PAKISTAN – First woman sentenced to death for blasphemy.

The following has just arrived, from Release  (see my fav links):

Christian mother-of-two Asia Bibi has been sentenced to death for blasphemy – the first woman ever to receive this sentence for blasphemy in Pakistan.

Release has just learnt that a sessions court judge gave Asia the maximum sentence yesterday at the end of a trial lasting more than 16 months. Asia, a farm labourer in her late-30s from Ittanwali, Punjab, was also fined more than £700 – the equivalent of two-and-a-half years' salary for the average worker.

Release partners at Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP), who have been supporting Asia and her family throughout their ordeal, say that they and the family are shocked by this outcome.

No one sentenced to death for blasphemy in Pakistan has ever been executed – but Asia could now spend years in appalling conditions on death row. If she appeals to the High Court, it may take years before her case is heard.

Police first filed a case against Asia in June 2009 after local Muslims accused her of making derogatory comments against Islam's prophet, Mohammed. She had reportedly been discussing matters of faith with fellow labourers in the fields when Asia and her daughters were attacked by local villagers and Muslim clerics. She had reportedly been under pressure from her fellow workers to convert to Islam.

A spokesman for SLMP described Asia as having a strong faith – but said that this decision would be a crushing blow to her and her family. 'She was longing to go back home to her children, but her dreams of release have vanished now,' he said. 'She desperately needs peace in her heart, the peace that comes from God.'  The SLMP team plan to visit Asia in prison as soon as possible.

Release is concerned that Asia's conviction could set a dangerous precedent. Martha Bibi is currently on trial for blasphemy in Lahore. She was charged in 2007, after a dispute with builders who allegedly refused to return equipment belonging to her.

I cannot help but wonder if the 'western' media will give as much coverage to this situation, as they have been giving to the Iranian woman, senenced to death for adultery, and alleged complicity in the death of her husband!

Let those of us who believe in the power of prayer, seek God's perfect peace, that passes all human understanding, over Asia Bibi and her family. Ask Him to intervene to secure her earliest release. Ask Him to grant wisdom and strength to SLMP workers supporting this family.
Pray, too, for the immediate acquittal of Martha Bibi in Lahore.  

Some may also wish to sign the petition calling for justice for Christians in Pakistan at www.releaseinternational.org/current.

If you live within the U.K., you may even wish to write to the Pakistan High Commissioner in London, expressing polite concern about Asia's conviction. Write to: His Excellency Wajid Shamsul Hasan, High Commission for Pakistan, 35-36 Lowndes Square, London SW1X 9JN. Also, write to your local MP at: www.writetothem.com 

Communist Rebels Decapitate Indian Pastor in front of Wife

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on September 4, communist rebels decapitated a pastor and cut up his body after murdering him in Valam Guve Village, India. They also badly assaulted his wife.

Pastor Pangi Papa Rao and his wife, Chittamma, were returning from a prayer meeting at 3:30 PM when the masked communists stopped them. The pastor told them his name and explained that he and his wife were returning home from a prayer meeting. As soon as they heard the pastor’s name, they murdered him in front of his wife and severely beat her.

The communists (Maoists) gave a statement to the local newspaper that they were responsible for the pastor’s death. They said they had killed him because the pastor was an informant for the government of India. They warned others that they also would receive the same kind of punishment.

ICC sources say the pastor was a dedicated Christian and never worked as an informant of the government. He is survived by his wife and 19-year-old daughter. Pastor Rao’s church had close to 40 members; the congregation now attends a nearby church.

Communist (Maoist) rebels have been fighting the government of India for several years. They have strong support among landless farmers and tribal groups.

ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, Jonathan Racho, said “We are deeply saddened by the murder of Pastor Rao. We strongly condemn the brutal murder of the pastor and the assault of his wife. We urge Indian officials to protect its citizens from such heinous crime.”

Such events are seldom, if ever, reported by the secular media.  Please pass this information on to as many as possible.

