Protestors Highlight Injustice of Blasphemy Laws “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Mahew 16:18b) Pakistan — Blasphemy laws continue to incite violence and mob rule. Even spurious accusations can precipitate severe retribution. On April 20th protesters gathered in Peshawar to condemn the murder of a student, Mashal Khan, following allegations of blasphemy. In June, a Christian was charged with blasphemy after he asked a Muslim to pay for a bicycle he had repaired. In November 2014, a pregnant Christian woman and her husband, falsely accused of desecrating the Qur’an, were horrifically tortured by an enraged mob, and burned to death. Asia Bibi has languished on death row for eight years. 71 of the world's 195 countries have blasphemy laws with penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment and death. The Iranian government, concerned about the rise of Christianity, especially amongst youth, has threatened to execute anyone who insults Islam. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report on blasphemy laws cites Iran, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Qatar as the nations which most severely “protect the state religion of Islam in a way that impermissibly discriminates among different groups". USCIRF Chairman, Daniel Mark, said, "Blasphemy laws are wrong in principle, often invite abuse and lead to assaults, murders, and mob attacks. We call upon all countries to repeal any such laws and free those detained or convicted for blasphemy." Reuters International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church Sunday, November 5 th Join Christians around the world in united prayer for the Lord’s blessing and strengthening of persecuted Christians, and for the transformation of their persecutors. For further involvement please see the CFF Action Page The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is now in control of almost all of Marawi city which was attacked on May 23 by Muslim separatists determined to establish an autonomous Bangsamoro state in Mindanao. A state under Sharia law would inevitably lead to the persecution of Christians. Soldiers, police and civilians have died in the battle for Marawi, but the greatest casualties are local and transnational Islamic militants. The AFP's progress has been impeded by Improvised Explosive Devises planted by jhadists who have pledged allegiance to ISIS, but the AFP is now in control of Marawi’s Grand Mosque from which 50 to 60 IS-inspired jihadists have fled, taking civilian captives with them to use as human shields. Human remains found inside the war zone are believed to be the remains of Christian hostages killed by jihadists. The road to recovery will be long as much of Marawi has been reduced to rubble. Reverend J who was unharmed when a grenade hurled at him failed to detonate, said: “Praise the Lord, we are alive even though we are facing danger every day because of continued conflict, persecution and threats, but we have a big God who can protect us. There's a great danger and also a great need in the Mindanao crisis. Many children have died in the evacuation centre and almost 400,000 displaced people are appealing to us for help. I have started the ‘Adopt a Displaced Christian Family Program’, and have the passion to bless all the survivors and win them to Christ.” The Mindanao Peace Forum, held on 23rd August in Malaybalay city, united Christians from many churches, enabling them to pray together, share their experiences and encourage one another. Reverend J, with whom CFF has established a close relationship, was a keynote speaker and said; “Before we ended the Peace Forum we held up our hands earnestly praying for Peace and the persecuted Christians here in Mindanao. We are declaring that Mindanao belongs to Christ!! ” CFF is responding with financial aid to this ministry to bring practical help and comfort to people traumatised by ISIS. Philippines — Marawi Crisis Needs Urgent Prayer and Aid
Transcript
Protestors Highlight Injustice of Blasphemy Laws
“I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18b)
Pakistan — Blasphemy laws continue to incite violence and mob rule. Even spurious accusations can precipitate severe retribution. On April 20th protesters gathered in Peshawar to condemn the murder of a student, Mashal Khan, following allegations of blasphemy. In June, a Christian was charged with blasphemy after he asked a Muslim to pay for a bicycle he had repaired. In November 2014, a pregnant Christian woman and her husband, falsely accused of desecrating the Qur’an, were horrifically tortured by an enraged mob, and burned to death. Asia Bibi has languished on death row for eight years.
71 of the world's 195 countries have blasphemy laws with penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment and death. The Iranian government, concerned about the rise of Christianity, especially amongst youth, has threatened to execute anyone who insults Islam. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report on blasphemy laws cites Iran, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Qatar as the nations which most severely “protect the state religion of Islam in a way that impermissibly discriminates among different groups". USCIRF Chairman, Daniel Mark, said, "Blasphemy laws are wrong in principle, often invite abuse and lead to assaults, murders, and mob attacks. We call upon all countries to repeal any such laws and free those detained or convicted for blasphemy."
