INDONESIAN CHRISTIAN AND FORMER BRITISH LAWMAKER JONATHAN AITKEN LEAD NATIONWIDE ROAD SHOWS ON PERSECUTED CHURCH UNDER ISLAM

By Jeremy Reynalds
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service 

SURREY, ENGLAND (ANS) - Sept 21/05 - An Indonesian church leader and peace activist who spent more than two years in prison after being falsely accused of illegal weapons possession, is to speak at a series of roadshows on the persecuted church.

He will be joined at some of the venues by former British Conservative Party Member of Parliament and author Jonathan Aitken.

Rev. Rinaldy Damanik is head of the Crisis Center of Central Sulawesi. According to a news release from human rights organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Damanik was responsible for informing the international community of attacks and human rights violations in the area. 

In Aug. 2002 he was stopped by police in Peleru in Sulawesi while attempting to rescue Christians under attack from militants. 

CSW reported police alleged they seized 14 weapons and ammunition from his car, yet he was not arrested at the time nor was he told what law enforcement officers had reportedly found. 

Damanik was arrested on Sept. 9 2002 in Jakarta, and later charged with owning weapons without permission. These charges are believed, CSW reported, to have been part of a move to silence him. 

Damanik's arrest and trial, CSW commented, were characterized by irregularities and human rights violations. Many of the testimonies from police and military witnesses were contradictory, and eyewitnesses admitted to experiencing abuse and intimidation. Damanik was sentenced to three years in prison in June 2003. 

According to CSW, while in prison Damanik developed a serious kidney infection. A Muslim religious leader who heard of his situation insisted that he be properly treated in hospital. On arrival, the doctors were amazed to find nothing wrong with him. Damanik attributed this to divine intervention. 

Damanik was released in Nov. 2004, having served just over two years of a three year sentence.

Mervyn Thomas, CSW's Chief Executive, said, “We are looking forward to bringing the Rev. Damanik to venues across the country, enabling thousands of Christians in the UK to hear first hand what it means to be persecuted for the Christian faith. He is an inspirational speaker, whose story will be compelling. We hope that many will be challenged to stand with our persecuted family around the world in prayerful and practical ways.”

According to CSW, the “Don't Stand in Silence 2005” nationwide road shows are a series of interactive awareness-raising evenings. 

They are being held nationwide in Britain to encourage Christians in the UK to pray, protest and provide for the persecuted church. According to the World Evangelical Alliance, over 200 million Christians in at least 60 countries are denied fundamental human rights solely because of their faith.

THERE IS NOT ONE CHRISTIAN NATION ON EARTH WHERE MUSLIMS ARE PERSECUTED.

Yet in most nations where the majority of the population are Muslims, there is systematic government persecution of Christians.

"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."

--Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights--

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.

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

People who are repressing & persecuting Others only demonstrate that they believe their own religion MUST be Inferior and Incapable of responding on an INTELLECTUAL LEVEL, to the Ideas which those people find themselves facing. A Person who believed that their own religion is either Equal or Superior to the religion of others would never take the action of attempting to FORCE someone into adopting their religion. 

The Search for God Should be the Search for Truth

People who can think for themselves have Nothing to Fear

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

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