Latest MERF newsletter
https://www.powerofchristatwork.net/component/edocman/2019-08-august-caring-for-muslim-neighbors
What do you know of the unreached?
Unreached means too few or zero Christians able to reach the group and no missionaries.
Ever wondered why AsiaLink focuses on the continent of Asia?
Three quarters of all unreached people live in Asia. No other part of the world has such a high concentration of people who have never heard the gospel and are unlikely to hear the gospel unless something changes.
Pray for labourers……pastor-missionaries and lay supporters to be thrust out from the over-churched West! (Matthew 9:38)
Long overdue
|
WordPress.com
Indonesian student in jail for blasphemy
Martinus Gulo is serving four years for blasphemy over a social media post. Hardline Muslims are using an act to persecute believers as in Pakistan.
Islam, if it really had a god that requited blasphemy as our God does, would let him act as Gideon’s father said to the mob baying to pay back his son from tearing down their idolatrous statues to Baal. ” If he be a god let him plead for himself.”
Agung Kurnia Ritonga, 22, a student at the University of North Sumatra in Medan, was found guilty of insulting Islam and is facing 18 months in jail. (photo supplied-ICAN)
Prosecutors demand 18-month term for Christian youth accused of mocking the burning of an Islamic flag.
Prosecutors in Indonesia have demanded an 18-month jail term and a $715 fine for a Christian student accused of insulting Islam.
Agung Kurnia Ritonga, 22, a student at the University of North Sumatra in Medan, is currently on trial for insulting Islam in an Instagram post by mocking the burning of an Islamic flag in October last year.
Three Muslim youths in Garut, West Java burned a tawhid flag presumed to belong to Hizb ut-Tahrir, a banned militant group on Oct. 21, 2018.
Ritonga’s Instagram post on Oct. 24, was said to have insulted the tawhid flag that has script describing the monotheistic God in Islam and God himself.
“What’s the matter if the tawhid…
View original post 253 more words
Pray for Pastor Abraham, Charged with Blasphemy
Update May 19th 2019 Christian prisoner released Abraham, who was active in Internet evangelism and debates with Muslim groups, was arrested in December 2017 after a video showing him sharing his faith with a Muslim taxi driver was widely circulated. Read his Prisoner profile here. Find out how to support Christian prisoners of faith here. |
||||||||
|
We are delighted to report that Abraham Ben Moses, also known as Saifuddin Ibrahim, a well-known former Muslim and Christian apologist in Indonesia, has been released from prison.At last signs of resistance to terror in Nigeria.
The fact that three young men were on terrorist watch is encouraging-every village I would say needs armed and trained young men to guard it!
 |
|||||
|
China update
We thank and praise You, heavenly Father, for the growth of the Church in China, and we rejoice that there are now far more followers of Your Son than members of the Chinese Communist Party. May those who have newly come to faith in Him learn to be mature believers, walking closely with their Saviour and Lord. May all Your people in China be salt and light in their communities, sources of love, truth and harmony. May their patient and loving response to harassment and persecution bring glory to Christ, in whose Name we pray.
CHINA: Prisoner Updates
Pastor Wang Yi (pictured on the left) is facing a new charge of “illegal business activity” in addition to the existing charge of “incitement to subvert state power”. A local Christian said the new charge is probably due to the fact that there is scant evidence to support the subversion charge. Read Wang Yi’s Prisoner Profile
Pastor John Cao (pictured on the right) had his appeal dismissed today and his seven-year sentence upheld. His appeal hearing was originally scheduled for August, but it was changed into a “trial session on paper only” instead of an actual hearing. Read John Cao’s Prisoner Profile
Please keep praying for these two pastors who need our support now more than ever!
CHINA: Tiananmen Square – thirty years on
Thirty years ago this week, on 4 June 1989 the Chinese government sent troops and tanks to crush a peaceful pro-democracy student demonstration in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. The number of demonstrators shot and crushed to death has never been confirmed, but is believed to be in the hundreds or, more probably, thousands, and many others were injured. Memorial vigils have been held around the world (including Hong Kong, pictured) but not in mainland China, where extra security was deployed around Tiananmen Square and internet censorship increased.
In the aftermath of the massacre, the government tightened its control over religion, forcing churches to register with state patriotic religious associations (the Three-Self Patriotic Movement for Protestants and the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association For Catholics) or risk punishment as “evil cults”.
Despite this increased control, the Chinese church experienced spectacular growth in the following thirty years, and it is estimated that there may now be over 100 million Chinese Christians, the majority practicing their faith in unregistered churches, outside government control. When this growth came to the notice of the authorities, especially the enormous growth of some unregistered urban churches, they decided to crack down, with the intent to restrict church growth, to force unregistered churches to register or close, and to “sinicise” the church (make it Chinese in character and bring it into submission under the Chinese Communist Party).
Persecution of Christians intensified following the implementation on 1 February 2018 of new Regulations for Religious Affairs. At least 5,000 Chinese Christians were detained and over five hundred pastors were sentenced and imprisoned in 2018, with several prominent pastors receiving long prison sentences, and some unregistered urban megachurches were shut down. In central Henan province, which has a relatively high concentration of Christians, 10,000 Protestant churches were ordered to close, even though most were registered.
Bob Fu (pictured), founder and president of China Aid, described 2018 as “the worst year of religious persecution in perhaps forty years. I have not seen this level of persecution, both in quantity and in the degree of persecution, since the end of the Cultural Revolution.”
China Aid has downloaded internal documents inadvertently posted by the government that reveal its intent to “contain the overheated growth of Christianity”.
Registered churches are now required to display the national flag, install surveillance cameras and sing the national anthem at services. They must display portraits of political leaders including Chairman Mao and many have had crosses forcibly removed from outside their buildings. Some pastors of registered churches have been detained.
Henan church to be converted to hotel
On 29 May 2019, China Aid reported that Henan’s authorities have laid claim to a registered church building worth approximately €1.3 million, with the intent of turning it into a hotel.
Officials began by banning the church in 2018 and forbidding members to hold worship services, and the government dispatched personnel to watch the church. The Christians continued to hold meetings, however, prompting officials to reiterate their prohibition in May 2019 and to order some of the Christians to attend the local ethnic and religious affairs bureau, where staff told them of their plan to turn the church into a hotel. Describing this visit, one of the Christians said, “The leaders were polite and didn’t announce they would seize people if we held services again, but we must hand our church over[to them].”
Explaining the predicament facing the church, another Christian commented, “[Government officials] intend to seal our door, but we have no idea how to fight. We shouldn’t have conflicts with them because they are strong police officers. We won’t allow them to seal it, but we are helpless.”
The government has shut off the electricity supply to the church building in the past, and Christians who gathered to try to prevent it from happening were dragged away.
Rural Guizhou church raided
A video posted to Chinese social media platform WeChat shows the authorities raiding a small, rural church in Bijie, a mountainous area of China’s southern Guizhou province. The video shows officials emptying the church of all its belongings and two men using a rod to knock the cross off the roof.
Because the government can access posts on WeChat, Christians are afraid to discuss the incident, and no further details are known.
Rural churches have experienced rapid growth over the past few years – one Christian reported, “People are joining churches by the whole village, one village after another,” adding that it is happening because their limited resources force them to rely on God in their everyday lives. Despite their lack of financial resources, many Christians in these areas donate to the construction of well-made church buildings.
This growth has attracted the attention of the Chinese Communist Party, which has erected large signs in some areas bearing anti-Christian messages, such as the one pictured, which states: “If you go to church every day to learn about the Lord, God still cannot relieve your hardships. Follow the Party and don’t believe in God. The Party can give happiness to all. If your heart is not right, believing in the Lord is useless. Go get more positive energy so that our country will be powerful and families thrive.”
