COMPASS DIRECT
Global News from the Frontlines
May 16, 2003
Compass Direct is distributed monthly to raise awareness of Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith. Articles may be reprinted or edited by active subscribers for use in other media, provided Compass Direct is acknowledged as the source of the material.
Copyright 2003 Compass Direct
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IN THIS ISSUE
BRAZIL
EvangelicalsTried for ‘Hate Crime’ Violation
Spiritist groups press lawsuit against beach evangelists.
CHINA
SARS Virus Causes Panic and Discontent
Christian ministriesare restricted due to spreading epidemic.
Police Conspire With Cult
Evidence mounts that Lightning from the East arranged false arrests.
Officials Continue Campaign against Underground Christians
‘Jesus fever’ blamed for growth of unregistered churches.
COLOMBIA
Four Christians Murdered
Evangelicals call for armed groups to respect life.
Army Reports Increased Violence Against Christians
Church leaders say more military protection is not the solution.
ERITREA
More Protestant ChristiansArrested, Conscripted***
Asmara government denies any religious persecution.
Protestants Arrested at Prayer Meeting***
Asmara police jail, punish 56 prisoners.
ETHIOPIA
Evangelicals Fully Exonerated***
Suspect policeman now awaiting trial in Maychew.
INDIA
Hindu Activists Humiliate Nuns, Vandalize Health Center
Government officials reportedly involved in harassment incidents.
Christian Leaders Challenge Anti-Conversion Legislation
Government commission concludes new law is unconstitutional.
Christians Face Insecurity in India’s Capital
Minority commission reveals erosion of religious rights.
INDONESIA
Government Delays Controversial Education Bill
Teachers and religious officials protest mandating religious instruction.
Christian Pastor Released After Almost Fours Years in Prison
Marthinus was jailed in a serious ‘miscarriage of justice.’
Muslim Radicals Harass Indonesian Churches
Legislation fuels tension between Muslim and Christian groups in West Java.
IVORY COAST
Ivory Coast Forges Unsteady Peace
Churches seasoned by war see opportunities for reconciliation.
LAOS
Official Persecution Threatens Church
Religious freedom abuses could affect plan to establish normal trade relations with U.S.
LEBANON
Jordanian Christian Killed in Attack
European missionary family targeted in Tripoli bombing.
MALAYSIA
Bible Ban Lifted
Other publications still under restriction.
NIGERIA
Pastor and Six Family Members Burned to Death
Christian leaders suspect Muslim fanatics of fatal arson attack.
Governor-Elect Promises Revolutionized Islamic Law
Muslim candidate pledges to protect Christian lives and property.
PAKISTAN
Christian Sentenced to Life in Prison
Faisalabadcourt finds Ranjha Masih ‘guilty’ of blasphemy.
SAUDI ARABIA
Two African Christians Jailed in Jeddah
Eritrean and Ethiopian are slated for deportation.
SUDAN
Sudan Jails Episcopal Priest Near Khartoum
Cleric refuses to demolish church building.
UAE
Court Gives Filipino Pastor Suspended Sentence
Dubai judge dismisses one-year jail term for Rev. Alconga.
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Brazilian Evangelicals Tried for ‘Hate Crime’ Violation
Spiritist Groups Press Lawsuit Against Beach Evangelists
by David Miller
MIAMI(Compass) -- A heated debate over freedom of religion in Brazil has gone to court. Legal representatives of Umbanda and Candomble spiritist groups are pressing a lawsuit against Baptist pastor Joaquim de Andrade, 41, and Aldo dos Santos Menezes, 33, a deacon of the Anglican Church, in connection with an annual evangelistic outreach on the beaches of Sao Paulo state.
Spiritists accuse the two men of violating Brazil’s “hate crime” law by distributing evangelistic tracts that, they say, disparage Iemanja, an African deity they worship as “Goddess of the Sea.” The plaintiffs also charge Andrade and Menezes with “inciting evangelicals to commit acts contrary to the liberty of religious belief,” in connection with their part in mobilizing Christians to share the gospel at a spiritist festival celebrated each December at a popular Iemanja shrine at Praia Grande.
At a hearing on April 16, Sao Paulo judge Osvaldo Palotti Jr. found Andrade and Menezes guilty of the charges and fined them each 1,000 reais (about $300). He warned the men that if they did not stop proselytizing spiritists at the festival, they would face stiffer consequences next time.
The hate crime statute, technically known as Federal Law number 9.459, declares it a crime to “practice, induce, or incite discrimination or prejudice against race, color, ethnicity, religion or national origin” and mandates one to three years in jail and a fine for offenders.
Following the hearing, Andrade and Menezes refused to pay the fine and filed a petition on April 28 to annul the decision.
