Release International

News and prayer points each fortnight on persecuted Christians around the world.

ORISSA, INDIA

Christians in Orissa, India, could face a fresh wave of violence after another Hindu extremist was gunned down in Kandhamal district on November 5, allegedly by Maoists.

Anti-Christian violence erupted in several Indian states following the murder of a Hindu extremist in August. Even though Maoists claimed responsibility, militant Hindus are taking their revenge on Christians. There are continued reports of extremists burning Christian property, especially in Kandhamal.

One Christian ministry leader has described the violence as 'religious genocide' after visiting the trouble zone. Estimates of the death toll have ranged from between 40 and 100, but a new Communist Party report puts the figure at 500 plus. This follows leaked information from an anonymous senior government official that he had ordered the burning of 200 bodies found in the jungle.

Now fears of fresh attacks are growing, following the killing of another Hindu militant who worked for the extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) organisation.
This graphic witness account and plea for prayer has come from Good News India, a Christian mission which runs orphanages in Orissa, whose staff were caught up in the first wave of violence in August. GNI's chairman, Dr. Faiz Rahman said:
'We have [been] first hand witness to hundreds of churches being blown up or burned and many, many dozens of Christian tribals have been slaughtered. For no other reason than they bear the name of Christ.
'Our India Directors spread across 14 centres in Orissa are right in the middle of all this chaos. In Tihidi, just after the police came to offer protection, a group of 70 bloodthirsty militants came to kill our staff and destroy the home. They were not allowed to get in, but they did a lot of damage by throwing rocks and bricks and smashing our gate, etc. They have promised to come back and "finish the job".
'In Kalahandi, the police and some local sympathizers gave our staff and kids about three minutes notice to vacate. No one had time to even grab a change of clothes or any personal belonging. As they fled, the bloodthirsty mob came to kill everyone in the building. We would have had a mass funeral there, but for His grace.
'In Phulbani, the mob came looking for Christian homes and missions. The local Hindu people, our neighbors turned them away by saying that there were no Christians in this area. So they left. We had favour. The same thing happened in Balasore.
'Many believers have been killed and hacked into pieces and left on the road... even women and children. Every one of our directors that I have spoken to said: "We stay with our kids.... we live together or die together, but we will never abandon what God has called us to do."
'The Federal government is trying to restore order and perhaps things will calm down. We ask for your prayers. Only the Hand of God can calm this storm. None of us knew the meaning of persecution. But now our kids and staff know what that means.
'Through all this, I am more determined than ever to continue with our goal: the transformation of a community by transforming its children. Orissa will be saved... that is our heart's cry.'

Mercifully, none of the staff of Good News India or children under their care were killed in the attacks.

• Please pray that further bloodshed will be averted.
• Pray for protection for Christian workers in Orissa, and for strength and courage for Indians who have recently become Christians.

INDONESIA

Christians in Indonesia were braced for possible retaliatory attacks after the execution of three Islamist radicals responsible for the Bali bombings in 2002.

The three militants convicted of the bombings that killed 202 people were themselves killed by firing squad on November 8. The bombers said they were willing to be martyrs to the cause of creating a radical Islamist state across South East Asia.

Already radical groups have threatened attacks. Security at potential targets such as churches is tight. In Poso, Central Sulawesi, police have found bomb-making material, according to AsiaNews.
Several members of a new terrorist group calling itself Tauhid Wal Jihad were arrested in Kelapa Ganding, North Jakarta, last month. Police said the group was planning attacks on church leaders and religious figures committed to interfaith dialogue.

Meanwhile, in East Jakarta, students and staff from the Arastamar Evangelical School of Theology have been rehoused in an abandoned mayor's office. They were forced to leave their campus in Kampung Pulo in July after a mob brandishing machetes raided the college. Since then students and staff have been living in a range of temporary accommodation - from a campsite to the lobby of the Indonesian parliament.

Jakarta's state governor has now offered the former mayor's office as a temporary refuge - but it lacks even basic amenities. Students have to bring water from a well for showers, laundry and cooking. College principal Matheus Mangentang is still refusing to pay campsite fees of about £36,000, calling on the governor's office to foot the bill.

(Sources: AsiaNews, BBC, Compass Direct)

• Pray for Matheus Mangentang, his staff and his students as they struggle to continue their work in difficult circumstances.
• Pray for a new home for the college.
• Pray that Christians in Indonesia will not fear but trust God as their sovereign Lord.