(China Aid/The Epoch Times/Wall Street Journal)
Christians Forced to ‘Reconvert,’ Banished from Village in India
Indian repression and murder of believers.
Christian is forced to undergo “reconversion” rite to tribal religion in Mahuatoli village, Jharkhand state, India on June 14, 2019. (Morning Star News)
India (Morning Star News) – Christians who worshiped privately in their homes in a village in eastern India were dragged to local leaders last month and forced to bow to a goddess idol, sources said.
The mob action on June 14 followed an announcement two days earlier by the heads of Mahuatoli village, Gumla District in Jharkhand state, that 12 Christian families would be banished if they did not return to the tribal Sarna religion, they said.
Threatened with death, most of the Christian families have fled the village.
“Threats have always been there in this area in Gumla District, but it had never escalated to this point that the Sarna extremists vowed to take lives,” said area pastor Boyen Munda. “They are not in…
View original post 1,594 more words
7-Year-Old in Nigeria: How Herdsmen Shot Me and Killed My Uncle
More Fulani mayhem with apparent impunity.
Muslim Fulani herdsman shot 7-year-old Christian boy in Gwanje village, Nasarawa state, on May 3, 2019. (Morning Star News)
Nigeria (Morning Star News) – As a Baptist church member tried to fight off an armed Muslim Fulani herdsman in a village in north-central Nigeria, he told his 7-year-old nephew and other relatives to run.
The boy remained, crying and calling for help.
Jerome, whose real name is withheld for security reasons, recalled how gunshots woke him and his family around midnight on May 3 in Gwanje village, 18 kilometers (11 miles) from Akwanga in Nasarawa state. His account of a relatively limited attack gives a glimpse of how hundreds of Christian families have been terrorized by herdsmen.
A neighbor rushed over to tell Jerome’s father that he had received a call that the herdsmen were attacking from the south and coming toward their home north of the village.
View original post 772 more words
More Nigerian murders
Hundreds homeless after Fulani raids on Nigeria’s Central Belt
Up to 13 people have been killed and hundreds left homeless after militants raided several mainly Christian villages in central Nigeria.
Over 12 hours, Fulani attacked four villages in the area bordering Plateau and Kaduna states, burning homes, churches and farmland. Release partner Stefanos Foundation says that three children were among the dead.
Please pray for all those affected by these latest Fulani attacks, especially those in mourning.
About 200 militants raided the first village, Angwan-Rimi, in the Kauru area of Kaduna, in the early hours of Monday last week. It was here that three children were killed: Stefanos named them as Monday, who was eight, Samson, 15, and nine-year-old Zhime.
Later that same day, militants attacked Kikoba village, also in Kauru, and two villages a few miles away, Kangbro and Nakai Danwai, in the Riyom area of Plateau. Two churches were destroyed in Kangbro.
This week, Stefanos took part in commemorations to mark the first anniversary of coordinated attacks on 15 communities in Plateau state in which 233 people died. No arrests have been made.
- Pray that God will comfort those who have lost loved ones and provide for those who are now without a home following these most recent Fulani attacks. Ask God to heal survivors, including a man being treated for gunshot wounds in hospital in Plateau.
- Please pray for wisdom and courage for the Nigerian Government and military so they will bring an end to the violence and persecution.
- Please stand with us by holding a Day of the Christian Martyr worship and prayer service with your church this year,and remember modern-day Christian martyrs, in Nigeria and worldwide.
New Christian in Algeria Sentenced for ‘Organizing Worship’ in His Home
Courageous Algerian believers!
Tent set up after authorities closed church building in Azaghar, near Akbou in Algeria. (Morning Star News)
(Morning Star News) – A judge on June 16 handed a Christian father of two in northwest Algeria a suspended prison sentence and a hefty fine for holding worship at his house, four days before another judge fined the owner of land that a church uses.
Prosecutors had sought a six-month prison sentence and a fine of 500,000 Algerian dinars (US$4,200) for the 35-year-old father in Mostaganem, a coastal town about 350 kilometers (217 miles) west of Algiers. The judge instead delivered the two-month, suspended prison sentence and a fine of 100,000 dinars ($840) to the new Christian, who requested anonymity as he fears for his life in the officially Muslim North African country.
For inviting a Christian couple to pray with him, an area source said, he was accused of…
View original post 793 more words
The Uyghur Muslims of China
Ashfaq Masih, Shagufta and Shafquat in Pakistan
More wicked blasphemy charges when a Muslim has a grudge against a Christian believer or believers like Sadhu who refused to pay for a repair to his bike and an argument ensued. Ashfaq, who lives in Green town, Lahore was arrested and will have to stand trial.
Pray he will be totally exonerated and the government will take steps to outlaw this evil practice.
And
|
UPDATE:
Pakistan – Eight Christian
prisoners of conscience still on
death row
At least eight Christians remain on death
row in Pakistan after being convicted
under the Islamic law of “blasphemy”.
The current prisoners under death
sentences include brothers Qaisar and
Amoon Ayub who were sentenced in
December 2018 and are waiting for an
appeal hearing date. Prisoners with High
Court appeals pending include Anwar
Kenneth, Sawan Masih, brothers Anjum
and Javed Naaz and Shafqat Emmanuel
Masih and his wife, Shagufta Kausar.
Zafar Bhatti, who has a sentence of life
imprisonment, also awaits an appeal
hearing date.
No Christians (or followers of any
other religion) have been executed for
“blasphemy” despite the mandatory
death sentence for “defiling the name
of” Muhammad, but many of them
have been languishing in prison for
years, according to statistics provided by
CLAAS (Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance
and Settlement), which is supported by
Barnabas Fund.
Christian mother-of-five Aasia Bibi
was released after spending eight years
on death row when the Supreme Court
acquitted her on 31 October 2018. It
remains uncertain if her release was a
“landmark ruling” that will improve the
plight of Pakistan’s Christian minority
– around 2% of the population, or
about 4 million.
The court freed Aasia Bibi because of
flimsy and contradictory evidence, while
simultaneously confirming that those
who break the “blasphemy” law should
be punished.
On 1 May 2019, police declared
a Christian man called Farhan Aziz
innocent of “blasphemy” and released
him after nine months in custody
(mentioned in June Prayer Focus). At
the time of Farhan’s arrest, an angry
mob armed with steel rods and petrol
cans congregated in a Christian area of
Gujranwala, but police intervened to
prisoners of conscience still on
death row
At least eight Christians remain on death
row in Pakistan after being convicted
under the Islamic law of “blasphemy”.
The current prisoners under death
sentences include brothers Qaisar and
Amoon Ayub who were sentenced in
December 2018 and are waiting for an
appeal hearing date. Prisoners with High
Court appeals pending include Anwar
Kenneth, Sawan Masih, brothers Anjum
and Javed Naaz and Shafqat Emmanuel
Masih and his wife, Shagufta Kausar.
Zafar Bhatti, who has a sentence of life
imprisonment, also awaits an appeal
hearing date.
No Christians (or followers of any
other religion) have been executed for
“blasphemy” despite the mandatory
death sentence for “defiling the name
of” Muhammad, but many of them
have been languishing in prison for
years, according to statistics provided by
CLAAS (Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance
and Settlement), which is supported by
Barnabas Fund.
Christian mother-of-five Aasia Bibi
was released after spending eight years
on death row when the Supreme Court
acquitted her on 31 October 2018. It
remains uncertain if her release was a
“landmark ruling” that will improve the
plight of Pakistan’s Christian minority
– around 2% of the population, or
about 4 million.
The court freed Aasia Bibi because of
flimsy and contradictory evidence, while
simultaneously confirming that those
who break the “blasphemy” law should
be punished.
