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5 Linfen Church Leaders Sentenced to Labor Camps Without Trial
by Staff
December 3, 2009
SHANXI, China, (christiansunite.com) -- On November 30, five more church leaders from Linfen Church, Shanxi, were each sentenced to two years re-education through labor, in an arbitrary administrative sentence by the Public Security Bureau which circumvents the court and prosecution systems. The sentence allegedly took effect November 11th, while they were already detained.
The five Christian leaders included Mr. Li Shuangping, Ms. Yang Hongzhen, Ms. Yang Caizhen (whose husband, Yang Xuan, received three years sentence on Nov. 25), Ms. Gao Qin (a.k.a. Gao Fuqin), and Ms. Zhao Guoai. Among the five, ChinaAid confirmed three members' two-year re-education through labor sentences through their family members--including Yang Caizhen, Yang Hongzhen and Mr. Li Shuangping. The other two members' sentences were confirmed indirectly by Linfen-Fushan church leaders, since their family members were being held under severe government surveillance.
The five church leaders were accused of "gathering people to disturb the public order, " referring to the one-thousand-believer prayer rally held on September 14 for the victims of the midnight attack on Fushan Church. 17 church buildings were destroyed and over 30 believers were seriously wounded during the unprecedented mob attack on September 13.
According to a witness, Ms. Yang Caizhen was seen being beaten severely during an interrogation. One of her front teeth was knocked out during an interrogation, and Ms. Yang is reported to look very fragile.
Government authorities asked the prisoners' family members to sign the Notification-to-Family-Member sentence document, but refused to give them official copies. They claimed the church leaders themselves had received the documents while held in detention (a procedure which violates Chinese law). The family members of Yang Caizhen, Yang Hongzhen and Li Shuangping all signed the notification papers respectively. All ten Linfen church leaders plan to appeal.
"To arbitrarily send five innocent citizens to labor camps directly violates the international human rights covenants and norms the Chinese government has signed and even ratified, " said ChinaAid President Bob Fu. "This case shows the Chinese government is determined to be on the wrong side of history by clenching its power with suppressing the basic freedom of religion and conscience for Chinese citizens. We call upon the international community to hold these rights abusers accountable."
source: http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion08796.shtml
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Christian from Muslim background martyred in Somalia
by Staff
December 2, 2009
(christiansunite.com) - The body of a 23-year-old Somali convert from Islam to Christianity, Mumin Abdikarim Yusuf, was discovered on the morning of November 14 in Mogadishu's Yaqshid district.
On October 28, members of al-Shabaab, an Islamic militant group, apprehended Yusuf and searched his home for Christian materials after a 15-year-old Muslim boy accused Yusuf of trying to convert him to Christianity. In an attempt to extract evidence against him and to gain information about other Somali Christians, the militants knocked out all of Yusuf's front teeth and broke several of his fingers.
They then shot him twice in the head and discarded his body on an empty residential street. Since it is unknown whether Yusuf disclosed any information during his torture, the underground Christians who knew him have relocated for their safety. Yusuf's Muslim family members are also in danger as militants have accused them of failing to report his conversion to Christianity. (Source: Compass Direct)
Pray for all those mourning the death of this brother in the Lord. Pray for safety for the relocated believers. Pray that Yusuf's faithful witness will be a testimony to his Muslim family members and that they will turn to Jesus for their salvation.
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion08795.shtml
December 2, 2009
(christiansunite.com) - The body of a 23-year-old Somali convert from Islam to Christianity, Mumin Abdikarim Yusuf, was discovered on the morning of November 14 in Mogadishu's Yaqshid district.
On October 28, members of al-Shabaab, an Islamic militant group, apprehended Yusuf and searched his home for Christian materials after a 15-year-old Muslim boy accused Yusuf of trying to convert him to Christianity. In an attempt to extract evidence against him and to gain information about other Somali Christians, the militants knocked out all of Yusuf's front teeth and broke several of his fingers.
They then shot him twice in the head and discarded his body on an empty residential street. Since it is unknown whether Yusuf disclosed any information during his torture, the underground Christians who knew him have relocated for their safety. Yusuf's Muslim family members are also in danger as militants have accused them of failing to report his conversion to Christianity. (Source: Compass Direct)
Pray for all those mourning the death of this brother in the Lord. Pray for safety for the relocated believers. Pray that Yusuf's faithful witness will be a testimony to his Muslim family members and that they will turn to Jesus for their salvation.
