UK Nurse Suspended For Praying
London (England), February 2 (The Telegraph U.K.) : Caroline Petrie, a committed Christian, has been accused by her employers of failing to demonstrate a “personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity”. She faces disciplinary action and could lose her job over the incident. Mrs Petrie, a married mother of two, says she has been left shocked and upset by the action taken against her. She insists she has never forced her own religious beliefs on anyone but politely inquired if the elderly patient wanted her to pray for her – either in the woman’s presence or after the nurse had left the patient’s home.
“I simply couldn’t believe that I have been suspended over this. I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. All I am trying to do is help my patients, many of whom want me to pray for them,” she said.
Mrs Petrie, 45, is a community nurse employed by North Somerset Primary Care Trust to carry out home visits to sick and elderly patients. The incident which led to her suspension took place at the home of a woman patient in Winscombe, North Somerset. The woman patient, who is believed to be in her late 70s, is understood to have complained to the trust. Mrs Petrie will not disclose the woman’s name or reveal the precise nature of her ailment because it would breach patient confidentiality.
Initially, Caroline Petrie was Church of England but she switched to the Baptist faith nine years ago. A Christian Youth Arrested In Saudi Arabia
Riyadh (Saudi Arab), February 1 : Five months after the daughter of a member of Saudi Arabia’s religious police was killed for writing online about her faith in Christ, Saudi authorities have reportedly arrested a 28-year-old Christian man for describing his conversion and criticising the kingdom’s judiciary on his website. Saudi police arrested Hamoud Bin Saleh on 13 January “because of his opinions and his testimony that he had converted from Islam to Christianity,” according to the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. Alas! Are we living in a civilized world? Bin Saleh, who had been detained for nine months in 2004 and again for a month last November, was reportedly being held in Riyadh’s Eleisha prison. On his website, which Saudi authorities have blocked, Bin Saleh wrote that his journey to Christ began after witnessing the public beheading of three Pakistanis convicted of drug charges. After reading how Jesus forgave – rather than stoned – a woman condemned for adultery, Bin Saleh eventually received Christ as saviour. “Just look and ask for the light of God,” he wrote in Arabic in his 22 December posting. “There might be no available books to help you make a comparative study between the teachings of Muhammad (which in my opinion are a series of political, social, economical and human disasters) and the teaching of Jesus in Saudi Arabia, but there are many resources on the Web by which you might get to the bosom/arms of the Father of salvation.” Orissa Police Charge 10 With Raping Nun
BHUBNESHWAR (Orissa), January 30 (AP) — Police in eastern India have charged 10 men with gang raping a Catholic nun during weeks of anti-Christian violence last year, an official said Thursday. The violence between Hindus and Christians in Orissa state followed the killing of a Hindu religious leader on 23rd August. Police blamed Maoist rebels, but conservative Hindu groups blamed Christian residents and set fire to a Christian orphanage. The state government said 32 people died in the clashes that followed. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India said at least 40 Christians were killed. The nun, her face hidden behind a scarf, had told reporters in October that she was raped on Aug. 25 when a mob attacked a prayer hall where she worked in the state’s Kandhamal district.
She said a group of about 50 men tore off her clothes and raped her. Later, she said, she was paraded naked, together with a priest, past several policeman who she says did not help her. On Thursday, investigating officer Dilip Mohanty said that 10 men, including two the nun had identified from a lineup on Jan. 5, were charged with gang rape — a specific charge under Indian law. If convicted, the men face up to 10 years in prison. Twenty others have also been brought up on charges related to their alleged rioting during the attack on the prayer house where the nun worked, police official Jitendra Koel said. Christian Baptism Ceremony Disrupted in Nasik
Nasik (Near Mumbai, Maharashtra), January 29 : At least four persons were injured in an attack on the Christian community at Gangapur dam near Nasik on Monday. The incident occurred when members of Navjivan Fellowship Church were conducting a baptism ceremony at the dam. A group of 10 to 12 unidentified men, armed with sticks and cricket stumps, disrupted the ceremony and roughed up those present at the event. “They did not even spare women and children as the rampage continued for over one hour. The attack was so meticulously planned that the group did not leave behind a single clue, which could help ascertain their identity,’’ said Winston Daniel, who was injured in the head during the assault. A complaint was lodged with Nashik Taluka police and a case of rioting was registered against unidentified men. A police officer said they were yet to identify the attackers. “Not only are we yet to identify the attackers, we are not even sure if those attacked were Christians,’’ said the officer. A Mathai, general secretary of the All-India Christian Council, said such attacks before the polls are a sign of things to come. Padam Vibhushan To Sister Nirmala, Congratulations!