On 1 May 2019, police declared
a Christian man called Farhan Aziz
innocent of “blasphemy” and released
him after nine months in custody
(mentioned in June Prayer Focus). At
the time of Farhan’s arrest, an angry
mob armed with steel rods and petrol
cans congregated in a Christian area of
Gujranwala, but police intervened to
PAKISTAN: Zafar Bhatti’s appeal hearing adjourned again
UPDATE:
|
Nov. 02, 2017 | Pakistan
Pray for Zhafar Bhatti, Imprisoned Since 2012
| Zhafar Bhatti, who was arrested and charged with blasphemy in July 2012, remains in prison, where he has been beaten several times. Zhafar, a traveling salesman for various medications, often used his door-to-door presentations to also share the gospel. He established a small NGO called “Jesus World Mission” with the purpose of helping the poor. On July 11, 2012, he was accused by a fellow NGO worker of sending blasphemous text messages from a mobile phone that she had given him. Zhafar and his wife left their village to avoid a riot, and police arrested him on July 26, charging him under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. Other prisoners have beaten Zhafar several times and tried to poison his food, and Muslim prisoners continually pressure him to embrace Islam. Pray that Zhafar will remain strong in his faith, and pray that he will be released and reunited with his family soon. He might need to leave the country for his own safety. |
CLAAS, a religious freedom advocacy group updated Voice of the Persecuted on the case of Zafar Bhatti, a Christian in Pakistan who was falsely charged of blasphemy and now sentenced to life imprisonment by a Pakistani court on May 3, 2017.
Bhatti had been charged under blasphemy law section 295C and telegraph act section 25D in 2012 for sending blasphemous text messages from his mobile phone, which is according to reports was not registered to his name. He denies the charges.
Since 2012, he has been imprisoned in Adiala Central Jail Rawalpindi. Considering the threats to his life, the case was conducted in the jail on April 24 but the judgment was reserved for later dates. On May 3, the Additional session judge jailed him for life.
Usually courts hand down a death sentence to those who are charged under 295-C, but because there was no concrete evidence against Bhatti, he was sentenced to life imprisonment instead.
In 2012 Islamabad, the lawyers’ bar passed a resolution that no lawyer will represent Bhatti in the court, but CLAAS accepted his responsibility. They’re also helping to care for his family.
Due to threats against the accused and their lawyers, CLAAS tried to move the case to Lahore but the request was denied.
Nasir Saeed, director CLAAS-UK said it is very unfortunate that even though there was not enough evidence against Bhatti, instead of freeing him, the court has sentenced him to life imprisonment because of pressure from Islamists.
“The blasphemy law is continuously being misused in Pakistan to take revenge and settle personal scores. Christians are the most targeted group, and several Christians have been burnt alive, and even their towns and churches are often attacked and set to fire.”
“The lower court’s judges always hesitate to make decisions on the merit, or free people accused of blasphemy, and instead transfer their burden to the higher court without realizing how their decision will impact the accused and their families’ lives.”
CLAAS says they will appeal against the lower court’s decision to the Lahore high court. They believe Bhatti is innocent and will be freed by the higher court. Unfortunately, it will take several years for his case to be heard by the High Court.
Please pray for Bhatti and his family who are suffering needlessly.
UPDATE:
PAKISTAN: Zafar Bhatti’s appeal hearing adjourned again
Yesterday, the appeal of Zafar Bhatti was adjourned for the seventh time (on this occasion, because it might have interfered with the judge’s holiday plans). Zafar’s wife, Nawab, broke down in tears in court. Today, Zafar received the news in prison and was greatly disheartened. A doctor visiting him today said that he was at great risk of a heart attack.
Recently Pakistan’s National Assembly passed a resolution to prevent abuse through introducing safeguards. However, all such calls have faced strong opposition in the past. Those who’ve demanded changes in the blasphemy law were silenced and threatened with death. The governor of Punjab Salman Taseer and Minister for Minority Affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti were savagely killed, as their acts were considered equal to blasphemy by hardliners.
Nevertheless, this latest resolution is clearly something to be welcomed and another reason to continue praying for the repeal of the laws so nobody has to suffer needlessly, CLAAS told Voice of the Persecuted.
https://releaseinternational.org/media/download_gallery/PP_Zafar_Bhatti_Sept17.pdf
Meanwhile, Nabeel Masih, a 16-year-old accused of blasphemy in Punjab, has just been denied bail for the second time. He has been in jail since September after being accused of ‘liking’ on Facebook an allegedly blasphemous post. Nabeel’s friends say he’s been framed.
PAKISTAN – FURTHER “BLASPHEMY” ARRESTS AS FACEBOOK COOPERATES WITH PAKISTAN TO POTENTIALLY SHUT DOWN FREE SPEECH
Ashfaq Masih, a Christian bicycle mechanic from Lahore, was arrested by police on 15 June after being accused of “blasphemy” following his refusal to give a Muslim customer a discount for being a “holy man”. Police have officially registered a case against him, but at the time of writing it is not known if the allegations will result in Ashfaq facing criminal prosecution.
In early July, Pakistan’s Interior Minister met with Facebook’s Vice President of Global Public as the Pakistani government continued its efforts to introduce what would amount to a global Islamic blasphemy law on social media. They discussed “steps and actions being taken [by Facebook] to remove blasphemous content that is illegal in Pakistan”, and the Minister later affirmed “the understanding shown by Facebook … and the cooperation being extended to us on these issues”.
Last month, Pakistani authorities handed down the death sentence to a Shia Muslim man for posting “blasphemous” statements on social media, while a 16-year-old Christian boy from Punjab is currently being held in jail and denied bail after being accused of liking and sharing a post which “insulted” the Kaaba in Mecca, the holiest Islamic site in the world.
Pray for Ashfaq Masih, who appears to be the latest victim in another case of Pakistan’s infamous “blasphemy” laws being used to settle personal grudges against the vulnerable Christian minority. Pray that the authorities will not give credence to the allegation against him and that he will be able to return safely to work. Pray that the people who run Facebook will not bow to demands to limit freedom of speech, which would amount to the creation of an online Islamic blasphemy law.
Three Children among 13 Christians Killed in Attacks in Two States in Nigeria
More Muslim murder and mayhem.
Nigeria (Morning Star News) – Muslim Fulani herdsmen on Monday (June 17) killed four Christians in north-central Nigeria’s Kaduna state, including three children, on the same day nine other Christians were slain in neighboring Plateau state, area sources said.
Christian residents in Kaduna state’s Kauru County told Morning Star News that between 3 a.m and 4 a.m. well over 200 armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen invaded predominantly Christian Ungwan Rimi Kamuru village, killing 8-year-old Monday Yahaya, 9-year-old Zhime Danladi and Samson David, 15.
“They were all buried today after a brief prayer at the grave site,” area resident Thomas John told Morning Star News in a text message.
A Kaduna police spokesman reportedly confirmed the killings but identified the 9-year-old as Ashimile Danladi and cited Samson David’s age as 17.
Also in Kauru County, that evening herdsmen attacked predominantly Christian Kikoba village, killing Audu Gara, kidnapping a Christian woman…
View original post 616 more words
Encouragement from Africa.
Women under Islam.
Unreached overview
Copy and paste this link in your browser:
file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/Great-Commission-Action-Guide-010119.pdf
Ramadan 2019
PRAYER POINTS
Pray Muslims would be delivered from the crushing burden of striving to earn God’s favour.
Let us cry out for a great harvest among Islamic believers that they will find Jesus, the Messiah.
Pray that Jesus would reveal Himself in the Injil (New Testament). For true repentance and realization their salvation depends on Christ alone.
Pray that Muslims would become aware of evil thoughts and desires within that cannot be avoided by fasting.