“To sign this ‘agreement’ (to pay the fine) would be a victory for the Umbandistas who are trying to deny us our religious freedom,” Andrade said. “It would mean admitting guilt and giving the impression that Christians are somehow engaging in criminal activities by preaching and practicing their faith.”
Andrade has helped organize the outreach to spiritists, known as the “Coast for Christ Crusade,” since its inception in 1984. Participants attend training sessions to learn about spiritism and how to relate to the thousands of devotees who attend the annual Iemanja festival. The trainings are sponsored by AGIR, an evangelical research and outreach agency in Sao Paulo which Andrade co-directs.
Paul Carden, executive director of the U.S.-based Centers for Apologetics Research, took part in the coastal crusades while living in Brazil in the 1980s. “A lot of psychics and mediums sort of set up shop on the beaches, and people line up to get a psychic reading or receive some sort of mediumistic blessing,” he said.
“So some of our people would set up places to talk to spiritists about what was bothering them and counsel and pray for them. This, of course, is in a public place, on a municipal beach where the basic laws of free expression prevail.”
Friction between spiritists and evangelicals arose from an email message Andrade sent to a Christian electronic bulletin board in October 2001, announcing plans for that year’s outreach. Spiritists reacted to the notice with outrage, bombarding Andrade with email messages and phone calls warning him to call off the crusade. The Praia Grande sheriff’s department informed Andrade of a criminal complaint against him that could result in one to five years imprisonment.
The hostility surprised Andrade and his associates, but they went ahead with plans as in previous years. Immediately after the December 2001 festival, the Supreme Umbanda Entity of the State of Sao Paulo pressed charges against Andrade and Menezes, who authored a tract distributed at the Iemanja festival.
The leaflet carried an image of the goddess on the cover along with the title,“The Cult [or Worship*] of Iemanja.” Spiritists claim the tract’s assertion that Iemanja worship is based on legend represents a “prejudicial message” against their faith and is thus punishable by law.
“Our organization desires to stop prejudicial practices, since it does not believe that one’s beliefs should be imposed upon another based on the fallacious argument that his are better,” they argue.
Andrade counters that, unlike historical faiths such as Islam and Christianity, Afro-Brazilian Spiritism is based on folk legends. “They can believe them if they want to, but they must realize they are fairy tales,” he said. “To forbid saying that is what should be considered religious intolerance.”
Dr. Davi Teixeira, a law professor at the University of Sao Paulo, has filed a motion asserting judicial irregularities in the case. The appeal cites the absence of the district attorney during the hearing and the judge’s refusal to allow defendants to confer with their legal counsel, Dr. Cicero Duarte. Teixeira also contends that the plaintiffs’ case was not sufficient to prove a violation of the law.
However, the evangelical community recognizes that much larger legal issues are at stake in this landmark case.
“This is a precedent-setting case,” Carden said. “If Christians cannot freely share their faith with interested bystanders in a public place, without the potential of some punishment under the pretext of having committed a hate crime, then this profoundly alters the spiritual equation in that country, which until now has enjoyed wide-ranging religious freedoms.”
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*The term “culto” carries both meanings in Portuguese, Brazil’s national language.
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SARS Virus Causes Panic and Discontent in China
ChristianMinistries Restricted Due to Spreading Epidemic
by Xu Mei
NANJING, China (Compass) --China is a country under siege. Bars, cinemas and theaters are closed. Classrooms are empty, restaurants and business centers are deserted. Residents in major cities remain indoors, fearful of contracting the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus. Thousands of migrant workers, defying government orders, have left the city for the provinces, spreading the SARS virus even further.
From November 2002, when the first SARS cases were reported, to March 2003, the Chinese government denied the seriousness of the disease. Now China must cope with the grim results. On May 12, the total number of cases on the Mainland had soared to 5013 cases with 252 deaths* -- double the number of cases reported only two weeks before.
Most internal flights in China have now been grounded. Kazakstan recently closed its border with China. Russia has closed many border crossings and may seal the border completely. In one northern province still largely unaffected by the disease, local officials asked American Christians to leave the area. They felt foreign deaths would only add to unwanted media attention.
Hysteria and panic are sweeping through China as a result of the epidemic. A population long used to the propaganda of its rulers is uncertain what to believe, even though Chinese authorities have worked hard to counter the virus.
On April 27,more than 10,000 people rioted in the rural town of Chagugang, two hours east of Beijing. They ransacked a local school after word spread that it would be used as a hospital for SARS patients. Outbreaks of violence have also occurred in the central province of Henan, where some peasants have already been infected by AIDS, and in the eastern province of Zhejiang. Thousands of peasants reportedly destroyed buildings set aside as quarantine centers, built roadblocks to prevent ambulances getting through and beat up police.
Emergency measures have ranged from issuing thermometers to sterilizing banknotes.
