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Persecution Report for Tuesday, 31Dec2002

Mission Network News has these persecution incidents to report.

Nepal:

Communists not the only danger for God’s workers.

Maoist rebels, fighting to end the constitutional monarchy in Nepal, say they are ready to hold peace talks with the government. Despite the violence and political unrest, the Gospel continues to advance in Nepal.

East West Ministries’ John Maisel: "We’ve had to move one of our training sessions out of a place where we’ve had a number of guys get beat up by Hindus and moved to another location that’s a little bit safer." Maisel says not only do they have to be wary of Maoist guerrillas, but they’ve been targeted for persecution from Hindus. "There’s chaos from a human perspective all over that particular area, but the good news is it’s probably one of the most significant works that we have going today. In the last year we’ve seen over 30 churches started, the people coming out of Butan for training and then going back there underground, and the same thing in Nepal."

Peru:

Christian soldier framed and jailed.

One well-respected Peruvian Christian will be spending this Christmas behind bars. Colonel David de Vinatea is an evangelical Christian who has been imprisoned since 1995 for supposed drug trafficking. "Very distinguished service in the army, had a successful campaign to root out drug trafficking in the jungles of Peru but because of the corrupt nature of their government he was imprisoned on trumped up charges," said Jerry Kitchel with Open Doors. Last week, a Peruvian judge denied early release despite overwhelming evidence of his innocence. Kitchel says they will continue to work for his release. "He has been backed by the Christian community around the world who have been praying for him. He’s a devoted evangelical Christian and served very admirably."

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

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

India:

Mob Attacks Midnight Mass.

In the village of Malipota, near the India-Bangladesh border, a mob of 20-30 men armed with machetes, home-made guns, and crude bombs attacked a church with 1200 worshippers. The attackers set off several bombs, then grabbed valuables from the congregation and raided a church safe before fleeing. The value of what was stolen was over $3000 CDN. Thankfully no one is reported killed in the attack, but the priest was injured while resisting the attack and five others were wounded in the explosions. While the motive for the attack may have been robbery, attacks on Christians are common in many parts of India.

Pakistan:

Church Bombing Kills Three Girls.

A Christmas Day service specifically for women and children in Chianwala, about 40 miles northwest of Lahore, ended suddenly when an explosive device was thrown into the church, killing three young girls ages 6, 9 and 12. At least 13 other people were injured, four critically.

According to witnesses, two assailants covered in burqas tossed a ball-shaped explosive into the midst of the worshippers. It is unknown if the attackers were women or men dressed as women. Four people have been detained following the attack. One is a cleric who told his congregation three days before the attack, "it is the duty of every good Muslim to kill Christians."

According to police, Afzar told people "you should attack Christians and not even have food until you have seen their dead bodies." The cleric’s son, Attaullah, was also detained for questioning.Afzar and his son are reportedly associated with the outlawed Islamic militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammed. The founder of that group, Maulana Mohammad Masood Azhar, was ordered released by the Lahore High Court on December 14. The police, however, refused to release him and as of the last reports, he is still being detained.

Maulana Azhar is suspected of masterminding an attack on St. Dominic Church in Bahawalpur in December 2001 that left seventeen Christians dead.Pakistani authorities were taking extra security measures during the 2002 Christmas season. However, there was no security for the church in Chianwala at the time of the attack, though police had been there for an earlier service. Malik Iqbal, a deputy inspector general of Gujranwala police, said that the church had not informed police of the service. If they had, he said, security would have been tight. However, Associated Press reported that a policeman who was to guard the church failed to show up for work. The policeman, identified as Shah Nawaz, was being questioned, but it is unknown if he was negligent or party to the attack. About 300 Christians gathered On December 25 in the central city of Multan to protest against the attack. They accused the government of failing to provide adequate security despite several attacks this year. "What is the fault of the innocent children who were just praying peacefully?" asked Bishop Andrew Francis at the protest. "Where should we go? Should Christians quit Pakistan?" It appears that security measures may have prevented some violence this Christmas. Police found a shopping bag in the bushes near St. Thomas’ Protestant Church in Islamabad containing two handmade grenades and ammunition.

Please check http://www.persecution.net to learn more about Christians who suffer for their faith and what can be don to help them.

ASSIST News Service has these incidents to report.

Bosnia:

Baptists in Bosnia face "threats" and "theft."

The Baptist Church in Bosnia-Herzegovina said Thursday, December 26, it needs prayers urgently amid thefts and threats against its members and evangelical Christians in the divided former Yugoslav republic. This Christmas "we had another break-in in our Baptist Union/Bible Institute/Church building" in the capital Sarajevo, said Tomislav Dobutovic, Overseer of the Baptist Church in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in a statement obtained by ASSIST News Service. He said it was "the fourth break-in in the last two months and at least the tenth one" in the past two years. "This time all the cash from all the institutions we run from this building was taken as well as some of the archives, financial records, documentation and photos of baptismal services," he explained. It was not immediately clear what the amount of the stolen money was. But it came as a major set back for especially his church’s Bible Institute, which claims to be the only place of continuing education for Protestant church leaders in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Indonesia:

Javanese Christian woman experiences Muslim persecution.

Nonny is originally from Java, not far from where YWAM (Youth With A Mission) carried out its first Discipleship Training School in that part of the world many years ago. She has a masters degree from England and is about to earn her PhD in marine biology from the James Cook University in Australia. She will graduate in about another month or so.But what she’d really like to do is go through a Bible school—IF she can get a scholarship."She’s 36, single. Only has one brother. The whole family are very strong Christians," said a close family friend." She was actually raised on Java—Malang—the next main town to Lawang where we led the first DTS. But they moved back to Ambon to help the people there, (and) teach in the university," the family friend said." Her father was a university professor in Indonesia, teaching anthropology. He passed away some years ago. Their house was burned down totally twice, along with many others— the result of Muslim persecution of the Christians. At one time her Mom fled to Manado (the major city of Culuwesi, which is primarily Christian) while she was studying in University. But her mother’s been back in Ambon for a couple of years living in a refugee camp. She could move out and into the city but chooses to stay there because of the opportunities to help the people, leading Bible studies, etc."An article in Charisma magazine recounts how an Ambonese "Kings Kid" (part of the YWAM children’s ministry) was told to denounce Christ or else. "He wouldn’t, so they proceeded to cut off his limbs, one at a time, each time giving him the opportunity to recant—until they eventually cut off his head. He was one of about 20 or so in this area (mostly from a Pentecostal church) that were slaughtered," the family friend said." Nonny was one of the first to arrive at the scene after the event and ended up literally carrying that 12-year-old kid’s body to his family, then went back and did the same for the others. She didn’t tell us that she was putting her own life at risk to do so, but I don’t see how it could have NOT been at risk to do this," the friend recalled." A couple months earlier in the year we had another Ambonese YWAMer, Hermina, living with us. She’s the one who puts out the 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim in the Indonesian language. (It) turns out she and a couple other YWAMers have known Nonny and family for years, led them into the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, etc. Hermina was a grad of the second Indonesian DTS in 1981." If you would like to help Nonny achieve her dream, please contact David at: david@across2u.com

Please go to http://www.assist-ministries.org to learn more about these stories plus read many interesting articles.

   

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