“'This Christmas as we celebrate what we have, let us not forget that we too are celebrating the birth of a refugee who had nothing but gives us everything,” White wrote on his Facebook page. “As we delight in what we can give to people this Christmas let us not forget what this Christmas is really all about the time when this refugee child comes to all of us as the one who leads us to God and offers us the most wonderful gift possible this Christmas...'”
"...Forced to leave Baghdad for fear of terrorist activity, Canon Andrew White delivered his annual Christmas message from Bethlehem this year, according to Christian Today.
“'This Christmas as we celebrate what we have, let us not forget that we too are celebrating the birth of a refugee who had nothing but gives us everything,” White wrote on his Facebook page. “As we delight in what we can give to people this Christmas let us not forget what this Christmas is really all about the time when this refugee child comes to all of us as the one who leads us to God and offers us the most wonderful gift possible this Christmas...'”
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U.S. Congressmen Call on Egyptian Government to Release Jailed Christian Convert
Letter Highlights Torture, Lack of Process for Egyptian Citizens to Change Religious Affiliation 12/19/2014 Washington, D.C. International Christian Concern International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that nine members of the United States Congress today sent a letter to the Egyptian attorney general calling for the immediate release of Bishoy Armia Boulous, a Coptic Christian convert from Islam jailed by Egyptian authorities since December 3, 2013. The letter, led by Congressman Gus Bilirakis of Florida, states that Bishoy was jailed on charges "clearly related to his religious conversion" and that he has "reportedly been harassed and physically attacked on several occasions by officials of the Tora Prison in South Cairo."Sent to Attorney General Hisham Barakat and President el-Sisi, the letter goes on to say, "The dropping of all charges against Mr. Boulous and his swift release will help to demonstrate not only your administration's commitment to equal protection under the law...but that millions of men and women across Egypt need not fear government prosecution simply for choosing to change their religious beliefs." Bishoy, formerly known as Mohammed Hegazy, gained widespread domestic and international attention in 2007 when he became the first known Egyptian citizen to sue the Egyptian government for refusing to change the religious affiliation listed on his identification card from Muslim to Christian. Soon after the suit became public, several Islamic religious leaders called for Bishoy's death. He was subsequently detained and tortured by Egyptian authorities on several occasions while his wife and children were eventually forced to flee the country. In 2009, Bishoy was charged with blasphemy, or "defaming Islam," a charge that has since been renewed. Bishoy's next hearing is set to take place on December 28. With only a few exceptions, all Egyptian citizens must have their religious affiliation listed on their identification card. This affiliation determines what laws apply to certain citizens and the enrollment of children in religious classes. While it is technically legal for any citizen to change this affiliation, in practice only citizens converting to Islam are issued new documentation. The letter is also signed by Congressman Trent Franks of Arizona, co-chair of the International Religious Freedom Caucus and one of Congress' strongest remaining advocates on behalf of persecuted religious minorities. ICC's Advocacy Director, Isaac Six, said, "This letter could not be more timely. For years Bishoy has suffered unimaginable hardship because of his courageous decision to demand a simple freedom that should be guaranteed, namely the right to change one's faith. We applaud these members of Congress for taking a strong stance on behalf of Bishoy and echo their call for his swift release. How can the Egyptian government claim to protect its citizens' rights to freedom of belief when anyone who attempts to change their faith is refused official recognition and subsequently prosecuted and tortured? The answer is, they can't." The full text of the letter can be found by clicking on this link. For interviews, contact Isaac Six, Advocacy Director: Advocacy@persecution.org # # # You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference International Christian Concern (ICC) 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. "Would you take a moment to pray for Kenya’s believers? Amie Cotton withChristian Aid Mission, your link to indigenous missions, says al-Shabaab sympathizers are trying to drive Christians out of northern Kenya.
