Prayer for the Persecuted Church & World Awareness
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PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH & WORLD AWARENESS June, 2015 Vol. 1 Items and issues to watch carefully in prayer and to ponder as to their implications in relation to the fellowship and increase in Christ. The purpose of Prayer Release is to keep you informed and mobilized in prayer and intercession for the needs of justice and religious liberty in the Church around the globe, so that we can stand together for the work of the Kingdom and the healing of the Nations. The Prayer Release is comprised on the basis of different credible resources. We request prayers that the church would continue to serve the nation and faithfully share the Gospel of Jesus Christ which brings about reconciliation with God and one another. HEADLINES SUDAN: Scant Evidence Produced against Two South Sudanese Pastors Church attacked at Bhiwani, Haryana Church attacked in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh Catholic shrine desecrated in Kollam, Kerala 3 Christians including 2 Pastors arrested in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh Bomb blast at the Assembly of God School in Kolkata Nun raped in Raipur, Chhattisgarh Pastor Arrested in Odisha on multiple charges DETAILS SUDAN: Scant Evidence Produced against Two South Sudanese Pastors JUBA, South Sudan (Morning Star News) – A court hearing yesterday in Khartoum for two South Sudanese pastors facing the death penalty was extended to today, then adjourned until June 15 to give prosecutors more time to try building a case, a defense attorney said. Prosecutors need more time to search for evidence in the trial of the Rev. Yat Michael and the Rev. Peter Yein Reith, the attorney said. After encouraging a north Khartoum church embroiled in a land dispute with the government, the South Sudanese two pastors were charged with undermining Sudan’s constitutional system (Article 50 of the Sudanese Penal Code) and spying (Article 53) – offenses punishable by death or life imprisonment – and waging war against the state (Article 51), which calls for the death penalty. “There is no evidence in the charges brought against the church leaders,” the attorney said. A representative for Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) testified that the pastors were collecting information for a human rights group, citing as evidence a map of Sudan, especially the Darfur Region, that was found on their personal computers, the attorney said. “But anybody can go to the Internet and download a map of country in the world,” he said. “It is not a crime.” The pastors are also charged with disclosure and receipt of official information or documents (Article 55); arousing feelings of discontent among regular forces (Article 62); breach of public peace (Article 69); and offences relating to insulting religious beliefs (Article125). The defense attorney said the judge indicated the prosecution needed more time to prepare their case. “The judge said, ‘It is a process, normally a case is not ruled on in one day – it takes at least 10 days for one case,’” he said. A previous hearing on May 19 also yielded no solid evidence against the pastors, he added. The attorney noted that, oddly, the investigator was not at the court hearing today because he was travelling. The pastors were returned to an Omdurman prison after the hearing. <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< Church attacked at Bhiwani, Haryana Suspected Hindu miscreants targeted and attacked the Baptist Church at Bhiwani, Haryana on June 27, 2015 late in the evening. According to reports the Baptist Church situated in Naya Bazaar was targeted by a group of young men who arrived at the Church on motorcycles after 1 am in the morning. They started pelting the Church with stones and attempted to demolish the cross, breaking it in the process. Hearing the commotion a member of the Church who stays in the premises came out and was abused by the attackers in foul language. The attackers also threatened to kill him. Police were informed and as soon as they arrived, the attackers fled from the scene. The area is tense after the attack and police have been deployed to protect the Church. The Church has been in the area since 20 years. Earlier, in March 2015, a Church that was under construction, at Hissar, also in the state of Haryana, was attacked and demolished by miscreants. The attackers even hoisted a flag atop the Church with the words "Shree Ram" (lord Ram). The VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) General Secretary, Mr. Surendra Jain had later on defended the demolition asking whether Christians would allow construction of a Hanuman temple in Vatican City. Church attacked in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh Alleged Hindu extremists attacked the Christu Calvary Konda Church at