, and that they would be able to worship Christ freely and without fear that those among their congregation would be made to forcibly return to Islam."

Attack on church youth group a disconcerting shift in Mexico

(Cover photo by Alejandro de la
Cruz. Story photo courtesy
Compassion International)

Mexico (MNN) ― A gang of nearly a dozen armed people stormed into a church youth retreat near Mexico City on Saturday and went on an hours-long rampage of beatings, robberies, and rape.

Any connection between the gang and the drug cartels is still unconfirmed. However, Mexican authorities say that campers and hikers have been targeted in the past by common criminals, and the region is known for violent drug-related crime.

That said, the attack on children presents a disconcerting change. Tim Glenn with Compassion International says they have several projects in the region between Oaxaca and Mexico City. While none of their sponsored kids were victims of the attack, "I think it's a scary new venture in the active criminal activities. Historically, in the past they left the church alone, they left the kids alone. This new act of violence is a step in the wrong direction."

Because Compassion's Child Development Centers and other projects are in somewhat secluded areas, they do take precautions to prevent such attacks. Glenn explains, "One of the things we require of our church partners is that they have a safe place for kids to go so that they can learn, they can play, they can grow and be away from these type of things in their community."

Ironically, while the Mexico attack is a step in the "wrong direction," Glenn says the exact opposite is happening in nearby El Salvador. The country's two largest street gangs called a truce.

Up until now, the cycle of gang violence made the country the most murderous in the world last year after neighboring Honduras. Glenn says, "Part of that agreement was that they were going to stay away from the kids, agreeing that they weren't going to try to get kids to join. They were going to stay away from kids as targets of their violence."

Glenn goes on to say, "One of the things that came out of that truce in El Salvador is one of the gang leaders saying that they'd finally come to the realization that 'all we're doing is hurting each other, killing each other, and we're not getting anywhere.'" As a result of the truce, the homicide rate has been cut in half in just four months. In fact, police say the most dramatic change was noted on April 14, a day when El Salvador recorded its first 24 hours without a murder.

Glenn says El Salvador provides a great example that he hopes others will follow. "The sooner the gangs and gang leaders realize the affects they have on their own communities, the safer our own kids will be."

In the meantime, the Church needs a lot of prayer in Central and South America where gang activity is on the rise and growing increasingly violent. "Gang activity, sadly, is a reality in a lot of the developing world. Kids who have very little to cling to go to a gang for some source of acceptance and relationship."

But, says Glenn, Compassion International is making a notable difference. Sponsorships help with education and more. The Gospel is what transforms the community from within. Getting the Gospel to the streets is the hard part. "All we can do is pray for the protection of our kids and communities, and bring our kids to the safe haven of that local church that Compassion partners with."

The church youth group that suffered Saturday's attack has a lot of healing to do emotionally and physically. Glenn urges prayer support for the Gospel workers who are on the front lines. "One of the first prayer needs that we have is for the church to be the Church in those communities, for the body of Christ to step up and say 'we're going to take these kids under our wings. We're going to give them a safe place. We're going to protect them from this type of thing so that they don't have to look to a gang for relationship and acceptance."

Compassion's work in Mexico began in 1976. There are currently more than 20,500 children participating in 130 child development centers. Compassion partners with churches to help them provide Mexican children with the opportunity to rise above their circumstances and become all God has created them to be.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Extortion duo who threatened pastors in Nepal detained by police

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

KATHMANDU, NEPAL (ANS) -- Police in Nepal have detained two members of an extortion racket who have been threatening to blow up pastors’ churches and kill their families if they failed to pay up.

A cow enjoys his protected life in a Kathmandu street

According to UK-based Barnabas Aid (www.barnabasfund.org), a number of pastors in the Kathmandu Valley have been threatened in this extortion scheme.

Binod Kumar Tamang (29) of Kathmandu and Ramesh Pariyar (23) of Gorkha were caught in the act of extorting money from Sundar Thapa, chairman of the Federation of Nepali Christians and pastor of a church in Samakhusi.

Barnabas Aid went on to say that they had repeatedly threatened to blow up Sundar’s church and kill his family if he did not pay the demanded sum of two million rupees (US$22,500).

Tamang and Pariyar had issued bombing and kidnapping threats to other pastors in the Kathmandu Valley in their extortion campaign.

