November - December 2001 The Sabbath Sentinel
PAKISTAN --The Sierra Times reports that on Oct. 28,
Islamic gunmen assaulted a church in Bahawalpur, Pakistan,
sprayed the congregation with bullets, killing at least 16
people, including the clergyman and several children. Attacks
such as this one have been ordered by the Taliban in Afghanistan
in retaliation for Muslims death due to war with America. To
this date not one Muslim country or organization has issued a
denunciation of this heinous act. Because the United States is
viewed as a Christian nation by the rest of the world,
Christians in many Muslim countries have become targets of
Islamic terrorists. (Source: sierratimes.com/)
CHINA --For 20 years, the only national Christian
publication in China has been Tian Feng (Heavenly Wind),
published by the government-controlled Three Self Patriotic
Movement and the China Christian Council. It dutifully reflects
the Communist Party policy on religion, while ignoring all
reports of persecution. Yet over the past year, Chinese house
church Christians have secretly produced three issues of their
new magazine, The Way (Daolu). Twenty thousand copies of each
issue have been distributed free across China to house church
leaders. The Way promises to be an authentic voice of the church
in China. (Source: opendoorsusa. org/)
MALI --The opportunity for evangelism in this West
African country is beginning to close as the influence of Islam
increases, Christian leaders say. The church now finds it
difficult to rent meeting places and organize missions.
Previously, Muslims were happy to rent their houses and
buildings to Christians because they knew they would be paid and
because Christians could be trusted to care for the property.
Today, Muslims who own property are afraid to rent to
Christians, fearing criticism from Muslim religious leaders
influenced by a growing fundamentalism. (Source:
opendoorsusa.org/)
AFGHANISTAN --Two American women, Dayna Curry and Heather
Mercer, are among eight arrested Aug. 3 for allegedly sharing
their faith. Their trial in Afghanistan has been postponed
indefinitely, leaving their families and supporters wondering
what will happen next.
"We just have to wait and see," Danny Mulkey of Antioch
Community Church, Waco, Texas, said in an interview from
Pakistan on Oct. 24, a day after Reuters News Service reported
the delay. "It's crazy. Nobody knows what happens next."
Both women have been through ups and downs, Mulkey said they
aren't upset about the latest delay. "They're saying, `Lord,
it's up to you,' That's the same thing we're saying here. You
hit a little brick wall of disappointment now and then, but then
you go to the Lord, express disappointment and realize it's in
His hands.
The women are still reported to be safe amid the bombing. Mulkey
said he hadn't received any further information since a week
earlier, when he learned the nearest bombing targets were
approximately 2.5 miles from the jail where the women are being
held.
Mulkey is asking for prayer for encouragement for the detainees
as well as their parents and family members. When they
experience a "bump in the road, discouragement can set in," he
said.
Commenting on the irony of people worrying about their safety in
Asia while anthrax attacks are spreading fear in this country,
Mulkey said Americans tend to be ethnocentric and think the
world revolves around them. "The perception is usually that
things are crazy in that other part of the world, wherever that
is."
"My prayer is that this is a wake-up call to Christians, and to
nominal Christians. You can't put your faith in a country or a
social system, because it's got cracks. Your faith must be in
God." (Source: barnabasfund.org.)
NIGERIA --200 are killed as anti-US Protestors turn on
local Christians in Muslim/Christian riots in Kano, northern
Nigeria, on 12 to 14 October.
The widespread fears of Christian minorities in Muslim-majority
areas of the world that they would be targeted in reprisal for
American attacks on Afghanistan were horribly justified on 12
October as anti-US protestors turned on Kano's Christian
minority during demonstrations. The protest began peacefully
after Friday prayers. However, soon Muslim youths were throwing
stones at police, shouting, "God is Great" and setting fire to
cars and churches. The citizens of the majority-Christian suburb
of Sabon Gari erected barricades of burning tyres in a desperate
attempt to keep the rioters out.
The death toll is probably much higher than the reported figure
of 100 - 200. Houses, shops, vehicles, businesses and at least
four churches and four mosques were all gutted by flames. One
reliable witness described how Islamic extremists, dressed in
military and police uniforms, joined in the slaughter of
Christians. Over 16,000 have been made homeless.
TSS
November - December 2001 The Sabbath Sentinel
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