AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER
Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 177 | Wed 19 Sep 2012
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PRAYING THROUGH THE RIOTS
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by Elizabeth Kendal
The current ‘Film riots’ bear many similarities to the ‘Cartoon Intifada’
of February 2006. The Danish cartoons had been published months earlier –
even republished in Cairo during Ramadan (Nov 2005) – to no effect.
Similarly, the offensive film, ‘Innocence of Muslims’, has been available
on Youtube for many months. The ‘Cartoon Intifada’ was incited by Arab-
Islamic leaders ahead of the scheduled April 2006 sitting of the UN Human
Rights Commission (UNHRC). It was anticipated that at that sitting the UN
Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia and related intolerance would present his conclusion as to
whether or not defamation of religion should be banned. Similarly, the
‘Film riots’ were initially incited (so it seems) by Islamists, as a cover
for planned 9/11 ‘revenge’ attacks on US embassies in Cairo and Benghazi.
Because decades of radicalisation have created a tinderbox, Islamists only
need to strike a spark to get the fire of arrogant, hateful rage burning.
Fanned by social media, it spread quickly around the globe.
As with the cartoons, the film is far less offensive than much of the anti-
Christian material that offends, hurts and sickens Christians – who do not
riot. Indeed, the Internet is full of anti-Islamic material that is far
more offensive than the Danish cartoons or ‘Innocence of Muslims’. For
rioters, this is less about offence and more about the fact that Islam
demands universal respect and criminalises non-submission. Meanwhile fear
motivates the appeasers.
In praying through this crisis, there are three things we should
particularly remember.
1. CHRISTIAN SECURITY
As security is tightened around embassies and US economic interests,
Islamists may well turn their anger to softer targets with perceived US
ties and/or sympathies such as Christians and churches. The riots could
evolve into a grinding, communal jihad or terror campaign. We must pray
concerning Christian security in these times, especially in places where
Christians are already a persecuted, vulnerable minority. The situation
for the Copts, Egypt’s indigenous Christians, is especially perilous.
2. FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Islam’s religious totalitarian, apostaphobic dictators live in constant
fear that, given a chance, the masses will apostasise (leave Islam). These
religious dictators will doubtless seek to exploit the crisis to advance
their goal of having criticism of Islam criminalised internationally. As
was done after the Cartoon Intifada, the riots are being put forward as
the reason why criticism of Islam must be banned. Muslims should regard
this as profoundly offensive as it implies that they are easily provoked
and incapable of responding in a civilised manner. On the other hand,
non-Muslims should regard this as an Islamic threat.
The Grand Sheikh of Cairo’s al-Azhar University, Professor Dr Ahmad at-
Tayyib, has already released a statement calling on the UN to enact
international laws that will punish those who insult or defame Islam.
Egypt has issued arrest warrants for eight Americans (including seven
Copts) who they charge have defamed Islam. They will be tried in absentia
and may well be sentenced to death, possibly heralding a new wave of
‘Salman Rushdies’. (On 16 September, Iran increased the bounty on
Rushdie’s head by half a million dollars to $US 3.3 million.) Egypt
wants Interpol to issue wanted notices for the accused. Pakistan also
has appealed to Interpol for legislation that would ban ‘sacrilegious
[specifically anti-Islamic] materials’ from the Internet. Pakistan aims
to present draft legislation to the forthcoming UN General Assembly.
We can also expect to see renewed efforts by the Organisation of Islamic
Co-operation (OIC) for implementation of UN Resolution 16/18, ‘Combating
intolerance . . . ‘, which equates ‘defamation’ with ‘incitement’.
3. AWAKENING
If the terror attacks of 11 September 2001 left many nominal Muslims
profoundly confused and conflicted, the Cartoon Intifada of February 2006
compounded those feelings into deep disillusionment. So revolted and
embarrassed were most nominal Muslims by the sanctimonious hysteria,
barbarity and uncivilised behaviour of hundreds of thousands of Muslims
around the world that the trend of apostasy increased markedly through
2007. (See Religious Liberty Trends 2007-2008, 15 Feb 2008,
http://elizabethkendal.
awakening now.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT –
* the Holy Spirit will draw vulnerable, threatened Christians to find
shelter under the ‘wings’ of the LORD. ‘ . . . in the shadow of your
wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.’
(Psalm 57:1b ESV)
* God will use the struggle over free speech to expose hidden evil and
awaken the world to the value of truth. ‘Many are the plans in the
mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.’
(Proverbs 19:21 ESV)
* the current crisis will serve to awaken many Muslims and further
accelerate the exodus from Islam. ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the
labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest
to send out labourers into his harvest’. (Matthew 9:37,38 ESV)
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SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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PRAYING THROUGH THE RIOTS
Whilst the ‘Film riots’ may well have been incited by Islamists as a cover
for planned 9/11 revenge attacks on US embassies in Cairo and Benghazi,
they have spread around the world like ‘fire’. For the rioters, this is
less about offence and more about the fact that Islam demands universal
respect and criminalises non-submission. Meanwhile fear motivates their
appeasers. In this climate, Christian minorities are profoundly at risk.
Freedom of speech is also at risk. We should expect to see efforts being
made to punish those who have offended Islam, and to criminalise criticism
of Islam internationally. Most critically, we must pray for an awakening
amongst nominal Muslims who are appalled by the hysteria and uncivilised
behaviour of hundreds of thousands of Muslims around the world.
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To view this RLPB with hyperlinks, visit the Religious Liberty Prayer
Bulletin blog at http://rlprayerbulletin.
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We suggest that churches and fellowships using the above Summary might
also provide a copy of the listed prayer points to be used in their
worship by people who are leading in prayer.
For more information, updates and helpful links see Elizabeth Kendal’s
blog ‘Religious Liberty Monitoring’ <http://elizabethkendal.
Previous RLPBs may be viewed at <http://rlprayerbulletin.
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.
Elizabeth has been appointed Adjunct Research Fellow in the Centre for
Study of Islam and Other Faiths at the Melbourne School of Theology.
If this bulletin was forwarded to you, you may receive future weekly
issues direct by sending a blank email to <[email protected]>.
- AMID SYRIA’S NIGHTMARE RAYS OF LIGHT APPEAR
- BAIL GRANTED TO PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN GIRL ACCUSED OF BLASPHEMY`
- PROGRAM BRINGS SKILLS DIRECTION AND HOPE TO PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN WOMEN
- 2012 OLYMPICS/PARALYMPICS LEAVE BRITISH CHURCHES WITH RENEWED CONFIDENCE
- ATHEIST BILLBOARDS BLASTED BY CHRISTIAN LEADER
- GLOBAL DAY OF WORSHIP
AMID SYRIA’S NIGHTMARE RAYS OF LIGHT APPEAR
Civilian deaths in the nearly 18-month-old rebellion against the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad topped 21,000 last month. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have fled their homes, seeking safety from government and militia attacks in shrinking sanctuaries within Syria or in neighbouring countries. Army and rebel forces battle for control of Syria’s major cities, as large swaths of the country fall under control of the rebels — or of criminal gangs. The blood feud between the ruling Alawite sect and Sunni Muslims (the majority of Syria’s population) grows more bitter by the day. Minority Christian communities fear reprisals if the Alawites fall.
As the country fragments, Kurds are angling for an autonomous region like the Kurdish zone in northern Iraq, which a wary Turkey vows to prevent at any cost. Sectarian tensions and clashes are spilling across Syria’s borders, particularly into volatile Lebanon. Syria’s civil war is turning into a proxy struggle between Shiite Iran — Assad’s closest remaining ally — and the Sunni states of Turkey and the Arab Middle East. It’s also increasing tensions between Shiites and Sunnis across the region. Jihadist fighters are filtering into Syria to fight government forces as Israel watches on with mounting alarm.
The military remains far more powerful and well-armed than the rebels. The endgame however might play out for months, even years to come. “The regime is done; it’s just a matter of time,” one observer predicts. ” Ultimately the Sunnis will take power, but the Alawites could remain players for a long time. Assad provided stability, albeit oppressive stability. Syria might turn into what Lebanon is — a sectarian m ƒ ©lange or they might trade an oppressive police state for an Islamic state. It will be a challenge either way.” Yet as the darkness deepens, rays of light appear here and there, both inside Syria and in neighbouring countries where Syrian refugees are fleeing for safety.
At significant personal risk, a Syrian Christian couple living in a neighbouring country are delivering food and other basic necessities to internal refugees — mostly Sunni Muslims — in an area hard hit by shelling and army-rebel combat. “A lot of refugees went to this area and sought refuge. There’s a great opportunity there. The severity of the need is greater inside the country than what we’re seeing among refugees leaving the country” the worker said. More than 37,000 Syrians have crossed the border into northern Lebanon seeking sanctuary. Assisted by hunger and relief funds, Lebanese Christians have begun a third round of aid to refugees in border areas in the north.
The first round, launched when the uprising began last year and included deliveries of food and personal hygiene items. When winter set in, the emphasis moved to providing blankets, carpets for insulation and warm clothes. Recently the priority has moved back to food and other basics. One aid worker said “We’ve seen an increase in the number of refugees, and they’re coming from further afield — even as far as Damascus. Up until maybe three months ago we had fairly open access to the border area. But the violence on the border increased to the point where the army began stopping us from going. We continue to have relationship with Syrian families there, but it’s increasingly difficult to get to them.
Christians have shared the Word of God — in addition to physical aid — with thousands of Syrians looking for truth they can hold onto in difficult times. “In the midst of the violence, we know He is at work drawing the hearts of people to Himself,” the aid worker says. “We’ve shared the Gospel with maybe 15,000 people and left Bibles in their hands.” One, a 16-year-old Syrian girl received a Bible late last year. Recently Christian workers encountered her again. She remembered us,” the worker recounts. “She pulled one of the workers aside and said she had been reading her Bible but needed help to understand what I’m reading. Can somebody come back and explain it to me?’
