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2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #241
Washington, D.C. 20006

www.persecution.org  |  E-mail: icc@persecution.org

Media Contact: Cameron Thomas, Regional Manager for Africa RM-Africa@persecution.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Christian Mother to be Released to Nurse Newborn Before Being Executed
Sudan Foreign Ministry Announces Intention to Release Meriam Yahia Ibrahim from Death Row for Two Years Before Carrying Out Sentencing

05/31/2014
Washington, D.C.
International Christian Concern

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that, according to an official in Khartoum, the government of Sudan intends to release Meriam Yahia Ibrahim, a mother of two and wife to an American citizen, from death row for two years to nurse her newborn daughter, Maya, before carrying out her death sentence. 
Under-secretary Abdullahi Alzareg of Sudan's foreign ministry told the BBC Saturday that Sudan "guaranteed religious freedom and was committed to protecting the woman."

According to both the BBC and The Washington Times, Sudan intends to release Ibrahim for a period of two years prior to carrying out her death sentence. No mention has been made as to whether Ibrahim's sentencing to 100 lashes for committing adultery in the eyes of Sudan's El Haj Yousif Public Order Court in Khartoum, will also be stayed until after the two-year period.

Likewise, the terms of Sudan's alleged intention to release Ibrahim from her cell at the Omdurman Federal Women's prison remain unclear as of the issuance of this release. No mention was made of the Sudanese government's intention to place Ibrahim under house arrest or to restrict her ability to travel freely.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman for the United Kingdom (U.K.) told The Guardian Saturday, "We are aware of and urgently seeking clarification from the Sudanese authorities of reports that Meriam Ibrahim, the mother facing the death penalty in Sudan, is to be freed."

According to The Telegraph, "A foreign ministry spokesman said that Meriam Ibrahim would be released and not face further charges." As Ibrahim will remain sentenced to death regardless of her being or not being released, it remains unclear as to what "further charges" the spokesman may or may not have been alluding to.

Ibrahim was arrested and detained by Sudan's Public Order Police on February 17. She was subsequently charged with adultery and apostasy on March 4 and was convicted of both charges on May 11. Upon being convicted, Ibrahim was allotted three to days to publicly recant her Christian faith or face sentencing. On May 15, Ibrahim refused to recant her faith and was sentenced to 100 lashes and death by Judge Abbas al-Khaleefa after stating before the court, "I am a Christian, and I will remain a Christian."

As of the issuance of this release, Ibrahim, her 20-month old son, Martin and Maya, her daughter born in the prison's hospital wing at 3:30 am May 27, remain imprisoned. Ibrahim's husband, Daniel Wani, a South Sudanese Christian, United States (U.S.) citizen and resident of New Hampshire, told the BBC that Martin's "attitude has changed a lot." He elaborated, saying, "He [Martin] used to be a happy boy. When I went there, he just looked at me. No smile."

ICC's regional Manager for Africa, Cameron Thomas, said, "We are incredibly relieved to hear that an official of the government of Sudan has come stated the administration's intention to release Meriam in the coming days. We will continue, however, to apply pressure to the Sudanese government to acquit Meriam of all charges, the only available action in line with its claim to guarantee religious freedom. We remained concerned for Meriam's, baby Maya's, and Martin's health and look to the international community for leadership in ensuring the Ibrahim's, if released, are provided proper medical care and any and all assistance to ensure their safe return to their husband and father. Today is Meriam's 104th day in prison, we pray that tomorrow the count will end."

For interviews, contact Cameron Thomas, Regional Manager for Africa:  RM-Africa@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.

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #241
Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org  |  E-mail: icc@persecution.org

Media Contact: Todd Daniels, Regional Manager for the Middle East RM-ME@persecution.org



Iraq's Persecuted and Shrinking Church
Are there signs of life following Iraqi Elections? 

05/31/14
International Christian Concern

The votes may be in for the Iraqi parliamentary elections, but the verdict is still out on the much-needed religious freedom in Iraq. As violence increases in the country, its Christian population continues to flee. In the past decade, more than a million Iraqi Christians have left the country. A broad coalition of nearly  300 religious leaders and activists, led by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) have expressed their solidarity with Middle East Christians.

With the sustained hostility towards Christians in Iraq, this election comes at a very important time in Iraq's history and a crucial moment for the Iraqi Church.

Unending Religiously Motivated Attacks

Iraq continues to remain a country in turmoil. In 2013, the death toll reached its highest level in five years, totaling nearly 8,000 civilians and over 1,000 members of the security forces, according to the UN. Much of the conflict has occurred along religious lines, as the country's Sunni and Shi'a groups battle for power and the Christians and other faith groups are left vulnerable as the targets for extremists on both sides.

