Prayer for the World
Rowland Croucher
Religious Liberty Prayer List - No. 152 - Thu 24 Jan 2002
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SUDAN AND TURKMENISTAN: GIVE THANKS AND PRAY PERSISTENTLY
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SUDAN
A six-month, renewable ceasefire agreement for the Nuba Mountains
between the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the SPLM (the political
wing of the main rebel group fighting in the south) was signed on
19 January 2002 in Burgenstock, Switzerland. This followed six days
of closed-door negotiations between the two parties, with the joint
mediation of the Swiss and US governments. This is the first time
that the US has been involved in peace negotiations in Sudan since
the Sudanese constitution was amended to adopt Sharia Law in 1983.
US mediator was John Danforth, a former senator and an ordained
minister, who was named as special envoy for peace in Sudan by
President Bush last September. Danforth pushed for a halt to the
bombing of civilian targets (such as hospitals, schools and aid
delivery sites); for humanitarian aid access to the Nuba Mountains;
for zones and times of tranquillity in which that aid can be
offered; and an end to the taking of slaves. Three of these four
points were accepted, but the GoS has balked at the idea of ceasing
its bombing of civilian targets and the international monitoring
that would entail.
A political settlement of the conflict has not been reached,
without which the SPLA historically has refused to accept
ceasefires. A trial period has however been agreed, with an SPLA
ceasefire required for the GoS to stop its bombing.
To Joseph Bucher, the head of the Swiss delegation, the accord was
a first step, the next being its effective implementation. John
Danforth is concerned that there still is not a real will for
peace. A Kenyan working with Doctors Without Borders said, "We'll
have to wait and see. Maybe what is spoken and what happens in
practice are two different things." A UN worker was sceptical: "We
load the food, while they load the bombs." It might seem hopeless,
but this is the very reason why we pray. "With man this is
impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matt 19:26
TURKMENISTAN
Baptist lay preacher, Shageldy Atakov was released from prison on 8
January 2002 and reunited with his wife Artygul and their five
children. However, the church and others remain concerned because
Shageldy was not given a release certificate and his identity
papers were not returned. Shageldy was arrested on 18 December 1998
on 'swindling' charges after he refused to yield to KNB (formerly
KGB) threats and stop preaching. His treatment in prison was severe
and came close to taking his life and the family has suffered
immensely.
The Atakovs need our continuing prayer. Sadly, our knowledge of
similar situations is that men like Shageldy may be in danger when
released. Also, on 22 December 2001, Mikhail Kozlov, a leading
figure in Ashgabad Baptist Church was found dead in mysterious
circumstances. Pray for God to intervene in Turkmenistan.
GIVE PRAISE AND THANKS TO GOD FOR
* the steps being made towards peace in the Nuba Mountains of
Sudan: slavery may now be challenged, and after a ten year
blockade humanitarian aid groups may now have access to the
region in 'zones of tranquillity'.
* his mercy in Shageldy Atakov's release from prison and reunion
with his family; that God sustained them physically and
spiritually through a terrible ordeal.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR
* GoS and SPLM parties to have a real will for peace, a
determination to follow political process rather than bloodshed,
and strong leadership to implement it.
* wisdom, patience, hope and strength for John Danforth and all
those involved in the peace negotiations.
* the Church in Sudan to grow in strength and witness.
* safety daily for Shageldy Atakov and his family, and for God to
intervene in Turkmenistan.
"Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have
done before." Psalm 68:28
To view past RLPs on Sudan and Turkmenistan, go to
http://www.evangelicalalliance.org.au/missions/rlc/postings.htm
SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE:
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SUDAN AND TURKMENISTAN: GIVE THANKS AND PRAY PERSISTENTLY
Thank God for his mercies in good news from both Sudan and
Turkmenistan. A ceasefire agreement has been brokered for the Nuba
Mountains of Sudan, and Shageldy Atakov has been released from
prison in Turkmenistan. These issues have long been on prayer lists
worldwide. However, in both cases, fully implementing the promise
is, in a worldly sense, beyond the capabilities of those involved.
Only God can bring peace to Sudan and only God can protect Shageldy
Atakov from subsequent attack or execution. Thank God for his
mercies and pray persistently for God's continued intervention in
Sudan and Turkmenistan, because without it, the joy could be short-
lived. "Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as
you have done before." Psalm 68:28
----------------------------------------------------
Please pass this along to others with attribution to
World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty
Prayer List <rl-p...@crossnet.org.au>
----------------------------------------------------
The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this
RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray
specifically and regularly for religious liberty
issues, and in particular to uphold the Church
where it is suffering persecution.
--
Shalom! Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
Rowland Croucher
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INDIA: DISINFORMATION EVOKES HOSTILITY
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[RSS: the militant Hindu body, Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
BJP: the Bharatiya Janata Party, the political wing of the RSS.]
When the BJP won power in February 1998, they did so with a Hindu
nationalist (Hindutva) platform under the banner 'One Nation, One
People, One Culture'. The government has taken this as the mandate
to pursue its Hindu nationalist agenda, which it does through
propaganda and spreading disinformation. In December 2001 there
were protests when Hindu nationalist academics were appointed by
the BJP to rewrite the national Indian history textbooks, importing
anti-Christian bias, accusing Christians of fomenting political
conspiracies and 'fostering anti-national tendencies'. See RLP 147
http://www.evangelicalalliance.org.au/missions/rlc/postings/147.htm
On 21 January, an article in The Times of India detailed how the
RSS accused Church leaders of seditious activity. 'The Baptist
churches in particular are providing arms and other logistic
support to various insurgent outfits in the north-eastern states,'
claimed the RSS chief, K S Sudershan, accusing them of 'fuelling
secessionist tendencies'. He went on to say, '...the churches have
been involved in converting Hindus to Christianity by luring the
poor people with money and other temptations.' Sudarshan also said
that, to maintain social harmony, conversions should be stopped and
Christians should instead promote co-existence. He even made the
incredible statement that 'religious conversion is a violent act'
to support the RSS view that it should be banned by law.
This sort of disinformation breeds fear and suspicion, and
encourages anti-Christian hostility. In November, Sorita Toppo, a
29-year-old Indian Catholic sister working amongst tribal people,
was brutally raped and murdered. The villagers loved her but the
high-caste Hindu moneylenders were opposed to her teaching and
liberating the people. A pastor's wife was attacked by a masked man
with a razor in Maharashtra in November and the statement from the
State Minority Commission of the Government of Maharashtra blamed
the attack on one of the militant Hindu groups 'which have been
systematically terrorising Christians in the recent past'.
A church official reports that anti-Christian posters are being
displayed in Madhya Pradesh, where the RSS plans to build devalayas
(shrines for Hindu gods) in 350,000 tribal homes. The right to
convert is being seriously challenged in the state of Orissa. This
is in defiance of the Indian Constitution which enshrines religious
freedom and the right to convert as fundamental human rights, as
per Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Evangelical Fellowship of India responded with the facts in a
media release which concluded, 'It is sad that the contributions of
the Christians in almost every field of nation building is never
mentioned while Christians continue to be attacked, abused and
falsely accused... Are not attacks on Christians, other minorities
and the marginalised sections of society acts of terror?'
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR
* wisdom for the Evangelical Fellowship of India and all church
groups as they provide leadership in handling this crisis of
disinformation.
* protection for Christians sharing the Gospel and presenting
Christ through word and deed at great personal risk - over 40,700
Christian Indian nationals serve within India as missionaries.
'Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save
your servant who trusts in you.' Psalm 86:2
* the Spirit of God to continue his work of empowering the Church
in India, fortifying the courage of evangelists and blessing
their ministry with the saving of many lives.
* significant international condemnation of both the terror that is
being directed against Christians in India and the way in which
the government is inciting as well as condoning it.
* all efforts to outlaw conversion to be thwarted.
SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE:
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DISINFORMATION EVOKES HOSTILITY IN INDIA
Once again the Indian Government has launched an assault on India's
Christian community through disinformation. The ruling BJP is the
political wing of the Hindu militant group, the RSS, whose chief (K
S Sudershan) charged publicly that Christians have been 'providing
arms and other logistic support to various insurgent outfits' and
'fuelling secessionist tendencies'. He also claimed that '...the
churches have been involved in converting Hindus to Christianity by
luring the poor people with money and other temptations'. Religious
conversion (that the RSS wants banned by law) Sudershan called 'a
violent act'. This sort of disinformation breeds the climate of
anti-Christian hate and suspicion in India. The escalating violence
directed towards India's more than 40,700 Christian national
missionaries is one of its results.
Rowland Croucher
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EGYPT: TENSIONS FLARE INTO VIOLENCE
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Islam is the official state religion of Egypt. Tension between its
Christian and Muslim communities dates back to 642 AD when Egypt
fell to the invading Muslim armies of Abu Bakr, the first caliph and
successor to Mohammed. Egypt had been predominantly Christian for
the previous six centuries.
Egypt has a long history of oppressing and persecuting Christians.
Ancient discriminatory laws have been used to prevent even basic
maintenance to church properties and the building of new churches.
Through systematic discrimination in education and employment,
Christians have been forced into crippling poverty. Many emigrate,
many stay and suffer, and a very few convert to Islam. Militant
Islamists have murdered and massacred Christians and the government
has often treated the perpetrators of this violence with impunity,
thus unofficially sanctioning it and giving permission for more.
In the past year, though, the Egyptian government has worked at
improving the situation. Egypt's Coptic past is now included in the
teaching of history and the government has implemented policies to
facilitate church repairs. Seven Christians became deputies in the
People's Assembly, three of whom were the first to be elected to
parliament in ten years and four were appointed by the President.
This is a trend to be encouraged with prayer. However, serious
discrimination against Christians at a societal level remains a
real problem, especially for Muslims who choose to follow Jesus.
As in many places, militant Islam has been on the rise in Egypt,
along with a marked increase in Islamic religious fervour and
corresponding sectarian tension. On Sunday 10 February, Christians
gathered to celebrate the opening of their newly renovated church,
in a village near El-Minya, southeast of Cairo. When the church
bells rang, Muslims in the community rioted, claiming the bells
were too loud. They pelted the new church with rocks and lit fires
around it, as well as torching several cars and Christian homes.
Some Christians reportedly fired buckshot at the Muslims who were
attacking them. According to the Western media, three Muslims and
one Christian were injured in the melee, although Al-Jazerah TV
reported that ten Christians were hurt. At least 15 homes were
destroyed and up to 50 people were arrested, including 19 minors.
The continued imprisonment of William Shaiboub Arsal, a married 39-
year-old Christian with three children, is a reminder of a blatant
injustice. In August 1998 two Christian youths were murdered in El-
Kosheh (upper Egypt). Over 1,000 Christians were summarily detained
and tortured in police efforts to extract a 'confession', even
though eye witnesses testified that a group of five Muslim youths
had dumped the dead bodies back into the village. On 5 June 2000,
Shaiboub was sentenced to 15 years with hard labour, despite more
than twenty pieces of evidence that demonstrated his innocence. His
two accusers, both army conscripts, withdrew their statements which
they claimed had been made under duress, with logbooks showing that
they were at their army posts on the day of the murder and could
not have been in Al-Kosheh.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR
* wise, sensitive and strong leadership in the Egyptian churches,
enabling Christians to stay focused on Jesus while their leaders
pursue justice graciously.
* the spirit of God to comfort and heal the hearts of Egyptian
Christians who have lived for generations with discrimination,
persecution and the resentment and fear they breed. 'Let the
peace of Christ rule in your hearts...' Colossians 3:15a
* strength, faith and hope for William Shaiboub Arsal in prison,
that an appeal date will be set and justice delivered. Pray also
for his wife and three young children.
* religious liberty to be seen on the political agenda, especially
since 11 September with governments being asked to demonstrate
their professed moderate, tolerant, non-militant stance.
* President Hosni Mubarak to demonstrate decisively that violence
against religious minorities will not to be tolerated; may
President Mubarak and others in authority come to know Christ.
SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE:
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TENSIONS IN EGYPT FLARE INTO VIOLENCE
Islam is the official state religion of Egypt and Christians have
suffered discrimination and persecution for generations. Whilst the
government is now slowly responding to international pressure on
these issues, societal tensions between the Christian and Muslim
communities can run high. On 10 February in a village southeast of
Cairo, Christians celebrating the opening of their renovated church
were attacked by Muslim rioters who claimed the church bells were
too loud. There were 50 arrests after several people were injured
and property was destroyed. Pray for peace. Pray also for William
Shaiboub Arsal, a 39-year-old Christian father of three, who is
serving 15 years' hard labour for a false conviction of murder. In
August 1998, police tortured over 1,000 Christians to secure
'confessions' for a trial that was a farce.
Rowland Croucher
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CHINA: SECRET DOCUMENTS LEAKED AT GREAT RISK
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Top level, top secret documents have been leaked from China by a
senior official in China's National Security Ministry. Many of the
Chinese who have copied and smuggled documents are at great
personal risk and some are in hiding. Because of their courage and
sacrifice, world leaders can no longer claim to be ignorant.
The papers were obtained by the New York-based Committee for
Investigation on Persecution of Religion in China, and show that
communist rulers at the highest levels take an active role in
persecuting house-church Christians. The Committee's director,
Shixiong Li, had himself been raised in a Chinese labour camp from
age seven because his family was labelled 'counter-revolutionary'.
During 20 years of imprisonment Li was denied education and beaten
by his frustrated and bitter father. A Christian aunt in Taiwan
prayed for him daily.
Out of prison, Li supported the pro-democracy movement which was
crushed in Tiananmen Square in 1989. In 1997 he applied for
political asylum in USA. As Li worked with a US lawyer on asylum
cases, he became interested in the issue of religious persecution,
especially as it reminded him of a caring pastor in the labour
camp. Working with Chinese pastors in New York, Li was gathering
information about the persecution of Christians in China, when he
too became a committed Christian.
Shixiong Li and Xiqiu (Bob) Fu have now released a 144-page
document with most secret, official government directives on
persecuting the Church, together with selected testimonies from
tortured Christians. In the foreword, Li states, '...the level of
persecution aimed against unregistered Christians in China is very
high. This campaign against "illegal organizations" is centrally
directed, and involves Maoist-style propaganda. [This] fosters
Cultural-Revolution levels of surveillance, interference and police
abuses including torture.' Revealed are the government strategies
for investigating, infiltrating, smashing, crushing and terminating
unregistered religious groups ('cults').
The testimonies from Christians include statements such as,
"Fengjiu, who is only 15 years old, also had her chest, hands and
feet touched and injured by their electric club." ... "Gu was
never seen after that. Later it was found that Gu was dead under
severe torture." ... "Then they beat Gong Shengliang (founder of
the South China Church), kicked him. Fengjuan and others, who were
eyewitnesses of the whole event, saw that (Gong's niece) Li's mouth
was full of blood lying on the ground. They put them in cuffs."
* For further articles on this story
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ctmag
* For the documents 'Religion and National Security in China:
Secret documents from China's security sector', edited by
Shixiong Li and Xiqiu Fu - http://www.religiousfreedomforchina.org
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR
* blessing and protection for all those Chinese who courageously
have ensured the exposure of these highly sensitive documents.
* the international community to have their conscience pricked and
sense of justice stirred to act so that the risks the Chinese
believers and informers have taken will not be in vain.
* imprisoned Chinese believers, that their faith and witness will
remain strong in the face of the severe cruelty, humiliation and
torture they suffer; for protection for them and their families.
* God to bring down Communism in Asia, so that the Chinese people
and other Asians under Communism will have religious freedom, and
many more millions of them will come to know Christ as Saviour.
"You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them
and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherlesss and the
oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no
more." Psalm 10:17,18
SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE:
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TOP SECRET CHINESE DOCUMENTS LEAKED AT GREAT RISK
Top secret Chinese Government papers have recently been released by
the New York-based Committee for Investigation on Persecution of
Religion in China. They document the highest official government
policy for persecuting the Church in China and detail its
strategies for investigating, infiltrating, smashing, crushing and
terminating unregistered religious groups ('cults'). Also released
are testimonies from persecuted believers, including letters
smuggled out of prison that detail beating, torture and deaths in
custody. The Chinese who copied, wrote, leaked and smuggled these
documents have done so at great personal risk. Pray that their
sacrifice will not be in vain. Pray for the faith and witness of
imprisoned believers to be strong in the face of severe trial.
Rowland Croucher
For immediate release
February 25 2002
CUBAN POLITICAL PRISONER GOES ON INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKE TO DRAW ATTENTION
TO HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
A Cuban political prisoner began an indefinite hunger strike last week in an
effort to draw attention to human rights abuses within the prisons.
Jorge Luis García Pérez, also known as 'Antúnez', is calling upon the Cuban
government to guarantee fundamental human rights to all political and common
prisoners. In a handwritten statement given to Christian Solidarity
Worldwide, he called for "profound reforms in the Cuban penitentiary
system". He is demanding that Cuban prisoners be assured the right to
necessary medical treatment and the right to pastoral care.
Antúnez's Bible has been confiscated in the past by prison officials as a
form of punishment for non-conformity and although his sister confirmed that
he now is able to keep his Bible, he is not allowed any other religious
literature and has frequently been denied pastoral visits. Family members
of other prisoners and other Cuban human rights activists confirmed that
withholding medical treatment from prisoners and confiscating their Bibles
is a frequent form of punishment within Cuban prisons.
His current hunger strike is the most recent in a series of 18 hunger
strikes carried out by Antúnez since his imprisonment in 1990. His sister,
Berta Antúnez Pernet, confirmed that the hunger strikes have had a
debilitating effect on his health, particularly on his heart and lungs, yet
he remains devoted to speaking out on human rights issues.
Antúnez, age 37, has now spent 12 years in prison, and according to his
sister, should be released in 2007. He was originally charged with 'verbal
enemy propaganda' for shouting "We don't want communism, we need reforms" in
a public square. After suffering physical and psychological torture and
abuse in prison, he was transferred to a labour camp in 1992. While there
he learned that his mother was seriously ill and in a hospital near the
camp. He asked to visit her, but was denied permission by the prison
authorities. He managed to escape to visit her on her deathbed, and was
then recaptured and sentenced to an additional 12 years in prison. He has
since seized every opportunity to expose human rights abuses, including
torture, which occur regularly within the prisons.
CSW calls on the Cuban government to heed Antúnez's petition for basic
rights to be guaranteed to all prisoners and continues to call for his
release as a prisoner of conscience.
Stuart Windsor, CSW's National Director said: "Antúnez is a man who knows
what it means to sacrifice himself for the rights of others and we are proud
to be standing in solidarity with him. We call upon the international
community to heed his cry for improved human rights for all prisoners in
Cuba."
A translated copy of Antúnez's manifesto can be read below.
For more information or a picture of Antúnez contact Richard Chilvers at
Christian Solidarity Worldwide on 020 8949 0587 or 020 8942 8810 or email
richard....@csw.org.uk
Antúnez's manifesto: (Obtained 12 February 2002)
The political prisoner and prisoner of conscience, Jorge Luis Garcías Pérez
(Antúnez), originally from Placetas, in Villa Clara Province will initiate
an indefinite hunger strike from the 18th of February. Among other things I
demand the following from the authorities:
1. Profound reforms in the Cuban penitentiary system, with the aim of a
sincere humanisation of living conditions for Cuban prisoners, whether they
are political prisoners or common prisoners.
2. The full enjoyment of the most basic and sacred rights, notably: medical
attention, religious support, adequate nourishment, and the cessation of all
forms of mistreatment and abuse to which those confined in the prisons and
jails of this country are subjected.
3. The immediate end of all forms of censorship that exist inside the
penitentiaries, those which demolish any intellectual growth and the
blockage of information, including the communication between a prisoner and
his family members and with the outside world.
From the "Combinado del Este" Prison, City of Havana, Cuba
Political Prisoner, Jorge Luis Garcías Pérez (Antúnez)
GOD, NATION, LIBERTY
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Worldwide Photos Ltd-----<rlgm...@ozemail.com.au>
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Friday, March 01, 2002 3:06 AM
Subject: CHURCH LEADERS SUPPORT CSI's SLAVE REDEMPTION PROGRAM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2002
Contact:
Dr. John Eibner
Christian Solidarity International
Tel: (+41) 1 980 47 07, Fax: (+41) 1 980 47 15
E-mail: csi...@csi-int.org
Christian Solidarity International-USA
Tel: (805) 777-7107, Fax: (805) 777-7508
E-mail: c...@csi-usa.org
Church Leaders Support Christian Solidarity International's (CSI)Slave
Redemption Program
Senior Sudanese Church Leaders Affirm Strong Support for CSI's Slave
Redemption
Program Following Unsubstantiated Allegations Recently Published by Irish
Times
and Washington Post
LOS ANGELES, CA, February 28, 2002-The Episcopal Bishop of Wau, the Rt. Rev.
Henry Chuir said, "The redemption of slaves must continue."
Incensed by unconfirmed claims by both Duncan Walsh of the Irish Times and
later mirrored by Karl Vick of the Washington Post, (neither of whom ever
witnessed CSI fieldwork), Bishop Chuir stated: "I know what is going on in
my
Diocese and freed slaves are returning home through the good work of CSI."
The Catholic Bishop of el Obeid, the Rt. Rev. Macram Max Gassis, echoed
Bishop
Chuir's backing for CSI. "I have seen with my own eyes," Bishop Gassis
said,
"the branded and maimed slaves that have been liberated through CSI's
redemption program."
Bishop Gassis accused the Irish Times and Washington Post of unprofessional
and
immoral behavior by publishing a deceptive portrayal of CSI's work. Bishop
Gassis expressed dismay at the failure of both publications to interview
redeemed slaves and slave retrievers, or to report the views of the many
Arabic
and Dinka speaking researchers who regularly witnessed the redemption of
slaves
by CSI.
Telar Deng of the New Sudan Council of Churches dismissed both of the
reports
unsubstantiated allegations as "mere newspaper gossip."
Other Sudanese church leaders who support CSI's slave redemption program
are:
Fr. Hillary Boma, Fr. William Chan (Catholic), and Rev. Joseph Ayok, Rev.
Santino Bol and Rev. Tito Athian (Episcopalian). Most of Sudan's Christian
slaves are Catholic or Episcopalian.
Since 1995 over 60,000 slaves have been redeemed by CSI under the scrutiny
of
independent journalists and human rights researchers.
"CSI is committed to working together in supporting the efforts of local
Sudanese religious and community leaders," CSI president, Rev. Hansjurg
Stuckelberger said, "we will carry on the struggle until the last Sudanese
slave is free."
***
About Christian Solidarity International (CSI)
CSI is a Christian human rights organization for religious liberty, helping
victims of religious repression, victimized children, and victims of
disaster.
The Founder and President of CSI is Rev. Hans Stuckelberger. CSI is
represented
in 16 countries. CSI's Slave Redemption Program operates as the Sudanese
equivalent of 19th century America's 'Underground Railroad'. Since 1995,
78,000
slaves have been liberated through the cooperative efforts of CSI, black
African community leaders, and local Baggara Arabs. Additional information
about CSI can be found at www.csi-int.org.
Rowland Croucher
Global News from the Frontlines
**********
AMERICAN MISSIONARIES STILL HELD CAPTIVE IN THE PHILIPPINES
Relatives of Martin and Gracia Burnham Hope Islamic Rebels will Deal for
Their Release
by Deann Alford
AUSTIN, Texas, March 1 (Compass) -- Islamic rebels holding kidnapped
American missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham in the Philippines may be
trying to strike a deal for their release, said a close relative in regular
contact with the U.S. State Department.
"[State Department officials] said this is a good sign because we've not
heard this before," Oreta Burnham, Martin's mother, told Compass.
The Burnhams' hometown newspaper in Kansas, the "Wichita Eagle," cited a
Philippine newspaper in reporting that one of the couple's kidnappers, who
belong to the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), sent a letter indicating that the
group would free the hostages unharmed in exchange for amnesty. The "Eagle"
reported that it was unclear who the rebel sent the letter to or how the
Philippine newspaper got it.
But apparently the State Department views the letter as credible.
Islamic ASG rebels snatched Florida-based News Tribes Mission (NTM) workers
Martin Burnham, 42, and Gracia Burnham, 43, on May 27, 2001, from a resort
on the island of Palawan in the Philippines, where the couple were
celebrating their anniversary. The kidnappers are demanding $2 million in
ransom for the missionaries. But NTM refuses to pay ransom as a matter of
policy. Martin grew up in the Philippines, where his mother and father,
Paul, have been missionaries for more than 32 years.
Oreta Burnham said that she's satisfied that everything possible is being
done to free her son and daughter-in-law, especially following a recent
U.S. policy change that calls for the government to actively seek the
release of any U.S. citizen kidnapped abroad.
Meanwhile on Basilan island in the Philippines, where the ASG kidnapped
Martin and Gracia and about 20 other hostages, the couple is suffering
hunger, malnutrition, exhaustion and exposure to the elements in their
ninth month of captivity. Of the original hostages, only the Burnhams and
Filipina nurse Deborah Yap are still being held, as apparently the others
paid ransom or were killed.
But if it's any consolation, the rebels holding them are in almost as much
misery as the hostages, according to media accounts.
"We have felt that the ASG [guerrillas] have been suffering similarly to
Martin and Gracia," said NTM spokesman Scott Ross. "[The kidnappers] get
food before Martin and Gracia, but we have to believe that media reports
are true."
NTM terms the Burnhams' current situation as "promising yet dangerous."
The number of ASG's militants has dwindled, thought to be due in part to
the hardship of living on little food and rest and no shelter from the
elements. The "Philippine Inquirer" newspaper's website reports that the
ASG, under mounting U.S. and Philippine military pressure, is showing signs
it will surrender. Basilan's governor, Wahab Akbar, has said that the
guerrillas are very tired in the mountains, have nothing to eat and are
getting sick.
However, other observers believe the guerrillas are simply making a
tactical ploy and have no intentions of surrendering.
Ross declined to say whether NTM was optimistic about the couple's survival
and release. "We believe God has a plan, but we don't know what it is," he
said. "We're praying to the end that Martin and Gracia will be safely
returned to their family."
Friends of the Burnhams have set up www.praythemhome.com as an information
center about the couple's status. Their mission also posts news updates on
its own website, www.ntm.org.
"The Christian Science Monitor" reported in early February that Gracia
Burnham is free to leave her captors but her husband is chained to a tree,
and she chooses to stay with him. Some younger rebels have reportedly
developed bonds with her because she has taught them the alphabet and some
English.
Oreta Burnham said she believes she will see Martin and Gracia again.
"We really feel like the Lord's in control," she said. "We've felt all
along that [God] has had a purpose in this. We don't know what it is. It's
not for us to question. We really feel like the Lord has given them
children to take care of, and He will honor that and bring them home."
Ross said that NTM officials have met with the new U.S. ambassador to the
Philippines in Washington, D.C. Ross is satisfied that the ambassador will
make the Burnhams' plight a priority.
"It's gone on a lot longer than we ever expected," Ross said. "Pressure is
mounting for a resolution."
END
Rowland Croucher
http://www.keston.org
----- Original Message -----
From: <keston.i...@keston.org>
Sent: Monday, March 04, 2002 10:00 PM
Subject: KNS RUSSIA: Landmark ruling vindicates Salvation Army
KESTON INSTITUTE, OXFORD, UK
______________________________________
KESTON NEWS SERVICE: 11.00, 4 March 2002.
Reporting on violations of religious liberty and on religion in communist
and post-communist lands.
______________________________________
RUSSIA: LANDMARK CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DECISION
VINDICATES SALVATION ARMY. The Constitutional Court of the
Russian Federation has ruled that a religious organisation registered prior
to the adoption of the country's 1997 law on religion may not be
liquidated purely for failing to re-register by that law's deadline of 31
December 2000. Legal rulings made in relation to the Moscow branch of
the Salvation Army which differ from this are now "subject to
reconsideration". Speaking to Keston News Service on 26 February,
before making the 7 February Constitutional Court ruling public, lawyer
to the Salvation Army Vladimir Ryakhovsky described it as "very
positive", while the public relations officer for the Moscow Salvation
Army commented that the church was heartened by the ruling: "It gives
us hope that there is justice."
RUSSIA: LANDMARK CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DECISION
VINDICATES SALVATION ARMY
by Geraldine Fagan, Keston News Service
The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation has ruled that a
religious organisation registered prior to the adoption of the country's
1997 law on religion may not be liquidated purely for failing to re-register
by that law's deadline of 31 December 2000. Legal rulings made in
relation to the Moscow branch of the Salvation Army which follow a
divergent interpretation, stipulates the Court, are now "subject to
reconsideration."
Made public by the church's lawyers on 28 February, the 7 February
ruling comes in response to a complaint lodged with the Constitutional
Court by the Moscow branch of the Salvation Army on 10 September
2001. By stating that a religious organisation must be liquidated by court
order for failing to re-register by 31 December 2000, argued the church,
Article 27, Part 4 of the 1997 law on religion is in violation of Article 28
(the right to freedom of conscience), Article 30 (the right to assembly)
and Article 55, Part 3 (prohibiting the limitation of rights by law except
in
exceptional circumstances) of Russia's 1993 Constitution.
This disputed provision of the 1997 law currently threatens the existence
of the Moscow branch of the Salvation Army, which failed to re-register
by the end of 2000. Although the church attempted to re-register on 18
February 1999, its application was rejected by Moscow's Municipal
Department of Justice for including a charter which had allegedly not
been brought into line with the new law. A 12 September 2001
liquidation ruling by a local city court came into force on 6 December
2001, when the church's appeal against it was rejected by the Russian
capital's Municipal Court. To date no subsequent measures have been
taken, however.
While upholding the Salvation Army's complaint, the 7 February ruling is
not limited to the church's case. The Court's previous rulings (23
November 1999 and 13 April 2000) regarding the 1997 law determined
that certain of its provisions - such as the 15-year "probationary period"
for religious organisations - did not have retroactive force. The new ruling
similarly stipulates that the 1997 law's changes to the procedure for
founding a religious organisation "may not in themselves act as an
obstacle to the re-registration of religious organisations which were
founded earlier, as these are already in possession of legal personality
status, full legal capability and function on a legal basis." Since re-
registration concerns only those religious organisations registered prior to
the law's adoption, this provision loses its legal sense now that it has
been
declared to be without retroactive force.
A religious organisation may now be liquidated, states the Court, only if
"properly proven to have ceased its activities" or to be in violation of its
constitutional obligations as a legal personality. Specifically, the ruling
continues, judges moving to liquidate a religious organisation for not
having re-registered - even if it is defunct - may not confine themselves to
the formal grounds for liquidation stipulated by Article 27, Part 4 (not
having re-registered within the allotted period) and Article 8, Part 9 (not
having submitted necessary information).
Speaking to Keston on 26 February, lawyer to the Salvation Army
Vladimir Ryakhovsky described the Constitutional Court ruling as "very
positive," since, he said, it meant that a religious organisation could now
be liquidated only if it no longer existed or was found to be in violation
of
Article 14 of the 1997 law (for example, caused harm to the health of its
members, incited religious hatred). On 4 March public relations officer
for the Moscow branch of the Salvation Army, Galina Drozdov,
commented to Keston News Service that her church was heartened by the
Court's ruling: "It gives us hope that there is justice." (END)
Copyright (c) 2002 Keston Institute. All rights reserved.
REPRINTING/QUOTING
KNS may be reprinted or quoted providing acknowledgment is given,
such as "Source: Keston Institute http://www.keston.org". We would
appreciate receiving a copy of any publication which quotes KNS.
Rowland Croucher
Religious Liberty Prayer List - No. 158 - Wed 06 Mar 2002
---------------------------------------
SUDAN: 'RELIGIOUS FREEDOM'? NOT REALLY!
---------------------------------------
Article 24 of the Constitution Of The Republic Of Sudan (enacted in
July 1998) states, 'Everyone has the right to freedom of conscience
and religion and the right to manifest and disseminate his religion
or belief in teaching, practice or observance. No one shall be
coerced to profess a faith in which he does not believe or perform
rituals or worship that he does not voluntarily accept.' But
Section 126 of the Sudan Criminal Law 1991 makes apostasy (leaving
Islam) a criminal offence punishable by death. Non-Muslims,
however, are allowed to convert to Islam. One look at the reality
of life in Khartoum for Muslims who choose to follow Jesus will
tell you which prevails - the Constitution or the Law.
When Alladin Omer Ajjabna Mohammed (then 23) become a Christian 11
years ago, he was expelled from University and disowned by his
family. Some years later, he managed to enrol in an Arabic-language
Christian seminary abroad, but was forcibly deported back to Sudan
in June 2001 when local Muslim authorities learned that he was an
'apostate'. Mohammed was arrested at Khartoum Airport and charged
with apostasy. Held incommunicado, he was tortured and ordered to
revert to Islam. He was released in September 2001 on medical
grounds but had to report daily to security. While doing so,
Mohammed disappeared again on 26 September 2001. This was only days
after the arrest of Mohammed Saeed Mohammed Omer, a new believer
who was charged with apostasy and subsequently tortured by police
(see RLP 139).
On 30 January 2002, security police stopped Alladin Mohammed from
boarding a flight to Uganda. Though his papers were fully in order,
they said their computers identified him as a criminal. While
detained, he was forcibly injected with unknown drugs. Pursuing his
plan to apply from Uganda to study theology in Kenya, Mohammed
attempted to fly out of Sudan again on 3 February 2002. Once more
he was prevented and ordered to report daily to security. Mohammed
has now gone into hiding and the authorities have mounted an
extensive manhunt for him. Sudanese church leaders say there are
two other Christians in a similar plight.
Tolerance in Khartoum has certainly deteriorated since Easter 2000
when hardline Islamists were shocked to see 210,000 people turn out
for an Easter Celebration in Green Square, run by the All Sudan
Council of Churches. The government cancelled the Easter 2001
Celebration when Islamists threatened violence (RLP 113). With over
100 Christians meeting in All Saints Cathedral then arrested and 53
of them summarily sentenced to be flogged, church leaders noted,
'The language of tolerance and coexistence is fading fast.'
* To view past RLPs, go to
http://www.evangelicalalliance.org.au/missions/rlc/postings.htm
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR
* the faith, hope and perseverance of the Christians whose lives
are at risk.
* the safety, courage and provision of all the needs of Alladin
Omer Ajjabna Mohammed and others in hiding and on the run from
arrest and torture on charges of apostasy.
* great wisdom for church leaders in Khartoum as they witness to
ALL people and then seek to protect and care for those with
earthly lives at risk as soon as they accept Christ as Saviour.
* international pressure to challenge the Government of Sudan (GoS)
to be consistent and faithful to its Constitution and so uphold
the principles of freedom they boast about.
* God to intervene and bring peace to Sudan as human efforts at
peace fall apart, with GoS bombing of civilians in the South
appearing to escalate.
'Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O
Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath
remember mercy.' Habakkuk's Prayer - Hab:3:2
SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
'RELIGIOUS FREEDOM' IN SUDAN? NOT REALLY!
At Easter 2000, Islamists in Khartoum were shocked to see 210,000
people turn out for the Easter Celebration put on by the All Sudan
Council of Churches. When the event was due to be repeated in
Easter 2001, Islamists forced its cancellation. The Government of
Sudan's persecution of Christians in Khartoum, especially of
Muslims who choose to become Christians, has intensified over the
past year. Whilst the Sudanese Constitution boasts religious
liberty with 'Everyone has the right to freedom of conscience and
religion ... no one shall be coerced to profess a faith in which he
does not believe...', Sudanese Law makes apostasy (leaving Islam) a
criminal offence punishable by death. Alladin Omer Ajjabna Mohammed
(34) is one of several Christians who have been detained and
tortured for apostasy and are now in hiding.
Rowland Croucher
-----------------------------------------------------------
INDONESIA: PRECARIOUS PEACE IN MALUKU; ACEH AROUSES CONCERN
-----------------------------------------------------------
On 12 February, a peace accord was signed in Malino, South
Sulawesi, by 80-strong delegations from each of the Muslim and
Christian communities of Maluku. The 11 points in this 'Moluccas
Agreement of Malino' aim to end the violence, uphold law and
justice, denounce separatist activities, disarm all militias, and
respect diversity. The Laskar Jihad refused to attend the peace
talks, saying that the Muslim delegates at the negotiations in
Malino did not represent the people of the province.
In mid-2000, thousands of well armed Laskar Jihad militants poured
into Maluku. Their openly stated aim is to eradicate Christianity
from Maluku, vowing to wage jihad (holy war) until their goal is
achieved. The Maluku Front of Muslim Defenders, the Special Task
Force (Muslim), and the Laskar Jihad all refuse to accept the peace
accord. This makes the present peace a precarious one in need of
prayer support. Only days after the Malino accord was signed,
minority groups determined to foil it set off minor bomb blasts and
protested in Ambon. Police even had to fire warning shots to
disperse hundreds of Muslims gathered at the Al Fattah Grand
Mosque.
Throughout February and into March, the Muslim and Christian
communities have worked hard at reconciliation and maintaining
peace. Muslim and Christian leaders led a peace march on 2 March in
Ambon. Provocateurs used youths they plied with alcohol to disrupt
the march. When the Christians were trapped and attacked in Ambon
Plaza, their Muslim fellow marchers protected them. On 4 March,
Jakarta Post reported that roads between the communities were re-
opened, with Muslims and Christians gathering in groups, sitting,
talking and laughing together. Pray for peace - Christians can only
witness to their Muslim neighbours if they are talking to them.
SUFFERING IN ACEH
A reliable, as yet unconfirmed report has emerged that in October
2001, Christians in Aceh were forced to sign a 'Mutual Agreement'
to destroy a number of their own churches. They were also not to
engage in religious activity in the homes of residents nor
missionary activity. The purpose of this agreement, signed by
representatives of the Islamic and Christian communities, was to
'create an atmosphere of living in harmony between the religious
communities'. Failure to co-operate would result in 'unwanted
consequences which could instigate the destruction of unity and
oneness between the religious communities'. There were no
restrictions placed on the Islamic community.
Islamic Sharia Law was introduced into the Aceh Province at the
beginning of 2002. Governor Abdullah Puteh said this was part of a
special autonomy package extended to the province last year which
would usher in a 'new era' for Aceh. From 15 March, police will
start enforcing Islamic dress code. The sanctions on violators are
as yet unspecified except that they will be 'firm'. Government and
private offices must have business signs installed in Arabic-style
script. This apparently growing push for hardline Islam in Aceh
will cause suffering for its small Christian minority.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR
* the efforts of provocateurs to fail, so that peace will hold in
Maluku and the Church can focus on mission rather than primarily
on survival. Praise God for his answers in the progress achieved.
* great wisdom for Christian leaders in Maluku as their
congregations are provoked and attacked; for strength, courage,
hope and a love for those who persecute them. (Matt 5:43-48)
* wise Christian leadership and the believers in Aceh as hardline
Islam appears to take hold; that they will be remembered by their
brothers and sisters elsewhere in Indonesia and the world.
'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' Matthew 5:9,10
SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
LIGHT IN MALUKU AND SHADOWS IN ACEH, INDONESIA
A peace accord has been signed at Malino that promises to secure
peace in Maluku. Its 11 points aim to end the violence, uphold law
and justice, denounce separatist activities, disarm all militias,
and respect diversity. However, several Islamic groups have totally
rejected the peace accord, declaring that the 80 appointed Muslims
at the peace talks did not represent the people of Maluku. The
Laskar Jihad has vowed to continue its jihad until there are no
Christians in Maluku. Meanwhile, in the autonomous province of
Aceh, Islamic Sharia Law has been introduced and Islamic dress
codes are being enforced. This hardline Islam will result in
suffering for the small Christian minority of Aceh. Pray for peace
to hold in Maluku and for the Christians of Aceh.
----------------------------------------------------
Please pass this along to others with attribution to
World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty
Prayer List <rl-p...@crossnet.org.au>
----------------------------------------------------
The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this
RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray
specifically and regularly for religious liberty
issues, and in particular to uphold the Church
where it is suffering persecution.
--
Rowland Croucher
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against
the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12
Situation: Violence has been on the rise in the nation of Haiti where many
insiders say President Aristide is using false accusations of a coup d'état
to purge all who oppose him. Christians have been targets of violence
attacks, including rape, murder, and kidnapping. Several pastor's homes have
been burned down and many more have been threatened. Chaos is becoming a way
of life in this nation where the majority of the people practice witchcraft.
Prayer Point: Pray for the Lord's protection over Haitian Christians as they
put on the full armor of God. Pray that their light would shine brightly in
the darkness. Also ask that the Lord would bring to nothing the plots of the
evil one to destroy His church from the nation of Haiti.
This month's prayer points provided courtesy of International Christian
Concern.
Rowland Croucher
http://www.keston.org
----- Original Message -----
From: <keston.i...@keston.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2002 7:00 AM
Subject: KNS SERBIA: Catholic office is latest target of attacks
KESTON INSTITUTE, OXFORD, UK
______________________________________
KESTON NEWS SERVICE: 20.00, 19 March 2002.
Reporting on violations of religious liberty and on religion in
communist and post-communist lands.
______________________________________
SERBIA: CATHOLIC OFFICE IS LATEST TARGET OF
ATTACKS. A Catholic parish office in Sremska Mitrovica, west of
Belgrade, was attacked in the night of 8/9 March, the latest target in a
series of incidents that have also seen Adventist, Methodist and
Nazarene churches attacked by unknown people. "Attacks on smaller
churches and religious communities are becoming more intense again
[.] for a variety of reasons," a Serbian human rights activist told
Keston News Service in Belgrade on 19 March. The Serbian ministry
for religion affairs issued a short statement condemning the attacks:
"These constitute attacks on the harmony of society."
SERBIA: CATHOLIC OFFICE IS LATEST TARGET OF
ATTACKS
by Branko Bjelajac, Keston News Service
A Catholic parish office in the town of Sremska Mitrovica, 65
kilometres (40 miles) west of Belgrade, was attacked in the night of
8/9 March, the latest target in a series of incidents that have also seen
Adventist, Methodist and Nazarene churches attacked by unknown
people. This is the second incident against Catholics in the last month,
but Church officials were relieved that no-one was injured. "We are
especially worried that in the last three weeks there have been
repeated attacks on the priesthood and property of the Roman Catholic
church in Srem," declared Rasim Ljajic, federal minister for national
and ethnic minorities. The Serbian ministry for religion affairs issued
a short statement condemning these attacks: "These constitute attacks
on the harmony of society."
"Some people jumped across the church wall into the yard,
approached the priest's car, broke the rear window and lights, and tried
to extract some petrol but failed," Father Zvonko Blasko,
spokesperson of the Yugoslav Catholic Bishop's Conference told
Keston in Belgrade on 15 March. "Then they smashed the parish
office window with a bottle containing liquid that smelled like petrol,
though a fire did not break out."
He reported that there had been no previous threats, except for an
incident on 17 February, when vulgar words were written on the
church wall. "This time, though, they wrote on the school wall across
the street: 'Our mothers will again give birth to new Mladics and
Karadzics.'" (SFOR troops in Bosnia and Herzegovina have recently
intensified their search in an attempt to arrest General Ratko Mladic
and Radovan Karadzic, Bosnian Serb politicians indicted by the
International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague for their role in the
Bosnian civil war.)
"Incidents like this are very harmful to all citizens of the multicultural
and multiethnic environment in [the province of] Vojvodina and
Yugoslav society," the federal ministry for national and ethnic
minorities told Keston in a statement. "We call on the authorities to
investigate this case in order to identify the perpetrators." In addition
to the statement, the minister Ljajic visited the local priest, Father
Eduard Spanovic, the next day.
"We are grateful to the city officials who condemned this act," Father
Blasko declared. "The reaction from the local police was an
encouragment to the believers and to the priest himself. They
promised more patrols and to take better care of the church. Further
more, Father Spanovic received many telephone calls from his Serbian
neighbours who expressed their condemnation of the attack."
The Serbian Ministry of Religion also condemned the attack.
"Interreligious tolerance makes a valuable continuity in Serbia," an 11
March statement declared, "and the Catholic Church, along with other
churches and religious communities, represents one of the most
important factors of internal harmony and integrity of our society."
"The local priest, Father Spanovic stated that he regrets what
happened," Father Blasko added, "but that this is an act of a small
group of irresponsible individuals. The extreme nationalists are trying
to intimidate the non-Serbian population in order to manipulate their
fear."
Over the past month several similar incidents have been reported in
Serbia. In the week of 27 February to 2 March, the Seventh Day
Adventist church in Belgrade suffered several broken windows, while
on 4 March a group of young people verbally abused Adventists and
tried to prevent them leaving their church after a service. The next day
police came to intervene.
On one night that same week, three churches in the town of Nova
Pazova just north of Belgrade - the Adventist, Methodist and
Nazarene churches - suffered broken windows and had graffiti
labelling them as "sects" written on their walls.
"There are several interconnected processes underway," Sonja
Biserko, president of the Serbian Helsinki Board for Human Rights,
told Keston on 19 March in Belgrade. "Attacks on smaller churches
and religious communities are becoming more intense again and
probably for a variety of reasons. Here we have a wave of xenophobia
and anti-Western sentiment. This represents an attempt to place one
dominant religious group above all others, with some respect accorded
to the Catholics, the Muslims and the Jews. But for all others - they
are in most cases condemned as sects.'' She likened the current wave
of attacks to those several years ago, "when the rise of Serbian
nationalism saw the Serbian Orthodox Church gaining a prominent
role in society".
The local police have registered these attacks on religious minorities,
but so far state officials have issued no statements. No-one has yet
been identified as the culprit or indicted. (END)
Copyright (c) 2002 Keston Institute. All rights reserved.
Subscribe to the free weekly KNS Summary, or to the almost daily
Keston News Service, through our website http://www.keston.org/
where donations may also be made. KNS articles are posted on the
website, as well as details of our other publications: the bimonthly
magazine Frontier and the quarterly academic journal Religion, State
& Society.
______________________________________
REPRINTING/QUOTING
KNS may be reprinted or quoted providing acknowledgment is given,
such as "Source: Keston Institute http://www.keston.org". We would
appreciate receiving a copy of any publication which quotes KNS.
--
Rowland Croucher
For immediate release
March 19 2002
INDONESIAN SPICE ISLANDS PEACE PLAN IN DANGER OF COLLAPSE DUE TO VIOLENCE
PROMOTED BY ISLAMIST EXTREMISTS
A series of violent attacks on both the Muslim and Christian communities is
threatening to derail the peace process in Indonesia.
Whilst the majority of Christians and Muslims support reconciliation
efforts, militant Islamist group Laskar Jihad continues to exploit communal
tensions.
The Moluccas conflict has already claimed more than nine thousand lives and
left over half a million people displaced.
On February 12, the Indonesian government brought Muslims and Christians
together and negotiated a truce for the Moluccas, the Malino 2 Agreement.
The government agreed to be responsible for law enforcement and security
aspects of the agreement, but the fragility of the peace process was soon to
be exposed.
A peaceful Muslim-Christian peace rally in Ambon city on March 2 was marred
by violence after a group of unidentified attackers set on the marchers with
machetes.
Two people were reportedly taken to hospital with serious injuries while two
people suffered slight cuts. Six people are still believed to be missing.
The rally was the first time in years that many Christians and Muslims had
mingled freely, having previously been segregated into religious districts
as a result of the conflict.
This sort of attack, directed at undermining the peace process, is a far
from isolated incident. On another occasion, a bus driver taking Christians
from Tulehu had stones thrown at his bus while he was driving through the
Muslim area of Batu Merah and of Galunggung, a Laskar Jihad stronghold.
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, enjoys a long history of
religious tolerance, but the growth of militant Islamist organisations such
as Laskar Jihad has jeopardised this reputation.
The freedom with which they are allowed to operate has raised serious
questions among the wider international community and consequently has
undermined both foreign investment and tourism.
A CSW team member, recently back from an inter-faith delegation visit to
Indonesia, reported that the deep-seated desire of both Muslims and
Christians was for a lasting peace.
The Malino 1 Agreement signed on December 20 and relating to nearby
Sulawesi, ensured the government committed a large security contingent to
the conflict area, which in turn has stopped the violence. The commitment is
only due to last for six months and many fear that if the security forces
pull out, the violence will flare up again.
Stuart Windsor, National Director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said:
"The peace process on the Moluccas is on a knife-edge. It is a tragedy that
a small number of Islamist militants are able to sabotage these genuine
moves to peace. The fact that extremist are able to attack both Christians
and Muslims, apparently with impunity, is an outrage and must be addressed.
"It is hard to understand why these groups are allowed to tarnish
Indonesia's international reputation without any repercussions.
"The Indonesian Government must take strong and effective measures against
those inciting hatred and participating in violence in Sulawesi and the
Moluccas. They must be brought to justice."
CSW also calls on the government to back the Malino process with concrete
action by ensuring the security measures recommended are implemented as a
matter of urgency.
Indonesia will need considerable assistance to rebuild war-torn areas and to
rehabilitate Muslim and Christian communities. CSW urges the international
community to offer its assistance to the reconciliation process to
contribute to a lasting and genuine peace.
For more information or photographs, contact Richard Chilvers at Christian
Solidarity Worldwide on 020 8949 0587 or 020 8942 8810 or email
richard....@csw.org.uk
--
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2002 10:00 PM
Subject: KNS AZERBAIJAN: "Don't complain to foreigners," religion chief
tells believers
KESTON INSTITUTE, OXFORD, UK
______________________________________
KESTON NEWS SERVICE: 11.00, 19 March 2002
Reporting on violations of religious liberty and on religion in
communist and post-communist lands.
______________________________________
AZERBAIJAN: "DON'T COMPLAIN TO FOREIGNERS,"
RELIGION CHIEF TELLS BELIEVERS. Rafik Aliev, chairman of
the State Committee for Relations with Religious Organisations, has
repeatedly warned believers who claim their rights have bee violated
by the state authorities not to take their complaints to foreigners,
Keston News Service has discovered. "Why do you complain to
international organisations?" he asked one group. "We're here to help
you." Religious minority leaders told Keston they doubted Aliev's
good intentions, as the State Committee is often the cause of
violations and has failed to respond to complaints. Many incidents of
fines, beatings, confiscation of religious literature or closure of places
of worship have gone unreported because leaders fear the
consequences of publicity for local believers.
AZERBAIJAN: "DON'T COMPLAIN TO FOREIGNERS,"
RELIGION CHIEF TELLS BELIEVERS
by Felix Corley, Keston News Service
As believers who claim their rights have been violated by the state
authorities debate and argue over the best way to resolve such
violations, Keston News Service has discovered that Rafik Aliev,
chairman of the State Committee for Relations with Religious
Organisations, has repeatedly warned believers not to take their
complaints to foreigners. "Come to us with your problems and we will
sort them out," he has told religious minority leaders, despite the fact
that his office is often the cause of the violations or - in cases where
other agencies have violated believers' rights - the State Committee
has done nothing practical to prevent such violations and failed to
respond to letters of complaint.
Aliev summoned some 20 Protestant pastors and leaders to a meeting
at the State Committee on 30 January. "Why do you complain to
international organisations?" he told them. "We're here to help you."
He failed to explain to them why they should not exercise their right
to tell whomever they chose about their problems.
However, a number of pastors present at the meeting told Keston of
their scepticism about Rafik Aliev's good intentions. "It was just a
lecture, not a discussion," Musfig Bayram, a pastor at Baku's Greater
Grace Protestant church who was present at the meeting, told Keston.
"We asked for concrete help but all he did was criticise us. He didn't
help us." Equal scepticism was expressed by Ivan (Yahya) Zavrichko,
the head of the Adventist church in Azerbaijan. "He told us we
shouldn't write to anyone or complain or get them to exert influence
on us as it would be useless."
Similarly, when Pastor Ilya Zenchenko, head of the Baptist Union in
Azerbaijan, and Pastor Pyotr Konovalchik, the head of the Baptist
Union in the CIS who was visiting from Moscow, visited Rafik Aliev
on 25 February to discuss their concerns (Aliev refused to receive
Yahya Mamedov, pastor of the Azeri-language Love church which
Aliev is trying to liquidate), they were subjected to a tirade. "Rafik
Aliev criticised us. He wasn't happy about the noise about the Love
church around the world," Zenchenko told Keston. "He demanded to
know what right some Dutch village pastor had to write to our
president about it. 'Who are these people to tell our president what he
should do?' he said. 'As if he doesn't know already what to do
without their help.'"
Other Christian pastors have expressed their frustration over Rafik
Aliev's failure to respond to letters of complaint from local believers.
"During the media campaign last year against religious minorities we
wrote to Rafik Aliev to ask him to bring them to a halt," Ilya
Zenchenko of the Baptist Union told Keston. "We had no reply. We
wrote again on 17 December to ask for his help in the wake of an
attack on our church the previous day by a drunken man. Again there
was no reply. On 31 December we wrote a joint letter with other
Protestant pastors asking for a halt to the legal case to liquidate the
Azeri-language church in Baku. Although Namik Allahverdiev of the
State Committee received the letter that same day there was still no
reply." The only reply Zenchenko received was when he wrote to the
State Committee to inform it of Konovalchik's visit to Baku from
Moscow. "They wrote to say they had nothing against the visit."
More important still, State Committee officials appear to have done
nothing to halt illegal closures of places of worship by local
authorities. Asked by Keston on 26 February about the police closure
of the Gyanja Adventist church two days earlier (see KNS 27
February 2002), Allahverdiev said he had heard something about it.