One of the local volunteers working with the aid team is retired from the military. He participated in many armed conflicts with the Syrian Army during his military career. He was shot three times; the wounds are still visible. When he began helping Syrian refugees, at first he did it out of a sense of obligation. Not anymore. “Of all the people in the world I probably should hate the worst, it’s Syrians,” he now tells refugees. “But Jesus has changed me so much; He has changed my heart. Now I don’t serve you because it’s an obligation. It’s a privilege because of the forgiveness and love Jesus has shown me. He has filled my heart with that same love, and I’m able to love you and stand beside you.”
“Some refugees are complete families but many others are missing fathers, sons or brothers. There are a lot of hurting people pouring out of Syria. We sit with them to hear about what their families are going through. We look for the opportunities God will provide to share that which will truly give them peace” — including Bibles and audio players with New Testament stories. “Despite the awful things that have and continue to happen, God is giving us opportunities to share His love and compassion with these refugees. We are finding that during this difficult time in their lives, they find comfort hearing about God’s love for them. After our visits, they expect us to pray with them and we are doing that.
Pray that we would continue to have an open door to share life with these families and that they would see His love in our actions.” He and other workers in Jordan and Lebanon ask prayer for continued open doors, for an end to the violence tearing Syria apart, for boldness and for wisdom in how best to use limited resources. “God is at work in this crisis, and we’re trying to find where,” says one worker. “It will take a higher level of creativity and a higher level of sacrifice. Are we going to be good stewards of the crises of our day — even if that means greater suffering, hardship and risk?”
Source: ASSIST News Service
BAIL GRANTED TO PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN GIRL ACCUSED OF BLASPHEMY`
Just as it seemed that Pakistan ¢â‚¬â„¢s controversial blasphemy law couldn ¢â‚¬â„¢t sink any lower, a 14-year-old Pakistani Christian girl with Down syndrome was arrested and charged with blasphemy. She was accused of defaming the Koran, supposedly carrying burned pages in a bag in her possession. Such a crime in Pakistan is punishable by life imprisonment or even death. Hundreds of Christians fled for fear of reprisal attacks from Muslim mobs incensed by the issue. Dr Paul Bhatti, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Harmony, held a meeting with prominent Muslim clerics, who successfully calmed the situation to some extent.
President Zardari instructed his Minister for the Interior to investigate Rimsha ¢â‚¬â„¢s case. Then in an extraordinary development an Imam was remanded in custody, accused of planting pages of the Quran in Rimsha ¢â‚¬â„¢s bag. Prosecutors charged Imam Khalid Chishti with blasphemy after he allegedly told a witness that this was a ¢â‚¬Å“way of getting rid of Christians ¢â‚¬ . Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws are often used to settle personal vendettas. Last year two leading politicians were assassinated after speaking out against the legislation. ¢â‚¬Å“The imam was arrested after his deputy and two others told the court he added pages from the Quran to the burnt pages brought to him by a witness, ¢â‚¬ an investigator said.
The girl’s lawyer said that Rimsha ¢â‚¬Å“should be acquitted immediately ¢â‚¬ , as it had been ¢â‚¬Å“fully proven that it was a conspiracy ¢â‚¬ . Chishti had long been at the forefront of a dispute between the slum’s Muslim and Christian communities, leading complaints over Christian prayers, singing and music that he maintains is provocative. After Rimsha was arrested, Chishti reportedly told local Christians, “All Christians must leave here immediately or we will pour petrol on you and burn you alive.” Chishti denies the accusation. Christians in the area said that during the confrontation people burned their makeshift church to the ground and evicted them from the site.
In court the prosecuting lawyer accused the state of manipulating court proceedings in an attempt to whitewash it for political reasons. He accused doctors of giving a false account of Rimsha ¢â‚¬â„¢s age and mental capacity, in order to have her treated more leniently. “There are many Mumtaz Qadris in this country, ” The lawyer for Chishti warned ominously, referring to the Islamist who assassinated the Punjab Governor over his criticism of the blasphemy law, “the girl is guilty, If the state overrides the court, then God will get a person to do the job. If the court is not allowed to do its work because the state is helping the accused, then the public will take the law into their own hands.”
The reality of the case probably looks something like this: consumed with hate, Chishti framed the helpless and unwitting Rimsha in order to justify inciting the driving of Christians out of Mehrabad. Then, with Islamic and international passions soaring, the government realised it had to find a solution that would both pacify Pakistan’s Islamic fundamentalists and appease the West. Fortunately for them this case had all the right ingredients to make that very easy. With the case now being all about age, disability and evidence tampering, it is no longer has to be about blasphemy, intolerance and religious hatred at all and the government is off the hook.
The Judge has now granted Rimsha bail and she has been released back into the care of her parents. It is likely now that the case will quietly disappear from sight within the Pakistan legal system in order to prevent further worldwide protests and outcry. It is hoped that Muslims within Pakistan will now think twice before seeking to lay any further blasphemy charges against Christians although Human Rights advocates will continue their push to have the Government give attention to reviewing or abolishing the blasphemy laws in Pakistan. In the meantime please continue to pray for Rimsha that her life will not remain under threat and that she will recover from the trauma of recent weeks.
Source: ASSIST News Service
PROGRAM BRINGS SKILLS DIRECTION AND HOPE TO PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN WOMEN
A program begun in June of 2011 is teaching Pakistani Christian young women skills that will enable them to provide for themselves and their families. The Women Development Program in the Toba Tek Singh region of Pakistan ended its first session providing 14 girls with free professional training as a beautician and seamstress that enabled some to become self-employed, while others continued their training into the next session. The program’s second session saw even more interest with about 35 young women wanting to take part in the training. The Women Development Program is the only Christian project that provides professional training courses to Christian women free of cost.
The program exists to teach women a skill so they will be less apt to become victims of human trafficking, violence, or have to become a domestic worker or house cleaner. All equipment, quality training and materials are provided for each student in the sewing and beautician sections, and all students receive training under the supervision of qualified and professional instructors. In the Sewing section, girls learn to sew many different fashions including the Pakistani national dress. In the Beautician section, the girls learn to apply cosmetics, bridal make-up, haircuts, and hair colour, along with other basic subjects relating to cosmetology.
One of the beautician students, a dedicated, intelligent and sharp girl immediately landed a job in Dubai for her beautician skill. She is very thankful to the Women Development Program for helping her and providing her professional training. She claims the position she holds now is from God. In addition to the professional training, the program also provides several activities to the young women deal with domestic affairs; making them aware and helping to protect them and their families from the influence of drugs. The Women Development Program hopes to counter persecution against the Christian women in the area, teaching them skills and giving them the hope of Jesus.
Source: Women Development Program
2012 OLYMPICS/PARALYMPICS LEAVE BRITISH CHURCHES WITH RENEWED CONFIDENCE
In the same way that Great Britain has gained a fresh sense of confidence through delivering highly successful 2012 Games, the same is true for thousands of churches. This is the view of David Willson, CEO of More Than Gold ¢â‚¬“ the agency which helped churches and Christian volunteers serve their communities and welcome visitors during the Games. ¢â‚¬ËœChurches across the UK have stepped out to run events including big screen festivals, fun days, kids clubs and more, ¢â‚¬â„¢ David said. ¢â‚¬ËœAnd time after time they have experienced outstanding success both in quality of what they have done and the numbers that turned up. ¢â‚¬â„¢
David said ¢â‚¬ËœThe impact has been to raise the profile and credibility of churches in their communities, especially where they have joined hands to work together. This has given many a fresh confidence to take into the future. ¢â‚¬â„¢ As a whole, the participation of the churches during the Games was far greater than had been anticipated when More Than Gold was launched, according to David Willson. He said, ¢â‚¬ËœWe expected about 3,000 churches to get involved but believe twice as many may have done at least something for the Games. ¢â‚¬â„¢ Along with a greater confidence, many churches are also taking new relationships with their neighbouring churches into the future.
David said, ¢â‚¬ËœThere is going to be an enduring legacy as the result of churches discovering the benefit of working together. ¢â‚¬â„¢ David also points to the fact that engagement with the 2012 Games for the churches is not the end. Further opportunities for churches to reach out in the context of great sports events in Britain are the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and the Rugby World Cup which England will host in 2015. ¢â‚¬ËœWe hope that those who didn ¢â‚¬â„¢t quite catch the vision of using a major sport event to reach people in their local communities will get on board in the future. After all, this could be the greatest legacy of London 2012 for the churches. ¢â‚¬â„¢ he said.
Source: More than Gold
ATHEIST BILLBOARDS BLASTED BY CHRISTIAN LEADER
An ethicist labelled billboards by American Atheists an unfair attack on people of faith. A billboard campaign mocks the religion of both presidential candidates. Billboards placed around the location of the recent Democratic National Convention, term Christianity “sheer silliness” that has “no place in politics.” The message displays an image of Jesus on burnt toast labelled “Sadistic God: Useless Saviour … Promotes Hate, Calls it ‘Love.'” The group, founded by Madalyn O’Hair, an atheist activist in the 1960s, promotes separation of Church and State. They also wanted to place billboards for the Republican National Convention but no business in Tampa would rent them the space.
That ad showed a man mocking a Mormon with the words “God Is a Space Alien. Baptizes Dead People. Big Money, Big Bigotry.” Robert Parham, from the Centre for Ethics says the billboard campaign crosses a line. “Unable to make a compelling case for atheism, atheists launch hateful billboards mocking faith,” he said. “Imagine the outrage had such bigoted and hateful things been said about homosexuals, Hispanics or African-Americans” Parham added. “It would have been labelled hate speech. Religion however is an acceptable punching bag.,” He urged atheists to “consider who would fill the vacuum if the faith community abandoned social services and muted its moral witness?”
Source: Baptist Press
GLOBAL DAY OF WORSHIP
The wave is beginning to rise for the 3rd Annual Global Day of Worship on 12.12.12. Believers and followers of Jesus are invited to give thanks and declare the goodness of Jesus Christ, His faithfulness and salvation as well as His deliverance over our lives, families and nations. In less than three months time the third annual Global Day of Worship will be held in 24 time zones around the world from 7:00pm till 8:00 pm in every zone. The Global Day of Worship has a heart to unify many denominations while embracing and celebrating the differences in our expressions of love for Jesus. Join gatherings around the world via www.globaldayofworship.com or organise a gathering of worshippers in your own area.
