Coptic Christians attacked in Egypt
Several Christians, including a priest, have been injured in Egypt after Muslims attacked a Christian centre in the city of Ezbet Boshra-East. Father Issac Castor reports that the attack took place last Sunday at 11am, when 25 young Copts travelled from Cairo to visit him. Father Castor told the visitors that only five people should come into his house at a time because the police prohibit any Christian gathering of people at the building. However it appears that as soon as the chosen five entered the building Muslim fanatics arrived, carrying sticks and stones and began assaulting the young Christians. They also broke into several Christian homes in the city. In a similar attack last year Christian farmlands were vandalized, and domestic animals were poisoned by Muslims after a group of Christians conducted services at the Christian centre. Appeals have been made for the release of 19 Christians arrested after last week’s attack.
24/7 Christian programming planned for Arabic audience
Arab Vision have announced that their 24/7 Christian program website will go online by the end of 2009. This will offer a a daily 3-hour block repeated during the day. This will mean that anywhere in the world Arabs will be able to watch Christian television at any time. As well as giving greater exposure to many existing programmes Arab Vision will be commissioning tailor-made programmes with specific style and content for the internet. Over the last five years the number of Arabs with access to the internet has grown exponentially with an estimated 24 million now being 'on line'. Arab Vision is a community of Christians committed to communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ in the Arab world.
Christians bring relief and reconciliation in Sri Lanka
The International Director of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) has called on Christians worldwide to help the Sri Lankan church meet the overwhelming humanitarian crisis affecting their country. The aftermath of Sri Lanka’s three decade old armed conflict has displaced more than 300,000 people who are desperately in need of food, medical assistance and other basic needs. “Despite being a small minority, the Christian community is valiantly and sacrificially giving to meet these needs, but urgently requires assistance from their brothers and sisters elsewhere in the world if they are to complete their task”, said Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe, of the WEA. The Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka is presently feeding over 10,000 people every day and implementing grassroots reconciliation initiatives, such as the Young Ambassadors programme, to bring communities together after so many years of ethnic conflict. To support the humanitarian relief or the Youth Ambassador programme please visit www.nceasl.org
Ethical Witness - Christians and Muslims issue guidelines
The Christian Muslim Forum of Britain, meeting in London today, have issued a set of guidelines for ethical witness. In their introduction to the guidelines they say, “As members of the Christian Muslim Forum we are deeply committed to our own faiths (Christianity and Islam) and wish to bear faithful witness to them. As Christians and Muslims we are committed to working together for the common good. We recognise that both communities actively invite others to share their faith and acknowledge that all faiths have the same right to share their faith with others. There are diverse attitudes and approaches amongst us which can be controversial and raise questions. This paper is not a theology of Christian evangelism or mission or Da’wah (invitation to Islam), rather it offers guidelines for good practice.” The guidelines as well as links to other similar guidelines can be found at Christian Muslim Forum.
Second church opens in Qatar
Over a thousand Christians witnessed the consecration of Qatar’s second church complex last Thursday at Mesaimeer. The Mar Thomas Church in Doha will host congregations for the Mar Thoma Church of South India, Malabar Orthodox, Syro Malabar, Pentecostal and Evangelical congregations. The complex is spread over 4,800 square metres. The opening of this new complex follows the building of the Gulf state’s first church, St Mary’s Catholic Church, inaugurated in March 2008. The Mar Thoma Church is a denomination based in Kerala, India, which is in communion with the Anglican and Independent Syro-Malabar Churches. The Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association, their mission arm, is a member of Faith2Share. Around 150,000 Christians live in Qatar, two thirds of them drawn from the Philippines, India and other Asian countries.
Reconciliation in Zimbabwe
Whilst suffering continues in Zimbabwe, in Bikita the victims and perpetrators of recent political violence have begun a voluntary process of healing and reconciliation. Two chiefs in Bikita have returned property and livestock looted by ZANU PF supporters and overzealous traditional leaders from the Movement for Democratic Change supporters in the presidential runoff last year. They also encouraged peaceful negotiation between complainants and the accused. Chief Budzi of Bikita South admitted that in Zimbabwean culture healing starts with the acceptance of a crime and paying compensation for it so that the victim is able to ‘forgive and forget’. This development is encouraging in that it shows how Zimbabweans themselves are taking the initiative to promote healing and justice.
Migrants add value in Europe
In the week following the attacks on Romanian families living in Belfast the Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe together with the Nova research centre are drawing attention to their major report (published 2008) on migration in Europe and the response of European churches. Just as it was a church in Belfast who offered ‘asylum’ to the Romanians fleeing their homes so, the report points out, it has often been churches across Europe who have offered welcome to the migrants. The report also shows how migrants make a major contribution to local economies and to church life in the communities they seek to join. The report is now available as a free download from Nova Centre.
Hostages killed in Yemen
Christians in Yemen have requested prayer after nine foreign nationals, including three children, were kidnapped last Friday. Three of them, two young German ladies and a lady from South Korea have since been murdered and there are unconfirmed reports that others have now been killed. This latest kidnapping look place in the northern Saada province where there has been unrest for several years. There is speculation that either Houthi rebels or al-Qaeda are responsible for these abductions but so far no agency has claimed responsibility. South Koreans working in the country are concerned that this event may lead to their government banning travel to Yemen as they have already done for Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia.
Call to prayer launched for Iran
As the people of Iran respond to the recent election results, some with violence, Iranian Christians living outside the country have called for prayer for their country and for the church within. The four point appeal seeks prayer that (a) the situation will unfold according to God’s plan and purpose for His church and the salvation of the Iranian people; (b) the situation will be resolved without further bloodshed and that violence will be restrained and that God will raise up righteous men to lead the nation; (c) Christians, many of whom are young in the faith, may be wise witnesses in their nation at this time; and (d) the hundreds of thousands Scriptures that have been distributed in Iran in recent years will be read during these days and that the Holy Spirit will speak to many lives.