Mob Destroys Church in South Sulawesi, Indonesia
SOUTH SULAWESI, INDONESIA (ANS) — A mob has destroyed a church in the predominantly Muslim city of Makassar in South Sulawesi, according to a report from The Barnabas Fund.
War
Thomas More Law Center Wins Pro-Life Victory in Montana
(Ann Arbor, MI) — In a ruling the Thomas More Law Center called a “sound victory†for the pro-life cause and free speech, a Montana federal judge signed an order this past week upholding the First Amendment right of pro-life demonstrators to carry graphic signs of aborted babies.
Traditional Values Coalition Joins Israel Solidarity Rally In Washington, DC
Washington, DC – This afternoon, Traditional Values Coalition Chairman Rev. Louis P. Sheldon will join with thousands of Christians, Jews, and other religious groups in an Israel Solidarity Rally to be held at the U.S. Capitol Building between 1-3 p.m. An estimated 50,000 Israel supporters will participate in this event. Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to be the featured speaker at this event.
Uzbekistan: Harsh Measures Against Protestants in Karakalpakstan
he authorities in Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic in the north-west of Uzbekistan, are trying to halt the spread of Christianity among Karakalpakstan’s native peoples (Uzbeks, Kazakhs and Karakalpaks, who are historically Muslims),
Uzbekistan: “Lenient” Court Ruling for Protestant Pastor, But Registration No Nearer
Perhaps because of international reporting on the case, a court in Nukus, the capital of the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan in western Uzbekistan, has handed down what many regard as a “lenient” sentence against the leader of a local Protestant church.
Vietnam: Christians Denied Right to Exist
Christians in Vietnam are virtually being denied the right to exist, according to a visit there by a representative of a Washington, DC, based ministry recently.
Indonesia: Terrorism Explodes; Ambon Christians Appeal to U.N.
Christians in the Maluku provincial capital of Ambon are appealing to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to send peacekeeping forces in the wake of recent terrorist attacks.
International Church Attakecked in Pakistan
ISTANBUL, March 18 (Compass) — Unidentified terrorists hurled grenades into a Protestant worship service in the diplomatic quarter of Pakistan’s capital city yesterday, killing five worshippers and wounding another 40 members of the congregation.
Karachi Gunmen Murder Pakistani Welfare Workers
ISTANBUL, September 25 (Compass) — Armed gunmen attacked a Pakistani Christian welfare organization in Karachi this morning, then escaped after killing seven Christians and leaving an eighth critically injured.
Laskar Jihad likely culprits in Indonesian bus bombing; Central Sulaweisi pastor martyred
Sources of the The Voice of the Martyrs in Indonesia say members of the militant Islamic group Laskar Jihad are likely responsible for a bus bomb blast near Poso on Wednesday. VOM has learned more details about the attack that killed at least four people and injured 17 others.
“Keetons Launch Unity tour Titled: “One Nation Under God.”
Rush, KY— Pastors and members of eight denominations joined in fellowship to bless, and be blessed by the concert given at Star Elementary School in Rush Kentucky.
Crackdown on Lao Churches Continues
The leader of a group of churches in Laos notified Christian Aid today that Lao authorities confiscated the Saybangnoun Church Saturday after Christians refused to surrender the facility to them Saturday noon. The church was located in Songkorn district, Savannakhet Province. The Christians gathered and worshiped in tears outside their confiscated church building Sunday.
Christian Converts Forced to Return to Hinduism in India
BANGALORE, India (Compass) — Nineteen villagers who recently embraced Christianity have been forced to re-convert to Hinduism in the Korua village of Kendrapada district in India’s Orissa state after undergoing sustained social ostracism from their fellow villagers. They are also facing prosecution by the district administration for violating provisions of the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act (OFRA).
Christians Surrounded in Central Indonesia
LONDON (Compass) — A “second Ambon” is brewing in Indonesia according to Christian leaders as a 3,000-strong Muslim jihad force closes in on 28,000 Christians in Tentena, Central Sulawesi. Ambon refers to an area in eastern Indonesia where thousands have died in Muslim-Christian conflicts.
Christians Under Attack in Poso, Indonesia
Radical Islamic warriors are continuing their rain of terror on the Christians of Sulawesi Island, Indonesia. A VOM source has confirmed that 21 Christian villages in the Poso coastal area have been burned and destroyed and at least 7 people have been killed within the past week.
Indonesia: The “Inside” Story
The events in Central Sulawesi are finally beginning to get the attention of major newspapers. An article in the New York Times December 1 said, “Thousands of Christian villagers on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi are fleeing attacks by armed Muslim paramilitary forces.” The article quoted a Roman Catholic priest, “Thousands have fled…What could they do? Their houses have been burned. The police came yesterday, but it was too late.”
Indonesia: Temporary Deliverance; Renewed Troubles
The gifts and prayers of Christians worldwide made quite a difference for Indonesian Christians under attack by Laskar Jihad extremists, says Jeff Hammond, Australian missionary directing a relief effort among 54,000 displaced believers in Sulawesi and Halmahera islands.
China’s Persecution Dynamics
A crucial paradox lies at the heart of China’s persecution dynamics. Over the past 30 years, conditions have improved for Christians in China. But during the past five years, they have deteriorated markedly.
Chinese House Church Leader Granted Time to Appeal Death Sentence
LONDON, January 7 (Compass) — The forty-six-year-old founder of the “South China” house church movement, Gong Shengliang, was granted a reprieve from his death sentence, which was due to be carried out on Saturday, January 5. Gong was given a stay of execution, relatives said.
Trial Detained Aid Workers On Hold in Afghanistan
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (ANS) — The German based Charity Shelter Now has warned the trial of its eight detained foreign Christian staff members in Afghanistan seems to have been put on hold. “No progress is being made,” the evangelical news agency Idea quoted Shelter Now’s Chairman, Joachim Jaeger, as saying.