Let us pray for those deceived by the ideology of jihad to become true followers of Jesus Christ and used for Kingdom purposes.
Turkey expulsion
 |
|||||
|
Cambodia
Click on slides to enlarge.
At last Christian residents defend themselves and kill a terrorist!
Fulani Militants Attack Another Christian Village in Nigeria
Four Killed, Six Injured
04/24/2019 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on Wednesday, April 17, 2019, Fulani militants launched an attack on Bolon village, a predominantly Christian village in Demsa Local Council Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria. The attackers struck at approximately 10:30 p.m., firing gunshots sporadically. When the dust settled, four people were killed and another six were injured by gunfire.
A local resident recalled, “An older man went to his backyard… and saw the attackers coming. The old man quickly went back and alerted the villagers of imminent danger while the attackers advanced very fast. Some of the villagers were able to flee, while some of the brave men tried to resist and repel the attackers.” More than 100 houses were burned down, as well as many food storage barns. An 89-year-old man and his wife were killed in their home when it burned down around them. Among the four victims were Nathan Maduwuri (89), Mirdiya Nathan (70), Demto Lord (13), and Emiko David (10).
Kalla Lord Dennis, a 48-year-old father, was shot in the hand and leg. The bullet that was lodged in his leg was finally removed several days after the attack. Kalla’s 13-year-old daughter Demto was killed, while his 10-year-old was shot in the leg. A total of six injured people are currently receiving treatment at Numan General Hospital. Other injured persons include Pwayakadi Zaro (35), Veronica Pwabideino (26), Hussieni Ishaku (22), and Kwahana Lord (10).
Confirming the identity of the attackers, one of the young men in the village, who wished to remain anonymous, was among the brave individuals who tried to repel the armed attackers. He said, “They were definitely Fulani militia, because we chased them away and were able to kill one of them, from whose identity we can tell.” The vigilante added that the government security forces were called to come and see the destruction unleashed in Bolon village.
Pastor Barkati, a native of the village, showed ICC the graves of the victims who were killed. They were all buried on Wednesday morning.
Prior to the federal and state elections in Nigeria, the security situation in southern Adamawa was relatively calm. This attack seems to have signaled the resumption of hostility by the Fulani militants, adding to the tension in the region.
40 Christians Violently Kicked Out of Village in India
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Police Inaction Leaves Seven Christian Families Homeless
04/23/2019 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on Sunday, April 14, 40 Christians were violently kicked out of their homes by Hindu extremists in Patamanda village, located in India’s eastern state of Odisha. According to local reports, the extremists accused the Christians of following a foreign religion and told the Christians that they were not allowed to stay in the village if they continued to practice their faith.
The attack began at 9:30 p.m. when a mob of villagers influenced by Hindu radicals stormed into the homes of seven Christian families in Patamanda village. The mob verbally abused the Christians and beat them with bamboo sticks. Two Christians, Mohan Vadeka and Mistu Vadeka, were targeted by the mob because of their leadership positions within the local Christian community. To escape the violent mob, the 40 Christians fled into the nearby forest. The mob then ransacked the seven Christian homes.
“Forty of us, including women and infants, walked more than two kilometers through the thickest forests in the dark,” Jilla Vadeka told ICC. “We traveled to the police station for help, but no help was rendered. We were just told to come back tomorrow.”
When the Christians returned to the police station on April 15, police officers arranged a compromise between the Christian and Hindu villagers. “They told both of us not to interfere in each other’s faith and sent us away,” Mohan Vadeka said. “However, when we returned to Patamanda, there was a huge crowd waiting for us. They ruthlessly chased us back to the forest.”
“For more than a week now, we cannot stay freely in our homes,” Jilla Vadeka explained to ICC. “We are worried for our lives.”
On Friday, April 19, the Christians of Patamanda were told that they were not allowed to stay in the village if they continued to practice their faith. “Two border security force [officials] came to the village and threatened us,” Mohan Vadeka said. “They said that we cannot stay in the village if we follow the Christian faith. They said we would lose our government subsidized food and lose our ID cards.”
“This is not the first time Christians in this region have faced violent attacks,” a local pastor, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told ICC. “The consequences of practicing the Christian faith can mean losing your house, facing social boycotts, and even physical torture. Christians cannot depend on police for help.”
ICC’s Regional Manager, William Stark, said, “Local authorities in India must do more to help the Christians of Patamanda village. Too often, attacks on Christians and their places of worship are ignored by India’s authorities. This climate of impunity has only emboldened Hindu radicals who now feel that they have a free hand to attack religious minorities across the country. Article 25 of India’s constitution guarantees religious freedom to all citizens. Until this right is enforced, Article 25 will remain only words on paper for the Christians of Patamanda village.”
Unprecedented Suicide Bombing Attacks Shock Christians in Sri Lanka
Human failure allowed this carnage in Sri Lanka-the authorities were alerted days before about an imminent attack so security at Christian sites should have been stepped up.
Two Britons killed-brother and sister.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48027050
- Please pray that Christians in Sri Lanka will know God as their ‘refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble’ (Psalm 46:1-3).
- Ask God to heal the injured and comfort those who mourn. Pray that, as they experience the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, they will know the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3:10).
- Pray that Christians will not face the usual obstacles in burying their loved ones. Our partners say Christians are often refused access to family plots in Buddhist cemeteries and denied the financial help with funerals that Buddhists are freely given.
- Pray that the people of Sri Lanka will detest both Islamic and also Buddhist extremism and allow peace and freedom for Christian believers..
- Please pray that God will have mercy on those responsible for the attacks – and that they too, who are not already killed and in hell, may come to know the Saviour.
(Morning Star News) – Christians in Sri Lanka have never seen such a large-scale attack on them as the one that hit three churches and three hotels on Easter Sunday (April 21), killing at least 290 people, they said.
“I don’t have words to express my pain,” a teary-eyed Eranda Weththasinghe told Morning Star News from Negombo, a predominantly Christian area north of Colombo where 104 worshippers died in a suicide bomb blast at St. Sebastian’s Church. “Tomorrow is going to be the mass funeral service, we only want prayers. We lost so many people.”
Weththasinghe said he lost several friends in the explosion that he witnessed, which the Sri Lankan government blamed on a local Islamic extremist group, the National Thowheed Jamaath. Officials said the small, obscure group could not have carried out the coordinated attacks without international accomplices.