"Earlier this month, “36 quarry workers, who were known as Christians, were paraded out and killed. And one of our ministry leader’s friends — it was one of their sons. They had to bury their son,” Cotton shares. "Churches in the region are closing down, and many Christians are relocating to Army barracks; some are vowing never to return. “'Despite all of this, we still have reports that ministry is ongoing in multiple cities,” says Cotton..." "These days are very cold here. My small space beside the window is without glass making most nights unbearable to sleep. The treatment by fellow prisoners is also quite cold and sometimes hostile...The guards can't even stand the paper cross that I have made and hung next to me as a sign of my faith and in anticipation of celebrating my Savior's birth. They have threatened me and forced me to remove it. This is the first Christmas that I am completely without my family; all of my family is presently outside of the country. These conditions have made this upcoming Christmas season very hard, cold and shattering for me. It appears that I am alone with no one left beside me.”
Abedini discusses the conditions of Jesus’ birth and then writes about what Christmas means for Christians. "Christmas means that God came so that He would enter your hearts today and transform your lives and to replace your pain with indescribable joy. “Christmas is the manifestation of the radiant brightness of the Glory of God in the birth of a child named Emmanuel, which means God is with us. “Christmas is the day that the heat of the life-giving fire of God’s love shone in the dark cold wintry frozen hearts and burst forth in this deadly wicked world.” Pastor Saeed Abedini Writes Christmas Letter from Prison to Family by Carrie Dedrick, Editor Christian Headlines ACLJ.org
Christian Couple Burned Alive Remembered by Pakistan's Vulnerable Christian Community
By ICC's Pakistan Correspondent 12/17/2014 Washington, D.C. International Christian Concern Forty days after the grisly murder of a Christian couple from the Kasur district in Pakistan, the Christian community, led by religious leadership and human rights organizations, gathered and honored the Christian couple, as a community, on December 12, 2014. The incident took place on November 4, when the couple was beaten by a large mob and burned alive in a brick kiln after being accused of committing blasphemy. This incident has shaken Pakistan's Christian community to the core with many demanding the government do more to protect the future of the country's vulnerable Christian population. A Christian Couple Remembered The ceremony, which took place in a Catholic Church, was attended by over 150 individuals. The participants attended the prayer service wearing black ribbons on their arms as a sign of mourning and remembrance. They offered prayers, stood silent for a minute and lit candles in front of the images of the murdered couple. The ceremony's speakers condemned the incident that took the couple's lives, shared their views on prevailing religious extremism and mob violence against Christians, and urged the government to take stricter action against those who misuse Pakistan's controversial and often abused blasphemy laws. Shama Bibi, age 28 and five-months pregnant, and her husband, Shahzad Masih, age 32, were burned alive in a brick kiln in Kot Radha Kishan, (Chak # 59), a locality in the Kasur district, nearly 35 miles north of Lahore. A mob of hundreds of enraged Muslims murdered the Christian couple after they were accused of burning pages of the Quran. The couple's murder left their four children, age seven to two, orphaned. International Christian Concern (ICC) learned on the day of the incident that a cleric in Kot Radha Kishan had announced through a mosque's loudspeaker that a Christian couple had desecrated the Quran. After the accusation was made, hundreds of Muslim villagers gathered at a brick kiln where the Christian couple was said to be located. They reportedly dragged the couple from a house they were hiding in, beat them brutally and threw them into the kiln after dousing them with petrol, burning them alive. According to facts collected by ICC's correspondent, the Christian couple worked at the brick kiln owned by Mr. Muhammad Yousaf Gujjar. Local sources claimed the Christian couple resisted attempts to convert to Islam, despite attractive offers being made to them. In reaction to this resistance, the local Muslims accused them of setting pages of the Quran on fire, which resulted in their brutal murder. Calls For Justice And Reform Talking to ICC, Fr. Cecil Paul of the Nai Zindgi Welfare Foundation said, "It is on record that [for] almost three decades, clerics have been misusing the mosques' amplifiers for instigating [the] Muslim community to attack the Christians. Violence against Christians in Pakistan is increasingly rapidly, therefore government should take affirmative action to ensure [the] freedom of religion and protection of minorities in the country." Protests and demonstrations followed the killing of the Christian couple in many cities across Pakistan. The participants in these demonstrations demanded justice, protection for minorities and a repeal of the blasphemy