RELIGION TODAY

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Muslims in Bangladesh Seize Land Used by Church
Aenon Shalom


September 7, 2009

DHAKA, Bangladesh (CDN) -- Bengali-speaking, Muslim settlers have seized five acres of abandoned government property used by a church and falsedly charged Christians with damaging the land in southeastern Bangladesh's Khagrachari hill district, Christian leaders said.

Kiron Joti Chakma, field director of Grace Baptist Church in Khagrachari district, told Compass that the settlers had taken over the church building and the five acres of land in Reservechara village in June and filed a case on Aug. 4 against five tribal Christians. The Bengali-speaking Muslims had come from other areas of Bangladesh in a government resettlement program that began in 1980.

"In the case, the settlers mentioned that the Christians had cut the trees and damaged the crops on their land and that they should pay 250,000 taka as compensation," said Chakma. "We cultivated pineapple in the land around the church. But the settlers damaged all of our pineapple trees and built two houses there."

The government has allowed the Christians to use the land. Tribal leaders said that land-grabbing in the area hill tracts, undulating landscape under Dighinala police jurisdiction 300 kilometers (186 miles) southeast of the Dhaka, began again during the army-backed interim government of 2007-2008.

"It is still continuing, and our demands to stop land-grabbing do not rate very high with the administration and law enforcement agencies," said one of the accused, 32-year-old Mintu Chakma.

When he went to the police station regarding the false case filed against the Christians, he said, the leader of the Bengali settlers was there and threatened him in front of officers, telling him, "I can devour dozens of people like you - I will finish your life."

Church leaders have informed a nearby army camp of the seizure. Military officers said they would take action, but they have done nothing so far, Christians said.

"Our leaders informed the army zone commander, and he assured us they would take necessary action, but nothing has happened so far against those land grabbers and arsonists," said 25-year-old Liton Chakma (Chakma is the name of the tribe), one of the Christians accused in the Grace Baptist case.

The Muslim settlers had burned a Seventh-day Adventist Church building in 2008 in Boachara village, close to the Grace Baptist Christians' village, in an effort to frighten tribal people away from becoming Christian, said Liton Chakma. He told Compass that Bengali settlers had also hindered their attempt to construct the church building in August in 2007.

"Many new believers saw nothing had happened to the arsonists, and many of them reverted to their previous Buddhism," he said. "The army and local administration allowed them to run wild. They always threaten to beat us and file cases against us."

Mintu Chakma said that Muslim settlers seized a garden next to his house in 2007.

"They not only destroyed my pineapple garden, but they built a mosque there," he said.

Land Ownership
Local police inspector Suvas Pal told Compass that neither tribal people nor Bengali settlers were the owners of that land. It is government-owned, abandoned land, he said.

"The Bengali settlers claim that the land was assigned to lease to them, but we did not find any copy of lease in the deputy commissioner's office," said Pal. "On the other hand, the tribal people could not show any papers of their possession of the land."

Investigating Officer Omar Faruque told Compass that the Muslim settlers had built two houses there, though they did not live there or nearby.

"I told the Bengali settlers that if they [tribal Christians] worship in the church there, then do not disturb them," said Faruque.

Dipankar Dewan, headman of the tribal community, told Compass that the tribal Christians have an historical claim to the land.


"The land belonged to the forefathers of tribal Christians, so they can lay claim to the property by inheritance," said Dewan.

During conflict between tribal people and Bengali people in the hill tracts, the tribal people left the country and took shelter in neighboring India, leaving much of their land abandoned. Bengali settlers took over some of the land, while the government leased other tracts to Bengali settlers, Dewan said.

"Many lands of the tribal people were grabbed in the hill tracts in the two years of state-of-emergency period of the previous army-backed, interim government," he said. "Those Bengali settlers tried to grab the land during the tenure of the army-backed, interim government."

Members of the Shanti Bahini, tribal guerrillas who fought for autonomy in the hill tracts, ended a 25-years revolt in the Chittagong Hill Tracts area in 1997 under a peace treaty in which the government was to withdraw troops and restore land acquired by settlers to local tribesmen.

Some 2,000 Shanti Bahini guerrillas surrendered their weapons following the 1997 treaty. But the tribal people say many aspects of the treaty remain unfulfilled, including restoration of rights and assigning jobs to them.

The guerrillas had fought for autonomy in the hill and forest region bordering India and Burma (Myanmar) in a campaign that left nearly 8,500 troops, rebels and civilians killed.

Recently the Awami League government ordered one army brigade of nearly 2,500 troops to pull out from the hill tract, and the withdrawal that began early last month is expected to be completed soon. Four brigades of army are still deployed in the hill tracts comprising three districts - Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban.

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Sept. 7, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Mediation Next Step in Teen Muslim-Christian Case
    * Focus on the Family Announces More Layoffs
    * Egypt Muslim Council: Building Churches Is 'Sin'
    * Open Doors Launches Ministry for Traumatized Iraqi Children

Mediation Next Step in Teen Muslim-Christian Case

CNN reports that a Christian teen who ran away from her Muslim family in Ohio will stay in Florida for now, but will have to face her parents again. A Florida judge ordered Rifqa Bary and her parents, Mohamed and Aysha Bary, to seek mediation within 30 days. Seventeen-year-old Rifqa maintains that her father threatened to kill her when he discovered her conversion, while Rifqa's parents deny such allegations. "We wouldn't do her harm," the father said, adding that he knew his daughter was involved with Christian organizations. The Bary family is originally from Sri Lanka, and Rifqa says she fears being sent back to be killed or put in an asylum there. The teen ran from home in July to meet a pastor's family in Florida whom she met via Facebook.

Focus on the Family Announces More Layoffs

Religion News Service reports that Focus on the Family ministry announced additional layoffs Wednesday (Sept. 2), cutting its staff by 8 percent to a total of 860 people. The 75 layoffs are augmented by a decision to not fill 57 vacancies as the prominent evangelical ministry in Colorado Springs, Colo., addresses a 5 percent shortfall in its budget. Focus spokeswoman Lisa Anderson said the shortfall in the $138 million budget was due mostly to a decrease in giving from large donors affected by the economic downturn. "Many of them have really seen their own businesses be hit and so ... that, for us, translated into lower giving," she said. She said monthly donors have generally maintained their giving levels. The latest layoffs come less than a year after the ministry laid off 200 employees in November 2008.