Kozlov said he had had a call from an Adventist pastor giving full
details and that he had rung the local authorities and told them not to
restrict the Adventists. However, when officials of the Organisation
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of
Europe raised the closure of the church with Rafik Aliev in mid-
March, he told them he had never heard of the incident. The church
remains closed.
Moshe Bekker, leader of the Ashkenazi Jewish community whose
community appears to be on the verge of re-registration denial as the
State Committee has opted for a rival group, told Keston that he has
repeatedly sought to discuss the split within the Ashkenazi community
with Rafik Aliev - without success. "I've rung Rafik Aliev many
times, but he's running away from me."
While in Baku, Keston witnessed debates among religious minority
leaders over how to tackle illegal closures of places of worship, denial
of registration to communities, detentions, fines and beatings of
believers, as well as media campaigns against religious minorities
which many claim were initiated by the State Committee. Some
leaders argued that it was better to resolve such issues quietly behind
the scenes. Others spoke up strongly for seeking as much publicity as
possible, reporting such events to local media, international media
such as Keston News Service and the secular agencies and to
diplomats. They argued that only international pressure on President
Heidar Aliev eased heavy pressure on religious minority communities
in late 1999.
While many minority leaders thanked Keston for its coverage of
religious liberty developments and incidents in Azerbaijan, it was
remarkable how many declined to have incidents of fines, beatings,
confiscation of religious literature or closure of places of worship
reported, especially when such incidents occurred outside Baku. Such
leaders feared that coverage of such incidents would make the
situation for their believers on the ground even more difficult.
Some ethnic Azeris who belong to minority faiths felt uncomfortable
about taking their cases to diplomats of foreign embassies, such as
those of the United States or European Union countries, fearing that
they could be tarred as being foreign agents. They argued that it was
better to take cases directly to international bodies in which
Azerbaijan was a full and equal member, such as the OSCE and the
Council of Europe, both of which have representatives in Baku.
However, officials of these two organisations say that so far, few such
religious representatives have been to see them to present their cases.
Local human rights groups also expressed surprise that local religious
communities whose rights had been violated rarely came to see them.
"They report these incidents abroad, but none of them ever come to
see us," Eldar Zeynalov, head of the Human Rights Centre of
Azerbaijan, told Keston at his centre. "We're ready to help them."
An uncompromising line was taken by Pastor Pavel Byakov, leader of
an unregistered Baptist church in a suburb of Sumgait, a city near
Baku where two Pentecostals were arrested in January and sent to
prison for two weeks (see KNS 21 January 2002). "We make a lot of
fuss about every incident," he told Keston in his home. "We had
trouble a couple of years ago here in Sumgait, but after making a fuss
they have been leaving us alone while other Christian groups now face
pressure. Look at the Pentecostals here - they didn't shout and see
what happened to them. Fifteen days in prison. We're used to
fighting." (END)
Copyright (c) 2002 Keston Institute. All rights reserved.
Subscribe to the free weekly KNS Summary, or to the almost daily
Keston News Service, through our website http://www.keston.org/
where donations may also be made. KNS articles are posted on the
website, as well as details of our other publications: the bimonthly
magazine Frontier and the quarterly academic journal Religion, State
& Society.
______________________________________
REPRINTING/QUOTING
KNS may be reprinted or quoted providing acknowledgment is given,
such as "Source: Keston Institute http://www.keston.org". We would
appreciate receiving a copy of any publication which quotes KNS.
--
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2002 12:47 PM
Subject: East Indonesia Update March: Issue for Urgent Prayer
1. DO NOT LET GO OF OUR HANDS
2. 3000 LASKAR JIHAD NOW IN PAPUA (IRIAN JAYA)
3. LAUNCH OF NEW WEBSITE: CRY INDONESIA
DO NOT LET GO OUR HANDS
The following letter was sent by Peter Scarborough (an Australian working in
Manado, Nth Sulawesi), to an Australian member of parliament on March 20,
2002, pleading for international intervention in the very serious situation
facing our Christian brothers and sisters in the refugee centres in Manado.
It is a plea that cannot be ignored. Please pray. Please lobby. Please carry
the burden of the suffering church in your heart this Easter and pray that
God brings resurrection life and hope into this most desperate situation.
Letter:
On Sunday I was called to an urgent meeting of the leaders of all the
refugee camps in Northern Sulawesi. They have received an order that all
refugee camps across Indonesia are to be closed. The camps in Sulawesi are
to be closed in April. People are to be repatriated or relocated, depending
on the situation in their home towns.
The response of the refugee leaders to this order (which was published in
the newspaper) was:
1. They do not trust the central govt. They think they may be relocated to
areas that are not stable or that may be targeted by the Jihad soon.
2. The order is not clear in that they do not know where they are to go if
the camps are closed. They are very uncertain about their future. They have
been through enough.
3. They want to be told personally by the govt ministers what lies ahead.
They certainly do not feel cared for by the govt and would like a special
committee or a minister to have responsibility for refugees. At present
orders are issued from several departments.
4. They feel they are treated like "things" and not people.
5. Those that cannot return to places such as Ternyate and Tidore would like
compensation for all they have lost.
6. There are some areas that have been declared safe for them to return, but
should they return they have would have restrictions placed on them.
One such example is Bacan where representatives of the Christian community
visited in November. They were asked to sign an agreement by the Islamic
leaders that the minority religion in each village be prohibited from
building a place of worship. They were also asked to sign that no Ambonese
Pastors be allowed to go to Bacan. They refused to sign and do not feel safe
to return.
7. The parting words I received to be passed on to you were from a young man
from North Maluku. He says to you:
"Please do not forget the youth of the Maluku islands. Do not let go of our
hands."
I told the assembled leaders that I would contact you and ask that my
government encourage the Indonesian govt to give more attention to the
refugees than what is presently being given.
Continually the message I received was that they trust the international
community and see their problem as an international one and not a local one.
I trust you can convey the feelings of fear and uncertainty that these
refugees have to your fellow MPs. I trust that a message can be relayed to
the Indonesian govt encouraging them to be more sensitive to the needs of
Christian refugees in Sulawesi and Halmahera.
I trust that the email above gives you an understanding of the plight of
these dear brothers and sisters. I agree that the camps should be closed as
disease and depression is increasing. But these people need a hope, they
need a future. They need to be treated with respect and cared for.
Peter & Esther Scarborough: scarboro...@bigpond.com
Yayasan Berkati Indonesia (Bless Indonesia Today)
IFC, Indonesia, with Dr Jeff Hammond
3000 LASKAR JIHAD NOW IN PAPUA (IRIAN JAYA)
The Human Rights watch group ELSHAM, reporting from Jayapura, Papua
(12.3.02) that, according to a leaked document from the Laskar Jihad, there
are now 3000 Laskar Jihad based in Papua (formerly known as Irian Jaya)
operating in four bases. The report goes on to say that the Laskar Jihad
have been infiltrating Papua since 2001 and are preparing for a 'grand
strike' against the indigenous people, most of whom are Christians. One
Jihad militia commander in Makasar admitted to an AFP journalist in February
2002 that the purpose of sending the Jihad militias to Papua is to assist
TNI in "fighting the Papuan separatists." ELSHAM reports that the TNI are
likely to use the Laskar Jihad to provoke religious conflict and then use
the instability to act against the pro-independence movement within Papua.
This is a matter for grave concern and we must be prayerful and for those
able, active in advocacy over the next few weeks.
Here is a copy of one recent official ELSHAM report:
ELSHAM News Service 16th March 2002
On 13th March 2002, twenty church leaders from different denominations,
together with eight tribal leaders and five youth leaders declared that the
Laskar Jihad must stop operating in Sorong, Papua. The Laskar Jihad's
presence is already causing unrest and fear among the local population.
These leaders gathered in Sorong and noted that the
establishment of an office for the organisation, Ahlus Sunnah Waal Jamaah
(known as the Laskar Jihad) is disturbing the peace and serving to provoke
unreast in the area. The leaders thus declared support for the following
five points:
(1) Laskar Jihad must be prevented from operating in Sorong and throughout
Papua.
(2) Laskar Jihad publications, bulletins and VCD's concerning the violence
in Maluku and North Maluku must be prevented from being circulated in Sorong
and throughout Papua because this material both incites and provokes people.
(3) The presence of Indonesian nationals and foreign nationals (Pakistani)
whose purpose is to provoke trouble between religious groups in Sorong and
throughout Papua must be stopped.
(4) Support the outcome of a conference in Papua that took place in Jayapura
on 25th to 28th February 2002 that states:
(a) The Papuan community is open to and values opportunities to work with
people from outside the region provided this takes place with the purpose
of creating Papua as a region which is free from violence, greed and
oppression.
(b) The Papuan community values and honours non-Papuan members of the
community who live in Papua and who do not promote differences between
ethicity, religion and race.
(5) Appeals to all members of the community (both Papuan and non-Papuan) in
the Sorong region and throughout Papua to not be influenced by the
provocation that takes place. Rather all members of the community are asked
to cultivate and protect harmony in their community.
This statement was prepared for and sent to the government head of the
Sorong region, the head of the Sorong police district, the head of Papua
police region, the local Military Commander and the Governor of Papua.
Copies were sent to the President of the Republic of Indonesia, the
Minister for Religion, the leader of the Parlaiment and the Peoples'
Assembly in Jakarta and leader of the Council of Islamic leaders in
Indonesia.
LAUNCH OF NEW WEBSITE: CRY INDONESIA
Drawing attention to these issues above, and more, PLUS showcasing the soon
to be released CD and Video Pack, Cry Indonesia (a ministry of IFC,
Australia) is a resource rich site for those who wish to be informed and
inform others of the suffering church in East Indonesia. A web development
team has spent weeks putting it together. The official release date is
Monday (the photos will be online then) but you can access it right now to
read the latest about all that is happening, plus prepare yourself for our
special month of focus in prayer during April.
Go to http://CryIndonesia.rnc.org.au
(Note: there is no "www" in this address)
Also, we have thousands of full colour A5 flyers for those wanting to
promote Cry Indonesia during April. Ideal as a handout for Easter church
services. Email now for your copies (inc name, church, adress, quantity
required). Ask for a pdf sample first if you wish.
FINALLY, I urge you to forward this email on far and wide across your own
networks. The issues above concern developments needing much prayer. I
believe the Cry Indonesia website has been timed by God to coincide with
these urgent needs for prayer and partnership.
In the words of the Maluku youth, 'Do not let go of our hands'. Now more
than ever, lets hold those hands tightly.
Do your B.I.T and
Bless
Indonesia
Today
Yours in partnership
Ian Freestone, 21.03.02
Australian Director, IFC
Producer, Cry Indonesia
i...@rnc.org.au
Bubba
>When Alladin Omer Ajjabna Mohammed (then 23) become a Christian 11
>years ago, he was expelled from University and disowned by his
>family. Some years later, he managed to enrol in an Arabic-language
>Christian seminary abroad, but was forcibly deported back to Sudan
>in June 2001 when local Muslim authorities learned that he was an
>'apostate'. Mohammed was arrested at Khartoum Airport and charged
>with apostasy. Held incommunicado, he was tortured and ordered to
>revert to Islam. He was released in September 2001 on medical
>grounds but had to report daily to security. While doing so,
>Mohammed disappeared again on 26 September 2001. This was only days
>after the arrest of Mohammed Saeed Mohammed Omer, a new believer
>who was charged with apostasy and subsequently tortured by police
>(see RLP 139).
>
How is this different from the centuries of intolerance, torture and
murder at the hands of christians? In particular the catholics.
Or the Jews?
Christians profess to love everybody, but they are intolerant of other
religeons (for the most part)
The relevant difference is that in north america, tolerance is the
law. But even then it is not in the hearts of all the goverened.
The rest of the world is fairly intolerant, including parts of europe.
Historically, the church has persecuted anyone who had a different
view. And in the past, the church ruled governments.
(still does in some places IMO)
<snip>
>Tolerance in Khartoum has certainly deteriorated since Easter 2000
>when hardline Islamists were shocked to see 210,000 people turn out
>for an Easter Celebration in Green Square, run by the All Sudan
>Council of Churches. The government cancelled the Easter 2001
>Celebration when Islamists threatened violence (RLP 113). With over
>100 Christians meeting in All Saints Cathedral then arrested and 53
>of them summarily sentenced to be flogged, church leaders noted,
>'The language of tolerance and coexistence is fading fast.'
>
Again, how many people have been totured at the hands of christians
and jews? How many christians feel justified when a muslim is killed?
"See, the heathens are getting what they deserve!"
How about tolerance in America? Wasn't it Pat Robertson(wacko) who
commented that WTC tradegy was justified because gays are allowed to
live in the states? (or something to that effect)
His senitment reaches a large audience of people that are probably
like-minded.
Cheers,
Bubba
Bubba
>SUFFERING IN ACEH
>
>A reliable, as yet unconfirmed report has emerged that in October
>2001, Christians in Aceh were forced to sign a 'Mutual Agreement'
>to destroy a number of their own churches. They were also not to
>engage in religious activity in the homes of residents nor
>missionary activity. The purpose of this agreement, signed by
>representatives of the Islamic and Christian communities, was to
>'create an atmosphere of living in harmony between the religious
>communities'. Failure to co-operate would result in 'unwanted
>consequences which could instigate the destruction of unity and
>oneness between the religious communities'. There were no
>restrictions placed on the Islamic community.
>
>Islamic Sharia Law was introduced into the Aceh Province at the
>beginning of 2002. Governor Abdullah Puteh said this was part of a
>special autonomy package extended to the province last year which
>would usher in a 'new era' for Aceh. From 15 March, police will
>start enforcing Islamic dress code. The sanctions on violators are
>as yet unspecified except that they will be 'firm'. Government and
>private offices must have business signs installed in Arabic-style
>script. This apparently growing push for hardline Islam in Aceh
>will cause suffering for its small Christian minority.
>
Majority rules
If the minority doesn't like it, they should change it, or find a
place that is more friendly to their particular belief.
Cheers,
Bubba
Bubba
Catholics under fire? Gee,, its hard to believe.
What was the latest scandal in a long line of scandels?
Child Pornography?
And it's certainly not limited to USA. Whereever catholics are, there
seems to be some scandalous behavior.
Is there no sympathy for the communities who rebel against the church
after things like that?
Cheers,
Bubba
Rowland Croucher
March 25, 2002
Indonesian 'Jihad' Ready to Combat Americans
Responsible for acts of terrorism against the Christian minority in
Indonesia, the militant Muslim organization Laskar Jihad has affirmed its
commitment to carry out acts of violence against not only Indonesia's
Christians, but also against Americans as well.
On March 29, 2002, in Jakarta, Indonesia, the London Arabic-language daily
Al-Hayat interviewed Ja'far Omar Taleb, the leader of the Laskar Jihad
organization, stated that his organization's goal is not only to target
Christians in Indonesia, but also American interests.
Taleb was asked, "In light of your [Lashkar Jihad's] enmity towards America,
do you plan to target American interests in Indonesia?" Taleb's reply was:
"America operates in Indonesia through non-governmental organizations.We are
not hostile to the American people, but to American policy in our country
and in Muslim countries. They think that we are dangerous because we
confront the non-governmental organizations that are acting to corrupt
Indonesia."
The strength of the Laskar Jihad, according to Taleb, is in the dedication
of the young people, which he claims numbers 10,000 strong. When Taleb was
asked whether or not his band of 'holy warriors' would confront American
interests, he replied: "We will confront them with all means of combat and
preaching."
Taleb has repeatedly denied that the Laskar Jihad has any connections with
Osama bin Laden and his organization Al-Qa'ida. Taleb says in the interview
that Al-Qa'ida has accused Muslim rulers and clerics of heresy simply
because not all Muslim leaders agree with all of Al-Qa'ida's interpretations
of the Koran.
When asked about the possibility of Laskar Jihad joining in the fight
against America, Taleb replied, "Allah be praised, the Muslims continue
their Jihad against America, and it is our obligation to support them as
best we can." When asked, despite his disagreements with Al-Qa'ida, whether
he would support Al-Qa'ida members in their fight against America, Taleb
replied, "Of course, as they are Muslims and it is our duty to support
Muslims and to wash our hands of the infidels. This is our principle."
Following a trip to Indonesia's Central Sulawesi island in late November,
the Washington, D.C. based International Christian Concern (ICC) raised
concerns about the heightened presence of the Laskar Jihad in the region.
ICC reported that the Laskar Jihad not only posed a serious threat against
the Christian population, but also expressed concern about the group's
likely connections to Osama bin-Laden and his Al-Qa'ida network. ICC
reported having been taken to the outskirts of a training camp that was said
to be hosting Muslim fighters from Afghanistan. In the weeks to follow, ICC'
s concerns were confirmed. Indonesia's intelligence agency reported having
found an abandoned Al-Qa'ida training camp in Central Sulawesi. Laskar Jihad
was massing thousands of armed warriors in preparation to attack the 68,000
Christians in Tentena. Subsequent reports and the Al-Hayat interview have
raised further concerns about the dangerous activities of the Laskar Jihad
and how the far-reaching tentacles of Al-Qa'ida can recruit militant groups
like the Laskar Jihad to spew their venom of violence and terrorism against
Christians and American interests worldwide.
International Christian Concern
www.persecution.org 800-ICC-5441
The above excerpts from the Al-Hayat interview were translated and reported
by The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
Washington, DC 20038-7837
Rowland Croucher
Subj: Sri Lanka: Persecution increases
To: World Evangelical Alliance - Religious Liberty E-mail Conference
From: Mark Albrecht, Conference Moderator <MarkAl...@xc.org>
Dear Friends,
We have just received the following report from the Evangelical Alliance of
Sri Lanka (EASL), which indicates a pattern of increased persecution in the
last month.
Independent evangelical churches are often targeted in the rural areas of
Sri Lanka, where Buddhist monks incite the local people to harass or attack
the small Protestant fellowships, which they feel threaten to undermine the
cultural and religious unity of Sri Lanka, a Buddhist nation.
The EASL says that these attacks on Christians have been escalating in
recent months, as the Sri Lankan Society for the Preservation of Buddhism
has become more aggressive in its efforts to ferret out Protestant
Christianity in the countryside. According to the EASL, their aim is to
establish chapters of the Buddhist society in every district to monitor the
growth of Christianity and prevent conversions. They also aim to close down
churches already established in traditional Buddhist villages.
This situation is quite serious, as small numbers of radical monks and
their followers have damaged or destroyed numerous churches, and several
pastors and church members have been murdered in recent years. As this
report indicates, the local police are often not sympathetic to plight of
the churches, which only emboldens the anti-Christian agitators and mobs.
-MA
____
Sri Lanka Religious Liberty Update
March 2002
1. Church under siege in Walpitamulla, Veyangoda
Pastor Chandrakumar, his wife and four children have been living in
Veyangoda for the past 10 years, serving the Lord. Several weeks ago a mob
walked in to the house church during the Sunday service and ordered Pastor
Chandrakumar to stop his ministry in the area.
However, Pastor Chandrakumar continued his ministry. The following week
they returned, again during Sunday service. Angered at the sight of the
worship service in progress, they stormed the church, assaulting believers
and destroying the cross in the church. One of the victims was the Pastor's
son, aged 6 years, who suffered stab injuries. The mob left, warning Pastor
Chandrakumar that if he continued to conduct services, they would return
and kill his children.
From that day onwards the house church came under continuous attack lasting
17 days. A barrage of stones and other missiles would be thrown at the
church daily starting at 2 AM until dawn. On the 19th of March, the stones
damaged the roof and broken tiles fell through. One of the pastor's
children sustained head injuries and was rushed to the hospital for
medical attention. The hospital authorities refused to treat him unless a
police entry was filed.
This was done and subsequently the police took two of the mob leaders into
custody. They appeared before the court on the 22nd of March, and the court
refused to release them on bail. This resulted in the mob inciting the
village to search for Pastor Chandrakumar and his family. Fearing for their
lives, Pastor Chandrakumar, his wife and two of the children fled the
village and sought refuge with another pastor in a neighbouring village.
The other two children were taken to safety by a church member in another
village. The pastor and family continue to be in grave danger.
This attack was the third attack on Christian workers in the region since
the anti-Christian Buddhist organization Bauddha Sanrakshana Sabhava
(Society for the Preservation of Buddhism) established themselves in the
region a few months ago.
Other attacks have been in the villages of Ganemulla, Dambulla and
Welikanda. This Buddhist society has its headquarters in the Asgiriya
Temple in Kandy, and is led by an influential monk, the Venerable Medagama
Dharmananda Thero. Their aim is to establish chapters of the society in
every district to monitor the growth Christianity and prevent conversions.
They also aim to close down churches already established in traditional
Buddhist villages.
2. The flower vendors of Dambulla
This village is situated in a predominantly Buddhist area where most of the
land belongs to the local Buddhist temple. A Christian ministry was
established by a worker in recent times, and 12 families came to Christ
through this ministry. These families earned their living as flower
vendors, selling flowers to devotees who visit the temple. The villagers,
led by the Buddhist monk, threatened them, saying that until they renounce
Christianity they will not be permitted to sell flowers. They were also
ordered to vacate their homes and leave the village (the land they live on
was owned by the temple). A house occupied by a family of believers was
attacked and damaged.
3. The house church in Ganemulla
A small house church came under threat by the local villages. The Buddhist
monk of the local temple and the Roman Catholic priest of the area joined
hands to organize a protest march in the village against the presence of
the house church. The police intervened and stopped the protest. They also
ordered the pastor to stop holding meetings in his house on the grounds
that it was creating a disturbance in the neighbourhood. The village was
well mobilized by the anti-Christian lobby to the extent that a believer
was denied burial rights at the local cemetery. The cemetery gates were
locked, and the family was forced to divert the funeral procession to
another village to bury their dead.
4. Welikanda: pastor attacked
The villagers of Welikanda, led by a Buddhist monk, followed and attacked a
pastor while he was traveling. The house church was compelled to move and
hold
meetings in a different location due to threats. Concerning the assault on
the pastor, the police have instituted a case against both the attackers
and the pastor for 'breach of peace'.
Please pray for the safety of these pastors and their families and church
members, that the work of the Lord will continue in this region.
- The Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka
============================================
**WEA Religious-Liberty e-mail Conference**
<Religiou...@xc.org>
============================================
This information is provided to Religious Liberty Conference users.
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The Religious Liberty Conference is a moderated conference sharing
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For more information on the World Evangelical Alliance, please take a look
at our site on the web at <http://www.WorldEvangelical.org>. For more
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For more about the Religious Liberty Commission of the World Evangelical
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Advocates International serves as the legal and judicial advisor to the
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For those of you who would like more detailed information on situations for
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Rowland Croucher
http://www.keston.org
----- Original Message -----
From: <keston.i...@keston.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2002 7:00 AM
Subject: KNS KYRGYZSTAN: Increased state control of religions?
KESTON INSTITUTE, OXFORD, UK
______________________________________
KESTON NEWS SERVICE: 20.00, 26 March 2002.
Reporting on violations of religious liberty and on religion in
communist and post-communist lands.
______________________________________
KYRGYZSTAN: NEW RELIGION LAW TO INCREASE STATE
CONTROL? A new draft religion law could be approved by the
Kyrgyz parliament as early as May, the chairman of the committee
which prepared the draft told Keston News Service on 20 March. The
government has consulted widely in producing the draft and the
chairman believes it conforms to international standards, but the law
would considerably enlarge the state's opportunities to control the life
of believers, for example banning non-registered missionary activity.
Already there is evidence of the tightening of control over both
Muslim and Christian groups.
KYRGYZSTAN: NEW RELIGION LAW TO INCREASE STATE
CONTROL?
by Igor Rotar, Keston News Service
A new draft religion law could be approved by the Kyrgyz parliament
as early as May, Alisher Sobirov, chairman of the parliamentary
subcommittee on religion which prepared the draft, told Keston News
Service in Bishkek on 20 March. The law would considerably enlarge
the state's opportunities to control the life of believers. Among its
provisions are the compulsory registration of religious organisations,
the requirement to licence religious educational activity and a ban on
missionary activity which is not first registered (the process for
registration is not defined in the law).
Similar restrictive provisions are to be found in the new draft religion
law in neighbouring Kazakhstan, which has been sharply criticised
both by international organisations and by believers of several
religious minorities (see KNS 1 February 2002). (It is currently being
assessed by the Kazakh Constitutional Council, having been passed by
both houses of parliament.) In Kazakhstan, neither members of
parliament nor representatives of the authorities conceal the fact that
the new draft is directed at tightening control over religious
movements (primarily Islamic movements) described as "non-
traditional". There is considerable concern over security, in the wake
of 11 September (see KNS 23 January 2002).
In contrast Sobirov does not consider that the Kyrgyz draft law
tightens state control over believers' activities. "Our draft is in no way
connected with the events of September 11. I consider that we have
written a draft which corresponds as fully as possible with
international legal norms," he told Keston on 21 March. The Kyrgyz
authorities have consulted widely on the question, since an earlier
draft was criticised last year (see KNS 20 February 2001).
Despite this, there is evidence of an overall tendency for the Kyrgyz
government to tighten control over believers' activity. On 14 January
it issued a decree "On several issues concerning publishing in the
Kyrgyz Republic". The decree's preamble states that its aim is "the
prevention of subversive ideological and propagandistic work of
various extremist religious centres and of the increase of their
informational influence". (see KNS 8 February 2002).
Law-enforcement agencies are treating religious dissidents more
harshly. The police, according to Sobirov, have begun finding bullets
on detained members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, enabling them to open
criminal cases against them for illegal possession of weapons (see
forthcoming KNS story). This practice is widespread in Uzbekistan,
where law enforcement operatives plant drugs or weapons on
dissidents in order to prosecute them. Earlier this year, on 11 January,
the chairman of the Islamic Committee, Bahodyr Akhmedov was
arrested in Jalal-Abad (southern Kyrgyzstan) on charges of possessing
ammunition. Both Akhmedov himself and his family claim that the
bullets were planted (see KNS 22 January 2002). This March, as the
"Vecherni Bishkek" newspaper reported on 20 March, for the first
time in Kyrgyzstan a mullah was arrested on charges of "promoting
religious extremism". Charges were brought because books and
leaflets of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir party were found during a search at the
home of mullah Hallilo Tishaev from the town of Osh in southern
Kyrgyzstan.
At the same time it appears that the authorities are hardening their
policy towards Christian associations that refuse to register. In
November last year the first instance of difficulties for believers who
refuse to swear the military oath was recorded, when Baptist Dmitri
Shukhov was sent by the conscription commission for investigation in
psychiatric hospital. Previously, Shukhov's fellow believers told
Keston, the authorities "understood their position" and offered the
option of alternative service (see KNS 13 February 2002). (END)
Copyright (c) 2002 Keston Institute. All rights reserved.
Subscribe to the free weekly KNS Summary, or to the almost daily
Keston News Service, through our website http://www.keston.org/
where donations may also be made. KNS articles are posted on the
website, as well as details of our other publications: the bimonthly
magazine Frontier and the quarterly academic journal Religion, State
& Society.
______________________________________
REPRINTING/QUOTING
KNS may be reprinted or quoted providing acknowledgment is given,
such as "Source: Keston Institute http://www.keston.org". We would
appreciate receiving a copy of any publication which quotes KNS.
--
Rowland Croucher
> >Islamic Sharia Law was introduced into the Aceh Province at the
> >beginning of 2002. Governor Abdullah Puteh said this was part of a
> >special autonomy package extended to the province last year which
> >would usher in a 'new era' for Aceh. From 15 March, police will
> >start enforcing Islamic dress code. The sanctions on violators are
> >as yet unspecified except that they will be 'firm'. Government and
> >private offices must have business signs installed in Arabic-style
> >script. This apparently growing push for hardline Islam in Aceh
> >will cause suffering for its small Christian minority.
> >
>
> Majority rules
>
> If the minority doesn't like it, they should change it, or find a
> place that is more friendly to their particular belief.
>
> Cheers,
> Bubba
How do people with little or no financial resources do that? And whose
ancestors have lived on this land?
Rowland Croucher
WELCOME to the 16 intercessors who have joined the list this month.
----------------------------------------
DURING MARCH WE HAVE PRAYED CONCERNING -
SUDAN: where Muslims choosing to become Christians suffer terribly
under Sharia Law. Alladin Omer Ajjabna Mohammed is one of
several Christians in Khartoum who because of their faith have
been beaten, imprisoned and tortured as 'apostate' under Islamic
law. Several believers on the run for their life are in hiding.
Continue to pray for them and other Sudanese Christians.
INDONESIA: where the Malino peace accord has enabled Muslim and
Christian communities to work for peace in spite of the
provocation of the Laskar Jihad and other Islamist groups.
Continue to pray that peace will hold.
PAKISTAN: where five died and 46 were injured in the recent grenade
attack in the Protestant International Church in Islamabad.
One Pakistani evangelist responded: 'This is the time the
Christian community must look up to the heavenly security system.
There is one who never sleeps nor slumbers. He is our refuge.'
OTHER SITUATIONS THAT EMERGED IN MARCH -
* ETHIOPIA: CHRISTIANS SUFFER VIOLENCE
Christians in Ethiopia have suffered several violent attacks by
Muslims since the bombing of terrorist forces in Afghanistan
started on 6 October. A church in Hargessa was destroyed and three
church leaders, Hanna Bekelle, Solomon Worku and Zewdnesh Bekele,
were imprisoned three months ago and have reportedly been beaten
up. Also, two churches were destroyed and many believers were
attacked by angry Muslim mobs near Wello in early March. According
to a local pastor, some of those attacked are still in hospital,
badly injured. The life of Gureta Hammed, a Muslim who chose to
become a Christian, is also seriously threatened as inflamed
Islamic zealots want him killed for his apostasy and witness. He
has been beaten and hospitalised and is now seeking refuge in the
police station. Pray for Christians in Muslim regions of Ethiopia
as they face increased hostility in this post 11 September age.
* PAPUA (IRIAN JAYA): LASKAR JIHAD BUILDS UP
A significant build up of what is believed to be some 3,000 Laskar
Jihad are spreading throughout the Indonesian Province of Papua
(Irian Jaya), according to ELSHAM, the Institute for Human Rights
Study and Advocacy, based there in Jayapura. One Laskar Jihad
leader told an AFP journalist that they had come to help the
Indonesian military (TNI) fight the Papuan separatists. The Jihad
militias, closely linked with the TNI, view the Christians as pro-
independence. As in Maluku and Sulawesi, the Laskar Jihad has been
actively inciting hatred against Christians, whom they label as
Kaffir (infidels), to be converted or exterminated. The Laskar
Jihad is believed also to be training the mostly Muslim Red and
White militia (Merah Putih). Extremely concerned, Church and
community leaders are calling for the Laskar Jihad to leave Papua.
* SRI LANKA: PERSECUTION ESCALATES
The Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka reports once again that
persecution against Protestant Christians is escalating seriously
as Buddhist nationalism grows. Over recent months the Sri Lankan
Society for the Preservation of Buddhism has been campaigning more
aggressively against Protestant Christianity. In Walpitamulla,
Veyangoda, Pastor Chandrakumar, his wife and four children have
been driven from their church and home by repeated violent attacks.
One son (6) received stab wounds when a violent Buddhist mob
invaded the church. Another child received head injuries requiring
hospitalisation when a Buddhist mob threw rocks at the church until
the roof fell in. The family has fled but is still in grave danger.
Christian workers have been attacked also in the villages of
Ganemulla, Dambulla and Welikanda, since this Buddhist Society was
formed to monitor Christianity and prevent conversions.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR
* believers who are suffering intensified persecution due to
increased Islamic zeal since 6 October 2001, thinking especially
of Christians in Ethiopia, Sudan and Pakistan.
* the Laskar Jihad to be dealt with decisively and reined in by
the Indonesian Government, so that the Malino peace pact will
hold and so that Papua does not become the next killing field,
suffering like East Timor, Ambon, Maluku and Sulawesi.
* protection of the Christians in Sri Lanka from the renewed
onslaught of aggressive nationalistic Buddhist persecution.
'I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My
help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.' Ps 121:1,2
* TO VIEW PAST RLPs, go to
http://www.evangelicalalliance.org.au/missions/rlc/postings.htm
----------------------------------------------------
Please pass this along to others with attribution to
World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty
Prayer List <rl-p...@crossnet.org.au>
----------------------------------------------------
The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this
RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray
specifically and regularly for religious liberty
issues, and in particular to uphold the Church
where it is suffering persecution.
--
Rowland Croucher
Spared death, Chinese house church
leader wants public trial this time
WUHAN, China (BP) -- A Chinese Christian leader who barely escaped execution
in January wants his retrial to be conducted in public this time, according
to sources close to the case.
Gong Shengliang, 46, leader of the South China Church, was sentenced to
death after a secret trial in December before a court in Wuhan, China. The
charges: rape and operating an "evil cult to undermine law enforcement."
Gong's supporters contend the Chinese government is using brutal torture,
false charges and sham trials to crack down on 16 "sects" the government has
decided to suppress.
The banned sects include the controversial Falun Gong meditation movement,
but also more than 10 evangelical Christian house church networks --
including Gong's South China Church.
Hours before Gong's scheduled execution in January, U.S. Secretary of State
Colin Powell personally appealed to Chinese President Jiang Zemin on Gong's
behalf. Gong and co-defendant Li Ying, also sentenced to death with a
two-year delay, were granted a reprieve and retrial. Also granted retrial
were 14 other members of the group, who had received prison terms ranging
from two to 20 years.
A Chinese Embassy spokesman in Washington, D.C., contacted in late March,
could not confirm when a new trial for Gong and his co-defendants might
begin. Sources closely connected to Gong's house church movement, however,
said a second closed-door tribunal had been scheduled for mid-March, but
that his lawyers are "fighting against a closed trial."
The defendants reportedly had no legal representation during the first
trial.
"No (Chinese) lawyers dared to touch this case," said one insider. "They
didn't get any defense at all. And they were very, very badly treated in
prison as they awaited execution."
This time, the Christians reportedly have a 15-member Chinese defense team.
They will be convicted again, sources expect, since guilty verdicts usually
are a foregone conclusion in Chinese courts. But their defenders hope they
will receive reduced prison terms.
Visitors allowed to see Gong in prison in early March said the cuffs on his
wrists and legs "were so tight, and had been on so long, that you could see
bones," a source reported. "His whole face was bruised and swollen, and his
mouth and lips were broken. He was in tremendous hunger."
Female church members who signed statements that they were sexually
assaulted by Gong were tortured and psychologically traumatized while in
custody, the source added.
"That accusation is completely false," he said. "These girls are so confused
they don't even know their own names. And the most private parts of their
bodies are blistered and bloody; the skin has been burned away with electric
batons."
Several recanted their testimony against Gong after the first trial and
claimed they had been pressured to accuse him, according to letters sent to
the West.
The South China Church, started by Gong more than a decade ago in Hubei
province, is relatively small compared to other Christian house church
groups that count millions of followers each. The South China Church
reportedly has about 100,000 believers in 10 provinces.
The movement's size may be one reason it has been especially targeted.
"It's one of the smallest networks, so it was easy to get the net around
them," the source said. "Also, the government wanted to see what the
reaction in the West would be. I think they were taken a little bit by
surprise" by the international furor over the death sentences.
"That's why we want to keep this case visible, because it's not over."
Reports have circulated in recent months that Chinese authorities are
considering a more lenient approach to the rapidly growing house church
movements.
Such reports, however, come in the midst of the harshest crackdown on
Chinese house churches in years. Hundreds of believers have been rounded up,
beaten or harassed. Several have died in custody or after police beatings.
Scores of house church leaders have been imprisoned or forced into hiding
and constant movement to avoid arrest. Homes of believers and churches have
been destroyed and their assets confiscated.
Secret government documents obtained and released by the New York-based
Center for Religious Freedom prescribe such actions as part of a systematic
campaign to "smash" house church networks. They show that China "remains
determined to eradicate all religion it cannot control," according to center
director Nina Shea.
Many Christians had expected China's entry into the World Trade Organization
(WTO) and winning bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics would open a new age of
increasing religious freedom. Yet observers note the opposite seems to be
occurring.
Chinese communist leaders are increasingly alarmed about the mushrooming
growth of the house churches, observers say. They also are infuriated that
house church leaders want to send thousands of missionaries to other
countries.
"Any organized group that is not under government control is a threat to
them," said one Christian worker. "They look at Eastern Europe and see that
Christianity played a significant role in the downfall of communism, and
they say, 'That's not going to happen to us.'
"It also may have something to do with generational transition as
(President) Jiang is starting to phase out and wanting to leave a legacy.
Plus, they already got the Olympic bid. They got the WTO entry. What's
holding them back now? There's nothing they have to be 'good' for. The
pressure's off."
The Christian prisoners and their families, meanwhile, are appealing for
prayer.
"They are begging the Christian world to pray for them," a source said.
"They say, 'If this is what God wants to happen, we are willing. But if this
is Satan trying to stop the expansion of God's kingdom, then pray that we
may be strong.'"
-30-
Center for Religious Freedom
http://www.freedomhouse.org/religion
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
http://www.uscirf.gov
International Christian Concern
http://www.persecution.org
Previous stories about Gong Shengliang
http://www.imb.org/learn/news/story.asp?id=750
http://www.imb.org/learn/news/story.asp?id=747
Rowland Croucher
----------------------------------------
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR
* believers who are suffering intensified persecution due to
increased Islamic zeal since 6 October 2001, thinking especially
of Christians in Ethiopia, Sudan and Pakistan.
* the Laskar Jihad to be dealt with decisively and reined in by
the Indonesian Government, so that the Malino peace pact will
hold and so that Papua does not become the next killing field,
suffering like East Timor, Ambon, Maluku and Sulawesi.
* protection of the Christians in Sri Lanka from the renewed
onslaught of aggressive nationalistic Buddhist persecution.
'I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My
help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.' Ps 121:1,2
* TO VIEW PAST RLPs, go to
http://www.evangelicalalliance.org.au/missions/rlc/postings.htm
----------------------------------------------------
Please pass this along to others with attribution to
World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty
Prayer List <rl-p...@crossnet.org.au>
----------------------------------------------------
The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this
RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray
specifically and regularly for religious liberty
issues, and in particular to uphold the Church
where it is suffering persecution.
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 5:30 AM
Subject: Burma: Life Without Sanctuary
CHRISTIAN SOLIDARITY WORLDWIDE
For immediate release
March 28 2002
Burma: Life without Sanctuary
Over 4,000 people have fled following attacks by the Burmese army on
internally displaced settlements in Karen State this month. The attacks
have taken place in Papun and Nyaunglebin, two northern districts of the
state.
Six light infantry battalions and one regular infantry battalion attacked
the area from three directions. They burned 11 villages, destroyed numerous
paddy fields and rice barns, looted properties, killed two villagers and
planted landmines extensively throughout the area.
The 4,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have now fled deep into the
jungle inside Burma. As this new offensive has stopped the planting of new
crops and destroyed most of the remaining harvest, they are in desperate
need of food and medicines. Many are living in daily fear of attack from the
Burmese army. Some have been in hiding from the junta for almost six years.
This is the second offensive this year. Many of the villages under fire had
just been rebuilt after they were destroyed by the military between November
2001 and January this year. A total of 30 villages have been torched in the
past four months.
During the first wave of attacks, the military looted and burnt 18 villages.
In the process six people were killed, three were tortured and 3,000 were
left homeless. In one village, the entire population of 703 people was
forcibly relocated. Others were forced to act as army porters and human
minesweepers.
News of these recent attacks comes at the same time as a decision by the
Thai government to repatriate 6,778 refugees, from Mae La camp on the Thai
border to Myawidy Welcome Camp inside Burma, at the beginning of April 2002.
The Thai authorities claim that the refugees had entered the camp illegally,
without proper registration with the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR).
Thailand has been a safe haven for over 120,000 Burmese refugees and close
to 400,000 illegal immigrants from Burma. Most of them are from the ethnic
minorities, pre-dominantly the Karen, Shan and Karenni.
Last October, the Thai government disregarded the recommendations of the
UNHCR and forcibly returned 63 Karen refugees across the border. Within a
month, the settlement these refugees took shelter in was raided by the
Burmese army. Fifteen Karen villagers were arrested, some were interrogated
and others were forced to act as porters in extremely harsh conditions.
International human rights groups denounced the incident as a clear case of
refoulement by the Thai authorities.
Mary On, a former Chairman of the Karen Refugee Committee, has been a
refugee since 1984. She believes that in seeking better economic relations
with Burma, the Thai government will be keen to repatriate all Karen
refugees to Burma.
"This should not be allowed to happen until there is a real peace in Burma.
If there is genuine peace today, we will go back tonight, we will not wait
until tomorrow," she said. "But for the time being there is no security."
Burma's government regularly denounces these refugees as family members of
anti-Rangoon insurgent groups and is reluctant to accept them back to Burma.
Thus, many refugees believe that the junta will only make an insincere offer
of peace.
CSW's Stuart Windsor said, "We are extremely concerned that forced
repatriation may lead to persecution of those who return. Thailand has shown
tremendous compassion in giving shelter to hundreds of thousands who have
fled for their lives across the border. We hope she will continue to show
mercy and allow the refugees to remain on Thai soil in accordance with
international laws until there is permanent and guaranteed security for them
in Burma."
"The already precarious conditions of the 400,000 - 500,000 IDPs trapped in
the jungle of Burma are deteriorating by the day. They are constantly hunted
down and slaughtered like animals by the junta. One wonders how many more
lives have to be sacrificed before the international community will speak
out against these injustice?"
For more information, visit reports, photos, local project details and
crayon drawings done by children showing the traumatic effects of
persecution, please contact Richard Chilvers at Christian Solidarity
Worldwide
richard....@csw.org.uk, or visit CSW website at www.csw.org.uk.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Worldwide Photos Ltd-----<rlgm...@ozemail.com.au>
--
Rowland Croucher
http://www.keston.org
----- Original Message -----
From: <keston.i...@keston.org>
Sent: Monday, April 01, 2002 8:00 PM
Subject: KNS AZERBAIJAN: Police order Protestant's deportation
KESTON INSTITUTE, OXFORD, UK
______________________________________
KESTON NEWS SERVICE: 11.00, 1 April 2002.
Reporting on violations of religious liberty and on religion in communist
and post-communist lands.
______________________________________
AZERBAIJAN: POLICE ORDER PROTESTANT'S DEPORTATION. On the day Baku's
Protestant Greater Grace church was celebrating Easter, police in the city's
central Sabail district tried to forcibly deport a church member, alleging
that she had been conducting religious "propaganda". One of the church's
pastors, Musfig Bayram, told Keston News Service from Baku that police took
Nina Koptseva, a Russian citizen who has a residence permit to live in Baku,
to the city's railway station on Sunday morning (31 March), bought her a
ticket to the Russian border and tried to place her on the train without any
court decision. It was only when she screamed loudly and insisted that if
she had to leave she could buy an airline ticket to Russia herself that
police halted the attempt and returned her to the cells in the Sabail
district police station. Koptseva is now slated for deportation today (1
April) by air. Three other
church members face fines.
AZERBAIJAN: POLICE ORDER PROTESTANT'S DEPORTATION
by Felix Corley, Keston News Service
On the day Baku's Protestant Greater Grace church was celebrating Easter,
police in the city's central
Sabail district tried to forcibly deport a church member, alleging that she
had been conducting
religious "propaganda". One of the church's pastors, Musfig Bayram, told
Keston News Service from Baku that police took Nina Koptseva, a Russian
citizen who has a residence permit to live in Baku, to the city's railway
station on Sunday morning (31 March), bought her a ticket to the Russian
border and tried to place her on the train without any court decision. It
was only when she screamed loudly and insisted that if she had to leave she
could buy an airline ticket to Russia herself that police halted the attempt
and returned her to the cells in the Sabail district police station.
Koptseva is now slated for
deportation today (1 April) by air.
Koptseva's deportation certificate, signed by Sabail's police chief Hasan
Abdullaev, declared that
she was being punished under Article 300 of the Administrative Code, which
prescribes deportation for
foreign citizens caught conducting religious "propaganda" as well as the
possibility of a fine.
Koptseva has not been fined.
Greater Grace members vigorously deny that Koptseva had engaged in such
propaganda. "We had held our regular Saturday evangelism meeting near
McDonalds in Fountain Square," Pastor Bayram told Keston. "But that had
already finished and Nina and three other ladies were simply talking among
themselves when they were detained by the police."
The four were taken to the 9th police station of Sabail district. The three
other women were released
at 7 pm, after eight hours' detention, but Koptseva was only freed at 11 pm
after she had surrendered her Russian passport. It was after she returned to
the police station on Sunday morning that the attempt was made to deport her
by train.
During her detention on Saturday, Koptseva signed a statement drawn up by
police in Azeri (a language she does not understand), in which she confessed
to having distributed Christian literature. It remains unclear why she
signed a statement in a language she did not understand and whose content
she was unable to read.
Once back at the police station, church pastor Marat Akhmerov arrived to try
to resolve the issue. But he
too was detained, being threatened by police investigators Emil (last name
unknown) and Behbud
(last name unknown) with a thirty day prison term for "refusing to submit to
authority" under Article 310
of the Administrative Code.
Koptseva spoke on 31 March by telephone to the Russian consul in Baku, who
said she should write a
complaint if she felt the authorities had treated her wrongly. The consul
also spoke to the investigator,
who afterwards alleged to Koptseva that the consul had said he could do as
he liked with her.
Keston spoke by telephone on 31 March to Abdullaev, but he declined to
discuss the case and referred
Keston to another number in the police station, but that went unanswered.
Koptseva and Akhmerov were held overnight on Sunday night, and on Monday
morning Pastor Akhmerov was taken to court and fined 100,000 manats (20 US
dollars or 15 British pounds) before being freed. He must pay the fine
within ten days or he can appeal. "Marat is thinking about appealing against
this fine, but he did not sleep all last night so he is going home to get
some rest," Pastor Bayram reported.
Pastor Bayram believes that National Security officers and officials from
the procuracy may also
have been involved in interrogating the five church members. "None of the
officers identified themselves
or showed their identity documents, but they behaved as if they had
authority. They came into rooms
without knocking and did not ask permission of the police officers."
Police have demanded money from two of the women detained with Koptseva,
allegedly for having broken the religion law: one has been asked for 55,000
manats, while the other - whose identity document is still with the police -
has been asked for 110,000 manats. It is unclear if these are fines or
demands for bribes, as no certificates of fines have been issued. One of the
women was crying, as she did not want her sick mother to find out she had
been detained by the police.
Koptseva, who is originally from Moscow, runs a small home in Baku for young
women who had formerly been in institutions. It remains unclear what will
happen to these women. (END)
Copyright (c) 2002 Keston Institute. All rights reserved.
Subscribe to the free weekly KNS Summary, or to the almost daily Keston News
Service, through our website http://www.keston.org/ where donations may also
be made. KNS articles are posted on the
website, as well as details of our other publications: the bimonthly
magazine Frontier and the quarterly academic journal Religion, State &
Society.
______________________________________
REPRINTING/QUOTING
KNS may be reprinted or quoted providing acknowledgment is given, such as
"Source: Keston Institute
http://www.keston.org". We would appreciate receiving a copy of any
publication which quotes KNS.
Rowland Croucher
A letter from Bishop Riah in Jerusalem
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We have just finished our Good Friday service at St. George's Cathedral,
after walking the Via Dolorosa. Good Friday has come to Jerusalem, amidst
the sounds of helicopters, police sirens, and tank movements. The atmosphere
is frightening and this did not allow many to attend. One is reminded of
that atmosphere two thousand years ago. The streets are conspicuously empty.
As you turn your attention to our Land, the Land where it all began on the
first Good Friday so many years ago, we kindly ask that you be especially
vigilant in your prayers for our people. We ask that you follow the example
of John and Mary, and avoiding following in the footsteps of those who stood
watching from afar. As never before in the last 50 years, we ask that you be
close to us and to our people.
In the community at large, in places like Ramallah and other towns in the
West Bank and Gaza, people fear the worst. Yesterday the town of Ramallah
was surrounded by 150 Israeli tanks. Food supplies were quickly bought up
and children were hurried home from schools. Some found their way to
Jerusalem while all foreigners were told by Israel to leave Palestine.
Thirty International Observers from Italy, Switzerland and France have
chosen to stay with the people of Ramallah, in a show of solidarity.
For the third time in as many months, Israeli Military forces have occupied
the Arab Evangelical Home and School. Yesterday, in anticipation of this
act, all children were sent from the Home. As anticipated, at 7:30 this
morning Israeli Soldiers arrived and claimed the Home as theirs. Ten sisters
and lay staff remain on the premises and were ordered to move to another
building.
The Rev. George Al Kopti, Rector of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in
Ramallah remains in his home at the Church compound, afraid for his safety
on the streets. The sounds of gunfire consistently fill the air.
Please keep the people of the Evangelical Home and School, The people of St.
Andrew's Episcopal Church, the people of Ramallah and all those in this Land
in your prayers as you remember the first Good Friday.
Yet, the unquiet heart in each peace loving Child of God will keep us
going. We continue to hope, pray, work and look forward to transforming the
present reality of death and great suffering, to a more pleasant future;
one that respects the noble qualities of humanity. Once we break with the
old and come to terms with the new, the world at large will celebrate a Holy
Resurrection indeed.
In spite of the pain and suffering of Good Friday two thousand years ago, as
well as today, we continue to believe that good will overcome evil and
peace will prevail over war.
In Christ,
+ The Rt. Rev. Riah Abu El-Assal
Rowland Croucher
Title: Ten Wounded Trapped Inside Nativity Church, Lawyer Says
Contact:
Fr. Raed Awad Abusahlia
Personal E-mail: nonvi...@writeme.com
Latin Patriarchate E-mail: Lati...@actcom.co.il
Latin Patriarchate's Homepage: http://www.Lpj.org
"Nonviolence Homepage": http://go.to/nonviolence
By Edward Calis
JERUSALEM, April 6, 2002--Tony Salman, a Palestinian lawyer trapped
inside the Nativity Church in Bethlehem, told Via Dolorosa through a
cellular phone April 5 that there are currently 245 people inside the
church,
ten of whom are wounded waiting for a miracle to save their lives.
I just finished talking to one of the trapped people inside the Nativity
Church. Lawyer Tony Salman is also the head of the Catholic St. Anthony
Charitable Foundation in Bethelehem.
Salman explained how he ended up inside the Church by saying, "After
rumors circulated in Bethlehem alleging that the Palestinian resistance
forces attacked priests and took them as hostages, infuriated Bethelehem
Governer Muhammad Al Madani, called me and insisted that we enter the church
together to investigate those rumors.
"You know this is a very sensitive subject in Palestine and we had to know
the truth. So we entered the church from the western side and we were
pleased
to see the situation inside opposite to what we heard and exactly as we
expected.
"Priests and nuns are taking care of the wounded and are doing all they can
to alleviate the dramatic situation.
"Franciscans, Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests inside the church are
making sure everyone is having something to eat. They exhausted all flour
they had in store to make bread for everyone during the first two days.
"Now evyerone is having one small meal a day which contains either a
little bit of spaghetti or rice, all that left in the church."
When asked why the Palestinian resistance took the church as refuge, Salman
explained that they were left with two choices, either to be killed in cold
blood by the Israeli occupation forces or run for their lives to the chrch.
The chose the latter.
This happened right after the Israeli tanks shelled Omar Bin Khattab mosque
last tuesday located just across the church's square. They ran into the
church for protection.
"For the last 1700 years, the Church of the Nativity has embraced the poor
and the persecuted and it will keep doing that in these difficult days too,"
Salman added.
He pointed out, "Usually, there are a lot of armed policemen and security
agents protecting governmental buildings here. When the Israelis invaded the
Nativity Church area, snipers targeted those armed policemen and started
killing them without hesitation. Their only choice was to take refuge in the
Nativity Church."
Salman assured that the Israelis tried to knock down the main door of the
Nativity Church a number of times without success, but he said that they
succeeded to destroy part of a wall.
He pointed out that his main mission together with the governer is to
negotiate the wounded release with the Red Cross and the Red Crecscent. "So
far we haven't been successful," he added.
-end-
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 5:42 AM
Subject: Baptist Press Monday 4/8/02
April 8, 2002
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3 Palestinian officials among
those occupying Bethlehem church
By Art Toalston
JERUSALEM (BP)--Three senior Palestinian Authority officials are among
an estimated 250 Palestinian gunmen in Bethlehem's Church of the
Nativity in a continuing standoff with Israeli troops, according to The
Jerusalem Post April 7.
The Palestinian gunmen continue to prevent 50 or more priests and nuns
from leaving the ancient Manger Square church regarded as the
birthplace of Jesus by various sectors of Christendom.
The gunmen permitted four Franciscan priests to exit the church April
5, according to The Post, noting that the clergy told Israeli officials
they had been held against their will, but not at gunpoint, since the
gunmen seized the church April 3.
Giacomom Bini, minister-general of the Franciscans, told The Post that
"40 brothers and more than 200 armed Palestinians" are in the church.
"The brothers shared their food, but it is running out and we have
appealed to be permitted to leave the church and get supplies," Bini
said.
