Friday, December 6, 2013

Pakistan’s churches increase security after Peshawar blasts

Officer dies guarding another church in Peshawar


Christians guard the Full Gospel Assemblies
 Church in Bahar Colony in Lahore.
Security around churches in Pakistan has increased since the deadly suicide blasts in Peshawar in September and the death of a police guard outside a church last month.

On September 22two suicide bombers blew themselves up outside the All Saints Church in Peshawar when congregants were leaving the church after the Sunday service. Ninety-six people were killed and 133 were injured.
Then on November 19, a police constable, Muhammad Attaullah, was killed during a security operation outside another church in Peshawar.
Samson Simon Sharaf, Central Defence Secretary of Peshawar’s  provincial ruling political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), told World Watch Monitor that the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Association is “providing security to 160 churches and it can be increased further”.
Following the Peshawar blasts, the Pakistani police held meetings with church leaders in Christian areas, such as Bahar Colony in Lahore.
Rev. Dr. Liaqat Qaisar from the Full Gospel Assemblies Church in Bahar Colony said that police were working alongside church members to provide security on Sundays.
“The police instructed us to put barricades on the outside of the church, to keep the entrance clear and, rather than all the congregation leaving at the same time, worshippers should leave in small groups after the church ends,” said Qaisar.
After the death of police constable Attaullah outside the Swati Gate Assemblies of God (AG) church in Peshawar, Deputy Superintendent of Police Fazal Wahid told World Watch Monitor that the incident had no religious dimension; rather that terrorists were attacking police everywhere.
The church administration, however, did not rule out the possibility of another attack on a church and added that the church had employed security guards for a number of years.
“The first time indiscriminate firing took place outside the church was in 2009, after which security has been permanently deployed,” AG General Secretary Dr. Arshad Masih told World Watch Monitor.
He added that another police constable, Muhammad Shehzad, was killed outside the church on July 5.
In Lahore, three men were arrested on October 6, after they were spotted at a wedding in St. John’s Catholic Church in Yahounabad.
The men, Pashtoon in origin, were spotted by security guards, who noticed that they were outsiders to the area and asked why they had come to the wedding. When they could not provide a reason, they were handed over to the police.
Locals say they have noticed Pashtoons (from the north-west region of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan) moving into Yahounabad – one of the largest Christian settlements in South Asia – in recent years. They add that they are concerned not only by possible terrorist attacks, but also of increasing hostilities to the long-term residents, such as trying to manoeuvre them out of this prime area of the city, by buying up land.
Meanwhile, local media reported that there were fears that the Lohari Gate Presbyterian Church in the Anarkali area of Lahore may be a target for terrorist attacks.
PTI Defence Secretary Sharaf added that churches were one of the most likely targets for such attacks.
“Christianity is seen as a symbol of Western cultural imperialism, which is why, after the Shiite and Barelvi [an offshoot of Sunni Islam] worship places, churches are the third target of hardliner terrorist groups,” he said.

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©2013 World Watch Monitor

Syria: Conflicting Reports about Missing Nuns

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (ANS) -- Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), has told the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net) that it is concerned for the welfare of twelve nuns and three young women who were taken away from their convent in a village 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) north of the Syrian capital Damascus by Islamist rebels on Monday, 2 December 2, 2013.

The Greek Orthodox convent of
St. Takla of Maaloula
But now, according to CSW, there are conflicting accounts on the current plight of the nuns and their three associates. Pope Francis has called for prayer for "the nuns of the Greek Orthodox convent of St. Takla of Maaloula in Syria who were forcibly taken away by armed men two days ago,"

However, yesterday their mother superior, Pelagia Sayyaf, said the women were "comfortably installed in a house in Yabrud and no one was bothering them,"

Thousands of Christians and many Muslims fled Maaloula when it was invaded on September 5, 2013, by Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Islamist militia, including the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabat al-Nusra. 

Christian families who escaped were accommodated by churches in the Damascus area, which provided food and medical supplies. However, 40 nuns remained in Maaloula to look after dozens of orphaned children.

