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Today’s News Headlines:

INDIAN POLICE OBSTRUCT DALITS’ PLANNED MASS CONVERSION MAOIST REBELS THREATEN MISSIONARIES IN NEPAL VOICE OF THE MARTYRS LAUNCHES LEGAL DEFENSE FUND ANTI-TERRORIST CRACKDOWN IN FAR EAST MAY AFFECT RURAL MINISTRIES CHILDREN’S VERSION OF ‘JESUS’ FILM TRANSLATED INTO 29 LANGUAGES BENIN TRIBE GETS FIRST COMPLETE BIBLE TRANSLATION

Today’s News Stories:

INDIAN POLICE OBSTRUCT DALITS’ PLANNED MASS CONVERSION Indian police have obstructed the mass conversions of an expected 10,000 Dalits — people outside of India’s caste system — by beating up believers and blocking roads. A mass conversion event had been planned for today in Chennai (formerly called Madras), but authorities in Tamil Nadu state took harsh measures to stop it. Police harassed and threatened Dalit pastor Victor Dharmaraj, the owner of the land planned for the event, and later returned to remove 1,000 chairs and ejected the volunteer workers. Eight of the volunteers were arrested, taken in for questioning and beaten up All the roads leading to Chennai were blocked, and 60 truckloads of Dalits were stopped from coming in. “This is very horrible,” said Joseph D’Souza, president of the All India Christian Council. “It is a clear violation of our constitution as well as the fundamental rights and religious freedom of the Dalits.” The Dalits planned to publicly convert from the Hindu faith to Buddhism and Christianity in a bid to free themselves from the caste system.

The BBC reported that up to 500 Dalits managed to reach the area where the event was due to be held and made symbolic conversions to both faiths. Conversion events also took place outside of Chennai. Tamil Nadu and Orissa are the two states in India that have the power to ban conversions alleged to be “by force or by fraud.” Christians, Buddhists and Muslims are small minorities in Tamil Nadu, but the recent conversions of entire low-caste Hindu communities to other religions has alarmed militant Hindu groups such as Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Many Christians say that laws prohibiting “forced conversions” compromise the right to religious freedom. They are also concerned that additional states will adopt similar laws. Some Hindu leaders accuse evangelical Christians of bribing the poor to become Christians, and they see the law as a way of protecting them. Christian leaders insist the conversions are voluntary. (Christian Solidarity Worldwide/BBC)

* In partnership with FEBA Radio, HCJB World Radio airs weekly Christian programs to eastern India via shortwave in three languages: Bhojpuri, Chattisgarhi and Mundari. HCJB World Radio also broadcasts 11/2 hours of English programming daily to India via shortwave from South America. The ministry is investigating potential opportunities to help launch local Christian stations in key cities across India.

MAOIST REBELS THREATEN MISSIONARIES IN NEPAL A Christian leader in Nepal reports that he and his missionary staff are being threatened by Maoist rebels. Maoists approached one missionary and demanded a donation. “Once they know who you are, they force you to take sides,” the mission leader said. He said there were no Maoists in his village a year or two ago, but now they have set up their own government. (Christian Aid Mission)

VOICE OF THE MARTYRS LAUNCHES LEGAL DEFENSE FUND Voice of the Martyrs has started a Legal Defense Fund to help insure that courageous believers receive the best legal assistance possible under the circumstances. For example, a year ago 17 members of the South China Church (an unregistered denomination in China), including founder Gong Shengliang, were put on trial for various false charges, including rape, assault and being members of an “illegal cult.” For the families of the 17 who were arrested, the cost of their legal defense forced them, and in many cases their close relatives, into financial bankruptcy. Their houses were demolished by Chinese authorities, church offerings were confiscated and any useful assets were taken away by the local authorities. Situations such as this are not uncommon in nations where Christians are persecuted for their faith. In many cases, Christians languish in prison because their families cannot afford decent legal representation. Situations such as this led to the formation of the Legal Defense Fund. (Religion Today)

ANTI-TERRORIST CRACKDOWN IN FAR EAST MAY AFFECT RURAL MINISTRIES Security officials say anti-terrorism crackdowns in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines may force Muslim extremists to seek safer havens and develop logistical bases in Thailand and Myanmar. The report is raising concerns among believers who are already facing persecution, said Steve Salowitz of FARMS International. “In one of the nations bordering Thailand, the people have actually drawn the attention of the government because of the economic boost that our program has given them,” he said. “If that’s happening, then it could have an impact on our rural programs. It seems as though these insurgents tend to gravitate towards rural areas because they have more freedom to do what they want.” Salowitz added that the ministry’s programs in remote areas of Thailand could be affected if the reports are true. (Mission Network News)

CHILDREN’S VERSION OF ‘JESUS’ FILM TRANSLATED INTO 29 LANGUAGES The “Jesus” film has been adapted for ministry to children. Within that context, the possibilities for worldwide outreach are endless, says ministry representative Flip Amon. “A lot of the audiences internationally at the showing of the ‘Jesus’ film were, in fact, children. Sometimes a two-hour version was a bit much for them to sit through, and others were looking for something with maybe a little bit more explanation. Since the original film follows the Gospel of Luke, there’s no explanation included.” Amon says this presented a new need. “We have just started with the children’s version. It is in 29 languages with more than 100 in process.” (Mission Network News)

BENIN TRIBE GETS FIRST COMPLETE BIBLE TRANSLATION More than 1,000 people gathered in the West African country of Benin Oct. 26 for the dedication and launching of the Bible in the Ditamari language. Irene Sossauer, a Swiss missionary who has served with SIM since 1963, and her team of Ditamari pastors prepared the translation, in collaboration with the Summer Institute of Linguistics and the United Bible Society. Ditamari believers in western Benin received the Word of God in their own language with much joy, purchasing 600 copies on the first day they were available. SIM (Serving in Mission) is an international, interdenominational mission agency, sending workers to more than 40 countries. SIM members are involved in a full range of mission activities including church planting (evangelism and discipleship), relief work and development of Christian leaders. (SIM)

* HCJB World Radio worked with the Council of Protestant and Evangelical Churches of Benin to help put a Christian station on the air in Cotonou in 1998. The station broadcasts the gospel in French, English and seven tribal languages. Partner ministry SIM also records programs in eight languages at studios in Parakou. Programs air on local stations across Benin.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * James A. Ferrier HCJB World Radio U.S. Ministries Communications Director E-mail: Phone: 1-719-590-9800 Fax: 1-719-590-9801 Web: http://www.hcjb.org http://www.beyondthecall.org * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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