The Persecution & Prayer Alert The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada http://www.persecution.net Wednesday, October 23, 2002

A summary of news concerning the Persecuted Church and how you can respond. *********************************** Contents: 1. Massacre Witness Faces Police Harassment (Pakistan) 2. Militant Muslim Group Disbands (Indonesia) 3. Question of the Week 4. Attacks Against Priests Continuing (Colombia) 5. Militant Buddhists Strike (Sri Lanka) 6. Persecution Conference – November 2 (Canada)

*********************************** 1. Massacre Witness Faces Police Harassment (Pakistan)

Earlier this month, The Voice of the Martyrs reported that the only witness able to testify on the execution-style attack on the Institute for Peace and Justice (IPJ) in Karachi, Pakistan on September 25, was in police custody. Though authorities claimed that Robin Piranditta was in protective custody, there were signs of cigarette burns and other indications that he was suffering psychological and physical torture by the police.

On October 22, Compass Direct reported that the Sindh High Court ordered that he be released. A court-ordered report said that he had suffered “severe physical and mental torture” and that his detention was illegal. As he was leaving the courthouse, however, he was re-arrested by police. Three lawyers with him at the time were injured, as Piranditta was beaten, kicked, and thrown into a van. He was then formally declared a suspect in the attack.

Last night, Piranditta was once again released, as his lawyers files contempt of court charges against the police. According to Fayyaz Leghari, who heads the police investigation into the case, “We have released him, so we have asked him to remain in the city. We will keep a watch on him.” Leghari said that they did not have enough evidence to keep Piranditta in custody. Piranditta, a Christian, had worked for IPJ for 16 years.

The only other survivor of the attack, Robin Sharif, recently regained consciousness after having been in a coma since the attack. The police hope to interview him within the next few days.

Praise God for this latest news on Piranditta’s release and Sharif’s recovery. Pray that justice will be served in this case. Pray for protection for Robin Piranditta, both from the police as well as Islamic militants. Pray for a continued and full recovery for Robin Sharif.

*********************************** 2. Militant Muslim Group Disbands (Indonesia)

The militant Islamic group responsible for much of the violence in the Maluku region of Indonesia has reportedly been disbanded. On October 12, a lawyer for the Laskar Jihad announced that they were closing their headquarters and offices and withdrawing their warriors from the Malukus and Central Sulawesi. In an interview reported in the Chicago Tribune, their leader, Jafar Umar Thalib, said, “Our purpose to help our Muslim brothers has been achieved. We are now concentrating on offering only social help to our brothers in the Moluccas,”

According to CNN, 700 Laskar Jihad members left Maluku’s provincial capital of Ambon by ship on October 15, returning to their homeland of Java. Others have also been seen leaving. The headquarters for the organization appears to be closed and the official website is down. One source estimates that there were 3000 Laskar Jihad members who are being withdrawn in stages.

While Christians in the area are rejoicing at this news, there is fear that the organization may be simply going underground, making it more difficult for the authorities to track their activities.

There have also been speculations circulating around the timing of the announcement. The announcement was made only hours before the devastating bombing that killed more than 200 people in a nightclub in Bali on October 12, bringing international attention to terrorism in Indonesia. There has been pressure by the government against the Laskar Jihad in recent months and many sources in Indonesia are speculating that the organization, which has received unofficial support from some in the Indonesian military, may have been losing that support in the wake of the recent crackdown.

Pray for peace in the Malukas and central Sulawesi. Pray that Christians in the area will be able to rebuild their lives and that the authorities will be willing and able to keep the peace in this area that has known so much violence since 1999. Pray that God will thwart the plans of those who seek to harm His people.

*********************************** 3. Question of the Week

Almost everywhere you look today, you read reports of attacks and threats of violence being made by militant Islamist groups. Reports of Indonesia’s Laskar Jihad’s disbandment are being received by many with a mix of cautious hope and skepticism. Can we really believe that this organization is closing up for good?

That is the question of this week: Do you believe that the Laskar Jihad is really disbanding?

To participate in our poll and discussion, go to http://www.persecution.net and click on “Discussion Forum.” If you have not registered on our forum in the past, click on “Register” and select a username and password.

*********************************** 4. Attacks Against Priests Continuing (Colombia)

In unrelated attacks within hours of each other, two Catholic priests were murdered in Colombia on October 18.

In the early morning, as Father Jos © Luis C ¡rdenas Hern ¡ndez, 31, was about the leave his home to jog, he answered a knock on the door and found five men in civilian clothes and armed with long-range weapons. They spoke for ten minutes before C ¡rdenas was shot five times in the head. C ¡rdenas was the parish priest for Chal ¡n, 400 miles northwest of Bogot ¡. Authorities believe that his murder was the work of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). A FARC spokesman has denied this allegation.

Later that same afternoon, Monsignor Gabriel Arias Posada, 66, vicar of the Diocese of Armenia, was reportedly traveling to help secure the release of a kidnapped official, Anc ­zar L ³pez, when he and his driver were shot and killed in the town of Anserma.

Reports of priests being killed have become common in Colombia recently, in the ongoing strife between the government and rebel groups. Pray for peace in Colombia as well as for safety for those trying to make a difference in this nation torn apart by war and the narcotic industry.

According to Zenit, armed groups in Colombia have killed 47 priests and two bishops in the past 18 years. Over the past decade, the internal conflict has claimed 40,000 lives.

*********************************** 5. Militant Buddhists Strike (Sri Lanka)

The Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (EASL) reports that an Assembly of God worship centre in Weerawilla in southern Sri Lanka was burned to the ground on October 13. According to the report received by The Voice of the Martyrs on October 21, a group of men set fire to the worship hall as well as the home of a believer who lived nearby. Both buildings were completely destroyed and the Christian lost all his possessions.

Earlier that week, VOM also received a report from EASL recounting how a pastor and his family had recently been attacked in their car. Pastor Stephen Yogarajah, his wife, and 11-year-old son all sustained injuries and their car has badly damaged when they were assaulted by a group of 10-15 men in Kodolkela, 12 km from their hometown of Chilaw, Sri Lanka.

Believers in Sri Lanka often face harassment from militant Buddhist groups in the country. Pray for the Christians who have recently suffered this persecution. Pray that the Church in Sri Lanka will continue to stand firm in the face of opposition. Pray for those who persecute the Church in Sri Lanka. Pray that God will lead them to repentance and a knowledge of the truth of God.

*********************************** 6. Persecution Conference – November 2 (Canada)

The Voice of the Martyrs and Open Doors with Brother Andrew invite you to their 4th annual joint conference on the Persecuted Church on Saturday, November 2 at City Centre Baptist Church in Mississauga, Ontario. The theme of this year’s conference is “A Strategic Response to a World in Crisis: Gaining a Christian Perspective on Religious Freedom, Human Rights And the Persecution of Christians.” Speakers to this year’s conference include Paul Johnson (Open Doors), Glenn Penner (The Voice of the Martyrs), Magid El-Shafie (Egypt), Martha Kenney (The Voice of the Martyrs), and Jeff Taylor (Open Doors). Pre-registration is required. Please pre-register before the end of this Friday, October 25 by calling 905-670-9721.

For more details, see our website at http://www.persecution.net/conf1.htm. This is one conference that you will not want to miss!

*********************************** The Persecution & Prayer Alert is a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs, Website: http://www.persecution.net