laws. While taking part in a protest rally, Sister Genevieve, a nun and the National Coordinator of Pakistan Catholic Women's Organization, condemned the "brutal behavior" of Muslims involved in murdering the Christian couple. She urged the authorities to ensure the protection of Christians and their places of worship. She further demanded that the misuse of blasphemy laws be stopped. Mr. Peter Jacob, a senior human rights activist, condemned the violence against the Christian couple when he talked to ICC. Jacob said, "The current legal system promotes violence in the name of the religion." He urged the authorities to ensure protection and dignity of every individual and stop the misuse of blasphemy laws in the country. Mr. Farooq Tariq, General Secretary Awami Workers Party, also condemned the incident stating, "The Christian couple was brutally tortured to death by the local Muslims. It was [a] shameful act not only for the people of Pakistan, but for the followers of Islam as well." Where Does Pakistan Go From Here? According to data collected by DIGNITY First, fifty eight people have been killed by mob violence after blasphemy allegations have been made in last twenty seven years. Also, about 1,440 people of different faith backgrounds have been accused of blasphemy in Pakistan since the laws were put in place. A high level inquiry team, put together by the Chief Minister of Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif, has termed the Christian couple innocent and has urged strict punishment for the perpetrators of this heinous crime. Chief Minister Sharif visited the family of the deceased Christian couple and announced a compensation of five million Pakistani Rupees and 10 acres of land for the orphaned children; however, no action has been noticed in this regard. Global outrage towards the Kot Radha Kishan Christian couple's killing also shocked several right-wing political parties and religious clerics in Pakistan. Pakistan Ulema Council, condemned the killing of the Christian couple, while chief of another religious-political party, Jamaat-e-Islami, also visited the family and termed this violence unprecedented, un-Islamic and inhuman. According to local sources, the District Police Officer submitted a report to the Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding the incident. Forty-three people were arrested in connection with the incident shortly after it took place. Out of that number, thirty nine have been released on bail. The remaining four were remanded, interrogated and sent into judicial custody last month. Since this brutal murder, many Christians and other religious minority groups have sensed a growing feeling of insecurity in Pakistan. Instances of violence directed against Pakistan's religious minority communities continues to increase each year with false blasphemy accusations being the justification for many of these attacks. Is there a future for Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan? Only time will tell. For interviews, contact William Stark, Regional Manager for South Asia: RM-SAsia@persecution.org # # # You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference International Christian Concern (ICC) 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. "The United States has a new State Department advocate for religious liberty overseas.
"The U.S. Senate confirmed David Saperstein as ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom in a 62-35 roll-call vote Dec. 12. Saperstein, a long-time proponent of global religious liberty, has been director and counsel of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism for more than three decades. "Saperstein's confirmation ended a 14-month long vacancy during which religious freedom advocates urged first President Obama, then the Senate, to fill the post at a time when people of faith and America's reputation as a defender of religious liberty were suffering increasingly around the world. "The Southern Baptist Convention's lead religious freedom advocate thanked the Senate for its action. "'In this hour, we need all the diplomatic and intellectual energy we can muster on these issues of human rights and global security," Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), said. He said Saperstein will have his "full cooperation and support in the cause of protecting religious freedom around the world." "Obama's selection of Saperstein evoked misgivings from the ERLC, as well as other pro-life and religious freedom organizations, because of the nominee's liberal stances on domestic issues such as abortion and gay rights. "Saperstein's assurances since his nomination have helped satisfy concerns, said a leading advocate for overseas religious liberty. "Saperstein won conservatives' support "by assuring them that he will advocate for religious freedom for all religious groups, including those that might oppose him on issues such as abortion or same-sex marriage (no easy undertaking in an administration that has mounted assaults on domestic religious groups over those very issues)," wrote Thomas Farr in a mid-November blog post. Farr is director of the Religious Freedom Project at Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs..."
