AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER

* SALAFI MUSLIMS BEHIND CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION IN EGYPT

* NEPAL PLANS NEW CRIMINAL CODE FORBIDDING EVANGELISM

* HAMAS REPORTED TO BE MOVING TO EGYPT

* U.S. CONGRESS EXAMINES ISLAMISATION IN AMERICAN PRISONS

* AL QAEDA CALL FOR ATTACKS ON HOUSES OF WORSHIP

* U.K. REPORT SHOWS CHRISTIANS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN
COMMUNITIES

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SALAFI MUSLIMS BEHIND CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION IN EGYPT
Recent violence in Egypt, mostly incited by Salafi Muslims, has left
over 24 dead, more than 200 wounded and three churches destroyed. The
threat is so severe many Christians are moving out of the country.
For the youth and moderate Muslims of Egypt the January 25 uprising
was about democratic freedoms. However the Salafis saw it as an
opportunity to push an Islamist agenda. Violence, mostly against
Coptic Christians, escalated. The violence followed the departure of
Mubarak and picked up after the announcement of a referendum to adopt
an interim constitution paving the way for a democratic election.

The bone of contention was Article 2 of the previous constitution
which stated that Islam was the state religion and legislation must
be based on the principles of Islamic law. This Article was retained
in the draft constitution. Many Egyptians feared that the retention
of the Article would lead to increased discrimination against Coptic
Christians and other minorities. In the March 19 referendum, a
majority accepted the amendments and the interim constitution was
adopted. And so the Salafist struggle continues for a more
conservative state. It is believed that they are being guided and
funded by Saudi Arabia.
Salafis read the Quran literally and maintain a lifestyle that
replicates Islam in the days of Mohammed. They follow Muhammad ¢â‚¬â„¢s 7th
century teachings, and reject later movements as heresy. They believe
in banning alcohol, the  ¢â‚¬Å“mixing of sexes ¢â‚¬  and Christian worship.
Before Mubarak ¢â‚¬â„¢s departure, Salafis were known for dismissing
democracy as un-Islamic. Now they have founded a political party, Al
Nour, saying they will partner with the Muslim Brotherhood to field
Islamist candidates for the election. The Salafis cannot be expected
to do well in the parliamentary election but they are helping other
religious groups, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, to garner
support.
When Egypt ¢â‚¬â„¢s military establishment, now the new government,
appointed a Christian as the new governor of the Qena Governorate to
replace the previous official who was also a Christian, the Salafis
raised a hue and cry saying a Christian could not be given authority
over Muslims. They demanded that a Muslim governor be appointed. One
reason Salafi violence is not being dealt with is that it is helping
the military leaders, who have been eyeing larger financial aid from
the United States in the wake of Mubarak ¢â‚¬â„¢s downfall. Any possibility
of an Islamist party coming to power makes Washington nervous and
therefore more generous towards the transitional
government.
Egypt ¢â‚¬â„¢s media is widely covering the Salafis and their voices feature
in news which further emboldens them. Egyptian law makes it difficult
for Christians to build places of worship while Muslims can construct
theirs without much regulation. As a result, many churches use their
buildings officially built for other purposes, for worship, which
causes tensions. Also, the authorities use the blasphemy law, to
restrict evangelism efforts. The Salafis are not an officially
organised group as they have no membership. Therefore, dealing with
them is difficult, as only the individuals held responsible for an
action can be prosecuted, which happens rarely.
Values such as secularism, justice and freedom are seen as  ¢â‚¬Å“Western
imperialism, ¢â‚¬  and therefore difficult to promote. The cause of the
divide among sections of majority Muslims and minority Christians,
who make up about 10% of Egypt ¢â‚¬â„¢s 80 million people, are rooted in
history. Christianity in Egypt predates Islam but by the 10th
century, the Christians were reduced to a minority. Modern day
discrimination against Christians returned with the Nasser Revolution
of 1952. The transitional government should ensure equality for the
minorities before the election. After the election, expected to be
dominated by Islamists, there will be little hope for equality.