Source: Organisers of the Global Day of Worship
Have you visited our Web site? Australian Prayer Network
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This article was published by F18News on: 10 September 2012
KAZAKHSTAN: Fears over latest Uzbek extradition case
By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service <http://www.forum18.org>
Makset Djabbarbergenov ¢â‚¬“ a Protestant pastor wanted in his home country of Uzbekistan for “illegal” religious teaching and literature distribution ¢â‚¬“ has been arrested by the authorities of Kazakhstan, where he sought refuge in 2007. He was detained after police held his sister-in-law for two weeks to find his whereabouts, family members told Forum 18 News Service. A court ordered on 7 September Djabbarbergenov be held in detention until Kazakhstan’s General Prosecutor’s Office decides whether to send him back. “As a person I can say this is not right,” Daniyar Zharykbasov of Almaty’s Bostandyk District Prosecutor’s Office told Forum 18. “But we have to follow the rules.” In June the United Nations Committee Against Torture condemned Kazakhstan for sending back 28 Uzbek Muslim refugees and asylum seekers in 2011. They were arrested on their return and at least some received long prison terms.
Friends of Uzbek religious refugee Makset Djabbarbergenov ¢â‚¬“ who has lived with his family in Kazakhstan since 2007 ¢â‚¬“ fear that the Kazakh authorities are about to return him to his homeland. The Uzbek authorities have been hunting him since 2007 for criminal trial to punish him for his religious activity. Police in Kazakhstan’s commercial capital Almaty detained Djabbarbergenov on 5 September and two days later a court ordered him held in detention in the run-up to an extradition hearing. He was transferred on 8 September to Almaty’s Investigation Prison, Forum 18 News Service has learnt.
Djabbarbergenov, who is now 32, is married with four boys, one of whom was born since the family’s arrival in Kazakhstan. His wife Aigul is expecting their fifth child next April.
Almaty’s Bostandyk District Prosecutor Gani Seisembiev ¢â‚¬“ who presented the detention suit to court ¢â‚¬“ refused to discuss it. “I can’t give any information by telephone,” he told Forum 18 from Almaty on 10 September. He then put the phone down.
His assistant Daniyar Zharykbasov, who prepared the documentation in the case, told Forum 18 the Uzbek authorities put Djabbarbergenov on a wanted list for the Commonwealth of Independent States on 29 February 2012 for a “crime” he committed in 2007. “We have to respond to this request,” he told Forum 18 on 10 September.
Askhat Primbetov, head of the Extradition Division of the International Co-operation Department at the General Prosecutor’s Office, declined to comment on Djabbarbergenov’s case. “When the documents arrive we will examine them and take a position,” he told Forum 18 from the capital Astana on 10 September. “Until then we can’t give any comment.”
Asked about the United Nations Committee Against Torture’s 1 June finding in a similar case that Kazakhstan had violated human rights obligations by extraditing to Uzbekistan a group of Muslim refugees and asylum seekers in 2011, Primbetov insisted that his government is preparing an official response to the Committee. “The Committee decision reached us officially only in August, and we have up to 90 days to respond. We are committed to responding.” He declined to discuss the Committee’s criticisms of those extraditions.
Wanted
Zharykbasov of Bostandyk District Prosecutor’s Office told Forum 18 that the Uzbek authorities said Djabbarbergenov was wanted under Article 229-2 of the Uzbek Criminal Code, which punishes “violation of the procedure for teaching religion” and carries a maximum term of three years’ imprisonment. He is also wanted under Article 244-3, which punishes “illegal production, storage, import or distribution of religious literature” and also carries a maximum term of three years’ imprisonment.
Zharykbasov initially told Forum 18 the extradition case was not about religious activity. But told that the Uzbek authorities are seeking to imprison Djabbarbergenov because he led an unregistered Protestant church in his home town of Nukus in Karakalpakstan, Zharykbasov then expressed some sympathy for him. “As a person I can say this is not right,” he told Forum 18. “But we have to follow the rules. We just collect the documentation, and Kazakhstan’s General Prosecutor’s Office will take the decision whether to extradite him or not.”
Supreme Court
Ermik Rakhimbaev of the international department of Almaty city Prosecutor’s Office is collecting all the materials related to Djabbarbergenov’s case to be sent to the General Prosecutor’s Office in Astana. “We’re studying all the documents in the case at the moment and will send them on soon,” he told Forum 18 from Almaty on 10 September.
Rakhimbaev confirmed that Djabbarbergenov has challenged the Kazakh authorities’ denial of refugee status through the courts, a case that is still pending at the Supreme Court. “We’ll wait until the Supreme Court has taken a decision,” he claimed. However, he was unable to explain why Djabbarbergenov had been detained if the Supreme Court has yet to rule.
Sister-in-law detained
As they did not know where to find him, in late August police seized Djabbarbergenov’s sister-in-law and held her for two weeks, family members complained to Forum 18. She was held first of all at the police before being transferred to a centre for the homeless. Eventually police found the telephone number of his wife, Aigul, in her mobile phone. Police seized her, and then came to the family home in Almaty on 5 September and arrested Djabbarbergenov. Only on 8 September was his sister-in-law released.
Both Zharykbasov of Bostandyk District Prosecutor’s Office and Rakhimbaev of the city Prosecutor’s Office said they had no information about the two-week detention of Djabbarbergenov’s sister-in-law.
Detention
The detention request for Djabbarbergenov was prepared by Bostandyk District Prosecutor Seisembiev. It was approved by Bostandyk District Court No. 2 on 7 September, the court chancellery told Forum 18 on 10 September.
“They didn’t tell us or the UNHCR office about the hearing,” Aigul Djabbarbergenova complained to Forum 18. “They gave Makset a state lawyer rather than allowing him to find his own. They claimed to me later that they had informed us about the hearing, but they didn’t.”
Zharykbasov of Bostandyk District Prosecutor’s Office denied her claims to Forum 18. “The police told her about the hearing, and he had a state lawyer because he had no money to hire his own.”
The UNHCR office in Almaty declined to comment to Forum 18 on Djabbarbergenov’s case, citing individuals’ confidentiality.
Hunted
Djabbarbergenov had led a Pentecostal community in his home town of Nukus, the capital of Uzbekistan’s autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan [Qoraqalpoghiston], from 2001. He had been fined for his religious activity and had his home raided and Christian books confiscated.
He fled in August 2007 after anti-terrorism police raided his home, claiming he was holding an “illegal” religious meeting. Police detained him, but did not prevent him leaving the police station several hours later to attend to his distressed wife Aigul, who was seven months pregnant.
Soon afterwards, Djabbarbergenov left Nukus for the Uzbek capital Tashkent. On 20 August 2007, Nukus police issued a wanted poster (seen by Forum 18) stating that he was a follower of Isa Masih (Jesus Christ) and was being sought to face charges under Criminal Code Article 229-2. Police confirmed to Forum 18 from Nukus in October 2007 that they were still hunting for Djabbarbergenov (see F18News 12 October 2007 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1034).
To evade arrest, Djabbarbergenov crossed into Kazakhstan on 11 September 2007, where he sought refugee status with the UNHCR. His wife and children joined him in 2008. The UNHCR’s office in Almaty acknowledged in writing his and his family’s status as refugees in a 26 February 2008 certificate, seen by Forum 18. “As a refugee,” it notes, “he is a person of concern to the UNHCR, and should, in particular, be protected from forcible return to a country, where he would face threats to his life or freedom.”
Refugee Law
Kazakhstan acceded to the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention in January 1999. Article 33, Part 1 of the Convention declares: “No Contracting State shall expel or return (“refouler”) a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.”
Kazakhstan adopted its Refugee Law in December 2009 (it came into force on 1 January 2010). It defined in Article 1, Part 1 as: “a foreigner who because of well-grounded fears what an individual could become a victim of persecution on the basis of race, ethnicity, religious faith, citizenship, membership of a certain social group or for political convictions finds themselves outside the country of their citizenship and cannot avail themselves of their country’s protection or does not wish to avail themselves of such protection as a result of such fears, or is a person without citizenship finding themselves outside the country of their permanent residence or citizenship who cannot or do not wish to return as a result of these fears”.
Just before the adoption of the Refugee Law, the procedure for recognising refugees and asylum seekers was transferred from the UNHCR to the Kazakh government’s Migration Committee, part of the Labour and Social Protection Ministry.
The Kazakh government refused to recognise decisions taken by the UNHCR and began a review of all cases. The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) notes, in a 3 September 2012 report on the impact on human rights of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO), that of 120 UNHCR-recognised refugees whose cases were re-examined between June and October 2010, all but five were rejected.
“In examining cases with a particular connection to religious or political activity,” FIDH noted, “members of Kazakhstan’s government commission stated that the Kazakh authorities had no right to comment on the situation within Uzbekistan and China, which constituted part of the internal affairs of those states. Their position was that if Kazakhstan granted refugee status to Uzbeks or Chinese Uyghurs, its relationship with its SCO neighbours would suffer.”
Rejection
On 3 March 2011, in a document signed by its deputy chief Lt-Col. Askhat Butunchinov and seen by Forum 18, Almaty City Migration Police rejected the appeal for refugee status from Djabbarbergenov, his wife and four children. It claimed that he did not meet the eligibility criteria for refugee status under Kazakhstan’s Refugee Law. “According to Article 12, Part 1 of Kazakhstan’s Refugee Law there is no ground for granting refugee status,” the rejection letter claims. The letter noted that they were entitled to challenge the rejection in court.
Article 12, Part 1 of the Refugee Law gives as a reason for refusing refugee status: “the absence of well-grounded fears what an individual could become a victim of persecution on the basis of race, ethnicity, religious faith, citizenship, membership of a certain social group or for political convictions”.