SOMALIA – Militants murder Christian and snatch children for military training

The following has just arrived in my mail-box and, since Somalia seems to only be in the secular news when there is piracy on the high seas, or when a westerner has been taken hostage, I want to highlight the activities of those who deal in death, violence, and abduction against Christians.

Al Shabaab insurgents in Somalia are reported to have murdered a Christian and abducted his four children for military training.  Extremists shot dead Osman Abdullah Fataho in front of his wife and children at their home in Afgoi near Mogadishu – before kidnapping the woman and her family on July 21.  They later released Osman's wife – but kept her children, who are aged five, seven, ten and 15, according to Compass Direct news agency. Compass sources suggest the children will be forcibly converted to Islam and turned into child soldiers.

Osman, who was 'deeply involved' in the activities of his secret Christian community, is reported to have been raised as a Muslim – making him an obvious target for Al Shabaab.The insurgents are determined to extend Sharia or strict Islamic law across Somalia – and are actively targeting Christians, murdering at least 15 of them last year alone. Al Shabaab recently outlawed bell-ringing at the end of school classes – because it evoked the sound of church bells.  Compass Direct reports that this and other instances of anti-Christian violence have forced several leaders of Somalia's underground Christian movement to flee their homes and go into hiding.

Those of us who are disciples of Jesus would want to ask God to comfort and strengthen Osman's grieving and traumatised family, and to pray that his children will be rescued and reunited with their mother.  We would also want to pray that God will protect and multiply His church in Somalia so that they will 'shine like stars' in this troubled land (Philippians 2:15).

The testing of faith.

James writes : "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." (James 1:2-4; NLT); and someone, somewhere, has suggested that "a faith untested is no faith at all"!

Such thoughts have been very much in my mind since yesterday when, having travelled through to Audincourt - where our Vectra is sitting in the compound of the Opel dealership - I was informed that, due to a combination of uncertainty as to whether or not the warranty will cover the required work, and the forthcoming holiday period when, apparently, the garage closes down, the car won't even be looked at until about Sept.1st! The upshot of all of that is that my dear wife is flying home on August 8th and I am remaining in L'Isle-sur-le-Doubs until the car is ready, and I can bring both it and the caravan home! This will be, by far, the longest single period of time for which we have been seperated in our married life - and means that we won't even be together for our Ruby anniversary on Sept. 4th! :-(

So the 'natural' question, for a believer, is "Why, Lord?" The first answer might well be that it's to teach me a lesson about procrastination! Part of our problem is that I kept putting off renewing the European breakdown cover for the car! Well, it was only 19 months old - what could possibly go wrong?! The words "Once bitten, twice shy" are also much in my mind!

But perhaps it's also to do with those words of James. Perhaps it's to do with something that the Lord wants to teach one, or both, of us. It would, of course, be easy to just decide that because our prayers that the situation would be fully sorted out, quickly and easily, haven't received a positive answer, that there isn't much point in continuing this Christian faith stuff! But why should we assume that our faith is always going to be easy? Why should only those in other parts of the world be persecuted, and imprisoned, and tortured, and even killed for the sake of the Lord Jesus?

On July 15, Pastor Artur Suleimanov was shot to death by a gunman as he was leaving the Hosanna House of Prayer in Makhachkala, Dagestan, according to VOM Canada and Barnabas Fund. Dagestan is a federal republic of Russia in the North Caucasus region. Pastor Suleimanov was known as a dynamic leader of one of the largest Protestant churches in Russia. "Pastor Suleimanov was a wonderful Christian brother, and his shocking death is a devastating loss for the Dagestan church," a co-ordinator with Barnabas Fund said. "He and the Hosanna House of Prayer church were very active in ministry and outreach in particular. We see his murder as an attempt to put further pressure on Christian converts in Dagestan." Pastor Suleimanov is survived by his wife and five children.

We pray for Pastor Suleimanov's family, and congregation, as they grieve over his death. We pray that God will touch the heart of Pastor Suleimanov's murderer. We pray that Christians in Russia will be emboldened to spread the gospel despite opposition.

