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Persecution Report for Tuesday, 28-Jan-2003

Mission Network News reports the following incidents of Christians being persecuted.

China:

Congregation requests prayer for their pastor.

Voice of the Martyrs reports that Pastor Bian, the only pastor in Datong, of China's Shanxi province, is trying to continue his ministry,despite government attempts to remove him. Police arrested him a month ago for refusing government orders to give up his church, but have since released him. In the meantime, Pastor Bian's congregation is asking for prayer as the Religious Affairs Bureau continues to investigate the case,looking for grounds to remove Bian from the church.

India:

Christian workers harassed by the army.

Two Mission India associates were recently arrested, beaten and driven from their ministry area by Indian army personnel. The incident occurred in northeastern India, in an area plagued by political instability.Mission India's John DeVries. "They were falsely charged with political insurgency, whatever that means, I don't know. But, they were harassed by the army, and this has got us even a little more concerned than if they were harassed by the local police." DeVries believes this nationalistic mindset may cause further trouble for Christians and their ministries. "Just pray for tremendous courage for our evangelists. Pray specifically that they will have courage, that they will continue to experience joy in the midst of this persecution, and that the Gospel will even go more quickly than it has ever gone before." Mission India asks prayer for their ongoing work in northeast India as workers face opposition from political and religious extremists, and government officials.

Malawi:

Was the fire a spiritual attack?

An electrical fire in Malawi has seriously affected the work of Teen Missions International.Teen Mission's Steve Peterson says the fire hit January 3rd, destroying the warehouse where all of the Boot Camp supplies were stored. Peterson says this is a big loss. "One of the difficulties is that a lot of the equipment that the teams use is not readily available in Malawi or in many of the other African countries. So, it's not just the financial aspect. It's difficult and time consuming for us, over the years, to have built up that and now to suddenly need that for next year's camps. It's going to be difficult." Peterson believes the fire is a spiritual attack because they had just completed a successful camp. "They had just completed running a missions training for Malawian teenagers. Six teams, 111 kids were there. They just seen over 1,400 people accept Christ. 75 of those kids made decisions to enter full time service." Funding and short-term mission teams are needed to help replace the 10-thousand dollar loss.

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

The Voice Of The Martyrs reports the following instances of persecution.

Jordan:

Arrest Sought for Christian Mother (Jordan)

For several months, The Voice of the Martyrs has been following the plight of a Christian mother in Jordan, Mrs. Siham Qandah, who has been ordered to surrender her children. Because her husband allegedly converted to Islam before his death, Jordanian law states that the children are Muslim and require a Muslim guardian in order to receive their father's death benefits. Mrs. Qandah's Muslim brother was appointed the guardian but he then fought for, and was given, full legal custody of the children. For several months there has been an on-going custody battle. According to a report received this morning from Middle East Concern, Mrs. Qandah's brother, Abdullah al-Muhtadi, filed an appeal on January 16, asking that she be arrested until the children are surrendered to his care. Yesterday Mrs. Qandah's lawyer filed an appeal, but Mrs. Qandah and her children have again gone into hiding to prevent the children from being taken from her. Jordanian authorities have indicated to Mrs. Qandah that the reason they have not executed the court order and taken the children is the many petitions made on her behalf.

Please go to www.persecution.net/links.htm to learn how to write to various officials on this woman's behalf.

Colombia:

Shooting Leaves Two Dead and Six Wounded.

Gunmen entered St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church during Mass on Sunday, January 19 and began shooting, killing two people and wounding six others. According to Zenit, Authorities are speculating that one of the victims was the primary target, perhaps settling a grudge. Ten people have been arrested, suspected of involvement in the attack. In recent months, Christians in Colombia have faced increasing violence, particularly from guerrilla groups and those involved in the drug trade. This is the latest of several attacks in the past year, including a bomb attack in May that killed more than 100 people.

India:

Converts Face Ostracism and Fear.

Twenty-three tribal families in a remote village in West Bengal are facing social ostracism and intimidation after converting to Christianity and are living in fear for their safety. According to a January 21 news story in the Hindustan Times, the families from the village of Kasundipara have been threatened, relatives have been prevented from visiting, and other villagers have been told not to speak with them. According to the news story, police in the area have been informed of the threats, but no protection has been provided for the families. Militant Hindu groups have been arguing that people have been lured into converting to Christianity through promises of material goods, jobs, free education and health care. In some states in India, new laws have been passed to severely restrict religious conversions.

Earlier this month it was announced that the Gujarat government is introducing anti-conversion legislation similar to that of four other states in India. Christian workers in India have also been facing increasing pressure and violence from militant Hindus, including an American missionary and his Indian colleague who were beaten on January 13 in the Kerala state capital of Trivandrum. According to an AP article on January 17, there have been four arrests in connection with that attack and more are expected. Those arrested are from the RSS, a militant Hindu group opposed to Christianity and western influence in India.

Qatar:

Christian from India Deported.

A Christian from India who had worked in Qatar for the past twenty-two years has been deported, along with his wife and twelve-year-old son. As of yesterday, authorities had given no reason for the deportation. Arokiyasamy Stanislas Chellappa, 51, worked in a hospital in Doha, as well as leading a fellowship of Tamil-speaking Indian Christians in his home. According to Compass, when he was arrested on December 9, he asked police what he had done. "We don't know," they replied. "It is just written that you have to go back home." All that anyone can surmise is that it is because of his religion. Despite advocacy from his employer and from the Indian embassy, Middle East Concern reported on January 21 that all appeals have failed and that the family is to leave Qatar today. Qatar has been considered a leader in democratic rights in the Arab Gulf states. While non-Muslims cannot proselytize nor meet for public worship, private services such as Chellappa was leading have been permitted.

