Presents
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The Muslims Persecution against Church
Click on the June 2009 Issue
Articles featuring the
"The Persecution of the Christian Church"
Inspiration for Olympic Prayer Band Arrested |
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Pastor Zhang “Bike” Mingxuan, known for traveling across China on a bicycle to evangelize, was arrested by Chinese police just two days before the Olympics began. Pastor Bike was the inspiration for the recent partnership between The Voice of the Martyrs and China Aid Association to create the Olympic Prayer Band. Learn More about the Olympic Prayer Band here Pastor Asks for Prayer Band Thanks to Pastor Bike’s inspiration and the commitment of concerned Christians across the United States, more than 800,000 prayer bands have been circulated. On Aug. 6, Pastor Bike was arrested while trying to deliver medicine to his ailing wife. His wife and another pastor were also arrested. We have also learned this week that Chinese officials are opening a full investigation of the Olympic Prayer Bands that were distributed to house church members within China. Despite this increased pressure from Chinese authorities, Chinese Christians continue to ask for prayer and to make their plight known. Order your Prayer Bands
today! More about Pastor Bike |
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To order resources about the persecuted church or to donate to VOM, visit www.VOMBooks.com.
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China confiscates Bibles from American Christians
By GILLIAN WONG, Associated Press WriterSun Aug 17, 10:17 AM ET
Chinese customs officials confiscated more than 300 Bibles on Sunday from four American Christians who arrived in a southwestern city with plans to distribute them, the group's leader said.
The Bibles were taken from the group's checked luggage after they landed at the airport in the city of Kunming, said Pat Klein, head of Vision Beyond Borders. The group, based in Sheridan, Wyoming, distributes Bibles and Christian teaching materials around the world to "strengthen the persecuted church," according to its Web site.
The group arrived in China on Sunday and had intended to distribute the Bibles to people in the city, Klein told the AP in a telephone interview while still at the airport.
"I heard that there's freedom of religion in China, so why is there a problem for us to bring Bibles?" Klein said. "We had over 300 copies and customs took all of them from us."
The move comes as China hosts the Olympics in Beijing, where false media reports last year claimed Bibles would be banned from the games. The state-run China Daily reported last month that 10,000 bilingual copies of the Bible would be distributed in the Olympic Village, which houses athletes and media.
Bibles are printed under the supervision of the Communist government. The officially atheistic country only allows them to be used in government-sanctioned churches and in some big hotels catering to foreigners.
A woman who was on duty at Kunming airport's customs office confirmed over the telephone that 315 Bibles were found in the passengers' checked baggage.
The officer, who would only give her last name, Xiao, denied confiscating the Bibles. She said authorities were just "taking care" of them and provided no further details. She later said she was not authorized to speak to the media and referred questions to the national customs headquarters in Beijing, which did not answer phones on Sunday.
"We're not selling them; we give them free to the people," Klein said. "We didn't come to cause trouble, we just came to bring Bibles to help out the Chinese Christians."
The Bibles were printed in Chinese, he said.
Klein said the customs officers had told him that they could each have one Bible for personal use and not more than that. He said the officers had videotaped them and were insisting that they leave the airport.
"We don't want to go without taking those books. It cost us a lot of money to bring them here," Klein said. "They're saying that it's illegal to bring the Bibles in and that if we wanted to, we had to apply ahead of time for permission."
China faces routine criticism for its human rights violations and its repression of religious freedom. Religious practice is heavily regulated by the Communist Party, with worship allowed only in party-controlled churches, temples and mosques, while those gathering outside face harassment, arrest and terms in labor camps or prison.
A Chinese Christian activist was detained Aug. 10, the opening weekend of the Olympics, on his way to a church service attended by President Bush in Beijing. A rights group said later that the activist, Hua Huiqi, a leader of the unofficial Protestant church in Beijing, had escaped from police and was in hiding.
Police have denied any involvement in Hua's disappearance.
VOM News and Prayer Update: September 11, 2007
"I will lift up my eyes to the hills- From whence comes
my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth."(Psalm
121:1-2)
AZERBAIJAN
Imprisoned Pastor's Appeal Resumes - Forum 18 News
UPDATE: On September 6, the lawyer for imprisoned Baptist Pastor Zaur Balaev
expressed optimism as the appeals process began in Sheki Appeal Court in
Azerbaijan. According to Forum 18 News service, Gazalfar Rzaev said, "Of
course I am optimistic." Illya Zenchenko, head of Azerbaijan's Baptist
Union, was also hopeful Balaev's two-year sentence, on charges he assaulted
five police officers, would be overturned. However, Zenchenko does fear
Balaev might not be fully exonerated. He told Forum 18 News, "This is a
dilemma for the court. Clearing Balaev would mean incriminating the police
officers who falsely testified against him." On August 8, Balaev was
convicted under Article 315, Part 1 of the Criminal Code, which punishes the
application or threat of application of violence against a state
representative when he or she is carrying out official duties. Balaev was
sentenced to two years in prison. Pray for Pastor Balaev and his family
while he is in prison awaiting the outcome of his appeal. Ask God to
encourage believers in Azerbaijan. Isaiah 54:7, 2 Timothy 1:7
CHINA
House Church Leader in Xinjiang Formally Arrested, Church Leaders
Released - China Aid Association
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XINJIANG - On August 31, house church leader Zhou Heng was formally arrested for receiving three tons of Bibles. He is currently detained at Xishan Detention Center. According to China Aid Association (CAA), Zhou Heng's formal arrest notice accused him of "illegal business operations." CAA reported, "Our contacts recently spoke with a released inmate who shared a cell with Brother Zhou. He reported that Zhou was severely beaten by inmates and prison guards." Prior to his arrest on August 3, Zhou Heng managed a bookstore called Yayi Christian Book Room and sold religious books. "Local authorities have closed the bookstore. The Bibles Zhou was collecting were reportedly donated by South Korean churches and were intended for distribution to local believers free of charge. However, the Chinese government only allows officially sanctioned (state) churches to print and distribute a limited number of Bibles each year," CAA added.