Source: World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty
Commission
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NEPAL PLANS NEW
CRIMINAL CODE FORBIDDING EVANGELISM
Five years after it abolished Hinduism as the state religion, Nepal
is working to forbid a person from one faith to  ¢â‚¬Å“convert a person or
aid and abet them to change their religion. ¢â‚¬  Article 160 of the
proposed law says no one will be allowed to  ¢â‚¬Å“offer inducements ¢â‚¬  or do
anything or behave in any way that could cause a person to lose faith
in his/her traditional religion or convert to a different religion.
If found guilty, offenders could be imprisoned for a maximum of 5
years and fined up to 50,000 Nepalese rupees (A$670). If the offender
is a foreigner, he or she would be deported within 7 days. Once
passed the new law would make proclaiming Christ a punishable
offense.
Nepal has also failed to complete a new constitution providing for
religious freedom. Once the only Hindu monarchy in the world and now
the youngest federal republic, Nepal was to have unveiled the
document by midnight on May 28. But Prime Minister Khanal admitted
his 3 month-old government had failed to fulfil its mandate and
sought another year to write the constitution. After marathon
negotiations, opposition parties agreed to allow the prime minister
to extend the time for completing the first draft of the new
constitution by three months. The opposition however forced Khanal to
agree to resign and pave the way for an all-party government.
Amid the delays, Hindu militancy is on the upswing. The only royalist
party in parliament, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, proposed that
parliament be dissolved since it failed to draft the new constitution
in time. It called for fresh elections to constitute a new
parliament. The Party hopes this step will lead to the restoration
of a Hindu kingdom in Nepal as people become increasingly
disenchanted with squabbling politicians. Though legislators voted
overwhelmingly against the proposal, the royalists, led by deposed
King Gyanendra ¢â‚¬â„¢s former home minister Kamal Thapa, have sworn to
start a new and stronger campaign in the days to come.
This week also saw eight Hindu organizations, led by the World Hindu
Federation, enforce regional general strikes for three days,
paralysing parts of the country. The reason for the strikes was the
arrest of 2 men for slaughtering cows and selling the meat. Cows are
considered sacred by Hindus. The cow is also the national animal of
Nepal, and a ban on cow slaughter is in force. Though Nepal ¢â‚¬â„¢s
non-Hindu communities have been demanding that the cow, with its
religious overtone, be replaced as the national animal, now that
Nepal is secular, a succession of Nepal governments has turned a deaf
ear to the pleading.
During the general strikes, police raided two places in the capital
city of Kathmandu and seized over 1,000 iron tridents that were to
have been used during public demonstrations by one of the protesting
Hindu groups. Also on the warpath are two of Nepal ¢â‚¬â„¢s largest
communities  ¢â‚¬“ the Chheris, or warrior classes, who account for nearly
16% of the population, and the Brahmins, the community of priests,
who accounted for over 12%. The two Hindu groups, who together ruled
Nepal for centuries, are now seeking proportional representation in
all areas of government, saying their rights are threatened by the
new constitution.
Nepal ¢â‚¬â„¢s Christian minority is closely watching the upsurge in Hindu
protests.  ¢â‚¬Å“Certain groups are trying to foment instability and
lawlessness, to discredit religious tolerance. ¢â‚¬  said Dhakal.  ¢â‚¬Å“Many
politicians are not happy at the growing number of Christians in
Nepal. In a democracy everyone has the right to freedom of
expression, including Hindu extremists, Dhakal added.  ¢â‚¬Å“We will remain
cautious about the Hindu campaign, but we are not going to panic. ¢â‚¬  he
said. Nepal ¢â‚¬â„¢s Catholic bishop, Anthony Sharma, said many Christians
feel betrayed.  ¢â‚¬Å“Not everyone is happy about the extension, ¢â‚¬  he said.
 ¢â‚¬Å“We hope the legislators will not betray the people this time. ¢â‚¬ 