Fearful that the threats would be carried out, the victims sought help from the police.

Tamang and Pariyar have been charged with attempted kidnapping and extortion.

A Barnabas Aid partner in Nepal said that Christians face harassment in many forms, and expressed concern that the two detained men would be released.

“Outright violence against Christians in Nepal is rare, but there have been a few incidents in recent years,” said the partner. “The Nepal Defense Army, an extremist Hindu group that wants to reinstate the country’s Hindu monarchy, has detonated a bomb beside a Christian mission agency in Kathmandu, blown up a church in Lalitpur, killed a pastor and attacked other Christians.”

Dan Wooding, 71, 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 hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on the KWVE Radio Network in Southern California and 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 192 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. Dan has recently received two top media awards -- the "Passion for the Persecuted" award from Open Doors US, and one of the top "Newsmakers of 2011" from Plain Truth magazine. He is the author of some 44 books, the latest of which is "Caped Crusader: Rick Wakeman in the 1970s." To order a copy, go to: http://www.amazon.com/CAPED-CRUSADER-Rick-Wakeman-1970s/dp/1908728302/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335474883&sr=1-1 . Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel “Red Dagger” which is available this link.

Nigerian Christians Fleeing Their Homes Following Mass Killings

Interfaith Delegation Releases Report on Violence

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

JOS, NIGERIA (ANS) -- Members of the Church of Christ in Nigeria in the Jos region are fleeing their homes, fearful of more violence in the wake of last weekend’s mass killings in Plateau state, according to Open Doors News.

CCN officials told Open Doors News that after a week of rising tensions between the mainly Muslim ethnic Fulani and the mainly Christian ethnic Birom, about 50 members of the Church of Christ in Nigeria around the village of Maseh had fled their homes, taking refuge July 7 in the home their pastor.

The gunmen came Saturday, entering the home and opening fire. Then they burned the house, Open Doors News reported.

“Fifty of our church members were killed in the church building where they had fled to take refuge. They were killed alongside the wife of the pastor and children,” said Rev. Dachollom Datiri, vice president of the Church of Christ in Nigeria, in a July 11 interview with Open Doors News at the church’s headquarters in Jos.

Open Doors News reported that church officials said that in all, about 100 Church of Christ members were killed in the weekend attacks in 12 villages: Maseh, Ninchah, Kakkuruk, Kuzen, Negon, Pwabiduk, Kai, Ngyo, Kura Falls, Dogo, Kufang, and Ruk.

“In a country where Christians have suffered violence for more than a decade, last weekend’s mass killings nonetheless have left the Church of Christ, and much of the country, in shock,” the news report stated.

“They are psychologically traumatized, and their productive economic activities are impeded,” said Rev. Obed Dashan, general secretary of the Church of Christ in Nigeria, of surviving church members.

He added: “Most of them are peasant farmers and the attacks have not allowed them to go to their farms. Even those that have planted crops have had their crops destroyed by the Muslim attackers.”

Open Doors News went on to say that church leaders claim the Nigerian government is turning a blind eye to persecution of Christians in the country, and fear more violence will occur as a result.

“The whole thing is coming to a head,” Datiri said. “It’s been a long-term thing planned by the Boko Haram. This is a jihadist movement with the agenda to Islamize the country. It is a jihad, a religious war against Christians for refusing to embrace Islam. So, they are using terrorism as a weapon. That is the reason you see that the target of their attacks are Christians and our churches.”

Christian and Muslim alliance Commits to help Solving Tensions in Nigeria

WCC general secretary Olav Fykse Tveit and Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of Jordan during the Inter-religious delegation's visit to Nigeria. (Courtesy WCC).

Meanwhile in Geneva, the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought (RABIIT) on July 12 issued a report on their joint commitment to help in resolving the tensions in Nigeria. The report reflects a new Christian-Muslim model of cooperation for peace between religions and further interfaith dialogue.

According to a media update, the report follows the high level inter-religious delegation’s visit to Abuja, Jos and Kaduna, Nigeria, from May 22 to 26.

The visit and report are a response to the inter-communal strife between Christians and Muslims in the country.

Last week, around a hundred people lost their lives in the Plateau state alone as a result of the clashes.

“Religion should never be used as a pretext for conflict. We are committed to the situation in Nigeria. We are concerned and anxious for the lives that are lost in the name of religion in Nigeria,” said Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the WCC.

