Also Visit our Section on Central Asia
Christian Conversions - According to the Bible - Can NEVER be forced.
Any Conversion to Christianity which would be "Forced" would NOT be recognized by God. It is in
His True and KIND nature, that those who come to Him and choose to believe in Him, must come to Him OF
THEIR OWN FREE WILL.
Don't Let anyone tell you that Christians support Forced Conversions.
That is False. True Christianity is NEVER forced.
How to Help Christians & Others being Harmed around the World
[we update this page as we have the time to do this]
Step 1: Awareness
Step 2: Prayer
Step 3: Stronger Spiritual Life & Maturity
Friday, March 24, 2006
ALGERIA: SEVERE NEW PENALTIES FOR PROSELYTISING
Insecure Islam tries to ban & restrict access to Alternate message of Love -
Islamic Extremists fear that they cannot
intellectually Compete
By Elizabeth Kendal
World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (WEA RLC)
Special to ASSIST News Service
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (ANS) - Mar 24/06 - A presidential order in Algeria that establishes new conditions for the exercise of non-Muslim religious practice was passed in the Algerian Ummah council (Senate)on Monday 13 March, and in the Algerian National Assembly (Parliament) on 15 March. As a presidential order, the text would not have even been open to debate.
An article entitled "New sanctions concerning the illegal exercise of religious worship –
Evangelicals under high surveillance", was published on 14 March in the
Algerian newspaper 'Actualite' (Link 1)
In this article, writer Hamid Saidani laments, "The form chosen for the promulgation of this law closes the door to any debate on this subject which is extremely sensitive because it touches on a principle established by the fundamental law of the land, which is the freedom of worship and of conscience. The content of this legislative framework would certainly have been greatly benefited if the discussion had been allowed."
Saidani reports that the order, classified as No 06-03 and dated 28 February 2006, puts forward a number of arguments which call for the strengthening of the law regarding religious activities that could be considered as "missions of proselytising". According to Saidani the penal aspects of the text are, between a 2 and 5 year prison term and a fine of 50 to 100 million centimes (this amounts to approx. US$7,000 to US$14,000 (1 Algerian dinar = 100 centimes)) for anyone who "incites, constrains or uses seductive means seeking to convert a Muslim to another religion (...), or who produces, stores or distributes printed documents or audio-visual formats or any other format or means which seeks to shake the faith of a Muslim."
Saidani concludes: "It is certain that this legislation seeks to block proselytizing missions and missionaries led notably by American evangelical churches in certain regions of the country, however it remains vital that the texts be clear and explicit, and this so that the way will not be opened for the violation of individual and collective liberties established by the laws of the Republic which would be swallowed up by a revival of the demons of inquisition."
Arabic News reports that the new law "is an attempt to withstand the Christianizing campaign which had witnessed a notable activity recently especially in al-Qabayel area east of the country." (Link 2)
Arabic News also adds, "The law also bans practicing any religion 'except Islam' 'outside buildings allocated for that, and links specialized buildings aimed at practice of religion by a prior licensing.'
"One official at the ministry of religious affairs said that the aim of the law is basically to 'ban religious activity, and secret religious campaigns.'
"The Christian community constitutes the largest religious minority in the country. This community accounts for the time being to less than 11,000 after it was hundreds of thousands before Algeria's independence in 1962 including 110 priests and 170 monks distributed all over Algerian lands."
President Bouteflika's aggressive move against "missions of proselytising" is very surprising considering that as recently as December 2005 Algeria's Minister of Religious Affairs, Bouabdellah Ghamallah, told Al-Khabar newspaper that reports of increasing proselytisation of Algeria's Muslims were groundless. (Link 3)
AMNESTY COMES INTO EFFECT: ISLAMISTS (Islamic Radicals) RELEASED
In September 2005 Algerians voted overwhelmingly, through a referendum, to grant amnesty to Islamist fighters imprisoned during Algeria's civil conflict, in exchange for peace. The amnesty, part of President Bouteflika's Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation, was approved by the government in February 2006, and the first wave of the 2,629 prisoners began to be released on 4 March. According to Cherif Quazani, some 10,000 condemned Islamists will eventually be released. Quazani writes (12 March) that it is inevitable that such a release of 10,000 prisoners who are "Islamists by nature" is cause for some apprehension. Quazani comments that no one can be sure that any of these Islamists have repented. He believes they view their release as a victory, adding that they left prison shouting "Allahou Akbar". (Link 4)
Critics fear that President Bouteflika's Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation seeks to whitewash years of suffering and that releasing Islamic extremists and allowing them home from exile could plant the seeds for future violence. As noted in a WEA RL Prayer bulletin of Sept 2005, genuine long-lasting peace will require a comprehensive restorative justice program as distinct from punitive or retributive justice. This would require the government follow up the amnesty with a truth commission that involves jihadists and security forces, and a comprehensive national
reconciliation program. Without these any peace will only be temporary as the sores will simply fester.
But of course the issue is even bigger even than this. In December 1991 Algeria's Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) surged towards power heading for an absolute majority through democratic elections only to be stopped in its tracks by the military. The second round of voting was canceled and when the FIS was declared illegal January 1992 its partisans fled en masse to the mountains. The most radical element then began its activities as the GIA (Groupes armes islamiques, Armed Islamic Groups) and the more moderate element acted under the name MAI (Mouvement arme islamique, Armed Islamic Movement). What followed was a decade of civil conflict and horrific Islamic terrorism costing more than 150,000 lives.
However, Algeria's imprisoned Islamists would no doubt have been watching democracy in action in Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories and feeling quite encouraged. Regional politics has changed a lot since 1991.
It is one thing to surrender weapons and renounce violence, but quite another to surrender aims and renounce ideology. With democracy proving so effective at empowering and legitimising Islamists, even militant Islamists, maybe renouncing violence is not such a compromise. It may after all only prove to be a change of strategy, not a change of direction – Islamists simply need ride a different vehicle to power.
ISLAMISTS MOVING TO CONTROL MOSQUES
Hassan Moali wrote an article (20 February) entitled, "Islamist parties want to take hold of the mosques – The aggressions against Imams multiply", in which he alleges that Islamists are intimidating the imams not associated with their cause, infiltrating the religious associations of the mosques, and issuing threats by anonymous letters and even physical aggressions. (Link 5)
Hassan Moali claims that 20 percent of Algeria's 15,000 mosques are subject to threats and aggression from what he calls "the apostles of 'la religion partisane'". According to Moali, Islamists murdered at least ten imams in 2005, and that some were killed in their mosques in front of their congregations. Moali also asserts that courageous imams who refuse to preach the Islamist message are made the objects of devastating smear campaigns.
Moali notes that on average fourteen million Algerians would attend Friday prayer. And knowing the important role of the imam, it is easy to imagine what an appetite Islamist parties would have to control such a powerful reserve of political militant potential.
Hassan Moali names The Movement of Society for Peace (MSP: formerly Hamas) as being in the forefront of this conspiracy, adding that MSP president Bouguerra Soltani recently affirmed that his party aims to seize power in 2012.
