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24-Sep-2002

Mission Network News reports the following persecution incidents.

Pakistan:

Believer’s work could be made harder by war on Iraq.

Christian leaders in Pakistan are asking Christians around the world to pray for their work. According to Christian Aid Mission, Christians warn that if the United States attacks Iraq, the Christian community in Pakistan could face a reign of terror. Islamic radicals are already trying to hinder the work of national Christian leaders. They’re accused of stealing transportation and accusing Christians of blasphemy against Mohammed.

Indonesia:

Christians fear full-scale assault from Jihadists.

Gunmen reportedly attacked two villages in North Maluku early Sunday. While no one claimed responsibility for the incident, it heightens fears that a full-scale assault against Christians is on the way. That is due, in part, because a February peace accord has failed to stop sporadic outbreaks of violence. Christian Aid Mission’s John Lindner. "The Laskar Jihad, which is the strong terrorist group in Indonesia, has denounced the peace accord, and they don’t intend to abide by it; they are going to do everything they can to thwart it, so, the peace accord is fine in itself, but unless the Indonesia government makes a very strong stand against some of their own Muslim Indonesians, it’s going to go down the tubes." Lindner says in light of the situation, believers are asked to pray. "Christian ministry in Indonesia is always at risk by those who are opposed to the Gospel. It will continue as long as they have an opportunity to do anything, because these believers there are willing to do whatever needs to be done in order to bring the Gospel to their people."

Cambodia:

Fear of officials delays evangelism.

The unexpected arrival of corporate and government officials disrupted plans to begin teaching evangelistic Bible lessons to Cambodia’s Poa people. New Tribes Missionaries report that when the officials arrived, almost all the village fled into the jungle. The missionaries say were able to arrange another meeting this coming weekend to teach.

Sudan:

Missionary hospital bombed.

The Sudanese government has bombed a missionary hospital in southern Sudan. The incident took place late last week in the city of Luiat a facility run by Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse. Planes, in two passes, dropped four bombs over the hospital. Officials report there were no deaths, injuries or property damage, however staff ran into the bush for safety. Samaritan’s Purse officials are concerned because there are no military targets in Lui, just a church, school and the hospital.

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

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

Sudan:

Civilian Targets Bombed.

On September 9, Sudanese government planes dropped bombs on the village of Yabus, killing two children and wounding eight others. Three days later,bombs were dropped on the village of Lui. No one was reported killed in the bombing at Lui. Neither community is of any strategic value in the continuing conflict between the government of Sudan and the people of southern Sudan and neither village is near the front lines. Lui has nothing but a hospital, a church that is still under repairs from attacks in December 2000, a school, and grass huts. The hospital is run by Samaritan’s Purse and is the only medical facility available for 400,000 people in the area. Glenn Penner, VOM’s Communications Officer, having been in Yabus,testifies that, "Yabus is a quiet little village with a church, a mosque,a school, and ordinary people who would rather just be left alone. There is no reason why Yabus should have been bombed apart from the fact that it would terrorize the population. But most of the government of Sudan’s bombings in recent months seem calculated to achieve that end." On September 2, Sudan’s president, General Hassan Omer el Beshir is reported to have declared a Jihad against southern Sudan and gave his forces, "a free hand to move out in all directions, to use all of it’s weapons, with no restraints, no restrictions, whatsoever." These declarations followed a cancellation of any peace talks, after rebels took control of the town of Torit on September 1. It appears that these recent attacks are a part of that "free hand."

China:

Underground Bishop Arrested.

A bishop of the underground Catholic Church in China, Wei Jingyi of Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province has been arrested on September 9, according to a September 16 report from Zenit. Bishop Wei is no stranger to persecution. He has served time in Chinese labour camps in 1987-1989 and from 1990-1992. According to the Cardinal Kung Foundation, a Catholic human rights organization, "Currently, every one of the approximately 50 bishops of the underground Roman Catholic Church is either arrested, under house arrest, under strict surveillance, or in hiding."

C.I.S.:

Troubles in Former Soviet Republics.

Historically, most of the countries of the former Soviet Union have never really known complete religious freedom. Despite continued troubles in several of the former republics, the last 10 years have probably been as good as religious minorities there have ever experienced. However, in the last week, The Voice of the Martyrs has received various reports that are causing us concern as we consider the future of religious freedom in the countries that formerly made up the Soviet Union.

(a) Russia: Russia seems to be restricting foreign Christian workers from entering the country, particularly Roman Catholics. So far this month, two Catholic workers have been denied entrance into Russia, despite holding valid visas. Another worker has been refused a visa extension. One of the Catholic priests, Jaroslaw Wisniewski, was told when he arrived in Russia that his diocese had been abolished. A Protestant missionary from Sweden, Leo Martensson, also had his visa cancelled on September 10 and he has been ordered deported. Martensson has worked in Russia for nine years.

(Sources: Zenit, Keston News Service)

(b) Ukraine: Several Christian leaders in Ukraine have reported that they are being closely monitored by the SBU

(Ukraine’s secret police). One pastor reports that he is regularly followed. Another missionary worker went to renew his visa and was shown a printout of all his e-mails. Catholic priests have reported being directly interviewed by the SBU. SBU officials deny any involvement saying, "The SBU doesn’t interfere in religious questions or the life of churches."

(Source: Keston News Service)

(c) Uzbekistan: Two Pentecostal Christians in Uzbekistan who were fined last month for attending a church meeting failed to have their sentence revoked when they appealed on September 10. The two were fined for attending an unregistered church, even though the church has tried to register on three different occasions and were ignored by authorities.