Egypt Muslim Council: Building Churches Is 'Sin'

The Christian Post reports that a human rights group are fighting an Islamic council after the council issued a fatwa (Islamic edict) declaring that building a church is "a sin against God." According to Egyptian Union Human Rights Organization President Dr. Naguib Gabraeel, the controversy began after his group found a troubling passage in a Cairo University textbook. The passage, dealing with inheritance and execution of wills, said that "it is forbidden for a person to donate money for what would lead to sin, such as donating in his will money towards build[ing] a church, a nightclub, a gambling casino, towards promoting the alcohol industry or for building a barn for rearing pigs, cats or dogs." When asked, the Fatwa Council upheld the passage even though it contradicts Egypt's constitutional guarantee of religious freedom.

Open Doors Launches Ministry for Traumatized Iraqi Children

Christian Today reports that a persecution watchdog group has launched a new support ministry to children in Iraq who must live with ongoing violence. "Because we are working with a traumatized population, we have to address the issue of trauma. Training people to help traumatized children is one part of the course," said one Open Doors worker in Iraq. "Recently we gave a trauma counseling training course to help children. The group was very attentive, on-time and able to soak in the material. The group consisted of kindergarten teachers, orphanage workers, nuns, psychologists and social workers... Most of the class members had experienced a high level of violence, including car bombings, and other war related traumas themselves." The sessions work to help children and teenagers express their pain and enjoy being children again.

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Muslim Dress Code Enforced for Gaza Schoolgirls
Dan Wooding


September 8, 2009

GAZA CITY, GAZA (ANS) -- Gaza took another step towards strict Islamic law this week with the imposition of new dress codes on schoolgirls. Girls and young women returning to school on Sunday were told that they must wear jilbab, traditional Islamic sleeved robes, and cover their hair, or they would not be allowed to return to class. This was revealed in a story by Maayana Miskin and posted on the http://www.israelnationalnews.com/ website.

"Posters hung in Gaza City schools announced that all girls would be required to wear navy blue jilbab, a white headscarf, and white or black shoes. Dozens of students reported being sent home after appearing in school in jeans," said Miskin.

"In addition, public high school classes have been separated, with boys and girls learning in different buildings."

The story went on to say that according to some Gaza residents, the new rules are being enforced on members the region's small Christian minority as well, despite the fact that Christians are generally considered exempt from following Islamic law. However, the laws have not been enforced within private Christian schools.

Hamas officials denied Monday that they were connected to the new school dress codes. The decision to enforce strict standards of dress was made at the local level, by individual principals, Hamas claimed.

Most girls and their families were in favor of the new dress codes, they added.

"Reports of a new school dress code caused anger in Judea and Samaria, where Palestinian Authority loyalists accused Hamas of violating the PA charter, which forbids the enforcement of a public dress code," wrote Miskin.

"Earlier this month, a Gaza judge ordered that all female lawyers cover their hair in court. The decision caused a wave of protest from lawyers and human rights groups in Gaza, Judea and Samaria. Hamas distanced itself from that decision as well, saying the matter was a private issue for the courts to deal with.

"Several weeks ago, Hamas was accused of enforcing an informal dress code on women living in Gaza, and of allowing local militias to enforce strict standards of modest dress and behavior."

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Religion News Summaries - Sept. 8, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Michigan Church Uses Satan to Launch New Outreach Campaign
    * Displaced War Victims in Sri Lanka Still Suffering
    * German Priest Allowed to Continue Condoms Work in Africa
    * Focus on the Family Pushes to Increase California Adoptions

Michigan Church Uses Satan to Launch New Outreach Campaign

Christian Today reports that one church is employing a bit of reverse psychology to make the community take notice. Metro South Church in Trenton, Mich., has put up billboards and signs signed by "Satan," who laments the church's commitment to the Gospel. "MetroSouthChurch.com Makes Me Sick" says one sign. "MetroSouthChurch.com Sucks," says another. "I've been trying so hard to work with you ... but you will not get rid of this Jesus thing," a man dressed a Satan says on the website. "I hate your church." The church's youth pastor says the marketing idea is meant to grab attention. "There's so much noise out there that if you don't do something that's a little bit more on the edge, people just ignore it," Adam Dorband said. The non-denominational church leaders say they hope the Trenton community will appreciate their congregation as a "different kind of church."

Displaced War Victims in Sri Lanka Still Suffering

Mission News Network reports that thousands of refugees remain trapped and displaced since Sri Lanka's civil war ended in May. According to one worker with Partners International, 280,000 people are living in camps in northern Sri Lanka. "People are detained. They don't have freedom of movement; they can't go out. And they are like prisoners." Thousands of these refugees are children or orphans wandering in the camps. Sri Lanka continues to holds thousands of ethnics Tamils in military-run camps as the government remains wary of the group, who found sometimes-friends with the rebel Tamil Tiger fighters. The rebels ultimately used thousands of civilians as human shields and deterrents. Partners International says the ministry is serving food to 10,500 people, and trying to support indigenous pastors already within the camps.

German Priest Allowed to Continue Condoms Work in Africa

Religion News Service reports that a German priest who distributes condoms to help stem the spread of HIV/AIDS can continue working at his South African clinic on one condition. He must give up the pulpit at a local Catholic church under a new deal with his bishop. The Rev. Stefan Hippler, who has worked in Africa for 12 years, served a German-speaking congregation in Cape Town, and also initiated an AIDS charity project called "Hope," which caters for HIV-positive children and parents. Hippler has urged a reconsideration of the Catholic Church's ban on condoms, saying the church's theology on AIDS is more than 40 years out-of-date. Last May, the German Catholic Bishops' Conference announced it would not renew his contract and recalled Hippler to the Diocese of Trier. Under a new agreement, however, Hippler's work will be financed by his diocese, not the bishops' conference.

Focus on the Family Pushes to Increase California Adoptions

Focus on the Family will pair with adoption agencies throughout California on September 19 to help match families with waiting children. Wait No More, a conference designed to encourage families to start the process of adoption, will focus on the thousands of waiting children in the state of California. The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services and the Orange County Social Services will co-host the program. "Our message is simple," said Kelly Rosati, senior director of the Sanctity of Human Life division at Focus on the Family. "California's waiting kids deserve permanent homes. If even a portion of California's more than 10,000 churches got involved, this problem could be solved."