Kolkata, January 28 (UCAN News.Com) — Sister Nirmala Joshi, superior general of the Missionaries of Charity (MC), is among 10 people selected to receive India’s second-highest civilian award i.e. Padam Vibhushan. The whole Christian community, including Christian Fort.Com congratulate her upon the achievement. Sister Nirmala told on Jan. 26 that she received the news the previous evening. “I was completely surprised,” said the diminutive, sari-clad nun. “The glory goes all to God.” Later, talking with reporters and a camera crew who had rushed to the congregation’s headquarters in Kolkata, she said: “This is not my achievement, but that of all the Missionaries of Charity who have helped us to serve the poorest of the poor.”
Kolkata, where Blessed Mother Teresa founded the congregation, lies 1,460 kilometers southeast of New Delhi. Sister Nirmala, who succeeded the founder as head of the congregation, said she felt “deeply humbled” in receiving the award. It is “not for me,” she said, “but for the sisters, brothers, fathers and so many people who work with us, and for God who works through us, for the greater glory of God.” Gladys Staines Tells Orissa Christians To Find Strength In Christ
Bhubneswar (Orissa), January 26 (Jenna Lyle and Dibin Samuel) : Ten years after the brutal murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons in India’s Orissa state, widow Gladys Staines is urging persecuted Christians there to turn to Christ.
Baptist missionary Graham Staines, 58, and his sons Philip, 9, and Timothy, 7, were sleeping in their station wagon in Manoharpur village when they were attacked by a mob of Hindu extremists and burned alive inside their vehicle on the night of 22 January 1999. Mr Staines had spent more than 30 years working with leprosy sufferers in India.
In an interview with Asia News this week, Mrs Staines admitted there had been times of sadness during the last 10 years.
“I feel sad that I do not have my husband to support me, to guard me, but these are just momentary emotions of sadness which also fill me with great hope, the hope of heaven and of being reunited with my husband and children in paradise and seeing the Father face to face. This guarantee fills me with consolation,” she said.
Although Mrs Staines said she missed the support of her husband and was sad that she was not able to see her sons grow up, she affirmed forgiveness for the killers and said that Christ had been her companion over the years.
“God gives me great support, and the prayers of people has been a source of great consolation, and this is the solidarity I share with the widows of Kandhamal. It is Jesus who is the source of every consolation and support. God gives us the strength to be able to carry our cross and to live in His will. Our life and our work here on earth has to go on according to His holy will.”
On Thursday, a mass was held at the site of murders in Monoharpur marking the tenth anniversary, followed by a prayer service on Friday and the inauguration of a new physiotherapy hall.
