The Persecution & Prayer Alert
Pastor Dale Morgan
The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada
June 14, 2008
A weekly news digest on the Persecuted Church
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In this week's edition: Reports from Iran, Pakistan, India, Gaza and
Canada with updates from Bangladesh and VOMC.
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1. House Church Leader Arrested in Iran
Eight policemen arrested a house church leader, Mohsen Namvar (44), in
his home in Tehran on May 31, according to a June 9 report from Compass
Direct. The officers confiscated a number of Namvar's personal
belongings including his computer, printer, CDs, books and money. He was
given no official explanation for the arrest, and his current location
is unknown.
According to an Iranian pastor residing outside the country, Namvar had
anticipated that police would come for him since hearing that he had
been implicated during police interrogations of Christians in the city
of Amol in April. He had been warned by a friend that authorities were
keeping him under close watch. Namvar was previously held and tortured
for baptizing Muslim converts to Christianity in the spring of 2007.
Pray for Namvar's release. Pray that he will act as a faithful witness
for Christ during his detention (Matthew 5:14-16). Pray that his wife
and children will rely on the Lord for comfort and strength.
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2. Christian Rights Activist Attacked in Pakistan
Joseph Francis, a Christian rights activist and partner of Centre for
Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) was attacked by two
unidentified Muslim militants in Lahore, Pakistan on May 23, according
to a June 4 report from CLAAS. The men chased down Francis' vehicle on
motorbikes and one of them pulled a gun in an attempt to forcibly stop
his car. They accused Francis of committing blasphemy, a crime
punishable by death, and threatened to kill him if he continued to work
with CLAAS to help "blasphemers." Due to the heavy traffic, he was able
to escape the men and call his staff members for help. When the staff
members arrived they stopped the men, who then fled. This is the second
attack on Francis in less than three months. On March 6, militants
attacked his car as he arrived at a rehabilitation centre with a
Christian girl who had been raped by Muslims.
Pray for the safety of Francis and the other CLAAS staff members as they
serve Christ. Pray for Francis' health as he suffers from diabetes and
high blood pressure. Pray that persecutors in Pakistan will come to
repentance and salvation, just as Paul did.
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3. Christian Schools Attacked in Gaza
Armed attackers broke into El-Manara Christian School in Gaza City at
approximately 2:00 a.m. on May 31, according to a June 4 report from
Compass Direct. The assailants tied down two school guards and beat them
before stealing a bus belonging to the Palestinian Bible Society. A
Palestinian Christian leader who requested anonymity for security
reasons said that police had reportedly arrested one of the assailants
but claimed it was too early to confirm who was behind the attack. This
was the second attack in the area in a series of weeks as a bomb was
detonated outside of the Zahwa Rosary School on May 16.
Pray that Christians in Gaza will exhibit the love, grace and
forgiveness of Christ. Ask God to give them wisdom and grace as they
follow Christ through adversity (James 1:5).
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4. Marriage Commissioner Fined for Refusing to Marry Gays in
Saskatchewan, Canada
On May 23, a Saskatchewan human rights tribunal ruled that 71-year-old
marriage commissioner Orville Nichols was guilty under the Saskatchewan
Human Rights Code of discriminating against a gay couple whom he refused
to marry three years ago. The tribunal ruling stated that Nichols had
contravened a section of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and that his
refusal based on religious belief conflicted with his duties as a public
officer. Nichols has expressed his disappointment in the decision, which
he sees as a denial of his religious rights. He is considering an appeal
depending on the level of financial and moral support he receives from
the public.
Pray for Nichols to have the peace and grace of Christ in the midst of
opposition for his Christian beliefs (John 14:27).
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5. Christian Couple Beaten by Hindu Militants in Madhya Pradesh, India
Shankaral Saket and his wife were severely beaten by Hindu militants in
Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh on May 27. Both believers were seriously
injured and Saket required 20 stitches on his head. The attackers were
angered by Saket's conversion to Christianity four years ago.
Pray for healing for Saket and his wife. Ask God to strengthen
Christians in India to continue to share their faith in Christ despite
attacks from militants who oppose the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20).
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6. Christian Girl's Rape Case Medical Report Falsified by Muslims in
Bangladesh
Last month, Elina Das, the 13-year-old daughter of Pastor Motil Das was
gang-raped by Muslims in the village of Laksmipur, Mymensingh district
(see www.persecution.net/news/bangladesh10.html for more details).
According to a June 4 report from Compass Direct, a forensic report on
Elina's case allegedly proved that her claims of sexual assault were
false. However, relatives of the accused rapists reportedly gave 80,000
taka ($1,190 CAD) to the medical college to alter the report in their
favour. Pastor Das' Muslim neighbours have expressed their shock over
the falsified report which they had hoped would help to bring the
rapists to justice.
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Pastor Dale Morgan
The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
A weekly news digest on the Persecuted Church.
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In this week's edition: Reports from China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and
India with updates from Canada and Azerbaijan.
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1. President of Chinese House Church Alliance Detained
Pastor Zhang Mingxuan, the president of Chinese House Church Alliance,
was detained at approximately 12:00 p.m. on June 18 along with his
interpreter when he was on his way to meet with a senior European Union
official, according to a June 18 report from China Aid Association. The
pastor and his interpreter are being held at a Public Security Bureau
office in Beijing. Since his conversion to Christianity in 1986, Pastor
Zhang has been arrested, beaten and incarcerated 12 times.
