CHURCH OPENING BLOCKED BY AUTHORITIES IN EGYPT.

Pakistan Christian Post

Local authorities in Sheikh Zied City, 15 km north of Cairo are opposed to a newly built church and have gone to extreme lengths to disrupt the official opening.

Prayers of dedication for the church were due to be held in early July at an official celebration of the church's opening; however on that very day the authorities cut off the electricity and water to the building and even barricaded all the roads leading to the church. Each road had a deep trench dug across it with a correspondingly high bank alongside.

The congregation had decided to construct a building which looked like an office on the outside, though like a church on the inside. This decision had been reached because they were aware that it would be extremely difficult for them to get official authorisation through the correct channels.

In addition to the normal permission, Egyptian law requires presidential approval to build a new church. This comes from a nineteenth century Ottoman regulation, and is known as the Hamayouni Decree. It is a slow bureaucratic process, which can take many years, and does not always result in success. To repair or renovate a church permission must be sought from local governors.

Whilst this is less bureaucratic local governors are more prone to prejudice against Christians.

The Church in Egypt is often faced with the dilemma of either not applying for official permission, or having no building at all.

PRAY

Pray that the local authorities will have a change of heart and allow the building to function as a church.

Pray for a change in the restrictive law governing church buildings to enable Christians to erect the churches they need.

First communion in Mosul, where shots became “fireworks”

The Chaldean parish priest of the Church of the Holy Spirit talks about the celebration of the first Holy Communion of 80 children while the city was struck by car bombs and shooting. “United, we pray for peace in Iraq and also in Lebanon and the rest of the world.”

IRAQ,Mosul (AsiaNews) – Joy and terror sometimes coexist in Iraq where the population is now resigned to daily life amid mortar shots and suicide bombs. This is how the Christians of Mosul, the city’s third largest country, will remember 4 August: as a day of “immense joy” and “terrible panic”. Violent clashes marked the Friday when 80 children of the Chaldean parish of the Holy Spirit received their first Holy Communion. The young parish priest, Fr Ragheed Ganni, told AsiaNews how he turned gunshots into fireworks not to spoil this special day of celebration.

“We started our celebration at 7.30am,” he said. “The church was packed and everybody was so happy. Suddenly we heard explosions and shots close to the church. Although people are used to it and remained reasonably calm, they started to wonder whether they were going to make it back to their homes or not. I was aware of the immense joy of the 80 children receiving their first Communion so I turned the subject into a joke and said to them: ‘Do not panic, these are fire works. The city is celebrating with us.’ And at the same time I gave them instructions to leave the church quietly and quickly.”

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Pakistan: bulldozers demolish church

The Christian community of Multan has protested against the demolition of a church by a fertilizer industry that wants to “expand”. A nearby mosque was spared.

Multan (AsiaNews) – The Christian community of Multan in the central province of Punjab has protested against the allegedly illegal demolition of a church. According to local media, on 4 August, around 150 Christians protested against the Pak-Arab Fertilizers Limited factory that razed a Protestant church to the ground. The protesters blocked the Multan-Lahore road for a couple of hours after burning used tyres. They were demanding the opening of a judicial inquiry against the ‘culprits’.

Shahbaz Bhatti, chairman of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA), condemned the “brutal” demolition of the church and demanded stern legal action against those responsible. Bhatti said the court was on the point of issuing an order not to go ahead with the demolition but the management of the factory went ahead: “They were not authorized to raze the church.”

The APMA chairman said a mosque standing close by the church was not even touched. “Only the church, a symbol of the vulnerability of the Christian minority, fell victim to the intolerance of these industrialists.”

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Christian Stone Mason Beaten For Drinking Water From Public Facility

By Sheraz Khurram Khan

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Christian stone mason received critical injuries, including dislocation of his shoulder after he was seen drinking water from a public facility, by a Muslim man on June 6 (Tuesday) just outside the eastern city of Lahore, the Pakistan Christian Post (PCP) has reported.

Nasir Ashraf, the Christian mason was working at the construction site of a school. The trouble for him began while he was returning to the site. Confronting him with anger the Muslim man asked him as to why he drank water from the public facility by using a glass that was placed at the water tank.

