BEIJING, CHINA (Worthy News)– A church in Zou Gang, Feixi county, was illegally demolished last month by government-backed real estate developers, according to ChinaAid.

The congregation called for prayer following the sudden destruction of their 800 square-meter building.

As a result of economic expansion, the Zou Gang church site had been marked for demolition, so the church's board of deacons decided to cooperate with the Communist Party committee and the Xingang Industrial Park concerning their resettlement. However, last August, the church's electricity was unexpectedly cut and days later the developers began digging trenches around the church, isolating it from the surrounding traffic.

On April 27, more than 100 unidentifed members of a demolition crew began tearing down the church: some destroyed the main gate to the church compound, while others broke down the church staff door and forcefully removed several members on duty; the rest of the crew prevented parishoners from entering the church compound as it was bulldozed down.

In minutes, the church where 500 Christians had worshiped for more than a decade was illegally demolished.

TEHRAN, IRAN (Worthy News)– Prominent Iranian house church pastor Behnam Irani is still beaten in his prison but less frequently, an official assisting him with advocacy said Monday, just weeks after his family expressed concerns he may die.

"We have learned that the beatings are still happening, however they no longer happen on a daily basis, but periodically," Jason DeMars, director of the Present Truth Ministries rights group told Worthy News.

He said however that Behnam has had intestinal bleeding, or bloody stool, for roughly six months among other ailments. "He has requested to visit the hospital or a doctor and they have denied his requests," DeMars said, adding that his group has urged supporters to "Please pray for his healing and deliverance from the bleeding."

Yet, "Despite his difficult circumstances, his faith remains strong and he is joyful," added DeMars.

Irani, who is in his 40s and married with two children, has been behind bars in a prison of Karaj city where he led a congregation of the Church of Iran house church movement.

"CRIMES AGAINST STATE"

He has been held on charges of "crimes against the Islamic state" apparently linked to his involvement in the unauthorized house church.

Christians said he was detained in April 2010 when security forces raided Irani’s house in Karaj during a worship service.

Iranian Christians explained at the time that security forces beat Irani and confiscated Bibles and other Christian literature and DVDs, Worthy News reported earlier.

His colleague, Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, is facing the death penalty on charges of "apostasy" or abandoning Islam.

However Nadarkhani, who is held in Lakan Prison in his home town of Rasht said in a letter attributed to him last week that he remains hopeful.

“I have surrendered myself to God's will…[and I] consider it as the day of exam and trial of my faith…[so that I may] prove my loyalty and sincerity to God.” At the end of his letter he requests, “…all the beloved ones to pray for me,” he wrote.

IRAN REACTS

Iranian officials have denied wrongdoing and say those prosecuted are either criminals or otherwise violated the laws of this Islamic nation.

DeMars said he also remains concerned about two other devoted Christians identified as Alireza Seyyedian or Petros Fouroton. "They remain imprisoned in [the cities of] Tehran and Shiraz, respectively. He said his group urged Christians to "Pray for their endurance and comfort in Christ as they stand this trial in prison."

The incidents are part of a wider crackdown on churches, Christian leaders say.

Leaders of the Assemblies of God’s (AOG) Central Church of Iran's capital Tehran, for instance, told their congregation last week Sunday, May 6, that Iranian authorities demand a list of names and identification numbers of church members, viewed as a major risk to converts from Islam.

Church leaders have reportedly members to volunteer their information, though Christians say doing so "almost feels suicidal" in a nation where Christians such as Pastor Nadarkhani face execution.

The AOG church holds two Sunday services, both of which are conducted in the Farsi language. It is the only church remaining in Tehran that offers Farsi-language worship on Sundays, after others were forced to halt services, Christians said.

VIENTIANE, LAOS (Worthy News)– A government crackdown on churches in southern Laos is spreading to a new district with the brief detention of two "prominent pastors" for alleged unauthorized worship and their involvement in evangelism and an order take down crosses, representatives told Worthy News.

Authorities summoned Pastors Bounlerd and Adang to the police headquarters in Phin District of Savannakhet province on Friday, May 11, said the Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF), which has close contacts with local Christians.

Christians in the area often use one name.

During the meeting at police headquarters, district authorities interrogated Pastor Bounlerd of Alowmai Church and Pastor Adang of Kengsainoi Church on several issues, including their involvement in house churches, HRWLRF explained.

"Authorities questioned whether the three houses, located in the villages of Alowmai, Kengsainoi and Kapang are being used for worship meetings and whether they have obtained official approval for religious gatherings," added HRWLRF.

SUSPECTING LEADERS

Officials reportedly said they suspect the leaders are holding illegal church services with outside support.

