RELIGION TODAY

[nChrist]

Somali Extremists' Toll Reaches 13 Christians
Baptist Press Staff


November 18, 2009

WASHINGTON (BP) -- A 13th Christian leader in Somalia has been killed by Islamic extremists, according to the Washington-based human rights organization International Christian Concern.

As reported by ICC in a Nov. 16 news release, Ali Hussein Weheliye, pastor of an underground church in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, was returning home from a worship service Oct. 10 when he was ambushed and shot by two masked men that ICC described as members of al-Shabab, an insurgent Muslim group that has risen to prominence in recent months.

"The Islamists left the pastor for dead," ICC reported, recounting that Weheliye was taken to a hospital where he died of his wounds on Oct. 20.

"Ali converted from Islam to Christianity in 1999 while working in Somalia's capital as a linguist. In 2002, he started pastoring an underground house church," ICC stated.

"He is survived by his wife and a daughter who are now in hiding fearing for their lives."

Al-Shabab, a rebel group linked to al-Qaida that has taken over large parts of Somalia, has "declared Somalia as an Islamic state, vowing to eradicate Christians," ICC stated, listing Weheliye as the 13th Christian leader killed so far this year. A number of Christian workers have been beheaded and a number of Christians have fled the country due to the intense persecution.

"Despite the killings by al-Shabab, the Somali church is growing rapidly," ICC noted.

"The underground church in Somalia is enduring untold suffering," said Jonathan Racho, ICC's regional manager for Africa and south Asia. "Al-Shabab and other Islamic extremist groups are hunting down and killing Christians. By killing Christians, the Islamic extremists have repeatedly demonstrated utter disregard to human life and freedom of religion."

ICC urged Christians to "pray for God to comfort and strengthen Pastor Ali's wife and daughter. Please pray for courage and wisdom to underground churches in Somalia."

Somalia's Christians comprise less than 1 percent of the African nation's 9.8 million people.

Earlier this year, the Associated Press noted, "Punishments such as stoning, amputations and beheadings are historically rare in Somalia, which traditionally practices moderate Sufi Islam," reflected by the nation's president, Sheik Sharif Ahmed, a former religious teacher who rose to popularity in Somalia by helping rescue kidnapped children.

"But a more extremist form of jihadi Salafist Islam with its roots in Saudi Arabia has taken root during the chaotic warfare of recent years, strengthened by a recent influx of hundreds of foreign fighters," AP noted.]

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Two Iranian Christians Released from Evin Prison
Compass Direct News


November 19, 2009

ISTANBUL (CDN) -- Two Christian Iranian women, Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad, 30, were released from prison yesterday afternoon with no bail amid an international campaign calling for their freedom since their arrest on March 5.

The two women, whose health deteriorated while in detention at the notorious Evin prison in Tehran, are at their homes recovering from their nine-month ordeal, an Iranian source told Compass. They still could face charges of proselytizing and "apostasy," or leaving Islam.

The women were released at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"Words are not enough to express our gratitude to the Lord and to His people who have prayed and worked for our release," the two women said in a statement from United Kingdom-based Elam Ministries.

The women's lawyer had been working to secure their release, and although they were expected to be released yesterday, he was not able to do so because of the high bail the court was demanding. The Compass source said that it was too soon to determine how the lawyer was able to secure their release without bail today, a rarity for Christians released from prison in Iran.

The source credited their release to international lobbying and pressure on the Iranian government.

"It was from the international pressure, and also the government couldn't handle it anymore," said the source. "Already their detention was illegal. At the same time, the government wasn't ready to prosecute them for apostasy. They already have many headaches. They cannot handle everything."

The source said he suspected the two women will be very closely watched and would not have full freedom of movement, limiting their contact with others.

"It is too soon to give all the details," he said. "It is not just about them. When people get out of jail we need time to get information ... it is very difficult."

Rostampour and Esmaeilabad were arrested in March and detained on charges of "acting against state security," "taking part in illegal gatherings" and apostasy under Iran's Revolutionary Court system.

On Aug. 9 the women appeared before a judge who pressured them to recant their faith and return to Islam or spend more time in prison. The two women refused. Last month, on Oct. 7, they were acquitted of the charge of "anti-state activities," and their case was transferred to the General Court.

The charges of proselytizing and apostasy remain against them but are not handled by the Revolutionary Court. While proselytizing and apostasy are not crimes specified in the current Penal Code, judges are required to use their knowledge of Islamic law in cases where no codified law exists.

With a draft penal code that may include an article mandating death for apostates in accordance to sharia (Islamic law) still under parliamentary review, experts on Iran fear things may get worse for the country's converts from Islam.

Elam reported that the women were "doing as well as could be expected, and are rejoicing in the Lord's faithfulness to them." The women reportedly lost a lot of weight during their imprisonment. Esmaeilabad suffered from back pain, an infected tooth and intense headaches, and Rostampour got severe food poisoning last month.

Elam requested continued prayers as the women may still be called to court hearings. The Iranian source said that all Christians released from prison in the last year have pending court cases against them, but almost none of them have been given court dates.

"Maryam and Marzieh have greatly inspired us all," Director of Elam Ministries Sam Yeghnazar said today in a press statement. "Their love for the Lord Jesus and their faithfulness to God has been an amazing testimony."

A member of Open Doors, one of many ministries that mobilized prayer support for the two women internationally, expressed gratitude for the two women's release but cautioned that continued prayers were necessary until they were completely out of danger.

"Open Doors is so thankful for the release of these two women, and we praise God that they are safely home now," said an Open Doors field worker who requested anonymity. "But we continue to pray for them, for physical and mental health. Open Doors also thanks the worldwide Christian family for their prayers for them, but we urge our brothers and sisters to not stop praying. They still have a path to go."

