Open Doors explosive church growth in Iran

Iran (MNN) ― Middle EastOpen Doors staff members recently reported that church growth is "explosive' in Iran; they even speak of a revival.

Iran is the fifth country in the world on Open Doors' World Watch List for the persecution of believers. The president and the supreme leader of the country openly speak against the growth of house churches, and persecution against Christian converts is highly prevalent.

Interestingly, though, these two government leaders are nearly alone in their disdain for Christianity as a "Western religion," says one Open Doors staff member. "In the past, Christianity wasn't popular; it was seen as a Western religion. Now only the government sees it as a Western product, or better: a Western political system," says the staff member.

Iranians have seen the corruption of the Islamic Revolution in their own country and are looking for something more. This yearning combined with a bold Christian presence is causing church growth like never before.

"Iranians are very outgoing and want to speak about their faith," a staff member states. "That is why discipleship training (with elements of outreach and communications) for Iranian believers is successful. If you tell them that a Christian should share, the Iranian Christian shares."

Offering discipleship training is one of the ways Open Doors works to strengthen the Iranian church. It is estimated that about half of the new Christians are open about their new faith while others are keeping their conversion a secret.

As a result of this willingness to take risks, there are hundreds of thousands of believers in Iran. About 40 years ago, approximately 200 Christians from a Muslim background were living in Iran. Today some estimate that there are as many as 370,000 Christian converts. Besides these new believers, Iran also has a traditional Armenian and Assyrian church with about 80,000 members.

These Christians face daily harassment for their faith. The government's abborhance of house churches has caused house churches to cut membership down from around 15 members to more like 5 or 6.

Open Doors staff say that in the last several months, the Iranian government has prohibited several churches from offering services in Farsi on Fridays, the official day off in the country. The Iranian government also forbids the selling of Bibles or New Testaments.

And persecution comes from society, too. "Based on the information that we get from people, we believe that persecution by family members is growing; but this kind of persecution is less visible than, for example, arrest by police." But, the staff member adds, "Even though persecution is growing, people becoming Christians continues to grow."

The growth can only be explained by the power of the Lord. Pray that He would continue to work through the church, and to give dreams and visions to seeking Iranians. Pray for boldness and safety for believers as they proclaim the name of the one and only God. 

Religious peace in Indonesia under threat, says leader

Muslim anti-Christian demonstrators in Indonesia

Indonesia has seen a sharp increase in religious violence over recent years, with radical Muslim groups targeting both Christians and members of the minority Ahmadiyah community - writes Ruby Russell.

But at an ecumenical seminar in Germany, the chair of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (CCI) explained that the country's religious leaders have a common aim in promoting tolerance and harmony.

"Leaders of the Christian community, together with other religious leaders (especially Muslims), have always made an effort to maintain healthy cooperative relationships," the Rev. Andreas Yewangoe said at Ruhr University, Bochum on 8 November 2011. "The nation's problems are seen as problems that we must face together."

Religious plurality has been enshrined in the Indonesian constitution under the national ideal of "unity through diversity" since independence from colonial rule in 1945. There are six officially recognized religions: Islam, Protestant Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism, as well many followers of traditional indigenous beliefs.

Drawing on the experiences of his own religiously mixed family and describing a rich tradition of interfaith festivals, Yewangoe painted a compelling picture of Indonesia's "authentic harmony."

But all that is at risk. According to the Indonesian Committee on Religion and Peace, there have been more than 20 attacks on churches this year, and several have been forced to close. In February, a mob attack on an Ahmadiyah mosque in the Banten province of Java left three people dead. The attack led to 12 convictions, but those sentenced received only six months in jail.

The Ahmadiyah consider themselves Muslim but differ from mainstream Islam in believing that Muhammad was not the final prophet. "As churches in Indonesia, we do not interfere in internal matters of Islamic teaching but we do interfere when people are denied their right to worship," Yewangoe said in an interview. "Freedom of worship is in the constitution, which is why we advocate the rights of the Ahmadiyah."