The political unrest gives cause for concern regarding the government's ability to stop the attacks on religious minorities. "In the past year, the government failed to stem egregious and increasing violence by non-state actors against Iraqi civilians, including attacks targeting religious pilgrims and worshippers, religious sites, and leaders, as well as individuals for their actual or assumed religious identity," the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in its  2014 report on Iraq.

As instability grows, the violence towards Christians continues to remain high. On Christmas Day, twin blasts in the Baghdad neighborhood of Dora, one outside the St. John Catholic Church and the other in a predominately Christian market, claimed more than 35 lives, as ICC reported in December. Christians have had their homes seized by gangs with no recourse or support from the government to see the property returned. "We've received dozens of such cases" said William Warda of the Hammurabi Human Rights Organization. "Most of them are afraid of submitting complaints to the government, because they do not believe they can protect themselves if they file a lawsuit - they are fearful of being kidnapped."

During more than a decade of political turmoil in Iraq, Christians have been targeted and killed in their churches, school buses, neighborhoods, and shops. Canon Andrew White, vicar of the Anglican St. George's Church in Baghdad, has said "all the churches are targets."

These realities have Iraq listed as the fourth worst country in terms of Christian persecution according to the 2014 World Watch List. USCIRF has again recommend Iraq as a "Country of Particular Concern" for its lack of religious freedom. "The government has proven unable to stop religiously-motivated attacks and bring perpetrators to justice," its report stated.

Steps Forward with the New Government

Iraq's political situation has had a direct impact on the violence in the country. "The future and political stability together in Iraq continue to deteriorate and remains ominous," Joseph Kassab, the president of Iraqi Christians Advocacy and Empowerment Institute (ICAE), told International Christian Concern (ICC) Kassab. "We need leaders who care about Iraqis before themselves, their parties, and their interests," Kassab continued.

The party headed by current Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, received the most votes in the election, but now needs to bring together a coalition to establish a government. It is a task that could prove very challenging, as Reuters explains. Iraq is facing the challenge of trying to unite a population split along both ethnic and religious lines, and in the midst of it all, has witnessed the near extinction of Christians from the region.

Even among the Kurdish population in the north, what had been viewed as a safe haven for Christians is now in flux with talks of a referendum "on independence and separation from Iraq," writes Michael Knights. If a split were to happen, we could actually witness the extinction of the Christian demographic in Iraq, as the northern Kurdish providences hold the majority of the remaining Iraqi Christian population, just a fraction of what it was a decade earlier.

Will the Church Go Silent?

Iraq's Christians feel they have been left helpless and unprotected amidst the persecution. As Baghdad's Catholic Chaldean Patriarch Louis Sako recently cried out: "We feel forgotten and isolated. We sometimes wonder, if they kill us all, what would be the reaction of Christians in the West? Would they do something then?"

Canon White shared a similar story with a gathering of political and religious leaders, hosted by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) in Washington, D.C., who were gathered to pledge solidarity with the Christians of Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. "I walked into church the other day and my young people said to me, 'Has the world forgotten us? Has the world forgotten that we are there?'"

With nearly 300 religious leaders having signed the  Pledge of Solidarity and Call to Action, Canon White can tell his young people that "no, the world has not forgotten that they are there."

Though so many Christians have left, Joseph Kassab pointed to the unity that has come out of this persecution in the Iraqi church. "Iraqi Christians became united under the cross," he told ICC.

The violence against religious minorities and Christian persecution is a vital issue that the Iraqi government must work to address. As ICC continues to press for support and recognition on this issue, it is urgent to keep our brothers and sisters in Christ in prayer through this time of persecution. We must let them know the church has not forgotten them.

For interviews, contact Todd Daniels, Regional Manager for the Middle East: RM-ME@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.

Abedini Threatened With More Jail Time Over Fruitful Gospel Witness In Prison, Wife Says, by David Roach, Baptist Press







"Iranian authorities are threatening to extend the prison sentence of jailed U.S. pastor Saeed Abedini because he leads people to faith in Christ everywhere he is detained, Abedini's wife Naghmeh told Baptist Press.

"'I don't see him [witnessing] as an act of defiance," Naghmeh Abedini said. "Knowing Saeed's heart as a pastor, he's seeing people in such a dark place ... on death row for murders and rapes, and just seeing people who are in prison whose future is so dark. Knowing Saeed's heart, I know that his heart was to give them the hope that he's found in Christ that no one can take away, even in prison."

"Saeed Abedini, a U.S. citizen of Iranian descent, was sentenced in early 2013 to eight years in prison for his involvement in Iran's house church movement. Abedini used to live in Iran and was a leader of house churches before moving to America in 2005. He was arrested almost two years ago while on a trip to build an orphanage in the city of Rasht. Though the Iranian constitution officially recognizes Christianity as a minority religion, Christian converts from Islam have suffered brutal persecution at the hands of Muslim authorities.

