by Staff
March 26, 2010
(christiansunite.com) - Members of the Council of Churches Baptists in Uzbekistan have faced prison sentences and fines in recent weeks for refusing state registration, citing fears that it could lead to interference from the state. Unregistered religious activity in the country is banned, as is evangelizing, publishing unapproved religious literature, and attending religious meetings in private homes.
Tohar Haydarov (27), who was arrested on charges of producing or storing drugs, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Local Christians insist the case was fabricated to punish him for his religious affiliation. Tohar was found guilty on March 9 of the "preparation of a crime or attempted crime" and of the "illegal sale of narcotic or psychotropic substances in large quantities." Other Baptists were not permitted to testify on Tohar's behalf and the lawyer they hired for him was not allowed into the courtroom. Tohar has appealed the ruling and the case has been referred to the Regional Court. At last report, a date had not yet been set for his appeal.
Thirteen Christians in Almalyk have been fined 100 times the minimum monthly salary for conducting "illegal teaching of religious doctrines without a special authorisation from a central religious organisation". The Christians were each fined 3,768,000 soms (approximately $2,500 CAD) on February 23. The believers have issued a protest letter to the judge and the prosecutor's office, claiming that police committed over 60 violations of Uzbek law, including using excessive force, falsifying case files, denying them a lawyer and refusing to inform their relatives about their detention. (Source: Forum18)
source: http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09159.shtml
Friday, March 26, 2010
Egyptian security agents destroy church
by Ethan Cole, Christian PostPosted: Friday, March 26, 2010, 9:21 (GMT)
State security agents in the upper Egyptian city of Luxor destroyed an Anglican church and assaulted the church’s pastor when he tried to save the building last week.
Pastor Mahrous Karam of the Anglican Church in Luxor reported that he was still negotiating with city authorities about replacing the community center building on the church’s compound the day before the demolition occurred. Authorities said they were still considering the options, according to Karam.
But the next morning, March 18, without warning, hundreds of security personnel blocked the road leading to the church and dragged the pastor’s family out of their residence. The pastor’s wife, Sabah, said two men used force to remove her from the home, including slapping her face, pulling her by her clothes, and dragging her by her hair.
"They threatened that if I do not leave the place they would take my 3-year-old boy and throw him under the bulldozers which came for the demolition work," she told Freecopts. "Twenty traumatized children were dragged out of the attached nursery and thrown into the church hall."
All the family’s possessions were thrown in the street and they are now homeless.
"I believe they wanted to give us an Easter present, the way they gave the Copts of Nag Hammadi the Christmas Eve Massacre," she said bitterly.
Gunmen in several cars opened fired on Coptic and Eastern Orthodox Christians in Nag Hammadi who were celebrating their Christmas Eve on January 6. Six Christians were killed, mostly young men in their twenties, from the attack.
The Christmas Eve attack was the worst assault on Copts in Egypt since January 2000, when 21 Christians were killed in sectarian violence.
During last week’s persecution incident, Pastor Mahrous tried to save the buildings from being demolished by sitting on the church’s fence to block the demolition work, but he was beaten and dragged away.
The pastor said Christians simply want the same treatment as Muslims who build mosques and additions to their Islamic centers.
After the demolition, only a 400 sq metre prayer hall was left standing out of the nearly 3,000 sq metres of buildings attached to the church.
The governor of Luxor, Dr Samir Farag, claims the security forces seized only one room of the Anglican church and denied his personnel assaulted the pastor’s family.
"The Governor is lying, that is why the forces blocked the road leading to the Church before their attack, so that nobody would witness their doings,” said one Anglican witness, who was not identified. “But he forgot there is the Internet and cell phone videos to show the whole world the uncivilised way Egypt deals with Christians and their places of worship."
The Anglican Church in Egypt issued a statement on March 19 condemning the actions of Luxor authorities.
Egypt’s Christian population makes up eight to 12 per cent of the overall population.
