Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 075 | Wed 29 Sep 2010

WELCOME to the intercessors who have joined the list this month.

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SEPTEMBER 2010 UPDATE — During September we prayed concerning . . .

USA, where a church in Florida had globally advertised an ‘International
Burn a Koran Day’ for 9/11.

* UPDATE: We praise and thank God that the event did not go ahead, not
because we regard the Qur’an as sacred (for in fact it underpins an
ideologically and politically dangerous, false religion that must be
refuted), but because it was to be a deliberately provocative act that
would have impeded mission and needlessly imperilled the lives of
multitudes of already traumatised Christians throughout the Muslim
world. Now Randall Terry and other Christian activists plan to hold a
‘Hear Muhammad Speak’ event on 6&7 October, where they will read
Qur’anic exhortations to violence before tearing up the texts as
rubbish. They plan to do this outside Cordoba House (the proposed
‘ground zero’ mosque) and at various other sites around the US. Whilst
we may affirm their aims — to provoke debate, expose inconsistency and
highlight persecution — once again the method is highly questionable.

‘In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you . . . ‘
(Matthew 7:12 NIV)

TURKMENISTAN, where persecution and repression of Christianity is
escalating as President Berdimuhamedov becomes as totalitarian and
cultish as his predecessor, Niyazov.

INDONESIA, where one Bekasi pastor was stabbed and another bludgeoned as
Islamic intolerance escalates with impunity.

SOMALIA, where Christians continue to be martyred at the hands of Islamic
militants intent on turning Somalia into a fully Islamised and
Talibanised state and safe-haven for international terrorists. (They
are not far from achieving that goal.)

SEPTEMBER 2010 ROUND-UP — also this month . . .

* ALGERIA: CHRISTIANS FACE JAIL AS ISLAMISATION ADVANCES

In March 2006 only six months after it granted amnesty to some 10,000
condemned Islamists, the Algerian government passed a religion law that
seriously represses Christianity. The law is doubtless part of a quid-pro-
quo deal with the Islamists whereby Islam is advanced and Christianity is
repressed in exchange for ‘peace’. This Ramadan, a number of people were
arrested for eating during daylight hours even though there is no law
against it. Two of those charged are Christian construction workers Hocine
Hocini and Fellak Salem. Further to this, Algerian authorities have issued
an arrest warrant for Ali Arhab, the Algeria-born, France-based director
of Channel North Africa gospel satellite broadcasts. The warrant — on
bogus charges of ‘swindling’ — prevents Mr Arhab (a dual national) from
visiting family and friends in Algeria. Mr Arhab is doubtless being
targeted because of his service to the Algerian Church. (For more details
see Religious Liberty Monitoring, http://elizabethkendal.blogspot.com )

* CHINA: PERSECUTION CONTINUES BEHIND WALL OF PROPAGANDA

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) still operates a Mao-era ‘laogai’ of
nearly 1000 state-owned slave-labour camps. Anyone the local authorities
deem a problem can be sent without charge or trial to the laogai for up to
three years of ‘administrative detention’ in what is portrayed as a pre-
emptive rather than punitive measure. (This is one reason why ‘Made in
China’ is so cheap.) When their house church in Xuchang, Henan province,
was raided by police in March, Liu Yunhua, Gao Jianli and others refused
to pay ‘fines’ (i.e. bribes) and were consequently detained for 15 days.
On 25 March Liu and Gao were sentenced to one year of ‘re-education
through labour’ in the laogai. They have appealed, claiming the
authorities were acting illegally. On 20 September several of their
relatives and supporters were arrested (including Pastor Zhang Mingxan)
while attending their second hearing. Three of the Christians were issued
with administrative orders for 15 days detention. While this is all very
normal and routine for China, the CCP has been escalating its propaganda
campaign, even inviting the BBC to tour and marvel at the CCP’s
‘commitment to supporting the development of Christianity’, and the
‘millions of dollars of government funding’ for state-run churches which
have ‘substantial freedom’. The CCP is doubtless hoping to discredit the
suffering of the persecuted house churches. (See Religious Liberty
Monitoring, http://elizabethkendal.blogspot.com )

