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Subject: PERSECUTION REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 30, 2003.

Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2003 22:28:34 -0700

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

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

PERSECUTION REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 30, 2003

The Voice Of The Martyrs provides these bulletins of Christians suffering persecution.

Egypt:

Husband Arrested at Cairo Airport; Intervention Urged

The Voice of the Martyrs has just learned that Bolis Rezekallah, an Egyptian Christian preparing to immigrate to Canada, was detained at the airport when it was learned that he was married to a Muslim convert named Enas Badawi. A civil ceremony would never have been possible, since Christian men may not marry Muslim women according to Islamic law, and to convert to Christianity is a potential capital offense. Therefore, the couple decided to forego a civil marriage and be married only in the church (in Egypt, as in many countries, Christian couples often undergo both a church and civil ceremony). Learning that his wife, who was not travelling with him but who also has a Canadian immigrant visa, was legally still a Muslim, Bolis was arrested and VOM contacts fear that he is being tortured as authorities try to learn the whereabouts of Enas and the details behind her conversion and subsequent marriage.

We urge your fervent prayers on behalf of this couple.We also urge you to write, telephone, or e-mail to your government officials and to Egyptian embassies on behalf of Bolis Rezekallah (links may be found at http://www.persecution.net/links.htm).

In Canada, you can write to:

Egypt:

Coptic Church Attacked; Several Arrested

According to a September 20 report from the U.S. Copts Association, a large number of security officers and soldiers attacked St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Assiut, 380 km south of Cairo in the middle of Mass on Friday, September 19. They entered the church and ordered the priest, Father Abanoub, to immediately leave and close the church. When he refused, the police attacked him, throwing the Holy Sacrament to the floor and stepping on it. When church members intervened, several were deacons and lay members were arrested.

When word of the attack spread through the city, thousands of Copts rushed to the aid of the church, surrounding the police and chanting slogans such as, "By our spirit, by our blood, we will protect our cross!" and "We will die martyrs defending our Church!" The police ordered Father Abanoub arrested, but they were unable to do so because of the crowds.

It is unclear what instigated the attack, though some Copts fear there were plans to convert the historic church into a mosque. While there are unconfirmed reports that all those arrested have since been released, the tension remains and there is yet to be a resolution to the issue.

India:

Threats and Violence Follow Verdict

With the conviction of thirteen Hindu activists in the burning death of missionary Graham Stewart Staines and his two sons in January 1999 (see http://www.persecution.net/pnparchive/arch7.htm), Christians in India fear reprisals from militant Hindu groups. According to a report in the Hindustan Times on September 20, a group claiming to defend Dara Singh, who was convicted of the murders, has threatened to kill a Catholic priest in Orissa if the conviction is not overturned. Father Kuriakose received the letter after Singh and the others were convicted on September 15. Police are investigating the validity of the letter.

In a separate incident, Mid Day Multimedia reported that Hindu activists stopped a prayer meeting in Borivali, India on September 18, driving at least 100 Christians out and locking the hall. The Hindus claimed that the Christians were planning to convert people to Christianity during the meeting, accusing them of using money as inducements for conversion. According to police, they have received complaints from both the Christians and the Hindus and are investigating.

Sri Lanka:

Four Christian Women Brutally Assaulted

On September 24, The Voice of the Martyrs received a very disturbing report from the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka. We apologize for the length of the following account, but felt that it could be best told in the words of the Senior Pastor of the church involved.

On Tuesday, 16th September 2003, the four Christian workers attached to the Assembly of God, Kotadeniyawa went to the church property at Green Gardens, Mihirigama Road, to erect a fence on its perimeter. The property had been purchased by our church six months before. Sister Ayesha was pastor of the branch church and had been working in Kotadeniyawa for four years. The other three Christian workers were Sisters Shyama, Indika and Sharmila. Kotadeniyawa is located about 30 km North-East of Ja-Ela and about 45 km from Colombo.

