Pray!
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Monday, May 27, 2002 8:00 PM
Subject: KNS UZBEKISTAN: "No preaching in Uzbek," minority faiths told
KESTON INSTITUTE, OXFORD, UK
______________________________________
KESTON NEWS SERVICE: 11.00, 27 May 2002
Reporting on violations of religious liberty and on religion in
communist and post-communist lands.
______________________________________
UZBEKISTAN: MINORITY FAITHS BARRED FROM
PREACHING IN UZBEK. "Actions have recently been resumed in
Uzbekistan which could soon lead to a significant restriction on
religious freedom in our country," an open letter from Protestant
Christians in Uzbekistan complains. It cites a number of events in
recent weeks, including a senior religious affairs official's demand
that churches stop preaching in Uzbek (the country's state language)
and the detention of eighteen Christians following an investigation
into the sources of Christian literature in Central Asian languages. The
chairman of the Bible Society of Uzbekistan told Keston News
Service it was "impossible to rule out the possibility that the
authorities are beginning a campaign against Protestant communities
in the republic."
UZBEKISTAN: MINORITY FAITHS BARRED FROM
PREACHING IN UZBEK
by Igor Rotar, Keston News Service
"Actions have recently been resumed in Uzbekistan which could soon
lead to a significant restriction on religious freedom in our country,"
complained an open letter from the press-officer of the Evangelical
Christians/Baptists of Uzbekistan Dmitri Pitirimov, received by
Keston News Service on 22 May. It cited a number of events in recent
weeks: the Tashkent-based head of the Full Gospel church, Bishop
Sergei Nechitailo, was summoned to the Committee for Religious
Affairs, where the deputy chairman of the committee, Shoazim
Minovarov, demanded that his denomination's churches stop
preaching in Uzbek (the country's state language). Eighteen
Christians, including two foreigners, were detained in the western
Uzbek city of Nukus following an investigation into the sources of
Christian literature in Central Asian languages. They were accused of
holding a seminar unlawfully. Pravda Vostoka, an official state
newspaper, published an article on 8 May based on an interview with
Metropolitan Vladimir (Ikim), head of the Orthodox Church in Central
Asia, who spoke out strongly against the spread of Protestantism in
Uzbekistan. "The substance of this article demonstrates clearly that a
course of action has been taken to toughen religious policy on the
rapidly-growing Evangelical Christian movements," the Baptist press
officer's letter declared. "Please give maximum publicity to these
documents."
Speaking to Keston in Tashkent by telephone on 22 May, one Full
Gospel church leader, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed
Pitirimov's report, although he expressed dissatisfaction that "a
representative of another confession should talk about the problems of
our church".
Minovarov has made no attempt to deny his instruction. "I confirm the
report that we advised Nechitailo to stop preaching in the Uzbek
language, and also that we asked him not to distribute Uzbek-language
religious literature from the Church of Christians of the Full Gospel,"
he told Keston by telephone on 22 May. "The fact is that there has
been a large number of complaints about the Church of Christians of
the Full Gospel of Uzbekistan from residents in the mahalla [city
sector] where it is based. People have expressed concern that members
of the church are trying to persuade Uzbeks to turn away from Islam
and convert to their religion." Minovarov volunteered that a similar
request was made to the Jehovah's Witnesses. "Members of the
Jehovah's Witnesses have been going to people's homes, trying to
preach their beliefs. You must understand that such behaviour is
unthinkable according to Uzbek tradition. For example, an Uzbek
cannot go even to his brother's house if there is no man in the
household at the time."
Asked by Keston whether there is a law in Uzbekistan that forbids the
preaching of Christianity in the Uzbek language, Minovarov replied:
"According to the law on religion 'actions intended to convert
believers of one confession to another (proselytism and also any other
missionary activity)' are forbidden. The actions of the Christians of
the Full Gospel and of the Jehovah's Witnesses constituted
proselytism."
Minovarov added that he "knew nothing" about the incident in Nukus,
although a duty officer at Nukus police station had confirmed to
Keston on 14 May that a group of Protestants had been detained.
However, he had declined to discuss the detentions in detail, adding
only that they were "not citizens of Uzbekistan".
"We are very concerned about recent events," the chairman of the
Tashkent-based Bible Society of Uzbekistan, Sergei Mitin, told
Keston by telephone. "It is impossible to rule out the possibility that
the authorities are beginning a campaign against Protestant
communities in the republic." (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,
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appreciate receiving a copy of any publication which quotes KNS.
--
Shalom! Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
Rowland Croucher
To: <mnn-...@mnnonline.org>
Sent: Monday, May 27, 2002 10:00 PM
Subject: [mnn-news] Mission Network News
News headlines for May 27th 2002
=====================================================
(Vietnam)--Our newscast begins today with word that Vietnam is cracking
down on the Hmong Christians. Far East Broadcasting Company's[1]
president, Jim Bowman, says they've been trying to encourage the
struggling church there since the word got out in the mid 1990's about the
persecution. "It really saddens and surprises us that, here in the year
2002, it's the worst it's ever been. So, in spite of the best foot forward
that the Vietnamese government puts with regard to human rights, the fact
is that the Hmong are being horribly persecuted, both in Vietnam and in
Laos." Bowman says the value believers place on FEBC's outreach comes
through clearly in their correspondence. "The common request of Hmong who
write us, who are being persecuted is: 'Don't give up the broadcast,
because many of us begin to lose our faith, we begin to doubt our faith,
especially when we're persecuted; we want to stay strong. So, keep those
broadcasts coming.'"
[2]
(Pakistan)--Next, in spite of increasing threats, beatings and
imprisonments suffered by Christian Aid Mission's[3] team members in
Pakistan, it has not stopped them from going out to spread the good news
of Jesus Christ. In fact, their Pakistani literature ministry has placed
60-thousand Bibles and New Testaments since it began 10 years ago. In
addition, thousands of copies have been put into libraries around the
country. Missionaries are now also going door-to-door in a third area.
Please continue to pray for this ministry in Pakistan.
(South Africa)--South Africa is the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS pandemic
hitting Africa with estimates of one in nine South Africans infected. That
means 70-to-100-thousand babies are born HIV-positive each year. Book
of Hope's[4] Bob Hoskins says generations are affected by tragedy. He's
got a vision to reach out, but says the tragedy is enormous. “It somehow
doesn't get through to us that here's a whole generation that's dying, and
most of them have never heard the true testimony of God's saving grace. I
just hope that the church will not only rise up to pray, but we need to
give and we need to do everything we can to get the Gospel to these
children that are dying.” Hoskins says the future is wide open for more
evangelistic work. “We were scheduled to do a half a million children in
the schools this year. But, I came back and I want to double our output.
So, we're planning to do additional printing and we're planning to add
additional schools to reach another 500-thousand of them before the end of
this year.”
[5]
(Philippines)--Meanwhile, a small people group in the northern Philippines
will now be able to read at least one book of God's word. The Seed
Company's[6] Roger Hanna explains. "Recently, we started working together
with the Majukayong translation committee. And, we're excited to see that
Mark has now been completed. And, we're just praying that God would bless
His Word so that all that read it would turn away from their worship of
evil spirits and worship the true God. And, this is what the elders
prayed at a recent celebration that they had for the book of Mark." Hanna
says this is just the beginning of Bible translation for the Majukayong
(MAH-doo-KY-yong) and they need support. "There's both needs for
financial partners and prayer partners for this project. The committee is
currently working on Acts and they're currently making progress on that."
(USA)--And finally, there are opportunities for Christians to reach out on
short term trips in the United States. The Association of Gospel Rescue
Missions provides online resources for urban summer ministry and
internship opportunities for youth and students. Find information on group
missions trips available as well as individual openings for ministry. To
learn out how to access their Short-term Urban Missions Directory go to
their web site. http://www.agrm.org/dir/[7]
[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=FEBC
[2]
http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/05-27-02jimbowman
.rm
[3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=CAID
[4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=BOH
[5]
http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/05-27-02bobhoskin
s.rm
[6] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=TSC
[7] http://www.agrm.org/dir/
Rowland Croucher
Subject: [mnn-news] Mission Network News
News headlines for May 28th 2002
=====================================================
(Eritrea)--Topping the news, there are reports that the Eritrean
government has closed all churches in the country other than the Orthodox,
Roman Catholic and Lutheran denominations. It's a surprise move, and one
that may be a result of outreach that took place during the war with
Ethiopia. For security reasons, we'll call our source 'Dan'. He details
the effect on their outreach. "Many of these young men and women were led
to the Lord out on the battlefields, both by radio programs that they were
listening to, as well as by the personal witness of many people from the
believers in that country." Dan says the future for their work is
unclear; please pray. "It seems as if the government has some major
concern about these people coming back into the city and coming back into
the evangelical churches. So, last week, the minister of religious affairs
in Eritrea called all of the evangelical church leaders together and
announced to them that their churches would be closed, that they would
need to register with the government."
(Ghana)--Next, the International Needs Network[1] reports that their
director is facing false accusations in Ghana. The country's president is
calling on the ministry to answer the charges being made against them.
The trouble stems from INN's help to free hundreds of women enslaved to
fetish priests. Now, those who want to keep the system are smearing the
outreach's reputation publicly. Please pray for the continued
evangelistic work and that their testimony would refute the allegations.
(Romania)--As a poor economy continues to grip Romania, that challenge is
actually helping ministry there. Vacile Paul is pastor of the 2nd Baptist
Church, northwest of Bucharest and operates five Awana Clubs[2] in the
region. Paul says as young people attend they receive credits and use
those credits to buy things like notebooks, pens, socks and other items.
He says it's a big draw. "We are trying to use all kinds of methods to
attract them. We need to touch their hearts with the word of God. It's
like James says if he has no anything to put on, how (can that help)? So,
we are trying to touch their physical needs too, and to help them to see
Jesus Christ is not just a philosophy it's a style of life." Paul is
asking Christians to adopt a club overseas. It cost just 15-dollars a
month, which could see dozens of young people come to Christ.
[3]
(Ukraine)--Meanwhile, pastors and church leaders in the Ukraine got a
chance to learn about church planting, discipleship and evangelism
recently. Doctor David Shibley is the President of Global Advance[4] .
He was in Ukraine and held two Frontline Shepherd's conferences earlier
this month. "It was a tremendous privilege to train 843 pastors and church
leaders in Keiv, another 560 in Donetsk, and to see the tremendous
response for church growth and church planting. Many of the younger
leaders have the desire to plant new churches." Shibley says more of
these conferences are planned in Myanmar and you can help national pastor
receive the training they need to be effective. "We pay for his training,
his housing, his meals, the resources and materials, all of that costs
about 75-dollars per pastor. We're very grateful for partners around the
world who help us."
[5]
(USA)--And finally, the Biblegateway-dot-com[6] has a new look. The new
version has been completely redesigned to add new features and make the
Bible Gateway easier to use while retaining all of its previous
functionality. With searchable Bibles online in dozens of different
languages and versions, the Bible Gateway is a great resource to be used
in your personal spiritual walk, as a tool for outreach and evangelism,
and as a reliable Bible reference. The Bible Gateway is a ministry of the
Gospel Communications Network.
[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=INN
[2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=ACI
[3]
http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/05-28-02VasilePau
l.rm
[4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=GAM
[5]
http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/05-28-02DavidShib
ley.rm
[6] http://www.biblegateway.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------
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
Rowland Croucher
http://www.keston.org
----- Original Message -----
From: <keston.i...@keston.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2002 5:00 AM
Subject: KNS BELARUS: Religion law to parliament; censorship, compulsory
re-registration?
KESTON INSTITUTE, OXFORD, UK
______________________________________
KESTON NEWS SERVICE: 20.00, 28 May 2002
Reporting on violations of religious liberty and on religion in
communist and post-communist lands.
______________________________________
I. BELARUS: RELIGION LAW GOES TO PARLIAMENT THIS
WEEK. Amendments to the Belarusian religion law will be discussed
by the lower house of parliament on 31 May, a parliamentary official
told Keston News Service on 28 May. Religious and human rights
representatives have told Keston that the long-running process to
amend the religion law for the third time has been conducted in some
secrecy and confusion. “We get the impression that the religious
affairs committee and the parliamentary apparatus want to limit access
as far as possible to the current draft of the text,” said a representative
of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee.
II. BELARUS: RELIGIOUS CENSORSHIP, COMPULSORY RE-
REGISTRATION UNDER RESTRICTIVE NEW LAW?
Unregistered religious activity will be banned, foreigners will be
prevented from leading religious organisations, religious literature will
be subjected to prior compulsory censorship and religious groups with
fewer than 20 adult citizen members in any one location will be
denied the possibility of registering, if new proposals to amend the
religion law which begin their passage through parliament this week
go through unchanged. Members of several faiths in Belarus, as well
as local human rights activists, have told Keston News Service of their
concerns. “If it is adopted there will be serious problems,” one Baptist
said.
I. BELARUS: RELIGION LAW GOES TO PARLIAMENT THIS
WEEK
by Felix Corley, Keston News Service
“Amendments to Belarus’ law on freedom of conscience and religious
organisations will be discussed by the Chamber of Representatives on
31 May,” an official of the human rights commission of the Chamber
(the lower house of the Belarusian parliament) told Keston News
Service from Minsk on 28 May. “The first reading will cover the
concept behind the law – that all religions are equal – while the
second reading will cover the individual amendments.” Leonid
Zemlyakov, deputy head of the Chamber’s secretariat, told Keston on
27 May that no date had been set then, but expected it to be soon.
“The draft law is on the agenda for the fourth session, and this finishes
at the end of June.” He declined to make a copy of the latest draft
available to Keston, saying that the text was still being worked on
(though the website www.ncpi.gov.by has what officials have told
Keston is the version the government sent to parliament earlier this
year). The long-running process to amend the religion law for a third
time – it was originally adopted in December 1992 and amended in
1995 and 1999 – has been conducted in some secrecy and some
confusion, religious and human rights representatives have told
Keston. “We get the impression that the religious affairs committee
and the parliamentary apparatus want to limit access as far as possible
to the current draft of the text,” Oleg Gulak of the Belarusian Helsinki
Committee in Minsk told Keston on 22 May.
The draft law was due to have been considered in parliament on 3
April, but was withdrawn from the agenda, apparently as a group of
deputies wanted to change the text of the draft. A government
roundtable discussion on the draft due to have been held in May did
not take place.
A separate roundtable organised by the Council of Europe in Minsk
on 29 April – which discussed international norms on religious
freedom but inevitably touched on the draft law - was boycotted by
government agencies, although some judges and parliamentary
deputies took part. “The seminar showed the gulf that exists between
local bureaucrats and European standards,” declared Gulak, who
attended the event. “Europeans base themselves on the individual right
to confess any faith or none, while our bureaucrats base themselves on
securing state interests – which are interpreted very widely.” Malcolm
Evans, professor of international law at Bristol University in England,
who was one of the two Council of Europe experts at the seminar, told
Keston on 27 May that participants in the seminar were “pessimistic”
about the draft. “They believed it was a done deal which could be put
through parliament very quickly. They felt very vulnerable.”
Government officials have hinted that they wish to stem the rise in the
number of registered religious organisations. The Minsk paper Naviny
noted on 21 May that official figures put the number of registered
organisations in the country at more than 2,500. "The proportion of
Orthodox communities fell from 52 per cent in 1988 to 44 per cent in
2001, while the Catholics fell from 15.7 per cent to 15.5 per cent," it
reported. "Yet the proportion of Protestant communities grew from 29
to 36 per cent. The president of Belarus maintains that in numerical
terms 80 per cent of believers are Orthodox."
Asked why a new religion law was necessary, Stanislav Buko, the
chairman of the State Committee for Religious and Ethnic Affairs,
appeared unable to give a definitive answer. “The old law was adopted
in 1992 and life has moved on,” he told Keston by telephone on 22
May. “There have been significant changes in social and religious
life.” However, he was unable to say why such changes necessitated a
new law. Asked who or which agency had initiated the process of
changing the law, he likewise was unable to say, although he denied
that the impetus had come from President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
“The president doesn’t concern himself with these issues,” he
declared. But he insisted the new draft had been drawn up “in a
democratic framework”. “Our democratic principles are unchanged.”
