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The Persecution Report from Voice of the Martyrs Canada

On this month’s report hear what is happening to Christians in Israel, Nigeria, Eritrea and India. Also you’ll meet a Christian le On this month’s report hear what is happening to Christians in Israel, Nigeria, Eritrea and India. Also you’ll meet a Christian leader who is facing intense persecution for his work in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Part 1

House Church in Baiyin, Gansu Province raided; Five people placed under Administrative Detention

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

GANSU, CHINA ANS — Several police officials went to a meeting site of a house church at Honghui Coal Mine in Pingchuan District, Baiyin City, Gansu Province on the afternoon of June 24, 2008. They detained Mr. Wang Fayun, a co-worker in charge of this gathering site and two female members who were practicing on the piano.

China Aid Association CAA says that news came on the second day that Brother Wang was placed under 10 days of administrative detention and the two sisters were placed under three days of administrative detention.

On the afternoon of June 25, officials detained two more members, Mr Chen and his wife, at the same gathering site. Like the other detainees, Chen and his wife were sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention and fined 1,000 Yuan $145 USD. When contacted, Gansu authorities issued the following statement concerning the case:

“These people are suspected of engaging in cult activities and undermining public security. According to our information, this church is a house church based on a pure belief and has had public gatherings for three years in the local area.”

China Aid says: “Across China, authorities continue to defy the law in similar ways and label their victims with groundless charges. We implore brothers and sisters to pray for the innocent Christians of ours.”

China Aid Association appeals at the same time to the relevant authorities in Gansu to release these innocent Christians immediately and assume the responsibility of state compensation for the losses they have suffered.

Women Bible College Students Attacked

GFA - On June 17, a group of women students from a Gospel for Asia Bible college faced humiliation and persecution as they distributed Gospel tracts in Andhra Pradesh, India. Anti-Christian extremists interrogated the women, and the attack eventually escalated into physical abuse at a bus station.

As the five women—all third-year Bible college students—passed out the tracts, they were confronted by three radicals. Harshly interrogating one of the women, they snatched the tracts from her hand, tore them to pieces and threw them back in her face. Then the men threatened the women and berated them with vulgar insults.

Finally, one of the students told the radicals that they would leave the station if the men let them go. But instead, the extremists called more people from their organization to come harass the women.

Now, with 10 people surrounding them, the students were forced to endure further insults. Then one extremist took off his dirty sandal and beat the women with it—not only hurting the women physically, but deeply humiliating them in public.

As the man continued to beat the students, a Christian from the local church came to their rescue. The extremists dispersed, and the believer helped the women get back to their house.

The team is staying in the village to help Gospel for Asia native missionary Ednit Sadhil and his family with evangelism through literature. The internship is part of the women’s final training before beginning their full-time ministries.

The women request prayer for safety as they continue serving in this area and for grace as they choose where to minister after they graduate. They also ask for prayer that those who persecuted them will come to a full knowledge of the love of Christ.

Pastor attacked in Andhra Pradesh state, India

By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service

ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA (ANS) — A pastor was attacked and beaten up near Siddipet in the Medak district of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, June 22 at 8pm. According to news reported in www.christiancouncil.in, he was Pastor Kinnera Kanankaiah.

The site reports that the incident took place as the pastor and his wife, along with few other women believers (members of the church), were returning home after a birthday party at a place called Rangadam Palli.

A group of Hindu activists (radicals) belonging to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS National Volunteer servants) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, Indian Peoples Party) attacked them. The site reported that, the Hindu radicals first manhandled the pastor, his wife and another woman and then poured alcohol on them and made fun of them.

The news source says this happened just outside the village, so the people who invited them for the birthday party did not know anything about the incident.

According to the website, the pastor and other victims immediately went to the nearest police station (Siddipet Rural) and gave a written complaint, appealing to the police to enquire into the incident and take necessary action against the culprits. Thereafter they went to hospital for treatment.

All India Christian Council (aicc) has condemned the attack on the pastor and his team and demanded action against the culprits. The Council has also sought protection for the Christian community in the area in the light of the growing incidence of violence against the minority Christian community.

Convert Couple Arrested and Tortured in Iran

Compass Direct News Reports that:

Security police officials in Tehran this month tortured a newly converted couple and threatened to put their 4-year-old daughter in an institution after arresting them for holding Bible studies and attending a house church.

A Christian source in Iran said that 28-year-old Tina Rad was charged with “activities against the holy religion of Islam” for reading the Bible with Muslims in her home in east Tehran and trying to convert them. Officials charged her husband, 31-year-old Makan Arya, with “activities against national security” after seizing the couple from their home on June 3, forcing them to leave their 4-year-old daughter ill and unattended.

Authorities kept them in an unknown jail for four days, which left them badly bruised from beatings, with Rad “very ill” and unable to walk, said the source. Rad was released on bail of US$30,000 bail, and her husband was freed on payment of US$20,000.

“The next time there may also be an apostasy charge, if you don’t stop with your Jesus,” a female security police officer told Rad during interrogation, according to the source. Under Iran’s strict Islamic laws, Muslims who convert from Islam to another religion can be executed.

A draft law before the Iranian parliament would make the death penalty mandatory for “apostates” who leave Islam.

Read more at Compass Direct News.

Record Fine for Baptists in Belarus for Talking About Religion

BELARUS (ANS) — Belarus has imposed a fine of more than two months average wages on a Baptist who organized choral singing and talked about religious issues outside Ushachi public market.

Belarus is located in Eastern Europe, east of Poland.

A story by Geraldine Fagan writing for Forum 18 News Service reported that after a plain clothes policeman told a group of Baptists from outside the area to stop, Vladimir Burshtyn replied that they were not disturbing public order. He cited religious freedom guarantees in Belarus’ Constitution, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The fine is, to Forum 18’s knowledge, the highest yet imposed on Baptists for unregistered religious activity. Higher fines have been levied against members of other communities.

Forum 18 said that Olga Karchevskaya, an official who witnessed the incident, defended the state’s response and the Religion Law’s restrictions. She said, “We need to know who’s coming to us - they could be destructive or acting against people’s interests.”

After the arrival of Karchevskaya, a vice-chair of Ushachi’s District Executive Committee, Burshtyn was escorted to a local police station and charged under the Administrative Violations Code (violation of regulations for holding demonstrations or other mass events).