While the concrete posts were being fixed in place, the monk from the Erabadda Temple, Rev. Buddhapriya, came into the premises and wanted to know what they were doing. Our workers had said they were fencing the property that belonged to us. He had then abused them with foul language and told them to stop work immediately or face death. He said, "You may have to be hospitalised in the process." He also said that he would be returning in two hours time to see whether the work was continuing. Sister Ayesha called me immediately and informed me regarding the threats. I instructed her to go to the Kotadeniyawa Police Station and lodge a complaint. When she went and spoke to the OIC (Officer-In-Charge) he called the Buddhist Monk and got him down to the Police Station. In the Police Station this Buddhist Monk vehemently opposed our presence in this place and demanded that we leave the area. After lodging her complaint at the Police Station ( MOIB No.324/183 of 17/9/2003), Sister Ayesha returned and continued with the fencing.

Since the work needed to be completed, the four girls, who lived several kilometres away in a place called Nalla, decided to stay over night in the house adjacent to our property. Somawathie a member of our church who owned this property had handed this house to us until she returns from the Middle East.

Around 10 p.m. on the same day they heard the sound of the concrete fence posts being broken. Immediately Ayesha and Shyama stepped out and flashed a torch. They saw about 30 men destroying the fence posts. When the men saw the girls they charged at them, but the girls got into the house and locked the doors. The men broke both the front and rear doors and entered the house and dragged the girls out. This house did not have electricity and the entire area was in darkness. They beat the girls saying, "do not convert our good Buddhists by offering them money." While beating them, they demanded that they confess that Buddha was God. When they could not get them to repeat those words, the others in the group told the men not to do that. Some of the men were bent on raping them, and the girls had to struggle, receiving many bruises on their bodies. The men pushed Shyama to the ground, and one man said that she was good for him. The men smelt of liquor, and although the girls were frail they were not able to rape even one - we believe they were divinely protected.

In their frustration the men continued to kick, trample and beat the girls. Knowing that their plan was foiled they now accused them of being prostitutes, screaming out that they had raided a brothel and had caught four prostitutes - they said that there were four men inside who had escaped. It was around 11 in the night, and they forcibly took the girls to the Police Station, about a kilometre away. Although the girls were screaming for help, nobody came to their rescue. Several lights that were put on in houses were quickly switched off when the girls were being marched along the road. The girls were kicked and beaten by the men who followed them. Sister Ayesha and Sister Indika received most of the kicks as they walked behind the other two. Sister Ayesha had lost her spectacles and her wristwatch in the process of the assault. The men also knew that Sister Ayesha was the leader of the group.

The girls were in excruciating pain when they arrived at the Kotadeniyawa Police Station. But they had to wait for the OIC who was not at the premises. The assailants fabricated and lodged a complaint, saying that they had raided this house and found it to be a brothel, and therefore dragged these 'prostitutes' and brought them to be handed over to the Police. The OIC came to the Police Station around midnight, the girls were asked to sit and wait with no medical attention whatsoever. Sister Ayesha asked the OIC to allow her to take a call to me; but he did not allow her to do so. The Police did not record any statement from these four girls. The OIC was well aware that a few hours before, Sister Ayesha had complained to the Police regarding the threats from the Buddhist Monk. He did not even listen to the story the girls had to say; neither did he visit the site of the attack. He kept the girls waiting till about 2 in the morning in the Police Station and had discussions with the men. Thereafter he had the four girls taken in a Police jeep to the Divulapitiya hospital. While travelling to the hospital, at about 2 o'clock in the morning, Sister Ayesha managed to call me using her mobile phone. She told me in brief that they were beaten and were being taken to the Divulapitiya hospital. I told them that I would come immediately.

