Salafi party selects new leader; parliamentary elections forthcoming

Egypt (MNN) ― Egypt's new constitution seems to have everyone on edge.

"There's a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety," says Rex Rogers, president of SAT-7, a Christian satellite television ministry to the Middle East and North Africa.

According to Rogers, vague wording could spell trouble for religious freedom.

"Though the regime says the constitution protects the right of churches to exist, it's rather ambiguous…they just don't buy into the idea of a pluralistic and free society," he says.

"So Christians come back, and SAT-7 comes back and talks a great deal about human rights, and freedom of worship, and respect for all people."

Factor in yesterday's election of a new hardline Islamist leader, and believers could face even more challenges in the days ahead.

"There are more Christians in that country than the rest of the Middle East combined," Rogers explains. "So as Egypt goes...it affects the entire Middle East. It's a great concern for those of us in the West, too."

A 58-year-old Muslim cleric, Younis Makhyoun, was chosen in a consensus vote to lead the Salafi Al-Nour party, Egypt's largest ultraconservative Islamist party. Makhyoun was also part of the Islamist-dominated constituent assembly that drafted the new constitution in early December.

The upcoming parliamentary elections are forefront on the newly-elected leader's mind. According to Makhyoun, Egypt's next parliament is "the most dangerous and most important" in the nation's history because its goal will be "to purify all laws from whatever violates Sharia."

The Salafi party was founded by a group of hardline Muslim clerics shortly after the 2011 Arab Spring which overthrew longtime leader Hosni Mubarak. Rogers says some believers miss Mubarak's heavily-biased rule.

Why?

"Because they have stability, some degree of protection, more senses that they were at least able to exist," Rogers explains. "Now, they're not sure where it's going, and whether or not this Arab Spring can turn into a so-called Christian Winter."

Ask God to protect Christ-followers, and pray that more people would find salvation.

"The bottom line is: they need Jesus, just like anybody else...and that's the difference," says Rogers. "You change the future of the Middle East...one heart at a time."

That's exactly what SAT-7 is trying to do through their programming.

"We talk about the Word of God, we talk about Christianity, and we try to give them the voice because it's an encouragement," Rogers says. "When you're a minority… it's very important to know that others are aware of you, care about you, reach out to you in prayer and fellowship."

Rogers says they also try to speak Truth into Middle Eastern culture.

"We try to emphasize Christian ideas without becoming political: Christian ideas of reconciliation, respect and love for others, forgiveness, peace -- those are Christian values."

You can participate in sharing the life-changing message of Jesus Christ with the people of the Middle East and North Africa, too. Just click here.

Some resignation, optimism in advance of Saturday's referendum

Egypt protests near Presidential Palace
(Photos courtesy of Moud Marthez)

Egypt (MNN) ― The Muslim Brotherhood hoped that an overwhelming approval to the draft constitution would quiet the restive opposition. 

However, that was not to be the case in either scenario. First, although the first round of voting has brought a 56% "yes" vote to the constitution, it isn't a done deal. Second, protestors have been packing the streets to show their discontent with the process. 

Despite Islamist claims that a win proves they have a mandate, the opposition says the whole process has been rushed, there have been irregularities at the polls, and turnout: low. There may be enough to the accusations that the Justice Ministry has launched a probe investigating the allegations. 

It's not over yet. Saturday's round covered 10 of Egypt's 27 provinces. The second round of voting is this Saturday.

Paul Estabrooks, a spokesperson for Open Doors, says a lot of Christians are doing what they can in the referendum. However, "They do have a sense of resignation, and we need to pray that God will overrule in the situation for them." 

Why the concerns? Estabrooks explains, "The draft referendum, they say, is poorly crafted, is too Islamist, and they're afraid that this is going to bring even more persecution against the Christian minority there." More specifically, he notes, "This new draft that Mohammed Morsi is proposing gives the Islamic clerics a say over legislation and over civil liberties. This is the area where believers are most concerned."

Estabrooks goes on to compare the possibilities of a Sharia state to what Chinese Christians have experienced. "It's very much like the old days in China. Believers there were saying, ‘It's not so much the policy that Beijing sends out; it's how the local authorities implement it.'" 

Concerns were heightened when President Mohammed Morsi awarded himself extra powers and an Islamist Parliament. Article 2 of the proposed constitution establishes Islam as the state religion. "Principles of Islamic Sharia are the principal source of legislation," it states. Article 219 spells out those principles as "general evidence, foundational rules, rules of jurisprudence, and credible sources accepted in Sunni doctrines and by the larger community." Article 44 outlaws blasphemy.