“The smell of flesh is all around me,”…
View original post 1,109 more words
Suicide Bombers kill almost 300 at Churches and Hotels in Sri Lanka, hundreds injured
I cannot see how this could be ISIS, much more likely fanatical Buddhist extremists in this country.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
290 Killed in Easter Attacks on Churches and Hotels in Sri Lanka
Perpetrators of the Deadly Bombings Remain Unknown04/21/2019 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that at least 189 people have been killed in a series of bombings targeting churches and hotels across Sri Lanka. According to reports, as many as 400 others have been hospitalized with injuries as a result of the bombings that mark the first major terrorist attack since the country’s civil war came to a close in 2009.Six bombings took place around the same time at 8:45 a.m. in the morning as Easter services began across the country. The deadliest attack took place at St. Sebastian’s Church, a Catholic church in Negombo, about 20 miles north of the country’s capital city of Colombo. In that attack more than 60 worshipers were killed.In other attacks on churches, St. Anthony’s Shire, a Catholic shrine in Colombo, and Zion Church, an evangelical church in Batticoloa, were also bombed. In those attacks, at least 52 were killed at St. Anthony’s and another 38 killed at Zion Church.One of the churches targeted was Zion Evangelical Church in Batticaloa. Barnabas Fund has a close relationship with this congregation of over 400 people and has been helping war widows at the church for several years. Around 35 people were killed at Zion Church, mainly children. Church leaders had spotted a suspicious person in the building before the service and sent someone to question him and get him out of the building. The suicide bomber exited as requested and detonated himself outside, in the grounds of the church, where the children were playing while they waited for the service to begin. Zion Church, whose congregation is mainly poor and needy, has asked Barnabas Fund to assist the bereaved families with funeral costs, and we will be sending these funds tomorrow. Help will also be needed with medical care for the injured at Zion Church and in other parts of Sri Lanka. Please pray for the suffering and grieving Christians in particular those mothers who lost their husbands and now have lost children too.Three hotels popular with foreign tourists in Colombo were also bombed, including Shangri-La Colombo, Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo and the Cinnamon Grand Colombo. According to various media reports, it remained unclear whether there were any casualties in the hotels.So far, no one has taken responsibility for the attacks on the churches and hotels. However, Sri Lankan police say the attacks were highly coordinated and early investigations suggest that they were carried out by suicide bombers.Out of Sri Lanka’s total population of 22 million, Christians only account for 7.6% according to the 2012 census.Christians in Sri Lanka have claimed to be facing increasing intimidation from Buddhist extremists in recent years. According to the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL), which represents more than 200 churches and other Christians groups in Sri Lanka, there were 86 verified incidents of persecution in 2018. This included incidents of discrimination, threats, and violence against Christians.In 2019, NCEASL has already recorded 26 verified incidents of persecution. This includes incidents as recent as a mob attack on a Methodist Prayer Center on Palm Sunday. In that incident, ICC reported that 25 young people pelted Christian worshipers with stones and firecrackers before locking the Christians within the prayer center and refusing to release them.ICC’s Regional Manager, William Stark, said, “The thoughts and prayers of ICC first and foremost go out to the families of those killed and injured in this deadly wave of attacks. No one should fear being the target of such extreme violence simply because of their identity as a religious minority. Too often Sri Lanka’s authorities have tolerated instances of discrimination and intolerance against Christians and other religious minorities. This must come to an end. Authorities must investigate who was behind these deadly attacks and bring them to justice.”
(Voice of the Persecuted) It is with a heavy heart to report on Resurrection Sunday that a massacre has taken place targeting Christians who were attending worship services at St. Anthony’s Church in Colombo, St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo and Zion Church, in Batticaloa in Sri Lanka. At the time of this report, the latest update from police claim that at least 207 were killed and at least 450-500 injured in 8 explosions by suicide bombers at the churches, Shangri-La, Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury hotels. Viewer Warning: below video content graphic
The majority of casualties are Christians and the death toll and numbers injured are expected to rise. Earlier, the government said they suspected the suicide bombings were carried out by one group. Finance Minister, Mangala Samaraweera said,
The bombings are not the doings of a fanatical individual. It’s obviously a highly coordinated attempt to create murder, mayhem…
View original post 85 more words
School worker dismissed wrongfully.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
International rugby player in trouble over Biblical remarks about homosexuality.
|
|||||
|
Notre Dame fire: spire and roof destroyed but main structure saved
It might have been the result of criminal damage but it is no tragedy when a home of the blasphemous Roman mass that disparages the once for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ is destroyed.
Read this verse and ask yourself why this happened and why God brought it about:
“And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
What a tragedy. Praying for the firemen on the scene.
Below links from The Guardian Live news feed on the Cathedral
- French billionaire pledges €100m to rebuilding efforts
- The “worst has been avoided”, says Macron
- Fire started accidentally – preliminary investigation
- Two towers saved, but fireman seriously injured – reports
- Main structure “saved and preserved
- Macron arrives at the scene
- Next hour and a half is “crucial” says Paris fire department
See more updates here
VOP NOTE: France has had several weeks of escalating vandalism and arson attacks on churches. Compared to the 1st quarter of 2018, France has seen a 53% rise in anti-Christian acts during the 1st quarter of 2019. Please keep France in your prayers.
Imam in Eastern Uganda Faces Wrath of Muslims after Putting Faith in Christ
God bless this young convert and his family.
Hassan Podo, former sheikh beaten after his family learned he had become a Christian (Photo: Morning Star News/Google Map)
(Morning Star News) – Sheikh Hassan Podo, a 28-year-old imam in Kerekerene village in eastern Uganda, missed mosque prayers for three consecutive weeks and was seen entering a church building around noon on March 16.
He had kept his faith in Christ a secret for three weeks. The young Muslim who saw Podo enter the church building in Katira Sub-County, Budaka District, went straight to Podo’s parents and brothers to report him.
When Podo arrived at the house that evening, his family interrogated him about where he had spent the better part of the day.
“Without my completing answering them, my brothers immediately began surrounding me, with sticks,” Podo told Morning Star News. “It was difficult to escape. They began shouting, beating and insulting me as an ‘infidel’ and…
View original post 399 more words
Totalitarian transgenderism
The chilling evidence that Jordan Peterson was right: transgender ideology is ‘totalitarian’
Jordan Peterson faces off against protesters in 2016, shortly after he publicly declared his opposition to Canadian legislation that would force people to use various recently-fabricated pronouns, such as xe and xir.
Lord thwart their evil plans
Terrorist threat to Pakistan churches
Authorities in Pakistan fear that a terrorist linked to Islamic State is planning an attack that could target Christians in Punjab province at Easter.
The bomber is likely to try to carry out a suicide attack in Lahore, our contact says.
Please pray for safety for our brothers and sisters in Pakistan, especially in Lahore, over the Easter period.
Easter has been a particularly dangerous time for believers in Pakistan. Last year four members of one family were shot dead in Quetta by terrorists deliberately targeting Christians.
During Easter 2016, a suicide bomber targeted church-goers at a park in Lahore, killing more than 70. Most of the victims were women and children.
- Thank God for the witness of His church in Pakistan and ask Him to protect His people. Pray especially for safety at Easter church services and celebrations.
- Pray that the authorities will put in place effective measures that would prevent any attack from happening.
- Ask God to convict all those whose hearts are filled with hatred towards Christians to repent of their actions and turn to Christ.
(Source: Release contact)
Christian Woman Raped, Killed as Herdsmen Attack Two Villages in Nigeria
More violence with apparent impunity! BUT vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the LORD.
(Morning Star News) – Muslim Fulani herdsmen attacked two predominantly Christian villages in north-central Nigeria after beating, raping and killing a 19-year-old Christian woman in the pre-dawn hours on Saturday (March 23), her father said.
Danlami Mante told Morning Star News that armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen ambushed Joy Danlami and her two younger siblings as they were returning to Mante village, Nasarawa state, at about 2 a.m. after the Christians attended a community feast in Katanza village, Akwanga County. His younger daughter, 16-year-old Patience Danlami, and 14-year-old son, Aboy Danlami, escaped with gunshot and machete wounds, he said.
“The armed herdsmen chased them with dangerous weapons,” Mante told Morning Star News. “Joy’s nose and face was battered, and then she was sexually assaulted by the herdsmen before being killed. She was shot.”
After the ambush, the herdsmen proceeded to the family’s native Mante village, where they burned down…
View original post 232 more words
Send a message to all would-be kidnappers and rapists!
Couple Beaten, Congregation Member Missing in Persecution of Church in China
Chengdu church members continue to suffer for Christ.
(Morning Star News) – Following the arrest of 44 worshipers from house church meetings in southwestern China in February, police in Chengdu this month arrested a married couple from the church and beat them during interrogation, the church reported.
The couple, identified as Liu and his wife Xing, of Early Rain Covenant Church, were visiting Christian friends when police from Chengdu Shuyuan Police Station on March 2 detained them and took them to Taisheng Road Police Station for interrogation, according to the church, whose pastor along with more than 100 others was arrested in a Dec. 9 raid.