The New PC Codewords: "POLITICAL REHABILITATION"
President Bouteflika's Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation provides for the "banning of all exercise of political activity, whatever form it may take, by those responsible for the exploitation of our religion." This provision basically bans political activity by those who have committed terrorist acts. (Link 6)
Regardless of this, some very senior militant Islamists are seeking "political rehabilitation". Ali Benhadj, deputy leader of the FIS is one (Link 7), and Abdelhak Layada, one of the founding leaders of Algeria's Islamic Armed Group (GIA), is another. (Link 8)
The GIA has sought not only to create an Islamist state but to rid Algeria of Jews and Christians. According to the Terrorism Knowledge Database http://www.tkb.org/ ten percent of all GIA attacks have been directed at religious targets. On 23 October 1994 GIA shot dead two Spanish nuns leaving a chapel in Algiers. In December 1994 GIA militants killed four Catholic priests of the Order of White Fathers, in a machine-gun attack at their mission in Tizi-Ouzou. GIA then faxed news organisations claiming that the killings were part of their campaign of "annihilation and physical liquidation of Christian crusaders".
On 3 September 1995 GIA killed two more nuns in Algiers. Then on 10 November 1995 GIA shot two French nuns (one fatally) of the Little Sisters Sacred Heart as they left their home in the Kouba district of Algiers. In May 1996 GIA claimed responsibility for the kidnap, murder and beheading of seven French Trappist monks from a monastery in Medea. On 1 August 1996 a GIA bomb exploded in the home of the French bishop in Oran, killing him and his driver. The Bishop had just returned from a ceremony commemorating the deaths of the seven monks a year earlier.
Abdelhak Layada was released from his prison cell on Monday 13 March. He commented on President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's Charter to Asharq Alawsat newspaper saying, "It is a significant positive step towards achieving peace but it is incomplete because it closes the door of political participation in front of us." Layada indicated he would consider returning to politics in the future. He expressed his belief that the GIA and the FIS are the key to resolving Algeria's conflict.
In the meantime, Layada has said he will co-operate with the government to achieve peace. He is offering to mediate between the government and the militants still at large. A questions opens up before us though, particularly in the light of the government's about face concerning "missions of proselytism", and the new measures against them. To what extent has the amnesty been a quid pro quo deal – is the government going to have to co-operate with Islamist? Or maybe there has not been any quid pro quo deal – perhaps President Bouteflika knowing the nature of the Islamists he is releasing is just removing a 'provocation'. Whatever the reason for these new measures, the
Church in Algeria is about to face a whole new level
of persecution.
Links
1) Les nouvelles sanctions concernant l'exercice illegal du culte: Les evangelistes sous haute surveillance. By Hamid Saidani, Liberte 14 March 2006
The text is no longer available at: http://www.liberte-algerie.com/
but it can be found at: http://www.africatime.com/algerie/nouvelle.asp?no_nouvelle=244719&no_categorie=2
for a very rough English translation just put the article title, "Les evangelistes sous haute surveillance" into a Google search. (Kabyle.com has the best translation) Do likewise with other
articles amongst these links.
2) Algeria bans Muslims from learning about Christianity
Algeria, Politics, 3/21/2006
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/060321/2006032108.html
3) Algeria Downplays Proselytization Reports
CAIRO, December 25, 2005 (IslamOnline.net)
http://www.islamonline.org/English/News/2005-12/25/article06.shtml
4) Qui a peur des amnisties ? ALGERIE
12 mars 2006 - par CHERIF OUAZANI http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_afrique/article_jeune_afrique.asp?art_cle=LIN12036quiapsitsin0
5) Algerie: les partis islamistes veulent s'emparer des mosquees
Les agressions contre les Imams se multiplient. lundi 20 fevrier 2006
http://www.afrik.com/article9488.html
6) Bouteflika unveils new reconciliation plan. 15 August 2005
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/algeria/?id=14284
7) Algerie: les islamistes liberes vont-ils etre politiquement rehabilites?
Ali Benhadj, ex numero deux du Fis, le voudrait bien
jeudi 16 mars 2006, par notre partenaire El Watan
http://www.afrik.com/article9608.html
8) Former Algerian militant leader will cooperate with government to achieve peace
By Boulame Ghamrassha 16 March 2006
http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=4156
FALL 2005: CHRISTIANS
IN EGYPT FACE SHARIA LAW FATWA Risk Undergoing
ETHNIC CLEANSING
??
COPTS (Coptic Christians) RELEASE VIDEO
OF
ANTI-CHRISTIAN MASS RIOTING, DESTRUCTION OF CHURCHES AND
BIBLES, FEAR IMPENDING ETHNIC CLEANSING OF CHRISTIANS IN EGYPT
By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
UNION CITY, NEW JERSEY (ANS) - Oct 27/05 - Fearing a repeat of the recent riots against the Coptic
(Christian) Church in Alexandria, Egypt, which left four dead, more than 80 wounded and seven churches defaced, leaders of the Coptic church in the United States are calling on the U.S. Government and the United Nations to take immediate action to stop the bloodshed and destruction of churches.
Exclusive video footage released by the International Christian Union (ICU) and American Coptic Association
(ACA) (ICU/ACA) today, Video
Link Here (Windows - WMP) reveals the
destruction of the Assemblies of God Church for Evangelical Copts in Moharam
Bek, on Friday, Oct. 21.
We encourage you to pass this link on and especially to pray for Christians during Oct 28 and the Week/Month After.
CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY
PATROL MOVES TO PREVENT PREACHING
NEW ZEALAND EVANGELIST STOPPED FROM PREACHING OUTSIDE CALIFORNIA COURTHOUSE
By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
BELLFLOWER, CALIFORNIA (ANS) -Oct 29/05 - For the past 2-1/2 years, New Zealand-born evangelist Ray Comfort and his ministry manager have been preaching open-air almost daily outside the local courthouse in the City of Bellflower, California.
On Friday, September 30,
two deputies stopped Ray Comfort
from preaching and handed him a court order.
"We have always stayed away from the entrance, and spoken before the courts opened. The officers informed us that a judge issued an order forbidding open-air preaching and handing out tracts, not only in our city, but outside the more than 40 court buildings throughout Los Angeles County," Comfort says in an e-mail ministry update.
"This is a violation of our First Amendment rights. Lawyers from the Alliance Defense Fund are suing the judge for $25, and believe that we will be back there speaking within a month."
An article posted (at ADF site) state that on September 13, 2005, Judge William A. MacLaughlin issued a court order forbidding public speech on the public property of any courthouse in Los Angeles County. The order was delivered by two police officers to Comfort this past Friday, as he addressed about 40 people on public property outside of the Bellflower city courthouse in Los Angeles County.
Comfort and his general manager, Emeal Zwayne, have made it a practice to speak outside the courthouse on almost every weekday for 2½ years.
Comfort stated: "The freedom of speech and religion are basic rights guaranteed to every citizen. It is to give others this same freedom that American soldiers are fighting in Iraq. We were shocked by the court order. This isn't Iraq. It's the United States. But it's another example of our religious freedoms being
denied."
Comfort spends 15-20 minutes addressing those outside the courts who choose to listen. He estimates that he has spoken to about 30,000 people this way, and feels he does so with respect and civility.
He explained: "I begin every morning by introducing myself, saying that I'm not part of the court system, that I've been doing this for years and have been assured personally by the sheriff that I have a right to be here, under my First Amendment freedom of speech rights.
After this court order, I can no longer say that."