The parliamentary human rights commission official, who declined to
give his name, told Keston the Council of Ministers had initiated the
process.
Other commentators have told Keston that the State Committee under
its previous chairman, Aleksandr Bilyk, was the initiator of the new
law, hoping thereby to increase its power within the bureaucracy.
“The State Committee has taken the most active part in the process,”
Gulak told Keston.
Marina Shirokova of the department of state legislation of the
National Centre for Draft Legislative Activity attached to the
President said that her centre had drawn up the text but had handed it
over to the Council of Ministers last September. “The Council of
Ministers then worked on the text and brought in specialists from the
State Committee for Religious and Ethnic Affairs,” she told Keston by
telephone from Minsk on 27 May.
Zemlyakov and Buko reported that the draft text was sent last
December to the 26 registered religious denominations in Belarus for
their comments. Zemlyakov said they had provided 150 suggestions
and recommendations. Asked how the various denominations had
responded to the proposed new law, Buko would say only that “no-
one was against the draft,” although he said several had suggestions
over individual provisions.
However, Vassily Kislyak, secretary of the Baha'i Spiritual Assembly,
told Keston from Minsk on 27 May that his denomination had written
to the government and parliament on 15 February to point out its
objections to the draft law. "There is no feedback from the
government to our remarks on the bill," he complained, adding that
local authorities already ban many Baha'i local activities.
Gulak of the Helsinki Committee told Keston that he had seen an
analysis of the suggestions made by religious denominations about the
draft. “Only some remarks by the Orthodox Church were
incorporated,” he told Keston. “No suggestions by any of the other
faiths were included.”
Poor relations between the Belarusian government and international
bodies – such as the Council of Europe and the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe – have meant that the government
has failed to take up offers of assistance in helping the proposed new
law meet international standards. “I haven’t seen any comments on the
draft from international bodies,” the human rights commission official
told Keston. “But our experts say the draft meets international norms.”
(END)
II. BELARUS: RELIGIOUS CENSORSHIP, COMPULSORY RE-
REGISTRATION UNDER RESTRICTIVE NEW LAW?
by Felix Corley, Keston News Service
Unregistered religious activity will be banned, foreigners will be
prevented from leading religious organisations, religious literature will
be subjected to prior compulsory censorship and religious groups with
fewer than 20 adult citizen members in any one location will be
denied the possibility of registering, if new proposals to amend the
religion law which begin their passage through parliament this week
go through unchanged. Members of several faiths in Belarus, as well
as local human rights activists, have told Keston News Service of their
concerns over the proposed amendments. “All religious groups are
watching and waiting for this religious law,” Aleksandr Velichko of
the Baptist Union told Keston from Minsk on 27 May. “If it is adopted
there will be serious problems.” Although the text of the latest version
of the draft has not been made public (see separate KNS article), it
seems likely that when it reaches the lower house of parliament
further restrictions will have been introduced.
The Russian-language text of the draft sent by the government to
parliament earlier this year, which has been placed on the website of
the government’s National Centre for Legal Information
(www.ncpi.gov.by), contains provisions to introduce compulsory
advance religious censorship, a ban on unregistered religious activity,
a raising of the threshold from 10 to 20 members for a local religious
community to be able to operate and territorial restrictions on the
functioning of religious groups. Once adopted, the law will require
compulsory re-registration over the following two years, the third
round of re-registration since Belarus became independent.
In what is the most serious violation of international religious liberty
norms, Article 17 of the draft declares: “Religious organisations are
subject to compulsory state registration.” The 1992 religion law laid
down no requirement that religious organisations must register in
order to be allowed to function, and of the other former Soviet
republics only Uzbekistan specifically bans unregistered religious
activity. However, in recent years the tighter controls over religious
activity in Belarus have come close to introducing compulsory
registration by the back door.
“If this provision is introduced it will mean the return of persecution –
our believers will go to prison again for their faith. People are
prepared for this,” declared Klaus Karsten, director of the German-
based Friedensstimme mission, which maintains close ties with
congregations in Belarus of the Council of Churches of Evangelical
Christians/Baptists, which reject registration on principle. He told
Keston on 28 May that earlier in May the chairman of the local
administration in the village of Rogozna, 40 kilometres (25 miles)
south of Brest close to the border with Poland, had summoned the
entire church to question why they refused to register. “The whole
church rejected registration,” Karsten reported. “It is the unanimous
understanding of all our believers throughout the former Soviet
republics that we do not want registration.” Two religious liberty
specialists from Moscow, Anatoly Pchelintsev and Vladimir
Ryakhovsky from the Institute for Religion and Law, agreed. “Given
the low level of legal and religious cultural knowledge of officials in
the whole post-Soviet territory, such a provision could provoke mass
violations of the rights of believers,” they wrote last November in an
analysis of an earlier draft containing the same provision. They
pointed out that such a provision violated international commitments
that religious communities have the right to select their own
leadership freely.
Article 14 of the draft increases the minimum number of founders of a
“religious community” (a local religious organisation) from the
current 10 to 20 Belarusian adult citizens, and requires the 20 to come
from one town or “a few neighbouring settlements”. The Baptists and
the Baha’is have already expressed their concern about the raising of
the threshold, which Velichko warns will make illegal many smaller
religious groups based in small villages, especially given the new ban
on unregistered religious activity. Karsten pointed out that this would
prevent any new religious community from emerging. “All new
churches begin small.” The Baha’is are also concerned that only
citizens will be allowed to found such religious groups, a concern
shared by the lawyers Sergei and Dina Shavtsov of the Minsk law firm
Imperative, who have represented the Full Gospel Pentecostal Church.
The draft identifies a separate, higher level of religious organisation, a
“religious association”, which may function on a national level. Under
Article 15, an association will require no fewer than ten religious
communities “of the same religious confession” which have been
functioning in Belarus for at least fifteen years (i.e. since 1987, just
before tight Soviet controls on religion began to be lifted). This will
bar many religious faiths which had only a limited number of
registered communities during the late Soviet period from forming
religious associations. Article 15 also distinguishes between
“republican” religious associations – which need to have functioning
communities in the “majority” of the country’s regions (presumably at
least four of the seven regions) – and “local” religious associations
that cannot meet that requirement.
Article 16 declares that “religious associations” have the right to
create monastic communities, brotherhoods and sisterhoods, charitable
organisations and educational establishments. Although this is not
spelled out, it appears that “religious communities” will not have this
right.
The Shavtsovs question provisions in the draft limiting religious
organisations’ activity to defined areas of the country. “This norm is
not in accordance with provisions of civil law, which does not contain
territorial limitations on the activity of juridical entities,” they
declared.
Article 13 of the draft requires the leaders of all religious
organisations to be citizens of Belarus. This requirement has already
been opposed by the Baha’is. It will also create problems for the
Catholic Church, the second largest faith in Belarus with more than
430 parishes, most of whose 285 priests are foreign citizens. “It is
difficult to conceive that such a provision could appear in the laws of
any state with advanced democratic institutions,” declared Pchelintsev
and Ryakhovsky. “An analogous position would mean Orthodox
priests would be forced to leave many states.”
The new draft for the first time introduces tight controls over religious
publications, including advance, compulsory censorship of religious
literature. Article 27 declares: “Religious organisations may import or
distribute religious literature, printed, audio and video materials only
after the conducting of a religious expert assessment.” Such an
assessment would be carried out by the newly-created expert council
attached to the State Committee. However, only religious
organisations may found commercial entities to produce “divine
service literature” and “items of cult significance”, presumably a
provision to protect Orthodox and Catholic manufacturers. Although
commercial publishers unconnected to religious organisations do not
appear to be deprived of the right to produce religious literature
(provided it is not divine service literature), religious literature may
only be distributed on premises legally used by religious organisations
or “in places assigned for these purposes according to the established
procedure by local executive and order-bringing (rasporyaditelnie)
organs”. Presumably this provision prevents ordinary bookshops
selling religious books.
The Shavtsovs question the requirement in Article 18 that religious
groups new to Belarus must submit with their registration application
information about “the foundations of their faith” and “their cult
practice”, including details of their history and attitude to the family
and medical treatment. They fear that officials who may not like such
groups will be able to find reasons not to register them.
Believers of a variety of faiths told Keston that they were concerned at
the imprecise phraseology over who had the power to initiate a suit to
liquidate a religious organisation through the courts, the wide powers
granted to the expert council established by the State Committee and
the complicated registration rules which, they believe, leave the way
open for officials to deny registration to those they do not like. The
Shavtsovs were concerned that there was no mechanism for religious
groups to challenge assessments made by the expert council, even
though they could lead to denial or removal of registration.
Rumours have circulated that the preamble of the law – which in the
version produced by the government refers to the “influence” of
religious organisations on the “formation of the spiritual, cultural and
state traditions of the Belarusian nation” - has been or will be changed
to refer specifically to Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Judaism and
Lutheranism. Officials have so far denied this, but many Protestants
have told Keston that the possibility worries them, especially as it
would contradict Article 6 of the draft, which declares: “Religions and
faiths are equal before the law.” Despite this provision, the official of
the human rights commission told Keston bluntly that the state
“respects the historical faiths” and would do its utmost to protect them
from “new destructive sects”, among which he included the Hare
Krishna community. “I believe – and this is my personal view – that at
the current stage of Belarus’ development it is justified to have such
limitations on such groups,” he declared. “The citizen has the right to
choose a faith, but all these groups have been brought in by foreigners.
They are not the desire of our citizens.”
“The ban on unregistered religious activity, the requirement for 20
founding members of a religious organisation and the very difficult
registration process, as well as many other provisions, clearly violate
the constitution and international human rights standards,” Oleg Gulak
of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee told Keston from Minsk on 22
May. (END)
Copyright (c) 2002 Keston Institute. All rights reserved.
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Rowland Croucher
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2002 3:08 AM
Subject: [Daily Update] 28 May 2002 Update From HCJB World Radio
A ministry of HCJB World Radio
To subscribe, E-mail to: <HCJBDa...@pmbx.net>
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Today's News Headlines:
VIETNAM CONTINUES CRACKDOWN ON HMONG BELIEVERS
CHRISTIANS ABUSED IN AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTERS
COLUMBINE SURVIVORS TO VISIT VICTIMS OF MASSACRE IN GERMANY
WORLD'S LARGEST CHURCH PLANNED FOR SOUTH KOREA
CANADIAN COMMISSION APPROVES CHRISTIAN RADIO NETWORK
AWANA CLUBS HELP ATTRACT YOUNG PEOPLE TO ROMANIAN CHURCHES
Today's News Stories:
VIETNAM CONTINUES CRACKDOWN ON HMONG BELIEVERS
Vietnam is cracking down on the Hmong Christians, reports Far East
Broadcasting Co. President Jim Bowman. "We've been trying to encourage
the struggling church there since the word got out in the mid-1990s
about the persecution. It really saddens and surprises us that here in
the year 2002 it's the worst it's ever been." While the Vietnamese
government claims to have cleaned up its human rights record, "the
fact is that the Hmong are being horribly persecuted, both in Vietnam
and in Laos." Bowman says the plight of the Hmong believers is evident
in the letters received from listeners to the Christian broadcasts.
"The common request persecuted Hmong believers is: 'Don't give up the
broadcasts, because many of us begin to lose our faith--we begin to
doubt our faith--especially when we're persecuted. We want to stay
strong, so keep those broadcasts coming.'" (Mission Network News)
CHRISTIANS ABUSED IN AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTERS
A disturbing scandal has emerged in Australia's immigration detention
centers where Christians and other non-Muslim asylum-seekers have been
"stoned, assaulted, sexually harassed and abused by Islamic fanatics."
One Iranian Christian was blinded in one eye when a group of Afghan
detainees threw stones at Christians leaving the dining hall in the
Woomera detention center. In another incident a Christian man was
kicked to the floor, and his cross was ripped from his neck.
Non-Muslim men, women and even children--many of whom fled Muslim
countries such as Iran and are seeking asylum after being persecuted
for their faith--now face violence or threats from Muslims within the
detention centers. (Barnabas Fund)
COLUMBINE SURVIVORS TO VISIT VICTIMS OF MASSACRE IN GERMANY
Some of the Christians who came through the Columbine High School
massacre will fly to Germany to offer comfort and help to the friends
and relatives of the 17 victims of the country's worst-ever school
shooting. Bruce Porter, a firefighter chaplain and pastor of
Celebration Christian Church in Littleton, Colo., who helped minister
to those affected by the 1999 killings, will lead a group on a
two-week visit. Traveling with him will be Beth Nimmo, whose daughter
Rachel Scott was among those murdered, and wounded students Evan Todd
and Heidi Johnson. During their time in Erfurt where Robert
Steinhauser went on a shooting rampage in Gutenberg High School last
month, the visitors will meet with school and government officials and
local residents. They will be carrying with them Columbine flower
seeds which they hope to present to bereaved families as a sign of
hope and healing. "We have some understanding of what these families
are going through, and even though we know that nothing we can say or
do could take away their pain, we hope that our presence and prayers
for the families will be a source of strength and comfort as they come
to grips with their heartbreaking losses," Porter said. (Charisma News
Service)
WORLD'S LARGEST CHURCH PLANNED FOR SOUTH KOREA
Plans have been announced in South Korea for the construction of what
is believed to be the world's largest church building that will hold
between 150,000 and 200,000 worshipers. Work is expected to begin on
the "Grand Sanctuary" on a yet-to-be-determined site in or close to
Seoul within the next two years, said Rev. Lee Jae-Rock, senior pastor
of the 75,000-member Manmin Joong-Ang Church. The proposed round
building will have a diameter of nearly 2,000 feet and will be
equipped with television monitors at the back of each seat. "The
congregation will be able to comfortably watch what's going on in his
or her own seat," Jae-Rock says. "The round altar will be at the
center of the sanctuary, rotating and going up and down." Why build
such a large structure? "There have been so many magnificent buildings
for human beings to please man since the creation of the earth," he
says. "Even now there are lots of skyscrapers and great, luxurious
buildings for men, but not one as big as this for the triune God--the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We need the building for our God which
shows His glory, power and love and in which men--believers and
unbelievers--can feel that great love." (Assist News Service)
CANADIAN COMMISSION APPROVES CHRISTIAN RADIO NETWORK
Voice of Adventist Radio (VOAR), the only Seventh-day Adventist radio
station in Canada, has been approved for 12 new broadcast licenses by
the Canadian Radio and Television Commission. This allows the station
to expand its ministry to across Newfoundland. "This is setting a
precedent in Canada for Christian broadcasting," said Nicole Batten,
VOAR's communication director. "VOAR will be the first Christian radio
station to operate a large network of transmitter sites, covering such
a vast amount of territory." The ministry's expansion involves setting
up a satellite uplink system that will rebroadcast programs to 12
transmitter sites in Newfoundland, including two in Labrador where
there are no Seventh-day Adventist churches. "We hope the radio
station will open doors to evangelistic outreach in this remote area
where a large population of natives live," said VOAR Station Manager
Sherry Griffin. Until 15 years ago, Canada's broadcasting commission
did not allow religious entities to operate radio stations in the
country. (Adventist Press Service)
AWANA CLUBS HELP ATTRACT YOUNG PEOPLE TO ROMANIAN CHURCHES
While a poor economy continues to grip Romania, the situation is
opening opportunities to share the gospel. Vacile Paul, pastor of the
Second Baptist Church northwest of Bucharest, says the church operates
five AWANA Clubs in the region. As young people attend the clubs, they
receive "credits" which can be used to buy such things as notebooks,
pens and socks and other items. So far the program has been a success.
"We are trying to use all kinds of methods to attract young people,"
Paul says. "We need to touch their hearts with the Word of God. . . .
We are trying to touch people's physical needs too, and to help them
to see Jesus Christ is not just a philosophy, it's a lifestyle."