Compass has also learned that on Oct. 13 the leader of a large network of churches in the northern city of Rasht was arrested and is still in prison. Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani has had contact with his family and has been pressured to recant his faith and return to Islam, according to an Iranian Christian who requested anonymity. Nadarkhani is married and has two children under the age of 10.

Another source confirmed that while six of the 24 Christians who were arrested in a police raid on July 31 in the area of Fashan north of Tehran have been released, one identified as Shaheen remains in prison unable to pay bail for his release.

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Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Interrogated for Trying to Meet Obama
Dan Wooding


November 20, 2009

BEIJING, CHINA (ANS) -- Nearly 200 Public Security officials seized two Chinese human rights lawyers outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on Wednesday. The two men had been trying to establish a meeting with U.S. President Obama before the end of his visit to China.

Five human rights lawyers in total contacted the U.S. Embassy on Wednesday morning, but were unable to set up a meeting, due to the President's busy and preset schedule.

A ChinaAid spokesperson said, "The lawyers were determined to answer the invitation generally made by U.S. officials (as reported by the media), indicating President Obama would be interested and willing to meet with fellow human rights lawyers while in Beijing. Shortly after receiving a call from the U.S. Embassy announcing they would not be able to meet, the state police guard seized the two lawyers and interrogated them in the neighboring hotel for over an hour."

The lawyers were strictly warned and informed, "You are not allowed to meet with President Obama. We will hold you until he leaves Beijing." The police then escorted the two lawyers to their homes, where they were to be held under constant surveillance by police guards until Obama left this afternoon.

"Two of the five lawyers outside the embassy were among six Chinese legal defenders who recently returned to China after visiting the United States to raise awareness of the unjust treatment of human rights lawyers," continued the ChinaAid spokesperson. "During their visit, they spoke with members of Congress and the Department of State, testified in a hearing before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (10/29), and presented a panel discussion with law students at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA.

"The legal defenders' testimonies, along with the awareness efforts of other human rights groups and fact-finding reports in the U.S., seem to have made a combined impact on Congress--as thirty U.S. Representatives signed a bipartisan letter to President Obama on November 10th, calling for him to speak out on human rights and religious freedom while in China. The first issue addressed in the list of recommended items was the treatment of human rights lawyers.

ChinaAid stated that the six Chinese legal defenders returned home this week to find their families had been placed under close surveillance by local PSB; many chose not to return home for the duration of President Obama's visit for the safety of their families.

Congressman Frank Wolf personally expressed concern for the safety of the six legal defenders when they returned to China, after testifying in the hearing on October 29.

"Other human rights groups reported similar incidents of house arrest and detention by Chinese officials during President Obama's visit. Earlier today, November 18, the China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group reported Li Xiongbing was held under house arrest for the duration of the visit, and attorneys Li Fangping and Li Heping were held under close surveillance for more than three days. Li Fanping was only allowed to leave his home in a PSB car, so police could monitor him constantly," said the ChinaAid spokesperson.

All three were informed the precautions were taken "because of Obama's visit."

The ChinaAid spokesperson added, "President Obama's brief remarks on 'expression of worship' on Sunday, and his inaccessibility to the Chinese people throughout his stay was a disappointment for many who had high hopes the President would set a stronger precedent on human rights while there.

"While in the U.S., the six Chinese legal defenders repeatedly appealed to leaders to encourage President Obama to meet with his fellow lawyers in China, and for U.S. Embassy officials in Beijing to meet with human rights lawyers on a more frequent and regular basis."

After today's events, a US Embassy officer informed ChinaAid President Bob Fu that he regretted the President's inability to meet earlier this morning, and expressed the Embassy's desire to invite the lawyers to a meeting in the near future.

Despite the negative implications of Chinese state police and media stifling the voice of human rights defenders, ChinaAid President Bob Fu is hopeful.

He stated, "By bluntly declining to meet with these attorneys who are willing to take this risk and waiting for the whole night for this meeting to happen, it sends a regrettably chilling signal... But we look forward to the U.S. Embassy keeping their word with future meetings."

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Lutheran Dissidents Say New Church Body in the Works
Daniel Burke


November 23, 2009

(RNS) -- In late September, Lutheran dissidents said they would hunker down for a year and study whether to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and create a new church body.

Less than two months later, on Wednesday (Nov. 19) Lutheran CORE (Coalition for Renewal) announced that indeed such a body "will likely be necessary."

"What happened was the idea of a discussion for a year became kind of scary for people who want to leave now," said the Rev. David Baer, a CORE spokesman and pastor of an ELCA church in Whitewood, S.D.

Baer said his own church will vote this weekend on whether to join CORE, which he estimates counts around 700 congregations as members.

CORE said no "firm decisions" have been made about how the new church body will be structured; recommendations will be released in February. "The working committee is just beginning their work," Baer said. "What we've done is paint a little picture of what a church body will look like."

Conservative Lutherans have been distressed since the ELCA's Churchwide Assembly voted in August to allow gays and lesbians in committed, same-sex relationships to be ordained as clergy. The assembly also voted to allow congregations to recognize and support such relationships.

"The vote on sexuality opened the eyes of many to how far the ELCA has moved from biblical teaching," the Rev. Paull Spring, CORE's chair, said in a statement Wednesday.

ELCA spokesman John Brooks said CORE's announcement was expected.

"We are staying focused on our clear priorities and clear mission. More than 10,000 congregations that want to be part of that mission."

Five congregations have taken the two votes necessary to leave the ELCA since the Churchwide Assembly, Brooks said. The ELCA has approximately 4.6 million members spread across 10,300 congregations.

Eighty-seven congregations have taken the first vote, and 28 of those did not attain the two-thirds majority required to leave the denomination, Brooks said.

"That two-thirds hurdle is a big hurdle for some congregations," Baer said.

