Release International

Additional sources are given in brackets. Further details from those sources.

Nigeria: Muslim students are stopping Christian students from rebuilding their school chapel in Zaria, after militants burnt it down twice in two months.

Interfaith relations at the school have been strained since Muslim students first burned down its chapel three years ago. But tensions soared after two further arson attempts on the chapel which was only rebuilt last year.

Relations between Christians and Muslims in the country have grown increasingly tense since 12 states adopted Shari’ah law (Compass Direct).

China: There’s concern for the health of the elderly mother of a Chinese pastor who’s been jailed by the authorities. 75-year-old Shuang Shuying has been sentenced to two years for allegedly damaging public property.

She’s the mother of house church pastor Hua Huiqi, who’s also just been jailed. Police arrested her after she went to inquire about her son.

Hua Huiqi is a human rights activist who campaigns on behalf of the persecuted church. He’s been protesting the growing trend to demolish unregistered house churches.

His mother Shuang Shuying has diabetes and heart conditions. Before she was arrested, officers based at the Olympic Games police station threw her to the ground and kicked her – along with her son.

Bob Fu of the China Aid Association believes the authorities have jailed this frail old woman to try to discourage the family from appealing for the release of Hua Huiqi.

‘This case clearly contradicts the spirit of the Olympics and also the promises the Chinese government made to the international community when they were awarded to the 2008 summer Olympics… the Chinese government definitely made a step backwards.’ (China Aid Association).

Uzbekistan: a Christian pastor has been sentenced to four years for ‘illegal’ religious activities.

State prosecutors accused 37-year-old Dmitry Shestakov of running an illegal religious organisation, distributing materials to promote religious extremism and of inciting racial hatred.

Leading evangelicals in the country claim his imprisonment could have ‘grave consequences’ for other church leaders who are not accepted by the state (Compass Direct).

India: There are claims that police supported members of an extremist Hindu group who tied up and beat a church pastor with wooden clubs in Andhra Pradesh. They accused the 48-year-old pastor of bribing Hindus to convert to Christianity.

Pastor Anand is now in hospital. Six Indian states have now adopted anti-conversion laws – prompted by Hindu nationalists (Compass Direct).

Release International serves the persecuted Church in 30 nations. For video reports download our monthly webcast ­ - World Update - available from the Release International website: www.releaseinternational.org

 ENDS

Notes to the Editor

Additional sources: www.compassdirect.org www.chinaaid.org/english_site/index.php

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

Through our international network of missions RI serves persecuted Christians in 30 countries, supporting pastors and Christian prisoners and their families, supplying Christian literature and Bibles, and working for justice. RI is a member of the UK organisations Global Connections, the Evangelical Alliance and the Micah Network.

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