Both pastors responded that they use their own homes for worship as there are no nearby official church buildings, Christians said.

Additionally, police and district officials accused the two men of "proselytizing" the word often used for evangelism and ordered them to stop spreading the Christian message to the Lao people "because due to their witness a large number of people have come to believe in the Christian faith," HRWLRF said.

Both church leaders reportedly said they "did not go out proselytizing Lao people but rather Lao people have been coming to them for help because of illness."

"Lao people have become believers on their own after they have seen God's power of healing," HRWLFW quoted the pastors as saying.

CROSSES TAKE DOWN

However district authorities ordered the two Christian leaders to take down crosses that are hanging on the exterior walls of their houses that are being used as a place of worship, Christians said.

The pastors reportedly declined saying "the cross is a symbol of the Christian faith just like other religions in Laos that have their own religious symbols."

The pastors were released after one hour, but local Christians said it remains to be seen whether the Phin district authorities will follow through with their orders.

The incident is the latest in a larger crackdown that also included the closure of churches and detention of Christians, Worthy News established.

"With this incident, the official crackdown on Lao churches in Savannakhet province that had started almost eight months ago in Dongpaiwan village in Saybuli district on September 14, 2011 has now spread to Phin district of Savannakhet," HRWLRF said.

WIDER CAMPAIGN

The crackdown in the Communist-led nation is seen by critics as part of a wider campaign against growing Christianity in the Asian nation.

Christian groups estimate there are some 200,000 devoted Christians in the mainly Buddhist country of 6.4 million people, where especially village churches report growth.

HRWLRF group said it has urged the Lao government to "respect Lao Christians’ freedom to manifest their religion or belief in worship in Phin district as guaranteed by the Lao constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as ratified" by Laos.

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (Worthy News)– Since May, the Aceh administration has shut down 16 Christian places of worship in Singkil, claiming they were operating without permits and causing complaints.

Called "undung-undung," the buildings are smaller than churches and have no visible crosses.

"It's not churches, but undung-undungs that we've sealed," Aceh Singkil district head Razali Abdul Rahman told the Jakarta Globe. "It’s because they don’t have any permits and because they've breached a previously agreed deal … that there should be only one church and four undung-undungs in Singkil."

On April 30, hundreds of Muslims held a rally to demand the closing of the undung-undungs, but Razali said his administration acted independently of their demands.

"It has nothing to do with the rallies," he said. "This is a move to maintain public order because the houses of worship have no permits and breach the regulation."

TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN (Worthy News)– The Baptist Council of Churches refuses to register their churches with Uzbekistan; the Council views registration as a precondition for exercising freedom of religion to be against the binding international human rights agreements Uzbekistan formally promised to implement.

Last month, Baptists in Uzbekistan were fined for the unregistered exercise of freedom of religion.

Judge Ilhom Rahmankulov of Kashkadarya Region's Mubarek District Criminal Court fined four local Baptists under Administrative Code Article 240, "Violation of the Religion Law," Part 1: "Carrying out of unauthorised religious activity, evasion by leaders of religious organisations of registration of the organisation or its charter, the organisation and conduct of worship by religious ministers and of special children's and youth meetings, as well as vocational, literature and other study groups not relating to worship".

Vladimir Khanyukov and Valeriy Stepanov were fined five times the minimum monthly salary, or 314,600 Soms (167 US Dollars) while Yelena Tursunova and Yekaterina Dyu were fined the minimum salary of 62,920 Soms (33 US Dollars).

Judge Rahmankulov also ordered numerous confiscated Christian books, brochures, magazines, CDs, calendars sent to the state Religious Affairs Committee.

In the central southern city of Karshi, Judge Makhrifat Ochilova of Karshi Criminal Court fined 10 Baptists under Administrative Code Article 240, Part 1 and Article 241: "Teaching religious beliefs without specialised religious education and without permission from the central organ of a (registered) religious organisation, as well as teaching religious beliefs privately".

Judge Ochilova also ordered that confiscated Christian magazines be destroyed; confiscation of religious literature in Uzbekistan is commonplace, especially at border crossings.

ABJUDA, NIGERIA (Worthy News)– The head of Nigeria's Christians warned his government to end the attacks targeting his flock after a recent surge in sectarian violence.

"I will now make a final call to the Nigerian government to use all resources available to it to clearly define and neutralise the problem as other nations have done," said Ayo Oritsejafor, head of the Christian Association of Nigeria. "The Church leadership has hitherto put great restraint on the restive and aggrieved millions of Nigerians, but can no longer guarantee such cooperation if this trend of terror is not halted immediately."

