Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 220 | Wed 24 Jul 2013
IRAN: CHRISTIANS IMPRISONED FOR THEIR FAITH
-- PLUS: update from Pakistan
By Elizabeth Kendal
On 12 October 2012 security officials raided a house in Shiraz where members of the Church of Iran denomination had gathered to pray. Elderly believers were harassed and threatened and eight others were arrested. A few days later two other members were summoned to the Intelligence Ministry detention centre where they were subsequently arrested (although a lady with kidney disease was released the following day). The believers were transferred to Adel-Abad Prison and kept separate from other prisoners. Whilst two believers were released on bail in late October, the others remained incarcerated until March 2013. The judge set bail for prayer leader Mohammed Roghangir at US$200,000, while the others had to find US$80,000 each. The exorbitant sums were doubtless designed to cripple the believers and deter others.
Sentences were handed down on Tuesday 16 July. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports: 'Mohammad Roghangir was sentenced to six years, Massoud Rezaie to five years, Mehdi Ameruni and Bijan Farokhpour Haghighi to three years, Shahin Lahooti and Suroush Saraie to two-and-half-years each, while Eskandar Rezaie and Roxana Forughi were both sentenced to one year in prison.' Morning Star News adds that the believers were found guilty of 'action against the national security' and 'propaganda against the system'. These believers were not plotting terrorism or spying for the CIA, nor were they marching in the streets inciting counter-revolution! They were praying as Christians. Because Islam is a material and political religion, apostasy (leaving Islam) is not viewed as a spiritual issue as much as a betrayal of the Ummah (Muslim community) and treason against the Islamic State. To prevent apostates from becoming a source of 'fitna' (trouble / temptation to doubt Islam), Islamic law mandates that apostates be killed, or at least rendered utterly undesirable. [In reality, Islam's repression and cruelty is a prime source of 'fitna' and Muslims are increasingly seeing Islamic states as utterly undesirable.]
Pastor Robert Asserian had been arrested on 21 May in a crackdown on Farsi-speaking ministries, but was released on bail on 2 July on the condition that he remain silent. The Assemblies of God (AoG) church in Tehran where he ministered has since closed (RLPB 212). Mostafa Bordbar (27), a convert from Islam imprisoned in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison, is awaiting trial on charges of participating in a house church, an illegal gathering. Bordbar was arrested on 27 December 2012 when police raided a Christmas celebration in a Christian's home. Bordbar has been imprisoned before, for converting to Christianity, and was out on bail. Judge Pir-Abbas (the 'hanging judge') is handling his case.
The election of President Hassan Rouhani has not changed anything. The clerical regime hand-picks the candidates and manipulates the entire election process. Whilst Rouhani was presented to the people and the world as a 'reformist' and 'moderate', he is neither. He has a pleasant public persona, so he is preferred by many in the reformist and pragmatist camps, but he is no counter-revolutionary. Rouhani is a total insider, close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who is doubtless pleased that a belligerent, obnoxious and increasingly non-compliant puppet has been replaced with a silky-smooth one. Banafsheh Zand, a US-based Iranian journalist (whose own father was arrested in 2001, then imprisoned and tortured before being murdered in 2011) describes Khamenei as a masterful tactician, and Rouhani as 'duplicitous' (deceitful, double-dealing).
Mostafa Bordbar, Farshid Fathi and Alizreza Seyyedian -- three Christians in prison for their faith -- have written to President Rouhani requesting that, with God's help, he might restore respect and honour to Iran's name by restoring religious freedom.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT --
* the great Counsellor, the ever-present, comforting and empowering Holy Spirit will remind all Iran's imprisoned believers and their families that God's grace is sufficient for them, for his power is made perfect in their weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
* local believers will have courage and conviction to uphold and care for the persecuted, despite the risks involved, demonstrating sacrificial love as befits a family that has put its trust in God. (2 Timothy 1:15-18; John 13:34-35)
* the Church in the world will 'Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.' (Hebrews 13:3 ESV)
* God will awaken Iranians to realise their country's problems are not administrative but are spiritual; may he bless Iran with revival! (Ephesians 2:8-9)
SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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CHRISTIANS IN IRAN IMPRISONED FOR THEIR FAITH
On Tuesday 16 July 2013 eight Iranian converts from Islam were sentenced to between one and six years imprisonment. They had been arrested at a house church prayer meeting in October 2012 and were found guilty of 'action against the national security' and 'propaganda against the system'. Robert Asserian, pastor of the now-closed Assemblies of God church in Tehran, was arrested on 21 May and released on bail on 2 July, on the condition that he 'remain silent'. Mostafa Bordbar, imprisoned in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison, is awaiting trial on charges of participating in a house church, an illegal gathering. Faith can be extremely costly in Iran, with long prison sentences and crippling amounts required for bail. Please pray for the Church in Iran.