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Sichuan Earthquake-Relief Workers Tried for 'Disturbing the Peace'
Michael Ireland


September 9, 2009

SICHUAN PROVINCE, CHINA (ANS) -- Two Chinese Christian relief workers have been on trial for their role in helping earthquake survivors in Sichuan Province.

According to a ChinaAid (www.chinaaid.org) media release, on June 28, 2009, Wei Sanhong and Wu Han were arrested by Nanbu County Public Security Bureau in Sichuan for allegedly disturbing the peace and endangering the health of others.

ChinaAid says that, officially detained for "'acting under the guise of religion" and "'disturbing the society and impairing others' health," Wei Sanhong and Wu Han were among several members of the Huaguan Town church who had previously worked to provide disaster relief to victims of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

The May 12, 2008 earthquake, otherwise known as "the Great Sichuan Earthquake," measured at 8.0 on the Richter Scale and killed at least 68,000.

In the aftermath of the disaster, relief workers helped local victims to access medical care, rebuild homes, and receive counseling for grief, mental illness, and alcoholism related to depression.

ChinaAid reported that on June 28: "Ms Wei and Mr. Wu were visiting the Huaguan Town house church from their home in Zheijiang, as members of the extended congregation. That evening, local police broke into the building without a warrant, illegally searched and confiscated church property, and seized Ms. Wei and Mr. Wu. They were then interrogated at the police station, without legal notification to their families in Zheijiang."

The organization says that on October 16, 2008, the Fuhu Village Party Committee and local Government in Nanbu County commended the Huaguan Town Church's relief efforts in the community. The church had been meeting peacefully in Nanbu County since it was founded in 2006, and merged with Zheijiang members in 2008.

ChinaAid received the Official Statement on the Administrative Proceedings for their trial on August 26, 2009.

Litigation lawyer for the plaintiffs Wu Chenglian called the Nanbu County Public Security Bureau's charge "based on wrong facts and flimsy evidence."

In her Statement on the Administrative Proceedings for the case, Attorney Wu presented to the court her defense of plaintiffs Wei and Wu, exposing the Nanbu County PSB's violations by citing the Chinese Constitution: "In accordance with Article 36 in Constitutions of the PRC, 'the citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief. No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion.'"

Attorney Wu argued further that Nanbu Public Security Bureau misapplied "The Law of Punishment in Respect to Management of Public Security" to the plaintiff -- citing its lack of expert knowledge on the religious proceedings, and providing evidence of Huaguan Town churches peaceful existence and contributions to the Nanbu County community.

She further upheld the rights of house churches to meet without official registration, noting that Article 12 of the Regulations on Religious Affairs "is a general regulation, and not mandatory," according to Chinese law.

The families are currently awaiting the verdict for Wei Sanhong and Wu Han's trial held in Nanbu County.

ChinaAid encourages you to pray that the local officials will be held accountable for their violations of Chinese law, and that justice will be served for these disaster-relief workers.

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Religion Today Summaries - Sept. 9, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Indonesian Quake Destruction Worse than Thought
    * Texas Schools Confused over Bible Literacy Law
    * Episcopal Nuns Leave to Join Catholic Church
    * Black Woman Files Suit against Billy Graham Ministry

Indonesian Quake Destruction Worse than Thought

Christian Today reports that aid workers in Indonesia are still struggling to grasp the scope of last week's earthquake. "In several villages in Pengalengan sub-district alone, almost all of the houses have collapsed or are heavily damaged," said Trihadi Saptoadi, World Vision's national director in Indonesia. "Right now, there is not enough emergency aid available to meet the growing need." The 7.3-magnitude quake destroyed more than 10,000 homes and buildings on the island of Java. "While the government and local organizations have started providing humanitarian assistance, many victims still have not received adequate food and other necessities," Saptoadi said. World Vision staff say they are still assessing how many displaced families lack access to clean water and proper sanitation.

Texas Schools Confused over Bible Literacy Law

Dallas Morning News reports that the decision to include the Bible in Texas public schools still has many teachers walking on eggshells. The new state law requiring Bible literacy in the curriculum provides little regulation or guidelines, leaving teachers wondering how - and how much - to incorporate the Bible into their existing lessons. "Asking a school district to teach a course or include material in a course without providing them any guidance or resources is like sending a teacher into a minefield without a map," said Mark Chancey, an associate professor of Religious Studies at Southern Methodist University and author of the report "Teaching the Bible in Texas Public Schools." Proponents hope the law will help students examine the Bible's influence throughout history and literature.

Episcopal Nuns Leave to Join Catholic Church

Religion News Service reports that 10 Maryland nuns - almost an entire religious community - converted from the Episcopal Church to Catholicism on Thursday (Sept. 3). The women said they decided to convert because their former denomination had become too liberal in its acceptance of homosexuality. The 10 members of the All Saints Sisters of the Poor will continue to live with two nuns who decided not to convert at their convent in Catonsville, Md. The community's chaplain, the Rev. Warren Tanghe, also converted on Thursday with the nuns. Members of the order had been considering conversion for seven years. Mother Christina Christie, superior of the order, told the Baltimore Sun: "We were drifting farther apart from the more liberal road the Episcopal Church is traveling. We are now more at home in the Roman Catholic Church."

Black Woman Files Suit against Billy Graham Ministry

Religion News Service reports that a black woman is suing her former employer, alleging she was fired after expressing concern that the ministry was not sufficiently reaching out to African-American churches. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association denies the claims. The racial discrimination lawsuit by Kimberly McCallum was moved Wednesday (Sept. 2) from a local court to a federal court, the Associated Press reported. The group's spokesman, Mark Demoss, would not comment on McCallum's case, but said the organization has frequently reached out to the black community, and that several prominent black pastors have led recent ministry events. "That's a preposterous claim that the organization would deliberately bypass African-American participation," Demoss said. "In fact, the opposite is quite true."

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Christians in Pakistan Fear Further Firestorms - 1 of 2
Brian Sharma


September 10, 2009

LAHORE, Pakistan (CDN) -- In the wake of Islamists setting fires that killed at least seven people in Punjab Province last month, the latest of several attempts to provoke further attacks on Christians took place in a village on Friday (Sept. 4) when unidentified men tore pages of the Quran and left them at a church.