Mrs Staines has previously stressed forgiveness for the killers. When one, Dara Singh, was sentenced to death and 12 others given life imprisonment in 2003, she appealed for clemency. Singh’s death sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. (Christian Today) Obama Is A Firm Christian Believer
Washington, January 24 (PTI): Despite his frequent descriptions of his Christian faith and taking oath of office on Abraham Lincoln bible, around a quarter of people in the US believed a rumour that President Barack Obama (47) is a Muslim. A new study by Ohio State University has revealed that nearly 91 per cent of respondents said in a survey, following Obama's November 4 election, they heard the false rumour that he was a Muslim, while 22 per cent claimed they believed it. What's more shocking is that some 59 per cent of the respondents had heard the rumour that Obama did not qualify to be US President as he was not a citizen by birth, though only ten per cent of them actually believed it. And, 41 per cent heard that the bulk of donations to the Obama campaign came from "a handful of wealthy foreign financiers" and 20 per cent of them believed it, the study, led by Kelly Garrett, has found. It is a fact that Barack Obama is a Firm Christian Believer. Legal Victory For House Churches In Karnataka
Bangalore (Karnatka), January 23 : Over four months after government authorities closed several house churches in Karnataka, India, the Karnataka High Court said they should reopen and can hold worship services. This followed the action of several pastors and Christian believers from Davanagere District who had lodged a writ petition to the High Court of Karnataka in Bengaluru. The All India Christian Council (AICC) had supported the pastors in logistical and finding legal representation. For last four and half months about twelve churches in Davanagere in central Karnataka were locked. Following attacks on several churches on August 17, 2008, the district administration issued notices seeking a survey of churches functioning without permission. In early September, several churches were sealed. The next week Deputy Commissioner K. Amar Narayan instructed the Police Department to survey churches and prayer halls to check how many of them ere authorised. The Indian media noted that worship places of other religions were not checked. Local Christian leaders say the problems were because extremist Hindutva groups influenced officials. During 2008, groups like RSS and Bajrang Dal have beaten believers, pastors, and even set fire to churches. They also made false accusations against pastors and registered cases with the police. Dr. Joseph D’souza, President of All India Christian Council said,“The attempt of the extremist Hindu groups and the BJP to define ‘the church’ is halted through this ruling. The right wing Hindu extremists do not know that the Christian church in its 2000 year old history has met in homes, cells, underground hiding places, halls, fields and any location that was conducive to their meeting. This move of the extremist forces is aimed at targeting the non mainline churches.” Residents Of Pak Village Boycott Christians
Islamabad (Pakistan), January 22 : Residents of a village in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province have “socially boycotted” Christians in the area after a married Muslim girl eloped with a boy from the minority community, a media report said on Wednesday. No shopkeeper in Kot Lakha Singh village of Narowal district deals with Christians, who are also not allowed to step into the fields in the village, ‘Daily Times’ reported. The boycott was enforced on the instructions of the village ‘panchayat’ or local council to pressurise Christians to withdraw a case against a group of villagers who allegedly desecrated a church and beat up women from the minority community, it said. The Muslim girl eloped with the Christian boy about six months ago, according to the paper. On January 14, around 30 people attacked a church in the area, broke the furniture inside and abducted four Christian women, the report said. A case was registered against them two days later. Local Station House Officer Mahmood Khan said no arrest had so far been made in connection with the incident. Other officials said police is conducting an investigation into the matter. Christians constitute the largest religious minority in Muslim-majority Pakistan, accounting for about 1.1 per cent of the total population of over 160 million. (Courtesy : Indian Express) Church Of England Wants Easter Date Fixed