Jihadist Boko Haram has already been blamed for attacks that left hundreds dead; just last Sunday, gunmen threw grenades into two church services and then opened fire on the congregations as they tried to flee, killing 19. Although no one took responsibility for these attacks, Boko Haram claimed it bombed a church near Abuja on Christmas day that killed 44.

Oritsejafor warned that Christians may be forced to defend themselves if such attacks continue unabated.

"At this point in the unfolding insecurity challenges, it has become irrelevant whether the root cause is political, religious, ethnic or ideological," Oritsejafor said. "The fundamental issues are that the intimidation, killings, bombings and wanton destruction of lives and properties must stop immediately."

Boko Haram has killed more than 1,000 Christians since 2009.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Worthy News)– A federal judge in Virginia proposed that a dispute over the display of the Ten Commandments at a public high school be resolved by removing the four Commandments that mention God.

"If indeed this issue is not about God," said U.S. District Judge Michael Urbanski during mediation, "why wouldn't it make sense for Giles County to say, 'Let's go back and just post the bottom six?'"

The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia had filed suit against Giles County's display of the Ten Commandments at Narrows High School, arguing that it violated the First Amendment's protection against the endorsement of religion; the school board argued that the Commandments were part of a display of historical documents and therefore not religious.

Although the Commandments were previously removed from the school, the school board voted 3-2 last summer to reinstall them.

"One could argue that the policy of displaying the Ten Commandments is not violative of the 'establishment' clause as long as other religions' equivalents of the Ten Commandments are afforded an equal opportunity to be displayed," said blogger JRC. "The ACLU evidently has adopted an 'exclusionary' interpretation of the establishment clause whereby the First Amendment forbids any and all government trafficking in religion …"

In fact, the U.S. military's Chaplains Corps was unsuccessfully challenged in court to be in violation of the establishment clause — "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" — since U.S. personnel serving in lands where the practice of their religion was not available, or even prohibited, required that the government provide religious services.

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (Worthy News)– Yosef Garfinkel, a professor from the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, recently announced the discovery of ancient objects that reveal how religion was organized in Judah before the reign of King Solomon.

In excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa (pictured to the left) — a fortified city in Judah — Garfinkel and his colleagues uncovered pottery, art and religious objects in three large rooms that served as shrines; these shrines pre-date the construction of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem and provide the first physical evidence of religion as practiced during the time of King David.

"This is the first time that archaeologists uncovered a fortified city in Judah from the time of King David," said Garfinkel. "Even in Jerusalem, we do not have a clear fortified city from his period. Thus, various suggestions that completely deny the biblical tradition regarding King David and argue that he was a mythological figure, or just a leader of a small tribe, are now shown to be wrong. Over the years, thousands of animal bones were found, including sheep, goats and cattle, but no pigs … not even one human or animal figurine was found; this suggests that the population of Khirbet Qeiyafa observed two biblical bans: on pork and on graven images …"

Biblical tradition depicted the Israelites as monotheists who forbade human and animal images; the absence of these images in the three shrines shows the inhabitants practiced a religion radically different from the surrounding Canaanites and Philistines.

In addition to the three shrines, two portable box-shaped shrines, or shrine models, were found: one made of clay and the other of stone. The clay shrine included two pillars and folded textile as described in Solomons Temple: the two pillars of Yachin and Boaz and the Parochet textile.

The stone shrine is made of soft limestone and painted red. Its facade is decorated by seven groups of roof-beams with three planks in each called a "triglyph," which are also found in the Parthenon, but its appearance at Khirbet Qeiyafa is the earliest known example carved in stone.

The stone model can help clarify obscure, technical terms in the description of Solomon's palace in 1 Kings 7:1-6. The biblical text uses "slaot" — which were mistakenly understood as pillars, but can now be understood as triglyphs — and "sequfim" once thought to be nine windows, but can now be understood as "triple recessed doorway.”

Similar triglyphs and recessed doors can be found in the description of Solomon’s temple in 1 Kings 6:5, 31-33 and the description of a temple in Ezekiel 41:6; these texts contain obscure technical terms that have long ago lost their original meaning, but with the discovery of the stone model at Khirbet Qeiyafa, the texts can now be clarified.

CAIRO, EGYPT (Worthy News)– Egypt's Islamists aim to install a Islamic caliphate with its capital in Jerusalem, a radical Muslim cleric told thousands of supporters at a kick off rally for Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate Muhammad Mursi.

In a video posted by the Middle East Media Research Institute, Egyptian cleric Safwat Higazi introduces Mursi saying,

“We can see how the dream of the Islamic Caliphate is being realized, Allah willing, by Dr. Muhammad Mursi and his brothers, his supporters, and his political party. We can see how the great dream, shared by us all – that of the United States of the Arabs. The United States of the Arabs will be restored, Allah willing. The United States of the Arabs will be restored by this man and his supporters.”