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Christian Leaders Vow Resistance on Abortion, Gay Marriage
Adelle M. Banks


November 24, 2009

WASHINGTON (RNS) -- Facing what they consider "threats" from American culture, prominent Catholic, evangelical and Orthodox Christian leaders are vowing unspecified civil disobedience against abortion, same-sex marriage and limits on religious liberty.

"We are Christians who have joined together across historic lines of ecclesial differences to affirm our right -- and more importantly, to embrace our obligation -- to speak and act in defense of these truths," reads the seven-page "Manhattan Declaration."

"We pledge to each other, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence."

More than a dozen Christian leaders -- including Catholic bishops, an Orthodox priest, and officials of evangelical organizations -- endorsed the document at the National Press Club. Organizers on Friday (Nov. 20) claimed about 150 initial signatories.

Archbishop Justin Rigali of Philadelphia cited increasing numbers of troubling incidents that he said sparked the new concerted approach, including doctors expected to refer or perform abortions despite their own objections, acceptance of embryonic stem cell research and assisted suicide, and the risk of marriage being "redefined in its very essence."

"If someone asks, `Why now? What is the urgency of a declaration of conscience by Eastern Orthodox, Protestant and Catholic leaders?', we say we must speak now because justice, which is love in action, demands that we not remain silent in the face of these threats," Rigali said.

Supporters said possible civil disobedience would be up to individuals, but could include closing facilities or paying fines.

Princeton University professor Robert George, a drafter of the document, said people need to be "prepared to make sacrifices," just as the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. did when he faced jail during the civil rights movement.

The declaration specifically states initiatives to recognize same-sex marriage are not the "cause" of damage to the institution of marriage, which has been eroded by divorce and infidelity.

"What we don't want to do is lock in any understanding of marriage that will become itself an impediment to us rebuilding the marriage culture," said George, a Catholic layman and prominent ethicist.

Ronald Sider, director of the traditionally progressive group Evangelicals for Social Action and a signatory, said he viewed the document as "not partisan" but an embracing of Christian values.

"This is not a political ploy," Sider said.

Several supporters said their concerns existed before President Obama took office last January, but the administration's support for expanding embryonic stem cell research only enhances their need to speak up.

Critics, including the group Americans United for Separation of Church and State, questioned whether the motives of the declaration's supporters were ultimately political.

"I am optimistic that the people in the pews will not heed their leaders' misguided call to action," said the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United. "Polls show that most churchgoers do not want to see their faith politicized. But I am well aware that religious leaders have vast lobbying power that cannot be ignored."

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Violence Ongoing in Egypt as Christians Plead for Help
Jeremy Reynalds


November 25, 2009

FARSHOOT, EGYPT (ANS) -- Since the early morning of November 21, the Upper Egyptian town of Farshoot has been the scene of ongoing Muslim mob violence against Coptic Christian residents. The violence has also extended to a number of neighboring villages.

According to the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA), the mob ramsacked and burnt Coptic property, while Copts hid indoors fearing to go outside. Reuters Cairo reported a witness said, "Chaos is overwhelming (in the city)."

The violence was prompted by reports of sexual abuse of a girl by 21 year-old Copt Guirgis Baroumi, from Kom Ahmar, on Nov. 18.

AINA said the 12-year-old Muslim girl has been identified as "Yousra." Baroumi is being detained by the police pending an ongoing investigations and forensic results. Many Copts believe that the rape incident is being used by Muslims as a pretext to start violence against them.

The violence is continuing. There are reports that seven Coptic women have been abducted.

Witnesses said nearly 3000 angry Muslims gathered in front of the Farshoot Police Headquarters. They were there, AINA reported, planning to kidnap and kill Baroumi while he was being transported to court.

Bishop Kirollos said it was agreed with Yousra's family to await the court decision, "but they did not wait for that."

AINA said Coptic priest Rev. Benjamin Noshi was driving his car when the mob stopped and assaulted him, fracturing his skull. He is currently in hospital.

By the evening, AINA reported, most Coptic businesses were looted and burnt. "They are destroying the Coptic economy in these areas," said Wagih Yacoub of Middle East Christian Association.

A witness said that some Coptic families were thrown out of their homes, which were occupied by Muslims.

AINA said although security forces were deployed, they are not taking any action to stop the violence. They are stationed to protect the Farshoot police headquarters after the angry mob pelted it with stones before going in and attacking the officers. Chief Investigating Officer Essam Hany was injured along with others.

AINA reported witnesses said that police watched the mob but made no arrests. As a result, when they dispersed them from one street, they just reappeared in the next.

AINA said in an interview with Free Copts, Bishop Kirollos said the attacks were definitely premeditated. Participants included students from Al-Azhar Institute in Farshoot.

Kirollos also pointed out, AINA said, the failing role of the security forces, which disappeared unexplainedly. That despite several demands by the church to put an end to the violations against Christians and their property.

AINA said Kirollos also commented that even if the story of the assault on the Muslim teenager was true, this was an isolated incident. It did not justify the call for an attack on masses of peaceful Christians, who denounced the assault.

He asked, "So why the barbaric attacks by the mobs? And why have the security forces not stopped them?"

AINA said talking to Coptic News Bulletin, the Bishop said that after being informed of the accusations of the rape on Wednesday, he has taken the frightened Copts from the villages of Kom Ahmar and Shedid to safety. "However, Coptic-owned businesses, pharmacies and cars in Farshoot and Ezbet Waziri are completely destroyed," he said.

Rev. Elisha, Pastor of St. Michael's Church in Farshoot described Saturday's violence as "similar to the Tartar Wars. They burnt down shops, pharmacies, broke down doors of homes and terrorized the inhabitants."

Commenting on the alleged rape incident, he said that it is doubtful, besides prosecution did not allow anyone to meet with the accused Copt. "The Farshoot investigating officer told me that the Muslim girl was only sure that her attacker wore a black jacket -- nothing more."