Adoni, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh on June 28, 2015. According to reports, a crowd of around 30 people suspected to be from right wing Hindu organizations descended at the Church shouting Hindu slogans. They started pelting stones at the Church and also directed their attacks at the Pastor and his wife. The police reached in time and ensured the protection of the Pastor and his wife. However the police have not filed a complaint against the attackers. Catholic shrine desecrated in Kollam, Kerala A Catholic shrine was found desecrated on the morning of June 22, 2015 at Kollam city, Kerala. The colonial period shrine is attached to the Holy Cross Parish Church in the Anglo Indian enclave of Tangasseri in Kollam city. This is thought to be the work of vandals and was discovered by people who were on their way to attend the early morning mass. Posters against Christianity and Christian clergy in particular, written in derogatory manner and language were found pasted inside the shrine. The posters also warned of an upcoming attack against the Bishop Jerome Nagar commercial complex, a shopping mall developed by the Kollam diocese. The warning said that the commercial complex would be attacked with bombs. Also found at site were computer printouts containing messages and photos of Mata Amritanandamayi, the Hindu saint. Tension spread in the area and the police was deployed to prevent any casualties. However protestors blocked the Tangasseri arch, the entry point into the enclave and declared a shutdown of the area as a result of which Shops, commercial establishments, and branches of two banks in the enclave remained closed. 3 Christians including 2 Pastors arrested in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh Police arrested Pastor Rajesh Habil, Pastor Gigi P Paul and Mr. Navneet Chand on June 22, 2015 in a matter related to a protest by the Christian community on January 10, 2012 after a Christian graveyard was demolished and desecrated by alleged Hindu extremists earlier. The Kakrapal Christian graveyard was attacked and desecrated by 100 plus alleged members of Hindu extremist groups on January 8, 2012. The attackers demolished the boundary wall of the graveyard, shouted anti-Christian slogans and desecrated graves. (Read EFI News coverage of the incident here) When the Christians protested against this, the police refused to file an FIR. Following this Christians gathered en masse in protest due to which the national highway was interrupted for some time. This resulted in filing of FIR against three people but at the same time the police registered an FIR against 6 Christians too on alleged trumped up charges. The three Christians that were arrested on June 22, 2015 were named in the FIR registered in 2012. They were later released on bail on June 27, 2015. Bomb blast at the Assembly of God School in Kolkata A crude bomb exploded injuring one person at the playground of the Assembly of God school in Kolkata on June 20, 2015. The school is located in the Dum Dum Cantonment area and is run by the Assemblies of God Church. The incident took place on a Saturday otherwise the fatalities could have been more. A football match was to be held on the school playground and some young people were cleaning the ground when one of them noticed a ball like object. One of the young people in the school playground picked up the ball and threw it to another student who could not catch it but the object hit a wall and exploded injuring Johnny Haldar, a former student of the same school. He was rushed to the R.G.Kar Medical College and Hospital with injuries on his leg and trouble with his hearing because of the blast. He is stable now according to media reports. The Police say that crude explosives had been stuffed inside a ball and had been sealed with tape and probably miscreants had placed the same in the school compound. Nun raped in Raipur, Chhattisgarh Two unidentified men raped a 47-year-old Nun from Kerala, belonging to the Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate, on June 19, 2015. The nun was discovered on the morning of June 20, gagged and tied to her bed at the medical center in which she serves in the Pandri area of Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh. The medical center "Khrist Sahay Kendra" (Christ help center) has been in the area for the last 60 years. According to the statement that the victim made at a press conference in Raipur on June 24, two men entered her room as she slept in the medical center on the night of June 19. Their faces were covered. She was awakened by the noise in the room. When she asked one of the assailants if they wanted money, they replied 'we want much more than money'. Then one of them caught her from behind while the other put some medicines in her mouth in order to make her unconscious and gagged her mouth with a cloth. They then tied her to the bed using her sari and took turns to rape her.