"We need people to lay down their arms," he said, "but those in the
church will not lay down their arms if they see those outside still
have weapons."
An Israeli colonel in charge of negotiations with the gunmen, Marcel
Aviv, told The Post and other reporters, "Our aim is to secure release
of all those inside the church without the use of weapons and without
harming a holy site. We have the patience, the tools and the necessary
equipment to bring a halt to the incident."
Aviv told reporters the gunmen inside the church are armed with bombs,
light weapons and sniper rifles. Since Israeli troops and tanks entered
Bethlehem as part of its region-wide sweep against the onslaught of
suicide bombers, 10 Palestinians in the city have been killed, among
them Church of the Nativity bell-ringer Samir Saliman, The Post
reported.
Palestinian Authority officials inside the church, according to The
Post, are Bethlehem Governor Muhammad al-Madani; Abdullah Daoud, head
of the city's intelligence, whose command, according to Aviv,
encompasses PA security forces who have shot at Israeli troops; and
Anthony Salman, chairman of the city's rescue organization.
Aviv said he expects the three officials "to cooperate with us to
rescue those being held hostage," The Post reported.
CNSNews.com reported April 8 that more gunfire was exchanged during the
day between the holed-up Palestinian gunmen and Israeli troops
surrounding the church.
An Israeli army spokesperson said troops had fired only on a compound
adjoining the church in response to gunfire and grenades directed at
them, CNSNews.com reported. Two Israeli border policemen reportedly
were wounded and Israeli troops fired two stun grenades into the
church, she said. Palestinians said one policeman was killed as he
tried to put out a fire, which broke out in the compound. It was
unclear how the fire had started, CNSNews.com reported.
The International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem has charged that the
Palestinian gunmen are using "the landmark Church of the Nativity and
other religious sites in Bethlehem as a safe haven" and using "innocent
civilians as human shields," according to an April 4 report by ASSIST
News Service.
The statement by the Jerusalem-based interdenominational Christian
organization condemning "the deliberate and provocative exploitation by
armed Palestinian elements" additionally quoted the embassy's executive
director, Malcolm Hedding, as saying, "As a voice for millions of
Christians worldwide, we cannot accept this transgression on the
sanctity of the Church of the Nativity and we thoroughly denounce it."
The Palestinian gunmen's entry into the church "is a premeditated
offence by militant outlaws who know it is a place central to our faith
and thus would provide them unquestioned refuge," Hedding said. "While
the current conflict is a difficult and complex one, everyone must
recognize that these Palestinian gunmen took the battle inside this
church by design."
The ICEJ statement accused the Palestinian Liberation Organization of
having carried out "a similar tactic" during the war in Lebanon where
it said "the PLO systematically defiled and destroyed churches and
other Christian properties."
Also in the region, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Israeli
troops would stay in Palestinian areas until they have completed their
mission of apprehending terrorists, destroying terrorist laboratories
and seizing weapons, CNSNews.com reported April 8.
Sharon's hour-long televised address to the Israeli parliament followed
an April 4 call by President Bush to end the Israeli military thrust
into PA areas.
Bush has sent Secretary of State Colin Powell to the region, and in a
weekend news conference, the president repeated his call for Israel to
withdraw without delay from PA areas, CNSNews.com reported. In a
telephone conversation over the weekend, Sharon told Bush that he would
make every effort to accelerate what Israel is calling "Operation
Defensive Shield," aware that the United States wants to see the action
end quickly, according to a statement from Sharon's office reported by
CNSNews.com.
The Israeli prime minister, in his speech, said the military operation
was aimed at taking actions that Palestinian leaders should have taken
themselves, CNSNews.com reported. Nevertheless, he said, Israel's war
is against the terrorists and not the Palestinian population.
Sharon said Israel is interested in peace with its neighbors but that
could only happen if Palestinian leaders "assume responsibility to
prevent the use of its territory to murder its neighbors."
"We have no war against you and we do not want to control you," Sharon
said, speaking directly to the Palestinian people. "We want to live
with you, side by side, with dignity and honor. [But] you must take
your fate in your hands.... You must reject the forces that have
brought upon you catastrophe."
Sharon also called on moderate Arab leaders to come to a summit to
discuss Middle East peace, indicating that the Palestinian Authority is
no longer viable. Israel has declared PA Chairman Yasser Arafat an
"enemy." Israeli officials in early April said they discovered
documents in his Ramallah headquarters that implicates the Palestinian
leader as the director of terror attacks.
Chief PA negotiator Saeb Erekat reacted angrily to Sharon's speech,
calling it "disastrous," CNSNews.com reported.
"The Palestinian Authority is here and will stay here because it takes
its legitimacy from our people," Erekat said in a telephone interview.
--30--
(BP) photo posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net.
Photo title: STANDOFF IN BETHLEHEM.
***********
Please submit any prayer requests via http://www.sbcpray.net.
***********
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Rowland Croucher
http://www.keston.org
----- Original Message -----
From: <keston.i...@keston.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 5:01 AM
Subject: KNS KAZAKHSTAN: Religion law; AZERBAIJAN: Baptist church
"liquidated"
KESTON INSTITUTE, OXFORD, UK
______________________________________
KESTON NEWS SERVICE: 20.00, 8 April 2002.
Reporting on violations of religious liberty and on religion in
communist and post-communist lands.
______________________________________
I. KAZAKHSTAN: CONSTITUTIONAL COUNCIL DEEMS
RELIGION LAW CHANGES "UNCONSTITUTIONAL".
Kazakhstan's Constitutional Council has ruled that some of the
controversial amendments to the country's religion law approved by
both houses of parliament in January are "unconstitutional", Keston
News Service has learned. Council member Kumarbek Umarkhanov
told Keston that the Constitutional Council's decision would be
published soon. He declined to specify which of the amended articles
were found to violate the constitution. It remains unclear what will
now happen to the proposed amendments, which have had strong
backing from senior levels of the political establishment.
II. AZERBAIJAN: OSCE "SURPRISED" AT LIQUIDATION OF
BAPTIST CHURCH. Lutz Leichtfuss, democratisation officer at the
Baku office of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in
Europe, has told Keston News Service of his "surprise" at the 3 April
district court decision to liquidate the Love Church, an Azeri-language
Baptist church based in the Azerbaijani capital. Baptist leader Ilya
Zenchenko, rejecting the court ruling as "illegal" and "unjust", told
Keston of his suspicion that the judge had been told how to rule in the
case. The head of the legal department of the State Committee for
Relations with Religious Organisations (which brought the liquidation
suit) strongly defended the court-ordered liquidation, adding that the
church has one month to lodge an appeal against the verdict.
I. KAZAKHSTAN: CONSTITUTIONAL COUNCIL DEEMS
RELIGION LAW CHANGES "UNCONSTITUTIONAL"
by Igor Rotar, Keston News Service
Kazakhstan's Constitutional Council has ruled that some of the
controversial amendments to the country's religion law approved by
both houses of parliament in January are "unconstitutional", Keston
News Service has learned. Council member Kumarbek Umarkhanov
told Keston today (8 April) by telephone from the Kazakh capital
Astana that the Constitutional Council's decision has been sent to the
government press and will be published "in the nearest future".
Umarkhanov declined to specify which of the amended articles were
found to be in violation of the constitution. It remains unclear what
will now happen to the proposed amendments, which have had strong
backing from senior levels of the political establishment.
Ever since the law - which President Nursultan Nazarbayev declared
"urgent" in mid-January - was adopted by parliament, its progress has
been shrouded in secrecy. Keston learned on 6 March that it had been
sent to the Constitutional Council for it to give its expert opinion (see
KNS 6 March 2002).
Were it to have been signed in present form, the law would have
allowed unregistered religious groups to be banned, required all
missionaries to be registered and denied legal registration to all
Muslim organisations outside the framework of the Spiritual
Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan. In its survey of opinion
among religious communities in January, Keston found that only the
Spiritual Administration offered unequivocal support for the new law,
while a range of faiths strongly criticised many of its provisions.
Many provisions have also been criticised by the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe. (END)
II. AZERBAIJAN: OSCE "SURPRISED" AT LIQUIDATION OF
BAPTIST CHURCH
by Felix Corley, Keston News Service
Lutz Leichtfuss, democratisation officer at the Baku office of the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has told
Keston News Service of his "surprise" at the 3 April decision of the
Narimanov district court in Baku to liquidate the Love Church, an
Azeri-language Baptist church based in the Azerbaijani capital. "I was
surprised by the final verdict as my impression was that there wasn't
so much evidence to close down the church," Leichtfuss told Keston
today (8 April). "My advice to the Baptist church is to appeal to a
higher court." However, the head of the legal department of the State
Committee for Relations with Religious Organisations (which brought
the liquidation suit) has strongly defended the court-ordered
liquidation. "We have witnesses who heard the pastor insult Islam
several times and told this to the court," Zemfira Rzayeva told Keston
today (8 April) from Baku. "We had more than enough proof."
The Love church and the Baptist leadership in Azerbaijan have
rejected the court ruling as "illegal" and "unjust". "We are not
criminals - we have not broken the law," Baptist Union leader Ilya
Zenchenko told Keston from Baku on 8 April. "We didn't believe
until we heard the verdict that the court would take such a decision
against the law." He said that the first day of the hearing, 2 April, the
judge was very fair and had appeared to sympathise with the church.
However, the following day he hurried through the hearing and
confined himself to presenting the verdict. "He must have received a
very strong order as to how to rule in the case - he doesn't appear to
have taken the decision himself," Zenchenko claimed. "It seems he is
prepared to listen to the State Committee more than to justice."
Zenchenko reported that after the Sunday service on 7 April, the Love
church had held a members' meeting and drawn up a letter of
complaint to Azerbaijani President Heidar Aliev, signed by more than
150 church members. "We intend to deliver this letter to the
presidential administration tomorrow." He said the church would be
appealing against the verdict within the one month period allowed,
though he stressed that the church needed funds to be able to do this.
He complained that journalists from newspapers and ANS television
(one of the media that has been leading the campaign against religious
minorities) arrived at the Baptist church on 7 April and were surprised
that the church was still functioning, despite the fact that the court
ruling has not yet come into force.
Leichtfuss, who was present in court on both 2 and 3 April, told
Keston that the court proceedings had been conducted "correctly", in
contrast to other court hearings he had attended. "The court was quiet
and everyone in the case was allowed to express their opinion." He
maintained that it was therefore all the more surprising that the court
had then reached such a decision.
He added that the OSCE office has held several meetings about the
case with State Committee officials and, since the verdict was
announced, has written to state committee chairman Rafik Aliev.
Rzayeva told Keston that the Baptist church has one month to lodge
an appeal against the verdict and stressed that the court decision does
not enter into force until after any appeal is heard.
The suit to close down the church was initiated last December after
Rafik Aliev obtained a tape-recorded copy of a sermon Pastor Sari
Mirzoyev had preached the previous month which he said had insulted
the dignity of state officials (the traffic police) and insulted Islam. In
its suit to the court, the State Committee complained that the church
promoted "inter-religious dissension, intolerance and an insulting
approach to other religions". Pastor Mirzoyev vigorously rejected the
charges.
However, despite Aliev's claims, the legal case rests solely on
whether the church had violated Article 22 of the religion law which
requires religious organisations to obtain permission from the State
Committee to publish or make copies of religious literature or tapes (a
provision that violates Azerbaijan's international human rights
commitments). The church acknowledges that sermons were taped
without permission, but says this was for internal use only.
Speaking to Keston at his home in Baku in March, Pastor Mirzoyev
expressed his anger at what he said was a "relentless campaign"
against him by the government and through the local media (see KNS
7 March 2002).
The Love Baptist Church gained registration at the Justice Ministry on
18 March 2000 and has applied for re-registration under the new
regulations. It has not received a formal rejection of its re-registration
application, but officials of the State Committee insist that the court-
ordered liquidation nullifies the application. Rzayeva insisted to
Keston that the court verdict solely liquidated the church's legal
status, without removing other religious rights from its members, such
as the right to meet for worship. "They can meet in another form, not
as the Love Church, and apply for registration with the State
Committee," she declared. "No-one is restricting their rights. No-one
is preparing to persecute them." (END)
Copyright (c) 2002 Keston Institute. All rights reserved.
Subscribe to the free weekly KNS Summary, or to the almost daily
Keston News Service, through our website http://www.keston.org/
where donations may also be made. KNS articles are posted on the
website, as well as details of our other publications: the bimonthly
magazine Frontier and the quarterly academic journal Religion, State
& Society.
______________________________________
REPRINTING/QUOTING
KNS may be reprinted or quoted providing acknowledgment is given,
such as "Source: Keston Institute http://www.keston.org". We would
appreciate receiving a copy of any publication which quotes KNS.
Rowland Croucher
---------------------------------------------------------
COLOMBIA: CHRISTIAN WORKERS IN DANGER; plus PRAISE EXTRAS
---------------------------------------------------------
The 38-year-old conflict in Colombia claims around 3,500 lives each
year. Peace talks between the Government and the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) collapsed on 19 February 2002 after
FARC hijacked a national airliner and kidnapped a senator and the
head of the country's peace commission. Violence has since
escalated dramatically, with a presidential election due on 26 May.
FARC has said it will not cease-fire until it shares power with the
Government.
On 16 March, the Archbishop of Cali, Isaias Duarte Cancino (63),
was assassinated, shot by unidentified hit men as he left Buen
Pastor church in a working-class district of Cali where he had just
conducted a wedding. The Archbishop had been a bold advocate of
peace and 'clean' politics, criticising guerrilla and paramilitary
forces for the violence they inflict on civilians, and criticising
corrupt politicians who use drug money to fund their campaigns.
Colombia is a dangerous place for Christians to make a public stand
for righteousness, justice and peace.
According to police, about a dozen priests and bishops have
received death threats. On Sunday 7 April, Catholic priest Juan
Ramon Nunez was giving communion in Huila, south of Bogota, when
gunmen burst into the church and shot him four times in front of a
large congregation. A churchgoer also later died of bullet wounds.
No one has claimed responsibility for the assassination, but FARC
has been active in the Huila region for many years.
Pastors, evangelists and missionaries infuriate guerrilla leaders
and drug lords because they stand against violence, drugs and
corruption, often leading corrupt politicians, guerrillas and
criminals out of darkness 'into the kingdom of God's Son'. The US
Embassy in Bogota has warned evangelical missionaries and churches
in rural Colombia that the guerrillas may target them. The
president of the Commission on Human Rights and Peace of the
Evangelical Confederation of Colombia (CEDECOL), Pastor Hector
Pardo, confirms that FARC commanders consider evangelical groups to
be legitimate military targets because of their alleged political
involvement. However, the evangelicals oppose war and are actively
engaged in pursuing peace through dialogue.
Since its formation, CEDECOL has mobilised prayer for the nation
and organised 'Prayer Summits'. Pastor Pardo (president also of the
Latin America Council of Evangelicals) says, 'The only thing that
is going to help Colombia is divine intervention. Plan Colombia,
the peace talks - these things are not going to do that. Only God
has the power to change the situation, to change us, our hearts.'
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:
* courageous pastors, evangelists and missionaries in Colombia to
be empowered by the Spirit so that the Church will continue its
phenomenal growth and be a source of hope for a crushed people.
* God to keep raising up evangelists with supernatural Spirit-given
courage who will be used to bring guerrillas and drug dealers to
Christ.
* divine protection for Christian workers who have incurred the
wrath of guerrilla commanders and drug lords, who target them
because of their stand against violence, drugs and corruption.
'How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring
good news of peace, and salvation, the news that the God of Israel
reigns!' Isaiah 52:7(NLT)
SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CHRISTIAN WORKERS IN DANGER IN COLOMBIA
The 38-year-old civil conflict in Colombia claims around 3,500
lives each year. Since peace talks broke down in February, violence
has escalated dramatically. On 16 March, Archbishop Isaias Duarte
Cancino was assassinated as he left Buen Pastor church in a working-
class district of Cali. On 7 April, a priest also was assassinated
in front of a large congregation in Huila, south of Bogota. About a
dozen priests and bishops are reported to have received death
threats. Due to their stand against violence, drugs and corruption,
evangelical Christian workers too have incurred the wrath of
guerrilla commanders and drug lords, who have declared them to be
legitimate military targets because of this alleged political
involvement. As Bogota Pastor Hector Pardo says, 'The only thing
that is going to help Colombia is divine intervention.'
--------------------
* PRAISE EXTRA #1 - Process paused in Kazakhstan:
Last week (RLP 162) we prayed about the highly restrictive religion
law that was being reviewed by Kazakhstan's Constitutional Council
after being passed by both houses of parliament and labelled urgent
by President Nazarbayev. Breaking news from Keston Institute
reports that the Council has deemed some elements of this proposed
law as 'unconstitutional' and it will report more fully shortly.
Thank God for this pause in the process and continue to pray for
Kazakhstan and the religion law - the President has Constitutional
authority to veto parliamentary legislation. It is not over yet.
* PRAISE EXTRA #2 - Philippines rescue:
On Monday 8 April, Italian priest Father Giuseppe Pierantoni (45)
was rescued when his captors came under intense military pressure.
A Muslim separatist rebel group known as 'The Pentagon' had
kidnapped him in Dimataling in October 2001. Praise God and please
continue to pray for Martin & Gracia Burnham and Ediborah Yap,
captives of the Abu Sayyaf in Southern Philippines since May 2001.
US backed military operations for their release are continuing.
----------------------------------------------------
Please pass this along to others with attribution to
World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty
Prayer List <rl-p...@crossnet.org.au>
----------------------------------------------------
The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this
RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray
specifically and regularly for religious liberty
issues, and in particular to uphold the Church
where it is suffering persecution.
Willie Martin
Scriptures tell us not to.
Rowland Croucher
Peter Arnett was a CNN television commentator and reporter. He tells of a
time he was in Israel, in a small town on the West Bank, when a bomb
exploded. Bloodied people were everywhere. A man came running up to Peter
holding a little girl in his arms. He pleaded with Peter to take her to a
hospital. As a member of the press he would be able to get through the
security cordon that had been thrown around the explosion scene. Peter, the
man and the girl jumped into his car and rushed to the hospital. The whole
time the man was pleading with him to hurry, to go faster, heartbroken at
the thought the little girl might die.
Sadly the little girls injuries were too great and she died on the operating
table. When the doctor came out to give them the news the man collapsed in
tears. Peter Arnett was lost for words. "I don't know what to say. I can't
imagine what you must be going through. I've never lost a child."
It was then that the man said, "Oh, mister! That girl was not my daughter.
I'm an Israeli settler. She was a Palestinian. But there comes a time when
each of us must realize that every child, regardless of that child's
background, is a daughter or a son. There must come a time when we realize
that we are all family."
Source: www.ozsermonillustrations. We have been unable to track this story
down. It was reported in Tony Campolo, Let Me Tell You A Story
Rowland Croucher
CHRISTIAN SOLIDARITY WORLDWIDE
Urgent Action
April 16 2002
BURMA: CHIN BAPTIST MINISTERS DETAINED IN INSEIN PRISON
Summary
Two prominent Chin Baptist ministers, Rev. That Ci, and Rev. Lian Za Dal,
from Dagon North Township, outside Rangoon city, were arrested by the
military junta on 5th April. They are currently detained in Burma's
notorious Insein prison.
Full Story
Rev. That Ci, his son-in-law Rev. Lian Za Dal, and eight family members were
arrested by the Township and District authorities during a midnight raid at
Rev. Ci's residence in Dagon North Township, outside Rangoon city.
The authorities accused Rev. That Ci of failing to register houseguests when
his daughter and son-in-law, Rev. Lian Za Dal, the minister of Pin Long
Church in Dagon North Township, came to spend the night at his house.
Under the military dictatorship, citizens of Burma are required to register
houseguests, including members of their extended family.
According to credible sources, Rev. That Ci attempted to file a guest
registration at the Block Peace and Development Council office that
afternoon but his application was turned down on the basis that it needed to
be reviewed by the Township authority.
Local Christians believe the arrest is a renewed effort to curb Christian
activities in Rangoon.
Both Rev. That Ci and Rev. Lian Za Dal are prominent Christian leaders in
Dagon North area. The Township and District authorities had on numerous
occasions warned both of them to stop proselytising.
On the afternoon of 5 April, a military unit visited Pin Long Church to
pressurize Rev. Lian Za Dal to pledge, in writing, to stop holding church
services. Rev. Lian Za Dal refused to sign the undertaking on the basis that
he has done nothing against the regime.
The authorities had also previously warned the minister not to construct a
church building in the local area.
According to the Chin Human Rights Organisation, both Rev. Lian Za Dal and
Rev. That Ci were transferred to Insein Prison on 8th April 2002. The
whereabouts of the other family members remained unclear.
Mervyn Thomas, Chief Executive of Christian Solidarity Worldwide said, "CSW
is concerned for the safety and well-being of all those arrested on 5 April.
It is vital that past discrimination against these individuals is not used
to prejudice the authorities on what is already a dubious accusation."
CSW has called on the State Peace and Development Council to immediately and
unconditionally release Rev. Lian Za Dal, Rev. That Ci and their family
members.
Background
For the past three years, the United States Department of State has
designated Burma as a 'Country of Particular Concern' for violating
religious freedom.
Although there is no specific legislation against proselytism, civil,
political, social and economical rights are severely restricted. Gatherings
of five or more people are illegal unless prior permission from the
authorities is obtained. Religious publications are subject to tight state
censorship.
The Christian community continues to experience extreme difficulties in
obtaining permission to construct or repair places or worship. Most old
church buildings are dilapidated and in urgent need of repair.
Last summer, the regime closed down over 80 churches in and around Rangoon.
Most of these churches have not reopened although some have relocated.
Prison conditions in Burma are harsh and prisoners are often denied proper
sanitation, adequate medical care, food and water. Trials of prisoners
repeatedly fail to meet international standards for fair trial procedures.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
PRAY
* For the immediate and unconditional release of Rev. That Ci, Rev. Lian Za
Dal and the eight others who were arrested
* Pray also for their protection and well-being.
* For the comfort and protection of the rest of the family.
* For Pin Long Church to flourish even under oppression. Pin Long Church has
been effective amongst Burman Buddhists. Many Buddists have converted to
Christianity through the ministries of Rev. That Ci and Rev. Lian Za Dal.
PROTEST
Please compile your own individual letter(s) to raise the case with:
1. Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, Secretary 1
State Peace and Development Council
C/o Director of Defense Services Intelligence (DDSI)
Ministry of Defence
Signal Pagoda Road
Dagon Post Office
Yangon, Union of Myanmar
Faxes: + 95 1 222 950
Salutation: Your Excellency
2. Department of International Affairs
Colonel Hla Min
Office of Strategic Studies
Department of International Affairs
c/o Ministry of Defense, Signal Pagoda Road
Dagon Post Office
Yangon, Union of Myanmar
Faxes: + 95 1 222 950
Salutation: Dear Colonel
3. Your MP at the House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 0AA. You
can find out the name of your MP by calling (020) 7219 4272.
4. Your MEP. Please call the EU Information Office on (020) 7227 4300
for a list of MEPs.
Suggested points you can raise:
* Express your concern about the safety and well-being of the ministers and
their family members.
* Request the authorities to disclose the present whereabouts of the eight
family members arrested on the same night;
* Urge the authorities to ensure that Rev. Lian Za Dal, Rev. That Ci and the
others will not be tortured or ill-treated;
* Ask the authorities to disclose further information about the charges
brought against them, including the legislation used;
* Request the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the
family;
* Stress that the authorities must adhere to international standards for
fair trial procedures, to guarantee the prisoners fair and impartial
hearing, proper access to legal representation, and to allow them adequate
time and resources to prepare a defence.
PROVIDE
Please send messages of support and encouragement to Rev. Lian Za Dal and
Rev. That Ci in Insein Prison.
You can address your letters and cards to: Insein Prison, Insein,
Yangon, Union of Myanmar.
Rowland Croucher
----------------------------------------
NORTH KOREA: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIM IL-SUNG
----------------------------------------
On 16 February 2002, North Korea's present leader, Kim Jong-il,
celebrated his 60th birthday with his ruling party, army,
parliament and cabinet pledging 'ardent worship' of this 'great
guardian of human justice'. Whilst that celebration was
magnificent, it was only a shadow compared with those that started
on 15 April for the 90th birthday of his father, Kim Il-sung, the
deified 'Eternal President' of North Korea, who died in July 1994.
The festivities are absolutely extravagant. One could be forgiven
for forgetting that North Korea is on the verge of a massive
humanitarian disaster, with millions facing imminent starvation in
this most repressive of nations. One third of the population rely
totally on international food aid, set to be exhausted within a few
months. German doctor Norbert Vollertsen reports that a mere 25
miles from the capital city, people are dying of starvation,
surgery is performed with razor blades and without anaesthesia, and
numerous concentration or labour camps exist where starvation and
torture are systematic. He compares the children to 'children in
Auschwitz and Dachau in Hitler's Nazi Germany'.
Soon-ok Lee, a former inmate of a North Korean detention camp, met
the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on 24
January 2002. He testified that Christians in North Korea are
imprisoned as political criminals and that organised religion is
crushed as a threat to the state. Some 2,300 North Korean Christian
congregations with around 300,000 members are believed to have
disappeared since the border closed in 1953. 'I didn't know God
when I lived in North Korea because we were brainwashed to worship
Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il,' said Lee, who came to Christ through
the witness of Christian martyrs in the camp. It is estimated that
100,000 Christians are currently incarcerated for their faith.
Across the border, South Korea is home to 10 of the world's 11
largest mega-congregations. Amongst its 280 theological colleges
are the world's largest, with over 16,000 students altogether.
South Korea is also second only to USA as a missionary sending
nation, with more than 10,000 serving missionaries.
Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, was the birthplace of the
Korean revival and was once known as the 'Jerusalem of the East'.
Severe repression combined with almost total isolation has made it
now more like hell on earth. Amongst other things however, the
severity of the famine is forcing North Korea to return to talks
with South Korea. Negotiations last week resulted in another round
of family reunions being set for 28 April. Economic co-operation
and work on the cross-border railway are back on the agenda. Should
North Korea open up, the resulting revival could be amazing.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:
* God to break down this stronghold by whatever means, and open
North Korea up to the Gospel, healing lives and saving souls,
healing the land and transforming the nation. Isaiah 55:8,9
* God to protect the remnant believers of North Korea,
spiritually, emotionally and physically, and give them
encouragement, hope and strong faith in the midst of terrible
suffering. Rev 3:8,11
* God to continue working through and preparing the South Korean
Church, its leadership, missionaries, intercessors and members,
for the day he opens the door.
'Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O
Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath
remember mercy.' Habakkuk 3:2
SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
NORTH KOREA: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIM IL-SUNG
On 15 April, North Korea started extravagant celebrations for the
90th birthday of deified 'Eternal President' Kim Il-sung, who died
in 1994. Yet North Korea is verging on a massive humanitarian
disaster with one third of the population surviving solely on
international food aid, which is due to run out soon. Also
indicative of conditions, surgery is done without anaesthesia, and
the nation is littered with a gulag of concentration or labour
camps where political prisoners are systematically starved and
tortured. Some 100,000 Christians are in these camps for their
faith. The severity of the famine has forced North Korea to resume
negotiations with South Korea, a nation with a strong church and
missionary focus. Pray for God to break down the stronghold of
North Korea and open the door for the Gospel.
----------------------------------------------------
Please pass this along to others with attribution to
World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty
Prayer List <rl-p...@crossnet.org.au>
----------------------------------------------------
The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this
RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray
specifically and regularly for religious liberty
issues, and in particular to uphold the Church
where it is suffering persecution.
--
Rowland Croucher
17 April 2002
UN Commission on Human Rights: WCC addresses serious human rights
situation in Papua, Indonesia
The following is the full text of the oral intervention by Martin
Doolard on behalf of the Commission of the Churches on International
Affairs of the World Council of Churches (WCC/CCIA) to the 58th
Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on Tuesday,
16 April. The Intervention came under Item 11. - Civil and Political
Rights:
On behalf of the Commission of Churches of International Affairs of
the World Council of Churches, I wish to address this Commission on
the growing environment of repression in Papua, also known in
Indonesia as Irian Jaya.
Last year, I drew the attention of this Forum to the serious human
rights situation in Papua. On the contrary as I speak here today,
nothing has changed. According to the information received by the
churches, as well as local and international human rights NGOs, the
situation has worsened. Since the much-proclaimed reform period
(1998-2001), the number of reported cases of extra-judicial killings
have reached an all time high of 136; there have been 838 cases of
arbitrary detention, and torture; also there is an increase in the
number of cases of human rights defenders receiving death threats and
destruction and burning of property by sections of the Indonesian
Security Forces.(1) The Indonesian Authorities have not responded
favourably to the call for dialogue by the people of Papua.
The repressive measures adopted by the Indonesian Government include a
crackdown on the peaceful demands of the Papuans to exercise their
right to self-determination, mistreatment, torture and killings of
civilians. The abduction and murder on 10 November 2001, of Theys
Eluay, a moderate Papuan leader, is evidence of the methods used by
the Indonesian government to suppress the people.
The abduction and killing of Mr. Eluay was a well-planned politically
motivated action. His assassination has to be viewed in light of
several documents and statements(2) issued by Jakarta that outline
strategies for a brutal crackdown on the people's demand to exercise
their right of self-determination. This policy has resulted in
widespread human rights violations, systematically planned and
executed, targeting civilians, and group leaders in the entire region
of Papua.
The Indonesian Government despite repeated assurances has failed to
establish a legally constituted and credible enquiry team to carry out
the investigation. The official National Enquiry Commission (KPN)
established by the Indonesian President is not legal and does not have
the authority to investigate the state institutions involved in this
incident. The military enquiry team (PUSPOM TNI) was established as
part of the strategy to get rid of the evidence and to protect
military's involvement in the murder of Theys Eluay. The findings of
both the enquiry commissions have determined that the killing of Theys
Eluay was an ordinary crime.
They refuse to acknowledge that it was an extra-ordinary crime that
has implications for the institutions of the state. The churches and
the NGO community in Papua as well as in Indonesia have raised the
concern that they apprehend the actual perpetrators of this crime may
never be brought to justice.
Mr Chairman, the large majority of the people in Papua view the
assassination of Mr Eluay as a deliberate act of the state authorities
to silence him and to be a warning to others who subscribe to similar
viewpoints.
We urge this Commission to use its influence on the Indonesian
Government to stop the repression against the Papuan people and not to
suppress their demand to exercise their right to self-determination.
We also urge the Commission to call on the Indonesian Government to
establish a credible, legal, independent enquiry team, that includes
international human rights experts, to investigate the involvement of
state institutions in the assassination of Theys Elauy and bring the
perpetrators to justice.
Finally, we appeal to the Commission to call on the Indonesian
Government to invite Special Rapporteurs on Summary Executions and on
Torture to visit Papua.
_______________
(1) These figures were obtained from the 2001-Year report of the
Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy (Elsham-Papua),
Jayapura, West Papua.
(2) These documents include the following:
- on 9 June 2000, a secret document was issued by the Ministry of Home
Affairs / Department of the Interior in Jakarta, outlining the
strategy of the Indonesian Government, concerning their intention to
crack down on independence movement in Papua;
- on 16 August 2001, in a speech, the President of Indonesia ordered
the Minister of social and political affairs to crack down on
separatist movements in West Papua.
Rowland Croucher
P.O. Box 14235
Jerusalem, Israel 91141
Contact: Bishop Aris Shirvanian
E-Mail: arm...@netvision.net.il
Web: www.armenian-patriarchate.org
Saturday, 20 April 2002
OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUÉ #5
Today the following letter was sent to Israeli Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon by His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian,
Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem:
His Excellency
Mr. Ariel Sharon
Prime Minister of Israel
Jerusalem
Your Excellency,
The Armenian Convent in Bethlehem is adjacent to the Basilica of the
Nativity Church in Bethlehem. It is a totally independent compound,
with its own exits and gates, and with only 8 monks who live and serve
there, and conduct church services in accordance with the Status Quo.
In spite of this fact, the Armenian Convent has sustained heavy damage -
The Patriarch's apartment has been severely damaged, the windows of the
Superior's apartment overlooking Manger Square have all been shattered,
and an innocent young monk 22 years old by the name of Armen Sinanian
has been very seriously wounded through the window by a sniper. We are
afraid that unless an equitable solution is found to this urgently
pressing problem, by lifting up the siege of the basilica, conditions
will seriously deteriorate, and an immense tragedy of huge proportions
shall not be averted.
We urgently appeal to the responsible authorities to solve this problem
on humanitarian grounds, otherwise the lives of all those involved shall
be seriously threatened.
Respectfully Yours,
/s/ Abp. Torkom Manoogian
Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem
Copies to: Military Authorities
Religious Ministry
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Monday, April 22, 2002 10:00 PM
Subject: [mnn-news] Mission Network News
News headlines for April 22nd 2002
=======================================================
(Nepal)--Nepal tops the news today. The country is on alert for a wave of
rebel attacks ahead of a nationwide shutdown called by Maoist guerrillas
this week. Village chiefs in western Nepal have reported a build-up of
guerrillas and fear an attack. As a result, thousands are fleeing to
safety. International Needs Network's[1] Dave Culross says this is
having an impact on their work. "Because of the instability and the
military actions in the provinces, many of these people are fleeing to the
cities. Because they've left their homes, they've left their farms, they
are virtually destitute." Churches were unprepared to meet the sudden
swell of needs. However, aside from prayer, Culross says there is
something that can be done right now. "We know that there are numerous
children that need to be cared for-sponsorships provided. A sponsorship
with an International Needs Network child provides more than just
schooling, it provides religious training and the opportunity for them to
accept Jesus as their Savior. This is our ultimate goal."
(Haiti)--Meanwhile, reports indicate that about one in 10 children in
Haiti are used as domestic slaves and the government can do little to stop
it. However, government officials say more education for young people
could help. That's what Worldwide Christian Schools[2] is trying to do
in at least one village. Worldwide's Dale Dieleman. "Worldwide
Christian Schools in working to develop some funds to help actually put up
a building, so that's just one small school project that we're doing. Our
other involvement is with a consortium of Christian educators that are
pulling together to develop a specific Haitian curriculum." Dieleman
says a Christian education can give hope to children suffering from
hunger, economic strife and political uncertainty. "Haiti's a really
unique situation in that there's so much in the culture that really
mitigates against any kind of hope and I think the only real answer there
is the transforming power of Jesus Christ in the hearts and minds of
people."
(India)-- India Evangelical Mission[3] has benefited from the respite
offered by having two major religious groups turning on each other in
India. That's according to Mission President, G.V. Mathai. "As a whole,
they are not as aggressive as they were before. The main problem is
between the Hindus and the Muslims. That relieved the Christians from the
major attacks, so we thank the Lord for the open door in India to preach
the Gospel. The Lord is doing a great work; new churches are being
planted; we are sending out many evangelists." Mathai says there is
occasional trouble for their workers, but that hasn't stopped growth. He
adds that their children's home is another ministry outreach that
desperately needs support. "We have 130 children in the home. We need
sponsors for those children. We appreciate our prayer partners to
remember the ministry of India Evangelical Mission, that the Lord would
bring many souls into His kingdom."
(Venezuela)--Next, despite the recent upheaval in Venezuela, the JESUS
Film Project[4] reports that over a million Venezuelans have been exposed
to the Gospel via the JESUS film on television, film and radio.
According to statistical trends, for every 100 people who see the film, 10
will receive Christ. Please pray for the thousands of new Christians in
Venezuela. Pray they would be part of healing their country's political
turmoil.
(International)--And, a newly-formed coalition of aid groups has called on
the United States government to increase funding for education in the
developing world. The Basic Education Coalition says education is
fundamental to global security and stability. The group, made up 16 U-S
aid and development groups, includes World Vision[5] . World Vision's
mission is to follow Christ's example in working with the poor and share
the good news of the Kingdom of God.
[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=INN
[2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=WWCS
[3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=IEM
[4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=JFP
[5] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=WVI
---------------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STORIES ABOVE, EMAIL US AT M...@MNNONLINE.ORG
OR CALL OUR RESOURCE LINE AT 800-995-4828!
Mission Network News, a service of Cornerstone University of Grand
Rapids, Michigan, USA. http://www.MNNonline.org
SUPPORT MISSION NETWORK NEWS at http://www.MNNonline.org/support or write
to:
Mission Network News
1159 E. Beltline NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525 USA
Visit our Short Term Missions Database at http://www.stmdb.org to find short
term opportunities around the world.
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Saturday, April 27, 2002 2:59 AM
Subject: [Daily Update] 26 April 2002 Update From HCJB World Radio
A ministry of HCJB World Radio
To subscribe, E-mail to: <HCJBDa...@pmbx.net>
Today's News Headlines:
DEAL TO FREE MISSIONARY HOSTAGES IN PHILIPPINES FALLS THROUGH
MUSLIM MOBS DAMAGE CHURCH, INJURE EVANGELIST IN ETHIOPIA
2 FORMER MUSLIMS FACE POSSIBLE DEATH PENALTY IN NIGERIA
VIOLATIONS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CONTINUE IN TURKMENISTAN
NEW DAILY RADIO FEATURE ENCOURAGES PRAYER FOR U.S.
MOONIES RECRUIT CHRISTIAN CLERGY FOR MASS 'BLESSING'
Today's News Stories:
DEAL TO FREE MISSIONARY HOSTAGES IN PHILIPPINES FALLS THROUGH
The family of an American missionary couple held hostage by Muslim
guerrillas in the
Philippines for almost 11 months is accusing the kidnappers of reneging on a
deal to
free their captives, the Associated Press reported. Paul Burnham called
Radio Mindanao
Network in the southern Philippines from his home in Wichita, Kan., saying
the Abu
Sayyaf Muslim rebel group had added extra unspecified conditions to an
agreement he said
was finalized March 13 for the release of his son and daughter-in-law,
Martin and Gracia
Burnham. The deal also was to have secured the freedom of a third hostage,
Filipino
nurse Deborah Yap. "On behalf of the family and children of Martin and
Gracia, we
respectfully ask the Abu Sayyaf and [leader] Khadafy Janjalani to honor
their agreement
with us," Paul Burnham said in a statement carried by the Zamboanga-based
radio station.
"If not, how can anyone trust the Abu Sayyaf again?" A U.S. official said
$300,000 in
ransom was paid in late March to the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas.
The Burnhams, Manila residents who were originally from Kansas and members
of New Tribes
Mission (NTM), are the last hostages from a series of abductions that
started May 27,
2001. U.S. officials said that the rebels originally demanded a ransom of $2
million,
but the elder Burnham said he reached an agreement with an Abu Sayyaf
spokesman on March
13 for the release of the hostages, and on March 26 the family was told
"they would be
released soon." Meanwhile, NTM, which has a no-ransom-payment policy, issued
a statement
Thursday saying that the organization was "not involved in any deal."
Mission leaders
were not aware that family members were involved in a deal until they
revealed it to NTM
last Saturday. "NTM's primary concern continues to be the soon and safe
release of
Martin and Gracia," the ministry stated in an e-mail update. "In the midst
of the
uncertainties of politics, deals and military actions, your prayers are all
the more
valued and necessary." (Charisma News Service)
MUSLIM MOBS DAMAGE CHURCH, INJURE EVANGELIST IN ETHIOPIA
A Muslim mob protesting the actions of Western nations allied to fight
terrorism damaged
a Christian church in the eastern Ethiopian town of Asaita in early March,
reports Open
Doors. The attackers carried banners of Osama bin Laden and shouted slogans
against the
U.S. and other Western countries. "Our sources said the mob's leaders had
planned to
burn down the Mekane Yesus Church, an indigenous Protestant church, but
police arrived
in time to save the building," said Open Doors U.S. President Terry Madison.
"The
church's door and windows were broken, and much of the property inside the
building was
destroyed, including Bibles, hymnbooks and choir robes." In a separate
attack in Asaita,
Muslim protesters -- many of them students -- identified and attacked two
Christian
evangelists, Molla Tesfay and Gureta Ahmad. Tesfay, who has lived and worked
in the
region for the last two years, continues to recover from his injuries in
Addis Ababa.
Ahmad was threatened but not injured. Police detained Ahmad, claiming
concern for his
safety, but he remains in jail. "Muslim leaders accused Ahmad of
proselytizing by
distributing Christian literature," Madison says. "He was involved in
several Christian
projects relating to the Afar people -- a Muslim people group in
northeastern Ethiopia
and Djibouti. Some think the violence is connected to an Afar aid project of
the Mekane
Yesus Church. But Afar officials visited the damaged church and assured the
aid workers
of their support for the project." The number of Protestants in Ethiopia has
reached an
estimated 10 million, up from 3.5 million in 1985. (Assist News Service)
* HCJB World Radio's staff in Australia record Oromo language programs that
are aired to
28 million speakers in Ethiopia and Kenya via shortwave from FEBA Radio.
2 FORMER MUSLIMS FACE POSSIBLE DEATH PENALTY IN NIGERIA
Two former Muslims face execution unless they recant their conversions to
Christianity.
On Wednesday Lawali Yakubu and Ali Jafaru, both in their 30s, were given
three days to
change their minds by a court in Mada in an area where strict Islamic law is
enforced.
Judge Auwal Jabaka is seeking clarity on whether the death sentence called
for by the
Koran is applicable, the Associated Press reported. "If the law empowers me
[to execute
the two for converting from Islam to Christianity], I will have no
hesitation in doing
that," he said. The two men recently joined the Great Commission Movement,
an
international evangelical church with a growing following in Nigeria.
Accompanied by
church members, they told the court they had never been Muslims, but
belonged to the
Magazawa, a Christian subgroup of the Hausa tribe which is predominantly
Muslim. The
men's case was the first of its kind since a dozen Islamic northern states
began
implementing sharia (Islamic law) in 2000. Thousands of Muslims and
Christians have died
in the last two years during religious clashes. (Charisma News Service)
VIOLATIONS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CONTINUE IN TURKMENISTAN
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is recommending for
the third
year in a row that the U.S. place Turkmenistan on a list of the world's
worst violators
of religious freedom. Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov, speaking to his
cabinet,
said the country's controls on religious activity are not aimed at anyone's
right to
practice religion, but at foreigners trying to spread what he called "alien"
faiths.
"People can follow whatever faith they want, but foreigners have no right to
spread an
alien faith in our country," he said. (World Evangelical Alliance)
* HCJB World Radio works in partnership with Back to the Bible to air
Christian Turkmen
programs. Twice-weekly broadcasts began airing from an undisclosed site
outside of
Turkmenistan in June 2001.
NEW DAILY RADIO FEATURE ENCOURAGES PRAYER FOR U.S.
"American Inspirations" is a new radio program that encourages Americans to
pray for the
president and the nation. The daily one-minute feature, highlighting the
role played by
people of faith in the founding and building of the nation, airs on more
than 1,000
radio stations. "American Inspirations" is part of the Presidential Prayer
Team, a
nonprofit, nonpartisan effort to enlist 1 percent of the population (2.8
million people)
to pray daily for the president and the nation's leaders. In conjunction
with the newly
released program, the ministry announced that George W. Bush was chosen as
the recipient
of the 2002 American Inspirations Award due to his "unwavering emphasis on
prayer and
reliance on God for the heavy decisions he must make in the world's most
powerful
office" since the events of Sept. 11. (Radio World)
MOONIES RECRUIT CHRISTIAN CLERGY FOR MASS 'BLESSING'
On Saturday, April 27, self-proclaimed Messiah Sun Myung Moon will officiate
at a mass
"blessing" of clergy couples at a ceremony in a Washington, D.C. hotel. The
event claims
to be part of a simultaneous worldwide wedding of 144,000 clergy couples via
satellite
link. "The public thinks that the Moonies have gone away. They haven't,"
says former
Moonie and author Steven Hassan. "They have been quite busy in recent years,
focusing
their recruitment efforts on Christian clergy, politicians, and business
people. They
are still deceptive and quite dangerous." Moon is an 82-year-old Korean
billionaire and
convicted felon who served 13 months in federal prison for income tax
evasion and
conspiracy in the mid-1980s. "I am certain that Christian clergy who are
planning to
participate in this 'blessing' are not aware of the real theology of Moon,"
says Hassan.
(Religion Today)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
James A. Ferrier
HCJB World Radio
U.S. Ministries
Communications Director
E-mail: jfer...@hcjb.org
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Monday, April 29, 2002 9:05 AM
Subject: 12 Christians Killed in Brutal Attack in Ambon
International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941
Washington, DC 20006-1846
Tel: 301-989-1708
www.persecution.org
Twelve Christians Killed in Pre-Dawn Brutal Attack in Ambon, Indonesia
Washington, DC April 28, 2002 - At least 12 Christians were brutally
murdered and another 6 were injured during a deadly attack on the village of
Soya during the early morning hours of April 28. The attack on the
Protestant Christian Soya village near Ambon was carried out by armed
attackers around 4 am Sunday morning. Black-clad Muslims "went from house to
house, while proclaiming Allah's Greatness, murdering anybody they could lay
hands on, not sparing women and children, including a nine month old baby
that was killed by bullets," according to the Crisis Diocese of Amboina. Six
of the victims were stabbed or shot while another six were burned to death.
The unidentified attackers, believed to be members of the radical Laskar
Jihad Islamic group, also burned down a Protestant church and dozens of
Christians' homes before fleeing the scene.
On April 24, just days before this deadly attack, Laskar Jihad leader, Jafar
Umar Thalib, arrived in Ambon and encouraged Muslims there to make war on
the Christians. The pretext of this attack was the raising of the RMS flag
in Ambon. The RMS, a Christian separatist group with a little over 100
members, celebrated its 52nd anniversary on April 25 by flying flags and
balloons bearing the RMS colors in various neighborhoods of Ambon. However,
RMS leader Alex Manuputty had been arrested almost a week earlier, on April
17. Mr. Manuputty urged his supporters to "Show yourselves as brothers with
high moral attitude and do not do anything that leads to anarchy, do not do
anything against the law." This stands in stark contrast to Thalib's
directive, given before the RMS anniversary, to attack the Christians.
The Laskar Jihad group has repeatedly denounced the Malino agreement of
February 12, 2002, which outlined terms of peace and reconciliation between
Christians and Muslims in war-torn Maluku, and made it clear that they would
oppose it by all means possible. In a press release issued February 14,
2002, the Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian
Concern (ICC), expressed doubt that the Malino agreement could achieve peace
unless provocative groups like the Laskar Jihad were disbanded.
Unfortunately ICC's predictions have proven all too true. An ICC
representative condemned the attack on the Christians of Soya and added
that: "It is the height of hypocrisy that the RMS leader should be arrested
on charges of separatist activity while the head of the Laskar Jihad, who
has called for violent attacks against Christians, is allowed to go free."
ICC is calling for the immediate arrest of Jafar Umar Thalib and other
members of the Laskar Jihad responsible for provoking and perpetrating
violence against Christians. Furthermore, ICC urges Christians everywhere to
express their outrage to the Indonesian government as well as to Secretary
of State, Colin Powell. The Indonesian Embassy may be contacted at the
following numbers: 202-775-5200 (telephone) and 202-775-5365 (fax).
Secretary Powell may be contacted at 202-647-5291 (telephone) or
202-261-8577 (fax).
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Wednesday, May 01, 2002 1:30 AM
Subject: Religion Today Feature Story: Relief Group Defies Ban to Fly Food
into Upper Nile Area
Religion Today Feature Story
a close-up look at the people, issues and events making news
http://news.crosswalk.com
April 30, 2002
Starvation in Sudan: Relief Group Defies Ban to Fly Food into Upper Nile
Area
By Janet Chismar, Crosswalk.com News Editor
"I have never seen the type of hunger and starvation that I saw on this
trip," says Persecution Project Foundation (PPF) founder Bradford
Phillips, who has flown into Sudan over 30 times in the last five years.
"It was one of the most shocking trips for me. We went to three
different areas and each one was a little worse than the next."
Phillips, in coordination with Rev. John Sudan Gaduel of the indigenous
South Sudan Operation Mercy, returned last weekend from a series of
emergency crisis relief flights to two of the most devastated and
neglected areas in southern Sudan's oil region. More than 51,000 pounds
of food and emergency supplies were flown in by PPF for displaced
Sudanese in two "Red-Insecure No-Go" areas.
"The people are so weak. There are about 50,000 people in Ruweng County
and at least half are displaced, half are facing starvation," Phillips
told Crosswalk.com in a phone interview. "It was so bad that people were
pulling leaves off the trees and putting them in bowls and eating them.
They are also eating insects and water lilies. Yes, they are resilient
people, but just skin stretched over bones."
According to Phillips, the government of Sudan has specifically tried to
starve the people into submission. To complicate matters, the United
Nations has been blocking flights into the region, so "because of
security, because of convenience, because of politics, the people hadn't
seen a relief plane in months."
Phillips says he still has not gotten over "the shock of seeing some of
these people and just how desperate their situation was."
While in Koch, located in the Western Upper Nile region, the Persecution
Project Foundation's team received first-hand testimony confirming
recently published reports by Christian Aid. These reports reveal
Government of Sudan (GOS) atrocities, including the direct targeting of
civilians and forced displacement of between 300,000 and 400,000 people
in Western Upper Nile in Rubkoni, Mayom, and Leer counties.
Fighting erupted last week south of Bentiu near Koch, displacing
additional thousands of civilians. The United Nations announced a new
flight ban on April 19 following the Southern People Liberation Army's
defeat of GOS forces.
"It seems that there is a pattern here," says Phillips. The United
Nations works hard to coordinate its flight bans in conjunction with
Government of Sudan military objectives. Not only are they blocking the
flow of relief to needy areas, they are helping provide cover for
Government of Sudan's wanton destruction of human lives. The
international donor community is supporting Sudan's 'oil-fueled'
genocide, because the United Nations Operation Lifeline Sudan (UN-OLS)
is coordinating everything with Khartoum," Phillips added. "That's why
Persecution Project Foundation chooses to work outside the UN umbrella."
Persecution Project Foundation sent its first crisis relief assessment
team into the oil field areas of Upper Nile in September 2000. It has
since delivered more than 171 metric tons (the equivalent of more than
376,200 pounds) of emergency relief including food, medicine, blankets,
clothing, mosquito nets, cooking pots, fishing equipment hoes, axes,
salt, soap, Bibles and other lifesaving supplies to internally displaced
victims of the "oil-fueled" genocide in the most restricted access areas
of Sudan's oil region.
The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) has also confirmed that a "potential
humanitarian disaster is looming" in the remote Northeast Upper Nile
region of Sudan. Servant's Heart, a American-based mission that partners
with VOM, reports that recent attacks by the government of Sudan have
virtually destroyed the food supplies and seed stock in the region,
placing the lives of at least 60,000 Sudanese civilians, many of whom
are Christians, "in severe jeopardy."
Dennis Bennett, executive director of Servant's Heart said, "If the food
and seed is not immediately replaced, the GOS will kill thousands of
defenseless civilians in a slow and horrific manner."
With the rainy season rapidly approaching, it is feared that thousands
may starve, in addition to the many who are being killed in government
attacks in the region. These attacks by the Sudanese government have
continued despite signing the agreement to not target civilian food
supplies, hospitals or other health-related civilian targets, according
to VOM.
The Voice of the Martyrs, in partnership with Servant's Heart, hopes to
provide 100 metric tons of grain to the region before the rainy season
starts in late May. The grain will be purchased from local farmers 100
km away from the area where the government of Sudan has been destroying
the food and seed stocks, and then trucked overland to where it is
needed.
According to Samaritan's Purse, the North Carolina-based international
relief organization headed by Franklin Graham, an estimated 2 million
southern Sudanese have been killed and some 4 million displaced due to
war-related causes in the past 20 years. Samaritan's Purse has operated
one of the largest hospitals in Sudan since 1997 and the only medical
facility within 100 miles. The hospital has served more than 100,000
people who would otherwise have nowhere else to go for treatment.
Samaritan's Purse confirms that the Islamic terrorist regime "continues
to intentionally attack civilian sites and relief projects, allow slave
trade, and deny its southern citizens basic human rights."
-----------
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----------------------------------------------
INDONESIA: VIOLENCE RESURGES IN AMBON MASSACRE
----------------------------------------------
The Maluku region of Eastern Indonesia (formerly the Spice Islands)
was once predominantly Christian, as was the West Papua region.
However, President Suharto's transmigration policy greatly changed
their demographics by encouraging Javanese Muslims to migrate to
these less densely populated areas. Despite some discontent,
Christians, Muslims and Hindus co-existed peacefully. In Maluku,
however, this peace came to an end during Ramadan, January 1999.
After Suharto resigned in May 1998, Habibi led Indonesia towards
democracy. However, many Javanese elites and high ranking military
who had enjoyed power and privilege under Suharto set about
stealing control by instigating conflict aimed at destabilising the
nation and thus encourage people to seek military leadership. So,
religious violence was provoked in Ambon (the regional capital) in
January 1999.
When the Islamic parties failed in the June 1999 elections, they
joined in with those keen to discredit and bring down the
democratically elected government. In mid 2000, thousands of Laskar
Jihad militants arrived in Maluku, well armed and supported by
elements of the Indonesian military. By the time 8,000 people had
died and half a million had become refugees in Maluku, President
Wahid was gone and Megawati Sukarnoputri remained mainly by favour
of Islamic parties. For some, this was mission accomplished!