If it's approved in its current state, the constitution calls for a parliamentary election in early 2013. There are fears that the new parliament will consist of nothing but people who support the Sharia turn. 

What's more, if the Islamists succeed in their gambit for power, believers expect even more harassment, oppression and outright persecution. "They hear the preaching every Friday from the mosques, where the local clerics sometimes can be far more strident in opposition to them than even the political leaders."

But will the opposition quit? That's unlikely. It's not Christians alone who oppose the shift to Islam, says Estabrooks. "There are a number of Muslim people who are also opposed to this constitutional draft because they see it as a negating of the whole Arab Spring initiation. It just transfers absolute power from one group to another."

However, some Christians believe that the recent wave of persecution has prompted many nominal Christians to turn to Christ for solace. It means hearts are united, and that, says Estabrooks, brings a sense of hope. "Believers are going to be in a situation where they have a wonderful opportunity to exhibit a Christ-like lifestyle and a response to what happens in their country. I think that's how we should pray, that first of all, we will be led and guided by the Holy Spirit in their responses, and that what they do will indeed reflect true Christian values."

Egypt is a nation in its birthing throes. Estabrooks says that Open Doors has had to adjust to changes almost as rapidly as the national believers do. He explains, "On the one hand, the way we were working before has been interrupted, of course, because of the instability. On the other hand, that has enabled us to distribute more Scriptures, more training materials, and more children's materials because of the spiritual growth that's occurring there."

Crisis tests Egyptian constitution

Tahrir Square, November 2012
(Cover photo by Moud Barthez. Story photo courtesy Open Doors USA.)

Egypt (MNN) ― Egypt has a new draft constitution, but it didn't come about the way people hoped. 

On Friday, in a 16-hour vote, Islamists approved the charter without the participation of liberal and Christian members. The move essentially pre-empted a court ruling that could dissolve the constituent assembly, but it also inflamed the conflict between the opposition and President Mohammed Morsi.

The draft still faces a national vote in the next 30 days. If it remains unchanged, human rights experts say Muslim clerics could bring restrictions on freedom of speech, women's rights, and other liberties. 

Secular and Christian leaders complained that hardline Islamists were determined to draft a constitution heavily influenced by Sharia law. In frustration, at least 20 members of the constitutional assembly had resigned in protest by early November. 

Without dissenting opinion, the Islamists included what they wanted. By the time the vote rolled around, television footage of Parliament's chamber showed that of the 85 members in attendance, not a single Christian was present and there were only four women, all Islamists. Many of the men wore beards, the hallmark of Muslim conservatives.

It is against this backdrop that the new Coptic Pope Anba Tawadros, takes up the leadership staff. 

His is a term where Christians have faced increasing pressured since the January 2011 revolution that deposed President Hosni Mubarak. There's been a corresponding rise in anti-Christian violence, and Christians now wonder what their role is. Todd Nettleton, a spokesman for the Voice of the Martyrs USA, says, "Christians in Egypt are concerned because the government really seems to be moving against them, and there are not a lot of positive signs where they would feel protected or they would feel like there's going to be more freedom for Christians in Egypt; it seems like it's going in the other direction."

Pope Tawadros immediately made it clear that his focus was not the political arena. Nettleton explains, "He has talked about focusing on the Church and Christianity rather than focusing on what the government is doing. We'll see what that means to him over the coming weeks and months as we see how he responds." 

However, with no input from the Christian community in the country's constitution, people are looking to Pope Tawadros for guidance since he's the voice and face of the Coptic Church in Egypt. Given what's at stake, says Nettleton, expectations are high. "They hope that he will be a voice that says ‘Christians have a place in Egyptian society. Christians deserve protection.They deserve the freedom to worship without fear for their lives'." 

That begs another question: will the pope change his approach given the circumstances unfolding in Egypt over the last 10 days? What will be his level of representation on behalf of the Christians in front of the state? The pursuit of a secular state would benefit Christians more than a religious one, since that's the direction they're headed in now. 

Concerns over the lack of representation in the draft constitution surface as the reality of religious freedom issues emerges. Nettleton notes, across all age groups in the Egyptian Church, "The biggest concern is probably what the place of the Christians is going to be in Egyptian society under the new government. Are they going to be a protected minority that is allowed to exist and allowed to worship and allowed to meet together? Or are they going to be pressured to disappear?"

Pope Tawadros is expected to continue encouraging Christians to step by themselves into the political arena and take things in their own hands. To do that, he will need to stop doing it for them. This will be a time for growth amongst followers of Christ in Egypt. 