And we remember those other words of Scripture: "Consider Him Who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation which addresses you as sons? - 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by Him. For the Lord disciplines him whom He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives'." (Heb 12:3-6; RSV).

Yes, our faith may be being tested - but even the test is easy compared to what others experience. May our faith stand up as well to our little test, as does the faith of brothers and sisters in Christ, in so many other parts of the world, in testing that we can't even begin to imagine.

God is good - all the time

It's almost 9.00 p.m., and delightfully balmy here in L'Isle-sur-le-Doubs, in north-eastern France. The temperature, this afternoon, was about 40 degrees Celsius, but the river was very refreshing as we splashed around, and swam. This morning, there wasn't a single cloud to be seen in the sky. The site at which we are camped is quiet; well-appointed; and the owner and her daughter (neither of whom speak a word of English!) couldn't be more helpful.

That's the good news! The not-so-good news is that there is no car parked beside the caravan - or anywhere else on-site. Yesterday, as we headed south towards Lyon, I was aware that there was something not quite right with the car. However, I had had some work done on it before we left, and I just made a mental note to get it to my mechanic as soon as we returned home, for a more thorough inspection. We were on the motorway, having just passed an exit, when I noticed that the oil-pressure warning light had come on! Those of a technical mind will now be 'way ahead of me! We came off the motorway at the next exit - unfortunately, some 16 miles later - but, as it was an automatic paying system, my dear wife was taking a little longer than would have been the case if the exit had been manned. For the sake of the engine, I decided to stop it for a few moments. BIG mistake (I think!). When I tried to restart it, it just didn't want to know. :-(

The upshot of all of that was that we had to send for the breakdown truck - that had to come from beyond the previous exit. The driver was superb. He poured in some oil, but we quickly noticed that it was pouring out from the bottom of the engine! That was when he pronounced the engine 'kaput'! - and it is only 20 months old, and has only got about 13,000 miles (21,000 km) on the clock!

He took it to his garage, here in L'Isle-sur-le-Doubs but, as a Peugeot garage, he was unable to do anything with a Vauxhall (Opel). He had to contact the nearest Opel dealership to come to L'Isle to collect the car - but he arrived in a truck that couldn't tow the 'van! Thankfully, this site is only a couple of miles away, and the local garage man arranged for one of his vans to tow us here. We have been advised that the problem may require the replacement of the engine - and that it could take two weeks!!!!!!!

Yet we can still say, with absolute conviction, that God is good. We did not have an accident; He provided some very helpful people to assist us (including our younger daughter who is attending to the 'paperwork', back home!); the sky is blue; the sun is shining (okay, the forecast is for rain on Friday!); the river is free for swimming; we have wi-fi internet access; the local Lidl store is within walking distance; etc., etc.

When I read, in today's e-mails, of further atrocities against the Christian community in Pakistan, where two brothers who had been accused under the infamous Section 295C of Pakistan's blasphemy laws, were cold-blooodedly murdered, I was reminded of how richly blessed we are. Pastors Rashid and Sajid Emmanuel had reportedly just left the courtroom in Faisalabad District and Sessions Court, Punjab, when five masked gunmen opened fire on them. Zafar Hussein, a (Muslim?) police officer who was escorting the brothers, was also shot as he tried to protect them, and is reported to be in a critical condition in hospital.

Rashid and Sajid were arrested, earlier this month, and charged with blasphemy after they were accused of distributing a pamphlet that local Muslims regarded as blasphemous against Muhammad. Handwriting experts have since told the police that the brothers' writing did not match that on the offending leaflet.

This is but one in an increasing number of incidents of overt persecution in Pakistan (go to http://mail.google.com/mail/#search/release%2C+petition/128ac3979672f673 for further information, and access to an online petition). So, as we give thanks that our 'problems' are so few, and that they don't effect our personal safety, we do not forget those who, on a daily basis, are suffering for the sake of the Lord Jesus - many, like Rashid and Sajid, to the point of death.

Please join us in our remembrance, and in our prayerful support.