12 Weeks of Battles and 421 Arrests for Chinese House Church

And the mayhem in China continues as the government rails, persecutes and opposes my Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ. They should be in the prayers of every one of us true Christians (words in Italics are mine).

6/28/11 China (BaptistPress) - In a show of solidarity, Shouwang Church's illegal outdoor public worship service welcomed members of other house churches June 26, and 15 of them were arrested in the 12th straight week Shouwang has defied the Chinese government's demands not to meet.

It was not year clear how many of the arrests were members of Shouwang Church and how many were members of other house churches, but it was yet further proof that the confrontation is spreading to other house churches. ChinaAid, a group that monitors religious freedom in China, reported the latest figures.

Shouwang Church, one of the largest house churches in Beijing, has tried to meet in a city public square for three straight months after the government forced it out of its indoor facility.

Failing to meet together, church members say, would place them in disobedience to Scripture. The church's stance has served to inspire Christians worldwide.

Hmmm, what Scripture would my brethren be talking about?? Oh yeah, here it goes:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:24-25

"Our constant plea before God is, if it is in accordance with his will, to open up a path for the church at an early date, so that this battle can come to an end as soon as possible," the church said in a statement in mid-June that was translated on ChinaAid.org. "But, up to now the battle rages on."

Many more Shouwang members likely would have been arrested Sunday had police not placed most of the members under house arrest since Friday, preventing them from even leaving their house. The church has nearly 1,000 members. All the church's leaders have been under house arrest for weeks, and some members have lost their jobs and been forced from their homes as the government pressures employers and landlords.

Shouwang is not a legal, registered church. In China, only churches that are members of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement and registered with the government are considered legal. But registration brings heavy restrictions, including prohibitions on evangelism, Sunday School and baptizing children and teens, said Bob Fu, president and founder of ChinaAid, which has been covering Shouwang's stance.

Members of the Three-Self Patriot church once again worked with police, talking to the Shouwang members to try and get them to stop meeting. In a statement in mid-June, the church said it would not join the Three-Self movement.

"We would like to reiterate here that Shouwang Church is a house church that exalts only Jesus Christ as Lord; regardless of whether it is today or some time in the future, [we will] never join any non-church government entity," the church said. (Source)

Iranian Christian faces immininent death for apostasy and evangelism

Pray that our brother in Christ isn't put to death.

TEHRAN, Iran (Worthy News) — An Iranian pastor, convicted of apostasy and sentenced to death, may have only hours or days to live, according to a US-based Christian ministry acquainted with the facts of his case.

Jason DeMars, of Present Truth Ministries, told ANS: “We have been notified that the conviction of brother Youcef Nadarkhani for apostasy, as well as the sentence of death, has been upheld and confirmed by the Iranian Supreme Court.

“The way that this situation is typically handled is that at any time, and without advance notice, they will carry out the death sentence. First, they will ask him to recant, and if he does not, then he will be executed.”

DeMars says: “There is nothing more to be done to help his case from within Iran. The only thing that can affect his case now is international pressure.

“I ask that each of you earnestly pray and follow what God calls you to do. We know that we are called to be faithful unto death and that many are killed for their faith everyday around the world, but as Christians let’s do what we can for Youcef, pray for him and raise our voices against the Iranian regime.”

Youcef Nadarkhani is 33-years-old and from Rasht, in the Gilan province of Iran.

For the past ten years he has been a pastor in a network of house churches. He was previously imprisoned in December of 2006, the charges being apostasy (leaving Islam for Christianity) and evangelism (spreading the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ), but was released two weeks later.

Youcef is married and has two sons, ages 8 and 6. They were attending a local school when the government decided that all children should be taught about Islam, including those from Christian families.

Youcef went to the school and protested this based on the Iranian Constitution, which allows for freedom to practice religion. As a result, the secret police called him before the political tribunal in Rasht, Iran on October 12, 2009. At that time he was arrested, charged for protesting, and has been in prison in Lakan (which is seven miles south of Rasht) ever since. Later the charges were changed to apostasy and evangelism to Muslims.