I took Pastor Jayananda, his wife Sis.Judika and Pastor Jayasuriya and rushed to the Divulapitiya hospital, reaching there at about 3 a.m. The District Medical Officer examined the girls and said that he needed to ward Sister Ayesha, but not the others. However, the Police officers said that they needed to take the girls back to the Police Station to record their statements. We arrived at the Kotadeniyawa Police Station at about 4 a.m. The girl's statements were recorded. (MOIB No. 330/187 of 18/9/2003) I, as Senior Pastor, was asked to make my complaint, which I did. I then told the Police officer that I needed to take them away, as they were in pain. He told me that the OIC has given instructions that he needs to visit the site with the girls and he wanted us to wait. Each time we asked for him they said that he was sleeping and would come soon. At 6.15 a.m. (18th September) I insisted that I needed to take the girls away and I could not wait any longer for the OIC to come. Then two Police Officers, one armed with a gun, came with us to the site of the attack. The Police officers recorded that 51 concrete posts were broken to the ground, the front and the rear doors of the house were broken and the furniture within destroyed, a gold chain and pendant belonging to Sister Shyama had been broken and stolen when they attempted to remove her clothes. The motorcycle was damaged, the kitchen was damaged and the crowbar from the house was missing.

We came back to the Police Station at about 7 a.m. I saw the OIC in his room and went to him and told that we were here from the early hours of the morning, that the girls were in unbearable pain and without any sleep, and that I needed to take them away. He told me that they could not be taken away as his superiors had requested him to produce them in courts. I told him that the girls were the ones who were attacked and we had lodged our complaint. Why then should these girls be produced in the courts? I also asked him why the ones who did this were not in custody. He replied that they too will be produced at the court, and he wanted me to come to the Minuwangoda Magistrates Court at 10 a.m.

It was very evident that the OIC had been influenced by the Buddhist Monk, and had proceeded on the allegation that the girls were prostitutes, without any evidence for it. He did not take the trouble to even visit the site. The girls, shabbily dressed as they were after the attack, were produced before the Minuwangoda Magistrate at 11.30 a.m. on the 18th of Sept. 2003. The Judge reprimanded the Police for charging these young girls of being prostitutes without any medical evidence. This was the first time in their lives that they went to a Police Station and were produced in a court. In addition to their physical suffering, the girls, are in severe pain of mind due to their public humiliation, and the accusation of being prostitutes.

They and their family members are distressed that they thereafter have to face a medical examinations to prove that they are not prostitutes.

At the courts, only three of the accused were produced before the Judge, the Buddhist Monk who was the first accused in our complaint was not produced to the courts. The three girls were released on a surety bail, as were their assailants, and are to be produced in court again on 6th October 2003. The disgraceful handling of this situation by the OIC of the Kotadeniyawa Police was clear to the Police Officers too, who clearly saw the injustice done to the girls.

We plead for justice and equal rights every citizen is entitled to. We have done nothing to violate the laws of this country. We are appealing to you to bring those violators of the law to justice.

Canada:

Bill-250 Passes the House of Commons

The Voice of the Martyrs was disappointed but not surprised by the passing of Bill C-250 on September 17th , which adds "sexual orientation" to the prohibited groups in the hate propaganda section of the Criminal Code of Canada." By all reports," said Glenn Penner, VOM spokesman, "Members of Parliament received thousands of letters and e-mails of concern from Canadians. Many, like myself, were assured by our politicians that provision had been made in the Bill to protect 'good faith statements on a religious statement.' Frankly, I knew better when my MP called me one Saturday afternoon, and it was apparent that he was not really interested in discussing the matter. He was just anxious to pacify his constituency so that he could vote in favour of the Bill to show how open-minded and supportive he was of the homosexual community."

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada pointed out in their September 18 press release that in the two legal cases where the accused persons tried to use the 'good faith statement' defense (R. v. Keegstra and R. v. Harding), the courts ruled that if a statement incites hatred, it cannot be considered a good faith statement on a religious subject. "This makes the defenses totally inadequate to protect religious freedom," said the EFC. "It will be interesting to see if this threat of legal prosecution will dampen discussion and teaching on homosexuality from a biblical perspective," said Penner. " If someone were to quote Moses or Paul when they state in the biblical record that homosexuality is sinful depravity, morally wrong, unnatural and contrary to the laws of God, would he or she be taken to court?