Forum 18 reported that a local court fined him later the same day.

Olga Plisko, a member of the nearest Baptist Council of Churches congregation to Ushachi, about 20 miles to the south-east in Lepel, told Forum 18 that the Baptists involved were not local. However, she said she knew that they were preparing to appeal against the fine.

Religious activity without state permission has often been punished with large fines. In 2006, for example, the administrator of the charismatic New Life Church in the capital Minsk was fined 3,825,000 Belarusian Roubles, (1,780 U.S. Dollars).

Forum 18 said this was the third time he had been fined for unregistered religious activity Similarly, in 2005, the Pastor of a Pentecostal church was fined 4,650,000 Belarusian Roubles (2,171 U.S. Dollars), for baptizing 70 people in a lake.

Forum 18 said the Baptist Council of Churches broke away from the Soviet government-recognized Baptist Union in 1961, in protest at regulations preventing missionary activity and religious instruction to children.

Refusing on principle to register with the authorities in post-Soviet countries, Forum 18 said that Council congregations regularly face prosecution in Belarus and other states where registration is mandatory. This is a violation of international human rights standards

Forum 18 said Karchevskaya was insistent that she had nothing against preaching the Bible, saying “We’re all believers nowadays.” In specific reference to Baptists, Forum 18 reported she said, “We have our own Baptists here, and regard them positively.”

However, Forum 18 said she insisted that the approximately 20 Baptist adults and children singing and preaching in Ushachi had violated Belarus’ 2002 Religion Law.

In addition to breaking the Law’s territorial restrictions on religious activity by traveling 400 miles from Brest Region, Forum 18 reported she said they should have obtained prior permission from Ushachi District Executive Committee.

Karchevskaya added, “If they had shown us registration documents, proving they have the legal right to hold such a mass meeting, there would have been no problem. But they didn’t.”

Karchevskaya told Forum 18 that preaching has to be within the law, “As in Norway, Germany or anywhere else.”

But the Baptists who visited Ushachi refuse to abide by Belarusian law, she said. “They say they don’t recognize any secular law, only their own.”

The 2002 Law’s territorial restrictions and requirement for permission are necessary, Forum 18 reported Karchevskaya said, because “We need to know who’s coming to us - they could be destructive or acting against people’s interests.”

“It’s common courtesy to introduce yourself and say what you want if you visit someone’s home,” Forum 18 reported Karchevskaya continued. While the Baptists preached and sang using amplification, however, on this occasion, “no one was really listening as they didn’t know who they were,” she told Forum 18.

Forum 18 said that until 2004, fines for unregistered religious activity were usually relatively low - equivalent to several days’ average wages - and for the most part encountered by congregations of the Baptist Council of Churches. They and other unregistered independent Protestant churches reported 17 of these fines in 2003 to 2004.

While the comparative figure for 2005 to 2006 was 12, Forum 18 said those fines were on several occasions significantly higher. They ranged from the equivalent of two weeks to two months average wages.

Seven fines reported by the Baptist Council of Churches in 2007 and early 2008, one of which was later annulled, ranged from approximately two weeks average wages to a month’s average wages.

For more background information, see Forum 18’s Belarus religious freedom survey at www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=888.  er, Forum 18 said she insisted that the approximately 20 Baptist adults and children singing and preaching in Ushachi had violated Belarus’ 2002 Religion Law.

In addition to breaking the Law’s territorial restrictions on religious activity by traveling 400 miles from Brest Region, Forum 18 reported she said they should have obtained prior permission from Ushachi District Executive Committee.

Karchevskaya added, “If they had shown us registration documents, proving they have the legal right to hold such a mass meeting, there would have been no problem. But they didn’t.”

Karchevskaya told Forum 18 that preaching has to be within the law, “As in Norway, Germany or anywhere else.”

But the Baptists who visited Ushachi refuse to abide by Belarusian law, she said. “They say they don’t recognize any secular law, only their own.”

The 2002 Law’s territorial restrictions and requirement for permission are necessary, Forum 18 reported Karchevskaya said, because “We need to know who’s coming to us - they could be destructive or acting against people’s interests.”

“It’s common courtesy to introduce yourself and say what you want if you visit someone’s home,” Forum 18 reported Karchevskaya continued. While the Baptists preached and sang using amplification, however, on this occasion, “no one was really listening as they didn’t know who they were,” she told Forum 18.

Forum 18 said that until 2004, fines for unregistered religious activity were usually relatively low - equivalent to several days’ average wages - and for the most part encountered by congregations of the Baptist Council of Churches. They and other unregistered independent Protestant churches reported 17 of these fines in 2003 to 2004.

While the comparative figure for 2005 to 2006 was 12, Forum 18 said those fines were on several occasions significantly higher. They ranged from the equivalent of two weeks to two months average wages.

Seven fines reported by the Baptist Council of Churches in 2007 and early 2008, one of which was later annulled, ranged from approximately two weeks average wages to a month’s average wages.

For more background information, see Forum 18’s Belarus religious freedom survey at www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=888.

Pastor Beaten; Police Look the Other Way

Gospel for Asia missionary Govind Ram and members of his congregation ask for prayer as they are appealing to their superintendant of police for protection. This request comes after local policemen did nothing to protect them from a group of 50 fanatics who, on June 15, savagely attacked the Christians.

Govind was in his church conducting a service when the fanatics came inside, dragged him and his wife outside and began beating them in front of their congregation. Several of the believers tried to help their pastor, but the extremists just beat them, too. The police were summoned, but the officers stood by watching, apparently powerless to control the mob of angry anti-Christians.

“The believers, who ran to help the pastor, were also beaten up in the presence of the policemen,” GFA’s correspondent wrote. “Meanwhile, the police disappeared in the crowd without taking any action or protecting the pastor and the believers.”

After the incident, the extremists warned Govind not to continue ministering in the village, or face “dire consequences.”

Govind and some believers from his church went to police authorities to request future protection, but they were turned away. Their next step is to lodge a formal request with the superintendent of police.
Extremists dragged Govind Ram outside a church building like this one and beat him badly.

Govind and the Christians in his village urgently request prayer that the authorities and local police will act justly and agree to help the persecuted believers. They also ask for prayer that God will give them wisdom and courage to stand firm in these turbulent times.