On a separate trip to Germany in September, Yewangoe met with lawmakers in Berlin to discuss the ongoing dispute over the Yasmin Church in west Java, which has been closed since 2008 due to pressure from radical Islamists. The local mayor has ignored a ruling by the Supreme Court of Indonesia that the church should be allowed to reopen. Yewangoe sees this a test case for the Indonesian constitution, which he insists that the majority Indonesians of all faiths want to see upheld.

"The current problem we face in Indonesia is not Christian versus Islam but those who want to support the common problem of nation-building versus those who wish to tear it apart," Yewangoe said in his lecture.

The event in Bochum marks the start of a three-week tour of Germany by Yewangoe organised by the United Evangelical Mission. Yewangoe hopes to raise awareness of issues affecting his own country and to remind Germans of the importance of interfaith harmony at home.

"I am happy to visit the German churches because the interfaith relationships in Germany have also become more important," he said. "In Germany there are many Muslims now. The Muslim people are now your neighbours."

[With acknowledgements to ENInews. ENInews, formerly Ecumenical News International, is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Communion of Reformed Churches and the Conference of European Churches.]

[Ekk/3]

Christian Nurse in Pakistan Boldly Opts to Report Videotaped Rape

Colleague tries to blackmail her into converting to Islam, marrying him.

By Murad Khan

 

LAHORE, Pakistan, September 8 (Compass Direct News) – A Christian nurse here filed a police report on Saturday (Sept. 3) alleging she was raped by a Muslim colleague who filmed the act in an attempt to blackmail her into renouncing her faith and marrying him, she and hospital sources told Compass.

 

Shaista Samuel, a 27-year-old nurse at the Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), filed a First Information Report (FIR) at Shadman police station accusing Ali Adnan, an assistant accounts officer at the hospital, and an armed accomplice of abducting her at gunpoint from the government hospital on Aug. 21 and taking her to a house in Lahore where Adnan’s accomplice filmed the rape.

 

“[Adnan] was holding my arm tightly and forcibly led me to a white car in the parking lot,” Samuel said in tears, adding that as they approached the car, Adnan’s accomplice came out of the shadows and placed a handgun to her head. “Adnan said that they would shoot me if I raised my voice. I was in complete shock … my senses went numb, and I could not believe this was happening to me. They took me to a house in WAPDA Town [for housing Water and Power Development Authority workers in Lahore], where Adnan raped me while his friend filmed the entire incident. They ruined my life completely.”

 

Christians have little legal or societal standing in Pakistan, and Muslim criminals tend to assume they will not be prosecuted if their victims are Christians.

 

Samuel said she had worked several years at the hospital on good terms with Adnan.

 

“I thought of him as a good friend, since we were working together… he used to visit my home often and was known to my family,” she told Compass.

 

Recently, however, Adnan had begun acting strangely toward her, she said.

 

“He started criticizing Christians for not observing the purdah [covering of women] and of following our ‘own brand of religion,’” she said. “One day when I was least expecting it, he told me that he had started liking me and that I should convert to Islam and marry him. I told him that I had always considered him just a friend, and that although I held him in great regard, marrying him was not possible since we belonged to different faiths.”

 

Adnan began harassing her at the workplace and by telephone, she said.

 

“He used to block my way at the hospital, and then one day he forced his way into my house and threatened me and my family, saying that he would not rest until they marry me to him,” she said. “He was acting like a mad man … He started cursing my family and even tried to set the house on fire.”

 

Disturbed by Adnan’s obsessive behavior, Samuel said that she tried her best not to come into any sort of contact with him. On Aug. 21, however, as soon as she entered the hospital he approached her from behind and forced her to sit in a car in the hospital’s parking area, she said.

 

“All this while, he told me not to make a commotion as it would only create an embarrassing situation for me,” she said. “He said he just wanted to talk to me to ‘clear up some misunderstandings.’”

 

He then led her to the white car, and the accomplice appeared. Samuel said the two men held her for over an hour and then dropped her back at the hospital, telling her that if she told anyone about the rape they would send the film to her family and also upload it on social networking sites.

 

In Pakistan, a rape victim is generally considered too shamed to resume a normal life or pursue marriage.