“Why did you drink water from this glass since you are a Christian?” the PCP quoted the Muslim man as asking Nasir.

“The man accused the mason of polluting the glass and proceeded to destroy it. The Muslim man then summoned a crowd by shouting, “This Christian polluted our glass,” and encouraged them to beat him up”, the PCP report said.

“The crowd began beating Nasir, eventually pushing him off a ledge. The fall dislocated his shoulder, broke his collarbone in two places and knocked him unconscious,” it said.

A Growing Number of Iranian Women Are Being Prepared to Be Executed by Public Stoning

A 37 year old woman by the name of Ashraf Kalhori is scheduled to be publicly stoned in two weeks.

More here:
www.news.faithfreedom.org

Lawyers and human rights organizations are pleading for the life of Asharf Kalhori, accused of adultery and condemned to be stoned. The regime aggravates cruel death penalties to create more tension with the west.

More here:
www.asianews.it

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION TO SAVE ASHRAF'S LIFE

“Heart full of sorrow”, pope urges prayer and effective action in Middle East

At a special audience for ministrants, Benedict XVI condemned the massacre in Qana and the “spilling of innocent blood from whichever part it comes”. He called on 35,000 altar servers to be “witnesses” of nearness to Jesus, and to heed calls to the priesthood.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – With “a heart full of sorrow” and the “chilling images of mangled bodies of so many people, especially children,” before his eyes, Benedict XVI appealed once again for prayers “for the dear, martyred region of the Middle East”, for more effective commitment from the international community for an “immediate cessation of all hostilities” and for “conditions for a definitive political solution to the crisis”.

Recalling in particular the massacre in Qana in Lebanon, the pope said: “I wish to repeat that nothing can justify the spilling of innocent blood, no matter from which part it comes!”

Benedict XVI emphasized that only a “definitive political solution to the crisis” will be capable of “delivering a more serene and safe future for generations to come”.

For the full article go to : www.asianews.it

Korean evangelicals defy bans to march for peace in Kabul

Despite objections from Seoul and the Afghan government, the march is set to take place from 5 to 8 August. The South Korean Foreign Affairs Ministry has dispatched an emergency team to Afghanistan.

Kabul (AsiaNews) – Around 1,000 South Korean evangelical Christians are currently in Afghanistan to take part in a “peace march” scheduled to be held from 5 to 8 August in Kabul. The event has been organized despite advice to the contrary and concern expressed by the Afghan and Korean governments.

The rally is being organized by the Institute of Asian Culture and Development (IACD), a religious-cultural umbrella organization of 900 Protestant denominations. This is the same group that held the “Jerusalem 2004” march in the holy city to call for “peace through prayer between Israelis and Palestinians”.

The Foreign Affairs Minister of Seoul has sought “in all ways” to convince the organizers to drop the rally. His Afghan counterpart even forbade visas to South Koreans asking to enter the country. An official of the Kabul government said: “This is a Muslim nation and the presence of Christian activists could offend many people. We have told the organizers but they are not listening to us.”

For the full article go to: www.asianews.it

Bangalore: Christians pray against religious persecution

by Nirmala Carvalho

This meeting is the first of its kind in the country. Participants include seven widows whose lost their husbands to violent persecution and over 150 pastors who are victims of it now.

Bangalore (AsiaNews) – India’s “persecuted” Christians are meeting today in Bangalore for the first ecumenical meeting “of prayer and testimony” in the nation’s history. The participants include seven widows whose husbands were killed for their faith and over 150 pastors who have been, or still are, persecuted for their faith in Christianity. The theme of the meeting is: "Thorns…and a crown".

For the full article go to: www.asianews.it

A new regional conflict brews in the Horn of Africa.

By Ed Beavan

AS THE crisis in the Middle East dominates the headlines it is easy to forget there are other regions in the world where tensions are close to boiling point that could easily escalate into full-blown war.

With daily updates on the conflict between Israel and Lebanon on our TV screens, you could be forgiven for not knowing that Somalia, a country situated in the Horn of Africa with a long history of internal strife and instability, is on the brink of war with its neighbour Ethiopia.