London, January 21 : Church of England clerics have launched a campaign for Easter to be celebrated on the same weekend every year. They believe the move would make life easier for schools and end the disruption and confusion over the timing of bank holidays. A motion to fix Easter has been submitted to the General Synod, the Church’s parliament, by Canon Andrew Dow, area dean of Cheltenham. He is supported by 44 fellow Synod members. Over the past decade, pressure has grown from education chiefs for a set spring holiday. More than 30 local education authorities now have a fixed break for schools in March or April. If Easter falls outside the fixed break, they give pupils and teachers two extra days off for the Easter bank holidays. Easter, the most important Christian festival, is calculated according to the lunar calendar. In Western churches, it is the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. It can fall on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. This year, Easter Sunday is on April 12. VHP Activists Beat Christian Missionaries In Allahabad
ALLAHABAD (Uttar Pradesh, India), January 20 : Tension erupted here during the ongoing religious congregation Magh Mela here after Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists bashed up a group of Christian missionaries, including three women, who were allegedly distributing “blasphemous literature”. The incident took place at the Parade Ground, barely a kilometre away from the holy confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, where four car-borne Christian missionaries were distributing pamphlets propagating their faith. “When the news reached the VHP’s camp situated nearby, a volunteer was sent to fetch a copy of the pamphlet and to our horror we found all sorts blasphemous things about Hinduism,” senior VHP leader Manoj Srivastava said. “We thereafter rushed and caught hold of the missionaries and gave them a good thrashing before handing them over to police,” he said 'boastfully'. However, Circle Officer, Magh Mela, Rajesh Kumar said that no case was registered against the missionaries, who were let off after a warning “as the offence was not of a grave nature and the episode also involved women”. Meanwhile, the VHP is determined to step up pressure on the Mela administration for taking stern action against the missionaries. “We demand that the missionaries be booked under NSA. Their pamphlets had many derogatory references to the Ganga, the river which is considered holy by millions of Hindus world over. They were audacious enough to distribute such literature at the Magh Mela, of which taking a holy dip in the Ganga is an integral part,” Srivastava said. Here, Christian Fort.Com wants to say that If missionaries have done so, then it is quite bad, but in our opinion no true Christian can speak or write against the Holy river Ganga. (PTI) Miracle Happened In New York With The Grace of God
Photo: APNew York (USA), January 19 : The aftermath of Thursday’s splash landing of US Airways Flight 1549 was something much of the world was watching for a large part of the day. Matter of fact, it’s still big news today. One of the first things that came to one's mind was the 1944 war movie called “On A Wing And A Prayer”. If you can find the movie (black and white) it’s worth watching. Everyone is discussing the incident. Being that all the travellers were Christians of Jesus. The media of the whole world called it a miracle of God. All were saved, “praise God” and it ‘must’ be a true miracle. Today, you can hear the word “miracle” used to describe a news story by the press and by the citizenry of this country dozens of times a day. The plane’s pilot is a seasoned pilot. Even as the passengers stood out on the wings of the aircraft there was no panic in the Hudson river. The Bible tells us that there will be signs (good and bad) that the End Times are near. Could this miracle be one of those signs. No doubt, it was the pilot, Chesley Sullenberger's vast experience also, through which the God saved the passengers. Two Daughters Of Pak Pastor Rescued From Sex Slavery