Pray for the release of the pastor and his interpreter from prison (Acts
12:5). Ask God to strengthen Chinese Christians to continue honouring
God despite pressure and opposition from the authorities.
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2. Christian Girl Raped by Muslims in Pakistan
On May 25, a 12-year-old girl from a Christian family, Elishba, was
raped by three Muslims in Lahore, according to a June 13 report from
AsiaNews. Elishba's father, Niamat Masih, returned from work to find her
not at home and grew worried for her safety because she suffers from
mental problems. When he went outside to look for her he heard noises
coming from a nearby home and went inside. He was met by the young
Muslim men who fled at the sight of him. He then found Elishba lying
unconscious on the floor with her clothing torn. Elishba's family
initially refrained from reporting the crime or filing charges because
they were threatened by local Muslims and unable to afford the costs of
a trial. After receiving support from Christian organizations, however,
her father has opened a case against the rapists and they have been
arrested.
Pray for healing and comfort for Elishba, who is set to receive care at
a local Christian centre specializing in treating patients with mental
problems. Pray that authorities will prosecute the offenders to the full
extent of the law. Pray for God's love and grace to abound in the Masih
family.
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3. Christian Girl Beaten by Fellow Students in Middeniya, Sri Lanka
A Christian girl was attacked by her classmates following an
anti-Christian meeting held in a mostly Buddhist school in the village
of Middeniya, Hambantota district on June 17, according to a June 17
report from the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka.
After a speech by the principal warning students not to go to church, a
group of students beat the Christian girl.
Ask God to heal and comfort the Christian girl who, at last report, was
too afraid to return to school. Ask God to strengthen Christians in Sri
Lanka to stand in God's grace in the midst of civil war and opposition
(1 Peter 5:12).
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4. Pastor Attacked in Madhya Pradesh, India
Pastor Rampal Masih was attacked by Hindu militants while leading a
morning church service in the town of Gurh, Madhya Pradesh on June 15.
At approximately 11:30 a.m. militants gathered outside the church
building and began to shout curses at the 70 believers present. Five of
the militants forcibly entered the church, dragged Pastor Masih outside
and beat him. When some of the church members rescued the pastor, the
militants fled to the local police station. Later that day, the
militants returned with two police officers and another group of
militants. They ordered Pastor Masih to come outside of the building and
when he did, they beat him for a second time. Before leaving the
premises, the attackers threatened to set fire to the church.
Pray for healing for Pastor Masih. Pray that he and his congregation
will grow in Christlikeness through the ongoing opposition they face
(James 1:2-4). Pray that the faithfulness of Indian Christians will be a
light that draws others to Christ.
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5. Albertan Pastor Fined and Censored for Violating Human Rights in Canada
In late November, the Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC) ruled that
Pastor Stephen Boissoin and the Concerned Christian Coalition (CCC)
violated Alberta's human rights law by publishing a letter in a local
newspaper that was "likely to expose homosexuals to hatred or contempt
because of their sexual preference" (see
www.persecution.net/news/canada22.html for more information). On May 30,
in the penalty phase of the proceedings, the AHRC ruled that Boissoin
and CCC must pay damages equivalent to $7,000 as a result of the
tribunal's decision to side with the complainant, homosexual activist
Darren Lund (to view the full ruling see
www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/LundDarren113007Pa.pdf).
The ruling also ordered Boissoin and CCC to cease publishing
"disparaging remarks" about homosexuals in the future in newspapers, by
email, on the radio, in public speeches, or on the internet.
Furthermore, Boissoin was ordered to publicly apologize to Lund in a
local newspaper statement.
Boissoin has publicly stated that he "will never offer an apology" and
plans to appeal the ruling. If you are interested in knowing how you can
support him at this time, visit www.stephenboissoin.com/index.html.
In response to the ruling, Chief Executive Officer of The Voice of the
Martyrs, Glenn Penner, said, "Is it the same to make disparaging remarks
about homosexuals and homosexuality? I suspect this ruling would combine
the two. Hence, Mr. Boissoin is effectively muzzled for the rest of his
life from ever expressing his biblically-based views on homosexuality.
In what is reminiscent of Soviet show trials, he is also being forced to
publicly apologize for a crime he claims never to have committed. How
far has freedom fallen in this country?"
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6. Formerly Imprisoned Pastor Threatened by Police in Azerbaijan
Azeri pastor Zaur Balaev, who was released on March 19 after being
imprisoned for nearly a year in prison on accusations of holding
"illegal meetings under the guise of religious activities" , is facing
new threats from authorities, according to a June 12 report from Forum
18. In late May, Balaev was summoned to the office of a local police
chief where three officers present made statements including, "'Haven't
you learned from your imprisonment?" and "Wasn't one prison term enough
for you?'" Balaev also said that one officer told him, in a clear
threat, "You may not be afraid, but you've forgotten you've got a wife,
daughter and a son." Although the officers were not violent to him,
Balaev described them as "very crude." Balaev's church is reportedly
under close watch by authorities. The police have banned the church from
holding church services but the congregation has refused to stop meeting
together for worship.
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