Police said they were able to cool tensions in Chak 8-11-L Mission Village, near Chichawatni, after the torn pages of the Muslim scriptures were left at the Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church and on a nearby road. Sources said they have witnessed similar attempts to ignite attacks on Christians in several areas of Punjab Province since an Islamic mob on Aug. 1 burned seven Christians alive in Gojra over a false accusation of blaspheming the Quran.

Superintendent of Police Ahmed Nawaz Cheema said the pages of the Quran were left at the dividing line between Chak 8's Christian-inhabited Mission village and the Muslim-populated Maliks village, indicating "it was planted to create tensions between the two villages."

Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church Pastor Salmoon Ejaz told Compass that Muslim women on their way to glean cotton early in the morning had found the torn pages of the Quran. They took the pages to local Muslim clerics, who in turn took them to the police. Pastor Ejaz said the clerics came to Christian leaders and told them they had no suspicion that Christians had torn the pages, and that both Muslims and Christians should be vigilant and try to find the culprit.

Since then, the pastor said, the situation has been tense but under control, with police fully cooperating.

"The situation is calm, and we have no fear from the local Muslims, but the real threat is from the madrassas of Chak 11-11-L, 81-9-L and Multan Road," said the pastor of the church, which was founded in 1906. "Even in Gojra the local Muslims had not attacked, but outsiders were the assailants, and that is the reason we are still frightened."

In Gojra, members of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, a pro-Taliban, Sunni Muslim group, and its al Qaeda-linked offshoot, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, were suspected of planning the attack that killed the Christians and injured at least 19 others. Urged on by clerics from mosque loudspeakers, the rampaging Islamists set fire to 50 homes and looted more than 100 houses.

Christian advocacy group Community Development Initiative (CDI) Field Officer Napoleon Qayyum said al Qaeda remnants have lost support following a Pakistani military operation in tribal areas along the Afghanistan border, and that to regain backing they were trying to exploit anti-U.S. and anti-Christian sentiment. He said well-coordinated efforts were underway to instigate Muslims against Christians by inciting hatred against the United States and the Pakistani government, a U.S. ally in anti-terrorism efforts. In this way, he said, the al Qaeda militants justify terrorist activities against the Pakistani government.

"Terrorism is like the AIDS virus, which keeps changing its tactics," Qayyum said.

CDI helped to encourage police to increase security in the Mission Village area, he added.

Superintendent of Police Cheema said 50 policemen had been stationed in the area to prevent potential conflicts and would remain there until rumors died down. Christian leaders outside the district had contacted area police warning that Islamists could try to spark violence.

"These Christians have a good liaison with the Christians of other districts and cities," he said.

Muslims in Maliks were cooperating fully with police to keep conflict from erupting, he said, adding that area Muslims were concerned that Christians in the 400-home Mission Village were not sending their children to school, which is located in the Maliks village of 2,000 Muslim homes. Cheema said area Muslims had indicated that if Christians were afraid, they would be willing to go to the Christian colony and bring their children to school.

Tensions after Gojra

The rumor of desecration of the Quran that led to the attack in Gojra, 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Faisalabad, on July 30 had prompted an Islamist arson assault on Korian village, seven miles from Gojra, that gutted 60 houses.

On June 30, a cleric in Kasur district's Bahmaniwala village used a mosque loudspeaker to announce a call to attack Christians that resulted in more than 500 Muslims ransacking and looting at least 110 houses. Chief Minister of the Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has ordered the arrest of six Muslim extremists, including suspected mastermind Qari Latif.

On Aug. 1, as houses in Gojra were burned and plundered, Muslim clerics called for demonstrations to protest the arrest of Islamists suspected in the Kasur violence. Pakistan People's Party's Provincial Assembly Member Ahmed Riaz Tohlu and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's National Assembly Member Sheikh Wasim resolved the issue by assuring Christians that Kasur would remain secure and by promising the Islamists that the arrested Muslims would be released. The officials told the provincial deputy general inspector, however, that the names of the released Muslims "should be the first to be mentioned in the FIR [First Information Report] if any untoward incident takes place."

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Christians in Pakistan Fear Further Firestorms - 2 of 2
Brian Sharma

Potential tensions were also warded off in Shantinagar, a village near Khanewal that suffered a massive onslaught from Islamic extremists in 1997, after another incident involving the Quran on Aug. 8. District Councilor Chaudhry Salamat Allah Rakha told Compass that when one of the village Christians went out in the fields, he saw a bearded person holding something.

"That man yelled at him, at which point the other man ran away," Rakha said. "This man tried to catch him but failed, and then he saw that there were three Qurans wrapped in a white cloth."

The Christian suspected the bearded man who fled intended to tear pages of the Quran in order to frame Christians for blasphemy. District Councilor Wazir Jacob arrived at the site and called police, and Sadar police station House Officer Chaudhry Zaka came soon after and seized the three Qurans.

Rakha said that police were asked to file a First Information Report on the incident, but the district police officer refused on grounds that it would create tensions in the area.

Tensions were simmering in St. Henry Colony in Lahore after an altercation over an inconveniently parked car led to a gang fight. Local Pastor Azam Anthony told Compass that on Aug. 6 a Muslim family parked a car close to the front of a house owned by Christians, and a Christian woman came out of the house and asked them to move as it hampered their ability to enter.

"At this the Muslim woman dragged her by her hair, and the Christian woman in her effort to release herself got hold of her shalwar [a garment like trousers]," Pastor Anthony said. A man with the Muslim woman grew furious and began beating the Christian woman, he said.

"The sight further incited Christian boys there who were watching this all going on," he said. "They asked that man why did he beat a woman, and they beat the man."

The Muslim man gathered other Muslims, along with a Muslim councilor of the area, and began fighting the Christian boys. Pastor Anthony said that before leaving, the Muslims said they would deal with the Christians after Friday prayers.

"That afternoon was quite tense, and Christians of the area had prepared themselves for another Gojra incident," Pastor Anthony said. The timely intervention of Christian leaders and police has averted any further incidents - so far.