Christian Meeting Conducted by South Korean Missionary attacked by Hindu Radicals

By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service

KARNATAKA, INDIA (ANS) — A Christian training meeting attended by about 70 pastors from all over Karnataka was attacked by Hindu radicals.

The incident occurred on June 17 in the early afternoon.

The series of meetings between June 16-18 were organized in Varna village near Mysore, by Rev. Paul, a South Korean missionary. On June 16, a Hindu radical group named Bajrang Dal (Monkey Brigade) learned about the meeting, and about 100 members went to where the pastors were having lunch together.

The pastors asked the Hindus why they had come, and were told that there were illegal conversions occurring at the meetings. They then verbally abused meeting attendees, and demanded that the event and the alleged forced conversions be stopped.

A story on the website www.persecution.in reported that the radical Hindus then became violent, resulting in two pastors being injured. The meetings then stopped. Fearing for their lives, some pastors ran to get a bus to take them back to their homes.

Superintendent of Police Mr. Ramsubbu told ANS, “There was no report of any attack on the pastors’ meeting … There was a meeting conducted, but the organizers failed to (ask … police, so our (officers) went to the venue, and asked (them) to stop the meeting.”

Following the attack, a few pastors remained to pray. Police arrived, and the ministers were reportedly ordered not to pray or have any sort of Christian gathering. The police seized a Bible, a song book and an English Devotional book from the meeting hall, and wrote down the names of the pastors who were at the meeting.

The police inspector told his staff to seize all the vehicles and other items from the meeting place. However, a report given to a senior police official later on said there was no evidence of any conversion activity occurring, and it was just a casual Christian meeting.

A pastor speaking on condition of anonymity told ANS, “The Korean missionary bribed the Police with ($ 250) to close the case, as (he) did not have proper travel documents of his visit to India.”

When asked about his visa to India, Rev. Paul told ANS, “I am on a business visa, and I will be here for a few weeks.”

Some of the pastors were taken to the police station. Others asked the asked the district superintendent of police to intervene in the situation.

The superintendent of police said he had no comment, other than that the meeting organizers did not ask permission to hold the event.

Christians Beaten Up by Hindu Radicals: One Family Has Money Stolen

By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service

CHHATTISGARH, INDIA ANS — Two Christian families were attacked recently in a Rewadahi village.

According to a story reported on www.persecution.in, the incident occurred on June 16 at midnight.

According to the story, Christian converts Ramesh and Karthik were asleep, when they heard someone knocking at the door. When they went to see who was there, they saw a group of between 50 to 60 people from the Hindu radical group Bajarang Dal Monkey Brigade standing outside.

The story reported that the Hindu fundamentalists started attacking the two believers. The attack occurred two days before Karthik was going to get married to a girl from his community who had also accepted the Lord.

The story reported that the two should get married in a temple according to the customs of their local community, not in a Christian church.

The story on www.persecution.in also reported that following assault, the radicals continued on to another house, where a woman called Sagni, and her husband Prabhudas, live. Sagni and Prabhudas came to the Lord five years ago and now Sagni conducts prayer meeting in Rewadahi village. The Hindu radicals forced them out of their house, and began beating them.

The Hindu radicals then entered the couple’s house and took their earnings from the previous day. The money had been made selling rice. The alleged perpetrators then called the police, and said that the couple were converting people by force and destroying our community.

The police took them to a local police station, where they were held until late morning the next day.

The report on www.persecution.in said that when Sagni tried to tell the police that his money had been stolen by the complainants, the police pressured him and his wife instead and asked them how they obtained the funds.

Officers reportedly did not listen to his explanation.

Genuine revival in China

In contrast to the so called “revivals” we sometimes hear about in the West, the Church in China has and is experiencing genuine revival on a Biblical, Apostolic scale. Today alone approximately 30,000 people will get saved in China to add to their 100million plus church. Why? The house church believers display a passion unequaled in the church worldwide mainly due to their circumstances of intense persecution from the Communist government.

Many believers spend years in prison for their faith. Brokenness, repentance, humility and a willingness to trust, obey and lay it all down for the Lord has turned China into one of the most remarkable stories in Church history.

This video will challenge your faith and who you are in Jesus, to the core. In China there are miracles and even people are raised from the dead, but that is never the emphasis of the house church Christians, the Cross always remains at the center of their faith. In our comfortable Western Christianity, we would do well to learn from China.

Muslims Threaten to Kill Pastor to Keep Church Out of Village

Compass Direct News reports from Bangladesh

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Muslim fundamentalists in a village 192 kilometers (119) miles north of the capital have threatened to kill a pastor as part of an effort to keep his church from constructing a church building, according to the head of the Isha-e-Jamat Bangladesh Jesus’ Church denomination.

Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, chairman of the Dhaka-based denomination, said the Muslims are trying to wrest land from the congregation in Lokmanpur village, Gaibandha district. The church planned to erect a worship building on the land, which the denomination purchased in January.

“We enclosed the land with a brick wall after buying it from a believer,” Chowdhury said. “The local Muslims came to know that there would be a church inside the enclosure, so they demolished the boundary wall in February 11.”

Upon learning of the damage, that same day 30-year-old pastor Rezaul Karim went to the site, where local Muslims and supporters of the country’s largest Islamic political party, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, beat him and threatened to kill him if he pursued plans to build a church in the village, Chowdhury said.

“They drew a dagger at my chest and threatened to kill me if they see me in this place again,” said Pastor Karim.

Read the full story at Compass Direct News.

Protests Block Church, Bible College Construction

Anti-Christian extremists are routinely attacking church and ministry-related building projects throughout India. Two of these recent attacks involved a Gospel for Asia Bible college and a local church.

In Maharashtra, Victor’s growing congregation of 25 needed a permanent place to worship. They were excited when they purchased land and took the first steps in building their new church.

When the building started going up, problems erupted. Local anti-Christian extremists threatened Victor, a GFA missionary, sternly warning him against continuing church construction. Unfortunately, the extremists had the support of the village chief. The congregation has had to postpone construction and continues meeting in its rented quarters.

Despite the recent opposition, Victor and others serving with GFA remain committed to reaching more in this village with the life-giving hope of Jesus. They are also praying for permission to show a film on the life of Jesus. Even though their first request was denied, they are hopeful that God will open doors.