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UPDATE: PAKISTAN (updating RLPB 219).
In Gojra on 20 July Christians Shafqat Masih (43) and his wife Shagufta (40) were arrested after a local Muslim accused them of sending a blasphemous text message. Their relatives have fled and it is not clear who is caring for the couple's four children aged 5 to 11 years. Shafqat insists that the police coerced him into making a confession and maintains that the accusation is false. The similarities to last week's case are blatant. Morning Star News comments: 'Accusations of blasphemous text messages could be a dangerous trend, as obtaining and activating SIM cards using someone else's national identity card is not difficult in Pakistan. Such evidence is hard to challenge in court, leaving people of all faiths at risk of being falsely convicted of blasphemy.' Please pray for the Church in Pakistan.
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Elizabeth Kendal is the author of
Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah speaks to Christians today
(Deror Books, Dec 2012)
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
RLPB 219. Pakistan: false claims, blasphemy and Interpol
Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 219 | Wed 17 Jul 2013
PAKISTAN: FALSE CLAIMS, BLASPHEMY AND INTERPOL
-- PLUS update from Egypt
By Elizabeth Kendal
On 11 December 2011 Muslim clerics in Gojra reported to police that a Christian man by the name of Sajjad Masih, a resident of Pakpatten (a two-and-a-half-hour drive south-east of Gojra), had sent them blasphemous messages via mobile phone. Upon learning of the accusation, Sajjad immediately went into hiding. Eventually Christian leaders in Gojra convinced him to accompany them to the Gojra City Police Station so he could record his statement. Once the police had Sajjad in custody they refused to release him. Morning Star News reports that as soon as the Christian leaders left the police station, the police started beating Sajjad. To coerce a 'confession' they hung him upside down, connected his feet to electric wires and threatened to electrocute him. Sajjad 'confessed' and was transferred to Toba Tek Singh Prison. On Saturday 13 July 2013 the court in Toba Tek Singh District, Punjab Province, found Sajjad Masih (29) guilty of blasphemy. Sajjad was fined 200,000 Rupees (USD1980) and sentenced to life in prison.
The judge was not bothered that the case was full of anomalies. According to the prosecution, Sajjad Masih was engaged to Ruma Masih, a Christian girl in Gojra Christian Colony, who then betrayed him by marrying a man in the UK. It is alleged that the vindictive Sajjad then used a mobile phone SIM card that he purchased in Ruma's name to send blasphemous messages to clerics in Gojra in the hope that she would be blamed and punished for her 'betrayal'. The court accepted the prosecution's case despite a total lack of evidence. Morning Star News and Pakistan Christian Post both report that the prosecution was unable to produce the SIM card, the mobile phone, phone records or eye witnesses to support their case. Furthermore, evidence was provided to the effect that Sajjad had been in his office all day on the day the SIM card was alleged to have been purchased. Also, the complainant in the case, Tariq Saleem, backed down under cross-examination, confessing that he had been coerced by police to file the case when in truth he had never received a blasphemous message. Despite all this, Sajjad was charged, convicted and sentenced, all due to pressure from Islamic clerics.
If this were not enough, Indian Express reported on 14 July, 'Muslims and clerics of Gojra also pressured police to try Ruma under the blasphemy law.' So, 'On the request of police, the federal interior ministry sought a red corner notice [Red Notice] from Interpol for the arrest of Ruma in the UK but she is yet to be traced. Pakistani police have declared her a "proclaimed offender" or fugitive'. [To understand how Interpol can be abused in this way, see here.] According to Attorney Javed Sahotra, some 'young Muslim men' in Gojra had plotted against Sajjad Masih to 'punish him for being friends with a local Christian girl'. No-one has yet explained why they cared about Sajjad's relationship with Ruma. Maybe these young Muslim men framed Sajjad to get him out of the way. Perhaps they are seeking to punish Ruma for not submitting to their will.
This case shows how police actions and court rulings are being dictated by belligerent 'Muslims and clerics' rather than by law or reason whilst the government is either unwilling or unable to do anything about it. Clearly Pakistan is no longer ruled by law, but by vindictive and intolerant Muslims and clerics who persecute with impunity and dictate to police, judges and lawmakers. Even in the rare case of an acquittal, a person who has been accused of blasphemy is targeted for life. [See documentary: 'Murder in God's Name'.] Christians in Pakistan are living with a continuous threat to their life. When the rule of law collapses in a society infected with intolerance and hate, what is left to restrain evil?
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT --
* God will cause Sajjad to be acquitted on appeal, and may he deliver both Sajjad and Ruma (with their extended families) from Islamic mischief and vindictiveness. (Psalm 140)
* the Lord of Hosts will send his heavenly forces to restrain and pacify the Muslims and clerics of Gojra so that Gojra's vulnerable Christian Colony (ravaged by a deadly Islamic pogrom in August 2009) will be spared more violence. (Psalm 57:1-3)
* our sovereign, redeeming God will intervene in Pakistan to graciously effect a breakthrough that will halt the decay and reverse the way being taken; may justice and righteousness be established for the sake of the Church and the 'harassed and helpless' Muslim masses who need to hear the gospel. (Matthew 9:36 ESV)
SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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PAKISTAN -- FALSE CLAIMS, BLASPHEMY AND INTERPOL
Sajjad Masih (29) and his friend, Ruma Masih, two Christians from Punjab, have been falsely accused of blasphemy. On 13 July Sajjad (detained since December 2011) was sentenced to life in prison, despite a total absence of evidence and a retraction from the complainant who confessed to being coerced into filing a false claim. Ruma now lives in the UK. The actions of the Gojra police and the judgment of the Gojra court were not determined by law, but by belligerent Muslims and clerics in Gojra. First they forced the court to convict Sajjad and then made the police charge Ruma. Pakistan has issued an Interpol Red Notice against Ruma, so she might be arrested in the UK as a fugitive. Please pray for Pakistan and its imperilled Christians.
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UPDATE: EGYPT (updating RLPB 218).
There has been another assassination in North Sinai. Christian businessman Magdy Lamei had been kidnapped by Islamic militants in Sheikh Zuwayed on Saturday 6 July. This was the same day a Coptic priest was assassinated in neighbouring al-Arish. Lamei's bound and decapitated body was found dumped in the street on 11 July. He had been an active Christian who ministered in the church and regularly opened his home for prayers. Christians are fleeing from North Sinai.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Elizabeth Kendal is the author of
Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah speaks to Christians today
(Deror Books, Dec 2012)
PAKISTAN: FALSE CLAIMS, BLASPHEMY AND INTERPOL
-- PLUS update from Egypt
By Elizabeth Kendal
On 11 December 2011 Muslim clerics in Gojra reported to police that a Christian man by the name of Sajjad Masih, a resident of Pakpatten (a two-and-a-half-hour drive south-east of Gojra), had sent them blasphemous messages via mobile phone. Upon learning of the accusation, Sajjad immediately went into hiding. Eventually Christian leaders in Gojra convinced him to accompany them to the Gojra City Police Station so he could record his statement. Once the police had Sajjad in custody they refused to release him. Morning Star News reports that as soon as the Christian leaders left the police station, the police started beating Sajjad. To coerce a 'confession' they hung him upside down, connected his feet to electric wires and threatened to electrocute him. Sajjad 'confessed' and was transferred to Toba Tek Singh Prison. On Saturday 13 July 2013 the court in Toba Tek Singh District, Punjab Province, found Sajjad Masih (29) guilty of blasphemy. Sajjad was fined 200,000 Rupees (USD1980) and sentenced to life in prison.
The judge was not bothered that the case was full of anomalies. According to the prosecution, Sajjad Masih was engaged to Ruma Masih, a Christian girl in Gojra Christian Colony, who then betrayed him by marrying a man in the UK. It is alleged that the vindictive Sajjad then used a mobile phone SIM card that he purchased in Ruma's name to send blasphemous messages to clerics in Gojra in the hope that she would be blamed and punished for her 'betrayal'. The court accepted the prosecution's case despite a total lack of evidence. Morning Star News and Pakistan Christian Post both report that the prosecution was unable to produce the SIM card, the mobile phone, phone records or eye witnesses to support their case. Furthermore, evidence was provided to the effect that Sajjad had been in his office all day on the day the SIM card was alleged to have been purchased. Also, the complainant in the case, Tariq Saleem, backed down under cross-examination, confessing that he had been coerced by police to file the case when in truth he had never received a blasphemous message. Despite all this, Sajjad was charged, convicted and sentenced, all due to pressure from Islamic clerics.
If this were not enough, Indian Express reported on 14 July, 'Muslims and clerics of Gojra also pressured police to try Ruma under the blasphemy law.' So, 'On the request of police, the federal interior ministry sought a red corner notice [Red Notice] from Interpol for the arrest of Ruma in the UK but she is yet to be traced. Pakistani police have declared her a "proclaimed offender" or fugitive'. [To understand how Interpol can be abused in this way, see here.] According to Attorney Javed Sahotra, some 'young Muslim men' in Gojra had plotted against Sajjad Masih to 'punish him for being friends with a local Christian girl'. No-one has yet explained why they cared about Sajjad's relationship with Ruma. Maybe these young Muslim men framed Sajjad to get him out of the way. Perhaps they are seeking to punish Ruma for not submitting to their will.
This case shows how police actions and court rulings are being dictated by belligerent 'Muslims and clerics' rather than by law or reason whilst the government is either unwilling or unable to do anything about it. Clearly Pakistan is no longer ruled by law, but by vindictive and intolerant Muslims and clerics who persecute with impunity and dictate to police, judges and lawmakers. Even in the rare case of an acquittal, a person who has been accused of blasphemy is targeted for life. [See documentary: 'Murder in God's Name'.] Christians in Pakistan are living with a continuous threat to their life. When the rule of law collapses in a society infected with intolerance and hate, what is left to restrain evil?
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT --
* God will cause Sajjad to be acquitted on appeal, and may he deliver both Sajjad and Ruma (with their extended families) from Islamic mischief and vindictiveness. (Psalm 140)
* the Lord of Hosts will send his heavenly forces to restrain and pacify the Muslims and clerics of Gojra so that Gojra's vulnerable Christian Colony (ravaged by a deadly Islamic pogrom in August 2009) will be spared more violence. (Psalm 57:1-3)
* our sovereign, redeeming God will intervene in Pakistan to graciously effect a breakthrough that will halt the decay and reverse the way being taken; may justice and righteousness be established for the sake of the Church and the 'harassed and helpless' Muslim masses who need to hear the gospel. (Matthew 9:36 ESV)
SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
------------------------------------------------------------------
PAKISTAN -- FALSE CLAIMS, BLASPHEMY AND INTERPOL
Sajjad Masih (29) and his friend, Ruma Masih, two Christians from Punjab, have been falsely accused of blasphemy. On 13 July Sajjad (detained since December 2011) was sentenced to life in prison, despite a total absence of evidence and a retraction from the complainant who confessed to being coerced into filing a false claim. Ruma now lives in the UK. The actions of the Gojra police and the judgment of the Gojra court were not determined by law, but by belligerent Muslims and clerics in Gojra. First they forced the court to convict Sajjad and then made the police charge Ruma. Pakistan has issued an Interpol Red Notice against Ruma, so she might be arrested in the UK as a fugitive. Please pray for Pakistan and its imperilled Christians.
------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE: EGYPT (updating RLPB 218).
There has been another assassination in North Sinai. Christian businessman Magdy Lamei had been kidnapped by Islamic militants in Sheikh Zuwayed on Saturday 6 July. This was the same day a Coptic priest was assassinated in neighbouring al-Arish. Lamei's bound and decapitated body was found dumped in the street on 11 July. He had been an active Christian who ministered in the church and regularly opened his home for prayers. Christians are fleeing from North Sinai.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Elizabeth Kendal is the author of
Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah speaks to Christians today
(Deror Books, Dec 2012)
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