Only time will tell. But I am almost certain of it. In my opinion, the church's ability to teach and publicly proclaim and practice a biblically based position on homosexuality is where the battle lines are being drawn in regards to religious freedom in Canada."

The Bill will now go to the Senate for approval. (Go to http://www.realwomenca.com/alerts.htm for a possible way that you can get involved.)

Please check http://www.persecution.net to find out how to help these believers.

Mission Network News has these persecution incidents to report.

Nigeria:

A Shariah law decision has Nigerian believers wary

Christians in Nigeria are still nervous despite a recent ruling for a defendant in a Shariah law case. The case involving a woman sentenced to die for adultery drew world-wide attention and has now been overturned. Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs: "It's a very tense situation for Christians to see how the Shariah law will be implemented. It is fundamentally unfair to say to Christians you have to live by Muslim law, and yet that's what's being done in many places of Northern Nigeria."

Nettleton says the case also provides opportunities that may not have existed before. "It does have an effect and it's a negative effect on Christian ministry there but the Lord is faithful and even where persecution exists the church is growing. So, we know that there will be growth in the church and we know this will produce stronger and more fervent Christians. But obviously it's a costly road and a costly path to be on." The region recently adopted Muslim law, as have 11 of the countries 36 states.

Pakistan:

Evangelists under attack

An evangelistic team with Sammy Tippit Ministrieswas attacked. Evangelist Sammy Tippit says it happened this week with one of their 'Digital Evangelists.' "I just received an e-mail from a guy who's working with us. We're showing our evangelistic meetings in Pakistan, that we held there. We're showing them via video around the country. One of the men that was showing it was threatened an pistol whipped." Tippit says they've been able to show the video more than 20 times, but the team isn't letting this violence stop what they're doing. He says there's a reason for that. "We feel that the area of Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, that whole militant area is very, very open to the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Tippit says they're looking to help supply even more evangelists to do the work. He says your support of $500 will help do that.

Kazakhstan:

Believers fear loss of religious freedom as government officials talk about religion

Christians around the world are being urged to pray for Kazakhstan. According to Bible Mission International's Mark Reimschisel, religious leaders concluded a World Religions Conference aimed at dialoguing religious issues in the country. Reimshcisel says it's believed evangelicals were left out and they're concerned. "There's a movement to only allow a specific number of confessions within Kazakhstan. And, what the brothers in Kazakhstan are worried about is that they will not be allowed to continue to operate as they have in the past." Reimschisel says their Christian camps were affected last summer. He has a specific prayer request. "That the president of Kazakhstan, Mr. Nazarbayev, would find favour to the evangelicals and that he would allow them to continue to minister in his country, and to meet the very practical and felt needs of the people within his country."

India:

Arson destroys Baptist World Alliance offices

The Baptist World Alliance is raising funds to help rebuild their ministry and offices lost in an arson fire in Calcutta, India. Damages are estimated at 350-thousand dollars, but the greater loss is the two decades of work that has been lost. The jobs of more than 140 staff have been affected and a school for refugee children in Eastern Nepal.Baptist World Aid sent some assistance to help rebuild the offices, and urge believers to pray for the staff during this time.

India:

Christians ask their Central government for census figures

The All-India Christian Council wants India's Central government to open records for the latest census figures on religious communities. They hope the numbers will shed light on reports of large-scale conversions to Christianity. The information in the reports could be used by Hindu-extremist groups as a means of support for oppressing believers. With the reports of persecution on the rise country-wide, believers are asking for prayer support as they continue to share the hope of Christ.

Iraq:

At least one Christian group continues work despite threats

At least one organization continues to work in Iraq, despite threats by Saddam Hussein loyalists against foreign workers.World Relief's Clive Calver says his organization is working without interruption because they're in a unique situation. "The real work is being done by the Iraqi churches. And, they've been joined by the Jordanian churches. We've brought the churches from Jordan in because they've got the language, they've got the culture. So, you've got the Jordanian and Iraqi Christians working side-by-side with the resources from the American churches to actually impact their community for Jesus." Calver says Iraqi Christians sense the danger of a fundamentalist Islamic government, so they have a plan. "Let us pray for our people. Let us go and transform our communities. What we will do is rebuild the schools, provide for displaced people, help the chronically poor and the chronically sick. What they're really needing is our help to resource them as they transform their communities. They don't need us to do it because it would be too dangerous for us." Call 1-800-535-LIFE to help.