Two states away, in Orissa, field leaders eagerly anticipated the construction of a new GFA Bible college.

The college would be a welcome addition to the dozens of GFA Bible colleges in South Asia where students are already engaged in intensive training for ministry to the unreached.

As the foundation work started on June 10, a crowd of villagers came to the construction site to try to stop the workers. The villagers had fallen prey to rumors circulated by a small group of people that the Christians would drive them out from the village.

Due to tension in the village, construction has been halted for the time being.

GFA leaders request prayer for wisdom for all involved, and that the Lord will work out the situation and change hearts so construction can continue. And in Maharashtra, field leaders request prayer for God’s protection on Victor and his family as they faithfully reach out with His hope. They also request prayer that construction for their church building can continue unhindered and the Gospel will be able to go forth freely in all of the village.

Hindu Radicals Attack Pastor and Vehicle Inspector in India

By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service

ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA ANS — A pastor and a vehicle brake inspector were attacked by Hindus belonging to a variety of radical parties. Auto union members also joined in the alleged assault.

During the June 12 assault, the groups alleged forced conversion activities.

According to a report on www.christiancouncil.in, inspector Ramesh Babu is known for his thorough inspections of vehicles and requiring documentation. This, the story said, has upset many drivers.

According to the story, Pastor John Mohan was also threatened several times by the activists before the attack, and was asked not to preach the gospel in the area.

The story reported that as both the pastor and the brake inspector are friends, the Hindu radicals and auto union members collaborated and attacked the two men.

The story stated that the brake inspector is not a Christian

According to the story, “It is because of his strict application of the rules that the brake inspector became a target. Now in the name of conversion activities, they want the inspector to be fired, and cause problems for the pastor,” a source told the story writer.

According to the web site, the media “twisted” the incident, and reported it differently.

Subsequent to the attack, the radicals staged a protest which necessitated their being dispersed by the police.

Algerian Christian Charged with Evangelism…Again

Compass Direct News reports

ISTANBUL – Convicted of blasphemy and evangelism in two separate cases this year, an Algerian Christian goes on trial in west Algeria for a third time tomorrow, again for evangelism.

Rachid Muhammad Essaghir previously reported as Seghir, 37, will be tried in Tissemsilt, 110 miles southwest of Algiers, for “distributing documents to shake the faith of Muslims.”

An evangelist and church elder for a small community of Muslim converts to Christianity in Tiaret, Essaghir believes that local police have targeted him for his religious work.

Police stopped Essaghir and another Christian in the vicinity of Tissemsilt in June 2007 and discovered a box of Christian books in their car. The two men said they were transporting the literature from one church to another.

Read the full story at Compass Direct News.

Indian Bishop and 40 Pastors attacked by Hindu Radicals and then get arrested by Police

By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service

ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA (ANS) — A Bishop and 40 pastors were arrested in Andhra Pradesh state in India on Thursday, June 12 in yet another attack against Christians in the world’s second most populous nation.

And, in a strange twist, those that were attacked were arrested by the police.

According to news reported on the website www.persecution.in, a group of 40 pastors led by Bishop John Peter of a Baptist church from Vishakapatnam had been to Bhadrachalam in Khammam district, to conduct a Bible seminar on June 12.

At 6.00 pm, as all the pastors were praying and worshipping, a group of Rashtriya Swayam Sevaks (RSS)/Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) radicals broke open the door to the room where they were and attacked the pastors.

The site reported that the RSS/BJP leaders were identified as T.C. Keshava, Suresh Goud, Durga Prasad, and Naga Babu.

When called to the scene of the attack, instead of arresting the perpetrators, the police instead arrested Bishop John Kumar and other pastors who were taken to the local police station where the radicals filed a case against the pastors which is now being handed over to the court.

They were all detained in the police station from the evening of the12th without any food or water.

Bishop John Peter conducts United Pastors Fellowship meeting in different parts of Andhra Pradesh state. A Local pastor named Isaac Sagar had organized this Fellowship meeting in the place where they were attacked.

Christian Mother and Daughter Gang-Raped by Muslims in Bangladesh

By Jeremy Reynalds
Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

WASHINGTON D.C. ANS — A Christian mother and her teenage daughter have been gang- raped by three Muslim men at their home in Uttar Som, Bangladesh.

Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern ICC reported in a news release that the attack on Shima D. Silva, and her 14-year-old daughter, Bituni, resulted in the death of the teen’s death a few days after the attack

According to ICC, earlier this year, three Muslim men began harassing Bituni on her way to St. Mary’s High school in Toomilia.

When Bitunis mother discovered this, she filed a report with the local Kaliganj Police Station. ICC said that for the report to be verified, it was necessary for the officer in charge at the police station to sign it. After Shima completed the report, the officer examined it and handed it back, but did not sign it.

ICC said that Shima was confused about the officer not signing the report and told a local official, who ICC reported did nothing. When the three alleged attackers learned that Shima had reported them to the police, they became very upset and harassed Bituni even more.

ICC said that on April 30, after Shima and Bituni had finished dinner, they were disturbed by their dogs barking outside. When Shima went outside to see what was disturbing the dogs, she found a “gang” of Muslim men waiting. While most of them remained outside, the three men who had been harassing her daughter forced her back into her home at gunpoint.

According to ICC, once inside the three men raped Shima and then locked her in the bathroom. Shima eventually managed to free herself, and found that her daughter had also been raped and poisoned. The men finally left the house at four o’clock the next morning, telling Shima they would kill the family if she told anyone. Extremely fearful, Shima decided not to tell her husband.

Three hours later, Shima rushed her poisoned daughter to Fortune Hospital and called her James husband on the way. He had been at work.

ICC said the three rapists had remained close to the house, and followed the women to the hospital. When James arrived, however, the three men left. After examining Bituni, the hospital referred the Silvas to Dhaka Medical Hospital. Because Dhaka was so far away and Bituni was getting worse, the Silvas decided to stop at a different hospital on the way to Dhaka. Sadly, it was too late. The doctor there declared Bituni dead.

According to ICC, the Silvas returned to their home and asked the parish priest for their daughters death certificate, so she could be buried in the local Catholic graveyard.

ICC said that on May 5, James went to the local Kaliganj Police Station and filed a police case under the Women and Children Repression Act. Police have not yet taken action against the rapists.