On 12 February 2002, the eleven point Malino Peace Accord was
signed by 80-strong delegations from the Muslim and the Christian
communities of Maluku. The Laskar Jihad, however, refused to attend
the peace talks and has rejected the Accord as 'treason'. Islamist
cleric Jaffar Umar Thalib, a veteran of the jihad in Afghanistan,
heads up the Laskar Jihad. He oversees a network of Islamist
schools in Indonesia, preaches that democracy is 'incompatible with
Islam', and calls for Indonesia to be made an Islamic state with
Sharia Law. He regards Jews, Americans and Christians as
'belligerent infidels' whose deaths are justified by divine
imperative. Thalib is convinced there is a global conspiracy of
American-led Jews and Christians to destroy Islam and all Muslims.
He scorns Osama bin Laden for being too soft - a lightweight!
After Friday prayers on 26 April, Thalib urged some 5,000 Muslims
outside the Al-Fatah Mosque in Ambon to rally together in holy war
against the Christians. He said, 'From today, we will no longer
talk about reconciliation. Our ... focus now must be preparing for
war - ready your guns, spears and daggers.' At 3:45am on Sunday 28
April, black-masked, heavily armed Islamic militants entered the
Christian village of Soya (near Ambon city) as the people slept.
They moved from house to house, killing up to 21 people by
stabbing, decapitation or burning them alive, as well as wounding
many more. Thirty homes and a Christian church were also
incinerated. Whilst some attackers were seen with assault rifles
and wearing military fatigues, the army denies any involvement.
While this draws attention away to Ambon, the Laskar Jihad drive
with some 3000 troops in Papua steadily continues (RLP 161) in the
pattern set in Maluku and Sulawesi. Church and community leaders
want the Laskar Jihad expelled before strife is unleashed.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:
* God to protect the faith of terrified, discouraged, traumatised,
grief-stricken believers in Soya and to minister to the hearts
and minds of those tempted to doubt his goodness or presence.
'In the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put
my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up
my soul.' Psalm 143:8
* strong leadership in the churches and Christian communities in
Maluku and Papua, encouraging believers to hold on to faith and
hope and a commitment to peace.
* the Indonesian government to commit itself to supporting the
people of Maluku in their quest for peace, ensuring that those
who incite hatred and violence are dealt with through the law.
* Jaffar Umar Thalib and the Laskar Jihad to be recognised as
militant extremists and terrorists (not humanitarians as they
claim) and be removed from Maluku and Papua.
SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
INDONESIA: VIOLENCE RESURGES IN AMBON MASSACRE
At 3:45am on Sunday 28 April, black-masked, heavily armed Islamic
militants entered the Christian village of Soya (near Ambon city)
as the people slept. They moved from house to house, killing up to
21 people by stabbing, decapitation or burning them alive, as well
as wounding many more. Thirty homes and a Christian church were
also incinerated. This occurred only 35 hours after the head of the
militant Islamist Laskar Jihad, Jaffar Umar Thalib, had publicly
urged Muslims in Ambon to 'no longer talk about reconciliation',
but to '... be preparing for war - ready your guns, spears and
daggers'. Pray that the Indonesian government will support last
February's Peace Accord by restoring the rule of law in Maluku.
Pray for the believers to be strong and not lose faith or hope.
----------------------------------------------------
Please pass this along to others with attribution to
World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty
Prayer List <rl-p...@crossnet.org.au>
----------------------------------------------------
The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this
RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray
specifically and regularly for religious liberty
issues, and in particular to uphold the Church
where it is suffering persecution.
Rowland Croucher
Received at the U.S. office of Turkish World Outreach, 30 April 2002:
From a brother in Istanbul, whose name is withheld for security.
Dear praying friends,
Since our last update to you there have been some developments
concerning
our closed schools and other events which impact directly on the work
here.
Last Saturday morning the 6 Ankara teachers and the parent who had been
charged with offences were summoned to police headquarters. They were
informed that an order had come from the Turkish Home Office to deport
them. They were instructed to leave their passports, go immediately and
purchase single tickets to their home country and bring them back to the
police headquarters. The police would then retain passports and tickets
until a few hours before the flights, escort them to passport control
and
see they leave the country. Because the following Monday and Tuesday
were
public holidays the lawyers were prevented from trying to stop the
deportations.
The seriousness of this situation is shown in a number of ways. The
parent
who was deported had full residence status and her husband is a key
figure
in many of the major translation projects and other ministries here. (He
helps me in my writing projects.) It is illegal to deport a foreigner
who
has a resident permit without a court order. However in this case an
emergency law was implemented which is normally used against terrorists
or
criminals. The deportation orders came directly from the Home Office
which
means that there are people there who want to get rid of as many foreign
Christians as possible.
So far in Istanbul there have been no more developments. There have been
no
charges so far against our teachers or any parents. Our building is
being
watched daily by the police.
We do not feel we can educate the children in homes on a regular basis.
This will bring complaints from neighbours and antagonise the
authorities.
The children will now meet a couple of times a week in various locations
and do their homework from material sent by e-mail from the teachers. We
hope to finish the term in this way.
We are exploring ways in which we can come under some kind of legal
umbrella for September.
In the last 6 weeks, apart from the schools in Ankara and Istanbul being
closed the following has happened:
1. Two weeks ago on a Sunday morning as believers were arriving for
worship
at a small fellowship they were met by a crowd of over 100
demonstrators.
They shouted slogans and the leader made a threatening speech. They were
from the Nationalist Party which is part of the three-party coalition
government at the moment.
2. Members of the church in Antakya (Antioch) have received threats of
violence.
3. Two of the leaders from the Turkish fellowship in Antalya received a
death threat.
4. The International Fellowship in Antalya has received almost daily
visits
from the police in the last few months. They run a cafe and bookshop
called
the St Paul Centre. Police have behaved threateningly and told them to
take
their sign down.
5. The same church had completed every requirement to buy a derelict old
church building next door to their premises. The sale has been stopped
at
the last moment.
6. The believers in Adana have suffered constant harrassment from the
police. The latest demand is that they are not allowed to meet after
dark.
7. The leaderof the Izmir International Fellowship, a foreigner, has had
his residence permit revoked for no reason.
I have been advised to take a few precautions as follows:
I have been advised to give power of atorney to the lawyer the believers
are using. They feel that this is a sensible precaution since I am not
only
teaching, but teaching Christianity. I have now done this. It will mean
that if I am stopped and questioned I don't need to say anything and
immediately telephone the lawyer to speak on my behalf.
I have also been advised to buy a mobile phone. I've always resisted
this,
but now I can see that it is a very useful thing to have.
(My wife) and the children are well. (She) does get anxious on my
behalf at
times of course. However, we believe we should continue as normally as
possible in the circumstances.
Tonight I leave for (another city) to do a weeks teaching. Please pray
that all will
go well and that (my wife) and the children will be fine while I'm gone.
We are living through a time of pressure. There are people in government
and the security services who wish to get rid of us and stop the work.
One
man, a professor of religion, who appeared on several of the TV
discussions
and who behaved despicably towards the believers said " We won't rest
until
we dig you out by the roots." We believe what we are living through is
his
and others attempts to do just that.
Having said all of the above, churches are growing, more people than
ever
before are asking about Christ, this is also a time of unprecedented
interest in the gospel.
Please continue to pray for us and for this country.
Together for Him,
A brother in Turkey
Added Note from TWO: We have set up a Workers' Legal Defense Fund to
assist expatriate servants of Christ in Turkey whose ministries are in
jeopardy at this time. Gifts for this fund are tax-exempt in the U.S.
and may be sent to: Turkish World Outreach, 508 Fruitvale Court, Grand
Junction, CO 81504, USA. Please clearly specify that your gift is for
"Workers' Legal Defense," because we also have a legal fund for churches
in Turkey.
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Friday, May 03, 2002 12:02 AM
JUBILEE CAMPAIGN U.K PRESS RELEASE
May 2nd 2002
For immediate release
MOLUCCAN CHURCH LEADERS DESPERATELY APPEAL FOR U.N. PROTECTION
In the wake of a recent brutal massacre of Moluccan Christians in
Indonesia, Protestant and Catholic church leaders have issued a desperate
appeal for help to the U.N Secretary General. The letter to Kofi Annan,
dated April 29th, and jointly signed by several church leaders including
the Catholic Bishop of Amboina, Monsignor Mandagi and the Moderator of the
Synod of the Moluccan Protestant Church, Rev. Dr. Hendriks, states, "We
have to call on you, for there have been various attempts done internally
and nationally but to no avail...........So far, the terrorism that has
caused many lives among the innocent and ordinary people has not been
handled properly by the armed forces and police. So far, we cannot expect
any security from them......The United Nations is our only hope now. Please
save us from this trial."
At least 12 Christians including a baby, were massacred in the village of
Soya, on the outskirts of Ambon in the Moluccas islands of Indonesia on
Sunday April 28th. The victims were stabbed, shot or burned to death by
about a dozen attackers, who carried automatic rifles, grenades and
daggers. Witnesses reported that the attackers set 30 homes and a
Protestant church on fire, and went from house to house, shooting into
those that were occupied.
The massacre occurred just a few days after the militant Islamic extremist
group, Laskar Jihad, publicly rejected the Malino peace agreement, which
was meant to end the fighting between Muslims and Christians in the
Moluccas. Jafar Umar Thalib, leader of the Laskar Jihad, arrived in Ambon
on April 25th and his presence added more tension to the situation. During
his sermon before a large crowd at the Al Fatah Mosque the next day, just 2
days before the massacre at Soya village, Jafar Umar Thalib made an
inflammatory statement saying that Muslims will destroy all Christians in
Ambon.
Jubilee Campaign believes that the evidence strongly suggests that the
massacre of Christians in Soya was carried out by Islamic militants from
the Laskar Jihad possibly with the assistance of some Indonesian troops, as
some were in Indonesian army uniforms and the fighters carried standard
Indonesian army issued weapons. According to witnesses, the attackers were
shouting "Allah Akbar" (God is Great), the usual war cry of Islamic
militants. One of the surviving witnesses, Mr. Demi Hitijahubessy, stated
that the physical complexion of some of the attackers was fairer than the
average Moluccan, some had beards and wore three quarter length trousers,
which is a common type of appearance for Laskar Jihad fighters. Other
attackers wore military uniforms and masks. Mr. Hitijahubessy also declared
that the attackers undoubtedly were Laskar Jihad since he heard them
shouting and talking in Javanese dialect and accent, which indicates that
they were not native Moluccans. The Laskar Jihad is comprised of Muslim
fighters from outside the Moluccas, including other parts of Indonesia,
such as Java.
Jubilee Campaign is campaigning to ensure that those responsible for the
massacre in Soya are swiftly brought to justice and punished and that the
Laskar Jihad is expelled from the Moluccas and the neighbouring provinces
of Sulawesi and West Papua. British Parliamentarians have been mobilised by
Jubilee to raise concerns about these issues with the Indonesian government
and the British Foreign Office. Jubilee is also calling for the Laskar
Jihad leader, Jafar Umar Thalib, to be arrested and detained for inciting
sectarian violence and for the crimes committed by his organisation.
Laskar Jihad has infiltrated the neighbouring provinces of West Papua and
Sulawesi, both of which have large Christian communities. In Central
Sulawesi, numerous attacks have been carried out against Christians by the
Laskar Jihad and about 20,000 Christians have had to flee their burnt
villages to the town of Tentena, where they are currently beseiged by
thousands of Islamic fighters. In West Papua, local human rights workers
report that there are currently about 3000 Laskar Jihad fighters there.
Since 1999, when sectarian violence began in the Moluccas, which has so far
claimed over 7000 lives, Jubilee Campaign has warned that the conflict
would spread from the Moluccas to other Indonesian provinces with large
non-Muslim populations as the Islamic militants wanted to forcibly
Islamicise these areas through killing, driving away or forcibly converting
Christians to Islam. This is part of their overall strategy to change
Indonesia's pluralist constitution to an Islamic one and to impose Islamic
sharia law throughout the country.
Jubilee Campaign's Researcher and Parliamentary Officer, Wilfred Wong,
says, "It is outrageous that Jafar Umar Thalib has been allowed to travel
to a sensitive area like Ambon to publicly call for the destruction of all
Christians there. If the Indonesian government is truly concerned to
restore peace to the Moluccas and Sulawesi, and to prevent a sectarian
bloodbath occurring in West Papua, they should expel all the Laskar Jihad
fighters from all these areas and arrest Jafar Umar Thalib for his crucial
role in perpetutating the violence. Mr. Thalib has clearly violated the
Malino peace agreement by his inflammatory speech and by the participation
of his fighters in the massacre at Soya village. We are closely monitoring
the situation to see whether the Indonesian government will hold Mr. Thalib
accountable for this flagrant violation of the Malino agreement or whether
they will simply seek to accomodate him and his fighters as they have done
in the past."
(Copy of the letter from the Moluccan Church leaders is attached below.)
****************
For further information contact Wilfred Wong on 020 7219 5129.
Jubilee Campaign is an interdenominational Christian human rights
organisation which has worked with over 150 British Parliamentarians.
Below is a copy of the appeal sent by Moluccan church leaders to the U.N
Secretary General.
CATHOLIC CHURCH DIOCESE OF AMBOINA
AND
CHRISTIAN CHURCHES IN MOLUCCAS
Secretary Office.. Imam Bonjol No. 8, Ambon#8209;97127, Phone. 354079
Ambon, April.29.2002
Re. Save Our Selves
To His Excellency
Mr. Kofi Annan
The Secretary General of the United Nations
Dear Sir,
This is an SOS call from us, the Churches in the Moluccas Islands. There
have been a series of fresh attacks again directed towards the Christians
in the Moluccas. The previous condition was a little better after a peace
agrreement was signed by representatives ftom Christian and Moslem
communities and by the Central and local Government. But now under the
pretext of fighting the RMS separatists, which is actually a very small
group of people, who do not even have weapons, the innocent Christians are
under constant attack again. The condition is becoming worse because the
local government is seriously unwilling and unable to settle their
authority to handle the provocation of both the FKM Group (who uses the RMS
symbols and raised the RMS flag since the 25th of April until now ) and the
Jihad warriors (Moslem warriors ). From the outset, the Churches in the
Mollucas are not commited on both these political and ideological ideas of
both of them. Yet, The Mollucan Agreement in Malino is not implemented in a
consistent and responsible way by the Government.
On the 3rd April a high explosive bomb exploded on the Christian side of
town, killing 7 people and wounding 56 people. After that 2 people were
found dead also without knowing who killed them. Subsequently, on the 25
and 28 of April the unfinished reconstructed building the Silo Church was
burned with no reaction from the security forces, which were on guard
around the place. The Silo church building was first burned down in 1999
and erected again. A mortar was also fired on the Christian suburb of
Karang Panjang in the city of Ambon, and seriously wounded 2 women. At the
dawn of Sunday morning a traditionally Christian village, called Soya, on
top of the hill on the southren part of Ambon island, was attacked, killing
at least 12 people, including a 3 year's old child, a 7 month old baby, and
several women, it has also left 9 people wounded. Some 26 houses and a
historical old church building were also burned down. This village has so
far been used by the government for the IDP's from Ambon and some of these
victims are among the dead ones.
We have to call on you, for there have been various attempts done
internally and nationally but to no avail. The armed forces and the police
could not do much. Last Friday, they were belittled by the Jihad commander
in Chief, Mr Jafar Umar Talib, in front of thousands of Moslems in a rally,
which took place at the Alfatah Mosque, with no reaction from their side.
So far, the terrorism that has cost many lives among the innocent and
ordinary people has not been handled properly by the armed forces and
police. So far, we cannot expect any security from them.
Therefore, we do urge the United Nations on behalf of the civilized
families of nations to do something, by means of assisting our government
to stop any futher massacre in order to strengthen the Universal Principals
of Human Rights as acknowleged by the Second Amendment of the Indonesian
Constitution, and in turn to combat against terrorism in our beloved
country. The United Nations is our only hope now. Please save us from this
trial.
Sincerely yours
Mgr. P.C. Mandagi, MSC_ Catholic Church Diocese of Amboina
(Bishop of Amboina)
Rev Dr I W J Hendriks _ Synod Board of the Protestant Church
(Moderator)
Rev. R Hitipeuw S.th_ The Executive Board of Bethel Church in
Indonesia- Maluku Regional
(Chairman)
Rev. Lolaen S.th_ The Executive Board of The Communion of
Pentacostal Churches in Indonesia- Moluccas Regional
(Chairman)
Etc etc.. (8 other Church leaders)
CC:
1. President of Republic of Indonesia in Jakarta.
2. President of U.S.A. in Washington D.C.
3. British Prime Minister in London.
4. The Goverments of European Union Community.
5. His Hollines the Pope in Rome.
6. World Council of Churches in Geneva.
7. The Communion of Churches in Indonesia.
8. The Communion of Pentacostal Churches in Indonesia.
9. Conference of Bishops in Indonesia.
10. Baptist World Alliance in U.S.A.
11. The Intemational Head Quarter of The Salvation Army in London.
12. World Alliance Reformed Churches in Geneva.
13. The Salvation Army Church in the U.S.A.
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Saturday, May 04, 2002 10:56 PM
Subject: Ambon! Urgent Prayer Needed
Sat May 4, 10.53p.m.
Australian missionary couple Dr Jeff and Annette Hammond, who on May 1 left
Jakarta for Ambon, have now become caught up in a war zone. One local
hospital alone has reported two dead and 15 seriously injured and the
Hammonds are involved in transporting people to the hospital and attending
to emergency needs.
The deaths and casualties are the result of mortar bombs being fired by the
Laskar Jihad into the Christian neighbourhoods. There may well be many more
deaths and injuries. The scene is quite chaotic and it is difficult for news
to get out because of the regional governments ban on foreign journalists.
These fresh attacks upon the Christian community have come in direct
response to police taking action on Saturday May 4 to arrest Laskar Jihad
leader, Jafar Umar Thalib for inciting conflict in Maluku. As recently as
April 24 he called for 'war on Christians' and on April 28 the village of
Soya was attacked and 14 Christians were killed.
The scene in Ambon right now is nothing short of a war zone.
Please pray for intervention in the conflict. Pray that the Laskar Jihad
would be effectively disarmed and removed from Maluku. Pray that christian
neighbourhoods would be protected against mortar attacks and further deaths.
Pray for peace and protection for the Hammonds. Pray especially, for Sunday
morning meetings in Ambon where Jeff will minister on Sunday May 5.
Yours in partnership
Ian Freestone
Australian Director, IFC
http://cryindonesia.rnc.org.au
Rowland Croucher
Subject: Indonesian Muslim Militant Leader Arrested
International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941
Washington, DC 20006-1846
PRESS RELEASE
Muslim Militant Leader Arrested in Indonesia: Rights Group Questions
Government's Resolve
(Washington, DC - May 6, 2002) The Washington-DC based human rights
organization, International Christian Concern (ICC), applauded the recent
arrest of the head of a militant Islamic group in Indonesia. Jafar Umar
Thalib, leader of the Laskar Jihad, was arrested in Surabaya on May 4, 2002
and was immediately transferred to the national police headquarters in
Jakarta. Accusations against Jafar include provocation of violence against
Christians and insulting government leaders. Jafar was detained less than a
week after ICC made a worldwide appeal for his arrest and urged Americans to
call the Indonesian Embassy and Secretary of State Colin Powell, demanding
that Jafar be brought to justice.
While ICC is pleased with the arrest of Mr. Jafar, whose April 26th tabliq
akbar (religious speech) in Ambon incited Muslims to attack Christians,
killing 12-14 in the village of Soya on April 28th, stronger measures need
to be taken to ensure that Jafar is properly punished. Last May Jafar was
arrested on similar accusations of inciting violence, but was later released
after his supporters protested. In fact, Jafar was never tried or formally
charged with anything. He was simply allowed back into society to continue
spewing forth venomous hate speech against Christians and moderate Muslims
who sought reconciliation.
The Indonesian government seems reluctant to crack down on Jafar and his
group for fear of reprisals against themselves. In a recent article, the
Jakarta Post announced that the recording of Jafar's provocative speech
obtained by the Indonesian police contains threats against President
Megawati. On the other hand, according to the Laskar Jihad web site, Vice
President Hamzah Haz will be the opening speaker at the group's national
convention to be held May 13-22 in Jakarta. Inside contacts have told ICC
that Jafar has personally met with the Vice President in the past. With
Megawati afraid of being overthrown and Hamzah Haz seemingly sympathetic to
the cause of the Laskar Jihad, it is unlikely that Jafar's arrest will be
more than a symbolic action meant to appease critics of Indonesia's weak
stance toward Islamic militants.
ICC representative Holly Hursh said, "It is of utmost importance that Jafar
Umar Thalib be forced to stand trial and receive a sentence commensurate
with the crimes against humanity which he has provoked." The BBC News
reported on May 4, 2002 that the maximum sentence Jafar would likely face is
7 years in prison. "Terror is terror," Hursh added, "and it doesn't matter
if it is Osama bin Laden or Jafar Umar Thalib; swift punitive action is
required or hate and terror will run rampant."
International Christian Concern (ICC) is a Washington, DC based human rights
organization that advocates on behalf of Christians persecuted for their
faith. E-Mail: i...@persecution.org
Rowland Croucher
May 8 2002
Internally Displaced Settlements Torched on the Day of Daw Suu Kyi's
Release
While the world welcomed the release of pro-democracy leader Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi on 6th May, the Burmese military were attacking villages in
Eu Tu Klo, Karen State.
According to the Committee for the Internally Displaced Karen People
(CIDKP), the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) troops burnt
down a hospital, a workshop for the handicapped, a school and seven
houses.
Around 500 people from Pau Kar Der internally displaced persons (IDP)
village and Kho Kay village were forced to flee to Thailand.
The contrast of the day's events were captured in Daw Suu Kyi's
statement on her release: "My release should not be looked at as a major
breakthrough for democracy. For all people in Burma to enjoy basic
freedom - that would be the major breakthrough."
CSW rejoices with the people of Burma over Daw Suu Kyi's release but
remains gravely concerned about ongoing human rights abuses,
particularly the escalating attacks on the internally displaced
population.
Last month, the UN Commission on Human Rights adopted a resolution
sponsored by the European Union, calling on the military junta to
immediately end all institutionalised human rights abuses. Among the
violations cited are the practice of forced relocation of civilians, the
use of forced labour, extrajudicial killing, torture, military
offensives against the ethnic minorities in Shan, Karen and Karenni
States, violations of all civil and political rights, including
religious freedom and equality for all.
According to a fact-finding visit undertaken by CSW Hong Kong and CSW
Australia in April, there has been little overall change in the human
rights situation in Karen and Karenni States near the Thai-Burma border.
The 1 to 2 million IDPs, who are eking out a fragile and uncertain
existence in the jungles and mountains of Burma, remain in critical need
of food, medical care and education.
In the month of March alone, over 30 settlements were reportedly
attacked and torched.
Saw Day Law, the Secretary of the Karen Refugee Committee, described one
of the attacks, "On 2nd March, the SPDC troops came to my home village
in Karen State, just a few hours walk from the Thai border. The
villagers tried to escape to the forest, taking with them what they
could.
"When the troops arrived, they caught the chicken, killed the pigs and
burned down some houses. They also destroyed the rice stocks.
"One villager was killed and two others maimed by the landmines planted
by the soldiers. Three other villagers were forced to work as army
porters, to walk ahead of the troops in the front line."
The military has stepped up cross-border security, making it
increasingly dangerous for the ethnic minorities to flee to Thailand.
Those caught trying to escape are often summarily executed or tortured
and then executed.
Doh Say Bani of the Karenni Refugee Committee said, "Our people are
still being killed. Our people are still being forced to work. All our
people in Burma are living in fear."
The team was also told that, in March, the SPDC troops buried an
eight-year old Karenni girl alive as a human sacrifice for a river
bridge they were constructing. The troops had encountered great
difficulties in building the bridge in the Tongu district of Karenni
State.
With currency at an all time low, inflation at over 25% and the
country's infrastructure close to collapsing, many divisional commanders
are now paid in drugs, rather than in cash.
CSW welcomes the release of the Nobel Prize Laureate as a gesture of
goodwill but urges the regime to further demonstrate its commitment to
democratic reforms and human rights by fully implementing the
recommendations made by the UN Commission on Human Rights.
CSW reiterates its calls on the SPDC to engage in a transparent and
meaningful triparte dialogue with the NLD and the ethnic minorities,
which constitute a third of the country's population, and to set down a
broad framework and time scale for the return of civilian rule.
The release of Daw Suu Kyi is a clear sign that external pressure is
effective. CSW calls on the international community to remain vigilant
and to augment the pressure until there is significant and lasting
improvement in Burma.
CSW's James Mawdsley, who endured 14 months of solitary confinement in
Burma as a prisoner of conscience, commented, "It is a joy to see Daw
Suu Kyi walking free, so calm, and directed, surrounded by people who
support her. If Europe and America can match her clarity of vision and
constancy of purpose then positive change really could sweep across
Burma.
"As for the SPDC, they are still arresting innocent people, such as
Pastor That Ci, Pastor Lian Za Dal and Dr Salai Tun Than, for expressing
their beliefs and are still detaining elected MPs. They have no new
regard for the people of Burma. To believe otherwise prolongs the
suffering.
"The SPDC has released Daw Suu Kyi in Rangoon because the world is
watching Rangoon. Yet in the border areas their savage attacks on the
ethnic groups continue. The more light we throw on this the sooner it
will stop."
For more information, visit reports, photos, local project details and
crayon drawings done by children showing the traumatic effects of
persecution, please contact Christian Solidarity Worldwide on email
richard....@csw.org.uk, or visit CSW website at
www.csw.org.uk.
--
Shalom! Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
"Rowland Croucher" <rcro...@optushome.com.au> wrote in message
news:3c90614f$0$11564$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...
>
> Religious Liberty Prayer List - No. 158 - Wed 06 Mar 2002
>
> ---------------------------------------
> SUDAN: 'RELIGIOUS FREEDOM'? NOT REALLY!
> ---------------------------------------
>
> Article 24 of the Constitution Of The Republic Of Sudan (enacted in
> July 1998) states, 'Everyone has the right to freedom of conscience
> and religion and the right to manifest and disseminate his religion
> or belief in teaching, practice or observance. No one shall be
> coerced to profess a faith in which he does not believe or perform
> rituals or worship that he does not voluntarily accept.' But
> Section 126 of the Sudan Criminal Law 1991 makes apostasy (leaving
> Islam) a criminal offence punishable by death. Non-Muslims,
> however, are allowed to convert to Islam. One look at the reality
> of life in Khartoum for Muslims who choose to follow Jesus will
> tell you which prevails - the Constitution or the Law.
>
> When Alladin Omer Ajjabna Mohammed (then 23) become a Christian 11
> years ago, he was expelled from University and disowned by his
> family. Some years later, he managed to enrol in an Arabic-language
> Christian seminary abroad, but was forcibly deported back to Sudan
> in June 2001 when local Muslim authorities learned that he was an
> 'apostate'. Mohammed was arrested at Khartoum Airport and charged
> with apostasy. Held incommunicado, he was tortured and ordered to
> revert to Islam. He was released in September 2001 on medical
> grounds but had to report daily to security. While doing so,
> Mohammed disappeared again on 26 September 2001. This was only days
> after the arrest of Mohammed Saeed Mohammed Omer, a new believer
> who was charged with apostasy and subsequently tortured by police
> (see RLP 139).
>
> On 30 January 2002, security police stopped Alladin Mohammed from
> boarding a flight to Uganda. Though his papers were fully in order,
> they said their computers identified him as a criminal. While
> detained, he was forcibly injected with unknown drugs. Pursuing his
> plan to apply from Uganda to study theology in Kenya, Mohammed
> attempted to fly out of Sudan again on 3 February 2002. Once more
> he was prevented and ordered to report daily to security. Mohammed
> has now gone into hiding and the authorities have mounted an
> extensive manhunt for him. Sudanese church leaders say there are
> two other Christians in a similar plight.
>
> Tolerance in Khartoum has certainly deteriorated since Easter 2000
> when hardline Islamists were shocked to see 210,000 people turn out
> for an Easter Celebration in Green Square, run by the All Sudan
> Council of Churches. The government cancelled the Easter 2001
> Celebration when Islamists threatened violence (RLP 113). With over
> 100 Christians meeting in All Saints Cathedral then arrested and 53
> of them summarily sentenced to be flogged, church leaders noted,
> 'The language of tolerance and coexistence is fading fast.'
>
> * To view past RLPs, go to
> http://www.evangelicalalliance.org.au/missions/rlc/postings.htm
>
> PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR
>
> * the faith, hope and perseverance of the Christians whose lives
> are at risk.
>
> * the safety, courage and provision of all the needs of Alladin
> Omer Ajjabna Mohammed and others in hiding and on the run from
> arrest and torture on charges of apostasy.
>
> * great wisdom for church leaders in Khartoum as they witness to
> ALL people and then seek to protect and care for those with
> earthly lives at risk as soon as they accept Christ as Saviour.
>
> * international pressure to challenge the Government of Sudan (GoS)
> to be consistent and faithful to its Constitution and so uphold
> the principles of freedom they boast about.
>
> * God to intervene and bring peace to Sudan as human efforts at
> peace fall apart, with GoS bombing of civilians in the South
> appearing to escalate.
>
> 'Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O
> Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath
> remember mercy.' Habakkuk's Prayer - Hab:3:2
>
> SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE:
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> 'RELIGIOUS FREEDOM' IN SUDAN? NOT REALLY!
>
> At Easter 2000, Islamists in Khartoum were shocked to see 210,000
> people turn out for the Easter Celebration put on by the All Sudan
> Council of Churches. When the event was due to be repeated in
> Easter 2001, Islamists forced its cancellation. The Government of
> Sudan's persecution of Christians in Khartoum, especially of
> Muslims who choose to become Christians, has intensified over the
> past year. Whilst the Sudanese Constitution boasts religious
> liberty with 'Everyone has the right to freedom of conscience and
> religion ... no one shall be coerced to profess a faith in which he
> does not believe...', Sudanese Law makes apostasy (leaving Islam) a
> criminal offence punishable by death. Alladin Omer Ajjabna Mohammed
> (34) is one of several Christians who have been detained and
> tortured for apostasy and are now in hiding.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Please pass this along to others with attribution to
> World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty
> Prayer List <rl-p...@crossnet.org.au>
> ----------------------------------------------------
>
> The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this
> RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray
> specifically and regularly for religious liberty
> issues, and in particular to uphold the Church
> where it is suffering persecution.
>
Rowland Croucher
CHRISTIAN SOLIDARITY WORLDWIDE
May 8 2002
--
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Friday, May 10, 2002 12:16 AM
Subject: NEWS FROM PAKISTAN
DOUBLE LIFE SENTENCE FOR CHRISTIAN 'BLASPHEMER'
PAKISTAN
9 May 2002
Aslam Masih, a Pakistani Christian, was given a double life
sentence and a fine of RS 100,000 (around £1,150) by Additional
and Sessions Court Judge Mian Safdar Saleem on 7 May. Aslam was
charged and imprisoned in Faisalabad under Pakistan's notorious
blasphemy laws in 1998. Aslam and his lawyers will be filing an
appeal against his sentence with the High Court within the next
five days.
Under Section 295B of Pakistan's penal code anyone defiling a
copy of the Qur'an is subject to life imprisonment. Under
Section 295C anyone criticising or insulting the Islamic prophet
Muhammad is subject to a death sentence. Because virtually no
evidence above the word of a Muslim accuser is needed to bring
a guilty verdict against a non-Muslim defendant the blasphemy
laws have been exploited by some Muslims who have used them to
advance themselves or settle personal grudges against innocent
Christians or other religious minorities by making false
accusations. Although no Christian has yet been executed under
the law, several cases are now pending. Once an accusation has
been made the Christian victim is guilty forever in the eyes of
Islamic extremists, even if he is acquitted by the courts.
Several Christians have been murdered after the cases against
them have been overturned; others have been forced into hiding
with their families.
Pray
Pray for Aslam, that his case will be overturned and he will be
released. Ask that the Lord will encourage, strengthen and
sustain Aslam at this most difficult time.
Pray for wisdom and guidance for Aslam's lawyers.
Pray that the blasphemy laws will be repealed and that all those
currently facing prison or death sentences under them will be
released.
BARNABAS FUND E-MAIL NEWS SERVICE
The Barnabas Fund's e-mail news service provides our supporters
with short urgent news briefs and prayer requests for suffering
Christians around the world.
Please do share these news items with your Christian friends and
churches. All news items are available on our website in a more
colourful user-friendly presentation format which you can access,
print and pass on.
If you are not already receiving these news briefs directly from
the Barnabas Fund and would like to, please contact us with your
name, postal and e-mail addresses, and details of the church you
attend.
The Barnabas Fund, The Old Rectory, River Street, PEWSEY,
Wiltshire, SN9 5DB, UK, Tel 01672 564938, Fax 01672 565030,
E-mail in...@barnabasfund.org Web www.barnabasfund.org
Rowland Croucher
From: "Jim Ferrier" <HCJB...@pmbx.net>
Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2002 1:51 AM
Subject: [Daily Update] 10 May 2002 Update From HCJB World Radio
A ministry of HCJB World Radio
To subscribe, E-mail to: <HCJBDa...@pmbx.net>
Today's News Headlines:
HOSTAGE SUFFERING WITH MALARIA, OFFICER REPORTS
PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN GETS DOUBLE LIFE SENTENCE
INDIAN CHRISTIANS PLEAD FOR INTERNATIONAL HELP TO STOP VIOLENCE
VIETNAMESE NEW TESTAMENT TRANSLATION RELEASED
PRAYER CHANGES EL SALVADOR'S 'MOST DANGEROUS' CITY
NATIONAL JESUS DAY AND MARCH FOR JESUS CELEBRATION MAY 18
SMALL CHURCHES FACE MANY CHALLENGES, STUDY SAYS
Today's News Stories:
HOSTAGE SUFFERING WITH MALARIA, OFFICER REPORTS
A U.S. Christian missionary held hostage by Abu Sayyaf guerrillas in the
southern
Philippines for nearly a year is suffering from malaria and his health is
deteriorating,
a military official said Thursday. "We received reports that U.S. hostage
Martin Burnham
is suffering from malaria," said Colonel Alexander Aleo, commander of an
Army brigade
going after the kidnappers on Basilan island, where the Kansas-born
missionary is held
with his wife Gracia and a Filipina nurse. "Martin is said to be trembling
and chilling
especially during nighttime, and these are symptoms of malaria," Alwo said.
"We are
worried about his deteriorating health." The Burnhams were seized by Abu
Sayyaf gunmen
on May 27 last year from a beach resort in the western island province of
Palawan. A
third American hostage, California resident Guillermo Sobero, was beheaded
last year
along with more than a dozen Filipino hostages. U.S. Special Forces units
have been
advising Filipino troops fighting the Abu Sayyaf for four months without
much success in
Basilan. (Agence France-Presse)
PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN GETS DOUBLE LIFE SENTENCE
Aslam Masih, a Pakistani Christian, was given a double life sentence and a
fine of RS
100,000 (around $1,700) by Additional and Sessions Court Judge Mian Safdar
Saleem on 7
May. Aslam was charged and imprisoned in Faisalabad under Pakistan's
blasphemy laws in
1998. Aslam and his lawyers will be filing an appeal against his sentence
with the High
Court. Under Section 295B of Pakistan's penal code anyone defiling a copy of
the Qur'an
is subject to life imprisonment. Under Section 295C anyone criticizing or
insulting the
Islamic prophet Muhammad is subject to a death sentence. Because virtually
no evidence
above the word of a Muslim accuser is needed to bring a guilty verdict
against a
non-Muslim defendant, the blasphemy laws have been exploited by some Muslims
who have
used them to advance themselves or settle personal grudges against innocent
Christians
or other religious minorities by making false accusations. Although no
Christian has yet
been executed under the law, several cases are now pending. Once an
accusation has been
made, the Christian victim is considered guilty forever in the eyes of
Islamic
extremists, even if he is acquitted by the courts. Several Christians have
been murdered
after the cases against them have been overturned; others have been forced
into hiding
with their families. (Barnabas Fund)
* HCJB World Radio is bringing words of hope and encouragement to people
across Central
Asia via radio. Together with partners, Christian broadcasts go out in
Tajik, Uzbek,
Turkmen, Southern Uzbek, Dari, Hazaragi and Pashto.
INDIAN CHRISTIANS PLEAD FOR INTERNATIONAL HELP TO STOP VIOLENCE
Christian leaders are calling on the international community to put pressure
on the
Indian government to end the continuing bloodshed in the western Indian
state of
Gujarat, reports Ecumenical News International. "More than an internal
issue, the
Gujarat violence is now an international social concern," said Mar Coorilos,
president
of the National Council of Churches in India. More than 900 people, the vast
majority of
them Muslims, have died and more than 100,000 made homeless in Gujarat.
Sporadic
violence has broken out since the torching of a train by a Muslim mob on
Feb. 27,
leaving dozens of Hindus dead. Indian church leaders and civic groups have
charged the
state government with condoning the attacks on Muslims. Prime Minister Atal
Behari
Vajpayee has condemned the violence but has also portrayed it as an
"internal issue" and
has warned against foreign interference. Church leaders say that pressure
from abroad is
critical. "It is not a mere internal matter of India, but an issue of
concern to every
compassionate and democratic human being on the globe," said John Dayal,
spokesperson
for the ecumenical All India Christian Council. (Council for World Mission)
VIETNAMESE NEW TESTAMENT TRANSLATION RELEASED
The World Bible Translation Center is celebrating the release of a new
Vietnamese
translation of the New Testament. The Translation Center's Asia director
Richard Loh
says they released the new translation on 5 May to a congregation in the
U.S. "Many of
them felt that this is going to help them in their evangelism work,
especially for those
who are trying to reach out to young people in their community as well. This
translation
is written in a modern language, which is really everyday language of the
common
people." What makes this more significant is the tie-in to future
evangelistic outreach
inside Vietnam. "Christians are already talking about plans to send some of
these back
to the people in Vietnam itself. So, we are very, very happy that there are
connections
with ministries and Christians who are more than happy to bring this to the
people in
Vietnam." (Mission Network News)
PRAYER CHANGES EL SALVADOR'S 'MOST DANGEROUS' CITY
"For a long time, San Marcos was El Salvador's most dangerous city," writes
Amaury
Braga, Latin American coordinator for the Dawn Movement. "With a crime rate
of 80
percent, it was a center for drug dealers, witch doctors, kidnappers and
alcoholics. All
the banks closed because they had been raided so often. Around two years
ago, God used a
young Christian leader to start a strong prayer movement which mobilized
almost all
Christians to pray for the city, even though some denominations did not want
to take
part. Only one year later, the violent crime rate sank from 80 percent to 10
percent,
and in January 2002, the national police declared San Marcos completely free
of
violence. As a result, all Christian churches have grown rapidly -- even
those of
denominations which did not join in prayer. Today, all Christians want to
work together.
The mayor and other city officials became Christians, and two banks have
re-opened, even
with cash machines. Two witch doctors who had declared war on the pastors
and were not
prepared to repent have died. Important drug dealers have turned to Christ
and bars have
closed. Instead of ceasing prayer, the Christians are now motivated to pray
on until
God's purposes with the city have been fulfilled," writes Braga, who just
returned from
the city. (Friday Fax)
NATIONAL JESUS DAY AND MARCH FOR JESUS CELEBRATION MAY 18
March for Jesus USA announces plans for the 11th Annual Jesus Day
celebrations on 18
May. Thousands of Christians from cities across the United States and in
many nations
around the world will once again take part. Over the past decade, millions
of
Christians, from various denominations and diverse church backgrounds have
joined
together in more than 170 countries for a day of celebration and
compassionate service.
Jesus Day is a day when Christians are asked to put aside their preferences
and work
side by side to say, "We are here to lift up the name of Jesus, proclaim
that God loves
our cities and the people in them, and to be an extension of His love where
we live."
This is a day when Christians can come together to demonstrate their
unconditional love
for God and for man. More than 140 cities in the United States have
registered with
official plans to participate. The goal for the day is that "no one goes
hungry, no
child is fatherless, no one suffer alone and the streets to be filled with
singing."
(March for Jesus USA)
SMALL CHURCHES FACE MANY CHALLENGES, STUDY SAYS
Small churches in America face "many challenges," including fewer men in the
pews,
once-a-week gatherings and fewer newcomers at services. Those are some of
the findings
of a study that interviewed 300,000 worshipers in 2,200 congregations of all
faiths in
the 50 states, The Washington Times reported. Released this week, the
Congregational
Life Survey found that half of all small congregations comprise just 11
percent of all
worshipers. "This is probably the most profound reality facing congregations
today," the
report said. "Most congregations are small." In contrast, large
congregations represent
just 10 percent of all the 300,000 houses of worship nationwide, but draw
half of all
worshipers. The study also found that small congregations face further
declines in
funding, supply of clergy and religious education. Men comprise just 39
percent of the
congregations, 56 percent of all parishioners attend only one service
weekly. Just 46
percent of worshipers had invited another person in the last year. Only 45
percent of
Americans identify as members of a denomination, and only about 20 percent
of the
population worships on a given weekend. (Charisma News Service)
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Rowland Croucher
Sent: Friday, May 10, 2002 10:31 PM
Subject: PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE FROM JUBILEE CAMPAIGN UK
For immediate release
May 10th 2002
BURMESE MILITARY ONSLAUGHT AGAINST THE KAREN CONTINUES
Jubilee Campaign has received reports from the Committee for Internally
Displaced Karen People (CIDKP) that on the same day that the Burmese
pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, was released from house arrest,
about 500 internally displaced people (IDPs) from the Karen ethnic minority
were attacked by Burmese troops and forced to flee across the border into
Thailand.
Kwe Htoo, one of the leaders of the CIDKP, told Jubilee Campaign, "Many
people in the world welcome and praise the Burmese military regime for
their release of Aung San Suu Kyi. But we the Karen and other ethnic groups
are attacked by the Burmese troops as before."
The CIDKP reports that on May 3rd, 2002, Burmese troops from Light Infantry
Battalions number 8, 104 and 434 under the control of the 44th Division,
launched military operations against Kho Kay IDP refuge site in Mu Traw
District, northern Karen state, near the Thai-Burma border. On May 6 these
Burmese troops entered the IDP refuge site and burnt down one Clinic, a new
school building, a workshop making aids for the disabled and seven houses.
The next day the Burmese soldiers burned down every house and building in
the Kho Kay IDP refuge site. These troops also attacked the neighbouring
Pau Kar Der IDP settlement.
The estimated 500 Karen people who fled the Burmese attacks on the Kho Kay
and Pau Kar Der IDP settlements into Thailand are currently living under
the trees with very little food or belongings. Internal displacement is an
all too common feature in the Karen, Karenni and Shan ethnic areas of
Burma, with IDPs regularly having to flee from one place to another to
escape Burmese military attacks.
A situation report from the CIDKP office for the Northern district states,
"The Burmese Army continues its attacks against the Karen people of Papun,
Taungoo and Nyaunglebin districts (northern Karen state, Burma) ,
destroying rice supplies, torturing and executing villagers, looting
villages, relocating people by force, conducting forced labor and
terrorising the population by the systematic laying of landmines throughout
each district.
This has resulted in an increase in the numbers of internally displaced in
these areas as well as a potential increase in refugees who may arrive in
Thailand due to this displacement. 37,007 Karen remain displaced in Papun
district......... With over 20 Burmese Army battalions in the area the
people live in fear yet they perservere....... " Please find a way for us,"
was the plea of one IDP."
Jubilee Campaign's Researcher and Parliamentary Officer, Wilfred Wong,
says, "The atrocities by the Burmese Army against the Karen, Karenni and
Shan ethnic groups continue unabated. Western governments, media and human
rights groups should not only focus on bringing democracy to Burma even
though democracy is crucial. They should also urgently impose maximum
pressure, including tough sanctions, on the Burmese regime, to end their
systematic atrocities against the Karen, Karenni and Shan people. Thousands
of these ethnic minorities have already died as a direct or indirect result
of Burmese military action. These are real people who are suffering and
dying on a large scale and their plight should not be treated as if it was
a mere footnote to the campaign for democracy in Burma."
There are over 300,000 internally displaced Karen people in Burma, as a
result of the Burmese army's policy of systematic village destruction and
forced relocations. Many of the internally displaced people are hiding in
the jungle with no food or medicine and are simply killed on sight by
Burmese troops. Those fortunate enough to escape the Burmese Army's
detection still run the risk of dying from starvation, disease or
landmines.
Very little international humanitarian assistance has so far been given to
the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Karen, Karenni and Shan
people inside Burma. Jubilee Campaign's charitable sister organisation,
Jubilee Action, has for the last four years been contributing humanitarian
aid to the displaced Karen through the CIDKP.
***********************
Jubilee Campaign is an interdenominational Christian human rights pressure
group which has worked with over 150 British Parliamentarians.
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Sunday, May 12, 2002 4:06 PM
Subject: St. George's College Jerusalem
UPDATE
ST GEORGE’S COLLEGE JERUSALEM
11 MAY 2002
Yesterday was spent going into Ramallah with a convoy of food, and I recount
it only because it was so normal. Ramallah is only about a twenty-minute
drive from here, but it took all day long. We were scheduled to leave at
7:30am, but some folk did not make it then so we were an hour late leaving.
Then one car strayed from the convoy and we waited 30 minutes for it to
rejoin. Before we could reach the first checkpoint into Ramallah (on a
route dictated by the Israeli Defense Forces) the IDF called our leaders and
told us to go to another. We arrived at the other one and waited forty-five
minutes before being told to go back to the first one. Then it was another
half hour wait to go through. It was about 11:45 when we finally arrived at
our drop site, and it took the fifty or sixty of us about an hour and a half
to unload the food, blankets, and whatever. There were 1200 boxes of food,
each sufficient to feed a family of five for seven to ten days. We stopped
by the Red Crescent Society (Islamic version of Red Cross) to hear their
story and then waited another hour and a half at the checkpoint coming out.
There was actually a second checkpoint both directions, but it was very
brief. I did not return to the College until after 4:00pm. This happens
every time, no matter what the task at hand. Everything takes much longer
to accomplish because something always changes.
The story is illustrative of more than my own frustration, but also of the
extent to which the normal societal workings have been disrupted by the
closures of Palestinian cities. It is easy and justifiable for us to get
upset at all of the casualties and war damage that make so much news. I too
am appalled, and my trip into Jenin was a very emotional experience.
Nothing justifies the damage I saw there. Nothing justifies bulldozing
houses with people in them. Yet those things are only the tip of the
iceberg as we watch a whole people being denied human and civil rights,
being deprived of the economic means of livelihood, and any protest being
labeled support of terrorism. This does not mean the real terrorist tactics,
such as suicide bombers, are justified either. I publicly condemn and abhor
them and they have hurt the Palestinians more than any other thing.
Surely Arafat, Hamas, and the others will eventually realize that terrorism
is a dead-end street, but my experience in the first paragraph has been
typical for years. There has been absolutely no regard for Palestinian
ownership of property, economic structures, family life, education, etc.
Prime Minister Sharon is now in the process of building another Berlin Wall,
though it will never be a single fence. We drove alongside part of it
yesterday. We may soon see the Palestinians restricted to fenced
reservations with no means of support or freedom to leave. The Gaza Strip is
already the most densely populated area on earth and the poorest per capita.
There may soon be more of them.
The Christian Church throughout the world has been quite consistent in its
condemnation of events here, with the exception of the Christian Right in
the United States. Practically speaking, the US government is now Israel’s
only defender. Why is that so?
Dean Ross Jones
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2002 10:00 PM
Subject: [mnn-news] Mission Network News
News headlines for May 13th 2002
=====================================================
(India) -- Headlining today's news, as Hindu/Muslim fighting continues in
India, a radio ministry is putting a hold on a plan to reach a challenging
area of that country. Insight for Living International's[1] Rolla
Goodyear explains. "We've had plans to add the Gujarati language, which
is an Indian language and province in India for the last two years. And,
again we will have to table that and move it out forward into the future
because we just do not have the projected income." Goodyear says the lack
of funding for this project is especially heartbreaking because...
(GOODYEAR :18) It is a region that is ripe unto the harvest because the
Muslims and the Hindus hate each other, they're fighting each other and
what they need is the presentation of the true Gospel - how they can get
past the pain and their suffering because the only hope they will ever
have will be in Jesus Christ." Insight for Living needs 85-thousand
dollars to start this program. Consider making a gift today.
[2]
(Israel) -- Next, while armed conflict continues to be a reality in
Israel, an evangelical agency is giving joy to children there. Operation
Blessing[3] recently shipped 34-thousand donated stuffed animals to the
Holy Land in two sea containers. OBI officials say many of the toys were
given to young victims who are recovering in hospitals from the recent
suicide bombings. Pray that Christ's love that was shown will also open
doors to share the Gospel with these young people and their families.
(International) -- The Baptist World Alliance[4] says peacemakers are
desperately needed today. By naming the first decade of the new century
"A Decade for Racial Justice and Reconciliation", the group is urging
other believers around the world to represent the love of Christ. The
Alliance's Denton Lotz says many believers are put to the test in war-torn
countries. "We have to realize that to be a follower of Christ, very
often means to be in the minority. Therefore, we have to affirm the
society in which we live and try to work with other traditions and so on.
What I see today is the tragedy of the religious wars and that we, as
Christians, are really called upon to work for peace." Lotz says the
work of evangelism is at the brink of exploding, but obstacles remain. "We
have the internationalization of the mission force. So, we need to see, in
the American church, 'are we willing to support nationals of other
countries to go as missionaries where white people aren't welcome?'
That's the tremendous thing-the Koreans are doing tremendous work in
Russia, and different places around the world."
(Haiti) -- Meanwhile, as Haiti continues to reel from an unstable
government and a poor economy, at least one church in the country is
seeing a great spiritual harvest. Pastor Israel Izidor is supported by
Rays of Hope, a Grand Rapids, Michigan based ministry. Izidor says he
started his church with just his family in 1992 and it has seen tremendous
growth. "Now we have about 300 people worshiping in that congregation. I
have a missionary training center every Saturday. We use schools as a
means of evangelism also. But, the big problem is to find money to pay
the teachers because most of the parents do not have money and the
children cannot find food to eat." Izidor's ministry in Les Cayes (luh-KY)
is seeing many people turn to Christ, while Christians are catching the
vision for ministry. He's asking people to pray for those completing
missionary training that they'll be effective in reaching the lost for
Christ.
(USA) -- And finally, a Christians radio program is now on the air in the
secular market. "Down Gilead Lane," a popular Christian radio drama
produced by CBH Ministries of Grand Rapids, Michigan made its debut on
news/talk 760 WJR in Detroit, Michigan on May 5th. To date, "Gilead" has
been heard mainly on religious stations, so this new avenue of secular
broadcasting is good news to CBH Ministries. Pray that many people will
not only listen, but that they'll also come to Christ as the dramatized
program plants seeds of the Gospel.
[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=IFL
[2]
http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/05-13-02RollaGood
year.rm
[3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=OBI
[4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=BWA
Rowland Croucher
======================================================
(Israel)--Headlining today's news, an evangelical ministry is being
initiated in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, despite additional bloodshed
there. Open Doors[1] with Brother Andrew is reaching out with aid to
these people who are predominately Muslim. Agency spokesman Jerry
Kitchel. "We have been working in that area for years, through our
partnerships with numbers of Christians who need, desperately, to be
supported and under girded in their faith. In this particular situation,
we've had to reach beyond, with emergency relief, to provide food, and
medicine, basic survival items." According to Kitchel, this outreach
could have a significant impact on the Muslim world. "This provision of
Bibles and literature will enable them to make it through a difficult
time. But at the same time, it under girds them as they reach out to be
witnesses to many Muslims in the area who are also seeking the truth."
[2]
(Turkmenistan)--We turn next to Turkmenistan, where the country's
president is enforcing an anti-corruption campaign, in an effort to clean
up the country's image. Turkmenistan has remained isolated and unreformed
since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Bible Mission International's[3]
Paul Hagelgamns says that isolation has cost the church dearly.
"Basically, they destroyed all churches; they kicked out all believers,
and they told [them] no more than two or three persons can come together.
It's amazing to see how they're still alive spiritually. Yes, there's a
problem, but they're really active in ministry in Turkmenistan."
Hagelgamns says the government effectively bans all religious communities
from carrying out any religious activity. However: "They're again
gathering; it doesn't matter, the cost for them. They're again doing
evangelism. There was a new repentance and baptism service, and they
chose their leaders-it was illegally, but the church is still alive, even
though it's underground."
(Pakistan)--Since 1974, a Christian ministry in Pakistan has reportedly
planted an average of more than 70 churches per year, and the pace
continues to pick up. According to Christian Aid Mission[4] , a team of
Pakistani missionaries plans to plant 500 additional house churches by the
end of this year. The ministry also works with social development
projects for the education of children, healthcare education and medical
camps and mobile medical clinics for the poor and homeless.
(Philippines)--Meanwhile, it's been over two weeks since Martin Burnham
was killed during a failed rescue attempt in the Philippines, but the
tragedy isn't scaring missionaries from the field. Craig Johnson works
with Send International[5] . Johnson says it should be a wake up call to
all believers. "None of us is guaranteed safety as we follow the Lord.