 

“I was devastated,” she said. “I wanted the earth to open up and swallow me. I did not share my ordeal with any person, not even my parents. I did not have the courage to tell them that their daughter had been dishonored, and decided to keep my misery to myself … I could not see my father and brothers face the shame brought by my bad luck.”

 

Her misery did not end there – Adnan began trying to blackmail her by phone, she added.

 

“At first he demanded that I convert to Islam, and only then would he consider forgiving me for refusing his proposal,” she said.

 

When she refused, he began demanding sexual favors and threatening to come to her house and show the film to her family – Pakistanis tend to shame the victims rather than the perpetrators of rape – but Samuel refused to be manipulated by his threats, she said.

 

“My defiance angered Adnan to such an extent that one evening he turned up at my home and showed the film to my parents,” Samuel said. “He then told my shocked family that they had no other option but to hand me over to him ... he told them that he ‘owned’ me now.”

 

Adnan left the house, leaving the family, members of Church of Pakistan-affiliated St. Andrews Church, in deep anguish.

 

“We had a very tough decision to make,” Samuel said. ‘We could have either conceded to his demand or be ready to face the shame and dishonor by reporting his crime, but we chose the latter. Adnan must be punished for ruining my life. I thank God that he rescued me from Adnan’s blackmailing, otherwise I would have remained in mental agony for the rest of my life.”

 

Compass tried to reach Adnan for comment, but he was unavailable as he had turned off his cell phone.

 

Although Shaista and her family have filed an FIR with police, getting justice without higher government help may be difficult. At press time police had yet to arrest the two suspects, who fled their homes soon after the registration of the case and have managed to obtain pre-arrest bail.

 

“The police deliberately gave them time to get interim bails,” Samuel said. “My father and brothers have been going to the police station every day to ask them to record the statements of the accused, but the investigating officer of the case is using delay tactics. I’ve been asked ridiculous questions about the incident, but I will not be discouraged from seeking justice.”

 

Samuel said she was tired of suspicious and questioning eyes at her workplace and has taken leave from the hospital. The administration has formed a committee to probe into the matter.

 

“I am sick and tired of people staring at me and asking questions,” she said, adding that after she took leave, no one from the hospital administration had contacted her though she had heard of the committee’s formation. The two-member committee includes SIMS medical Superintendent Muhammad Javaid and the hospital’s finance director.

 

Javaid told Compass that the committee would record the statements of the complainant and the accused and would also examine the circumstantial evidence.

 

www.compassdirect.org

 

END

 

**********

Copyright 2011 Compass Direct News

Growing Persecution of Christians in Nigeria

Open Doors USA Calls on Christians in the West to Support Suffering Believers through Prayer, Ordering Special Wristbands

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

SANTA ANA, Calif., Sept. 1, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Muslim extremists, along with members of the Nigerian army, allegedly killed 24 Christians during mid-August in Nigeria's Plateau state, according to Compass Direct News. On Monday in the city of Jos, CNN reported clashes between Muslims and Christians resulted in at least 20 deaths. There were also reports of injuries and burnt vehicles and shops.

Christians in Nigeria have faced increased persecution in recent years. The forceful implementation of Sharia (Islamic law) in 12 northern states remains a great challenge for the church. Extremist Islamic groups, using violence as a means to achieving Muslim dominance, have increased their activities. Despite all of the violence, more churches are reaching Muslims with the gospel and the number deciding to follow Christ is increasing.

"As our brothers and sisters in Nigeria face increased persecution, it is vital that we pray for them," says Open Doors USA President/CEO Dr. Carl Moeller. "Christians, especially those living in the north, are living in constant fear of being attacked by extremists; they are not able to worship in peace."

Northern Nigeria holds the No. 23 spot on Open Door's 2011 World Watch List of 50 countries where Christians face the most severe persecution. Christians in the conflict areas of Nigeria request prayer above anything else.

Please pray for:

• Comfort for Christians who have lost loved ones or have been made homeless through violence
   
• Thank God that the church is becoming more united as a result of persecution
   
• Wisdom and courage for church leaders reaching out to their Muslim neighbors and caring for converts.
• 
  

Nigerian Christians are hardly the only believers facing persecution. Over 70 percent of the world's 6.8 billion people live in countries with restrictions on religion.