(Mission Network News)
* HCJB World Radio broadcasts the gospel locally in six Romanian
cities via the Radio Voice of the Gospel network, a cooperative effort
with the Evangelical Alliance of Romania and the Romanian Missionary
Society. A broadcasting license has been awarded for a seventh station
in Brasov. The station is expected to go on the air before the end of
this year.
FREE BOOKLET: Order your own copy of HCJB World Radio's new 20-page
booklet, "God Keeps Opening Doors," by e-mailing your name and
mailing address to do...@hcjb.org. You'll also receive a free bookmark.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
James A. Ferrier
HCJB World Radio
U.S. Ministries
Communications Director
E-mail: jfer...@hcjb.org
Web: http://www.hcjb.org
Rowland Croucher
WELCOME to the 20 intercessors who have joined the list this month.
--------------------------------------
DURING MAY WE HAVE PRAYED CONCERNING -
INDONESIA: AMBON, MALUKU, where an Islamic massacre of Christians
in the village of Soya, flying in the face of the Malino Peace
Accord, threatened to unravel the tentative peace. In an
unprecedented turn of events, the head of the Laskar Jihad, Jafar
Umar Thalib, was arrested and detained in Jakarta. The separatist
Maluku Sovereignty Front (FKM) has been disbanded and their
leader, Alex Manuputty, was arrested in mid April.
* UPDATE: In a highly controversial and very political move,
Indonesian Vice President Hamzah Haz visited the imprisoned
leader of the Laskar Jihad, Jafar Umar Thalib, citing Muslim
solidarity. Haz, a personal friend of Thalib, was possibly also
courting the ever increasing number of Indonesian hardline
Muslims voters. The Chief Security Minister issued a government
directive, effective from 8 May, to remove the Laskar Jihad from
Maluku. Local security personnel in Maluku have already launched
door-to-door raids to disarm militias and their supporters.
* Pray that God will continue to move in judgement over Maluku,
removing the Laskar Jihad and mercifully granting peace to his
Church that has suffered so much terror and so much loss.
SOUTHERN SUDAN, UGANDA AND THE CURSE OF THE LRA: The Catholic
Church in Southern Sudan issued an urgent plea for rescue from
the terror being perpetrated by the blasphemous, terrorist
cult-militia, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The LRA have
murdered more than 800 civilians in recent weeks, in the most
heinous ways imaginable, and they do this using our Lord's name.
The Ugandan Army is pursuing them - pray for victory, for an end
to the LRA.
TURKMENISTAN: where three believers, Murad, Jamilya and Nurmurad,
are in hiding, being hunted by the KNB (the former KGB) for the
'crime' of refusing to renounce their faith. Pray that the
international community will have a raised awareness of the
tyranny in Turkmenistan and that President Niyazov's
dictatorship will end.
Past RLPs may be viewed at
http://www.evangelicalalliance.org.au/rlc/postings
ALSO IN MAY -
SAUDI ARABIA: ETHIOPIAN BELIEVERS ARRESTED
According to church reports from Ethiopia, nine Ethiopian
Christians in Saudi Arabia were arrested at worship on 10 May, and
another the next day. On 15 May, all ten detained believers were
transferred to the Breman Terhil prison. The church in Ethiopia
heard that two of those arrested were bound and severely beaten in
this deportation prison. The most recent news from the Ethiopian
Church is, 'One (believer) is deported, two seriously beaten and
the rest we don't know where they have been taken.' Pray for
protection for the detained Ethiopian believers. Pray for all
Christians in Saudi Arabia.
CHINA / NORTH KOREA: ASYLUM SEEKERS
In recent weeks, North Korean refugees in hiding in China have
sought asylum in various embassies in China, which has drawn
international attention to the tragedy of North Korea. The Chinese
government has responded by cracking down on people who shelter and
care for North Korean refugees. This includes Korean-Chinese
Christians who live along the China / North Korea border. The Korea
Times reports that over 100 South Korean missionaries have been
arrested in recent months. One of those held is a Korean-American
missionary, Joseph Choi (47). He was detained on 9 May, along with
14 of the 38 North Korean children housed by his "Small Angel's
House" organisation. Pray for God to sustain and protect the
arrested missionaries, and pray for the nation of North Korea.
AFGHANISTAN: SELECTIVE FREEDOMS
A new press law issued by the interim government of Afghanistan is
being hailed as a sign of new freedom. Around 100 publications have
obtained permits to publish, with nearly a dozen of them being
devoted to women's issues. Religion, however, is still a taboo
subject. One clause of the law (which is based on the 1964
Constitution) bans coverage of 'subjects that could offend Islam',
'subjects that could dishonour the people' or 'subjects that could
weaken the army of Afghanistan'. Anything that threatens 'the
integrity of Afghanistan' is forbidden. One magazine's application
for a permit to publish was rejected because religion was listed
among its topics of interest. Please pray for God to be merciful to
the people of Afghanistan and grant them access to the Gospel
through increased freedoms.
Please pray, 'For nothing is impossible with God.' Luke 1:37
----------------------------------------------------
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
U.S. OFFERS REWARD FOR MISSIONARIES' KIDNAPPERS IN PHILIPPINES
CHURCHES URGE RESTRAINT AS INDIA-PAKISTAN TENSIONS MOUNT
COLOMBIAN BELIEVERS BRACE FOR VIOLENCE FOLLOWING ELECTION
FREAK ACCIDENT KILLS YOUNG INNER-CITY MISSIONARY IN FLORIDA
CHRISTIANITY BOOMS AMONG MALAYSIA'S TRIBAL PEOPLES
10-YEAR PROJECT TO UPDATE HINDI BIBLE TRANSLATION BEGINS
Today's News Stories:
U.S. OFFERS REWARD FOR MISSIONARIES' KIDNAPPERS IN PHILIPPINES
The U.S. government Wednesday offered a reward of up to $5 million for
the capture of leaders of a Philippine Muslim extremist group that
kidnapped an American missionary couple, the Associated Press
reported. U.S. Ambassador Francis Ricciardone said the reward is for
any or all of five leaders of the Abu Sayyaf group that abducted
missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham and Filipino nurse Deborah Yap
on May 27, 2001. "We believe that ordinary citizens of the Philippines
and elsewhere may have the information that can help bring the Abu
Sayyaf terrorists to justice," said Ricciardone, who appealed to
tipsters to call an embassy hotline or a toll-free number in the U.S.
Meanwhile, Martin Burnham's parents made a plea Monday for the release
of the Wichita, Kan., missionaries who have served with New Tribes
Mission (NTM) in the Philippines since 1985. "We appeal to the Abu
Sayyaf to . . . release these innocent victims," said Paul Burnham in
a radio address aired in the Philippines. In an e-mail prayer update,
NTM requested continued prayer for the Burnhams whose 19th wedding
anniversary was on Tuesday. (Charisma News Service)
CHURCHES URGE RESTRAINT AS INDIA-PAKISTAN TENSIONS MOUNT
Major church groups in India are calling for restraint as the threat
of war with Pakistan looms, reports Ecumenical News International. The
National Council of Churches in India issued a statement on May 25
urging the nations to "use wisdom and avoid the danger of starting a
nuclear war where both the countries will be losers. . . . The logic
of peace through war is not credible and is to be rejected. . . . War
rhetoric is not an alternative for true patriotism which enhances
peace in the country and assures protection and safety for its
citizens." India and Pakistan have fought two wars over Kashmir since
the partition of the Indian subcontinent into Hindu-majority India and
Muslim-majority Pakistan. Kashmir has been divided between the two
countries since the end of the first Indo-Pakistan war in 1949.
Tension has been building since May 14 when a military camp in the
Indian-controlled section of Kashmir was attacked, leaving dozens
dead--mostly women and children. India blamed the violence on
Pakistani infiltrators. During an emergency three-day trip to Kashmir
last week, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Defense
Minister George Fernandes exhorted soldiers to be prepared for a
"final and decisive" war with Pakistan. (Council for World Mission)
COLOMBIAN BELIEVERS BRACE FOR VIOLENCE FOLLOWING ELECTION
Alvaro Uribe Velez was elected president of Colombia on May 27,
capturing a majority on the first ballot after pledging an all-out
military campaign against the country's two leftist rebel groups. In
his victory speech, Uribe said he would seek international support in
a bid to reopen peace contacts with "groups outside the law,"
referring to both the rebels and right-wing paramilitary units loyal
to the government. But he said peace talks would not begin unless the
groups agree to a cease-fire and stop kidnapping civilians for
ransom--an unlikely scenario. Evangelical Christians have often been
caught in the middle of the conflict. Last month rebel forces closed
down 11 churches in the town of Araquita, claiming that church leaders
were supporting Uribe's election bid despite statements from the
pastors that they refused to be involved in politics. With Uribe's
victory, there are concerns about increased violence throughout
Colombia. Glenn Penner, communications officer for Voice of the
Martyrs in Canada, said, "It is obvious that the peace negotiations
initiated by the past president failed to bring peace to Colombia.
While we hope that the new president will be able to bring the rule of
law to the country, we sincerely hope that Christians in
rebel-controlled areas will not be adversely affected by either rebel
bands or paramilitary units. Often Christians have been caught in the
middle of this civil war as both sides demand absolute loyalty."
(Voice of the Martyrs)
FREAK ACCIDENT KILLS YOUNG INNER-CITY MISSIONARY IN FLORIDA
A young missionary with a lauded Tampa, Fla., inner-city ministry was
killed in a freak accident Friday, May 24. Jason Butler, 20, was
practicing flips on an inflatable bounce house for an upcoming block
party when he struck his head, breaking his neck. "The doctor said he
died instantly," said David Craver, who along with five other young
people moved into a former crack house in a Tampa-area neighborhood in
September 2000 to start the Tampa Bay Dream Center. "You just don't
expect something like this to happen," Craver said. "He died on the
mission field, doing what he loved to do-reaching out to children and
winning people for Christ." The organization's summer inner-city
missions program, which starts Monday, will be dedicated in Butler's
honor. About 300 young missionaries from across the country will take
part in outreaches such as block parties, repairing homes and
mentoring children. A memorial service for Butler, who grew up in the
Bahamas, is set for Saturday. (Charisma News Service)
CHRISTIANITY BOOMS AMONG MALAYSIA'S TRIBAL PEOPLES
Christianity is growing fastest among Malaysia's tribal people with
the largest indigenous church having more than 500,000 members, says
Andrew Siew, executive secretary of the Presbyterian Church in
Malaysia. Borneo Gospel Mission started in the eastern peninsula of
Malaysia, on the island of Borneo, before sending missionaries to
Malaysia's western peninsula in 1994. Eastern Malaysia is less
developed than the western part and is inhabited by many tribal
peoples with animist beliefs. The western peninsula consists mainly of
Malays who are predominantly Muslim. The Presbyterian Church is also
evangelizing tribal peoples. This outreach started 10 years ago when
tribal people began moving to the western peninsula (where the
Presbyterian Church is based) to find work. Presbyterian minister Rev.
Wong Fong Yang says: "The Iban people we work with used to be fierce
headhunters. Now they're fierce evangelists, although they're not as
good at discipleship! The gospel has transformed them." (Council for
World Mission)
10-YEAR PROJECT TO UPDATE HINDI BIBLE TRANSLATION BEGINS
The International Bible Society (IBS) is working on an updated Bible
translation in Hindi, a language spoken by more than 600 million
people across India. "The translation that's pretty commonly accepted
by Hindi Christians is about 150 years old," says Steve Johnson of
IBS. "So there's an incredible opportunity to reach these people with
God's Word in their contemporary Hindi idiom." The project is
estimated to last 10 years and cost $2 million to complete. (Mission
Network News)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
James A. Ferrier
HCJB World Radio
U.S. Ministries
Communications Director
E-mail: jfer...@hcjb.org
Web: http://www.hcjb.org
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 12:41 AM
Subject: Appeal to halt execution of North Korean Christian
CHRISTIAN SOLIDARITY WORLDWIDE
VERY URGENT: APPEAL TO HALT EXECUTION OF NORTH KOREAN CHRISTIAN
Dear Friends,
We are writing to ask if you could help in raising urgent concern for a
group of North Koreans who are in the process of being sent back to North
Korea, where they are in danger of execution.
The six defectors were arrested in Yunnan Province in China, near the Laos /
Burma border between 24th - 26th May. They were attempting to leave China,
without a guide, but were arrested and are now being taken by the Chinese
authorities to North China for repatriation to North Korea.
The group was sent to Kunmin on the morning of 29th May and have been
transported to Changchun today. The situation is particularly urgent as the
Chinese are moving exceptionally fast in this case.
Amongst the group is Lee Song-yong, a 2 1/2 year old boy, born 15th November
1999 in 292 Chinese Army Hospital in Beijing. Lee's mother, Park Sun-hi,
aged 31, was 3 months pregnant when she fled to China for freedom in May
1999. Afraid of arrest and repatriation in China she managed to reach South
Korea on 22nd November 2002. She is now a South Korean citizen. However she
could not take her 12 month old baby at the time and has been desperate to
bring him to live with her. She managed to find a group of North Koreans
preparing to leave China and asked them to take her son with them.
Unfortunately this is the group that has been arrested.
A second member of the group is Mr Lee Hong-gang, aged 48. He was an
underground Christian in North Korea. His father and one of his two brothers
were executed for their Christian faith in North Korea. He fled North Korea
in April 2000 when there were indications that his arrest and execution were
imminent.
Accounts from North Korean defectors who have been recaptured and
interrogated by the North Korean authorities systematically report that
being a Christian or even having had contact with a Christian is one of the
most serious crimes that a North Korean can commit. Eyewitness evidence
gathered by CSW and other organisations attests that North Koreans who have
tried to escape and who are Christians face execution. It is believed by
those close to the situation that there is no doubt that he would be
executed if he is repatriated to North Korea.
A third member of the group is 30 year old Kim Mi-hwa.
The other serious crime that North Korean interrogators look for is links
with South Korea, as this is deemed the ultimate act of treason. The facts
that the group were heading for South Korea, and Lee Song-yong's mother has
already defected to South Korea, are grave grounds for concern for the
welfare of the group.
This is a very serious case. It is understood that China and North Korea
have an agreement that China will repatriate North Koreans to North Korea.
We know from first hand evidence that this gives rise to the most horrific
human rights abuses, including execution. Recent cases that have caught
international attention have resulted in a more humanitarian response, with
North Koreans seeking refuge in embassies being allowed to leave China for
safety.
China's international reputation is at risk in sending these people back to
certain death. Besides the obvious outcry which such action should
precipitate, her position as host of the Olympic Games in 2008 has to be
called into question while such barbaric acts are carried out.
CSW is urgently appealing for expressions of concern from around the world
to be communicated to the Chinese authorities to halt the repatriation. We
would be very grateful if you could raise your concern as a matter of
urgency and urge others to do the same. CSW is calling on political
representatives, the UNHCR, the press, the International Olympic Committee
and others with influence to urgently voice concern over this situation.
Please use any contacts you have with these channels to encourage them to
take this up as a matter of urgency.
Thank you
Addresses follow:
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tang Jiaxuan
Minister of Foreign Affairs
2 Chaoyangmenneidajie
Dongsi,
Beijing 100701
People's Republic of China
Tel: 00 86 10 6596 1109/14
Fax: 00 86 10 6596 2660
Email: webm...@fmprc.gov.cn
Chinese Embassy to the United Kingdom
His Excellency Mr Ma Zhengang
Ambassador
Chinese Embassy to the United Kingdom
49-51 Portland Place
London W1N 4JL
Tel: 020 7299 4049
Fax: 020 7636 2981 / 7636 5578
Chinese Mission to the United Nations in Geneva
His Excellency Mr Qiao Zonghuai
Tel: 00 41 22 879 56 00 / 78 / 50 / 41
Fax: 00 41 22 793 70 14
E-mail: missio...@ties.itu.int
Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the UN in New York
His Excellency Mr Wang Yingfan
Tel: + 1 212 655 6100 (switch) / 655 6123 (Ambassador)
Fax: + 1 212 634 7626
E-mail: chinami...@fmprc.gov.cn
Embassy of the People's Republic of China (USA)
Tel + 1 202 328 2500
Fax: + 1 202 588 0032
chinaem...@fmprc.gov.cn
Embassy of the People's Republic of China (Australia)
His Excellency Wenzhong Zhou
15 Coronation Drive
Yarralumla ACT 2600
Tel + 61 2 6273 4780
Fax: + 61 2 6273 4878
prot...@chinaembassy.org.au
www.chinaembassy.org.au
Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China (Aust-NSW)
Tel +61 2 9698 5007 (political)
Fax +61 2 9319 2430
Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China (Aust-Vic)
Tel +61 3 9822 0604
Fax +61 3 9822 0320
Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China (Aust-WA)
Tel +61 8 9321 8193
Fax +61 8 9321 8457
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
94 rue de Montbrillant
1202 Geneva
Switzerland
Tel: 00 41 22 739 8111
Fax: 00 41 22 739 7377
E-mail: hqp...@unhcr.ch
Rowland Croucher
Subject: [mnn-news] Mission Network News
News headlines for May 31st 2002
=====================================================
(North Korea)--Our newscast begins today in North Korea where acute food
shortages are causing deaths from malnutrition and disease.