We don't know exactly what His plan holds for us, but we do know that
that's the very best place for us to serve within His kingdom - the best
opportunity to bring glory to Him. And ultimately, His kingdom work will
best established by our obedience." Johnson believes much good will come
from the Burnham story. "I feel personally that the Lord is going to use
Martin and Gracia's story that we can only begin to imagine, not only in
the Philippines, but in I think in other countries as well. I think that
there are going to be a lot of people who will be drawn into the kingdom
through what has happened with Martin and Gracia." Johnson is staying at
D & D Missionary homes[6] in Florida.
(Sri Lanka)--And, hundreds of children heard the Gospel through Vacation
Bible Schools in Sri Lanka. In this mainly Buddhist land, over
twelve-hundred boys and girls participated in several Vacation Bible
Schools over the past three weeks. Through the work of the International
Needs Network[7] , teams offered not only "kid-type" activities, but also
the Gospel message. When given the opportunity to respond to the message,
many invited Jesus into their hearts, the result of all who make these
annual events possible through their gifts and prayers.
[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=ODM
[2]
http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/06-25-02JerryKitc
hel.rm
[3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=BMN
[4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=CAID
[5] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=SEND
[6] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=DAD
[7] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=INN
---------------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STORIES ABOVE, EMAIL US AT M...@MNNONLINE.ORG
OR CALL OUR RESOURCE LINE AT 800-995-4828!
Mission Network News, a service of Cornerstone University of Grand
Rapids, Michigan, USA. http://www.MNNonline.org
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(Now 7000+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Subject: [Daily Update] 25 June 2002 Update From HCJB World Radio
A ministry of HCJB World Radio
To subscribe, E-mail to: <HCJBDa...@pmbx.net>
RELIGIOUS, ETHNIC VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO PLAGUE NIGERIA
Religious and ethnic violence between Muslims and Christians in
Nigeria has continued in recent month as tensions rise in several
states over regarding the use of Islamic law. On May 2 in Jos, Plateau
state, 100 persons were feared dead when Muslims and Christians
clashed during elections and ward congresses of Nigeria's ruling
Peoples Democratic Party. The following day Christian leaders in
Bauchi state protested the imposition of the Islamic mode of dress,
which included forcing Christian nurses and midwives to wear trousers
while working at the Federal Medical Center in Azare. In Niger state,
75 Christians were arrested for opposing the state's Islamic law.
Eight unmarried Christian girls were arrested for not being married
after having passed the marriageable age of 13 years prescribed by
Islamic law. Rev. Emmanuel Kanu Mani, Anglican bishop of Maiduguri,
added that on June 2 rebels from Chad were harassing Christians,
killing some and looting their property. The raids into Borno state
prevented evangelism by many clergymen, some of whom were forced to
flee. (Compass)
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(Now 7000+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
WELCOME to the 25 intercessors who have joined the list this month.
------------------------------------
DURING JUNE HAVE PRAYED CONCERNING -
SUDAN: where the Islamic Government of Sudan continues their jihad
against the predominantly Christian Southern Sudanese. Oil
revenues fuel this war that has never received the international
attention it deserves.
CHINA / NORTH KOREA: where the Chinese government is cracking down
hard on North Korean refugees fleeing into China, and on the
humanitarians, mostly Christians, who shelter and protect them.
CUBA: where President Castro mobilised the nation to sign in
agreement of a constitutional amendment that would entrench and
seal the nation's one party communist system into the Cuban
Constitution.
* UPDATE: Millions of Cuban workers were given time off work on
Monday and Tuesday. Offices, factories and stores were closed
just so people could watch the televised special parliamentary
session where the amendment to the Cuban Constitution (making the
communist one-party system unchangeable) would be debated. When
the polling stations closed on Tuesday 18 June, 8,188,198 million
signatures had been gathered in support of the constitutional
amendment, representing 99.25 per cent of Cuba's voting
population. Voters were not however, given the option to reject
the proposal. Of the 601 lawmakers involved in the parliamentary
debate, 535 are members of the Cuban Communist Party. Continue to
pray that the growing Cuban Church will not be negatively
affected by this drive for socialist nationalism.
Past RLPs can be viewed at
http://www.evangelicalalliance.org.au/rlc/postings
OTHER ISSUES FOR PRAYER THAT AROSE IN JUNE:
INDONESIA: on 5 June a bomb exploded in the back of a crowded
commuter bus near Poso, the capital of Central Sulawesi. A bomb
planted in the front failed to detonate. A Pentecostal pastor was
one of the four who died instantly. Seventeen people were injured.
The bombing took place only days after the Indonesian Military
began withdrawing troops from Poso. Authorities acknowledged that
the bombing was an act of provocation. Praise God there was no
retaliation.
INDONESIA: On 8 June, three bombs were planted around nightclubs in
the Chinatown area of Jakarta. One exploded injuring five people,
two seriously. The other bombs did not explode. No one knows who
planted the bombs although the targeting of nightclubs has led some
analysts to conclude that radical Muslim groups, protesting
immorality in the city, may be starting a new campaign against what
they call 'houses of sin'. Another theory is that hardline Muslim
groups with regional links are reviving their campaign to rid
Indonesia of Christianity, both by making higher claims to moral
superiority and by destabilising the Government, which may appear
too secular and tolerant for their liking. A police spokesman
labelled the incidents as 'terrorism'.
PAKISTAN: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has gone into summer
recess. While some judges have volunteered to work through the
summer months, it still is unlikely that Pakistan's longest serving
Christian prisoner, Ayub Masih, will have his case heard during
this summer. Ayub Masih has been held in appallingly harsh
conditions since he was charged with blaspheming Mohammed in 1996.
He has been on death row since 1998. The Supreme Court is his last
avenue of appeal. To date, five Christian defendants have been
killed while under trial for blasphemy in Pakistan, as well as one
High Court judge who overturned convictions against two Christians.
A Muslim blasphemy prisoner, Yousaf Ali, was murdered in prison on
11 June. Ayub has survived several attempts on his life. There are
10 other Christians in prison for blasphemy in Pakistan.
IN EACH OF THESE SITUATIONS, PLEASE PRAY
* that the Church will continue to grow and be a pillar of
strength to suffering believers and a testimony of grace and
salvation to the lost.
* for wise, courageous Christian leadership in the churches and
in the communities - leadership that encourages godly responses.
'But you must remain faithful to the things you have been
taught.' 2 Timothy 3:14
* for our brothers and sisters who suffer, through fear,
uncertainty, poverty resulting from discrimination, and loss
resulting from violent persecution.
* especially for Ayub Masih and the Christians in prison in
Pakistan and that the government of Pakistan will commit to
reform.
----------------------------------------------------
Previous RLPs may be viewed at
http://www.evangelicalalliance.org.au/rlc/
If you downloaded this message from a website or it
was forwarded to you, you may receive future editions
by sending an empty e-mail to <join-rl...@xc.org>
Please send this RLP to others, with attribution to
World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty
Prayer List <rl-p...@crossnet.org.au>
----------------------------------------------------
The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this
RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray
specifically and regularly for religious liberty
issues, and in particular to uphold the Church
where it is suffering persecution.
Elizabeth Kendal researched and authored this message.
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(Now 7000+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada
http://www.persecution.net
Wednesday, June 26, 2002
A summary of news concerning the Persecuted Church and how you can
respond.
***********************************
Attention all Canadians! If you have not yet added your voice to
Canada's public apology to the people of south Sudan, go to
www.persecution.net/sudan.htm.
***********************************
Contents:
1. Law Echoes Old Soviet System (Moldova)
2. Trust Developing in Ambon (Indonesia)
3. Children's Ministry Banned (Kazakhstan)
4. Question of the Week
5. Islamic Laws Planned (Malaysia)
***********************************
1. Law Echoes Old Soviet System (Moldova)
Religious leaders and human rights activists have been expressing
serious concern about one of the articles in the new criminal code of
the former Soviet republic of Moldova. This article reads almost word
for word like a law introduced in the 1960's in the USSR to fight
against religious organizations.
According to Keston News Service, Article 186 of the new criminal code,
which was adopted on April 18, restricts religious practices that can be
classified as harmful to one's health or which "instigate citizens to
refuse to participate in public life or the fulfillment of citizens'
obligations." Those found guilty can face a fine or up to 5 years in
prison.
Religious leaders are all too familiar with how this law was used in the
former USSR. At the time, the Soviet government would oppress
Pentecostal and charismatic Christians, claiming that speaking in
tongues or giving prophetic messages was harmful to one's health.
Religious groups that rejected military action, did not believe in
taking oaths or other similar practices were seen as not fulfilling
their obligations as citizens.
Pray for Christian leaders, as they face fears from the past, as well as
confronting the challenges of the future. Pray that this law will be
repealed and will not be used against those who merely seek to practice
their beliefs.
***********************************
2. Trust Developing in Ambon (Indonesia)
Reports from the Molucca region of Indonesia indicate that the fear and
distrust that so filled the people of this area is slowly lifting. For
years, this region of Indonesia has faced continued strife between the
Muslim and Christian populations. While the reasons behind the conflict
have been complex, the violence was seriously escalated when militant
Islamic Jihad warriors from outside of the region began to stir up the
people.
As a result of negotiations between the different factions in the area,
as well as a firm military presence, the violence has begun to subside
and is slowly being replaced by mutual trust. Muslim travelers are
reportedly no longer afraid to pass through the predominantly Christian
village of Passo and Christians are increasingly traveling through the
Galunggung area to the east of Ambon, a mainly Muslim area.
The Indonesian government is continuing to enforce peace and weapons are
being destroyed. Overall, the picture coming from this area is
significantly improved. Nevertheless, on June 19, the North Moluccas
acting-governor, Harry Sinyo Sarundayang, called for continuing
vigilance by both sides to ensure that violence does not break out
again. He called on both Muslim and Christian leaders to be wary of
those who may try to use religion as a way of provoking violence and
damaging the peace process.
Continue to pray for this strife-torn area of our world. Pray that the
people will refuse to hear those who have been using religion as an
excuse for violence. Pray that the Prince of Peace will be clearly
shown and that people might come to a knowledge of the peace that exists
only in Jesus Christ.
***********************************
3. Children's Ministry Banned (Kazakhstan)
A Baptist church in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan has been
ordered to end its work with children until they register with the
government. The head of the village council, Agatai Bisembayev,
demanded that religious instruction of children cease and threatened to
gather a group of villages together to throw the believers out of the
village. According to local Baptists, at least one church member, Aliya
Novikova, was threatened to have the child benefit for her large and
needy family withdrawn if she did not stop taking her children to Sunday
school.
Keston News Service quoted the Prosecutor Assistant Kairgaliyev, who
confirmed many of the reports: "The problem consists in the fact that
they categorically refuse to be registered. Let them register their
community, and then they will be able to operate in peace." This is
questionable, however, since church registration is not required in
Kazakhstan and the reports of persecution throughout the republic have
been steadily increasing regardless of their registration status.
Pray that believers in Kazakhstan will stand firm in their faith and the
work of spreading the message of Christ to those of all ages and that
the "little ones" will not be hindered from coming to Christ.
***********************************
4. Question of the Week
In light of the situation facing our brothers and sisters in Kazakhstan,
we would like your thoughts on the following question: "If it was
suddenly illegal to have children's programs in your church, do you
think it would be seriously detrimental to the spiritual growth of the
children and of the church as a whole? If so, how? If not, why not?"
We welcome your thoughts and comments. To participate in our poll and
discussion, go to www.persecution.net and click on "Discussion Forum."
If you have not registered on our forum in the past, click on "Register"
and select a username and password.
***********************************
5. Islamic Laws Planned (Malaysia)
According to a report from CNS News, a Muslim political party that rules
two of Malaysia's 13 states hopes to introduce strict Islamic laws in
those states. This comes despite opposition from the federal government
and many groups within the country.
On June 23, the Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) confirmed that it would
press ahead with plans for the laws, despite the opposition. If the
laws are passed, women's rights would be severely restricted and
punishments could include stoning and amputations. Similar laws by
state governments in other countries, such as Nigeria, have also caused
significant problems for Christians.
Pray that these plans will be overthrown and that justice for all will
prevail. Pray that Christians throughout Malaysia will be free to
worship without fear.
***********************************
The Persecution & Prayer Alert is a ministry of The Voice of the
Martyrs, Canada. (Mailing address: P.O. Box 117, Port Credit,
Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4L5)
Tel. (905) 602-4832. Fax: (905) 602-4833.
Website: http://www.persecution.net
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Saturday, July 13, 2002 12:14 AM
Subject: [Daily Update] 12 July 2002 Update From HCJB World Radio
A ministry of HCJB World Radio
To subscribe, E-mail to: <HCJBDa...@pmbx.net>
Today's News Headlines:
INDONESIAN CHRISTIANS BRACE FOR RENEWED ATTACKS
MALAYSIAN STATE RULES CONVERTS FACE DEATH SENTENCE
'FRIGHTENING' HINDU CIRCULAR TARGETS OTHER RELIGIONS
LATIN AMERICA MISSION PROJECT TRANSPLANTED TO INDIA
'THE SITUATION IN SUDAN IS URGENT,' SENATE PANEL TOLD
Today's News Stories:
INDONESIAN CHRISTIANS BRACE FOR RENEWED ATTACKS
Christian Aid Mission learned Thursday that Indonesian police searches
in the village of Garua near Tobelo, a predominantly Christian city in
North Maluku Province, reveal that Muslims are caching arms and
munitions and a renewed attack against Christians in the region is
feared. According to Christian Aid's contact in the region, police
searches on July 9 disclosed weapons, bombs, grenades or rifles in
nearly every home in the Muslim sector of the community. None were
found in the Christian community. Police arrested three Muslims from
Ternate Island, who are still being held. The same day the East Java
military unit Brawijaya 512 moved into Garua to secure the area. Three
days later the town of Garua had become the launching site for a
renewed jihad attack against the Christian community. At 6 a.m. on
July 11 attackers came simultaneously from the east and west,
destroying five homes and severely damaging three others in Garua. One
refugee barrack was destroyed, two kiosks were damaged, and a number
of other places were looted before the police and military from Tobelo
were able to squash the attack. After the attack was quelled, police
and military from Tobelo conducted a new search and discovered that in
just three days the Muslim residents had been able to rearm
themselves. Late afternoon reports stated that 20 fishing vessels
carrying jihad fighters had been sighted traveling north along the
coast of Halmahera Island towards Tobelo, prompting a state of high
alert. (Christian Aid)
MALAYSIAN STATE RULES CONVERTS FACE DEATH SENTENCE
Under legislation passed in a Malaysian state July 8, any Muslim who
converts to Christianity or any other faith faces death, CNSNews.com
reported Tuesday. The "offender" is given three days to repent for
renouncing Islam. Failure to do so will result in execution, with all
property to be forfeited and held in public trust. This is just one of
the controversial provisions of a bill approved by lawmakers in
Terengganu state, which is governed by a radical Islamic party. Others
provisions provide for the amputation of a right hand for theft,
stoning to death for adultery, execution followed by crucifixion for
robbery in which the victim in killed, and lashes for drinking
alcohol. The party governing Terengganu, Parti Islam se-Malaysia
(PAS), wants to turn one of the world's more moderate Muslim countries
into a state under Islamic sharia law, which already exists in
Malaysia but it is limited to non-criminal matters such as divorce.
Although it holds power only in two of Malaysia's 13 states, PAS also
is the official opposition in the federal parliament, where its
representation tripled in a 1999 election. It remains far behind Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohamad's UMNO-led coalition. (Baptist Press)
'FRIGHTENING' HINDU CIRCULAR TARGETS OTHER RELIGIONS
Raping Christian women during riots, selling Christian girls into the
flesh trade, recruiting doctors to dispense poisoned drugs and
assassinating anti-caste activists -- these are only four of 34
anti-Christian tactics recommended in a chilling and confidential
circular from India's elite Hindu extremist organization, the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). With instructions that "this paper
is to be burned and destroyed after passing these instructions along,"
the undated RSS circular, numbered 411/RO 303 11/RSS C03, is believed
to have been in circulation for two years and originates from the RSS
headquarters in Nagpur, Maharashtra state. Sent to local RSS
operatives, it recommends a series of mostly illegal tactics to spread
"Hindutva," the extremist ideology that demands India become a Hindu
state. "It frightens me that the leaders of our country, while telling
the world they respect freedom of religion, are really working for an
organization that has no problem killing, raping and poisoning those
of other religions to advance their agenda of Hindu extremism," said a
pastor in New Delhi. "This is a wake-up call to the church. We cannot
argue that persecution is just a spontaneous over-reaction of a few
Hindus to over-aggressive evangelism, but it is a carefully planned
chaos originating from the Hindu extremists themselves, with the
long-term implications all worked out." Indian Prime Minister Atal
Behari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani are both
leading members of the 750,000-member RSS, which directs the many
other organizations that serve the Hindu extremist agenda, including
the governing political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The
four-page circular, in the form of a memo, calls for a terror campaign
to be waged against tribals, Backward castes, Muslims and Christians.
Detailed instructions are given that include violence. Yet the
violence is not confined to riots, rape, or assassination. Almost
incredibly, Article 4 calls for doctors to be recruited and induced to
inject newborn Christian babies with diseases that will handicap them.
'THE SITUATION IN SUDAN IS URGENT,' SENATE PANEL TOLD
An estimated 1.7 million Sudanese are at risk of famine and disease as
humanitarian access is denied to aid agencies in large portions of
southern Sudan, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) reported Thursday to a
U.S. Senate panel. The government in Sudan's capital city of Khartoum
-- at civil war with southern Sudanese seeking the right to cultural,
religious and political freedom -- bears the greatest responsibility
for the lack of access, the relief agency reported. "If the current
humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate we could see a situation
as devastating as the famine of 1998 in which an estimated 70,000
people died," said Paul Townsend, CRS Country Representative for
Sudan, who presented testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations
Subcommittee on African Affairs. "The situation in Sudan is urgent."
Townsend called on members of Congress to encourage that U.S. policy
in Sudan make humanitarian issues a clear priority in the ongoing
negotiations with the Khartoum government. "The United States and the
United Nations must ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to all
at-risk populations," Townsend said. CRS noted that the Khartoum
government has ignored the humanitarian protections afforded in the
emergency relief effort dubbed Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS),
established by the warring parties and the U.N. in the late 1980s.
Khartoum consistently restricts access to innocent southern Sudanese
civilians in need by denying approval of relief flights and by
obstructing the delivery of essential aid and services through other
bureaucratic barriers, CRS reported. (Assist News Service)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
James A. Ferrier
HCJB World Radio
Web: http://www.hcjb.org
http://www.beyondthecall.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Editor's Note. Feel free to forward this to any interested friends. Our
lists are distributed for information purposes and to encourage prayer.
HCJB World Radio does not necessarily endorse or support the activities
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--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(Now 7000+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 1:01 AM
Subject: Sudan: Widespread Gang-Rape of Boy Slaves by Arab Masters
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Maria Sliwa
Freedom Now World News
phone: 973-809-2018, fax: 212-202-4453
ms4Fr...@aol.com
Widespread Gang-Rape of Boy Slaves by Arab Masters
Sudan, July 15, 2002: During a recent fact finding trip to Southern Sudan,
Freedom Now World News discovered overwhelming evidence that young black,
boy slaves are repeatedly gang-raped by their Arab masters. While previous
reports on slavery have focused mainly on the gang-rape of female slaves,
sociologist and investigative reporter, Maria Sliwa received testimony from
numerous boy victims of rape.
"This type of sex is very strange to us," said recently redeemed slave Deng
Deng. "Many times during rape boys would cry so loudly that the Arabs would
stuff rags in their mouths so they could not be heard. I witnessed this
often. If you refuse [sex], sometimes they would shoot you." Deng Deng is a
Christian who said that as a slave he was often beaten because he would not
convert to Islam.
Another recently freed boy slave, Deng Ayuel testified: "I watched the Arabs
rape my two sisters and I watched many slave boys being raped as well. They
would often take a girl or boy and do whatever they wanted with them
sexually. I too was raped many times by my master and his Arab friends."
Perhaps the most graphic account of male rape was given by the freed slave
Aleek Mach Deng: "I watched my master Mohammed and four Murahaleen Arabs
violently gang-rape a young Dinka slave boy. The boy was screaming and
crying a lot. He was bleeding heavily, as he was raped repeatedly. I
watched his stomach expand with air with each violent penetration. The boy
kept screaming. I was very frightened, and knew I was likely next.
Suddenly the boy's screams stopped as he went completely unconscious. My
master took him to the hospital. I never saw him again."
Many of the redeemed slaves told Sliwa that in order to avoid rape, male
slaves would try to escape but were hunted down like animals by their
masters. The punishment for resisting rape is often severe beatings, death
or limb amputation.
Sliwa noted that the knowledge of male slave rape is widespread and has come
to the attention of community leaders in Southern Sudan. "Many of the freed
male slaves come to the chiefs and tell us they were repeatedly raped by
their Arab captors," said Nhial Chan Nhial, Paramount Chief of Akon. "This
affects their minds badly. They are subject to fits of crying, mental
problems and are often unable to marry later on in life." Yet, in the
ongoing genocidal Sudanese civil war, most are helpless to do anything.
International law recognizes both slavery and rape in the context of armed
conflict as crimes against humanity. The International Criminal Tribunal
for Yugoslavia has recently convicted Serbian soldiers for committing these
offenses. Freedom Now World News is calling on the U.S. Government to
investigate this aspect of the Government of Sudan's declared jihad against
the Black Africans of Southern Sudan and press for the establishment of an
International Criminal Tribunal for Sudan.
* Translations reviewed by Francis Bok for accuracy.
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2002 5:02 AM
Subject: The Persecution & Prayer Alert (July 24, 2002)
The Persecution & Prayer Alert
The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada
http://www.persecution.net
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
A summary of news concerning the Persecuted Church and how you can
respond.
***********************************
Attention all Canadians! If you have not yet added your voice to
Canada's public apology to the people of south Sudan, go to
www.persecution.net/sudan.htm.
***********************************
Contents:
1. Hundreds Assaulted in Mob Attack (Ethiopia)
2. Christian Girl Attacked and Burned (Pakistan)
3. Mentally Unstable Man Sentenced to Death (Pakistan)
4. Children Arrested for Religious Activities (China)
5. Question of the Week
***********************************
1. Hundreds Assaulted in Mob Attack (Ethiopia)
The Voice of the Martyrs has learned that, in a massive mob attack on
Sunday, July 21 coordinated by local Ethiopian Orthodox church leaders,
hundreds of evangelical Christians were assaulted with swords, sticks
and knives in the Ethiopian city of Merhawe, 590 kilometers northwest of
Addis Ababa. VOM sources report that one Christian brother was killed
and several others severely wounded in the assault. Hundreds of
evangelical families have been driven from their homes and are being
sheltered in the Full Gospel Church in nearby Bahir Dar. Some of the
wounded are in the Bahir Dar hospital.
Local church leaders have asked for our assistance and VOM will be
travelling to the area to ascertain the needs. VOM's project
coordinator for the region stated, "This massive attack is a clear
indication of the situation facing evangelical Christians (in Ethiopia)
and the potential danger which might burst any time in every city."
Pray for VOM workers as they travel to the region in the next few days.
Pray for those who have been injured in the attack and for the family of
the brother who was killed. Pray for church leaders in Bahir Dar, as
they seek to minister to their sisters and brothers in their time of
need.
***********************************
2. Christian Girl Attacked and Burned (Pakistan)
On June 15, a young Pakistani Christian girl named Gulnaz (17) from the
slums of Faisalabad, was attacked with acid for refusing the sexual
advances of a group of Muslim men. The Religious Liberty Commission
reported that these men, who worked with her, had been insulting her and
trying to get to her leave Christianity and embrace Islam. When Gulnaz
could not get support from her employer to stop the harassment, she
eventually resigned. Before the end of the day, however, she was
sexually assaulted by one of the men. When she fought him off, he
threatened to get revenge.
The following day when Gulnaz went to collect her pay, this man and his
friends attacked her with sulphuric acid. She is severely burnt on her
face, neck, breasts, arms and legs. Acid was put in her eyes and down
her throat. She may die from her injuries, but her parents, who are
extremely poor, are under great pressure to accept money and not file
charges.
Please pray that God will touch and heal Gulnaz. Pray that her family
will stand firm in their faith. Pray for other Christian girls in
Pakistan who often face sexual harassment with little means of justice.
***********************************
3. Mentally Unstable Man Sentenced to Death (Pakistan)
A Pakistani man with a history of mental problems was given the death
sentence on July 18 for alleged blasphemy that "hurt the feelings of
Muslims, Christians and Jews," according to a Lahore court. Anwar
Kenneth, 45, was sentenced to death by hanging and given a fine of
500,000 rupees ($13,230 CDN) by Lahore Additional Sessions Court Justice
Sadaqat Ullah Khan. The judge stated that "apart from his objectionable
remarks on Islam," the defendant had also "antagonized the Christians
and Jews" by his claims to be Jesus Christ and the king of the Jews.
According to reports, Kenneth had written to 608 political and religious
leaders, including foreign diplomats in Pakistan, several heads of
state, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and local Muslim leaders. The
charges were brought against him by a Muslim leader to had received one
of Kenneth's letters.
It was well known that Kenneth was mentally unstable and his unorthodox
claims spell that out clearly. Recognizing this, Glenn Penner,
Communications Officer for The Voice of the Martyrs Canada said, "This
is not a man who should be condemned; he should be helped." The
question asked by a VOM source remains: "Why was Mr. Kenneth's state of
mental health not established before his conviction?"
Pray for Anwar Kenneth that the Lord will clearly speak to his mind and
heart. Pray that his conviction will be overturned so that he can
receive the help he needs. Pray for Christians throughout Pakistan who
are facing constant fear of accusations.
***********************************
4. Children Arrested for Religious Activities (China)
Five adults and 25 children were arrested in southeastern China for
engaging in religious activities according to Chinese police reports.
In a July 21 news release, Zenit reported that one of the adults, Sister
Chen Mei, was sentenced without a trial on July 18 to fifteen days in
jail. She was charged for leading catechism for children in the village
of Dongan, in the Lianjiang district of Fujian province. The other
four adults and the children, ages 10-16, received an official warning
from the authorities and were released the day of their arrest.
Pray for these children, that they will be prepared to stand for Christ,
in spite of the opposition that they face. Pray for the Church in China
facing these challenges that can seem so overwhelming. Pray for the
authorities, that they will come to recognize the supremacy of Christ.
***********************************
5. Question of the Week
When we hear stories of horrible events, we can become angry. Is there a
place for anger when we hear of the suffering of our family in Christ?
If so, how should that translate into action? How can we continue to be
the "fragrance of Christ" when our emotions become so involved?
To participate in our poll and discussion, go to www.persecution.net and
click on "Discussion Forum." If you have not registered on our forum in
the past, click on "Register" and select a username and password.
***********************************
The Persecution & Prayer Alert is a ministry of The Voice of the
Martyrs, Canada. Website: http://www.persecution.net
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Friday, July 26, 2002 5:03 AM
Subject: [MNet] 25 July 2002 Update From HCJB World Radio
MissionNet is a ministry of HCJB World Radio
To subscribe, E-mail to: <MNe...@pmbx.net>
Today's News Headlines:
HUNDREDS OF BELIEVERS ASSAULTED IN MOB ATTACK IN ETHIOPIA
MEMBERS OF KAZAKH CHURCH DENIED ACCESS TO LOCAL PRISONS
CHINESE POLICE ARREST 5 ADULTS, 25 CHILDREN AT CATECHISM CLASS
MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES OPEN IN AFGHANISTAN AS FIGHTING SUBSIDES
AID AGENCIES, CHURCHES WORK TO ALLEVIATE FAMINE IN ZIMBABWE
FREED MISSIONARY GRACIA BURNHAM TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT BUSH
* OFFICIALS AGREE TO BUILD NEW AIRPORT IN QUITO, ECUADOR
Today's News Stories:
HUNDREDS OF BELIEVERS ASSAULTED IN MOB ATTACK IN ETHIOPIA
In a massive mob attack coordinated by local Ethiopian Orthodox church
leaders Sunday, July 21, hundreds of evangelical Christians were
assaulted with swords, sticks and knives in the Ethiopian city of
Merhawe (350 miles northwest of Addis Ababa). One Christian man was
killed and several others wounded in the assault. Hundreds of
evangelical families have been driven from their homes and are being
sheltered in the Full Gospel Church in nearby Bahir Dar. "This massive
attack is a clear indication of the situation facing evangelical
Christians in Ethiopia and the potential danger which might burst any
time in every city," says Voice of the Martyrs' project coordinator
for the region. (Voice of the Martyrs)
MEMBERS OF KAZAKH CHURCH DENIED ACCESS TO LOCAL PRISONS
Prison system officials have refused members of a Pentecostal church
in Kazakhstan's southern region access to local penitentiaries because
one of its preachers is a former prisoner. Despite requests for visits
by prisoners, the Christian Full Gospel Church in the town of Lenger
was notified last month of the ban, Keston News Service reported. One
of the church's most active members is Aleksandr Karimov, a long-term
drug addict who served time in one of the region's prisons. Since
joining the church, he has turned his life around, and six residents
of Lenger -- which has the worst incidence of drug addiction and AIDS
in the area -- have given up taking drugs after speaking to Karimov.
"The prisoners themselves asked me to preach in the prisons," Karimov
said. "I have a letter signed by about 30 prisoners. People who
remember me in prison want me to tell them how I managed to save
myself." Authorities in the region say the ban is unlawful, but they
are unable to overrule the decision by prison officials. (Charisma
News Service)
CHINESE POLICE ARREST 5 ADULTS, 25 CHILDREN AT CATECHISM CLASS
Five adults and 25 children were arrested in southeastern China for
engaging in religious activities, indicate Chinese police reports. In
a July 21 news release, Zenit reported that one of the adults, Chen
Mei, was sentenced without a trial on July 18 to 15 days in jail. She
was charged for leading catechism for children in the village of
Dongan in the Lianjiang district of Fujian province. The other four
adults and the children, ages 10-16, received an official warning from
the authorities and were released the day of their arrest. (Voice of
the Martyrs)
MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES OPEN IN AFGHANISTAN AS FIGHTING SUBSIDES
As the tone in Afghanistan moves out of war and into one of
reparations and peacemaking, Christians are finding it's a good time
to get involved in relief work and spreading the gospel. Medical
Ambassadors' International's Paul Calhoun says the needs are
incredible because the people are still in shock. "One of the things
that we're struggling with during the aftermath of the Taliban is that
there is great bitterness," he says. "Seventy percent of the nation is
in post-traumatic syndrome. Their lives are impacted so dreadfully by
what they have seen." Calhoun says the workers' consistent Christian
life is opening doors to share the gospel. Medical Ambassadors is also
helping to build a future for the people by breaking the cycle of
violence. "One of the things that we do as we teach our moral lessons
is to go through what we call the 'Forgiveness Tree,' pointing out to
them that the lack of forgiveness has deep roots in bitterness,"
Calhoun says. (Mission Network News)
AID AGENCIES, CHURCHES WORK TO ALLEVIATE FAMINE IN ZIMBABWE
More than 6 million people are in need of food in Zimbabwe. As aid
agencies move to help the people survive the country's worst food
shortage in 50 years, violence is breaking out. Karen Hawkins of Bible
Pathway Ministries says the unrest is raising concerns. "The pastor we
work with very closely there has set up two feeding programs. But his
church is just overwhelmed because many of the members have been run
off their farms, and now they are in need of the food. Government
crackdowns have made the farmers leave crops in the field to rot, so
they're asking for prayer." Hawkins says the church continues to hand
out food, but funds are running low. "This is an active church, and
they have been doing this for a long time. They have been going into
the community and helping. They went into Mozambique when it was
flooded. Everything they give, they give in the name of Christ, and
they share the gospel." (Mission Network News)
FREED MISSIONARY GRACIA BURNHAM TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT BUSH
A missionary who was held hostage in the Philippines for more than a
year is to meet with President George W. Bush at the White House
today. Philippine troops rescued Gracia Burnham from Abu Sayyaf rebels
in June, but her husband, Martin, and a fellow hostage died in the
operation. Burnham is in Washington, D.C., this week with her three
children, her parents and Martin's parents. Yesterday they visited the
Smithsonian museums. Burnham has announced that she'll write a book to
tell the "real story" of how her captivity affected her relationship
with her husband and with God. Her publicist says the story will be
published next spring. (Associated Press)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
James A. Ferrier
HCJB World Radio
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Editor's Note. Feel free to forward this to any interested friends. Our
lists are distributed for information purposes and to encourage prayer.
HCJB World Radio does not necessarily endorse or support the activities
on which it reports.
--
Rowland Croucher
Subject: [Daily Update] 26 July 2002 Update From HCJB World Radio
A ministry of HCJB World Radio
To subscribe, E-mail to: <HCJBDa...@pmbx.net>
Editor's Note: Our apologies for the multiple copies of Thursday's
update that you received as a result of technical problems.
Today's News Headlines:
REBEL GROUP DISRUPTS RELIEF EFFORTS IN NORTHERN UGANDA
SETTLEMENT DELAYED TO FAMILY OF U.S. MISSIONARY KILLED IN PERU
MANY COMING TO CHRIST VIA INTERNET CHATROOMS
BIBLE TRANSLATED INTO BOSNIAN LANGUAGE
86 PERCENT OF AMERICANS BELIEVE GOD ANSWERS PRAYER
Today's News Stories:
REBEL GROUP DISRUPTS RELIEF EFFORTS IN NORTHERN UGANDA
A wave of attacks on villages by guerrillas in northern Uganda is
creating even more refugees and straining ongoing relief work in the
region, says World Vision's Robby Muhumuza. A month ago members of the
rebel group called the Lord's Resistance Army ambushed a convoy
carrying relief workers and supplies. The lead vehicle was blown up,
killing a number of people. Bullets also hit a vehicle carrying
workers from World Vision, but they were uninjured. The organization
has taken more security precautions since the ambush. Muhumuza urges
people to pray for the ministry. "The people in northern Uganda are
very hungry for the gospel," he says. "They're desperate because
they're concerned about the future and God's intervention. So in times
when we have the teams ready, people are more appreciative and eager
to hear the gospel and believe." (Mission Network News)
SETTLEMENT DELAYED TO FAMILY OF U.S. MISSIONARY KILLED IN PERU
Congressman Peter Hoekstra of Michigan says the U.S. State Department
is dragging its feet in paying restitution to family members of slain
missionary Veronica "Ronni" Bowers. "To date they have been doing just
about everything that they can to delay this settlement, and now even
delaying the payment," he says. He refutes the State Department's
claims that it doesn't have the funds or the authority to pay the
$8-million settlement. "While this delay is wearing on Ronni's
husband, Jim, he's still active in reaching the people of Peru,"
Hoekstra says. "Jim is going down there to take a look at some of the
mission projects that they're working on and some of the projects the
Peruvian government agreed to fund. While he can go to Peru and take a
look at the progress that is being made because of the Peruvian's
taking the lead in settling this issue, his own government is still
stalling." Ronni and her infant daughter, Charity, were killed when a
Peruvian Air Force jet shot down their plane in April 2001 after
mistaking it for carrying illicit drugs. This was part of a
U.S.-sponsored anti-drug effort. (Mission Network News)
MANY COMING TO CHRIST VIA INTERNET CHATROOMS
"Achmed," an ex-Muslim turned Christian, meets Muslims from around the
world every day in Internet chatrooms," says Mark Buchanan of Derek
Prince Ministries. Achmed and his friends say that Muslims are
increasingly open to the gospel, especially since the events of Sept.
11. Achmed recently shared the gospel with three Muslims from Sweden,
Kuwait and Canada in a chatroom. The Swedish man decided to follow
Jesus, and only a few days later boarded a plane to personally meet
Achmed. Some 50 Muslims take part in the discussions each day and have
the opportunity to work through Prince's Arabic Bible course. Buchanan
estimates that up to 80 Muslims will come to Christ daily as these
Internet forums continue to increase. (Friday Fax)
BIBLE TRANSLATED INTO BOSNIAN LANGUAGE
The Ministry for Europe Trust, based in Holywood, Ireland, has
completed the printing and publishing of the first Bible into the
Bosnian language, reported the Church of Ireland Gazette. This is a
language spoken by about 2.5 million people. The Ministry for Europe
Trust assisted in the printing of the first 100,000 Bibles for the
Bosnian people. "The truth and hope offered by the message of the
Bible to the peoples across Europe is the only means of peace for our
continent and for the world," said Thomas Jennings, director of the
trust. (Anglican Communion News Service)
86 PERCENT OF AMERICANS BELIEVE GOD ANSWERS PRAYER
Prayer changes things, but it doesn't come easy for some. The Barna
Research Group reports that 86 percent of Americans believe in a
prayer-answering God, yet only 58 percent set aside time to pray
daily. Eddie and Alice Smith, directors of the U.S. Prayer Center in
Houston, says the Bible is full of examples of normal, everyday people
who affected other people and nations through prayer. "Praying is
life's highest privilege," they write. "Why? Because it is prayer that
allows us to draw near to the heart of God. In prayer, we commune with
our awesome heavenly Father. Prayer gives us access to the ear of God,
enabling us to fulfill His purposes in the earth! And in prayer, He
actually shares His deepest desires and purposes with us." The Smiths
recently authored a book about prayer called Drawing Closer to God's
Heart. (Charisma News Service)
James A. Ferrier
HCJB World Radio
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Editor's Note. Feel free to forward this to any interested friends. Our
lists are distributed for information purposes and to encourage prayer.
HCJB World Radio does not necessarily endorse or support the activities
on which it reports.
--
Rowland Croucher
Subject: [mnn-news] Mission Network News
News headlines for September 27th 2002
===========================================================
(Pakistan)--We begin today's news in Pakistan where sadness was mixed with
dread as Christians mourned the loss of seven members in their church in
Karachi. Jerry Dykstra with Open Doors says prayer for believers there is
desperately needed. "It really is a really terrible time to be living in
Pakistan, and they live in fear actually every time they go to work and go
to church they're in fear of their lives." However, Dykstra says
Christians can turn this persecution into an opportunity to advance the
Gospel. "We need to pray that the government will give Christians
protection from the terrorist and the extremist. We need to pray that
their lives will be strengthened, knowing that others are praying for
them. And we also have to pray that Christians can impact other Christians
and other Muslims who are in that area." Pakistani Christians closed
churches and Christian schools for the day. No arrests have been made in
the attack but police say at least two gunmen are involved. Pray for the
safety of believers in Pakistan as the threat against them grows.
(Indonesia)--Elsewhere, sectarian violence continues in the Sulawesi area
of Indonesia. Islamic militants appear to be trying to destroy the peace
agreement there. According to Voice of the Martyrs[2] , violence in
Central Maluku has claimed five lives and left 300 homes and five churches
destroyed. A bomb exploded outside the Maranatha Christian School in
Central Sulawesi, injuring three, and more bombs were later found by
police and defused. Pray that the voices of the hope of Christ will not
be silenced.
(Romania)-Ministry to abused women in Romania is needed, but the resources
and people to help reach them are scarce. International Needs Network[3]
understands that need and has started a program called "ARK". INN's
Daniela Pribac runs the program. "One (in) four women are abused in
Romania. A big part of them are afraid to come, you know, because it's
the culture. It's different. They are afraid (of) their husbands. But,
now we make the first steps in this direction." To date, Pribac says the
program has touched 200 women and 20 of them have come to Christ. She
says the ministry needs to expand, but funding is needed. "We need 8,000
(dollars) a year to make a center in (the) south and a center in north of
(the) country - to rent the building, equipment, for materials, tapes, to
take care of everything."
(Myanmar)--Next, Myanmar is becoming a focal point for Christian
literature distribution in East Asia. John Maisel of East-West
Ministries[4] says there are nationals willing to take this literature
into countries difficult to reach with the Gospel, but money to fund the
printing isn't always available. He says 25-thousand-dollars is needed
for the Myanmar program. "That would allow us to print several thousand
copies of Bible Study Methods, Christain Life course. It would also allow
us to print 25,000 copies of "Is Jesus God?" which is an evangelistic tool
that's bringing scores to Christ." Not only are Christians in Myanmar
distributing material, but it's the destination of many Christians seeking
resources. "Sometimes we'll have people that will travel two or three
days just to pick up some literature."
(Bangladesh)--And, the Association of Christian Schools International[5]
says they are looking for land to build a school in Bangladesh. Officials
with the William Carey Academy are currently in negotiations with the
government. Through the schools, faculty and staff members are able to
share the hope of the Gospel with the students. Pray that God will work
in this situation and provide the land they need to expand. Pray, too,
for the student body as 80-percent of them are from non-Christian
backgrounds.
[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=ODM
[2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=VOM
[3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=INN
[4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=EWM
[5] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=ACSI
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Mission Network News, a service of Cornerstone University of Grand
Rapids, Michigan, USA. http://www.MNNonline.org
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,500+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
From: Rod Farthing, ARM Prison Outreach
Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2002 7:33 AM
Subject: From Joe Garman at ARM - A Prayer Request 9-28-02 - 9
ARM Prison Outreach International
A Prayer Request from Brother Joe Garman
PAGAN PERSECUTION
The next time you find yourself on the verge of complaining that the Church
music is too loud or that the minister preached too long, think about your
brothers and sisters in North Korea. As you are reading these words, North
Korean Christians are experiencing emotional, mental and physical suffering
far beyond anything that we Christians in the United States can even
imagine.
Missionary Patricia Kim and I recently stood on the banks of the Tuman River
where the borders of China, North Korea and Russia join together. As we
faced each nation, we prayed for their freedom, for their human rights and
for their spiritual needs
We praised God for the religious liberties now enjoyed by so many Christians
in Russia, and we thanked Him for the doors that are beginning to open, to
some degree, in China. But when we turned toward North Korea, we both broke
down in tears.
North Korean Christians, who have successfully escaped North Korea, report
that those captured by Chinese border guards are detained until North Korean
officials can transport them back to North Korea. They are then deported
with wire passed through, rather than around their wrists, or secured to
each other with wire passed through their noses.
Horror stories abound of North Korean saints living in hand-dug tunnels
beneath the earth and entire underground Churches put to death after being
tried and found guilty of being "Christians". Converts as young as eight
years old are ordered to, "Deny Christ, or you will die."
Families are confined in "Public Security Ministry Detention Houses" where
they endure beatings, forced labor, and starvation. The fortunate ones are
executed.
I wept for days after viewing a video of a young mother and her six-year-old
daughter attempting an unsuccessful run for freedom. She cried and screamed
for help as soldiers wrestled her to the ground with her daughter looking
on.
I will never forget the sight of that mother's pleading eyes, begging for
someone, anyone, who saw this video, to tell the See world and the Church,
about her faith and the plight of suffering Christians who are living in
this most oppressive, godless and isolated regime on earth. Oh, the
horrendous tortures and mass killings of the Body of Christ ... Oh, the
brutal and inhumane treatment of men, women, boys and girls, all in the name
of "suppressing superstition" ... Oh, the expression of fear on that little
girl's face.
Pray, Christians! Pray! "Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with
them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the
body (Heb. 13:3).
For more information, check out our web sites: www.arm.org www.abarc.org
Rod Farthing, ARM Regional Development Director
"Remain faithful unto death .." Rev. 2:10B
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,500+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2002 2:09 PM
Subject: The Starving of Sudan
Date: Monday 30 September 2002
Subj: The Starving of Sudan
To: World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty E-mail Conference
From: Elizabeth Kendal, Conference Moderator <el...@alphalink.com.au>
On Friday 27 September the Government of Sudan (GoS) suspended all
humanitarian flights into Eastern and Western Equatoria regions of
war-ravaged Southern Sudan, at least for the next nine days. This is
an appalling crime against humanity but it has long been a standard
GoS strategy whenever it has desired to weaken, punish or
eliminate-en-masse the Southern Sudanese.
This time the GoS is also suspending all security flights, meaning
that evacuations will not be able to occur. Humanitarian workers
that are able have been forced to flee in haste to avoid becoming
trapped. Others are bunkering down. Observers are expecting that a
major and bloody GoS offensive is imminent. For background on the
peace process and the jihad in Sudan see
http://www.worldevangelical.org/persec.htm.
-------------------------------------------------------
THE STARVING OF SUDAN
The BBC reports, "The Sudanese Government's action will cut off
almost the entire south of the country, preventing humanitarian
flights from getting in, and also potentially blocking the
evacuation of foreign staff from the war zone.
"Martin Dawes, a spokesman for the United Nations umbrella
organisation Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS), said the UN was
extremely concerned and was seeking clarification from the Sudanese
government.
"The flight ban applies to two huge regions in the far south. One of
them, Eastern Equatoria, is experiencing very heavy fighting at the
moment, but the other is peaceful. Aid flights from neighbouring
Kenya carrying about 150 tonnes of food a day will be grounded."
(Full article see link 1)
CNN elaborates, "The flight ban effectively means no U.N. aid
flights can get to any part of southern Sudan. There is no way of
flying in from the main base at Lokichoggio, just over the border
with Kenya, without passing over the prohibited zone. Martin Dawes
(OLS) said an average of 20 OLS flights leave Lokichoggio every day,
carrying medicine, food, equipment or staff." (See link 2)
On Thursday 26 September, SPLA (Southern People's Liberation Army)
fighters shot down a GoS helicopter gunship just north of Torit. The
BBC noted that the GoS was experiencing difficulty recapturing
Torit, which is in Eastern Equatoria, and added, "Critics say the
Sudanese government uses and abuses the (UN) system as an instrument
of war by denying access to certain areas in order to starve both
rebels and civilians." (link 1)
"MEASURING THE WORLD'S RESPONSE"
In his mailing of Saturday 28 September, Sudan expert Dr. Eric
Reeves ere...@smith.edu said, "There is no clear end in sight to
this catastrophe deliberately precipitated by the National Islamic
Front regime in Khartoum as a means of securing military advantage
in its ongoing offensive in Eastern Equatoria. We could have no
clearer example of the ways in which Khartoum's denial of
humanitarian aid and its military tactics are intertwined."
Reeves reminds us of the GoS-induced, war-related famine of February
1998, "in which perhaps 100,000 people died." Reeves says that was,
"a signal example of how destructive Khartoum is willing to be in
using the denial of humanitarian aid as a potent weapon of mass
destruction."
The UN estimates that three million men, women and children are at
imminent risk of starvation. Reeves suggests that "Khartoum is every
hour taking the measure of the world's response, of action---or
inaction---on the part of the UN, the United States---and the other
Western democracies."
Reeves laments Khartoum's "ruthlessly accurate assessment of what
price it will have to pay for breaking its commitments. So far
there appears to be no price, and this augurs very poorly for the
regaining of humanitarian access."
- Elizabeth Kendal
Links
1) BBC "Khartoum halts aid flights to south" By Andrew Harding. BBC
correspondent in Nairobi, Kenya
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/africa/2283833.stm
2) CNN "Sudan suspends aid flights" Friday, 27 September 2002
http://asia.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/africa/09/27/sudan.relief.reut/index.
html
AP "OLS: Sudanese government bans all U.N. flights into large part
of southern Sudan for nine days beginning Friday" 26 September 2002
http://www.sudan.net/news/posted/5919.html
============================================
**WEA Religious-Liberty e-mail Conference**
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============================================
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although anyone is welcome to join. Postings average one or two per
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of World Evangelical Alliance, or of the WEA Religious Liberty
Commission.
For more information on the World Evangelical Alliance, please take
a look at our site on the web at <http://www.WorldEvangelical.org>.
For more stories on religious liberty/persecution issues, click on
"Persecuted Church News."
For more about the Religious Liberty Commission of the World
Evangelical Alliance (RLC), see
http://www.WorldEvangelical.org/rlc.html
Advocates International serves as the legal and judicial advisor to
the RLC. Advocates International links many Christian lawyers and
judges around the world and has been involved in religious liberty
issues for many years.
Their website is located at <http://www.advocatesinternational.org>.
For those of you who would like more detailed information on
situations for prayer and intercession, we recommend that you
subscribe to the WEA Religious Liberty Prayer List. Each week a
different nation or situation is highlighted.
To subscribe, send an empty e-mail to <join-rl...@xc.org> with
any or no subject.
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,500+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Subject: [Daily Update] 30 September 2002 Update From HCJB World Radio
A ministry of HCJB World Radio
To subscribe, E-mail to: <HCJBDa...@pmbx.net>
Today's News Headlines:
SUDANESE GOVERNMENT BANS AID FLIGHTS TO SOUTHERN PROVINCES
FRENCH TROOPS SEARCH FOR MORE FOREIGNERS TRAPPED IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE
INDONESIAN CLERICS CONCERNED ABOUT POSSIBLE ATTACK ON IRAQ
CENTRAL ASIAN CHURCHES KEEP GROWING DESPITE OPPOSITION
AZERBAIJAN RESTRICTS IMPORTATION OF RELIGIOUS BOOKS
NUMBER OF MUSLIMS RISES STEADILY IN GERMANY
Today's News Stories:
SUDANESE GOVERNMENT BANS AID FLIGHTS TO SOUTHERN PROVINCES
On Friday, Sept. 27, the Sudanese government banned aid agencies from
flying across a wide swathe of territory in the non-Muslim southern
part of the country, prompting speculation of an impending military
offensive against southern rebels. The Islamic government in Khartoum
has ordered humanitarian agencies such as the Red Cross not to fly
across Eastern and Western Equatoria provinces, reported Deutsche
Presse-Agentur (DPA). The ban, in effect for at least nine days, halts
the massive U.N.-led aid operation that was sending dozens of flights
daily into southern Sudan from a base in northwestern Kenya. The day
before the ban took effect, humanitarian agencies "rushed to evacuate
as many of their international staff as possible from southern Sudan
to Kenya," DPA reported. The war between the Sudanese government and
the southern-based rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army has
intensified in recent weeks. The government broke off peace talks
early this month after the rebels captured the strategic town of
Torita. (Assist News Service)
FRENCH TROOPS SEARCH FOR MORE FOREIGNERS TRAPPED IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE
French troops are fanning out across Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) to
locate rebel positions and search for Americans and other Westerners
still trapped in the country since a deadly uprising began with a
bloody coup attempt Sept. 19. French jeeps with mounted guns, some
with French flags, set out after sunrise this morning, looking for
U.S. Peace Corps workers and other isolated Westerners missed in four
days of road and air evacuations. The French mission was headed for
pro-government regions around Daloa and Bouafle, French Lt. Col.
Ange-Antoine Leccia said. French and U.S. rescue missions have
scrambled to extract foreigners as Ivory Coast's government repeatedly
threatened an all-out attack to retake two cities--Bouake and
Korhogo--which were captured by rebels after the coup attempt. The
uprising has left more than 270 people dead.
In the northern city of Korhogo, helicopters swooped in before dawn
Sunday to airlift foreign and some Ivory Coast nationals trapped by
sporadic gunfire for 10 days and nights. The daylong evacuation
brought some 400 people--including 55 Americans--out of Korhogo and
surrounding areas. Among those evacuated were HCJB World Radio
missionaries Larry and Linda Burk and 28 others who had been holed up
at the Conservative Baptist compound about five miles outside of
Korhogo. The Burks made it safely to the coastal city of Abidjan where
they serve at the ministry's Sub-Saharan Africa office. "All 30 of us
were packed and waiting near the gate of the compound by 7:30 a.m.,"
the Burks wrote in an e-mail report. "We had to leave our truck parked
behind a building, taking out the battery and a few other essentials
to disable it, and packed much of our stuff into a storage room. We
saw helicopters and army planes in the sky heading toward the airport
or circling around town. Finally a helicopter landed on the road
outside the compound. Soldiers jumped out and took defensive
positions, and about 20 boarded the helicopter. We waited while they
went and came back for us." The Burks were flown to the Korhogo
airport and then airlifted via American military transport plane to
the capital city of Yamoussoukro. From there the Burks were escorted
to Abidjan by land vehicle.
The Burks were in Korhogo to install an antenna for a partner FM
station that will be operated by the Conservative Baptists and local
churches. Fréquence Vie (Frequency Life), a partner FM station in
Abidjan operated by partner SIM and local churches since 1999,
continues to air messages of encouragement to people in the area. Lee
Sonius, regional director for Sub-Saharan Africa, and his family have
delayed their return to Abidjan from the U.S. until the situation
calms down. (Associated Press/HCJB World Radio)
INDONESIAN CLERICS CONCERNED ABOUT POSSIBLE ATTACK ON IRAQ
Indonesia's clerics are warning that Muslims will unite in their
condemnation of a U.S.-based attack on Iraq. This prompted concerns
that there would be adverse effects on foreign-based missions in the
country. However, Dave Hansen of Back to the Bible doesn't think his
ministry would be affected since "we are working with 100-percent
national staff versus Americans living in Indonesia." Meanwhile,
Indonesian believers are asking for prayer. "Pray for boldness,"
Hansen says. "Pray that they'll be protected and that they will have
boldness to teach the Word." (Mission Network News)
CENTRAL ASIAN CHURCHES KEEP GROWING DESPITE OPPOSITION
In spite of the recent reports of persecution against believers in
Central Asia, the church is strong and growing, says Mark Reimschisel
of Bible Mission International (BMA). He says the harshness of
oppression has only served to strengthen the Christians. "When we talk
about persecution, the believers there live with it every day. They
live with the young Islamic extremists who . . . are really trying to
push Islam, and these believers have been equipped to share their
faith in real ways in very practical ways." The ministry will be
holding a seminar for children's pastors and leaders in Almaty,
Kazakhstan, Oct. 16-18. "We are very excited to have the youth leaders
of central Asia coming together," Reimschisel said, "not to just get
together and have fellowship but to also have some training for the
leaders and the leaders of the youth groups that they have been
working with." (Mission Network News/BMA)
AZERBAIJAN RESTRICTS IMPORTATION OF RELIGIOUS BOOKS
The Baptist church in the Azerbaijan capital city of Baku is hoping
its third application to import 3,000 copies of the Book of Proverbs
will be successful, but the State Committee in charge of compulsory
censorship of all religious literature has only given permission to
release 500 copies. The committee gave no explanation for the limit.