Venezuela:

Tribal believers face a new threat to them spiritually

Guerrilla violence in South America is forcing missionaries out of the jungle and into big cities. New Tribes Mission's Merrill Dyck is one such missionary, who works with the Pume (poo-MAY) people in Venezuela. He worked in the jungle for 25 years before being forced out." We were in a very dangerous area, close to the Colombian border where the guerrillas were kidnapping people and causing grief. The warnings came in thick and strong. We suddenly packed up real fast. 10-days later the guerrillas hit the station." Pume church leaders travel to the city for discipleship, but Dyck says there's a new threat to their work. "There's an anthropologist in there who's fighting hard to stop Christianity among the Pume. And, what they're trying to do basically is poison the Pume and get them back into the old ways, the ancestral teachings, and give up everything that has to do with Scriptures."

Please see http://www.gospelcom.net for full versions of these stories, missions news, and a weekday audio broadcast.

Christian Aid Mission reports these persecution occurrences.

Philippines:

Muslim Terrorists end up Helping Christians

In terrorizing certain regions of the Philippines, Islamic terrorist groups are actually driving some Muslims into the arms of Christ.

Muslim extremists are a daily threat to Filipinos-both Muslim and Christian. They roam the rural areas as vigilantes, striking fear in residents wherever they go. The violence has kept Muslim tribes from developing the great natural resources in their areas, leaving them among the poorest of the Philippines. In some areas the violence is compounded by the activity of the communist New People's Army, a terrorist group which preys on the poorest people of the Philippines.

Yet the terrorism unwittingly drives Muslims to the gospel. That is because they have often hurt other underprivileged Muslims, and the violence has caused many to leave their homes in search of safety. Many have fled to the cities to escape the terrorists in the rural areas.

The natural human reaction would be fear or mistrust toward Muslims. But Christians are opening their hearts to their Muslim neighbours, and in the cities the Muslims often find believers that are willing to help them and share the gospel with them.

They are all the more ready to receive this friendship, since they perceive that Muslim leaders do not really care about them.

Some Christian ministries have started new outreach ministries specifically targeting Muslims and welcome Muslim orphans into Christian care homes. Some have opened their Christian schools to Muslim children, hoping that through the love exhibited to them they will come to trust in Jesus Christ.

At the same time, Muslims see the love that Christians have for them. In it God is working and calling them to Himself, powerfully transforming their hearts. Christian groups are quickly seeing the fruit of their prayers and service, as Muslims are becoming Christians in greater numbers than ever before.

Even though most American missionaries have long left the dangerous areas or are afraid to minister openly, indigenous Filipino missionaries are able to minister without attracting undue attention. They are able to effectively preach where it is too dangerous for American missionaries to do so.

In addition, the failed July coup has left both a political and spiritual vacuum. While Filipinos up until now have proudly thought of their country as the only Christian nation in Asia, it is fraught with corruption while other non-Christian Asian nations are economically more prosperous and less corrupt. That causes many to ask, "What is wrong? " and seek spiritual answers.

So while Muslim terrorists threaten the country's peace, indigenous Christian's have been able to increase their ministry. The political unrest has opened the door even wider through which Christians can shed the light of the gospel of Christ. Ministries helped by Christian Aid are on the front lines of spreading hope among their Muslim countrymen.

To learn how you can assist these cutting edge ministries, write Insider@christianaid.org and put MI-438 801-WMN on the subject line.