Nov. 13 is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) in the United States. This year Open Doors USA is encouraging Christians in the West to be "One With Them" through a special on-going campaign.

"According to the Bible, when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer," says Kenny Luck, founder of Every Man Ministries. "This is why it is so important for us to be One With Them in prayer."

One With Them is a call to action to unite with persecuted believers, not just on IDOP but during the months leading up to that special day. Through prayer and advocacy, Christians in the United States are urged to join millions who share our faith but not our freedom.

One way Christians in the United States can show their support for the persecuted is through One With Them wristbands. Wearing the black, flexible silicone wristband that looks like barbed wire is a great conversation starter. The wristbands provide an opportunity to explain to others about the plight of persecuted believers. Kenny Luck says he is wearing a wristband as a show of solidarity. In the last month, 25,000 wristbands have been sent out to churches, church leaders, small groups and individuals.

To order the wristbands, visit www.OneWithThem.com. Two of them will be free of charge -- one extra to share with a friend. Additional wristbands can be ordered for a fee with 100 percent of the funds going to support persecuted Christians.

As one of the lead agencies promoting the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, Open Doors is focusing on providing materials for Christians to use for the Nov. 13 event that will be observed by millions of Christians in the United States and around the globe. Materials in the free online kit include bulletin inserts, a pastor’s guide, videos, prayer points, testimonies from persecuted Christians, Bible passages on persecution and lessons learned from suffering believers.

An estimated 100 million Christians worldwide suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ, with millions more facing discrimination and alienation. Open Doors supports and strengthens believers in the world's most difficult areas through Bible and Christian literature distribution, leadership training and assistance, Christian community development, prayer and presence ministry and advocacy on behalf of suffering believers. To partner with Open Doors USA, call toll free at 888-5-BIBLE-5 (888-524-2535) or go to our Website at www.OpenDoorsUSA.org.

House Church Leaders in Inner Mongolia, Ningixa Criminally Detained

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service


WUHAI, INNER MONGOLIA (ANS) -- Fifteen house church leaders from two remote regions of China have been in detention since mid-July.

According to a news release from the ChinaAid Association, during this period local police have tried to extort money from their families with promises of their release once the money has been paid, and threats of labor camp sentences or criminal prosecution if it is not.

ChinaAid said the incident began at 10 a.m. on July 26, when dozens of local police and officers of the Domestic Security Protection Department entered a meeting in the city of Wuhai, Inner Mongolia. There more than 20 church leaders from Wuhai and Ningxia province's Shizuishan were gathered to plan summer church activities.

ChinaAid said police surrounded the meeting site and arrested 21 people. They also confiscated everything at the meeting site, not just Bibles but even the bamboo mats that attendees use to rest and nap on after meetings. Everything was loaded into police vehicles and taken away.

The 21 detainees were later criminally detained on suspicion of "using a cult organization to undermine national law enforcement." However, ChinaAid said, police failed to notify the families as required, and didn't provide families with paperwork (also required) for the detention.

ChinaAid said before the 21 detainees were transferred to the Wuhai Detention Center, they were given physical exams. Six of them were elderly, and found to be in poor health. As a result, the detention center refused to accept them and they were released.

The remaining 15 church leaders were held for 15 days, after which the Public Security Bureau notified the families that their case had already been sent to the prosecutor's office. The families were told that if they raised 50,000 yuan (US$ 7800), the detainees would be released.

ChinaAid said when the families delivered the money to the prosecutor's office, the case was sent back to the Public Security Bureau.

According to ChinaAid, the Public Security Bureau then told the families that if they raised several tens of thousands of yuan (thousands of dollars) again, the detainees would be released. If not, they would be sent to labor camps or criminally prosecuted.

ChinaAid founder and president Bob Fu was shocked when he learned of this case and has been following it closely. He condemned the local officials and speaking in a news release, called on them to "immediately and with no pre-conditions release these innocent Christian believers."