A Church in KarachiKARACHI (Pakistan), January 17 (Mark Kelly for Baptist Press)—Two Christian girls in Pakistan have been rescued after more than a month of captivity as sex slaves to Muslim lawyers in Karachi. According to International Christian Concern, a human rights organization focused on Christians who are persecuted for their faith, Parvisha Alam, 18, and her 14-year-old sister Sanam of Gujranwala, Pakistan, were abducted Nov. 12 by a neighbor, Muhammad Irfan, who offered them training in cosmetology and jobs in his beauty salon. When Irfan arrived to take the girls to his shop, he and an accomplice, Muhammed Mehboob, reportedly gave the girls drinks that were drugged. When the sisters awakened, they were locked in a hotel room nearly 500 miles away from home. According to ICC, the two men raped the girls at gunpoint, then took them to Karachi where, after several more days of sexual assault, the girls were forced to convert to Islam. Promised that if they cooperated they would be released soon, the two girls were taken to meet with two lawyers, identified by ICC as Kokab Sahab-Ul-Din and Nayer Zia-Ul-Din. Irfan reportedly told the lawyers both girls had embraced Islam and wished to enter a government women’s shelter. The girls were told the lawyers would present them in court the next day and they would be free to go. The lawyers then allegedly took the girls to an apartment for the night and gave them a room to sleep in. After the girls had fallen asleep, the lawyers returned and dragged Parvisha Alam into another room and sexually assaulted her, according to the ICC report. Her sister ran to help her, then saw a cell phone lying on a table, which she used to call police. The police arrested Sahab-Ul-Din, and Parvisha was taken immediately to a hospital. The girls’ father, Sharif Alam, who is a pastor, traveled to Karachi to bring his daughters home then contacted CLAAS, a Christian legal group for help. Christian Missionary Held In India
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh, India), January 16 :A Gospel for Asia missionary remains in custody in India after being arrested on charges of forced conversion. Yashpal Bhuta Masih was arrested after three people in his village in Madhya Pradesh accused him of offering education, money and jobs if they converted to Christianity. GFA has denied the charges, insisting that they “do not use such tactics to share the Gospel”. Yashpal remains in custody despite the efforts and prayers of local church leaders to bring about his release. GFA is appealing to Christians to pray that justice will be done and “that the Lord will grant Yashpal the strength to endure this trial and for comfort for his wife and children while he is being held”. GFA added that Madhya Pradesh is one of seven states in India to have passed “draconian” anti–conversion laws. Anyone charged with unethical or unregistered religious conversions is not entitled to bail and could be imprisoned for up to four years. Church leaders have been pleading with the government and political heads to annul the anti-conversion laws, which they say have been misused by Hindu radicals to persecute Christian missionaries.
Tamil Nadu was the last state to repeal the anti-conversion law, which it had enacted in October 2002. (Christian Today) Christians Can Help In Restoring Peace & Harmony – Governor Jamir
Mumbai, Jan 15 : Governor of Maharashtra S C Jamir said that the Christians in India could play a pivotal role in restoring peace, harmony and unity in the country under the prevailing turbulent scenario. For this purpose, they must awaken their conscience and assert their faith in the doctrines of Christianity, he advised. “Our greatest and most effective weapon should be love, compassion and faith in the living God”, he said. Governor Jamir was speaking at a peace meeting organized by the ‘Fellowship of Bishops in Mumbai’ at YMCA International here. Archbishop of Bombay Oswald Cardinal Gracias and Malankara Orthodox Syrian Archbishop of Bombay metropolitan Gee Varghese Mar Coorilos, Bishop of Kalyan diocese Mar Thomas Elavanal, National Commission for Minorities deputy chairman Michael Pinto, media personality Roger Pereira, Dr D Y Patil University vice chancellor Prof James Thomas and many other eminent personalities were present on the occasion. A two-minute silence was observed to pay homage to the persons who died in the recent terrorists attack in the metro. (Courtesy : Daiji World.Com) Gaza Christian Aid Clinic Destroyed In Israeli Strikes
Gaza, January 14 (The Christian Post) : The charity Christian Aid says a free clinic for mothers and babies in Gaza, which it funds along with the EU, has been destroyed in an Israeli air strike.