Told by the officers delivering the order that in the last year they had received only one or two complaints, Comfort found the judge's action all the more surprising. The court order affects not just Comfort’s ability to address people outside the Bellflower courthouse, but is
a blanket order impacting all 49 courthouses in Los Angeles County.
"In his desire to stop us from speaking," Comfort said, "Judge MacLaughlin shut down not only us. Now, no American citizens can exercise their First Amendment right to free speech on American soil outside of any of those courthouses. If this order is allowed to stand, where else will free speech be curtailed? What will be the next religious freedom that is taken away?"
"For the past month or so, Scotty (our sound man) has been giving out tracts outside the local DMV. When we couldn't preach at the courts, he thought that perhaps God was freeing us up to start speaking there. So, after the court order he felt compelled to preach outside the DMV for the first time. He carried a recorder in his pocket in case the authorities tried to stop him, then preached to the crowd (the recording is wonderful). He did that for four days without any complaints from the DMV," said Comfort.
"Then he showed up in my office and asked if I would preach on a Wednesday. That was the busiest day, with people wrapped around the building. I told him that I felt it was his territory, and I didn't want to muscle in on him. I would simply carry on at the courts when we were allowed to go back.
"When I suggested that he take a team there each day, he smiled and said, 'Ray, you are today's team.' I couldn't get out of it. So I went and preached to 90 - 100 people who were standing in line. It seemed that everyone listened and some even thanked me. Afterward, a security guard relayed that the manager said we couldn't give out literature or preach."
Comfort went in and spoke to the manager.
"I explained that I was a pastor and that the local police had given us permission to speak. She replied that it was State property, under the jurisdiction of the California Highway Patrol, and that officers would be arriving any moment to speak to us. After waiting outside for 15 minutes, we concluded that she was bluffing. I wanted to find out what law we were supposedly violating, and the lawyers could fight that too.
When Comfort arrived back at the ministry, there was a call from the ACLU.
"They said they believed that our First Amendment rights were being violated, and wanted more information about the court order. I told them that we already had representation, but if they could apply any pressure to the judge, we would be grateful."
The next day Comfort went back to the DMV and Scotty preached.
"Just after he started, the CHP (California Highway
Patrol ) arrived and stopped him. On inquiry, they said that we needed a permit to give out literature, but they were okay with preaching…okay with the preaching?! We could hardly believe our ears. So we heartily thanked God for giving us favor."
A few days earlier, Comfort and Kirk Cameron (of 'Growing Pains' and 'Left Behind' fame) attended a fundraising dinner for the upcoming Way of the Master Radio program which will begin broadcasting
next year.
"After speaking to the crowd of 400, we left the dining room on our way to the airport. As we stepped into the lobby of the hotel, two uniformed officers approached us and one of them decisively said, 'Ray Comfort? You are coming with us…'
"It turns out that the officers were just kidding," said Comfort. "They were Christians who didn't know about the court case. It sure made my heart skip a beat, though! The response at the dinner was a great encouragement, and we are excited about what God is doing."
THREE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLGIRLS BEHEADED
IN INDONESIA
By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
HOW CHRISTIANS ARE TREATED IN ISLAMIC COUNTRIES
JAKARTA, INDONESIA (ANS) -Oct 29/05 - A group of girls from a private Christian high school in
Indonesia have been attacked and beheaded, according to an online news report from Fox News.
Unidentified assailants attacked a group of high school girls on Saturday in Indonesia's tense province of Central Sulawesi, beheading three and seriously wounding a fourth, police said.
Fox News, quoting police Maj. Riky Naldo, said the students from a private Christian high school were ambushed while walking through a cocoa plantation in Poso Kota subdistrict on their way to class. The rural area is close to the provincial capital of Poso, about 1,000 miles northeast of the Indonesian capital Jakarta.
The police spokesman said the heads of the three dead girls were found several miles from their bodies.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation. But Central Sulawesi has a roughly equal number of Muslims and Christians. The province on Sulawesi island was the scene of a bloody sectarian
(Anti-Christian) war in 2001-2002 that killed around 1,000 people from both communities.
At the time, beheadings, burnings and other atrocities were common.
Fox News reports that a government-mediated truce ended the conflict in early 2002 but since then, there have been a series of bomb attacks and assassinations targeting
Christians. A market attack in the predominantly Christian town of Poso killed 22 people in May.
Christian leaders have repeatedly criticized the authorities in Jakarta for allegedly
not doing enough to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
The Christian-Muslim conflict in Sulawesi was an extension of a wider sectarian war in nearby Maluku archipelago in which up to 9,000 people died between 1999 and 2002.
Soon after it erupted in 1999, the Maluku conflict intensified with the arrival of volunteers belonging to
Laskar Jihad, a newly created
Islamic militia from Indonesia's main island of Java that was supported by hardline elements in the security forces.
Fox News says analysts and diplomats accused senior army commanders of funding and training the militia, which was hurriedly disbanded following the terrorist attacks on the tourist island of Bali in 2002 that killed more than 200 people -- including 88 foreigners. Some
"former" islamic militiamen are believed to have moved to Poso.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
INDIA’S SUPREME COURT TELLS THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT THAT
THE COURT WILL CONTINUE THE HEARING ON THE DALIT CHRISTIAN CASE ON ITS CONSTITUTIONAL MERIT
Statement of Dr. Joseph D’souza, President, All India Christian Council (AICC) Rev. Moses Swamidas; and Mr. Franklin Ceasar after the hearing on October 18, 2005
NEW DELHI, INDIA (ANS) - Oct 18/05 - The Indian Government once again tried to scuttle
(end) the Supreme Court hearing saying that it had "appointed a Commission" to look into the matter of reservation (affirmative action benefits) for Dalit Christians and that the Supreme Court therefore should dismiss the case. The Supreme Court, however, said that
it was looking into the case of reservation for Dalit Christians on Constitutional merit and it was well within its right to hear the case. The Supreme Court has now fixed
October 25, 2005, as the date for the next hearing.
The issue before the Supreme Court is not about some technical problem with the reservation system, but rather the Constitutional basis on which Dalit Christians were denied their right to affirmative action given to all Dalits. The question is, “Are these Christians indeed Dalits?” If they are Dalits, why has the Parliament not given them their due rights and benefits?
Christian leaders are encouraged by the stand of the Supreme Court. “I cannot see how the Government can deny the legitimate rights of Dalit Christians. Ultimately, this will need a Bill in Parliament and the Government needs to be proactive rather than defensive on the issue of reservation for Dalit Christians,” said John Dayal.
A number of national political parties have already given their letter of support to the All India Christian Council on the issue of reservation benefits for Dalit Christians.
Earlier, representatives of the All India Christian Council deposed successfully before the newly appointed Ranganath Mishra Commission. Among them were Rev. Moses Swamidass, Dr. John Dayal, and Mr. Franklin Ceasar, the main petitioner in the Supreme Court.
Thursday, September 1, 2005
Impact of Islamic Sharia Law on Women:
INDONESIA: THREE WOMEN FOUND GUILTY OF
ALL CHARGES FOR PRACTICING FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN ISLAMIC COUNTRY
Justice – Indonesian Style
By: John M. Lindner
Special to ASSIST News Service
JAKARTA (ANS) - Sept 1/05 - The three women charged with violating
Indonesia's 2002 Child Protection Act by Christianizing Muslim children were
found guilty today of all charges in an Indonesian court packed with the
presence of anti-Christian Islamic radicals.
