INTERNATIONAL NEWS 11th December 2006

AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER

* FIJIAN CHURCH CALLS FOR PRAYER SUPPORT

* CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS CALL ON TONY BLAIR TO TACKLE WORLDWIDE PERSECUTION

* MALAYSIA BANS MORE BOOKS DEEMED PREJUDICIAL TO PUBLIC ORDER

* VIOLENCE AGAINST CHRISTIANS ESCALATES IN SRI LANKA

* BRITISH AIRWAYS TO REVIEW EMPLOYEE’S RIGHT TO WEAR CROSS

* CSW DISMAYED OVER SECRET EXECUTION OF CHINESE RELIGIOUS LEADERS

* U.S. HOUSE CHURCH MOVEMENT BIGGER THAN 2ND LARGEST DENOMINATION

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FIJIAN CHURCH CALLS FOR PRAYER SUPPORT

A military coup in the South Pacific island nation of Fiji has brought strong words from Christian leaders in the nation. After army commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama took over the Fijian government and dismissed Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and his ministers, the head of the Fiji Council of Churches condemned the new administration and the coup as “illegal and unconstitutional.”

Rev. Tuikilakila Waqairatu was openly opposed to Bainimrama’s military seizure of power and said, “We are deeply convinced that the move now taken by the commander and his advisers is the manifestation of darkness and evil.” New Zealand, U.K. and Australia have all denounced the military action behind the coup, Fiji’s fourth in two decades.

The Fijian Church has issued a call to Prayer Networks around the world to remember the situation in Fiji in their prayers. The coup has once again shattered in this normally laid back community.

Please pray for peace on the Island, a return to civil Government, and for wisdom for Church, National and International leaders as they seek to find a solution to the current impasse.

Source: Australian Prayer Network

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CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS CALL ON TONY BLAIR TO TACKLE WORLDWIDE PERSECUTION

A host of leading British Christian and religious organizations have signed a joint letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair to tackle issues of persecution on a global scale.

The letter, signed by 24 UK-based religious leaders and faith-based organizations from different traditions, highlights “the violations of religious freedom that are taking place worldwide and outlines fifteen recommendations to the government on ways to assist in countering violations of religious freedom,” explained Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a human rights group that has backed the letter. The recommendations include:

1) To appoint an envoy for religious freedom to investigate cases of religious persecution and prepare briefings for relevant government departments and parliamentary committees.

2) To require British Embassies and High Commissions to prepare an annual report on the state of local equality and tolerance, including freedom of religion and belief.

3) To train Foreign Office and Home Office Case Officers to ensure promotion of the right to freedom of religion and belief, accurate reporting of religious persecution, and the provision of relief and asylum for victims of religious persecution.

4) To support peace and reconciliation initiatives designed to counter religious hatred and promote understanding. In the worldwide Church, some estimate that upwards of 250 million people are suffering as a result of their faith, with Christians being harassed, attacked, imprisoned, tortured and even killed for their choice of faith.

A spokesman for CSW concluded: “Through this letter to the UK Government, we a calling for a more proactive stance in promoting religious freedom worldwide.”

Source: ASSIST Ministries

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MALAYSIA BANS MORE BOOKS DEEMED PREJUDICIAL TO PUBLIC ORDER

Once again, Malaysia’s Internal Security Ministry has used the Printing Presses and Publications Act of 1984 to ban books on religion. The banned titles are books that critique Islam and books that assist in Christian witness to Muslims and which have been in circulation for many years. They are banned on the grounds they are considered prejudicial to public order. In reality however, the only members of the public likely to be provoked by these books are Islamists who rely on repression because they are threatened by public debate and public access to alternatives.

In early April 2003 the Malaysian Home Ministry banned 35 books that they considered detrimental to public peace. Twelve of these were Christian books, eleven of which were in the national language, Bahasa Malaysia. The twelfth was a translation of the Bible in Iban, the language of the Iban people of Sarawak. After much prayer and advocacy, and a meeting between Malaysian Christian leaders and Acting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the ban on the Iban-language Bible was lifted.