CHINA

The Chinese authorities seem to be turning up the pressure on unregistered house churches - confirming fears of a crackdown after the Beijing Olympics.

The Communist Party had been planning an October clampdown on so-called 'dissidents' even before the Games began. And the regime's persecution record for last month certainly suggests that its campaign is well under way, according to China Aid.

In Yichun, Heilongjiang province, local officials issued a decree to ban all house churches in the city from mid-October. And in Shandong province, evangelist Zhang Zhongxin's appeal against a two-year conviction for 'illegal cult activities' has been thrown out at a hearing conducted behind closed doors.

Meanwhile, the authorities' continue to harass Beijing pastor 'Bike' Mingxuan and his family. Reuters news agency reports that Pastor Bike was detained in Kunming City, Yunnan province, on October 16. He was released from detention in Henan on October 27.

Although not part of the current crackdown on Christians, China Aid also reports news that 29 house church leaders from Henan province have been in jail or labour camps since July last year - accused of being members of an 'evil cult'.

(Source: China Aid, Reuters)

• Pray that China's house church movement will keep growing in size and in faith.
• Pray for wisdom for house church leaders such as Pastor 'Bike' Mingxuan.

PAKISTAN

A Release partner has won a major victory for prisoners of faith in Pakistan by persuading a jail in Punjab to allow a church on its premises.

Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP) has been campaigning for some time to persuade prisons to provide a prayer room for Christian inmates - and the high-security Adiala jail in Rawalpindi has responded favourably.

Building work on a new church within the prison compound has already begun. 'Christian prisoners are overjoyed (…) and are constructing the church building with great zeal,' says SLMP's Sohail Johnson.

Christian prisoners at Adiala jail went on hunger strike last year when they were denied access to a laundry room they had used for prayer. SLMP staged a protest outside the Lahore Press Club in March 2007 to draw attention to the Christians' demands for a place to worship. Currently, only two of Punjab's 32 prisons have churches.

(Sources: Assist News Service, Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan)

• Thank God for the success of prisoners' and SLMP's campaign for a church.
• Ask God to bless Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan and protect its workers.

IRAN

Two Christians acquitted of apostasy in Iran say the ruling was based on false claims by the court that they were in fact still Muslims.

Mahmood Matin Azad and Arash Basirat have reacted angrily to an official court statement which said that the pair had 'denied that they had converted to Christianity'. They believe the court in Shiraz has tried to save face amid mounting international controversy over a proposed bill which would impose a mandatory death penalty on anyone leaving Islam in Iran. Parliament is still considering specific elements of the bill, which was approved overwhelmingly in a vote in September.

Mahmood Azad told Compass Direct: 'The first question [the court] asked me was, "What are you doing?" I said, "I am a pastor pastoring a house church in Iran." All my [court] papers are about Christianity - about my activity, about our church and everything.' He told his lawyer: 'First, I will not lie. Second, I will not deny Jesus my Lord and my Saviour.'

(Source: Compass Direct)

• Pray for God's protection over Mahmood and Arash. Radicals may still try to attack them.
• Pray that charges against other Christians awaiting trial, including Ramtin Soodmand, will be dropped.

Please write a polite letter underlining your hope that Iran will uphold all citizens' freedom of religion. Write to: His Excellency Mr Rasoul Movahedian, Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 16 Prince's Gate, London SW7 1PT.

ENDS

NOTES TO THE EDITOR

This is an updated and corrected version of the news release of the same title which was  distributed on 11.11.08. The earlier reference to Youth With a Mission (YWAM) should be deleted. We apologise for the error.

For country profiles on India, Indonesia, China, Pakistan and Iran, please go to:
www.releaseinternational.org

For background and further information on the India story, please go to:
'Religious genocide': http://www.persecution.org/suffering/newsdetail.php?newscode=8866
'500+ deaths': http://www.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&idelement=5681&lang=en&length=short&backpage=archives&critere=orissa&countryname=&rowcur=0

For background and further information on the Indonesia story, please go to:
Bali bombers' execution:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7717819.stm

In Release International's regular news and prayer service on the persecuted Church we are focusing initially on seven principal nations where Christians have faced intense persecution. These are China, North Korea, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Vietnam and Sudan - though we may report on others. Our aims are to raise awareness of the persecuted Church and encourage prayer.

For further information please contact Andrew Boyd on 01730 301905 or 07986 712 813, or contact Release International on 01689 823491 or by email at info@releaseinternational.org

For more information on Release International please go to:
www.releaseinternational.org

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