The route from independence
Somalia, which borders Ethiopia and Kenya, has a population of around 10 million people and has been blighted by years of civil war, famine and drought leading to the death of a million of its inhabitants.

Somalia became independent from British rule in 1960, but has been without an effective government for almost 15 years after the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991. Lawlessness has been rife during that period with rival clans waging war against one another, while in the early 1990s the north-west of the country declared itself the self-proclaimed the state of Somaliland, and has since enjoyed a period of relative stability.
Somalia is almost 99.9 per cent Muslim and the small number of Christians in Somalia have been heavily persecuted with many being killed.

Dr Khataza Gondwe, Advocacy Officer for Sub-Saharan Africa for the Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) Group, is keeping a close eye on the situation in Somalia, and said: “I don’t think Somalia has been forgotten about as there is still the al-Qaeda angle which means it is always on the agenda, but it’s a place people don’t want to get involved in because there is so much lawlessness, and after the failure of the previous American intervention.
“At the moment is it extremely worrying, things are bubbling up and it’s hard to see a solution, as the Islamic Courts have such momentum and object to an EU or UN peace force, while the transitional government is so weak.”

Persecution widespread
Dr Gondwe also explained the horrific situation for Somalian Christians, many of whom have fled to Kenya because of the high levels of persecution. She said: “The situation for Christians is awful, the one thing Somalians agree on is ‘let’s kill Christians’.

“Any Somalian who claims to be a Christian is an apostate, and Christians face serious persecution or death. “ Only recently we heard about three Christians who were shot dead as they came back from an international prayer meeting in Mogadishu. “Meanwhile a Christian family had their house set on fire, with the mother and daughter who survived suffering serious burns.

For full article go to : www.churchnewspaper.com

Prayer Request for Persecuted Christians

Mrs. Ratna, Mrs. Eti and Dr. Rebekka
Indonesia
Arrested: May 2005
Days Imprisoned: 443

"Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisners,and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." ---Hebrews 13:3,NIV

Hundreds of men and women are in prison serving sentences that range from a few months to life. They are not criminals who have robbed or murdered other citizens but Christians who were put on trial for their faith in Christ and found guilty.

Through extreme pressure and threats against witnesses, the accused, the judges and the courts to ensure favorable verdicts, such as in the case against three ladies, Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti and Ratna Bangun, running a Sunday School called “Happy Sunday” where on September 1, 2005 , they were found guilty in the Indramayu Court, West Java, of “deceitful conduct, a series of lies and enticements to seduce children to change their religion against their wills”. Their crime was to run a Sunday School in an area infested with prostitution. The Sunday School began as part of the local church program for the Christian children.

One elderly Muslim women, a former prostitute whose daughter was also a prostitute, did not want her grandchildren to go down the same path, asked the three ladies to accept her grandchildren in their program. They accepted. These children told other children what a great time they were having. More Muslim children came. The three ladies told them they had to have family permission which they obtained.

Once the radical Islamic Council (MUI) heard about it they had the ladies put in prison.

Each court session they trucked in hundreds of young radicals, many who carried weapons into the court, even took over the court threatened witnesses, the accused and the judges. They even brought a coffin to the court and said that if they did not get a satisfactory verdict then they would take over, dispense Islamic justice and bury the women. They were duly convicted and have now begun a three year term of imprisonment. This is terrorism of the judicial process and a perversion of justice.
The irony of this case is that the women launched the “Happy Sunday” children’s program in September of 2003, in response to a request by a local elementary school for assistance to meet legal requirements to comply with the National Education System Bill.

TRIAL -VIDEO

Please pray for protection and spiritual strength for Mrs. Ratna, Mrs. Eti and Dr. Rebekka while they are in prison.

Over the last several years there have been over 150 churches destroyed or closed down in Jakarta and throughout the island of Java. From May to July ,2005 , there have been 60 churches closed down, mainly in West Java. This escalation is part of the process to implement Islamic Shariah Law. In this recent escalation, samurai wielding Islamic radicals, accompanied by Government officials and Police, and with letters of authority from the Mayor and Chief of Police have broken into churches in the middle of services, demanded the pastor stop preaching and ordering him and the congregation out of the church and forcing the pastor to sign a statement that the building would no longer be used for Church services.