International Aid's[1] Mark Heydenburg says the situation has been
worsening, despite the limelight of the World Cup in neighboring South
Korea. “The world is really not as focused on North Korea as it has been
in the past, and there's some tremendous food shortages. Malnutrition is
probably the number one cause of death in North Korea. The other problem
is tuberculosis: two people per thousand die of tuberculosis each year.”
Heydenburg says their work through medical missions is one way they can
share the hope of Christ. “They really don't want proselytizing. You can
talk to your guides, but to actually openly witness is a restriction at
this time. You really have to witness through your actions, through your
deeds, and they do ask questions. They'll come to you and they'll ask
you, 'why are you doing this?', and that's when we take the opportunity to
share the love of Christ.”
[2]
(Georgia)--Next, as part of the ongoing U-S led war on terrorism, special
forces are in the Georgian Republic. Even as training begins, there are
questions about breaches in human rights and religious freedoms.
Baptist World Alliance's[3] Wendy Ryan says one of their leaders confirms
trouble, but says it stems from a more localized source. “Malkhaz
Songulashvili has been threatened with having his offices burnt down.
Already, he has seen this happen. The warehouse in which they house
Bibles and other religious books was burnt down, so right now, his
ministry is under threat.” Ryan asks people to pray for their workers in
Georgia. “The Baptist World Alliance is very concerned that not enough is
being done to physically protect the offices and the people. And,
already, with the documented cases of religious harassment and criminal
activity, that there has not been enough done to bring these perpetrators
to justice.”
[4]
(Sudan)--The Voice of the Martyrs[5] and Servant's Heart are working
together to provide grain to a part of war-torn Sudan. Christians have
been suffering under continued government-sanctioned bombings for several
years. In spite of the danger, the church is responding to the physical
and spiritual needs of other victims in the northeastern Upper Nile
region. Please pray that the remaining shipments will be delivered
before the rains. Pray too for the continued testimony of the church
through persecution.
(USA)--Meanwhile, a strange phenomenon is taking place at the JAARS
Center[6] in North Carolina. “We're having a large amount of visitors
for our daily tour program and our monthly program we call JAARS Day.
We've had 3,551 visitors to see what our work is all about to the JAARS
Center since January. We're really amazed at by what God is doing.”
That's JAARS' Arthur Lightbody who believes more people are getting
interested in outreach, specifically Bible translation. He says JAARS,
which speeds Bible translation by providing quality services for Wycliffe
Bible translators and others, is making tours a learning experience.
“We've tried to make it more family oriented. We have sessions for
children at their level about what missions is and why we need to tell
people. So, that's made it possible for families to come because they
know there's something for their children.”
(United Kingdom)--And finally, the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association[7]
is praying that many lawyers, judges and other court officials in the
United Kingdom will continue to seek after God. Last week, Luis Palau was
able to share the Gospel with 28-hundred legal professionals in a series
of evangelistic dinners and breakfasts in Liverpool, Glasgow, Southampton,
Birmingham, London, Manchester and Northampton. More than 500 people made
a decision for Christ, while 150 others wanted more information.
[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=IAI
[2]
http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/05-31-02markheyde
nburg.rm
[3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=BWA
[4]
http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/05-31-02wendyryan
.rm
[5] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=VOM
[6] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=JAARS
[7] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=LPEA
Rowland Croucher
International Christian Concern . www.persecution.org .
c...@persecution.org . (301) 989-1708
Aid Worker Provides Eyewitness Account of Attack in Sudan
(Washington, DC - May 31, 2002) After making six trips to Southern Sudan,
this past week will never leave my mind. I've seen the conditions that the
Sudanese must live in, some of the most extreme conditions on the face of
the earth. I've seen people forced to drink water that was black! I have
heard countless times the stories of those surviving attacks from militia,
helicopter gunships and the Antanov bombers. I thought I had witnessed
nearly everything of what these precious people have to endure - until the
early morning hours of May 22, 2002.
Our team (comprised of members from International Christian Concern and
Faith in Action) was camping in a village called Rier. The previous day we
had delivered crisis relief aid to this severely impoverished area that had
been declared by the Government of Sudan (GOS) as a "No-GO" zone - off
limits to all United Nations relief agencies and the International Red
Cross. These people needed help. We were determined to do just that. We
delivered food, medical supplies, shovels, and other essential items.
It was 2:00 in the morning when suddenly we were awakened from the
frightening sound of a Russian Antanov bomber. It flew directly overhead at
about 1500 feet. The plane was not visible, for its lights were not
displayed in order to evade ground fire. The deafening sound of the plane's
engines caused me to bolt up from a dead sleep. Before we realized it, the
plane had passed us and was heading in the direction of where fighting had
taken place the day before. I am told that if a plane is flying that close
to the ground you usually can't hear it approaching until it is right on top
of you. I found this to be horribly true. Approximately 4-5 minutes after
the plane passed overhead we could see the huge flashes of light as the
plane dropped around 16 bombs. The flashes lit up the night sky - and then
came the sounds of the explosions. I thought this was an attack on the
positions of the SPLA who had battled the GOS the prior afternoon in this
area. Never had I been so wrong! Sleep the rest of the night was all but
impossible.
Shortly before daybreak we headed out towards the direction of the bombing
with a contingent of SPLA soldiers acting as guards for us. We were very
close to GOS positions at this time. What we saw was a living nightmare.
Things I had never before thought I would see. We met waves of people
carrying out wounded survivors of the attack. What the bombs did to human
beings is indescribable. We saw people with arms and legs severed by the
shrapnel; one man had his right arm hanging on by an approximately 4-inch
piece of skin. The inside of his arm had the bones and most of the tissue
ripped out from his shoulder to somewhere just past his elbow. The man was
in obvious shock; however, he was walking under his own strength, holding
what remained of his arm against his side to prevent it from swinging as he
moved. He had to walk about 5 miles back to the area of our camp to receive
help. How he would get that help was beyond my comprehension. I would
estimate that we saw at least three-dozen people walking or being carried
back to our camp. One particular boy haunts me. He was about 14 yrs old.
This boy had either a piece of metal or a gunshot wound that had entered the
left side of his head. There was no exit wound. His face was completely
swollen and he was completely delirious. This boy was being carried on the
shoulders of an adult. He obviously would not make it to the end of the day.
He was covered with dried blood down the front of his shirt.
Since the position of the GOS forces was unclear, we were advised not to go
all the way to the sight of the bombing. We were the first in the area and
the SPLA was trying to get damage reports. It wasn't until later that day
that we learned that the GOS had not attacked the SPLA positions but rather
attacked a civilian village. After all I've seen in Sudan, this was the
worst! The immediate aftermath of an attack is horrible, especially because
these poor people have no access to medical help and there is a severe
shortage of bandages or anything else that could be used as field dressings.
Upon returning to Nairobi on May 24, I saw an article in the East African
Times, which told accurately of the attack. What enraged me was the article
actually said the GOS denied the attack. This angered me, for
I was a witness. I have photos of some of the wounded - undeniable evidence
of the attack. The GOS claimed that the attack was the work of the SPLA.
This is absurd! To begin with, the SPLA doesn't possess Antanov bombers in
its military arsenal.
This was a new experience for me in my work in Sudan. Instead of scaring me
away, it has cemented my decision on the importance of ICC continuing to go
into these "No-Go" zones. We must - I must - distribute the aid and spend
time with the suffering people of Sudan. We may not be able to speak the
same language, but what our hearts speak to each other is unmistakable. We
have been told by many that it means the world to these people to have
foreigners come and be with them, especially those of us who are willing to
enter these No-Go zones and actually spend the night with them, sleeping on
the ground, sharing briefly with them what they encounter every day.
We are determined and will continue to serve these precious people who are
all too familiar with what it means to suffer from the cruel, merciless
attacks of a regime that is determined to bring to an end their existence.
The above account was written by Pat Bradley, Vice President of
International Christian Concern, a human rights and humanitarian aid
organization based in Washington, DC. For additional information or for an
interview, call ICC at: (301) 989-1708.
Rowland Croucher
To subscribe, E-mail to: <HCJBDa...@pmbx.net>
Today's News Headlines:
TENSIONS IN INDIA FORCE CANCELLATION OF EVANGELISTIC TRAINING
SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS CONTINUE TO FACE PERSECUTION
BAPTIST LEADER IN GEORGIA BECOMES TARGET OF ATTACKS
MOZAMBIQUE CHURCHES UNITE TO PRAY FOR TRAIN CRASH VICTIMS
LITERATURE MINISTRY EXPANDS IN PAKISTAN DESPITE UNREST
BOYS' BRIGADE HELPS SPREAD GOSPEL IN SINGAPORE
Today's News Stories:
TENSIONS IN INDIA FORCE CANCELLATION OF EVANGELISTIC TRAINING
The conflict between India and Pakistan is beginning to have an impact
on evangelism in the region. John Maisel of East West Ministries said
the unrest forced the cancellation of evangelistic training this week
for Christians planning to come from Bhutan, Nepal and India. "We were
getting ready to send in a team for six weeks to do evangelism," he
says. "We were trying to develop a house church involvement, but we
just had to cancel that because the State Department has come out with
a warning, basically restricting Americans from traveling to Pakistan
or to India." However, because nationals are doing the work, the
ministry will continue. Maisel adds that since the terrorist attacks
of Sept. 11, there has been a decrease in giving toward this ministry
to unreached people groups. (Mission Network News)
SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS CONTINUE TO FACE PERSECUTION
Recent reports indicate that Serbian Orthodox Christians in the
Yugoslavian province of Kosovo are suffering from widespread
persecution despite reconciliation efforts by the local government.
Reports about violence against Orthodox nuns, monks and lay people and
the desecration of Serbian graves come less than a month after
Kosovo's recently elected prime minister, Bajram Rexhepi, attended an
Orthodox Easter service at a monastery in Pec on May 5. NATO-led
peacekeeping forces have not been able to completely protect Serbs
from violent attacks in Kosovo which has a large population of ethnic
Albanian Muslims. Yugoslavian President Vojislav Kostunica is
concerned that recent incidents will discourage the return of an
estimated 240,000 Serbian refugees from Kosovo who are now in Serbia
and Montenegro. (Assist News Service)
BAPTIST LEADER IN GEORGIA BECOMES TARGET OF ATTACKS
Malkhaz Songulashvili, president of the Union of Evangelical Baptists
in the Central Asian country of Georgia, is the focus of continuing
attacks from a defrocked Orthodox priest and his followers. An
Orthodox newspaper in Georgia said that Songulashvili represents the
"greatest danger for our faith. In his books he has ruthlessly
destroyed the foundations of Orthodox dogma." Songulashvili says the
attacks may be related to a recent letter sent by some U.S. senators
to Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, urging the government to do
more to prevent the growing number of attacks against Jehovah's
Witnesses, Pentecostals and Baptists. More than 700 criminal
complaints and documented attacks against non-Orthodox Christians have
been recorded. Songulashvili called on Georgia's president to use his
influence to stop the attacks, but the threats continue. (Religion
Today)
MOZAMBIQUE CHURCHES UNITE TO PRAY FOR TRAIN CRASH VICTIMS
The Christian Council of Mozambique organized a special service
Saturday, June 1, to pray for victims of the nation's worst-ever train
crash in which 200 people died, said Rev. Arao Litsure, president of
the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa. The train crashed
on May 25 after it developed mechanical problems descending a hill.
The driver disconnected the passenger section at the back of the train
and wedged four large stones under its wheels to prevent it from
rolling. He then drove the front section carrying freight to the
station at Tenga (northwest of Maputo). The stones apparently came
loose, and the passenger cars raced downhill for three miles before
careening into the freight section of the train. The prayer service
was held at a stadium in Maputo. (Council for World Mission)
LITERATURE MINISTRY EXPANDS IN PAKISTAN DESPITE UNREST
In spite of increasing threats, beatings and imprisonments suffered by
Christian Aid Mission's team members in Pakistan, it has not stopped
them from going out to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. In fact,
their Pakistani literature ministry has placed 60,000 Bibles and New
Testaments since it began 10 years ago. In addition, thousands of
copies have been put into libraries around the country. Missionaries
also have been going door-to-door in a third area of the country.
(Mission Network News)
BOYS' BRIGADE HELPS SPREAD GOSPEL IN SINGAPORE
Many boys and teenagers in Singapore are turning to Christ through the
work of the Boys' Brigade, a global church organization with a strong
following in East Asia. Through Bible studies, fellowship and
military-style drills, the club is bringing Christian values to
Singapore's youth, says Brian Koh, a Boys' Brigade captain at a
Presbyterian Church in Singapore. "We want the boys to know about
Jesus Christ by the time they leave the organization," he says. "But
we have to be careful. Most parents recognize their children's right
to choose their religion, but the law says that you cannot impose a
religion on anyone under the age of 18." The Boys' Brigade has trained
boys on the twin pillars of religion and discipline since 1883. Today
the ministry and its associated organizations work in more than 70
countries with a total membership approaching 500,000. (Council for
World Mission)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
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
Subject: [Daily Update] 4 June 2002 Update From HCJB World Radio
A ministry of HCJB World Radio
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Today's News Headlines:
POTENTIAL WAR BETWEEN INDIA, PAKISTAN CONCERNS CHRISTIANS
FACT-FINDING MISSION RECONFIRMS PRACTICE OF SLAVERY IN SUDAN
POLITICAL CRISES, CYCLONES SPUR MINISTRIES IN MADAGASCAR
NORTH KOREAN DEFECTOR MAY LOSE CHANCE TO RECLAIM HER SON
SINGAPORE'S PRIME MINISTER URGES TOLERANCE OF ALL FAITHS
Today's News Stories:
POTENTIAL WAR BETWEEN INDIA, PAKISTAN CONCERNS CHRISTIANS
Reports of border fighting between Indian and Pakistani forces are
rampant as leaders of the two nations arrive in Kazakhstan for an
international summit on Asian security. Gary Lane from Voice of the
Martyrs has observed the effects of the tensions on mission work in
the area. "The Christians, primarily in Pakistan, are very fearful and
concerned about the future," he says. "They don't want to go to
nuclear war. When things heat up in Pakistan, the Christians always
seem to be the fall guys. We need to pray for divine intervention for
Lord's protection on our brothers and sisters in Pakistan. Christians
are treated like second- and third-class citizens there. They only
represent about 2 percent of the population. There's institutionalized
persecution. In addition, there's cultural persecution where
Christians are forced, because of their poverty, to work for Muslims,
and then Muslims will pressure them." Across the border in India,
ministry leaders say the political uncertainty is having a positive
and negative impact. Mission India's John DeVries says the unrest
hasn't slowed down the ministry's children's Bible club programs. "We
will be reaching about 3 million children this summer, but we had
requests for 5.1 million children. So the openness and the demand by
the churches to set up two-week Bible camps and then continue on with
after-school clubs is going absolutely wild." DeVries urges believers
everywhere to pray for peace. "A war would be very disruptive. Wars
always are disruptive to the spread of the gospel." (Mission Network
News)
FACT-FINDING MISSION RECONFIRMS PRACTICE OF SLAVERY IN SUDAN
Freedom House has announced the findings of a major fact-finding
mission to Sudan that reconfirms the practice of slavery, abductions
and forced servitude in the war-ravaged country. The authoritative
investigative report, titled "Slavery, Abduction and Forced Servitude
in Sudan," was prepared by the International Eminent Persons Group,
acting with support of the U.S. State Department. The report confirms
the existence of slavery in Sudan, a practice used in conjunction with
attacks carried out against civilian populations in rebel-held areas
by pro-government militias. The report also outlines a far-reaching
set of steps that the Sudanese government must take to eliminate these
abuses and provide remedy to the victims, and actions the
international community could take if such steps were forthcoming.