In the wake of the Gojra attack, Christians have deliberated whether to arm themselves so they can defend themselves against further attacks. One Christian, Naveed Masih, who fired into the air as the Islamist throng attacked, has been credited with reducing the number of casualties and damages. Dubbed Naveed the Soldier, he was the only man with a rifle when the mobs charged Gojra. Several Christian women had taken refuge in his house.

A Muslim association based in Gojra, the Muslim Mahaz Tanzeem for Peace, has since tried to blame Maish for setting off the violence and charged three priests and another Christian with providing him weapons. According to Asia News, the association has threatened another Islamist wave of violence unless the four Christians are arrested.

District Councilor Rakha said that since the attack, about 15 boys have been armed and trained to keep watch at night. Christians in other areas, such as Youhanabad and Bahar Colony in Lahore, told Compass that they would rather die defending themselves than be killed doing nothing.

Petition for Prosecution

In view of the increase in attacks against Christians in Pakistan, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) has filed a petition with the United Nations through its European body, the European Center for Law and Justice.

"We have expressed in the strongest terms possible that the Pakistani government must prosecute acts of violence based upon religion," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ECLJ and the U.S.-based ACLJ. "Christians are being singled out and murdered because of their faith. Only when the Pakistani government effectively prosecutes those responsible for the acts of violence will attacks against Christians end."

The "blasphemy laws" that encourage Muslim violence against Christians violate the principle of the universality of religious freedom to which Pakistan officially adheres, Sekulow said.

The ECLJ petition calls on Pakistan to prosecute deadly attacks on Christians, which have claimed the lives of at least 60 Christians in the past decade in at least 27 separate incidents of Muslim-on-Christian violence. The ECLJ filing states: "More than two decades of blasphemy laws have taught Pakistani Muslims that the punishment for allegedly insulting Islam is death. The Pakistani government must repeal or procedurally change blasphemy laws."

Because Pakistan has proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in a resolution to the U.N. that it presented on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, it should abide by those terms for its own religious minorities, the ECLJ petition states.

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Religion News Summaries - Sept. 10, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * London's Mayor Says Residents Should Join in Ramadan Fasts
    * Detained Female Converts Not Forgotten Outside Iran
    * Orissa: Six More Sentenced for Attacks on Christians
    * Sudanese Archbishop Appeals for International Action to Bring Peace

London's Mayor Says Residents Should Join in Ramadan Fasts

Religion News Service reports that London Mayor Boris Johnson has called on all of London to join Muslims in their religious fast. He encouraged the city's millions of residents to fast for at least a day during the Islamic observance of Ramadan to better understand Islam. Then, says Johnson, Londoners should break their fast by visiting one of the numerous mosques that dot the British capital. Johnson, speaking at the East London Mosque and London Muslim Center, said such an experience could demonstrate a welcoming of Muslims into Britain's mainstream society. "Muslims are challenging the traditional stereotypes and showing that they are, and want to be, a part of the mainstream community," Johnson said. "I urge people... increase your understanding and learning -- even fast for a day -- with your Muslim neighbor and break your fast at a local mosque."

Detained Female Converts Not Forgotten Outside Iran

Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that Iranian women abroad plan to show their support for two female Christian converts who remain jailed in Iran. Women dressed in white will be gathering outside the Iranian embassy in London this Saturday as part of a prayer vigil to highlight the plight of Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30. The two female Christian converts from Islam who have been held at Evin Prison in Teheran without charge for the last six months. Neither woman has committed a crime under Iranian or international law. At a hearing at Tehran's Revolutionary Court on Sunday, 9 August, both women refused to recant their faith after being ordered to do so. They were subsequently returned to their cells, where their health is now rapidly deteriorating due to the overcrowded conditions and limited facilities.

Orissa: Six More Sentenced for Attacks on Christians

Christian Today reports that another six people have been sentenced for their role in last year's religious violence in Orissa. They were found guilty of setting houses on fire and engaging in unlawful assembly by defying the curfew, according to the Press Trust of India. Including these sentences, just 12 people have been convicted in connection with the violence, which destroyed thousands of homes and forced more 30,000 Christians to run for their lives. Many Christians are still living in camps. Church leaders say the death toll far exceeds the government's official count of 60. Ten thousand people are named in 827 cases registered during the August riots, 345 of which are still under investigation, including one involving the brutal rape of a nun.

Sudanese Archbishop Appeals for International Action to Bring Peace

Christian Post reports that the head of the Episcopal Church in Sudan has appealed to the international community to stop continuing violence. The Most Rev. Dr. Daniel Deng Bul Yak, archbishop and primate of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, highlighted the "well-organized" murder of an Episcopal bishop during a recent prayer service. More than 40 other people have been killed in related violence by "those that are against the peace in South Sudan," Deng said. He believes violence could be stopped if there was a higher military presence in some areas. "Continuing violence such as this is not only a crime against the innocent people killed and injured, it is a crime against the peace of the Sudan and if left unchecked will do great damage to the smooth implementation of the 2005) Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)," he said.

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Justice Comes Slowly for Victims of Orissa Violence
Shireen Bhatia


September 11, 2009

NEW DELHI (CDN) -- A fast-track court in Orissa state on Monday (Sept. 7) sentenced six people to four years of "rigorous imprisonment" and a fine of 2,000 rupees (US$41) each for their role in anti-Christian violence in the state's Kandhamal district a year ago.

The court in Phulbani ordered them to remain in prison another three months if they are unable to pay the fine. Additional Sessions Judge Shobhan Kumar Das announced they were convicted of setting Christian houses on fire and engaging in unlawful assembly by defying curfew.

Following the assassination of a Hindu leader on Aug. 23, 2008, Kandhamal district was the epicenter of nearly three months of violence by Hindu extremists that killed at least 100 people and burned more than 4,500 houses and over 250 churches and 13 educational institutions; 50,000 people were displaced. Although Maoists took responsibility for the assassination, Hindu extremists blamed Christians in order to ignite large-scale violence on the minority community.

Sentenced on Monday were Kiringa Kanhar, Lasia Kanhar, Gananath Kanhar, Lankeswar Kanhar, Naresh Kanhar and Gorekh Pradhan. Police had charged 11 people, all residents of Tambasuga village, for burning the houses of Ladada Kanhar and his two sons in the same village in August of last year. The court acquitted five of them for lack of evidence.

The government has set up two fast-track courts at Phulbani, Kandhamal district to bring justice to the victims of violence. A total of 831 cases of violence have reportedly been filed.

"The police have dropped around 300 First Investigation Reports out of the 800-odd cases due to various reasons like lack of evidence," Orissa High Court attorney Bibhu Dutta Das told Compass.

On June 30, Fast Track Court-II had convicted and sentenced Chakra Mallick of Gochhapada for his involvement in the violence. Mallick was sentenced to four years in prison and a fine of 4,000 rupees (US$82). At the same time, 15 others were acquitted due to lack of evidence.

In addition, Fast Track Court-I had sentenced five people - Bisra Kanhar, Durbasha Kanhar, Rabi Kanhar, Gupteswar Kanhar and Naresh Kanhar of Salaguda village - to six years of prison and a fine of 6,000 rupees (US$123) each.

With the conviction of the six people on Sept. 7, the total number of convictions for the violence increased to 12, while at least 42 others have been acquitted.

Police reportedly arrested 680 persons for their alleged involvement in the violence, and 10,000 people were named in 827 cases registered during the anti-Christian rampage last August. Charge sheets have been filed in 437 cases, with investigations underway in another 354 incidents including the rape of a nun, Director General of Police Manmohan Praharaj told media.

The two Fast Track courts are expected to deliver more verdicts soon. But attorney Das told Compass that the two judges assigned to the Fast Track courts are capable of taking on more cases than they have so far; he predicted they would see an increase soon.

"We will request the High Court to intervene in this situation so that police can speed up investigations," Das said.

Kandhamal District Collector Krishan Kumar said investigations had already concluded in two-thirds of all cases submitted to police, and that charge sheets had been filed.

"Ten to 12 people have already been convicted in the span of one year," he said. "This shows that the Orissa government is very serious about justice."

Fearful Witnesses
Attorney Das told Compass that the distance between the Phulbani court and the villages of witnesses is 70 to 80 kilometers (nearly 50 miles), and that they refuse to attend hearings because they have not been provided security.

"Only after a warrant is issued by the court to the witness do they appear before the court," he said, "for in that case the police usually accompany them to the court since it is a warrant."

District Collector Kumar told Compass that no witnesses had filed First Information Reports asking for police protection.

"If anybody asks for protection, it will be given to them," he said.

The state government has shut down the last of the relief camps for victims of the violence that began after the assassination of a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council or VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his disciples at his Jalespata ashram (religious hermitage) in Kandhamal district on Aug. 23, 2008.

The last two camps at Tiangia and Mandakia had housed some 700 refugees from the violence. The government had set up 14 relief camps in Kandhamal alone to accommodate the thousands of people who came in searching for shelter; the violence eventually spread to 14 of Orissa's 30 districts.

A relief camp in Tikabali in Kandhamal district was shut down on July 27, and when 35 families from there finally returned to their village of Bodimunda on Aug. 29, Hindu extremists attacked them at night. They damaged their tents, and fighting erupted as Christians tried to defend themselves.

"The superintendent of police of that area was informed, and the police intervened on time," District Collector Kumar told Compass. "There were no casualties, and no one was hurt."

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Sept. 11, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Mastermind of Church Bombing in Nepal Arrested
    * Mission Strategist: New Focus Should Be on 4/14 Window
    * U.S. Survey: Americans More Sympathetic to Islam
    * Sudanese Journalist Freed after Being Fined for Wearing Pants

Mastermind of Church Bombing in Nepal Arrested

Compass Direct News reports that Ram Prasad Mainali, head of the terrorist organization that bombed one of Nepal's oldest churches in May, has been arrested along with three accomplices. Mainali, 36, gained fame after the little-known underground organization he headed, the Nepal Defense Army, claimed responsibility for the May 23 bombing. Two women and a schoolgirl were killed and more than a dozen people were injured. Two weeks later, police arrested a 27-year-old woman who planted the bomb in the prayer hall of the Catholic Assumption Church, but the suspected mastermind remained elusive. Police arrested Mainali on Saturday (Sept. 5) in Biratnagar. Christians fear Mainali and his accomplices could be released soon, either because of legal loopholes or due to the culture of impunity pervading Nepal.

Mission Strategist: New Focus Should Be on 4/14 Window

Christian Today reports that Christian mission strategist who coined the term the "10/40 Window" is encouraging mission groups to shift their focus to the "4/14 Window." Luis Bush, international facilitator of Transform World Connections, says the new term does not refer to a geographical location of the world as the first term did. Instead, it describes a demographic frame - children and teens between the ages of four and 14. "There is a recognition that we are losing the children of the world spiritually," Bush told The Christian Post on Tuesday, the last day of the Transform World Conference on the 4/14 Window in New York. "So this becomes a very critical moment to aim lower at the 4 to 14 [age] as the beginning place and come back to there with significant concentration."

U.S. Survey: Americans More Sympathetic to Islam

USA Today reports that Americans today are less likely than they were in 2007 to believe that Islam is a violent religion, as knowledge of Islam continues to rise in America. A new study by the Pew Research Center also shows that Americans believe Muslims face more discrimination than any other group except the gay population. "To say that Muslims are discriminated against ... it's not the same thing as expressing an unfavorable view of Muslims. In fact it's just the opposite," said Greg Smith, the report's senior researcher. "People who are most sympathetic to a group are more likely to see that group as being discriminated against." In 2007, 45 percent of Americans believe that Islam was more likely to encourage violence than other religions. That percentage fell to 38 percent this year.

Sudanese Journalist Freed after Being Fined for Wearing Pants

Religion News Service reports that Sudanese journalist Lubna Hussein is free again after serving just one night of a 30-day sentence for wearing pants in public. Hussein, 43, walked out of a Khartoum prison Tuesday (Sept. 8 ) was sentenced after she refused to pay $200 fine imposed by an Islamic court for violating government decency laws. A journalists' union paid the fine. Hussein and 12 other women were arrested by Sudan's public order police in July for wearing trousers at a Khartoum reception hall. Most of the women accepted the punishment of 10 lashes and a $100 fine. But Hussein said the government statutes, derived from Islamic law, were in fact un-Islamic, and vowed to fight the charges. The case caused international outrage and sparked demonstrations in Khartoum, where protesters supporting Hussein clashed with police.