"Naghmeh Abedini and the couple's two young children live in Idaho. They have not been allowed to speak with Saeed since he was arrested but have communicated through his family in Iran, who are permitted to visit him in prison for 20 minutes weekly.

"The American Center for Law and Justice reported May 20 that Saeed had been returned to prison after spending two months in a hospital to receive treatment for injuries inflicted by prison officials. He was severely beaten at the hospital before being returned to prison, ACLJ reported.

"Prison guards have told Abedini that they can and will increase his jail sentence unless he stops telling fellow prisoners about Jesus, Naghmeh told BP. She said some former Muslim prisoners who placed their faith in Christ through Saeed's witness have already received extended sentences..."

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #241
Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org  |  E-mail: icc@persecution.org




Christian Home Destroyed by Hindu Radicals in Kandhamal, India

William Stark, Regional Manager for South Asia

5/30/2014
Washington, D.C.
International Christian Concern

A Christian's home was destroyed by Hindu radicals in village of Budrukia located in the Kandhamal District of Odisha state in India. The incident took place on April 12, 2014 and was intended by the radicals to drive the Christian family out of the village once and for all.

In the middle of the night on April 12, Sirba Digal's house was completely destroyed for the third time in six years. Hindu radicals came to Digal three days prior to the attack and told him to stop the construction of his nearly completed home. They said, "We do not want a Christian presence in the village; you better leave or face the consequences."

Budrukia is one of the villages in the Kandhamal District hit worst by violence during the 2007 and 2008 anti-Christian riots that swept the area. The violence perpetrated in the Kandhamal District during December 2007 and August 2008 specifically targeted Dalit and tribal Christians. The results of both of these riots were devastating for Kandhamal's Christian community. Fifty-six thousand people were internally displaced, 5,600 homes, mostly belonging to Christians, were destroyed and almost 300 churches were burned down. Several Christian women, including a nun, were raped and about 96 people, again mostly Christian, were killed.

Digal, whose home was destroyed in the December 2007 anti-Christian riots, was given financial assistance through a housing initiative headed by the Odisha state government. Digal's family returned to their village two months after the riots and rebuilt their home. However, it was destroyed again in the August 2008 anti-Christian riots.

After the second attack, the family left the village and sought shelter with their relatives from another village, where they still remain. They had planned to return to their home village after the completion of their home, which was under construction and nearing completion. The destruction of their house came as a shock to the family for whom returning to their home village remains a dream. Unfortunately, the threats accompanying this most recent attack have left the family with little hope of realizing this dream.

Three people were arrested in connection to the incident, but were later were released on bail. Days after the release of the accused, on April 18, more than 10 Hindu radicals confronted Digal, threatening him and advising him to leave the village. This time, things were different. The radicals told him that they would kill him, accusing Digal of "land grabbing," in an effort to frighten him and the entire Christian community into fleeing the village.

The village of Budrukia has 15 Christian families currently living in it from various denominational backgrounds. The threats from the Hindu radicals to Digal and his family have many Christian families very concerned.   

Local Christian leaders are initiating discussions with the village authority to create peace between both parties and to reach to an amicable solution. Anti-Christian attacks by Hindu radicals continue to pop up creating fear and unrest among Christian communities in Kandhamal, leaving them hopeless and in unsafe situations. Persecution didn't end six years ago for Christians who continue to live in the state of Odisha. For them, to practice their faith in certain villages continues to be life threatening.

For interviews, contact William Stark, Regional Manager for South Asia:  RM-SAsia@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, D.C.-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.    

Oklahoma Governor Signs Pro-Life Bill That Closed Numerous Abortion Clinics In Texas, by Steven Ertelt, Life News



"Gov. Mary Fallin on Wednesday signed the bill that requires abortion clinics to have a physician with admitting privileges at a nearby hospital present when an abortion is done on an unborn baby.

"When the state of Texas clamped down on abortion clinics that could not follow basic health and safety standards and failed to ensure abortion practitioners had admitting privileges at local hospitals in cases where women are injured in botched abortions, abortion clinics closed down because they couldn’t comply. As many as 20 Texas abortion clinics have closed or stopping doing abortions.

"Now, Oklahoma is following suit.

"The pro-life bill will protect women by ensuring that abortionists have admitting privileges at a local hospital, which is a health and safety standard many abortion clinics who put women’s health at risk can’t meet..."

Nigeria's President Orders Full Scale Offense On Boko Haram, by Tim Cocks, Reuters





"Nigeria's president said on Thursday he had ordered "a full-scale operation" against Boko Haram Islamist militants and sought to reassure parents of 219 schoolgirls being held by the group that their children would be freed.