Source: Compass Direct
News
———————————————–
HAMAS REPORTED TO
BE MOVING TO EGYPT
According to several sources, the terrorist group Hamas is moving its
headquarters from Syria to Egypt. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu says the Muslim Brotherhood, to which Hamas is closely
linked, is also becoming more powerful in Egypt. Syria has become an
all out blood bath which could be part of the reason Hamas may want
to move, says Tom Doyle the Middle East  ¢â‚¬“ Central Asia Director of
E3Partners. The benefits for Hamas in Egypt could also be
significant. “It will unite them in a stronger way with Hamas in the
Gaza Strip,” explains Doyle. “I think it gives them a larger
territory, a much bigger population to blend in with. So it really
makes sense.”
This potentially could be good news for Syrian believers, who are
facing worse persecution than they have for decades. Doyle says,
“Some people assume persecution comes always from the government but
sometimes it’s from the terrorist groups. So one leaving makes it a
little better for the Christians.” Doyle adds, “Syrian believers
wouldn’t be sorry to see them go, that’s for sure.” Hamas moving to
Egypt could also be bad news. Egypt is already a powerhouse for the
“brains” of Islam. The presence of more radical Islamic groups could
be a bad combination. An additional terror group headquartered in
Egypt could mean more instability for the Middle East.
Doyle says “The people want democracy but what the Muslim Brotherhood
is offering is not what the people are looking for.” The group only
has about 10% support in Egypt Doyle says, but history shows that
could change overnight. This may be especially so in a nation
desperate for leaders who can deliver on their promises. Amid the
concerns, the conflicts building in Syria and Egypt are actually
producing fruit. “It’s bad news politically, but it’s good news
spiritually because it’s created desperation in the hearts of the
people, and they’re much more open to the Gospel.”
In Syria, Muslims have knocked on doors in the middle of the night
while Christians were meeting for prayer and fasting and said  ¢â‚¬ËœWe
wanted a place that was safe to go. We know that you have love for
each other. There’s so much hatred in our country. People are killing
people, Muslims are killing Muslims, and we felt like we’d be safe
with the Christians. Can you help us? God is building His church and
the gates of hell will not stand against it. So it doesn’t matter
what government, it doesn’t matter who the leader is, it doesn’t
matter the current movement; He has a plan, and it’s going to
succeed. And in times like this is when His light shines the
brightest in the darkness.”
Source: Mission World
News
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U.S. CONGRESS
EXAMINES ISLAMISATION IN AMERICAN PRISONS
For years, law enforcement officials have said the prison atmosphere
is ripe for radicalization recruitment, from violent Islamic
extremism to white supremacy and Latino gangs. And with about 2.3
million people currently locked up in America, many lawmakers say
that’s dangerous for the U.S. Rep. Peter King led a hearing recently
on the growing Islamic radicalization behind bars. He warned the
threat in U.S. prisons “remains real and present.” The most
well-known examples are former convicts Richard Reid, known as the
“shoe bomber,” and Jose Padilla, who was convicted of conspiring to
support terrorists.
The hearing was the second meeting by lawmakers meant to analyse
home-grown terrorism and Islamisation. It highlighted other terror
plots that involved contact with people in prisons, like the
“Lackawanna Six” from Buffalo, N.Y. and the “Virginia Paintball Jihad
Network.” A Senate report also unveiled three dozen Americans who
converted to Islam in prison, but are now in Yemen — the homebase
for al Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula. Experts say infiltration by
radical clerics, plus a lack of standards and practices, create risks
both inside and outside the prison walls.
“Instead of providing a balanced perspective of Islam, we are left
with a hijacked version known to the counterterrorism practitioners
as ‘Prislam,'” said former assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Smith.
Democrats at the hearing claimed that the threat is overblown and
suggested prison gangs and lone wolves pose a greater risk.
Republicans accused their opponents of being blinded by political
correctness. “I just must say the political correctness in this room
is astounding,” Rep. Dan Lungren said in the congressional chamber.
“How many of the street gangs in either New York or California have
an ideology that is dedicated to the destruction of the United
States?” he asked.
Source:
CBNnews.com
———————————————–
AL QAEDA CALL FOR
ATTACKS ON HOUSES OF WORSHIP
An ABC News report contains a newly released video by Al-Qaeda with
specific calls for attacks on sacred places. The video encourages
western Muslims to conduct individual violent jihad against sacred
places and features previously released statements by Osama bin Ladin
as well as Al-Qaeda media spokesman Adam Gadahn. Gadahn encourages
western Muslims to conduct attacks in their home countries as an
obligation and falsely depicts the west as being at war with Islam.
The video also provides guidance on how to conduct violent jihad, to
operate in secrecy, to attack public figures, and to launch cyber
attacks – without any specific names or targets.
Gadahn is quoted in the video as saying: “Muslims in the West are
perfectly placed to play an important and decisive part in the jihad
against Zionists and crusaders, and to do major damage to the enemies
of Islam, waging war on their sacred places, and brethren,” says
Gadahn. “This is a golden opportunity and a blessing.” While the
Department of Homeland Security has not offered an official comment
on the video or its content, Christian Emergency Network’s (CEN) own
independent security experts recommend churches and religious leaders
listen to the video and make a determination for themselves as to the
need for increased readiness.
Responding to the Al-Qaeda video, CEN President and Founder Mary Marr
says, “The video is yet another reminder that it is important for
Churches to be aware of potential threats, prepared to meet them, and
ready to give an answer for the Hope we have in Jesus Christ, at any
moment.” CEN recommends churches and ministries have in place a
Ministry Continuity Plan including safety and security measures, a
trained church emergency team, and a plan to conduct regular
emergency drills with their congregation. CEN offers training to
assist a churches to be ready to respond spiritually, emotionally, as
well as physically in a God-honouring manner to emergencies.

Source: Intercessors for
America
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U.K. REPORT SHOWS
CHRISTIANS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN COMMUNITIES
A two-year study that posed the question:  ¢â‚¬Å“If your church disappeared
tomorrow would anyone notice the difference?” has concluded that
Christians in the Yorkshire and Humber regions of the UK are indeed
impacting their communities for the better. The research was a joint
project of Faithworks and the Churches Regional Commission, and was
funded by Yorkshire Forward, a governmental agency. The report noted
the “remarkable contribution to the social welfare and
transformation” which many Christians had made in their local
communities. Some of the projects in which Believers were involved
included after-school clubs, Fair trade cafes, and alcohol and drug
rehab centres.
Faith works leader, Malcolm Duncan, remarked, “In this study we see
true examples of Christian motivated community work that are
demonstrably making a tangible difference to the lives of all kinds
of people. “Stating that the report’s findings were of national
significance, Liz Carnelley, Chief Executive of the Churches Regional
Commission for Yorkshire and the Humber, added, “There are real
lessons here that churches need to learn. Lives are being changed and
communities transformed by what Christians are doing across the
region.”
Source: Christian
Post

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