Pastor Ilya Zenchenko, head of the Baptist Union in Azerbaijan, said
the Baptists could only speculate as to why the committee has
restricted the quantity. "Maybe they don't want it to be in
Azerbaijan," he said. "It's a very beautiful book with nice
illustrations. Solomon is very popular in Islam and is respected as a
prophet. Maybe they're afraid we'll give out the book to people." On
Sept. 25 the church submitted a third application to import all 3,000
copies of the publication. (Keston News Service)
NUMBER OF MUSLIMS RISES STEADILY IN GERMANY
The number of Muslims in Germany is rising steadily due to immigration
and a higher birth rate. There are now 3.45 million Muslims in the
country, an increase of 21,000 or 6.5 percent from a year ago. Most of
the increase is due to the influx of Turkish immigrants. Figures
published by the Central Islam Institute in Soest show that nearly 74
percent of Muslims "take their religion seriously" with 8.3 percent
attending Friday prayer meetings at a mosque. This is nearly twice the
rate of church attendance for the country's 26.6 million Protestants
with 4.2 percent regularly attending services. There are 77 mosques in
Germany, seven more than last year, with another 123 mosques being
built or planned. (IDEA)
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--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,500+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Subject: IDOP - The Church United in Prayer for the Persecuted
Date: Tuesday 1 October 2002
Subj: IDOP - The Church United in Prayer for the Persecuted
To: World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty E-mail Conference
From: Elizabeth Kendal, Conference Moderator
The International Day of Prayer (IDOP) for the persecuted church is
approaching. The IDOP website at http://www.idop.org is laden with
freely available, downloadable information and resources. But just
in case some people were still wondering, "What is IDOP and why
should we pray for the persecuted church?" I posed some frequently
asked questions to the World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty
Commission's International Director, Rev. Johan Candelin in Finland.
- Elizabeth Kendal
------------------------------------------------------
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER (IDOP)
FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
http://www.idop.org
Q) Rev. Candelin, International Day of Prayer (IDOP) for the
persecuted Church is approaching (10 November) and organisations such
as the one you represent are asking believers worldwide to join
together and pray with one voice for religious freedom and for those
who suffer for their faith - but isn't this an issue of the past?
Doesn't the issue of religious persecution belong to the days of
Stalin, Chairman Mao and Idi Amin etc? Isn't the world more
sophisticated than that, fifty years after the formulation of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
A) Rev. Candelin: It is my understanding that more than 200 million
Christians today do not enjoy their full human rights simply because
they are Christians. You come to that number when you add all the
members in all the churches in all the countries where there is not
full religious freedom. This is the great, untold story of the world
today -- that Christians are the biggest group suffering for what
they believe!
This problem is growing due to several factors. Firstly: the Church
is mostly growing in countries where there is a strong
anti-Christian sentiment that is driven either by politics,
nationalism or religious ideology. Secondly: one million new
churches have been started during the last ten years and my
understanding is that during the next ten years we will see that at
least double. The church grows by 70,000 new members every day. The
last 30 years has seen the strongest growth ever of the Christian
Church. Some people find this growth threatening.
We rejoice of course in the UN declaration of human rights and we
fully support it, but the UN was created to deal with conflicts
between nations while today we primarily have a situation where 90 %
of all conflicts are within nations and very often with religious
dimensions. As if that was not bad enough we have the new tension
between Muslim cultures where state and religion are one, and
Western cultures where state and religion are separated.
Q) Christians are generally peaceful and active humanitarians, so
why would governments or individuals seek to persecute Christians or
actively suppress the Christian message?
A) Rev. Candelin: There are several reasons why Christians are
persecuted. They 'worship another King', they speak the truth and
refuse to be corrupted by corrupt regimes, and often they are
advocates of human rights. Christians often have contacts all over
the world, they preach a gospel that is hated by 'the forces of
evil', and they are also said to represent a Western influence, and
whilst that is not true it is an example of the way Christians can
be victims of disinformation. If disinformation is accepted, then
comes discrimination and then persecution.
Q) This persecution constitutes large-scale human right abuse - so
why don't we hear about this on the news?
A) Rev. Candelin: Religion plays no role in the life of many media
people in the West and they wrongly assume that the world is just a
bigger version of their own worldview. The truth is actually the
opposite! Out of 6 billion people in the world today only 2.5
percent consider themselves to be atheists. Religion actually plays
a huge role in the world today.
Another reason why we don't we hear about this on the news is that
the Church in the West is generally not interested in the suffering
Church. That is very sad because we have much more to learn from the
suffering Church than from Hollywood. The Christian life in the
persecuted Church is 'the real thing' to use a well-known
commercial.
Q) Why you promote a day of prayer rather than a day of political
action?
A) Rev. Candelin: With the message of the cross goes the cross of
the message. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ demonstrated that in
his life, and tells us that in his word. In the context of his own
life Jesus demonstrated the tremendous importance of prayer. We
therefore want to transform our longings into prayer and ask God to
transform the world through the prayers of his people. We also
believe that it is a great blessing for everyone to pray together on
the same day, for it helps remind us how big the church of Jesus
Christ is and how many brothers and sisters we have. The least we
can do is the most we can do: PRAY!
Q) How long has IDOP been running as an annual event, has it grown,
and has it made a difference?
A) Rev. Candelin: IDOP started in 1995 and has grown to be the
biggest one-day prayer event in the world. This is a miracle and a
great blessing for everyone. It is a common project and the World
Evangelical Alliance was only a very small tool in God's hand. We
want to give it away to churches and ask them to give it away. My
estimation is that Christians in more than 120 countries from Norway
in the north to Chile in the south and Alaska in the west to the
Samoa Islands in the east will pray in November. Hundreds of
thousands of people will pray in secret but they know that we are
praying with them.
Only God knows what effect IDOP has had over the years, but I think
we will be amazed one day when we will be able to look back and see
the effects. Then we will ask ourselves, "Why didn't we pray even
more?"
Q) How can individuals and churches get the information and
resources they need to make IDOP a really meaningful event in their
church, home fellowship or private devotions?
A) Rev. Candelin: The best starting place is to go to the global
IDOP website: http://www.idop.org There you can get information and
find links to national websites, different languages, prayer topics
and to organisations that help the suffering church. My personal
prayer is that everybody would pass on this address to as many
people as possible. I believe that God has equipped us with each
other for a time like this.
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,500+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Subject: [Daily Update] 1 October 2002 Update From HCJB World Radio
A ministry of HCJB World Radio
To subscribe, E-mail to: <HCJBDa...@pmbx.net>
Today's News Headlines:
300 PERSECUTED CHURCH LEADERS ATTEND HISTORIC GATHERING IN VIETNAM
TURKISH POLICE ORDER LOCAL CONGREGATION TO STOP MEETING
VIOLENCE IN PAKISTAN FAILS TO STOP CHRISTIAN OUTREACH
NIGERIAN WOMAN FACES STONING FOR HAVING OUT-OF-WEDLOCK CHILD
INTEREST IN SHORT-TERM MISSIONS AGAIN INCREASING
NEW MOVEMENT WORKS TO REDEFINE EVANGELISM IN CHURCHES
Today's News Stories:
300 PERSECUTED CHURCH LEADERS ATTEND HISTORIC GATHERING IN VIETNAM
More than 300 underground ministers, most of whom had been persecuted,
arrested or imprisoned for sharing the gospel, gathered in Ho Chi Minh
City, Vietnam, in mid-September for a historic seminar. Jack Harris
Global Ministries held the event for pastors representing more than 40
organizations and denominations. The seminar's theme, "How to Make
Your Dreams Come True," gave practical suggestions on how to reach
Vietnam for Christ despite the many limitations. Maintaining a strong
element of discreteness, the seminar included four sessions each day
along with time for fellowship. The seminar was the largest gathering
of church leaders in Vietnam since 1975. The event held serious risks
for the leaders since most have been persecuted for their faith. The
Shepard Staff, a leadership-training manual, was given to each
registered attendee. Another 2,500 copies were distributed to the
underground church organizations. (Religion Today)
TURKISH POLICE ORDER LOCAL CONGREGATION TO STOP MEETING
Turkish Christian Fellowship in Batikent-Ankara, Turkey, was closed
down by local police Wednesday, Sept. 25, after officers arrived
during the evening worship service. This followed a television
broadcast a few days earlier that made "slanderous claims about the
believers and their motives," said Steve Hagerman, U.S. director of
Turkish World Outreach, in an e-mail report. The TV program accused
the Christians of smashing car windows in the neighborhood where the
church is located. It is unclear exactly what measures the police
took. "A brother telephoned us from the church just as the police were
entering, and his call was cut off," Hagerman said. "We do know that
the local officials have ordered the Christians to stop meeting. This
is contrary to guarantees of religious freedom in the Turkish
constitution and is clearly illegal." (Turkish World Outreach)
VIOLENCE IN PAKISTAN FAILS TO STOP CHRISTIAN OUTREACH
Violence against Christians in Pakistan continues as a bomb exploded
outside a church in a rural village on the weekend. Lane Powell of
Operation Mobilization (OM) says this latest violence concerns
Christians, but the ministry continues. "Our workers just have to
become a little more cautious and give a little more thought about how
they're operating," he says. "But we have not seen these kind of
situations actually bring our work to a stop--certainly not in
Pakistan." Powell urges believers to pray for the country. "We would
hope that the upcoming election would be a stabilizing time and leave
an atmosphere where Christians are free to carry on their work there.
Perhaps some of the activity that's been going on there the last few
weeks has been an attempt to destabilize the situation." Elections are
set for Oct. 10. (Mission Network News)
NIGERIAN WOMAN FACES STONING FOR HAVING OUT-OF-WEDLOCK CHILD
Amina Lawal, a 30-year-old woman from Nigeria's Katsina state, is
appealing her March 23 sentence to be stoned to death for having a
child out of wedlock. Unless the case is overturned, she will be
buried up to her neck and stoned after her 8-month-old daughter is
weaned. Lawal's case is similar to the one in October 2001 when
35-year-old Safiya Hussaini was condemned to death by stoning for
allegedly committing adultery. But after an international outcry, she
was acquitted in March on technical grounds by an appeal court. With
the help of a Nigerian women's rights group, Lawal has appealed her
sentence. After several adjournments, the appeal was rejected on Aug.
19, but a new appeal to a higher court has been lodged. Ibrahim
Abdullahi, a spokesperson for the Katsina state authorities, said the
governor would not interfere in the appeal process, and if it is
turned down, Lawal would be executed. Human rights groups are again
asking people worldwide to pressure the Nigerian government to
intervene in this case. (Assist News Service)
INTEREST IN SHORT-TERM MISSIONS AGAIN INCREASING
While 9/11 put a damper on a short-term missions, the number of people
going overseas on mission trips is again on the increase, says World
Help's Mike Clinton. More people than ever are signing up for the
ministry's Extreme Expeditions. "It's rebounded," he says. "People are
just a little more cautious than they were in the past." The ministry
is organizing four spring-break trips in 2003. Through Extreme
Expeditions, participants are immersed in a foreign culture, Clinton
says. "We want them to really get a sense in a short period of time of
what it would be like to live and minister in a foreign country."
Short-term trips are being planned for Nepal, India, Ireland and
Russia. (Mission Network News)
NEW MOVEMENT WORKS TO REDEFINE EVANGELISM IN CHURCHES
With more Americans dismissing the relevance of traditional
Christianity in their lives, a growing number of church leaders are
saying that it's time for a major change in the way believers share
their faith. The Seattle-based Off the Map (OTM) movement is working
to turn the accepted idea of "evangelism" on its head by inverting the
typical church meeting. At OTM events, pastors and lay members sit
quietly in the audience while nonbelievers take the microphone to
explain their lack of faith. Host Jim Henderson says the big complaint
from non-Christians is that Christians "don't listen," he says. "They
talk. They want to give a speech, but they don't want to listen. The
unchurched do want to talk to a Christian, but they don't want to be
talked at." Brian McLaren, a Spencerville, Md., pastor who helped
found OTM, said many churches are too quick to give answers without
finding out what the questions are. While many people dismiss the
relevance of church, they are not hostile to Christianity, says church
growth expert Thom Rainer. His research revealed that only a small
percentage of unbelievers are "highly resistant" to the gospel. Rainer
also found that more than 90 percent of people would go to church on
two conditions--if someone invited them and walked in with them.
Rainer also recommends that churches ask non-Christian to visit and
critique their facilities and services. (Charisma News Service)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
James A. Ferrier
HCJB World Radio
Web: http://www.hcjb.org
http://www.beyondthecall.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Editor's Note. Feel free to forward this to any interested friends. Our
lists are distributed for information purposes and to encourage prayer.
HCJB World Radio does not necessarily endorse or support the activities
on which it reports.
Post Archives. Searchable archives are available to subscribers for
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requires you to enter both your subscribed email address and a unique
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https://mail.pmbx.net:9100/Lists/HCJBDaily.
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,500+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2002 8:02 PM
Subject: KNS BELARUS: Europe's Most Repressive Religion Law Adopted This
Morning.
KESTON INSTITUTE, OXFORD, UK
______________________________________
KESTON NEWS SERVICE, 11.00, 2 October 2002. Reporting on violations of
religious liberty and on religion in communist and post-communist lands.
______________________________________
Belarus's parliament has this morning adopted the most repressive religion
law in Europe, so this exceptionally grave news is being sent to our entire
distribution list .A full report will follow in Keston News Service this
evening.
BELARUS: EUROPE'S MOST REPRESSIVE RELIGION LAW ADOPTED
by Felix Corley, Keston News Service
Keston News Service has learnt that the upper house of the Belarusian
parliament has today (2 October) adopted the amendments to the country's
religion law. According to sources in Minsk, the revised religion law was
adopted in the Council of the Republic this morning with 46 votes in favour,
2 against and 4 abstentions. The bill now goes to President Aleksandr
Lukashenko for signature into law.
If signed by the president, the new law would outlaw unregistered religious
activity, require compulsory prior censorship for all religious literature;
ban foreign citizens from leading religious organisations; publishing and
education would be restricted to faiths that have ten registered
communities, including at least one that had registration in
1982; and there would be a ban on all but occasional, small religious
meetings in private homes.
Copyright (c) 2002 Keston Institute. All rights reserved.
Subscribe to the free weekly KNS Summary, or to the almost daily Keston News
Service, through our website http://www.keston.org/. KNS articles are posted
on the website, as well as details of our other publications: the bimonthly
magazine Frontier and the quarterly academic journal Religion, State &
Society.
______________________________________
REPRINTING/QUOTING KNS may be reprinted or quoted providing acknowledgment
is given, such as 'Source: Keston Institute <http://www.keston.org>'.
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,500+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
http://www.keston.org
----- Original Message -----
From: <keston.i...@keston.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2002 5:01 AM
Subject: KNS BELARUS: Religion law goes for final signature; Religious
communities to be driven underground?
KESTON INSTITUTE, OXFORD, UK
______________________________________
KESTON NEWS SERVICE, 20.00, 2 October 2002.
Reporting on violations of religious liberty and on religion in
communist and post-communist lands.
______________________________________
I. BELARUS: EUROPE'S MOST REPRESSIVE RELIGION LAW
GOES FOR FINAL SIGNATURE
Following the adoption this morning (2 October) by the upper house
of the Belarusian parliament of the controversial amendments to the
country's religion law, the bill now goes to President Aleksandr
Lukashenko for signature. The president has ten days to sign and the
law comes into force ten days after that. Although the bill was
welcomed by the spokesman for Belarus's Russian Orthodox Church,
all minority faiths contacted by Keston News Service condemned the
move. One of only two senators who voted against the bill was
pessimistic. "Religious peace in our country is very shaky. If this law
is passed, interfaith conflicts await Belarus."
II. BELARUS: HOW MANY RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES WILL
BE DRIVEN UNDERGROUND?
If Belarus's president signs the repressive new religion bill into law as
expected, representatives of several faiths have told Keston News
Service they fear their activity will be rendered illegal as a result of
the compulsory re-registration the bill specifies. An official of the
government's Committee for Religious and Ethnic Affairs in Minsk
has dismissed these fears, pledging that all religious organisations that
now have registration will retain it. However, many are still
suspicious. "There is no mention of automatic re-registration of
religious organisations in the law. They are just trying to keep people
calm," Keston was told by a Minsk lawyer.
I. BELARUS: EUROPE'S MOST REPRESSIVE RELIGION LAW
GOES FOR FINAL SIGNATURE
by Felix Corley, Keston News Service
Following the adoption this morning (2 October) by the upper house
of the Belarusian parliament of the controversial amendments to the
country's religion law (see KNS article earlier today), the bill now
goes to President Aleksandr Lukashenko for signature. The president
has ten days to sign and the law then comes into force ten days after
that. All religious organisations in Belarus will then have to undergo
compulsory re-registration over the next two years (see separate KNS
article), and bring their statutes into line with the new law.
Both parliamentary and unofficial sources in Minsk told Keston that
the revised religion law was adopted in the Council of the Republic
with 46 votes in favour, 2 against and 4 abstentions, unchanged from
the text adopted by the lower house of parliament on 27 June (see
KNS 1 July 2002). One of the two senators to vote against the bill and
the only one to speak up against it during the debate was Yadviga
Grigorovich, deputy chair of the upper house's social affairs
commission. "Religious peace in our country is very shaky. If this law
is passed, interfaith conflicts await Belarus," she told Reuters.
If signed by the president, as everyone expects, the new law would
outlaw unregistered religious activity, require compulsory prior
censorship for all religious literature; ban foreign citizens from
leading religious organisations; publishing and education would be
restricted to faiths that have ten registered communities, including at
least one that had registration in 1982; and there would be a ban on all
but occasional, small religious meetings in private homes.
In a one-man protest, the administrator of the New Life Protestant
church, Vasyl Yurevich, stood outside parliament during the session
holding banners criticising the bill. According to the website
www.charter97.org, police detained him within half an hour and took
him to the administrative court of Minsk's Moscow district, where he
received an official warning. "This law is a disgrace to our state," he
told the website. Its adoption will open the way to lawlessness, that's
why I went to the square to express my protest against its adoption."
Oleg Kaminsky, a spokesman for the Council of the Republic, told
Keston that ahead of the debate, 10,000 signatures had come into
parliament supporting the bill. (In its coverage on 2 October of the
bill's adoption, Belarusian television had claimed that 220,000
signatures had come into parliament in support and 550 against the
draft law.) Asked why parliament had chosen to adopt a law that
violated the fundamental human rights of people within Belarus,
Kaminsky admitted that the law had defects. "When it comes into
force the first step will be to adopt some amendments," he told Keston
from Minsk on 2 October. "But it is better to have this law than no
law." Asked why lawmakers had not waited until a better version was
available, he declared: "That was the will of parliament."
News of the adoption of the bill brought predictable responses from
religious communities. Andrei Petrashkevich, spokesman for Russian
Orthodox leader in Belarus Metropolitan Filaret, was happy. "Thank
God!" he told Keston by telephone from Minsk on 2 October. He
stressed that the Orthodox Church had played an "active role" in the
adoption of the bill, lobbying for it and collecting signatures in
support in individual parishes across the country. "This was not an
organised process, he claimed. "Parishes that wished to take part did
so, at the initiative of local believers, priests or bishops."
However, all minority faiths contacted by Keston condemned the
move. Georgi Vyazovsky, pastor of Christ Covenant Church, a
Reform Baptist church in Minsk with nine other associated
congregations, told Keston by telephone on 2 October that the law was
"very bad" and "against the Gospel". "It was adopted to support the
Russian Orthodox Church." Vyazovsky said his church had written to
parliamentary deputies to urge them not to adopt the law, but had
failed. "The deputies were doing the will of Mr President."
Sergei Karnyushenko, spokesman for the Pentecostal Union, the
second biggest religious community in Belarus by the number of
communities, was likewise unhappy. "This law will affect all our
communities, especially the small ones," he told Keston. "It will affect
other faiths too." He said that although his Union has 494 registered
communities, there are about 250 more whose registration has already
been obstructed under the current law. He believes this will only
worsen, despite the fact that the Union will have no problem retaining
the status of a "religious association", which will be necessary in
future to publish books and magazines, import religious literature,
maintain religious educational establishments and invite foreigners for
religious work.
Larysa Androsik, a Greek Catholic laywoman from Minsk, told
Keston the new law would create "very many difficulties" for her
church, which has only 14 registered communities and has faced
official obstruction in Pinsk and Slonim and elsewhere to attempts to
register local parishes. "It is already very very difficult for us to get a
building to register as a church." Greek Catholic priest Father Igor
Kandraceu told Keston from the western city of Brest that the Greek
Catholics have been unable to register an association for the past nine
years. "We have been in negotiation with officials," he told Keston.
"They do not give an official refusal but negotiations drag on and on.
Under the new law it will be even more difficult."
Androsik said the Roman Catholic Church had supported the bill.
"They said they didn't see any problems with it, although they have
many complaints about it."
Equally condemnatory was Artur Livshits, a lawyer and a member of
the Civic Initiative For Freedom of Conscience, which has been
campaigning against the law. "The first people to suffer will be the
Protestants and all the non-traditional faiths," he told Keston from
Minsk on 2 October. "It is not good for the Jews either. This will
cause destabilisation of the religious situation in Belarus."
Livshits pointed out that small religious communities not able to
muster the 20 adult citizens required for registration under the new
law will be rendered illegal. "People won't be able to meet for
religious purposes in private homes," he explained. "If someone wants
to meet for Friday Shabbat prayers and light candles, it will be an
offence. The police will take them from their apartment."
Livshits said his group will be meeting this evening, 2 October, to
plan its future protests. He said they will be appealing to President
Lukashenko to veto the new law and asking international
organisations to join their protests. He added that if this fails, they will
try to gather 50,000 signatures across Belarus on an initiative to have
the parliament make "democratic changes" to the law.
Although Vyazovsky objected to the restrictions in the new law, he
told Keston he was not worried. "I'm a Calvinist. I believe in
providence. We shall find a way to continue to meet, worship and
publish literature. Even in the Soviet times people did this. God will
provide the way." (END)
II. BELARUS: HOW MANY RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES WILL
BE DRIVEN UNDERGROUND?
by Felix Corley, Keston News Service
If President Aleksandr Lukashenko signs the repressive new religion
bill into law as expected (see separate KNS article), representatives of
a number of faiths have told Keston News Service that they fear their
activity will be rendered illegal as a result of the compulsory re-
registration specified as part of the bill. "Only one of our ten
congregations has registration at the moment," Georgi Vyazovsky,
pastor of Christ Covenant Church, a Reform Baptist church in Minsk,
told Keston by telephone on 2 October. "If the president signs this law
we will be driven into illegality. None of our communities will pass
the re-registration." However, an official of the government's
Committee for Religious and Ethnic Affairs in Minsk has dismissed
these fears, pledging that all religious organisations that now have
registration will retain it after the re-registration round is over.
Article 3 of provision appended to the bill specifies that within two
years of the official publication of the law, the Council of Ministers is
to "take the necessary measures for the state re-registration of
religious organisations whose statutes were registered before the entry
into force of the present law". Aleksandr Kalinov, head of the
religious affairs department of the Committee for Religious and
Ethnic Affairs, told Keston from Minsk on 2 October that this meant
that the registration rights of those religious organisations already on
the register will be protected, even if they no longer qualify for
registration. "No registered religious organisations will have their
rights violated after the entry into force of the new law," he pledged.
Kalinov reported that there are at present 2,830 registered religious
organisations in Belarus. Of them, 1,261 are Russian Orthodox, 494
Pentecostal Union, 434 Roman Catholic, 272 Baptist Union, 64 Full
Gospel, 56 Adventist, 35 Old Believers, 27 Jehovah's Witness, 27
Muslim, 25 Orthodox Jewish, 20 New Apostolic, 19 Lutheran, 14
Greek Catholic, 12 Progressive Jewish, 9 Apostolic Faith Christians, 7
Hare Krishna, 6 Church of Christ, 6 Baha'i, 3 Mormon, 3 Messianic
Jewish, 2 Reformed, 2 Latin-rite Catholic, 1 Church of First
Christians, 1 Oomoto, 1 Yoga. He added that the remaining 29
religious organisations are from the Baptist Council of Churches, a
group which on principle rejects registration in all the post-Soviet
republics where it operates. "They have refused registration, but
because we know they exist we have included them," Kalinov told
Keston.
However, like Pastor Vyazovsky, many leaders of minority faiths
remain suspicious of such claims that groups that already have
registration will automatically retain it. "That's not true," Artur
Livshits, a lawyer and a member of the Civic Initiative For Freedom
of Conscience, told Keston from Minsk on 2 October. "There is no
mention of automatic re-registration of religious organisations in the
law. They are just trying to keep people calm." Asked whether he
believed Kalinov was lying, Livshits responded: "I can't say that he is
lying, but the only way I can believe the government is if the law says
something, and in this case it doesn't." He points to the difficulties
many religious communities already have trying to gain registration.
Livshits reported that in the past months, officials from the Committee
for Religious and Ethnic Affairs have been telephoning religious
leaders individually in an attempt to persuade them that the new law
will not harm them. "I know five religious leaders who had such calls,
among them Protestants and Jews," he reported. "Officials said they
would have no problems with re-registration, but they made no
specific commitment."
In addition to the new requirement for individual communities to have
twenty adult citizen founders (up from ten under the current law), only
religious communities that have ten registered congregations, one of
which had registration back in 1982 will be able to gain registration
for an "association", or umbrella body. Kalinov maintained that this
did not necessarily mean that such groups had to have had registration
in 1982, merely that they should have "documents" proving that they
existed. However, he declined to say what documents would suffice
although he stressed that the fact that "two or three people" were
meeting then would not be enough. (END)
Copyright (c) 2002 Keston Institute. All rights reserved.
Subscribe to the free weekly KNS Summary, or to the almost daily
Keston News Service, through our website http://www.keston.org/.
KNS articles are posted on the website, as well as details of our other
publications: the bimonthly magazine Frontier and the quarterly
academic journal Religion, State & Society.
______________________________________
REPRINTING/QUOTING
KNS may be reprinted or quoted providing acknowledgment is given,
such as "Source: Keston Institute http://www.keston.org".
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,500+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Subject: [mnn-news] Mission Network News
News headlines for October 3rd 2002
========================================================
(Ivory Coast)--Headline today's news, rebellion in the Ivory Coast is
causing missionaries to rethink their presence in that country. Last
week, unrest forced the evacuation of a missionary school. New Tribes
Mission's[1] Nita Zelenak says this is an important week for the future
of their work. "New Tribes Mission has relocated our tribal workers, and
also, the folks who were at our school base in Yamoussoukro have all been
moved to Abidjan. Our leaders there are evaluating whether or not they're
going to need be evacuated from the country. They'll be making that
decision on Saturday." According to Zelenak, they have nearly 100
missionaries and family members in the Ivory Coast. She's asking people
to pray: "...that peace would be restored and that missionary work could
go on, and protection of the people of the Ivory Coast themselves. And,
also for wisdom for the mission leaders as they decide whether or not to
pull the missionaries out of the Ivory Coast. That's a huge decision that
they need to make."
[2]
(Angola)--Elsewhere, in Angola, a cease-fire is in effect, signaling the
end of a 30-year civil war. However, a humanitarian catastrophe followed
in the wake of the peace accord. The Department of Foreign Affairs has
agreed to provide a ship to transport supplies early in November. A
network of churches and Christian groups are aiming to fill the ship with
relief supplies. Operation Mobilization[3] is coordinating outreach
teams for December, who will show the Jesus Film and distribute Christian
literature.
(Sudan)--It's being called the longest standing war of the 20th century.
Tensions are intensifying in southern Sudan, with continued bombing runs
on Christians and the ban on humanitarian relief. In light of that,
Africa Inland Mission[4] team members are praying for wisdom as the work
to demonstrate Christ's compassion to the traumatized. Pray for the
workers as they encourage nationals who are supervising literacy work in
southern Sudan. Pray too, for the work with the refugees and women, and
also that the church can be a light in crisis.
(International)--Next, a mission agency is building on a foundation of
truth, one step at a time. International Messengers'[5] Bob Rassmusson
says the first step into global evangelism is usually a short-term trip.
That often opens the door into untapped potential and new vision. "That's
one of the great blessings, I think, of short term missions. The impact
that it does have on that local church and the impact that it has on the
prayer ministry of world missions, and the giving that takes place to
accomplish these kinds of ministries around the world. It's like a rock
that you throw into a pool of water. I think the ripple effects of short
term missions are far-reaching." International Messengers partners with
local churches to renew, train and mobilize believers in reaching the
world for Christ. If you'd like to get involved, call our resource line,
or check our website for details.
(USA)--And, who heals the doctor if the doctor gets hurt? That's the
thought behind a new ministry at D&D Missionary Homes[6] in Florida.
The agency's new pastoral care minister, Jared Jenkins. "When
missionaries come on furlough, or on home assignment, a lot of them are
coming for different needs. Many of them need a rest. Some of them need
a sabbatical. A lot of them have some emotional trauma that they've been
through, and they need to be restored before they can go back to the
field." Jenkins, a former missionary to Suriname, says his background is
common ground when dealing with the unique needs of the missionaries
served by D&D Missionary Homes. "When they come here, they needs somebody
who has been there, who has been in their shoes, who can understand a
little bit of what they've gone through. They need someone who can pray
with them; they need someone who can really help them."
[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=NTM
[2]
http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/10-03-02NitaZelen
ak.rm
[3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=OMI
[4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=AIM
[5] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=IMM
[6] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=DAD
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SUPPORT MISSION NETWORK NEWS at http://www.MNNonline.org/support
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,500+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
From: "Todd Nettleton"
Sent: Saturday, October 05, 2002 2:04 AM
Subject: New Trial Ordered for South China Church 17
NEWS RELEASE
The Voice of the Martyrs, Inc.
NEW TRIAL ORDERED FOR SOUTH CHINA CHURCH 17 Court gives defense only one day
to prepare
A Chinese court has thrown out the criminal conviction of 17 members of the
unregistered South China Church. The Supreme Court of Hubei Province has
ordered a new trial for the Christians, including Pastor Gong Shengliang and
journalist Li Ying. Both are among five SCC members sentenced to death for
their involvement in illegal church activities. Twelve others received
sentences ranging from two years to life.
The Provincial Court said the facts in the trial against the South China
Church members were ambiguous and the evidence inadequate. The court went on
to say the procedures in the civil trial that led to conviction were
illegal. The court has sent the case back to the Jingmen City Intermediate
People's Court for retrial on October 9th, 2002.
"While we applaud the court's ruling, we are extremely concerned that the
case is being sent back to the same court that allowed the ambiguous
evidence and illegal procedures the first time around," said VOM spokesman
Gary Lane. "These Christians have received inhumane and horrendous treatment
while in prison and instead of retrial, the 17 defendants should be freed."
While the Hubei Provincial Supreme Court handed down its decision September
22nd, SCC lawyers did not receive notice of the verdict and the date for the
new trial until September 30th. October 1st through the 7th is a national
holiday period in China and all government offices are closed.
"This means the defense lawyers will in effect only have one full day to
prepare for this retrial," said Lane. "We ask the Bush administration and
members of Congress to contact the Chinese Embassy in Washington to demand
the release of these innocent Christians, or at the very least more time to
prepare their defense for retrial."
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,500+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Today's News Headlines:
RELIGIOUS TENSIONS MOUNT IN PAKISTAN FOLLOWING 2 MORE ATTACKS
NEW TRIAL ORDERED FOR 17 MEMBERS OF UNREGISTERED CHINESE CHURCH
BUDDHISTS URGE SRI LANKAN LEADER TO RESCIND VISAS FOR MISSIONARIES
THOUSANDS OF GERMANS COMMEMORATE REUNIFICATION WITH PRAYER
CHRISTIAN TV NETWORK IN U.S. TO ADD SATELLITE CHANNEL
'TRUE LOVE WAITS' CAMPAIGN EXPANDS TO INCLUDE PARENTS
Today's News Stories:
RELIGIOUS TENSIONS MOUNT IN PAKISTAN FOLLOWING 2 MORE ATTACKS
Gunmen fired on an Islamic girls' school Friday, Oct. 4, shattering
windows, injuring a student and sending youngsters running for cover.
Hours later two men on a motorcycle tossed grenades at a Christian
hospital. Authorities said there was no indication that the attacks
were linked. However, Pakistan has been wracked by religious violence
in recent years, much of it between rival Sunni and Shiite Muslim
sects, but also targeting Christians. A 12-year-old girl was hurt when
bullets shattered the windows of the Jamia Mohammadia Binat-ul Islam
school in Lahore. The Christian hospital in Bannu, located in a Muslim
area in northwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border, suffered only
minor damage when two men on a motorcycle tossed grenades at the
facility. The attack drew criticism from Christian leaders already
angered by deadly assaults on Christians in Pakistan. Todd Nettleton
from Voice of the Martyrs said the attacks are further evidence of
mounting religious tensions in the country. "The believers are
discriminated against and held down in the society there, in the
education system, in the employment system. What really creates
problems for believers is those who come from a Muslim background.
Muslim converts face a lot of difficulties and a lot of persecution."
The possibility of a U.S.-led war against Iraq has added to the
hostilities against not only Christians, but Westerners. "The risks
for Christians in Pakistan who live there every day are far greater
than the risks for people who come and go," Nettleton said. "Pray for
the believers there will be strengthened and encouraged and that
they'll be bold in their witness." (Associated Press/Mission Network
News)
NEW TRIAL ORDERED FOR 17 MEMBERS OF UNREGISTERED CHINESE CHURCH
A Chinese court has thrown out the criminal conviction of 17 members
of the unregistered South China Church. On Sept. 22 the Hubei
Provincial Supreme Court ordered a new trial for the Christians,
including pastor Gong Shengliang and journalist Li Ying. Both are
among five church members sentenced to death for their involvement in
"illegal" church activities. Twelve others received sentences ranging
from two years to life. The court said the facts in the trial against
the South China Church members were "ambiguous" and the evidence
"inadequate." The court went on to say the procedures in the civil
trial that led to conviction were illegal. The court sent the case
back to the Jingmen City Intermediate People's Court for retrial on
Wednesday, Oct. 9. "While we applaud the court's ruling, we are
extremely concerned that the case is being sent back to the same court
that allowed the ambiguous evidence and illegal procedures the first
time around," said Voice of the Martyrs spokesman Gary Lane. "These
Christians have received inhumane and horrendous treatment while in
prison. Instead of retrial, the 17 defendants should be freed." (Voice
of the Martyrs)
BUDDHISTS URGE SRI LANKAN LEADER TO RESCIND VISAS FOR MISSIONARIES
Buddhist leaders and organizations in Sri Lanka are exerting pressure
on the prime minister and the government to rescind the visas of
Christian missionaries in the country and ban conversions to
Christianity. Gospel for Asia reports that Buddhist leaders are also
lobbying to keep foreign funds for Christian work from entering the
country. The Buddhists say that village monks should be empowered to
enforce the proposed laws and punish offenders. Gospel for Asia has
planted more than 100 churches and operates two Bible schools in Sri
Lanka. Most of the country's 25,000 villages are still without a local
church fellowship. (Assist News Service)
THOUSANDS OF GERMANS COMMEMORATE REUNIFICATION WITH PRAYER
Thousands of Christians commemorated the 12th anniversary of the
German reunification by praying for their nation. More than 600
believers gathered in the geographical center of the country the
eastern German village of Neufrankenroda, on Reunification Day,
Thursday, Oct. 3. It was the first time that a church bell rang in the
200-year-old village that has never had a church. The bell was
transferred from the village of Doebeln which had been abandoned 20
years ago to make room for a lignite quarry. Other prayer meetings
were held in Berlin, Hamburg, Augsburg and Magdeburg. Participants
thanked God for reunification and offered prayers for the nearly 4
million unemployed Germans, the 300,000 unborn children killed each
year by abortion, and the violent situation in the Holy Land. (IDEA)
CHRISTIAN TV NETWORK IN U.S. TO ADD SATELLITE CHANNEL
Sky Angel will add a Christian channel in the U.S. called Guardian
Television Network to its lineup in November. Guardian will be one of
20 television channels and 16 radio channels available nationwide
through an 18-inch satellite dish that is available for a monthly
subscription fee. Guardian Television Network is a Christian-family
channel featuring popular Christian ministries and programs such as
Joyce Meyer, James Robison, Greg Laurie, and "The 700 Club" as well as
family-oriented game shows and programs such as "Touched by an Angel,"
"Doc," "Promised Land" and "Ponderosa." (Sky Angel)
'TRUE LOVE WAITS' CAMPAIGN EXPANDS TO INCLUDE PARENTS
"For the first time since the beginning of the True Love Waits
campaign, parents will be invited to make a promise to sexual fidelity
and purity," says Jimmy Hester, senior director in LifeWay's student
ministry publishing. "We know that in many families the issue of
purity is not just a teen issue. With the proliferation of pornography
and divorce, purity has become an issue for a lot of parents." The
commitment for parents states: "Believing that true love is pure, I
join [insert student's name] in committing to a lifestyle of purity. I
make a commitment to God, myself, my family and my community of faith
to abstain from pornography, impure touching and conversations, and
sex outside a biblical marriage relationship from this day forward."
(Religion Today)
James A. Ferrier
HCJB World Radio
Web: http://www.hcjb.org
http://www.beyondthecall.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Editor's Note. Feel free to forward this to any interested friends. Our
lists are distributed for information purposes and to encourage prayer.
HCJB World Radio does not necessarily endorse or support the activities
on which it reports.
Rowland Croucher
--------------------------------------------------------
CHINA: URGENT - 9 OCTOBER HASTY RE-TRIAL OF 17 CONVICTED
--------------------------------------------------------
*** SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST ***
This news has just come through.
"A Chinese court has thrown out the criminal conviction of 17 members of the
unregistered South China Church. The Supreme Court of Hubei Province has
ordered a new trial for the Christians, including Pastor Gong Shengliang and
journalist Li Ying. Both are among five SCC members sentenced to death for
their involvement in illegal church activities. Twelve others received
sentences ranging from two years to life. The court said the procedures in
the civil trial that led to convictions were illegal. The court has sent the
case back to the Jingmen City Intermediate People's Court for retrial on
October 9th, 2002."
The defence has had only had one day to prepare.
Please pray for justice.
***** PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN IDOP - 10/17 NOVEMBER 2002 *****
* The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church *
* For resources and links to national websites - *
* http://www.idop.org *
*************************************************************
----------------------------------------------------
Previous RLPs may be viewed at http://www.evangelicalalliance.org.au/rlc/ If
you downloaded this message from a website or it was forwarded to you, you
may receive future editions by sending an empty e-mail to
<join-rl...@xc.org>
Please send this RLP to others, with attribution to World Evangelical
Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty Prayer List <rl-p...@crossnet.org.au>
----------------------------------------------------
The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this RL Prayer List to help
individuals and groups pray specifically and regularly for religious liberty
issues, and in particular to uphold the Church where it is suffering
persecution.
RL Prayer is moderated by Ron Clough, a commissioner of the WEA RLC and
convenor of the Australian EA RLC.
Elizabeth Kendal researched and authored this message.
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
***** PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN IDOP - 10/17 NOVEMBER 2002 *****
* The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church *
* For resources and links to national websites - *
* http://www.idop.org *
*************************************************************
-----------------------------------------
BELARUS: OPPRESSIVE RELIGION LAW VOTED IN
-----------------------------------------
There has been a lot of interest in the situation in Belarus. God
provided the Church with a marvellous opportunity to witness to the
authorities. As God said to the prophet Ezekiel, "You must give them
my messages, whether they listen or not." (Ezekiel 2:7).
As it turned out, the government and Orthodox Church have chosen
not to listen to the minority churches. On 2 October, with the full
support of the Orthodox Church, the Belarus Upper House voted 46
for, 2 against with 4 abstentions, to accept the proposed new
religion law. The law has now gone to President Lukashenko to sign
within ten days and it comes into force ten days after that.
Keston Institute <http://www.keston.org> describes the new religion
law as the most repressive of its kind in Europe. All religious
organisations in Belarus will now have to re-register over the next
two years to bring their statutes into line with the new law. All
unregistered religious activity will be illegal and foreigners will
not be permitted to lead religious groups. Any group that did not
have a registered community in 1982 (at the height of Soviet
oppression) will be banned from becoming a "religious association",
the status necessary for publishing and importing literature, or
running any charities and education.
Keston quotes Artur Livshits, a lawyer and a member of the Civic
Initiative for Freedom of Conscience as saying, "The first people to
suffer will be the Protestants and all the non-traditional faiths."
Sergei Karnyushenko, spokesman for the Pentecostal Union, told
Keston Institute, "This law will affect all our communities,
especially the small ones." Keston Institute reported that Vasyl
Yurevich, the administrator of the New Life Protestant Church,
protested outside parliament during the session.
Georgi Vyazovsky, pastor of Christ Covenant Church, a Reformed
Baptist church in Minsk with nine associated congregations, told
Keston on 2 October that the law was "very bad" and "against the
Gospel". He said he believed it was adopted to support the Russian
Orthodox Church. "If the president signs this law," said
Vyazovsky, "we will be driven into illegality. None of our
communities will pass the re-registration." (Only one is presently
registered.) But he continued, "I'm a Calvinist. I believe in
providence. We shall find a way to continue to meet, worship and
publish literature. Even in the Soviet times people did this. God
will provide the way."
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY:
* that President Lukashenko will not sign the religion law.
* for spiritual wisdom and peace for all evangelical Protestant
pastors and leaders whose ministries and congregations are
threatened by this law, that they may have grace to lead well.
* for the Protestant churches, both large and small, to remain
bonded in a spirit of love and solidarity. "Always keep
yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves
together in peace." Ephesians 4:3
* EXTRA PRAYER REQUEST FOR SUDAN
Peace talks are set to resume between the Government of Sudan and
the Southern People's Liberation Movement/Army on Monday 14 October
2002, in Kenya. Humanitarian aid flights have resumed to most
areas.
SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE:
------------------------------------------------------------
BELARUS PARLIAMENT VOTES FOR OPPRESSIVE RELIGION LAW
On 2 October, the Belarus Upper House voted overwhelmingly to adopt
the oppressive proposed religion law, which is now with President
Lukashenko, awaiting his signature. Keston Institute describes the
new religion law as the most repressive of its kind in Europe. Many
small groups will not pass the requirements for re-registration and
will be rendered illegal. Other groups that did not have a
registered community in 1982 (at the height of the Soviet era) will
be banned from ever becoming a "religious association", a status
necessary for publishing and importing literature, or running
charities and schools or theological education.
----------------------------------------------------
Previous RLPs may be viewed at
http://www.evangelicalalliance.org.au/rlc/
If you downloaded this message from a website or it
was forwarded to you, you may receive future editions
by sending an empty e-mail to <join-rl...@xc.org>
Please send this RLP to others, with attribution to
World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty
Prayer List <rl-p...@crossnet.org.au>
----------------------------------------------------
The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this
RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray
specifically and regularly for religious liberty
issues, and in particular to uphold the Church
where it is suffering persecution.
RL Prayer is moderated by Ron Clough, a commissioner
of the WEA RLC and convenor of the Australian EA RLC.
Elizabeth Kendal researched and authored this message.
Rowland Croucher
--------------------------------------------------------
CHINA: URGENT - 9 OCTOBER HASTY RE-TRIAL OF 17 CONVICTED
--------------------------------------------------------
*** SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST ***
This news has just come through.
"A Chinese court has thrown out the criminal conviction of 17
members of the unregistered South China Church. The Supreme Court
of Hubei Province has ordered a new trial for the Christians,
including Pastor Gong Shengliang and journalist Li Ying. Both are
among five SCC members sentenced to death for their involvement in
illegal church activities. Twelve others received sentences ranging
from two years to life. The court said the procedures in the civil
trial that led to convictions were illegal. The court has sent the
case back to the Jingmen City Intermediate People's Court for
retrial on October 9th, 2002."
The defence has had only had one day to prepare.
Please pray for justice.
***** PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN IDOP - 10/17 NOVEMBER 2002 *****
* The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church *
* For resources and links to national websites - *
* http://www.idop.org *
*************************************************************
----------------------------------------------------
Previous RLPs may be viewed at
http://www.evangelicalalliance.org.au/rlc/
If you downloaded this message from a website or it
was forwarded to you, you may receive future editions
by sending an empty e-mail to <join-rl...@xc.org>
Please send this RLP to others, with attribution to
World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty
Prayer List <rl-p...@crossnet.org.au>
----------------------------------------------------
The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this
RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray
specifically and regularly for religious liberty
issues, and in particular to uphold the Church
where it is suffering persecution.
RL Prayer is moderated by Ron Clough, a commissioner
of the WEA RLC and convenor of the Australian EA RLC.
Elizabeth Kendal researched and authored this message.
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,700+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
A ministry of HCJB World Radio
To subscribe, E-mail to: <HCJBDa...@pmbx.net>
Today's News Headlines:
LOCAL AUTHORITIES SHUT DOWN 17 CHURCHES IN INDONESIAN PROVINCE
POLICE KEEP EYEWITNESS TO MASSACRE IN PAKISTAN IN PROTECTIVE CUSTODY
REPORT: CUBAN GOVERNMENT REMAINS INTOLERANT OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
WITNESSING EXPANDS IN CENTRAL ASIA DESPITE REPORTS OF PERSECUTION
1 MILLION PEOPLE EXPECTED TO ATTEND EVANGELISTIC EVENT IN INDIA
SCOTTISH MINISTRY LAUNCHES 'VIRTUAL CHAPEL' AIMED AT SEEKERS
Today's News Stories:
LOCAL AUTHORITIES SHUT DOWN 17 CHURCHES IN INDONESIAN PROVINCE
Seventeen churches in the Indonesian province of Aceh were closed down
by local government authorities in September, reports the Barnabas
Fund. Authorities gave no reason for these closures that have deprived
more than 10,000 Christians of places to meet for worship. One
congregation meets outdoors in a palm oil plantation. Christians in
Aceh have been under increasing pressure since the implementation of
sharia (Islamic law) in March. Although sharia was only supposed to
apply to Muslims, Christian women are being forced to conform to
Islamic dress codes. Aceh is a predominantly Islamic province.
Implementation of sharia was allowed by the national government as
part of a special autonomy agreement aimed at countering a violent
separatist movement fighting for an independent Islamic state in Aceh.
As a result, Christians are facing increasing difficulties and
opposition. (Religion Today)
POLICE KEEP EYEWITNESS TO MASSACRE IN PAKISTAN IN PROTECTIVE CUSTODY
One of two eyewitnesses to an execution-style massacre in Karachi
Sept. 25 has been placed in "protective custody" for two more weeks by
court order, pending security police investigations into the still
unsolved attack. On Tuesday a district bench of the Sindh High Court
today extended until Oct. 22 police protective custody of 27-year-old
Robin Peranditta by Pakistan's Criminal Investigation Agency. Robin
Shareef, the other survivor of the shooting which left seven
Christians dead, suffered critical wounds and lies unconscious in a
Karachi hospital. Peranditta collapsed under police interrogation a
few hours after the terrorist attack on the office where he worked as
an errand boy and watchman. Peranditta was severely beaten but not
shot when the thugs broke into the downtown Karachi offices of the
Institute for Peace and Justice, a Christian welfare organization
serving the massive port city's poor. Court officials said
Peranditta's life is in danger because he saw the murderers.
Meanwhile, two more Christian institutions in Pakistan have been
targeted by violence since the Karachi attack. On Sunday, Sept. 29, a
crude bomb exploded close to the wall of a small interdenominational
Christian prayer hall in Baluchistan province. Despite damage to the
building's outer wall, no one was wounded in the remote village church
in Kohlu where a few people were meeting. On Friday, Oct. 4, two
unidentified men on a motorcycle threw a hand grenade at the main
entrance of the Christian Mission Hospital in Bannu, just 30 miles
from the Afghan border in Pakistan's rugged tribal region. The
explosion, which barely missed two police guards who had walked back
into the compound minutes before, shattered hospital windows but
caused no injuries. (Compass)
FIGHTING IN LIBERIA DEPLETES RESOURCES AT CHRISTIAN HOSPITAL
In Liberia, looting and vandalism following fighting this spring left
a Christian hospital's resources depleted. World Vision Liberia
reports that the facility was in a recovery period, and in need of
help. In response, the agency took medicines and supplies to the Phebe
Hospital in Bong County. Given the critical needs of the hospital, the
latest assistance was timely, opening up fresh opportunities for World
Vision workers to share the gospel. (Mission Network News)
WITNESSING EXPANDS IN CENTRAL ASIA DESPITE REPORTS OF PERSECUTION
While governments across Central Asia deny the existence of
"persecution," Christians in the region face continual harassment and
oppression by area officials, says Bible Mission International's Mark
Reimschisel "We just heard a report out of Uzbekistan where a meeting
was broken up," he said. "Persecution is alive and well, but, in the
face of that persecution, the believers see all kinds of new
opportunities. And we're excited that the young people, specifically,
have not backed away from the Christian faith. In fact, they've
embraced it even more." Reimschisel says the fire of evangelism has
swept this generation of believers in Central Asia. "It seems like
whether we're on a bus or in the train stations, or in the market,
there's always an opportunity for them to connect with someone with
whom they can share the gospel. So we're seeing a whole new generation
of young people that are really willing to step up to the plate and
take Christ to the nations." (Mission Network News)
1 MILLION PEOPLE EXPECTED TO ATTEND EVANGELISTIC EVENT IN INDIA
South Korean-based Manmin Ministries is expecting up to 1 million
people to attend a crusade led by Dr. Lee Jae-Rock in the southeastern
Indian city of Chennai (formerly known as Madras) Oct. 10-13. This is
close to the traditional site of the martyrdom of Thomas, the doubting
disciple who is said to be buried at the San Thomé Cathedral in
Chennai. Lee is senior pastor of the 75,000-member Manmin Joong-Ang
Church based in Seoul. (Assist News Service)
SCOTTISH MINISTRY LAUNCHES 'VIRTUAL CHAPEL' AIMED AT SEEKERS
Light a virtual candle -- but say a real prayer. That's one of the
options on www.rejesus.co.uk, a website launched during the Scottish
Christian Resources Exhibition in Edinburgh Oct 3-5. "Even for people
turned off by the idea of church and organized religion, Jesus of
Nazareth still holds a fascination," says Simon Jenkins, one of the
site's founders. "The site offers them a chance to explore the person
of Jesus by downloading a gospel, watching a movie of His life, even
pitting their wits in a pub quiz." Visitors are encouraged to post a
prayer in a virtual chapel. Then they click onto a candle and drop it
into a candlestick. It will "burn" for 48 hours. (Assist News Service)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
James A. Ferrier
Web: http://www.hcjb.org
http://www.beyondthecall.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
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--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,700+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2002 11:39 PM
Subject: New law in Indian state threatens Christian conversions
CHRISTIAN SOLIDARITY WORLDWIDE
For immediate release
October 10 2002
NEW LAW IN INDIAN STATE THREATENS CHRISTIAN CONVERSIONS
A new law in the southern state of Tamil Nadu is being seen as a direct
threat to Christian conversions in India.
The Chief Minister and the Governor of the state together issued an
ordinance on October 5 which claims to ban only those conversions which are
'by force or fraud'. However, it is being widely viewed as an attempt to
prevent all conversions to Christianity in the state.
Militant Hindu groups such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have waged a
growing campaign against Christian conversions. The leader of another
militant group, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), claimed recently:
"No-one converts voluntarily. It is motivated by greed."
Militant Hindu groups have alleged that all conversion to Christianity
happens 'by force or fraud' and their influence can be seen behind the
ordinance. So far only one other state, Orissa, has a similar ordinance in
force, but Christians fear this will spread to other states.
There is a similar bill pending in the national Parliament, which even
claims that provision of free education by Christians and others is an
'inducement' to conversion, and will incur heavy penalties.
There are many precedents across India of militant Hindu groups claiming
that genuine conversions to Christianity have been fraudulent or induced. An
ordinance such as this will make it easier for such groups to harrass and
obstruct Christians witnessing to non-Christians.
Christian evangelists are among those most targeted by militant Hindus
already. With such an ordinance in force, it gives all the more excuse for
mobs to attack evangelists, on the pretext that they are breaking the law.