“Therefore we set out to investigate together first-hand, impartially and credibly, the situation on the ground in Nigeria and the various factors that have led to the present tensions,” added Tveit.

The report discusses the complex reasons behind the violence in Nigeria and suggests that the conflict goes beyond religion.

“From what we have witnessed, it seems to me that the primary causes of the current tension and conflict in Nigeria are not inherently based in religion but rather, rooted in a complex matrix of political, social, ethnic, economic, and legal problems, among which the issue of justice – or the lack of it – looms large as a common factor,” said Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of Jordan, chairman of the RABIIT.

The delegation admired the vast majority of Nigerians who do not want their religion to be used to propagate violence. It voiced hopes that its collaboration will further Christian-Muslim cooperation and empower religious leaders in Nigeria to continue the conversation that they have started.

Both the WCC and the RABIIT plan to work together with individuals and institutions in Nigeria on projects that include developing a common statement for people to sign.

Based on both their religious traditions, they pledged themselves to work for the peace and well-being of Nigeria. They hope to initiate theological publications for peace, contributing to the harmony in both Muslim and Christian scriptures.

The delegation to Nigeria was led by the WCC general secretary and Prince Ghazi. During the visit delegates met with government officials, religious leaders, traditional rulers and the families of victims of violence.

Read full text of “Report on the inter-religious tensions and crisis in Nigeria” here:http://tinyurl.com/cqaguw3

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world.

An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church.

The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway.

Vatican Commends Shanghai’s auxiliary Bishop Ma Daqin for his Act of Conscience

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

MIDLAND, TEXAS (ANS) -- ChinaAid (www.chinaaid.org ) says that on July 7, 2012, disregarding the Vatican’s angry protests, China’s state-run Catholic Patriotic Association held ordination ceremonies in Shanghai and Harbin without the approval of the Vatican.

Auxiliary Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin resigned during illegitimate state ordination ceremony. (Photo via Google Images search).

According to the ministry, at the illegitimate ordination ceremony held by Association, auxiliary Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin publicly announced his resignation from the Patriotic Association effective immediately. ChinaAid expresses its understanding and appreciation for this act.

According to reports by Radio Free Asia and BBC Chinese News, Ma Daqin used to be a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and the deputy director of Shanghai Catholic Patriotic Association.

In his speech at the ordination mass held at the St. Ignatius Cathedral located in Xujiahui, Shanghai, auxiliary Bishop Ma Daqin of Shanghai diocese said that, as an auxiliary bishop appointed by the Vatican, he would resign from his position in the Patriotic Association, effective immediately, and would focus on the chaplaincy and evangelism.

ChinaAid said that later he was taken away by the authorities and has disappeared. He was reportedly being detained at Sheshan monastery outside Shanghai of which he is a member.

In a statement issued after the incident, the Vatican praised Ma Daqin as “commendable and encouraging” and excommunicated Bishop Yue Fusheng of the diocese of Harbin, who was ordained by Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association on July 6 without the approval of Pope Benedict XVI.

Before this incident, the Chinese government had accused the Vatican of “creating division and confusion within the Chinese church”. After the incident, the spokesperson of the “one association and one conference”, i.e. the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and the Bishops Conference of Catholic Church in China, said on July 11, “The ordination mass of Shanghai’s auxiliary bishop on July 7 is suspected of being in serious violation of the regulations of the Bishops Conference of Catholic Church in China regarding the appointment of bishops. The ‘one association and one conference’ of the Chinese Catholic Church is conducting an investigation and will make an assessment.”

ChianAid says the Ma Daqin incident set off a massive response inside and outside of China.

In a media update, ChinaAid “highly commends Ma Daqin’s act of integrity, condemns the Chinese government for detaining him, and urges the Chinese government to immediately release this auxiliary bishop widely revered by Catholic believers in Shanghai and to follow the law in respecting the Chinese people’s right to religious freedom.”

The group said that like the “two committees” of the Chinese Christian Council and the Three-self Patriotic Movement, China’s Catholic Patriotic “one association and one conference” has been indoctrinated by Beijing Theology -- a heresy whose central doctrine is patriotism -- as the church’s supreme faith principle.

ChinaAid explained that religious affairs in China are actually controlled by the government such that the church is like a government agency, although superficially it is a religious organization.