* INDIA: PASTOR CHARGED WITH FORCED CONVERSIONS

On Sunday 26 September Hindu militants stormed the small, mostly tribal
fellowship in Umachagi village, Karnataka, led by Pastor Shivanda Siddi
(45) for the past five years. After interrupting prayers they tried to
argue with Pastor Siddi while abusing the believers and taking their
Bibles. For the next half hour they insulted, beat and stripped the pastor
before telephoning the police and falsely accusing him of forced
conversions. When the police arrived they arrested the pastor, seven women
and two children. Whilst the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC)
was able to intervene to get the women and children released, Pastor Siddi
was tried and charged under Section 295 of the Indian Penal Code, which
prohibits ‘forced’ conversions. Pastor Siddi is being detained in Sirsi
prison in Uttar Kananda. This represents the Hindu nationalists’ preferred
method of repression and persecution and is becoming all too common in
‘secular’ India. The Evangelical Fellowship of India has recorded 106 such
major incidents in 16 states up to August this year, including 37 in
Karnataka.

* IRAN: NINE MORE CHRISTIANS ARRESTED

According to the Farsi Christian News Network, authorities in Hamedan
arrested nine Christians who have since been charged with carrying out
evangelism. This was announced on 10 September by a member of the Iranian
Security services via Iran’s Fars news agency, which is connected to the
Revolutionary Guard. The accused were described as ‘Christian Zionists’
and ‘evangelicals’, two of whom were allegedly being sponsored from
outside Iran while the other seven were Iranian co-conspirators. Please
pray for the Church in Iran.

* LEBANON: HEZBALLAH DEPLOYS 3500 MILITANTS TO CHRISTIAN AREAS

The Special Tribunal on Lebanon, set up to investigate the February 2005
assassination of PM Rafiq Hariri, will soon hand down its ruling. It is
widely expected the tribunal will indict Hezballah, Syria and Lebanese
intelligence heads. Reports and local evidence indicate that Hezballah is
preparing to stage a violent policy-reversing coup (similar to the one it
achieved in May 2008) to prevent the tribunal from fulfilling its mandate.
Hezballah has reportedly deployed some 3500 militants deep inside the
Christian areas north of Beirut. Having taken up residence in homes
purchased through their Christian allies in the Free Patriotic Movement,
the militants are positioned to besiege the homes of Hezballah’s Christian
opponents. In the event of conflict, Hezballah’s Christian allies will be
pitted against Hezballah’s Christian opponents in an act of Hezballah-
sponsored Christian self-destruction. Please pray that all Lebanese
Christians will seek the Lord. (See Religious Liberty Monitoring,
http://elizabethkendal.blogspot.com )

* PAKISTAN: TRAUMA FROM EAST TO WEST

EAST: On 3 September Tariq Gill, in the Christian colony of Mohalla
Kalupura, Gujrat district, Punjab, was cleared of charges of blasphemy.
Outraged Islamic fundamentalists have attacked the colony more than 10
times since. A mob of some 40 Islamic fundamentalists (including several
MPs) armed with guns, axes and clubs attacked the colony on 23 September.
Gill’s mother was stripped and dragged naked through the streets. Those
critically wounded were hospitalised. A local bishop and several pastors
have been threatened with death. WEST: On Sunday morning 12 September, a
bomb exploded at the entrance of St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Mardan,
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (formerly North West Frontier Province). St Paul’s
belongs to the Church of Pakistan, a Protestant union. Whilst two
Christians were injured in the blast, the situation would have been much
worse had the timer been set a little later. Locals view the bombing as an
act of intimidation aimed at subjugating or driving out the Christian
minority. Please pray for Pakistan’s besieged Church.

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God
is a refuge for us. Selah (Psalm 62:5-8 ESV)

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We usually provide a summary to use in news-sheets unable to
run the whole of an RLPB. As a summary is not practicable with
this monthly update posting we suggest one or more of the above
items be used instead.

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For more information, updates and helpful links see Elizabeth Kendal’s
blog ‘Religious Liberty Monitoring’ .

This RLPB was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious
Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international
religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC team.
Previous bulletins may be viewed at .