Reuters
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Sunday, November 5th
Join Christians around the world in united prayer for the
Lord’s blessing and strengthening of persecuted Christians,
and for the transformation of their persecutors.
For further involvement please see the CFF Action Page
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is now in control of almost all of Marawi city which was attacked on May 23 by Muslim separatists determined to establish an autonomous Bangsamoro state in Mindanao. A state under Sharia law would inevitably lead to the persecution of Christians. Soldiers, police and civilians have died in the battle for Marawi, but the greatest casualties are local and transnational Islamic militants. The AFP's progress has been impeded by Improvised Explosive Devises planted by jhadists who have pledged allegiance to ISIS, but the AFP is now in control of Marawi’s Grand Mosque from which 50 to 60 IS-inspired jihadists have fled, taking civilian captives with them to use as human shields. Human remains found inside the war zone are believed to be the remains of Christian hostages killed by jihadists. The road to recovery will be long as much of Marawi has been reduced to rubble. Reverend J who was unharmed when a grenade hurled at him failed to detonate, said: “Praise the Lord, we are alive even though we are facing danger every day because of continued conflict, persecution and threats, but we have a big God who can protect us. There's a great danger and also a great need in the Mindanao crisis. Many children have died in the evacuation centre and almost 400,000 displaced people are appealing to us for help. I have started the ‘Adopt a Displaced Christian Family Program’, and have the passion to bless all the survivors and win them to Christ.” The Mindanao Peace Forum, held on 23rd August in Malaybalay city, united Christians from many churches, enabling them to pray together, share their experiences and encourage one another. Reverend J, with whom CFF has established a close relationship, was a keynote speaker and said; “Before we ended the Peace Forum we held up our hands earnestly praying for Peace and the persecuted Christians here in Mindanao. We are declaring that Mindanao belongs to Christ!!” CFF is responding with financial aid to this ministry to bring practical help and comfort to people traumatised by ISIS.
Philippines — Marawi Crisis Needs Urgent Prayer and Aid
The annual US State Department report on international religious freedom denounced IS for carrying out “genocide” against Christians, “targeting members of multiple religions and ethnicities for rape, kidnapping, enslavement and death”, and is “clearly responsible for genocide” against Christians and Yazidis in Iraq, and Shiite Muslims in Syria. Bahrain, China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Turkey were specifically named for ‘persecuting, stigmatizing or restricting the rights of religious minorities’. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, noted that 80% of the world’s population live “with persecution or limits on their ability to worship”. He said, “We cannot ignore these conditions. The protection of groups who are targets of violent extremism remains a human-rights priority for the Trump administration”. Preserving Millennia-Old Communities -- Michael Kozak, acting Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, said the administration is concentrating on trying to alleviate repressive conditions to enable many to return to their homes, specifically in Iraq and Syria, so that millennia-old religious minorities will not be destroyed. AP CFF has advocated for an Assyrian homeland in Nineveh Assyrians of Iraq and the Copts of Egypt legitimately claim to be the oldest Christian communities on Earth. Restoration of the Assyrian nation on ancestral land is essential before the prophesy recorded in Isaiah 19:23-25 can be fulfilled:
These three groups, amongst the world’s most continuously and intensely persecuted people, occupy a special place in the Lord’s heart, and are strategic to His plans for the future of the Biblical heartlands.
Eight Churches in Baghdad closed their doors in May as Christians continue to flee Iraq. The ongoing genocide of Assyrians, commemorated at moving memorials every year, underscores the failure of free nations to establish a defensible, autonomous homeland — a stabilising Christian influence in an otherwise turbulent region. The re-establishment of Assyria as a nation will indeed be the Lord’s handiwork! CFF actively encourages the unity of all Christians in prayer and advocacy, especially in partnership with Christians who have suffered persecution. Their wisdom and experience are invaluable in the global battle for freedom, and for safeguarding Australia which—like most Western nations —is now on high security alert.