The clinic, which was run by the Near East Council of Churches, was struck by a missile after a 15-minute warning was sent to the building’s owners. Hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of medical equipment was destroyed by the strike, which happened on Saturday. The military told Christian Aid there were terrorist operations nearby. Nobody was injured in the attack, in part because the clinic had been closed since Tuesday because of security concerns, the NECC said. Palestinian medical officials say more than 900 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s military offensive on the Gaza Strip began on 27 December. The UN says more than 40% of those killed have been women and children. Israeli authorities say 13 Israelis have died, three of them civilians. Indian Pastors' Conference on Feb. 14 & 15
New Delhi, January 13 (Mission Network News) : While Christians have faced unprecedented amounts of violence across India, more than 400 pastors and their wives will be gathering in the state of Tamil Nadu. Founder and President of Serve India Ministries Ebenezer Samuel says the family conference to be held February 14 and 15 will focus on prayer. “We’ll be praying for the country of India, and brothers and sisters in Orissa. Pastors 'll be encouraged and their wives 'll be motivated to give themselves more aggressively and sacrificially to the cause of the Gospel.” While persecution is on the minds of believers there, Samuel says it’s not stopping church growth. “Persecution in India has always advanced the cause of the Gospel. We do not expect persecution. We pray that people will be protected, but in the sovereign will of God we’ve always seen the Indian church growing and experiencing revival under persecution.” While persecution has killed hundreds of Christians and displaced many in India, Samuel says that hasn’t damped their spirits. “At this point in time, I would say the mood is upbeat. All across India we pray for Orissa, but at the same time the news from Orissa is putting fire under the feet of Christians everywhere. And the missionaries working with Serve India Ministries are no exception.” Ultimately, Samuel is praying that the pastors and their wives will be blessed and desire to reach out even more boldly. Pray that these leaders will inspire many to share the Gospel at any cost. Pastor Sacked For ‘Supporting The Bible’ On Radio
London (UK), January 12 : The Rev Mahboob Masih, a Church minister, claims he was unfairly dismissed and that the action taken against him was a case of religious discrimination. He had been host of a regular Saturday morning show on Awaz FM, a community radio show in Glasgow, for six years before the row with the station’s management blew up. After a lively religious debate, the radio station management took exception to the content of the discussion. The Rev Masih was accused of not being balanced enough on air. However, Awaz FM refuses to detail anything specific he said that might have offended its listeners.
The Rev Masih and his co-presenter Afzal Umeed were discussing the views of a prominent Muslim speaker, Zakir Naik, who the Rev Masih accuses of belittling the Christian faith on Peace TV, a digital channel. The Rev Masih says that Mr Umeed asked Asif Mall, a Christian on-air guest, about Mr Naik’s remarks. Mr Mall said Mr Naik’s comments showed a lack of knowledge of the Bible and of the Koran.
In particular, Mr Mall disputed a claim by Mr Naik that Jesus Christ was not the only prophet to be “the way, the truth and the life”. The Rev Masih, 37, who is the minister in West Kirk, East Kilbride, says that he reluctantly made an on-air apology in an attempt to defuse the row. (Courtesy : The Telegraph, UK) Pak May Put Indian Christians' Woes In UN
Islamabad (Pakistan), January 11 (Sultan M Hali for Pakistan Observer & Christian Fort Bureau) : Pakistan may put the issue of Indian Christians' woes because Pak govt. is now being treated as a 'terrorist state' after the establishment of solid proofs in the issue of Mumbai attacks. The Pakistan Govt. is now thinking that it is high time that Pakistan takes the logical step of approaching the United Nations Security Council and takes up the case of Indian State Terrorism. By all definitions of the term, India must be considered a “Terrorist State” for its heinous crimes against its neighbours and its own people. India’s stratified society based on the caste system has no compassion or respect for lower castes while people of other religions like Muslims, Christians (including foreign missionaries) and Sikhs along with Dalits have been routinely massacred by the bigoted upper caste Hindus. Their houses, mosques, gurduwaras and churches have been destroyed by the thousands. Miscreants Ablaze 30 Christian Families' Homes in Phillippines
COTABATO (Phillippines), January 9 - Moro separatists torched the homes of 30 Christian families in an attack on a Maguindanao village, the military said Thursday. No casualties were reported following Wednesday’s raid by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on the farming hamlet of Sangay, but the rebels are still occupying the area, said regional military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Julieto Ando. “The rebels set on fire a total of 30 houses of Christian civilians. The problem there has something to do with land conflict,” Ando told reporters. Some 500 families have fled Sangay for the nearby town of Kalamansig, Ando added. The military estimates about 150 armed guerrillas deployed in the village after it was sacked. Christians Celebrate Epiphany
London/Washington D.C. (England/USA), January 7 : It was Epiphany on January 6, when Christians say Jesus’ divinity was revealed. For Western churches, it is also known as Three Kings Day, when the Wise Men visited the young Jesus. Hispanic Catholics celebrated last weekend with Fiesta de Reyes in Pompano Beach. They also plan an exuberant parade along Miami’s Calle Ocho on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m. For Eastern Orthodox churches, Epiphany marks Jesus’ baptism, when the Bible says a dove settled onto him and a voice from heaven declared him “my beloved son.” Members of South Florida Orthodox parishes will gather at noon Saturday in West Palm Beach for a colorful “Blessing of the Waters” ceremony, in which youths retrieve a cross that has been thrown into the Intracoastal Waterway. For Epiphany observances, many South Florida parishes use incense during Mass as a fragrant reminder of the magi’s gifts. Eastern Orthodox priests use the day to bless their baptismal fonts by dipping a cross into the water.