Maaloula is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the few places in the world where the locals still speak Aramaic. According to Syrian news agency SANA, the rebels "committed acts of vandalism in the town's neighborhoods and around the convent, attacking locals and targeting them with sniper fire."
Syrian rebels forcibly evacuated 12 nuns including the mother superior Pelagia Sayyaf (Reuters)

CSW remains concerned by the disappearance of Archbishop Boulos (Paul) Yazigi of the Greek Orthodox Church and Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim of the Syriac Orthodox Church, who were abducted by gunmen in April 2013 as they returned from a humanitarian mission near the Syria/Turkey border. 

Their whereabouts remains unknown.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights the Syrian civil war has so far claimed at least 125,835 lives, with five million people internally displaced, and two million Syrians fleeing to other countries. The seven million affected represent a third of Syria's population.

CSW's Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, "Our thoughts and prayers are very much with the nuns and the three young women in their entourage, particularly in light of conflicting reports regarding whether they were forcibly abducted or evacuated to safety. These are worrying times for the Christian community in Syria, given the earlier abductions of two Archbishops and the documented and deliberate targeting of clergy and laity by Islamist militia.

"CSW urges every party to the conflict to adhere to humanitarian standards with regard to the treatment of civilians, religious leaders and religious establishments, regardless of creed or ethnicity. We also request the speedy release of these nuns and their associates into the hands of church authorities."

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

Lahore church provides aid to 'tortured and abducted' brick kiln workers

Now they say they are receiving death threats for helping them

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Lahore, Pakistan, church has told the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net) that has been providing aid to "tortured and abducted brick kiln workers" in Lahore, the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab.

Two of brick kiln workers
According Pastor Javaid Austin of the Light of the City Church, the shocking incident took place on September 12, 2013, when six kiln workers, namely Mr. Asghar, Mr. Iqbal, Mr. Tariq Masih, Sharif Jalal, and two others, were "brutally beaten along with their families including women, and children" by local kiln owners and six "unknown" persons, and later were forcibly taken to Dhondaey village "with the threat of weapons."

He said that when he first heard of the shocking incident, he and a team rushed to the scene, and asked people who saw the incident what had occurred, and they said that the kiln owners and others had "hit them with heavy slippers and sticks and hung them on the front side of wall of a house."

The pastor added that after the "brutal and inhuman beating," the victims "became disabled and can no more work to earn a livelihood for their families."
Pastor Javaid Austin (in blue) with some of
brick kiln workers

The pastor then said that, despite the fact that they were ones who were beaten, the kiln owners then registered what he called a "fake" First Information Report (FIR) # 737/2013 at Raiwind City Police station, Lahore, against Tariq Masih and Sharif Jalal.

The pastor went on to say, "All these people are innocent and they have not committed any crime, but in spite of all this, they were tortured by the kiln owners. Iqbal Masih's wife was pregnant and was brutally beaten by owners and, due to this act, her child has died."

Pastor Austin says that his church "is working in order to raise the voice of voiceless people, especially for the down-trodden kiln workers for their economic, educational and social uplift."

He then said that when he first heard of heard about this "cruel act and inhuman treatment," he and his son Azeem Javaid, and other team members, including Pastor Ashik, Mubashir Younis, Yousaf Daniel, Javaid Saleem and Shumshar Ashgar, "rushed to the place to try and "take the necessary action to save them from the cruel kiln owners."

"When the Police were called by me and my team, they did not take any action against the kiln owners, but rather they protected owners. No one was ready to speak against kiln owners for the fear of their lives," he added.

The pastor said that they encouraged those who had been injured saying that they would do "all they could" to support them, and two of the men were taken to his home for "medical treatment, shelter, safety and protection."

Pastor Austin leading a protest against the treatment of the brick kiln workers
Then, the pastor and his team, provided legal aid to the workers, and protested in front of the Assembly Hall in Lahore "in the favor of victims" which, he said, was carried in several newspapers.

Pastor Austin has since submitted, on behalf of his church, a writ petition to the court of the Session Judge of Lahore, on behalf of those who were attacked.