Successive court decisions ¢â‚¬“ seen by Forum 18 ¢â‚¬“ rejected Djabbarbergenov’s appeal against the Migration Police’s decision. The first came in a 17 October 2011 decision by Court No. 2 of Almaty’s Almaly District. This was upheld by the appeals division of Almaty City Court on 6 December 2011. A panel of three judges at the cassation division of the same court rejected his further appeal on 2 February 2012.
The court decisions agreed with the Migration Police’s claim that Djabbarbergenov did not meet the eligibility criteria for refugee status. They claimed he had not presented sufficient evidence of his claims that he would be persecuted for his faith were he to be returned to Uzbekistan.
Djabbarbergenov then lodged an appeal to Kazakhstan’s Supreme Court. However, as of 10 September the Supreme Court had given no date for any hearing. Telephones at the Supreme Court’s relevant departments went unanswered each time Forum 18 called that day to find out when the case will be heard.
Previous expulsion attempt
On 29 May 2008, the KNB seized Djabbarbergenov on the street near his Almaty home in an attempt to expel him back to Uzbekistan. The Uzbek authorities had claimed to the Kazakh authorities that he is an Islamic fundamentalist and terrorist
The Almaty office of the UNHCR confirmed to Forum 18 on 3 June 2008 that Djabbarbergenov had been detained by the Kazakh KNB as a result of an inquiry from Uzbekistan and was released on UNHCR’s request (see F18News 4 June 2008 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1139).
Commitments violated
Kazakhstan has earlier sent back refugees to Uzbekistan. On 9 June 2011, it sent back 28 men wanted by the Uzbek authorities on anti-state and religion-related charges, despite protests by human rights defenders. Relatives of the men say they were peaceful Muslims the authorities were seeking to punish for their religious activity.
Representatives of the men complained to the UN Committee Against Torture, arguing that they were at risk of torture if they were returned to Uzbekistan. On 1 June 2012, the Committee ruled that Kazakhstan had violated its commitments under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (document reference CAT/C/48/D/444/2010).
The Committee found that “the pattern of gross, flagrant or mass violations of human rights and the significant risk of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in Uzbekistan, in particular for individuals practising their faith outside of the official framework, has been sufficiently established”. It pointed out that at least some of the complainants had already been subjected to “detention and torture” before they fled to Kazakhstan.
The Committee noted that the men were detained as soon as they arrived back in Uzbekistan and that some at least had received prison terms of more than ten years.
Kazakhstan had told the Committee that it had received “written guarantees from the General Prosecutor’s Office of Uzbekistan that the complainants’ rights and freedoms would be respected after the extradition and that they would not be subjected to torture or ill-treatment”. However, the Committee noted that Kazakhstan’s accepting such assurances without close monitoring of conditions in Uzbek detention was not enough.
The Committee Against Torture said the men should be brought back to Kazakhstan and given compensation. It asked the Kazakh authorities to respond to the findings “within 90 days”.
While Primbetov of the General Prosecutor’s Office insisted to Forum 18 his government will respond, the UN Committee Against Torture and Kazakhstan’s Mission to the United Nations organisations in Geneva did not respond immediately to Forum 18’s enquiries. (END)
For a personal commentary on how attacking religious freedom damages national security in Kazakhstan, see F18News http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=564.
For more background, see Forum 18’s Kazakhstan religious freedom survey at http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1352.
More reports on freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Kazakhstan can be found at http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?query=&religion=all&country=29.
For more background, see Forum 18’s Uzbekistan religious freedom survey at http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1170.
Full reports on freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Uzbekistan can be found at http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?query=&religion=all&country=33.
A compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments can be found at http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1351.
A printer-friendly map of Kazakhstan is available at http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/mapping/outline-map/?map=Kazakhstan.
~~
——————————
YOUCEF NADARKHANI AND RIMSHA MASIH
– Two Christian prisoners walk ‘free’ (Updating RLPB 173)
——————————
by Elizabeth Kendal
Over the weekend of 8-9 September two persecuted, imprisoned and much-
prayed-for Christians – Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani (34) of Iran and Rimsha
Masih (14) of Pakistan – walked free from their cells into the warm
embrace of family. While we praise and thank the LORD for granting these
blessings, we must recognise that these battles are not over. We must
persist in prayer.
PASTOR YOUCEF NADARKHANI (IRAN)
On Saturday 8 September, after more than 1000 days in jail, Youcef
Nadarkhani – the sorely persecuted pastor who repeatedly refused to
renounce his LORD – emerged a free man, unbroken. The court acquitted
Nadarkhani of apostasy, the charge for which he had been sentenced to
death. According to Mohammad-Ali Dadkhah, Nadarkhani’s lawyer, the court
‘finally accepted our argument’ that Iran’s penal code did not
‘criminalise apostasy’ (Financial Times, 9 Sep). However, the court did
find Nadarkhani guilty of ‘evangelising Muslims’. For this ‘crime’ he was
sentenced to three years imprisonment but granted time served and
released.
While we rejoice that Pastor Youcef is out of jail, enjoying the
fellowship of believers and the joyful, tender warmth of his wife and
sons, we must remember that Nadarkhani’s life might be more at risk now
than ever. Iran’s penal code might not criminalise apostasy but Islamic
Sharia law does. Furthermore, as this prayer ministry previously cautioned
in RLPB 173, ‘by launching a new trial with unprovable accusations
[extortion and banditry], the regime may be seeking to “wash its hands”
publicly of Nadarkhani and release him to the Islamists and secret police
while declaring itself “innocent of this man’s blood”. This has happened
before in Iran.’ Furthermore, a second conviction of ‘evangelising
Muslims’ would doubtless be punished more severely than the first. We must
also remember that numerous Iranian Christians remain in prison, including
Pastor Behnam Irani (41; married, with two children) who is gravely ill.
RIMSHA MASIH (PAKISTAN)
Rimsha Masih (14) was granted bail on 7 September but could not leave
prison until adequate security was arranged. On Sunday 9 September she was
transported in a bulletproof armoured vehicle to a helicopter that flew
her to a secret location where she should be safe from the radicalised
Muslim mobs that demand her death. Rimsha will face court again on Sunday
16 September and should be acquitted. Having been accused of blasphemy,
Rimsha in reality is not safe anywhere in Pakistan – her innocence is
irrelevant! Unless the family is removed to a safe-haven in the West, she
will eventually be killed – probably sooner rather than later.
Whilst Rimsha’s plight is terrible, what it says about the Pakistani
society in which Christians have to live is far worse. The authorities
have been able to turn this case into one about age and mental capacity –
Rimsha is a mentally impaired juvenile – and a local imam accused of
evidence-tampering. They have been able thereby to whitewash the whole
crisis completely so that it is no longer about the blasphemy law and
endemic religious hatred at all. The danger is, that with the next crisis
looming, the real issues are not being addressed. A few voices of protest
and disgust are being raised, warning that Pakistan will be torn apart
unless Wahhabi Saudi Arabian, Sunni fundamentalist ideology is countered.
However, political courage is in short supply.
While we rejoice that Rimsha is out of jail and back in the comforting
arms of her loving parents, we must resist the temptation to cry ‘peace,
peace’ when there is no peace! At this stage, nothing has changed in
Pakistan.
[For more details see Religious Liberty Monitoring, 5 Sep 2012
http://elizabethkendal.
being addressed.]
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT THE LORD WILL –
* intervene in Iran and (as in RLPB 128) ‘redeem the suffering of Iran’s
Church, so that this persecution will actually have the opposite effect
to what is intended. (Habakkuk 2:14)’
* intervene in Pakistan and (as in RLPB 173) ‘redeem all this appalling
suffering, and use it to shame and awaken Pakistani Muslims to the
ugliness that has engulfed them, softening their hearts to the Good
News so that they and even their whole communities can be radically
transformed. (Isaiah 2:2-4)’
‘Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of
joy, carrying sheaves with them.’ (Psalm 126:6 TNIV)
* be a strong shield and fortress around Youcef Nadarkhani and Rimsha
Masih as well as all their family members; may angels guard them, and
may those who seek to kill them be frustrated and ashamed. (Isaiah
26:1-6 and Psalm 141:8-10)
~~~~
SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
——————————
TWO CHRISTIAN PRISONERS WALK ‘FREE’
Over the weekend 8-9 September two persecuted and much-prayed-for
Christians – Youcef Nadarkhani (34) of Iran, and Rimsha Masih (14) of
Pakistan – walked free from their cells into the warm embrace of family.
We praise and thank the LORD for this, while recognising that these
battles are not over. The court acquitted Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani of
apostasy but found him guilty of evangelising Muslims. For this ‘crime’ he
received a three-year sentence but was released due to his time already
served. Nadarkhani’s life is still seriously at risk. Rimsha, who is out
on bail, will face court again on Sunday 16 September and should be
acquitted. Rimsha’s life is so imperilled that she must remain in hiding
so that Muslim mobs do not find and kill her. Please pray.
——————
To view this RLPB with hyperlinks, visit the Religious Liberty Prayer
Bulletin blog at http://rlprayerbulletin.
- INSIDE THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD – A WESTERN PERSPECTIVE
- U.K. ISLAMIST LEADER CLAIMS ISLAM WILL DOMINATE AMERICA
- NIGERIA: CHURCH IN KADUNA DONATES FOOD TO LOCAL MOSQUES IN RAMADAN GOODWILL GESTURE
- SEX IN MOVIES INFLUENCES TEEN’S BEHAVIOUR
- FEDERAL COURT RULES ON TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE IN HAWAII
- THE CHURCH THAT STAYS OPEN AT NIGHT
INSIDE THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD – A WESTERN PERSPECTIVE
The so-called Arab Spring has seen the Muslim Brotherhood rise to power in the Middle East and North Africa. But the group has also been active in the West in spreading its influence. Documents captured by the FBI show that the Brotherhood is active in the United States. Egypt’s President Morsi, reportedly joined the group whilst a student at the University of Southern California in the early 1980s. The Brotherhood’s presence in the West however goes back much further than that. CBN News recently visited the Islamic Centre of Munich, considered as the birthplace of radical Islam in the West to seek to understand how the Brotherhood works and something of its plans and intentions.