"This report definitively establishes that the Sudanese regime is
condoning the practice of slavery," said Nina Shea, director of
Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom. "It makes it all the
more imperative that the U.S. assume a central role in negotiating a
just peace that adequately protects the rights of the beleaguered
animist and Christian populations in southern Sudan," she said.
(Religion Today)
POLITICAL CRISES, CYCLONES SPUR MINISTRIES IN MADAGASCAR
The fear of war is hitting the island nation of Madagascar as
presidential election violence escalates. The fighting is the latest
in a series of crises that has split the country following a disputed
election in December. Christian Blind Mission International (CBI)
President Allen Harkey says that in addition to this political
conflict, there have been unseasonable cyclones, leaving thousands
without electricity, communication and fresh water. "We have some
eight projects in Madagascar, all of which are at risk," he says.
Harkey adds that the adversity has resulted in many people asking
spiritual questions. "When we have large-scale fighting and cyclones
that ravage a country like Madagascar, it causes people to question
everything," he says. "And because CBI is concerned not only with
physical blindness, but spiritual blindness, this becomes a real
challenge for us." (Mission Network News)
NORTH KOREAN DEFECTOR MAY LOSE CHANCE TO RECLAIM HER SON
The fate of a 2-year-old boy hangs in the balance as Chinese police
plan to send him back to North Korea. Lee Song-yong is with a group of
six North Korean defectors who are about to be returned to their
homeland. The boy has been separated from his 31-year-old North Korean
mother for the last 18 months. She was three months' pregnant when she
defected to China in May 1999 and gave birth to him five months later
at a hospital in Beijing. Afraid of being arrested, she left China for
South Korea, leaving her son behind in November 2000. She is now a
South Korean citizen and is desperate to be reunited with her son.
Through contacts in China, she found a group of North Korean defectors
in China who were about to go to South Korea and asked the group to
bring her son with them. However, the six defectors were arrested near
the Chinese border with Myanmar and Laos and face imminent
repatriation to North Korea where it is feared they will face severe
penalties, including possible execution. Mervyn Thomas, chief
executive of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said, "As the nations
celebrate the start of the 2002 World Cup, it is harrowing to think of
the terror of those who are facing repression, punishment and even
death for seeking freedom in South Korea." (Religion Today)
SINGAPORE'S PRIME MINISTER URGES TOLERANCE OF ALL FAITHS
"We must prevent religious conflicts from arising," said Singapore
Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, who again stressed the need for
religious tolerance in his country, Channel News Asia reported.
Speaking at the Vesak Great Joy Party organized by the Singapore
Buddhist Welfare Services, Goh said freedom to practice one's own
religion comes with the responsibility of ensuring mutual respect of
all faiths. He said this means practicing one's religion without
undermining the multi-religious foundation of Singapore society.
Tolerance--a core value of Buddhism--is essential in multi-religious
Singapore, said Goh. "Our freedom to practice our own faith and
Singapore's religious harmony will disappear if one religious group
tries to assert itself over the others." (Council for World Mission)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
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
Montagnard Refugees Depart for U.S.
BALTIMORE, June 5, 2002 - The first of more than 900 Montagnard refugees
from Vietnam left Cambodia this week for freedom in the United States. World
Relief, working with partnering churches, will welcome almost 100 Montagnard
refugees in North Carolina as they arrive between now and the end of July.
The Montagnard people are minority groups that live in the Central Highlands
of Vietnam. These refugees fled across the border into Cambodia in February
2001 after security forces quashed their protests over land rights and
religious freedom. It's estimated that more than 50 percent of these
refugees are Christians.
To Tim Ziemer, World Relief's executive director, the Montagnards are
particularly special. During the 1968 Tet Offensive, his missionary parents
were attacked, leaving his father dead and his mother critically wounded. It
was the Montagnard people who rescued his mother and helped her get to a
hospital for treatment, which saved her life.
Plans were made by the United Nations, Cambodia and Vietnam to allow these
refugees to return to Vietnam, but the United Nations pulled out of this
arrangement in March when U.N. staff witnessed the refugees being mistreated
and threatened. Cambodia then approved of the United States' offer to take
them.
World Relief has a history of working with the Montagnard people, first
resettling them as refugees in California during the 1980s and later in
North Carolina.
Rowland Croucher
*Up to 13m people face starvation in southern Africa: UN*
The United Nations says up to 13 million people across southern Africa are
now at risk of starvation.
The UN is holding emergency talks in Johannesburg to address the disaster.
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) says southern Africa is facing a
crisis of enormous dimensions.
The WFP is already feeding more than 4.6 million in the region but says the
situation is getting worse by the day.
Crops have failed in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia and
Mozambique.
The UN's assistant emergency relief coordinator, Ross Mountain, says the
number of people in need is increasing.
"We are confronted now with 13 million people who are going to be at risk
over the next nine to 10 months," Mr Mountain said.
The UN, aid groups and donors are meeting in Johannesburg to discuss how to
deal with the disaster.
Rowland Croucher
Religious Liberty Prayer List - No. 173 - Wed 19 Jun 2002
----------------------------------------
CUBA: CASTRO MOVES TO ENTRENCH COMMUNISM
----------------------------------------
The Church in Cuba has grown in spite of suffering under Communist
oppression. Government regulations make it virtually impossible for
churches to get building permits, so house-churches have mushroomed
and blossomed. For several years, the government has generally been
increasingly tolerant of these illegal house-churches. One pastor
reports that 1176 once illegal congregations have been legalised in
recent years as the government has shifted from open hostility to a
wary forbearance of religious bodies. He said another 600 were
pending. In some house-churches, pastors preach to around 100 people
in their apartment living-rooms. Many Cubans are coming to Christ.
The Christian Liberation Movement (CLM), headed by Osvaldo Paya, is
a secular political-civil movement inspired by Christian
principles. Through its Varela Project, it aims for freedom of
expression and association, amnesty for political prisoners, the
right to private enterprise and free elections to be made the law.
So for over a year now, CLM members have been gathering signatures
on a petition for a referendum, which Cuba's constitution will
permit if 10,000 are collected. Despite government efforts to
discourage citizens from signing or even knowing about the project,
more than 11,000 signatures have been obtained. In March, Vicki
Huddleston, a US diplomat in Cuba, said she believes that Cubans
are ready for change.
On 20 May 2002, Cuba's President Castro reacted with fury to US
President George W Bush's declaration that the US embargo against
Cuba will remain until Cuba has 'a new government that is fully
democratic'. Castro's response has been to appeal to Cuban pride
and anger against the US embargo, and ignite a pro-Castro, Cuban
nationalism based on Cuban socialism and a commitment to the
revolution, in defiance of the USA.
On 12 June, President Castro held a 'giant march' of one million
Cubans in support of Cuban socialism. On 15 June, he opened 130,000
petition stations across the island to collect signatures for a
constitutional amendment that would unchangeably entrench the
nation's one party communist system, effectively making reform
impossible. Some 7.6 million Cubans - more than 90% of the voting
population - have signed. With no privacy and a 'No' vote not an
option, many Cubans, citing the public nature of the process, fear
the choice has been either to sign in agreement or publicly abstain
and risk being regarded as a counter-revolutionary. 'They are
trying to head off the Varela Project,' said Elisardo Sanchez Santa
Cruz of the Cuban Human Rights Commission. Osvaldo Paya believes
this is the response of a government in panic.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY:
* that the government will remain tolerant of Christianity so that
the Cuban Church will not be threatened or adversely affected by
this present situation. 'God reigns over the nations; God is
seated on his holy throne.' Psalm 47:8
* for great sensitivity, wisdom and courage for Cuban believers,
pastors and Christian leaders at this time.
* for the Cuban Church to continue to grow and bring hope and
salvation to multitudes of Cuban people.
SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CASTRO MOVES TO ENTRENCH COMMUNISM IN CUBA
After several years of gradually increasing openness, Cuba's
President Fidel Castro has responded with fury to President Bush's
20 May statement that the US embargo against Cuba will remain until
Cuba has 'a new government that is fully democratic'. President
Castro has appealed to Cuban pride and anger to ignite a pro-
Castro, Cuban socialist nationalism and a re-commitment to the
revolution. On 15 June he opened over 130,000 polling stations
across the island where Cubans were asked to sign in support of a
constitutional amendment that would make the nation's one party
communist system unchangeable. A 'No' vote was not an option and
signing was public. Many feared the choice was to sign in agreement
or publicly abstain and risk being regarded as a counter-
revolutionary. Some 7.6 million Cuban voters (90%) have signed.
Pray for sensitivity and wisdom for the growing Church in Cuba.
----------------------------------------------------
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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
(Now 7000+ articles!)
Rowland Croucher
**Saudi-Arabia: Human Rights Violations Overshadow King零 Anniversary**
(idea) The 20th anniversary of the enthronement of Saudi-Arabia零 King Ibn
Abdul Aziz Fahd on June 13 was overshadowed by severe human rights
violations, says the International Society for Human Rights. "Torture,
executions and all kinds of cruel punishments such as public flogging are
common practice. Apostasy from Islam carries the death penalty," stated the
Frankfurt based human rights organization.
There is zero tolerance for non-Muslim believers. Any public non-Islamic
religious practice is prohibited. Out of fear of being persecuted by the
religious police, the Muttawah, only a small minority of the more than
500,000 Christian expatriates in Saudi-Arabia dare to join private prayer
meetings. Last summer in Jeddah, 14 Christians were incarcerated for months
without legal charges. The human rights organization challenges King Fahd to
abolish torture and to introduce international human rights standards in his
country, such as religious freedom and women零 rights.
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Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(Now 7000+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
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Today's News Headlines:
CHRISTIAN GROUPS RUSH AID TO IRAN FOLLOWING EARTHQUAKE
THOUSANDS OF NON-MUSLIMS FLEE SOUTHERN SUDAN
MINISTRY GROWS IN KAZAKHSTAN DESPITE GOVERNMENT PRESSURE
RELIGIOUS LEADERS ADOPT AIDS DECLARATION IN KENYA
EVANGELISTS HAND OUT GOSPEL TRACTS, VIDEOS AT WORLD CUP
CHRISTIANS CAN LEARN FROM SOCCER, SAYS GERMAN CHURCH LEADER
Today's News Stories:
CHRISTIAN GROUPS RUSH AID TO IRAN FOLLOWING EARTHQUAKE
A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck rural Iran Saturday, wiping out
villages and thousands of mud-brick homes. Areas around Avaj in
northwestern Iran were hardest hit with some 60 villages losing half
or all their homes and other structures. Church World Service, the
Middle East Council of Churches and other Christian groups are
monitoring the situation as rescue efforts continue. Government
reports indicate that the quake killed at least 220 people with more
than 2,000 injured. The death toll is expected to grow as more rural
areas are reached by rescue teams. Hospitals are reportedly
overwhelmed with injured people. The epicenter was about 70 miles
southwest of Oazvin. Strong aftershocks continued to rock the region
all weekend. The area's underdeveloped infrastructure, including
communication and transportation systems, are hindering relief
efforts. (Disaster News Network/Associated Press)
THOUSANDS OF NON-MUSLIMS FLEE SOUTHERN SUDAN
Desperately trying to escape attacks on their villages, thousands of
residents in southern Sudan's Rubkona county--a non-Muslim area that
is mostly Christian and animist--have fled their homes. Unfortunately,
the flat scrub of the Upper Nile region offers little protection from
aerial bombardment or attacks from helicopters. Searching for whatever
limited security they can find, people of all ages have crossed
numerous small rivers and swamps, taking with them a few cattle and
small bundles of possessions. Church World Service is helping local
partners in the region to assist some 4,000 affected families with
basic supplies such as blankets, family-size mosquito nets, cooking
pots, tarpaulins to make waterproof roofs for their makeshift
dwellings, fishing equipment, hand tools and seeds to plant crops.
Partners in Sudan are also receiving training to improve their
capacity to respond to this and future emergencies. (Church World
Service)
MINISTRY GROWS IN KAZAKHSTAN DESPITE GOVERNMENT PRESSURE
In Kazakhstan, government authorities have been putting increasing
pressure on the church to register. Despite the harassment, believers
continue to minister. In the last round, involving harsh changes to
the religion law, Christians revamped their approach. "Churches,
during the last year, really prepared themselves for working under the
new law of religious freedom," says Bible Mission International's Paul
Hagelgamns. "They wrote to the government about what they will and
won't do. They continue to do evangelism, children's ministry--working
in plenty of churches." Although the law was rejected, Hagelgamns asks
for prayer support. "It's a big need for the workers. Second, please
pray that God will give wisdom and power for His workers. And third,
really pray for churches in America, that churches will participate
more and more in this ministry." (Mission Network News)
RELIGIOUS LEADERS ADOPT AIDS DECLARATION IN KENYA
The first African Religious Leaders Assembly on HIV/AIDS and Children
that met in Nairobi, Kenya June 10-12, promised action to end the
stigma of the disease and expand programs to protect affected
children, reported Religion Today. The declaration called on religious
leaders to re-examine their traditions to allow believers to fight the
disease in ways respectful of their consciences. But the meeting,
organized by the World Conference of Religions for Peace and the Hope
for African Children Initiative, could not agree on the use of condoms
to help prevent the spread of the disease. Stephen Lewis of a United
Nations special envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa told attendees that
condoms should be made available. But other leaders disagreed. Sheikh
al Haji Yusuf Murigu of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims, for
example, said condoms were acceptable only in marriage where partners
used them to help protect each other against cross-infection. (Council
for World Mission)
EVANGELISTS HAND OUT GOSPEL TRACTS, VIDEOS AT WORLD CUP
With just four teams left in the World Cup of soccer, staff members
with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board and the Jesus
Film Project continue sharing the gospel. Felicity Barrow says the
outreach is going well. "While most of the fans have come to see their
teams win, Baptists and other Great Commission Christians have come to
win lost souls to Christ," she says. More than 11,000 tracts, 1,500
"Jesus" films and some 100,000 visitors guides containing soccer
schedules, events and a gospel message have been distributed to
interested people. (Mission Network News)
CHRISTIANS CAN LEARN FROM SOCCER, SAYS GERMAN CHURCH LEADER
A high-ranking church official in Germany believes that Christians can
learn a lot from soccer. They should be inspired by the enthusiasm
being shown at the World Cup being held in Japan and South Korea, says
Valentin Schmidt, president of the central church office of the
Germany's Protestant churches. He is convinced that soccer and the
Christian faith share something basic--to strive for a common goal and
to "accept defeat in humility." Schmidt, an enthusiastic soccer fan,
is fascinated by team spirit: "The players know that they have to act
together and to balance individual strengths and weaknesses if they
want to be successful," he says. "Together we win, together we lose.
The church had been following this philosophy for 2,000 years, but on
a much firmer spiritual basis. The New Testament teaches that we
should bear each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey
the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). But Schmidt insists that
Christians should speak up when fans "worship" soccer players such as
Oliver Kahn and Miroslav Klose who scored for Germany in the team's
2-1 victory over the U.S., eliminating the Americans from the
tournament. "There is only one God, and He is God also for the Kahns
and Kloses of this world." (Evangelical news agency IDEA)
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(Now 7000+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2002 7:50 PM
Subject: NEWS FROM SENEGAL
The Barnabas Fund
MUSLIM MOB STORMS CHURCH; FORCES CLOSURE
SENEGAL
21 June 2002
A local Muslim politician at the head of a mob of young men
stormed a church in Dakar on Sunday 23 May. Insulting and
assaulting Christian worshippers, the youths, armed with knives
and stones, drove them out and occupied the building.
