Persecution Blog

Religious Freedom Audio from NRB

Today I heard some really great sound that was captured at the National Religious Broadcasters convention a few weeks ago.  The audio was of a panel that radio talkshow host Janet Parshall moderated concerning religious freedom under attack around the world.

The sound was really informative and I think all of you should hear it.  However, unfortunately Janet won't allow us permission to share the audio with you on this site.  So you have a few choices, if you have an mp3 player you can visit Janet's site today and download it from her third hour and listen that way.  I highly recommend this because the archives on her site are complicated and it will be hard to find in a few days.  Or you can go to WAVA's website at http://wabs.wava.com/janet/janet_archives.shtml and scroll down to today's date, Feb. 28th and listen to hour 3.  Those archives are up for a month, so that's really your best bet.

I will take some time later to transcribe some of what I thought was really good.  That will be up later either this week or next week sometime.

UPDATE:  I changed my mind about transcribing this audio.  I don't have the time.  So if this interests you, click over to Janet's site and listen.  It's worth your time.

India Under Growing Persecution

Last week I received an email from Gospel for Asia and I noted today that the Christian Post has an article about the same issue - Christian persecution in India.  This is especially interesting to me especially since President Bush is going to be visiting India this week.

The article begins this way...

Christians in India are facing more persecution now than any other time in their history, according to the head of a mission organization. "Our leaders on the mission field tell me that it has become such a regular, daily event that they now report only the worst cases," said Gospel for Asia President K.P. Yohannan.

...

"Why persecute Christians?" asked Yohannan. "Because, just like in England and America in centuries past, believers in Jesus are the ones today working and praying toward the liberation of millions of 'slaves' (Dalits and other lower castes) on the Indian subcontinent."

Christian missionaries from the Bible Society of India were recently forced to shut down their relief operations in the Jammu and Kashmir regions as villagers accused them of carrying out conversions. Recent reports also state that militant anti-social elements are seeking to prevent the graduation of over 10,000 Bible school and seminary students from the Emmanuel Theological Seminary in Kota, Rajasthan, according to Hopegivers International, a leading Indian Christian organization.

"Today, India is at a crossroads," Yohannan said. "And we as believers in Jesus have the opportunity to help make an impact on this nation that will last for eternity."

Please join me in praying for India today.  God desires that none should perish and that all be free.  Please pray for deliverance.

Write A Prisoner Under Persecution

It's that time of month again friends, time to write our prisoner under persecution that VOM has told us about on their Prisoner Alert page.  This prisoner we all have the honor of praying for and writing is named Mr. Amjad Masih and has been imprisoned for 2581 days!

What was his crime? 

Vagrancy charges and while in police custody, he was accused of burning the Quran (Koran) and charged under Pakistan's blasphemy law.

Are these accusations true?

Amjad insists the police framed him for refusing to pay a bribe. During August 2003, a high court hearing in Lahore endorsed a life sentence for him. While in prison, Amjad has suffered from depression and malaria. He and his wife Kusar have three sons and one daughter. During Lent last year, the two older sons prayed and fasted for their father's release.

We all have an opportunity to encourage Amjad, and to also pray for him.  Click on over to www.prisoneralert.com and take part today.  Tell a friend too!

The Latest on the Alabama Church Fires

I still find it amazing that most of the media is not continuing relentless coverage of these fires in Alabama.  That said, I'm thankful that there are at least a few places continuing coverage.  Here's the latest...

Online Athens is reporting that burned churches aren't dwelling on the past, and are going to rebuild.  However, there is still fear.

"We're quite fearful of rebuilding to a degree," admits Arnold, senior pastor at New Life Deliverance Church Ministries. "We don't know if they'll come right back and do it again. Nevertheless, we're going to rebuild."

Meanwhile there is also good news because many clues are being found and investigators are issuing subpoenas in the hopes of finding more information.

Keep on praying Saints!  God is on the move.

Religious Riots in Nigeria Kill Dozens

Voice of the Martyrs Canada is quoted in an article today published on the Mission News Network website as saying,  church leaders are concerned over the reciprocal violence from among their younger members.

That concern came to fruition with the latest reports. Christian youths armed with machetes, stones and clubs attacked Muslims in the southeastern Nigerian city of Enugu, February 24.

The violence brings to the forefront a history of sectarian strife that has cost thousands of lives since 2000. At that time, mostly Muslim northern states began implementing Islamic Shariah law. Nigeria's 130 million people are almost entirely split between the two faiths, with Christians a majority in the south.

Pray that the Christian young people will learn not to respond to violence with violence but with the attitude of Christ.

I am very concerned along with these religious leaders because generally Christians are not known for violence like radical Muslims are.  Keep in mind this same article begins by stating the Muslims attacked the Christians.

Nigeria (MNN)--Religious violence has wracked Nigeria over the last few weeks. Muslim attacks have been answered with deadly force from Christians over the last week.

As Muslims demonstrated against the Mohammed cartoons first published in Denmark, they turned their anger toward local Christians. The violence spread globally and eventually swept through the Nigerian Muslim community. Demonstrators began destroying shops and homes owned by Christians and burned at least thirty church buildings.

Riots February 18 in Maiduguri in the northern Nigerian state of Borno left as many as 58 dead, most of them Christians. Similar demonstrations held on February 18 in the city of Katsina left at least one dead and several injured.

Please keep all involved in your prayers.

