You can email us HERE. Click HERE to contact us

   

Persecution Report for Tuesday, 09-Jul-2002

Mission Network News reports these persecution incidents.

Sudan:

Bombing of Christians reaches new extreme.

There are fears that Sudan’s civil war has recently reached its deadliest phase. Civilian targets were hit this week by the Khartoum government, resulting in more casualties. The conditions have deteriorated to where security is despaired of by human rights groups. Voice of the Martyrs’ Todd Nettleton. "We’re very concerned about the situation in south Sudan, particularly for the Christians there and for our workers,and other aid workers who are there. The situation right now is extremely unstable, and, in spite of all the good talk that we’ve heard from the government in northern Sudan, good action has not followed." Nettleton says, despite the danger, they have not abandoned their project. "I think we definitely still choose to stand with the Christians in south Sudan who are being persecuted for their faith. Some of the changes we’ve made will enable us to stay focused on the Christians who are persecuted. Some of the things that we were formerly doing, we have turned over to the Sudanese people."

India:

Politics makes persecution worse.

The Prime Minister is trying to strengthen the Hindu government in light of political losses and challenges by rival Pakistan. A Cabinet shuffle has ended with Hindu Nationalists in place. Mission India’s John DeVries says that may mean there’s a tough road ahead for their partners. "This move by the Prime Minister to toughen the stance is part of a whole nationwide strategy to make the Hindu government have tighter control over what’s happening in India today. However, as in so many cases with persecution, the more persecution comes to Christianity, the faster Christianity seems to spread." DeVries says they need support from the church for this work. "Our partners have asked us for over five million sets of children’s Bible club material; we’ve been able to supply only three million of them. This is just a brand new development; it caught us totally off-guard, that there’d be that kind of response. It shows again, the determination to spread the Gospel, when persecution and opposition comes."

Uganda:

Christian workers survive a rebel attack.

World Vision reports that their workers did survive a rebel attack a week ago. As a result, the agency tightened security precautions because soldiers appear to be moving back into the area. World Vision staff is providing both the refugees and former abductees with health care, psychological counselling and food.World Vision staff members represent Jesus Christ in their work with people impacted by wars, poverty, or disaster.

Argentina:

Turmoil chills evangelism.

Violent protests turned to rioting late last week. For the country’s president, the unrest may mean an already disastrous economic crisis could become even more calamitous.For those who are in missions there, it’s cause for alarm. Operation Mobilization’s Nicholas Constantine explains. "A lot of churches, they’re a bit afraid. 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 in side of the country, inside of Argentina." Constantine says this is also the perfect time for foreign mission teams to come in. "Pray that God would raise up the church. People are looking for answers to the questions that they have; they don’t know who to trust anymore. This is really a special time that the church believers could go out to share the love of Jesus Christ one to one."

Please go to http://www.mnnonline.org to learn more about these stories, mission news, and to hear a weekday audio broadcast.

Keston News Service provides these news items.

Azerbaijan:

"Get out before President arrives!" Adventists told.

Adventist leaders in Azerbaijan are optimistic the decision by local police in the country’s enclave of Nakhichevan to expel an Adventist family just days before President Heidar Aliev’s mid-June visit to the enclave will soon be revoked. "We are discussing this issue with the State Committee for Relations with Religious Organisations," an Adventist leader told Keston News Service on 3 July. "We hope we can resolve it together." Pastor Vahid Nagiev, his wife Keklik Kerimova and their four children, who are registered to live in the town of Nakhichevan, were subjected to internal deportation on 10 June, despite the fact that Azerbaijan’s laws do not allow for internal deportation.

Belarus:

Repressive religion bill put back to autumn again.