The church, which has only recently opened, first encountered
opposition from the local politician when it met with officials
to receive formal approval before beginning to hold services.
Having failed to prevent Christians from establishing the church
local conservative Muslims took the law into their own hands and
decided to assault the church claiming that Christians were
making too much noise during services and disturbing the local
community. Despite the involvement of the police and local
authorities, and a reconciliation meeting in which church leaders
apologised for any noise they may have inadvertently made, the
church building has still not been returned to the congregation.
The incident is the latest in a series of several attacks upon
Christians and their churches which have taken place in different
parts of the country in recent years. Church leaders fear the
incidents may be part of a concerted campaign to put pressure on
Christians by Islamic extremist factions who want to make Senegal
an exclusively Islamic country. Tensions were heightened for
Christians and other non-Muslims in the country two years ago
when the President announced that "Senegal will be 100% Muslim in
three years."
PRAY
Pray for wisdom and guidance for Church leaders as they continue
to pursue this case through the correct legal channels, and seek
to alert national leaders about the difficulties the Christian
community is beginning to face in Senegal. Ask that the church
building will be swiftly restored to the congregation.
Pray for an end to tension and any hostility towards Christians.
Pray that Christians will be able to meet freely for worship
throughout Senegal without fear of violence or intimidation.
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
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--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(Now 7000+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Subject: [Daily Update] 1 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:
BELARUS PARLIAMENT PASSES REPRESSIVE RELIGION BILL
UNREGISTERED BAPTIST CHURCHES IN KAZAKHSTAN FACE PRESSURE
RELIGIOUS TENSIONS DISRUPT CHRISTIAN RELIEF EFFORTS IN INDIA
CHRISTIAN PERUVIAN PRISONER AWAITS RESULT OF APPEAL
ECONOMIC CALAMITY IN ARGENTINA OPENS DOORS FOR GOSPEL
MINISTRY SEEKS 500,000 INTERCESSORS FOR PERSECUTED BELIEVERS
Today's News Stories:
BELARUS PARLIAMENT PASSES REPRESSIVE RELIGION BILL
In a dramatic turnaround Thursday, June 27, the Belarus parliament
unexpectedly adopted what human rights workers call one of the most
restrictive religious laws in any of the former Soviet republics. "In
making this decision the deputies are completely ignoring the views of
tens of thousands of Belarusian citizens," said German Rodov, head of
the Bible Society in Belarus. "This law is a fiasco for the Chamber of
Representatives as a parliament and a testimony to its bankruptcy."
The campaign group For Freedom of Conscience described the decision as
a "bolt from out of the blue" as just a day earlier the Belarus
parliament had been postponed the matter until October. Religious
minorities in Belarus now fear that President Aleksandr Lukashenko
will sign the bill into law. The bill would outlaw unregistered
religious activity, introduce compulsory prior censorship for all
religious literature, restrict the publishing of educational and
charitable activity to faiths that had 10 registered communities in
1982, and ban most religious meetings in homes. Human rights workers
express concern that the law is part of a wider policy of supporting
the Orthodox Church in an effort to strengthen Slavic identity and
unity in the region. (Assist News Service/Keston News Service)
UNREGISTERED BAPTIST CHURCHES IN KAZAKHSTAN FACE PRESSURE
The International Council of Churches of Evangelical
Christians/Baptists, one of two Baptist groups in Kazakhstan which
rejects state registration, is expressing increasing alarm at what it
calls persecution of its congregations. Church leaders are complaining
that regional officials are continuing to take to court, fine and
threaten believers even though earlier this year Kazakhstan President
Nursultan Nazarbayev rejected amendments to the country's religion law
that would have restricted the rights of Christians. A religious
affairs official at the Kazakh parliament said the Baptists' claims
were unfounded. However, Birgit Kainz, human rights officer at the
mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in
Almaty, said statistics showed that "Baptists who refuse to be
registered for ideological reasons form the majority of those who are
currently being persecuted." (Keston News Service)
RELIGIOUS TENSIONS DISRUPT CHRISTIAN RELIEF EFFORTS IN INDIA
Relief work being conducted by the Church of North India's (CNI) in
Gujarat state has been "severely hindered" by communal violence as
fear continues to haunt India's minority groups, says Bishop Vinod
Malaviya in Gujarat. Fear of "inviting the ire" of Hindu
fundamentalists has forced the Christian community to "keep low" in
bringing relief to the harassed Muslim community, he said in an
interview last week. Malaviya said that Hindu groups enjoying the
political patronage of the Hindu government threatened Christians
against helping Muslims. As a result, Christian charities and donor
agencies have carried out relief work through secular social action
groups without "much direct involvement" of churches. Nearly 1,000
people--mostly Muslims--have died in the violence sparked Feb. 27 with
the torching of a train that left dozens of Hindus dead. In
retaliation, Hindu groups targeted Muslims and their properties while
police looked on. Following the devastating earthquake that hit
Gujarat in January 2001, Christians have organized massive relief
efforts to people regardless of their religious background, Malaviya
said. This is no longer possible due to the polarization among Hindus
and Muslims and the risk of riots. (Council for World Mission)
CHRISTIAN PERUVIAN PRISONER AWAITS RESULT OF APPEAL
A Christian prisoner who has spent nearly 10 years behind bars on
apparent trumped-up terrorism-related charges will have to wait
another three months to hear the result of his appeal. Christian
Solidarity Worldwide reported that Walter Cubas Baltazar is waiting
for the Peruvian Human Rights Commission, which heard his case in
March, to decide whether to grant him a pardon. Baltazar, now 38, was
arrested in January 1993 and accused of various terrorist activities,
including painting graffiti and taking part in a riot. Anti-terrorist
security agents then tortured him until he "confessed." Baltazar said
he sang Christian songs to withstand the pain. A military tribunal
sentenced him to life in prison, leaving his wife and four young
children destitute. Hundreds of innocent Peruvians who were convicted
of terrorist-related crimes on flimsy evidence have been released in
recent years. (Charisma News Service)
ECONOMIC CALAMITY IN ARGENTINA OPENS DOORS FOR GOSPEL
In Argentina where violent protests turned to rioting late last week,
President Eduardo Duhalde says the unrest may mean an already
disastrous economic crisis could become even more calamitous. For
those working in missions, it's cause for alarm. "In a lot of churches
they're a bit afraid," says Operation Mobilization's Nicholas
Constantine. "They're not so certain to send out workers any more for
missions because of the financial situation, but they're really
focused on doing work inside of Argentina." But Constantine says this
is the ideal time for foreign mission teams to come in. "Pray that God
would raise up the church. People are looking for answers to their
questions . . . they don't know who to trust anymore. This is really a
special time for believers to go out and share the love of Jesus
Christ one on one." (Mission Network News)
MINISTRY SEEKS 500,000 INTERCESSORS FOR PERSECUTED BELIEVERS
Christians in Crisis (CIC) is a global ministry of prayer, advocacy
and aid for the persecuted church. CIC leaders have a vision to raise
up 500,000 intercessors to pray daily for the more than 200 million
persecuted Christians worldwide. CIC is also organizing Houses of
Prayer worldwide in which Christian families gather to pray for those
suffering from persecution. For more information visit
www.christiansincrisis.org. (Prayer for the Persecuted Church)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
James A. Ferrier
HCJB World Radio
U.S. Ministries
Communications Director
E-mail: jfer...@hcjb.org
Web: http://www.hcjb.org
http://www.beyondthecall.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
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--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(Now 7000+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Subj: Sudan: Translating a Document into a Reality
To: World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty E-mail Conference
From: Elizabeth Kendal, Conference Moderator <el...@alphalink.com.au>
Dear Friends,
We do regret that some members of this mailing list received
multiple copies of the last message. We reported the fault to the
technicians at the xc.org listserver, who have acknowledged that
they had a software problem and are working to correct it. The
problem may or may not have been solved by the time this message is
sent so please be understanding if you receive more than one copy.
Thank you - EK
Sudan: Translating a Document into a Reality
The Peace Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Sudan
and the Southern People's Liberation Movement/Army, signed at the
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) talks in Nairobi
on 20 July is, in itself, nothing short of a miracle. Reactions to
the peace deal have ranged from jubilant optimism to bitter
skepticism and angry rejection. Continued prayer and international
leverage will be needed if the miraculous peace agreement is to be
translated into a miraculous reality.
----------------------------------------
After 19 years of bloodshed, destruction and jihad (Islamic holy
war) - what circumstances have produced this opportunity for peace
in Sudan? One month ago, analysts were saying that both sides were
intransigent, that both the government and the southern rebels had
sacrificed too much and fought for too long to make compromise an
option. However, the very issues that were considered the major
sticking points, the issues that have derailed all previous peace
negotiations - the Southerner's demand for religious freedom and
their request for a referendum on self-determination - have been
granted by a government that is under intense international pressure
to make peace, and which indeed, needs peace if it is to develop and
receive any benefit from its oil industry.
Three main circumstances have put the Government of Sudan in this
position:
* Firstly - the falling-out in 2001 between President Omar el-Beshir
and Sudan's chief Islamist ideologue Hassan Turabi, the primary
mastermind behind el-Bashir's political Islamist program. This
opened the door for a degree of moderation and engagement that was
never even remotely possible with Turabi wielding power and
influence.
* Secondly - the both desperate and patient, long-suffering,
persevering advocacy of Christian and other human rights and
anti-slavery groups, that have made human rights and religious
liberty in Sudan, issues with political significance. The advocacy
of these groups and individuals produced the domestic leverage
necessary to encourage influential governments to exercise
international leverage.
* Thirdly - the terrorist attack on USA on 11 September 2001 has
forced Sudan to make watershed decisions regarding direction and
allegiances.
An Associated Press article posted on Tuesday 23 July 2002 entitled,
"This Sudanese agreement could be different" by Donna Bryson in
Cairo, Egypt, sums up the situation well. Quoting excerpts from that
article: (the full article can be found using link 1 below)
"With Saturday's announcement in Kenya, the government, which had
vowed to create an Islamic state after seizing power in 1989, agreed
state and religion should be separate. It also said that six years
after a full peace agreement was signed, Sudanese in the mainly
Christian and animist south would be allowed to vote on whether to
remain part of the country.
"The government had for years resisted those rebel demands.
"John Ashworth, a South Africa-based analyst who works for Sudanese
churches, said leaders in Khartoum could be yielding now in hopes
peace will open the way to international aid and oil entrepreneurs
and help end talk of their extremism - a label they fear could make
them targets in the U.S.-led war on terrorism.
"'They've been looking for international credibility and
international respectability,' Ashworth said in a telephone
interview.
"'After Sept. 11, things changed,' Tombe agreed (Rev. Enock Tombe is
head of the Sudan Council of Churches).
"Sudan's desire to be seen as an ally by the United States gives
Washington great influence. Strong U.S. interest in resolving
Africa's longest war, fueled in part by U.S. Christian groups who
have rallied to the southerners cause, was expressed in the
appointment last year of former U.S. Senator John Danforth as
special presidential envoy to Sudan.
"Hard-liners in Khartoum already have questioned whether the
government was offering to give up too much.
"'Issues and established facts such as Islamic law, federal rule and
unity should not be compromised,' Mohammed Hassan al-Amin told The
Associated Press Sunday (21 July). Al-Amin is an official of the
Popular National Congress headed by Hassan Turabi."
A Sudanese communist party member, requesting anonymity, expressed
his concern that the issue of retaining Sharia law in the north is
likely to undermine the peace agreement. "Sharia law is unpopular in
both the south and the north," he said. "Keeping the law in the
north is unlikely to bring peace to Sudan." (see link 2)
Ibrahim Elnur, a Sudanese analyst at the American University in
Cairo added that the agreement needed to include other northern and
southern parties, otherwise it could collapse like a similar
north-south deal in 1972 that sparked a return to war in 1983. "Now
we need to widen it and bring in a democratic element. This is the
only guarantee of stability," he said. (see link 2)
The agreement is known as the "Machakos Protocol" because the talks
have been held in the Kenyan town of Machakos.
Eric Reeves ere...@smith.edu, a Sudan analyst says, "The Machakos
Protocol .holds out extraordinary promise, even as it is burdened by
exceedingly great difficulties if that promise is to be realized in
a just and lasting peace. We do no service to the peace process if
we ignore either the promise of Machakos or the many and various
obstacles. This is the moment of truth for peace in Sudan. We
should ask - with honesty, appropriate skepticism, and moral
determination - how the peace process can be supported."
Reeves continues, "Machakos means only as much as the international
community forces it to mean. Unrelenting pressure must be exerted
on the National Islamic Front to build on the Machakos Protocol,
rather than seek ways to renege and walk away from what has been
agreed. There is no room for complacency or self-congratulation: we
are at best well begun."
Mel Middleton of Freedom Quest International agrees, "Two things are
certain: 1. This 'agreement' still has a long way to go before it
is, in fact, a 'just peace' agreement - the fighting has not stopped
yet. 2. The need for vigilance is greater now than ever before."
Talks will resume on 12 August 2002. Issues on the agenda are: power
sharing, distribution of oil revenues, human rights and a ceasefire.
Peter Woodward, a professor of politics at Britain's Reading
University, told Reuters (see link 3), "We have got a lot more to be
negotiated, and really it's very much a question of keeping the
pressure on to do it."
- Elizabeth Kendal
Links
1) Associated Press "This Sudanese agreement could be different" by
Donna Bryson, CAIRO, EGYPT 23 July 2002
http://www.sudan.net/news/posted/5454.html
2) Reuters "Sudan Hails Peace Deal, Opposition Wants Democracy" by
Alfred Taban, KHARTOUM, SUDAN 21 July 2002
http://www.sudan.net/news/posted/5424.html
3) Reuters "ANALYSIS-Sudan on path to peace but bumpy ride likely"
by Fiona O'Brien NAIROBI, KENYA 23 July 2002
http://www.sudan.net/news/posted/5453.html
Freedom Quest International http://www.freedom-quest.ca
For all news on Sudan: http://www.sudan.net
============================================
**WEA Religious-Liberty e-mail Conference**
<Religiou...@xc.org>
============================================
This information is provided to Religious Liberty Conference users.
Please feel free to pass this along to others giving attribution to:
"World Evangelical Alliance - Religious Liberty e-mail Conference."
To subscribe to the Religious Liberty e-mail Conference, please send
your request to the conference moderator, Elizabeth Kendal
<el...@alphalink.com.au>.
Please include your name and country or state of residence.
The Religious Liberty Conference is a moderated conference sharing
information on the state of religious liberty and persecution around
the world with those with a special interest in the field. Most
members are involved in church-based religious liberty advocacy,
academic research, missions leadership, creative-access missions,
religious media, or have prayer networks supporting these groups,
although anyone is welcome to join. Postings average one or two per
week. Information shared does not necessarily reflect the opinion
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
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To subscribe, send an empty e-mail to <join-rl...@xc.org> with
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--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(Now 7000+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Friday, July 26, 2002 10:00 PM
Subject: [mnn-news] Mission Network News
News headlines for July 26th 2002
======================================================
(Uganda)--In today's news, a wave of attacks on villages by guerilla
soldiers in northern Uganda, is creating more internal displacement and
straining ongoing relief work in the region. Among the groups affected,
World Vision International[1] . World Vision's Robby Muhumuza describes
what happened to one of their convoys recently. "They fell into an
ambush by the Lord's Resistance Army. The leading vehicle was blown up,
and a number of people were killed. The World Vision vehicle was next in
line. Bullets ripped through the windscreen and through the bonnet, [but]
miraculously, God was able to protect all the staff of World Vision."
Muhumuza says they've taken more security precautions since the ambush.
He people to pray for their ministry. "The people in Northern Uganda are
very hungry for the Gospel. 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."
