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Today’s Headlines:

MUSLIM RIOTERS BURN DOWN 13 CHURCHES IN NIGERIA CHRISTIANS IN IRAQ FACE INCREASING ACTS OF INTIMIDATION, VIOLENCE SECRET POLICE CLOSE DOWN MOSQUE IN TURKMENISTAN WORLD VISION TEAM WORKS TO STAMP OUT CHOLERA IN MALAWI NEW MINISTRY SEEKS COMMUNICATORS TO HELP REACH U.K. FOR CHRIST RISING HEALTHCARE COSTS ADD TO MISSIONARIES’ SUPPORT-RAISING WOES

Today’s News Stories:

MUSLIM RIOTERS BURN DOWN 13 CHURCHES IN NIGERIA The evening of Tuesday, Nov. 18, a crowd of Muslims tried to enter a girls’ school in the town of Kazaure in Nigeria’s Jigawa state where a pupil had allegedly “blasphemed” against Islam. When they were prevented from doing so by police, they rampaged through the town, torching 13 churches, 40 businesses and many Christian homes. Muslim shops were also looted as the mob grew further out of control. The crowd had gathered outside the school because they were unhappy with what they considered to be the lack of action against the pupil. They attempted to gain entry in order to enforce their own punishment. When police shot a 17-year-old protester in the neck while trying to protect the school, the crowd turned on local Christians and their property. Two weeks earlier the 12-year-old Christian student reportedly responded to taunts from Muslim classmates by insulting the prophet Mohammed. In other recent incidents, three students were killed in early November when Muslims stormed a private party in northeastern Nigeria’s Maiduguri University where they suspected of holding a beauty pageant. Another campus incident occurred at Ahmadu Bello University in the northern state of Kaduna on Sept. 23 when a female Christian student who had been engaged in a religious argument was attacked and critically injured. (Barnabas Fund)

* HCJB World Radio, together with partners In Touch Ministries, SIM and the Evangelical Church of West Africa, began airing weekly half-hour programs to Nigeria in the Igbo language in 2000. In 2003, weekly broadcasts were added in two additional languages: Yoruba and Hausa.

CHRISTIANS IN IRAQ FACE INCREASING ACTS OF INTIMIDATION, VIOLENCE Life in Iraq is becoming increasingly difficult for the estimated 700,000 Christians. Believers in Mosul in northern Iraq are facing serious acts of intimidation and violence, reported Zenit. It is believed that at least some of the violence comes from militant Wahabi Muslims, a strict Islamic sect centered in Saudi Arabia. On Nov. 11 a bomb made up of a cluster of hand grenades, was found in front of a Catholic school in Mosul. It was defused before it could explode, but the school was forced to close for more than a week. Also last week, the residence of the Syro-Antiochian bishop was shot at with an assault rifle. Again, no injuries were reported. Threats also have been posted on a website proclaiming, “The veil should be worn and the honorable teachings of Islam that have come to us from ages past must be adhered to. We are Iraqis and Muslims; we will not tolerate sin. If this announcement is not complied with we shall either inflict some unbearable punishment, kill offenders, kidnap them or destroy them in their homes with fire or by bombing.” It is unknown whether there is any connection between these threats/ attacks and the increasing violence against the occupying forces in Iraq, but these were clearly directed specifically against Iraqi Christians. (Voice of the Martyrs/Barnabas Fund)

SECRET POLICE CLOSE DOWN MOSQUE IN TURKMENISTAN Officers from the State Security Ministry in Turkmenistan recently closed down a Sunni mosque because one of its leaders refused to put a copy of the Ruhnama on the same stand as the Koran during Friday prayers. The Ruhnama (Book of the Soul), which officials have likened to the Koran or the Bible, is President Saparmurat Niyazov’s book of spiritual writings and plays a significant role in his massive cult of personality. It is compulsory reading for schools and the wider public. All imams in large mosques are required to put the Ruhnama alongside the Koran during prayers and are required to incorporate prayers for Niyazov into regular prayers. Sources say that most imams reluctantly comply for fear of being punished or jailed. When the leader of the mosque refused to do this, declaring that it would contradict the teachings of Islam, he was taken in for days of questioning. Officers banned him from attending the mosque and from holding any position at any other mosque. They then closed down the mosque and put locks on the doors. The mosque was respected especially for its education work with children. Many mosques and churches have been closed by Turkmen authorities in the past five years. (Forum 18 News Service)

WORLD VISION TEAM WORKS TO STAMP OUT CHOLERA IN MALAWI Cholera is a deadly disease that frequents dire situations, increasing the despair of warlike conditions. World Vision Malawi has established a core research team in an effort to stamp out cholera as a disease kills many children and the elderly every year in the country. The team plans to conduct its research in southern Malawi next week. The mobilization comes in response to news that a cholera epidemic had started with 77 cases and one death reported in the southern district of Machinga. The research means local World Vision staff members are going back to basics to find out all factors about cholera and what teams should do to combat the disease effectively. They will work with both government and non-governmental organizations. Through this effort, mission personnel hope to alleviate some of the physical suffering in the area, ultimately leading to witnessing opportunities. (Mission Network News)

* In partnership with African Bible College, HCJB World Radio helped plant a Christian radio station in Lilongwe, Malawi, in 1995. The station airs programs in Chichewa and English. Staff members from the HCJB World Radio Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind., also installed FM transmitters at stations in two Malawian cities, Blantyre and Mzuzu, in 2000.

NEW MINISTRY SEEKS COMMUNICATORS TO HELP REACH U.K. FOR CHRIST A British ministry called Walk Like Jesus Walked will launch an evangelistic training program in January called Urban Warriors in partnership with Yeovil Community Church in Somerset, U.K. Mark Bowness, director of Walk Like Jesus Walked, commented, “Urban Warriors is about equipping and releasing people into mission. Therefore, the course will be for youth workers, web designers, graphic designers, musicians, writers and community workers as we seek to see young people fulfill the calling that God has placed upon their lives.” Urban Warriors is looking for 15 team members who will commit to training from January to July 2004. The church already runs a successful year-out program, but doors have opened for the teams to get into more schools, skate parks, nightclubs and people’s homes. (Assist News Service)

RISING HEALTHCARE COSTS ADD TO MISSIONARIES’ SUPPORT-RAISING WOES The economy and rising healthcare costs are having an impact on missions outreach. Since missionary support is tied to those costs, support isn’t cheap. Frank Severn of Send International says rising healthcare costs have forced many missionaries to seek additional support. “As we compare our healthcare costs with the market locally, we are still lower, but there is just no way to keep it down if we’re going make sure our people can be adequately covered if they have to come back to North America for emergencies and those kinds of things. We’ve had to raise the healthcare part of our support across the board.” Severn says donations have been down the last couple of years due to the down economy. That means some projects have been under funded, including a construction project at Kiev Theological Seminary, a scholarship fund for Bible students, and a mission to unreached people groups. Even if the economy rebounds, it will take time before missions giving improves, he says. “As I look back on 20 some years now of leadership in missions, giving in the Christian circles is up to two years behind the economy. So I think it will take awhile for giving to turn around.” Severn says while funding is important, prayer is needed even more. (Mission Network News)

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * 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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