“In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the
Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on
the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my
handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.”
Editorial
The decline in the number of Australians who defined themselves as Christians in the recent census is a call to all who follow Christ to become strong, courageous bearers of His Light —Truth which dispels confusion and artful deception. No organism can survive if its body is separated from its head. The Body of Christ will remain alive while it is firmly attached to Jesus who said, “If you love me, obey me and keep my commandments,” (John 14:23). A church which is anchored upon the Rock will remain obedient to the Word of God. A church lured onto the shifting sands of emotionally-manipulated public opinion is in danger of being drawn under quicksand into oblivion. Ezekiel 8 reminds us that disobedience caused the Shekinah Glory of God to depart from His people, precipitating disaster. If the Spirit departs, is ‘the rotting corpse of Christianity’— as it is referred to in the Humanist Manifesto — all that remains? While many celebrate the decline of Christianity, the vacuum is being filled by religious and secular ideologies which represent a serious challenge to freedom. The intrinsic value of every human life — foundational to Western Civilization and International Human Rights Conventions — is Bible based. As Greg Sheridan has observed: “Christianity is a central component of Western civilization...its greatest institutions and its ethics flow ultimately from the Judeo-Christian inheritance on which it is based. Denouncers of Christianity are trying to create a secular society which lives permanently off the moral capital of its founding institutions, which it hopes finally to destroy.” (The Australian, 14/10/2010) Marriage, the Church and the traditional family are targeted in Gramsci’s progressive “Long March Through the Institutions”. The security, identity and moral compass which many people find in their faith, family and Christian values are being further challenged by gender dysphoria, promoted in the public arena and school curricula. Ideologies which sound compassionate, inclusive, tolerant and ‘culturally-sensitive’ are being used to erode freedom of speech and the right of dissent, as some bureaucrats over-reach their authority to usurp the role of legislators, and the State exerts an increasingly intrusive influence. Expensive, vexatious litigation is forcing compliance with practices which violate Christian conscience, while maintaining a hair-trigger sensitivity to avoid offending the sensibilities of others. Limitations imposed on traditional freedom should offend everyone who values justice. For the first time, the CFF annual conference will therefore include a focus on the law — exposing the severity and extent of the legal challenges which Christians face in Australia and overseas for living out their Christian convictions. The Director of the Human Rights Law Alliance, Martyn Iles, who represents Christian values at Parliamentary enquiries and human rights fora, will address the vital role of Christian lawyers in ‘Defending Freedom to Proclaim Christ’.
Woden Valley Alliance Church, 81 Namatjira Drive, Warramanga, ACT
Saturday, 23rd September, 8.30am—5.00pm
Elizabeth Kendal
Protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief — an overview of global trends covered in the CFF submission to the DFAT inquiry;
A Voice for the Voiceless in Papua, Chittagong Hills Tracts, Laos and Iran – providing details of CFF submissions and contributions to DFAT in 2017.
Rev Dr Mark Durie
Equality, Inequality and Religious Freedom — the requirement that Muslims rule over non-Muslims; the theological dynamic behind the Ahok ‘blasphemy’ case in Indonesia;
The Inequality of Women Under Islam— why a choice not to conform to Islamic principles is both an equality issue and a religious freedom issue for Muslim women. Martyn Iles
The Rise of Christian Persecution in the West —the increasingly popular use of ‘lawfare’ and social pressure against Christian expression in Australia; Cultural changes in the West: Postmodernism, Paganism and Religious Freedom — examining the driving forces behind seemingly nonsensical and insane social changes. Marina William
The Copts of Egypt:
From World Power to Persecuted Minority
David Fouad
Co-presenter of The Copts of Egypt:
From World Power to Persecuted Minority
CFF Director of Advocacy
The value of Elizabeth Kendal’s religious liberty research and analysis has received further international acclaim with an invitation to deliver two presentations at the Crisis Publishing Initiative at Sopron, Hungary in October. She will also lead a workshop, ‘Understanding the Middle East’, which draws on research included in her book, ‘After Saturday Comes Sunday’. It has been short-listed as the best Australian Christian book of 2017. An overview of the book is included in this newsletter.
