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PO VÍCE NEŽ 12 LETECH byl propuštěn z tureckého vězení křesťan, který byl falešně obviněn a odsouzen za účast na bombovém atentátu v Istanbulu v roce 1991. Při výsleších byl mučen a donucen k doznání. Původně byl odsouzen na doživotí. Jeho propuštění je odpovědí na modlitby mnoha křesťanů po celém světě. (Assist News Service)
BÝVALÝ ČLEN SEKTY v Keni byl sťat poté, co se stal křesťanem. Jeho hlava byla nalezena v plastikovém pytli na chodníku, tělo dosud nebylo nalezeno. Členové sekty Mungiki tímto způsobem jednají s každým, kdo přestoupí k jiné víře, nebo opustí jejich sektu. Podobně brutálně byli zavražděni tři další členové a došlo i k únosům. Vedoucí sekty vydali ultimátum do ledna 2004, aby se všichni vrátili do sekty, jinak budou zabiti. Nejméně 18 lidí bylo zavražděno od doby, kdy ultimátum uplynulo. Tato sekta má asi 2 miliony členů, je protizápadní a volá lidi zpět k tradičním africkým kmenovým náboženstvím. (World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commision)
BUDDHISTIČTÍ MNIŠI ŠTVOU DAV PROTI KŘESŤANSKÝM SBORŮM na Srí Lance. Asi 50 mnichů s dalšími 150 lidmi napadli sbor, kde zničili zařízení a vyhrožovali farníkům. Policie musela zasáhnout plynovými bombami a výstřely do vzduchu. Pastor byl donucen přislíbit, že zruší sborová shromáždění. (Voice of the Martyrs)
MEZINÁRODNÍ BIBLICKÁ SPOLEČNOST už za dobu své činnosti dosáhla v distribuci 400 milionů kusů Písma. (International Bible Society)
KŘESŤANÉ V INDII „SPÍ“, zatímco hinduisté plánují svůj návrat do vedení země. Prezident „Evangelia pro Asii“ varuje, aby křesťané nezůstali nečinní, když mají před sebou pět let vlády, která slíbila tolerovat náboženské menšiny. (Mission Network News)
NÁRŮST MISIONÁŘSKÉ PRÁCE V ALŽÍRSKU dělá starosti muslimům. Evangelizace začala mezi malými kmeny a rozšířila se do dalších částí země. Misionáři distribuují evangelizační materiály a křesťanské knihy, které jsou zaměřené na děti. Zároveň rozšiřují CD o životě Ježíše Krista, namluvené v místním dialektu. Muslimové v zemi chtějí proti tomuto fenoménu zakročit a považují jej za „bezprecedentní agresi“ proti muslimům. (Worldwide Religious News/IslamOnline.net)
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CHRISTIAN RELEASED AFTER MORE THAN 12 YEARS IN TURKISH PRISON
Soner Onder was released from a high-security Turkish prison on Tuesday,
June 22, exactly 12 years and six months after his arrest as a 17-year-old
on Christmas Day, 1991. Onder walked into the arms of his family outside a
Turkish military compound in Tekirdag. Weeping and clapping as they hugged
and kissed him, relatives had come from as far away as Germany, Sweden and
the Netherlands to join him and his family for the long-awaited reunion. The
youngest of nine children in a Syrian Catholic Christian family, members of
Onder's family had emigrated from southeastern Turkey 15 to 20 years ago
when the region degenerated into civil war between Kurdish dissidents and
the Turkish military.
"Soner's release is another answer to the prayers of thousands of Christians
around the world," said Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors USA. He was
released after completing his reduced life sentence for alleged involvement
in a Kurdish terrorist attack in Istanbul on Dec. 25, 1991. Onder denies the
charges, saying he was forced to sign a "confession" while being tortured.
The Turkish court refused to consider an official forensic report verifying
this claim. He and his family believe his arrest was based solely on the
fact that his identity card revealed his birthplace as Diyarbakir, center of
the Kurdish separatist uprising that eventually took the lives of 35,000
civilians and Turkish troops. Onder said he received more than 11,000 cards
and letters from concerned Christians worldwide during his imprisonment.
(Assist News Service)
FORMER CULT MEMBER IN KENYA BEHEADED AFTER BECOMING CHRISTIAN
On Tuesday, June 8, the head of Simon Ndabi Kamore was found wrapped in
green plastic on the pavement near the bus stop where he had been preaching
the previous Sunday. The rest of his body has not yet been recovered.
Kamore, a former member of Kenya's outlawed Mungiki sect, had denounced the
sect after converting to Christianity. The East African Standard reported,
"The murder comes in the wake of a recent revelation that fanatical Mungiki
adherents have in the recent past been attacking and killing any sect member
who dares to reconvert to another religion or disassociates himself with the
outlawed outfit." Earlier this year, police placed Mungiki defectors on a
24-hour guard following the brutal murder of three members and the
kidnapping of several who had openly denounced the sect. Among those killed
were pastor James Irungu Njenga and his wife, Florence, who were shot to
death at their home in Nairobi in March while their children looked on. Last
year Mungiki leaders gave defectors an ultimatum: return to the sect by
January 2004 or be killed. At least 18 people have been murdered since the
deadline expired. The cult, which has some 2 million members, appeals to
tribalism, is anti-West, and calls people back to traditional African tribal
religions. These elements tend to attract disillusioned, nominal Christians
and poor people who are feeling frustrated and hopeless due to their
socioeconomic situation. (World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty
Commission)
* HCJB World Radio has worked with local partners to install radio
ministries in Nairobi (two stations), Mombasa and Tinderet.