ICC reported that this was the second gang-rape against Christians in Bangladesh in one week. On May 2, Muslim villagers gang-raped the 13-year-old daughter of Pastor Motilal Das in Laksmipur village, Mymensingh district.

ICC exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. The group delivers humanitarian aid, trains and supports persecuted pastors, raises awareness in the United States regarding the problem of persecution, and is an advocate for the persecuted on Capitol Hill and the U.S. State Department.

GFA Missionary Attacked by Teens After Sharing Gospel - Gospel for Asia

Maharashtra, India - Gospel for Asia missionary Amit Patil walked back to his home in Maharashtra, India, with a bruised body and injuries marking his face on April 2. His attackers were a group of young teenagers who were angry that he was sharing the Gospel of Christ in their hometown.

Earlier that day, Amit visited a nearby city, where he is well known, to proclaim the Gospel to its people. He was invited into the home of a local resident, Lavanya, where he was given the opportunity to teach her and her husband about the goodness of Jesus Christ.

Lavanya and her husband listened intently to Amits message, and the Lord began working in their hearts. They chose to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior that same day.

Amit left Lavanyas home rejoicing, happy that he could do Gods work in reaching more unsaved souls. It was then, as he was returning home, that his attackers stopped him and began asking questions. It wasn’t long before they began punching Amit in the face and the rest of his body.

Weakened from his attack, Amit is now barely able to move. He requests prayer for a speedy recovery so God can continue to use him to rescue people from the slavery of sin.

Islamists Threaten to Kill Church Leader in Indonesia

Compass Direct News reports that

Members of the Islamic Defenders’ Front FPI in Tangerang, Banten province, confronted and threatened to kill church leader Bedali Hulu yesterday as he visited his elderly mother-in-law in a rented home formerly used as a meeting place for his congregation.

For the past 18 months Hulu’s Jakarta Baptist Christian Church GKJB in Pisangan village, Sepatan district has wrestled for the right to hold church services in the village. Members will soon take the matter to court in hopes of finding a permanent solution to the dispute.

Yesterday’s confrontation by the Muslim extremist FPI was the latest in a series of threats. Last week as the congregation held a simple meeting in a church member’s home – sharing a meal and singing a few hymns – FPI members arrived and repeated threats first issued in November to raid the homes of church members if meetings continued.

Read the full story at Compass Direct News

Gospel for Asia Film Team under Attack

Police in Bhutan plan to interrogate Gospel for Asia missionary Amil Romir. His crime? Showing a movie about the life of Jesus.

After seeing many people turn to Christ after watching the movie, several religious extremists recently filed a complaint against Amil, his film team and other local believers. They claim that Amil is luring people into Christianity through the film, which is made in traditional Asian style.

“People from all walks of life from our villages are deserting their traditional religions and embracing the Christian faith because of the regular film showings,” the extremists told police.

Although Bhutans new constitution guarantees religious freedom, the extremists are pressuring police to take action against Amil. And authorities are summoning him for questioning.

For over a year, the missionary has shared the love of Christ through film in this area. As a result of his outreach, 35 people have begun following Jesus. Two GFA women missionaries serve in the area as well.

Amil requests prayer that the Lord will give him the words to say as he speaks with the local police. He also requests prayer that the police and extremists will come to know Christ through his testimony.

Church vandalized, worshippers threatened in Chhattisgarh state, India

By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service

CHHATTISGARH, INDIA - A church has been vandalized and worshippers threatened on Sunday, June 1 in Durg town in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh.

According to a news reported by www.persecution.in, Masihi Mandir, an independent church pastored by Rev. Nelson Daniel, was vandalized by a group of about 20-25 Hindu extremists.

The website reported that, the incident took place at around 11 am during the worship service. The miscreants shouting “Jai Sri Ram” (Hail Sri Ram) slogans, barged inside the church distupting the service. They then destroyed the church furniture. They went on to threaten the worshippers of dire consequences if they continue to worship Christ and falsely accused Pastor of converting Hindus to Christianity.

The radicals returned again in the evening during another meeting and gathered near the Church premises shouting anti Christian’s slogans. The mob claimed they will organize more attacks on the churches in the area.

Eritrean Authorities Jail 34 Christians in House Church Raid

Compass Direct News reports

Eritrean security police cracked down on more Christians again last week, arresting 34 evangelicals gathered for prayer and fellowship in a local home in Keren.

The police raid on Wednesday May 28 targeted members of the Berhane Hiwet Light of Life Church in Keren, Eritrea’s third largest city 200 kilometers 124 miles northwest of the capital Asmara.

All 24 men and 10 women present were taken to prison, with their children left behind. The next day security officials transferred the 10 women prisoners, all of them married, to the Adi-Abyto Military Confinement facility.

The Keren raid was the second round of arrests last week in Eritrea, where the oppressive regime has outlawed all independent Protestant churches since 2002, closing their buildings and banning gatherings in private homes.

For the full story visit Compass Direct News.

Algerian Prosecutor Demands 2 Year Sentence for Converts from Islam

Compass Direct News reports that:

A state prosecutor in western Algeria demanded two-year jail sentences and large fines for six Muslim converts to Christianity yesterday in one of two trials against Christians that have caught the north African nation’s attention in the past week.

The same court in Tiaret city yesterday delayed the verdict of a Christian woman facing three years in prison for “practicing non-Muslim religious rites without a license.”

Under intense scrutiny from Algerian and international observers, the Tiaret judge delayed Habiba Kouider’s ruling to ask for further investigation. The case gained notoriety last week when Algerian newspapers reported that court officials in the agricultural town mocked the Christian for her conversion and pressured her to return to Islam.

Read more at Compass Direct News.

Algeria – Churches Under Attack

SANTA ANA, CA - Christian churches in Algeria are under massive attack.

Over the last six months, Algerian authorities have closed half of the Protestant churches in the country. If the trend continues, the Algerian Protestant church will be non-existent by the end of 2008.

Algerian officials have closed 26 Algerian churches by either written order or verbal warning since November 2007. Ranging in size from several dozen to more than 1,000 members, 32 congregations in Algeria belong to the Protestant Church of Algeria, while another 20 small fellowships exist independently. Algeria, a country of 33 million in northern Africa, is home to at least 10,000 Protestants.