Other groups are also being targeted, such as the Dalits (untouchables) and
other marginalized groups, some of whom have converted to religions such as
Buddhism to escape the oppression they encounter under the Hindu caste
system.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide's partner organisation, the All India
Christian Council (AICC), plans to challenge the ordinance in court. The
Council noted that "forcible or induced conversion...is rejected by the
church" and that voluntary conversion is "a basic human right and is
guaranteed in the Indian Constitution and by the United Nations."
Mervyn Thomas, Chief Executive of CSW, said: "This is a very worrying
development for religious minorities in India. This legislation means that
genuine conversions will be viewed as having taken place under duress.
"We are right behind the AICC in their bid to overturn this ruling as it
represents a very serious threat to religious liberty in India."
For more information, contact Richard Chilvers at Christian Solidarity
Worldwide www.csw.org.uk
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,700+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Subject: [Daily Update] 11 October 2002 Update From HCJB World Radio
A ministry of HCJB World Radio
To subscribe, E-mail to: <HCJBDa...@pmbx.net>
Today's News Headlines:
AGENCY WARNS OF LOOMING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE
CHINESE COURT LIFTS DEATH SENTENCES FOR CHURCH LEADERS
SUDAN REOPENS AIRSPACE BUT ESCALATES WAR ON THE SOUTH
REPORT: CUBAN GOVERNMENT REMAINS INTOLERANT OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
1,500 LATIN AMERICAN CHRISTIAN COMMUNICATORS GATHER IN MEXICO
* PIONEER MEDICAL MISSIONARY GRANTED ECUADORIAN CITIZENSHIP
Today's News Stories:
AGENCY WARNS OF LOOMING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE
As thousands of people flee the bloodiest uprising in the history of
Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), a U.N. agency warned that a looming
humanitarian crisis in the once-stable West African country could
destabilize the entire region, reported Associated Press. Aid workers
estimate that 150,000 people have been displaced by fierce fighting in
the central rebel-held city of Bouake where the government launched an
offensive this week to oust insurgents who seized half the country
after a failed coup attempt on Sept. 19. Thousands of immigrants are
also on the run to avoid deadly ethnic clashes unleashed by the
fighting. Most come from impoverished countries such as Burkina Faso
and Mali which are likely to face a massive influx of refugees. The
frightened residents spoke of heavy explosions, food shortages and
gangs of tribal militants who burned some people alive. Dioulas are a
largely Muslim, northern-based tribe who complain of being treated as
second-class citizens by the largely Christian Baoules who have
traditionally dominated the government along with other southern-based
tribes.
France has about 1,000 troops in Ivory Coast, its former colony, to
protect French and other foreign nationals and to provide logistical
support to government forces. Working with U.S. troops, the French
have evacuated some 2,500 foreigners from rebel-held areas. Their
presence along the main road east from Bouake has indirectly helped
secure an exit route for the city's terrified residents. Army
spokesman Col. Jules Yao Yao said Thursday that government forces had
withdrawn to defensive positions around Bouake to give rebels time to
respond to President Laurent Gbagbo's call for talks. Gbagbo said this
week he was open to negotiations, but only if the rebels disarm first
-- something they show no sign of accepting. A rebel official vowed
Thursday to press on with their campaign to push south toward the
coastal city of Abidjan.
Chris Marine of Evangelical Baptist Mission says that missionaries
were caught off guard by the violence, especially since Ivory Coast
had been an oasis of stability in West Africa. "We had no idea this
was happening until we woke to gunfire on Sept. 19," he says. "Out of
nowhere, without any warning the gunfire started. There was firing
over our campus [at the International Christian Academy in Baouke],
and there were times of concern with 163 students on campus." Marine
was among those evacuated from the compound about a week later. "Pray
that the Lord would lay His hand of protection on the school, that it
would not be looted so that when the situation is resolved, we can get
back in there and open the school back up," he said. "Also pray for
the national Christians who are having to live in a very stressful
situation." (AP/Mission Network News)
CHINESE COURT LIFTS DEATH SENTENCES FOR CHURCH LEADERS
Leaders of the South China Church have had their sentences reduced
after a retrial ordered by the Hubei Province Supreme Court. Four of
the church leaders were declared innocent and released immediately.
South China Church founder Gong Shengliang and two others were
sentenced to life in prison instead of facing execution. Journalist Li
Ying, the church's second-in-command and the publisher of an
underground church magazine, was sentenced to 15 years in prison along
with Bang Kun Gong. In the original trial, Ying was handed a death
sentence. During the retrial, the court dropped all "evil cult"
charges against the church leaders. The retrial came as Chinese
President Jiang Zemin prepares to visit the U.S. later this month. The
church leaders have faced harsh treatment in prison with some
receiving severe beatings. The court ruled that the prisoners are
forbidden to have Bibles, and copies of the Scriptures sent by their
families have been confiscated. In addition, they have been forbidden
to pray out loud in their cells. Other inmates have been ordered to
interrupt their prayers and to report any prayers to prison officers.
(Voice of the Martyrs)
SUDAN REOPENS AIRSPACE BUT ESCALATES WAR ON THE SOUTH
The Sudanese government lifted the flight ban into southern Sudan on
Sunday, Oct. 6, but it's unclear how many areas are still off limits
to aid missions. Meanwhile, a government fighter went down in Sudan
recently, but it cannot be confirmed whether it crashed or was shot
down. Fighting is escalating in the country as government bombers
continue to attack civilian targets, especially in the non-Muslim
Western Upper Nile region. The fighting has resulted in a serious food
shortage in large areas of Sudan: (International Christian Concern)
REPORT: CUBAN GOVERNMENT REMAINS INTOLERANT OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
The government of Cuban President Fidel Castro continues to restrict
Christian activities despite a promise to increase religious freedoms
after Pope John Paul's visit in 1998. A State Department report
released on Monday says that Cuba's government remains intolerant of
religious freedom. The report covered the topic of religious worship
in approximately 190 countries, and it found "no change" in Cuba's
policies in the past year. "In general, unregistered religious groups
in Cuba continued to experience varying degrees of official
interference, harassment and repression," the report stated. The
report accused the Castro government of sending security agents to spy
on those who worship in churches, blocking construction of new
churches, and limiting the number of foreign priests allowed into the
country. (Religion Today)
1,500 LATIN AMERICAN CHRISTIAN COMMUNICATORS GATHER IN MEXICO
More than 1,500 Christian communicators from across Latin America
gathered in Puebla, Mexico, Sept. 24-28, for the 11th annual of COICOM
convention. The theme for this strategic event was, "It's Time for the
Harvest." The plenary sessions, more than 90 workshops and symposiums
challenged participants to mobilize the Christian community to
evangelize and saturate cities and countries with the gospel, said
organizer Janet Luttrell of Puerto Rico. "Numerous church growth
strategies were presented that combine the use of the mass media and
the novel use of the small 'Power to Change' stands where people can
ask about a personal relationship with God," she said. Among the guest
speakers were Pat Robertson, Danilo Montero, Alberto Mottesi, Dante
Gebel and Jesús Romero. The convention ended with communicators being
challenged to help win their home countries for Christ. Plans are
already being made for COICOM 2003 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, next
October. (Assist News Service)
* PIONEER MEDICAL MISSIONARY GRANTED ECUADORIAN CITIZENSHIP
Dr. Paul Roberts, a former missionary to Ecuador who pioneered HCJB
World Radio's medical ministries, has been granted Ecuadorian
citizenship in recognition of his "extraordinary labor" to the
country. Alejandro Suárez Pasquel, Ecuador's ambassador to Canada,
made the presentation at the Ecuadorian Consulate in Toronto Thursday,
Sept. 26, before about 40 of Roberts' family members, friends and
local officials. He is the first Canadian to receive this honor.
"To God be the glory," said Roberts, 79, who arrived in Quito with his
wife, Barbara, in 1949 to begin HCJB World Radio's healthcare
ministries. "I'm a bit taken aback by this honor." They now reside in
Markham, Ontario.
The Roberts came to Ecuador in 1949 even though Paul was told he could
never get his M.D. in the country. But through persistence and hard
work, including writing a thesis in Spanish, he became the first
missionary to earn an M.D. from an Ecuadorian university in 1951.
After arriving Ecuador, Paul would often travel with a nurse to remote
towns and villages to hold medical clinics. "At that time the roads
were all cobblestone," he says "Even the Pan-American Highway in Quito
was a cobblestone road!"
During the Roberts' first year in Ecuador, HCJB World Radio opened its
first medical clinic in Quito, reaching out primarily to Quichua
Indians. Paul was later instrumental in starting Rimmer Memorial
Hospital (now called Hospital Vozandes-Quito) which opened in 1955. He
helped raise funds to build the hospital, speaking 72 times each
February for seven consecutive years on a Philadelphia radio program
called "Morning Cheer."
Although the Roberts only served as missionaries in Ecuador for 11
years, they have maintained a close relationship with the country.
Every two or three years Paul and a team of doctors from the
University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine (where Roberts worked for 27
years) have taught postgraduate courses on orthopedic surgery at
Central University in Quito.
Orthopedic surgeons come from across Ecuador as well as Peru and
Colombia for these courses -- the planned to start on Nov. 24. At the
last course in April 2000 the Ecuadorian Society of Orthopedics and
Trauma made Roberts a full member of the society as a benefactor. He
also served as honorary consul for Ecuador's Ministry of External
Affairs for 19 years (1967-1986), issuing visas and passports.
Recently he was reappointed to this position.
As a result of his many contributions, Ecuador's president decorated
Roberts in 1990 as a "Knight Commander in the National Order of Merit
in Ecuador," the highest honor that the country can bestow on a
foreign civilian. "Two years ago the Ecuadorian ambassador to Canada
asked what else they could do for me," Paul says. "I said that I would
love to be an Ecuadorian citizen. The ambassador said this might be
impossible. But after 11/2 years of paperwork, a presidential decree
made it possible." (HCJB World Radio)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
James A. Ferrier
HCJB World Radio
Web: http://www.hcjb.org
http://www.beyondthecall.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Editor's Note. Feel free to forward this to any interested friends. Our
lists are distributed for information purposes and to encourage prayer.
HCJB World Radio does not necessarily endorse or support the activities
on which it reports.
Post Archives. Searchable archives are available to subscribers for
most of our lists. Access to the archives for this list, if available,
requires you to enter both your subscribed email address and a unique
confirmation id (which may be obtained by sending email from your
subscribed address to <HCJBDail...@pmbx.net>) at
https://mail.pmbx.net:9100/Lists/HCJBDaily.
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,700+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Monday, October 14, 2002 10:13 AM
Subject: Prime Minister : interview
13 October 2002
TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER
THE HON JOHN HOWARD MP
PRESS CONFERENCE IN RESPONSE TO
TERROR ATTACK IN BALI, SYDNEY
Subjects: Bali tragedy; terrorism; medical assistance
PRIME MINISTER:
Ladies and Gentlemen, I know that I speak for all Australians, and I mean
all Australians, in expressing a sense of outrage, sadness and horror at
what has occurred overnight in Bali. This wicked and cowardly attack,
clearly on the evidence available to us, an act of terrorism and have no
justification and would be widely condemned not only by Australians but by
people all around the world.
My very first thoughts, however are with those Australians at present
waiting and hoping to hear from loved ones who are so far unaccounted for.
Our thoughts will be especially with them at this time of unbelievable
stress and anxiety and we can only hope that the prayers and the hopes of as
many of them as possible are answered over the coming hours.
The latest information I have is that there are confirmed dead of 169 with
hundreds injured. I don't at this stage, nor do the Australian authorities
in Jakarta or Denpasar know the exact extent of Australian casualties.
There are many Australians unaccounted for, many. We must therefore prepare
ourselves as a nation for the possibility of a significant number of
Australians deaths amongst the fatalities.
The indiscriminate, brutal and despicable way in which lives have been taken
away on this occasion by an act of barbarity will, I know, deeply shock all
Australians and accepting that shock I also express my condolences to the
people of Indonesia who I know have lost many of their citizens in this
outrage. Many of the Australians in this nightclub were doing something
that thousands of young Australians do at this time of the year, they mark
the end of a season of sport with some fun in another place. They were
carrying on that innocent and understandably exuberant pastime is something
that we take for granted as Australians. Sadly and tragically terrorism has
touched that innocent pursuit and touched it in a brutal and very barbaric
and quite unforgivable fashion.
The view that this is a terrorist attack is not my view alone. It is the
current assessment of both the Australian and the Indonesian authorities. A
short while ago I spoke on the telephone to President Megawati of Indonesia.
I expressed to her my condolences at the loss of life suffered by Indonesia
and she conveyed her sorrow and shock at the likely loss of Australian
lives.
Both of us agreed that this incident was a brutal reminder that the world
has in fact to face the challenge of terrorism. The warnings of the last
year or more that terrorism can touch anybody, anywhere, at any time have
been borne out by this terrible event. And I can only say again that the
war against terrorism must go on with unrelenting vigour and with an
unconditional commitment because terrorism strikes indiscriminantly, it
strikes at civilian targets, it strikes without justification, it strikes
without pity and it strikes in a way that I know outrages the civilised
world.
I want to immediately record my thanks to the Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade, the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force for
the speedy way in which the crisis response went into action this morning.
A C130 with a medical team of seven doctors, including experienced surgeons
and nurses is already on its way and will be in Denpasar at 8.00 pm this
evening. It has a capacity to bring back to Australia litter patients of
some thirty and if necessary further aircraft will be despatched to bring
people back to Australia for treatment and I've indicated to the Department
of Foreign Affairs that all of the resources of the Air Force will be
available for this task. We are determined to provide the best possible
medical assistance for Australians, we'll bring them back, we'll offer
medical treatment for others who have been injured in this outrage. I offer
that medical assistance and I also offered police assistance to President
Megawati when I spoke to her this afternoon. But we had, in admittably very
sad circumstances, a very constructive and positive discussion about the
need to work together as closely as possible in the wake of this attack.
I also want to thank Qantas for immediately despatching additional aircraft.
I've spoken to the Chairman of Qantas, Margaret Jackson, a short time ago
and she indicated that the airline stood ready to provide all additional
assistance that may be needed.
I want to issue a very strong piece of advice to Australians not to travel
to Bali until further notice. In the wake of what has occurred it is
clearly not a safe place and I would counsel people in unmistakably clear
terms not to take the risk. We have issued a number of travel warnings
about Bali and about Indonesia generally in recent times but in the wake of
this terrible event they certainly have an added point.
I've spoken to the Leader of the Opposition and offered him briefings from
the Department of Foreign Affairs and other agencies as appropriate and
equated him with any additional knowledge I have of the circumstances. We
both agree this is a huge national tragedy for Australia and for Australians
and it is something that the Australian community should as far as possible
confront and respond to together.
I have also had two conversations with the Premier of Western Australia Dr
Gallop. Quite a number of the people in Bali and apparently the nightclub
were from Western Australia and because of the proximity of Perth and the
rest of Western Australia there is always a significant number of
Australians from that part of our country in Bali.
Ladies and Gentlemen this is a very sad day, it's tragic that young
Australians seeking nothing other than innocent enjoyment, Australians
generally - not only young - many, of all ages over the years have made Bali
a holiday destination, they've enjoyed it and have enjoyed the hospitality
of the Balinese people. I can only say again that my thoughts are very much
with the families waiting to hear. It is an awful time for them and I hope
that they.... may find some comfort from the fact that there fellow
Australians are thinking of them, are feeling for them and are trying in our
different ways to share their anxiety and to express the hope that there
prayers will as far as possible and in as many cases as possible be
answered.
This event is a terrible reminder that terrorism can touch anybody anywhere
and at any time and any country or any people, any leader or any nation that
imagines that in some way they have secured immunity from terrorism because
of this or that attitude or this or that part or position in the world, or
this or that accident of geography is deluding themselves. That is not the
case, and this event sadly has brought that home.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister do you think that Australia is particularly being targeted?
PRIME MINISTER:
Sarah, there is a pattern and the pattern is anti-Western if you look at the
incidents that have happened especially over the last year or two you see an
anti-Western pattern. But whether or not there is a particular
anti-Australian component in this I can't tell, but this is place, Kuta
Beach, which is frequented by a lot of Australians a lot also frequented by
other westerners and if you look at the other attacks - the Germans and the
French who died in foreign countries, in Pakistan, in Tunisia, you think of
the several hundred Kenyans who died as a result of terrorist attacks there
is a pattern and that pattern is an anti-Western one and naturally and of
course historically being a western nation, Australians can and have
tragically in this case been caught up with it but of course there were
Australians who died in the World Trade Centre along with people from Europe
and people from Asia and people from the Middle East and people of Islamic
faith and of all faiths so it's fair to say that there is an anti-Western
character. Whether one can go beyond that and say that there was a
particularly anti-Australian character to this, I don't have the basis on
which to make that claim.
JOURNALIST:
....could be paying the price for Australians support for the United States?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think a totally inaccurate proposition and what makes it inaccurate is the
fact that citizens of other countries that have taken what could either be
called a neutral stance or a completely different stance from Australia have
had their citizens killed in terrorist attacks and I think particularly the
Germans and the French
JOURNALIST:
... investigating a possible link between yesterday's terror alert which
albeit related to specific utilities and Bali last night...
PRIME MINISTER:
From the information I have there is no link at all between the two, none
whatsoever.
JOURNALIST:
Can I ask whether or not we've actually had any advice from an overseas
special agency warning us of something like this...?
PRIME MINISTER:
Nothing which could have specifically warned of this incident. There have
been some general expressions repeatedly and we have expressed our concern
in relation to them to the Indonesian Government and so have the Americans
but there are a lot of terrorist groups, a number of terrorist cells in
Indonesia and that is a matter of public knowledge and public record and it
has been a matter of concern expressed by me. It led us in part to the
signing of the memorandum of understanding on terrorism six or nine months
ago when I was in Jakarta, and it's been the source of constant
representation by the United States Government to the Indonesian
authorities. There is no doubt that there are terrorist cells with links to
Al Qaeda in Indonesia. We know that and that is a matter of public
knowledge. Now I'm not going to try and connect the dots on this occasion
because it's too early and I don't have the evidence to do that. But all I
am asserting at the moment, and all the authorities are telling me is that
this appears on all the signs at this early stage to have been a terrorist
attack. I mean there was a huge bomb apparently that left a very large
crater.
JOURNALIST:
What sort of assuring can you give Australians within our borders that
security has been correspondingly intensified following Bali...?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well as a result of this we will review everything again. I will have a
meeting of the National Security Committee of Cabinet tomorrow. I'll be
seeing some senior people in Canberra tonight when I arrive there and we'll
be looking at everything again. But I can only repeat what I have said
repeatedly for a year now and that is that every country is at risk, some
more so than others and although Australia is at greater risk than we were
I've said that that we're not as at great a risk as others. But I can only
say that again and again - people should get out of their minds the idea
that it can't happen here. It can, and it has happened to our own on our
doorstep.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard has anyone claimed responsibility for this, or what ... indicating
which group it might be?
PRIME MINISTER:
No. No.
JOURNALIST:
What about Australian diplomats? Will you look at trying to bring those
diplomats back or....?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, as I say, we'll assess everything but I don't know that bringing
diplomats home is automatically the right thing to do. If anything we need
more people on the ground, or as many people as safely can be put on the
ground to get as much information as we possibly can.
JOURNALIST:
Are they at risk though....
PRIME MINISTER:
Well everybody's a bit at risk after something like this. I mean you might
not have thought that people doing what many of these young Australians were
doing were at risk. We are living in a more dangerous world and nobody can
imagine that by wrapping yourself up into a little ball and rolling over in
a corner that it's going to go away because terrorism can reach out and
touch people who are trying to be as unobtrusive as possible as well as
reaching out and touching people who are behaving in a more overt fashion,
using that language in its collective sense.
JOURNALIST:
Did Megawati (give) any assurances now about what she will do now? Is she
going to crack down on the JI group?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well obviously they have to carry out investigations and try and find out
who's responsible. She gave me a general assurance that they would pursue
the perpetrators and I hope that proves to be the case and we will be
pushing very very hard indeed to see that that happens. We would like to see
the maximum effort on the part of the Indonesian government to deal with the
terrorist problem within their own borders. I mean it has been a problem for
a long time, it remains a problem and it will continue to be a problem and
there needs to be a maximum effort on the part of the Indonesian government.
It's too early at this stage for me or for her to be talking about who it
might be, except to say that it seems clearly to be an act of terrorism and
the organisation you mention, the JI organisation has been operating since
the 1950s, it has loose links with Al Qaeda. But as to precisely who was
involved in this outrage I don't know, she doesn't know at this stage, no
doubt the Indonesian authorities will offer any help they are inclined to
avail themselves of to try and help find the perpetrators.
JOURNALIST:
Have you had any calls of support and offers of help from Washington so far
in terms of trying to track down those who are responsible? Any offers of
assistance?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I haven't had any calls yet but I can't....I mean we are still in the
process of trying to help the people who have been left maimed and crippled
and injured by this outrage. I mean my total preoccupation this morning has
been in relation to the response to the Australians who've been killed and
injured. That's what I'm concerned about at the present time. I will
obviously turn my mind to some other matters in due course.
JOURNALIST:
Bob Brown this morning that he wants the government to, rather than focus on
say Iraq, concentrate on trouble spots like Indonesia and Bali, what's your
response to that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well terrorism is not geographically discreet. Terrorism is a worldwide
menace and that's been brought home to us. It's unrealistic of anybody to
believe that if you just deal with terrorism in one part of the world then
it's solved in other parts of the world, clearly our own area is of direct
concern to us but not exclusive concern to us and terrorism is a worldwide
threat. It needs to be responded to on a worldwide basis. It can reach
people no matter where they are because of the mobility of our population.
We live in the most mobile generation mankind has seen, and particularly the
young, they travel more than ever before. The idea that it's only likely to
touch your citizens and your loved ones if it occurs in Australia or in the
countries immediately around Australia is not a realistic assessment of
modern day life.
JOURNALIST:
... elective surgery, or will priority be placed on some of the hospitals
...
PRIME MINISTER:
Elective surgery?
JOURNALIST:
... the demand for the emergency services say here, in hospitals, will they
be pushed aside to...
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, I'm not going to presume to speak for the management of state run and
private hospitals. I'm quite certain our wonderful doctors and hospital
administrators and nurses and paramedics can handle the situation as they
always do in a quite superb fashion.
JOURNALIST:
Will you be speaking to President Bush about this?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think the immediate responsibility I have is to preoccupy myself in
helping Australians in Indonesia and Australia. My total preoccupation, my
dominant preoccupation now is as best I can in a tragic situation, as
inadequate though it might be for anybody in my position to try and do is to
express a sense of collective concern to those Australians and mothers and
fathers, and brothers and sisters, and everybody else who have got people in
Bali at the moment who they can't find. All of our thoughts ought to be
with them because it's a terrible time for them and they deserve our
sympathy and our support as best as we can give it in these very difficult
circumstances. Thank you.
[ends]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Worldwide Photos Ltd
http://au.photos.yahoo.com/rlgmediaau
http://community.webshots.com/user/ramon_williams
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,700+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Monday, October 14, 2002 11:54 PM
Subject: Released South China Church prisoners re-arrested by Chinese police
Contact: Todd Nettleton or Gary Lane
RELEASE DATE: IMMEDIATE
Released South China Church prisoners re-arrested by Chinese police
Four women who were turned loose by the Jingmen Intermediate Court last week
have been re-arrested by officers of China's Public Security Bureau (PSB),
and sent away for three years of "re-education through labor."
The four women had been released only hours earlier after a re-trial ordered
by the Hubei Province Supreme Court. They had planned to file a lawsuit
against guards and officials who had tortured them repeatedly during their
incarceration.
Feng Ping Xiang, 32, Xicun Meng, 27, YingPing Li, 28, and Xian Zhi Liu, 31,
were arrested only hours after the court had freed them. They had been
facing prison sentences from two years to 12 years before the retrial.
"The police in Jingmen clearly acted to prevent these women from suing
them," said Todd Nettleton, spokesman for The Voice of the Martyrs. "How
could they possibly have committed a new crime in the few hours they were
free?"
The four women were sexually molested and repeatedly tortured--including
having electric shocks to their breasts and genitals--until they signed
documents saying that Pastor Gong Shengliang had raped them. Gong, the
founder of the South China Church, was convicted on rape charges last week
and sentenced to life in prison.
"Obviously, the Chinese government thought Christians around the world would
forget about these women once they were released from prison," said
Nettleton. "We have not forgotten, and we urge Americans to write or call
the Chinese embassy to request the release of these Christian women. After
all they have already suffered, they should not spend another day in a labor
camp."
Police in China can send a prisoner away for up to three years without a
formal trial or formal charges.
China's President, Jiang Zemin, will be meeting with President Bush in Texas
later this month.
"We hope that President Bush will raise this case with President Jiang, and
urge the release of all South China Church Christians," said Nettleton.
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,700+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Today's News Headlines:
TERRORIST ATTACK ON BALI PUTS BELIEVERS ON EDGE IN MUSLIM COUNTRIES
CHINESE POLICE RE-ARREST 4 CHRISTIANS HOURS AFTER RELEASE FROM PRISON
CHRISTIAN BUSINESSMAN KIDNAPPED IN PAKISTAN
CHURCHES WORLDWIDE TO OBSERVE DAY OF PRAYER FOR PERSECUTED CHURCH
POLITICAL UNREST IN HAITI OPENS DOORS TO SHARE THE GOSPEL
GERMAN MISSION LEADER: EUROPE IS 'SPIRITUALLY DISTRESSED AREA'
Today's News Stories:
TERRORIST ATTACK ON BALI PUTS BELIEVERS ON EDGE IN MUSLIM COUNTRIES
Terrorists linked to al-Qaida are being blamed for a deadly bomb
attack on the Indonesian resort of Bali on the weekend that killed
more than 188 people. Some think that terrorist activity may increase
in the days ahead, says Open Doors U.S. President Terry Madison. "Just
imagine what it's like for the believers in Indonesia, trying to take
care of those who have been set upon by the jihad warriors. I think
this is part of this same al-Qaida and other guerrilla force activity.
This is part of the whole ferment of both political and religious
hatred." Madison says workers with Open Doors are much more cautious
now. "The believers in Pakistan, Indonesia and other places of the
world are increasingly on edge, realizing that there are forces at
work that would seek to not only hamper and hinder their worship of
the Lord, but actually seek to do bodily harm to them." (Mission
Network News)
CHINESE POLICE RE-ARREST 4 CHRISTIANS HOURS AFTER RELEASE FROM PRISON
Four Christian women who were set free by the Jingmen Intermediate
Court last week have been re-arrested by officers of China's Public
Security Bureau and sent away for three years of "re-education through
labor." The four women had been released only hours earlier after a
retrial ordered by the Hubei Province Supreme Court. They had planned
to file a lawsuit against guards and officials who tortured them
repeatedly during their incarceration. Feng Ping Xiang, 32, Xicun
Meng, 27, YingPing Li, 28, and Xian Zhi Liu, 31, were arrested only
hours after the court freed them. They had been facing prison
sentences from two years to 12 years before the retrial. "The police
in Jingmen clearly acted to prevent these women from suing them," said
Voice of the Martyrs spokesman Todd Nettleton. "How could they
possibly have committed a new crime in the few hours they were free?"
The four women were repeatedly sexually molested and tortured . . .
until they signed documents saying that South China Church founder
Gong Shengliang had raped them. Gong was convicted on rape charges
last week and sentenced to life in prison. Nettleton hopes that U.S.
President George W. Bush will discuss the issue of falsely imprisoned
Christians in China when he meets with Chinese President Jiang Zemin
in Texas later this month. (Voice of the Martyrs)
CHRISTIAN BUSINESSMAN KIDNAPPED IN PAKISTAN
Ainsworth Lal, a 71-year-businessman and former Christian
schoolteacher in Pakistan, has been kidnapped by some men whom he knew
through previous business deals in the country. Kidnapped about two
weeks ago, his captors are demanding a ransom of about US$7,000. Lal's
son-in-law, Australian Christian newscaster Philip Smith, said this
has been confirmed as a "genuine kidnapping" and that he has been
threatened with harm if the money demanded in not found. "My
father-in-law is being kept in a home in Peshawar in northwestern
Pakistan," said Smith who works as a newscaster at United Christian
Broadcasters Australia. "He is being fed and allowed to bathe, and is
in good health physically despite experiencing considerable emotional
trauma which is evident from the tone of his voice." Smith is urging
believers to pray for his father-in-law's soon release. (Assist News
Service/UCB Australia)
CHURCHES WORLDWIDE TO OBSERVE DAY OF PRAYER FOR PERSECUTED CHURCH
Thousands of churches across the U.S. and worldwide will focus on
suffering Christians during the International Day of Prayer for the
Persecuted Church Sunday, Nov. 10. This is one of the largest prayer
events in the world and has been observed since 1996, Open Doors U.S.
President Terry Madison. Ten Christian agencies have collaborated to
sponsor the event. "In my many talks with persecuted Christians around
the world, I always ask them what can we in the West can do to support
them in their walk with the Lord," Madison says. "No. 1 on the list is
prayer. They want us to pray with them and for them. But not just one
day a year!" An estimated 200 million Christians face persecution
around the world. (Religion Today)
POLITICAL UNREST IN HAITI OPENS DOORS TO SHARE THE GOSPEL
Political unrest is leading to open doors for sharing the gospel in
Haiti, says Dick McLeish of Men for Missions. The ministry's original
plans last month to enter an area of the country called Sector 4 had
to be scrapped due to an uprising. That led them to enter Saint
Michelle. "What we found was that God had already gone ahead and
prepared the people for exactly what we were there for," says McLeish.
Christian workers quickly set up a meeting to distribute radios tuned
to pick up Christian programming aired in the community. "We thought
we were initially going to meet with 40 pastors in the area," McLeish
says. "When we got there in the church on Saturday night there were
145 people there. Including pastors, church leaders and lay people
that were there to hear about 'Operation Saturation' and were excited
to learn how to share their own faith." (Mission Network News)
GERMAN MISSION LEADER: EUROPE IS 'SPIRITUALLY DISTRESSED AREA'
Detlef Bloecher, director of German Missionary Fellowship in Sinsheim,
says Europeans have cut themselves off from their Christian roots and
are indulging in materialism and individualism. "God's commandments
are trampled down, and ancient paganism is rearing its ugly head,"
said Bloecher. "Bible-believing Christians are few and far between,"
he says, accounting for just 3.2 percent of Germany's population. In
other countries the percentage is even lower: 0.3 in Belgium, 0.5 in
Austria, 0.6 in France and 0.8 in Spain. Only strict Islamic countries
and some Asian nations have a lower percentage of Christians.
"Europeans seem almost immune to the gospel," says Bloecher. "Germany
needs African evangelists, Korean Bible teachers, Brazilian student
missionaries and American church planters to come here." (IDEA)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
James A. Ferrier
HCJB World Radio
U.S. Ministries
Web: http://www.hcjb.org
http://www.beyondthecall.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Editor's Note. Feel free to forward this to any interested friends. Our
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--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,700+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 5:55 PM
Subject: Press Release: Laskar Jihad Disbands
Cry Indonesia Media, for International Friends of Compassion
Monday, October 21, 2002
http://cryindonesia.rnc.org.au
The Indonesian Islamic Militant Force, Laskar Jihad ('soldiers of the Holy
War'), widely held responsible for carrying out violence against the
Christian population of East Indonesia in which 10 000 people have been
killed in recent years, disbanded just hours before the terrorist attack on
Bali on Saturday October 12 which killed more than 200 people.
Since Tuesday October 15, Laskar Jihad troops have been seen leaving Ambon,
Maluku and Poso, Central Sulawesi and returning to their homeland of Java.
The Laskar Jihad Yogyakarta office is closed and their official website is
now offline.
There is speculation that the timing of the closure of Laskar Jihad and its
parent organisation, 'Communication Forum for
Ahlussunnah Waljamaah', is directly connected with the attack in Bali. There
are several possibilities:
- Recent international pressure on the Indonesian government has finally
resulted in a crackdown on Islamic militant groups within Indonesia
- or, it is a strategic move by Laskar Jihad to now go underground in order
to avoid attention in the event of a crackdown on militant groups
- or, high ranking generals within the Indonesian military who used their
support of Laskar Jihad to destabilise the government have now withdrawn
that support because they want to distance themselves from any suspicion of
involvement in terrorist activities.
- or, they simply ran out of financial backing and support from the Middle
East.
Whilst many would question Laskar Jihad's ability to carry out an attack as
devastating as the Bali bombing the question must be asked, 'did others who
have provided support to Laskar Jihad have any prior knowledge of, or
involvement in the Sari club bombing and so plan in advance to dissolve the
group in anticipation of a crackdown on Islamic militants?'
Jafar Umar Thalib, chief commander of Laskar Jihad, which is reported to
have 10 000 members and 7 million 'followers', maintains that it is a pure
co-incidence that his group disbanded the same day as the Bali bombing. He
says that the reason for the group disbanding is because the mission of
'jihad' has now been completed. He was also concerned that some Laskar Jihad
members were getting involved in political activities, which were beyond the
original purpose for the group.
Since September 11 questions have been asked concerning Thalib's links with
worldwide terrorism. Publically, Thalib has distanced himself and his group
from any connection with Al Qaeda and other groups with an international or
regional agenda. However, it has now been confirmed that Al Qaeda were
running a training camp for terrorists in Central Sulawesi in which Laskar
Jihad members were involved. Osama Bin Laden is a cult hero for the young
militants, who in joining Laskar Jihad, also joined the terrorist war
against Christians, Jews, Americans and all other 'infidels'. Laskar Jihad
also have close connections with Jemaah Islamiah and Abu Bakar Bashir, who
has been implicated in the Bali bombing.
Laskar Jihad's legal adviser said last week that former Laskar Jihad members
would now regroup under a new name, Ihya'us Sunnah, meaning ``to revive
Prophet Mohammad's way of life.'' He said that this new entity would have a
focus on social activities, not militancy.
Whilst East Indonesian Christians are thankful for the withdrawal of Jihad
troops from Maluku and Central Sulawesi, Christian leaders have expressed
concern that many jihad still remain in areas such as Ternate, North Maluku
and in West Papua (Irian Jaya), where there are reportedly still more than
1000 Laskar Jihad forces. Since June 2001, Laskar Jihad in West Papua were
said to be positioning themselves for an Ambon style attack against the
local indigenous (mainly Christian) population. It is also a concern that
Laskar Jihad members returning to Java could now be enlisted by other
like-minded, but more hidden hard line Islamic militias.
-end-
Ian Freestone
Web Page: http://cryindonesia.rnc.org.au
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,700+ articles)
Weborator
www.arborwood.com/forums/soundoff
"Rowland Croucher" <rcro...@optushome.com.au> wrote in message
news:3dac8bfb$0$12762$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...
Rowland Croucher
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Today's News Headlines:
* FIGHTING FAILS TO STOP HCJB WORLD RADIO'S MINISTRIES IN CÔTE
D'IVOIRE
SIGNING OF SUDAN PEACE ACT COULD LEAD TO EVANGELISTIC OPPORTUNITIES
PRECEDENT-SETTING CASE IN MOSCOW HELPS SAVE LOCAL BAPTIST CHURCH
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT'S RELIGIOUS LIBERTY REPORT 'LACKS CLOUT'
BILLY GRAHAM DRAWS RECORD CROWDS AT CRUSADE IN TEXAS
NEW HIGH-TECH MINISTRY EMPHASIZES BUILDING PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
Today's News Stories:
* FIGHTING FAILS TO STOP HCJB WORLD RADIO'S MINISTRIES IN CÔTE
D'IVOIRE
Despite ongoing unrest in the West African country of Côte d'Ivoire
(Ivory Coast) since a failed coup attempt on Sept. 19, the situation
in the main coastal city of Abidjan is "still quite normal," says Lee
Sonius, director of HCJB World Radio's Sub-Saharan Africa region, who
returned to Abidjan with his family about two weeks ago. "All schools
are open and businesses are running," he says. "However, some
missionaries have left and are leaving while others are staying. We
hope we can stay and have no plans to leave at this point." Frequence
Vie (Frequency Life), a partner radio ministry operated by SIM and
partner churches in Abidjan, "is still on the air and doing a great
job," Sonius adds.
The U.S. Department of State has ordered the departure of all U.S.
government personnel in non-emergency positions along with family
members from Ivory Coast. The Department of State also warns U.S.
citizens against travel in the country, especially in the northern
cities of Bouake and Korhogo which remain under rebel control. HCJB
World Radio missionaries Larry and Linda Burk are back in Abidjan
after being evacuated by helicopter from Korhogo where they were
helping to install an antenna for another partner station.
In the latest skirmish, French troops fired teargas at demonstrators
trying to storm their base in Ivory Coast earlier today in a sign of
growing tension since last week's cease-fire to end a month-long rebel
war in the country, reported Reuters. Soldiers from the former
colonial power finished deployment between rebel and loyalist lines in
an effort to end the fighting that has left hundreds dead, driven tens
of thousands from their homes and terrified the fragile region. But in
Abidjan, protesters opposed to the cease-fire besieged the French base
to demand the handing over of opposition leader Alassane Ouattara who
is accused by many government supporters of links with the rebels. The
rebellion has heightened tension between Ouattara's Muslim north
(where many of the rebels come from) and tribes from the mostly
Christian south. Ouattara has been hiding with the French since the
coup attempt on Sept. 19 that blew up into a rebellion in the world's
leading cocoa producing country. He says President Laurent Gbagbo's
security forces tried to kill him. (HCJB World Radio/Reuters)
SIGNING OF SUDAN PEACE ACT COULD LEAD TO EVANGELISTIC OPPORTUNITIES
President George W. Bush signed the Sudan Peace Act Monday, Oct. 21,
putting pressure on the Sudanese government to seek an end to the
country's civil war. World Vision's Serge Duss says the legislation
could place sanctions on Sudan if the country fails to seek peace.
"The first would be to oppose any international financial loans to the
government of Sudan. The second would be to downgrade or suspend
diplomatic relations. The third would be to deny Sudan access to oil
profits. And the fourth would be to seek U.N. security council support
to impose an arms embargo." Duss says this could be the key to more
effective evangelistic outreach. "There's no better way to share the
gospel by either by proclamation or deed than when there is peace in a
country. So this will be significant in terms of our being able to
share the gospel in many different ways." (Mission Network News)
PRECEDENT-SETTING CASE IN MOSCOW HELPS SAVE LOCAL BAPTIST CHURCH
A local court in eastern Russia's port city of Vanino has ruled
against liquidating an independent Baptist church in the city, marking
a significant victory for the observation of legal precedent in such
cases. Court documents show that the decision was related to the
ruling by Russia's Constitutional Court earlier this year that allowed
the Moscow branch of the Salvation Army to remain open. The local
department of justice of the eastern Russian region of Khabarovsky
Krai had sought liquidation of the Baptist church in Vanino for
failing to re-register by the Dec. 31, 2000, deadline as stipulated by
Russia's 1997 law on religion. When the case was finally heard on Aug.
29, however, Judge Tamara Afanasyeva ruled against liquidation. The
court's written ruling, which the Vanino Baptists eventually obtained,
confirms parishioner Inna Vaulina's assumption that the local court
had decided in the church's favor due to the earlier ruling by
Russia's Constitutional Court. The ruling on the Vanino Baptists came
into effect on Sept. 9. (Keston News Service)
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT'S RELIGIOUS LIBERTY REPORT 'LACKS CLOUT'
The State Department's latest report on international religious
liberty is an important accomplishment, but it is a "less effective
instrument of U.S. foreign policy than it could be," says Felice Gaer,
chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
"Although the annual report demonstrates a great amount of work, in
some places it is not complete, muffles legitimate criticism and comes
to questionable conclusions." Gaer offered her observations about the
report in a hearing before a House of Representatives subcommittee.
"The report did not include a sufficient explanation of policies that
the State Department is implementing to advance religious liberty,"
she told the subcommittee. The International Religious Freedom Act,
which was enacted in 1998, requires the president to take specific
actions against governments designated as countries of particular
concern. Under the law, he is provided a range of options, from
diplomacy to economic sanctions. The president also has the authority
to waive any action. (Religion Today)
BILLY GRAHAM DRAWS RECORD CROWDS AT CRUSADE IN TEXAS
Despite declining health, 83-year-old evangelist Billy Graham preached
a series of powerful messages during his four-day Metroplex Mission at
Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas, Oct. 17-20. This was his 412th crusade
in 55 years of ministry. Event organizers observed that his preaching,
which got stronger each night, was the "most powerful it had been in
the last five years." Despite congested traffic and torrential rains
the first two days, crowds set consecutive stadium attendance record
crowds of 82,000 and 83,500 on the weekend with thousands more being
turned away each night. About 15,500 people spilled onto an overflow
area in the parking lot on Sunday after gates were closed 45 minutes
before the program began. More than 11,000 people made commitments to
Christ during the crusade. Bruce Hardy, vice president and general
manager of Texas Stadium, said the crowd beat the old attendance
record set by Christian singer Carmen who drew about 71,000 at a
concert in the mid-1990s. "It was unbelievable," he said. "These were
the best behaved young people I've ever seen." Graham brought a
message of hope about God's love and forgiveness. "I came for one
reason and that's to preach the same gospel that I did [when I was
here] 31 years ago," he said. The evangelist, who suffers from
Parkinson's disease and underwent a series of brain operations to
drain fluid two years ago, reaffirmed that he will decide about future
ministry after returning home. "It's in God's hands," Graham said.
More than 25,000 volunteers from 1,000 churches representing 37
denominations from throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area worked
together to help make the event a success. (Assist News
Service/Seattle Post)
NEW HIGH-TECH MINISTRY EMPHASIZES BUILDING PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
With its motto, "Any Road, Any Load, Any Time," Overland Mission is a
3-year-old ministry that some view as revolutionizing mission work.
Describing journeys similar to those found in Acts, founder Philip
Smethurst says missionaries have witnessed the salvation of whole
villages, people being set free from demons and a "outright miracles"
during expeditions to Sub-Saharan Africa and South America's Amazon
basin. But unlike the first missionaries, these are equipped with
high-tech tools such as global positioning systems, satellite phones,
inflatable boats and expedition trucks. The ministry stresses building
relationships, discipling converts, working alongside local churches
and establishing Bible schools in developing countries. (Charisma News
Service)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
James A. Ferrier
--
Shalom!
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Today's News Headlines:
MILITANT BUDDHISTS ACCUSED OF BURNING CHURCH, HOME IN SRI LANKA
2 MORE CATHOLIC PRIESTS MURDERED IN COLOMBIA AS STRIFE CONTINUES
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS JOIN CLERGY TO PRAY AFTER SNIPER ATTACKS
REVIVAL SWEEPS ACROSS CUBA AS HOUSE CHURCHES MULTIPLY
ANCIENT INSCRIPTION MAY BE EARLIEST ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF JESUS
MISSIONARY OPHTHALMOLOGIST HELPS RESTORE PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL SIGHT
Today's News Stories:
MILITANT BUDDHISTS ACCUSED OF BURNING CHURCH, HOME IN SRI LANKA
Militant Buddhists in Sri Lanka are suspected of setting fire to a
church in Sri Lanka as well as the home of a believer who lived
nearby. The Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka reported that an
Assemblies of God worship center and a believer's home in the town of
Weerawilla in southern Sri Lanka were both destroyed on Saturday, Oct.
13. A group of men reportedly set fire to the buildings. Earlier the
same week a pastor and his family were attacked in their car. Pastor
Stephen Yogarajah, along with his wife and 11-year-old son, all
sustained injuries, and their car has badly damaged when they were
assaulted by a group of 10 to 15 men in Kodolkela. Believers in Sri
Lanka often face harassment from militant Buddhist groups. (Voice of
the Martyrs)
2 MORE CATHOLIC PRIESTS MURDERED IN COLOMBIA AS STRIFE CONTINUES
In unrelated attacks within hours of each other, two Catholic priests
were murdered in Colombia Friday, Oct. 18. In the early morning as
31-year-old José Luis Cárdenas Hernández was about to leave his home
to jog, he answered a knock on the door and found five men in civilian
clothes armed with long-range weapons. They spoke for 10 minutes
before Cárdenas was shot five times in the head. He was the parish
priest for Chalán, 400 miles northwest of Bogotá. Authorities believe
his murder was the work of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
(FARC), although a spokesman for the group denies the allegation.
Later that same afternoon, Gabriel Arias Posada, 66, vicar of the
diocese of Armenia, was traveling to help secure the release of a
kidnapped official when he and his driver were shot and killed in the
town of Anserma. Reports of priests being killed have become
commonplace in Colombia as the strife between the government and rebel
groups continues. Armed groups in Colombia have killed 47 priests and
two bishops in the past 18 years. In the past decade the internal
conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives. (Voice of the Martyrs)
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS JOIN CLERGY TO PRAY AFTER SNIPER ATTACKS
Elected officials from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia joined
clergy from diverse religious groups and community leaders at Faith
United Methodist Church in Rockville, Md., the evening of Tuesday,
Oct. 22, to pray in response to the string of murders by the so-called
"Beltway Sniper." Attendees voiced united support for law enforcement
efforts to find and arrest the sniper who has claimed at least 10
lives in the past three weeks. Religious leaders also expressed
support for the families of victims, offering counseling assistance to
the general community and calling for people in the region and the
nation to join in prayer for healing from the random shootings. Two
men suspected of committing the attacks were arrested at a highway
rest stop in rural Maryland about 50 miles northwest of Washington,
D.C., early this morning. Police arrested the two men who were
sleeping in a car at a the rest stop. Government sources identified
one of the men as former U.S. soldier John Allen Muhammad, a Gulf War
veteran, and his 17-year-old stepson, John Lee Malvo. A spokesman for
Maryland's Montgomery county said it's premature to tie the pair
definitively to the sniper killings. "People are jumping ahead. Give
us time to do our job," he said, adding that the two were being
questioned in Rockville, Md., where the sniper task force has its
headquarters. The arrests occurred hours after authorities descended
on a home in Tacoma, Wash., believed to hold clues important to the
investigation. Then they issued a nationwide alert for the car,
spotted by a motorist and an attendant at the rest stop. (Religion
Today/Reuters/AP)
REVIVAL SWEEPS ACROSS CUBA AS HOUSE CHURCHES MULTIPLY
"Cuba is being visited by a tremendous revival in which thousands of
lives are being saved," wrote an unnamed Cuban missionary in a recent
report. "In the midst of all kinds of economic difficulties, the Holy
Spirit has been moving mightily within Cuba. Hundreds of preaching
points known as 'home churches' and prayer cells are springing up," he
said. "It's easy to find places of worship in which the pastors in
charge are young men who have been saved for only one year and are now
serving full time, leading groups of up to 100 people." In an
unprecedented move, the Cuban government is also allowing preaching
within prisons, and many inmates are turning to Christ. "Everywhere
there is a hunger for the Word of God," the missionary said. "Bibles,
New Testaments and tracts are being spread by the thousands throughout
our nation -- a nation that turns its eyes towards God with each
passing day." Thousands of young people are preparing for service
through local Bible seminaries and correspondence courses. The revival
is occurring despite Cuba's poverty. Many of the Christian workers
lack bicycles, lanterns, shoes, clothing or funds to purchase food.
(Christian Aid Mission)
ANCIENT INSCRIPTION MAY BE EARLIEST ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF JESUS
A limestone bone box dating to approximately A.D. 63 is being heralded
as the "only New Testament-era mention of the central figure of
Christianity," reported the Biblical Archaeology Review. "It is the
first-ever archaeological discovery to corroborate biblical references
to Jesus," the journal states. It apparently once contained the bones
of James, the brother of Jesus. An inscription on the box reads,
"James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." The family relationships
contained on the new find helped experts ascertain that the
inscription very likely refers to the biblical James, brother of Jesus
(Matthew 13:55-56; Galatians 1:18-19). Although all three names were
common in ancient times, the statistical probability of their
appearing in that combination is "extremely slim." In addition, the
mention of a brother is unusual, indicating that this Jesus must have
been a well-known figure. "The James ossuary may be the most important
find in the history of New Testament archaeology," said Hershel
Shanks, editor of Biblical Archaeology Review. "It has implications
not just for scholarship, but for the world's understanding of the
Bible." (Religion Today)
MISSIONARY OPHTHALMOLOGIST HELPS RESTORE PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL SIGHT
Growing up on the mission field is the reason an American
ophthalmologist is heading to Africa to help give sight to the blind.
Dr. Devin Harrison of Christian Blind Mission International says the
need is great. "In Africa there's probably only one ophthalmologist
per 1 million population. Where I am in Seattle it's probably one
ophthalmologist per 15,000. So there are many people in Africa who
don't have access to care at all." Harrison says that helping patients
with their physical sight can open up doors for evangelism. "I can
provide good-quality care to people, especially in areas such as
Muslim areas, that are not normally open to the gospel. When you treat
their physical needs, patients may be more accepting to learn more
about Christianity." (Mission Network News)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
James A. Ferrier
HCJB World Radio
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Rowland Croucher
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(7,800+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Helping Afghanistan rebuild
called 'the right thing to do'
By Mark Kelly
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (BP) -- Americans who watched their military devastate
Afghanistan could not help but feel sorry for the people of
Afghanistan, whose country was being destroyed because of the Taliban
regime's support for terrorism.
Now, a year later, one American city has taken an important first step
toward helping the people of Afghanistan rebuild their country.
For five days in mid-October, community, church and civic leaders in
Memphis, Tenn., hosted seven officials of Afghanistan's interim
government for summit meetings focused on the country's health,
education and leadership development needs.
PHOTO <http://bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=14507>
WANT TO HELP AFGHANISTAN? <http://www.mafsummit.org>
"We felt Americans could have a tangible impact on the future of a
nation by bringing these Afghan government officials to Memphis and
drawing a straight line between them and the people and resources of
our city," said Mark Morris, chairman of International Friendship
Summits, the non-profit organization that arranged the Oct. 9-14
Memphis-Afghan Friendship Summit.
Morris, missions and ministries pastor at Germantown Baptist Church,
was part of a team that visited Afghanistan in July to explore needs
that citizens of Memphis might be able to meet. They found government
officials enthusiastic about their interest.
UTTER DEVASTATION
That enthusiasm was driven in part by the utter devastation war and
drought have caused in Afghanistan -- and in part by the international
community's failure to keep its almost-year-old promise to help rebuild
the nation.
More than two decades of war have left Afghanistan in ruins, Morris
said.
Schools, hospitals, commercial and industrial buildings and roads have
been destroyed. More than 80 percent of the country's cattle, sheep and
goat herds are gone. Food production has been almost completely
disrupted. Rebuilding the country will cost at least $10 billion and
perhaps as much as $20 billion over the next five years.
The international community has pledged $4.5 billion, and more than
half of the pledges for this year have not been fulfilled.
"People in several churches in Memphis were deeply moved by the plight
of people in Afghanistan," said summit coordinator Rusty Griffin. "They
were disturbed by the failure of the international community to help
Afghanistan begin rebuilding. They felt God was leading them to see if
they could make a difference."
'STRONG SUPPORT'
Members of the Afghan delegation, led by Zabiullah Asmatey, deputy
minister of health, and Haron Amin, deputy chief of mission of the
Afghan Embassy in Washington, D.C., spent two days in consultations
with leaders of Memphis' health, education and business communities.
"We highly appreciate the strong support the people of Memphis have
shown for helping us rebuild our country," Ferouzudeen Ferouz, deputy
minister of Afghanistan's Department of Health, told a group at Baptist
Memorial Medical Center Oct. 10. "We believe we will learn a lot from
you to help us with the reconstruction of our health care system."
Ferouz and two other health ministry delegates toured the Baptist
hospital, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, the Regional Medical
Center at Memphis, St. Francis Hospital, the Memphis-Shelby County
Health Department's Hollywood Clinic, Christ Community Medical Center
and other health facilities in the area. Their discussions with
community leaders focused on ways Memphis can help meet some of
Afghanistan's urgent needs.
FRIGHTENING STATISTICS
Ferouz shared some frightening statistics with health summit
participants: Afghanistan has the highest infant mortality rate in the
world, 92 percent of its pregnant women are chronically malnourished,
only 10 percent of the country's 25 million people have safe drinking
water, 80 percent of its health care facilities have been destroyed.
"We need a strategy for rebuilding our health care infrastructure,
reducing childhood, infant and maternal mortality rates and immunizing
our people for infectious diseases related to sanitation and drinking
water issues," he said. "We want to look at ways organizations in the
United States can assist us in our rebuilding effort."
Members of the Afghan education delegation held similar discussions
with officials of Memphis public schools, the University of Memphis,
Crighton College and other institutions about the country's need to
rebuild every level of its educational system, almost from the ground
up.
Members of the Afghan leadership delegation participated in two days of
leadership development workshops at Federal Express corporate
headquarters.
The summit meetings resulted in a list of specific ways groups will
help the people of Afghanistan start rebuilding their lives. Projects
include initiatives such as training midwives to safely deliver babies,
providing basic equipment and supplies for medical clinics, developing
curriculum for classrooms, helping replace forests destroyed by war and
drought, exchanging students and faculty with Afghan universities and
training teachers and health workers.
ANYONE CAN HELP
Afghanistan's needs are so many and diverse that almost anyone who
wants to can be plugged in to help, Morris said.