DeMars told ANS that throughout this time he has had access to an attorney, and has been allowed visits from his wife, children, and friends.

“However, for the first month in prison and two weeks before his trial up until now the visits and meetings with his attorney have been limited. They have used various methods to try to convert him back to Islam, including giving him pills, apparently in an attempt to claim that he was insane.”

Because Youcef’s faith remained strong, Iranian authorities decided to arrest his wife in order to place more pressure on him. On June 18th, Fatemah Pasindedih was arrested and placed in prison in Lakan.

DeMars said: “During this time their boys went to live with a relative. Both Youcef and his wife Fatemah were threatened by authorities that their children would be taken away and given to a Muslim family.

“Youcef was not swayed to turn back to Islam, so his wife was put on trial without an attorney, and sentenced to life in prison. An attorney was later hired and the sentence appealed. The sentence and conviction were overturned and she was released.”

On September 21 and 22, 2010, Youcef was put on trial, and verbally given the sentence of death. A written verdict was delayed and then delivered, on November 13, 2010, by the 1st Court of the Revolutionary Tribunal. He is to be executed by hanging for the crime of apostasy. Twenty days are allowed to appeal the sentence with the Supreme Court of Iran.

DeMars said Youcef is now in the secret police security prison in Lakan. He has been held in solitary confinement. Recently he has been allowed visits from his attorney and wife once a week.

DeMars concluded: “Please contact your elected officials using the principle of the Importunate Woman of Luke 18:1-8 who had the judge listen to her because she continued to bother him. Please help us as we tirelessly fight against this conviction against our brother.

“It is critical that we continue to pray for Pastor Youcef and make our voices heard. Please reach out to your elected officials and to the international news media so that Youcef’s fate will come to light.”

For anyone who wants to know about the death penalty in Islam, see this video from my brother in Christ David Wood:

The Face of Persecution in Indonesia

Hmmm. Now where did these Indonesian Muslims get the idea that they should be persecuting my brothers and sisters in Christ? Oh here it goes:

Qur’an 9:29--- Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

Qur’an 9:30--- And the Jews say: 'Uzair (Ezra) is the son of Allah, and the Christians say: Messiah is the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouths. They imitate the saying of the disbelievers of old. Allah's Curse be on them, how they are deluded away from the truth!

Qur’an 9:73—O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination.

Qur’an 9:111—Surely Allah has bought of the believers their persons and their property for this, that they shall have the garden; they fight in Allah's way, so they slay and are slain; a promise which is binding on Him in the Taurat and the Injeel and the Quran; and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah? Rejoice therefore in the pledge which you have made; and that is the mighty achievement.

Qur’an 9:123—O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil).

Qur’an 47:35—Be not weary and fainthearted, crying for peace, when ye should be uppermost: for Allah is with you, and will never put you in loss for your (good) deeds.

Qur’an 48:29—Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves.

Sahih Muslim 33—The Messenger of Allah said: I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and they establish prayer, and pay Zakat and if they do it, their blood and property are guaranteed protection on my behalf except when justified by law, and their affairs rest with Allah

Sahih al-Bukhari 2785—Narrated Abu Hurairah: A man came to Allah’s Messenger and said, “Guide me to such a deed as equals Jihad (in reward).” He replied, “I do not find such a deed.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 2796—Narrated Anas: The Prophet said, “A single endeavor (of fighting) in Allah’s cause in the afternoon or in the forenoon is better than all the world and whatever is in it.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 2810—Narrated Abu Musa: A man came to the Prophet and asked, “A man fights for war booty; another fights for fame and a third fights for showing off; which of them is in Allah’s Cause?” The Prophet said, “He who fights that Allah’s Word (i.e., Allah’s religion of Islamic Monotheism) be superior, is in Allah’s Cause.”

This is the type of persecution our Indonesian brethren in Christ are facing. Pray for them!!!!

Sudanese Military, Militias Kill Christians in South Kordofan

The Good News: All the persecution of my Southern Sudanese brethren in Christ will end on July 9th. The Bad News: The persecution of my Northern Sudanese brothers and sisters in Christ will only increase on July 9th. They will be in my prayers.