Religious Affairs Minister Bu’Abdallah Ghoulamullah has called on Christian groups in Algeria to re-register according to Algerian associations’ law. But Algerian Christians have claimed that the government has blocked them from carrying out the required re-registration of their churches. “The administration offices in Tizi-Ouzou did not want to or could not say which measures to take in order to obtain the ‘certificate of conformity,’” church leaders say.

Nevertheless, authorities require the certificate to show that a church is in line with the March 2006 law governing non-Muslim places of worship. But because these regulations are unclear, churches are closed and services are forbidden. Expressing the Christian faith in a church service, by worship and prayer, has become almost impossible. Earlier this year an Algerian Christian was detained five days for carrying a personal Bible and study books. He was fined $460 and handed a one-year suspended prison sentence. On April 29 a court charged the Muslim Background Believer with “printing, storing and distributing” illegal religious material.

Algeria’s official state religion is Islam, and religious minorities are seen as a threat to the government’s internal affairs. Anyone found trying to convert a Muslim to Christianity can receive a sentence of two to five years imprisonment and given a fine up to $15,430. Christianity has been compared to terrorism, and Muslim schools and mosques have been encouraged to continue the attack that threatens to wipe out the Christian community in Algeria.

Open Doors has launched a worldwide advocacy campaign asking supporters to contact their local Algerian Embassy. Supporters can send a message to Algerian Ambassador to the United States Amine Kherbi directly from the Open Doors Website, asking that the Algerian government stop church closures and reopen those that have already been closed. This is an important way for Christians in the United States to stand up for the religious rights of Christians in Algeria. To send a message, go to the Open Doors Algeria 2008 website.

New Christians Face Ultimatum

JHARKHAND, INDIA - A Christian family in Jharkhand, India, is facing an ultimatum from the people of their village. On May 25, Boykin Raj and his family were told to either leave Christ or leave their village.

Boykin and his family, which includes his parents and sister, are part of a church where Gospel for Asia missionary Kijor Bune ministers. They are the only Christians in their community and just recently chose to follow Jesus. But things have not been easy for them since their decision.

“Since the time they came to faith, they have been threatened constantly by their relatives as well as the villagers,” GFA’s field correspondent wrote.

When the villagers gathered together on May 25 to decide what to do with the Christians, Boykin and his family chose to trust the Lord, whatever the outcome.

“Boykin and his family resolutely told them that they would not leave their Christian faith,” the correspondent wrote, “and they were ready to pay any price.”

They ask for prayer for the family, as the police have refused to protect them in this “religious matter.” The situation is tense, and no one is sure what will actually happen. Pray that Boykin’s family will continue trusting the Lord, and that many in their village will somehow come to know Jesus.

30 Christian preachers attacked by Hindu radicals at Andhra Pradesh, India

By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service

ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA (ANS) — In yet another savage attack on Christians in India, news has just come out that some thirty Christian preachers were beaten by Hindu activists belonging to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at Bainsa town in the Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh.

According to a story issued by the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) on their website www.persecution.in, the group of preachers belonging to the Brethren Church went to Bainsa to preach the Gospel on May 23, 2008.

On learning of their presence, the RSS activists first attacked their vehicles and then beat them up, resulting in serious injuries to many of them. Incredibly, the preachers were later taken by the attackers to the police station at Bainsa so they could file a complaint against them and for the police to inquire into their allegations.

As if this wasn’t enough, three truckloads of Hindu fanatics, numbering about 200, then surrounded the police station wanting to attack the preachers again. The Christians had to remain inside the police station as the attackers lay outside waiting for them. Meantime another preacher came to Bainsa town without knowing anything about the attack and was also thrashed severely.

The All India Christian Council has condemned the attack on the preachers and sought protection and safety for them.

Central Government gives major funds to Ministry of Public Security to dismantle House Churches across China

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

BEIJING, CHINA - Two independent sources report that the Ministry of Public Security has received funding from the Chinese Central Government to increase their campaign of eradicating House Churches throughout China.

While the amount of funds allocated for this campaign is unknown, the steady increase of persecution against house churches continues to rise substantially across China, says the China Aid Association (CAA).

CAA says that on Sunday May 25, the Beijing Gospel Church, home to more than 1,000 members was raided by PSB Officials. Pastor Gao Zhen was detained and interrogated before being released at 6:00pm.

In a separate incident, a house church Seminary in Weifang City, Shandong Province was also raided by more than 30 PSB and RAB Officials. The seminary is occupied by 48 students and staffed by 3 teachers. All 48 students were told to return to their hometowns immediately.

Officials detained the staff members and confiscated Bibles, computers, printers and the seminary’s mini-van. Authorities labeled the school and its members as followers of Falun Gong.

Sri Lanka Curfews Called ‘Direct Attack’ on Christians

SRI LANKA (ANS) — The latest restrictions on the people of Sri Lanka’s freedom has been called a “direct attack” on Christians’ ability to hold prayer meetings.

“We are desperately praying for peace in our country,” wrote Lal Vanderwall, head of Gospel for Asia’s ministry in Sri Lanka. “The country’s situation is going from bad to worse.”

On May 6, several GFA Bible college students were returning from a school break when railway officials openly harassed and humiliated them. The students can no longer share the Gospel publicly because of frequent similar incidents.

Sri Lanka’s unstable political situation has also affected much of daily life. Inflation is a big problem, and Lal says the cost of living is going up “day by day.”

Now, the police are restricting citizens’ abilities to move around.

“Even if a person is coming to a place for one day, the police have to be informed of the plans,” Lal said. In fact, the day after a GFA lady missionary came to Lal’s office on May 3, police came and arrested him because they had not been informed of the woman’s plans to visit. Lal was released a short time later.

GFA missionaries continue reaching out in the midst of hard times.

Now, a law has been implemented that restricts noise levels after 10 p.m.

“There should be no noise coming from a premise, either a religious place or a private place,” Lal explained. “The law was introduced by a politician extremist who is responsible for violence against Christians.

“This law is a direct attack on late-night prayer meetings.”

Protestors surrounded GFA’s Bible college earlier this year. The protestors accused the campus officials of helping the rebels.

Lal also wrote that the Tamil people, a minority in the country, have especially faced intimidation. The rebel Tamil Tigers are fighting for an ethnic independent homeland in the northeast part of Sri Lanka, so many non-rebel Tamils face violence because of their association. Much of Sri Lanka’s strife comes from the conflict between the government and the rebels.