Jeff Hammond, director of Bless Indonesia Today, told ANS Dr. Rebecca Laonita,
Mrs. Ratna Mala Bangun, and Mrs. Ety Pangesti, who conducted a “Happy Week”
(or “Happy Sunday”) program in their homes in early May, were found
“guilty of all charges” and given a PRISON sentence of three years.
Hammond pointed out that the guilty verdict was pronounced, even though the
children had their parents’ permission to attend, and none of them had changed
their religion.
He said the verdict may actually have spared the three a worse fate, as the
witnesses and judges were “constantly under the threats of violence from
hundreds of Islamic radicals, who threatened to kill the three ladies,
witnesses, pastors, missionaries--and even the judges--if the women were
acquitted.”
Hammond told ANS that anti-Christian radicals arrived in nine trucks and
“brought a coffin to bury the accused if they were found not guilty. Their
violent threats continued in their speeches before the session began.”
When the verdict was read, the crowd erupted with “Allahu akbar”
(“Allah is greater”).
“Please pray for these three beautiful, gentle women, who were just trying to
help save the children of prostitutes from going down the same pathway,”
Hammond requested.
He said the verdict will undoubtedly be appealed. However, whether true justice
can ever be obtained under the intimidation of such anti-Christian radical
remains to be seen.
- Please Pray for these three women and their ministry of helping others.
IRAQI CHURCH LEADERS FEAR IMPOSITION OF ISLAMIC LAW
By Jeremy Reynalds
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service
IRAQ (ANS) - July 22, 2005 - A letter signed by the leaders of nine Christian denominations in Iraq pleads that the new constitution should ensure the equality of all faiths in Iraq.
The leaders’ concerns arise from reports that the Shi’a majority is pushing for Islamic law
(shari’a) to be enshrined in the constitution.
According to an e-mail from the Barnabas Fund, the letter reads in part, “If there is a move towards the confirmation of the role of the Islamic religion in Iraqi society, then it is only natural to confirm the role of other religions that have been historically established in Iraq. We are only asking for … equality, freedom and equal opportunities and the prevention of racial, religious and denominational discrimination.”
A draft constitution is currently being prepared by a sub-committee of the Iraqi Assembly, which must be completed by Aug. 15. Following that, the draft will be evaluated and possibly revised by the Assembly.
Church leaders are fearful, the Barnabas Fund reported, that if shari’a is given a place in the constitution, Christians and other non-Muslims will face the same kind of discrimination and second-class status which they experience in other countries where shari’a law is in effect
(www.bible.ca/islam/islam-kills-islamic-law-shariah.htm). Iraq would become an Islamic state.
According to the Barnabas Fund, Bishop Andreas Abouna, who presented the letter, said a
pro-shari’a constitution would result in such a massive exodus of Christians from Iraq that the Christian presence could practically disappear. There have been Christians in Iraq since the first century AD.
More information is available on this issue at www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=39754&SelectRegion=Iraq_Crisis&SelectCountry=IRAQ%20
.
Iraq: Christians Face Threats From All Sides
By Kathleen Ridolfo
Christians in a Baghdad church
July 3/05 - (RFE) - As Iraqis work to draft a permanent constitution that may deem Islam a source of legislation for the country, the Christian community faces the prospect of a life where they may worship freely, but will have little representation or benefits from government.
The protest by Christians from a number of Iraqi towns and villages in northern Iraq who were not afforded the vote in January's elections has been well documented. Ballot boxes never arrived at polling stations in several towns, and an investigation carried out by the Independent Election Commission deemed that it would not allow the vote to take place at a later date. The National Assembly election resulted in six Christians gaining seats in the parliament; Christians argued they were entitled to twice as many seats.
Many of Iraq's Christians see their plight in ever-disheartening terms, and view their fate as part of a history in which their community has suffered at the hands of more dominant groups in Iraq.
Since the fall of the Hussein regime, Christians have been targeted in bombings against churches, shrines, hair salons, and liquor stores. Christian women and children were routinely kidnapped and held for exorbitant ransoms. Muslim zealots have forced women to veil in markets, universities, and schools, some Christians claim.
A 26 June report in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) daily "Kurdsitani Nuwe" contends that many families have sought shelter from the attacks in the PUK-controlled areas of eastern Kurdistan. Other families -- as many as 40,000 people according to some reports -- have migrated to foreign countries, most notably Syria.
Those families who relocated to PUK areas are considered internally displaced people, and PUK head and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has ordered the Kurdistan local government to provide these families with plots of land, homes, and employment, according to the report.
Assyrians living in the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)-controlled area of western Kurdistan also experience good relations with their Kurdish neighbors. However, some Assyrians claim there is tension between them and the KDP. The tension appears directly related to aspirations by some Assyrians for an autonomous self-administered area comprising their towns and villages in northern Iraq. Residents of these villages and towns have claimed that the KDP has not allowed for the implementation of Article 53 of the Transitional Administrative Law issued by the Coalition Provisional Authority last year that states: "This law shall guarantee the administrative, cultural, and political rights of the Turkomans, Chaldo-Assyrians, and all other citizens."
The villages in question further claim that the KDP government has not distributed revenues to their towns, and they want their fair share. U.S.-based Freedom House's Nina Shea has supported the claim, saying Kurdish administrators have withheld U.S. reconstruction funds from Chaldo-Assyrian areas and confiscated Christian farms and villages, iht.com reported on 14 March.
Christians south of the Kurdistan region face greater difficulties. More than 20 churches have been bombed since the fall of the Hussein regime. Purported Islamist militants have kidnapped, killed, and in some cases beheaded Christians.
Insurgent propaganda in Iraq has always portrayed U.S.-led multinational forces in Iraq as "Christian Crusaders" who have made Iraq the first stop in their quest to conquer the Arab world and destroy Islam. The comparison has left Christians in Iraq more vulnerable to insurgent attacks. However, it appears until now to have had little impact on Iraqis' views of indigenous Christians.
There is a growing fear among Christians in Iraq, however, that proselytizing evangelical Christians who entered the country after the war may inflict the most harm on the Christian communities. Christian leaders are worried about their congregations dwindling after the mass exodus of Christians before and after the war. Moreover, proselytizing has never been accepted among Muslims in Iraq and religious communities have long practiced a policy of not trying to convert other religions to their fold. Indigenous leaders fear the practice may strain Muslim-Christian relations.
"The way the preachers arrived here...with soldiers...was not a good thing," the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baghdad, Jean Sleiman told washingtonpost.com on 23 June. "I think they had the intention that they could convert Muslims, though Christians didn't do it here for 2,000 years," he continued, adding: "In the end, they are seducing Christians from other churches." Sleiman posited that new churches were creating a "new division" among Iraq's Christians because they impacted the cultural tradition of Christians there.
The Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) addressed the issue of Kurdish Muslims who have converted to Christianity in recent months through the efforts of evangelicals in a 29 June report (http://www.iwpr.net). Converts told IWPR that the Muslim community tends to ostracize converts. "I consider that those who turn to Christianity pose a threat to society," said Muhammad Ahmad Gaznayi, Kurdish religious affairs minister. The Kurdistan Islamic League has called the practice an "unhealthy phenomenon" and a "strange and terrible act," IWPR reported.