Taliban Kills 126 Students and Teachers in Assault on School in Peshawar, Pakistan
Peshawar's Christian Community Offers Prayers and Solidarity 12/16/2014 Washington D.C. International Christian Concern International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Taliban militants stormed the Army Public School and Degree College in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar, provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing an estimated 126 students and teachers and wounding another 120. The attack is now considered one of the deadliest attacks perpetrated by the Pakistani Taliban and has shocked both the nation and the world. The assault started at around 10 a.m. this morning, when at least six militants wearing military uniforms entered the school through a back door and began shooting indiscriminately at both students and teachers. A spokesman for the provincial government has claimed that 126 bodies have been recovered from the school so far and that 120 additional students and teachers were wounded and seeking medical treatment at Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar. He also said that most of the slain were teenagers. In a statement, the Pakistani Taliban has taken credit for the assault on the school, claiming it was an act of revenge against the Pakistani army due to its military operations in North Waziristan that began last June. Pakistan's Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, denounced the assault on the school as a "cowardly act" and vowed to continue military operations against the Pakistani Taliban. The attack on the Army Public School and Degree College comes just one year after the Pakistani Taliban perpetrated the suicide bombing of Peshawar's All Saints Church, widely considered the single deadliest attack on Pakistan's Christian community in the country's history. On September 22, 2013, two suicide bombers connected to the Pakistani Taliban detonated their bombs outside the gates of All Saints Church. The church had just concluded its Sunday service and over 600 members were exiting the church when the bombs exploded. Over 100 churchgoers were killed in that attack, which the Taliban claimed was revenge for the U.S. drone program in Pakistan. In an interview with ICC, Bishop Humphrey Peters, the bishop of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), condemned the attack on the school. He said, "This is an inhuman act and the Christian community stands with the grieved families. All the churches will keep praying for the victims and will visit the families." Bishop Peters also announced that Christians throughout the province and FATA should cancel all Christmas celebrations, dinner parties and other holiday programs to show solidarity with the victims of this attack, the majority of whom are Muslim. Gushan Bhatti, former provincial joint secretary of the Awami National Party, expressed deep sorrow over the incident. After visiting the school and hospital, he shared the situation with ICC. He said, "It was highly painful and unbearable to see the situation and meet parents." He also requested Christians avoid high-scale celebrations at Christmas. ICC's Regional Manager for South Asia, William Stark, said, "Religious extremism and terrorism continue to tear at the social fabric of Pakistan. This latest attack comes as a reminder that extremists in Pakistan, like the Pakistani Taliban, are willing to commit any act of violence to establish their ideology. Along with Pakistan's Christian community, ICC condemns this attack and offers prayers of condolence for the families affected. Over a year has passed since Pakistan's Christian community was shattered by the bombing of All Saints Church. Like that incident, the extremists and militants have targeted the innocent and vulnerable. More must be done by Pakistan's government to secure the safety of its people and end the reign of terror directed by the Taliban." For interviews, contact William Stark, Regional Manager for South Asia: RM-SAsia@persecution.org # # # You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference International Christian Concern (ICC) 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.
"Islamic State's self-declared police force in western Syria decapitated four men after accusing them of blasphemy, a rights group monitoring the Syrian conflict said on Saturday.
"The men were beheaded in the countryside east of the city of Homs by the militant group's "Islamic Police", the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said..." "...Residents and activists say Islamic State has beheaded and stoned to death many people in areas it controls in Syria and Iraq for actions they see as violating their reading of Islamic law, such as adultery, homosexuality, stealing and blasphemy..."
