The Persecution & Prayer Alert The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada http://www.persecution.net Wednesday, June 4, 2003

A summary of news concerning the Persecuted Church and how you can respond. *********************************** Contents: 1. Christian Acquitted of Blasphemy Charges (Pakistan) 2. Pastor and Family Among Fifty-nine Killed, Sixteen Abducted (Sudan) 3. One Killed; Another Wounded in Grenade Attack (India) 4. Pastor Released from Prison (Sudan) 5. Court Case Gives Hope to Christian Widow (Jordan) 6. Hate and Sexual Orientation Up For Final Reading (Canada) 7. Question of the Week *********************************** 1. Christian Acquitted of Blasphemy Charges (Pakistan)

After serving four and a half years in prison for alleged blasphemy against Islam, Pakistani Christian Aslam Masih was acquitted today by the Lahore High Court. Masih was arrested in November 1998 for allegedly giving a charm to Khadim Hussain, a Muslim, containing verses from the Quran to be hung around a dog’s neck. In his appeal trial, however, the prosecution’s main witness completely denied the statement attributed to him. He stated that the police had invented his testimony. The remaining evidence against Masih was second and third-hand testimony. According to a source cited by Compass Direct, Justice Najam ur-Zaman is reported to have taken “a very aggressive attitude against the prosecution” because of the flimsy circumstantial evidence.

This decision overturns a double life sentence given to Masih in May 2002 by a lower court. He will be released once this decision is passed on to the lower court. Security plans are being arranged to protect him once he is released, since those acquitted often face death threats.

Praise God for this decision. Pray for Masih’s safety. Pray also for other Christians still facing life imprisonment or death sentences under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. *********************************** 2. Pastor and Family Among Fifty-nine Killed, Sixteen Abducted (Sudan)

Servant’s Heart, an American non-governmental organization with whom VOM partners in southern Sudan, informed us yesterday that Government of Sudan-led military forces recently attacked ten villages in Eastern Upper Nile. During the unprovoked attack, Servant’s Heart has confirmed that the troops killed the region’s only Christian pastor and his family, massacred at least fifty-nine unarmed villagers, wounded fifteen and abducted ten children and six women.

Using a combination of rocket-propelled-grenade launchers (RPG’s), .50 caliber heavy machine guns and assault rifles, the government-led forces attacked the village of Longochok and nine nearby villages in a night assault during the evening of May 22, catching most villagers asleep in their grass homes. Many of the homes in the ten villages were set on fire by the attackers, with many of the slain burned alive in their homes. Reports from Sudan indicate that regular army officer Second Lieutenant Mohammed Idris led the attack.

During the attack, the government-led military forces also rounded up and abducted ten young children (six girls and three boys) and six woman. Pastor Jacob Gadet Manyiel of the Presbyterian Church of Sudan, his wife and four children were burned to death as the government soldiers stood outside their house and threatened to shoot anyone in the family who tried to escape the flames.

On the very day that these atrocities were committed, US State Department Richard Boucher publicly stated, “We think there is a real prospect to reach a just and lasting conclusion to the [Sudanese] civil war.” Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail said after the May 22nd meeting with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, that his government “would sign a peace agreement with the SPLA as quickly as possible, maybe next month.”

This attack directly violates the current “cease fire” between the Islamist Government of Sudan and the mainly Christian and animist Sudan People’s Liberation Army. It also violates the US Senator Danforth-sponsored agreement by the Government of Sudan to not attack civilians and non-combatants. Reports indicate that there were no rebel soldiers in any of these villages.

“I am shocked by the apparent brutality of the attack,” said VOM Communications Director, Glenn Penner. “But I am not surprised after what I witnessed in my recent trip to the region in February. The Sudanese government is a regime without a conscience and without honour. It should be treated as such. The Voice of the Martyrs joins with our friends at Servant’s Heart in calling on the United States government to resist pressure to normalize relations with Sudan and to insist that those responsible for these attacks be arrested and prosecuted for ‘crimes against humanity.’ We also call upon Christians from around the world to remember the families of the slain in prayer. Also, please earnestly pray for the release of the sixteen children and women who have been abducted.” Such abductions are most commonly for the purpose of enslavement. Servant’s Heart has released the names of those who were abducted as:

1) Nyanop Liech Tiek – girl, 8 years old 2) Nyaluak Liech Tiek – girl, 6 years old 3) Nyabuay Liech Tiek – girl, 5 years old 4) Nyanpal Liech Tiek – girl, 2 years old 5) Ruon Gadet Manyal – boy, 6 years old 6) Reath Gadet Manyal – boy, 4 years old 7) Nyanot Lul Nyuot – girl, 8 years old 8) Nyanpal Lul Nyuot – girl, 5 years old 9) Nyabiel Lul Nyuot – girl, 2 years old 10) Duoth Chuol Kuon – boy, 4 years old 11) Nyadeng Dew Yak – woman, 35 years old 12) Nyator Gay Buok – woman, 31 years old 13) Nyanhial Gadet Bor – woman, 30 years old 14) Nyaduar Deang Jany – woman, 38 years old 15) Nyaboth Thokier Nguoy – woman, 29 years old 16) Nyamuol Chuol Nhial – woman, 62 years old *********************************** 3. One Killed; Another Wounded in Grenade Attack (India)

One teacher was killed and another wounded on May 22 when a grenade was thrown at the gates of Saint Lukes Convent School in Nai Basti, 50 kilometres from Srinagar, the capital of the troubled state of Kashmir. Two women, Sister Kamlesh and Sister Mary Sipkota, both from West Bengal, were injured and taken to hospital. On route, Kamlesh died of her injuries. There have been no arrests, though militant Islamic groups are suspected to be responsible. Muslim clergy and militant Islamic groups in the area have been speaking out against Christians lately because of reports of up to 20,000 converts to Christianity in the past eight years.