Elizabeth writes weekly Prayer Bulletins, and advocates for the rights of persecuted Christians. She represents CFF at the annual DFAT—NGO Human Rights Forum, and writes the briefing papers CFF submits to DFAT human rights inquiries.
Cost: $60 pp; $50 pensioners and students; $100 per couple;
As this is a catered event, bookings are essential.
Copts Told, “Renounce Christianity or Die”
INDONESIA: Religious Minorities Fearful of Rising Intolerance
A new report by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in Indonesia warns of rising religious intolerance since the imprisonment of former governor of Jakarta, Basuki Purnama, (Ahok), an ethnic Chinese Christian falsely charged with blasphemy during his re-election campaign. Ahok’s case has become a barometer. Concerns raised by religious communities include social hostility, the closure of places of worship, harassment and threats of violence. CSW’s East Asia Team Leader said. “Several experts in the country are urging the international community to stop describing Indonesia as a role model of tolerance, because it no longer merits that description. There are still influential voices of moderation courageously trying to protect Indonesia’s tradition of pluralism. They need to be supported and encouraged, but it is now time to wake up to the dangers which Indonesia faces and work with the government to counter extremism...” The report states that Indonesia’s reputation as a democratic Muslim nation is being “seriously undermined” by the rise of radical Islam and its influence on politics and society. The report concludes: “The level of fear among religious minorities is palpable. Christians face pressure from radical groups. Indonesia’s pluralism is very much in peril.” Recommendations to the Indonesian government include the repeal of blasphemy laws and the extension of human rights education, including the principles of FoRB in the security services.
EGYPT (ANS) – In a further demonstration of barbarity perpetrated against Christians, gunmen seized a bus full of Copts on their way to pray at a monastery on May 9th. When they refused the gunmen’s demand to renounce Christianity, 29 passengers, including young children, were murdered, and 25 others were injured.
An eyewitness to the tragedy, Bishoy Ibrahim, Priest of St. Mary Church in Maghagha, said: “They entered the bus and told us to rebuke our faith, but we refused and so they opened fire on us.”
A reporter for SAT-7 (www.sat7usa.org) said: “They were reeling from the raw emotions of shock, bewilderment, pain, and desperation. Several stood firm, sending messages of peace. In their moment of grief, a broadcast on the current affairs program Bridges made their voices heard to a global body of believers: “Why are we being killed? We don’t hate anyone. Our religion is one of love.”
This is the latest in a series of brutal attacks, including three suicide church bombings which killed 75 people. IS claimed
responsibility.
Egyptian Christians continue to face a host of tragedies, including the kidnap of their daughters who are forced into Islamic marriages, thus depriving their communities of their young women — bearers of the next generation.
The Copts are the descendants of the original Egyptians, and are the largest Christian denomination in Egypt, Sudan and Libya. CFF has included a presentation on ’The Copts of Egypt—From World Power to Persecuted Minority’ in our 2017 conference; and will host a similar presentation on October 12th at the Canberra House of Prayer for All Nations, Yarralumla, ACT.
Ethiopian Mother’s Faith Inspired Sons
Ethiopia converted to Christianity in the 4th century and claims to guarantee freedom of r e l i g i o n , b u t evangelical Christians frequently face discrimination and harassment from the Muslim population.
The 2017 World Watch List ranks Ethiopia 22nd out of 50 most dangerous countries for Christians.
Workitu converted to Christianity last year in the Muslim-dominated region south of Addis Ababa. Her husband and other members of the community beat her severely and threatened to kill her unless she reverted to Islam.
On the advice of church leaders, she reported the abuse to police and local authorities in writing, telling them she feared for her life. However, her request for protection was ignored. When Workitu refused the demand of her husband and a neighbour to renounce Christ, and sell government drought relief she had received for her family, they beat her, even after she had collapsed. Villagers took Workitu to a clinic, but five days later she died.
Following her death, her two sons, aged 17 and 20, told Christian leaders they want to know the Lord their mother worshipped. Eventually they, and a close friend of Workitu's, embraced Christianity.