As the current session of parliament ended last Friday (28 June), supporters of the restrictive new religion law failed to have the text approved by the upper chamber of parliament, despite a last minute rush. The text was approved by the lower house of parliament on 27 June, in a controversial move which overturned the previous day’s decision to postpone holding the second reading. The bill will now be considered in the autumn session, "unless there is the need to call an extraordinary session", an official of the upper chamber’s Commission for Social Questions confirmed to Keston News Service on 1 July. The Belarusian constitution allows the president to call an extraordinary session of parliament if enough deputies demand it. A spokesman for the main Orthodox Church in Belarus expressed disappointment that consideration of the bill had been put back to the autumn, while Protestant leaders once again called for "serious and balanced discussion".

Kazakhstan:

Restrictive law rejected, but "persecution" of baptists persists

The International Council of Churches of Evangelical Christians/Baptists, one of two main Baptist jurisdictions in Kazakhstan and the one which rejects state registration on principle, has expressed increasing alarm at what it calls "persecution" of its congregations because they refuse to register. A 13 June statement from Kazakhstan, received by Keston News Service, complains that regional officials are continuing to take to court, fine and threaten believers despite the country’s current laws and despite the fact that earlier this year Kazakhstan’s president rejected amendments to the religion law that would have restricted the rights of believing citizens. A religious affairs official at the Kazakh parliament told Keston that the Baptists’ claims were unfounded, but the human rights officer at the mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Almaty told Keston that her statistics showed that "Baptists who refuse to be registered for ideological reasons form the majority of those who are currently being persecuted".

Kosovo:

More attacks on orthodox graveyards and monasteries.

As attacks continue on Serbian Orthodox sites in Kosovo, the Orthodox Church has again requested the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the NATO-led peacekeeping force KFOR to protect the remaining Serbian patrimonial sites. In recent weeks more Orthodox cemeteries have been desecrated, with hundreds of tombstones defaced, the monastery of the Pec (Peja) Patriarchate has been stoned and its nuns verbally abused. A leading Orthodox monk in Kosovo told Keston News Service that by tolerating the desecration, UNMIK and KFOR are seen by the Serbian people and the Church as directly responsible for it.

Russia:

New law outlaws religious extremism.

A presidential bill banning religious organisations found to have committed "extremist activity" passed its third and final reading in the lower house of the Russian parliament (Duma) on 27 June. To become law, the bill still needs approval from the upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, and President Vladimir Putin, who proposed it. If it becomes law, the bill would appear to allow an entire religious group to be banned if any of its leaders or governing members make "extremist" statements which are not renounced by the religious group. An accompanying change to the 1997 religion law would widen the existing grounds for banning religious organisations.

Russia:

Vatican demands religious freedom.

Human rights is the issue at the heart of the expulsions from Russia in April of Bishop Jerzy Mazur and Fr Stefano Caprio, Vatican sources insisted recently to Keston News Service in Rome.

"The basic question is the Catholic Church’s right to re-establish freedom of religion wherever she has faithful."

All the sources emphasised that it was not the aim of the Roman Catholic Church to supplant the Orthodox Church in Russia, but they rejected the idea that the Russian people are "culturally, spiritually and historically the flock of the Russian Orthodox Church". Whatever disagreements the churches may have, one source said, the Russian government has signed international human rights commitments which grant religious freedom to individuals, and must adhere to them.

Please see http://www.keston.org for details about these and other stories of religious persecution in communist and post-communist lands.

The Voice Of The Martyrs reports these stories of suffering believers.

Pakistan:

Another Christian Joins Death Row For Blasphemy.

On June 29, another Pakistani Christian joined the ranks of Ayub Masih on death row for alleged blasphemy against Islam. Augustine Ashiq "Kingri" Masih was convicted by the Faisalabad District and Sessions Court on charges of slandering Mohammed. He was also given a fine of over $1200. The case began in 1998 when Masih reportedly converted from Christianity to Islam under pressure but a few months later, he returned to his Christian roots. In March 2000, he was being questioned by a group of Muslims about changing his religious faith. His accuser, Rana Mohammed Nisar claims that Masih told him he became a Muslim so that he could commit adultery with Muslim girls, declaring, "Your prophet was also very fond of this practice." A fight broke out between Muslims and Christians and Masih was eventually charged in May 2000 of blasphemy. This is the second conviction by the Faisalabad court in the past two months. The other case was an illiterate man in his seventies, Aslam Masih, who was given two life sentences and a fine of $2400, even though the main witness denied ever lodging a complaint against him. Currently two Christians are on Pakistan’s death row on blasphemy charges, with five more appealing life sentences and an additional three still under trial, awaiting their verdicts.