Human Rights Group Says Zimbabwe Secretly Scattering Homeless
By Barry Newhouse
20 August 2005
VOA - Aug 20/05 - An international human rights group says the government of Zimbabwe has moved thousands of people from temporary camps to more remote locations, after the United Nations criticized Harare for organizing mass evictions and home demolitions. Amnesty International has a video, secretly filmed in a makeshift camp earlier this month.
The video shows several dozen people in a dusty makeshift camp of tents made of plastic sheets. Amnesty says there are some 2,000 people in the Hopley Farm camp, outside the capital, Harare. Many were evicted in what the government called a campaign to clear illegal housing and fight crime, known as Operation Restore Order, or Operation Murambatsvina. The newly homeless were sent to so-called transit camps.
Now, Amnesty says, some have been moved again to more remote locations.
In the video, a woman, whose face is blurred to conceal her identity, says obtaining even basic items like food and water in the camp has become difficult.
"Some people brought food assistance," she says. "Not many people got the food, because the police arrived and stopped food distribution."
Zimbabwean family sits on property after being returned from transit camp near Harare
Amnesty says some of these people have been forcibly moved several times in recent months, but the human rights group fears there could be similar camps human rights campaigners do not know about.
"There is some evidence, there may be other small communities of people dropped in different areas where they may desperately need humanitarian assistance, but unless someone finds them, they won't get it," explained Audrey Gaughran, a researcher with Amnesty in London, who visited Zimbabwe in recent months.
She says the government began moving the homeless to rural areas, without notifying aid agencies, after a United Nations report criticized Harare for evicting an estimated 700,000 people from their homes with little or no warning. Zimbabwe has defended the demolition program as necessary to clean up slums and fight crime. And, the government of President Robert Mugabe has dismissed the U.N. report as exaggerated.
Ms. Gaughran says, now, the government has moved people to camps like Hopley Farm, or transported them to isolated rural areas.
However, she says, the evictions are just one of Zimbabwe's serious human right issues.
"As huge and appalling as this particular situation is, there are so many other dimensions to the human rights crisis in Zimbabwe and this is a longer term, deeper human rights crisis," she said.
Amnesty is calling on the government to say where all of those evicted from their homes are located and to allow aid workers to reach them. U.S. and South African officials have expressed frustration with bureaucratic hurdles in Zimbabwe that are preventing food aid from reaching those who need it.
BANGLADESH: MURDER AND ISLAMIC RADICALISATION
By Elizabeth Kendal
WOrld Evangaelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (WEA RLC)
Special to ASSIST News Service
AUSTRALIA (ANS) - WED / Aug 10/05 - The launch of the 'War on Terror' caused Muslim solidarity and zeal to rise so intensely in Bangladesh that the October 2001 general elections yielded a huge swing away from the ruling secular Awami League Party in favour of pro-Pakistan, pro-Muslim and militant Islamist parties. As Islamic zeal has risen, so has violent persecution of Christians.
In the past year two pastors have been beheaded. Dr Abdul Gani, a respected Christian leader with the Bangladesh Baptist Fellowship, was decapitated by four Islamic militants on 18 September 2004. He left behind a wife and two daughters. On 8 March 2005, Dulal Sarkar (35), a lay pastor, evangelist and church planter with the Bangladesh Free Baptist Church in Jalalpur village, was
beheaded by Islamic militants as he was traveling home that night. His wife Aruna and their five children, Daniel, Joseph, Parboti, Moses and Tutol, are now being threatened.
On 29 July, Islamic militants broke into the home of Tapan Kumar Roy (30) and Liplal Marandi (35) at 2am. They stabbed,
hacked and beat Tapan and Liplal to death after chaining the doors shut to prevent their escape or rescue. Tapan and Liplal were field workers with Christian Life Bangladesh (Campus Crusade) in central Faridur district, some 150km from the capital Dhaka. Whilst their main work involved education and AIDS prevention, maternal and child health and welfare, and providing other health services, they also occasionally screened videos on the life of Jesus.
But the Church is growing! Mr Dennis Datta, the honorary General Secretary of the National Christian Fellowship of Bangladesh comments: 'In each week an average of at least four churches are planted. Each church is composed of 10-15 baptised believers who worship under a mango tree. No church building is built because of the fear of local agitation.'
A growing hard-line Islamist minority is striving to Islamise, radicalise and Arabise Bangladesh.
There are now many more fundamentalist Islamic groups engaged in countless activities. The number of madrassas operating in the country has escalated. Samina Ahmed of the International Crisis Group has stated that whilst there were around 4,100 madrassas
(Islamic Religious Schools) in Bangladesh in 1986 there are some 64,000 today.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:
the peace of God which transcends understanding, to guard the hearts and minds of the families, friends, colleagues and congregations of the martyred pastors and Christian Life workers.
'For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.' 2 Corinthians 1:5
spiritual wisdom and courage for all pastors, evangelists and Christian humanitarian workers and human rights defenders; may God protect them and bless their ministry with power, grace and fruitfulness.
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to be convicted she has a God-given responsibility to defend the rights of vulnerable
minorities; may God give her courage and strength to act against destructive forces and promote peace, security, justice and religious liberty. (Proverbs 21:1)
Monday, May 30, 2005
CONVERT FROM ISLAM ACQUITTED OF APOSTASY CHARGES
Could have faced death penalty
By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
BANDAR-I
BUSHEHR, IRAN (ANS) -- Hamid Pourmand, a lay leader in the
Assemblies of God church in Bandar-i Bushehr who converted to Christianity in
1980, has been acquitted of charges of apostasy and proselytizing. (Pictured:
Hamid
Pourmand).
“If found guilty he would have faced the death penalty,” said a spokesperson
for Middle East Concern (MEC), who has been monitoring the case. “He remains
imprisoned for allegedly deceiving the Iranian army about his being a
Christian.”
Pourmand was arrested September 9, 2004, together with 85 other participants of
the annual general conference of denomination. The other Christians were
released within the next three days, but pastor Pourmand was charged with hiding
his conversion from his superiors. According to Iranian law only Muslims can be
officers in the army.
The Middle East Concern spokesperson went on to say, “On Saturday May 28th an
Islamic judge in Bandar-I Bushehr, on Iran's Gulf coast, acquitted pastor
Pourmand of charges of apostasy and proselytizing Muslims. Christian news agency
Compass Direct has been told that the judge reportedly stated ‘I don't know
who you are, but the rest-of-the-world does,’ a clear reference to the
international attention that this case has attracted.’”
Pastor Pourmand was formally charged with apostasy from Islam and proselytizing
Muslims in early April. Starting on April 13th He appeared before an Islamic
court in Tehran every two or three days. He was repeatedly pressed to return to
Islam. These hearings stopped after two weeks. He was transferred to his home
town of Bandar-i Bushehr on the 16th May.
“On February 16th 2005 pastor Pourmand was found guilty of this charge despite
presenting documents in court that proved his superior were aware he was a
Christian before he was promoted to the officer ranks. He was sentenced to three
years imprisonment and dishonorably discharged from the army with lost of his
income, pension and housing for his family. However, the local authorities
delayed evicting his wife and two teenage sons from their army provided housing
until the end of the school year.”
The spokesperson concluded by revealing that in the last 16 years three Iranian
church leaders have been charged with apostasy.