"Since this incident occurred, we have receiving death threats on us and our families, in a bid to stop us continuing the case," he said. "We are continually attending the hearings of courts and we have requested to high officials of the Government that justice be done and have asked that due legal protection should, as early as possible, be given to the tortured workers as well as our families, and our Christian organization, as early as possible."

If you would like to contact Pastor Javaid Austin, his e-mail address is: lightofthecitychurch@yahoo.com

To watch a video about the incident, please go to https://vimeo.com/80067681 

American Pastor Saeed Abedini Robbed, Life Threatened, as Health Deteriorates in Deadly Iranian Prison

Social media "event" spearheaded by Albuquerque pastor draws about 25,000

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (ANS) -- Pastor Saeed Abedini not only confronts deadly conditions in Iran's Rajai Shahr prison, but he also faces direct threats on his life from other prisoners.

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According to a story by the American Center for Law and Justice's (ACLJ) Jordan Sekulow, Abedini's Iranian family was able to visit himMonday - the second visitation allowed since he was transferred to the deadly new prison last month.

Abedini is facing constant threats to his life in the new prison. There have been several nights where he has awoken to men standing over him with knives.

The ACLJ said his "cell" is only separated by a curtain from the rest of the violent prisoner ward he is forced to share. That allows dangerous prisoners - murderers and rapists - access to him 24 hours a day.
Abedini has also been robbed at knife point several times, stripping him of what few necessities he has been permitted to purchase for personal hygiene.

The ACLJ said, "As a result of the robberies, the utterly deplorable conditions of the prison, and the lack of doctor-prescribed medication which is being withheld by prison authorities, Pastor Saeed's health has quickly deteriorated."

The pain in Abedini's stoma ch has returned and he is now experiencing increased pain in what he described to his family as his kidneys. As a result of repeated beatings in Evin Prison, Abedini also suffers from internal bleeding.

After months of being refused medical care, the ACLJ said Abedini was allowed to see a doctor and was prescribed medication earlier this year. As a result of that medication, his physical condition had improved and his pain had subsided.

However, since being moved from Evin to Rajai Shahr last month, Iranian officials have refused to allow him this critical medication and his condition is worsening.

In addition to being denied needed medication, the prison conditions and lack of basic hygiene have led to Abedini's body being covered head to toe in lice. Because of the lice and increased pain, he is having trouble sleeping.

He is also experiencing symptoms of recurring urinary tract infections. There is no medication to stop the infections. He is now also experiencing significant joint pain.

T he ACLJ said Abedini has also noticeably lost weight in the new prison from lack of proper nutrition.

"The conditions he faces are unfathomable, "the ACLJ said. "He faces direct threats to his life on an almost daily basis. Iran has sent him to disappear. The time is now to pressure Iran for his release. Each day could be his last."

These troubling reports make Albuquerque Pastor Alan Hawkins' efforts to pressure the Iranian authorities to free Abedini even more crucial.

Social media blitz to free Abedini

Abedini's plight caught the attention of Alan Hawkins, founding pastor of Albuquerque's New Life City Church. Hawkins has organized a social media "event" to bring attention to Abedini's plight.

Those interested are encouraged to get involved by going to www.facebook.com/events/451324411638963/

The hope is that an onslaught of attention, and the accompanying pressure, will help in Abedini's release.
But how did Hawkins, 59, come up with this idea? In a recent interview he told me that his interest took a while to sprout.

Hawkins said it was his brother-in-law who first drew his attention about a year ago to Abedini's situation.
"I read the basics and then forgot about it," Hawkins said.

That changed when a group of men with whom Hawkins "blogs with theologically" began sharing their displeasure about how Abedini's situation has been handled by the American administration.
Hawkins said, "We complain a lot. Why don't we do something?"

Some more discussion resulted in a social media blitz focused on Dec.4. Hawkins said he came up with the Dec. 4 date as that was the day former hostage and Associated Press Correspondent Terry Anderson wa s released in 1991 from six years and nine months of captivity in Lebanon.

Hawkins said the project is an attempt to create "viral awareness" about Abedini's plight. He dubbed it a "spontaneously generated passion."