(Source: Keston News Service)

(d) Belarus: Belarus is posed to pass a highly restrictive law, refusing registration to any religious group that did not have ten registered communities in 1982. This would severely restrict many of the Protestant, evangelical, and non-traditional religious groups in Belarus. In June, the law was passed through the lower house but was delayed passage through the upper house until after the summer recess. The law is now scheduled for discussion on October 2. In the past few months, the churches in Belarus have joined together in prayer and fasting as well as a conference scheduled for September 27-28 on the issues of religious freedom and evangelical Christianity.

(Sources: ENI, Keston News Service)

(e) Kazakhstan: Local Baptist congregations that refuse on principle to register with the authorities have reported an increase in the number of fines and court orders closing down churches. Under Kazakhstan’s religion law, registration is not required. However, a special amendment was passed in 2000 making participation in an unregistered religious organization illegal. This amendment has particularly targeted congregations that are a part of the International Council of Churches of Evangelical Christians/Baptists.

(Source: Keston News Service)

Mexico:

Protestant Children Refused Schooling.

Local community leaders in the town of Mitziton have refused to allow approximately 100 evangelical children to enroll in the local primary school. Mitziton is located in the state of Chiapas in southern Mexico where evangelical Christians have faced persecution in the past from traditional Catholics in the region (see www.persecution.net/country/mexico.htm). According to the report from Compass Direct on September 17, several evangelical families were violently expelled from Mitziton last January and their homes were burned.They since returned, but the community leaders are determined to force them from the town.

Please see http://www.persecution.net for details about these stories and what can be don to help.

Keston News Service has the following incidents to report.

Belarus:

Victory for Religious Freedom Reporting or Happy Accident?

Three journalists fined for reporting on the authorities’ destruction of the newly-built Autocephalous Orthodox church in Pahranichny in early August have had their sentences overturned on appeal, Keston News Service has learnt. The three were charged with travelling to a border zone without permission, although they had letters from their editorial offices, but were completely exonerated by a local district court. Nevertheless, one of the three, Andrzej Pachobut, does not view their success as a blow for free reporting of religious liberty violations: "It was more of a happy accident." Other journalists who failed to challenge their fines in court have been required to pay.

Uzbekistan:

Protestant Church Too Small to Register.

The Protestant Church of Jesus Christ in the town of Gazalkent, like many other small religious communities, is caught in a vicious circle, Keston News Service has learnt. They do not have enough adult members to qualify for registration and so their activity is treated as illegal. Such small churches typically go "underground", meeting in small groups, but all organised activity is banned by the security service. Pastor Yakovlev of the Gazalkent church sees no way out. "Currently, we appear to have been left in peace, but we have no firm assurance that this will continue in the future."

Kazakhstan:

Baptists Bear Brunt of Campaign Against Unregistered Communities.

Local Baptist congregations that refuse on principle to register with the authorities have reported an increase in the number of fines and court orders closing down churches; a report confirmed to Keston News Service by the chair of the Almaty Helsinki Committee. Under Kazakhstan’s law on religion, the registration of religious communities is not compulsory. However, in 2000, a special amendment made the activity of an unregistered religious organization illegal, and officials now argue that the amendment has greater legal weight than the law, which is disputed by human rights groups.

Russia:

Previously Unpublicised Case Brings Number of Expelled Catholics to Seven.

Keston News Service has recently learnt that a French Catholic monk, Brother Bruno Maziolek, was denied an entry visa to Russia in December last year, bringing the number of foreign Catholic clergy known to have been barred from the country to seven. Bruno, who had run a social ministry not far from the town of Pereslavl-Zalessky since 1991, was informed by the Russian security services in March that he was deemed a danger to the Russian Federation. A Catholic source in Moscow maintained that a local Orthodox priest, Fr Oleg Razumov, was behind the expulsion; a charge which Fr Razumov denies.

Ukraine:

Why Do Security Police Question Catholic Priests?

Catholic priests are increasingly being monitored by Ukraine’s security service, according to the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. Catholic priests have complained that they are being questioned and their phones are being tapped. However, the chief press officer of the Ukrainian security service denied absolutely that any Catholic priests were being monitored. Foreign Protestant missionaries too claim to be under surveillance. "They were outside my gate always in the same vehicle and followed me when I went to the church," declared one foreign pastor to Keston News Service.

Russia:

Putin-Pope Correspondence Inconclusive.

President Vladimir Putin’s reply to Pope John Paul II did not contain any explanation for why Bishop Jerzy Mazur was refused entry to Russia but stated rather that one had already been given, a Catholic source informed of the letter’s contents told Keston News Service on 13 September. The letter was brief, according to the source, and otherwise consisted solely of diplomatic rhetoric emphasising the importance of the Russian Federation’s relations with the Holy See as part of the international community.

Belarus:

Are Autocephalous Orthodox Threatened with Job Loss?

In the wake of the destruction of Belarus’s first purpose-built Autocephalous Orthodox church by the authorities in Pahranichny, leading members of the parish have allegedly been threatened not to support their priest, Father Yan Spasyuk. Officials denied claims that they had threatened the priest’s supporters and their relatives with the loss of their jobs; however, Father Spasyuk’s legal adviser was adamant: "Anyone working locally is threatened," he declared. Keston News Service is also investigating claims of a plan to build a second Moscow Patriarchate Orthodox church on the site of the demolished Autocephalous building.

Please go to http://www.keston.org to learn about religious persecution in communist and post-communist lands.

   

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