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INNER MONGOLIA: UPDATE - China Aid Association reported that authorities have released the seven house church leaders arrested on August 21. The Christian leaders were arrested during worship services. Praise God for the release of these Christian leaders. Pray for house church leader Zhou Heng and Christians in China who face challenges because of their faith in Jesus Christ.
Psalm 27:1, Isaiah 54: 14
ERITREA
Christian Tortured to Death in Eritrea - Compass Direct News/Open Doors
On September 5, Eritrean authorities tortured to death 33-year-old Nigsti
Haile for refusing to recant her Christian faith while being held at the
Wi'a Military Training Center. Haile is the fourth Christian killed in
Eritrea in less than a year. Compass Direct News reported, "She was one of
10 single Christian women arrested at a church gathering in Keren. They have
spent 18 months under severe pressure. Haile was killed for refusing to sign
a letter recanting her faith." In May 2002, government officials called in
the leaders of all evangelical churches in Eritrea and told them they would
not be permitted to hold further public services. Only the "historic
religions" of Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran and Islam have been allowed to
hold public worship since that time. Compass Direct says that more than
2,000 Eritrean Christians are imprisoned. Not a single one of them has been
formally charged or had a public trial, and all have been denied legal
representation. Amnesty International released a report yesterday that said
most of the more than 2,000 imprisoned Christians have been held for more
than two years in harsh conditions, with little or no medical care. Pray for
the Holy Spirit to comfort the family of Nigsti Haile. Ask God to protect
and encourage Christians in Eritrea, especially believers imprisoned because
of their faith in Jesus Christ.
Peter Xu Yongze Testimony
"They hung
me up across an iron gate, then they yanked open the gate and my whole body
lifted until my chest nearly split in two. I hung like that for four hours."
That is how Peter Xu Yongze, the founder of one of the largest religious movements in China, described his treatment during one of five jail sentences on account of his belief in Christianity.
Mr Xu, 61, is not the only Chinese Christian to suffer for his faith. Both Catholics and Protestants have long complained of persecution by the Communist authorities, and human rights groups claim the problem is getting worse.
According to the Jubilee Campaign, an interdenominational lobby group, about 300 Christians are in detention in China at any one time, and that number is set to rise.
"China's new generation of leaders are trying to consolidate control of the country as it goes through rapid social and economic changes," said Wilfred Wong, a parliamentary officer for the Jubilee Campaign.
By Kate McGeown
BBC
News
"The Communists feel threatened by any popular ideology which is different from their own," he said.
China's Christian population - especially those who refuse to worship in the tightly regulated state-registered churches - is seen as one such threat.
According to Mr Wong, the number of Christians in China has continued to rise, exacerbating this perceived threat and causing the authorities to clamp down still further on unregistered churches.
The perception that China's Christians have close links with the West adds to their plight, Mr Wong said.
'You can't evangelize' Christianity is not actually banned in China. In fact, according to the constitution, "citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief."
gy which is different from their own," he said.
China's Christian population - especially those who refuse to worship in the tightly regulated state-registered churches - is seen as one such threat.
According to Mr Wong, the number of Christians in China has continued to rise, exacerbating this perceived threat and causing the authorities to clamp down still further on unregistered churches.
The perception that China's Christians have close links with the West adds to their plight, Mr Wong said.
'You can't evangelize' Christianity is not actually banned in China. In fact, according to the constitution, "citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief."
Getting reliable numbers about the number of Christians in China is notoriously difficult. Estimates vary between 40m to 70m Protestants, only 10 million of whom are registered members of government churches.
The situation is similar for Catholics. Of the estimated 15 to 20 million Catholics in China, less than half belong to state-approved churches, which put authority to Beijing before authority to Rome.
Those Christians who want to avoid the state-controlled religious movements meet in unofficial buildings or even each others' homes - hence their description as "house churches" - risking fines, imprisonment, torture and even, in some cases, death.
Despite all the persecution and suffering, God is calling more and more people in China
One of the most high-profile cases is that of Gong Shengliang, head of the South China Church, who was sentenced to death in 2001. His sentence was commuted to a prison term, but Amnesty has received reports that he has been severely tortured in jail.
In August three Christians were sentenced to jail terms for passing information to foreign governments, and in July state media reported that a woman had been beaten to death after being arrested for handing out bibles.
Peter Xu said that while he was in jail, he saw several people even being killed for their faith.
"A believer was praying, so a jailer made other prisoners lift him up to the ceiling and drop him to the ground many times until he died," Mr Xu said.
But government crackdowns - and even torture - may not make people like Peter Xu give up their faith.
"Despite all the persecution and suffering, God is calling more and more people in China," he said.