Ethiopia:

When Persecution Strikes Close to Home.

On June 20, 2002, Mehret, a 28-year-old believer in Ethiopia, was severely beaten with sticks and an axe and left for dead by his brothers and relatives because of his faith. According to a source for The Voice of the Martyrs, even his own mother joined in the attack, which took place in Gimjabet Mariam, 415 km NW of Addis Ababa. After beating him unconscious, they left him for dead and then completely destroyed his house and stole his belongings. After lying on the road for an hour, Mehret was taken to the hospital by local Christians. He is still under medical care and his wife and two children are being sheltered by a Christian family. Those who assaulted Mehret are members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which has frequently been unsympathetic toward those who convert to evangelical Christianity.

Turkey, India, Colombia:

Persecution in "Free" Countries.

While much of the persecution that The Voice of the Martyrs reports is instigated or encouraged by the governments of the country, this is not always the case. Living in a country where freedom of religion is recognized does not necessarily mean that the believers there are always safe. In the past week there have been several reports of persecution in countries where Christianity is not officially illegal and where the governments promise religious freedom. The following three countries are examples:

(a) Turkey: Though predominantly Muslim in religion, Turkey has a secular, democratic government and constitutionally supports freedom of religion. However, a Turkish Christian was arrested two years ago for allegedly making slanderous comments about Mohammed while distributing New Testaments. He faced up to one year in prison. Thankfully, on June 26, Diyarbakir’s Fourth Criminal Court ordered all charges dropped against Kemal Timur. According to Compass Direct, Timur has received hundreds of letters and cards in many languages from various countries, including Germany, England and the United States. "There have been sacks full of them," he exclaimed, "and every one told me they were praying for me!" He credits those prayers for his release.

(b) India: India, too, is officially a secular state with freedom of religion, but in recent years Christians have come under increasing attack and pressure by mobs and local authorities. Often they are falsely charged of crimes or unethical behaviour to discredit them. A Christian who works with the Bible League in India is presently in hiding, fearing the authorities and militant Hindus. Brother Singh was accused of raping and kidnapping the niece of an influential Hindu. He and his colleagues have also been accused of forcing conversions, bribing new converts, and speaking against the Hindu gods. Two other Christians associated with the Bible League have already been jailed.

(c) Colombia: The Persecution and Prayer Alert has previously reported on several cases of violence against Christians in Colombia, particularly those perceived to be opposed to the leftist guerrillas who control vast areas of the country. One of the most prominent attacks was on March 16 when the Archbishop of Cali was shot and killed as he left his church. In April, a priest was killed during Mass in Huila state. This week, on June 27, 2002, Father Hilario Arango was shot and killed as he left his church in Cali following the service. Father Arango was a known critic of the leftist rebels.

Please see http://www.persecution.net for more details plus what can be done to help persecuted Christians worldwide.

ASSIST Ministries has these persecution incidents to report.

Malaysia:

Urgent prayer requested for Christians who fear the imposition of Islamic law.