AINA reported one witness said, "We have never been so frightened and humiliated as Christians in all our lives. The mob made wooden crosses and burnt them in the street. Our religion and our Lord were openly insulted."

According to AINA, as no one is going outside, none of the Coptic inhabitants contacted were able to confirm if there were any losses in human lives, or the number of injured.

AINA said Kirollos held an urgent meeting with all Coptic priests in the region, in view of the gravity of the situation. He gave instructions that no Sunday church services would be held on Nov. 22, fearing for the safety of the Christian congregations.

One witness said, "If the international human rights organizations around the world keep quiet about what is happening to the Copts in Egypt, then they are of no use. They just use slogans; nothing more."

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Uncovering Truth in Ethiopia
Baptist Press Staff


November 26, 2009

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- At first glance it doesn't look like a cross. Diamond-shaped with a handle, it is obscured beneath decoration and ornate carvings.

Religious leaders carry these crosses as they guide more than 42 million Ethiopians each week in praying, singing and memorizing Scripture. This may not sound that different from many churches in the United States.

But look closer.

Behind the rituals is a religion built on the worship of saints, angels and even demons. Most Ethiopians consider themselves Christians because their religion includes biblical teachings and an understanding of Jesus, except that He is but one of many gods in their mixture of religions. They believe more than a dozen paths lead to heaven.

Their religion is similar to the diamond-shaped cross, says Ed*, an International Mission Board worker who has shared the Gospel among these Ethiopian people for more than a decade.

"They've added so much decoration and embellishment to [their religion] that the cross is no longer visible," he says.

Haffa*, a local believer, knows how buried the Gospel can become.

He formerly was a holy man who practiced white and black magic to heal and curse. He gave out amulets to ward off evil spirits. He also studied Scripture and prayed to Jesus.

One day a man told Haffa that Christ is the only way to heaven. Haffa learned that his efforts to appease a variety of gods were in vain. He spoke with the man several times before deciding to put his trust solely in Christ. Then he set fire to his books of magic.

With a population of more than 82 million, Ethiopia is less than 1 percent evangelical.

Most people do not understand the rituals and prayers they participate in, says Gabriel*, another local believer. They worship, sing and hear sermons delivered in an ancient language they do not understand. More than 90 percent are illiterate, enabling some religious leaders to manipulate the Gospel. For many Ethiopians, their religious beliefs are simply cultural.

"Having culture is good, but if it's without God, it is pointless," Gabriel says.

But today many Ethiopians are becoming more receptive to God's truth -- with limitations.

Ed and his wife Renee* have found that most of their people group are open to talking about spiritual matters. They are resistant, however, to outside influences that attempt to pull them away from their own beliefs.

Renee remembers a man years ago asking her why she and her husband had come to the country. She told him she was there to tell others about Jesus.

"If they think you are there to change their religion, they'll shut down on you in a heartbeat," Renee said. "[They think,] 'Why in the world would some foreigner think they could come to Ethiopia to teach anybody about Jesus?'"

These days Renee and Ed apply a careful approach they call "alongside evangelism."

"We say, 'Oh, you're a Christian, too?'" she says. "'How do you express your faith?'"

In time, the couple share more and more about Jesus Christ and how He has impacted their lives.

"We just continually point to the cross," Ed says.

Eventually, lives are transformed.

"You'll have them come to you with a list of all the names of their family members, and they'll say ... 'I want you praying about these people,'" Renee says.

Turning from the ways of their old religion, however, often leads to persecution.

"Suppose you get hurt, and it's harvest time, and your family members -- the people in your community -- have isolated you and labeled you a heretic?

"What are you going to do?" Renee asks. "That means your kids starve. There are real life-and-death situations that people have to decide about."

Despite pressures not to believe, the truth through the story of Jesus is right in front of their eyes, Renee says.

"The story is from one of their own holy books -- the Bible."

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Islamic Extremists Execute Young Convert in Somalia
Compass Direct News


November 27, 2009

NAIROBI, Kenya (CDN) — Islamic extremists controlling part of the Somali capital of Mogadishu this month executed a young Christian they accused of trying to convert a 15-year-old Muslim to Christianity.

Members of the Islamic extremist group al Shabaab had taken 23-year-old Mumin Abdikarim Yusuf into custody on Oct. 28 after the 15-year-old boy reported him to the militants, an area source told Compass. Yusuf's body was found on Nov. 14 on an empty residential street in Mogadishu, with sources saying the convert from Islam was shot to death, probably some hours before dawn.

"Our brother Yusuf has been murdered," the source told Compass. "His body was dumped in Yaqshid district of Mogadishu, and his body is said to be on an empty residential street."

Al Shabaab, said to have links with al Qaeda terrorists, controls parts of Mogadishu and much of southern parts of Somalia, as well as other areas of the nation.

Their accusations against Yusuf had led the extremist group to raid Yusuf's home in Holwadag district, Mogadishu, sources said. After searching his home, militia didn't find anything relating to Christianity but still took him into custody.

Before Yusuf was executed by two shots to the head, reports filtered in to the Compass source that he had been badly beaten and his fingers broken as the Islamists tried to extract incriminating evidence against him and information about other Christians. The source later learned that Yusuf's body showed signs of torture; all of his front teeth were gone, and some of his fingers were broken, he said.

"We don't know the time he was murdered, but his freshly killed body was dumped in Yaqshid district at around 4:30 in the morning of Nov. 14, and due to the will of the family we have buried the body at around 3 p.m. on Nov. 14," the source said.

The clandestine Christians could not safely identify themselves to Yusuf's Muslim family, but they were able to indirectly assist the parents in burying him with dignity, the source said.

It is not known whether under torture Yusuf revealed information about area members of the hidden church, but underground church leaders have been relocating local Christians who knew him, the source said.

"We still don't know if the Shabaab did find any new evidence from Yusuf," he said.