Yet confusion remains as to when Twelfth Night falls, and whether anyone whose tree and cards remain on show on Tuesday risks misfortune. The Church of England insists Twelfth Night was on Monday – Jan 5 – and refers to the night before Epiphany, the day when the nativity story tells us that the three wise men visited the infant Jesus. But many people believe Twelfth Night falls on Jan 6, at the end of the 12th day after Christmas, and so keep their decorations hanging in their homes for an extra day. Protect Christians : SC To Orissa Govt.
A Church in Orissa, damaged by fundamentalist miscreants.New Delhi, Jan 6 (PTI) The Supreme Court today asked the Orissa Government to ensure protection of the Christian community in the state and said withdrawal of para-military forces should only take place in co-ordination with the Centre.
The Court has been monitoring the law and order situation in Orissa since August last year in the wake of assassination of VHP leader and head of a local ‘mutt’ Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati. The apex court had on October 22 last year directed the Centre to provide additional para-military forces to the state government for maintaining law and order in riot-hit areas. Kandhamal and certain other parts of the state had witnessed violence after the assassination of the VHP leader on August 23. First Church In Pakistani Prison
RAWALPINDI (Pakistan), January 5 : Adiala Jail has become Pakistan’s first prison to have a church on its premises, official sources said in this northeast city adjacent to federal capital Islamabad. The prison is likely to open the doors of the church to its 250-odd Christian prisoners in a fortnight. A bishop will formally open the church. The Adiala Jail authorities have provided over 1,000 square feet area and the local Christian community Rs1.2mn for the church’s creation, the jail sources said. They said a volunteer godfather had been appointed to the church. A Christian prisoner said he was delighted that the jail authorities took Christian inmates to the district courts’ church on Xmas Day and the New Year eve. He said the prisoners were allowed to stay at the church for hours.
He said the event was the first of its kind, adding that Christians donated money and distributed meal among other prisoners on Christmas Day and New Year eve.
Another Christian inmate praised the prison authorities for allotting land for the church. He said work on the church continued unobstructed till its completion, adding that Christians were very happy to have a proper place of worship inside the jail. Pervez Masih, a visitor to Adiala Jail, said Christians had planned creation of churches in the province’s other jails too. He said his community expected the government’s financial and administrative support in this respect. — (Gulf News-Internews) Pak Police Free A Christian Girl From Slavery
Sargodha (Pakistan), January 4 (International Christian Concern) : Pakistani Christians gained a rare legal victory when a local court ordered police to secure the release of a Christian teenage girl who had been abducted by her former employer. Police carried the order out on December 13, successfully returning Nousheen Bibi to her parents after three months as a hostage to her former employer, a Muslim woman from Shahzad Park town in Sargodha, Pakistan. Nousheen's mother, Asmat Bibi, had submitted a case in court against the Muslim woman, Mehnaz Begum, for keeping her daughter as a maid-servant in her home two months beyond their agreement. The two women had initially agreed to have Nousheed work for one month as a maid at Mehnaz's house in exchange for a set payment. However, Mehnaz refused to either pay Nousheen for her services or allow her to return home when the month was over. Surprisingly, Asmat did not encounter any opposition at court. Mehnaz thought she could get away with enslaving the Christian girl because Christians in Pakistan are considered to be very weak both financially and socially.