“At 2 p.m., while being interrogated, they were personally humiliated, abused, and violently beaten by seven to eight police officers from the Chengdu Taisheng Road Police Station,” the church’s March 2 statement on Facebook reads. “They were detained for nearly eight hours. After being beaten by police officers from…
View original post 1,128 more words
More Pakistani wickedness.
 |
|||||
|
URGENT: PRAY FOR BIBLE TRANSLATORS UNDER ATTACK
Pray for these folk. I am guessing this is Somalia.
Special Report: Translators persecuted for translating the gospel
By Nena Podbury for American Bible Society—This week, we received heartbreaking news about an attack against Bible translators and we’re urging everyone to pray.
American Bible Society has been supporting a network of churches that are working on 25 Bible translation projects for unreached people groups in Central Asia and the Arabic Gulf region. Working in an undisclosed location in Northeast Africa, where the Christian church faces strong opposition, Christians risk their lives to translate God’s Word.
Last month, a terrorist group became aware of these translation efforts. Two weeks ago, this militant group burned the translation facility and killed five members of the lead translator’s family. The lead translator was also seriously injured. Another 49 translators were abducted and are still missing.
Despite this horrifying tragedy and the constant threat of extreme danger, this network of pastors plans to carry…
View original post 102 more words
Another precious Indian martyr.
Three attackers dragged father-of-five Anant Ram Gand (40) out of his house, shot him in the head, beheaded him and dumped his body in the road in the village of Raigarh Tehsil, Nabarangapur district, Odisha state on 11 February.
Anant was an agricultural worker who converted to Christianity nine months ago, followed by his whole family, and was baptised two months ago in an evangelical church. His conversion angered Hindu extremist villagers, who taunted him and his wife Sukbati (38) about their faith, banned them from collecting water from the public well and forced them to leave the village. They had to move a kilometre away and dig their own bore well, and Anant was harassed and beaten twice in 2018.
The organisation Persecution Relief also reported that tensions were brewing locally over traditional tribal customs in which Anant refused to take part following his conversion.
Locals reported that the Hindu extremists used Naxals (Indian Maoist guerrillas) to carry out the murder. Anant was a former Naxal sympathiser and Persecution Relief reported, “It is alleged that the extremists spread false stories to the Naxals about Brother Anant Ram being a police informer, in order to eliminate him.”
Shibu Thomas, founder of Persecution Relief, said that in the past Anant had expressed sympathy for the Maoist guerrillas and stated, “He was never a part of the fighters, but the Hindus made the Naxals believe that the Christian would reveal their secrets to the police.“
Local pastor Chanan Jani said that Anant had been more than a sympathiser, stating, “In the past, before he became a Christian, he was a Naxal and was caught by the police. That was the turning point where he surrendered to the police and renounced his life as a Naxal. The Naxals thought he might share their secrets with the police. But Anant did not want enmity with anyone and assured them that he was a follower of Jesus Christ.”
Commenting on Anant’s strong faith, the pastor said, “His passion and dedication were unbelievable. Most days, he fasted and prayed. The entire family embraced their faith wholeheartedly.”
Attack
On the day of the murder, Sukbati went to the nearby village with their four daughters, Dhanomati (13), Purnima (11), Hemobai (3) and Kemiti (2), while Anant and their son Purno (6) remained at home. Sukbati and the children are pictured, left, in a video still.
Purno said he woke up to the sound of three men knocking at the door. His father opened the door and the men caught hold of him, tied his hands to a pole behind his back and dragged him away. Before they drove off, they pushed Purno away and threatened to harm him if he followed them. Purno ran to his uncle’s house nearby and raised the alarm.
The attackers shot Anant in the head, crushed his skull with a large stone, decapitated him and threw his body onto the road.
Sukbati told Pastor Chanan Jani, “He has been killed for his faith in Jesus Christ. But I am sure I will not forsake Jesus Christ my Saviour and Lord. Please remember us in your prayers so that we stand strong in faith and all our daily needs are met.”
Following the murder, Shibu Thomas stated: “As president of the group, I ask the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of the State to please order a probe. The government should provide compensation to the family and five small children. They should speak clearly against persecution of Christians and to protect freedom of worship. Enough is enough!“
The case highlights the vulnerability of Christians in remote areas of India to attack by those who consider them enemies.
Naxalism
Naxals or Naxalites are far-left radical Indian communist revolutionaries who follow Mao Tse Tung’s political ideology. The name derives from the village of Naxalbari in West Bengal, where the Naxalite peasant revolt took place in 1967. From West Bengal, the movement has spread through rural areas of southern and eastern India.
(Asia News/Persecution Relief)
Pakistani Christian student brutally attacked by classmates.
 |
|||||
|
Pastor in Myanmar Abducted by Arakan Army
 |
|||||
|
Christians injured when prayer meeting attacked.
Three Christians suffered serious injuries when a mob of 25 extremists attacked a prayer meeting in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh on 7 February.
The mob broke into the pastor’s home in Chapar village, Sultanpur district, and began insulting worshippers before slapping them and hitting them with sticks. Bibles were also set on fire.
“They did not even spare women,” said Sajan K George, the president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), who spoke out condemning the violence. He added, “Intolerance towards Christians in Uttar Pradesh is spiralling upward and religious freedom is pulverised by fanatical elements.”
The Christian leader said, “[the attack] is a shame on secular India” and added that the police, “did not allow Christians to file a complaint against the attackers nor let the injured get medical certificates for their injuries”. Highlighting that the situation is likely to deteriorate in the run-up to the general elections expected in May he added, “Fanatics are whipping up hostility against Christians for political gain.”
Persecution of Christians and other minorities has been on the rise in India since Narendra Modi, whose home constituency is in Uttar Pradesh, became prime minister in 2014. There was a sharp escalation of persecution incidents against Christians in 2017, when around 736 were recorded by the Evangelical Fellowship of India (of which 351 were violent), compared to 348 persecution incidents recorded in 2016.
Uzbek mother killed by husband.
An Uzbek mother was killed by her husband on 9 February because she had recently become a Christian.
“Umida”, a Muslim-background Christian, was attempting to flee the country to seek refuge in Istanbul with Christian friends, when her husband confronted her at Tashkent Airport and slit her throat.
Previously, the man had locked Umida in their home to prevent her from going to church and banned her from seeing their two-year-old son after discovering she had asked a friend to get her an Uzbek Bible.
Umida’s parents had taken their daughter to live at their home and allowed her to go to church but she continued to receive threats from her husband.
Friends of Umida have asked for prayers for her parents and her son.
Uzbekistan, a former Soviet Union republic, is officially secular but more than 90% of the population is Muslim. Churches are required by law to register, but stringent requirements make it nearly impossible for most churches to do so. Uzbek Christians (who are converts from Islam and their children) face frequent persecution including violent raids on meetings and homes.
From Barnabas Fund contacts
Nigerian pastor killed and family kidnapped
A pastor was murdered and his family kidnapped after gunmen opened fire on their car on 7 February in Zamfara state, northern Nigeria.
Pastor Anthony Idris Jatau’s car skidded off the road in the attack, and he and his family were dragged out. The pastor’s body was found two days later, on 9 February, but the whereabouts of his wife, three children and two sisters-in-law are unknown at the time of writing.
According to a local source, the kidnappers are holding the children in separate locations and have demanded a ransom for the family’s release.
The source said, “Everybody is sad at the moment and afraid for the lives of his family members. Security agencies are aware of the case but there is nothing yet.”
Pastor Jatau, who survived an earlier kidnapping in September 2006, was travelling from his ministry in Sokoto to a new posting in Katsina, about 250 miles away, when the attack happened.