 6/27/2011 SOUTH KORDAFAN, SUDAN (CNTN) is reporting that military intelligence agents killed one Christian, and Islamic militants sympathetic to the government slaughtered another last week after attacking churches in Sudan's embattled South Kordofan state.

Refugees waiting in a internally displaced persons camp after fleeing the fighting in Sudan's South Kordofan state

CDN said that Christian sources have said that a Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) Intelligence unit detained Nimeri Philip Kalo, a student at St. Paul Major Seminary, on June 8 near the gate of the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) in Kadugli's al Shaeer area and shot him in front of bystanders. Kalo and other Christians were fleeing the town after Muslim militias loyal to the SAF attacked and looted at least three church buildings in Kadugli, they said.

"Armed conflict in Kadugli broke out between southern and northern militaries on June 6 after northern forces seized Abyei last month," the CDN story continued. "On June 8, Islamic militants loyal to the SAF slaughtered a young Christian man by sword in Kadugli Market, the sources said.

"Adeeb Gismalla Aksam, 33, was a bus driver whose father is an elder with the Evangelical Church in Kadugli. The Islamic militias were heard shouting 'Allahu-akbar' (God is greater) as they began shooting at a Roman Catholic Church building the same day. No one was hit by the bullets shot at the building from the outside, but SAF agents arrested the Rev. Abraham James Lual in front of his congregation. Authorities took him to an unknown location and tortured him for two days, a priest said."

The story added that the SAF and Islamic militias on June 8 also set fire to buildings of the Episcopal Church of Sudan and the Sudanese Church of Christ in Kadugli, sources said.

"The churches and pastors were directly targeted," said the Rt. Rev. Bishop Andudu Adam Elnail.

There are unconfirmed estimates of more than 53,000 people displaced due to the fighting in Southern Kordofan between the northern army known as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) of Southern Sudan, according to the UN humanitarian wing.

Media reports say that fighting, including bombardments and artillery shelling, has been reported in 11 of 19 localities in Southern Kordofan state, and fighting has been reported in Unity state in Southern Sudan, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said.

Some of the internally displaced persons (IDPs), as well as local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and UN staff, have taken refuge outside the compound of the UN peacekeeping mission (UNMIS) on the outskirts of the Southern Kordofan capital of Kadugli. (Source)

Egyptian Court Dismisses Muslim Case Against Christian Woman

Wow, seems like there is some hope for my persecuted Egyptian brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.

06/29/2011 Egypt (AINA) -The Egyptian administrative court of the State Council dismissed today the lawsuit filed by Muslim lawyers, demanding the disclosure of the whereabouts of Camilia Shehata, the wife of a Coptic priest, who was alleged to have converted to Islam and held against her will by the Coptic Church. In reaching its decision, the court said the Muslim lawyers failed to provide proof to support their claim of the detention of Camilia by the church.

Camilia's attorney, Dr. Naguib Gabriel, said "The only thing the Muslim lawyers delivered as proof for their claims were snippets of newspapers from the Internet."

The case lasted over four months, during which Dr. Gabriel submitted as proof unequivocal documents that Camilia was never detained by the church and she never converted to Islam as alleged. Among the documents was a power of attorney from Camilia for him to represent her at court.

"This was issued by the public notary, by a Muslim employee and in which she wrote "Christian" beside her religious affiliation, while she could have easily written Muslim instead." said Gabriel. "If she was really detained by the church, she could have asked for help from the employee when she went to the notary," he added. Also, a certificate from Al-Azhar stating that she never converted to Islam was presented as evidence.

The prosecution also heard the testimony of Bishop Armiya, secretary to Pope Shenouda III, who denied the church had detained her. It also took the testimony of Anba Agapios, Bishop of Deir Mawass, Minya Governorate, who also refuted the charge.

Previously, the court had responded to the Muslim lawyers' demands regarding Camilia's conversion to Islam, saying the issue was the beliefs of people, but whether there was a detainment or not.

. . .

"Today's court ruling closes the curtain on one of the most famous and difficult cases in Egypt." said attorney Dr. Gabriel.