However, Lal writes, the Lord’s work is going forward.

“In spite of all odds, the ministry is progressing. Day by day, people are coming to Christ,” Lal wrote. “People are responding to the Gospel very much, including the security forces.”

Lal asks for prayer for himself and the GFA missionaries working in Sri Lanka. Pray that they will be able to help many people find hope in the Lord.

Hindu radicals attacked Bible school students in Karnataka

By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service

KARNATAKA, INDIA (ANS) — Fifteen Indian Bible college students were beaten up by Hindu radicals on Saturday, May 24, according to www.persecution.in, the website of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC).

Their story said that on Saturday, around fifteen students from Timothy Theological College, Bellary, Karnataka and the college, lecturer, Dr. Issac Namadevu, were beaten up at Sathyanarayanapettai in Bellary district of Karnataka state in India.

The site reported that the incident took place at around 12.30 pm as a group of 20 members belonging to Hindu radical groups, namely Hindu Jagarna Vedike (Hindu Enlightenment Group) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) barged into the rented building of the church-cum-bible college and attacked the students of the school.

The site also reported that a lecturer named Rev. Jayaprakash had been conducting classes for the past two months in the Bible College for more than 15 students.

The radicals beat Rev. Isaac and Rev. Jayaprakash and fifteen students were injured in the attack. Then the radicals tore up Bibles, and smashed the windows and destroyed all the furniture in the facility.

Rev. Jayaprakash has sustained head injury during the attack. The attackers were alleging that he was conducting “forced conversions.”

Through the website. it was known that, Dr. Rev. Isaac Namadevu has filed a complaint against the radicals. As a result, eleven radicals were arrested and retained at Gandhinagar Police Station. An inquiry is still going regarding the case.

Algerian Court Pressures Woman to Renounce Christianity

Compass Direct News reports that

An Algerian public prosecutor has demanded a three-year sentence for a convert to Christianity in western Algeria for practicing her faith “without license.”

Habiba Kouider, 35, was plucked off an inter-city bus outside of her home town of Tiaret on March 29 when police found several Bibles and books on Christianity in her hand bag. Held for 24 hours and interrogated by police regarding her conversion, Kouider was eventually brought before a state prosecutor.

“You reinstate Islam and I will [drop the case]; if you persist in sin you will undergo the lightning of justice,” the prosecutor told her, according to French daily Le Figaro.

Algerian daily el Watan reported on Wednesday (May 21) that Kouider “refused to give up her new faith under the pressure,” prompting the prosecutor to bring charges against her. She is accused of “practicing non-Muslims

The full story can be read at Compass Direct News.

Pakistani Christian man flees home after blasphemy accusation

By Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service in Pakistan

ATTOCK, PAKISTAN (ANS) — A Pakistani Christian armament factory worker has fled his home after his Muslim co-workers accused him of blasphemy.

Nazim, a Christian resident of the area told ANS that Danish, 25 was very much upset as the Muslim co-workers had been targeting his Christian faith for last several days.

“Danish kept it to himself. His Muslim co-workers accused him of committing blasphemy when he asked them to stop criticizing his religion”, Nazim told ANS.

As the word of his alleged blasphemy spread out, hundreds of Muslim factory workers gathered in the factory but Danish managed to escape as the managing director of the factory calmed down the charged workers, he said.

Jagdeesh Kumar, 22, a Hindu, was beaten to death by his Muslim co-workers in the port city of Karachi in April this year.

Some reports suggest that blasphemy accusation was slapped on Danish after his Muslim co-workers failed to convert him to Islam.

Danish is a resident of Jaki basti (slum) that houses some 20 Christian families. The incident has sparked fear and uncertainty among local Christians.

Christian parliamentarian and Chairman of All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) has expressed his grave concern over registration of fake blasphemy cases. The blasphemy laws, he said, had rendered the minorities communities insecure.

He urged the democratic, liberal, enlightened and moderate forces of the country to join hands with the APMA in its struggle for repeal of the disputed laws.

Since their implementation in 1986, the laws are being widely misused with impunity by the Muslims to settle personal scores against marginalized communities of the country.

Christian School Teacher Attacked by Hindu Radicals in India

By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service

ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA (ANS) — A vacation Bible school was recently attacked by radical Hindu activists.

According to a news report carried by Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) on their website www.persecution.in, the May 16 attack was carried out by these groups; Rashtriya Swayam Sevaks (RSS, National Volunteer Servants) and Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP, an Indian political party.

The attack occurred at a village called Krishnadasanapalli,Chittoor District, in Andhra Pradesh.

According to the story on www.persecution.in, the Andhra Pradesh BJP State Secretary Jaya Pratap led a group of 20 RSS/BJP activists to the vacation Bible school being conducted by a Christian woman.

It was also reported the radicals took police officers with them and filed a case against the teacher. In addition, they verbally abused her and tore Bible tracts and other religious material.

Recent Persecution in India

Compass Direct News reports on recent incidents of Christian persecution in India.

Karnataka – Police on May 4 arrested a pastor on charges of luring Hindu villagers to convert to Christianity in Karnataka state’s Hubli district. At around 10:30 a.m. about 15 Hindu extremists from the Bajrang Dal stormed the Sharon Assembly of God Church at Manjunatha Nagara.

Uttarakhand – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Legislative Assembly Ganesh Joshi and other BJP activists on May 3 ransacked Grace Academy School in Dehradun, capital of Uttarakhand, and manhandled the principal.

Karnataka – Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) extremists belonging to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bajrang Dal on April 25 stormed a rented house church, beat a pastor and three evangelists and threatened children in the Raggiguda slum in JP Nagar, on the outskirts of Bangalore.

Andhra Pradesh – Hindu extremists on April 24 beat two pastors in Kammanapalli village, Nizamabad district, Andhra Pradesh. The attack came in retaliation for a high-caste woman converting to Christianity.

Madhya Pradesh – Hindu extremist group Dharma Sena last month threatened to set a Christian woman’s house on fire in Jabalpur and burn the body of her deceased husband. Soon after Praveen Balotya, a Christian convert from a high-caste Hindu background, died of tuberculosis on April 18, Dharma Sena members led by Yogesh Agrawal arrived at his house and started threatening his wife, Benjlive Minj Balotya, demanding his body so that they could burn it according to Hindu rites.