Zamfara is notorious for kidnappings and attacks by Fulani herdsmen militia groups, who have terrorised Christian farming communities. Barnabas Fund patron Baroness Cox, who raised the issue of Fulani attacks in the House of Lords on 17 July 2018, says the militants are now so well armed that some believe they may be fighting a proxy war for Boko Haram, the Islamist militia that wants to drive out Christians from northern Nigeria.
More news from Iran
Crackdown on Iranian believers continues
Becoming a Christian in Iran is fraught with danger – as the recent arrest of many believers with a Muslim background makes clear.
Two more were detained in Shiraz and Esfahan in January. These are just the latest in a wave of arrests targeting the Christian community which began late last year. Most of those detained have a Muslim background.
Please pray for our brothers and sisters behind bars in Iran.
On January 25, 64-year-old Ismaeil Maghrebinejad was arrested in Shiraz and security agents confiscated his laptop, phone and Christian books. He was later released on bail.
Two days earlier Sina Moloudian, who is just 26, was detained in Esfahan at the family home. Intelligence agents broke down the door and arrested Sina in front of his parents. Eye witnesses reported seeing Sina with bruising on his face as he was dragged out of the house. He rang his parents later to say he was being held in Dastgerd prison.
- Pray that prisoners of faith in Iran will be released soon and restored to their families. Pray that God will sustain and strengthen them.
- Please pray that the wave of arrests will stop.
- Lift up in prayer the officials involved in arresting Christians: pray that they will be touched by the powerful witness of God’s people in Iran and by their overcoming faith.
The Iranian church will be like the Israelites in Egypt-the more they were oppressed-the more they multiplied and grew strong.
Jatt of India
Militants ransack two Christian villages in Cameroon, damaging churches and razing 190 homes
29 January 2019
Large numbers of suspected Boko Haram militants attacked the predominantly Christian villages of Gochi and Toufou in north Cameroon, on 24 January.
The raids came in the middle of the night, overwhelming the soldiers on guard, forcing them to flee and causing appalling damage.
Barnabas Fund contacts report that 190 houses were destroyed in the villages. Four churches were ransacked, with valuables stolen and livestock killed. A Christian hospital was set on fire, dozens of motorbikes destroyed and essential household items such as mattresses vandalised or looted.
Witnesses at the scene of the attack said, “Is it really human beings who are doing this?”
Contacts said that although the attackers came in force, they were not intent on killing people this time, as they fired into the air. Their aim seemed to be the looting of clothing and food to panic the local population and economically ruin them – forcing families to flee the area.
The prefect for the area has promised additional security, but no emergency relief for the victims has been offered at this time.
The attack on Gochi and Toufou is the fourth by militants in two weeks. In the previous attacks three people were killed and churches and homes were damaged or destroyed.
According to Barnabas Fund contacts, Christian villages in the far north of Cameroon are subject to attacks by Boko Haram Islamist militias they attempt to establish an Islamic caliphate from north-eastern Nigeria all the way to northern Cameroon, which is where most Cameroonian Muslims live in what is a predominantly Christian country.
From Barnabas Fund contacts
Ahok released in Jakarta
OR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jakarta’s Former Christian Governor Released from Prison
Ethnic Chinese Politician Basuki Tjahaja Purnama Finished Jail Term for Blasphemy
01/24/2019 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on January 24, 2019, the former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese Christian politician, was released from prison after serving nearly two years on blasphemy charges. The former governor, commonly known as “Ahok,” walked free from Mako Brimob detention facility and was welcomed by his son Nicholas Sean.
The former governor was found guilty of blasphemy for a comment he made, quoting the Quran while campaigning for re-election. The verdict raised the question of Indonesia’s claimed freedom of religion and remains a controversial issue ahead of this April’s presidential election.
In a letter to supporters that was shared on Twitter last week, he thanked God for allowing him to lose the gubernatorial election and serve his prison term. If he had won, he believes that he would have only become “more arrogant, ruder” and hurt the feelings of many others.
“I also want to apologize to Ahokers [my supporters], all of Jakarta’s civil servants, even my haters, of all the things that I’ve said and done that have hurt you and your family,” he said.
Urging his supporters to call him by his Indonesian initials “BTP” and not his Hakka nickname “Ahok,” he added, “I am sorry and I hope that you will call me BTP now, not Ahok.”
Jacob F. Lesmana, an ethnic Chinese Christian in Jakarta told ICC, “Ahok really fulfills the criteria of being a leader who can inspire many people both in terms of people of faith and on the secular side. The main reason is that he has a set purpose in life so his vision is clear. He understands his calling and what he lives for. All the principles of his life are guided by the biblical principle of Truth. It takes a lot to build a life like his.”
BTP’s lawyer Teguh Samudera said the former governor plans to venture into the oil business next, while also hosting a talk show. He will also fulfill previously arranged speaking engagements in New Zealand, Japan, and Europe.
Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “While we rejoice at the early release of BTP given a granted remission last December, he should never have been imprisoned in the first place. He was not the only victim of Indonesia’s blasphemy law. He will likely not be the last one either if the Indonesian government continues to yield to radical Islamists’ requests instead of honoring religious freedom for all citizens.”
Pakistani Christian aquitted of Blasphemy charges
PTL another acquittal of spurious charges. Pray for his safety and possible need to flee the country.
Attorney Aneeqa Maria, chief of The Voice Society, who pled the case of Pervaiz Masih released facts about his freedom from blasphemy charges in a statement shared with Pakistan Christian Post.
Pakistani Christian Pervaiz Masih, of Garhewala District Kasur, was accused of blasphemy on September 1st 2015. After 20 days of the submitting an appeal of innocence, he was granted bail. This case was different as rarely is bail ever granted to the accused. From start to finish, his trial took three years to be concluded.
Pervaiz Masih and his family suffered much even the loss od their three year old daughter. The statement claimed that Masih’s accusers murdered his little girl by drowning her in a well and later declared to have committed the murder to punish Pervaiz and his family for uttering derogatory remarks about their Prophet.
The report claims Pervaiz’s wife was tortured and received severe…
View original post 283 more words
Christian Family, Church Devastated by Killing of Church Elder in Nigeria
More murder in Nigeria
(Morning Star News) – Ladi Yakubu does not know how her family will eat after Muslim Fulani herdsmen destroyed crops on their farm in Kaduna state, Nigeria on Nov. 26 and shot and killed her husband.
“My husband is no more alive, and so the burden to feed our children is on me,” she said. “How do I feed them without having a job? And I cannot go to the farm because of the murderous activities of these herdsmen.”
The 49-year-old Yakubu, a member of the Dogo Awo village congregation of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in north-central Nigeria, said she knew the gunmen were Fulani herdsmen because they have lived near the village for several years. Herdsmen also destroyed crops on their farm in late 2016 and late 2017, she said.
Her husband, ECWA elder Yakubu Musa, was 50.
Her 20-year-old son, Believe Yakubu, received a bullet wound…
View original post 918 more words
Mob protests against Indonesian church
Residents Rally to Demand Church Closure in Indonesia
Mob Denounces Bethel Indonesia Church’s Gathering as “Illegal”
01/17/2019 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on January 13, 2019, masses from the Griya Martubung Complex, Medan Labuhan Subdistrict in Indonesia’s North Sumatra held a protest against a house that was allegedly converted into a place of worship for Bethel Indonesia Church. In a video obtained by ICC, local residents surrounded Pastor Jans Fransman Saragih’s residence as Sunday service was about to commence. They pushed and shouted at church members, before demanding them to shut down.
A member of the church shared the video on Instagram and said, “We didn’t do things that were prohibited. Where is justice in this country? Where is our religious tolerance? God is with us.”