Indonesian Province Embraces Islamic Law

BANDA ACEH,(Indonesia) — Across this most religious of Indonesia’s provinces, brown uniformed policemen in black wagons enforce Shariah, or Islamic law. They haul unmarried couples into precincts and arrest people for drinking or gambling. Increasingly, many of the cases are pushed to the ultimate conclusion, public canings at mosques in front of pumped-up crowds.

In mid-July, a 27-year-old man sentenced to 40 lashes fainted on the seventh stroke of a rattan cane from a hooded man in the yard of a mosque here in the provincial capital.

The caning was televised nationally, with an announcer reporting that the man, who had been arrested for drinking at a beachside stall, would receive the remainder of his punishment once he had recovered.

Battered by the Asian tsunami 19 months ago, Aceh is undergoing a profound transformation that is likely to have considerable impact on the nature of Islam in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country.
For full article go to: www.nytimes.com

Appeal for Mideast Peace

"So That They Immediately Put Down Their Weapons"

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, (Zenit.org.) - Here is a translation of the prepared text of the address Benedict XVI gave today before reciting the midday Angelus with the people who gathered at the summer papal residence in Castel Gandolfo.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Two days ago, my stay in the Aosta Valley finished, I came directly here to Castel Gandolfo, where I intend to remain until the end of the summer, with a brief interruption in September for the apostolic visit to Bavaria. I wish, first of all, to address my affectionate greetings to the ecclesial and civil community of this beautiful town, where I am always happy to come to.

I cordially thank the bishop of Albano, the parish and the priests, as well as the mayor and municipal administration and the other civil authorities. A special thought goes to the directorate and personnel of the pontifical villa, as well as to the police, whom I thank for their valuable service.

Moreover, I greet the many pilgrims who, with their warm presence, contribute to making evident, also in the homier atmosphere of this summer residence, the universal ecclesial dimension of this, our appointment for the Marian prayer.

In this moment I cannot help think of the situation, ever more grave and more tragic, that the Middle East is going through: hundreds of dead, many wounded, a huge number of the homeless and refugees; houses, towns and infrastructure destroyed; meanwhile, hatred and the desire for revenge grow in the hearts of many.

These facts demonstrate clearly that you cannot re-establish justice, establish a new order and build authentic peace when you resort to instruments of violence.

For full article go to ZENIT.ORG

Bombs Silence Catholic Radio in Lebanon

BEIRUT, Lebanon, (Zenit.org.) - Radio MNS, an Arabic Catholic radio station, was one of the many means of communication recently silenced by Israeli bombs in Lebanon.

"The station functioned without interruption since its creation 12 years ago," said the radio's founder, Marie Sylvie Buisson, in statements to ZENIT.

Radio MNS was partially destroyed by bombs Sunday of last week, as were numerous Lebanese means of communication.

Buisson explained that the radio had broadcast prayer and the Mass in Arabic 14 hours a day, and "covered Lebanon, Syria, southern Turkey, eastern Iraq, northern Palestine and Jordan."

She said that she hopes that, after the current crisis in Lebanon ends, the radio will find financial support "to begin again its apostolate, which makes the Word of Christ present in this delicate region of the world."

The radio station, whose president is Melkite-Greek Archbishop Joseph Kallas of Beirut and Jbeil, has the approval of the Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops of Lebanon.

IRAN: ANOTHER BELIEVER ARRESTED

By Elizabeth Kendal
World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (WEA RLC)
Special to ASSIST News Service

AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- On 24 July, an Iranian Christian named Issa Motamadi was imprisoned on account of his faith. French internet news site VoxDei reports that Issa Motamadi, a resident of the north-western town of Resht, the capital of Gilan Province, will soon stand trial before a Revolutionary Tribunal. (Link 1)

Sources with knowledge of the situation request prayer for Issa, his wife Parvah – both converts to Christianity – and their young son. They also appeal to human rights and religious liberty organisations, and request that they intercede for Issa Motamadi to their Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

While Issa Motamadi has been accused of apostasy, it is likely that a non-religious charge will eventually be leveled against him in order to prevent accusations of religious persecution. Article 23 of Iran's Constitution states: "The investigation of individuals' beliefs is forbidden, and no one may be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief." (Link 2)

Allegedly, Issa and Parvah came to the attention of the authorities around seven months ago when they decided to give their newborn son a Biblical, Christian name. Sources explain that this is interpreted as a sign of irrevocable rupture with Islam as it demonstrates that the child is born to Christian parents, to be identified as Christian from birth – he is one who cannot be accused of apostasy.