It was from Munich that the Muslim Brotherhood first established a presence in the West and spread its tentacles throughout Europe and the United States. “Initially, the Centre was an idea of the West Germans, who wanted to harness Islam for its political purposes in the Cold War,” said Ian Johnson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “A Mosque in Munich.” But the project was taken over by young students, mostly members or sympathizers with the Muslim Brotherhood. Johnson said the US and West Germany initially supported the Centre as a buffer against Soviet communism during the Cold War. It soon became much more than that. “It was a refuge for key Brotherhood people,” Johnson explained. ”
The board of directors was a who’s who of Islamic radicals from Pakistan, Egypt, Syria, North Africa, and Europe. It wasn’t set up as a Centre for local Muslims,” he said. “It was a political entity that was trying to organize political Islam around the world.” From Munich, and with the help of funding from Saudi Arabia, the Brotherhood soon began establishing mosques throughout Europe and America. “People who were key members of the mosque in Munich moved to the United States and helped set-up and organize Islam there,” Johnson said. CBN News recently spoke with two Muslim leaders in Europe who have been linked to the Brotherhood to get their insights on how the group operates.
Ibrahim el-Zayat is closely involved with various Islamist organizations inGermany while Anas al-Tikriti heads up the Cordoba Foundation in Britain.Al-Tikriti’s father was the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Iraq. CBNNews asked al-Tikriti how the Muslim Brotherhood operates and whether eachlocal branch reported back to the Brotherhood in Egypt. “This myth of onehub for the global network where every single command or move isorchestrated and planned, is a fantastical myth,” al-Tikiriti answered. Thelocal Muslim Brotherhood movements in the various countries are extremelycontextualized,” he continued. “They’re very local thinking. They operateaccording to their local constraints.”
In 2008, David Cameron, now Britain’s prime minister, called al Tikriti’s Cordoba Foundation “a front for the Muslim Brotherhood.” Al-Tikriti denies the charge. “I have personal links to the Muslim Brotherhood and my father was for many years the leader of the Brotherhood in Iraq but the Cordoba Foundation is an independent organization.” he said.” Al-Tikriti claims the Brotherhood’s intentions in Egypt and elsewhere are non-violent. In 2005 a German parliamentarian called Ibrahim el-Zayat a “functionary of the Muslim Brotherhood” and the Mubarak government in Egypt making the same claim. El-Zayat denies the charges but praises the Brotherhood as an Islamic reform movement.
A Double Game? Egyptian president Morsi told an audience at Cairo University in May, “The Koran is our constitution, the prophet is our leader, jihad is our path, and death in the name of Allah is our goal. Today we can establish sharia law,” Morsi continued. “Our nation will only acquire well-being with Islam and Sharia.” CBN News asked El-Zayat about another of the Brotherhood’s long-stated goals: the return of the Islamic caliphate, or a union of all Muslim nations under one ruler, or caliph. El-Zayat answered.”I don’t think anyone within the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood is thinking of the caliphate like this.”
The message was quite different, however, at a large rally in Cairo in May,when a Brotherhood cleric introduced Morsi as the soon-to-be Egyptian president looked on amid cheers and chants: “The United States of the Arabs will be restored by Morsi and his supporters. the capital of the caliphate – the capital of the United States of the Arabs – will be Jerusalem, Allah willing.” El-Zayat told CBN News that Islamic nations should seek to gain more influence through the UN and other international bodies. He worked towards that agenda for years as an official with the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE), widely considered the Muslim Brotherhood’s lobbying arm at the European Union.
CBN News visited the FIOE’s headquarters in Brussels. It’s another piece of the Brotherhood’s murky puzzle in the West. “People who are close to the Brotherhood will often say, ‘I’m not a member of the Brotherhood’ and technically, they are correct,” Johnson said. “Because it’s more like an ideological universe,” he explained. “It’s a group of people who have similar ideas and thoughts, who read all the same classic works by Muslim Brotherhood thinkers and who strive for the same goals in society.” Al-Tikriti for instance regularly meets with U.S. and European officials and says they should embrace the Brotherhood as a counter to al Qaeda. “I think it is a very valid strategy and it will work.” he said.
Johnson disagreed, saying Western governments should steer clear of the Brotherhood. “They’re creating the ideological mindset that turns people into terrorists,” Johnson told CBN News. “It’s true that not all Muslim Brothers are terrorists, but all terrorists pretty much started by reading the works of the Muslim Brotherhood. It’s the gateway drug, if you will, that leads to radicalism.” Here in the United States, the Obama administration appears to have adopted al-Tikriti’s view. It hosted a Muslim Brotherhood delegation from Egypt in April and Morsi will meet with President Obama at the White House in September.
Source: CBNnews.com
U.K. ISLAMIST LEADER CLAIMS ISLAM WILL DOMINATE AMERICA
Anjem Choudary has been called the face of radical Islam in Great Britain. He holds frequent rallies calling for sharia law to be imposed on the United Kingdom. In 2010 the British government banned his group, Sharia4UK. The ban however has failed to stop Choudary from spreading his message that Islam will soon dominate Britain and the world. “So you believe America, Great Britain, and all of Europe, will be Islamic states living under sharia?” a reporter asked Choudary. “I am convinced,” he replied. “I am 100% certain that the sharia will be implemented in America and in Britain one day. The question is, ‘when?’ and how it will come to fruition.”
He’s unapologetic about what a society ruled by sharia would mean. “If people are afraid of having their hands cut off, don’t steal,” Choudary said. “If you don’t want to be stoned to death, don’t commit adultery. It seems to me that people want all of the vices and they want to get away with it as well. But it doesn’t work like that.” Choudary’s vision is catching on among some Western Muslims. The group Sharia4UK has spawned at least two offshoots: Sharia4Holland and Sharia4Belgium. There’s also Sharia4America, which Choudary said is active on U.S. soil, mainly in New York City.”
The seeds for the call for sharia in America have been there for many decades,” he said. “We have the Sharia4America project, where we present what we consider to be an alternative to democracy and freedom and the kind of life that people lead in America.” Sharia4America is not alone. Its pro-sharia, pro-caliphate message has been echoed in recent years by a Chicago-area group called Hizb Ut-Tahrir America. “Ultimately, the Americans are going to be defeated,” Choudary predicted.”They’re going to be defeated back home and they will be defeated militarily. They will go from the recession and the depression into, if you like, a complete downfall.”
Choudary’s public support for jihad against British troops keeps his group on the radar of the country’s intelligence services. Some of his followers have been arrested on terrorism charges. But Choudary claims his group rejects violence, for now. “Britain is Dar Al Harb because they are, you know, an athema to God’s law,” Choudary said. “They’re not implementing it, they’re violating its sanctity–and therefore, this is war against Allah and his messenger. But we are not allowed to actually fight them here at the current time,” he continued. “So we are, you know, propagating Islam.”
“But will there be a time for violence?” the reporter asked. “Well, we are not like the Christians. Turning the other cheek,” Choudary replied. “If hit I’m going to defend myself. So at the moment we are propagating Islam peacefully. But if they attack us we have the right to defend ourselves.”Choudary, however, wouldn’t rule out the possibility of offensive jihad one day in the future. “If we have enough authority and we have enough power, then we are obliged as Muslims to take the authority away from those who have it and implement sharia,” Choudary said. “I hope that can come in a peaceful way without bloodshed.” But Choudary gives no guarantees whether that will be the case.
Source: Charisma News
NIGERIA: CHURCH IN KADUNA DONATES FOOD TO LOCAL MOSQUES IN RAMADAN GOODWILL GESTURE
The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Kaduna, recently donated food items to six mosques in the area in a goodwill gesture aimed at assisting less privileged families with their post-Ramadan feasts. The handover of the gift, which included bags of sugar, maize, millet and beans, occurred at the residence of the local traditional ruler the Sarkin Dutse. The Sarkin Dutse said that the kind gesture reminded him of the history of peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians during the era of Mohammed. He said that in response to the gift, the local people must now protect the churches in the area and he would be urging all to rebuke any youths attempting to destroy places of worship.
The Sarkin Dutse admonished the government to reduce youth unemployment in order to give them a sense of responsibility and said that youths must resist intruders who try to cause trouble. In response, the senior pastor of the church, Rev Yunusa Nmadu, said, “We are here to demonstrate that we are of different religions but living together as a people and not as Muslims and Christians. People of other communities can learn from what has happened here today. We grew up together without any differences, our parents taught us to live together but along the way the relationship soured. We are here to declare we are one people despite our religious differences, we love everybody”.
Reverend Nmadu added, “We exist for the community in which our church is situated, which is 99% Muslim. In this era of mistrust, we seek to build trust. We decided to begin relating with people of our community and be a blessing to them. The power of Love is unimaginable. As a church we are simply obeying scripture to love our neighbours as ourselves. Love heals, wins and conquers.” Western Church leaders congratulated the ECWA church for their courageous initiative, which is hoped will mark the beginning of greater engagement across the religious divide in Nigeria, and which could also provide a blue print that can be emulated in communities elsewhere.
Source: Christian Solidarity Worldwide
SEX IN MOVIES INFLUENCES TEEN’S BEHAVIOUR
Exposure to sexual content in movies leads teenagers to have sex earlier and to participate in riskier sexual behaviour, a study has confirmed, leading researchers to suggest incorporating media literacy training into sexual education. “Adolescents who are exposed to more sexual content in movies start having sex at younger ages …” The study, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, said roughly 85% of movies released from 1950 to 2006 contained sexual content, and only 9% of sexual content in movies contained messages promoting sexual health.
Sexual explicitness in movies has increased over the past decade, researchers said. Adolescents’ sexual attitudes and behaviour are being influenced more by movies than by other forms of media, the study said.” Adolescents who are exposed to more sexual content in movies start having sex at younger ages, have more sexual partners, and are less likely to use condoms,” Ross O’Hara from Dartmouth College who conducted the research, said. Richard Ross, professor of student ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, said allowing an early teen to watch sex on the big screen is like allowing a toddler to ride in the front seat with no seatbelt, standing up.
Allen Jackson, director of the Youth Ministry Institute at New Orleans Baptist Seminary, likened it to a pregnant woman drinking alcohol. “There’s an enhanced risk and impact of the images viewed at that life stage,” Jackson said. The effect of media on sexual behaviour is driven by the acquisition and activation of “sexual scripts.” In behavioural psychology, a script is a sequence of expected behaviour for a given situation. A higher degree of sexual media exposure has been found to predict more permissive sexual attitudes. The study noted that 57% of U.S. adolescents ages 14 to 16 reported media as a primary source of sexual information.
Source: Baptist Press
FEDERAL COURT RULES ON TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE IN HAWAII
A federal court has upheld Hawaii’s definition of marriage as one man and one woman. The court rejected a lawsuit that sought to tear down the state’s law defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman and Hawaii’s constitutional amendment that gives the legislature the power to maintain the timeless definition. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys defended the law and the amendment on behalf of Hawaii Family Forum, which the court allowed to intervene in the case in April. “This ruling affirms that protecting and strengthening marriage as the union of one man and one woman is legitimate, reasonable, and good for society,” says ADF legal counsel Dale Schowengerdt.
“The people of Hawaii adopted a constitutional amendment to uphold marriage, and the court rightly concluded that the democratic process shouldn’t be short-circuited by judicial decree” Schowengerdt said. The three individuals who filed the suit asked the court to declare the state’s constitutional amendment on marriage and the state’s law defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman unconstitutional. The lawsuit also assailed Hawaii’s “civil unions” law, which became effective Jan. 1, arguing that nothing less than a complete redefinition of marriage would be satisfactory.
The U.S. District Court for Hawaii concluded, “Throughout history, marriage has been connected with procreation and childrearing. It follows that it is not unreasonable to conclude that fundamentally altering the definition of marriage to include same-sex unions might result in undermining the societal understanding of the link between marriage, procreation, and family structure. In this situation,” the court continued, “to suddenly constitutionalize the issue of same-sex marriage ‘would short-circuit’ the legislative actions that have taken place in Hawaii. Accordingly, because Hawaii’s marriage laws are related to legitimate government interests, they do not violate the federal Constitution.”
Source: Charisma News
THE CHURCH THAT STAYS OPEN AT NIGHT
During an all-night prayer meeting in Stoke-on-Trent, a mission team prayed for wisdom on who they could serve in the local community. Not long afterward, a group of girls and boys out “clubbing” peered through the window and then came into talk to the team. Then and there they realized they had their answer: open the doors and the people would come – and that has been their tactic for Night Church ever since. “The idea was to engage people who did not traditionally come to church as we know it,” explained a spokesman for the group. “At first we opened the doors monthly on a Friday night from 10.30pm to 2am, but the response was so huge they now open weekly and stay open until 4am.”
Source: Intercessors Network
[ Top ]
Have you visited our Web site? Australian Prayer Network
~~
Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 175 | Wed 05 Sep 2012
——————————
SAUDI ARABIA: CONVERT FLEES; HELPERS TO FACE COURT
– Interpol and Swedish authorities aid Saudi Embassy to hunt convert
——————————
by Elizabeth Kendal
Since late July Saudi media have been buzzing with reports that a 28-year-
old Saudi woman has embraced Christianity and fled the country, staying
initially in a church in Lebanon before moving on to Sweden. According to
the Saudi Gazette, the woman, Maryam, appeared on an Arabic TV channel
saying she was tired of performing prayers and fasting during Ramadan –
rituals that never brought her any benefit. She also criticised Saudi
Arabia’s Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
She claimed that she was raised to hate Judaism and Christianity but fell
in love with the religions after she found peace in Christianity. She said
she had been converted through a dream.
The woman’s father said his daughter was working in an insurance company
in Al-Khobar (in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province) when her boss, a
Lebanese Christian man, influenced her and ultimately encouraged her to
leave Islam. According to Saudi investigators, a second man, a Saudi
national, helped the woman obtain false documents and leave the country.
The woman’s family have pressed charges against the two men because
apostasy (leaving Islam) is an Islamic capital offence and a Saudi woman
is not allowed to get a passport without the permission of her male
guardian. The men will face court on Saturday 15 September.
Prosecuting lawyer, Humood Al-Khaldi, said that whilst the penalty in
Islam of death for apostasy is clear, ‘the roles played by the two men,
the Saudi and Lebanese, in making the girl become Christian should be
taken into consideration’. He said the court must ensure first whether the
woman ‘was coerced into converting to Christianity and fleeing the
country’. According to Gulf News, ‘Most Saudis reacting to the Khobar
woman saga . . . have been calling for stringent action against the
Lebanese and Saudi nationals for their alleged roles in the case, claiming
that they were “well aware of the consequences of their act”.’
Domestically, the totalitarian Wahhabist Saudi regime will be keen to
perpetuate its lie that Saudi Arabian citizens are 100 percent Muslim and
that the land of the two holy mosques could never produce Saudi Arabian
Christians! Consequently it will be imperative that the Saudi woman,
Maryam, be deemed to have been emotionally unbalanced and coerced and/or
kidnapped – anything but converted. Likewise the Saudi man must be deemed
to be an opportunistic criminal – anything but a sympathiser.
Saudi media are sparing no effort to influence public opinion. Whilst
initial reports described Maryam as a 28-year-old professional, later
reports simply describe her as a ‘girl’. (One article stated she is 17.)
According to the Saudi Gazette, Maryam’s conversion was nothing more than
that of a ‘girl’ forming an ’emotional attachment to a Christian young
man’. In other words, her act was emotional, not rational. It also claimed
the ‘girl’ rejected Islamic rituals only because she had not been properly
taught to understand and appreciate them – her action was based on
ignorance, not reason. The Saudi Arabic daily Al Youm claimed Maryan had
contacted them, denying she had appeared on television, maintaining she is
still a Muslim and requesting help to return home. According to Gulf News,
Maryam’s family has suggested she may be ‘a victim of an international
organisation trafficking in people’.
On 2 September the Saudi Gazette reported that ‘Interpol is co-ordinating
with the Saudi Embassy in Stockholm and Swedish authorities to return the
girl to her homeland before her “kidnappers” move her to another country’.
The embassy reportedly has started a search for the woman, with the aid of
Swedish authorities.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT THE LORD WILL –
* break the chains of fear and darkness that keep the hearts and minds of
Saudi Arabs shackled to an Islamic Jesus who cannot save while the
biblical Jesus is waiting to show grace. ‘ . . . you will know the
truth, and the truth will set you free.’ (John 8:32)
* work powerfully in and through Henna Sarkees, the Lebanese, and his
Saudi colleague when they face the court in Al-Khobar on Saturday 15
September; may this trial be redeemed for the glory of the LORD. (Pray
through Matthew 10:16-20 and 26-33.)
* protect Maryam from a forced return to Saudi Arabia where, as an
apostate, she may well face violent retribution, even death.
~~~~
SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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SAUDI ARABIAN CONVERT FLEES; HELPERS TO FACE COURT
In late July Saudi media reported that a Saudi woman named Maryam (28) had
illegally both embraced Christianity and fled the country. Her family have
charged two men – a Lebanese and a Saudi national – with complicity in her
conversion and escape. The men will face court on 15 September. Whilst a
woman claiming to be Maryam told an Arabic TV channel that she was
converted through a dream and has found peace in Christianity, Saudi media
maintain it is all either fraud or coercion. The woman’s family has
suggested she is a victim of human traffickers. Interpol is reportedly
coordinating with the Saudi Embassy in Stockholm and Swedish authorities
to find and return the ‘girl’ before her ‘kidnappers’ can move her to
another country. Please pray.
—————————–
To view this RLPB with hyperlinks, visit the Religious Liberty Prayer
Bulletin blog at http://rlprayerbulletin.
~~
AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER Sept 4 2012
SYRIA’S CRUMBLING PLURALISM
By Kapil Komireddi, an Indian journalist,
Syria ¢â‚¬â„¢s pluralistic society, which once rose above sectarian identity in a region often characterized by a homicidal assertion of religious belief, is now faced with civil disintegration and ethnic cleansing. A churchgoing Syrian told me that he used to see himself primarily as ‘Syrian’ and that religious identity, in political terms, was an idea that never occurred to him, until an opposition gang attacked his family earlier this year in Homs. It ¢â‚¬â„¢s a label they pinned on us,’ he said. ‘If their revolution is for everyone, as they keep insisting it is, why are Christians being targeted? It is because what they are waging is not a struggle for freedom, and it ¢â‚¬â„¢s certainly not for everyone.
The seeming indifference of the international community to the worsening condition of Syria ¢â‚¬â„¢s religious minorities, and the near total absence of censure of the opposition forces by the Western governments arrayed against Assad, is breeding a bitter anti-Americanism among many secular Syrians who see the United States aligning itself with Saudi Arabia, the fount of Wahhabism, against the Arab world ¢â‚¬â„¢s most resolutely secular state. A year and a half after the insurrection began, Assad ¢â‚¬â„¢s forces are exhausted and dispirited but there is no sign yet of a simultaneous mass uprising in any of the major cities.
Instead, rebel fighters on Saudi payroll launch coordinated attacks on high-value targets, the Syrian Army retaliates with disproportionate force, and videos of the ensuing devastation are posted on the Internet. Washington is aware of the scale of the problem. As early as June 2011, Robert Stephen Ford, the U.S. ambassador to Syria, briefed his counterparts in Damascus about Al Qaeda ¢â‚¬â„¢s penetration of the opposition forces. By still ploughing ahead with its support for Saudi Arabia ¢â‚¬â„¢s effort to destabilize Syria, Washington, far from assisting Israel or weakening Iran, is helping to fuel a humanitarian crisis that will come back to haunt the United States.”
Source: Religious Liberty Commission
KILLED BY LIGHTNING THEN RESURRECTED
There are miracles, and then there are miracles. Some are experienced on a personal level that can’t be verified. Others are so well documented, doctors can only scratch their heads and marvel. On July 11, 2012, 18-year-old Zachary Sandy was struck by lightning in a baseball field during a church sponsored youth camp and was without a pulse, or breath, for between 20 to 40 minutes. According to a report, others around Sandy were affected by the strike, which shook the ground and knocked people to their knees. But Sandy, who took a direct hit, was seen with smoke coming out of his mouth and lifeless body. The bolt of lightning also burned his head where the lightning entered his body and blew holes in Sandy’s tennis shoes where the lightning exited.
Immediately prayer and CPR were implemented. Quickly, prayer support spread around the country, and by the next day, Sandy’s breathing tube and machine were removed and he was able to speak, drink, eat, and walk. Sandy’s pastor, Rev. Doug Joseph said: “Thus far, each and every prayer has been answered. At first we were cautioned that he might suffer brain damage from being under CPR for so long without a pulse . . . we were warned that burns caused by lightning strikes almost always grow worse over time before they get better. His burns did the exact opposite. We’re all elated and thankful for the great touch of God bestowed on this precious young man.”
Source: Christian Apostolic Church News
EXPERIENCES NOT POSSESSIONS BRING GREATER HAPPINESS
A new study suggests that life experiences rather than material possessions lead to greater happiness for both the consumer and those around them, mostly because experiences usually involve others and provide a sense of “relatedness” to them. People were also said to feel a greater sense of vitality or “being alive” during their shared experiences. Experts explain that it is also because, in part, “the initial joy of acquiring a new object, such as a new car, fades over time as people become accustomed to seeing it every day. Experiences, on the other hand, continue to provide happiness through memories long after the event occurred.”
Ryan Howell, assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University ¢â‚¬” noting that experiences lead to longer-term satisfaction ¢â‚¬”said: “Purchased experiences provide memory capital. We don’t tend to get bored of happy memories like we do with a material object. People still believe that more money will make them happy, even though 35 years of research has suggested the opposite.” “As nice as your new computer is, “he added, “it’s not going to make you feel alive.” Thomas Gilovich, professor and chairman of the psychology department at Cornell University, said that happiness conferred to others, such as gift-giving, falls into the category of experiences rather than possessions.
Source: Science Daily
Have you visited our Web site? Australian Prayer Network
~~
Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 174 | Wed 29 Aug 2012
By Elizabeth Kendal
AUGUST 2012 UPDATE – During August we prayed concerning . . .
* SYRIA, SUDAN & BURMA (RLPB 170), where wars have displaced hundreds of
thousands of Christians. In Syria they are fleeing Islamic jihadists;
in Sudan they are fleeing an Islamic, Arab-supremacist regime; and in
Burma they are fleeing a Buddhist Burman-supremacist regime. In each
case, Western governments ignore the suffering of these ‘inconvenient
Christians’ because addressing their plight would mean risking Western
economic and geo-strategic interests. Though Western governments
abandon them, God does not (2 Corinthians 4:9) and neither must we.
UPDATE BURMA: REFUGEES EXPELLED FROM CHINA China has been forcing Kachin
Christian refugees back over the border into the war zone. At least
1500 refugees have been forced back in recent weeks and another 4000
were set to be deported last weekend (25-26 Aug). Because it is the
monsoon season, travel is exceedingly difficult, leaving many Kachin
stranded in the Burmese jungle amidst armed conflict. According to
Chinese authorities, the Kachin are returning ‘freely’ of their own
volition. A Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) spokesman told The
Irrawaddy that returning refugees report that the Chinese are
demolishing the camps. The KIO reports furthermore that the Burmese
military has been building up troop numbers in Kachin State in
preparation for an offensive. The Burmese junta, which despises the
Christian Kachin on racial and religious grounds, covets Kachin lands.
Please pray.
UPDATE SUDAN: REFUGEE HEALTH ‘ALARMING’ Around 170,000 predominantly
Christian refugees from Sudan’s South Kordofan and Blue Nile States are
sheltering in camps in South Sudan’s Upper Nile and Unity states. In
February we prayed for the God who parted the Red Sea to open an escape
route through the besieged Kauda Valley (RLPB 145) – and he did (RLPB
148)! Consequently, the population of Yida camp in Upper Nile has more
than doubled since then to some 60,000. Now we must pray for their
provision. According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), at least half of
the refugees in Upper Nile are under 11. The health situation is
described as ‘alarming’, with rain, cold and lack of sanitation
accounting for increases in malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory tract
infections. Acute malnutrition is contributing to the shocking
mortality rate (double the emergency threshold) of children under 5.
Pray for God’s provision for the camps and to displaced, imperilled
believers still stranded north of the border. HE can do it!
UPDATE SYRIA: ‘REBELS’ BLOCKADE CHRISTIAN TOWNS On Friday 24 August, the
Syrian Army liberated Rableh killing 60 rebels in the process. Armed
opposition groups linked to the Free Syrian Army had isolated and
surrounded Rableh, a Christian town west of Qusayr, near Homs in the
south of Syria. For two weeks, the 12,000 mostly Greek Catholic
residents were besieged, their supplies of food, water and medicines
dwindling as rebels enforced a blockade. Snipers killed at least three
men: George Azar (20), an unnamed 21-year-old, and Elias Tahch Semaan
(35) who was married with four children. While Rableh has been
liberated, Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need is presently
trying to get aid to another Syrian village in a similar situation. As
in Rableh, bridges have been blown up, power has been cut and rebels
are enforcing a blockade. ‘We have organised ourselves so we could
stand by each other and we are sharing everything so we could survive,’
a local priest said. ‘We need every help we could get. Please help us.’
Pray that the LORD of hosts will intervene for his people.
* EGYPT (RLPB 171), where some 120 Coptic Christian families had been
driven from their homes in Dahshur by rioting Muslims. Continue to pray
for Egyptian Christians in these days of insecurity.
* IVORY COAST (RLPB 172), where some 5,000 predominantly Christian ethnic
Guere had been driven from the Nahibly camp in Duekoue by rioting
Muslims who killed 11, wounded dozens and burnt the camp to the ground.
Pray for God’s intervention and provision.
* PAKISTAN (RLPB 173), where hundreds of Christians have been driven from
Islamabad’s Mehrabad slum by rioting Muslims, after an illiterate,
mentally-impaired 11-year-old girl, Rimsha, was accused of burning
paper with Qur’anic verses on it. Rimsha was arrested on 16 August.
UPDATE: THE SHAME OF PAKISTAN Rimsha is being held in solitary
confinement in the high security Adiala Jail, the same jail housing Mumtaz
Qadri, the bodyguard who assassinated Punjab governor Salman Taseer in
revenge for his campaign against the blasphemy law. Rimsha’s legal team
has not been able to meet with her. Christian activist Xavier William
visited Rimsha during the week and confirmed that she had been severely
assaulted by the mob. He said she is in ‘very bad shape’ with ‘bruises on
her face and on her hands’. She would not speak or make eye contact. ‘She
was frightened and traumatised,’ he said. Hafiz Mohammed Khalid Chishti, a
local imam in the Mehrabad slum, insists that his efforts to have Rimsha
arrested actually saved the girl from a lynching. It is to Pakistan’s
shame that he is right. The whole family has been taken into ‘protective
custody’ for their own safety and the Interior Ministry has asked the
Islamabad police to oppose bail on the pretext that Rimsha’s release would
put the lives of the whole family in danger.
Imam Chishti maintains that the incident only arose because Muslims had
not stopped the ‘anti-Islam activities’ of local Christians who ’caused
antagonism by playing music in services at their makeshift church’. He
says that though he warned the Christians at Christmas, they did not stop
their ‘vulgarity’. He regards it all as a ‘conspiracy’ and maintains that
Rimsha knew exactly what she was doing. During his Friday sermon (24
August) he declared that it was ‘time for Muslims to wake up’ and defend
their Qur’an. On the day of Rimsha’s arrest he threatened to have all the
Christians burnt alive. However, he will not face justice and neither will
those who violently assaulted the family or burnt and looted Christian
homes. That is because the Interior Ministry has asked the Islamabad
police not to arrest anybody involved in the anti-Christian violence that
swept over the slum at the time of Rimsha’s arrest.
On 20 August, while the controversy over Rimsha’s arrest raged, an 11-year-
old Christian boy named Samuel Yaqoob disappeared from the Christian
colony in Faisalabad, Punjab Province, on his way to the market. On 22
August his body was found dumped in a drain. He had been so severely
tortured, mutilated and burnt that his family could only recognise him
from a mark on his forehead. There had not been any ransom demand and
detectives in Faisalabad are investigating whether accusations of
blasphemy had been made against the boy.
‘Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour
out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands
to him for the lives of your children . . . ‘ (Lamentations 2:19 ESV)
AUGUST 2012 ROUND-UP – also this month . . .
* SOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB SQUEEZED; CHRISTIANS ABDUCTED
On 27 August US-backed Somali, Kenyan and African Union forces liberated
the port of Marka, 70km south of Mogadishu, from al-Shabaab. Despite
gains, Christian aid workers remain at risk in Somalia. On 11 July three
Kenyan nationals (including one woman) serving with International Aid
Services were kidnapped by Islamic militants, possibly with the backing of
al-Shabaab, in Somalia’s Puntland region. The militants are reportedly
seeking a prisoner swap for alleged pirates being held in Kenya. Please
pray.
* KENYA: MUSLIMS RETALIATE AGAINST CHRISTIANS
On Monday 27 August Sheikh Aboud Rogo Mohammed, an al-Qaeda-linked radical
cleric recently designated by the US as a Specially Designated Global
Terrorist, was assassinated in Mombasa. He had been responsible for
raising funds and recruiting Kenyans for al-Shabaab. Francis Auma, from
the local organisation Muslims for Human Rights, subsequently heard the
imam of a local mosque shouting through the speaker: ‘blood for blood’.
Muslims retaliated against Christians, whom they doubtless view as
supportive of the US-driven anti-terror laws that Muslims complain
discriminate against them. Two churches were burnt and looted while at
least four other churches were vandalised. Riots continued on Tuesday. One
policeman was killed and 16 wounded when a grenade was thrown at police
racing to save a burning church. Islamic leaders are calling the
assassination an attack on Islam. Al-Shabaab has called on Kenyan Muslims
to ‘take the matter into their own hands, stand united against the kuffar
(unbelievers) and take all necessary measures to protect their religion,
their honour, their property and their lives from the enemies of Islam’.
In particular they are calling for Muslims to boycott Kenya’s presidential
elections on 4 March 2013. Tensions are escalating.
* LAOS: PERSECUTION FOLLOWS REVIVAL
On 6 August Mr Tongkoun Keohavong was summoned before the village chief of
Nahoukou village to explain why around 30 locals had embraced Christianity
since February. He explained that the Lord had been healing diseases and
liberating the people from evil spirits in response to prayer: ‘We cannot
deny the reality of God’s power,’ he said. The believers have been ordered
to renounce their faith or face expulsion from the village. Similarly, Mr
Bountheung, who had been living as a Christian in Nongpong village for 10
years, is also being persecuted. In May of this year, around 300 residents
of Nongpong village decided they would embrace the Christian faith and
worship the Lord as did Mr Bountheung. As leader of the village church,
Mr Bountheung was summoned three times to explain to the authorities why
people in his village were embracing a banned ‘foreign religion’. On 3
August the believers were given until 10 August to recant their faith or
be expelled from the village. After refusing to recant on 10 August, Mr
Bountheung was told he had a week to sell his possessions. On 20 August he
was arrested and taken to prison. Conditions in Lao prisons are severe and
torture is routine. Please pray for the Church in Laos.
To view this RLPB with hyperlinks, go to Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin
blog http://rlprayerbulletin.
~~
EGYPT: Earlier this month we requested prayers following violent clashes in Dahshour. Recall that almost all Christians left, approximately 110 families, and that many of their homes and businesses were destroyed. We are pleased to report that 20 families have been able to return. Significant reconstruction work is required before others can follow.
Egyptian Christians have requested further intercession following a number of incidents this month. The view of some Egyptian Christians is that these incidents reflect the limited state of security and policing in Egypt at this time, and they request prayer that officials at all levels will ensure that the rule of law is applied equally to all citizens.
First, there has been a long-running campaign of intimidation in Al-Gawli, Assiut, by thugs wanting to extort protection money from Christians. Recently, the threats have increased both in frequency, and severity. Though Christians in the area have filed complaints the authorities have failed to initiate any investigation into the crimes.
Second, at the beginning of August there were Muslim-Christian clashes in Sohag. There was some damage and looting of Christian properties on a relatively small scale. The Christian community decided that it was in their best interest to participate in a reconciliation meeting (rather than to pursue legal action against the perpetrators) in order to diffuse the tension.
Third, in mid-August a church in Beni Sweif was pressured into suspending some construction work. The church had permission to replace their building’s wooden roof with a more substantial structure. However, objections were raised and an angry protest ensued. In response, the church leaders suspended the work. Building inspectors will now inspect completed and planned work, and must submit a report to the governor for further approval before the renovation can continue.
Fourth, several Christian book shops in the Shubra suburb of Cairo received threats of violence if they continued to display and sell icons and statues. The public prosecutor took up the case, at which point the threats stopped. However, the perpetrators have not yet been identified.
Egyptian Christians request our prayers that:
a. Reconstruction work will be swiftly undertaken in Dahshour
b. Those affected by these incidents will know the Lord’s presence, peace and wisdom
c. The work on the church roof in Beni Sweif will be completed
d. Effective policing will be established nation-wide
e. The government will actively promote improved inter-communal relations throughout Egypt and that the equal rights of all citizens will be enshrined in the constitution when it is revised
f. All officials involved will love mercy, act justly, learn about Jesus and choose to follow Him.
U.K. COMMUNITIES CELEBRATE OLYMPICS THANKS TO CHRISTIANITY WITHOUT AN AGENDA
Thousands of Britons, many of whom would not consider themselves religious, have enthusiastically engaged with their local churches in a once in a lifetime celebrations in over 200 communities. Only one year after riots raised questions about the very fabric of British society, communities came together in unity to run Community celebrations during the recent Olympics. Fusion Youth and Community coordinator for the 2012 events, Marty Woods. says “The feedback coming in from across the nation indicates that something very significant happened during the Olympics. The Christian Church has been back where we belong, at the very heart of our communities, helping them be the kinds of places we all want them to be.”
Joanna wrote to her local churches after the Festival she attended, “It felt wonderful that our local community was able to host such an event which was open to all, and had something for everyone from children through to seniors. It is so important to keep communities together and in harmony with each other through inclusive events such as this one.” One family wrote to their churches in Scotland to say “Wanted to say thank you for last nights ¢â‚¬â„¢ amazing Olympic event. We had an absolutely wonderful time. Thank you for the brilliant organisation and to all the volunteers who supplied endless burgers and cups of tea! Don’t have much to do with religion any more, but we thought last nights ¢â‚¬â„¢ event was a demonstration of Christianity without an agenda.”
Two police officers at a festival organised by churches in another London inner city community told organisers it meant a lot to them personally that the churches cared for the community enough to put on community events not just for themselves but for everyone. Part of the reason the response from communities has been so strong is hundreds of churches and Christian organisations adopted what Fusion Youth and Community U.K. call “an Open Crowd Festival.” As the name suggests, Open Crowd Festivals are open events for a whole community that create an environment where relationships build naturally.
Fusion Youth and Community UK worked with More Than Gold, the agency set up by the main denominations to help churches make the most of the 2012 Games. They provided training and support for Christian churches in over 200 communities across the United Kingdom in preparation for the games. Marty Woods says, “A major focus in our support of churches was preparing them for this moment. All of a sudden many churches found they have established a number of fruitful relationships with their neighbours and other community organisations. We, in Fusion are committed to continue standing with churches who have made a start these past weeks. Our hope is that for many, the Olympics was the beginning of an ongoing process of community engagement.”
Source: Fusion U.K.
REVIVAL COMES TO THE MUSLIM WORLD
Some call it a revolution but it’s not the results of a political movement. Muslims are coming to faith in Jesus Christ in large numbers. A worship service in northern Iraq is one example of the revolution going on throughout the Middle East. The body of believers live in the predominately Kurdish area of Iraq that some refer to as Iraqi Kurdistan. Because of their culture and upbringing, they’re often referred to as Muslim background believers. “Sometimes when non-believers come to church, they see that we are singing and teaching in the Kurdish language, and are surprised,” said Pastor Majeed Muhammed, the church’s pastor.
In another church, an entire group of worshippers are former Muslims including their pastor who is a former Muslim cleric. “I was one of those that believed the message that I should kill the infidels. Sometimes I wanted to kill my wife because she did not cover her hair. But when I found my life in Jesus, when I surrendered my life to God, Matthew 5 tells me to love my enemies,” he said. Others throughout the region have also been transformed. “I’m very happy that Jesus came and knocked on the door of my heart and that I got to know the real God,” said one convert. Another convert said, “Before becoming a believer I always felt there was something missing in my life. Now that I’m a believer that feeling is gone.”
A missionary who works with Muslims in the Middle East says the church’s potential for growth is amazing. “In Jordan, Iraq and Afghanistan great things are happening and many Muslims are open to the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said. “Just in those countries they are projecting one hundred new churches” he explained. That’s how fast they’re opening up to the Gospel.” Turkey is another Middle Eastern country where more Muslims are coming to faith in Jesus. One Turkish believer said many Muslims come to church after seeing a vision or having a dream:” The people saw a vision about Jesus, even if they had not read the Bible, even if they don’t know anything about the New Testament or about the church, they just see Jesus in their dream.”
So how can believers around the world join in this spiritual revolution? Leaders in the Middle East say the answer is prayer. One leader said ¢â‚¬Å“The most important thing here in the Middle East ¢â‚¬“ and we shouldn’t be surprised at this ¢â‚¬“ is that as the level of prayer for the Middle East grows around the world, the work here just takes off. So the more that people pray for God’s Spirit to rest on these young men and women to share the Gospel,” he continued,” the more He just furthers the Kingdom of God.” And the message coming from these believers is the 2,000 year old message of the Gospel.” I want to tell the world, accept the love of God. It will be today or in the future, they have to kneel to God. It’s better to do it right now.”
Source: Intercessors Network
REFUGEES FLOODING INTO LEBANON NOW COULD MEAN CHURCH BOOM IN SYRIA LATER
The latest reports at time of writing is that the situation in Syria continues to deteriorate” according to Touch Global Crisis Response director Mark Lewis. “So the plight of people that have fled the country and the number of people that have fled the country is increasing.” But where can they go? Reports indicate that Israel has ramped up its security along its ceasefire line with Syria. The Israeli army “fears that refugees from the Syrian side could cross it,” an Israeli source said. Refugees have few options regarding where to turn, and Lebanon is still turning up as one of the most likely places for them to flee.
Churches and aid groups in Lebanon are overwhelmed, but amazingly, that has not stopped them from not only helping, but seeing the bigger picture. An Evangelical Free Church in Lebanon has exceeded its capacity by helping refugees from Syria. Although the provision of food, blankets, and long-term shelter has been a strain, they know that God has provided this opportunity to bring Christ to people–maybe an entire people. “If we can work with those folks, initially meeting some physical needs but building relationship in the process, our hope is that the Gospel would take root,” notes Lewis. “Then as people head back to their homes, it might stimulate a movement of the church in Syria as a result of this difficult situation.”
The church recognizes that this is their chance to minister to a people that would have been extremely difficult to reach otherwise. The circumstances are terrible, but when things eventually settle down in Syria, the relationships built could make for church growth throughout Syria later on. The church is excited about the work God is already doing among the refugees. This church in Lebanon and those they are working with are a small and pressed group, but they make up a vibrant group of believers who desire to make Christ known. Pray for these workers to be courageous, and for God to open Syrian hearts as a result. Pray for a church movement to grow in Syria, starting in Lebanon.
Source: Mission Network News
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