Despite their sizeable number in the country, the Christian community in Egypt, which consists of mostly Coptic Christians, are marginalised in society and reportedly suffer from violent forms of abuse. They also lack fair representation in the government, leading to further abuse of the minority group.
Among the most common complaints by Copts are government obstacles when it comes to building, repairing or additions to churches. While Muslims are free to build mosques in Egypt, Christians need to obtain special government permission for any construction work done on a church. The permission is almost always not granted.
Islam is the “religion of state” and the country’s “principle source of legislation”, according to Egypt’s constitution.
source:http://www.christiantoday.com/article/egyptian.security.agents.destroy.church/25568.htm
State security agents in the upper Egyptian city of Luxor destroyed an Anglican church and assaulted the church’s pastor when he tried to save the building last week.
Pastor Mahrous Karam of the Anglican Church in Luxor reported that he was still negotiating with city authorities about replacing the community center building on the church’s compound the day before the demolition occurred. Authorities said they were still considering the options, according to Karam.
But the next morning, March 18, without warning, hundreds of security personnel blocked the road leading to the church and dragged the pastor’s family out of their residence. The pastor’s wife, Sabah, said two men used force to remove her from the home, including slapping her face, pulling her by her clothes, and dragging her by her hair.
"They threatened that if I do not leave the place they would take my 3-year-old boy and throw him under the bulldozers which came for the demolition work," she told Freecopts. "Twenty traumatized children were dragged out of the attached nursery and thrown into the church hall."
All the family’s possessions were thrown in the street and they are now homeless.
"I believe they wanted to give us an Easter present, the way they gave the Copts of Nag Hammadi the Christmas Eve Massacre," she said bitterly.
Gunmen in several cars opened fired on Coptic and Eastern Orthodox Christians in Nag Hammadi who were celebrating their Christmas Eve on January 6. Six Christians were killed, mostly young men in their twenties, from the attack.
The Christmas Eve attack was the worst assault on Copts in Egypt since January 2000, when 21 Christians were killed in sectarian violence.
During last week’s persecution incident, Pastor Mahrous tried to save the buildings from being demolished by sitting on the church’s fence to block the demolition work, but he was beaten and dragged away.
The pastor said Christians simply want the same treatment as Muslims who build mosques and additions to their Islamic centers.
After the demolition, only a 400 sq metre prayer hall was left standing out of the nearly 3,000 sq metres of buildings attached to the church.
The governor of Luxor, Dr Samir Farag, claims the security forces seized only one room of the Anglican church and denied his personnel assaulted the pastor’s family.
"The Governor is lying, that is why the forces blocked the road leading to the Church before their attack, so that nobody would witness their doings,” said one Anglican witness, who was not identified. “But he forgot there is the Internet and cell phone videos to show the whole world the uncivilised way Egypt deals with Christians and their places of worship."
The Anglican Church in Egypt issued a statement on March 19 condemning the actions of Luxor authorities.
Egypt’s Christian population makes up eight to 12 per cent of the overall population.
Despite their sizeable number in the country, the Christian community in Egypt, which consists of mostly Coptic Christians, are marginalised in society and reportedly suffer from violent forms of abuse. They also lack fair representation in the government, leading to further abuse of the minority group.
Among the most common complaints by Copts are government obstacles when it comes to building, repairing or additions to churches. While Muslims are free to build mosques in Egypt, Christians need to obtain special government permission for any construction work done on a church. The permission is almost always not granted.
Islam is the “religion of state” and the country’s “principle source of legislation”, according to Egypt’s constitution.
source:http://www.christiantoday.com/article/egyptian.security.agents.destroy.church/25568.htm
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
IAF struck weapon storage facility in northern Gaza Strip
24 March 2010 , 12:24
IAF strikes in response to recent firing of rockets at Israeli territory. Last night, a Qassam rocket landed in a populated area along the coast of Ashkelon.
During the night (Tuesday), the Israel Air Force successfully struck a weapons-storage facility in the northern Gaza Strip.