Sipkota told The Indian Express, “We left our campus at St. Lukes at around 7:15 p.m. to go to a phone booth. We wanted to call our homes in West Bengal and just then a grenade hit us from nowhere.”

Pray for a quick and full healing for Sister Mary Sipkota. Pray for other Christians serving in this predominantly Muslim area of India. Pray for protection and the ability to minister effectively in the name of Christ, exhibiting His love and truth to those who oppose Him. *********************************** 4. Pastor Released from Prison (Sudan)

On May 14, the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on a pastor who had been sent to prison indefinitely until he either destroyed his church or paid for the land on which the church had stood for eleven years (see http://www.persecution.net/pnparchive/arch3.htm for more details).

We were delighted to learn on May 30 from Compass Direct that Rev. Samuel Dobai Amum had been released after the full purchase price had been raised. Local Sudanese Christians had managed to raise 2.6 million dinars ($1365 CDN). A delegation from Calvary Chapel, a church in California, covered the remaining amount. On the evening of May 21, Rev. Amum was able to walk through the door of his home into the arms of his wife and children.

Amum credits the prayers of Christians around the world, along with the direct intervention from Calvary Chapel, for his release. Lawyers for the Anglican Church in Sudan have been working since his release to finalize the details for the transfer of title.

Praise God for the release of Pastor Amum. Also, praise the Lord for His financial provision. *********************************** 5. Court Case Gives Hope to Christian Widow (Jordan)

One of Jordan’s top law firms has filed a case to have Siham Qandah restored as legal guardian of her two minor children, Rawan (15) and Fadi (14). According to a May 30 report from Compass Direct, the case is to present evidence that Abdullah al-Muhtadi, the current Muslim guardian and Qandah’s estranged brother, has embezzled at least 13,000 Jordanian dinars (over $24,000 CDN) from the orphan benefits held in trust for the children.

The children’s father died in 1994 while serving with UN peacekeeping forces in Kosovo. After his death, documents, apparently falsified, were presented stating that he had converted to Islam. As such, the children were legally considered Muslims and required a Muslim guardian to receive the orphan benefits. In order to receive and administer them, Qandah asked her brother to become the children’s legal guardian. He agreed and for three years functioned in this role, although he only occasionally gave the money to the family. In 1998, al-Muhtadi began legal proceedings to take the children from his sister’s custody. Two separate courts have since ruled in his favour, including the Supreme Court in 2002.

Continue to pray for Qandah and her children. Pray that this court case will be successful and that she will be able to retain custody of her children. *********************************** 6. Hate and Sexual Orientation Up For Final Reading (Canada)

In November 2002, the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on a private member’s bill, Bill C-250, presently before the Canadian Parliament that would add “sexual orientation” to the current list of identifiable groups (i.e. colour, race, religion and ethnic origin) in the “hate propaganda” sections of the Criminal Code of Canada.

This Friday, June 6, Bill C-250 is set for debate on its third and final reading before the House of Commons. The bill, initiated by the Honourable Svend Robinson, was slated to be debated later on the House’s agenda, but Robinson traded places with another Member of Parliament who was higher on the list. If the bill is debated this Friday, it could be voted on before Parliament rises for the summer. If passed, this bill would make advocating genocide, public incitement of hatred and the willful promotion of hatred against people based on their sexual orientation illegal.

While The Voice of the Martyrs believes that the deliberate incitement of hatred towards any identifiable group is inexcusable, we join with groups such as The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, The Catholic Rights League and The Christian Legal Fellowship in expressing concern about this particular bill, since it could potentially limit the freedom of expression of religious groups.

It is the position of The Voice of the Martyrs that the Bible clearly opposes homosexual activity and that believers are called upon to see homosexuality as sin. We are of the opinion that this bill is vague enough to allow for a case-to-case interpretation of what would constitute a hate crime against someone of a particular sexual orientation. Potentially, we belief this bill could lead to the criminalization of the public reading of Scripture passages that speak out against homosexuality, sermons that decry sexual sin and any other printed literature against homosexuality.

The Voice of the Martyrs urges Canadian Christians to write to their MPs and to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, The Honourable Martin Cauchon regarding this bill. Contact information can be found through a link to the House of Commons directory at http://www.persecution.net/links.htm. Before doing so, however, we encourage all Canadian Christians to go to http://www.evangelicalfellowship.ca/social/initiatives.asp and http://www.christianlegalfellowship.org/Articles/thebill.html for more information. We also urge prayer for the Canadian Parliament as they debate this initiative. *********************************** 7. Question of the Week

Groups in favor of Bill C-250, such as Amnesty International, argue that there are sufficient safeguards in the Charter of Rights and the Canadian Criminal Code to prevent the hate crimes legislation from being used against those who, in good faith, express their religious beliefs.

Do you believe that sufficient safeguards can be put in place to prevent Bill C-250 from being used against the public expression of religious beliefs?

We would encourage you to read the arguments from http://www.evangelicalfellowship.ca/social/initiatives.asp and http://www.amnesty.ca/library/Bill_C250.pdf and then express your opinion online.

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. *********************************** The Persecution & Prayer Alert is a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada. (Mailing address: P.O. Box 117, Port Credit, Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4L5) Tel. (905) 670.9721. Fax: (905) 670.7642 Website: http://www.persecution.net *********************************** Contact Person: Glenn Penner, Communications Director.

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