You can email us HERE. Click HERE to contact us

Click here for World News and comments with a Christian perspective

   

Subject: Persecution report for July 15, 2003.

Date: Sun, 13 Jul 2003 22:32:05 -0600

From: "Bruce Atchison" <ve6xtc@telusplanet.net>

To: "Ted" <thilts@help-for-you.com>

CC: "John M. Lindner" <jml@christianaid.org>

The Voice Of The Martyrs reports the following incidents of believers suffering for Christ.

Vietnam:

Church ordered to cease construction

An evangelical church in Ho Chi Minh City has been ordered to cease construction on their church building and to destroy what has already been built by July 12. According to reports received by The Voice of the Martyrs in Australia, police originally destroyed the Thu Thiem Evangelical Church in July 2000. The believers continued to meet on the concrete slab for four months until moving to a house church.

On June 9, the congregation quietly began rebuilding at 4:00 a.m. Two hundred police officers descended upon the congregation three hours later, surrounding the site and attempting to stop the building project. According to a report from Compass Direct, the church's pastor, Truong Van Nganh and Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, a Vietnamese Mennonite activist, spoke with the police, who reluctantly left when they realized they could not legally stop the building project. A gang of troublemakers arrived later in the day and tried to provoke those who were praying nearby.

Authorities were called in to remove the agitators and, while there, cut off the electricity to the site. However, the church had a generator and continued working. Eventually construction stopped when the authorities confiscated the building materials.

On July 6, Pastor Truong called the people together for a service at the site. Police surrounded the 140 believers who met and ordered them to dismantle the new construction by July 12. On July 8, police interviewed the assistant pastor for most of the morning and it is expected that Pastor Truong will be questioned on July 10. The church has received support from Christians throughout Vietnam, including a letter of solidarity written by two Catholic priests. The church members are asking for Christians around the world to join with them in prayer during this difficult time.

Myanmar:

Five Christians Released from Prison

On June 18, the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on five Christians who had been arrested in Myanmar. (For more information, see http://www.persecution.net/pnparchive/arch4.htm). The charges arose from a dispute with the government over orphanages confiscated for military use. In court, the men were convicted of selling children and given the option of life in prison or death.

However, on July 8, news was received by VOM Australia that the five men had been released after court proceedings. Praise God for His intervention in this matter. Pray for these men and other Christians facing continued harassment at the hands of the military dictatorship in Myanmar (formerly Burma).

Sudan:

Islamic leaders issue fatwah

As peace talks between the Sudanese government and southern rebels resumed in Kenya, and in advance of student union elections at Khartoum University, leading Islamic scholars issued a "fatwah" or religious edict on Friday, July 4. The fatwah, published in the independent weekly Akhbar Alyoum and signed by fourteen prominent scholars, including two university professors, declared that communists, socialists and others adhering to non-Sharia law in Sudan are apostates deserving of death.

The latest round of peace talks started on July 6 as a debate raged in Khartoum over whether the city should become a secular national capital accommodating different religious creeds and beliefs. On July 2, eighteen opposition parties, fifteen non-government organizations and more than forty individual opposition leaders released a declaration calling for Khartoum to be a national "secular" capital in the event of a peace deal between the Islamist government in Khartoum and the SPLA, which has been fighting for the rights of Christians and animists. The Khartoum Declaration also called for the end of one-party rule during a transition period of six years, as well for a transition government designed to supervise general elections. Last month, Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir lashed out at his leading opponents for advocating a national capital free of Islamic Sharia laws. In the last week, several opposition leaders involved in drafting the declaration have been arrested.

Last July, the Sudanese government and the SPLA signed a protocol providing for the separation of state and religion in southern Sudan. Glenn Penner, spokesman for The Voice of the Martyrs, said, "It is obvious that this separation will not extend to the parts of the country where the government maintains control. We must not be so naive as to believe that the Islamist government of Sudan has modified its position on the preeminence of Sharia law in Sudan as a whole. This is a brutal regime with a shameful human rights record regarding religious liberty."

China:

More church leaders detained

Five clergy members of China's underground Roman Catholic Church were detained on July 1 in Baoding, Hebei, a city 70 miles west of Beijing, China. According to the report from the Cardinal Kung Foundation, Fathers Kang Fuliang, Chen Guozhen, Pang Guangzhao, Joseph Yin, and Li Shujun, were arrested when they were on their way to visit another underground priest, Lu Genjun. Lu Genjun had recently been released after serving three years in a labour camp.

Earlier, on June 16, Father Lu Xiaozhou (Bosco), was arrested while ministering to a dying Catholic in Wenzhou, Zhejiang.

While the Chinese constitution officially declares freedom of religion, actions like this clearly demonstrate a continuing oppression on those who are not part of the official church in China. Pray for believers throughout China, that they may stand firm in their faith in the face of this opposition.