BUDDHIST MONKS STIR UP MOB AGAINST CHURCH IN SRI LANKA
Buddhist monks from the Bodhidumarama temple in Wadduwa, Sri Lanka, incited
a mob to march against a local evangelical church the evening of Saturday,
June 19, saying they wanted to "rid our village of the fundamentalist
plague." About 50 monks, accompanied by 150 other local residents, marched
from the Buddhist temple to the church. When they arrived, they found only
two parishioners along with the pastor's two daughters. After demanding that
the pastor be brought to them, they began throwing chairs and tearing down
Scripture banners and threatened the daughters. One of the girls managed to
call police who were unable to control the mob when they arrived. After
damaging the church, the mob finally left with no arrests being made. The
next morning the pastor canceled services as he had done the previous Sunday
because of threats. Again a large mob gathered and tried to force their way
into the church despite police guards. The rioters threw gasoline bombs,
bricks and rocks, damaging the roof and windows. A parapet wall also
collapsed. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd and fired shots into
the air. The pastor was eventually forced to announce that he would stop
holding meetings at the church. (Voice of the Martyrs)
IBS PASSES 400-MILLION MARK IN TOTAL SCRIPTURES DISTRIBUTED
International Bible Society (IBS), the translation sponsor of the New
International Version of the Bible, recently surpassed the 400-million mark
in total number of Scriptures distributed worldwide. IBS has distributed
more than 402 million Scriptures since its founding in 1809. In addition,
IBS has translated the Bible into 88 of the world's major languages and, in
conjunction with Wycliffe Bible Translators, has published God's Word in
more than 660 languages. Through a ministry alliance with Gospelcom's Bible
Gateway, IBS provides online Scriptures to virtually every corner of the
world. Beginning in 1995 with the NIV and in 1996 with the Arabic Bible, IBS
has put 40 translations online in various digital formats. "While the scope
of the Bible Society's ministry has widened since 1809, our goal remains the
same-evangelism," said IBS President Peter Bradley. "We accomplish that goal
through translating and reaching out with Scriptures. We have committed
ourselves to making the Word of God available to anyone who truly wants it."
Vice President Tom Youngblood added, "For nearly 200 years we have worked
diligently to provide appropriate Scriptures to people -- from prison
inmates to children, youth, disaster/crisis victims and many more, we have
planted the seed of God's Word. It's hard to know the impact of 400 million
Scriptures on the lives of men and women around the world. But we are
confident the Word has done its work and has sprouted and matured and
increased the population of heaven." (International Bible Society)
CHRISTIANS 'SLEEPING' WHILE HINDUS PLAN TO MAKE COMEBACK IN INDIA
In India, Hindu nationalists are vowing to reclaim power as the opposition
Bharatiya Janata Party meets this week to strategize how to do that. While
believers are encouraged by the recent change of power with the country's
first-ever non-Hindu government in place, Gospel for Asia President K.P.
Yohannan says he's puzzled by the response of believers. "God in His mercy
has given us five years right now with a new government. That government
says, 'We will protect the minorities, and we will give them freedom to
spread their faith.' But the church at large, I'm afraid, is missing it."
Yohannan says not all groups are sleeping, but not enough is being done. "In
a nation with 1.2 billion people, you can imagine how much a handful of
groups can do. What we need is an incredible revival and a passion for souls
among the body of Christ at large." Despite the new government, persecution
continues in many parts of India. (Mission Network News)
GROWTH OF MISSIONARY WORK IN ALGERIA WORRIES MUSLIMS
Missionary work is growing in Algeria, and cases of proselytized Muslims are
making the news in the North African country. Newspapers such as El-Youm and
Echourouk El-Arabi reported that the phenomenon was on the rise while
El-Bilad reported that the new converts already perform Christian rituals in
some 15 churches. Al-Akhdar Bin Khallaf, a prominent member of the Movement
for National Reform, confirmed the reports. "The missionary work first
started at the tribes area and then spilled into other Algerian states like
Annaba (360 miles northeast of Algiers) and Constantine (260 miles northeast
of the capital)," he told IslamOnline. Khallaf said he has copies of glossy
Gospels and Christian books that target children. He added that missionaries
are distributing CDs on the life of Jesus Christ in the widely spoken
dialect of the country to appeal to a wide range of people. Authorities also
have been known to order the closure of mosques after believers prayed.
Khallaf said his party, which has seats in the Sri Lankan parliament, will
ask the government to respond to questions on the "worrying phenomenon."
Sheikh Abdul Rahman Shaiban, head of Algeria's Muslim Scholars Association,
said the missionary work is an "unprecedented aggression" on Muslims in the
country. He added that Christians in the country are entitled to practice
their rituals and religion, but have "no right whatsoever to dissuade
Muslims and shake their beliefs." (WorldWide Religious News/IslamOnline.net) |
Zprávy HCJB 24.6.2004
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