According to reports, Mr Baghani, a secret service official with responsibilities for minorities, advised that Issa should renounce his faith and return to Islam, for only then will he be free. He said the judge will not accept any other solution. He also intimated that it may take several executions before Iranians actually comprehend the reality of the consequences of apostasy.

There have been rumors that the authorities may also move to arrest Parvah and falsely accuse her of drug trafficking. Issa's mother, who is not a Christian, is deeply traumatised by these events. The family is in desperate need of a lawyer courageous enough to advocate with conviction for Issa and Parvah's constitutional religious rights.

There is great concern that President Ahmadinejad may escalate persecution of Christians, especially converts, while the conflict in the Levant absorbs the world's attention.

Those appealing for advocacy for the Motamadis would like Iran's leaders to be reminded that 14 centuries ago a group of fugitive Muslims fled persecution from the Quraysh in Mecca to seek refuge in Christian Abyssinia (Ethiopia). In Abyssinia the Muslim refugees appealed to the Negus (Emperor) for asylum and religious liberty on the grounds of what they said were the affinities between Islam and the Abrahamic religions. Their cause was heard and the Negus refused to hand the Muslims over to the Quraysh, even though the Quraysh offered prolific bribes and gifts. So the Muslims lived in Christian Abyssinia under the protection of the Christian Negus, in peace and with full religious liberty.

The Abyssinian experience is repeated widely around the world today. For example, multitudes of Shiite Muslims who fled persecution in Iraq during the rule of Saddam Hussein have found both refuge and religious liberty in the "Christian" West.

Yet today, Issa Motamadi is holed up in an Islamic prison in Rasht, wrongfully accused and separated from his family and loved ones simply on account of his devotion to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Creator of the world.

www.assistnews.net

Christians in Nigeria plan a 50 million people march

JESUS DAY, instead of boxing day. This is how it should be!!! :)

By By Paul Okwuobi – Corresponding Assistant to Dr. Herbert Eze
Special for ASSIST News Service

LAGOS, NIGERIA (ANS) -- December 26, is known as boxing day all over the world. But that date may no longer be known by Christians in Nigeria as boxing day, rather it will be regarded as JESUS DAY, if the plan for a JESUS 50 Million People March every December 26 succeeds. This march is being organized by World Rescue Ministries International (WORMINT). It is hoped that every church that calls the name Jesus will participate in the nation wide marching.

This kind of event has some similarities in the past though not exactly in the form of marching. Another difference is that this time the anticipated number of participants has swelled, making the planning more elaborate and painstaking. Pictured: a cross- section of some Christians in Lagos during a special event.

In 1984, the visioner of WORMINT, Prince Ben Ukadike received a revelation from the Lord as to the power in the name JESUS. In response, he produced stickers inscribed with the name JESUS and also made several billboards bearing the name JESUS. Those were sited at strategic locations all over Lagos.

Speaking during a recent press briefing at the International Press Center, Lagos, Nigeria Ukadike enthusiastically revealed that he shared the vision with the late Rev. Dr. Odunaike, former General Overseer of Four Square Gospel Church in Nigeria. That led to the kick-starting of a project known as UNITED JESUS EASTER RALLY (UJER). The rally brought Christians of various chosen centers all over Nigeria. There were ten such centers in Lagos alone.

Christian bodies such as Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and prominent Christian leaders including the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa were involved with the rallies. It held on Easter Mondays, and culminated in the shouting of the name JESUS into the air at the various rally centers throughout the country at exactly 12 noon.

