Today’s Headlines:

60 CHURCHES FORCED TO CLOSE IN WEST JAVA, INDONESIA, IN LAST 2 MONTHS

3 KILLED AS MUSLIMS PROTEST SCREENING OF CHRISTIAN PLAY IN EGYPT

HINDU EXTREMISTS ATTACK PASTORS AT PENTECOSTAL EVENT IN INDIA

Today’s Top Stories:

60 CHURCHES FORCED TO CLOSE IN WEST JAVA, INDONESIA, IN LAST 2 MONTHS

Christians in Indonesia are facing a severe escalation of terrorism, intimidation and persecution with 60 churches forced to close in West Java alone in the last two months. “This escalation is part of the process to implement sharia (Islamic law),” said Pastor Johan Bandi, secretary of the Indonesian Churches Together, in an e-mail report. He added that some of the publicly known radical Islamic groups such as the Defense of Islam (FPI) and the Alliance Against Apostasy (AGAP), have broken into churches in the middle of services, ordered pastors and congregations out of the church, and forced them to sign statements that the building would no longer be used for church services. Often they carry letters of authorization from the mayor and chief of police and are accompanied by government officials and police who stand by doing nothing. “This is not just a West Java problem,” Bandi said. “This is a national problem facing every church group throughout the country.” At least 35 churches in Bandung, for example, have been closed in the last 12 months. The Indonesia media has reported that some 150 churches have been destroyed or closed down in Jakarta and throughout the island of Java in recent years. (Assist News Service)

3 KILLED AS MUSLIMS PROTEST SCREENING OF CHRISTIAN PLAY IN EGYPT

Three people died during a riot outside of St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria, Egypt, Friday, Oct. 21, to protest a Christian play they said “insulted Islam and the Koran.” The British Broadcasting Corporation reported that police used sticks and tear gas to hold back a crowd of 5,000 protesters who marched on the church. Local informants said the mob numbered closer to 10,000. Dozens of people were injured in the melee. One man who died inhaled tear gas and was trampled and, police said. Friday’s protests came after initial street protests a week earlier and an incident on Wednesday, Oct. 19, when a Muslim student stabbed a Coptic nun who was selling a DVD copy of the play. First staged at the church in 2003, “I Once Was Blind but Now I See” is a play that tells the story of a poor young Coptic Christian who is drawn to Islamist militants who then try to kill him. Coptic leaders said the play depicts the dangers of extremism, not of Islam. “We would never tolerate anyone insulting Islam,” said Coptic Bishop Armia as quoted by Egypt’s official Mena news agency. The Egyptian Interior Ministry described the protesters as “fanatic elements” who “escalated a negative reaction to a play,” reported the Associated Press. (Assist News Service/U.S. Copts Association)

HINDU EXTREMISTS ATTACK PASTORS AT PENTECOSTAL EVENT IN INDIA

Eight Hindu extremists attacked pastors and vandalized equipment at a Pentecostal healing event with 500 people in attendance in Delhi Friday, Oct. 14. Six pastors sustained injuries in the incident. The attackers also seized a cell phone, wristwatch and digital camera from the main speaker and tried to snatch a cell phone from a pastor. At the police station, where more than 300 people were gathered, a local politician asked the pastors to reach a compromise instead of registering a formal police complaint. All the attackers remained at large, and the situation continued to be tense at press time. (Compass)