UN:

Libya Elected Head of Human Rights Commission.

In a move strongly opposed by many nations and human rights organizations, Najat Al-Hajjaji, Libya's ambassador to the UN, was elected on January 20 to the influential position of chairman of the United Nations Human Rights Commission. The position is normally chosen without a vote, but the USA insisted on a vote because of its opposition. Of the 53 nation members of the commission, only three voted against Libya as chair: USA, Canada, and Guatemala. Several European nations were opposed, but for fear of offending the African nations who supported and nominated Libya for the position, seventeen nations abstained. Libya has a terrible human rights record, including torturing its own citizens. They have been facing US sanctions because of involvement in terrorism such as the 1988 Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people. Libya is very closed to any religion other than Islam.

In August 2002, the Persecution & Prayer Alert reported on fourteen students who had been arrested for converting to faith in Christ. At last report, they had been sentenced to death, but we have received no reports since November 20. On hearing of the election results, Glenn Penner, Communications Director for The Voice of the Martyrs said, "I can hardly think of something more inappropriate than putting such a violator of human rights in this position. This really is a case of the fox guarding the henhouse."

Please check http://www.persecution.net for more information about believers suffering for their faith and how people can help them.

Christian Aid Missions has these incidents to report.

Laos:

Christians arrested and threatened by authorities.

Fifteen women from Khamsaan Church and two leaders from Savannakhet Church went to celebrate Christmas with Christians in Dongpoong on December 26. Early in the morning on December 27, local officials arrested the 17 women and put them in jail, releasing them the next day. They told the women if they said anything about the arrests, they would be considered betrayers of their country. The same authorities then arrested nine more Christians on the same day and detained them for nine days. The believers were from Dongpoon, Dongpyvan, Gengveng and Nadeng villages, and included grandparents about 75 years old.

Again, on January 10, six believers in Pongseema village were arrested for taking part in a Christmas service at their church. They were fined the equivalent of $12 and released.

On January 15, five women were arrested for holding a Christmas service in the village of Kengkok, Champon District. All five were released the next day, but on that very same day the same authorities arrested six more believers from Kengkok village on the same charge. They are still being held in the Jampon District Prison as this article is being written. For some of them, this is the 5th or 6th time they have been arrested for practicing their faith.

"The main reason authorities in Champon and Sayburi Districts are still exerting heavy persecution on Christians is that they are trying to save face," the ministry leader told Christian Aid. "They had previously reported to the Lao central authorities that Christianity had been successfully eliminated from their districts, but now Christians were starting to hold Christmas meetings and services all over these two districts.

For more information, write to insider@christianaid.org and put MI-403 730-CFL on the subject line.

Philippines:

Philippine Missionary Murdered.

A Philippine missionary working among minority groups on Mindanao Island was shot and murdered on January 17.

The assistant leader of a Quezon City-based ministry supported by Christian Aid said he had just arrived from the nearest large city on Mindanao by a seven-hour bus ride to meet with two local workers. They excitedly began sharing developments about their work while their wives prepared food for supper together.

Suddenly, one of the women said she was out of cooking gas, and asked her brother to get a tank of gas from the market. The young man used a motorbike belonging to one of the missionaries. On the way back, he accidentally struck a motorbike driven by a Muslim. As soon as the missionaries learned about it, they went to the scene.

Police had already arrived to settle the case. One of the missionaries stood quietly along the side of the road observing the investigators. To help clarify matters, the two bikers were asked to accompany police to headquarters downtown. After they left, the watching missionary picked up his motorbike to wheel it home. By this time it was dark.

Suddenly a man appeared and shot the missionary in the chest. As he tried to regain his footing, the man shot him again in the head at point-blank range with a .45 calibre pistol. The missionary died instantly.

The killer, though still unidentified, apparently belonged to a militant Muslim sect. The other missionary now wondered if it was a set-up. The two workers had received a death threat last November. The missionary team left the area that evening.

For information on how you can support missionary teams working in high-risk areas like this, write insider@christianaid.org and put MI-403 801-MSF on the subject line.

Please see http://www.missionaid.org for more information about these stories.

ASSIST Ministries has this persecution incident to report.

Sri Lanka:

Christian leader attacked in her home.

One of Sri Lanka's courageous church-planters is Mrs Indrani Abeysinghe (49), who grew up in Kirimetimulla, in the Buddhist region in southern Sri Lanka. She became a Christian as an adult while living away from the village, returning in the mid-1990s with her four children. Since 2001, she has run a house church in her home, now with some 20 believers. She has been threatened and intimidated, and her home has been stoned. Then at about midnight on Christmas night, 2002, the family was violently assaulted. Only by God's will they escaped with their lives.

There is little doubt that the well organised attackers, who cut all electricity and wore masks to avoid being identified, were there to kill them. The family have left their home and are sheltering elsewhere. They are severely traumatised, yet Mrs Abeysinghe desperately wants to continue her ministry. Elizabeth Kendal, who wrote this report, is the Principal Researcher and Writer for the World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (WEA RLC) www.worldevangelical.org/rlc.html. This article was initially written for the WEA RLP(Religious Liberty Prayer) mailing list.

Elizabeth can be contacted by e-mail at rl-research@crossnet.org.au.

Please go to http://www.assist-ministries.org to learn more about these and other stories.

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