For additional details on the incidents, visit Compass Direct News.

Police Arrest 12 Christian Converts in Iran

Compass Direct News reports

Police in the southern Iran city of Shiraz this month cracked down against known Muslim converts to Christianity, arresting members of three Christian families and confiscating their books and computers.

The arrests began at 5 a.m. on May 11, when two couples were taken into custody before boarding their flights at the Shiraz International Airport and sent directly to jail. All four were subjected to hours of interrogation, questioning them solely “just about their faith and house church activities,” an Iranian source told Compass.

The detained Christians were identified as Homayon Shokohie Gholamzadeh, 48, and his wife Fariba Nazemiyan Pur, 40; and Amir Hussein Bab Anari, 25, and his wife Fatemeh Shenasa, 25.

Although the two wives were released the same day of their arrest, Anari was detained until May 14, and Gholamzadeh remains jailed.

Two hours after the early morning arrests of May 11, police authorities invaded the home of Hamid Allaedin Hussein, 58, arresting him and his three adult children, Fatemah, 28, Muhammed Ali, 27, and Mojtaba, 21.

The full story, with reports of additional arrests is at Compass Direct News.

Rescue of Kidnapped Christian Girls Ignites Islamic Rampage in Nigeria

Compass Direct News reports

Islamists under the auspices of a paramilitary force last week destroyed six churches to protest a police rescue of two teenage Christian girls kidnapped by Muslims in this Bauchi state town.

Police recovered the two Christian girls, Mary Chikwodi Okoye, 15, and Uche Edward, 14, on May 12 after Muslims in Ningi kidnapped them three weeks ago in an attempt to expand Islam by marrying them to Muslim men. Police took the two girls, who had been under foster care, to safety in southeastern Nigeria where their biological parents live.

The kidnappers had taken the girls to Wudil town in Kano state. Following the rescue of the girls, Muslims under the auspices of the Hisbah Command, a paramilitary arm of Kano state’s Sharia Commission, responsible for enforcing Islamic law, went on a rampage on Tuesday (May 13), attacking Christians and setting fire to the churches.

The destroyed churches were the Deeper Life Bible Church, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, All Souls Anglican Church, Church of Christ in Nigeria, Redeemed Christian Church of God, and the Redeemed Peoples Mission.

The full story is at Compass Direct News.

The Battle is Real

The Church, The World, The Battle is real. People all over the world are suffering and being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. Just because we don’t see it on the news - it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist!

Pakistani Doctor Jailed on Blasphemy Charges

Compass Direct News reports that

Pakistani police have jailed a Christian doctor after “blasphemy” charges incited a mob attack on his home last week in Punjab province.

Officials said Dr. Robin Sardar is being held in Punjab’s Gujranwala Central Jail. His wife and six children have left their home in the town of Chak Chatta, 200 miles southeast of Islamabad.

“This is the house of a blasphemer,” reads a sign on the gates of Sardar’s now empty home where a crowd of angry villagers gathered on May 5, Union of Catholic Asia News UCAN reported. The group bore sticks and kerosene and chanted death threats against the doctor, family members told Sharing Life Ministries Pakistan SLMP, a Christian prison ministry.

“A huge number of Muslims wearing green turbans surrounded our house, most of them armed with weapons and wooden sticks,” Sardar’s wife told SLMP. “They were shouting ‘The punishment of the blasphemer is death.’”

She said that police arrived at the house after several hours and used a ladder to climb the property wall and transport Sardar to safety.

Read the full story at Compass Direct News.

Algerian Authorities Detain Christians Leaving Prayer Meeting

Compass Direct News reports that:

Algerian authorities have charged six Christians with distributing illegal religious material after detaining them as they left a prayer meeting in a western city last week.

The Protestants were charged with “distributing documents to shake the faith of Muslims,” according to a written court summons issued Saturday May 10 prior to the men’s release in Tiaret city. Their first hearing is scheduled for May 27.

During the detainees’ overnight stay at a local police station, officers repeatedly threatened them for converting from Islam to Christianity, one of the Christians said.

“They said we were accomplices and the spies of the Jews, thus we deserve to have our throats cut without pity,” said Djillali Saibi.

Though the court summons did not specify which law the men had violated, the charge quotes a February 2006 law, Ordinance 06-03, internationally criticized for restricting religious freedom. Algerian police and provincial governments have cited Ordinance 06-03 to justify a number of arrests and church closures in recent months.

The full story can be read at Compass Direct News.

Christian Sentenced for Carrying a Bible in Algeria

Compass Direct News reports that

An Algerian Christian detained five days for carrying a Bible and personal Bible study books was handed a 300-euro (US$460) fine and a one-year suspended prison sentence last week, an Algerian church leader said.

Last Tuesday (April 29) a court in Djilfa, 150 miles south of Algiers, charged the 33-year-old Muslim convert to Christianity with “printing, storing and distributing” illegal religious material. A written copy of the verdict has yet to be issued.

The Protestant, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told fellow Christians in his home city of Tiaret that police pressured him to return to Islam while in custody.

The conviction is the latest in a wave of detentions and court cases against Algeria’s Protestants and Catholics. Since January police and provincial officials have ordered the closure of up to half of the country’s 50 estimated Protestant congregations.

Read the full story at Compass Direct News.

Muslim’s Gang Rape Pastor’s 13 Year Old Daughter in Bangladesh

Compass Direct News reports that

Muslim villagers in Mymensingh district eager to rid the area of the Christian work of a local pastor have gang-raped his 13-year-old daughter, the girl’s father said.

Pastor Motilal Das of United Bethany Church said that at around 3 a.m. on Friday (May 2) the villagers sexually assaulted his daughter, Elina Das, and left her unconscious in front of his house in an attempt to drive him and his Christian ministry out of Laksmipur village in Fulbaria sub-district, 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of the capital.

Local residents have long been angry with him for his ministry and evangelism, he said, and he has received death threats.

“I did not pay attention to any of the threats or hindrances – I continued evangelical and pastoral activities with prayer,” Das told Compass. “They targeted me to evict from this area to stop the Christian activities. When nothing stopped me, then they wanted to leave me scarred for life, so that I would be upset and not be able to show my face to the society for shame, and therefore I would leave the village.”

Read the full story