Yusuf's Muslim parents did not know that their son was a Christian, and they had insisted to the al Shabaab militants that he was still a Muslim, the source said. The extremists accused the family of not reporting that their son had converted to Christianity, and they ordered his mother and father to appear before an al Shabaab court.

Although the Compass source could not confirm whether the parents heeded the command, he said they most likely did as it is not uncommon for the militants to behead those who defy their orders.

"I cannot confirm if they appeared before the Islamist court, but that is highly possible," he said. "Who can dare defy them?"

The extremists have demonstrated they have no qualms about killing those they perceive to be sympathetic to any "foreign" religion, the source said. He added that the Islamic extremists did not execute Yusuf quickly only because they had no evidence against him except the testimony of the teenage boy.

"In Islam, to execute someone you need to have evidence of three witnesses, and they didn't have it," he said. "Al Shabaab is known to do whatever they like, and they don't even follow the rules of their religion they claim adherence to."

The discovery of Yusuf's body brought an end to a strenuous attempt by his family to secure his release, but they are now living in fear since al Shabaab has accused them of concealing their son's new faith.

The source said Yusuf's death was typical of the Islamic extremist group, which often pumps bullets into their victims before dumping their bodies in public places to serve as a warning to those who dare to resist its orders.

Since the ouster of dictator Siad Barre in 1991, Somalia has been without a strong central government and has been at the mercy of vicious clan-based militants. Some, such as al Shabaab, are seeking to establish a strict version of sharia (Islamic law) as they fight to oust the Transitional Federal Government of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed that is backed by the Africa Union and Western nations.

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Chinese Christian Leaders Jailed for Trying to Stop Church Demolition
Brian Sharma


November 30, 2009

SHANXI, CHINA (ANS) -- Several Chinese House Church leaders have been given severe prison sentences following criminal charges of "illegally occupying farming land" and "disturbing transportation order by gathering masses."

According to ChinaAid, the trial of Linfen house church leaders in Shanxi province was held from 9:00 AM to about 10:00 PM on November 25 (Beijing time), lasting over 12 hours. The verdicts were announced immediately following the trial.

Pastors Yang Rongli, Wang Xiaoguang, Yang Xuan, Cui Jiaxing, and Zhang Huamei have been been held in detention since their unwarranted arrests on Friday, September 25, 2009, when they attempted to travel to Beijing an lodge a formal complaint about the destruction of their church to the Central governing authorities. Their trial was held in the No. 12 Trial Room at People's Court of Raodu District, Linfen City, Shanxi province.

Sister Yang Rongli received 7 years severe sentence for both charges; Pastor Wang 3 years for the first charge, brother Yang Xuan, 3 and a half years, and Cui Jiaxing earned 4 and a half years for the first charge; Sister Zhang Huamei was found guilty of the second charge, and sentenced to 4 years in prison.

ChinaAid stated in a media release: "The Court's conduct throughout the trial clearly indicated the government had decided upon the verdict and prepared it in advance. There were only two 20-minute breaks for recess, and only four family members of the convicted prisoners were allowed to be present during the trial."

China Aid reported the government prosecutors showed over 1,000 pages of so-called "evidence materials" related to this case, but the defense lawyers were only allowed to review about 50 pages before the trial to prepare their defense.

ChinaAid said: "The six Christian rights defense lawyers, including renowned Attorneys Li Fangping (Simon) and Zhang Kai (Kevin), presented a very clear and satisfactory defense of the innocence of the five church leaders. Three of the accused church leaders were seen in excellent spirit with clear mind, when the lawyers' were presenting their case."

ChinaAid added: "Sister Yang Rongli and Pastor Wang Xiaoguang's son was able to briefly chat with his parents during one recess time near the bathroom outside the court room. Sister Yang and Pastor Wang encouraged their son to stand firm in his faith in Christ.

"Yang and Wang have led the Fushan church, part of the 50,000 members house church network in Linfen and the surrounding villages, for more than 30 years. The Fushan Church leaders unwarranted arrests, detentions, and severe sentences after the massive church destruction on September 13, marks one of the worst crackdowns on house church leaders in the past decade."

"To punish an innocent house church leader with 7 years imprisonment is the most serious sentence since 2004 when the senior Henan house church leader pastor Zhang Rongliang received a similar length, " said ChinaAid President Bob Fu.

"We strongly condemn these unjust sentences, which are based on trumped-up charges. This case clearly shows the serious deteriorating situation of religious persecution in China. We call upon the Obama administration and international community to speak up unequivocally in its concern about this case."

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Pakistani Christian on the Run, Disguised after Taliban Death Threat
Brian Sharma


December 1, 2009

LAHORE, Pakistan (CDN) — A young Christian man is in hiding in Pakistan from Taliban militants who seek to kill him for "blasphemy" because he defended his faith.

In February Jehanzaib Asher, 22, was working in a barbershop his family jointly owns with his cousin in Wana, South Waziristan - a Taliban stronghold in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in Pakistan's northwest - when the Islamic militants showed up to try to convert him to Islam.

It was not the first time the Taliban's Noor Hassan had delivered strident sermons to him and his relatives, and this time Asher decided not to listen silently. He defended Christianity by citing verses from the Bible, and Hassan and another Islamic militant viciously beat him - breaking his left leg and some ribs and leaving his left hand non-functional.

He told Compass that he only defended Christianity and did not comment on Islam.

"One can bear the death of one's father or mother, but can we keep listening to insults of our religion?" Asher said.

Nearby Muslims helped him and two cousins ward off the attack. Soon the Taliban militants began spreading the word to local residents that Asher and his cousin Christopher Masih had blasphemed Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.

Before the Pakistani military's recent offensive against the Taliban stronghold in South Waziristan, Asher said, his picture was posted at check-points in an attempt to help the Taliban and other Islamists identify and kill him.

Asher's cousin, Zaib Masih, managed to get Asher and Christopher Masih (Zaib Masih's brother) into a vehicle, and they fled the market area where their two barbershops are located. As barbers they were targeted for the Islamic sermonizing and attack due to the Taliban's opposition to shaving of beards, he said.

Zaib Masih told Compass that Christopher Masih was also injured in the attack, though not as seriously as Asher. They took Asher to a military hospital, safe from the Taliban. But when military doctors asked how Asher became so badly injured, they mentioned only a "family fight" so as not to draw the ire of any Muslim soldiers who might attack them for the blasphemy allegations.

For months Asher remained at home; even neighbors were unaware of the fact that he was still in Wana, Zaib Masih said.

"We live in the army compound, but we still feared that the Taliban might tip off some one in the compound, and we might be attacked on the allegations of blasphemy," he said.

He said that they had been born and brought up in Wana and knew many Taliban members, and with their help he approach a grand mufti to try to obtain a decree that Asher was innocent.

"I took along a lamb with me to present to the mufti in order to appease his anger, but he listened to no word and wanted to know Asher's whereabouts," Zaib Masih added.

Asher still walked with a limp, and the Taliban were determined to kill him, Zaib Masih said. His and Asher's families own a house in Sialkot, and Zaib Masih said he planned to sneak him there.

Asher said the grand mufti was not present when the Taliban initially sought to kill him, and that therefore no fatwa was issued ordering his death.

"If that had happened, then I would have been killed for sure," he said. "The Taliban were even killing the army personnel, so what capacity did we have to defend ourselves?"

Earlier this month, Asher told Compass, he disguised himself as a Muslim with a long beard and left Wana.

Initially he fled to Sialkot, Punjab Province. Soon he learned that in Wana news of his departure had spread, and that there was a rumor that three Taliban had been dispatched to Sialkot to hunt him down. Crestfallen, he fled to another, undisclosed city.

Asher told Compass that he had recovered from all injuries except for his knee, which remained swollen. He said he was receiving treatment for it at a hospital.

"Only God could have saved me from this calamity," he said. "Otherwise, no one could save me from their hands."

The cousins' barbershops in Wana have been closed after the encounter with the Taliban. Zaib Masih said that two relatives have government jobs as janitors, and the two families are surviving on their meager salaries.

Since the closing of their barbershops, Zaib Masih said, the families have living hand-to-mouth - barely able to have two meals a day.

South Waziristan is the headquarters of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Taliban umbrella group fighting the government, and is a hub of Arab and Uzbek Islamic militants. In mid-October the Pakistani Army launched an offensive after the Taliban managed to take the army's general headquarters in Rawalpindi.

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Nov. 16, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * Obama Asked to Press for Religious Rights in China
    * Iran: Worldwide Attention May Keep Two Converts Alive
    * Vatican Looks to Heavens for Signs of Alien Life
    * China: Expelled Student Invited Back to School



Obama Asked to Press for Religious Rights in China

Religion News Service reports that human rights groups have asked President Obama to press for religious freedom for Chinese people and Tibetans as he travels through Asia this week. "We urge you to raise critical issues of religious freedom and the rule of law with Chinese officials, seek meetings with prominent human rights defenders and repressed religious leaders, and make a strong public statement about the importance of human rights to the future of U.S.-China relations," wrote Leonard Leo, chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, in a Nov. 10 letter to Obama. The International Campaign on Tibet also wrote Obama, urging him to help coordinate a meeting between Tibetan leader Dalai Lama and Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Iran: Worldwide Attention May Keep Two Converts Alive

Mission News Network reports that two female converts held in Tehran's Evin prison may benefit from Iran's controversial nuclear program. The country's nuclear stance has earned international attention, and that attention may be keeping Maryam Rustampoor and Marzieh Amirizadeh alive. The women, who converted from Islam, were jailed in March and have repeatedly been told to recant. Carl Moeller with Open Doors says, "This is a highly problematic case for them because if they treat these women inhumanely and the world watches, the whole world will call Iran for what it is--a horrible regime. If they let them go, or in some way are seen internally as being soft on this, they're going to face a domestic backlash. So it's really a difficult situation."

Vatican Looks to Heavens for Signs of Alien Life

The Associated Press reports that the Vatican doesn't believe in aliens - but it hasn't ruled them out yet. "The questions of life's origins and of whether life exists elsewhere in the universe are very suitable and deserve serious consideration," said the Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, an astronomer and director of the Vatican Observatory. Funes welcomed 30 scientists to last week's conference on the subject, which explored "whether sentient life forms exist on other worlds." At the conference's end on Tuesday, he said, "Both science and religion posit life as a special outcome of a vast and mostly inhospitable universe... There is a rich middle ground for dialogue between the practitioners of astrobiology and those who seek to understand the meaning of our existence in a biological universe."

China: Expelled Student Invited Back to School

Voice of the Martyrs reports that Chen Le, a 17-year-old high school student who was expelled from school because of his Christian faith, was invited on October 29 to return to school, according to a report from the China Aid Association. On October 28, the Party Secretary of the High School Division and several other party members and instructors from the Huashan Middle School visited Chen Le at his home and politely invited him to return to his studies. The Party Secretary was reportedly deeply concerned by international pressure caused by the expulsion.

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Nov. 17, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * 59 Christians Released From Jails in Pakistan
    * Non-Discrimination Act 'Would Burden' Religious Groups
    * Evangelical Churches Seen as 'Sects' in Belarus
    * Report: Americans Still Favor Faith-Based Programs



59 Christians Released From Jails in Pakistan

ASSIST News Service reports that 59 imprisoned Christians in various jails in Pakistan received news of their freedom on Friday, Nov. 13. The Christians were released after Rizwan Paul, president of the Christian group Life for All, presented a petition to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari for the pardon of these Christians who he stated had been "falsely accused of minor crimes." Extremely emotional scenes were seen outside the jails when the prisoners were released. Family members were present to greet their loved ones and they thanked Life for All for their efforts. The group estimates that there are still more than 2,500 Christians in jails all over Pakistan who cannot afford the legal assistance for their release.