Christians in Nigeria are imagining and discussing what it would look like if 50 million people wear JESUS T-Shirts, JESUS caps and carry JESUS flag. The name JESUS would be inscribed in red color against a white background. In Lagos, former capital city of Nigeria, for example, cars and buses with the sticker – JESUS is fast becoming a common sight. To compliment these are the JESUS banners, JESUS vehicles, JESUS T.V. slots, JESUS radio shouts, JESUS newspaper slots and JESUS Internet pop ups. And this looks like evangelism strategy unprecedented, besides the unity that this development would definitely foster amongst the various church denominations in Nigeria.

Great Idea!!! :)

For full article go to:
www.assistnews.net

US ark builder hopes to visit Christchurch's ark

By John McNeil of Challenge Weekly, New Zealand
Special to ASSIST News Service

CHRISTCHURCH, NZ (ANS) -- An American pastor who is building a full-scale Noah’s Ark at his church hopes to visit the Christchurch couple who have completed theirs.

Richard Greene began his project in 1976 in the small town of Frostburg, Maryland, after a series of dreams in which he saw a large ark located on a hillside and people coming from all over the world to visit it.

The ark is being built to the specifications of Noah’s original – 137m long, 23m wide, and 13m high. Once completed, it will house a Christian school, Bible college, 1500-seat auditorium, conference facilities, a Noah’s Ark historical room, counselling centre, and facilities for radio and television.

Two things Pastor Greene has in common with the original Noah is the length of time the project is occupying, and the mocking of passers-by.

More here: www.assistnews.net

One Ethiopian Man Found the Lord Through Music

Mohamed* (26), his whole family and every member of his tribe used to belong to the Islamic religion. At the age of fifteen, Mohamed* was able to recite the Qur’an - that meant that he was not allowed to change to another religion.

Everyone he knew was proud of him, yet he could not rid himself of an empty feeling that he carried around within himself.

True to the Ethiopian culture, Mohamed* had great appreciation for all kinds of music and singing, but he found that the Islamic music bored him. Somehow Mohamed* came in contact with Christian music and his heart was touched by it. He secretly sneaked away on Sundays to attend Christian celebration services. The fellowship that accompanied the music moved Mohamed*.

None of the Christians who attended these celebration services paid much attention to Mohamed*, therefore none of them shared the Gospel with him. God merely touched Mohamed’s* heart through music.

During one of these services, the Holy Spirit moved him, an altar call was made and he got up to make the ultimate decision.

Mohamed* was one of seven children and the eldest son.

His family and friends noticed some changes in Mohamed’s* life and they confronted him. Once they learned that Mohamed* converted to Christ, they tried to kill him and he had to flee.

For the full article go to:
http://www.opendoorsusa.org/

Survey: Indonesians for religious violence

An Indonesian survey indicates more than 40 percent of people in the country are ready to use violence against those seen as threatening Islam.
The results of the survey by the Center for Islamic and Social Studies, or PPIM, showed 0.1 percent of respondents admitted participating in attacking Christian churches operating without official license, while 1.3 percent had used "intimidation" against those they believed blasphemed Islam.
"The percentage looks very small, but it is very high in its real figure when you note that 85 percent, or 200 million, of the country's 230 million population are Muslims," The Jakarta Post Friday quoted PPIM researcher Jajat Burhanudin as saying.

The study involved 1,200 subjects in 30 of Indonesia's 33 provinces, and was conducted between 2001 and 2006.
According to the results, 43.5 percent were ready to wage war against threatening non-Muslims, 40 percent would use violence against blasphemers, while 14.7 percent said they would tear down churches without permits.
"This condition has helped terrorists easily recruit new comrades and makes the country a fertile ground for sectarian radiclism," Burhanudin said.
He said a study on the reasons for the attitudes found that Islamic teachings and Islamicism contributed significantly to domestic and public violence in Indonesia, something which other scholars denied.
"The more Muslims give their support for certain Islamic teachings legitimizing the use of violence, the more violence will happen," he said.
Burhanudin said that between 30 percent and 59 percent of respondents approved of the amputation of a hand as penalty for thievery, death by stoning for rapists and other features of traditional Islamic law, the newspaper reported.

http://washingtontimes.com