Beijing’s sudden determination to take SARS seriously may be a reaction to cases reported among top government officials. Premier Wen Jiabao told the world on April 29 that China now realizes SARS will be a “long-term and complex epidemic.” Some commentators are comparing the effects of SARS in China to those of the Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union.
Meanwhile, Christian organizations working in China are reeling from the impact of the virus. Some have withdrawn their workers, while many others are canceling summer programs. One large mission has advised against visits to China until the end of June, when the situation will be reviewed.
Foreigners working in remote areas were initially advised to “sit tight,” as traveling on buses and trains would expose them to the virus. However, the risk is now much greater as the virus has spread to rural areas.
In this climate of fear, Christians in China have found new opportunities to share their faith. They report a growing responsiveness to the gospel as neighbors and friends seek counsel and prayer.
U.N. health official Gro Harlem Brundtland says the epidemic in China is far from over and much wisdom will be needed in the coming months.
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Source: The World Health Organization.
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Chinese Police Conspire With Cult
Evidence Mounts that Lightning from the East Arranged False Arrests
by Xu Mei
NANJING, China (Compass) -- Lightning from the East is China’s most dangerous secret cult. It targets house churches, infiltrates them and tries to destroy them. Christian leaders have suffered blackmail, kidnapping, beatings and physical injury as a result of this activity.
In April of last year, Lightning from the East pulled off its most spectacular coup by simultaneously kidnapping 34 leaders of the South China Church, one of the country’s most evangelical house church movements.
At the time, sympathetic observers both in China and overseas speculated whether such a massive operation could succeed without at least some collusion on the part of local authorities and police.
The central government in Beijing has ordered a crackdown on the cult and expressed sympathy to members of the SouthChinaChurch, who went to Beijing in desperation for help. Eventually, the captors released all the abducted leaders.
At the local level, however, police are notoriously corrupt. They often succumb to the temptation to make deals with the criminal underworld, of which this cult is a part.
Evidence has now emerged from northern China of this type of collusion. Sister Wang has long been an effective house church leader in Inner Mongolia. However, in recent years there has been a strong incursion of Lightning from the East cultists; they have taken over many of the house churches in her neighborhood.
In April, Wang reported that members of the cult approached the local Public Security Bureau and gave the police a bribe to arrest her. They concocted a false charge as an excuse -- alleging she had written “anti-Party propaganda” -- and threatened Wang with an eight-to-ten-year prison sentence.
Fearing for her safety and even for her life, Sister Wang fled to another part of China, far removed from her hometown. In her latest communication with the international Christian community, she asked for prayer.
To be labeled a cultist in China is a serious matter that leads to arrest and imprisonment. Ironically, cultists themselves are able to take advantage of endemic corruption to target Christians, who are most opposed to cults.
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Chinese Officials Continue Campaign Against Underground Christians
Officials Blame ‘Jesus Fever’ for Growth of Unregistered Churches
by Sarah Page
BANGKOK(Compass) -- The spread of the SARS virus has not distracted Chinese officials from their campaign against unregistered churches. At least 52 key house church leaders have been arrested in recent months. Police also arrested and fined hundreds of “ordinary” Christians in the first four months of 2003.
The growth of the underground church, attributed in some official documents to “Jesus fever,” has enraged Chinese authorities. During the National People’s Congress in March 2003, officials agreed to continue the “Strike Hard” campaign against all unauthorized groups. These include “separatists, terrorists and cult organizations.” Unregistered churches are included in the list of “illegal cults.”
China’s constitution requires all churches to register with the government. However, strict limitations are placed on official churches and many Christians prefer to go underground and practice their faith without compromise.
On March 25, police raided a house church meeting in Nanyang county in southern Henan province. At least 20 people were arrested, including a Dutch citizen. Local Christians were released after questioning; however, they were also fingerprinted and fined.
On April 2, senior house church leader Elder Chan was arrested in Anhui province. Officers of the Public Security Bureau (PSB) followed Chan’s son, 17, as he went to meet his father and arrested both of them. The son was released three days later, but Elder Chan remains in detention.
As one of the “most wanted” house church leaders in China, Chan has evaded capture for the past four years. For months he has moved from house to house, meeting with his family only on rare occasions. His situation is precarious. Gong Shengliang, a house church leader arrested in December 2001, received the death sentence, although it hasn’t been carried out. Chan could easily share the same fate.
On April 4, police arrested 120 Christians at a meeting in Pingdingshan. This was just one of four mass arrests in Henan province in recent months. However, the April 4 arrest was significant because it involved several key house church leaders.
Ordinary Christians are usually questioned, beaten, fined and released. Local PSB officers can sentence them to three years of “re-education” without trial, but in practice this rarely happens. The main targets of the raids are leaders of the house church movement.
Twenty of those arrested on April 4 were released within a few days. The remainder regained their freedom by the end of April, largely through the mediation of a Chinese-American arrested with the group who used his influence to gain the prisoners’ release.