Reflecting on his fellow theological bloggers, Hawkins said "We're a bunch of people who had spent years debating over stuff who finally decided to do something."

And now the spark of passion has ignited, Hawkins said he's going to see it through.

"I don't expect them to release Abedini on the 4th, but I expect the awareness to rise to another level. I think American Christians really care, but they don't know much. This will put it in their faces, and we'll also make sure the politicians know we do care."

People do care. At time of writing, about 25,000 people had signed up for the "event."

To contact Hawkins, email him at alan@newlifecity.org

Nigeria’s Boko Haram strikes again in Cameroon

Missionary killed, churches torched around time of French priest’s kidnapping

In April last year, churches were targeted
 by suspected Boko Haram militants.
 Some victims had their throats cut,
 while others were beaten to death or burned alive.
 Here is one of the survivors,
 whose name is being withheld to protect
 his security.
Cameroon Human Rights Monitoring
A missionary has been killed and several churches set ablaze in attacks by Nigeria’s Islamist group Boko Haram in neighbouring Cameroon.
David Dina Mataware, with the Christian Missionary Foundation (CMF), was killed on November 13 by suspected Boko Haram militants in Ashigashia.
He was murdered on the same day as the kidnapping of a French priest, Father Georges Vandenbeusch.
Over the weekend of November 15-17, a number of incidents took place alongside the porous border of Nigeria and Cameroon. Dozens of properties, including Ewy church in Tourou (in Cameroon) were attacked while at least one church was set ablaze and destroyed on the Nigerian side of Ashigashia.
At least four people were killed and many others wounded and transferred to health centres. Despite the reinforcement of security forces in the area, villagers fear continued attacks from Islamist militants from Nigeria.  

12 nuns abducted as rebels recapture Maaloula

Three other women also abducted; Mother Superior says all ‘fine and safe’

Mar Takla, Maaloula.
Richard / Flickr / Creative Commons
The Vatican has reported that 12 nuns were abducted as opposition rebels captured Syria’s historically Christian town of Maaloula yesterday (December 2).
They were reportedly taken to the nearby rebel-held town of Yabroud.
Febronia Nabhan, Mother Superior at the Saidnaya Convent told the Associated Press today that the nuns who left were accompanied by three other women.
Nabhan said that the Maaloula convent’s Mother Superior, Pelagia Sayaf, called her later on Monday and said they were all “fine and safe”.

Chinese church protests against arrest of 23 members

Lawyers prevented from seeing detainees; leaders' whereabouts unknown

'House church' in Henan province, pictured in late 1980s/early 1990s.
Open Doors International
A church in eastern China has written a letter to the Chinese government, demanding permission to stage a protest against the detention of 23 members of its congregation.
The Nanle County Church in Puyang, Henan province, which comes under the ‘official’ state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), claims the majority of those detained, including the church’s leader, Fan Ruiling, “have not received a criminal charge, nor any written notice, nor have their families been told where they are detained”.
The arrests took place on November 16 and 17, after a third group of church members had visited Beijing to protest against incidents related to church property.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Albuquerque Pastor Launches Social Media Blitz to Bring Attention to Saaed Abedini's Plight

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (ANS) -- American-Iranian Pastor Saeed Abedini didn't intend for it to work out like this - prison in Iran.

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Abedini, 33, was suddenly detained in Iran for his faith. He had been in Iran in mid-2012, working on the administrative details for an orphanage he was planning in the city of Rasht. He was forced off a bus at the border of Turkey and Iran, his passport confiscated and placed under house arrest at his parent's home. A nightmare was about to begin.

On Jan. 27 2013, he was sentenced to eight years in prison, on charges of undermining national security because of his Christian faith.

Abedini was taken to Evin Prison, a facility for political prisoners, and recently transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison.