Buy Persecution Products

Last year around Christmas time I shared how I ordered some great products through VOM for myself and my husband.  And even though I'm not trying to sound like an infomercial, and I'm not being asked to do this, I really want to encourage you all to check out the VOM store for gifts, and spiritual products that will encourage you in your walk with Christ and love for His suffering body.

One of the things I bought at Christmas time was the DVD set of VOM founder Richard Wurbrand.  I love it! 

There are also great products about Islam that you might enjoy.  You can buy Voices Behind the Veil by Ergun Caner .  In fact, anything by the Caner brothers is definitely worth getting.  In case you don't know the Caner brothers, Ergun and Emir Caner were raised as Muslims and eventually both came to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

However, if you don't want to read, or watch anything, do what I do - buy stuff to wear.  I love the new VOM t-shirts that say, "Remember them in bonds" or you can buy a shirt with the VOM logo on it.

Or...you can get one of their new martyrs cross necklaces.  In fact, I'm outa here....I'm going shopping at VOM right now!

Why not join me?  I'm joining Stacy and shopping at VOM now!

Have a great weekend! And when you get your VOM products, email me a picture of yourself with the item and I'll post it right here on the persecutionblog.

More Than 50 Christians Killed Over Muslim Cartoons

Voice of the Marytrs main website www.persecution.com has this latest news story.

Muslim rioters are responsible for up to 58 deaths (mostly Christians) on the streets of Maiduguri, in Nigeria’s northeastern state of Borno, which were triggered by protests over the Danish cartoons satirizing Islam. It is reported that at least 51 Christians were brutally killed on the February 18 rampage, while over 150 homes and 32 churches were burned, and 85 shops were destroyed. Authorities were finally able to control the volatile scene after arresting 114 and having militia enforce a curfew.

The mayhem began when Muslims staged their demonstration against degrading caricatures of Mohammad that were originally published in September 2005 by the Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten. Even though the cartoons were by no means a Christian attack on Islam, Muslims in Nigeria and throughout the world have turned their rage toward Christians, many of whom have never even heard of the controversial sketches.

Muslims are using the cartoons as an excuse to wage their violent jihad (holy war) against Christians, and have been reported running through the streets of Maiduguri threatening people with death and violence if they did not speak their local dialect. Many of the dozens of victims were publicly tortured to death in the city streets.

Amidst the violence, six children were burned to ashes in front of their father, Joseph Tukwa, who was unable to rescue them, according to Nigeria’s The Daily Sun. Six Christian leaders, including Rev. Joshua Adamu, were injured and are now in hiding. Church of Christ in Nigeria, Living Faith Church, Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, St. Augustine's Catholic Church and St Mary’s Catholic Church were some of the churches set ablaze by rioters, who killed two Catholic priests. St. Rita’s Catholic Church was also torched, where Rev. Fr. Matthew Gajere was murdered and then burned after he helped several alter boys escape to safety.

Quick Update on Alabama Church Fires

Have you forgotten that 12 churches were recently burned in Atlanta?  I hope not because this was evil in our wicked society at work.  Here's another article on this tragedy.

Alabama church fires spotlight long-running crisis by By Alice M. Smith

Muslims Burn Christians Alive

A few days ago I was visiting my husband's grandmother who is almost 87 years old, and she said something stunning.  The reason it stunned me was because it is rare that I hear people say this word...wickedness.  My grandma said that in her life the world has just gotten more wicked and wicked.  Simply put by the dictionary wickedness means, "evil by nature and practice".  Grandma is right and this story by my friend Mr. Swank proves it. (Copied with permission)

Muslims Burn Christians Alive: Nigeria

Cartoons. Then blood. Sticks. Then blood. Machetes. Then blood. Iron bars. Then blood. Torches. Then blood.

Muslims torched church buildings. Christians were beaten into the ground by Allah devotees.

St. Rita’s Catholic Church’s priest and domestic staff were burnt to death in their living quarters. A husband, wife, and six children were burnt alive when Islamic killers torched their house.

A tire was wrapped around a believer. Muslims doused his body and the tire with petrol. The fire was lit.

Corpses were laid in stacks at the Madiuguri hospital.

Christians appealed repeatedly to authorities to protect them. Finally some Nigerian recruits arrived.

Muslims robbed Christian homes. Islamics violently attacked a prominent Christian family in Jos, capital of Plateau State.

Muslim youth drew their swords, stabbing the driver of an automobile. Then they turned on a pregnant Christian and seven others.

Fifty thousand believers have died in Muslim attacks in northern and central Nigeria since 2000.

Some northern regions accepted the Shari’ah Islamic legal system, that is, using the killing and maiming passages of the Koran by which to deem "justice." This violates the nation’s secular constitution; nevertheless, Muslims don’t care about violating the constitution.

Allah rules. Koran rules. Mohammed rules.

Some Muslims in Europe are proposing the Shari’ah legal system there.

Christian communities in Nigeria’s Borno have increasingly been attacked my Muslim murderers global.

The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Reverend Peter J. Akinola, said: "That an incident in far away Denmark which does not claim to be representing Christianity could elicit such an unfortunate reaction here in Nigeria, leading to the destruction of Christian Churches, is not only embarrassing, but also disturbing and unfortunate."

Martyrs Quiz

Okay all you smarty pants out there reading this blog.  I have a question for you...

What is the difference between a Christian martyr and a Muslim/Islamic martyr?

Ready set go...