"Workitu is like Stephen," said a local evangelist. "Her death was honored by the bringing of her sons to new life. I know she would have been extremely delighted had she witnessed her sons' decision to follow Christ.”
Maryam Naghash Zargaran, a convert from Islam, was released from the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran on August 1st. She had been incarcerated for over four years on charges related to her Christian faith and ministry, described as “acting against national security”.
According to The Center for Human Rights in Iran, Maryam has now been banned from leaving Iran for six months. The 39-year-old children's music teacher said: "With the completion of my sentence, there's no reason for me to be banned from traveling abroad. It's against the law." Maryam was arrested in January 2013 in connection with her work at an orphanage, alongside recently released Pastor Saeed Abedini.
Maryam’s history of heart problems, worsened by harsh prison conditions, has been a great source of concern for her family and friends. They asked for urgent prayer for Maryam after she went on a hunger strike on May 27, 2016 in protest against the denial of medical treatment. On May 30, 2016, Maryam was taken briefly to hospital, but was returned to prison without receiving essential treatment.
Prison officials who examined her on July 20, 2016 provided a medical report confirming the seriousness of her condition, but her demand for release for medical treatment was denied by an Iranian court at the request of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence.
A spokesman for Elam Ministries (www.elam.com), whose mission is to strengthen and expand the church in Iran said, “We thank you for your faithful prayers for Maryam over many years. She has remained faithful to the Lord. I encourage ongoing prayer for her physical and emotional restoration and for wisdom as she looks to the future.” MEC
Dr Mariam Ibrahim, Sudan’s best-known Christian, who was sentenced to death for ‘apostasy’ (leaving Islam), and 100 lashes for ‘adultery’ (marrying a Christian) in 2014, told the European Parliament that the plight of Christians in Sudan is getting worse. The Intergroup is also concerned about the prevalence of Sharia law. Maryam Ibrahim, now living in the US, highlighted the discrimination faced by Christians in Sudan for whom she now runs an advocacy organisation. She stressed that her experiences, including imprisonment for her faith, were symptomatic of those faced by Christians in Sudan. Current problems include the planned demolition of over 25 churches, and the government takeover of church property. WWM
Nigeria — On 3rd April 2014, Boko Haram militants invaded the Christian enclave of Chibok and kidnapped 276 schoolgirls. 57 girls managed to escape, but 219 were taken deep into the bush. Boko Haram leader, Abu Bakr Shekau, subsequently threatened to sell the girls as sex slaves and jihadi ‘brides’. In October 2016 twenty-one Chibok girls were released in exchange for four militant commanders. On Sunday 7 May (2017) 82 Chibok girls were released in exchange for five militant commanders.
The girls were transported immediately to the capital, Abuja, ostensibly for counselling and security screening. Amnesty International issued an appeal on 7 May, urging the government to ensure all 103 released girls are reunited with their families as soon as possible to end their suffering.
In March 2015 Abu Bakr Shekau pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the emir of the Islamic State (IS), and changed his group's name to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). In August 2016 IS named Musab al-Barnawi as the new 'governor' of ISWAP. A split ensued and Shekau's faction re-claimed the name Boko Haram. Clearly al-Barnawi decided the girls in his custody should be exchanged for skilled militant commanders, along with (reportedly) millions of dollars, and called for ISWAP to focus on combating Nigeria's Christians by “booby-trapping and blowing up every church that we are able to reach, and killing all those we find from the citizens of the cross”. Al-Barnawi may now have the money and the skilled militants to launch an operation against the Church. Shekau is likely to use the girls as suicide bombers in mosques and markets across north-east Nigeria and northern Cameroon. The rate of bombings has escalated from 29 female suicide bombers in 2016 to at least 27 in the first three months of 2017, most in the Borno capital, Maiduguri.
Boko Haram might be on the back-foot militarily, but it still recruited more than 2,000 youths in 2016, and is still holding more than 100 Chibok girls. Intelligence reports indicate that it is looking for a Western hostage.
see RLPB 406, 10 May 2017 Elizabeth Kendal
Christian Released from Prison in Iran
Former Prisoner Now Advocates for Justice
Chibok Girls Released but Danger Remains
President Buhari (c) with Chibok girls, 7 May 2017
President Bukari (c) with Chibok girls, May 9 2017
The Islamist Government of Sudan continues its war on dissent and its persecution of the Church while preparing for a dry season resumption of its genocidal jihad against the Christians of the Nuba Mountains.