Although the news of the charter was dismaying, it's not even close to the final chapter. In fact, it may be the beginning of a new one. Hardship is a unique crucible for the Gospel. Nettleton sums it up this way: "They [Christians] can be an incredible witness for Christ because the ability to forgive and the ability to love those who are persecuting us: there is not a human explanation for that. It can only be a supernatural explanation that God and the Holy Spirit have empowered us to be able to live that way."

Turkey's new constitution may not allow for a neutral state

Turkey (MNN) ― Turkey Constitutional Reconciliation Commission (AUK) started writing the draft of a new Constitution on May 1. But since the project has been underway, Forum 18 News Service has noted that it is still unclear as to whether or not the new constitution will effectively protect the right to freedom of thought, religion, or belief at all.

Turkey does not exactly have a history of equality among its people. Although it's certainly much more tolerant of minorities than neighboring countries, Turkey remains 31st on the Open Doors World Watch List for persecuted of Christians.

A quality, neutral Constitution would not necessarily solve problems of persecution, but Forum 18 argues it "could solve at least some of the systemic problems and send a strong signal to government and society of other necessary changes."

In other words, it may encourage change in the daily lives of the Turkish people.

Throughout the Constitution drafting process, representatives from multiple religious groups have presented their views to the AUK. A few smaller minority groups have been left out of the process, but Sunni Muslims, minority Alevis, Christians, and more have been able to express their concerns and ideas.

Forum 18 says, "Some of the key religious freedom manifestations that religious groups--including minorities and groups within the majority Sunni Muslim population--hope to see protected in the new Constitution include: the right to establish schools where religious training can be provided, the right for religious organizations and communities to acquire legal entity status, the right to establish places of worship, the right to appoint leaders in accordance with their respective religious traditions."

These are ideas they have been able to express to the AUK. However, recent government decisions suggest that the AUK may not necessarily take all of these concerns into consideration.

For one thing, there have been odd moves in the education realm. Forum 18 notes that the Turkish government recently allowed the opening of Islamic schools and the creation of distance learning for female students who want to wear headscarves. However, no accomodations have been made for other minority groups.

At the same time, the "Religious Culture and Knowledge of Ethics" class students are required to take has yet to be abolished or even refined. Forum 18 suggests it could be redefined to include education about all religions in Turkey or at least provide optional lessons to learn about Christianity, Judaism, and other religions found in Turkey.

Furthermore, on June 1, legislation was passed introducing tax exemptions for people building places of worship or places of religious instruction. But Forum 18 notes that in order to get the exemption, the places must be approved by the local Governorship. Forum 18 says that seriously limits who can receive the tax exemptions. They say Protestants already face serious obstacles in establishing places of worship.

If the strange goings-on of the government indicated nothing, and the AUK created a truly neutral Constitution, things still might not pan out in favor of religious freedom. Forum 18 reports that although the AUK has to make a unanimous decision, the draft Constitution will be subject to changes by the General Assembly of parliament, the Grand National Assembly.

Clearly there are multiple variables in this Constitution process that could jeopardize religious freedom and tolerance within Turkey. The best thing to do now is pray. Pray for a Turkey's Constitution to provide freedom for believers, but most importantly, pray that the Gospel would move forward regardless of what comes next. 

Buddhists force Christians from village

Strong Hindu and Buddhist
 populations make persecution of
 Christians common in Nepal (Photo
 courtesy of VCM)

Nepal (MNN) ― A strong Buddhist population in Nepal recently rose against a group of Christians and drove them out of their village with their pastor.

According to the Voice of the Martyrs, Canada, the Nepali pastor was accused of bringing a foreign religion into the village and teaching ideals that were offensive to society.

Attackers also accused Christians of bribing and coercing other villagers into converting, an act frowned upon by society.

While the anti-conversion laws are not officially in effect in Nepal, anti-conversion law language has been used by the Nepali government in their ongoing process of drafting a constitution.

On top of forcing Christians out of their village, one member of the opposition reportedly sexually abused the six-year-old daughter of a Christian family.

A worker with the Voice of the Martyrs helped the believers resettle in another village and prayed with the family of the assaulted six-year-old girl.

Nepali Christians only make up 2.8% of the population. Over 75% of the population is Hindu which, up until 2006, was the official religion of the country.

While persecution is not as common as it used to be in the 1990s, it is still a major issue for believers there. Attacks against Christians are especially frequent when one converts from the Hindu or Buddhist faith.

Please pray that Christians may begin to gain religious freedom in Nepal. Pray for the healing of the girl who was sexually assaulted and for strength among the ousted believers.