The Barnabas Fund, a British Christian group that provides urgent news briefs and prayer requests for suffering Christians around the world urges fellow Christians to pray for those in Malaysia. The prayer call was issued after news that moderate Muslims, women’s groups, Christians and other non-Muslim minorities, have all reacted with horror to plans by Muslim opposition party PAS to impose full Islamic Shari’ah law in Malaysia’s Terengganu State. "PAS, the largest opposition party in Malaysia, wants to see the country (traditionally one of the most moderate nations in the Muslim world) transformed into an Islamic state governed by Shari’ah law," said the story from the Barnabas Fund. "PAS already controls Kelantan and Terengganu, two of Malaysia’s thirteen states. An earlier attempt to impose full Islamic law in Kelantan was blocked by the federal government in 1993.Now PAS is pushing for Shari’ah law in Terengganu instead and has drafted a bill, which will come before the State Assembly at its next meeting due to, begin on July 7. "The move has been vigorously opposed by women’s and minority groups as well as Malaysia’s powerful Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed, whose government, whilst often criticized on human rights grounds, is naturally opposed to PAS and is relatively moderate in religious matters. Zaid Ibrahim, president of the Muslim Lawyers Association of Malaysia and a division chief of UMNO, the country’s ruling coalition, has taken the matter to court seeking a ruling that only the federal government (and not individual state governments) has the authority to pass criminal laws."

Pakistan:

Rape of Christian girl ignored by police.

The rape of a 16-year-old girl in Pakistan has been ignored by police because of her religious beliefs.Shakeela Siddique, a Christian from Fatewala village in the northeastern Gujranwala district, was reportedly raped by an influential local Muslim landlord in February 2002. Traumatised and ashamed, Shakeela kept quiet about her ordeal. The incident only came to light two months later when she realised she was pregnant. In order to avoid social stigma, she was forced to have an abortion (illegal in Pakistan) at the end of April and has suffered from severe depression since the attack. When her father, Siddique Masih, attempted to confront the alleged rapist, he was badly beaten up. He told Christian Liberation Front, a Pakistani human rights group: "My everything has been ruined as my daughter is now a living corpse. No Christian in our village dares to raise his voice against the Muslim landlords." There are about 150 Muslim families and 50 Christian families living in Fatewala and most of the Christians are poor peasants employed by Muslims. Indonesia:

"Papuan Christians fear onslaught by Islamic militants," says British Barnabas Fund. Christians in the Indonesian province of Papua (Irian Jaya) are fearful that a violent campaign could be unleashed against them later this year as Laskar Jihad Islamic militants continue to flood into the province with the apparent collusion of the authorities, the Barnabas Fund, a British Christian group that provides urgent news briefs and prayer requests for suffering Christians around the world, has revealed.

In a story, the Barnabas Fund says that a recent report from Australia’s Uniting Church, details the concerns of local Christians, who make up over 70% of the province’s population.

"A number of Laskar Jihad military training camps are now situated in the province and military instruction is now taking place quite openly in the compounds of some mosques every afternoon," said the story. "In the area of Fak Fak over 175 boats carrying Laskar Jihad personnel and equipment are said to have arrived along the coast since April.

"Meanwhile several Christians have reported discovering stockpiles of weapons, which they fear, could be used against them later this year. A number of Pakistani and Afghan mujahideen are thought to have come to join in the jihad against local Christians have been sighted. Laskar Jihad’s magazine, which contains articles attacking Christians, Jews and the US, is now being sold openly in markets in Papua, and T-shirts, DVDs and books on Osama bin Laden are also on sale."

The Barnabas Fund said that Laskar Jihad is reportedly forming links with local authorities, police and army units, and with the pro-Jakarta militia Satgas Merah Putih that opposes Papuan calls for independence from Indonesia.

"Laskar Jihad is also believed to be insinuating itself with the local Muslim population, although the majority of Papuan Muslims still reject the Jihad’s presence as a dangerous destabilizing factor in an already extremely tense region," said the Barnabas Fund story. "Local Christians believe the failure of police and army units to stop Laskar Jihad from expanding its military campaign into Papua implies complicity in the Jihad’s activities. Four Laskar Jihad members carrying home-made guns were recently seized by Christians and handed over to the authorities. No action was taken against them. Others who have reported Laskar Jihad activities to the authorities say that they have been harassed, threatened with arrest themselves, and even received intimidating phone calls late at night."

Please check www.assist-ministries.com for more

information about these and other stories

   

email: ve6xtc@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca