Zprávy HCJB 4.6.2008 |
| Zprávy HCJB 4.6.2008 |
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Alžírští křesťané dostali podmíněné tresty vězení a pokuty |
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| Ve čtvrtek 3. června soud v Alžíru odsoudil čtyři křesťany k podmíněným trestům vězení a k pokutě za pokus obracet muslimy na křesťanství, Je to součást vládního zásahu proti misijní činnosti v této africké zemi. Západní křesťanské skupiny a alžírští sekularističtí liberálové mají nedávná vládou nařízená uzavření některých kostelů a pronásledování obracení na víru za důkaz pronásledování křesťanské menšiny muslimskou většinou v této 33 milionové zemi. Vláda odmítá, že by křesťany, kterých je asi 10 000, strašila. Státem ustavená Vysoká rada islámu, která řídí náboženské záležitosti tvrdí, že evangelikálové se snaží tajně Alžířany rozdělit a ovládnout zemi. Soud v západním městě Tiaret dal půlroční podmíněný trest vězení Richardu Saghir, 36letému počítačovému technikovi a také pokutu |
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Všechny zprávy v angličtině |
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| CHINESE CHRISTIANS MAKING IMPACT IN EARTHQUAKE ZONE Sources: Open Doors USA, National Public Radio Relief efforts to earthquake survivors continue three weeks after the devastating May 12 quake in China, including a groundswell of public support for the government following a visible relief and recovery operation. Non-governmental organizations -- including churches -- are playing an active role in the aid. “Christians were driving their own cars and purchasing medicine, water and food to go to the areas which were missed by the government trucks and cars,” said the director of China training for Open Doors (his name is not given due to security issues). “And, without exception, before distributing those goods, Christians are telling survivors about eternal hope and eternal salvation. People are extremely touched by the fact that others would come and provide for their needs.” While traveling in the affected area normally would have been prohibited because of the upcoming Olympic Games, those restrictions have been dropped, and Open Doors is forming volunteer groups. “One group has 17, another has 30, including nurses and doctors, who are raising funds for their own transportation and also bringing extremely generous donations,” the representative said. “They are not only going for a few days or a few weeks, they are going to stay there long-term so they can truly express the love of God to these people who are suffering so much.” Some analysts say the earthquake could be a turning point for civil society in China. 9 CHINESE BELIEVERS DETAINED FOR AIDING QUAKE VICTIMS Sources: Assist News Service, Christian Newswire Officials from China’s Public Security Bureau (PSB) and Religious Affairs Bureau (RAB) disrupted a house church meeting on Sunday, June 1, forcefully detaining seven of the participants meeting in Henan province’s Taikang county. Police officials did not state the reason for the arrests, but during interrogation authorities questioned the members as to who would be taking donations to the earthquake disaster area, reported the China Aid Association (CAA). One woman and her child were released, but the six others remain in detention, accused of sending money to a disaster area in the name of a house church. Both PSB and RAB officials said the detainees would not be released unless they each paid of fine of 1,000 yuan (US$144). In a separate incident, CAA learned that two Christians in Henan’s Hua county were detained on Wednesday, May 28, on a charge of “religious inciting on obstruction to earthquake relief work.” One believer was released after paying a fine and giving gifts to PSB officers; the other was expected to be released on Tuesday, June 3. IRANIAN AUTHORITIES RELEASE 2 OF 8 CHRISTIAN CONVERTS Source: Compass Direct News Iranian security police in Shiraz released two Iranian converts to Christianity on Monday, June 2, about three weeks after they were charged with “activities against the holy religion.” Mojtaba Hussein, 21, and Hamoyon Shokohie Gholamzadeh, 58, both former Muslims, were arrested on Sunday, May 11, along with six other converts who were charged with “activities against the country” and are still in custody. Hussein remains under virtual house arrest and may be called back for a formal trial. In northern Iran another Christian arrested in April was released three days earlier in Mazandaran province. His wife, who was arrested with him, was released three days later. Because it’s illegal to proselytize Muslims in Iran, Christians face constant surveillance due to their “apostasy against Islam.” They are routinely arrested, interrogated and then released but may be called back for a formal trial. In the past three decades hundreds of Christians converts in Iran have been arrested and persecuted due to their Christian faith. In spite of the pressure, one Iranian pastor said Christians should be vocal about the persecution they are enduring. “If we keep silent about this, the government will just continue doing this,” he said. “We must not keep our mouths shut about it.” STUDY: CHRISTIANS INCREASINGLY EMBRACE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES Source: Barna Group A study by the Barna Group examined how the Christian community in the U.S. engages with mainstream and emerging technologies, including the use of church podcasts. E-mail has become an essential part of culture and commerce as four out of five Americans (78 percent) who access a computer have sent an e-mail in the past week. In contrast, just one-third of computer users (33 percent) have used instant messaging in the past week while 30 percent of Americans have sent someone a text message via a mobile telephone, and only 23 percent of computer users has a personal webpage or home page on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Just 10 percent of adults have a personal blog where they communicate their ideas and experiences. The Internet’s promise of instant access to information saw eight out of 10 computer users surveyed accessing information via the Internet in the last week (84 percent). The study found that 23 percent of adults downloaded a church podcast in the past week. UPDATE: ALGERIAN CHRISTIANS GIVEN SUSPENDED JAIL TERMS, FINES Sources: BosNewsLife, World Wide Religious News, Reuters A court in Algeria gave four Christians suspended jail sentences and fines Tuesday, June 3, for seeking to convert Muslims to Christianity as part of a government crackdown on mission activities in the African country. Western Christian groups and Algerian secular liberals point to recent state-ordered closures of some churches and prosecutions for proselytism as evidence that the overwhelmingly Muslim country of 33 million is persecuting minority Christians. The government denies harassing Christians, believed to number about 10,000. The state-appointed Higher Islamic Council, which regulates religious practice, says evangelicals are secretly trying to divide Algerians to colonize the country. A court in the western town of Tiaret handed a six-month suspended prison term to Rachid Seghir, a 36-year-old computer technician, and fined him 200,000 dinars (US$3,200) for breaking a provision in a 2006 law that forbids non-Muslims from seeking to convert Muslims. Jillali Saidi, Abdelhak Rabih and Chaabane Baikel each received two-month suspended prison sentences and were fined 100,000 dinars (US$1,600) each. The four said they intend to appeal. |
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