. . .

The story of Camelia Shehata, which became a public issue for the last 11 months, started on July 19, 2010, when after a dispute with her husband, Father Tedaos Samaan, priest at St. Georges Church in Deir Mawas, she left home and went to Cairo to stay with relatives, without telling anyone of her whereabouts.

. . .

Her husband, believing she was abducted by Muslims, like many other cases, came with some 3000 Copts from his congregation to protest her disappearance at St. Mark's Coptic Cathedral in Cairo (AINA 7-23-2010").

State Security found her a few days later and handed her over to her sister who lives in Cairo. She later reconciled with her husband and the family has lived in hiding ever since, as Muslim demonstrations started to take place, demanding the return of "their sister in Islam, Camelia."

Faked photos of Camilia in a Hijab appeared on the internet and over 20 demonstrations were staged by Muslims, accusing the church of abducting new converts (females) to Islam and holding them against their will in churches and monasteries, where they were tortured (AINA 9-18-2010).

Camilia appeared in a video clip from her hideout, taken under utmost security by the independent daily El-Youm7, in which she denied ever converting to Islam (video). The Muslims said it was not Camilia but was her double who appeared, and carried on with their demonstration, the last of which was on April 30, when they encircled the Coptic Cathedral and the Pope's residence vowing that "Camilia must return" (AINA 4-30-2011). (Source)

Egypt Christians and Muslims in Violent Clashes Over Church Construction

Of course, the Muslims don't want my Egyptian brethren to build or construct churches. It would be a breach in the Pact of Umar ( a pact designed by Umar ibn Al-Khattab) which was designed make sure my brethren "feel themselves subdued. (Sura 9:29)"

6/25/2011 Egypt (Christian Post) – Fighting has broken out Saturday between Christians and Muslims in Egypt following a dispute about the building of a new church. According to a local security official a group of Muslims from the Awlad Khalaf village gathered together at the site where the construction of a new church was taking place.

The Islamic mob demanded that the church be torn down as the construction was illegal. The group even brought in bulldozers to try and destroy what had been constructed so far. According to AP, fighting then broke out between the two groups and gunshots were fired. Initial reports indicate that three Muslims suffered gunshot wounds, and a Christian also sustained stab wounds. At least one of those injured was in a serious condition in hospital.

Until now, constructing new churches has been hindered by a complicated process which involves receiving permission directly from the president. Some Christians have waited years before receiving permission to build a new church.

Attacks against Christians and churches in Egypt have been a common occurrence over the past 12 months. (Source)

Egypt could lift burdens on building new churches

6/22/2011 Egypt (Catholic News Agency) – Egypt’s burdensome regulations on church-building could be removed under new government proposals which one local bishop says would mark a “major step forward for the citizenship of Christians” and a vindication of the public protests begun on January 25.

“What we are seeing here is one of the first fruits of the demonstrations back in January. When the Christians demonstrated, they asked for their rights and the first right they demanded was the construction of churches,” said Coptic Catholic Bishop Kyrillos Kamal William Samaan of Assiut.

“Everybody knows that this has been a big problem for the Christians. Many moderate people have recognized it,” Bishop William told Aid to the Church in Need.

He said more than half of the problems Christians face will be resolved if they make progress on this issue.
“If these proposals come into law, it could mean that building churches will be almost on the same level as constructing mosques,” the bishop added.

Egypt’s 10 million Christians face strict church construction rules which are frequently cited as one of the most serious forms of anti-Christian oppression. The laws presently require presidential permission to build churches, an approval process which causes delays of years or even decades. If the proposed change takes place, the proposals would go before the regional governor for a decision within three months.

Permission for two churches in his diocese in Upper Egypt had come through before the January 25th revolution that drove President Hosni Mubarak from office. Applications for another three churches have been approved in the last few weeks. Only one application from the diocese is outstanding and a decision on that is expected soon.

However, the proposal to change the restrictions is controversial for some Muslim groups, including Salafists and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist political movement which was tightly controlled by President Mubarak’s government. (Source)