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion08795.shtml
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Europe agrees to recognize Palestinian state
Israel's Ha'aretz daily newspaper reported on Tuesday that a resolution to be discussed and probably approved at a meeting of European Union foreign ministers next week calls for the establishment of Jerusalem as the capital of "Palestine," and grants recognition to a Palestinian state declared unilaterally outside the framework of a peace deal with Israel.
The controversial wording is being pushed by Sweden, though many EU representatives are believed to support it.
Palestinians lauded the report, and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman also lobbied the UN General Assembly on Monday to likewise recognize a unilateral declaration of independence by the Palestinian Authority.
The official was addressing the General Assembly on the anniversary of the 1947 vote on the UN Partition Plan, which recognized Jewish and Arab states west of the Jordan River. Israel accepted the vote, but the Arabs did not, and instead invaded the nascent Jewish state. Despite that fact, the UN marks the day as a day of mourning, and uses it to blast what it calls Israel's "illegal occupation."
Meanwhile, Israeli officials cried foul over the international community's willingness to accept dangerous unilateral Palestinian declarations just days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to a settlement freeze in order to get peace talks going again.
"After the important steps taken by the government of Israel to enable the resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians, the European Union must now exert pressure on the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table," read a statement released by Israel's Foreign Ministry.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=20073
The controversial wording is being pushed by Sweden, though many EU representatives are believed to support it.
Palestinians lauded the report, and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman also lobbied the UN General Assembly on Monday to likewise recognize a unilateral declaration of independence by the Palestinian Authority.
The official was addressing the General Assembly on the anniversary of the 1947 vote on the UN Partition Plan, which recognized Jewish and Arab states west of the Jordan River. Israel accepted the vote, but the Arabs did not, and instead invaded the nascent Jewish state. Despite that fact, the UN marks the day as a day of mourning, and uses it to blast what it calls Israel's "illegal occupation."
Meanwhile, Israeli officials cried foul over the international community's willingness to accept dangerous unilateral Palestinian declarations just days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to a settlement freeze in order to get peace talks going again.
"After the important steps taken by the government of Israel to enable the resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians, the European Union must now exert pressure on the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table," read a statement released by Israel's Foreign Ministry.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=20073
Netanyahu: We won't freeze settlements again
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday tried to drum up international pressure on the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table by warning that Israel's current settlement freeze is only temporary and won't be repeated.
Government inspectors began handing out stop-work orders at construction sites in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria on Monday in line with Netanyahu's decision last week to comply with international demands that Israel stop building homes for Jews in areas claimed by the Palestinians.
But while addressing an economics conference near Ben Gurion Airport, Netanyahu insisted that the 10-month time limit on the freeze is firm, and that he will never make such a gesture again if the Palestinians do not respond in a positive manner.
"This is a one-time and temporary decision," Netanyahu said. "Just as was written in the security cabinet decision, and just as I have made clear in both public and private meetings, we will go back to building at the end of the suspension."
But as most observers of the Middle East conflict know, once Israel makes a concession, international pressure makes it very hard to go back on it. Israel's current settlement freeze is likely to become a new red line for the Palestinians, and most Palestinian red lines have been happily accepted by the world.
Government inspectors began handing out stop-work orders at construction sites in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria on Monday in line with Netanyahu's decision last week to comply with international demands that Israel stop building homes for Jews in areas claimed by the Palestinians.
But while addressing an economics conference near Ben Gurion Airport, Netanyahu insisted that the 10-month time limit on the freeze is firm, and that he will never make such a gesture again if the Palestinians do not respond in a positive manner.
"This is a one-time and temporary decision," Netanyahu said. "Just as was written in the security cabinet decision, and just as I have made clear in both public and private meetings, we will go back to building at the end of the suspension."
But as most observers of the Middle East conflict know, once Israel makes a concession, international pressure makes it very hard to go back on it. Israel's current settlement freeze is likely to become a new red line for the Palestinians, and most Palestinian red lines have been happily accepted by the world.
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