Then in April 2005 the Malaysian government banned eleven more titles dealing with religious topics on the grounds that they were “detrimental to public order”. Malaysia’s Democratic Alliance Party called for an explanation, saying “Simply stating that the publications are detrimental to public order without justifying how they are so is plainly unacceptable. The decision of the Ministry to ban the books concerned is clearly retrogressive and does not square with the government’s aspiration of creating a knowledge based society, where people should have the fundamental freedom of access to information; not only information which the governing authorities deem appropriate.”

This year a further eighteen books on religious topics have been banned on the grounds that they could disrupt public peace and harmony. Under the Printing Presses and Publications Act, all forms of reproduction or distribution of these books are thereby banned. Six of the titles are in Malay language and the rest are in English.

The Kuala Lumpur-based women’s rights group Sisters-in-Islam is protesting the ministry’s decision. ‘We are particularly concerned over the increasing number of books on Islam and religion that are being banned,’ the group said in an appeal to be sent to the ministry. ‘The space for discourse is narrowing and Malaysian readers are being deprived of ideas and debates by renowned scholars and writers, published by reputable institutions such as the Oxford University Press.’

“Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is walking a tightrope between ensuring open discussions about liberalism and pluralism in Islam, and maintaining a strong political base among Muslim conservatives.” While PM Badawi is walking his tightrope, he is being pulled to each side by opposing forces. In reality, he needs to choose which side to jump into before he and his coalition are torn apart.

ARTICLE 19 an international human rights organisation which defends and promotes freedom of expression and freedom ofinformation all over the world has strongly condemned the Malaysian government over the book bans.

In a press release ARTICLE 19 stated, “Any restriction on freedom of expression must be the least restrictive means possible to protect a legitimate interest, and must be carefully tailored to effectively protect that interest.” ARTICLE 19 maintains that the bans violate international standards governing the right to freedom of expression. However, ARTICLE 19 also notes, “Malaysia is one of the few countries around the world which has not signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees freedom of expression and access to information.”

Source: Elizabeth Kendal World Evangelical Alliance R.L.Commission

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VIOLENCE AGAINST CHRISTIANS ESCALATES IN SRI LANKA

Sri Lankan Christians are facing more intense persecution as mob violence becomes an increasing trend in the country. As fighting between the Sri Lankan army and Tamil rebels continues, mob violence against churches and individuals across the country has increased dramatically. On 22 November 2006, the Lighthouse Church in Kandy District, was attacked while the pastor and a church worker were inside. Rocks were thrown at the building, shattering the front window, and the church worker was seriously injured when a rock hit him on the head.

Ten days earlier, on 12 November 2006, members of the congregation of the Assemblies of God Church in Yakkala, were prevented from attending a church service by a mob of over 100 people, some of whom were armed with clubs. Four Buddhist monks accompanied the crowd of attackers and anti-Christian posters had appeared on the walls. Only two policemen were sent to the scene initially, but they were unable to control the crowd. They had to ask for re-enforcements twice before twelve other officers arrived. The church has temporarily stopped holding services as a result of developments.

Four days later, a young woman from the same congregation had a container of black oil thrown over her as she travelled to the home of the pastor and his wife, Christian Today has been told. In Kandy District on 12 November, the Sunday service at Mizpah Prayer Ministry was disrupted by a crowd of 35 people who were accompanied by 12 Buddhist monks and a Provincial Council member. The church’s pastor reported that the mob threatened to flatten the building if the congregation gathered together to worship again.

On the same day, four members of the Prayer Tower, in Puttlam District, were threatened by a group of men as they returned from a funeral. They were told not to return to the village and were hit with fists and rocks.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide Chief Executive, Mervyn Thomas, tells: “At a time when ethnic violence is escalating in Sri Lanka, this recent spate of religiously motivated attacks is particularly discouraging. We call upon the authorities in Sri Lanka to ensure that all citizens have the opportunity to practice their chosen religion without fear of harassment by mobs and urge all faith communities to show tolerance and respect for one another.”