“All were convicted and sentenced to death,” they said. “Pastor Hussein
Soodman was hanged in 1989. Deacon Maher had a noose round his neck when he
signaled his willingness to recant and was released after signing a paper to
that effect in 1992. Pastor Mehdi Dibaj was condemned to death in December 1993.
He was released three weeks later after a strong international outcry; only to
be found murdered six months later.”
MEC is a co-operative effort by concerned Christians in the Middle East focusing
on the need for Middle Eastern authorities to ensure the rights of all who
choose to call themselves Christian.
SAUDI ARABIA: WAHHABISM OPPRESSES CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS
- Muslims youths suicide; expatriate Christian leaders imprisoned.
By Elizabeth Kendal
World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (WEA RLC)
Special to ASSIST News Service
AUSTRALIA (ANS) -Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - In the 7th and 8th Centuries, Arab armies vanquished civilisations and captured territory from the Arabian Peninsula through Palestine and the Middle East to Persia and India. They swept across North Africa into Spain and France, swallowing up much of the Pax Romana and claiming it for Islam. In the 15th Century the Ottoman Turks moved into Europe, capturing Constantinople (now Istanbul), then the Balkans. But in 1683 the Muslim advance was blocked at the gates of Vienna, and from that point on, the Islamic Empire stagnated and declined, while the post-Reformation Christian West rose.
During the early 18th Century, Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab concluded that Islam declined due to its corruption by foreign influences. He believed that to regain its ascendancy, Islam had to wage war on 'shirk' (polytheism, including Christianity) and be reformed, purified of all the pagan and foreign influences that had infiltrated over the centuries.
In 1744, Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab and Muhammad ibn Saud, the tribal ruler of Diriyah (near Riyadh) covenanted that ibn Saud would protect ibn Abdul Wahhab and spread the Wahhabi creed. In return, ibn Abdul Wahhab would legitimise ibn Saud's rule over an expanding circle of tribes subdued through a new jihad. This 18th Century pact still underpins the Saudi state today. Wahhabi clerics protect and legitimise the rule of the liberal Saudi royal family, in exchange for total control of religious and education ministries and an agreement that the state will protect and spread Wahhabism's reformed, puritanical Islam worldwide.
The doctrine of Islamic holy war (Jihad) is a central tenet of Wahhabism and has been an instrument for Arab and Islamic imperialism since the 7th Century. Because Wahhabi clerics control Saudi Arabia's education system, Saudi youths are indoctrinated from their earliest days as to the necessity of Islamic jihad and the glory of 'martyrdom' in the cause of Allah. Terrorism experts note that around half of all 'martyred' suicidal jihadis in Iraq have been Saudi. Many are they are not driven by unemployment or poverty, but by the Wahhabi ideology of hate and empire pumped into them. In the last 30 years, Saudi Arabia's population has grown from 6 million to 24 million, with 60 per cent now under 20 years of age. Instead of having hearts filled with youthful, hopeful dreams of future life, they are filled with hate and dreams of death.
Meanwhile, Christians with the exhilarating, liberating Good News of salvation through Christ and abundant life in Christ are silenced. All non-Muslim expression is strictly forbidden. The Constitution mandates that a Saudi citizen be Muslim. Apostates are executed. Christian expatriate workers who gather for secret worship risk arrest by the muttawa, the Islamic religious police from the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. Conditions in Saudi prisons are dire, and torture is routine.
On 22 April, the muttawa arrested 40 Pakistani Christians as they met quietly for secret worship. The believers were beaten, mocked and detained. They were later released, but their Christian materials and official ID cards were confiscated. A week later, on 29 April, the muttawa raided a house where 60 Ethiopian and Eritrean Christians had gathered for prayer. The group was threatened and their Bibles were confiscated. Five elders were imprisoned and are being held incommunicado.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT:
Jesus Christ, the crucified, raised Saviour and glorious enthroned King, who has already defeated the 'evil one', to bind the spiritual forces that keep Saudi Arabia in spiritual bondage to darkness and death.
Jesus Christ, only begotten Son of God, the true Healer and deliverer, to bring spiritual
reconciliation to God and deliverance to Saudi Arabia by opening the doors of freedom, giving
spiritual sight to the eyes, and breaking the chains that bind and the structures that oppress. (Luke 4:14-21)
'I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, "Here am I, here am I."' (Isaiah 65:1)
The Holy Spirit, our ever-present comforter and counselor, to protect the Christian prisoners, guard their hearts and minds, build their
true faith, and empower and use their witness for the kingdom and glory of God.
STUDENTS DEMAND END TO GENOCIDE
By Gordon Govier
Special to ASSIST News Service
MADISON, WI (ANS) - May 16/05 - On the campus of
California State University in Chico, about 25 InterVarsity students
demonstrated in front of Meriam Library. Their mouths taped shut, they carried
signs with sayings such as, “I mourn the 2 years that the international
community has ignored Sudan’s genocide.” An article in The Orion campus
newspaper said that the students distributed petitions, green bracelets, and
fliers with information about slaughter and starvation among refugees in the
Darfur region of western Sudan, where 200,000 have died and the refugee
population is estimated at two million.
At Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, InterVarsity students
mobilized to back a campus-wide campaign focused on ending the genocide in
Darfur. They convinced Harvard University to divest itself of $3.87 million
dollars of stock in PetroChina, a Chinese oil
company that has financial dealings with the Sudanese
government.
“We realized that many of our friends at home did not know about the genocide
in Darfur,” said Adrian Tam, one of the organizers. “Not only did we, as
Christians, feel a duty to invite other Christians to act against genocide; but
also, in light of the recent events surrounding the life of Terri
Schiavo, we realized that Christians do care about, and would act on, these
issues, so long as they are well-informed.”
They then initiated a Christian Students Against Genocide movement and assembled
a 6-page packet of information that includes a sample letter that members of
campus fellowships can send to their pastors, explaining why the genocide in
Darfur is a critical opportunity for churches to witness God’s love,
compassion, and justice. The packet also includes information that can be sent
to federal and state lawmakers, urging action on relief and protection for the
refugees and divesting state pension funds from Sudan-related companies.
Additional information on how to make donations for humanitarian aid, and
information on how to pray for the end of the genocide, is included. There is
also a link to a Christianity Today editorial on the importance of stopping the
genocide.
Harvard students have mailed out about 60 packets to their home churches around
the country and are now distributing them to other InterVarsity chapters.
Although the semester is ending and classes are wrapping up on many campuses,
Adrian believes that may be a blessing in disguise. “Most e-mail lists still
operate in the summer,” he said, “and if anything, with the increased time
and energy, we hope that students will be even more enthusiastic to help out in
whatever way possible.”
Activism is common on many campuses. Knowing when and why to get involved
can be a challenge for Christian students. “It was only after getting involved
with Darfur Action Group that I realized the huge difference that the Christian
community could make if it got on board,” said Kristin Lee, another Harvard
InterVarsity student. “Before making this packet with an incredible team of
people, I shied away from political activism and didn’t see how it had
anything to do with my faith. But I’ve been inspired by Adrian and the others
who have shown me that this is about Christ’s love and bringing his justice to
this broken world.”
“I believe this is a great opportunity not only for Christians to respond to
Christ’s calling to serve ‘the least of these,’” Adrian said, “but
also for Christians to witness to the world and show that our love, and
therefore Christ’s love, for the weak transcends national, ethnic, and
religious lines.”