In a separate incident during the night, a Qassam rocket exploded in a populated area along the coast of Ashkelon Regional Council. There were no casualties or damages caused.
The attack is in response to the recent firing of rockets at Israel's southern communities over the past few days. Eleven rockets launched from the Gaza Strip have landed in Israel since this past Thursday, one of which resulted in the death of a foreign national.
Approximately 35 rockets have been fired at Israel since the beginning of the year, and over 330 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel since the end of Operation Cast Lead.
Chief of Staff: “Hamas is unconcerned that the area is heating up"
Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, participated on Tuesday in a Knesset meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and explained that besides rocket attacks, there are attempts to harm soldiers on the border, lay mines and attack by sea.
Speaking about Hamas Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi said that, “Hamas is not interested in losing control of the situation, but it could do more to stop rocket fire." He explained that “the IDF retaliates against Hamas targets because we regard them as the sovereign group in Gaza.”
“Hamas is unconcerned that the area is heating up, because they have control over the firing of rockets including control over other organizations,” he added.
source:http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/03/2401.htm
IAF strikes in response to recent firing of rockets at Israeli territory. Last night, a Qassam rocket landed in a populated area along the coast of Ashkelon.
During the night (Tuesday), the Israel Air Force successfully struck a weapons-storage facility in the northern Gaza Strip.
In a separate incident during the night, a Qassam rocket exploded in a populated area along the coast of Ashkelon Regional Council. There were no casualties or damages caused.
The attack is in response to the recent firing of rockets at Israel's southern communities over the past few days. Eleven rockets launched from the Gaza Strip have landed in Israel since this past Thursday, one of which resulted in the death of a foreign national.
Approximately 35 rockets have been fired at Israel since the beginning of the year, and over 330 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel since the end of Operation Cast Lead.
Chief of Staff: “Hamas is unconcerned that the area is heating up"
Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, participated on Tuesday in a Knesset meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and explained that besides rocket attacks, there are attempts to harm soldiers on the border, lay mines and attack by sea.
Speaking about Hamas Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi said that, “Hamas is not interested in losing control of the situation, but it could do more to stop rocket fire." He explained that “the IDF retaliates against Hamas targets because we regard them as the sovereign group in Gaza.”
“Hamas is unconcerned that the area is heating up, because they have control over the firing of rockets including control over other organizations,” he added.
source:http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/03/2401.htm
New Video Shows Radical Islamic Network in New England
by Staff
March 23, 2010
BOSTON, (christiansunite.com) -- Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT) today released an 8-minute online video clip describing a network of Islamic radicals operating in New England. The video focuses on the October arrest - and the response to that arrest - of a Sudbury, Massachusetts resident who the FBI charged with planning to machine gun shoppers in a New England mall.
"The arrest of Tarek Mehanna was shocking," said APT President, Dr. Charles Jacobs. "It occurred just two weeks before the murder of 13 Americans at Fort Hood.
Jacobs said "What is especially disheartening, given the historical moderation and success of Boston Muslims, is the current groundswell of support for Tarek within a segment of the Boston Muslim community and its virulent response to his arrest."
Jacobs said "our video offers a glimpse into a loosely- coordinated web of radical Islamic individuals and organizations based in New England with ties to Islamic terrorist groups overseas." He added, "what we're witnessing is the radicalization of the next generation of American Muslims."
The video shows how Islamic radicals have been using the Internet to organize thousands of supporters and raise money for Tarek - a man who the FBI alleges had enjoyed gloating over propaganda videos of Al Qaeda terrorists disemboweling and burning the bodies of American GIs in Iraq. (Tarek and his friends mockingly called these mutilations "Texas BBQs.")
Jacobs noted that Tarek's Internet support groups are rife with anti-American and anti-Semitic sloganeering ("Close Guantanamo - Re-open Auschwitz") and support for violence in the name of Islam.
Jacobs said the decision to release the film now was precipitated by a campaign launched by Tarek's supporters against Aloke Chakravarty, the assistant U.S. attorney in Boston responsible for Tarek's prosecution.