(Liberia)--During recent fighting in Liberia, thousands of civilians fled
to an abandoned radio antenna field near Monrovia. Of the 50-thousand
refugees, there are many from SIM[2] -related churches in the war-torn
areas. Church leaders from Monrovia have helped them set up worship
services in each section of the camp. They're also training pastors and
church leaders to improve their ministry skills and teaching about
HIV/AIDS. SIM-Liberia has also set up a project to help meet the most
pressing needs of these families.
(Ethiopia)--Meanwhile, the Voice of the Martyrs[3] has learned that
hundreds of evangelical Christians were assaulted by an enraged mob in the
Ethiopian city of Merhawe, northwest of Addis Ababa. VOM sources report
that the local Ethiopian Orthodox church is believed to have coordinated
the attack. Hundreds of evangelical families have been driven from their
homes and are being sheltered in a nearby church. Pray for the safety of
the VOM workers and church leaders.
(China/USA)--And, an Internet web site is being used to point Chinese web
browsers to Christ. David Sanford is with the Luis Palau Evangelistic
Association.[4] "We've had an English home page and a Spanish language
web site that both get a tremendous amount of traffic. But, for the first
time we've done a foreign language web site that's seeker friendly. It
seeks to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Chinese speaking and
Chinese reading individuals throughout the world." Sanford says many are
hoping this site will somehow be the springboard to get Palau into China
for evangelistic meetings regularly. "He's already had the opportunity to
present the Gospel in Shainghi. His dream and prayer is to be able to go
back and preach in the huge soccer stadium there in Shainghi to over
100,000 people. And, then be able to go to other cities throughout
China." You can find the site at: Palau-dot-org[5] .
[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=WVI
[2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=SIM
[3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=VOM
[4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=LPEA
[5] http://www.palau.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STORIES ABOVE, EMAIL US AT M...@MNNONLINE.ORG
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(Now 7000+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
July 29, 2002 News media contact: Linda Bloom·(212)870-3803·New York
10-31-71BP{329}
NOTE: Photographs are available with this report at
http://umns.umc.org/currentphotos.html.
By Paul Jeffrey*
LUANDA, Angola (UMNS) -- After decades of war, Angola is struggling to make
peace with itself. Yet in the wake of a war in which brutality often took
precedence over rights, constructing a culture of peace and mutual respect
will take a while.
Reconciliation won't be easy. But most Angolans, tired of so much suffering
and convinced the war is definitely over, are eager to turn themselves to
learning the ways of peace.
Action by Churches Together, an international alliance that includes the
United Methodist Committee on Relief, is providing critical material aid to
the victims of Angola's conflict. At the same time, it is helping construct
a new culture of reconciliation.
Working closely with the Human Rights Division of the United Nations Office
in Angola, ACT has made it possible for pastors and church leaders from
several war-torn provinces to be trained as human rights counselors or peace
and reconciliation counselors. In cooperation with local government
officials and traditional village authorities, they have created local and
provincial human rights committees that are reinventing ways to peacefully
resolve conflicts within families, among neighbors and between former
enemies.
In many areas of the country, this peacemaking takes place in a vacuum.
After the studied neglect of Portuguese colonial rule and 27 years of
post-independence warfare, most provinces have no judicial or penal system.
According to a U.N. survey in 2001, only 13 of 164 municipalities had
functioning municipal courts. "They don't take many prisoners in the
provinces," said Patrick Hughes, deputy chief of the United Nations' Human
Rights Division in Angola.
To construct a working legal system, Hughes' office is training judges and
prosecutors and providing computers to track cases. Hughes says a major
problem with the existing court system is a dysfunctional bureaucracy that
simply loses cases. "A poor guy could steal a bag of cement and spend years
in jail because they lost his case," Hughes said.
Training lawyers to do their job is another element of remaking the judicial
system. "That's a massive task," said Hughes. "Lawyers here have been
trained to obey the police and judges. We're teaching them how to be
lawyers, that working for their client is their main job."
In a July 3 report, Human Rights Watch claimed that the Angolan legal system
- or lack of one - is particularly harsh for the 4 million Angolans who have
been displaced by the war.
"Many of the displaced lack identity documentation, facilitating harassment
by the authorities, especially the national police. Arbitrary beatings and
arrests occur when the displaced are unable to present personal
identification documents to the police and are unable to bribe their way
out," the report said.
"Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to assaults, including sexual
violence, by policemen and soldiers located in road control posts when on
their way to and from isolated agricultural areas or when collecting water.
Additionally, without documentation, the displaced, and especially children,
are unable to access social services.
"The sobas (traditional authorities) routinely demand bribes to include
people on lists to receive assistance. Local landowners regularly exploit
the internally displaced as a source of cheap labor for cultivation; those
that manage to find work as agricultural laborers are regularly subject to
extortion at military and police checkpoints when they return from the
fields. Soldiers that guard access to the camps also 'tax' the residents and
steal food and non-food relief items," the report stated.
Such human rights violations could not be redressed quickly enough by only
changing formal structures. What was needed was the cultivation of a culture
of complaint among the people affected. Aid workers, having witnessed two
periods of quasi-peace during the 1990s dissolve into bloodshed, believed
that empowering civilian leaders could help break the cycle.
"It's much easier to distribute food and blankets, but this work of building
peace and reconciliation is extremely important. One of the reasons that
past cease-fires didn't succeed was that no one was speaking up about human
rights violations," said Carl von Seth, the Angola representative for the
Lutheran World Federation, the lead ACT agency in Angola.
During much of the 1990s, the U.N. mission in Angola was sharply criticized
by rights activists for failing to include human rights education in its
work. This time around, people like Hughes are determined to do it
differently.
In cooperation with the U.N. Office in Angola, ACT began workshops last year
in the war-torn eastern province of Moxico. The Angolan constitution and
several international legal documents, like the United Nations' Declaration
of the Rights of the Child, served as texts.
According to Moises Gourgel, the ACT director in the provincial capital of
Luena, the workshops focused on "encouraging people, especially the
displaced, to know their rights and obligations, and then speak up. If
people don't demand their rights, it makes it easier for the government not
to assume its responsibility."
At the same time that church leaders are being trained as human rights
activists, the United Nations is conducting seminars on conflict resolution
for the sobas, the traditional village leaders.
According to Emilio Cesar, the Moxico coordinator for the ACT program on
rights, reconciliation and peace, the work of the church-based counselors
became even more urgent with the April cease-fire that followed the death of
Jonas Savimbi, who led the rebel group UNITA. "With these people emerging
from the bush, there cannot be room for revenge or rancor," Cesar said. "And
the church is in a unique position to help create this culture of peace. The
church is a bridge. It's present in every village, and it's willing to get
involved without fear."
Yet von Seth says the workshops, and a variety of related skits broadcast in
six languages on provincial radio stations, often focus more on peacefully
resolving conflicts within the family than on larger political tensions.
"You don't have to talk specifically about conflicts with UNITA to get your
point across," said von Seth. "Angolans need to learn new ways to resolve
conflicts at every level, and it may be easier to start at a family level."
The lingering political gaps aren't ignored. ACT helped organize a June 29
ecumenical worship service in the UNITA demobilization camp at Chicala.
Gourgel says it was an important moment for local leaders of churches and
other civil society groups to dialogue face to face with the former UNITA
combatants.
In the northern province of Uige, another ACT member, the Evangelical
Reformed Church of Angola, co-sponsored a May workshop where 59 peace
counselors were trained. One of those trained was Armando Mabaia, a Reformed
Church pastor in the provincial capital. He says police abuse of civilians
was a main topic addressed in the workshop. "These things happen because the
police don't know the laws, and the people don't know their rights and how
to defend themselves against the police," Mabaia said.
To educate both civilians and government officials, the provincial human
rights committee broadcasts a live, 45-minute program every Saturday on the
local government radio station; the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
picks up the tab for the airtime. Committee members discuss a different
theme on each program, and citizens are invited to call in with their
complaints.
A test of the radio program's effectiveness came when someone called to
denounce the case of two police officers who had raped a woman and yet not
been punished. Appeals to the officers' superiors were going nowhere. A
phone call to the radio program led to the eventual jailing and prosecution
of the two officers.
"People have a right to know that they can expect certain things of the
government, but it's clear we have to struggle for those things. If we wait
on the government to make change, we'll be waiting a long time," said Kula
Romanos Jose, a Baptist and secretary of the provincial committee.
# # #
*Jeffrey is a United Methodist missionary in Central America. He was on
assignment in Angola for ACT International.
*************************************
United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org
--
Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(Now 7000+ articles)
Rowland Croucher
July 31, 2002 Vol. 3 No. 30
Visit our website at http://www.christianaid.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
John Lindner, Editor
Ann Witkower, Assistant Editor
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1. North India Missionaries Beaten, Threatened
2. Russia: Two Churches Planted Along Trans-Siberian Railroad
3. Floods Devastate Nepal
4. Poor Arab World
5. Quote of the Week: If the World Were a Village
6. Photo of the Week: Russian Missionaries
Note: It is the policy of Missions Insider to refrain from mentioning names
that could make the subjects targets of anti-Christian activity. Any names
that are mentioned are in areas or circumstances that won't further
jeopardize the ones named.
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1. North India Missionaries Beaten, Threatened
Indigenous mission groups in North India recently told Christian Aid of
three missionaries who have been beaten and threatened.
One ministry said that in Haryana State, police woke a missionary and four
other church members in the middle of the night last week and took them into
custody at the police station. Apparently a false accusation led to their
arrest. They spent the whole night in jail with an angry mob surrounding the
building. After the missionary's wife contacted the ministry headquarters
asking for prayer, God raised up non-Christian friends who helped release
the believers.
Later in the evening, a residents' committee met to decide whether the
church planter and his family could remain in the village. "A lot of people
wanted them to vacate the place and move out of the city," the ministry
leader told Christian Aid. "But God once again performed a miracle and they
voted that they could continue in the same house and worship there."
The jubilant missionary said, "Now everybody in the city knows that there is
a church and that there are a group of people who meet regularly to pray. I
am waiting to see how the Lord will multiply His ministry." He added, "We
need a tremendous amount of prayer to continue here."
Assailants broke into this same worker's church in April and tried to stop
the meeting. They falsely accused the worker of trying to "convert" people
by giving them money. They threatened him with dire consequences, saying
that if he did not leave the area they would take his life. Though warned to
tell no one of the incident, the missionary filed a police report.
The work in this difficult area is just a few years old.
In Madhya Pradesh State, another missionary, his wife and daughter were
attacked in the night while they slept and were beaten by a tribal group
with whom they had been sharing the gospel. In 1999 local officials
bulldozed this same missionary's 30-year-old church building, causing many
of the congregation to leave the church out of fear. Though authorities
later promised him land to rebuild, he has received nothing so far and meets
in a rented building.
A missionary in Uttar Pradesh State preparing to bring new believers to the
ministry headquarters for baptism was prevented by local people from leaving
the village. The villagers threatened the gospel worker and used abusive
language. God later worked in the hearts of the opposition, and one of them
came and apologized for his misbehavior.
All of these gospel workers need prayer as they labor in the face of
continued threats. For more information contact ins...@christianaid.org and
mention MI-330 660-HEM and 646-NMM on the subject line.
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Native missionaries brave "dangerous places" to bring the gospel to
"unreached" people in mountains, cities, jungles and "closed" lands. You can
support your own missionary by sending $50 per month and receive the name,
photo and biographical sketch of the one you support, plus a description of
the indigenous mission with which he/she serves. Call (434)977-5650 or
contact in...@christianaid.org today.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Russia: Two Churches Planted Along Trans-Siberian Railroad
A Russian ministry has planted two new churches in two major cities along
the Trans-Siberian Railroad that have only a few churches between them.
The new churches are located in Cheboksary, population 480,000, the capital
city of Chuvashia oblast (state) and Yoshkar Ola, population 280,000, the
capital of Mari-El. The missionaries work with Works of Faith, a Russian
ministry located in the oblast of Udmurtia.
Works of Faith missionaries have planted at least 152 churches in Udmurtia,
Tatarstan, Bashkiria, Kirov and Saratav. They have prayed for two years for
Chuvashia and Mari-El because these areas have so little Christian witness.
They also operate a one-year Bible school from which 72 trainees graduated
this July.
Outside of Moscow, mission work in Russia is hampered by severe economic
depression. Many churches planted by Works of Faith are in villages where no
jobs exist and little grows in the short Russian summer. Church planters
continue to need help since local churches cannot support them.
"In the past years we planted around 25 churches a year, but last year we
planted just three, because we don't want to send out any more workers
without support," leader told Christian Aid. "We need a lot of your prayer
and financial help."
For more information, contact ins...@christianaid.org and put MI-330
361-WOF on the subject line.
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3. Floods Devastate Nepal
For the fifth year in a row floods are hitting Nepal hard, and this is the
worst of the five. Eastern Nepal has been severely affected, along with 20
districts in the central region.
One Kathmandu-based mission leader told Christian Aid Monday that water in
the Chopar Gorge that helps drain the Kathmandu Valley had risen to 30 feet
deep. He said that two whole villages of the Rai people group in Eastern
Nepal were washed away and that flood-induced landslides in Central Nepal
had killed 110 people among the Chepang tribe. He said 3760 houses had been
reported damaged or lost as of last Friday.
"These people who can barely survive for six months from what they earn [by
farming], now have nothing. Their goats and cattle and farmland that used to
give them a little income are all in shambles," said the leader who was in
communication with gospel workers in the affected areas. In one village, 50
families were left homeless. Many families lost loved ones.
The missionary said that he was going to try to get aid to the people as
soon as he could, but that 130 landslides on the main east-west highway made
travel immediate impossible. "We are appealing to all brethren to bring
money, clothes, tents, cooking pots, and whatever they can give," the leader
said.
Those wishing to learn more may write ins...@christianaid.org and put
MI-330 702-ECF on the subject line.
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4. Poor Arab World
Arab countries suffer poverty because of three lacks: freedom, knowledge and
womanpower, according to a study completed by the United Nations Development
Program.
The Arab world-meaning the 22 members of the Arab League-accounts for 280
million people, roughly the same as the United States. They range from the
68 million population of Egypt-the Arab world's natural leader-to Quatar's
565,000. The region is expected to top 400 million in 20 years.
The Arab countries' populations live on less than $2 a day. Though the
region has less abject poverty (defined as less than $1-a-day income) than
any other developing part of the world, it has experienced an income growth
rate of only 0.5% annually per head. At that rate, it will take 140 years
for the average Arab to double his income, compared to 10 years for
inhabitants of other parts of the world. And around 12 million people, 15%
of the labor force, are unemployed. That figure is projected to rise to 25
million by 2010.
The U.N. report concludes that the region lags behind other parts of the
world not from lack of resources (its oil deposits are legendary) but from
shortage of three essentials: freedom, knowledge, and womanpower.
In the freedom category, the UNDP cites survival of absolute autocracies,
confusion between executive and judiciary branches of government,
constraints on the media and civil society, and "a patriarchial, intolerant,
sometimes suffocating social environment." Democracy is sometimes offered,
the report says, but as a concession, not as a right, and elections are
often bogus.
Freedom of expression and freedom of association are both sharply limited.
The report cites Freedom House's assessment that no Arab country has truly
free media; three had partly free, the rest less free.
Secondly, though Arabs spend a higher percentage of Gross Domestic Product
on education than any other developing region, the quality of education has
deteriorated leaving a mismatch between the educational system and the labor
market. Illiteracy rates remain high with 65 million adults (two-thirds of
them women) unable to read. Some 10 million children still get no schooling.
Only 1.2% of Arabs have personal computers, and only 0.6% use the Internet.
"From their schooldays onwards, Arabs are instructed that they should not
defy tradition, but that they should respect authority, that truth should be
sought in the text and not in experience," the report stated. "By
discouraging transparency and innovation, it has held back progress, helping
to produce a great army of young Arabs, jobless, unskilled and embittered,
cut off from changing their own societies by democratic means."
Thirdly, the neglect or abuse of women is a major factor in the Arab world's
slow development. "How can a society prosper when it stifles half its
productive potential?" the report asks. "Half of all Arab women still can
neither read nor write. Their participation in their countries' political
and economic life is the lowest in the world."