“Mursi will liberate Gaza tomorrow. Our capital shall not be Cairo, Mecca, or Medina. It shall be Jerusalem, Allah willing. Our cry shall be, "Millions of martyrs march toward Jerusalem," millions of martyrs march toward Jerusalem.”

The MC leads the crowd in chants of “Mursi will liberate Gaza tomorrow” and “Allah Akbar”. Afterwards sings a song,

Banish the sleep from the eyes of all Jews.
Come on, you lovers of martyrdom, you are all Hamas…
Forget about the whole world, forget about all the conferences.
Brandish your weapons… Say your prayers…
Brandish your weapons… Say your prayers…
And pray to the Lord.
From the eyes of all Jews…
Come on, you lovers of martyrdom…
Banish the sleep from the eyes of all Jews.
Come on, you lovers of martyrdom, you are all Hamas.

The Muslim brotherhood won nearly half of the seats in recent Egyptian parliamentary elections. Recently, it sent a delegation to meet White House officials.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney stated that the Muslim Brotherhood met with "mid-level" officials from the National Security Council in early April.

The Obama Administration defended meeting with the Muslim Brotherhood saying, "We have broadened our engagement to include new and emerging political parties and actors," Carney said. "Because of the fact that Egypt's political landscape has changed, the actors have become more diverse and our engagement reflects that. The point is that we will judge Egypt's political actors by how they act — not by their religious affiliation."

On March 12, 2012, the Arab Affairs Committee of the Egyptian Parliament led by the Muslim Brotherhood issued a report declaring Israel as Egypt's “Number One Enemy.”

The Egyptian Presidential Election will be held on May 23 and 24, with a run-off on June 16 and 17 if necessary.

KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT (Worthy News)– Kuwait's parliament recently passed a bill authorizing the death penalty for Muslims who curse God, the Qu'ran and its prophets, including the wives of the Prophet Mohammed.

Non-Muslims face a jail term of not less than 10 years; defendants who repent will be spared capital punishment in lieu of five years imprisonment and a fine of $36,000.

"We do not want to execute people with opinions … because Islam respects these people," said MP Ali al-Deqbasi, "but we need this legislation because incidents of cursing God have increased. We need to deter them."

Forty MPs voted for the bill against six opponents; Sh'ia MP Abdulhameed Dashti said the bill violated the Kuwaiti constitution and the tenants of Islam.

"Why are we trying to show Islam as a religion of death and blood when it is actually the opposite of that," he said.

The vote for the death penalty came after authorities arrested Sh'ia Hamad al-Naqia for allegedly cursing the Prophet Mohammed, his wife and his companions in a "tweet" last March; sectarian tensions have recently arisen in Kuwait between its Sunni majority and minority Sh'ia.

BEIJING, CHINA (Worthy News)– Blind activist Chen Guangcheng now wants to go into exile in the United States rather than remain in China on account of fears for his safety and that of his family.

Guangcheng, who had taken refuge in the embassy six days ago, voluntarilly left the building yesterday to seek treatment in the hospital of Chaoyang District in what looks like an agreement between the U.S. and China; under the agreement, Guangcheng and his family will live outside of Shandong where he can continue his studies, but after meeting with his wife and their two sons, Chen apparently changed his mind and asked for asylum in the U.S. because his safety could not be guaranteed in China.

Guangcheng's wife, Yuan Weijing, said she was tied to a chair for days while being threatened by members of the Shandong government, so Guangcheng appealed directly to President Barack Obama to ensure the safety of his family.

However, the fate of Guangcheng and his family now rests with Beijing, which has already demanded an apology from the United States for allowing him to take refuge in its embassy; Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin accused Washington of "interfering in the internal affairs of China."

During the on going US-China talks concerning economic issues and policies, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged China to respect human rights, but did not even mention Guangcheng; according to Bob Fu of China Aid Association, the U.S. has "abandoned" his longtime friend.

TEHRAN, IRAN (Worthy News)– Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani's Iranian attorney has been convicted of defending the rights of religious prisoners in the Islamic state and may soon begin serving a lengthy sentence.

Mohammad Ali Dadkhah was sentenced to nine years in prison and banned from practicing law for another 10.

Dadkhah has defended many other religious prisoners, including 12 Christians who were tried last Easter Sunday in the same Iranian provincial court that sentenced Nadarkhani to death, but because Dadkhah provides legal services pro bono, the Iranian regime perceives him as "aiding and abetting" the so-called crimes of his clients.