"They need everything. You can't imagine the extent of the
devastation," he said. "When a student asked the minister of education,
Zabiullah Asmatey, if they needed computers for their classrooms, his
answer was, 'Yes, but first we need a roof for the classroom."
Americans should set their sights on rebuilding Afghanistan, Griffin
said.
"Afghanistan has been a battleground for centuries, but the last 23
years have devastated all their infrastructure," he said. "The country
is totally impoverished.
"If Americans see the Good Samaritan as someone who helps a neighbor
who is hurting, then the Afghan family is a neighbor who has been
beaten, robbed, humiliated and left in the ditch. We in America have
the power to make their lives better.
"Doing everything we can to help them rebuild their country is just the
right thing to do."
-30-
People interested in assisting with projects to rebuild Afghanistan can
contact the Memphis-Afghan Friendship Summit: e-mail
ma...@mail.com <mailto:ma...@mail.com>; telephone 901-921-6118; website
<http://www.mafsummit.org>; postal mail 356 New Byhalia Rd. Suite 1B,
Collierville, TN 38017
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Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,800+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
______________________________________
KESTON NEWS SERVICE, 11.00, 25 October 2002.
Reporting on violations of religious liberty and on religion in communist
and post-communist lands.
______________________________________
RUSSIA: ESCALATION IN MISSIONARY EXPULSIONS. Since
the mid-1990s Keston News Service has been hearing about foreign
religious workers forced to leave Russia. Until recently, however, they
were usually reluctant to speak out for fear of jeopardising the religious
communities they had left behind. Recently there appears to be a certain
escalation in such cases, but the circumstances of their cases vary
significantly. Whereas the American Mormon missionaries deported from
Pskov region were discovered on the territory of a military installation,
Catholic priest Fr Stefano Caprio noticed during a brief visit to his native
Italy that his multi-entry visa had been removed from his passport. He has
still to receive an explanation. The degree to which the absence of foreign
religious workers affects local religious communities in Russia also
varies considerably.
RUSSIA: ESCALATION IN MISSIONARY EXPULSIONS
by Geraldine Fagan, Keston News Service
Since the mid-1990s Keston News Service has been hearing about
foreign religious workers forced to leave Russia. Until recently, however,
they were usually reluctant to speak out for fear of jeopardising the
religious communities they had left behind.
There appears to be a certain escalation in such cases nevertheless. In
November 1997, Novosibirsk-based Catholic Bishop Iosif Werth told
Keston that approximately half his priests were experiencing difficulties
in obtaining visas, which were often issued for only three months at a
time. These problems began approximately two years earlier, he said, and
became sharply worse at the beginning of 1997: "Just as we were being
told that preparations were underway for a new law on religion."
Despite fierce lobbying to the contrary, the October 1997 law on religion
turned out to contain only one provision specifically restricting foreign
religious workers. This stipulated that religious organisations held the
"exclusive right" to invite them to the Russian Federation.
A national security policy approved by Vladimir Putin almost as soon as
he became acting president in January 2000 goes further, however.
Among threats to national interests and security it cites
"cultural-religious
expansion of neighbouring states into Russian territory." More pointedly,
it regards "the counteraction of the negative influence of foreign religious
organisations and missionaries" as essential to national security.
A spokesman for the FSB (former KGB) in Moscow has insisted to
Keston that the organisation does not blacklist foreign religious workers.
One deported American Protestant's experience of having local FSB
officers question his family's translators, friends and students in an
attempt to "connect the Christian activity we do with spying" is typical,
however. As one Catholic priest recently remarked to Keston, Putin's re-
activitation of the former KGB means "waking sleeping dogs who are
used to biting certain types of people."
The following list details foreign religious workers currently barred from
Russia whose identities are known to Keston. Most of those who had visa
applications rejected were previously engaged in religious activity in
Russia for at least one year. A few who have had visas revoked - such as
German Lutheran Wolfgang Spieth and American Protestants Samuel and
Harriet Caldwell - have been omitted from the list since they have
subsequently been allowed to return.
While those on the list have in common their being barred from Russia,
the circumstances of their cases vary significantly. Whereas the young
American Mormon missionaries deported from Pskov region were
discovered on the territory of a military installation, Catholic priest Fr
Stefano Caprio noticed during a brief visit to his native Italy that his
multi-entry visa had been removed from his passport. He has still to
receive an explanation.
The degree to which the absence of foreign religious workers affects local
religious communities in Russia also varies considerably. Whereas
Protestant churches are able to switch to indigenous pastors relatively
easily, Catholics require ordained clergy for worship, and it takes up to
six years to train them. The first three indigenous Catholic priests to be
trained in Russia since the 1917 Revolution graduated in only 1999, and
the Church consequently relies heavily upon foreign personnel. In a
similar position are Russia's Buddhists, who frequently regard only
Tibetan and other foreign teachers as possessing the necessary authority
to afford them spiritual guidance.
The list gives the following details: Month of non-admittance to the
Russian Federation, Name, Confession, Citizenship, Particular area of
activity in the Russian Federation (if any), Method of non-admittance to
the Russian Federation.
March 1998, DAN POLLARD, Baptist, US, Khabarovsky Krai, Visa
denied
April 1999, WARREN WAGNER, Evangelical, US, Udmurtia, Visa
denied
September 1999, CHARLES LANDRETH, Church of Christ, US,
Volgograd, Visa revoked
October 1999, Pastor EBERHARD BEHRENS, Lutheran, German,
Volgograd, Visa revoked
June 2000, DAVID BINKLEY, Church of Christ, US, Magadan, Visa
revoked
June 2000, JUNSEI TERASAWA, Buddhist, Japanese, Visa denied
July 2000, BOGDO-GEGEN Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche IX, Buddhist,
Tibetan refugee status, Visa denied
September 2000, GEOFFREY RYAN, Salvation Army, Canadian,
Rostov-on-Don, Visa denied
February 2001, Fr STANISLAW OPIELA, Catholic, Polish, Visa denied
July 2001, CRAIG RUCIN, Evangelical, US, Udmurtia, Deported
August 2001, LARRY LITTLE, Church of Christ, US, Komi, Visa
revoked
October 2001, CHARLES THARP, Church of Christ, US, Komi, Visa
revoked
November 2001, CLAYTON WHIDDEN, Church of Christ, US, Rostov-
on-Don, Visa denied
December 2001, Br BRUNO MAZIOLEK, Catholic, French, Yaroslavl,
Visa denied
February 2002, PAUL KIM, Evangelical, South Korean, Kalmykia, Visa
revoked
February 2002, AUTUMN NEWSON, Mormon, US, Pskov, Deported
February 2002, MATTHEW CRAIN, Mormon, US, Pskov, Deported
February 2002, WESTON POPE, Mormon, US, Pskov, Deported
April 2002, Fr STEFANO CAPRIO, Catholic, Italian, Vladimir, Visa
revoked
April 2002, Bishop JERZY MAZUR, Catholic, Polish, Irkutsk, Visa
revoked
June 2002, Pastor ALEKSEI LEDYAYEV, Pentecostal, Permanent
resident of Latvia, Visa revoked
June 2002, RONALD COOK, Evangelical, US, Kostroma, Visa denied
June 2002, VIRGINIA COOK, Evangelical, US, Kostroma, Visa denied
July 2002, JEFFREY WOLLMAN, Evangelical, US, Kostroma, Visa
denied
July 2002, SUSAN WOLLMAN, Evangelical, US, Kostroma, Visa
denied
July 2002, JORDAN WOLLMAN, Evangelical, US, Kostroma, Visa
denied
August 2002, Fr STANISLAV KRAJNAK, Catholic, Slovak, Yaroslavl,
Visa denied
July 2002, Fourteenth Dalai Lama TENZIN GYATSO, Buddhist, Tibetan
refugee status, Visa denied
August 2002, CHALYSHAN SEIDI, Muslim, Turkish, Bashkortostan,
Deported
August 2002, VICTOR BAROUSSE, Pentecostal, US, Irkutsk, Visa
denied
September 2002, Fr JAROSLAW WISNIEWSKI, Catholic, Polish,
Sakhalin, Visa revoked
September 2002, Fr EDUARD MACKIEWICZ, Catholic, Polish,
Rostov-on-Don, Visa revoked
September 2002, LEO MARTENSSON, Evangelical, Swedish,
Krasnodar, Visa evoked
(END)
Copyright (c) 2002 Keston Institute. All rights reserved.
Subscribe to the free weekly KNS Summary, or to the almost daily
Keston News Service, through our website http://www.keston.org/. KNS
articles are posted on the website, as well as details of our other
publications: the bimonthly magazine Frontier and the quarterly
academic journal Religion, State & Society.
______________________________________
REPRINTING/QUOTING
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Rowland Croucher
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Today's News Headlines:
POLICE RELEASE TRAUMATIZED WITNESS TO MASSACRE IN PAKISTAN
FAMINE THREATENS MORE THAN 6 MILLION PEOPLE IN ETHIOPIA
HUNGARIAN CHURCH EXPERIENCES 'REVERSE GENERATIONAL GROWTH'
IBS, SALVATION ARMY TO BEGIN TRAINING DISASTER RELIEF TEAMS
CHURCH PLANTERS SEE POSITIVE SIGNS FOR CHRISTIANITY IN TURKEY
PHILIPPINE MINISTRY MAKES PROGRESS ON BIBLE TRANSLATIONS, TRAINING
Today's News Stories:
POLICE RELEASE TRAUMATIZED WITNESS TO MASSACRE IN PAKISTAN
Just two days after Karachi police abducted Robin Peranditta from the
grounds of the Sindh High Court, the traumatized survivor of last
month's deadly Christian massacre in the city was released from police
custody on Thursday, Oct. 24. Peranditta, 27, gained his freedom after
meeting with two individuals in an undisclosed location. They secured
his release after being held in unlawful police custody for a month.
Although the court ruled on Tuesday that Peranditta's detention had
been illegal and ordered his immediate release, a contingent of police
from the Criminal Investigation Agency surrounded him after the
hearing and forcibly re-arrested him on the stairs of the court
building. The Daily Times reported that the police "beat up and abused
his lawyers" when they tried to prevent their client from being taken
away. The lawyers immediately filed a legal protest, accusing the
police of contempt of court for defying the release order. Court
findings made public at Tuesday's hearing indicated that the Christian
detainee had suffered "severe physical and mental torture" during his
four weeks in custody. Peranditta was working as a watchman and errand
boy for the Institute of Peace and Justice when its downtown Karachi
offices were attacked by unidentified terrorists on Sept. 25. Seven of
his Christian co-workers were shot and killed in the raid while an
eighth is recovering from critical head injuries. (Compass)
FAMINE THREATENS MORE THAN 6 MILLION PEOPLE IN ETHIOPIA
Famine is again threatening the African country of Ethiopia, says Beth
Allen of Food for the Hungry, adding that the situation is similar to
the food shortage in 2000. "There is insufficient rainfall going on in
large portions of the country," she says. "Authorities estimate that
approximately 6 million people do not have enough food to eat. And
during 2003 they estimate that the number will jump to between 10 and
14 million." Allen is concerned that many donors are "Ethiopia-weary,"
tending to ignore the situation. "What if God had turned His back on
the people? We need to keep being merciful because God was merciful.
If there was ever a time for Christians to come to the people of
Africa, now is the time. The secular system can not take care of the
problem." (Mission Network News)
HUNGARIAN CHURCH EXPERIENCES 'REVERSE GENERATIONAL GROWTH'
An 11-year-old evangelical church in Budapest, Hungary, is reporting
the coming to Christ of three generations -- only in reverse order.
"About 50 young people came to Christ in the last seven years," said
the church's pastor. "None of them had Christian parents. So the
church was composed predominantly of young adults." Then during the
last year, through the life and witness of these young people, their
parents began to come to the Lord. First one couple, then several
mothers, and then more and more parents until they formed a second
generation of believers. "We can now see some signs of a third
generation coming to the Lord," the pastor said. "But these are not
the grandchildren, but the grandparents! This is so unusual and
unnatural, but still wonderful to see the joy of the older Christian
youth with the baby Christian parents and the grandparents becoming
'prenatal Christians.'" The pastor said this reverse progression
toward faith in Christ is one of the consequences of 40 years of
communism. Many youth had left the traditional faith, but church
planters are seeing increasing numbers of young people coming to
Christ and then influencing the older generations. (Christian Aid
Mission)
IBS, SALVATION ARMY TO BEGIN TRAINING DISASTER RELIEF TEAMS
The International Bible Society (IBS) will begin training disaster
relief teams next month in a collaborative effort with the Salvation
Army called S.O.S. (Scripture Outreach Servants). Team members will
provide spiritual and physical aid to people in crisis situations.
Through the outreach, IBS aims to expand its ministry vision, develop
more expertise in disaster outreach and share the hope of Christ with
people in distress. "Together we desire to offer the hope and strength
found in God's Word to disaster survivors in appropriate ways," says
IBS Director of Outreach Sues Hyde. IBS will deploy S.O.S. teams in
groups of four or five when disasters strike. (International Bible
Society)
CHURCH PLANTERS SEE POSITIVE SIGNS FOR CHRISTIANITY IN TURKEY
With less than 1,000 Christian believers among 67 million people, the
voice of the gospel remains a "whisper" in Turkey, reports the
International Needs Network. Yet there are encouraging signs as three
church planters work among young Muslims in the Istanbul area. An
innovative "Internet evangelism" project is also being pioneered.
"Pray for a Turkish Consultation being held this month by a group of
mission agencies there." (Mission Network News)
PHILIPPINE MINISTRY MAKES PROGRESS ON BIBLE TRANSLATIONS, TRAINING
A full-time missionary working with an indigenous Bible translation
ministry in the Philippines is pleased at the progress made in recent
months. Nida Guil-an Apang serves in the main office of the
Translators Association of the Philippines and also ministers to the
Cotabato-Dulangan Manobo people of Mindanao. This summer she and her
team produced 17 "big books" for the children's literacy program and
created the curriculum for phase 1 of a children's education program.
They also conducted a two-week literacy teacher training program. The
new books focused on the biblical account of creation. "We now have
seven teachers who are excited to teach," Nida said. "Pray for the
believers and other workers there as many of them need encouragement
and revival." (Christian Aid Mission)
--
Rowland Croucher
(END)
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Today's News Headlines:
14 STUDENTS IN LIBYA SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR BECOMING CHRISTIANS
CHRISTIANS TARGETED BY REBEL SOLDIERS IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE
THREAT FROM TERRORISTS IN PHILIPPINES DIMINISHED, SAYS PRESIDENT
9 CHURCHES PLANTED IN BURUNDI DESPITE LACK OF RESOURCES
BIBLE LEAGUE LAUNCHES EVANGELISTIC MINISTRY IN YUGOSLAVIA
ADVENTIST WORLD RADIO BEGINS BROADCASTS IN CAMBODIAN LANGUAGE
Today's News Stories:
14 STUDENTS IN LIBYA SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR BECOMING CHRISTIANS
Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) confirmed this week that the 14 students
from Nasser University in Tripoli, Libya, who were arrested on Aug. 21
for converting to Christianity have been sentenced to death. This
contradicts earlier unconfirmed reports that they had been executed.
"Pray for efforts to pressure Libyan authorities to reconsider,"
reported VOM. "Pray that God would minister to these students who were
given the choice to reject Christ or face death and have chosen
Christ." Even if the students are released, there is concern that they
could be killed by their families for leaving Islam. (Voice of the
Martyrs)
CHRISTIANS TARGETED BY REBEL SOLDIERS IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE
Christians have been targeted by soldiers and their supporters in
rebel-held areas during the six-week-old rebellion in Côte d'Ivoire
(Ivory Coast), reported the Barnabas Fund. Christians and other
non-Muslim groups have been singled out for attack in Bouaké. The
fighting has left hundreds killed and forced thousands to flee.
Christian districts of the city have been attacked and devastated
while Muslim areas remain untouched. The uprising started with a
mutiny of soldiers who were due to be demobilized. This led to a coup
attempt that was quickly suppressed in the south but developed into an
armed rebellion against the government in the north. Christian ethnic
groups comprise most of the population in the southern part of the
country, while in the north most of the tribes are Muslim. A temporary
cease-fire has been agreed to between the government and rebel forces.
French troops are monitoring the cease-fire which leaves the rebels in
control of much of the northern part of the country while attempts are
made to resolve the situation.
Meanwhile, a team from the Côte d'Ivoire government has begun a second
day of negotiations with rebel leaders in Lome, Togo, as they work to
end to the fighting. Tough issues expected to come up in today's talks
include returning government authority to rebel-held areas and
disarming the insurgents -- something the rebels say is impossible
until they are sure their grievances are met. The government is also
dismissive of rebel political demands such as the resignation of
President Laurent Gbagbo to make way for new elections to replace a
violent poll two years ago from which northern opposition leader
Alassane Ouattara was banned. Most of the rebel fighters say they want
to end years of ethnic discrimination. Gbagbo's supporters say the
rebels are simply hungry for power and have backing from neighboring
states. A 2,000-strong West African force is being assembled to
replace the French soldiers on the front line. France and Great
Britain have agreed to help pay to get the force off the ground within
the next 10 days or so. (Religion Today/Associated Press)
THREAT FROM TERRORISTS IN PHILIPPINES DIMINISHED, SAYS PRESIDENT
Philippines President Gloria Arroyo has assured the population that
while groups of al-Qaida operatives may be present in the country,
they do not pose a "significant threat." While the terrorism risk has
not stopped the work of the gospel, it has interfered, says Beth
Flores of the International Needs Network. "There is fear, but as
Christians we are also praying that God would intervene. We have
church planters and evangelists in the south area. And we have
churches in that area that are working with Muslims." Flores adds that
despite the security troubles in the south, God's hand is evident.
"When we started with the church planting, God gave us a vision of 200
churches by the end of 2000, and God has answered that prayer. It's
tremendous how God has provided Filipinos who have a vision --
Filipinos who are willing to go back to their towns and villages to
share the good news of Christ." (Mission Network News)
9 CHURCHES PLANTED IN BURUNDI DESPITE LACK OF RESOURCES
Mission work in Burundi is making steady progress despite the lack of
transportation and facilities, says Andrew Nzaniye, director of
Evangelical Ministries of Central Africa. He said that showing the
"Jesus" film is bringing the gospel to people who are rejoicing in the
good news. "Our film teams are climbing mountains and carrying
generators and projectors on their heads," Nzaniye said. "They reach
places where people have never seen a car or a motorcycle. The people
they witness to are so much excited by the new life they find in Jesus
Christ." So far nine churches have been planted. Walls of the meeting
halls have been constructed and now await funds for roofing. Nzaniye
was pleased with the progress, considering that the teams lack means
of transportation. Each team, he said, needs two bicycles. (Christian
Aid Mission)
BIBLE LEAGUE LAUNCHES EVANGELISTIC MINISTRY IN YUGOSLAVIA
The Bible League opened a new office in Yugoslavia in September that
is focusing initially on making new contacts and preparing Project
Philip study materials. Rev. Robert Martin, the ministry's director
for ministries in central/eastern Europe, says churches will begin
using the project in January 2003. Through Project Philip believers
invite their friends to participate in a Bible study. After completing
the studies, they can earn a New Testament and then a full Bible.
Throughout the process, participants study God's Word side-by-side
with local Christians. As a result, many have come to faith in Christ.
The Bible League will concentrate on reaching Yugoslavia's Serbian
population, comprising about 63 percent of the population. Less than
one-tenth of 1 percent of this group is evangelical. Other ethnic
groups within Yugoslavia include Albanians, Montenegrins, Hungarians,
Slovaks and Romanians. Yugoslavia includes the republics of Serbia and
Montenegro along with the two semi-autonomous regions of Kosovo and
Vojvodina. (The Bible League)
ADVENTIST WORLD RADIO BEGINS BROADCASTS IN CAMBODIAN LANGUAGE
Adventist World Radio is stepping up its presence in Southeast Asia
with new programming aimed at more than 12 million people of Cambodia.
Shortwave broadcasts in Khmer, the primary language of Cambodia, began
airing from AWR's Guam station on Oct. 27. Khmer is considered a
"mission language" by AWR because less than 5 percent of the country's
population is Christian. Cambodia has been ravaged by guerrilla war --
a conflict that lasted for almost two decades and killed more than a
fifth of the country's population. Thousands more have been maimed by
land mines. In 1975 when the Khmer Rouge regime took power, there were
33 Adventist members, most of whom were killed in the subsequent
upheaval. But some Cambodians who had fled to the safety of Thai
refugee camps joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church. When the war
ended in 1993, 600 of these new believers returned to Cambodia. Since
then interest in Christianity has grown, and there are now some 4,000
Seventh-day Adventist Church members in Cambodia. (Adventist News
Network)
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(7,900+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
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Today's News Headlines:
ANTI-CONVERSION LAWS LEAD TO INCREASED PERSECUTION IN INDIA
CHURCHES' HELP NEEDED TO DEFEAT CORRUPTION IN LATIN AMERICA
ISLAMIC CLERIC QUESTIONED ABOUT POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT IN BALI BOMBING
RELIEF EFFORTS IN CZECH REPUBLIC HELP OPEN PEOPLE'S HEARTS TO GOSPEL
CONTEMPORARY TAMIL BIBLE TRANSLATION TO BE DEDICATED IN SRI LANKA
ERUPTION OF VOLCANO IN ECUADOR CAME 'ALMOST WITHOUT WARNING'
Today's News Stories:
ANTI-CONVERSION LAWS LEAD TO INCREASED PERSECUTION IN INDIA
Acts of violence against Christians in the southern Indian state of
Tamil Nadu have increased in light of recent legislation forbidding
religious conversions. The legislation is similar to that which was
earlier passed by the state government in the northern state of
Orissa. "At the moment there is a lot going on between Hindus and
Muslims in this area," said a source in India who asked to remain
anonymous for security reasons. "There are protest rallies by Hindus.
Churches are being burned, including the church of our pastor. Other
Christian buildings and schools are closed. The Hindus are very
radical and won't tolerate Christians in their area. They want to
convert everyone. When a Hindu converts to Christianity, he is cast
out by the whole community (family, friends and neighbors). Please
remember the situation here in your prayers." This week four Christian
families were beaten in the streets and the young girls raped when
they refused to take part in a Hindu festival in the state of Orissa.
When the police were informed, they did nothing. (Voice of the
Martyrs)
* In partnership with FEBA Radio, HCJB World Radio airs weekly
Christian programs to eastern India via shortwave in three languages:
Bhojpuri, Chattisgarhi and Mundari. HCJB World Radio also broadcasts
11/2 hours of English programming daily to India via shortwave from
South America. The ministry is investigating potential opportunities
to help launch local Christian stations in key cities across India.
CHURCHES' HELP NEEDED TO DEFEAT CORRUPTION IN LATIN AMERICA
Latin American leaders and experts are agreeing publicly that to
address many of their region's problems, they need to consider ethical
issues, reports Latin America Mission Ken MacHarg. Churches in
Argentina are participating in government efforts to address
corruption. Speaking at an Americas conference in Miami, leaders
acknowledged that corruption is "costly and prevents Latin American
nations from developing their full potential." One Argentine official
said that the church in his country has called for a new standard of
behavior from both the government and businesses. Colombian President
Alvaro Uribe said that severe poverty leads to social unrest and
political instability. He called on neighboring countries to help in
his efforts to improve living conditions for the people. (Mission
Network News)
ISLAMIC CLERIC QUESTIONED ABOUT POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT IN BALI BOMBING
The BBC reported that Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, a radical Islamic cleric, is
being questioned by Indonesian authorities. They want to ask him about
his alleged involvement in acts of terror across South East Asia, and
his alleged leadership of a militant group, Jemaah Islamiah, which
some believe was responsible for the deadly bombing in Bali. When
Ba'asyir was taken away, his supporters clashed with the police,
injuring at least four policemen and several supporters -- none
seriously. He was flown to Jakarta and was admitted to a police
hospital where he is being treated for respiratory problems and heart
and stomach complications. He denies all the allegations against him
and says he would resist all efforts by police to detain him if he
were released from the hospital. It is not known when he will face
further questioning. (Voice of the Martyrs)
RELIEF EFFORTS IN CZECH REPUBLIC HELP OPEN PEOPLE'S HEARTS TO GOSPEL
While late summer floods in the Czech Republic caused billions of
dollars in damage, relief teams have found a renewed openness to the
gospel, says Services International's Carice Blazo "They feel a
connection when people care for them, and vice versa," he says. "They
really cared for the U.S. last year after 9/11, so it opened up doors
to talk. I think in times of crisis there are often softer hearts, and
a lot of people willing to share and discuss things." Blazo thinks the
reputation of hardened hearts in the Czech Republic may be a bit
harsh, adding that the gospel is penetrating. "I think they've had so
many bad things happen to them throughout the years that they tend to
be cynical. But I don't think that they're completely closed off."
(Mission Network News)
CONTEMPORARY TAMIL BIBLE TRANSLATION TO BE DEDICATED IN SRI LANKA
The International Bible Society (IBS) will release a contemporary
language version of the Tamil Bible at a dedication in Colombo, Sri
Lanka, Wednesday, Nov. 6. More than 66 million people speak Tamil,
most of them in India and Sri Lanka. The New Tamil Bible updates a
translation that was completed by British missionaries in 1871. The
director of IBS in Sri Lanka said he hopes the translation will help
contribute to peace on the war-torn island. "My country has been
ravaged by civil war between the Tamils and the Sinhalese for 20
years," he said. "Only now have peace negotiations begun that could
lead to permanent peace. We hope that a clear, accurate translation of
God's Word in contemporary Tamil will provide lasting inner peace to
the Tamil people." IBS released a contemporary translation of the
Tamil New Testament in 1981. (International Bible Society)
ERUPTION OF VOLCANO IN ECUADOR CAME 'ALMOST WITHOUT WARNING'
The Reventador volcano, 60 miles east of Quito, which came back to
life on Sunday, Nov. 3, after 26 years of dormancy, erupted with
almost no warning, said Hugo Yépez, director or the Geophysical
Institute in Quito. Ecuadorian President Gustavo Noboa declared a
state of emergency following a series of volcanic eruptions that sent
up more than 1 million tons of gray ash that engulfed the city. Yépez
said the volcano displayed a "rapid eruptive process" with the first
signs of activity measured only five hours before the initial
eruption. This was in contrast to two other active volcanoes in
Ecuador -- Tungurahua and Guagua Pichincha -- that gave plenty of
warning before they exploded in 1999. Yépez said the institute is
looking at two possible scenarios with Reventador. The most likely is
a prolonged, sustained cycle of volcanic activity that could last for
months like it did after erupting in 1976. The less likely but more
ominous possibility is that the activity could lead to even more
"significant powerful eruptions," Yépez said.
Hundreds of farmers living near the volcano's base fled in fear as
lush orchards and pastures for livestock turned into smoldering fields
of ash. "It was like hell," said Guadalupe Campoverde who lives in a
small farming community outside of Quito. "The volcano growled and
threw out fire." El Comercio reported today that one person was killed
in the eruption while 16 were injured and 10 are missing. The ash has
also affected more than 250,000 head of cattle. In Quito the
government closed schools, ordered workers to stay home and closed
airspace indefinitely as the expanding plume of volcanic ash hung over
the city. A small fraction of the capital's 1.4 million residents
ventured from their homes on Monday, wearing surgical masks and
goggles to survey once-green palm trees and black asphalt streets now
turned a uniform gray. The 11,683-foot-high volcano quickly calmed on
Monday. (Hoy/El Comercio/Reuters)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
James A. Ferrier
Web: http://www.hcjb.org
Rowland Croucher
by Amitai Etzioni
http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps/B407.html
On October 17, bombs killed 6 people and wounded 143 in Zamboanga, the
Philippines. While press accounts mentioned in passing that the victims were
Christians, few conveyed to the reader that these were people assaulted by
Muslim extremists because of their religion. On September 25, militant
Muslims shot dead 7 Christian Pakistanis execution style in Karachi. Most of
the media failed to report this at all, though it was at least the fifth
bloody attack on Christians in Pakistan in the last twelve months.
And the media almost never point out that Christians are being killed, often
at places of worship, in several countries with Islamic majorities or
governments, not because they are Westerners or Americans (many are neither)
but because they are Christians. Nor is the White House or Congress nearly
as attentive--to put it mildly--to this pattern of killing as it is to any
injury on either side of the conflict in Israel.
People who follow international news are aware that a civil war raged in
Ethiopia for more than 30 years. But few realize that it was a religious
war--between Muslim Eritrea and Christian Ethiopia--in which tens of
thousands perished. Many know that the people of East Timor were savaged,
but it is rarely mentioned that most East Timorese are Christian, while the
Indonesian militants who killed many of them and brutalized the refugees in
West Timor are Muslim. Indeed, Christians in other parts of Indonesia have
hardly fared better; for instance, thousands died during riots in the
Moluccan Islands in 2000.
The bloody war in the Sudan, similarly, pits the Muslim government in the
North against the Christian and animist South. And in Nigeria, as Muslims
try to impose a strict version of the legal code called sharia in several
provinces, armed conflicts between Muslims and Christians have erupted and
thousands have died. Just lately, in the Ivory Coast, Muslims in the North
have been attacking Christians in the South. On a smaller scale but very
much along the same lines, scores of Coptic Christians were killed in Egypt
in January 2000; several churches were burned in Kenya the following year.
It seems somehow inflammatory to point to the religious element of these and
many other conflicts. Nearly every day, meanwhile, some scholar assures us
that Islam is a peaceable and loving religion. What is going on here?
From the beginning, Islam drew a distinction between Christians and Jews and
other non-Muslims. The former were "people of the book." They had to pay
special taxes and wear identifying clothing, yet their status reflected a
certain respect for what Muslims saw as the earlier but incomplete and
corrupted revelation recorded in the Bible. In the modern period, Christians
and Jews are typically called Kuffr, or infidels. In countries under strict
sharia, apostasy is a capital crime, and in the minds of extremists like
Osama bin Laden, infidels too deserve death. While Muslim societies differ
widely in their levels of tolerance, pluralism, and religious freedom, full
respect for Christianity is virtually absent.
This matter came up last spring at a conference held by Iranian reformers in
Isfahan. The gathering brought together a number of Islamic and Western
intellectuals in opposition to the thesis advanced by Samuel Huntington of
Harvard University that Western and Islamic civilizations are bound to
clash. During his presentation, Ebrahim Moosa, an imam from South Africa now
teaching at Duke University, urged that Islam be recast so as to accommodate
liberal attitudes. He stressed the need for three changes: recognition of
women's equality with men; toleration of capitalism; and recognition of the
full dignity and humanity of nonbelievers. But we are still waiting to hear
from many other Muslim leaders as to whether they wish to move Islam in this
direction.
The White House has solid tactical reasons for stating and restating that
our fight is only with terrorists, not Muslims. We must face the fact,
however, that while the prophet has many moderate followers, the terrorists
command great sympathy in the Islamic world not only because Islamic
populations are anti-American or anti-Western, but also because the
terrorists are attacking infidels. An elderly Afghan freed from detention at
Guantanamo last week made a telling statement to a Washington Post reporter:
"The Americans treated me well, but they were not Muslims, so I didn't like
them."
It is true that other religions have passed through violent and intolerant
phases. And it is possible that moderate interpretations of Islam may again
come to predominate. But we shall be unable to recognize and foster that
development if we refuse to acknowledge that the violence currently erupting
in many parts of the Islamic world is aimed not simply at the political and
economic leadership of the West but also at its Judeo-Christian tradition.
When Christians and Jews are no longer characterized as Kuffr, we shall know
we have turned a corner. Amitai Etzioni: "Killing Christians."
Amitai Etzioni is a university professor at George Washington University and
the author of "The New Golden Rule."
Get current: FreeWorldNow.com
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(8000 articles)
Rowland Croucher
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Today's News Headlines:
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE TO REMAIN CLOSED FOR A YEAR
GOVERNMENT MINISTER THREATENS TRIBAL CHRISTIANS
INTER-RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE CLAIMS SCORES OF LIVES IN NIGERIA
AZERBAIJAN OFFICIALS THREATEN TO DESTROY LOCAL BAPTIST CHURCH
NEARLY 5,000 TURN TO CHRIST IN PHILIPPINES DURING EVANGELISTIC THRUST
TWR LAUNCHES PROGRAM TO CHINA TO COUNTER SCIENTIFIC ATHEISM
Today's News Stories:
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE TO REMAIN CLOSED FOR A YEAR
The International Christian Academy in Baouke, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory
Coast), will remain closed for at least a year due to civil unrest in
the country, said Paul Jackson of Evangelical Baptist Missions, one of
the partners that operates the school for children of missionaries.
"Right now the campus is being occupied by the French army, and that's
a good thing as they are protecting the campus at this point," he
said. More than 200 staff and students were evacuated from the school
about a week after a failed coup attempt on Sept. 19. "The plans are
for the school to reopen, hopefully in the fall of 2003, although
there are not guarantees about that," Jackson said. Meanwhile,
missionaries who were forced to evacuate face financial difficulties.
He urged believers to pray for peace. "Ivory Coast had been one of the
most stable countries in West Africa for many years, but in the last
several years this has begun to break down," Jackson said.
Peace talks in Lome, Togo, involving negotiating teams representing
the Ivory Coast government and rebel leaders broke down earlier today
when the rebels pulled most of their team out of the discussions,
Reuters reported. The rebels decided to withdraw after the body of
rebel leader Louis Dacoury-Tabley's brother was found in Abidjan. They
accused the government in the killing, along with those of other
opposition figures and civilians. The government of Ivory Coast
President Laurent Gbagbo has promised an inquiry into the death. West
African negotiators are hopeful that peace talks could resume in the
next couple days. Talks have been aiming to end a seven-week-old
rebellion in Ivory Coast, the world's largest cocoa producer and one
of Sub-Saharan Africa's largest economies. The rebels say they are
fighting to protect the rights of predominantly Muslim northern
Ivorians who complain of discrimination and harassment by the
Christian and animist southern tribes that traditionally have
dominated the government. Rebels continue to control the northern half
of the country, including Baouke and Korhogo. (Mission Network
News/Reuters)
GOVERNMENT MINISTER THREATENS INDIA'S TRIBAL CHRISTIANS
A recent spate of ethnic cleansing against Muslims in western India's
Gujarat state has reached genocidal proportions, and a similar assault
may soon be unleashed against India's most threatened Christian
community, the Dang tribe, unless the central government intervenes.
Karsan Patel, a senior minister in the state government, recently
warned Dang children studying at a parochial school "to decide whether
they want to live as Hindus or die as Christians." Systematic
persecution that began in the Dang tribal belt four years ago has
intensified recently as militant Hindus campaign to confiscate Dang
territory for the god Rama and build a temple in the village of Subir.
Local sources say the controversy is a "powder keg waiting to
explode," similar to the Ram temple-Babri mosque conflict in Ayodhya
where militant Hindus used the strategy of confiscating a Muslim
mosque and converting it into a Hindu temple. (Compass)
INTER-RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE CLAIMS SCORES OF LIVES IN NIGERIA
Twenty Christian students have been confirmed dead and 50 others
injured following a bloody clash with Muslim schoolmates at the
Federal College of Education in the northern Nigerian city of Zaria.
Police detained eight people in connection with the Oct. 31 violence
that erupted following student elections. Muslim militants reportedly
infiltrated the campus to assist the 15,000 Muslim students in attacks
against Christians. In a separate incident, 40 Christians died in
Fajul, Plateau state, when a force of 2,000 Muslim militants invaded
the village in the early morning hours of Oct. 24. Assailants burned
down homes, raped several women and ambushed and killed 17 policemen
sent to rescue the villagers. Earlier, 17 Christians died in a similar
attack on the village of Kassa. Christian leaders in the area said
that heavily armed mercenaries from Chad and Niger aided local Muslim
militants in the attacks on Fajul and Kassa. (Compass)
AZERBAIJAN OFFICIALS THREATEN TO DESTROY LOCAL BAPTIST CHURCH
An Interior Ministry colonel in Azerbaijan has threatened an
unregistered Baptist church in Baku with demolition if the church
refuses to register with the authorities, Keston News Service has
learnt. "If you don't register we'll close the church and knock it
down," pastor Ivan Orlov, leader of the Baku church, quoted Col. Aliev
as having said when he came to the church last month. He also
threatened to have church members sacked from their work. Azerbaijani
law does not require religious groups to register in order to be
allowed to function. A statement from the church expresses concern
about pressure on believers and the demolition threat, and calls for
support in prayer and appeals to the authorities. (Keston News
Service)
NEARLY 5,000 TURN TO CHRIST IN PHILIPPINES DURING EVANGELISTIC THRUST
An indigenous Philippine mission agency is seeing evangelistic
progress in the midst of terrorist attacks and other hardships. The
leader of a mission on Mindanao Island said that its gospel workers
reached 1,374 houses from July to September, resulting in 4,766
persons professing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the
missionaries was appointed community chaplain and regularly conducts
Bible classes for government officials and public school teachers.
"Many got saved," the mission leader said. Missionaries also are
conducting Bible lessons in 81 public school classes. All of this is
carried on in the midst of terrorist attacks from communists and
Muslim separatists. (Christian Aid Mission)
TWR LAUNCHES PROGRAM TO CHINA TO COUNTER SCIENTIFIC ATHEISM
Trans World Radio (TWR) has launched a broadcast to China that offers
a Christian response to "scientific atheism." TWR began airing a
series of broadcasts to China in the Mandarin language called "Truth
in the Test Tube." The program, which started Oct. 26, gives
scientific evidence that supports Scripture. It includes interviews
with Christians who are respected professionals in the hard sciences.
The hope is that once listeners are satisfied that what is being said
is indeed true, they accept God's forgiveness through Christ. A
Christian journalist formerly stationed in China observed, "I think
reaching out to students from China is the most strategically
important missionary endeavor anywhere in the world. If we reach these
people, we can change China's future." (Mission Network News/TWR)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
James A. Ferrier
HCJB World Radio
U.S. Ministries
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(8000+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER (IDOP) FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
IDOP 2002 EXTRA - '... FOR KINGS AND ALL IN AUTHORITY'
------------------------------------------------------------
"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your
requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray
this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we
can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. This is
good and pleases God our Saviour, for he wants everyone to be saved
and to understand the truth. For there is only one God and one
Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ
Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is
the message that God gave to the world at the proper time."
(1 Timothy 2:1-6 NLT)
Surely this passage must be one of the most significant in
Scripture about the mandate to pray for religious liberty in the
nations. The IDOP 2002 material has concentrated primarily on the
persecuted Church, on our suffering brothers and sisters. For the
sake of religious freedom, this RLP will focus on prayer for some
of the world's leaders in countries where that liberty is at stake.
- Elizabeth Kendal
------------------
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR THESE STRATEGIC POLITICAL LEADERS:
* that God will bind evil and use the leaders for good, opening up
and blessing their nations;
* that they will not succumb to pressure to restrict or to continue
abusing religious freedom;
* that they will yield to wise counsel and to the Spirit of God;
* that through witness or revelation they will come to the Cross
of Jesus and be saved.
Some of these leaders are presently oppressing the Church
aggressively, whilst others are simply in very strategic positions
at very strategic times. Others again are actively striving for
democratic reforms and openness, often amidst great opposition.
Please pray through the list, or simply select the nations that
specifically interest you and pray for their leaders by name.
(Together, by God's grace, we will cover the world.)
Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai
Bangladesh's PM Begum Khaleda Zia
Belarus' President Aleksandr Lukashenko
Bhutan's King Jigme Singye Wangchuk
China's leader-in-waiting, Hu Jintao
China - Hong Kong's Chief Executive, Tung Chee-hwa and Secretary
for Security, Regina Ip
Cuba's President Fidel Castro
Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak
India's PM Atal Behari Vajpayee
India - Tamil Nadu's Governor, P S Ramamohan Rao and Chief
Minister, Jayalalithaa
Indonesia's President Megawati Sukarnoputri
Iran's President Mohammed Khatami
Japan's PM Junichiro Koizumi
Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev
Laos' President Khamtay Siphandone
Libya's Colonel Moammar Gadhafi
Malaysia's PM Mahathir Mohamad
Morocco's King Mohammed VI and new PM, Driss Jettou
North Korea's "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il
Russia's President Vladimir Putin
Serbia & Motenegro - Kosovo's President Ibrahim Rugova
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga
Sudan's President Omar el-Bashir
Turkey's influential leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Turkmenistan's President Saparmurat Niyazov
Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov
Vietnam's President Tran Duc Luong
* Psalm 47 (Excerpts: NLT)
2 For the Lord Most High is awesome.
He is the great King of all the earth.
3 He subdues the nations before us,
putting our enemies beneath our feet.
7 For God is the King over all the earth.
8 God reigns above the nations...
9 For all the kings of the earth belong to God.
--------------------------
LEADERS WHO ARE CHRISTIANS
There are many leaders in the world who profess Christ as Saviour.
A number of them are confronted by serious challenges and
enormously complex issues affecting religious stability in and
beyond their nations. Their multi-ethnic / multi-faith nations are
subject to serious civil unrest along ethnic and religious lines,
creating polarisation and tension in lands desperately needing
peace and reconciliation.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY AT THIS TIME FOR:
Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire) President Laurent Gbagbo,
Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo, and
Philippines' President Gloria Arroyo -
* that they, in humility, will always seek God's counsel;
* for God to provide them each with spiritual wisdom and direction;
* for unfailing courage and uncompromised integrity;
* that God will protect and bless them.
"Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right
road for me to follow." King David's plea in Psalm 25:4
----------------
FINALLY, during this season of global united prayer for the
persecuted Church, let us each pray specifically for our
President / Prime Minister or other influential leaders who impact
upon religious liberty in our nation.
----------------------------------------------------
Previous RLPs may be viewed at
http://www.evangelicalalliance.org.au/rlc/
If you downloaded this message from a website or it
was forwarded to you, you may receive future editions
by sending an empty e-mail to <join-rl...@xc.org>
Please send this RLP to others, with attribution to
World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty
Prayer List <rl-p...@crossnet.org.au>
----------------------------------------------------
The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this
RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray
specifically and regularly for religious liberty
issues, and in particular to uphold the Church
where it is suffering persecution.
Rowland Croucher
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Today's News Headlines:
354 VIETNAMESE CHURCHES CLOSED, DOZENS OF PASTORS ARRESTED
WITNESS TO ATTACK ON AGENCY IN PAKISTAN DESCRIBES ASSAILANTS
NEW TAX ON VISITORS ENTERING HAITI MAY HAMPER MISSION EFFORTS
WELL-ORGANIZED BAPTIST CREWS HELP VICTIMS OF TORNADOES IN U.S.
REPRESSIVE RELIGION LAW IN BELARUS GOES INTO EFFECT SATURDAY
Today's News Stories:
354 VIETNAMESE CHURCHES CLOSED, DOZENS OF PASTORS ARRESTED
Documents acquired in October by religious and human rights workers in
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, confirm that by the end of September, 354
of 412 churches in Dak Lak province alone were forcibly closed. By
mid-October about 50 Christian pastors and elders in this province had
been arrested or had "disappeared." The remaining 58 churches in the
province are also expected to be shut down. On Nov. 7 Freedom House
released news of the ongoing persecution of Hmong Christians in
Vietnam's northwestern provinces, Vietnam's normally cautious Roman
Catholic Conference of Bishops also released a letter decrying the
persecution of Catholic Montagnards. Since late summer, leaders of the
predominantly Ede minority churches were summoned by local
authorities, told their churches were illegal and ordered to disband.
Many were threatened with dire consequences if they did not comply.
Church leaders were also prohibited from further religious activity
outside of their own homes and families. All church activities --
worship, teaching, prayer for the sick, observing holy days,
administering sacraments, performing baptisms, weddings and funerals
-- were forbidden. Leaders were forced to sign statements of
compliance. Many Christians have fled into the forest or to Cambodia.
(Compass)
WITNESS TO ATTACK ON AGENCY IN PAKISTAN DESCRIBES ASSAILANTS
One of the two survivors of an attack on the Institute of Justice and
Peace in Karachi, Pakistan last month has recovered to the point where
he is able to describe the assailants. The Pakistan Christian Post
reported that Robin Sharif, communications director for the agency,
was approached by a man on Sept. 25 who asked to speak with the
director. When he went to see the director, three more men rushed in
and held him at gunpoint. Then they grabbed tape from his desk and
knocked him out with chloroform. The attackers then tied up the rest
of the staff and killed seven of his co-workers. Sharif had been
unconscious and unable to speak with authorities until recently.
However, he has since recovered enough to help police with sketches of
three of the assailants. His testimony also appears sufficient to
clear the other survivor, Robin Peranditta, of any responsibility in
the attack. (Voice of the Martyrs)
NEW TAX ON VISITORS ENTERING HAITI MAY HAMPER MISSION EFFORTS
The economic situation in Haiti continues to worsen, increasing
people's desperate struggle to survive. The Haitian government,
looking for more ways to generate income, has implemented a large fee
for all visitors entering the country. STEM International's Jim Levin
says the tax could have an impact on the ministry's outreach as
ministry teams from foreign countries may cancel their trip or decide
to visit another country instead because of the additional fees. He is
afraid that the tax could discourage groups from returning such as the
short-term medical team that ministered to 900 people last week. Levin
urges believers to pray. "Pray that the Haitian government would find
ways of helping their economy, helping the average Haitian without
shooting themselves in the foot by discouraging some of the very
people who want to come in there and help the people." (Mission
Network News)
WELL-ORGANIZED BAPTIST CREWS HELP VICTIMS OF TORNADOES IN U.S.
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief units in five states -- Tennessee,
Georgia, Alabama, Ohio and Mississippi -- responded locally to severe
storms and dozens of tornadoes that ripped through the eastern U.S.
Nov. 10-11. Mickey Caison, national coordinator for the relief group,
noted the scope of the unusual fall tornadoes with as many as 70
reported in seven states. "Typically a tornado is localized. It
doesn't affect a large area like a hurricane or a flood or an ice
storm," Caison said. Crews are being deployed throughout the affected
area by serving via mobile kitchens, chainsaws, roofing,
communications and crisis intervention. More than 25,000 trained
volunteers are involved in the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief
network nationwide. The units generally are owned and operated by
state conventions and local associations, and coordinated nationally
by the North American Mission Board. (Religion Today)
REPRESSIVE RELIGION LAW IN BELARUS GOES INTO EFFECT SATURDAY
Starting on Saturday, Nov. 16, all "unregistered religious activity"
will be illegal in Belarus as a repressive new religion law goes into
effect. Also banned will be religious communities with less than 20
members; religious activity in private homes (apart from occasional,
small-scale meetings); foreigners conducting religious work in
unregistered communities; and uncensored religious literature. The new
law will require all religious organizations to be re-registered
within two years. In a last-ditch effort to protest the law, two
persons (among them a Catholic, Igor Zakrevsky, from Borisov) staged a
demonstration on Independence Square in Minsk Nov. 8. They were
detained by police. (Keston News Service)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
James A. Ferrier
Web: http://www.hcjb.org
--
KENNY
Hello brothers/sisters in Christ,
I wish to appeal for your financial support to publish my prayer book
titled "PRAYERS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT", which is a collection of
miraclous prayers that has been working for me through the invocation
of the Holy Spirit. I can send you a free photocopy for your of the
prayer book. Remember any amonut will be highly appreciated.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY,
KK.
Rowland Croucher
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Today's News Headlines:
FIGHTING FORCES MISSIONARIES TO LEAVE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
MUSLIM MOB FORCES CHURCH TO CLOSE IN JAVA, INDONESIA
VIOLENCE CONTINUES IN INDONESIA DESPITE END OF LASKAR JIHAD
RAPE CASE REFLECTS GROWING PERSECUTION IN NORTHERN NIGERIA
RADIO BROADCASTS HELP OPEN ONCE-CLOSED ALBANIA TO GOSPEL
1,400 TURN TO CHRIST IN 5 CRUSADES AMONG PERUVIAN TRIBE
Today's News Stories:
FIGHTING FORCES MISSIONARIES TO LEAVE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Civil unrest is forcing evangelical missionaries out of the Central
African Republic. Tom Cairns, international ministries director of the
Evangelical Free Church Mission, says that after weeks of fighting,
there is a lull in the violence. "It appears that this is just that --
a lull before further fighting might occur," he says. "As a result,
missionaries from almost all the evangelical groups and agencies in
Bangui have made the decision that they need to leave now. All of them
are leaving within the next two days." Missionaries working among the
nomadic Fulani peoples plan to return when the situation stabilizes.
"We definitely will plan to return and go back to the Fulani
ministry," Cairns says. "That's very critical, but we just don't have
any distinct plans right now as to when that might be because we have
to wait and see what's going to evolve in the next few weeks."
(Mission Network News)
MUSLIM MOB FORCES CHURCH TO CLOSE IN JAVA, INDONESIA
A mob of more than 100 Muslims stormed into a church in Bandung, Java,
Wednesday, Nov. 6, terrorizing the Christians who were meeting,
forcing them to leave the premises and ordering them to close the
church permanently. The mob, led by the chairman of the Mosque
Security Council, pelted the building with stones before entering and
desecrating the church. Police who were present did nothing to prevent
the mob from entering the church. Rev. Oloan Nainggolan complained to
local authorities about their failure to take action. He denied claims
by the Mosque Security Council that the church had no building permit,
explaining that the church was built in 1990 with the relevant
permissions and the agreement of representatives from local groups.
The council also reportedly objected to six other churches in Bandung,
and Christians are concerned that they could also become the target of
mob action. (Barnabas Fund)
VIOLENCE CONTINUES IN INDONESIA DESPITE END OF LASKAR JIHAD
Members of the Laskar Jihad, an Islamic extremist group, are gradually
leaving Central Sulawesi and the Moluccas following the announcement
of the disbanding of the organization in October. The situation is
improved, but there are still reports of violence against Christians.
On Nov. 2 two people were killed by a sniper in a suburb of Ambon
City, and the next day two others were killed while riding motorbike
taxis in a Muslim area of the city. A sniper also severely wounded a
resident of Pelauw on Haruku Island Nov. 8. A number of unexploded
bombs have been found -- three at schools in Christian areas of Ambon,
and another at a church construction site where a bomb had exploded
last month. Meanwhile, evidence is increasing regarding the
involvement of members of the Jamaah Islamiyah extremist Islamic group
in the Bali bomb attack that killed nearly 300 people. Following the
arrest of its leader, Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, in connection with the
attack, Indonesian authorities are accusing him of being involved in a
series of bombings of 18 Christian churches across Indonesia in late
2000. (Barnabas Fund)
RAPE CASE REFLECTS GROWING PERSECUTION IN NORTHERN NIGERIA
A Christian woman whose father became a Muslim was raped after being
forced to marry a Muslim is further evidence of the growing
persecution that Christians face in predominantly Muslim areas of
Nigeria. Rakiya, 20, from Bilkawa in Kano state, has been a Christian
for 10 years, but her father converted to Islam five years ago. Rakiya
was recently forced to marry a Muslim. Then four men dragged her to
her new husband's room where she was raped. A fact-finding team from
Christian Solidarity Worldwide discovered that such stories are not
unusual in Nigeria's northern states, many of which have adopted
sharia (Islamic). In an earlier case, a female convert from Niger
state was bound hand and foot in a sharia court, thrown into the trunk
of a vehicle and driven by her family to their home village where she
was bound to a tree and publicly raped by a prospective Muslim suitor.
The team found widespread suppression and violations of religious
freedoms in the states of Niger and Plateau. (Christian Solidarity
Worldwide)
RADIO BROADCASTS HELP OPEN ONCE-CLOSED ALBANIA TO GOSPEL
Twenty years ago Albania was one of the most closed communist
countries in Eastern Europe. Religion was outlawed. However, when the
country opened in the 1990s, a core group of Christians was
discovered, partly because of Christian radio programs beamed from
Monte Carlo. "In the last 10 years the number of churches has grown
considerably," says Lee DeYoung from Words of Hope. "There is freedom
of religion. We're excited that we were able to enter into formal
agreements with two new FM Christian radio stations to broadcast our
programs five days a week." The programs are being aired in Tirana and
Korce. (Mission Network News)
1,400 TURN TO CHRIST IN 5 CRUSADES AMONG PERUVIAN TRIBE
A ministry in Peru has been able to plant new churches and bring aid
to the impoverished Kanaris tribespeople. Marino Huatangare, founder
and director of New Life Evangelistic Ministry, says that 72
worshiping groups of believers have been planted among the Kanaris. In
the last six months the mission conducted five major evangelistic
crusades where the gospel was preached to 5,500 people. Missionaries
witnessed 1,400 professions of faith and discipled and baptized 88 new
believers. The ministry also distributed shoes and clothing along with
30 Bibles and 50 New Testaments among the Kanaris. (Christian Aid
Mission)
CAndersen (Kimba)
>I wish to appeal for your financial support to publish my prayer book
>titled "PRAYERS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT", which is a collection of
>miraclous prayers that has been working for me through the invocation
>of the Holy Spirit.
It seems to me that there is nothing more personal than prayer, and if one
seeks to gain something by using someone else's prayer, then one has missed
the entire point of his life.
>TO GOD BE THE GLORY
I never could understand why a being (God) who already has everything
(all-powerful, all-knowing, etc. etc.) is so desiring of "glory".