With these three major deficits in Arab society, Islam itself is the only
thing that offers them self-respect. "With so many other paths closed to
them, some are now turning their dangerous anger on the western world," the
report concludes.
Christian Aid is assisting several strategic ministries among Arab nations.
They emphasize literacy, provide books and literature, educate children,
teach believers in Biblical principles and uplift the status of women. For
more information write ins...@christianaid.org and put 400-MSF on the
subject line.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Quote of the Week: If the World Were a Village
If the world were a village of 1000 people, next year's population would be
1018. Twenty-eight people would be born, but 10 would die: three from lack
of food, one from cancer, two in birth, one from war or crime, and three
from natural causes.
Two-hundred people from this village would receive 75% of its total income.
Six-hundred (the "middle class") would share another 23%. The remaining 200
people would have to survive on the last 2% of the income. --adapted from a
statement by World Vision
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Photo of the Week: Russian Missionaries
http://www.christianaid.org/photo/photo-3-30.htm
Russian missionaries sing and proclaim the gospel on a street side in a town
in Russia. The missionaries are based in the oblast of Udmurtia, a "very
dark place," say the missionaries, where the Kalishnokov automatic rifle was
invented. For more information see item 2 above.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Missions Insider is a free weekly email report from Christian Aid Mission,
your link to the world of indigenous missions. We seek to establish a
witness for our Lord in every tribe and nation (Matthew 24:14) by supporting
highly effective native missionary ministries based in poorer countries
overseas, or where believers are persecuted. Christian Aid has contact with
more than 6000 indigenous ministries that have a total of 300,000
missionaries on the field or ready to go when support is available.
------------------------------ Contact Us -----------------------------
Please direct questions or comments to: Ins...@ChristianAid.org.
Check us out on the web at: http://www.christianaid.org/.
In Canada, visit http:/www.christianaid.ca or write to
fri...@christianaid.ca.
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The content of Missions Insider is Copyright 2002. You have permission to
share this newsletter with any evangelical Christian whom you think would be
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ins...@christianaid.org.
Thank you.
Uncle Ñoño
fact, but another thing we need to put into perspective in regard to the
Muslim versus Islam which most people seem to overlook is the fact that
Islam is to Christianity as Christianity is to Judaism. The Jews are
waiting for the Promised Messiah. The Christians believe that Jesus was
that Promised Messiah. The Muslim on the other hand believe that there is
no salvation except through Allah/Elohiym, depending on what language you
are speaking. We have a fourth party, the Baha'is who believe that the
coming of the Holy Ghost Incarnate is Baha'u'llah.
The pattern I'm approaching here is that if you check the history of each of
these religious groups you will find them all victims when minorities in
their beginnings and have also become the persecutors of their off-spring
religions. The Jews were persecuted by many people, particularly when in
slavery to the Egyptians, but then when the radical carpenter started
organizing and fulfilling the long awaited prophecies of the Jews the Jew
persecuted his followers even after his death. Then came Mohammed who as a
minority religion in the 1400s was brutally tortured and massacred and given
Divine Guidance which now is misunderstood even by Muslims whom we call
Muslim Extremists who in turn did the same to the Baha'is as what the
Christians did to them.
I wonder whom the Baha'is are going to persecute. As it is, they are
already persecuting their own whom they call "Covenant Breakers" when
engaging in independent investigations and become strictly monotheists
without a religion like myself. Then when we monotheists mature in our way
of life who are we going to persecute?
To me, with the Crusades and Trail of Tears, the King Herod massacre of so
many new born children, the Muslims in Iran where so many thousands of
Persian Baha'is (many of whom I knew personally as a child) whom they
persecuted and killed, and so forth, they are all alike, but the key to the
religion is what is God's religion? What then is our religion?
--
Uncle Ńońo
TheKingstonF...@hotmail.com
http://groups.msn.com/TheKingstonFamilyWebsite/
THE INTERNET SECRET: http://TheInternetSecret.com/go.get/8591
--
NOTE: The Junk Mail Filter is on, so please check your email settings to
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you.
"Rowland Croucher" <rcro...@optushome.com.au> wrote in message
news:3d17e07f$0$31825$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...
> Tuesday, June 25, 2002 7:42 AM
>
> **Saudi-Arabia: Human Rights Violations Overshadow Kingąs Anniversary**
>
> (idea) The 20th anniversary of the enthronement of Saudi-Arabiaąs King Ibn
> Abdul Aziz Fahd on June 13 was overshadowed by severe human rights
> violations, says the International Society for Human Rights. "Torture,
> executions and all kinds of cruel punishments such as public flogging are
> common practice. Apostasy from Islam carries the death penalty," stated
the
> Frankfurt based human rights organization.
>
> There is zero tolerance for non-Muslim believers. Any public non-Islamic
> religious practice is prohibited. Out of fear of being persecuted by the
> religious police, the Muttawah, only a small minority of the more than
> 500,000 Christian expatriates in Saudi-Arabia dare to join private prayer
> meetings. Last summer in Jeddah, 14 Christians were incarcerated for
months
> without legal charges. The human rights organization challenges King Fahd
to
> abolish torture and to introduce international human rights standards in
his
> country, such as religious freedom and womenąs rights.
Rowland Croucher
Subject: [Daily Update] 1 August 2002 Update From HCJB World Radio
A ministry of HCJB World Radio
To subscribe, E-mail to: <HCJBDa...@pmbx.net>
Today's News Headlines:
4 PAKISTANI MEN CHARGED IN CHURCH MASSACRE DIE IN AMBUSH
AID WORKER RELEASED IN SUDAN, 2 OTHERS REMAIN IN CAPTIVITY
PASTOR'S HOME DESTROYED, CHURCH BURNED IN SRI LANKA
CHRISTIAN IRANIAN FAMILY IN TURKEY GRANTED REFUGEE STATUS
BUILDING PERMIT ALLOWS WORK TO RESUME ON TURKISH CHURCH
2 CHURCHES PLANTED ALONG TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY
Today's News Stories:
4 PAKISTANI MEN CHARGED IN CHURCH MASSACRE DIE IN AMBUSH
Pakistan church officials say the deaths of four people arrested in
connection with a church massacre last fall means that the truth
behind the attack may never be known. Police in Pakistan's Bahawalpur
district said the four were killed on Sunday, July 28, when a police
vehicle carrying them came under attack. "When the assailants tried to
escape after freeing those in custody, police opened fire," said
Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, quoting the police statement. The shootout
continued for about an hour, resulting in the deaths of all four
suspects and two of the attackers. The four men had been arrested last
week in connection with last October's attack by unidentified gunmen
on a church in Bahawalpur where 15 worshipers and a security guard
died. The suspects were being taken to a village 25 miles from
Bahawalpur to retrieve the weapons used in the church attack when the
police vehicle was ambushed. "This means that it is now virtually
impossible to know who was behind the dastardly killing at
Bahawalpur," said Church of Pakistan Bishop John Victor Mall of the
Multan diocese. "The suspects should not have been killed in this way.
We wanted a full trial and investigation so that we could know who
masterminded the [church massacre]." (Ecumenical News Service)
AID WORKER RELEASED IN SUDAN, 2 OTHERS REMAIN IN CAPTIVITY
A kidnapped aid worker with the Christian relief and development
agency World Vision has been freed in southern Sudan. The 30-year-old
German was flown out to the Kenyan town of Logichoggio in a U.N.
airplane earlier today (Aug. 1), three days after he was abducted by a
rebel splinter group. One other German and a Kenyan remain in the
hands of the rebels. Charles Kibbe, 46-year-old World Vision worker
from Kenya, was killed when armed rebels first stormed a prison in the
village of Waat, then ambushed the nearby World Vision camp and took
the development workers hostage. Kibbe leaves his wife and three
children. World Vision has been active in the impoverished, war-torn,
region since 1972 to help relieve the effects of drought, floods and
civil war. Because of the current crisis, the organization has
suspended all projects in the region. The kidnappers are believed to
belong to a group of rebels being led by Simon Gatwich who has
frequently changed sides in the conflict between Muslims and the
Christian and animist minorities in southern Sudan. Since 1983 the war
has cost the lives of at least 2 million people. (Evangelical News
Agency IDEA)
PASTOR'S HOME DESTROYED, CHURCH BURNED IN SRI LANKA
A mob of about 300 Buddhists stormed the home of Pastor Jacob Perera
the evening of Saturday, July 27, in Allawa, a town in north-central
Sri Lanka. The pastor's home, which was being constructed on the
church premises, was torn down and the debris thrown into his well --
his only source of water. The people on the premises were badly beaten
and several had to be hospitalized. Police are investigating the case.
When church officials from Colombo went to the police inquiry, the mob
surrounded the church and threatened them with death. Police were
called to disperse the crowd. Perera has been threatened in the past
with violence and asked to stop his work in Allawa. On the same day in
the northeastern Sri Lanka village of Sembiyady, a group of Christians
were visiting a sick member of the church when they noticed that their
church building was on fire. Although they rushed to the building,
they were unable to save anything. Arson is suspected, and authorities
are investigating. (Voice of the Martyrs)
CHRISTIAN IRANIAN FAMILY IN TURKEY GRANTED REFUGEE STATUS
Iranian Christian Mahmoud Erfani and his family, who fled to Turkey to
escape persecution three years ago, have been granted refugee status
by the U.N. High Commission for Refugees. This allows them to stay in
Turkey for six more months while they reapply for acceptance into
Canada or another country. Erfani had been summoned to the Canadian
Embassy in Ankara for a second immigration interview on Tuesday, July
30. After the 90-minute interview with the Canadian immigration
official, he was told that he would receive a letter informing him of
their decision. In late April the U.N. as well as the Canadian
government denied his application for refugee status despite the
persecution they faced before fleeing Iran. Erfani appealed that
decision after he compiled documentation proving the danger he faced
if forced to return to Iran. He calls the new U.N. status a "miracle"
and is optimistic that Immigration Canada's decision will be positive.
(Voice of the Martyrs)
VIETNAMESE CHURCH LEADER RELEASED FROM JAIL AFTER PROTEST
A Vietnamese church leader jailed for his religious activities has
been released after a sit-down protest in a police station by members
of his congregation, reported Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).
Nguyen Dang Chi, 39, who pastors a church in Phu Ly, Tri An, was
arrested on July 6 and detained for 24 hours. Despite having his feet
shackled and being denied water, a blanket and the use of a bathroom,
Chi sang hymns and prayed through the night. The following day more
than 20 members of his congregation went to the offices of the police
and demanded they be allowed to visit their leader. After their
request was denied, church members protested until midnight when
authorities finally released Chi. The pastor and his church, which
grew rapidly from a few people in 1995 to more than 800 today, have
faced harassment from communist officials from the outset. Authorities
have questioned the validity of Chi's ordination certificate and have
ordered him to ask their permission before he preaches. (Charisma News
Service)
BUILDING PERMIT ALLOWS WORK TO RESUME ON TURKISH CHURCH
Government officials in Diyarbakir, Turkey, recently accepted a
revised architectural plan for a building being constructed as a
worship and ministry center for a small Protestant congregation in the
city. A crew of seven workmen have resumed work at the building site
near an ancient Christian church in Diyarbakir, the largest city in
southeastern Turkey. "We have to complete all the wiring and the
plumbing and then start on finishing the interior," said pastor Ahmet
Guvener. The long-awaited decision of the Diyarbakir Council for the
Protection of Cultural and Natural Riches was finalized in late July
with one last signature from the municipality, authorizing the removal
of a government seal that had been placed on the site nine months ago.
Since last November public officials have disputed whether the
building and its location adhered to local zoning and construction
regulations in an apparent attempt to limit the structure's usage to
residential purposes. But the council's decision, together with formal
approval of the blueprint alterations by city officials, now grants
permission for the church to be finished. (Compass)
2 CHURCHES PLANTED ALONG TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY
A Russian ministry has planted two churches in a pair of key cities
along the Trans-Siberian Railway. The new churches are in Cheboksary
and Yoshkar Ola, both in areas with little Christian witness. The
churches were established by missionaries with Works of Faith, a
Russian ministry based in Udmurtia. The missionaries have planted a
total of 152 churches in Udmurtia, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Kirov and
Saratav in recent years. Outside of Moscow, mission work in Russia is
hampered by a severe economic depression. Many of the new churches are
in villages where the people have few job opportunities and face harsh
climates. Church-planting efforts in the last year have been hampered
by a lack of financial support for missionaries. (Christian Aid
Mission)
James A. Ferrier
HCJB World Radio
U.S. Ministries
Communications Director
E-mail: jfer...@hcjb.org
Web: http://www.hcjb.org
http://www.beyondthecall.org
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Al
Very interesting: But, with One True God. So now who do we believe God or
people?
"Uncle Ńońo" <UncleŃońo...@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:5ji29.1406$tw....@nwrddc04.gnilink.net...
Uncle Ñoño
*personally believe* that the human condition is more than what meets the
eyes. To answer your question, we have to determine what our values are.
Our values are deeper than written laws, so we have discover our
relationship to the Universe we were created in. A paradox again, we have
to look within to discover where we are in this vast Universe. Then we can
answer your most appropriate question.
--
Uncle Ńońo
TheKingstonF...@groups.msn.com
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"Al" <res0...@gte.net> wrote in message
news:l1y29.130$oo2...@nwrddc04.gnilink.net...
Rowland Croucher
Sent: Friday, August 02, 2002 11:58 PM
Subject: Christian agencies launch persecuted religious minorities forum
CHRISTIAN FORUM IN SUPPORT OF PERSECUTED RELIGIOUS MINORITIES WORLDWIDE
2nd August 2002
For immediate Release
CHRISTIAN AGENCIES LAUNCH PERSECUTED RELIGIOUS MINORITIES FORUM
Support for persecuted religious minorities around the world has received
new impetus this month following the inauguration of a strategic new network
of UK Christian agencies. The Christian Forum in Support of Persecuted
Religious Minorities Worldwide was launched at a London conference on 20th
July 2002, which attracted nearly 200 participants. Agency backing for the
group has come from a range of mission and human rights groups who are keen
that membership is now widened to maximise the impact that the forum can
have.
Participants at the conference were left in no doubt as to the reality of
these issues in the world today. Bishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon of Kaduna,
Nigeria, spoke powerfully of the plight of the Christian community in
Muslim-majority North Nigeria. The progressive introduction of full Islamic
Shari'ah law since October 1999 has led to widespread discrimination against
Christians and inter-communal violence which has resulted in hundreds of
deaths. Dr Joseph D'Souza of the All India Christian Council, painted a
picture of discrimination, intolerance, violence, death and destruction in
areas of India where Hindu militants have turned on Muslim and Christian
minorities. Following his experience in India where Muslims and Christians
are working together, Dr D'Souza was particularly keen to aid a Christian
forum with a mandate to support all religious minorities regardless of
faith.
Support for the Forum comes from Barnabas Fund, Christian Solidarity
Worldwide (CSW), Christians Aware, Church Mission Society (CMS), Churches'
Commission on Mission of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CCOM),
International Centre for Reconciliation, Coventry Cathedral and the United
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (USPG). The mandate of the forum
is to facilitate the sharing of information, raise awareness within church
and society, respond appropriately and encourage prayer and action.
Bishop Tom Butler of Southwark who chaired the conference said, "Many
religious minorities in different parts of the world face persecution. It is
good that a Christian forum should pay attention to their plight.
Conference helped to inform us of the kind of pressure they experience."
Original visionary for the Forum, Bishop Mano Rumalshah of USPG, added, "our
determination to realise this vision is not for our own egos but as an
obligation and commitment to our faith. I hope we actively support this
cause and bring hope to millions around the world who suffer because of
their chosen relationship with their God."
The Forum has also launched a website to provide up to date information from
around the world and channel a Christian response to this religious
persecution. It can be found at www.sufferingandhope.org
For more information about the work of the Forum please visit the website or
telephone Tina Lambert on 020 8942 8810. Photographs of the conference are
also available.
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Telling others, what others are doing for the Lord.
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Shalom!
Rowland Croucher
http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
(Now 7000+ articles)