Fu commented, "As the Bible says, 'It is hard for you to kick against the goads,'" quoting the words that God spoke to Paul of Tarsus, who had been brutally persecuting the early church, when he had his miraculous Damascus Road conversion.

Fu added, "The church will not retreat in the face of persecution. In fact, it will grow larger and stronger with each passing day."

For more information about ChinaAid go to www.chinaaid.org

---

Jeremy Reynalds is Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service, a freelance writer and also the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter,http://www.joyjunction.org He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "Homeless in the City." Additional details on "Homeless in the City" are available at http://www.homelessinthecity.com. Reynalds lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds atjeremyreynalds@comcast.net.

---

Zimbabwe: Chief Justice grants excommunicated Kunonga control over Anglican properties

AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- Zimbabwe's Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku has released an interim order -- valid until the matter is finalised in the Supreme Court -- confirming Bishop Chad Gandiya as the Bishop of Harare, but upholding the 24 July 2009 High Court ruling granting renegade Anglican bishop Nolbert Kunonga control over all Anglican Church assets in Harare.

As these properties belong to the Church of the Province of Central Africa, from which Kunonga was excommunicated in 2007 on the grounds of schism, Bishop Gandiya is right to ask, "How can he [Kunonga] be given custodianship of properties of an organisation of which he is not a member?"

Bishop Gandiya has told the Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS) that the diocese and the Church of the Province of Central Africa (CPCA) are waiting to see what will happen next. While the ruling means that Kunonga's legal challenge to Gandiya's installation as Bishop of Harare is finally over, the ownership of Anglican properties remains in the hands of the Supreme Court. "If the Supreme Court does not return the properties to our church then we will have no way of appealing the decision," Gandiya said.

In a letter to his supporters, Bishop Gandiya writes: "All along he [Kunonga] has been abusing church members and misusing church properties with the support of some in the Zimbabwe Republic Police and nobody stopped him. [Background] We thought that the laws of the land would stop him but now we see the law legitimising his impunity. We have tried to engage various responsible authorities but to no avail.

"We believe that this is setting a very dangerous precedent in the country. Dr Kunonga is claiming ownership of properties that do not belong to him. This is daylight robbery now with the support of the law. We continue to hope for the time when reason will prevail to the glory of God."

Bishop Gandiya expressed c oncern over what the ruling might mean for Anglican clergy. "You can well imagine the distress and chaos this is likely to result, especially for our priests who are living in rectories. I am very concerned about the likely disturbances to my priests and their families."

EVICTIONS BEGIN

On 16 August the Anglican Communion News Service reported the first eviction. According to Michael Chingore, registrar for the Anglican Diocese of Harare, the Rev. Dzikamai Mudenda and his family were driven from their home at St. James Anglican Church in Mabvuku, Diocese of Harare,  by people from the Kunonga group who came with copies of the court judgment.

Bishop Chad Gandiya reports that other priests living in parish rectories also have received stamped copies of the High Court judgment from supporters of Kunonga. The priests, including Friar Joshua from Bishop Gaul College, have all been told to move out.

"Our parishes are busy finding alternative accommodation for them," he said. "We don't know who he [Kunonga] is going to put in these houses. This is not going to be easy at all. It will disrupt their family life and ministry. I have been busy this evening getting in touch with my priests and encouraging them."

(For full report see Religious Liberty Monitoring)

---

Elizabeth Kendal is an international religious liberty analyst and advocate. This article is an edited version of a posting written for her blog: Religious Liberty Monitoring .

Biden's Top China Priority Should be Gao Zhisheng's Freedom

BEIJING, Aug. 18, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is submitted by He Geng together with Bob Xiqiu Fu of China Aid:

When Chinese President Hu Jintao was in Washington in January, feted by President Obama with all the formal trappings of a coveted state visit, I was standing across the street from the White House pleading for the release of my husband Gao Zhisheng, once hailed by the Chinese government as one of the nation's top 10 lawyers but now considered an enemy of the country he once served.