The head of the Medan Ministry of Religion Office, Al Ahyu, confirmed the incident and explained that the residents protested because the house did not have permission to operate as a place of worship, as stipulated by government regulations. Local residents had already filed a complaint last August, but Pastor Jans Fransman did not agree to stop worship at his house until November. He was supposed to halt services once the new year came, but he did not, leading to the January 13 protest.
However, at present, it is extremely difficult for non-Muslims to obtain the proper permits to build places of worship in the predominantly Muslim nation of Indonesia. Christian leaders have called for changes to legislation and complained about the obstacles facing churches that are attempting to obtain a permit.
Nitha Fenita, a Christian broadcaster at Cristy Radio, shared her thoughts with ICC,“This would be a big problem in a country known for its tolerance. I would describe it as a household with two religions and the members often have disputes about their beliefs. If there is no tolerance allowed, the relationship between the two parties would be inversely related [where one increases, another one decreases]. Perhaps the authorities can help manage the issues once or twice, but we have to be aware that this rift will be exploited by other [groups with political] interests which ultimately could divide the Indonesian people. Educating this family on tolerance is a very urgent matter and it needs to be taught now.”
Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “As the Indonesian presidential election is only three months away, many radicals are seeking the opportunity to incite hatred and religious persecution against Christians during this campaign period. Jakarta must protect the rights of its citizens to freely worship, not only because it is enshrined in its constitution, but also to honor the country’s founding principles of Pancasila, which is to maintain a harmonious Indonesia based on religious tolerance, humanity, unity, democracy, and social justice.
Many more Iranian believers arrested
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Benham Ersali and Davood Rasooli were taken into custody in N Iran and their family have not heard from them since. The best guess is that they are in solitary in Rajai Shahr prison. Let’s remember them. It appears to be an awful place…https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gohardasht_Prison
Pray for their protection and release, their witness and for strength and courage for all Christians imprisoned in Iran.
CHINA: Early Rain Covenant Church elder Li Yingqiang released on bail
CHINA: Early Rain Covenant Church elder Li Yingqiang released on bail
On 18 August, elder Li Yingqiang from Early Rain Covenant Church in Sichuan province was released on bail and sent back to his home town in Hubei province with his wife and children.
Following eight months’ imprisonment, Elder Li has lost weight but is healthy and reported to be in high spirits, posting on Facebook following his release, “God is true and living! praise our Lord!”
While waiting for trial, he must report regularly at the local police station and is deprived of freedom of movement.
Elder Li was detained in December 2018 during a crackdown on Early Rain Covenant Church, a large unregistered house church with more than eight hundred members in Chengdu, capital of China’s southwest Sichuan province.
In early December, police detained over 150 members, including Pastor Wang Yi, and shut down the church. Li Yingqiang and another elder, Qin Derfu, were falsely accused of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble” and “running an illegal business”.
While many church members were quickly released, 54 were held for days or months, and others have been harassed and detained for various periods in the intervening months. Many released members have lost jobs, been evicted or had their bank accounts frozen, and some have been sent back to their home towns in an apparent attempt to weaken the church leadership.
Pastor Wang Yi, elder Qin Derfu and church member Gou Zhongcan remain in criminal detention, deprived of the right to meet with their lawyers or families.
Family harrassed
During Elder Li’s imprisonment, his wife Zhang Xinyue heard no news of him and did not know where he was being held. At the same time, the government was attempting to force her to send their home-schooled eight-year-old daughter to public school, threatening Zhang with arrest if she refused. While the attempt failed in the end, the child was traumatised and Zhang was reportedly worn out by the process.
In a social media message following her husband’s release, she wrote, “Thank you my friends, family, brothers and sisters! Thank you for walking with my family through different means in the past eight months. May God greatly bless you. I love you all!”
Letters of encouragement
Following the mass arrests of Early Rain Church members in December, Li Yingqiang wrote letters to encourage members to stand strong in their faith.
“We will never change our statement of faith shared publicly earlier and our push for house churches to gather in public; we will also not change our stance insisting on the separation of church and state,” he wrote. “We will neither register with the Religious Affairs Bureau, nor join the state-sanctioned churches.”
Elder Li also wrote, “This round of crackdown is unusual as it seems that the authorities want to close the church down for good. Our social media channel accounts such as WeChat were not closed in previous rounds and they have taken a large number of our members into custody this time. The scale was unprecedented. Even if we are down to our last five, worship and gatherings will still go on because our faith is real. Persecution is a price worth paying for the Lord. We would rather live through it than hide our faith and we hope more Chinese churches will speak up and stand with us.”
(China Aid/Facebook [Bob Fu; Early Rain Covenant Church]/International Christian Concern)
Atrocious Nigerian Carnage Continues Unabated
Several hundred Christians killed, villages decimated as merciless wave of militant Fulani attacks sweeps northern Nigeria
Hundreds of Christians lost their lives in the first half of 2019 alone as a wave of attacks by heavily-armed, mainly Muslim, Fulani militants continued to gather momentum in an agenda of “religious cleansing” that is aiding Boko Haram’s attempts to establish an Islamist caliphate in north-eastern Nigeria.
Barnabas Fund contacts described the situation as “horrifying” for Christian communities in a recent report that outlined a spate of murderous attacks across at least six regions in 2019, costing several hundred lives, as well as destroying homes and decimating communities. The carnage has gone largely unchallenged by the Nigerian Federal Government.
Swathes of Christian-owned farmland have also been seized by Fulani militants this year. A controversial government plan called “Ruga” that seeks to establish new Fulani settlements in the region was recently suspended due to a public outcry, according to Barnabas contacts.
The UN announced in July that the upsurge of violent attacks on Christians taking place across sub-Saharan Africa is now at crisis level, with an estimated 4.2 million displaced people representing an “unprecedented” humanitarian emergency.
Kaduna State worst hit in sequence of callous attacks
Kaduna has been the worst-hit state, with nearly 300 people killed when heavily-armed Fulani militia raided Karamai village, and at least six other predominantly Christian villages across the region, between February and April.
In some of the most callous attacks witnessed in recent years, brutal rapes and maiming with machetes were reported. Over 300 homes were destroyed in the raids and many acres of farmland ravaged and property looted across the state. In Dogon Noma village, eyewitness accounts described gunmen “shooting and hacking down anything that moved”.
In Kajura Local Government Area, also in Kaduna State, the bodies of about 73 women, some pregnant, and 101 children ranging from babies on their mothers’ backs up to ten-year-olds, were interred in a mass grave.
Reports of attacks killing 66 Fulanis were circulated in televised reports from Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai during the presidential elections in February. These later proved to be false, but are thought to have aggravated hostility towards Christians in the state.
Fulani militants murder 61 in Benue and Plateau States
On 4 March, Fulani militia attacked three villages in Benue State killing 23. A fourth attack on Sendegh village, Kwande Local Government Area, on 7 April, is reported to have killed two more Christians and injured several others.
In Plateau State, there were fresh attacks in predominantly Christian areas of Jos, the state capital, on 23 May that left at least 33 Christians dead.
Over 300 armed Fulani militants “shot indiscriminately” as they swooped on three mainly Christian villages on 17 June in the Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. Three died in the raids, including a soldier, and many were injured. At least 50 homes and a government clinic were razed by the mob.
Tragic death of boys in Easter parade “not accidental”
Barnabas contacts told us of a tragic incident involving around 13 Christian male youths who were killed instantly during an annual Easter Sunday evening parade in Gombe city, Gombe State, when a civil defence forces vehicle rammed into a Boys’ Brigade procession. The contact said that the episode was “not accidental” and came at a time of heightened animosity towards Christians.
On Sunday 14 April, violence flared in the central state of Nasarawa when an estimated 18 Christians were killed and several injured in Fulani militia attacks on Nidam, Mente and Numa Kochu villages, all in the Akwanga Local Government Area.