Please see http://www.persecution.net for information about persecuted Christians and how to help them.

Mission Network News reports these persecution incidents.

Indonesia:

Violence continues against believers in spite of peace treaty.

Indonesia's military warns that fresh violence could erupt at any time in Maluku. The province saw sectarian violence that forced the central government to broker a peace deal, but sporadic violence against Christians continues. The Southern Baptists confirms the persecution Christians are suffering at the hands of Muslim extremists in Indonesia. They challenge believers to intervene both with the Gospel and with prayer.

Belarus:

Anti-Christian law reminiscent of Soviet era.

A new agreement between the Orthodox church and the government is making evangelism difficult in Belarus. Russian Ministries is concerned because the agreement is designed to fight against what the government calls "pseudo-religious structures." Russian Ministries Anita Deyneka says Christians are being fined for evangelistic work. "This is very much a flashback and reminiscent of what was so tragic for Christians there, and I'm sure that's how it seems to them. When I hear of this happening it brings back so many memories of what it was like in the Soviet Union under the Communists." Deyneka says despite the problems, the church is growing. She's asking people to pray. "Pray for wisdom for the on going growth of the church. And, pray for God's intervention in protecting the religious liberties that are so important for Christians."

Please go to http://www.mnnonline.org for exciting missions news and a weekday audio broadcast.

Christian Aid Mission provides these persecution stories.

Pakistan:

Christians urge prayer amid violence

After a bomb blasted a Shiite place of prayer and a Roman Catholic priest was murdered outside his home, Christians in Pakistan are requesting urgent prayer for their safety and continued ministry.

A bomb blast in Quetta City near the Afghanistan border on July 4 targeted a Shiite place of prayer, but Christians feared they could be caught in the crossfire between two warring Muslim factions. The blast occurred when two militants entered the Imam Bargah, where 500 Muslims had gathered for prayer. Official reports say 20 people were killed in the blast, but confidential yet unconfirmed sources told Christian Aid 140 actually died.

Three weeks earlier 13 Shias were killed while travelling in a van when two men on motorbikes fired on them.

"The situation in our city is growing worse day after day," the confidential source told Christian Aid. "Everything in the city is disrupted. There is a general curfew. All educational institutions are closed. All shops are closed except general grocery stores may open a few hours a day. Attendance at churches is only 10 percent of normal. There was another bomb blast in a fruit market last night. Uncertainty and insecurity affect everyone, even the Christians." He also said religious extremists are conducting strikes throughout the country.

According to a report by Compass Direct, six men overpowered the watchman at a Roman Catholic Church in the small village of Renala Khurd (near Okara near Lahore) and threatened to kill him if he sounded an alarm. When Father George Ibrahim went to investigate the disturbance, the gunmen shot him and then fled.

According to Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lahore Lawrence J. Saldanha, the main motive for the priest's murder probably was the government's decision last fall to "denationalize" the church school and return it to the church, a move that angered nationalistic Muslims.

"We need continued prayers as never before," an evangelical minister told Christian Aid.

For more information write insider@christianaid.org and put MI-427 470-PERS on the subject line.

Nigeria:

Mission faces land confiscation

Nigerian authorities are threatening to seize the property of a Nigerian Christian mission and make it available to Muslim developers if a building is not constructed on it soon.

The mission purchased the land three years ago when it was forced out of its old headquarters by a Muslim landlord. While the mission leader says the location is "the best land any mission could think of," funds for putting a building on the premises have not been forthcoming. Gifts have enabled the mission to drill a well and start moulding blocks, but it has not yet been able to begin any kind of structure.

Because the land is in a prime location-and because it is being developed by Christians in a Muslim environment-authorities have told the ministry to put up a building within four months or the land will be confiscated and sold to others.

The first project the mission wants to construct is a building for its school of missions. It now operates the school in a rented facility with 16 students, but had to turn away 40 students last year for lack of space. Moreover, the Muslim landlord has tried to evict the ministry, as tenants, and has raised their rent.

The first phase of the project will provide space for about 20 students and will cost only US $20,000. Eventually, the mission wants to construct a separate dormitory, an auditorium and offices. This first phase will meet their immediate needs, satisfy the building requirement of authorities, and secure their land.

The mission began as an outreach to the then newly discovered Koma tribe in 1983 and this year celebrates its 20th anniversary. The mission has planted several churches among the Koma and has expanded its outreach among the Verre, Minda and Dirim peoples. It operates several schools for children and a medical clinic in the jungle.

Persons who are interested in learning more about this pioneer mission or how they can help should write to insider@christianaid.org and put MI-427 550-MCM on the subject line.

India:

Prayer power counters indifference and persecution

Despite persecution, missionaries in India find that people are turning to the living God when they see the power of answered prayer.