Vice President Joseph Biden is now in Beijing to further U.S.-China relations. But should the United States, which has always stood for freedom and justice, be pursuing relations with China when Gao Zhisheng, a peaceful fighter for the vulnerable and champion of the rule of law, is tortured and disappeared in the netherworld of China's police apparatus?  It is impossible to imagine.  It is my fervent hope that Vice President Biden can bring my husband back to us.

The Vice President's China visit coincides with the fifth anniversary of my husband's disappearance.  He was first taken by police on August 15, 2006.  His "crime" was providing pro bono legal defense to persecuted Falun Gong practitioners, house church Christians, helpless government petitioners, peasants whose land was sold out from under them by local officials to real estate developers, and other victims of abuse of power by Chinese officials.

Over the past five years he has disappeared into police detention no less than six times, and each time he was tortured.  Each time that he has been kidnapped by the police, they have held him for a longer period.  And each time, the torture has been worse.  The first time, they inserted toothpicks into his genitals.  More recently, he nearly died when his bare body was pistol-whipped for two days and two nights.  But there have been even worse tortures that he refuses to talk about.

We now know that when another activist -- artist Ai Weiwei -- was also illegally detained by police and tortured, he was shown video of my husband being tortured and told the same thing would be done to him.  The torture was so horrific that Ai confessed.

The irony of it is, for most of these five years of repeated disappearances, my husband should have been behind bars.  That's because in 2006, he was convicted of inciting subversion and sentenced to three years in prison and five years probation.  If my husband had been allowed to serve his three-year sentence "safe and sound" in prison, we would at least have known where he was, and we should have been allowed regular visits and mail and phone communication.

When U.S. government representatives raised my husband's case during bilateral talks in April and May on human rights, the economy and strategy, the Chinese side assured them that Gao was fine and had been in contact with his family members.  This is a flat out lie.

It has been 16 months since anyone has heard from him.  We have implored everyone we can think of -- from President Obama to the Beijing police official in charge of Gao's case -- for information on his whereabouts and condition.  We don't even know if he is alive.

The Vice President of the United States should make it his top priority to get the truth about my husband from the Chinese government, and the United States should demand that the Chinese authorities follow their own law and regulations.  No government that shows such flagrant disregard for its own code of law and that would so brutally torture its foremost champions of justice should be considered an equal partner of the United States.

   

He Geng has been tirelessly campaigning for her husband's freedom since coming to the United States in early 2009.  She wrote an appeal that was published in the Washington Post on February 4, 2010 and has spoken at congressional press conferences to draw attention to China's human rights record.

Bob Xiqiu Fu is founder and president of China Aid Association, which monitors and reports on religious freedom violations in China.  Fu has testified before many government and international organizations, including various U.S. congressional committees, the European Parliament and the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, and has been interviewed by media all over the world, including the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the BBC, the Associated Press and Reuters.

Nepal’s Churches Live under Threat, Discrimination

Lack of official recognition exposes Christians to litigation and other perils.

By Sudeshna Sarkar

KATHMANDU, Nepal, August 18 (Compass Direct News) – Defying pouring rain and flooded streets, over two dozen people have gathered faithfully at the Putalisadak Church in the heart of capital city Kathmandu for the regular Thursday evening Bible study class, bringing a smile of satisfaction on the face of Pastor Dev Kumar Chetri.

The smile fades, however, when he talks about the problems that Nepal’s second-oldest church has faced due to government discrimination. Hundreds of other churches scattered through the former Hindu kingdom have faced the same problem.

The roots of the discrimination are imbedded in history. When four missionaries from neighboring India’s Kerala state came to Kathmandu Valley and founded the Bethshalom Putalisadak Church in 1953, preaching non-Hindu religions was a punishable offense. A powerful Nepalese aristocrat, Col. Nara Raj Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana, who had secretly converted to Christianity in India, helped build the Protestant church on land bought in his name and those of two others.

“As per the old laws, churches were not allowed to register as religious institutions,” said Chari Bahadur Gahatraj, a Protestant pastor. “They functioned either as Non-Governmental Organizations [NGOs] or personal properties. In 2006, when Parliament formally declared Nepal secular, we thought it would change and churches would be recognized as religious institutions.”