Jordan:

Court ignores restraining order

On Wednesday, Sept, 17, the Irbid Islamic court in the northwestern tip of Jordan ordered Jordanian widow Siham Qandah to turn over her daughter, Rawan, 15, and son, Fadi, 13, to a Muslim guardian within three days or go to jail for 30 days. The Irbid court apparently ignored a restraining order issued by the Supreme Islamic Court on Aug. 3, staying both the arrest warrant against Qandah and the removal of her children. Qandah's lawyer filed a new appeal to the Irbid court on Sunday, Sept. 21 to delay enforcement. In the past 18 months the family has gone into hiding several times to avoid enforcement of the ruling.

The children are blacklisted by court order from leaving Jordan. "Without the hearts and prayers of Christians around the world for us, I would have already lost the children," Mrs. Qandah said. (Compass Direct) For more information see MI stories in Vol. 4--No. 13 dated April 2 and No. 6 dated Feb. 12, 2003 at www.christianaid.org.

Please go to http://www.christianaid.org for missions stories and ways to help out.

Forum 18 presents these religious rights violations.

Georgia:

Will non-Orthodox faiths ever get legal status?

The lack of legal status for non-Orthodox religious communities has led to difficulties carrying out their activities, especially over building and opening new places of worship, minority religious leaders have complained to Forum 18 News Service. "Of course this is not right," declared Pentecostal Bishop Oleg Khubashvili. "There is no religion law so there is no legal status. We want legal recognition as a Church." True Orthodox priest Father Gela Aroshvili believes the Orthodox Patriarchate will never allow other religious communities equal rights. "When the Patriarchate got its concordat it became a monopolist and was able to obstruct everyone else," he told Forum 18. But Metropolitan Daniil (Datuashvili) of the Patriarchate rejected suggestions that his Church opposes legal status for other faiths. "On the contrary, the Orthodox Church wants all of them to get legal status as religious organisations."

Georgia:

Catholics fail to break orthodox monopoly

The Catholic Church failed in its bid to become the second religious community to gain legal status when the government abruptly cancelled plans to sign an agreement with the Vatican on 19 September. Catholic officials stressed that the Church needs the agreement. "For the past decade they kept saying a law on religion would be adopted which would grant such recognition, but it never happened," a Catholic official told Forum 18 News Service from Tbilisi. "That's the reason for the agreement."

The government's change of mind followed complaints from the Orthodox patriarch and street protests. "These demonstrations were organised by the Orthodox Church, which stirred up the students by telling them the agreement was part of a plot by European and Masonic agents," Orthodox priest Father Basile Kobakhidze told Forum 18.

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

ASSIST News Service has these incidents to report.

Eritrea:

Religious Persecution exposed - and human rights organizations take up the cause

Religious persecution continues unabated in Eritrea. The Christian media organization Compass Direct reports that on 7 September, 12 evangelical Christians (described as young people) were arrested as they met in a private house for worship. The police chief in Asmara's Police Station No. 5 has ordered that their food rations be withheld until they sign papers denying their faith. The full Compass Direct release follows at the end of this posting.

Compass Direct estimates that there are at least 230 evangelical Christians currently jailed in Eritrea on account of their faith.

On 17 September 2003, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a document entitled, "Eritrea: Release Political Prisoners." While it focuses primarily on political prisoners, including Eritrea's detained journalists, it also raises the issue of religious prisoners. "Religious minorities are also subject to persecution. Members of Pentecostal Christian churches and Jehovah's Witnesses are frequently arrested for practicing their faiths. There have been so many arrests that some prisoners are being incarcerated in empty cargo containers. International human rights organizations and the International Committee for the Red Cross have been denied access to prisons."

Amnesty International (AI) is also demanding the release of Eritrea's prisoners of conscience, releasing a report on 18 September 2003 entitled "Eritrea: Continued detention of prisoners of conscience and new arrests of members of religious groups."

The Guardian newspaper (UK) followed this up with an article entitled "Eritrean children locked up for having Bibles, says Amnesty."

On 3 September the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) released the news that "The European Commission (EC) is to provide financial assistance to Eritrea under an initiative to back democracy and human rights. The funding will be released under the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR)."

Further excerpts of the IRIN release read, "An EC official told IRIN a mission would determine how the money would be allocated, and the project was still in the planning stages."