According to Nuba Reports, some 230,000 Nuba refugees are languishing in the camps of South Sudan, stuck between two horrendous wars: the GoS genocidal jihad in the Nuba Mountains and South Sudan's civil war. With Europe desperate to curb migration, the US desperate for Sudanese intelligence, China and Russia eager to invest and an array of African states keen to normalise relations, the Nuba are being abandoned.
Bishop Macram Max Gassis, the emeritus bishop from the El-Obeid diocese in the Nuba mountain area of Sudan, is appealing for international assistance on behalf of the Nuba, specifically requesting that Khartoum be pressured to end aerial
bombardment of civilians and allow the entry of humanitarian aid. “[The Nuba] are our brothers and sisters in humanity,” he told Deutsche Welle. “If we neglect them, we are responsible in front of Almighty God.” Elizabeth Kendal (RLB 386, Nov 2016)
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who was in Khartoum for the installation of the new Primate of Sudan, Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo, told the BBC on 30 July that he raised the issue of religious freedom “strongly” during a meeting with the Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir. “In England, the Church of England often seeks to protect Muslims when they are under pressure,” suggesting that he expected the same in Sudan when it came to protecting Christians. He spoke of seeing Christians and Muslims “co-existing powerfully and effectively” in Kadugli in the Nuba Mountains where there are a significant number of Christians.
“My prayer for Sudan is that there will be freedom so that Christians may live confidently, blessing their country.” The Archbishop visited refugee camps in Uganda which has accepted a million people who have fled across the border to escape fighting in South Sudan.
At least three men were beheaded and several houses torched during a raid on Maleli Village by Somali Islamist terror group, al Shabaab. Nine men were beheaded in similar raids on Jima and Pandanguo village on 7 July, the militants targeting non-Muslim men but sparing women and children. Villagers claimed they informed police that al Shabaab was in the area but no action was taken, although three police officers had recently been murdered in a nearby village. A dusk-to-dawn curfew has been imposed in Lamu, Garissa and Tana River counties for three months. Security forces are pursuing the terrorists, believed to have training grounds in the dense Boni Forest. It continues to cause “untold suffering” and is “having a field day inside the forest without fear of the soldiers and police” although it is surround by three army bases.
Since May, the terrorist group has ramped up attacks on Kenya. Over 50 people have been killed in ambushes or by improvised explosive devices with many more injured. Several have been abducted. On 31 May, 70 terrorists invaded Fafi town in Garissa County, killing a Christian school teacher as she taught a class, and abducting a male Christian teacher who was later found dead. According to Morning Star News, before leaving the school the militants assaulted Muslims of Somali descent as a warning for “accommodating infidels.”
In spite of al Shabaab’s threats to disrupt recent elections, President Kenyatta’s party won all the predominantly Somali counties and the presidency. However, Christian Solidarity Worldwide has expressed grave concern that al Shabaab causes death and destruction then retreats undetected into the Boni Forest, and is calling upon the international community and the African Union to offer technical assistance to Kenyan authorities to protect civilians and defeat the terrorists. Morning Star News
Central African Republic (CAR)
Church leaders in CAR lament that UN peacekeepers are failing to protect civilians and that the Islamic militants 'appear more heavily armed than ever'. The town of Gambo in CAR's volatile south-east has been in the hands of Islamic militants since 2013. Violence has escalated markedly this year as Muslim militias have split into factions along ethnic lines and escalated their attacks on civilians. In Gambo, women have been specifically targeted. On 4 August anti-Muslim defence militias known as 'anti-balaka' invaded Gambo to drive out the ethnic Fulani Muslim militants. As UN peacekeepers chased the anti-balaka into the bush, the Islamic militants in the town invaded a hospital and slit the throats of men, women and children. Elizabeth Kendal
Torchbearers for Christ—Rising Above Persecution to Shine His Light in Dark Places
“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.” Matt 5:17
The Priest Who Forgave His Islamist Torturers
Father Al-Bazi said he kept calm by praying. “It was the strength of my faith that illuminated my tortuous journey and helped me to survive despair in captivity.” His apparent lack of fear both impressed and infuriated his captors: “Normally the people we bring here plead for their lives, but he does not seem to care,” they said. When they asked him why he wasn’t afraid of death he said, “For me, death is the beginning. But for you it is the end.”