Five years later, however, discrimination against Christians continues, Gahatraj said.

 

“We have not even been mentioned in the new policies and programs of the government proposed in Parliament this year,” he said.

The Putalisadak church suffered a crisis when two of the men who were co-owners of the land went to court to reclaim their share. The church land had to be carved up to resolve the dispute. Then it suffered another blow when the land it had bought with donations from parishioners in Lele village in neighboring Lalitpur district to build a cemetery 10 years ago could not be used due to fierce resistance by locals.

“This is the saddest story,” Pastor Chetri said. “Our church records indicate there are nearly 2 million Christians and about 4,000 churches in Nepal now. But most of them don’t have a final resting place, as Christianity is still not recognized in Nepal. It is as if we don’t exist.”   

Operation World’s estimate of the number of Christians in Nepal is lower than the church’s – 850,801 – but the latest edition estimates a higher number of congregations, 9,780, than the Putalisadak church does.

The third-oldest church in Nepal, Nepali Isahi Mandali, founded in 1957, was also dragged to court by a resentful neighbor.

“When our congregation started growing, in 2006 we started building a bigger hall to accommodate them,” said Pastor Samuel Karthak. “But it was opposed by a neighbor, who went to court. The dispute went up to the Supreme Court before it was resolved. We would have felt so much more secure if the churches had been recognized as religious institutions. However, we are still regarded as second-class citizens, and churches as places that exist only to convert people. We still don’t have a voice.”

Stung by government apathy, Christians this month joined forces with other excluded religious communities like Buddhists and Muslims to begin a campaign seeking an end to religious discrimination.

The Inter-Religious Secularism Protection Movement (IRSPM) is asking the government to allow churches, mosques, Buddhist monasteries and all other institutions run by religious minorities to be registered as religious institutions and be exempted from paying taxes.

“Despite ratifying several international conventions and despite becoming secular, Nepal has not recognized Buddhist monasteries, mosques, churches, Sikh gurdwaras [worship halls] and other religious institutions belonging to the religious minorities as religious trusts,” said Ishu Jung Karki, IRSPM’s acting coordinator. “Instead, it is nurturing laws that promote one particular religion.”

The campaigners are demanding that the government amend the draft of a new penal code that has triggered widespread controversy and condemnation over the inclusion of clauses that make conversions a punishable offense. Instead, they are asking for a new Religion Act as well as Religion Commission to resolve religious disputes.

 

Christians make up 2.85 percent of the population of Nepal, a nation that is 16 percent Buddhist and 4.4 percent Muslim; Hindus are the majority at 75 percent, according toOperation World.

For the first time, Christians and other religious minorities are seeking proportional representation in all state organs such as the army, judiciary and civil service on the basis of population. Though Nepal’s new Parliament has 601 seats with the provision that the prime minister should nominate representatives from unrepresented communities, the stipulation has been virtually ignored. Most ignored have been Christians.

The campaign has also expressed concern at strident propaganda by a section of the Nepalese media against religious minorities; these media representatives say the religious minorities’ proposals aim to spread “envy, hatred and strife.” The Christian community has been especially alarmed by a recent article in a popular English daily, authored by the editor of a financial newspaper, who alleged that all international NGOs that had set up office in Nepal aimed to propagate Christianity.

Perhaps the greatest concern by Christians is about the delay in promulgating a new constitution that was to have bolstered the nascent republic’s secular status. The major political parties failed to meet two deadlines – one last year and one in May – to get the charter ready. A third deadline looms on Aug. 31, and it is evident that not even the first draft of the document will be ready.

The inordinate delay has given militant Hindu groups time to push for the restoration of Hinduism as the state religion and for a referendum to decide if Nepal should remain secular.

“The government should implement the new constitution by Aug. 31,” reads an IRSPM press statement. “That is the mandate of the people as well as the pro-democracy movement.”

 

The pro-democracy movement ended Hindu King Gyanendra Shah’s army-backed rule and brought the political parties to power.

www.compassdirect.org

 

END

 

**********

Copyright 2011 Compass Direct News