Key Quotes - Religious Persecution

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Last update: Wednesday 25th March




Two policemen convicted of killing a Christian in Giza in May received only a five-year prison sentence for what lawyers have called the cold blooded murder of a Copt who stood up for his rights. On 25 May, Giza Criminal Court sentenced the two policemen for the manslaughter of Nasser Gadallah, 29, in 2007. Police said he jumped out of the window in an effort to escape, but family members who were eye-witnesses said the officers beat Gadallah and pushed him out of the window intentionally because he was a Christian who had filed a complaint against the police. The court however, determined that Gadallah died form the officers beating him, and that they did not intend to kill him.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now- July 2009



More than 30 House Church leaders were arrested at a house church gathering in Langzhong city, Sichuan Province, in June. Thirteen leaders were given 15 days of administrative detention, and five were placed under criminal detention. The others were released. Pastors Gao Guofu, Li Ming, Zhang Guofen, Gu Lianpeng and Yu Zhipeng, the five leaders who received criminal detention, are likely to face a formal criminal indictment of up to three years re-education through labour.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now- July 2009



A state prosecutor during April requested that a seven year sentence be given to Pastor Omar Gude Perez, currently imprisoned in Camaguey on charges of illicit economic activity and falsification of documents. The prosecutor went on to accuse the pastor of counter-revolutionary attitudes. However, those close to the pastor believe he is being targeted because of his religious activity and leadership of a rapidly growing non-denominational, non-political religious movement in Cuba known as Apostolic Reformation. Pastor Perez has already spent almost a year in prison without trial. He was first detained in May 2008, and the authorities originally attempted to charge him with human trafficking. These charges were thrown out during March 2009.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now- June 2009



A Christian convert, Raheal Henen Mussa, and her Coptic husband are hiding from police and her Muslim family for violating an article of Islamic law (Shari’a) that doesn’t exist in the Egyptian penal code. Police arrested Moussa, 22 on April 13 for marrying Serwat George Ryiad in a customary marriage, an unregistered form of matrimony in Egypt made without witnesses. Moussa’s family took her from police custody on April 19 but she escaped from them two days later. She and her husband fled Cairo and are in hiding. According to a strict interpretation of Shari’ a, Muslim women are not permitted to marry non-Muslim men, although the opposite is allowed, and article 2 of the Egyptian Constitution stipulates that Shari’ a is the basis for legislation.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now- June 2009



Christian leaders across Europe are concerned about a growing anti-Jewish sentiment that they say is prevalent not only among Muslim immigrants, but also intellectuals, the media and even some churchgoers. Shouts of “Kill the Jews” increased after Israel waged its offensive on the Gaza Strip last winter, but church leaders say anti-Semitism has been rising in Europe for several years. Sten-Gunnar Hedin, a leader within the Swedish Penticostal Movement, said he has seen a “subtle change of attitudes towards Jews among believers.” This change, Hedin said, has been brought about by the massive political propaganda depicting Israel as bloodthirsty. “In Scandinavia all revival movements have embraced Jewish people,” Hedin said. “Now, even Christians feed on biased media reports. The young generation has never seen anything but this constant flow of photos showing bleeding Palestinian children.”
Religious Persecution	Charisma- May 2009



Human rights organisation Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has welcomed a decision by Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Council to reject a restrictive draft law that would threaten further to regulate freedom of religion and belief. The decision was announced after the council found the law to be unconstitutional with ‘the rights and freedoms stipulated’ and ‘symptomatic of a lack of respect for the rule of law in Kazakhstan’, said CSW’s advocacy director Alexa Papadouris. The announcement follows lobbying from CSW and other human rights organisations. Ms Papadouris said: ‘It is imperative that the international community now call on the authorities in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to ensure their treatment of religious communities accords with international standards of freedom of religion and belief’.
Religious Persecution	Salvationist– April 2009



Religious persecution is increasing around the world, said the chief executive of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Mervyn Thomas, at the annual general meeting of the human rights group. Speaking at the event in Westminster, he said: “Persecution doesn’t go away and it doesn’t diminish – it increases year on year. It is going on in around 60 countries.”
Religious Persecution	The War Cry– May 2009



Some Iranian Christians cannot escape threats even when they leave the country it emerged in March. Three Iranian Pastors in Athens, Greece, on March 11 received a letter stating that, unless they return to Islam they will be found and killed as apostates. The letter written by a radical group calling themselves ‘’the Hezbelloah Party’’, accused the Pastors of ‘anti-Islamic activities’ and partcipitation in ‘espionage organisations’ against Iran.
Religious Persecution	Evangelical’s Now - May 2009



Hindu extremists on March 12 splashed the house of a pastor in Nainpur, Mandala, and set it aflame. The extremists burnt the house of Pastor James Masih of St Mark Church at midnight, damaging doors, windows, curtains, files and furniture. Pastor Masih said that the local people opposed his congregation because of their Christian activities. The Pastor filed a police complaint at Nairpur police station.
Religious Persecution	Evangelical’s Now- May 2009



On March 5th two Iranian Christian women, Maraieh Admirizadeh Esmaeilabad (30) and Maryam Rustampoor (27) were arrested by the Iranian security forces. Their only crime being that they are committed Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus. They are being unfairly labelled as ‘anti-government activists’, because of the hostility of the government towards practising Christians.
Religious Persecution	Evangelical’s Now - May 2009



One in four children with a religious belief is bullied at school as a result of their faith, research shows. The findings have prompted anti-bullying campaigners to urge ministers to make it compulsory for schools to record all incidences of faith-based bullying, as they have to in the cases of racism and homophobia. The survey of more than 1,000 pupils by the anti bullying charity Beatbullying, showed that 23 per cent of the pupils were bullied as a result of their faith.
Religious Persecution	Salvationist – 29th November



Authorities on August 5 locked up eight high school male students in metal shipping containers at a military training school for objecting to the burning of hundreds of Bibles. The students, from the Sawa Defence Training Centre, near Eritrea’s border with Sudan, were incarcerated after military authorities confiscated more than 1,500 personal Bibles from students arriving for the 2008-2009 academic year.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now & Compass – October 2008



Homosexual activists want the Earl of Devon’s castle to be slapped with a huge inheritance tax bill because of the Earl’s religious beliefs on marriage according to a report in June. Lord Devon, a Christian, does not wish to allow homosexual civil partnership ceremonies at his family home, Powerham Castle, which is one of the oldest family houses in England. Stonewall also wants the Earl to be penalised by the Treasury.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now - July 2008



It was reported in March that Christian-born converts to Islam in Egypt wishing to return to their former faith have found their way blocked by an appeal before the country’s Supreme Constitutional Court. Judge Muhammed Husseini asked Egypt’s top judical body on March 4th to review the constitutionality of a law granting citizens the right to change religions. Eqypt’s top administrative court used Article 47 of Egypt’s civil law to justify allowing 12 converts to Islam to return to Christianity. Husseini has demanded that the constitutional court rule on whether Article 47 conflicts with the Egyptian constitution’s second article, which designantes Islam as the main source of legislation.
Religious Persecution	UK News Now May 2008



Organisers of the Beijing Olympics sought to quash reports that bibles would be prohibited at this years games, saying that religious texts form personal use are welcome the Associated Press (AP) reported. Li Zhanjun, director of the Beijing Olympics media centre, said texts and items from major religious groups that are brought for personal use by athletes and visitors are permitted. However, a notice on the official Beijing Olympics website explaining entry procedures into the country said that “each traveller is recommended to take no more than one bible into China”.
Religious Persecution	Christian Market Place - January 2008.

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