On Monday, Pastor Saeed's wife Naghmeh and I will have a tremendous opportunity in the fight to free an American pastor from Iranian torment and imprisonment.

We will appear before the United Nations (U.N.) Human Rights Council to raise Pastor Saeed's case.  Representatives of some of the world's most powerful nations will be directly facing Naghmeh, hearing her story first-hand.

It is not only an opportunity to urge international action for Pastor Saeed – a U.S. citizen – but  to directly confront Iran about its violation of human rights.  Read more about our efforts at the U.N.

But we need your help.  I know each of you have signed our petition at SaveSaeed.org,  but we still need more than 1,000 signatures this weekend to reach our goal of 600,000 to present to the U.N.

Forward this email.  Share the petition on Facebook.  Tell your friends.  Every signature can help save a life.

Jordan Sekulow
ACLJ Executive Director

Read Trial of Teacher Characterizes New Wave of Blasphemy Charges Against Christians in Egypt at persecution.org.





"Abdel Nour is a Christian teacher in Egypt. Three of her students accused her of “insulting Islam” during a social studies lesson. This seems to have started a trend of blasphemy charges against Christians in Egypt. Christian teachers are now living under constant fear that they may be accused of the same blasphemy. Nour is currently in hiding with lawyers and local activists fighting on her behalf."

Read Christian Woman in Uzbekistan Sentenced to
Corrective Labor for Owning Religious Literature at persecution.org.




"Sharofat Allamova is a protestant woman from Uzbekistan. Her sentence is a year and a half of corrective labor for “illegal production, storage, import or distribution of religious literature”. She has been given a low paying job for the state and is required to pay 20% of her salary back to the state. Allamova is also not permitted to travel outside of Uzbekistan. Two raids of her house will be permitted in January."

In 10 days, we are taking American Pastor Saeed Abedini's case back to the United Nations (U.N.).

The ACLJ's legal team will be heading back to the U.N. to present Pastor Saeed's case before the Human Rights Council.

Our argument is simple: Iran is violating international human rights laws, imprisoning Pastor Saeed – a U.S. citizen – for his faith and withholding critical medical care.

This is an opportunity to directly confront Iran for its atrocities.

But we need to hear from you and everyone you know.  Help us reach 600,000 signatures for Pastor Saeed.

Sign the Petition to Save Saeed.

If you are one of the nearly 590,000 who have already signed, share this critical petition at SaveSaeed.org today.

Jordan Sekulow, ACLJ Executive Director

"K.J. Thomas, a 65 year old Indian Catholic priest was murdered in a coffee room at the seminary where he teaches. There were sounds heard during the night by others and a suspected intruder but there was no action taken. Weeks after the murder police have no information about the criminals or why they may have murdered this priest. A police station is located right next to the seminary with top investigators yet no investigation has gone underway. The church is pressing the forces to resolve the case."

Read Police Slow to Investigate Murder of Indian Catholic Priest at persecution.org.

Nigeria
Mission Network News

"The Boko Haram kills an influential Christian leader as Nigeria's downward spiral continues. Open Doors USA spokesman Jerry Dykstra says, "Reverend Faye Pama Musa was killed on Tuesday. He's Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Borno state." That same day, President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno state and two other states. Dystra says Musa's assassination is a bad sign coming from the Boko Haram. "In the past they've targeted Christian churches, but now they're targeting individual pastors." Ask the Lord to comfort Reverend Musa's family. Pray that peace would come to Nigeria. Pray also for Nigeria's president. "He is a Christian, and we need to pray that he'll have wisdom. As things just seem like they're snowballing and snowballing, he really needs our prayer." Go to MissionNetworkNews.org for more ways to help."

Read Boko Haram Kills Borno CAN Secretary at Mission Network News.

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #241
Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org  |  E-mail: icc@persecution.org
 
Media Contact:  William Stark, Regional Manager for AfricaRM-AfricaAsia@persecution.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
 Christian Leader in Northern Nigeria Gunned Down in His Home
Boko Haram Militants Suspected Behind the Brutal Slaying

5/16/2013
Washington D.C.
International Christian Concern

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Rev. Faye Pama Musa, Secretary of the Borno state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), was shot dead at his home in northern Nigeria on May 15. According to reports, Rev. Faye Pama was followed home by suspected Boko Haram militants after concluding an evening Bible study at his church. Age 47, Rev. Faye Pama is survived by his wife and three children.

"Rev. Faye Pama was killed last night," Rev. Titus Dama Pona, chairman of CAN's Borno chapter, told Morning Star News on May 16. "I am right now with his family, and they are still consulting on what next to do." 

After following Rev. Faye Pama home, the gunmen climbed over the pastor's fence and broke into his house. The gunmen then dragged the pastor out of his home and shot him outside. According to Morning Star News, the pastor was shot in front of his daughter, who followed the assailants outside begging for her father's life. 

Rev. Faye Pama was murdered only hours after Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in three of Nigeria's northern states, including the pastor's home state of Borno. This declaration was precipitated by a recent surge in violence perpetrated by Boko Haram. 

In a 2007 interview, Rev. Faye Pama said he would not leave Borno state even though it was the epicenter of Boko Haram's insurgency. Both an outspoken critic of discrimination against Christians in northern Nigeria and a leader of CAN, Rev. Faye Pama was an ideal target for Boko Haram militants. "Being in that position and being so vocal, he must have been a marked man," Mark Lipdo, Director of the Stefanos Foundation, told the Christian Broadcasting Network.   
 
Since 2009, Boko Haram has been engaged in an armed insurgency in Nigeria's northern states, attempting to carve out a separate Islamic state where it can institute its radical brand of Sharia law. It is estimated that the Islamic extremist group is responsible for the murders of over 4,000 people. The group has specifically targeted Christians for some of its most terrible attacks. 

ICC's Regional Manager for Africa, William Stark, said, "Innocent Christians in northern Nigeria continue to be targeted for some of Boko Haram's most heinous acts of violence. These attacks are meant to terrorize the Christian minority that have yet to flee Nigeria's north. The recent surge in violence perpetrated by Boko Haram shows that the group is ruthless and not going away any time soon. Nigeria's declaration of a state of emergency will likely not bring an end to the violence, similar tactics have had little success in the past. The U.S. continues to neglect the violence in northern Nigeria and has still not designated Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Group or Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern in regards to religious violence. Without decisive action from both Nigeria and the international community, Christians and critics of Boko Haram will continue to be slaughtered."

For interviews, contact William Stark, Regional Manager for Africa:  RM-AfricaAsia@persecution.org

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You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference ICC (International Christian Concern) and include our web address, www.persecution.org. ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church.  For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441.