"I was in a court in Tehran defending one of my clients, Davoud Arjangi, a jailed political activist on death row when the judge told me that my own sentence has been approved and I will be shortly summoned to jail to serve the nine-year sentence," said Dadkhah. "I have been convicted of acting against the national security, spreading propaganda against the regime and keeping banned books at home."

The judge who informed Dadkhah of his sentence was none other than Abolghasem Salavat, also known as the "Judge of Death" for his harsh sentencing of those convicted of political and religious offenses.

Dadkhah's imprisonment will leave Pastor Nadarkhani without any legal representation as no other attorney would be willing to take the persecuted pastor's case for fear of also being imprisoned, or disbarred: that leaves Nadarkhani in danger of execution without anyone to further his appeals.

WASHINGTON D.C. (Worthy News)– About 100 high school students stormed-out of a national journalism conference after an anti-bullying speaker became belligerent, attacking the Bible and calling anyone who walked-out on his rant "pansy assed."

Dan Savage, founder of the "It Gets Better" anti-bullying campaign, was supposed to give a speech about anti-bullying at the National High School Journalism Conference, but instead it quickly devolved into Christian-bashing.

"I thought this would be about anti-bullying," said Rick Tuttle, journalism adviser for Sutter Union High School. "It turned into a pointed attack on Christian beliefs."

Tuttle said some of his students were offended by Savage's remarks and decided to leave the auditorium.

"It became hostile," he said. "It felt hostile as we were sitting in the audience, especially towards Christians who espouse beliefs that he was literally taking on."

Tuttle said Savage's speech was tainted with obscenities and “sexual innuendo not appropriate for this age group.”

As teenagers were walking out, Tuttle said Savage heckled them and called them "pansy-assed".

"You can tell the Bible guys in the hall they can come back now because I'm done beating up the Bible," Savage taunted. "It's funny as someone who is on the receiving end of beatings that are justified by the Bible how pansy-assed people react when you push back."

Savage later offered an apology, but said he had the right to defend himself by pointing out "the hypocrisy of people who justify anti-gay bigotry by pointing to the Bible and insisting we must live by the code of Leviticus on this one issue and no other."

Tuttle said he “felt duped” after attending the event.

“There were Christian schools who went to the conference. To have this happen was disappointing and shocking."

TEHRAN, IRAN (Worthy News)– Following a February raid on a house church in Shiraz and the arrest of its Christian converts, the first of many interrogations for five detainees was finally held after they spent 80 days in Adel-Abad prison, according to Mohabat News.

Sources told the Iranian Christian news agency that the converts were transferred to the Revolutionary Court building in Shiraz where they were interrogated by the assistant prosecutor; after the interrogation, all five were transferred back to Adel-Abad.

The names of the converts are: Fariba Nazemian, Mojtaba Hosseini, Homayoun Shokoohi, Mohamad-Reza Partoei (Koroush) and Vahid Hakkani. Authorities have yet to give a reason for their arrest, nor have they released any information to their families as to their health.

Christian converts in Iran often use their own homes as gathering places for worship because traditional churches are forbidden to hold services in Farsi, Iran's national language.

TEHRAN, IRAN (Worthy News)– Pastor Matthias Haghnejad and eleven members of his congregation were tried in Iran during Easter for their faith in Christ and are now awaiting the verdict.

Prosecutors charged these Christians with "crimes against the order," a charge often used in Iran as a cover for religious persecution; Jason DeMars, founder of Present Truth Ministries, told the Christian Post that these charges were based on accusations of drinking alcohol during communion and holding illegal meetings.

"Their defense," he said, "was that they were performing religious rituals that were protected by law."

During the trial, the judge threatened all twelve with apostasy, a crime that carries a death sentence in the Islamic Republic.

This is the second trial these Christians have faced: they were first tried and acquitted in a court in Bandar Anzali on the same charges, but this time, the Iranian regime tried them in Rasht: the same provincial court that convicted Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani of apostasy and sentenced him to death by hanging.

However, this second trial violates Article 14(7) of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights that states: "No one shall be liable to be tried or punished again for an offence for which he has already been finally convicted or acquitted in accordance with the law and penal procedure of each country."

The twelve on trial include Haghnejad's wife Anahita Khadeimi, Mahmoud Khosh-Hal, Hava Saadetmend, Amir Goldoust, Mina Goldoust, Zhaina Bahremand, Fatemah Modir-Nouri, Mehrdad Habibzade, Milad Radef, Behzad Taalipasand and Amin Pishkar.

Please continue to pray for Christians facing persecution in Iran and elsewhere.