Non-Discrimination Act 'Would Burden' Religious Groups

Baptist Press reports that some religious organizations will be prevented from acting on their beliefs in making employment decisions if the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is passed. "ENDA, in its present form, would impose a substantial or unconstitutional burden on religious organizations and would interfere in their effectiveness in terms of pursuing their vision," lawyer Craig Parshall said in testifying against the bill in a hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. The legislation would make discrimination based on "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" illegal in such areas as hiring, firing and compensation for both the private and public workplace. Parshall said the exemption for religious organizations is insufficient for those motivated by a biblical conviction that homosexuality is sinful.

Evangelical Churches Seen as 'Sects' in Belarus

Mission News Network reports that Protestant Christians in Belarus are increasingly scrutinized as "sects" by police. According to Deputy Chief of Minsk's Frunze District Police Dinas Linkus, "We have Orthodox, Catholics and Muslims: these are the religions. All the others are sects." The police began monitoring evangelical churches, communities with fewer than 20 members, and all unregistered religious activity after the passage of a 2002 religion law. According to Joel Griffith with Slavic Gospel Association, these churches are often subject to arrests and false charges from authorities. "They [evangelical Christians] have to battle false rumors like this all the time that get spread around by various people. It definitely is a concern, but I also want to praise the Lord for the progress that's been made in spite of some of the opposition."

Report: Americans Still Favor Faith-Based Programs

The Christian Post reports that most Americans support the continuation of government funding for faith-based programs. According to a new study, 69 percent of Americans believe funding for faith-based initiatives should continue as a way to aid community work by religious groups. The study found that people under 30 were more likely to support faith-based initiatives than older Americans. Some Americans expressed concern that such action might cause programs to succumb to federal regulation, or force people in the programs to participate in religious practices. Faith-based initiatives first won government aid under former President George W. Bush, and the program has been expanded to secular community-based groups under President Barack Obama.

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Nov. 18, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * Voice of the Martyrs Hopeful about Obama's China Visit
    * Disaster Relief Still Needed in American Samoa
    * High Court Refuses Case on Religious Graduation Speech
    * Christian Convert Who Arrived on Hijacked Plane Given Asylum in UK



Voice of the Martyrs Hopeful about Obama's China Visit

Mission News Network reports that religious freedom watchdogs have watched President Barack Obama's visit to China with some hope. Voice of the Martyrs' Todd Nettleton said he was encouraged when President Obama spoke out about the need for religious freedom in China, but he isn't sure if this signals a complete policy change. He cited Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's recent statements that "more important" issues like the environment couldn't be jeopardized by human rights issues. "When push comes to shove," Nettleton said, "[the United States owes] the Chinese government and the Chinese people a huge amount of money, so it's very hard for us to put any teeth with our proclamation about human rights and religious freedom."

Disaster Relief Still Needed in American Samoa

Baptist Press reports that Southern Baptist disaster relief work continues on American Samoa, seven weeks after an earthquake -- measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale -- struck the South Pacific island. That quake triggered a deadly tsunami that killed 31 people, including six Southern Baptists. Relief volunteers onsite say many needs created by the disaster remain unmet. Water purification has emerged as the key disaster relief ministry operation in American Samoa since the Sept. 29 tsunami, according to Bruce Poss, disaster relief coordinator for the SBC's North American Mission Board. Volunteers have purified more than 4,000 gallons of water in 17 villages throughout the island. Most natural water supplies have been tainted, so authorities have urged Samoans to boil the water, Poss said. But villagers are unwilling to spend their limited money on propane fuel to boil water when they need it to cook food.

High Court Refuses Case on Religious Graduation Speech

Christian Newswire reports that the United States Supreme Court has refused to hear the case of a high school valedictorian whose graduation speech was cut short after she mentioned her faith. Attorneys for The Rutherford Institute had asked the Court to hear the case of Brittany McComb, charging that school officials violated McComb's free speech rights and engaged in viewpoint discrimination when they censored her speech because of its Christian content. The Court declined to hear the case without any explanation. "This is a sad day for the cause of freedom," said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. "When the Supreme Court cannot clear their calendar to hear a case of this magnitude, then our freedoms are in jeopardy. Such censorship and discrimination should not be permitted in America."

Christian Convert Who Arrived on Hijacked Plane Given Asylum in UK

The UK Telegraph reports that an Afghan man who became a Christian after sneaking into the UK has won asylum in the country. The former Muslim feared for his life after his conversion and baptism, when other Afghans and Muslims ridiculed him and even threatened his life. The man has not been identified for safety reasons, but regularly attends a west London church and Bible classes. According to the Telegraph, although the Afghan Constitution allows non-Muslims to practice their faith, the small Christian community practices exclusively underground and it is forbidden for Afghans to abandon Islam. As an apostate, he would always be "looking over his shoulder" in Afghanistan, his attorney said, as police would turn a blind eye to his fate.

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Nov. 19, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * Sierra Leone Clamps Down on Human Trafficking
    * 15-Year-Old Coptic Convert Sends Plea to Obama
    * Christian Blogger Raises $30,000 in 18 Hours
    * Court Seeks Help to Link Murders in Turkey to 'Deep State'



Sierra Leone Clamps Down on Human Trafficking

Mission News Network reports that Sierra Leone is working to end its reputation as a shipping center in human trafficking. The country stepped up its efforts in June, with its third-ever conviction under its 2005 Anti Human-Trafficking Act. Abdul Aziz Bundu was convicted of nine counts, including human trafficking, and sentenced to 22 years in prison. It really paved the way for people who are victims of trafficking to ensure that they get their justice," said Yemi Oshaodi with World Hope International (WHI). "Now, we're working with the government to train members of the judiciary to insure that we can help to strengthen the government's response to trafficking in persons." Members of WHI's teams are all Christians, and want to show that "no person should be enslaved and no person should be forced to do something against their will. We make every effort to show that Christ also hates injustice," Oshodi said.