Curiously, when they weren’t abusing him, his captors treated him as a spiritual father: He took this opportunity to witness the love of Christ to one who was having marital problems, advising him to love and respect his wife. During the day they called him “Father” but at night “infidel”. In the morning they would apologise, claiming that his body had to show signs of torture or their boss would punish them.
On the 10th day, a lower ransom was paid and he was released. “One of them who had broken my nose asked for forgiveness. Father Al-Bazi assured him of complete forgiveness, saying that he hoped someday they would meet again and share a meal together, adding, “Providing your hands are not covered in someone else’s blood”.
He is still traumatised by his experience: “When I hear the Qur’an I remember when they were torturing me, beating me as they read the Qur’an aloud”, but says he holds no animosity toward his kidnappers: “I pray to God that He takes away the evil from their hearts”.
Fr Al-Bazi remained in Baghdad until 2013 when he was transferred to Erbil. The ISIS attack on Mosul in 2014 forced over 75,000 Christians to flee. As they are not recognised as refugees, but as internally displaced persons (IDPs), no one looks after them except the Church and Christian agencies. In Ankawa, northern Iraq, Father Al-Bazi built a refugee camp and ministered to Christians fleeing ISIS.
He laments: “We were 1.7 million Christians in Iraq. Now we are less than 200,000. Christianity was preached in Iraq in the first century. Their history has been one of persecution. The blood of our Christian martyrs in Iraq is more than the oil in Iraq. But no one cares about our martyrs’ blood. They care more about the oil.”
Fr Al-Bazi left Mar-Elia church in Erbil to become the priest at St Addai Chaldean Catholic Church, Papatoetoe, New Zealand in July, but still travels widely in Europe and the US seeking support for ‘the last group of Christians in Iraq who speak the language of Jesus’. “Your brothers and sisters in Christ are facing persecution and genocide...you were watching while my people are dying. Christianity is not a supermarket….Christianity is one package: take it or leave it. Christians in Iraq decided many centuries ago to love it”.
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/issues/may-27th-2016/the-priest-who-forgave-his-islamist-torturers/ Voice of the Martyrs
Father Douglas Al-Bazi was among Christian leaders honoured in Washington DC in May at The World Summit In Defence of Persecuted Christians, organised by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. US Vice-President Mike Pence, an Evangelical Christian, greeted the 600 delegates, many of whom have suffered for their faith, as ‘Brothers and Sisters’, saying he felt humbled to be in their presence and assuring them that the US “would stand with them”.
Ordained in the Chaldean Catholic Church in a joyous ceremony in Iraq in 1998, Father Al-Bazi ministered to 2,500 families in his parish in Baghdad. Following the allied invasion of Iraq in April 2003, Saddam Hussein was ousted and sectarian violence intensified as Sunnis and Shias vied for power. Accused of collaborating with the Allies, Christians were the targets of ferocious persecution. Father Al-Bazi recalls: “They started attacking and targeting Christian churches and clergy. They blew up my church in front of me. Twice I survived explosions close to my car. I got shot by AK-47.“
In this extremely dangerous environment, Fr Al-Bazi worked assiduously to deliver medicines and establish a pre-school for Christian and Muslim children. He continued to help people deal with kidnappings, bomb attacks, and the murder of loved-ones as his parish dwindled to 300 families.
After Mass on November 17, 2007, Fr Al-Bazi was abducted by masked Shi’ite militia. “I felt someone’s knee in my face. My nose was bloodied and broken. My heart banged against my ribs as if it wanted to get out. This was the beginning of my grueling ordeal which lasted for nine days.”
