RELIGIOUS FREEDOM A CONCERN AS UKRAINE PREPARES FOR NEW ELECTION

3,000 DISPLACED AS BURMESE ARMY ATTACKS 10 CHRISTIAN VILLAGES

DUTCH HOSPITAL REPORTS EUTHANIZING TERMINALLY ILL INFANTS

HINDU EXTREMISTS IN EASTERN INDIA STEP UP PRESSURE ON BELIEVERS

NIGERIAN POLITICIANS BLAME VIOLENCE ON ‘RELIGIOUS EXCLUSIVISM’

4 RADIO STATIONS AWARDED TO CHRISTIAN GROUP IN ROMANIA

Today’s News Stories:

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM A CONCERN AS UKRAINE PREPARES FOR NEW ELECTION Thousands of Christians have taken to the streets of Ukraine, concerned about the future of religious freedom after the country’s Supreme Court invalidated the recent presidential run-off election results. The court has ordered a second run-off election for Sunday, Dec. 26, after mass demonstrations protesting the victory claimed by pro-Moscow Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich against West-leaning Viktor Yushchenko in a campaign that election observers said was rigged by the government. “A large part of what’s at stake here is the future of Christianity in this part of the world,” said HOPE International President Paul Marty who lives in Ukraine “If the election goes toward the pro-Russian candidate, then a lot of the policies of the country are going to follow. And, he’s publicly stated that the only church he would recognize would be the Russian Orthodox Church and would not tolerate others.” HOPE International runs children’s Bible clubs and provides micro-enterprise loans for small businesses. Marty says the election crisis has made people more open to the gospel. “The clients that take small loans from us are very open when we share our faith with them. And the response in our children’s Bible clubs, especially in the rural areas, is phenomenal.” (Mission Network News/The Washington Post)

3,000 DISPLACED AS BURMESE ARMY ATTACKS 10 CHRISTIAN VILLAGES Two Burmese Army battalions attacked 10 villages in the mostly Christian northern Karen state in Myanmar (Burma) Tuesday, Nov. 30, displacing about 3,000 people. The villages, each with 300 to 500 people, are along the Yaw Law River Valley. The villagers fled and are hiding in the jungle where they struggle for medical care, food, shelter and security. The attacks were part of three clashes between the Burmese Army battalions and the Karen National Liberation Army that took place Nov. 28-30. An estimated 1 million people are living as internally displaced persons inside Myanmar. (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)

DUTCH HOSPITAL REPORTS EUTHANIZING TERMINALLY ILL INFANTS A recent study revealed that 8 percent of all infants who die in the Netherlands annually were killed by Dutch doctors. A hospital in the Netherlands reportedly released proposed guidelines for killing terminally ill newborns, then announced it had already started carrying out what are being termed as euthanasia or “mercy killings.” In light of these revelations, a leading pro-life advocate says Americans should worry that U.S. hospitals could soon be doing what is already being done in Amsterdam — killing newborn babies for convenience. “We call it merciful and we call it euthanasia, and we call it a lot of things,” said Judie Brown of the American Life League. “But we never call it murder. In fact, in the Netherlands, what doctors are doing is intentionally killing innocent babies once they are born because they are ‘defective.'” The last time this kind of infanticide was being carried out was in Nazi Germany in the 1930s, she said. (AgapePress)

HINDU EXTREMISTS IN EASTERN INDIA STEP UP PRESSURE ON BELIEVERS A “reconversion” campaign launched by extremist Hindus in eastern India’s Orissa state aimed at forcing tribal Christians to renounce their faith and return to Hinduism has given rise to active opposition of the gospel. Some district authorities have begun using the controversial Orissa Freedom of Religion Act which prohibits the “use of force or inducement or fraudulent means” to convert someone from one religion to another, to attempt to inhibit Christian ministry. While Christians bear the brunt of the law’s enforcement, most Hindu groups, including those trying to coerce tribal people to return to Hinduism, are free to do as they please in certain districts. In the midst of their frustrations with the government, some Christians are facing attacks by Hindu extremists. In one area, a church building was recently ransacked and homes of Christian families destroyed. Some believers face persecution from their own families and communities. In one Orissa village, at least seven Christians who had converted from Hinduism were forced from their homes. They were allowed to return to the village after six months, yet they are still denied basic necessities such as water from the well or employment. (Christian Aid Mission)

NIGERIAN POLITICIANS BLAME VIOLENCE ON ‘RELIGIOUS EXCLUSIVISM’ Christian leaders from northern Nigeria attending a two-day peace conference in the city of Kaduna blamed the politics of religious exclusiveness for the incessant violence that has claimed more than 53,000 lives in the past four years. “When governments resort to blatant favoritism and divisive strategies . . . religion becomes a ready tool for murder and killings,” said Archbishop Peter Jatau, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna. The November conference drew together Muslim and Christian political leaders from 19 states to explore ways of curtailing religious conflict in northern Nigeria. “History will not forgive us if we walk out of this hall without finding lasting solutions to these problems,” Nigerian Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar told the delegates. Nevertheless, the conference ended with no major policy statement or political thrust aimed at ending Muslim-Christian religious clashes. (Compass)

4 RADIO STATIONS AWARDED TO CHRISTIAN GROUP IN ROMANIA Little Samaritan Mission, which is already operating a number of radio stations in Romania, was recently awarded four more. Little Samaritan’s Florin Pindicblaj says the stations were available at auction, and Christians in Romania are excited about adding the new frequencies and being able to share the gospel in more areas. “That was the last time these frequencies were available because Romania will join the European Union completely by 2007,” he said. “God blessed us, and we received four super stations.” Pindicblaj says these outlets come to the area as an answer to prayer for local believers who had prayed and fasted for two years, asking God to bring them Christian programming. He said at least one of the new stations could go on the air as early as January. (Mission Network News)

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