One missionary recently reported the testimony of a man from Tamil Nadu state. The man had lost his eyesight from typhoid a year before and asked the missionaries to pray for him, saying he would believe in Christ if he were healed. The missionaries agreed and told Christian Aid, "Some made fun of us, but the very next week he stood up and testified to the congregation that the Lord Jesus had restored his sight."

Another man in a certain village was in an accident that severely damaged his neck. Hospital treatment proved to be ineffective. In desperation, he called a local missionary to come pray for him. After the prayer, the man sat up and ate, and his neck movement is now back to normal. Because of these and other examples of God's power, many people are embracing Christ.

Yet many continue to oppose the gospel. In one village in the western state of Gujarat, Hindu zealots went to a missionary's home while he was away and beat up his wife. They tried to coerce her to give up Christianity and ran her out of the village.

In another village, a community leader attempted to stir up the police and get them to revoke local Christians' permit to build a worship centre. The Lord intervened, however, and the police refused the man's false accusations, telling him "not to create confusion."

The ministry is determined to bring the light of Christ to people steeped in darkness. To learn more about how this mission is doing it, write insider@christianaid.org and put MI-427 610-FMPB on the subject line.

Please go to http://www.christianaid.org to read many edifying missions bulletins.

Forum 18 has this religious rights violation to report.

Uzbekistan:

Fined Nukus Adventists again in court

Having had their Sabbath meeting raided by the secret police on 8 February and fined 23 US dollars each in April, a group of Adventists in Nukus have been summoned to appear again at the city court on 20 July. Deputy procurator Sultan Ibragimov refused to tell Forum 18 News Service why they were being brought to court again. Religious affairs official Nurula Jamalov admitted to Forum 18 that he had told the procuracy that Adventist leaflets confiscated during the raid "should not be distributed in Uzbekistan" but denied that he had banned the Bible, eight copies of which were seized.

Please check http://www.forum18.org/ to learn about religious rights violations in communist and post- communist lands.

ASSIST News Service provides this story of persecution.

Laos:

Pastor and journalists released from Laos jail

A Lao-American pastor and two European journalists have been freed by the Laos government less than two weeks after being sentenced to 15 years in jail, amid international pressure, ASSIST News Service (ANS) monitored Wednesday, July 9.

Pastor Naw Karl Mua, who now lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, was sentenced with Belgian photojournalist Thierry Falise and French cameraman Vincent Reynaud on charges of obstructing the work of the police, and possessing a weapon and an explosive device.

Press advocacy groups, as well as ANS and Christians around the world, questioned the charges, suggesting the real reason for the arrest was their plans to report on the Hmong rebels, the remnants of a CIA army that fought communist forces during the Vietnam War.

The Laotian government has denied the long-running rebellion exists and describes the guerrillas as bandits. Its forces captured the pastor and journalists after they were caught in a fire-fight on June 3 between Hmong rebels and villagers in which a guard was reportedly killed.

We didn't know whether they would keep us 10 years, six months or three days," The Associated Press (AP) news agency quoted the Belgian journalist as telling reporters on their arrival in the Thai capital Bangkok. "They said, 'You're going to be released quite soon,' and then suddenly they changed their minds and organized this farce of a trial," Falise added.

He described the two-hour trial in which he was convicted as"a mockery of justice", the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported. ANS Chief Correspondent Michael Ireland, who closely monitored the story, said the arrest of especially the pastor in his native Laos made "social activists" turn him "into a living emblem of the need to address human-rights issues in that country."

"They had called for the release of the Rev. Naw-Karl Mua through letters, protests and news reports, demanding that the Bush administration suspend efforts to normalize trade relations with Laos," Ireland said.

That would be a major blow for the a land-locked nation of 5.3 million people, which depends on foreign aid and is Southeast Asia's least developed country. Nearly 77 percent of its people reportedly live on less than $2 a day.

To confirm the news of his release, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., called Mua's wife, who reportedly wired $2,500 to the Laotian government to cover costs. "She was very relieved and pleased that official confirmation had come," said Bill Harper, chief of staff to the congresswoman, whose St. Paul district includes a large Hmong community, AP reported.

However the pastor, who served as an interpreter, and the journalists were concerned about two Hmong rebels who were arrested with them and remain imprisoned to serve 15-year sentences.

The government has no plans to release the rebels, said Sodom Phetrasy, deputy head of the Laotian Foreign Ministry's press department. "I think they should be punished according to our verdict," Sodom told AP.

He said the three were released because of concerns expressed by France, Belgium and the United States. "We would like to maintain good relations with these countries," he explained.

A representative of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed the men's release but noted that Laos remains largely closed to international media. "The fact remains that they never should have been arrested in the first place," AP quoted A. Lin Neumann, a Bangkok-based consultant to the committee, as saying.

Please see http://www.assistnews.net for many fascinating Christian-oriented news stories.

Click here for World News and comments with a Christian perspective

   

email: ve6xtc@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca