TURKMENISTAN:Pastor Released from Prison

On November 9, Baptist Pastor Vyacheslav Kalataevsky was released after eight months in prison. According to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts, Kalataevsky and his family are thankful for the prayers and support of believers around the world. Forum 18 News reports government officials have warned Pastor Kalataevsky not to meet for worship with fellow believers. Pastor Kalataevsky told Forum 18, "Officials summoned me for what they said was a conversation, but at the end presented me with a pre-written statement saying that I agreed not to meet with my fellow believers. All it lacked was my signature, but I refused to sign it, both on my behalf and on behalf of my wife." The Forum 18 report added, "Although Kalataevsky's congregation does not oppose state registration in principle. Officials kept telling him that his congregation does not have enough adult citizen members to apply for registration. They added that unregistered religious activity, including people meeting together for worship in homes, is banned." Praise God for Pastor Kalatatevsky's release from prison. Ask God to protect his family and congregation as they face scrutiny and pressure from the government.

Psalm 27:1, Isaiah 54:17

Source: The Voice of the Martyrs

As in the days of Noah....

Continue to Pray for Rami’s Widow and Sons

Pauline and her sons are in Bethlehem now. She is fragile and sometimes feels very weak. At the same time, her faith remains strong and she is encouraged by all of the letters and prayers she is receiving.Her 2 year old son, George, misses his dad so much and is hardly eating as a result. Pauline is 7 months pregnant and is expected to give birth on February 12th. This date is important because it marks her wedding anniversary.
Please pray:
*For Pauline and her sons George (2) and Wisam (10 months), that they can stand strong in these difficult times and experience the comfort of Jesus every single day.
*For those guilty of murdering Rami, that they will repent of their sins and seek forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ.

Source :Open Doors

As in the days of Noah....

Christian Killed in Election Violence in Kano State;Religious motives underlie voter tensions; Christian’s lead at polls triggers attack.

KANO, Nigeria(Compass Direct News)Christians said violence over elections in the Sumaila area this month included a strong religious element, with Muslims killing one Christian in an attack on a Christian settlement.Eyewitnesses said violence broke out in the Gani electoral ward of Sumaila on November 17 after news reports showed that the Christian candidate for councillor for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Zara Gambo, was ahead in the polls, signifying the first ever victory for a Christian in the area.As a result, they said, Muslims attacked Christians in Gani town and in Gani Mission, a Christian settlement in the area, injuring several of them, destroying their houses and shops and killing elementary school teacher Danyaro Bala(picture left).He is survived by a wife and 11 children.Sani Duma, Bala’s younger brother, told Compass that he believes Muslims killed the local church elder in order to cow area Christians into submitting to Islam.“Religion is at the center of this attack on us and the killing of my brother,” Duma said. “The selection of only houses of Christians and their shops for destruction shows clearly that Muslims were out to force us into submitting to their hold on political leadership.”Duma said that area voters are all Hausas who speak the same language.“We are of one tribe, Hausa,” he said. “The only thing that divides them and us is religion. While we in Gani Mission are Christians, they in Gani town are Muslims. Religion is therefore the prime motive behind the attack on us, as only houses of Christians were burned."The administrator of the Sumaila Local Government Council, as well as the area divisional police officer, both declined to comment to Compass. On the night following the voting, Gov. Malam Ibrahim Shekarau blamed the PDP opposition for igniting violence in Sumaila.Gov. Shekarau, an Islamic preacher, is considered an open proponent of the Islamization of Nigeria. The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), which rules the state, introduced the Islamic legal code, sharia, in 2000.In chaotic elections marked by accusations of fraud in which roaming, armed thugs kept voters from polls, the Kano government admitted to two deaths in Sumaila for a total of six throughout the state. The ANPP was reportedly declared the winner of the local government in Sumaila.Among Sumaila Christians injured by rampaging Muslims, according to area Christians, was Danganye Barrau, who received machete cuts. Other injured Christians included Garba Buddi, Malam Saleh and Uba Bala. Muslims burned the homes and shops of Christians Dan Wuye, Saleh Dogo, Malam Yakubu, and two others identified only as Anayo and James.
‘Your Vote for Your Religion’
The Rev. Auta Jinta, deputy chairman of the Kano district of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA), agreed that religion was a catalyst for violence. Muslims looted the property of the Dan Wuye family, he said, with one of his sons, Jarmai, losing two motorcycles, 30 goats and six bicycles.“There is no doubt that religious sentiments were involved in this,” Rev. Jinta said. “Today in Kano, there is no separation between religion and politics. It is your vote for your religion, and your life for your religion.”The Rev. Nathan Tella, pastor of a local ECWA congregation in Gani Mission, said Bala was a member of the board of elders at the church and a key leader in the church’s development.“I knew Danyaro Bala very well, and he has never been involved in partisan politics,” Rev. Tella said. He added that Bala was working at home during the voting. Later Bala went to visit a friend in Gani town, Rev. Tella said, and that night, after the election violence had subsided, Bala was ambushed and killed as he returned home.“The violence that broke out when it was getting clear that the Christian candidate would win is an indication that Muslims who control political power in Kano do not want Christians to be part of the government,” Rev. Tella said.Duma, noting that his brother did not vote, said Bala spent that day working with his Guinea corn.“My brother on that Saturday did not go to the polling station, as he has no interest in politics,” Duma said. After the Muslims killed him as he returned home on his motorcycle, he said, they set his corpse and bike on fire.“Because he was ambushed and killed on Saturday night, we did not know about this, not until Bilkisu [Bala’s daughter], who resides in Kano, received a phone call from a Muslim in Gani town informing her that her dad had been killed,” Duma said. “Since it was already late, we could not find the corpse until the morning of Sunday, November 18.” Duma said Bala, a teacher at the Gani elementary school, had never been a member of any political party.“We knew him to be a peace-loving person,” he said.

http://www.opendoorsusa.org/content/view/335/

As in the days of Noah....

IN HIDING, EGYPTIAN CONVERT CONTINUES FIGHT FOR RIGHTS

Mohammed Hegazy battles for religious freedom as HRW report slams country’s abuses.

CAIRO, November 15 (Compass Direct News)Sick of hiding in a secret apartment in Cairo, Mohammed Ahmed Hegazy risked his life to shop for groceries late one night last week, a cap pulled low over his face.The Egyptian convert from Islam to Christianity does not normally chance being recognized in public by running errands for himself. Death threats forced Hegazy into hiding in August after he made an unprecedented legal bid to have his national ID card changed to note his conversion.The 24-year-old belongs to a new breed of Egyptian Christian converts who see no contradiction between their faith and political activism. “The Bible says to love your enemy and your neighbor as yourself,” Hegazy explained. “Working politically to provide food for poor people or freedom for the oppressed is one way to fulfill this command.”That conviction in part motivated Hegazy’s court case, but that same desire to take action has also frustrated him as he has sat idle for the past three months in hiding.The Christian acknowledged that he was finding his new life extremely difficult. He said it was impossible to hold a job because he couldn’t leave his apartment regularly for fear of being attacked by Islamists or state security police.On a rare occasion that Hegazy took the chance of shopping in public, a Christian recognized his face from a newspaper photograph.“If you are who I think you are, then God help you,” the Christian told Hegazy.Hegazy’s new lawyer, Gamal Eid, noted: “In a country like Egypt, his fears are credible.” Egypt Condemned
A report condemning Egypt’s treatment of converts away from Islam and members of the Baha’i faith this week noted that until 1990 most Christian converts did not believe they could remain in the country.“Before [1990] it was just individual converts, and they left the country,” said an anonymous Christian convert quoted in the Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights report released Monday (November 12). “But fifteen converts … wanted to stay and stay together, this was something new.”Since then, some converts have worked, albeit anonymously, to become more active in Egyptian society.“The state does not recognize conversions from Islam and refuses to allow citizens to legally change their religious affiliation,” the report stated. It noted that because family law is governed by religion, converts face difficulties in the areas of divorce, marriage, inheritance, and their children’s mandatory religious education.“The baby is the main reason for opening the case,” said Hegazy, whose pregnant wife is due to give birth in January. “All converts’ children have something like schizophrenia because they are Christians at home but have to act like Muslims at school.”As a member of the Egypt Liberal Party, a group of secular-minded Muslims and Christians, Hegazy often attended demonstrations, fellow group members said. The party, not yet approved by the government, openly challenges Article Two of Egypt’s constitution, which designates Islamic law as the principle source of its legislation.Islam forbids apostasy, a justification often used by government officials and Muslim fanatics when harassing converts from Islam.“For Hegazy, challenging the government is as normal as eating breakfast in the morning,” one party member told Compass. “He’s not a coward, but that also means he doesn’t always think through the consequences of his actions.”Hegazy said he had expected public opposition when filing his case but had not foreseen spending the next three months confined to his apartment.Massive publicity surrounding the announcement of his move caught the convert off-guard.When lawyer Mamdouh Nakhla called Hegazy to say that he had filed the convert’s case and arranged an important interview with Agence France-Press, the convert said he went willingly.“They told me that they would take photos and send them outside Egypt, and that no one in Egypt would know,” Hegazy said.The next morning, Egyptian papers carried the convert’s picture and full story.Within days, death threats forced Hegazy into hiding and Nakhla to withdraw.Newspapers have slandered the convert’s reputation, and on October 11 fanatics chanting Islamic slogans vandalized his former home in Old Cairo.A journalist who later went to the scene told Compass that he had seen the remains of a large fire in the street where the group had burned the Christian’s belongings.“By publicizing the case and then withdrawing, it was like putting Hegazy in the hands of society to be killed,” said one of Hegazy’s mentors, who said he had tried to persuade Nakhla against pulling out. “Every five minutes while we were talking, the security police would call Nakhla and tell him they could not protect him if he was attacked.”On August 7, Nakhla held a press conference to announce his withdrawal, blaming Hegazy for not providing necessary documents.Sitting in an undisclosed location in Cairo three months later, Hegazy did not seem angry with his former lawyer.“Maybe this is part of God’s plan, and it may help other converts,” Hegazy said.
Trail-Blazer
The case has received much less public attention at its first two hearings, on October 2 and on Tuesday (November 13), than when it was first announced.Returning Tuesday from a Giza administrative court where he had represented the convert, Eid said that eight Islamist lawyers had intervened against his client.Judge Muhammad Husseini adjourned the case until January 15, giving Hegazy time to acquire proof that Egypt’s Civil Status Department had rejected his request to change the religious designation on his ID.Several Christians close to Hegazy said they were skeptical about the chances of winning, but agreed that the case would still help the rights of converts in the long term.Despite a smear campaign against Hegazy in Egypt’s national media, a number of newspapers and talk shows had openly supported his right to convert, Christians said.“This case has allowed society to openly talk about the case of converts and sent the government the message people will rise up when oppressed,” one convert said.Requesting anonymity, the Christian said, “[Hegazy’s] role should be appreciated, in that he has taken the first step in confronting society, the government and even the church and other converts.”
Cautious ChurchesEgypt’s Coptic Orthodox church, several million strong, has been careful to officially distance itself from the issue of conversion.“The matter is highly politicized, and the [Orthodox] church has taken the side of the government,” lawyer Eid said.An Orthodox priest requesting anonymity agreed with the lawyer’s assessment.“Church leadership tells priests who are involved in baptizing Muslims to keep doing what they are doing, but that they are not responsible,” the priest said. “In other words, ‘God bless you but stay away.’”Christians from all three major groupings, Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant, told Compass that fanatics could easily attack and destroy a church if word got out that it was converting Muslims.“When a Muslim converts to Christianity here, the problem doesn’t stem from the government or security apparatus, it comes from society,” a spokesman for the Egyptian Catholic Church commented.Father Rafic Greiche, a Greek Melkite priest, said that many Christians, not just Muslims, had difficulty accepting converts to Christianity.“I am ashamed because our church is not ready to accept converts,” Greiche told Compass. “More cases like that of Hegazy’s on the long term will help people to change their minds, but the government has to help.”Speaking to reporters Monday (November 12), HRW Midde East Deputy Director Joe Stork called on the government to cease forcing non-Muslims to designate Islam as their official religion.“We are talking about a government policy that is requiring people to lie and punishing people for telling the truth,” Stork said. “There is something very wrong with that.”l ID card changed to note his conversion.

http://www.opendoorsusa.org/content/view/325/

As in the days of Noah...

RALLIES AT CHINESE CONSULATES FOCUS ON INHUMANE TREATMENT

The Chinese-North Korea border is guarded by the best North Korean soldiers. On the Chinese side, there are miles of fences and cameras have been installed. North Korea, too, is in the process of erecting fences. In addition, the North Korean army has laid booby traps—pits with bamboo spikes in them. Fleeing is practically impossible now, unless you have a paid “guide” and you bribe the soldiers on the North Korean side....

North Korean Jong-Cheol (not his real name) grew up without a father, who died at a young age. He was brought up by his mother and grandmother, who were both Christians. When he was small, Jong-Cheol’s grandmother told him Bible stories. Like many other children in famished North Korea, he started to roam around the country. One day he crossed the border into China. In China, he was taken in by a Chinese missionary. There Jong-Cheol came to faith in Jesus Christ. He also realized that his mother and grandmother had already been Christians. Eventually he was captured along with several other children. The Chinese police arrested them and they were forcibly repatriated to North Korea as thousands of children and adults are every year. There the children were rigorously interrogated on a daily basis. One of the children snapped and told police that Jong-Cheol was a Christian. The North Koreans executed Jong-Cheol because he refused to deny he was a believer. The Chinese-North Korea border is guarded by the best North Korean soldiers. On the Chinese side, there are miles of fences and cameras have been installed. North Korea, too, is in the process of erecting fences. Besides this, the North Korean army has laid booby traps – pits with bamboo spikes in them. Fleeing is practically impossible now, unless you have a paid “guide” and you bribe the soldiers on the North Korean side. As a result of the treatment of North Korean refugees by China, the North Korea Freedom Coalition – which includes Open Doors USA – is planning an International Protest Against China’s Violent Repatriation of North Korean Refugees. On Friday, Nov. 30 and Saturday, Dec. 1, protests and prayer vigils will be held at Chinese consulates in major cities around the world."The protests are a way of pressuring the Chinese government to comply with their obligations under the U.N. Convention on Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol,” says Open Doors USA Advocacy Coordinator Lindsay Vessey. “Under this convention, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) should have access to the North Koreans refugees hiding in China – estimated at 100,000 to 300,00 – and be able to protect and help them find asylum in other countries like the U.S. and South Korea. Yet, China is deporting refugees back to North Korea where they face terrible punishment…death like Jong-Cheol suffered or long prison terms.“The Chinese government needs to know that Christians around the world are aware and care about the government’s flagrant human rights violations and that we are committed to praying and assisting these refugees. Please consider joining those around the world protesting against this injustice and praying for the refugees, many of whom are Christians.” Suzanne Scholte, Chairman of the North Korean Freedom Coalition, adds: For several years both the Chinese and North Korean authorities have implemented measures to close the border. Currently the Chinese authorities are working more aggressively with North Korean agents to hunt down and repatriate the North Korean refugees. We have heard several reports that North Korean agents are posing as refugees to draw out both humanitarian workers and true refugees as part of this escalating crackdown. Even refugees in jail are being used as "bait" to draw out potential rescuers, so that Chinese authorities can arrest them.“How ironic that this crackdown has intensified because of China's concerns over the upcoming Olympic Games. China cannot risk the world community seeing with their own eyes China's horrific treatment of the North Koreans, so they hope to eliminate the problem by forcing them back to face torture and imprisonment and even execution for fleeing their homeland. How ironic that an event promoting good will among nations is causing the Chinese to treat their neighbors with increasing brutality!”The schedule for the International Protest Against China's Violent Treatment of North Korean Refugees includes (all events start at noon local time):Friday, Nov. 30:
Los Angeles – 443 Shatto Place
New York City – 520 12th Ave. (corner of 12th and 42nd Street)
Washington DC – 2300 Connecticut Ave., N.W., petition delivery and dramatization of plight of North Korean refugees
Saturday, Dec. 1:
Chicago – 100 West Erie St.
Washington DC – 2300 Connecticut Ave., N.W.
Houston – 3417 Montrose Blvd
San Francisco – 1450 Laguna St.
Other protests are being organized in such countries as Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Sprain, South Korea and United Kingdom. Click here for more information on the events. Vessey adds that North Korea has been ranked No. 1 on the annual Open Doors World Watch List for five straight years. The World Watch List ranks 50 countries where Christians suffer the most severe persecution.The North Korea Freedom Coalition is a bipartisan coalition of religious, human rights and non-governmental Korean and American organizations whose primary purpose is to bring freedom to the North Korean people and to ensure that the human rights component of United States and world policy towards North Korea receives priority attention. The North Korea Freedom Coalition Web site is http://www.nkfreedom.org/. Click to register for the Open Doors’ North Korea Prayer Campaign. You will be asked to sign up and pick a weekly 10-minute time frame when you can lift up North Korean Christians in prayer. You will also receive a weekly email update of the current prayer requests.

Source:Open Doors

As in the days of Noah....

Hindu Radicals Attack Pastor in India

The Global Council of Indian Christians reports that Pastor Siddarama Gokhavi and his congregation were attacked by Hindu radicals during their Sunday worship meeting in early November in Ananda Nagara, Bihar. Over 20 Bajrang Dal Hindu radicals, chanted a slogan while vehemently attacking the church and its members. When the local Karnataka police were alerted about the incident, they arrived and began to aid the Hindu radicals instead of helping the Christian victims. Some of the police dragged Gokhavi and six others in an apparent plan to physically injure them. The pastor and his wife were accused by the police of persuading Hindus to convert to Christianity.As the police commenced their attack, the Hindu radicals proceeded to burn Bibles and other Christian literature, and destroy church property. Fortunately,Pastor Gokhavi and his congregation are in stable condition.Yet, they are dismayed and shocked to know that the police were directly involved in this act of Christian persecution.
PRAYfor Pastor Gokhavi and his congregation as they physically and mentally recover from this attack.
PRAYthat the Hindu radicals and the Karnataka police are charged and brought to justice for the crimes committed against the church.

PRAY that Pastor Gokhavi and his congregation will grow in faith by virtue of this incident.

Source:International Christian Concern

As in the days of Noah...

China Detains Mangers of Australian Company for Spreading Christianity

China (BosNewsLife) China Detains Managers of Australian Company for Spreading Christianity - Three senior employees of an Australian-owned multi-million dollar bio-engineering company in China's Guangdong province have been detained and their company closed over allegations of involvement in "illegal" Christian activities. Daniel Ng, a founder of the company, urged President Hu Jintao to intervene and said their company only wants to help poor peasants in the region.Full Story

As in the days of Noah....

Business Manager Murdered for His Faith in Lahore

Pakistan (ICC) Business Manager Murdered for His Faith in Lahore - Riaz Shahid, 51, the only Christian employed in a higher managerial position at Imperial Chemical Industries, was murdered by unidentified person(s) at his house in Bahar, a huge Christian neighborhood in Lahore. According to a source, Shahid had worked at the company for about 20 years and had just received a promotion. His family suspects that he was murdered on the basis of religious hatred by his Muslim colleagues, based on several items left at the scene. Full Story

As in the days of Noah....

Indian Bible Students Beaten for Preaching "Foreign Religion"

India (ChristianPost.com) Indian Bible Students Beaten for Preaching "Foreign Religion" - Two Bible college students have been lauded for their Christ-like response to the savage beatings they endured from a mob of anti-Christian extremists in India's Haryana state earlier this month. Students Vijay and Soman witnessed to the leader of a Hindu radical group, and in response the young men were beaten and dragged through the street. Full Story

As in the days of Noah...

Phillippines Government "Killing" CHristians

Philippines (BosNewsLife) Philippines Government "Killing" Christians, World Council of Churches Says - The World Council of Churches has accused the Philippine government of being involved in "extra-judicial killings" and other mistreatment of Christian workers. Among believers murdered by government-backed forces were several church activists and pastors who allegedly supported opponents of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's administration. Full Story

As in the days of Noah...

The fears and Hopes of Iraqi Christians

Iraq (AsiaNews) The Fears and Hopes of Iraqi Christians - This story is actually a message from Louis Sako, the Chaldean bishop of Kirkuk, Iraq. While acknowledging that "Christians at home or among refugee communities are going through an emotional rollercoaster," Sako writes that "about a thousand Iraqis are making the trek home from Syria - many are Christian families. Once shut down churches are now reopening." Though the future is far from certain, the return of many Christians is encouraging. Full Story

As in the days of Noah....

Enraged Muslims Attack Domestic Church in West Java

Indonesia (AsiaNews)-Enraged Muslims Attack Domestic Church in West Java - Dozens of angry Muslims took another harsh action against a local house church in Bandung, West Java. The fresh violence took place as dozens of local Christians gathered to hold a Sunday service. According to Pastor Obertina, "They forced entry - and then destroyed everything, threatening me." This area is known for its numerous cases of violence against the so-called "illegal churches"Full Story

As in the days of Noah....

Strengthening missions movement in Asia

International-The missionary movement in Asia seems to be growing.Bruce Johnson of Asian Access reports, "Europe and the U.S. and North America have been sending missionaries over the past decades. However, I've been so encouraged as I've traveled across Asia, and I keep hearing in country after country where they are sending missionaries to other parts of Asia."Myanmar is sending missionaries to Japan. China and South Korea are sending missionaries to other parts of Asia."They have a 'sending' spirit to see the Gospel go forward," said Johnson.Though the volume of believers is a contributing factor to the movement, their heart for Great Commission is key.There is a great advantage to this new movement that will allow them to reach new areas."Authorities don't look at their faces and see a Westerner, but they see an Asian, and they're able to allow them to move forward.I think there's an openness across borders and across cultures that allows this kind of missionary movement to actually go forward and be healthy," said Johnson.Anti-conversion laws that are prevalent in these areas are part of the Gospel, Johnson said.Opposition is nothing new, but overt persecution is hard to grasp for many Westerners.In Asia there are "people coming to your home and threatening you, to dragging you out into the street and beating you, to authorities coming and questioning you. There's a broad variety, but I would say, generally, persecution is not a major threat to the Gospel going forward," said Johnson.Prayer is essential for Asian missionaries who face an overwhelming darkness as well as economic challenges to presenting the Gospel.

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/10620

As in the days of Noah....

Five on trial in Turkey Christian workers' slayings

Turkey-Five men accused of murdering three Christian workers went to trial in Malatya central Turkey last week.At stake is Turkey's willingness to tackle persecution. Voice of the Martyrs Canada's Glenn Penner explains: "If the killers are allowed to simply get away with lesser charges, or it's seen that these murders were somehow justified on the basis that these Christians were involved in missionary activity, then Turkish Christians are certainly going to feel that they're not equal members of society, and that their religious activities are going to continue to be under threat."The defendants face life sentences for tying up, torturing and slitting the throats of Necati Aydin, 35, Ugur Yuksel, 32, and German national Tilmann Geske, 46, on April 18 at the Malatya-based Christian publishing house they ran.Trial resumes January 14. Lawyers for the defendants asked for more time to prepare their defense.Pray for opportunities for Christians in Turkey to share the truth of Christ. Despite the government reforms to facilitate joining the European Union, there is no indication of increasing religious freedom.While the Turkish constitution includes freedom of religion, worship services are only permitted in "buildings created for this purpose," and officials have restricted the construction of buildings for minority religions. In other cases, those who dare to profess Christ face harassment, threats and prison.Evangelism is difficult.However, Penner says, "The church is continuing to move forward, and Christians are continuing to witness.But, of course, it does cause some anxiety.There have been a number of attacks on evangelicals in the last two years, and they're wanting to know, 'Will our government stand up for us? Will they defend us? Or will they allow us to be shot, killed and attacked with impunity?'"

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/10623

As in the days of Noah....

China President Urged to Listen to Plight of Persecuted Chinese Christians

A prominent Chinese Christian leader has written an open letter to China’s president, calling him to listen to the suffering of country’s innocent persecuted Christians.In the letter, released Wednesday by the China Aid Association (CAA), Pastor Zhang Mingxuan,(picture left,middle) president of the Chinese House Church Alliance (CHCA), tells the story of how he became a house church leader and leader of CHCA. He also lists incidences of persecution against Christians such as beatings, imprisonments and tortures.Despite the contribution of the CHCA to charitable causes-particularly to aiding orphans and the homeless-the organization has been subject to more persecution in the time before and after the 17th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).Local police reportedly asked Zhang and his family to close down his house church along with his school and a nearby orphanage.In his letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao, Zhang said, “It is my belief that this persecution is a result of the corruption of officials subordinate to the central government, failure to enforce the law in a strict way, distortion of facts and evildoings and collusion between the local despots and the officials.”Zhang urged the president “to seriously consider the misery of the common people and urge the officials subordinate to you to stop persecuting Christians and implement their promises in the Constitution on religious freedom.“We can have a harmonious society when we build it on the foundations of love, friendship, fairness and justice," he added.Zhang said that the desire of Chinese Christians is “to win justice for the common people in China so that the Chinese society is full of love and care and that China can become free, prosperous, and a real powerful country in the 21st century in both soul and in social system.”He finished by saying, “We sincerely pray to the Lord to punish the evil and promote the good so that the common people can receive blessings and that China will have real religious freedom. I believe this is also the wish of President Hu. I hereby pray to God to bless you and all the officials in power, to give them more wisdom in ruling China.”In related news, the CAA reported that a house church led by Pastor Gao Wendong in Linyo City, Shandong Province, has won a legal battle against the local police.The church was represented by Beijing Christian lawyer Ms. Wu Chenglian and was helped by Zhang. On Nov. 17, the church won its legal battle and had its confiscated property returned.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071129/30274_China_President_Urged_to_Listen_to_Plight_of_Persecuted_Chinese_Christians.htm

PS:Truly Pastor Zhang is bold in the Lord...!Let's earnestly pray for this man of God and for the thousands like him that have to endure the hardships of an atheistic ruthless regime on a daily basis!!!!!Thank God for pastor Zhang!!!!!!

As in the days of Noah....

'You're not a Christian – Go to jail!':Woman sentenced for false ID papers because father briefly converted to Islam

Egyptian authorities sentenced a woman to [[[[three years in prison because her father's brief conversion to Islam 45 years ago legally made her a Muslim while her identity papers state she's a Christian.]]]][[[[Shadia Nagui Ibrahim, 47, was charged in Cairo with fraud even though she didn't know that according to Egyptian law, her father's conversion in 1962 made her a Muslim, ]]]]the South African Press Association reported. When his daughter was 2 years old, Nagui Ibrahim left home and converted to Islam.He reconciled with his wife three years later and re-converted to Christianity.In the process, he had someone forge his personal identity documents to say he was Christian.
Traditional Muslim practice forbids conversion from Islam, which is punishable by death.The man who forged Nagu Ibrahim's documents was detained in 1996 for falsifying dozens of documents and confessed to changing Ibrahim's papers, SAPA reported. Nagu Ibrahim also was detained and informed his daughter officially was a Muslim, because children in Egypt automatically take their father's religion.When Shadia Ibrahim married in 1982, she stated she was a Christian. Authorities prosecuted her for "providing false information on official documents," and after a lengthy trial she was sentenced in 2000, in abstentia, to three years in prison.Egypt forbids a Muslim woman from marry a Christian man.Her charges after the sentence were dropped, but she was detained in August this year and sentenced to three years after a brief court session, her lawyer said, according to SAPA.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58844

As in the days of Noah....

Palestinian Pastor Vows to Continue, Despite Ongoing Threats

RAMALLAH, WEST BANK-His efforts to help his people have led to numerous death threats. Because another Palestinian pastor was recently murdered, he takes the threats seriously.“I have to take the threats seriously,” says Pastor Isa Bajalia, an American-born Palestinian who founded a ministry in Ramallah known as Middle East Missions. “Rami Ayyad once sat in my place and thought they probably won’t do anything,” he notes.Rami Ayyad, the manager of Gaza City’s only Christian bookstore, was abducted and killed in early October. The attack came six months after his Palestinian Bible Society bookshop was bombed, and nearly daily threats of violence. No arrests have been made in his killing.Threats against Pastor Isa began in May, after a medical mission team came from a U.S. church to minister in Ramallah. There were three physicians, several nurses, and other volunteers who distributed medicine, vitamins, and other essentials. “The group was very bold in the way they prayed and witnessed, and somehow the word got back to the Palestinian Authority,” says Pastor Isa.“We have to use wisdom in ministering to people of other faiths-and not be offensive,” he says. “At the same time we have a sovereign mandate in Mark 16-The Great Commission.”Pastor Isa also ran into trouble more recently when he attempted to sell some land in Ramallah that once belonged to his grandfather, who immigrated from Ramallah to the U.S. in the early 1950s. Pastor Isa has identified two men he alleges are attempting to extort money from him, in exchange for his grandfather’s land. One of those threatening him is a member of the Tunzin militia group.“It’s like the mafia,” Pastor Isa says. “He says if I pay him $30,000 and assign the land over to him, he’ll get off my back.” Pastor Isa grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and was born-again at a Baptist Church when he was 14. He met his wife at Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the mid-1980s. They have one son.Many generations of his family lived in Ramallah and had ties to the Greek Orthodox Church. “Because of my family roots, I’ve always had a desire and a calling from God to better the lives of my people,” he says. “The thrust of our efforts is to bring educational opportunity and humanitarian relief to the people of Ramallah.”In 1996 the Bajalias launched a kindergarten in Ramallah for children aged 3-5. Due to the intifada, their school was forced to close in 2002. They have also been involved in church-planting efforts, but with the tense atmosphere currently in the West Bank, those efforts take the form of cell groups meeting in private homes.A surprising incident clarified Pastor Isa’s ministry vision about 12 years ago. One afternoon as he walked toward his house he was startled by a shepherd running down a hill, chasing his sheep. He heard the man yelling, causing a commotion.“I noticed the sound of sheep hooves coming from behind me along with a man shouting in Arabic for me to stop.”When Pastor Isa turned, he noticed the sheep were following him. “When I stopped the sheep stopped running,” he recalls. “The shepherd was out of breath and thanked me for stopping.”“I don’t know why, but my sheep were following you home,” the man said, somewhat perplexed.Pastor Isa continued to the door of his house when he felt God speak to his heart, saying, ‘If you continue to obey me, I will always cause sheep to follow you – and some shepherds.’Pastor Isa and his wife have ministered in the Middle East since 1991. He sees a delicate balance between humanitarian relief and maintaining an effective witness. “We’re firm believers that the light of Jesus Christ shines first and foremost through your life,” he says.“We befriend those we minister to in our humanitarian efforts,” he notes. “We attempt to somehow allow them to see the life of Jesus lived through us. We try to sink into the shadows of the background to allow His personality and character to be in the forefront.”“That always opens the door to questioning on their part,” he adds.Just this week, mounting threats forced Pastor Isa to flee Ramallah and take cover in East Jerusalem. Despite these pressures, Pastor Isa remains steadfast. “I’m a firm believer that battles are won from your knees,” he says. “I will not stop being obedient to the high call of God.”

By Mark Ellis

Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2007/s07110090.htm

As in the days of Noah....

Ministry adds food to its North Korean Bible outreach

An international relief ministry has expanded its distribution of scripture to Christians in the most persecuted nation in the world to include something more than spiritual food.For several years, Alpha Relief has provided humanitarian aid and discipleship materials to persecuted Christians in North Korea. Initially, Alpha Relief concentrated on scripture distribution to the underground church, but founder Chris Moore realized that many Christians were starving to death because of a widespread famine."Around December of 2006, we started getting word from the people we were working with, that they literally had run out of food and they were going into the woods to forage for roots and to pull bark off of trees and essentially eat anything they could find," he says. "So when the situation became that dire and we were aware of it, we added to our scripture distribution the element of emergency food aid."He explains that if people cannot eat and are dying of starvation, then sending Bibles has very little meaning. The underground church helps in the distribution of food to orphans and the homeless, says Moore. He also explains that there are many factors contributing to the famine plaguing North Korea. He includes among them are the fact that less than 20 percent of North Korea is suitable for farming, and the Marxist-Leninist policies of the communist nation.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/11/ministry_adds_food_to_its_nort.php

As in the days of Noah...

Anti-conversion legislation in India keeps Christians vigilant

India-Hindu nationalists have been frustrated in their bid strengthen an already stringent anti-conversion bill in Chhattisgarh State, India.One amendment would have required a person who wants to change his religion to report those intentions to government officials at least 30 days in advance.The government would then have the right to grant or deny the request.The governor also openly opposed another clause in the amendment which exempted people from the law if they are reverting from Christianity or Islam back to their native religion. The amendments target religious conversions classified as "occurring by force or allurement."Dave Stravers of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India explains, "A law like this needs to be confirmed by the governor. Just two days ago (Monday), the governor vetoed the bill."Christians claim the bill violated the Indian Constitution's religious freedom clause. Although they make up less than one percent of the nearly 21 million residents of Chhattisgarh, they have been effective in ministry. A strong anti-conversion law would have jeopardized many evangelistic projects. "So," says Stravers, "Christians are rejoicing that this prospect of a strong anti-conversion law is not going to happen in Chhattisgarh."Mission India has multiple literacy classes in the state. Stravers says one was recently shut down by militants, but one woman refused to be intimidated.32-year old Rani joined Mission India's Adult Literacy program earlier this year and was pleased about everything she was learning. She became a Christian, and a worship group started out of this literacy class.Extremists from the Bajrang Dal group stormed into the literacy center and questioned the group. The students explained they were learning to read and write, but the extremists harassed them and forced them to drink alcohol.The literacy students were shaken and decided to stop the worship service.After several days of silence, Rani had had enough. She walked to the homes of the literacy students and persuaded them to attend the worship services. She reminded them that they were worshipping a true and living God who would take care of them and help them.Her determination encouraged others who, despite the threat against them, "rrestarted their classes, and they're doing their Sunday worship again as they did before and just trusting God to protect them." Stravers says, "To me, it just illustrates the point when people say, 'How can I pray?' of course we say, 'Pray for protection.' But especially, pray that people will have courage."

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/10577

As in the days of Noah....

Christian activists jailed in Egypt

Egypt-Egypt is a predominantly Sunni Muslim state. Conversions from Islam are viewed as apostasy, although Muslim scholars differ on the what action should be taken. Christians in Egypt are often treated as second-class citizens, denied political representation, and discriminated against.The Middle East Christian Association is a Christian rights group that speaks out on their behalf. Voice of the Martyrs Canada's Glenn Penner says they're also now the targets."The spokesman of MECA (45-year-old Wagih Yaob) and another man (47-year-old Vict George) were taken from their Cairo homes at about 4:30 in the morning, and after being interrogated, they were sentenced to 15 days' detention for 'insulting Islam' and 'ruining the reputation of Egypt.' Later that day, their lawyer (Mamdouh Azmy) in Alexandria was also taken to a Cairo prison."Believers have been feeling the pressure. Just two weeks ago, an Egyptian court acquitted two other MECA activists who had faced charges of defaming Islam. At times, the discrimination results in violence, as happened during three days of rioting, starting on New Years Eve 1999 in El-Kosheh. In February 2003, two of 96 Muslims accused in this riot were convicted. However, in June 2004, 94 of the 96 convicted criminals were acquitted.These are just a few of the incidents that are behind the concerns Christians have shared. Penner urges prayer. "Pray for those Egyptians, like these with the Middle Eastern Christian Association, who have the courage to speak up, that they'll continue to do so despite all the harassment that they're facing. Pray that Egyptian Christians would respond to persecution in a Godly fashion."

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/10584

As in the days of Noah....

Messianic Jews active in Sderot

An Israeli anti-missionary group complained this week that Messianic Jewish congregations are becoming more publicly active in the southern town of Sderot in an effort to bring comfort through Yeshua (Jesus) to a community living under an increasingly difficult physical threat.
Sderot and surrounding communities continue to suffer almost daily rocket and mortar attacks from neighboring Hamas-controlled Gaza. The anti-messianic group Yad L'Achim insists local believers in Yeshua are exploiting that situation when they invite neighbors to worship services and present them with copies of the New Testament.[[[[Yad L'Achim officials told Israel National News they are increasing efforts in Sderot to counter what they see as the detrimental threat of growing faith in Yeshua as the promised Jewish messiah.]]]]

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=14558

As in the days of Noah....

POLICE STATE GERMANY:Parents to beg for their own grocery money

Homeschooling parents who have been battling the government over their children's education are heading into court today to beg permission to use some of their own money for groceries, after authorities froze their personal and business bank accounts.Dagmar Neubronner, who with her husband, Tillman, runs a home-based publishing business and homeschools sons Moritz, 10, and Thomas, 8, told the Home School Legal Defense Association the couple got word yesterday of the lock on the accounts."After the bailiff/marshal could not find possessions to take away from us, today we received news that our accounts have been blocked to impound the penalty payment of 4,500 euros," she wrote. "So our work as a publishing house is blocked, too, and we cannot withdraw money to buy food."As WND has reported, the fine is being imposed because the couple is unwilling to subject their sons to the grind of the daily school requirements in Germany.Government officials determined to stamp out "parallel societies" are adamantly opposed to homeschooling in Germany, and the Neubronners case is just the latest in a string of incidents in which the HSLDA has gotten involved. In this case, the organization that promotes homeschooling worldwide already has written to Mrs. Senatorin Renate Jurgens-Pieper in Bremen, asking for a continuation of previous permission for the Neubronner family to teach their children at home. "I understand that this family would like to homeschool their children and that while you previously allowed them to do so you are refusing to permit them to homeschool this year," the letter from HSLDA President J. Michael Smith said."We also ask you to use your influence to modify the Bremen City-State [law] to make homeschooling possible for anyone who chooses it. To deny parents the right to homeschool their children is to deny them a basic and fundamental human right. Will you consider setting an example for your whole nation that respects the rights of parents and children to be home educated?"WND has reported previously how German officials targeted an American family of Baptist missionaries for deportation because they belong to a group that refuses "to give their children over to the state school system."A teenager, Melissa Busekros, also returned to her family months after German authorities took her from her home and forcibly detained her in a psychiatric facility for being homeschooled.And WND has reported on other families facing fines, frozen bank accounts and court-ordered state custody of their children for resisting Germany's mandatory public school requirements, which by government admission are assigned to counter "the rise of parallel societies that are based on religion or motivated by different world views."The Neubronner sons had not fared well in Montessori or experimental schools "for a variety of reasons including the bus rides, the noise in the classrooms, and lack of challenging material, and a failure to connect with the kids in the school."But school officials in Bremen have ordered the parents to force their sons into the public school. Their failure produced the fine, which authorities already had sought to collect by inspecting their home for items that could be confiscated and sold."It is unbelievable especially when you consider … there is no urgency at all," continued Mrs. Neubronner. "The children just received good school reports and our appeal negotiations [are] still to come."She told the HSLDA her family is offering some help, and she hopes for some assistance from the family's court appearance."By seizing the bank accounts of the Neubronners and in seeking to seize the personal property for sale, German public officials have yet again demonstrated a colossal disregard for their citizen's basic human rights," Michael P. Donnelly, a staff counsel for HSLDA, told WND."The Neubronners are decent hardworking citizens who are sincerely doing what is in the best interests of their children and do not deserve this kind of harsh treatment. These outrageous and disproportionate actions are rooted in laws that date back to the darkest days of recent German history. With Slovakia and Romania now making positive changes to legalize homeschooling, Germany stands out as a dark shadow in Europe as an oppressor of this basic human right.""Even the United Nations has called on Germany to reform the way it treats homeschoolers. We appeal to the German people and German leadership to do what is right and to protect rather than attack families who choose to homeschool their children," he said.In the case involving Melissa Busekros, a German appeals court ultimately ordered legal custody of the teenager who was taken from her home by a police squad and detained in a psychiatric hospital for being homeschooled be returned to her family because she no longer is in danger.The lower court's ruling had ordered police officers to take Melissa – then 15 – from her home, if necessary by force, and place her in a mental institution for a variety of evaluations. She was kept in custody from early February until April, when she turned 16 and under German law was subject to different laws.At that point she simply walked away from the foster home where she had been required to stay and returned home.Wolfgang Drautz, consul general for the Federal Republic of Germany, has commented on the issue on a blog, noting the government "has a legitimate interest in countering the rise of parallel societies that are based on religion or motivated by different world views and in integrating minorities into the population as a whole."Drautz said homeschool students' test results may be as good as for those in school, but "school teaches not only knowledge but also social conduct, encourages dialogue among people of different beliefs and cultures, and helps students to become responsible citizens."The German government's defense of its "social" teachings and mandatory public school attendance was clarified during an earlier dispute on which WND reported, when a German family wrote to officials objecting to police officers picking their child up at home and delivering him to a public school."The minister of education does not share your attitudes toward so-called homeschooling," said a government letter in response. "... You complain about the forced school escort of primary school children by the responsible local police officers. ... In order to avoid this in future, the education authority is in conversation with the affected family in order to look for possibilities to bring the religious convictions of the family into line with the unalterable school attendance requirement."

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58704

As in the days of Noah...

Muslims intimidated church into holding Arafat memorial:Christians fear 'we'll become casualties of retaliation, escalating violence'

JERUSALEM-Intimidation by members of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party forced a Catholic church in Gaza to hold a memorial service yesterday for the late PLO leader Yasser Arafat, according to sources in Gaza's Christian leadership.The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear for their safety, said Catholics now fears retaliation from Hamas, Fatah's rival, after holding yesterday's ceremony commemorating the third anniversary of Arafat's death."The church was obliged to hold the event for Arafat after Christian leaders participated in a Hamas event 10 days ago," said a Christian source close to the church."Now we fear Christians may be casualties of the escalating violence. We may be caught in the crosshairs, and we're afraid of retaliation."The Arafat memorial was held at Gaza City's Holy Family Church. Manuel Musallam, the parish's priest was quoted by participants calling Arafat's death "a great loss for the Palestinian people.""Arafat was a great and very courageous leader," stated Musallam, according to memorial participants speaking to WND. "We miss this great person who was the first to bring hopes of freedom and independence to the Palestinians. We call on the Palestinian leadership to follow Arafat's road to end the suffering of Palestinian people." The church event was part of larger, three-day memorial services held throughout the Gaza Strip and West Bank, with events in Gaza setting off the worst factional clashes between Fatah and Hamas in months.Hamas gunmen Monday reportedly opened fire at a massive Fatah rally in Gaza that had over 250,000 participants in the largest show of Fatah strength in Gaza since Hamas took over the territory in June. Seven Palestinians-all reportedly Fatah supporters-were killed in the clashes, according to news reports.Some 85 more were wounded in the violence, three of whom are said to be in serious condition.The church memorial was the second time in recent days Christian leaders in the Gaza Strip said they were intimidated into showing support for the Palestinian leadership.Earlier this month, WND reported Christian leaders in the Gaza Strip were intimidated into attending and expressing support for a speech in which the territory's Hamas leader urged the worldwide spread of Islam, according to sources in Gaza's Christian community.Artinious Alexious, priest of Gaza's Greek Orthodox Church, and Emanuel Salum, a Catholic leader in Gaza, were at a major speech 10 days ago by Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Hamas government in Gaza and deposed prime minister of the previously Hamas-run Palestinian Authority.Also present were hundreds of gunmen, including members of a group, Jihadia Salafiya, suspected of carrying out anti-Christian attacks in Gaza such as the lobbing of grenades last September at Alexious' church.Hamas banned most international media from covering the event, only allowing entry to journalists accredited by the terror group.A major theme of Haniyeh's speech was the spread of Islamic values throughout the world, according to reporters in attendance.The reporters present said at one point during his speech, Haniyeh spoke about the "excellent" situation for Christians living under Hamas rule in Gaza.He pointed to the two Christian leaders in attendance, at which point to two raised their hands and nodded in agreement, witnesses told WND.According to sources in Gaza's Christian community speaking on condition of anonymity, Alexious and Salum were intimidated into attending the Hamas speech. The sources said in the weeks prior to the event, Haniyeh's office repeatedly called the Christian leaders to request they free their schedules to assist the Hamas rally."The priests thought it was a diplomatic way to threaten them and put pressure on them," said one source."After discussions within the Christian community leadership it was decided it would be dangerous not to assist in the meeting even though it would be very strange to see priests assisting in a meeting about the spread of Islam,"the source said.Hamas in June seized complete control of the Gaza Strip from Fatah amid widespread fears it would impose hard-line Islamic rule in the territory and that life for Christians might deteriorate.About 3,000 Christians live in the Gaza Strip, which has a population of over 1 million.There have been a slew of recent alleged anti-Christian attacks in Gaza, including the murder last month of a Christian bookstore owner whose beaten, bullet-ridden body was found after his shop repeatedly had been targeted by Islamists.Rami Ayyad, who managed the only Christian bookstore in Gaza, also had been threatened a number of times by local Islamist groups.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58681

As in the days of Noah....

Egypt Arrests Three Christian Rights Activists

Egyptian police over the weekend detained three members of a Christian rights group who were reportedly investigating the death of a Christian man allegedly killed by Egyptian police.Pre-dawn raids in two Cairo homes captured Wagih Yakob, 45, spokesman and lawyer of the Middle East Christian Association (MECA), and another member of the rights group, reported the group’s president Nader Fawzy from MECA’s Toronto headquarters, according to Reuters.Later that same day, Mamdouh Azmy, another lawyer for the group, was detained from his office in Alexandria.“They haven’t done anything at all,” Fawzy told Reuters. “The government is trying to stop us from working in Egypt.”The U.S. Copts Association said the recent arrest was likely caused by the men’s investigation into reports that a Coptic worker in Cairo was thrown from his balcony by two Egyptian police after he refused to pay them extortion money, according to WorldNetDaily.The association’s report said soon after the Coptic worker’s fall, the Egyptian police had reported the death as suicide.Days before Sunday’s arrest, two of men’s colleagues were released after completing a 90-day detention. The organization’s president in Egypt, Adel Fawzy Faltas, 61, and MECA member Peter Ezzat, 25, had been accused of insulting Islam, destroying Egypt’s reputation, owning a gun without a license and being a threat to national security during their three-month interrogation, according to the Compass Direct news agency. They were released, however, without charge.Two of the three arrested activists have been issued 15-day detentions, Compass reported.Egypt’s population of 80 million is about 90 percent Muslim and only about 10 percent Christian. Although the percentage of Christians in Egypt is small, it represents the largest Christian population in the Middle East.The Middle East Christian Association’s mission statement calls for secularism, equality with full citizenship for Christians living in the Middle East.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071113/30072_Egypt_Arrests_Three_Christian_Rights_Activists.htm

As in the days of Noah....

'Spies' identified as Christian photographers:'They had started studio to support themselves'

A team of "foreign spies" arrested by North Korean authorities-and possibility executed-actually are Christians who had started a portrait photography studio to support themselves, according to The Voice of the Martyrs, which ministers to the Persecuted Church worldwide.
The organization based in Bartlesville, Okla., is reporting that authorities from the National Security Service of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea held a news conference in Pyongyang recently to announce the arrest of "foreign spies" and "native citizens working for a foreign intelligence service."However, the people arrested were, in fact, "Christian believers and not spies," VOM confirmed. Li Su Gil, a spokesman for the security service, did not identify those arrested but confirmed they "carried out the missions by means of diverse espionage equipment," according to VOM.VOM then identified the following North Korean Christians "who have disappeared and are believed to have been arrested by government authorities:"
Onseong, North Hamgyong Province: Chul Huh, male; Chun-Il Jang, male, 39; Young-Si Jin, male, 32; Myung-Chul Kim, male, 36; Nam-Suk Kang, male, 48; and Young-Yae Lee, female, 37. Yoeryong, North Hamgyong Province: San-Ho Kang, male, 36. Cheongjin, North Hamgyong Province: Mi-Hae Park, female, 30; Suk-Chin Suh, male, 29."These North Korean Christians had started a portrait photography studio to help support themselves, and had registered their businesses with appropriate government authorities," VOM said. "According to VOM sources working in North Korea, they were not involved in espionage activities. It is believed that equipment taken by the government was in fact photography equipment used in their portrait work." "Following Jesus Christ is considered treason in North Korea, where the government mandates that worship is reserved for deceased dictator Kim Il Sung and his son, the current dictator, Kim Jong-il," said Todd Nettleton, spokesman for VOM. "The Voice of the Martyrs is proud to stand with Christ's followers in North Korea, and deeply concerned for the well-being of our brothers and sisters there."We call on the North Korean government to release these Christian believers, who were involved in legitimate business activities to support themselves and their families," he said.The Voice of the Martyrs has been involved in helping North Korean Christians for decades, including a ministry project that launched thousands of "Scripture balloons," mylar balloons filled with helium and printed on either side with biblical passages.
"VOM has conducted other projects to help North Korean Christians but cannot discuss details publicly to protect the safety of VOM workers and contacts inside North Korea," the ministry said.The location of those recently arrested also is not known, VOM said."We pray that they are alive," Nettleton said. "But we know it is possible that they have finished their race on earth and gone on to their eternal reward in heaven. We encourage Christians everywhere to pray for our brothers and sisters in North Korea, who must constantly face the threat of arrest, torture and execution simply for living out their faith in Jesus Christ."
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58601
As in the days of Noah....

Bible-store owner riddled with bullets:Now Islamic terrorist pegged for allegedly torturing, killing Christian

JERUSALEM – A senior Hamas militant is suspected of torturing and killing the manager of a Christian bookstore in the Gaza Strip who was found dead last month, according to Palestinian security officials.The body of Rami Ayyad, who managed the only Christian bookstore in Gaza, was discovered last month riddled with gunshot and stab wounds. Ayyad, a Baptist, was accused by Gaza-based Islamic groups of engaging in missionary activities. His bookstore, owned by the Palestinian Bible Society, was firebombed in April after which he told relatives he received numerous death threats from Islamists.The day of his abduction, Ayyad reportedly said he was being followed by a car that had no license plates.Security officials associated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization told WND yesterday there is information Ashraf Abu Layla, the central Gaza chief of Hamas' so-called military wing, the Izz al-Din Al Qassam Brigades, was behind the murder which is widely viewed as an anti-Christian attack.The security officials said Hamas forces closed the investigation into the death of Ayyad in spite of what they said was evidence of Layla's involvement. A Hamas spokesman denied the accusation while a top member of Hamas' "military wing," contacted by WND and speaking on condition of anonymity, would neither confirm nor deny his group was behind the Ayyad killing.
Hamas and Fatah have been at odds since last June, when Hamas took complete control of the Gaza Strip, seizing all U.S.-backed Fatah security compounds.Last month, WND quoted witnesses stating Ayyad was publicly tortured a few blocks from his store before he was shot to death.The witnesses said they saw three armed men, two of whom were wearing masks, beat Ayyad repeatedly with clubs and the butts of their guns while they accused him of attempting to spread Christianity in Gaza. The witnesses said that after sustaining the beating, Ayyad was shot by all three men.Ayyad left behind a pregnant wife and two young children. No group has taken responsibility for the attack.
Christians warned: Accept Islamic law
Sheik Abu Saqer, leader of Jihadia Salafiya, an Islamic outreach movement that recently announced the opening of a "military wing" to enforce Muslim law in Gaza, told WND in a recent interview all Christians in Gaza engaged in missionary activity will be "dealt with harshly." Jihadia Salafiya, allied with Hamas, is suspected of a slew of Islamist attacks, including firebombing Internet cafes and one in May against a United Nations school in Gaza after it allowed boys and girls to participate in the same sporting event. One person was killed in that attack.When Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June, there were widespread fears it would impose hardline Islamic rule in the territory, and that life for Christians might deteriorate.About 3,000 Christians live in the Gaza Strip, which has a population of over 1 million.Immediately after Hamas' Gaza coup, Abu Saqer told WND in an exclusive interview Christians could continue living safely in the Gaza Strip only if they accepted Islamic law, including a ban on alcohol and on women roaming publicly without proper head coverings."[Now that Hamas is in power,] the situation has changed 180 degrees in Gaza," said Abu Saqer, speaking from Gaza."Jihadia Salafiya and other Islamic movements will ensure Christian schools and institutions show publicly what they are teaching to be sure they are not carrying out missionary activity," he said.Abu Saqer accused the leadership of the Gaza Christian community of "proselytizing and trying to convert Muslims with funding from American evangelicals.""This missionary activity is endangering the entire Christian community in Gaza," he said.Abu Saqer claimed there was "no need" for the thousands of Christians in Gaza to maintain a large number of institutions in the territory.He said Hamas "must work to impose an Islamic rule or it will lose the authority it has and the will of the people."
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58637
As in the days of Noah....

Pastor Flees PA after Threats on his Life

"Moslem hatred of Christians in Palestinian territories has intensified since the Iraq War and the terrorist attacks in the US on Sept. 11, 2001 to the point of open acts of persecution, threats and violence."

With the dirt still fresh over the coffin of a Palestinian martyr in Gaza, another evangelical pastor in Palestinian territories fears he may be the next target of persecution against Christians and is taking no chances.Isa Bajalia, who is a pastor in Ramallah, fled to Jerusalem after receiving several threats against his life and was refused protection by Palestinian officials.These latest threats underscore the growing violence against Christians, particularly evangelical Christians, in Palestinian territories. Less than a month ago a Palestinian Bible Society worker in Gaza, Rami Ayyad, was kidnapped and killed.“I was told, ‘The same things that happened to Rami in Gaza would happen to you,’”Bajalia recounted. “They said, ‘We can catch you in the US;’ ‘We’re going to break your arms and legs;’ ‘Beyond the fact that you can’t see well, you’re also not going to walk;’ and, ‘Just like Hamas did to Fatah, we’re going to shoot you in your knee caps.’”
To read more go to:
http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=128&view=item&idx=1608
PS:IF this is not evil....i don't know what it is.......
Please Pray for pastors like Isa that are being threatened and persecuted EVERY DAY in the ARAB WORLD....!!!!!

As in the days of Noah....

COLOMBIA:Evangelical Pastor Killed

Pastor Diego Armando Bejarano, 27, was killed recently in the region west of Bogotá. Witnesses say hooded men took Bejarano by force and stabbed him. The motives for the killing are unknown;however, it is common knowledge guerrillas groups view Protestant pastors who encroach on territory under their control as military objectives. In the last 10 years, guerrillas have assassinated 133 pastors, Protestant missionaries and Catholic priests, according to the Evangelical Council of Colombia. Ask God to encourage and minister to the pastor's family and church as they mourn. Pray his testimony draws his attackers and nonbelievers into the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Matthew 5:4

Source:Voice of the Martyrs

As in the days of Noah....

Indian Evangelist Killed, Sacrificed for Hindu 'Goddess'

An evangelist in the North Indian state of Madhya Pradesh was killed by Hindu priests suspected of seeking human sacrifices for a Hindu “goddess” in the latest in a series of attacks against Christians in the country.According to the Global Council of Indian Christians, Vipin Mandloli, 27, was shot dead near Aamkut village in the Jhabua District, Madhya Pradesh.Mandloi, who works as a shepherd in his spare time, left his home on Oct. 14 to a nearby mountain to graze his sheep near a Hindu temple."There was a new temple of Kali, the 'goddess' of the Hindus, and he was in its premises," reported GCIC president Sajan K. George. “Three ‘Pujaris,’ or Hindu priests, came there and they shot and killed Vipin Mandloi with a … pistol.”GCIC alleged that the Hindu priests were angry that Mandloi had become a Christian after falling victim to alcohol abuse and a failed marriage. According to the advocacy group, Mandloi transformed to a very devoted Christian and even supported the churches and evangelists in the locality."The ‘goddess’ Kali is a bloodthirsty ‘goddess’ and she is even given human sacrifice," said George, “so it is suspected that the priests found this an opportune time to kill the evangelist as they were already upset with his decision of accepting Christ.” There has been growing concern about attacks against Christians in the same region. With an investigation in the process, GCIC hopes justice will be rendered to the family.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071108/30005_Indian_Evangelist_Killed%2C_Sacrificed_for_Hindu_%5C%27Goddess%5C%27.htm

As in the days of Noah...

North Korean Christians arrested; current status unknown

In a highly unusual press conference in Pyongyang in September, the National Security Service of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) announced the arrest of “foreign spies” and “native citizens working for a foreign intelligence service.” The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), a ministry serving Christians in restricted nations who are persecuted for their faith, announced today that those arrested in North Korea were in fact Christian believers and not spies.The security service spokesman at the press conference, Li Su Gil, said that those arrested “carried out the missions by means of diverse espionage equipment.”He did not name any of those arrested.VOM has identified the following North Korean Christians who have disappeared and are believed to have been arrested by government authorities:
Onseong, North Hamgyong Province:
Chul Huh, male
Chun-Il Jang, male, 39
Young-Su Jin, male,
Myung-Chul Kim, male, 36
Nam-Suk Kang, male, 48
Young-Yae Lee, female, 37

Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province:
San-Ho Kang, male, 36

Cheongjin, North Hamgyong Province:
Mi-Hae Park, female, 30
Suk-Chun Suh, male, 29
These North Korean Christians had started a portrait photography studio to help support themselves, and had registered their businesses with appropriate government authorities. According to VOM sources working in North Korea, they were not involved in espionage activities. It is believed that equipment taken by the government was in fact photography equipment used in their portrait work.“Following Jesus Christ is considered treason in North Korea, where the government mandates that worship is reserved for deceased dictator Kim Il Sung and his son, the current dictator, Kim Jong Il,” said Todd Nettleton, spokesperson for VOM. “The Voice of the Martyrs is proud to stand with Christ’s followers in North Korea, and deeply concerned for the well-being of our brothers and sisters there. We call on the North Korean government to release these Christian believers, who were involved in legitimate business activities to support themselves and their families.”The Voice of the Martyrs has been actively involved in helping North Korean Christians for decades. Among the projects the ministry has carried out for North Korea is the launch of thousands of “scripture balloons,” mylar balloons filled with helium and printed on either side with scripture passages. VOM has conducted other projects to help North Korean Christians but cannot discuss details publicly to protect the safety of VOM workers and contacts inside North Korea.VOM sources do not know the whereabouts of the arrested believers. It is possible that they have already been tried and executed.“We pray that they are alive,” said Nettleton. “But we know it is possible that they have finished their race on earth and gone on to their eternal reward in heaven. We encourage Christians everywhere to pray for our brothers and sisters in North Korea, who must constantly face the threat of arrest, torture and execution simply for living out their faith in Jesus Christ.”
Christians are encouraged to write letters protesting the arrest to the DPRK delegation to the United Nations:
Permanent Mission of the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea to the United Nations
820 Second Avenue, 13th Floor
New York, NY 10017
http://www.mnnonline.org/article/10558

As in the days of Noah...

THE DEATH OF RAMI AYYAD

As you may have heard, one of our dear brothers in Christ, Rami Ayyad, was recently martyred in Gaza.A married father of two precious kids (and one on the way), Rami was the manager of the Bible Society Bookshop in Gaza. He had received numerous death threats in recent days because of the bookstore’s presence.And those threats became reality on October 7 when his tortured body was found.The death of Rami Ayyad highlights more than ever the need for Open Doors’ upcoming International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) on Sunday, November 11th. this is a spiritual battle we’re fighting… one that will only be won with spiritual weapons!Check out this powerfully emotional video of Rami’s wife and loved ones, to see how you can PRAY for them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glpd032iqT8

Read more about this tragedy so that you can INFORM others.Order a free kit so that your church and small group can ACT on behalf of secret believers and other persecuted Christians like the Ayyad family.

As in the days of Noah...

Widow of slain Turkish worker: 'A cross for me every day'

ISTANBUL,Turkey-On a recent Sunday night while on the way home from church services, a sad little voice came from the back seat of the car.“Mommy, I miss my Daddy so much. Can't Jesus bring him back to us?”Her mother sighed, and then turned from the front seat to explain gently once more to her 6-year-old daughter, "Esther, Jesus decided to take Daddy to heaven, to be with Him. So we have to wait until Jesus takes us to heaven to see Daddy again."The little girl thought for a few seconds and then declared, "Well, if Daddy isn't coming back, then I want to go to heaven too!"More than six months have passed since Esther Aydin's father was beaten, tortured and then slaughtered with a knife in Turkey's eastern city of Malatya by five young Muslims who claimed in initial statements they had done it "for our religion."But Esther and her brother Elisha, 7, are still struggling painfully with the loss of their father, Necati Aydin, who shared his martyrdom on April 18 with another Turkish Christian, Ugur Yuksel, and German Christian Tilmann Geske. They were bound hand and foot, tortured with multiple stab wounds and had their throats cut.The ritual slayings appeared to be a deliberate observance of the Quranic instruction to "strike terror into the hearts of unbelievers" by smiting them above the neck and striking every finger (Surah 8:12). The victims' fingertips were sliced repeatedly and their windpipes and esophagi severed.As their mother put them to bed on another recent evening, Elisha finally asked, "Mommy, are you crying about Daddy?"Admitting it had been hard for her to cry since his death, his mother told him, "I am crying in my heart every day, Elisha."Bravely trying to comfort her, Elisha answered, "You don't need to cry, Mommy. We know he is in heaven with Jesus, along with Uncle Ugur and Uncle Tilmann."But a few nights later, as he again dissolved in a flood of tears, he sobbed out his own fears to her, admitting he was terrified that she might die, too.In-laws' oppositionFor Semse Aydin, who spoke at a recent memorial service near Istanbul to her husband's Zirve Publishing Company colleagues, the shock of the cruel and sudden death still hits her every morning when she awakens."Necati's absence is a cross for me every day," she admitted.Ten years ago, Necati Aydin's strict Muslim family had violently opposed his decision to become a Christian. They literally kidnapped him when they learned of his pending marriage, threatening both of them if he did not change his mind and come back to Islam."I was afraid for his life, and that he would renounce Jesus," Aydin said. "So I told the Lord I would give him up, that I would sacrifice our marriage. I prayed that the Lord would just keep Necati for Himself, not for me."But Necati Aydin stayed firm in his new faith in Christ and, after writing a farewell letter to his family, he married Semse in 1998."Now, God has taken him back," she said. "He is the one who gives and takes away. So how can I be angry with the God who is over everything?"But the realities of single motherhood still overwhelm her, despite the comforting support of her older sister, who squeezed them into her modest apartment in western Turkey the week after the tragedy.Finding their own housing provided difficult as they dealt with persecution. Her brother-in-law’s church has been targeted in two attacks, including an attempted arson."It's a daily stress on all of us," Aydin said, "for my 9-year-old niece and her parents as well as for me and my children, to know there are people who hate us so much they want to frighten us and even kill us."Even the children have been ostracized at school because of their distinctively Christian first names.'A knife to my heart'The draining process of returning to Malatya in early September to pack up and move from their former home was like "a knife to my heart," she said."It was as painful as death itself to close that chapter of my life," she said."Without Necati, I feel like I don't have a home anymore. I can't feel like this is really my home now, because he's not here."Even so, she made time during the visit to call on her Muslim neighbors, once again testifying to them of the love and forgiveness she had found in Christ. She gifted each one with a New Testament and a copy of her husband's letter to his family explaining why he had become a Christian."It took so much energy, and it was so painful, but Jesus would not let me dodge this last opportunity," she said.But there were encouraging times as well, she said, meeting with many of the Christian believers in Malatya who had come to faith through the witness of herself and her husband, who had been their pastor.Despite the personal cost of her pain, Aydin stands by her public statement to the Turkish media two days after her husband's death, declaring that she has forgiven the five culprits, now jailed and awaiting trial.In fact, she is actively praying for at least one of them to repent of their deeds and come to faith in Christ."That's the ultimate revenge, isn't it?" Aydin asked.

by Barbara G. Baker — Compass Direct

http://www.mcchronicle.com/Articles/Nov07/Art_Nov07_13.html

As in the days of Noah....

Fears for Christians and Other Minorities in Pakistan

LONDON (ANS)-Pakistani Christians are expressing concern about the public order situation in their country, and the security of minorities, following President Pervez Musharraf's widely criticised suspension of consitutional government and his declaration of a state of emergency over the weekend.Ekklesia News Service said that Musharraf's move, which has embarrassed his Western allies and outraged democracy and human rights advocates, comes ahead of a Supreme Court decision on whether to overturn his recent election victory. The signs are that Musharraf’s poll ratings are likely to slip to single digits.“This move is not about law and order primarily, it is about Musharraf's desperate attempt to survive politically,” a leading analyst, speaking on condition of anonymity for safety reasons, told Ekklesia. The army loyal to Musharraf has been arresting lawyers, opponents and civil society advocates in a widespread clampdown.There are signs of public protest, but widespread fear. Ekklesia said that churches now fear the situation will be exploited by those who wish to carry out more attacks on the minority Christian community.News agencies say independent news channels have been forced off the air and telephone lines were cut. Meanwhile army vehicles have taken up positions on key roads in Islamabad surrounding the Supreme Court.In one of a number of incidents in recent weeks, two Catholic sanitary workers were reportedly shot and killed because they refused to convert to Islam. Bribery allegations were also involved, Ekklesia said.A Catholic-run public high school in Sangota, in the Swat Valley, was also attacked by a group calling itself Janisaran-i-Islam, allegedly for “forcibly converting students” and “encouraging un-Islamic behavior.” The school has reopened after being closed for a while.However, Ekklesia said that some Muslims who boycotted and attacked Christians in Gowindh, a Punjabi village of 10,000 people, have subsequently apologized for their actions, which were stirred up by misinformation from extremists.Several Pakistani Christian leaders and church officials have distanced themselves from General Musharraf and criticized his policies recently, Ekklesia said, amidst claims from militants that they back the West and U.S. policies.

By Jeremy Reynalds-Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

http://www.assistnews.net/STORIES/2007/s07110029.htm

As in the days of Noah...

Pray for Persecuted Christians

The ultimate freedom that Christ offers can threaten people who want to control others, sparking anger and hatred for Christians in some parts of the world. Whether a state-sanctioned attempt to impose a particular religion - such as Islam - or an effort to deny people the right to express any faith - such as in Communist countries - people are persecuting Christians right now for their faith. People who are part of God's family along with you - your spiritual brothers and sisters - are suffering violence, imprisonment, starvation, extortion, ostracism and more. Simply for expressing faith in Christ, they're losing their health, relationships, jobs, and sometimes their very lives. Even from a long distance away, there is a lot you can do to help. Here are some ways you can reach out to persecuted Christians:
*Obtain information about specific incidents of persecution throughout the world. Find out who is suffering and where by subscribing to free newsletters from human rights organizations (there are several organizations dedicated specifically to helping persecuted Christians).
*Pray compassionately and strategically for Christians who are suffering. Think about their experiences and allow yourself to feel some of their pain. Then intercede for them, asking God to transform their suffering into peace and even joy by strengthening them, protecting them, and using their witness to draw others into relationships with Him.
*Commit to pray regularly for persecuted Christians, either alone or through a church prayer group dedicated to that purpose.
*Become an advocate for persecuted Christians. Contact your representatives in government at all levels - national, state, and local - to express your concerns and ask for specific solutions through new laws. Contact members of the media through letters to the editor or press releases to help raise public awareness of the issue.
*Communicate directly with persecuted Christians to encourage them. Obtain their addresses and guidelines for what can be expressed in letters, cards, and e-mails (you can do this through an organization dedicated to helping persecuted Christians), then write them as often as possible. You may even take a mission trip to an area of the world in which Christians are suffering.

By Whitney Hopler
{Adapted from Hidden Sorrow, Lasting Joy: The Forgotten Women of the Persecuted Church, by Anneke Companjen, copyright 2001 by Open Doors International, Inc. Published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Ill., www.tyndale.com, 1-800-323-9400.
Anneke Companjen has traveled the world as the wife of the president of Open Doors International (www.opendoorsusa.org), seeing firsthand the tragic toll of persecution. Following the suicide of a woman she had befriended - the wife of an imprisoned Vietnamese pastor - Anneke decided she would write a book about women of the persecuted church.}
http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday/11559015/

As in the days of Noah....

Why You're Needed to Pray for Our Persecuted Brethren...PART TWO

Dalits and Religious Persecution
In the past decade India has enjoyed an economic boom fueled, in large part, by trade in services with the United States. Sadly, many Indians, however, have not benefited from the boom, chief among them the Dalits, or, as they used to be called, the “untouchables.”On October 2, Mohandas Gandhi’s birthday, 25,000 Dalits from across India set out on a Gandhi-style protest march to New Delhi. They protested their continuing marginalization within Indian society, which is especially intolerable in the midst of unprecedented economic growth.It is difficult for any American to imagine how marginalized the Dalits are. They are considered to be less-than-human by much of Indian society. Because of this, they are relegated to “the most squalid jobs,” as Stephanie Giry put it in Foreign Affairs magazine—for example, cleaning human waste.As one Dalit woman told the BBC, she cleaned toilets because that was the only way she could feed her children. The woman’s daughter said that she “tried looking for a job in a school or nursing home, but no one would take” her. “The first question they always ask is your caste-system.”The Indian government has enacted anti-discrimination laws and created programs to compensate for this discrimination. Yet the Dalits’ place within the “Hindu religious and social hierarchy” limits the impact of these laws. More than 2,000 years of culture and religion often trump the law.Little wonder that millions of Dalits have sought to escape that hierarchy by converting to Christianity. According to the Wall Street Journal, the “overwhelming majority” of India’s Christians are Dalits.This, in turn, gives their Hindu neighbors and local government two reasons to discriminate against them: their caste and then their Christian faith.In fact, if a Dalit converts to Christianity, he risks losing whatever little anti-discrimination protection and benefits are offered to Dalits—benefits that, however, can mean a decent chance at life.Despite the risk, Dalits continue to convert—an estimated 25 million so far. Because of this double discrimination, they often have to practice their faith in secret. As one Dalit teacher told the Wall Street Journal, “If [officials] ever find out I’m a Christian, I will lose my position.” He and other Dalit Christians are forced to live a kind of double life: appearing to be a Hindu in public but limiting expressions of their faith to their homes and churches.The situation in what’s called the “largest democracy in the world” reminds us that “democracy” and elections are not enough—there needs to be a commitment to the “first freedom”: freedom of religion. There needs to be a recognition that all freedoms grow out of what one of our founders James Madison called “the act of freedom by which each responds to the call of his Creator.” And it is time to start reminding India that business-as-usual with us does not include continuing to treat our brothers as “untouchable.”So this Sunday, on the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, remember to pray for the Dalits and our persecuted brethren around the world. And this year, resolve with me to pray for the persecuted Church not just on this designated day, but year-round, “without ceasing.”
by Chuck Colson
http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/11559083/page2/

As in the days of Noah....

Why You're Needed to Pray for Our Persecuted Brethren

Part One

Where Were You: Persecution in Burma

Since late September, the crackdown on pro-democracy forces in Burma has brought unwelcome attention to one of the most oppressive regimes on Earth.For many people, the defining image of the Burmese struggle for human rights has been Buddhist monks in red robes staging demonstrations. Reports about Burma focus on the plight and plans of the estimated 400,000 Buddhist monks in the country.Given the coverage, people might be surprised to learn that Burma not only has a substantial Christian population, but that these Christians have long been the junta’s preferred target.Late last month, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner called on China to use its influence with the Burmese government to promote democratic reform. Aside from the unintentional irony of China promoting democratic reform anywhere, I could only wonder of the French foreign minister, “Where were you when Burma’s Christians needed you?”For instance, the U.K. Telegraph reported about a Burmese government document describing a plan for eradicating Christianity in that country. The document began with the words “there shall be no home where the Christian religion is practiced.”What followed were “point by point instructions on how to drive Christians out of the state.” While the junta denied authorship of this specific document, it “made no public attempt to refute or repudiate its contents.”It could hardly do otherwise—its persecution of Burma’s Christian minority is well-documented. Christian churches have been torn down and replaced by Buddhist pagodas; and Christians have been forced to financially support Buddhist projects and festivals. It gets worse: Christian children have been removed forcibly from their homes never to be seen again. And members of largely Christian ethnic groups—the Chin, Lachin, and Karen—have been tortured by the Burmese army. Christian women are gang-raped by soldiers, killed, and their mutilated bodies placed on display as a warning to others.Not surprisingly, the treatment of Burmese Christians does not figure prominently in recent news reports about the Burmese democracy campaign. Actually, their treatment scarcely registers at all.I say “not surprisingly” because, sadly, the media has a blind spot when it comes to the persecution of Christians. For instance, you can listen to several months’ worth of news about Iraq, and, with a few honorable exceptions, never hear about the plight of Iraqi Christians. There was a similar journalistic silence about the treatment of Sudanese Christians by that country’s Islamic-led government—until, that is, many of us staged a noisy campaign.But this is why it is up to Christians to provide a more accurate picture of human rights around the world. And equipping Christians to complete that picture is one of the goals of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. It will be observed Sunday, November 11. The goal of this Day of Prayer is to unite citizen action to intercessory prayer on behalf of our persecuted brethren.Citizen action requires informed citizens, which is why I am telling you today and tomorrow about Christians who need your help. Because when we are asked, “Where were you when the persecuted Church needed you?” I want you to be able to say, “Right by their side.”

by Chuck Colson-BreakPoint

http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/11559083/

As in the days of Noah....

International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Church set for Sunday

A spokesman with Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is encouraging Christians throughout the nation and the world to set aside a special time this Sunday to remember those persecuted for their faith in Christ.This Sunday marks the annual International Day of Prayer (IDOP) for the Persecuted Church. The IDOP is a call for Christians worldwide to uplift those who are suffering for Christ and pray that they will remain faithful in the face of trials and tribulation. VOM spokesman Todd Nettleton says prayer is the number-one need of those persecuted for their faith."The Book of Hebrews says 'Remember those in bonds, as if you were bound with them.' I think for Christians in America-imagine if we were persecuted; imagine if we were in jail. We would want to know that somebody was praying for us," says Nettleton.Iraq and North Korea are special focal points for this year's IDOP, an event that is observed in more than 125 countries.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/11/international_day_of_prayer_fo.php

As in the days of Noah....

Feds ban grandma's angel ornament on Christmas tree:HUD orders residents to avoid Jesus in decorations

Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development officials have announced a ban on any decorations in HUD housing complexes that mention Jesus or represent religion for the Christmas season, and the American Family Association has responded with a petition drive to overturn the decision.The AFA has set up a link to allow constituents to send e-mails to the HUD secretary or President Bush expressing their objections to the policy.The issue arose at the Plant City Living Center in Plant City, Fla., where 85-year-old Mrs. Arnold was told that federal law now prohibits her from displaying anything that references religion – words, decorations and the like – in the common area of her apartment building, a HUD facility. The grandmother told AFA she was instructed that even an angel decoration would be disallowed by the ban, which makes her think of the restrictions in Germany during World War II.According to the center, HUD has issued a directive banning "any religious symbols or religious words associated with Christmas," which effectively prevents Mrs. Arnold from placing a small Christmas tree outside her door if it contains any religious symbols or words – "even an angel," AFA said in a special alert asking for e-mails.A spokeswoman at the center who preferred not to give her name told WND the rules now prevent displays "like a manger, like a Christ child, any religious symbols.""We used to have a sign outside that said, 'Jesus is the reason for the season,' but we can't anymore," she told WND. "We're all very unhappy about that."The building has about 40 one-bedroom apartments for seniors who are at least 62 years old.The spokeswoman said she didn't know what would be used for decorations now. "I don't know. We can probably decorate the tree, but we can't put anything on it that symbolizes Christ," she said."If the residents want to have a Christmas party in their community room, they cannot call it a Christmas party. The Center says HUD directs residents not to use the word 'Christmas' but to use the word 'holiday,'" the AFA advisory said."A Sunday School class from a church near Mrs. Arnold's apartment comes every year to host a Hanging of the Greens and Christmas Party for all the residents. She said the highlight of their Christmas Party comes at the very end of The Hanging of the Greens when someone places the angel on top of their Christmas tree. Their tradition is now banned by the federal government," the AFA said.The family group noted the federal government has become increasingly active in banning Christianity from the public square, citing the National Park Service's efforts to conceal the words "Laus Deo," which is Latin for "Praise Be to God" at the Washington Monument, and the move by a Veterans Administration official to ban the script of a flag-folding ceremony that mentions "Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" and "Father, Son and Holy Ghost" at 100 national cemeteries.However, "both of these were rescinded after AFA supporters sent e-mails to proper authorities," the AFA said. In the case of the Washington Monument dispute, Park Service officials told WND they got 26,000 e-mails in a morning.WND also reported earlier this week that government officials in Fort Collins, Colo., are considering new regulations for Christmas decorations that appear to ban red and green lights because they are too religious.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58596

As in the days of Noah....

Christians acquitted of insulting Islam:Defendant says hardest part of jailing was isolation in 3 foot by 5 foot cell

Two Christians connected to a Canadian ministry working in Egypt, a nation known for persecuting those who are not Muslims, have been acquitted of charges they insulted Islam and released from a three-month detention, according to new reports from Voice of the Martyrs, a worldwide ministry to the Persecuted Church.The report said family and friends, their lawyers, members of the clergy and others gathered at the home of Adel Fawzy Faltas, 61, this week to celebrate the court decision that also threw out unsubstantiated charges of "tarnishing Egypt's reputation abroad."Also detained, then released, was Peter Ezzat Mounir, 25. Faltas heads the Egyptian branch of the Canadian-based Middle East Christians Association, a religious liberty group, and Mounir is an associate with the group."Praise God for the release…," said VOM. "Pray for Christians in Egypt to remain faithful in their relationship with Jesus Christ despite being treated as second-class citizens. Egypt detained the two activists months ago, and Faltas said probably the most difficult part of the ordeal was spending the first two weeks in an isolation cell about five feet long and three feet wide.According to Christian Solidarity International, members of Egypt's State Security Investigations took the two into custody, and confiscated computers and documents from their homes.The prisoners were held at the Lazoghly Square headquarters of the federal agency and security statements accused them of insulting Islam, preaching Christianity and maintaining an unlawful association with a foreign organization. For a long initial period, they were held completely incommunicado. The group's corporate identity statement calls for secularism, equality and full citizenship for Christians in Egypt, as well as the rest of the Middle East.CSI had raised concerns for the men's health and safety."Some of the atrocities and malicious practices of the Egyptian police came to public notice when bloggers managed to publish videos of torture and abuse of citizens at the hands of the police," CSI said."I was always a free man," Faltas told Compass Direct News. "When you respect yourself and what you are doing, then you are free."John Eibner, CSI-USA's chairman, had written President Bush asking for help in the situation."The arrests of Messrs. Fawzy Faltas and Ezzat Mounir take place against a background of increasing state-sponsored persecution of Christians in Egypt and growing intolerance of Christians and other religious minorities throughout the Middle East. If present trends of violence, intimidation and discrimination continue, the tragic fate of oriental Jewry could soon befall Middle Eastern Christians," he said.
As WND also has reported, an Egyptian Christian who had fled his home nation has been given temporary permission to remain in the United States because he, "most assuredly has a right not to be tortured," a federal court as concluded.The court pointedly concluded that "diplomatic assurances" of his religious rights "by a country known to have engaged in torture" weren't reassuring.Officials reported the arrests followed increased MECA activity in Egypt including the submission of a lawsuit against Egypt President Hosni Mubarak and other members of the Egyptian government on behalf of victims of the anti-Christian al-Kosheh riots in 2000, which left 21 Christians dead.Also ruffling feathers lately have been a book documenting the persecution of Egyptian Christians and the high-profile legal case in which a convert to Christianity petitioned to have the government recognize his change in religious affiliation.The U.S. Copts Association said the arrests likely were triggered specifically by the men's reporting on the killing of an Egyptian Christian by two police officers.The day before they were arrested, the Copts Association said, the two had investigated reports a Coptic worker in Cairo was thrown from his balcony by two members of the Egyptian police after he refused to pay them extortion money."It appeared that two policemen had stopped Nasser Sediq Gadallah on his way home from work and demanded money by force. He refused to pay and went and filed a report with the prosecutor's office charging them with extortion and brutality. Eyewitnesses reported that both members of the police visited Naser's home shortly after he filed his report and tried to force him to withdraw his complaints from the prosecutors' office. When he refused, they threw him off his balcony in the presence of his family and other eyewitnesses," the report said.The report said a short time later police reported the death as a suicide, but Ezzat and others took pictures of the crime scene, interviewed witnesses on film and encouraged the family to report the death.WND also recently reported on two young Egyptian boys who were ordered to take a school test that would result in their conversion to Islam.They wrote, "I am Christian," on the exam papers, knowing in advance that could very well spell the end of their educations. Now a U.S.-based organization is lobbying for international pressure on Egypt to quit forcing Christians into such no-win situations.Their situation arose because of the Islamic law demand that children follow their father's faith if it is Islam. Their father, who abandoned the family a number of years ago, had converted to Islam. The nation's education ministry then requires children to take – and pass – a test on Islam in order for them to be advanced in school. No passing grade, no more schooling, officials said.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58588

As in the days of Noah....

China denounces report of Bible ban:Nation that has expelled Christian missionaries calls it 'rumor'

Chinese officials, who have expelled dozens of Christian missionaries in an apparent crackdown in advance of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, are denouncing a report that they will ban Bibles in the athletes' housing complexes during the event.Reuters quotes Liu Jianchao, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, telling reporters in Beijing that the story in the Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport wasn't correct."The facts show that this news is a total rumor," Jianchao said."The Chinese government has not come up with any such rule."The official website for the 2008 Games does, however, advise that visitors should not bring more than a single Bible. On a page of information about entry into China, it advises visitors must pass certain checkpoints for visa, passport and health declaration forms.Luggage also will be inspected for food, biological products, blood or animals that may "spread infectious diseases," the webside said."Note: Each travel[er] is recommended to take no more than one Bible into China," the advisory adds.The report from the La Gazzetta dello Sport was picked up by the Catholic New Agency and reported in the U.S. But Jianchao said China's religious affairs authorities, who control religious activities in the nation, "have not – and could not – issue a rule banning the Bible in the Olympic village.""We are suspicious of the motivations for why these people would spread such rumors," he said. "They should be responsible and not do things that are not beneficial for them and harm mutual understanding between China and the world."A statement forwarded from the U.S. Olympic Committee said it had gotten confirmation Bibles would be allowed. Officials said the report apparently stemmed from a "miscommunication" between a journalist in Italy and the organizing committee.Just a day earlier, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called the Chinese ambassador in Washington on the carpet for the report of the ban....

To read more go to:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58578

As in the days of Noah.....

Bibles banned from 2008 Olympic village:China also warns visitors not to bring more than single copy

Chinese officials have announced athletes who compete in the 2008 Beijing Games will be banned from having Bibles in their Olympic village housing, and even visitors are being warned not to bring more than a single Bible with them when they come to China. According to a report from the Catholic News Agency, Bibles will be among the list of "prohibited objects" for athletes at the Beijing housing complexes being built now for the thousands of athletes expected to participate. "According to the Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, organizers have cited 'security reasons' and have prohibited athletes from bearing any kind of religious symbol at Olympic facilities," the report said.Also banned will be video cameras and cups, the report said.
"The Spanish daily La Razon said the rule was one of a number of 'signs of censure and intolerance' towards religious objects, particularly those used by Christians in China," the report said. "Currently in China five bishops and 15 priests are in prison for opposing the official [government-run] church." Todd Nettleton, a spokesman for Voice of the Martyrs, whose Bibles Unbound program offers American citizens the option of mailing Bibles into China, said it's not illegal for an individual to own a Bible in China.But he said the government there controls access to Bibles by restricting imports and controlling the actual printing of Bibles within China.The Bibles Unbound program is perfectly legal, even within China, he said. "We are not breaking Chinese law to send one New Testament to one person," but he said the number of Bibles needed is overwhelming.On a Voice of the Martyrs blog, that specific issue was the topic of discussion.Nettleton said a recent report noted the Chinese press has been trumpeting the fact that the government-controlled Bible printer, Nanjing Amity Printing Co., had printed 43 million Bibles between 1981 and 2006, about 1.7 million a year."Now 43 million sounds like a large number. But remember that there are more than 100 million Christians in China," said the blog posting. "That means that, over a 25-year period, the government didn't even print enough Bibles for half the Christians to have one!""One of our contacts who works regularly in China, (I will not share her name for security reasons) offered some very good reminders about the battle to bring God's Word to the many millions who need it and want it in China," the posting said.
Some points to remember:
1. Comparatively few Christians have access to computers and the Internet on a regular basis so Internet Bibles cannot reach (all of) the nation.
2. Not only can I legally buy a Bible in my city, I can buy 10. Problem is I don't need 10 Bibles in the cities where those bookstores exist, I need 10 million Bibles in the countryside. In most cases, if you go to a legal Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) bookstore and order many copies, the authorities will follow you home, and sometimes arrest you for doing so. (This is our experience.)
3. If there are 100 million Christians in China, and one Bible lasts five years (I don't exactly know about this longevity number), this means that we need 20 million new Bibles every year just to replace the ones being worn out. (Remember, Chinese Christians actually read their Bible every day and they travel much and they live in harsh environments, so a Bible does not last as long as in the USA where we use it mostly on Sundays and in a clean environment.)
The VOM blog by Nettleton then continued: "Friends, you will read much in the months between now and the Beijing Olympics about how FREE it is in China, how oppression and persecution have gone into the past and how our brothers and sisters are living and worshipping in freedom and ease. Unfortunately, at times you will read such stories even from reputable Christian sources. Our friends in the unregistered churches … and in Chinese prisons … have a very different story to tell. Do not forget them."He said Americans have no idea how much the Chinese government monitors and how much it wants to control the information that could affect its image."I was in Beijing 3-4 years ago, watching CNN, a story about AIDS in China," he told WND. "Then the screen goes blank and it's blank for 4-5 minutes. CNN comes back on… You know somebody else watching."The official website for the 2008 Games is where the advisory for visitors to not bring multiple Bibles is documented.On a page of information about entry into China, it advises visitors have to pass certain checkpoints for visa, passport and health declaration forms.Luggage also will be inspected for food, biological products, blood, or animals that may "spread infectious diseases," the webside said."Note: Each traveler is recommended to take no more than one Bible into China," the advisory adds. A spokesman for the U.S. Olympic Committee, Darryl Seibel, told WND that he had not seen any list, but typically the items that are prohibited are those that pose a "security risk," such as those items banned from airplanes."Beyond that, there aren't too many items banned," he said.WND previously has reported how more than 100 foreign Christians in China were expelled in just a 90-day period, the biggest assault on the presence of Christianity in China since 1954.The report from the Voice of the Martyrs said most of those who have been expelled are from the United States, South Korea, Singapore, Canada, Australia or Israel, and had been working in or visiting Zinjiang, Beijing, Tibet and Shandong.A Christian who had worked in Xinjiang for 10 years told a VOM source that more than 60 foreign religious workers, many who had served people in the area for more than 15 years, were expelled from Zinjiang alone.WND also has reported officials also are confirming an increase in arrests of Chinese house-church pastors and leaders, who have been accused of being "suspects using evil cults to obstruct the enforcement of the law."VOM reported that the campaign against Christians is called Typhoon No. 5, and "is part of the Chinese government's efforts to prevent foreign Christians from engaging in mission activities before the Beijing Olympics in 2008.""This is the largest expulsion of foreign missionaries since 1954 when the Chinese Communist government expelled all foreign religious workers after taking power in 1949," reported a VOM source. "At least five different mission agencies and sources within the Chinese government report that in February, the government launched a massive expulsion campaign against foreign Christians.""In spite of the public face of religious freedom the Chinese government tries to convey through its state run system, the arrests of Chinese Christians, and now the expulsion of active Christian visitors is a demonstration of their true nature," said Tom White, executive director for Voice of the Martyrs.The government's effort, however, is facing an uphill battle, because of estimates, as WND has reported, that 3,000 people are being added daily to the Christian church in China, mostly the house-churches that do not register with the government and therefore are considered part of those "evil cult activities."

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58544

As in the days of Noah....

Vatican: Forced Conversion Impossible

A Vatican official, amid mounting accusations against Christian conversions, affirmed Monday that it is impossible to forcibly convert anyone to another religion."There can be no coercion in religion. No one can be forced to believe. Neither can anyone who wishes to believe be prevented from doing so," Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, who heads the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, said in a message to Hindus for Diwali, the Festival of Lights.The appeal from the Vatican is believed to have come as a response to vehement attacks by Hindu radicals against Christian missionaries and institutions in India.The message also comes as anti-conversion laws that have been introduced in many states by the Hindu nationalists have recently flared up tensions between the two groups.[[[[Christian groups say these laws are aimed at curbing religious freedom and are against the Indian Constitution.]]]AMEN TO THAT....In his greeting for the Diwali, which will be commemorated by some 890 million Hindus in India starting Thursday, Tauran said that the Church had been faithful to the teaching on freedom of belief.He urged both Hindus and Christians to focus on educating their communities, warning that faithful could easily be misled by deceitful and false propaganda.The official also expressed the Vatican’s hope that its “Hindu Friends” would “overcome” many obstacles during the five-day Festival of Lights.[[[[["I sincerely hope that your search for the Divine, symbolized through the celebration of Diwali, will help you overcome darkness with light, untruth with truth and evil with goodness," ]]]](a blind guiding the blind....)Tauran wrote.In India, Diwali is considered by many as a national festival, and the aesthetic aspect of the festival is enjoyed by most Indians regardless of faith.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071106/29975_Vatican%3A_Forced_Conversion_Impossible.htm

As in the days of Noah....

Court hears case of Georgia man arrested for sharing gospel in public

A federal court has been asked to grant a preliminary injunction in the case of a Georgia evangelist who was arrested for handing out Christian literature.The case involves Fredric Baumann, who was arrested by police in Cumming, Georgia, last April for distributing religious literature on a public sidewalk. Police used a "parade ordinance" as justification for the arrest. The parade ordinance requires people to get permission from the government before holding an event. However, David Cortman of the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) says parade ordinances do not apply in such cases. (See earlier article)"What the government cannot do is require you to get permission first, before you're allowed to engage in that speech," says Cortman. "Under a parade ordinance, it only makes sense if you're going to have an actual parade, if you're going to close down the street, you certainly want to get the police protection and all arrangements made ahead of time."But Cortman says the problem in this case is that officials are applying an "ordinance meant for large parades" in order to stifle the free speech of one man. He says U.S. citizens should not have to ask permission to speak in public venues. The ADF attorney says that doing so would allow the government to censor speech with which it does not agree. Baumann spent two days in jail for violating the parade ordinance. ADF attorneys have since asked for the preliminary injunction, which would allow Baumann and others to share their faith in public without having to gain permission from government authorities.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/11/court_hears_case_of_georgia_ma.php

As in the days of Noah....

Pro-Sharia rebels threaten Christians in Pakistan

Pakistan-Compass Direct News says Islamic militants threatened to bomb Pakistani Christians for refusing to convert to Islam."Become Muslim, otherwise we are going to destroy your house with bombs," an anonymous caller told a Christian family in the Swat river region of Pakistan's Northwest Frontier province. Family members, requesting that their names and village be kept anonymous for security reasons, said they stayed awake all night praying after the 10 p.m. threat. Believers have also maintained a prayer vigil since then.Another Christian community in that same area has reported increasing pressure to conform to Islamic law in recent months. According to one church leader, Christians in this region are vulnerable because they are isolated.Since July, followers of Muslim cleric Maulana Fazlullah have worked to enforce sharia (Islamic law) in much of the Swat Valley, prompting clashes with government troops.Pray for their safety during the state of emergency. Pray also for the valley's Christian minority of approximately 70 families. They've been especially hard hit by the enforcement of Sharia.
http://www.mnnonline.org/article/10542

As in the days of Noah...

Believers concerned over upheaval in Pakistan

Pakistan-Pakistani Christians are bracing for more sectarian violence after President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency.The Pakistani government says it still plans to hold a national election by mid-January. Musharraf says he's trying to restore order, so the crackdown on his opposition continues. Opponents accuse Musharraf of quashing dissenters and derailing legal challenges to his authority.Voice of the Martyrs' Todd Nettleton explains: "He has suspended the country's constitution and essentially put the army in control of the country at this point in time. We're hearing reports of opposition party members being rounded up, so this very much is a concerning situation in Pakistan. Obviously, the Christians there could potentially be caught up in the middle of this upheaval."According to Open Doors, they may already be experiencing that. A worker with the Church of Pakistan in Peshawar confirmed that Christians in Swat have been forced to accept Islamic law."Militants have begun to enforce Muslim customs, which is creating problems for the local community," said Ashar Dean, assistant director of communications for the diocese.Ministry is likely to be affected. Until public order is restored, Nettleton says,"Right now, any kind of a large gathering is suspect. So any kind of a large church meeting would be suspect to the government."Meanwhile, Islamists continue to increase their efforts to establish Islamic rule in Swat following a government crackdown on militants at Lal Masjid mosque in Islamabad in July.Prayer, says Nettleton, is much needed for believers in this region."Right now, I think that Christians are keeping their heads down and waiting to see what comes out of this. We need to pray that they'll be safe; we need to pray that they'll be protected; and I think we can also pray that this can be a time of ministry."

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/10543

As in the days of Noah...

Hamas accused of intimidating Christians:Church leaders said coerced into attending speech urging spread of Islam

Christian leaders in the Gaza Strip were intimidated into attending and expressing support for a speech yesterday in which the territory's Hamas leader urged the worldwide spread of Islam, according to sources in Gaza's Christian community.Artinious Alexious, priest of Gaza's Greek Orthodox Church, and Emanuel Salum, a Catholic leader in Gaza, were at a major speech yesterday by Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Hamas government in Gaza and deposed prime minister of the previously Hamas-run Palestinian Authority.Also present were hundreds of gunmen, including members of a group, Jihadia Salafiya, suspected of carrying out anti-Christian attacks in Gaza such as the lobbing of grenades last September at Alexious' church.Hamas banned most international media from covering the event, only allowing entry to journalists accredited by the terror group.A major theme of Haniyeh's speech was the spread of Islamic values throughout the world, according to reporters in attendance. Haniyeh also strongly denied Hamas had plans to take over the West Bank, as many recent reports had speculated.The reporters present said at one point during his speech, Haniyeh spoke about the "excellent" situation for Christians living under Hamas rule in Gaza.He pointed to the two Christian leaders in attandence, at which point to two raised their hands and nodded in agreement, witnesses told WND.According to sources in Gaza's Christian community speaking on condition of anonymity, Alexious and Salum were intimidated into attending the speech. The sources said in recent weeks Haniyeh's office repeatedly called the Christian leaders to request they free their schedules to assist in yesterday's event."The priests thought it was a diplomatic way to threaten them and put pressure on them," said one source."After discussions within the Christian community leadership it was decided it would be dangerous not to assist in the meeting even though it would be very strange to see priests assisting in a meeting about the spread of Islam," the source said.Hamas in June seized complete control of the Gaza Strip from Fatah amid widespread fears it would impose hard-line Islamic rule in the territory, and that life for Christians might deteriorate.About 3,000 Christians live in the Gaza Strip, which has a population of over 1 million.There have been a slew of recent alleged anti-Christian attacks in Gaza, including the murder last month of a Christian bookstore owner whose beaten, bullet-ridden body was found after his shop had been repeatedly targeted by Islamists. Rami Ayyad, who managed the only Christian bookstore in Gaza, had also been threatened multiple times by local Islamist groups.

Christians warned: Accept Islamic law
Sheik Abu Saqer, leader of Jihadia Salafiya, an Islamic outreach movement that recently announced the opening of a "military wing" to enforce Muslim law in Gaza, told WND in a recent interview all Christians in Gaza engaged in missionary activity will be "dealt with harshly."Abu Saqer's group, present at Haniyeh's speech yesterday, has been accused of firebombing Ayyad's bookstore in April. Jihadia Salafiya is also suspected of a series of Islamist attacks, including firebombing Internet cafes and one in May against a United Nations school in Gaza after it allowed boys and girls to participate in the same sporting event. One person was killed in that attack."[Now that Hamas is in power,] the situation has changed 180 degrees in Gaza," said Abu Saqer, speaking from Gaza."Jihadia Salafiya and other Islamic movements will ensure Christian schools and institutions show publicly what they are teaching to be sure they are not carrying out missionary activity," he said.Abu Saqer accused the leadership of the Gaza Christian community of "proselytizing and trying to convert Muslims with funding from American evangelicals.""This missionary activity is endangering the entire Christian community in Gaza," he said.Abu Saqer claimed there was "no need" for the thousands of Christians in Gaza to maintain a large number of institutions in the territory.He said Hamas "must work to impose an Islamic rule or it will lose the authority it has and the will of the people."

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58531

As in the days of Noah....

Judge rules beating victim guilty of 'evangelism':Says persecutors had right to attack because woman shared Christian testimony

An Iranian judge has concluded a woman who was attacked and beaten and had her sewing shop equipment destroyed by vandals has no legal recourse because she was guilty of "evangelism," according to a new report from Voice of the Martyrs, a worldwide ministry to the Persecuted Church.WND earlier reported that persecution of Christians inside Iran is on the increase, and the new report appears to confirm that.VOM said the newest testimony is from its contacts inside Iran, and actually depicts "the resilience of believers who are sharing the gospel despite persecution."The woman, whose name was not revealed, was running a tailoring business, and had volunteered to teach three young ladies how to sew. As part of the conversations that arose, her testimony about Christianity came up, and in response to a number of questions, she started teaching them about Christianity, Voice of the Martyrs said.The VOM contacts reported, however, one of the students was from "a fanatic Muslim family," and when they discovered the teaching, they first opposed it. "But this young lady was seriously following her Christian beliefs. Things got worse, to the extent that her parents started beating her up and threatening her if she didn't leave her faith," the VOM report said."They told her, 'If you don't return to Islam, we will keep beating you until you die,'" VOM said.She eventually fled to another city, and in their subsequent search for her, the parents and other family members sought the sewing instructor."They thought she might have taken refuge in the home of the lady who was teaching her how to sew. They had heard about her and the fact that she had evangelized their daughter. In any case, they contacted that lady and threatened her by telling her that if she did not send their daughter back to them, they would close down her shop and would even arrange to kill her," the report said."Within fundamentalist Islam, the penalty of someone who turns from Islam is death. That is why they had the right to kill her if they wanted to. Obviously, their daughter was not staying with that seamstress, but the parents did not believe this," VOM said."On one of the days when the seamstress was working in the dress shop, the young woman's family, including the father, went to the shop and broke all her equipment. A couple of ladies from the family started beating up the woman. They kept telling her that she forced their daughter to turn from Islam and become a Christian. They eventually informed the police about it. This lady was taken to the court because of all that had happened to her," the report continued."The judge considered her to be the guilty one. He told her that there was no way of refunding all the broken items in her shop. The judge said the persecutors had the right to attack her. The judge told the lady that if he heard about her doing evangelism again, he would punish her more severely," VOM said.She then moved to another city, where churchgoers helped her with her medical costs, and Voice of the Martyrs made a commitment to help her with her efforts to replace equipment and supplies in order to open another shop.Earlier WND reported on plans by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to "pave the path for the glorious reappearance of Imam Mahdi" by turning the country into a mighty and advanced Islamic society and by avoiding the corruption and excesses of the West. Shiites believe the 12th imam disappeared as a child in the year 941, but when he returns he will reign on earth for seven years, before bringing about a final judgment and the end of the world.Voice of the Martyrs, which makes available a newsletter providing updates on the persecution of Christians around the world, then confirmed Christians in Iran are being detained, interrogated and imprisoned."This … wave of persecution is coming against Christians that meet to worship God in the privacy of their homes," VOM said its Iranian sources revealed then. "We have confirmed reports that several believers have been interrogated and one house was stormed by an elite police team that confiscated a computer, several CDs and Christian materials. A Christian was arrested in this attack, and remains in prison.""Clearly, Iran's government is alarmed at the growth of the Christian faith there," said Todd Nettleton, a spokesman for the ministry that serves persecuted Christians worldwide.Experts monitoring such persecution say that Christians make up a tiny percentage of the people of Iran, where the government "officially" allows Christians to practice their faith but in reality intervenes and harasses Christians regularly.For example, Christians are not allowed to print literature, including Sunday bulletins, and converts from Islam to Christianity are labeled apostate and subject to the death penalty. Christian pastors are under constant surveillance, and many are forced to sign documents saying they will not allow Muslims to be in their worship services.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58460

As in the days of Noah....