Source: Intercessors Network

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BRITISH AIRWAYS TO REVIEW EMPLOYEE’S RIGHT TO WEAR CROSS

British Airways (BA) recently announced that it would again review its dress code policy after initially ruling that one of its employees could not wear a cross to work because it violated the dress code.

Back in October, Nadia Eweida, a check-in worker, was told that she would have to either remove her cross or hide it beneath a scarf. Eweida, a Coptic Christian, refused and was ultimately sent home. She was also placed on unpaid leave. Eweida maintained that BA only discriminates against Christians in the wearing of religious items. “British Airways permits Muslims to wear a headscarf, Sikhs to wear a turban, and other faiths religious apparel,” she said.

Eweida filed an appeal with the airline, but lost. She was once again told that she could not wear a cross that was fully visible to others. Eweida’s plight soon became public, and British Airlines experienced a backlash of gigantic proportions. Statements and articles declaring religious discrimination were lodged by Christians and clergy worldwide. Even the British Parliament became involved as close to 100 members protested on behalf of Eweida.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, responded to the airline’s decision by reiterating a statement he had made early in the Eweida controversy that it is “absolutely basic that people of any faith should have the right to display the signs of their faith commitment in public.”

Source: Agape Press

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CSW DISMAYED OVER SECRET EXECUTION OF CHINESE RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Christian leaders are dismayed that China has secretly carried out the execution of three religious leaders from the controversial group Three Grades of Servants. Lawyers and family of Mr Xu Shuangfu (60), Mr Li Maoxing (55) and Mr Wang Jun (36) had not even received the final verdict from their appeal, nor been told about the pending executions prior to them being carried out.

The first was known of the executions when the wife of Mr Li Maoxing was asked to collect his ashes from authorities. One of the lawyers for the church leaders said that the three men were executed at some point last week and that he was deeply disturbed by the secret arbitrary execution. Some 15 leaders and members of the group have now been executed in relation to the case.

The three men were convicted of murdering leaders of the Eastern Lightning group and two were also convicted of defrauding members of their own group. The defence lawyers argued that there was no evidence to prove that the three men were involved in the murders. The case has been of particular concern as evidence emerged at the trial that severe torture and sexual abuse had been used against the defendants to extract confessions. Observers have expressed concern that by secretly cremating the bodies the local government is covering up the evidence of torture.

The men’s appeal articulated the failure of the prosecution to produce evidence to show their guilt. Alongside additional concerns about torture and the lack of evidence, the appeal addressed injustices in the conduct of the proceedings, factual inaccuracies and insupportable arguments relied upon in the trial.

Mervyn Thomas, Chief Executive of CSW comments: ‘It is shocking and deeply disturbing that these executions were carried out without even notifying the family or lawyers. China has shown itself in breach of legal procedures, international standards and the rule of law. The secret executions and the evidence of harsh torture once again shine the spotlight on the lack of justice in the country. We are deeply grieved for the family of the executed men, and also for the lack of protection given by the law to the population as a whole’.

Source: Christian Solidarity Worldwide

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U.S. HOUSE CHURCH MOVEMENT BIGGER THAN 2ND LARGEST DENOMINATION

For the first time in 1,700 years, simple churches meeting in homes are once again a factor in human events. In many countries, they’re booming so strongly that critics and opponents can no longer brush them aside as a fringe movement. Home churches are producing millions of proactive Christians.

According to statistics the house church community in North America is numerically about halfway between the Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention (which is the second-largest denomination in the U.S.).

George Barna, the leading U.S. church pollster and perhaps the most widely quoted Christian leader in America, is the author of the figures below. They are based on a four-month scientific survey of 5,013 adults, including 663 blacks, 631 Hispanics, 676 liberals and 1,608 conservatives.

* In a typical week, 9 percent of U.S. adults (20 million people) attend a house church.

* All told, 70 million U.S. adults have at least experimented with participation in a house church.

* Focusing only on those who attend some kind of church, 74 percent of them attend only a traditional church, 19 percent attend both a traditional and a house church, and 5 percent attend only a house church.

The study counted only attendance at genuine house churches, not small groups that are part of a traditional church.

Source: WorldNetDaily.com

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