The Persecution & Prayer Alert The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada http://www.persecution.net Wednesday, July 16, 2003

A summary of news concerning the Persecuted Church and how you can respond. *********************************** Contents: 1. Christians Blamed for Drought, Attacked by Mob (Cambodia) 2. Church Spared Destruction (Vietnam) 3. Adventists Face Court Appearance (Uzbekistan) 4. Access to Church Blocked for Six Weeks (Georgia) 5. Question of the Week *********************************** 1. Christians Blamed for Drought, Attacked by Mob (Cambodia)

A mob of around 100 Buddhists attacked a church in Kok Pring in south-east Cambodia during a service on Sunday, July 13, destroying the cross at the front, breaking windows, and throwing Bibles into puddles of water. The building would have been destroyed if the police had not intervened. According to Hun Neng, governor of the province of Svay Rieng, there were some injuries, but no further details are available. A squad of police officers has been assigned to protect the building and officials have spoken with the villagers about respecting religious rights.

It appears that a three-year drought was part of the reason for the attack. The police chief, Sort Nady, told Associated Press, “They were angry with the church. They said the presence of the church has caused continuous droughts that have prevented them from growing rice.” According to a report from Zenit, the mob also accused the Christians of having contempt for Buddhists. Since many of the Christians in Cambodia are Vietnamese refugees fleeing religious persecution in their own country, there are suggestions that strong feelings against the Vietnamese refugees may have also been a factor in the attack.

Pray that tensions between Christians and Buddhists in Cambodia will not continue to escalate, but that they might be able to live peacefully together. Pray for those attacked, that the physical and emotional wounds will be healed through the power of God’s Spirit. Pray also for the physical needs of the people and that this drought will soon end. *********************************** 2. Church Spared Destruction (Vietnam)

Last week the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on the Thu Thiem church that was ordered destroyed by the Vietnamese authorities. In June the congregation had gathered to begin reconstruction on a building destroyed in July 2000 but the construction was stopped when the authorities confiscated the building materials. When the church gathered again on the site for a service on July 6, the police surrounded the gathering and demanded that all new construction be dismantled by July 12.

According to the Australian office of The Voice of the Martyrs, the Religious Department in Ho Chi Minh City called the church leaders together on July 10 to discuss the situation. They were able to reach an agreement in which the government acknowledged their mistake in taking too long to consider the application for the new building. At the same time, the church acknowledged their error in building the church on farmland before they received a government permit and Pastor Truong Van Nganh agreed to withdraw the letter of protest he had written.

The church is giving thanks to God for His intervention in this matter as well as thanking those who prayed. Continue to pray for the Thu Thiem Evangelical Church, that all the permits will be granted and that they will be able to have a building to gather for worship. *********************************** 3. Adventists Face Court Appearance (Uzbekistan)

Five months after their small congregation in Nukus, the capital of Karakalpakstan in north-western Uzbekistan, was raided by police and literature confiscated, the members of an Adventist church has been summoned to appear in court on July 20. In April, the members were fined and Kazakh-language literature was confiscated. The pamphlets were sent to Nurula Jamalov, a religious specialist at Karakalpakstan’s cabinet of ministers, for evaluation and Jamalov determined that the pamphlets should not be allowed to be distributed.

According to Forum 18 News Service, the reasons for the court summons are not clear, but authorities have been regularly harassing religious minorities in this predominantly Muslim country. This is one of many cases where churches have been raided and literature confiscated.

Pray that the ongoing campaign against religious minorities in Uzbekistan will cease. Pray for strength for believers facing oppression and harassment. *********************************** 4. Access to Church Blocked for Six Weeks (Georgia)

For the sixth week in a row, members of a Russian-language Pentecostal church in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi were blocked from entering a home on July 13 where the church has been meeting. Shouting abuses against Russians and “sectarians,” a mob blockaded the home of Pastor Nikolai Kalutsky for three hours. According to the July 14 report from Forum 18, police prevented serious physical injuries, but they did nothing to remove the blockade. The protestors told Pastor Kalutsky that they were Orthodox and their purpose was to prevent non-Orthodox worship. It is believed the blockade was organized by the Orthodox priest from the nearby village of Dighomi, though he denies any involvement.

In the past four years there have been over one hundred attacks by Orthodox mobs against religious minorities in Georgia. To date, no one has been prosecuted for the attacks. Pray for endurance and a firm resolve to stand strong in the Lord for those facing opposition. Pray that the authorities will take action against those who oppose freedom to worship outside of the dominant Orthodox Church. *********************************** 5. Question of the Week

As a non-denominational mission organization, The Voice of the Martyrs regularly reports on the persecution of Christians, regardless of their denominational affiliation (see http://www.persecution.net/faq/kinds.htm for our position). It grieves us that occasionally we find ourselves having to ask for prayer for Christians who are persecuted by others who also claim to be followers of Jesus. Our Question of the Week is: “Do you think The Voice of the Martyrs should report on incidents of persecution of members of minority Christian denominations by those who also claim to be followers of Christ?”

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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