"DRACONIAN AMENDMENTS" APPROVED BY MAJLIS IN KAZAKHSTAN
By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
KAZAHKSTAN (ANS) -May 13, 2005- Controversial sweeping
amendments to eleven laws -- including the religion
law -- under the guise
of protecting national security were approved by
the Majilis, the lower house of parliament, on 12 May and now go to the upper
house, the Senate, for approval.
"The ban on the activity of unregistered religious
associations and the draconian amendments to the administrative code
significantly limit believers' rights," Aleksandr Klyushev, the chairman of
the Association of Religious Organizations of Kazakhstan (AROK) who observed the
proceedings, told Forum 18 News Service from the capital Astana on 12 May.
However he welcomed the fact that already registered local believers apparently
may not suffer restrictions on their own religious activity.
According to Igor Rotar, writing for Forum 18 News Service, the second and final
reading of the draft law on additions and amendments to laws relating to
national security -- which began on 11 May – had originally been expected on
18 May, but was suddenly brought forward.
"It is indicative that the new draft law was adopted very hastily --
deputies discovered that the discussion of the draft would take place on 11 May
only on the day of the session," Klyushev told Forum 18.
"I believe this was done deliberately to prevent deputies from preparing
for the consideration of the draft and from submitting amendments. As a result
all those present for the session fully approved the draft," Klushev said.
But Tokhtarkhan Nurakhmetov -- the chairman of the working group which drafted
the law and member of the Majilis committee on international affairs, defence
and security -- insisted that all proposals submitted by deputies were carefully
considered by the working group. "There were no proposals of anything new
in principle that that would have changed the concept or ideology of the
draft," he told the Kazinform news agency.
Rotar says the new law -- which the Majilis had approved in the first reading on
4 May (see F18News 3 May 2005 www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=554)
-- significantly limits believers' rights. Article 4 of the draft amended
religion law has a new sixth section that forbids the activity of unregistered
religious organizations. Kazakhstan would thereby join two other Central Asian
republics, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, whose laws on religion forbid the
activity of unregistered religious organizations in defiance of international
human rights commitments.
The new draft law also makes corresponding changes to the administrative code of
offences. A new article, 374-1, will be inserted to punish "leadership and
participation in the activity of public and religious associations that have not
been registered in accordance with the law of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as
well as financing their activity." Those leading, taking part in or
supporting financially unregistered or banned religious organizations will face
heavy fines.
An addition is also proposed to Article 375 of the administrative code, an
article that already punishes violations of the religion law (including refusal
to register a religious organization), Rotar says in an article obtained by
ASSIST News Service (ANS).
According to the new draft law "Missionary work carried out by citizens,
foreign citizens and persons who have no citizenship, without the appropriate
registration, will attract a fine of up to 15 times the monthly wage of a
citizen, while foreigners and persons without citizenship will be fined up to 15
times the monthly wage and will be expelled beyond the borders of the Republic
of Kazakhstan."
Another addition to Article 375 punishes religious organizations and their
leaders if the organizations break any law. In such cases religious
organizations can be closed down for between three and six months or banned.
Klyushev of AROK a group that mainly brings together Pentecostal Christian
churches believes this is too widely drawn. A religious community could be
banned merely for failing to sweep up the rubbish in its courtyard, he told
Forum 18.
Klyushev of AROK -- a group that mainly brings together Pentecostal Christian
churches -- is not surprised that deputies approved the draft, Rotar says.
"Our parliament is absolutely submissive to the government," he told
Forum 18. "Our deputies can be described in the words of a Central Asian
proverb as people who if ordered to bring a tyubeteika (Central Asian hat) will
bring a head. I believe the now approved amendments can only harm national
security and contradict the policy set out by the President."
Klyushev lamented that there are "practically no deputies who respect
Western-style democratic values" and maintained that there were at most
half a dozen deputies who would speak out against the draft. "But these
people cannot be called democrats in the European sense -- they had only partial
objections to the draft which were not at all dictated by adherence to
democratic values." Klyushev told Forum 18 even these deputies were not
present on 11 and 12 May when the draft was considered. "They were upset
that that had no chance to study the documents properly and prepare their
amendments."
Rotar says one deputy who boycotted the session was Bulat Abishev. "I
didn't attend since I was outraged by the haste with which this document was
prepared," Abishev told Forum 18 from Astana on 12 May. "I simply
couldn't prepare for the session and draft my amendments." Although Abishev
was unable to answer Forum 18's question as to whether the draft approved by the
deputies infringed believers' rights, he was the only deputy who told Forum 18
that he did not approve of the draft.
According to independent deputy Amangeldy Ayatyly "the Kazakhs are too
inexperienced as far as the religious upbringing of the nation is
concerned."
"The West takes advantage of this and tries to undermine our traditional
culture by means of ideological expansion and sometimes direct bribes,"
Ayatyly told Forum 18 from Astana on 12 May. He maintains that the draft law
defends the "historic values" of the Kazakh nation and is long
overdue.
Roytar writs that in the view of Askar Beysenbayev, a deputy of the
pro-government Otan (Fatherland) party, there has long been a legal vacuum in
the sphere of religion and the draft law "at last does away with anarchy
and introduces order into the activity of religious associations."
Most outspoken is Communist party deputy Yerasyl Abylkasymov. He claims that
power in the United States and Europe is in the hands of a Jewish-Masonic
conspiracy which is trying to dominate the whole world, Rotar says.
"They have already conquered Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova and Kyrgyzstan and
now they are sneaking up on Kazakhstan," Abylkasymov told Forum 18 on 12
May from Astana. According to Abylkasymov, Protestant "sects" are
carrying out the role of "ideological saboteurs" and he claims the CIA
has allocated 12 billion dollars to support their activities. "In the time
of Genghis Khan such ideological saboteurs were hung, drawn and quartered,"
he told Forum 18. "Alas it is now unfortunately not possible to do this and
so we have to defend ourselves by means of laws."
Side Effects of Islam: Over 4000 honour killings in Pakistan in 2004: Paper
March 16 , 2005
Sify Nws - Islamabad: Honour killings are rampant in Pakistan with Sindh province being the worst-affected as more than 300 women became victims of the heinous practice during the past six months while more than 4,000 people were killed till mid 2004.
According to daily 'Jasarat', apart from the 301 women killed, 50 other women and children were physically tortured in Sindh alone as 'Karokari’ is prevalent in all the four provinces of the country. Later six of them succumbed to injuries.
The worst-affected areas were Jacobabad where 51 women were killed followed by Larkana, Sakhar, Nowshera and even the port city of Karachi, it added.
The daily claimed that 4,101 people were killed till July last year in the name of honour killings despite the government's commitment to take tough action against the
perpetrators of the crime.
Turkish Islamic Elites afraid of losing influence to Christianity
TURKISH NEWSPAPER ARTICLES REFLECT CONCERN OVER FOREIGN MISSIONARY ACTIVITY
SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL IN TURKEY
ANKARA, TURKEY (ANS) - March 28/05 - Three articles in the March 28 edition of the Turkish Daily News tackle the controversial activities of foreign missionaries in Turkey.
Under the heading 'Missionary
warning,' the newspaper says: "Missionary
activities are not merely religious in nature but are also politically motivated
activities aimed at harming social peace among Turks, says Mehmet Aydın,
the state minister responsible for religious affairs."