15-Year-Old Coptic Convert Sends Plea to Obama

ASSIST News Service reports that a 15-year-old Egyptian girl who converted from Islam to Christianity has sent a plea to President Barack Obama in the United States. In her letter, Dina el-Gowhary complains of mistreatment by the Egyptian Government and asks for his mediation. "Mr. President Obama," Dina wrote, "we are a minority in Egypt. We are treated very badly. You said that the Muslim minority in America are treated very well, so why are we not treated here likewise? We are imprisoned in our own home because Muslim clerics called for the murder of my father, and now the Government has set for us a new prison; we are imprisoned in our own country." Dina's father is only the second Christian convert to file papers wanting to change his religious identity. He lost the case in June. In September, officials barred the family from leaving Egypt without a legal reason.

Christian Blogger Raises $30,000 in 18 Hours

The Christian Post reports that Christians like to do some crazy things, as one blogger found. Readers of Jon Acuff's "Stuff Christians Like" blog raised $30,000 in just 18 hours after Acuff set up a fund to build a kindergarten in Vietnam. "I am growing overwhelmed but the sense that God has given us all a tremendous gift called, 'being alive on Monday' and He's holding His breath in eager anticipation to see what we'll do next," Acuff wrote. The effort has raised $46,000 so far, and aims to reach $60,000 by year's end, enough to build two kindergartens. Relief group Samaritan's Purse is partnering in the effort. Acuff's satirical blog, a spinoff of the popular Stuff White People Like blog, pokes fun at Christian habits while encouraging Christians in the heart of the Gospel.

Court Seeks Help to Link Murders in Turkey to 'Deep State'

Compass Direct News reports that judges and prosecutors in the murder trial of three Christians regarding the murder of three Christians renewed their request for help from the Istanbul High Criminal Court. Reports mounted linking the slayings to top gendarmerie officials, and prosecutors want help confirming the link to the group, called Ergenekon. For the last two and a half years prosecuting lawyers have established the case that Emre Gunaydin, Salih Gurler, Cuma Ozdemir, Hamit Ceker and Abuzer Yildirim, who were caught at the murder scene on April 18, 2007, were not acting independently but were incited by Turkey's "deep state," which includes Ergenekon. The court and various mainstream media have received informant letters with specific names linking the murders to top gendarmerie officials. Christians in Pakistan have less protection than Muslim citizens.

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Nov. 20, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * Lutherans to Split over Gay Clergy
    * Exodus Opposes Uganda's Proposed Anti-Gay Law
    * U.S. Catholic Bishops Clarify Moral 'Confusion'
    * Violence in Columbia May Trigger Humanitarian Crisis, Group Says


Lutherans to Split over Gay Clergy

The Washington Times reports that conservative members in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have announced an official break with the more liberal mother church. The steering committee of Lutheran CORE (Coalition for Renewal) said Wednesday they can no longer stay in the denomination because of differing views on biblical authority, especially on the issue of homosexuality. The ELCA announced in August that it would allow openly gay clergy. That decision, CORE said in a statement, created "a biblical and theological crisis throughout the ELCA and conflict in local congregations." The ELCA is the second major denomination to split over such issues, following the Episcopal Church's split last year. "We are not leaving the ELCA. The ELCA has left us," said Ryan Schwarz, a steering committee member from the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in McLean, Va. '

Exodus Opposes Uganda's Proposed Anti-Gay Law

Bapist Press reports that Exodus International has sent a letter to Uganda's president, expressing concern over legislation that would prosecute homosexual behavior. The bill would require pastors, missionaries, health care providers and counselors to report people suspected of such behavior. The Christian ministry that seeks to assist homosexuals in overcoming unwanted same-sex attractions said in the letter that it believes homosexuality is not what God intended for individuals, but the proposed legislation is not the solution. "If homosexual behavior and knowledge of such behavior is criminalized and prosecuted, as proposed in this bill, church and ministry leaders will be unable to assist hurting men, women and youth who might otherwise seek help in addressing this personal issue," the letter, dated Nov. 16, said.

U.S. Catholic Bishops Clarify Moral 'Confusion'

Religion News Service reports that U.S. Catholic bishops on Tuesday (Nov. 17) issued detailed guidelines on marriage, reproductive technologies and health care for severely brain-damaged patients, responding to scientific advances and widespread "confusion" among their flocks. The bishops gathered in Baltimore, Md., for their semi-annual meeting also heard a preliminary report on the "causes and contexts" of the clergy sexual abuse scandal that resulted in some 14,000 abuse claims and cost the church $2.6 billion since 1950. Researchers from New York's John Jay College of Criminal Justice told the nearly 300 members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that homosexual orientation should not be linked to the sexual abuse, even as some church leaders have sought to make a link between gay priests and sexual abuse.

Violence in Columbia May Trigger Humanitarian Crisis, Group Says

The Christian Post reports that an international Lutheran relief group fears Columbia may crumble into a humanitarian crisis, as violence skyrockets and ministry partners face increased threats. "Violence in Córdoba and the impunity perpetrators enjoy is a threat not only to our partners, but to development as a whole," noted Michael Watt, Lutheran World Relief regional director for Latin America programs. "LWR has accompanied displaced communities in Colombia since 1996, but growing violence has required the organization to increase our focus on protection and emergency measures, while limiting our ability to support development and rehabilitation programming, such as improving rural families' livelihoods and facilitating a return home for IDPs," he added.