[nChrist]

'Pilots for Christ' Lift Patients on a Wing and a Prayer
Roy Hoffman


September 14, 2009

DAPHNE, Ala. (RNS) -- On one of his healthiest days since being diagnosed in June 2008 with Stage 4 neuroblastoma, 9-year-old Tyler Trembley raced joyfully across a playground, his mother looking on.

After heavy bouts of chemotherapy and surgery to remove a tumor wrapped around his kidney -- involving thousands of miles of air travel to specialty hospitals -- the third-grader is getting better.

"I'm witness to how awe-inspiring this life is," said his mother, Sherry Trembley, who praised the help of Pilots for Christ, an aviation ministry, and others including Angel Flight, which also aids those with medical needs by providing free flights for medical care.

"Every day," she said with gratitude, "my heart flutters."

A single mom to Tyler and his twin sister, Hannah, Trembley admits she was overwhelmed last summer, and soon exhausted, trying to get Tyler to Children's Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., and then to Sloane-Kettering Memorial Clinic in New York.

"I don't know how I found out about Pilots for Christ," she said, shaking her head. "God has placed people in my path who I've needed," she said.

Tyler was too sick to be driven by car or flown commercially, and chartering a plane was too cost-prohibitive. The Trembleys found themselves being borne aloft by pilot Tommy Lee, at no charge, in Lee's Piper Cheyenne turbo-prop.

Lee, who owns a car dealership, helped found the local chapter of the national Pilots for Christ in 1994. Inside the hangar where he keeps his plane hangs a banner: "Whoever is kind to the needy honors God. Proverbs 14:31"

"Our service is our ministry," said Lee, 55, who got his pilot's license at age 18 and did additional training in the Army -- preparation, he now realizes, for his call to this mission of the air.

This local chapter of Pilots for Christ takes patients to medical destinations within a 350-mile radius, the most frequent being M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and St. Jude Hospital in Memphis for children.

The organization has no nurses, and is not an air ambulance, Lee said. "We can't take anybody who needs medical assistance en route."

Prospective patients for transport need to apply, and have a doctor's approval. The cost to charter a comparable private flight to Houston, Lee said, would probably be between $4,000 and $5,000.

Pilots for Christ depends on volunteer time given by pilots and the use of their planes, and from donations that pay for fuel and mission support, which can include anything from costs for ground transportation to lodging for patients. There are other volunteers who sometimes ride along to assist families and help soothe jangled nerves.

He hopes the ministry will one day be able to buy its own plane, a cost that he estimated could be as high as $1 million.

"I could not have done it without the help of Pilots for Christ," said Trembley, who credits those first flights for Tyler -- beginning with a prayer circle led by the pilot -- as essential to strengthening her emotionally.

Recently, Bob Eubanks, a retired orthopedic surgeon who's also a member of Pilots for Christ, flew the Trembleys to Atlanta, where they connected with an Angel Flight that carried them on to Sloane-Kettering.

"Each of these trips," said Eubanks, who extolled the beauty of flying through the skies on these missions, "are bathed in prayer."

Eubanks said that air traffic controllers will pay heed to what he called "mercy flights" or "compassion flights," often giving direct routes for landing.

He added: "(M)any times (someone) in air traffic control... says, 'Thank you for what you do."'

The stories are legion.

Mike Floyd, 62, a retired special education teacher, came down with cancer of the adrenal glands. He has been flown by Pilots for Christ numerous times to M. D. Anderson Cancer Clinic. "God has laid a mission on their hearts," said Floyd.

Jimmy Crenshaw, a 47-year-old mill worker, was diagnosed with a form of leukemia. He depended on Pilots for Christ for flights that involved trips to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, as well as to M.D. Anderson.

"I was desperately sick," said Crenshaw, who still deals every night with excruciating pain in his bones.

Hazel Gentry, 85, needed help in a different way. Her sister-in-law had an advanced stage of Alzheimer' disease, and Gentry wanted to move her back from Jacksonville, Fla., to be near family. Lee and other volunteers, using a stretcher, were able to make that happen.

Nine-year-old Tyler had a wish of a different sort.

"I wished for a rainbow," said the youngster, remembering his first flight with Lee on the way to medical treatment. "Then I looked out the window -- and there was a rainbow!"

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Sept. 14, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Authorities in Laos Jail, Threaten to Kill Christians
    * Many Women Targeted by Faith Leaders, Survey Says
    * Operation Mobilisation Sends Out 250 Missionaries
    * Adviser Has Low Expectations for White House Faith-Based Office


Authorities in Laos Jail, Threaten to Kill Christians

Compass Direct News reports that authorities in Laos last week jailed a church leader for embracing Christianity. The leaders in Liansai village, Savannakhet Province also threatened to expel him unless he renounces his faith - and kill him if his arrest is made public, according to a human rights organization. Local officials on Sept. 3 arrested Thao Oun, an elder at Boukham Church. The chief of police of Saybouthong sub-district, Thao Somphet, charged him with bringing destruction to the Lao nation and government. He also told Oun that his harsh treatment would end "only after the death of all believers in Boukham Church" for believing in a "foreign religion." Lao officials have also denied schooling to 10 children of Christians and cut off access to water at village wells.

Many Women Targeted by Faith Leaders, Survey Says

Washington Post reports that a new survey reveals new numbers about the frequency of sexual misconduct among religious leaders. One in every 33 women who regularly attend worship services has been targeted by a religious leader with sexual advances, according to the survey. "It certainly is prevalent, and clearly the problem is more than simply a few charismatic leaders preying on vulnerable followers," said Diana Garland, dean of Baylor's School of Social Work, who co-authored the study. Denominations have updated policies regarding sexual relations between adult congregants and clergy members in recent years, and a growing number of denominations have taken action against such misconduct. Many churches now offer prevention training and perform background checks on those in ministry positions.

Operation Mobilisation Sends Out 250 Missionaries

ASSIST News Service reports that more than 250 participants were sent into the mission field after Operation Mobilisation's (OM) Global Orientation conference at the end of August. The group represented nations from around the world. Among the 250 at the GO conference were 35 Christians from the UK, heading to join OM's outreach teams in locations as diverse as East Europe, Central Asia and the Near East. The group also included a family preparing to serve in France. Several of those from the UK had heard about OM through the recent visit of Logos Hope to ports in Britain and Northern Ireland and after the conference were flying out to the Caribbean to join the ship. Founded by George Verwer over 50 years ago, presently there are 5,400 OM workers serving in 110 countries and on board two ocean-going vessels.