When the Church was unable to meet the high ransom demanded, the kidnappers seethed and said, “We have all night to take out your teeth, and you have plenty of them”. “They hit my jaw with a hammer and broke my front tooth, followed by hammer blows to my back which resulted in two broken vertebrae. The pain was excruciating. My mouth was pumping out blood.”
At one time, they loaded a gun, held it to his head and he heard, “click, click, click”, but the gun failed to fire. For four days they deprived him of water and he began to hallucinate. Water is far more than a symbol of life to him — to this day, it remains a tangible reminder that he is still alive.
s shocking assassination was the second killing of
laws, following the murder of Punjab governor, Salmaan
Taseer. He, too, had spoken out against the blasphemy
Catholic Herald
Three Self churches are the 57,000+ churches in China that belong to the Chinese Communist Party-controlled ‘Three Self Patriotic Movement’ (TSPM). The three ’Selfs’ include: Self-governance, Self-support, and Self-propagation. “Patriotic” indicates that the church's greatest loyalty is to China.
Foreign influence on the church leadership, foreign financing and foreign missionaries are forbidden. China has thus been free of divisive denominationalism, but TPSM restricts and twists Biblical Christianity. In some areas these rules apply: • The Communist Party is the head of the church in China. • The CP decides how many people can be baptized per year. • The CP decides who can preach and what can be preached. • Preaching must focus on Christian rules and social benefits. • Preaching about Jesus’ resurrection and second coming is forbidden. • Preaching against religions that deny the deity of Jesus is forbidden. • Preaching that atheist communist heroes went to hell is forbidden — all good communists go to heaven. • Preaching against abortion is forbidden. • Gathering to worship outside Three Self churches and official "meeting points" is forbidden. • Preachers can only preach at a Three Self church to which they were assigned. • Evangelizing or giving out tracts is forbidden. • Importing or printing Bibles is forbidden.
• Government officials, soldiers, police, teachers, teenagers and children are forbidden to be Christians. (Nanjing Seminary)
Beyond Communist control, the Holy Spirit is igniting the hearts of the Chinese people, and underground churches are spreading like wildfire. There is a great hunger for the Gospel, especially amongst the young, and fervent worship services sometimes last for hours. Many Christians still pay a high price for their faith and groups meet secretly in homes and forests, fields and caves to pray for hours before dawn and late into the night for God’s transforming power over their nation.
Z h a n g X i u h o n g , Accountant of the Living Stone (Huoshi ) Church, and Chairwoman of the Board of Deacons has been released from prison after serving over two years of an original five-year sentence. She was arrested in July 2015 on a falsified charge of “illegal business
operations”. Radiating joy, Zhang says she is stronger in her faith than before. In spite of the hardships she experienced — recorded in a poem she wrote — her imprisonment gave her the opportunity to share her faith with her cell-mates. She says that she “enjoyed the bounty of grace because of my trust in the Lord who called me and brought me unspeakable glory”.
At least three other Christians are in prison on charges related to the Living Stone Church. Co-founder and Pastor Yang Hua was arrested in Dec. 2015 and charged with “divulging state secrets” along with Wang Yao and Yu Lei. Authorities also confiscated property, froze their bank account, and fined the congregation 7 million yuan ($1,020,200). Prisoner Alert
VIETNAM — High Cost of Defending Liberty
Arrested in April 2011, Lutheran Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh has suffered heavily for his public defence of religious liberty, as has his wife, Tran Thi Hong. On 28 July Pastor Chinh, his wife and their five children arrived in Los Angeles, USA, having accepted a deal from Vietnam's Communist regime that saw Chinh set free on condition that he leave the country.
On 30 July authorities charged human rights lawyer and religious liberty advocate, Nguyen Van Dai, and five associates with 'carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the People's administration'.
As the 'alleged instigator', Dai could face 12 to 20 years in prison, a life sentence or a death sentence. As his 'accomplices', his co-accused could face 5 to 15 year terms. Please pray! Kendal (RLPB 417, 2 Aug 2017)
The CFF submission to the 2016 Australia-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue, researched by Elizabeth Kendal, focussed on serious violations of the rights of Christians and others. CFF will be represented at the de-brief at DFAT on September 1st.