He is now held in a ward for rapists and murderers, according to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which represents Naghmeh and her husband, who is now an American citizen.
Pastor Alan Hawkins

Abedini's plight caught the attention of Alan Hawkins, founding pastor of Albuquerque's New Life City Church. Hawkins has organized a social media "event" to bring attention to Abedini's plight. Those interested are encouraged to get involved by going to https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201569218166071&set=a.1494050825007.66890.1046134724&type=1&theater

The hope is that an onslaught of attention, and the accompanying pressure, will help in Abedini's release.

But how did Hawkins, 59, come up with this idea? In a recent interview he told me that his interest took a while to sprout.

Hawkins said it was his brother-in-law who first drew his attention about a year ago to Abedini's situation.
"I read the basics and then forgot about it," Hawkins said.

That changed when a group of men with whom Hawkins "blogs with theologically" began sharing their displeasure about how Abedini's situation has been handled by the American administration.

Hawkins said, "We complain a lot. Why don't we do something?"

Some more discussion resulted in a social media blitz focused on Dec.4. Hawkins said he came up with theDec. 4 date as that was the day former hostage and Associated Press Correspondent Terry Anderson was released in 1991 from six years and nine months of captivity in Lebanon.

Hawkins said the project is an attempt to create "viral awareness" a bout Abedini's plight. He dubbed it a "spontaneously generated passion."

Reflecting on his fellow theological bloggers, Hawkins said "We're a bunch of people who had spent years debating over stuff who finally decided to do something."

And now the spark of passion has ignited, Hawkins said he's going to see it through.

"I don't expect them to release Abedini on the 4th, but I expect the awareness to rise to another level. I think American Christians really care, but they don't know much. This will put it in their faces, and we'll also make sure the politicians know we do care."

People do care. At time of writing, more than 7,000 people had signed up for the "event." 

Vigilante group formed in Bangladesh to stop Christian activities

Two months after church construction halted, committee wants complete end to Christian influence


Mojnu Mia, 31, pictured with his wife and son, said that he was
placed under a lot of pressure to recant his Christian faith.
World Watch Monitor
A vigilante committee has been formed in central Bangladesh to stop Christian activities in the local community, three months after the construction of a local church was halted.
After publishing the news of the construction of a church in local newspapers, members of Tabligh Jamaat, an organisation of Muslim missionaries, started visiting the site frequently in attempts to draw Christians back to Islam.  
Around eight of the 25 Christians have returned to Islam since September.
Mrinal Kanti Baul, pastor of the Tangail Evangelical Holiness Church, told World Watch Monitor that it was not yet clear whether they would be able to resume the construction of their church.

Dozens killed in fresh attacks in central Nigeria

Four Christian-dominated villages decimated; Muslim tribe suspected of attacks


Mass burials took place on Tuesday.
World Watch Monitor
About 40 people were killed in coordinated attacks on Monday night in four Christian-dominated villages in the central Nigerian State of Plateau.
Local sources contacted by World Watch Monitor report that the assailants, believed to be members of the Fulani tribe, came at around 2am on Tuesday morning, attacking the Berom communities in the villages of Katu Kapang, Daron, Tul and Rawuru.
Those killed included a one-year-old boy shot at close range, a four-year old and several women and other children, villagers told local media.
Rev. Soja Bewarang, the Chairman of the State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), who presided over a mass burial of 15 victims on Tuesday, has called on security forces to ensure security in remote areas, which are more vulnerable.

Kenyan bishop hurt in clash with local tribe

Three members of congregation also hurt in attempt to retrieve abducted member

Bishop Daniel Laichena, centre, was injured after demanding
 that Njuri Ncheke elders release a member of his congregation.
David Muchui / Youtube
The bishop of a Pentecostal church in eastern Kenya was hurt on Saturday (Nov. 23) in a clash with elders from a local tribe after a member of his church was abducted.
Three members of the bishop’s congregation were also injured during the clash in Meru, a region on the northeastern slopes of Mt. Kenya.
Bishop Daniel Laichena, head of the Full Gospel Church in Tigania East, was attacked by more than 40 elders of the Njuri Ncheke council at the local shrine where he had gone in an attempt to free the abducted man, Justus Kamai.
Kamai was eventually freed, but he claimed that the elders had forced him to undergo a spiritual ritual inside the shrine.