Adviser Has Low Expectations for White House Faith-Based Office

Religion News Service reports that former Southern Baptist Convention President Frank Page said he doesn't expect much to result from White House's Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships  advisers work. "I believe that the policy recommendations that will come forth will be relatively innocuous, good, helpful," said Page, a member of the panel, on Thursday (Sept. 10) at the annual meeting of the Religion Newswriters Association. He expects results to be not much more than "low-hanging fruit." "There will be good things, but nothing of great substance." While Page has publicly disagreed with Obama on some issues, notably abortion, he nonetheless praised the president for his "responsible fatherhood" and poverty initiatives, as well as his commitment not to fund abortion under his proposed health care reforms.

[nChrist]

Texas Church Marks 10 Years of Healing after Deadly Shooting
Katherine Britton


September 15, 2009

In the 10 years since a gunman chose Wedgewood Baptist Church for his deadly rampage, the congregation has learned a lot about healing. But reminders of that day remain.

"God has been faithful and he's brought us through," Pastor Al Meredith told the morning congregation this past Sunday, according to The Associated Press. The church marked the Sept. 15, 1999, shooting with special service. "What makes us triumph is the grace he gives over us."

Seven people - four of them teenagers - were killed and five were injured during the rampage. No one really knows why 47-year-old Larry Ashworth walked into the Wednesday night prayer service in his mentally ill state and started shooting.

About 170 people were present for a See You at the Pole event, and many were from area churches. Ashworth turned the gun on himself after a 19-year-old stood up and said, "Sir, I know what you need. You need Jesus Christ in your life."

Today, a piece of shrapnel from the pipe bomb Ashworth set off is still embedded in the church ceiling. A bullet hole remains unpatched in church door.

Several of the victims' families came to the church's memorial service Sunday, when the congregation placed small, white "Ebenezer" stones in memory of the lives lost. A small, granite memorial also stands in permanent memory of Kristi Beckel, Joseph Ennis and Cassie Griffin, all 14; Justin Ray, 17; Kim Jones and Shawn Brown, both 23-year-old seminary students; and children's choir director Sydney Browning, 36.

Other victims like Justin Laird, 26, and Jeff Laster, 44, say they don't resent what happened to them.

"Right after it happened, I turned to the book of Job and thought that God allowed it to happen," Laster told The Associated Press. He met Ashworth at the church door, and was the first person to be shot. "We live in an imperfect world, but I know that God's in control."

Meredith has shared that message in dozens of interviews and services since the shooting. He recently spoke at the funeral for Fred Winters, a fellow pastor gunned down in his pulpit at First Baptist Church in Maryville, Ill.

"Our services have always been positive and always been upbeat, but there is a place for 'It Is Well with My Soul.' And so the music is true, it's not phony," Meredith told Baptist Press. "We don't sing 'Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before' because that's not true. Even Jesus said, 'Stand against the evil days.' Some days are more evil than others. Jesus did promise us this - this is one of the promises we don't think is too precious: 'As long as you are in the world, you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.'"

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Sept. 15, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Concerns Rise as New Pakistan Church Attacked
    * During Ramadan, Egypt Arrests 155 Christians, Minorities
    * Columbian Pastor Assassinated by Presumed Paramilitaries
    * Police Slow to Investigate Burned Church in Egypt


Concerns Rise as New Pakistan Church Attacked

About 100 Muslims attacked a Pakistani church on Friday in the latest "vigilante attacks" against Christians in the country, Agence France-Presse reports. "They set fire to prayer mats and some religious books but the timely arrival of police prevented the situation from taking an ugly turn," local police official Rafaqat Ali told AFP. "The church suffered no major damage." The attack was allegedly a response to a young Christian's desecration of the Koran. Pakistan's Minority Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti said the government will rebuild the church, and that police have dealt with the young man in question. "No one from minorities can even think of desecration of the holy Koran," he said. "Some people want to destabilize the country by doing such things, but the government will not allow anyone to play with the lives and properties of the minorities."

During Ramadan, Egypt Arrests 155 Christians, Minorities

Baptist Press reports that authorities in southern Egypt have arrested 155 Christians and other non-Muslims for publicly eating and drinking during Islam's holy month of Ramadan. A Christian organization in the country warned the enforcement of Islamic law on non-Muslims would "create another Taliban in Egypt." The arrests, which occurred in the states of Aswan and Dakahlia and the resort city of Hurghada, were made to maintain order and decrease crime during the holy month, an unnamed government official told the Los Angeles Times. Human rights organizations were quick to react, calling the arrests both illegal and unconstitutional. "Every citizen has the right to eat and drink in Ramadan without being harassed," said Gamal Eid of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information. "This means that the government is implicitly endorsing turning Egypt into a religious state."

Columbian Pastor Assassinated by Presumed Paramilitaries

A Columbian pastor was assassinated in his home last Sunday by three masked gunmen, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Forty-one year old Rafael Velasquez, pastor of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Marañonal, died instantly. The attack took place on the evening of September 6, after a church service in a Montelibano hamlet. The armed and masked men broke into Pastor Velasquez's home and shot him dead in front of his wife and six young members of his church. Paramilitary groups vying for power in the region are thought to be responsible for the pastor's murder. At least fifteen pastors in Córdoba have come under threat over the last six months. A number have been forcibly displaced as a result of the threats against them and their families. The situation in Córdobais part of a larger pattern of severe violations of religious liberty in Colombia.

Police Slow to Investigate Burned Church in Egypt

ASSIST News Service reports that a Coptic Church northwest of Cairo, Egypt, was burnt on Tuesday, September 8. No one was injured, but area Christians feel that police are turning a blind eye. There were conflicting reports as to the cause of the fire, the Egyptian police told the media that it was caused by a "short circuit" even before carrying out an arson investigation, while others believe it was arson. Church authorities, however, have declined to comment on the situation until the police finish their investigation. The fire began mid-afternoon, after people had left morning services. Bystanders outside the church who saw the blaze inside discovered that the church doors' were locked, preventing them from containing the blaze. "Only the Holy Alter remained miraculously unharmed, but all the Saints' relics, icons and pictures were reduced to charcoal," commented a church worker.