Mehmet Aydın, the state minister overseeing the Religious Affairs
Directorate, warned yesterday that the propaganda of missionaries in Turkey is a
part of politically oriented activities aimed at damaging the social peace and
unity of Turkey, the newspaper reported.
"Missionaries are not simply spreading their religion by exercising freedom
of belief but are intervening in people's freedom of belief by capitalizing on
their ignorance," said Aydın, responding to a parliamentary
questionnaire concerning missionary activities in Turkey.
“The goal of those activities is harming the cultural, religious, national and
historical unity of the people of Turkey,” Anatolia news agency quoted Aydın
as saying. “These are not merely religious activities and they are not only
carried out by Christian clerics. We have observed doctors, nurses, engineers,
Red Cross officials, human rights defenders, peace activists and language tutors
conducting missionary activities.”
The newspaper said Aydın pointed out that the duty of the Religious Affairs
Directorate was to enlighten the people and eradicate ignorance, which, he said,
created a convenient environment for missionaries to deceive and convert people.
“Those activities have a historic background and are carried out in a
well-planned manner with political motives,” Aydın added.
The report said: "Stating that the official number of people recorded as
being converted via missionary propaganda is 368, Aydın said that it is
impossible to calculate the actual figure since missionary activities are
carried out covertly."
An article under the heading, "Minister Aydın: Missionary activities
are politically oriented," in the same edition of the newspaper the
publication reports:
"Responding to a parliamentary questionnaire on missionary activities in
Turkey, the state minister says he does not regard those activities as instances
of exercising freedom of belief but as being driven by ulterior political
motives."
The newspaper says: "The state minister in charge of the Religious Affairs
Directorate, Mehmet Aydın, stated yesterday that missionary activities in
Turkey are not simple acts intended to spread religion but are something having
ulterior political motives, reported the Anatolia news agency."
“Rather than being instances of enjoying freedom of belief and conveying
religion, missionary activities are well-planned pursuits with ulterior
political motives,” said Aydın, replying to a parliamentary questionnaire
submitted by Justice and Development Party (AKP) Adıyaman deputy Mahmut Göksu,
the newspaper said.
Touching on the responsibility of the Religious Affairs Directorate against
those missionary activities throughout Anatolia, Aydın said the directorate
is tasked with the job of informing the public, the newspaper reported.
“The Religious Affairs Directorate is responsible for carrying out affairs
related to the requirements of Islamic beliefs and moral principles of the
religion of Islam,” said Aydın.
The newspaper also reported: "With respect to missionary activities in
Anatolia throughout history, Aydın said the religious directorate considers
missionary activities to be aimed at the social unity and social peace of the
people living in the region."
“The target of those activities is to harm the cultural, religious, national
and historical unity of our people,” Aydın said.
"The directorate also regards missionary propaganda as activities of
intervention in the people's freedom of belief,” Aydın said.
Responding to a question asking the number of converts, Aydın said
missionary activities are often carried out surreptitiously so that it was not
possible to calculate the true number. “The official number of people recorded
as being converted via missionary propaganda is 368,” Aydın said.
Touching on the number of non-Islamic houses of prayer and worship, Aydın
said 33 synagogues and 240 churches are officially recognized in Turkey.
In an article titled: 'Missionary activities pose threat to national security'
the newspaper reported that Greek Orthodox Patriarchate spokesperson Sevgi
Erenerol said missionary activities in Turkey are aiming at more than religious
goals and that they pose a threat to national security, (according to) the Doğan
News Agency reported yesterday.
“The ulterior motives behind missionary activities are to seize our
country,” said Erenerol, speaking at a conference held by Turkish Education
Workers' Union (Türk Eğitim-Sen).
Also speaking at the conference, writer Ali Rıza Bayzan also said he agrees
with Erenerol on the issue of missionaries' ulterior motives.
The characterization of ulterior motives by Missionaries takes advantage of the ignorance that those in Islamic countries have of Christians and Christianity. Islam recognizes no distinction between the political sphere and the religious, and has historically demonstrated a fear of ideologies that either educate local moslem populations or help people come to their own individual and personal decisions about Jesus Christ, in an atmosphere that is free of the Bullying tactics that so often accompanies Islam.
Most missionaries give up a life of comfort in their home countries, in order to go to share Christianity with others. What really seems to disturb islamic clerics is the true selflessness that Missionaries often demonstrate to local populations. Many millions and millions of moslems around the world still today cannot read. This is the fault of the islamic clerics which have kept islamic populations at the SLOWEST level of social advancement possible.
As the islamic clerics know, people who read are people who eventually ask questions. And eventually, those questions deserve a reply. Afraid that ISLAM cannot give real or sound answers, some Islamic clerics attempt to CENSOR or Prevent difficult questions from being asked. Those who are truly on the side of God do not have to fear from Questions. Being afraid in those circumstances tends to demonstrate that the clerics actually agree that their own religion is incapable of answering difficult questions. Clerics or religious leaders should not be afraid of the search for Religious truth.
Missionaries who are Christians do not become missionaries because they are obligated. No one forces someone to become a missionary. No one can force anyone to convert to Christianity either. Any "Forced" conversion - according to Christianity - would NOT be recognized by God.
Part of the message of Christianity is that the decision to become a Christian is one which is PERSONAL and VOLUNTARY.
"VOLUNTARY" Means that no one, no individual can be Forced to become a Christian if they do not want to. The idea of Forced-Conversions TO Christianity is something which does Not exist. OTHER CHRISTIANS would STRONGLY OPPOSE ANY CHRISTIAN person or group that even Attempted a Forced conversion. God Respects the Freedom of everyone, EVEN the Freedom to Reject Him. Accepting the Christian God is a Voluntary Personal Choice. It is not something which is cultural.
Christianity is NOT a system of works. No one has to work for their salvation. Eternal Salvation is a gift from God. What is required is to ask for personal salvation from God. If missionaries wanted to make money, the LAST job they would chose is missionary. There are thousands of ways to make money in business for Christians who do NOT want to become missionaries.
Missionary activities do not pose a threat to National Security and respect the personal choice and personal freedom of the local people that they interact with. It is this treating of everyone as deserving of personal respect, that threatens some of the Islamic Elites that are not accustomed to treating anyone with respect.
It is to be hoped that the spokesman for the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate was misquoted. Eastern Orthodox leaders have had a difficult time adapting to the personal Freedom and the Personal CHOICE that is offered to everyone under genuine and Non-Coercive Christianity. Some within the Greek Orthodox Hierarchy have attempted to harm other Christian groups, afraid that Eastern Orthodox leaders will not be able to address the silence of the Eastern Patriarchates - historically - in their willful complicity of silence to harm some of the other Christian churches and denominations.
Based on reports in Turkish Daily News and those of Michael Ireland, Chief
Correspondent, ANS
Core Universal Rights
The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one's belief or religion
The right to join together and express one's belief
BBC- Mar 24/05 - The army in Nepal says it has taken action against more than 100 soldiers and officers accused of human rights abuses over the past three years.
The military say that the offences took place during fighting against Maoist rebels fighting to abolish the monarchy.
They say 44 people were jailed, while others were dismissed or demoted.
Human rights groups have in the past criticised what they called repeated abuses by the Nepalese army.
Endi