Refugees Victimized in Nigerian Violence

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

FAIRFAX, VA. (ANS) -- On Nov. 13, members of the terrorist group Boko Haram kidnapped Father Georges Vandenbeusch, a French parish priest of Nguetchewe.

Ann Buwalda and Emmanuel Ogebe visit Nigerian refugees
Vandenbeusch was kidnapped in north Cameroon and later transferred to Nigeria.

In a letter to supporters, Ann Buwalda, executive director of the Jubilee Campaign said a statement from Boko Haram demands the release of Boko Haram members jailed in compensation for Vandenbeusch's life.

Buwalda said this kidnapping is only a small piece of what seems like an insurmountable problem in northern Nigeria and its neighbor Cameroon, as the violence spills over.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has registered 8,000 refugees from Nigeria in Cameroon, near the area where the priest was abducted. 

Another 2,000 refugees have been registered in Niger and Chad.

Last month, Jubilee Campaign members Emmanuel Ogebe and Buwalda traveled to visit with Nigerian Christian refugees who have fled to the neighboring country of Cameroon from the terrorist atrocities inflicted on them in Borno State since May 25 of this year.

Due to the active Boko Haram terrorist attacks taking place within various pa rts of Borno State it was too dangerous for Ogebe and Buwalda to go directly there. Instead, they traveled through the adjacent Adamawa State to meet with refugees just across the state line in Gwoza.

A number of pastors brought refugees hiding in neighboring Cameroon back across the border to meet with us. While official United Nations reports mention ten thousand Nigerian refugees, there are reports of many unregistered refugees.

The team interviewed widows and others from the group of over 150 refugees who waited more than a day for our arrival. The refugees told Jubilee Campaign that on May 25, Boko Haram insurgents first burned down three churches in Gwoza area to test what the authorities would do.

Since nothing was done, the terrorists attacked again and burned down another 24 churches as well as 318 Christian homes, killing several Christians.

Buwalda said when Christian leaders pleaded to the local police for help, they were told to use bows, arrows and stones to protect themselves. As a re sult, all the Christians in the community fled. Although they would like to return to their ancestral homes, they told the team that the lack of proper security makes that impossible.

After distributing clothing brought for refugees, the team encouraged them with words of comfort from the Bible and prayed with them. The same day as this meeting, it was reported that nine people were killed, aside from three more churches that were burned.

Buwalda said these Christians have literally been bombed into the stone-age by Islamist terrorists who burnt their homes and ran them out of their villages in northern Nigeria. They need to start basically from scratch. Just last week 150 more homes were attacked.

UNHCR estimates around 5,000 or higher people have been displaced in northeast Nigeria. Recently, escalating numbers are seeking refuge in neighboring Cameroon.

Cameroon fears its inability to receive the refugees and contain violence. On Oct. 5, Cameroon officials attempted to forcibly return 111 people to northern Nigeria. During the incident 15 were killed and seven others were wounded. The rest quickly fled back to Cameroon and were detained.

Buwalda said, "Jubilee Campaign would like to help them in their desperation. Needs of the refugees include: tents and camping supplies (flashlights, stoves, ponchos, solar lamps, first aid kits, portable toilets, sleeping bags). Neither World Vision, World Relief or Samaritan's Purse are operating in Nigeria therefore, it is a real challenge to get basic relief supplies to distribute to the refugees."

Jubilee Campaign is a nonprofit organization which promotes the human rights and religious liberty of ethnic and religious minorities.

For more information about Jubilee Campaign visit www.jubileecampaign.org

Beijing House Church Raided

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

A woman walks to a Christian church in Beijing,
 April 17, 2011.
BEIJING (ANS) -- The meeting site of a Christian house church in Beijing was raided for being an "illegal gathering."

According to a news release from ChinaAid, believers said at least three house church meetings in the local area were raided by police.

In one case, more than 20 people, including police officers, religious affairs officials and joint defense team members burst into a meeting of 25 believers.

ChinaAid said, "They began breaking up the meeting, destroying installations in the room, and removing four or five cases of Bibles."