"But, the EC pointed out, the assistance depends on Eritrea's stated commitment to begin a political dialogue aimed at addressing issues such as political prisoners, press freedom and the holding of elections."

"Under article 96 of the Contonou agreement (which governs accords between the EU and African, Pacific and Caribbean (ACCP) countries) aid can be withheld if any EU member state feels the recipient country has 'failed to fulfil its obligations stemming from respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law'."

It is to be hoped that the EU funding will be an effective instrument of leverage to induce change in Eritrea. We should expect/demand that it should. No organization can claim ignorance of Eritrea's religious persecution now - the persecution has been well and truly exposed.

References:

1.. Human Rights Watch, 17 September 2003

"Eritrea: Release Political Prisoners"

http://www.hrw.org/press/2003/09/eritrea091703.htm.

2. Amnesty International, 18 September 2003

"Eritrea: Continued detention of prisoners of conscience and new arrests of members of religious groups."

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR640042003

3.. The Guardian, 20 September 2003

"Eritrean children locked up for having Bibles, says Amnesty."

By Africa correspondent Rory Carroll.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1045872,00.html

4. IRIN, 3 September 2003

"ERITREA: EC to support democracy, human rights project"

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=36358

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COMPASS DIRECT NEWS RELEASE FOLLOWS

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MORE EVANGELICALS ARRESTED IN ERITREA

No Word on Fate of 57 Teenagers Jailed at Sawa

Special to Compass Direct

LOS ANGELES, September 17 (Compass) -- Police in the Eritrean capital of Asmara continued the country-wide crackdown against independent Protestant congregations this month, arresting another 12 evangelicals on September 7 while they were meeting in a private house for prayer and worship.

With the exception of an older man hosting the prayer meeting in his home, the arrested Christians were described as young people, all members of the Dubre Bethel Church in Asmara.

Yesterday, after nine days in custody at Asmara's Police Station No. 5, the 12 prisoners were given an ultimatum by the police chief. He demanded that each one sign a commitment to deny his or her faith in order to be released.

When the six women and six men refused, the police chief last night ordered that all their food rations be withheld until they signed the agreement. "Up to now, no one among them has been willing to sign the paper," a local source confirmed today.

Parents of the young people who have visited the police station have been told they can only see their children if they agreed to try to convince them to sign the denial paper. Several parents agreed to the conditions and were reportedly promised they could see their children today. Other parents refused, declaring that their children were over 18 and qualified to make their own decisions.

Meanwhile, local evangelical church leaders have not been able to learn anything further regarding the fate of 57 young people arrested and locked into metal containers since August 19 and 20 as punishment for having Bibles with them during their summer military camp at Sawa.

Although the majority were 11th grade students, some have been confirmed to be older conscripts in their 20s who were already in training at Sawa. An additional five of their number who signed pledges to renounce their evangelical faith were released a week later.

Military commanders confiscated a total of 315 Bibles in the Tigrinya language from the military camp barracks at the time of the youths' arrest. Translated several centuries ago, the Tigrinya version of the Bible is printed and distributed legally by the Eritrean Bible Society to all churches in the country, including the Eritrean Orthodox Church.

Local authorities have also refused to give any information about the status and whereabouts of 10 evangelicals arrested in Massawa on August 24. However, it was confirmed four days after the arrest that the 10 Protestants had been transferred to a very remote area, down the Red Sea coast toward Assab.

"This is a military area, where disobedient soldiers are sent to be punished," one source explained, "so we have not been able to find out anything more about them."

At least 230 evangelical Christians are currently jailed for their faith in Eritrea, where the government refuses to give recognition to any faiths except the four "official" religions: Orthodox Christian, Muslim, Catholic and Evangelical Lutheran.

Some 12 independent Pentecostal and charismatic denominations which represent 20,000 adherents have been targeted since May 2002, when they were ordered to close their church buildings and stop all meetings for worship, even in private homes.

Copyright 2003 Compass Direct

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