Jacobs said, "We learned from the Jihadist Fort Hood massacre that our political leadership class, blinded by political correctness, has failed to deal effectively with the threat of radical Islam to American society. It will take a grassroots effort to break the silence about this threat."
APT is working to organize such a movement in order to compel our failed leaders to protect our communities, and in order to support those officials like Mr. Chakravarty who are seeking to do justice in the face of intimidation.
Video can be viewed at: www.peaceandtolerance.org
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09140.shtml
March 23, 2010
BOSTON, (christiansunite.com) -- Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT) today released an 8-minute online video clip describing a network of Islamic radicals operating in New England. The video focuses on the October arrest - and the response to that arrest - of a Sudbury, Massachusetts resident who the FBI charged with planning to machine gun shoppers in a New England mall.
"The arrest of Tarek Mehanna was shocking," said APT President, Dr. Charles Jacobs. "It occurred just two weeks before the murder of 13 Americans at Fort Hood.
Jacobs said "What is especially disheartening, given the historical moderation and success of Boston Muslims, is the current groundswell of support for Tarek within a segment of the Boston Muslim community and its virulent response to his arrest."
Jacobs said "our video offers a glimpse into a loosely- coordinated web of radical Islamic individuals and organizations based in New England with ties to Islamic terrorist groups overseas." He added, "what we're witnessing is the radicalization of the next generation of American Muslims."
The video shows how Islamic radicals have been using the Internet to organize thousands of supporters and raise money for Tarek - a man who the FBI alleges had enjoyed gloating over propaganda videos of Al Qaeda terrorists disemboweling and burning the bodies of American GIs in Iraq. (Tarek and his friends mockingly called these mutilations "Texas BBQs.")
Jacobs noted that Tarek's Internet support groups are rife with anti-American and anti-Semitic sloganeering ("Close Guantanamo - Re-open Auschwitz") and support for violence in the name of Islam.
Jacobs said the decision to release the film now was precipitated by a campaign launched by Tarek's supporters against Aloke Chakravarty, the assistant U.S. attorney in Boston responsible for Tarek's prosecution.
Jacobs said, "We learned from the Jihadist Fort Hood massacre that our political leadership class, blinded by political correctness, has failed to deal effectively with the threat of radical Islam to American society. It will take a grassroots effort to break the silence about this threat."
APT is working to organize such a movement in order to compel our failed leaders to protect our communities, and in order to support those officials like Mr. Chakravarty who are seeking to do justice in the face of intimidation.
Video can be viewed at: www.peaceandtolerance.org
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09140.shtml
Thirteen Christians killed near Jos, Nigeria
by Staff
March 23, 2010
(christiansunite.com) - Thirteen Christians were killed on March 17 when Muslim Fulani herdsmen attacked two Christian villages in Plateau state, Nigeria. The attacks were presumably sparked by a dispute over property.
The assailants, some of whom were dressed in military uniforms, attacked Byei and Baten villages at approximately 1:00 a.m. Among those killed were children and two pregnant women.
One woman and her son had their tongues cut out, while another woman and her two young children were burned alive in their home. Several other believers have been hospitalized for gunshot or machete wounds.
Twenty homes were also burned down in the villages. This latest attack comes less than two weeks after a massive assault, also in Plateau state, in which approximately 500 people were killed.
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09144.shtml
March 23, 2010
(christiansunite.com) - Thirteen Christians were killed on March 17 when Muslim Fulani herdsmen attacked two Christian villages in Plateau state, Nigeria. The attacks were presumably sparked by a dispute over property.
The assailants, some of whom were dressed in military uniforms, attacked Byei and Baten villages at approximately 1:00 a.m. Among those killed were children and two pregnant women.
One woman and her son had their tongues cut out, while another woman and her two young children were burned alive in their home. Several other believers have been hospitalized for gunshot or machete wounds.
Twenty homes were also burned down in the villages. This latest attack comes less than two weeks after a massive assault, also in Plateau state, in which approximately 500 people were killed.
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09144.shtml
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)