Iran sanctions could challenge ministry

Iran-Life in Iran is difficult. New sanctions against Iran will make the situation even worse. That's why the message of SAT-7 PARS is so important. SAT-7 is Christian satellite television for the Middle East and North Africa.SAT-7's David Harder says young people are searching for hope. He says they're already concerned about the economy and their future. "More sanctions for them will just mean one more thing that makes the future outlook more difficult, so many people are spiritually searching. They're wondering, and they're not finding answers. And they're using their satellite dishes to get information that they couldn't get any other way."According to Harder, satellite television even more than the internet is better at helping them get that information. "Internet windows are often shut down by the government. Satellite television is actually technically illegal, but so many people have it the government can't do hardly anything about it except make examples of people once in a while by issuing fines. So people continue to set them up. So, SAT-7 can bring the hope of the Gospel right into their own homes even in their living rooms."While the current president isn't very popular with any segment of the population, Harder says he's concerned about the sanctions. "Unfortunately with more sanctions, sometimes that drives people to go back and support the regime they otherwise wouldn't out of a national pride. Hopefully more people won't go that direction, and people who are searching will tune into SAT-7 Pars and receive spiritual nourishment and answers."Young people need answers. He says drug use and suicide rates are high in Iran. Harder is asking people to pray. "Pray that the youth who are searching will find their answers in Christ and they'll find SAT-7 Pars. Also pray for the people who are making the shows that they would have wisdom from the Lord to make shows that would really reach people's hearts."Meanwhile, prayer is also needed to help recruit enough people to help with the programming and for funding. Funding is needed to help keep this programming on the air.
If you'd like to help SAT-7 PARS or SAT-7's other ministries, click here.

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/10512

As in the days of Noah....

Gaza Christians Fear New Extremists Over Hamas

The small Christian community in the Gaza Strip says it is more fearful of a new generation of extremists than of Hamas.“We are not afraid of Hamas because as a government they are responsible for protecting people,” said Ramzi Ayyad, according to Agence France-Presse.
“We are afraid of those who are more extreme than Hamas,” he said. Hamas is considered a terrorist group by the West and Israel.Ramzi Ayyad’s brother Rami was the manager of Gaza’s only Christian bookstore and was murdered earlier this month by suspected local extremists.Rami was found dead with visible signs of torture, including a gunshot wound in the head and several stab marks.“The extremist groups have started to appear in the last six years because of the political atmosphere in the Middle East and because of the economic blockade of our country,” noted Hanna Massad, the pastor of Gaza City’s main Baptist Church.Local extremists are widely thought to be responsible for the death of the Christian bookstore manager, although no one has claimed responsibility for the murder.Prior to his death, Rami was accused of spreading Christianity and had received numerous anonymous death threats, according to his family.The recent murder of the prominent Palestinian Christian and rising numbers of threat against Christians has taken Gaza’s Christian community by surprise. Previously, there had been no history of tension between Christians and their Muslim neighbors in Gaza.“There are very few Christians in Gaza but they live right next to us on our streets. They live exactly as we do, with the same habits, the same customs,” said a Muslim university student, according to AFP.Father Manuel Musallam, the head of Gaza’s 200-strong Catholic community said, “Christians are isolated just like Muslims. They are scared just like Muslims.”Increase persecution, violence and economic discrimination has forced many Christians in Gaza, like many believers in other Middle East countries, to depart from their homeland."After [Rami's murder], 70 percent of Christians want to leave Gaza, because they are very afraid," Ramzi says. "But we love Gaza, it's our country, we have roots here, homes here. We will not know anyone if we go somewhere else."There are about 75,000 Palestinian Christians but only about 2,500 – most of them Greek Orthodox – living in the Gaza Strip among nearly 1.5 million Muslims, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071030/29895_Gaza_Christians_Fear_New_Extremists_Over_Hamas.htm

As in the days of Noah...

Religious Freedom in India Declining, Says Christian Author

While much of the world considers India a populous and vibrant democracy, All India Christian Council secretary general John Dayal says freedom of religion is steadily on the decline in the country."Many of the rights have been systematically diluted over the years by governments, courts and fundamentalist forces," said the journalist turned Christian activist, speaking to Ecumenical News International (ENI) in an interview about his recently released book on religious freedom in India."A Matter of Equity: Freedom of Faith in Secular India" is a critique of religious freedom in the country and Dayal says that this freedom, or lack of it, ranges from the steady dilution of constitutional guarantees to harsh treatment meted out to Christians and minorities in every corner of the country.The newly released book contains a collection of articles on the plights of Christians in India and was written when Dayal was a journalist. Since then, the AICC head has become an expert on issues concerning India's microscopic Christian community."Even before the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party ) came up, religious freedom had been facing curbs both by the government and the judiciary," said Dayal, who lists several documents in his book to support his claim.He further asserted that Christians enjoyed "better religious freedom three decades ago than now" and that several lower courts in the country have been hostile to Christian grievances.Expressing sadness over the scrutinizing and control of Christian missionaries in entering the country, Dayal told ENI, "Christian missionaries who have done exemplary service to the nation have been unceremoniously packed off by the government denying them visa extensions on one pretext or other."Dismayed over the rising atrocities in the country against Christians, Dayal pointed that even the state system has been used to harass Christians and their institutions."In this context, one will wonder what religious freedom spelt out under fundamental freedom in our constitution means."The recent incidents of deliberate violence against Christians – including the murders of priests, rapes of nuns, and brutal assaults on missionaries – saddened Dayal, who urged Church leaders to demand from the government what has been taken away over the decades.Dayal also noted that church leaders have failed to provide strong leadership for the 26 million Christians in India.The new book by Dayal, priced at 800 Indian rupees, was be published by New Delhi-based Anamika Publishers and Distributors Pvt Ltd.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071028/29784.htm

As in the days of Noah...

Christians face more persecution in Asia

Central Asia-An urgent prayer request is coming from an undisclosed Central Asia nation with persecution of Christians increasing.Russian Ministries' Sergey Rakhuba says Christians in the former Soviet bloc nations in Central Asia are having difficulties. However, this time it's not communism. [[["Now, it's Islamic persecution, or radical Islam that is trying to block Christianity expanding and growing in those countries."]]] A pastor in the region was able to communicate undetected that "he and his wife and his entire family have been very closely watched 24 hours a day for the last several weeks. He believes there's a serious threat, but at the same time he is asking that we would continue praying for him that this would not stop their ministry. And, he's asking for courage and for support."Rakhuba says the reality is these pastors want to be ready for "imprisonment, arrest, isolation, house arrest or anything, and that's the everyday reality for them."With doors appearing to close in some areas, investing in Russian Ministries' Schools Without Walls training program is important. It only takes $350 a year. "You are investing in multiplication because those we train will become trainers, and then they will reinvest their experience and their knowledge. They will reinvest their skills to continue reaching out."According to Rakhuba, Christians aren't feeling sorry for themselves. "Reading the Bible, they believe this should happen. They say, 'We're more persecuted because Jesus was suffering as well.' So, they're actually proud of this persecution."If you'd like to help Russian Ministries Schools Without Walls program, click here.

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/10524

As in the days of Noah....

Slavery in Islamist Sudan

It was the kind of excitement that made children uneasy. Grownups were pointing toward the river. Others were arriving at a run. The bustling atmosphere in the market place of the peaceful African town of Nyamlell in the Dinka tribal area in the southern Sudan was changing. Worried adults could see what a seven-year-old Dinka boy, Francis Bok, who had gone to the market that fateful day with older village children to sell his mother’s eggs and peanuts, could not: “a storm of smoke” rising from a nearby village. Sellers frantically began to gather up their wares and hurry away with the buyers. The adults understood. They recognized the approaching signs of the dreaded scourge that most people believed had disappeared from the pages of African history long ago: a slave raid. It was 1986 and Bok was about to see his happy world of family and village shattered forever by a centuries-old, barbaric practice that has never died out: the violent capture and enslavement of black Africans by Arabs.“The Arab militias were told to kill the men and enslave the women and children,” said the now 28-year-old Bok, who was himself captured and enslaved that day, to an audience of 80 people at the University of Toronto recently where he had been invited to speak by the campus organization, Zionists at U. of T.Bok, who would spend the next ten years working as a child slave, then outlined for his college listeners in horrifying detail the savage hurricane of violence he next witnessed when the Arab slavers attacked.“I saw many people on the ground, shot…I saw people with their heads cut off with swords and shot in the head. People were lying on the ground like they just wanted to relax for a moment. I saw blood pouring like a small stream,” the 28-year-old Bok recounted in a voice that still quivers with emotion.Unknown to him at that time, Bok was also an innocent victim of the decades-long, savage civil war between Sudan’s Arab Muslim North and the country’s African Christian and animist South. Based in the capital, Khartoum, the North’s Islamist government, which also hosted Osama bin Laden in the 1990s, had promulgated sharia law in 1983 for the whole country in its quest to Arabize and Islamicize the non-Muslim South. Also as part of this goal, the Khartoum government armed Muslim militias and sent them in the 1980s and 1990s to wage jihad against the infidel southerners. However, the spears and hippopotamus shields of the South’s Dinka and Nuer tribes, the war’s main victims, were no match for the Kalashnikov-armed Muslims, who went on to kill two million southern Sudanese, displace another four million and take tens of thousands of slaves in a silent genocide.After the slave raid, Bok, a Christian, told the audience he was taken to the Muslim North to work for one of the Arab raiders’ families as a child slave for the next decade. During the pitiless trip north, the little Dinka boy witnessed the depth of racism, cruelty and religious hatred of his captors and their world towards black Africans when an Arab slaver cut off the leg of a Dinka girl who would not stop crying because she had seen her parents butchered in the market place. Upon his arrival at his master’s home, Bok was to experience himself this racial viciousness when he was immediately surrounded and beaten by the masters’ children who called him “abeed” (slave), an Arabic word also used for black Africans in general. And a slave Bok was in every sense of the word as he worked for his master without a day off and without payment for the next ten years, often laboring from four in the morning until after the family had gone to bed that night.“I was supposed to look after the goats; there were about two hundred goats,” Bok told listeners of his first days as a seven-year-old slave. “My master knew all the goats. He would ask: ‘Where is this goat? Where is that goat?’ If I answered: ‘I don’t know. He would beat me…He had a favorite stick to beat me. When I had done something wrong, even when I had done nothing wrong, he beat me.”Lonely and isolated, Bok said he was made to sleep in a shelter near the animals and was never allowed to talk to the Dinka slaves owned by other Arab families. The child slave even received a beating, Bok told the audience, when he asked his master one day why he calls him ‘abeed’ and why no one loves him. He was told never to ask that question again.The treatment Bok received from his master’s wife, however, was even worse. She would, he related, not allow her ‘abeed’ to look her directly in the face and would spit in his, often calling on her children to spit on the Dinka boy too.“That hurt,” said Bok. “I asked her why? She said: ‘You are my slave and this is my house.’ She would also grab a knife and say she would kill me like a chicken.”For ten long years, Bok told his listeners, he would lie awake at night and wonder who was going to come and free him from this hopeless, helpless life of a slave where he was told he was just an animal. Even his forcible conversion to Islam, outwardly in Bok’s case, did not bring any improvement in treatment. Only his faith in God, the Dinka slave stated, and his desire to see his parents again kept him going. “I hated the way they treated me and the way they treated the other slaves,” said Bok, recounting his humanity was never once recognized during all those years with the Arab family, his only value being the work he could do....

To read more go to:

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=D8100901-E13E-4FF9-B1D2-5D4E03C5E7F9

As in the days of Noah....

Christian pastor flees Palestinian town amid threats

A Palestinian-American Evangelical Christian pastor fled the de facto Palestinian capital of Ramallah for the safety of nearby Jerusalem this week following increasingly hostile threats by officials within Mahmoud Abbas' Palestinian Authority.Born in the US, Isa Bajalia returned to his parents' hometown of Ramallah more than 16 years ago to bring humanitarian aid and comfort to the Palestinian Arabs, as well as spread the Gospel.But his increasingly bold missionary activity and his refusal to allow Muslim elements to encroach on his family's property-a common abuse suffered by Palestinian Christians- resulted in a Ramallah municipal official who moonlights as a member of the Tanzim terrorist wing of Abbas' Fatah movement threatening to cripple and murder Bajalia.Bajalia told Cybercast News Service that following last month's brutal murder of a fellow Christian in the Gaza Strip for his sharing of the Gospel, he is taking the threats very seriously.The worried pastor first turned to the Palestinian Authority for protection, but was told by Palestinian security officials that they would only help him [[[[if he first paid $30,000.]]]]Bajalia then relocated to Jerusalem, where he filed a complaint with the American consulate in an effort to put pressure on the Palestinian Authority to do its job and provide security to all its citizens. After a week of waiting, Bajalia had received no response from the Americans.Ignoring the widespread internal persecution of Palestinian Christians characterized by Bajalia's plight, visiting Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams pompously declared in an interview with The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that Israel's security fence is the primary contributing factor to the exodus of Palestinian Christians.

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=14452

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