Click here to get the full Persecution and Prayer Alert with Voice of the Martyrs, Canada.  

Nepal's government makes promises for a new future...again

Nepal (MNN) ― Thousands of former Maoist rebels are going home. A truce between political parties was the catalyst to talks on how to restructure Nepal.

The rebel stand down is significant considering the elections in 2008 yielded not one, but five coalition governments.

Yet, no constitution to govern the country is in place. Nepal's Constituent Assembly failed to meet its own deadlines for a draft time and again. Lawmakers amended the interim Constitution and gave themselves another allowance. 

Danny Punnose with Gospel For Asia says it's the last one. "What's happened so far is there's been deadlock for years now. The Supreme Court and others have given extensions, and now it's to the place where if they don't get this first draft even written, the present government will be dissolved." The deadline now to write the Constitution is May 30. 

After that, if nothing is in place, "You go back to no one leading the country, which is kind of a dangerous thing right now." 

The uncertainty has neighboring countries jittery, especially in light of the chaos that comes with lack of leadership. 

Punnose explains, "Usually, when people get scared and things get out of hand, what happens is the first default option is a strike or a national shutdown of everything. It does cause transportation difficulty. Prices and goods go up. Our people can't travel to the churches and things like that."

Aside from the crisis of government, another issue cropped up. According to a report from Compass Direct News, days before the deadline, the Nepal Defense Army (NDA)--a militant armed group that has terrorized Christians and Muslims--set off an explosive in front of a charity office, attacked preachers, and razed a church building.  

Christians are often scapegoats in times of uncertainty. However, that won't stop Gospel teams from working. They're more concerned with the possibility that Nepal's Maoist political party will call a bandh--a strike enforced by threats of violence.

The last time Maoists called a bandh, they threatened to continue it until they had complete control of the government. To that threat, Punnose says, "I think what we find is that they don't want to write the draft, because then whatever they write as adding into freedoms of faith and those kinds of things, they have to stand by it. It's easier to put it off than to actually uphold what you know you have to do."

A bandh makes it impossible for Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries to work. Church services are also cancelled.

"We need to pray that God would give wisdom and grace to these political leaders to be able to write this constitution and then uphold what they've written," says Punnose. Pray also that "when they write, there would be freedom of faith within the constitution."

Elected officials say Maoists are stalling and blocking any attempt to create legislation. Gospel for Asia leaders in Nepal are asking for prayer. "Pray for the country as a whole, that there wouldn't be a lockdown or a strike that just shuts down everything, because it does hinder the ministry from going forward."

Punnose also asks for prayer that the citizens of Nepal would have true freedom of religion and that the country would not turn back to its old system of having a national faith. "Pray for the protection of Gospel for Asia workers, plus the others what are working there, that God would protect them."

Nepal's government makes promises for a new future in three months

Nepal (MNN) ― Nepal's government is working toward taking the peace process to its "logical end" and preparing a draft Constitution within the next three months.

The new Prime Minister says the government puts the peace process, publicizing the Constitution, and helping the poor at the top of their agenda. According to a recent press release,  the government  is working toward double-digit economic transformation and prosperity beginning next year.

Read more...

The debate over Sharia law creeps into American politics

USA (MNN) ― A panel discussion in Tennessee moderated by the First Amendment Center took place this week, addressing a growing legal concern in the United States.

There are roughly 20 states that have legislative measures filed barring judges from considering Sharia law in their decisions. Four states have passed legislation. An earlier restatement of a Tennessee law would effectively criminalize the practice of Islam, punishing those individuals with up to 15 years in prison.

Open Doors advocacy coordinator Lindsay Vessey explains, "Sharia law is basically Islamic law, and that deals with everything from legal issues to social issues and marital issues--it basically controls every aspect of one's life."

In recent years, a movement has been growing steadily as more Muslims come to the U.S. to live. Vessey says, "In Western countries, a lot of Muslims would like to bring Sharia law. Their argument is essentially that to be culturally sensitive to them, these countries should allow them to govern themselves by their own Sharia law, and that it doesn't really contradict or cause any problems with the existing legal structure."

Opponents of such laws say the proposals reflect an "Islamaphobia" aimed at restricting the presence and religious beliefs of Muslims. However, Vessey explains, "It actually takes away the rights of people who maybe don't want to be subjected to Sharia law, but because they were born into a Muslim family who ascribes to it, they're actually forced into it. That's a really dangerous situation, to have two parallel systems of law going on in a country."