ChinaAid added that Bishop Fu Tieshan, the late chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association who passed away in 2007, was reportedly a member of the Communist Party sent to infiltrate the Catholic Church. He intentionally opposed the Vatican.

In the obituary published by China’s Xinhua News Agency, he was referred to as “an extraordinary patriotic religious leader, a well-known social activist and a close friend of the Chinese Communist Party.”

The group goes on to say that just a few days after the June 4, 1989 massacre, he was the only religious figure who publicly endorsed on TV Deng Xiaoping’s military crackdown on the demonstrators in Beijing and the forcible clearing of Tiananmen Square.

ChinaAid founder and president Bob Fu said: “Auxiliary Bishop Ma Daqin’s courage, independent spirit and integrity are admirable. This incident makes clear to the world that the ‘three-self’ principle advocated by China’s official church is a fraud because even wholly religious activities of the clergy and church must be approved by the government; otherwise, they will be punished. There is no independence at all. We are deeply concerned about the continuing deterioration in the relationship between China and the Vatican.”

Sources:
1. Ma Daqin resigned from the Patriotic Association and restricted in chaplaincy duty; Yue Fusheng was excommunicated by the Vatican (photo)
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/g-07102012141245.html

2. Shanghai’s auxiliary bishop was detained at a monastery
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/chinese_news/2012/07/120710_china_madaqin_bishop.shtml

3. News conference of the Chinese Catholic Church “one association and one conference”
http://www.shmzw.gov.cn/gb/mzw/mrxw/syxw/userobject1ai8973.html

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ChinaAid Contacts

Lawyer sticks up for beaten Christians; case likely to reach the Supreme Court

Kyrgyzstan (MNN) ― A case of crucial importance for all believers in Kyrgyzstan is finally headed to trial.

Kyrgyzstan made the Open Doors World Watch List this year at #48 for its tight grip on Christians. It's not uncommon for believers to face property destruction, intimidation, and physical harm in Kyrgyzstan. Despite a 2009 Religion Law, the nation is currently considering tighter censorship on all religious literature as well.

Christians may constantly be under a microscope in Kyrgyzstan, but an incident in April was especially disturbing.

Narsbek was invited to a school by the principal and several village leaders to distribute Samaritan's Purse shoe boxes in his home village of Ak-Kyia in the Naryn region of Kyrgyzstan, reports Voice of the Martyrs. Narsbek and a team arrived in the village on the morning of April 11, 2012 in two vehicles.

As they greeted the principal and other leaders, the village mosque leader, or mullah, appeared with his students in tow. He ordered the group to stop the distribution immediately. Instead, the principal directed the team to move their vehicles onto the school yard, and the mullah left.

But a few moments later, he reappeared--this time with a group of about 20 young zealots with him. The mob shouted "Allahu Akbar" and rushed in to pummel the visiting Christians, flinging rocks through the air. They grabbed Narsbek and his brother-in-law, Marazat, pinning them to the ground to beat them. Narsbek was hit in the back of the head with a rock, and another attacker clenched his hands around his throat.

Just when Narsbek thought he would be leaving the earth forever, his wife managed to surprise his attacker and the two barely escaped in their battered van.

The remaining attackers reportedly collected the Samaritan's Purse shoe boxes and burned them in the school yard in front of the students and school staff.

Although the distribution team notified local authorities of the incident, police took no action. Narsbek still has remaining damage to his right eye, as well as reoccurring headaches.

Narsbek decided to file a case against the mullah to prompt authorities to act, but even that didn't get results. Finally, Narsbek and his family got a lawyer from another city to come speak to the local state attorney, police, and village leaders. The lawyer reminded the local officials that Kyrgystan's new president had stated it was important not to have conflict over ethnic or religious issues and that the country's laws must be followed.

It appears that Narsbek's case will go all the way to the country's Supreme Court, according to VOM. If it does, it would be a victory for believers all over the country.

Narsbek recently told VOM, "We are pushing this case not for our own benefit, but so that everyone will feel safe and not afraid of being beaten or killed because of their religion. People... are very afraid to think about following Jesus... Please pray that justice would reign and that there would be freedom, and not fear, in following Jesus."

Pray that this case will not only promote religious freedom in Kyrgyzstan, but that the injustice would cause Kyrgyzstanis to think about and even give their lives to Christ.