When a radio station contacted the local police and religious affairs officials on Monday they told the station that due to security concerns believers are not allowed to meet in private.

On Sunday morning, a meeting of Christians from the Harvest Church was broken up by more than 20 people from Gaoliying Police Station. Police cut short the sermon, forcibly dispersed the believers, and searched the rooms for religious items.

Mr. He said, "More than 20 of them came in yesterday while we were meeting. As soon as they arrived, they started removing computers, projector and sto ols from the room. Their director said that we were not welcome, and (they) took all our books, hymnals and Bibles. These past few days, we've been getting ready to negotiate with them and get our things back."

ChinaAid reported that another person, Ms. Xing, said the police officers were "rude and outrageous" after they entered the room. They shouted, "'Stay seated! Don't move!' (They were) like bandits, even grabbing the Bibles we were holding in our own hands. And, when we tried to make a video recording of them with our cell phones, they grabbed the phones and deleted everything."

House church believers hold small meetings throughout Beijing, and most of the time, the authorities don't interfere. 

ChinaAid said an officer later explained that this meeting was broken up because, "There was a relatively large number of people there; there were children and elderly people. If something dangerous happened, they themselves cannot be held responsible."

Mr. He said that many house churches in that tow n have dealt with the same issue.

In addition, Beijing's Chenguang Bookstore, which mainly sells religious literature, was subjected to multiple inspections from different government departments around the Oct. 1 National Day holiday. They were told that they could be shut down.

In communist countries such as China, ChinaAid said efforts to exert control over the Christian population have increased.

According to ChinaAid, "China continues to insist on asserting its authority over all Christian groups, especially over those not registered with the State."

An international non-profit Christian human rights organization, ChinaAid is committed to promoting religious freedom and the rule of law in China.



For more information visit www.chinaaid.org

Seven-Year-Old Boy in India Tortured, Murdered for Christian Faith

 A two-year-old photo of Anmol,
 a seven-year-old boy kidnapped
, tortured and murdered in
 northern India for his faith.
CARROLLTON, Texas, Nov. 26, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- The body of a seven-year-old boy in India retrieved from a pond last week revealed horrific details of torture before he was brutally murdered because of his Christian beliefs. 

Photo: A two-year-old photo of Anmol, a seven-year-old boy kidnapped, tortured and murdered in northern India for his faith.

The son of a believer, Anmol went missing after attending Sunday School at a Believers Church on Nov. 17 in northern India. His body was found the following day. Previous threats and persecution of his family indicate he was targeted because of his family's faith.  

"The unprecedented torture and death of this innocent child sadden our hearts incredibly," said Dr. K. P. Yohannan, Gospel for Asia founder and international director. "Persecution of Christians is a weekly occurrence, but this intensity of brutality against a child is unthinkable. In this horrible tragedy, we find strength and hope in Jesus."

According to Yohannan, persecution of Christians has increased by over 400 percent in the past few years. 

Anmol's parents last saw him when he left their home for School. When he did not return, they filed a missing persons report with local authorities. By evening, they identified their child's body at the hospital.

Anmol's face was burned, his hands were slashed and destroyed by fire, and his mouth was tied shut. Hot fragments of coal or firewood had been placed on his stomach, burning his abdomen, and his toes were broken.

Autopsy reports came back indicating Anmol's final cause of death was drowning. 

At least 200 people attended the final viewing and funeral. "The wail of the people and the parents was heartbreaking," said one official. "It was truly a painful and intolerable incident. The kidnapers had tortured the child in such an inhuman way. It was very clear that he was brutally killed."

Details identifying the murderer have not been released, pending further investigations. Anmol's family had been the target of persecution since 2003 when his father, Harish, made a decision to live for Jesus after witnessing the miraculous healing of his brother. At least 45 people began following Jesus at the same time, resulting in ongoing persecution in the community.

Gospel for Asia is calling for prayer for the consolation of Anmol's parents, brother and sister, grieving extended family members, that the persecutors would come to know the love of Christ, and the protection of all believers. 

More information and ways to pray are available at www.gfa.org/info/child-murdered.