In other countries experimenting with the concept, the Sharia law system has proven to be chaotic. "One of the best examples where we can see this is in England. There are hundreds of Sharia courts there. Many of the Muslim immigrants use those courts as opposed to using the British legal system."

The issue is that "under Sharia law, something that's illegal is to convert away from Islam. That means that if you are a Muslim in England and you are being subjected to Sharia law, you can't convert to Christianity, or you can't even leave your faith and become an atheist," explains Vessey.

Under that scenario, there is no religious freedom. Vessey says the argument that Sharia does not conflict with an existing legal system also fails the Constitution test. "You can be punished under that law. That's a court that would be in direct contradiction to our laws here in the United States--the freedom of religion/ freedom of expression is one of our dearest-held constitutional beliefs."

Similar to other bills in the U.S., the language does not mention "Sharia" specifically. For example, the Michigan bill, introduced by State Rep. Dave Agema, R-Grandville, says the ban would "limit the application and enforcement...of foreign laws that would impair constitutional rights."

Vessey says although Muslim groups are threatening to challenge the constitutionality of the proposals, the legal argument will likely be what defenders are focused on. "Everything that goes at the heart of what Americans believe and what is enshrined in our Constitution is contradicted by Sharia law in terms of religious freedom. Something should be done to prevent having Sharia courts and Sharia law being used side-by-side in the United States like is already being done in England."

As the opponents and proponents of the bills continue to make their cases, Vessey says it's important not to forget the reason why believers are part of this discussion. "The one thing that we can do is to pray that their hearts and eyes are opened to the message of the Gospel. Pray for opportunities to share with Muslims in our communities."

Nepal Church Workers Unfazed by Anti-Conversion Bill

Nepali partners, radio station
 (Photos courtesy HCJB Global)

Nepal (MNN) ― In about a month and a half, Nepal is supposed to have a new constitution ready to go.

Faced with an August 31 deadline, there's a high risk of a collapsed peace process should the draft not be completed by that time.

The new deadline is the extension of another deadline at the end of May which was missed. The May target came about as the result of a 2008 election that eventually brought about an accord between the Maoist rebels and the government. However, the peace was hinged on meeting a two-year mandate for a new constitution.

The political chaos that could result from another miss could permanently derail what's been accomplished since the civil war ended in 2006.

With such dire warnings ringing in their ears, lawmakers set about working on something they could finish quickly: the penal codes. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a committee established by the government to review those submitted a proposal that would ban all religious propagation.

The concern is that this revision mirrors similar anti-conversion laws throughout India and pushes even further away from religious freedom. Christians have been sounding the alarm over the proposed changes, but Ty Stakes, Regional Director for HCJB Global Asia Pacific, says their partners are much more steady in their response. "They've experienced persecution before. Almost everybody I know that is a Christian has experienced some sort of persecution from their families."

Stakes points out that 25-30 years ago, there were hardly any Christians in Nepal. He estimates that today, there are probably over 700,000 Christians. They were the trailblazers, so hardship and oppression isn't seen by them as a new thing. "Many of the leaders I know that are older, who lived through the times before the mid 80s and earlier (and were Christians), have been in jail, and they have been prosecuted previously by the government for their faith."

However, because the Church is growing, there are many new believers who haven't experienced persecution yet, and there are questions about the "chilling effect" rumors of trouble might have on evangelists. The answer is simple, Stakes notes. "My friends in Nepal see the political instability as evidence of a continued open door for them to reach out to their communities, to their people for the Gospel."

History brings a great deal of strength and confidence to the foundation laid by the Gospel. "The advantage they have is a generation of people who are right there, right now, that can say to the many, many people who have come to Christ in the last decade or so, 'This is going to be okay. We've lived through this before. Get ready.' They can prepare for it and speak to it from their experience."

HCJB Global equips these evangelists for evangelism and church planting, says Stakes. "These are the guys that God has brought to us who want to see a greater evangelism blanket put out there with local radio, so we help them do local radio." Many have also established small Bible training schools, as well as leadership training schools, working on the principle of grassroots. "The leadership development process is always behind, so they just keep struggling ahead and teaching people to teach other people."

With the indigenous church structure setting deep roots, are there concerns that an anti-conversion law will undo years of work? Stakes notes, "This isn't a done deal yet. The legislation is not in place, and it's not being enforced on any level. The situation for Christians to reach out to their communities hasn't changed as of today."

A new draft constitution is supposed to be presented August 31. There's time to pray. "Pray that God will keep the door open, and that He will create momentum in the political process so that as He's working out His will in governments and leadership all around the world, He'll do that in Nepal and will continue to allow the opportunity for the Nepali Church to grow."