"As a 17-year-old convert to Christianity living in Pakistan, Ali (not his real name) was stabbed in the chest and left for dead by Muslims upset he had rejected their faith.
"When he fled to England, his assailants tracked him down and threatened him. "A chance meeting with an Anglican priest led to temporary lodgings with a Christian family interested in offering refuge to Christian converts from Islam. “'I can’t tell you where I live — not the town, not even which part of the country,” Ali said. “I want friends but am nervous about forming friendships in case, at a moment’s notice, I have to move house again.” "Ali, 23, works part-time at a supermarket. He is among dozens of ex-Muslims living in safe houses, most of them created by the nonprofit Christian Concern, a London-based organization that wants to infuse British society with a biblical worldview. "There are over 2.8 million Muslims in England and conversions are few. But Christian Concern hopes British families will open their homes as well as their hearts to ex-Muslims whose lives may be at risk..."
Convictions Overturned, Two Iranian Christians Free, Additional Charges Dropped Against Third Christian
Six Year Prison Sentences Overturned for Christians Matthias Haghnejad, Silas Rabani and Benham Irani 12/15/2014 Washington, D.C. International Christian Concern International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that an Iranian court has overturned six year prison sentences given to three Christian men in October for charges of political crimes for being members of a Christian church. Matthias Haghnejad and Silas Rabani were both released from custody. Benham Irani has served four years of a separate six year sentence, but had the additional six years that were added to his case removed.The final hearing took place on December 9, before the Karaj Revolutionary Court and the ruling was delivered on Sunday, December 14 overturning the conviction and releasing two of the three accused. Matthias and Silas are released now and home with their families, Jason DeMars, president of Present Truth Ministries, told ICC after talking with friends who had spoken directly with the two men. The final status of the cases was not entirely clear as there was potential for a probationary period to be placed on the men, but for now they are free, DeMars said. The three men were represented by Vahid Moshkani Farahani who, at a previous appeals hearing, argued that "people cannot be sentenced on political charges for simply belonging to a religious fellowship," Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported. The charges against the men were "crimes against national security" and "forming a network to overthrow the government," according to DeMars. Previously, the three were charged with religiously based crimes of "spreading corruption on earth" (Mofsed-e-filarz) and "enmity against God" (Moharebeh), crimes that carry the possibility of the death penalty and for which people are regularly executed. Christians are most often charged with crimes against national security, such as those brought against American Saeed Abedini who is serving an eight year prison term. DeMars spoke with Kristina Irani, Benham's wife, who reported her relief that the additional years were not added to Benham's sentence. Also, had the new charges been added, Benham would have been relocated to the southern city of Zabol, but this was overturned. He will continue to be held at Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, where his family is able to visit Kristina was able to see her husband briefly at the hearing and said that he looked fine. "He was doing well," she told DeMars, but he has faced lingering health issues that have caused concerns during his prison time. "We are very thankful for the prayers and the action the Christians have taken to speak out on their behalf and to intercede for them before the Lord," DeMars told ICC on Monday. ICC Regional Manager Todd Daniels said, "It is encouraging to see the Iranian judicial system rule on the merits of the case, rather than simply exploiting the system as a means of persecuting religious minorities, as is regularly the case. It is a fundamental aspect of religious freedom to be able to meet together with others who share your beliefs. For too long, the Iranian regime has treated such meetings as a threat to national security. The judicial system should uphold the commitments made by the Iranian government both in its constitution and in International Agreements to provide religious freedom for its citizens and should end the prosecution and unjust imprisonment of Christians for nothing more than practicing their religious beliefs. We continue to call for the full release of Pastor Benham Irani, Saeed Abedini, and the dozens more who are imprisoned unjustly." For interviews, contact Todd Daniels, Regional Manager for the Middle East: RMME@persecution.org # # # You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference International Christian Concern (ICC) 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. |
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