"Speaking on Nigeria's Democracy Day, Goodluck Jonathan said he had authorized security forces to use any means necessary under the law to ensure that Boko Haram, which operates in the country's northeast, is defeated.

'"I am determined to protect our democracy, our national unity and our political stability, by waging a total war against terrorism," Jonathan said in a televised speech.

"It was not immediately clear what such an offensive might entail, given that the northeast of the country has been under a state of emergency and a full scale military operation for a year. Nigerian forces are also hugely overstretched.

Chad's President Idriss Deby also used the phrase "total war" after neighboring West African states met in Paris in mid-May to seek a common strategy to fight the militants.

"'I assure you that Nigeria will be safe again and that these thugs will be driven away. It will not happen overnight, but we will spare no effort to achieve this goal," Jonathan said..."

Treatment of Christian Prisoners In Eritrea Is 'Barbaric,' by Cath Martin, Christian Today






"Eritrea recently marked 21 years of independence but for Christians in the country belonging to unregistered churches there is little to celebrate.

"Members of underground churches report that there are more than 1,000 Christians in prison for their faith.

"They have been behind bars for anything from a few months to over a decade.

"Some are released with a "stern warning" not to engage in religious activities of the "unregistered" churches, according to Release Eritrea.  

"One underground church leader said that fellow leaders taken to prison 10 years ago have still not been released and are suffering health problems in prison. 

"The church leader praised their faith but added that the suffering extended beyond the leaders in prison to their families..."

Church-State Clash In China Coalesces Around A Toppled Spire, by Ian Johnson, The New York Times





"For nearly a year, the Sanjiang Church was the pride of this city’s growing Christian population. A landmark in the fast-developing northern suburbs, its 180-foot spire rose dramatically against a rocky promontory. Wenzhou, called “China’s Jerusalem” for the churches dotting the cityscape, was known for its relaxed ties between church and state, and local officials lauded the church as a model project. Late last month, however, the government ordered it torn down, saying it violated zoning regulations. After fruitless negotiations and a failed effort by the congregation to occupy the church, on April 28 backhoes and bulldozers knocked down the walls and sent the spire toppling to the ground.

“'People are stunned,” said one member of the congregation, who asked that she be identified only by her English name, Mabel, out of fear of government reprisals. “They have completely lost faith in the local religious authorities.”

"This urban area of nine million in eastern China, nestled between rugged mountains and a jagged coastline, has moved to the center of a national battle with a Communist Party increasingly suspicious of Christianity and the Western values it represents. Since March, at least a dozen other churches across Zhejiang Province have been told to remove their crosses or have received demolition orders, a significant escalation in a party campaign to counter the influence of China’s fastest-growing religion..."

KAZAKHSTAN: Two Months Jail For Religious Meetings Without State Permission? by Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service





"Leaders of religious communities who fail to gain or choose not to seek state registration will face up to 60 days' imprisonment if the new Criminal Code now in the upper house of Kazakhstan's parliament is approved in the current form, Forum 18 News Service notes. Those who attend such communities could face up to 45 days' imprisonment. The new Administrative Code, now in the Senate, also appears likely to continue current administrative punishments for exercising the right to freedom of religion or belief. The new Criminal Implementation Code – also in the Senate – bans building places of worship in prisons. "Significant changes to these Codes are unlikely now at this late stage," one human rights defender lamented to Forum 18. Asked why provisions of these Codes restrict individuals' rights to freedom of religion or belief, Telegen Dertayev, a consultant on the Senate's Legal Committee, insisted to Forum 18 that "we have religious freedom.'"

Uncertain Fate Of Six Christian Detainees In Southern Tehran, Mohabat News





"A group of six Farsi-speaking Christians, who had gathered to celebrate Easter, were arrested about a month ago and are currently being held in custody with their fate unknown.According to Mohabat News, as a group of Christians had gathered in a house-church to celebrate Jesus' resurrection, Iranian security authorities raided the house where they had gathered and arrested six of those in attendance. Now, more than a month after the incident, their fate is still unknown.

"Those arrested are Ehsan Sadeghi, Nazi Irani, Maryam Assadi, Ali Arfa'e, Vahid Safi and Amin Mazloomi..."

"...The latest reports by Iranian Human Rights activists indicate that after persistent follow up by families of these Christian detainees, they were told that their loved ones are in the custody of the intelligence division of a military organization (possibly Revolutionary Guards), and only after their investigation is complete will they be able to contact them. Also, these families were strongly warned against publicizing this case, or "accepting any interviews by people they don't know..."

"...Now, more than a month after the incident, these Christian detainees have not even been officially charged and officials have refused to give a reason for their arrest..."