In a fresh push during the first week of January, police and military forces in the East African country of Eritrea jailed at least 68 additional Christians in three separate operations. On Friday, Jan. 5, officials in the northern town of Keren arrested eight government workers, reportedly interrogating them in attempts to force them to recant their faith and identify local leaders of the Coptic Orthodox renewal movement, Medhane Alem. On the same day in Assab, security police arrested 25 Christians and again pressured them to recant their faith. Seven of the 25 are women. On Thursday, Jan. 4, military commanders at the national Sawa Military Center conducted a “random checkup on the activities of Christian extremists.” Among the student conscripts military personnel confiscated and burned 250 Bibles in front of the camp. Thirty-five of the teenage students were arrested and slated to be subjected to strict military punishment, including physical torture. Human rights group Eritrea Release said it believes one in 10 evangelical Christians are now imprisoned in the country. (Compass Direct News/BosNewsLife)

2 PAKISTANI ‘BLASPHEMERS’ GO INTO HIDING AFTER ACQUITTAL

Two Pakistani prisoners accused of “blasphemy” under the nations restrictive Islamic-based laws were acquitted last week. The first, Shahbaz Masih, has been incarcerated more than five years despite evidence showing the man was mentally handicapped with bipolar effective disorder. The judge also noted that no one had seen Masih, 28, commit the alleged crime. Defense lawyer Khalil Tahir Sindhu, a Catholic, said his client’s life may still be in danger from Muslim fanatics angered by the verdict and that he plans to place Masih with his family in hiding following his release.

The same lawyer is also defending 17-year-old Shahid Masih against charges of defiling the Koran. The young Masih became one of the few Christians accused of “blasphemy” to be released on bail by a lower court. Typically, the accused remain imprisoned for years until higher courts reach decisions on the cases. The teen remarked, “Even after getting bail, I do not feel safe because I have to live in hiding.” Peter Jacob, executive secretary of the National Commission for Justice and Peace, pointed out that Christian blasphemy suspects are often safest in prison under police protection. (Compass Direct News)

* HCJB Global Hands sent two medical teams from Ecuador to Pakistan following the Oct. 8, 2005, earthquake that left tens of thousands dead and thousands more injured and homeless. Staff members helped SIM International with relief efforts.

TEEN CONFESSES TO KILLING ARMENIAN WHISTLE-BLOWER IN TURKEY

Turkish police announced on Sunday, Jan. 21, that teenager Ogun Samast, 17, has confessed to killing Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. The teen told police that he read on the Internet that Dink had said, “Turkish blood was dirty,” so he decided to kill him. The boy was captured on Saturday on a bus in the city of Samsun still carrying the gun allegedly used in the murder. Reporter Hrant Dink was handed a six-month suspended prison sentence for writing about the alleged massacre of up to 1.5 million Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Christians carried out by Turkish Ottoman forces between 1915 and 1917. Turkey’s government has denied the allegations of mass killings and genocide, claiming no more than 300,000 Armenians perished at the time, mostly due to hunger. The judge who sentenced Dink registered that he had “denigrated Turkishness,” alluding to a set of laws which churches and human rights groups say have encouraged attacks against Christian leaders and missionaries. The reporter had received scores of death threats but remained in Turkey with his family to continue what they viewed as a fight for justice. (BosNewsLife)

CHRISTIAN, FAMILY GROUPS OPPOSE CALIFORNIA NO-SPANKING BILL

California Assemblywoman Sally Lieber has announced plans to introduce legislation banning spanking in California. The proposed law would send parents to jail for up to a year and fine them up to $1,000 if they spank a child under the age of 3. Lieber believes spanking contributes to a society “addicted to violence” and said, “to my mind, there’s no amount of physical force that’s appropriate on a child 3 years old or younger.” The announcement has left many Christian and family advocates upset. Randy Thomasson president of Campaign for Children and Families, said, “This punish-you-if-you-spank-your-children bill is intrusive, unenforceable and the most blatant violation of parental rights I’ve ever seen. What’s next, jail time for parents who raise their voices at their children?” Karen England, executive director of the conservative, pro-family group Capitol Resource Institute said, “As a parent, I am absolutely outraged that the government wants to dictate how I discipline my children.” She points to the irony of the state breaking up a family because a parent cares enough to discipline, adding, “This legislation will not produce better parents, but will remove the discipline necessary to raise children of character.” (Christian Newswire/Associated Press/The Sacramento Bee)

NEW ZEALAND CHURCH GIVES FAMILIES $100 EACH TO BOOST OUTREACH

In an effort to get their congregation more excited about outreach, the City Apostolic church in Christchurch, New Zealand, gave $100 (US$70) to every family with instructions to use the money to do good in the community. The endeavor, called Project U, was introduced to the congregation in October and was first met with stunned silence. “We decided to dissolve the local missions outreach team which had been organizing events and throw the whole responsibility on the congregation,” said Operations Manager Simon Martin. Each family was also handed an information pack and training manual to help them. There are also some suggested boundaries for spending the money. For instance, it cannot be given back to the church or to help other Christians or Christian organizations; it must be used for a project in which the family plays an active part; and it must affect the person’s local community and develop relationships. Martin says the church is taking a risk, “but it’s a risk we need to take. If you look at the steps of churches that have had an impact on their communities, they have empowered the congregation to do as Christ instructed them.” (Assist News Service)

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