Send a message of encouragement to Sri Lanka

Yesterday, I received an email from a dear friend and colleague in Sri Lanka who in which she shared how are partners are being overwhelmed by the need to take care of so many refugees fleeing the fighting between the government and the Tamil Tigers. Many people are arriving often with just the clothes on their backs, without food, injured or sick. There are Christians among the refugees and our friends are doing all that they can to help them. When possible, the pastors who are in the IDP camps are worshipping with the Christians who are with them. Sadly, At least ten pastors have been killed in the recent fighting.

While this civil war is not a matter of Christian persecution, the need to care for these refugees falls within the mandate of our partners’ mission and makes it difficult to monitor religious liberty issues for us since their staff is completely overtaken by this pressing need. Our hearts go out to them and their nation during this time.

Can we ask ask you to join us in praying for them during this time and perhaps even sending a message of encouragement to them, letting them know that you care and are praying for them? Send the message to us using our online form and we will forward it to them. Due to security concerns in Sri Lanka during this tense time, it is better that we do it this way rather than having you send it directly. For their safety, we will be removing your email address and any personal contact information when we forward your message to them.

Click here to send a message of love and encouragement to these dear front-line workers at this time and we will forward it to them right away.

She gave all she had

And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.   And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on." Mark 12:42-44 (ESV)

Several years ago, I was honoured to spend a week with a group of church leaders in the Blue Nile region of Sudan, sharing with them what the Bible taught about persecution and discussing with them how to put this teaching into practice in their churches.  Some of them had travelled by foot for days in the blistering heat just to attend these meetings. The hardships that many of them endured for their faith humbled me.  Their eagerness to learn energized me.  Their gratitude was something that touched me deeply, especially when I look across my office and see a gift that one of them gave me.

To appreciate the magnitude of this gift, you need to appreciate the extreme poverty that these brothers and sisters lived with on a daily basis. Their clothing was tattered and worn. Few had proper footwear.  Pages hung loosely from well-used Bibles; that is, for those who actually had a Bible and could read it.  All were thin and under nourished.  One of my translators was sick and had to rest from time-to-time throughout the day.  Not one of them lived in anything grander than a one-room mud and stick hut.

And so perhaps you can imagine how I felt when, near the end of my time there, one of the pastors’ wives came to me and shyly handed me a crude ladle made from a gourd. She would have used such a homemade utensil to dish out food for her family and hoped that I would take it home to my family. 

Of all of the gifts that I have ever received from persecuted believers on behalf of the mission, this remains the one that I probably value the most.  This woman gave out the depths of her poverty. Her gift was a sacrifice of love. It reminded very much of the widow whose sacrifice Jesus drew attention to in Mark 12.

It is this kind of generosity that Paul also draws attention to in 2 Corinthians 8:2 when he pointed to the persecuted church in Macedonia as an example that the rich, relatively free church in Corinth was to imitate.  He noted that their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity.  They gave according to their means and then gave even more (verse 3). 

This type of open-handedness is worth a second thought as we consider how we can participate in the relief of our persecuted saints around the world, isn’t it?

Follow VOMC on Twitter

We are excited to learn that Twitter now has agreements with all of Canada’s major telephone operators including Bell, Rogers, Fido, Telus, Virgin Mobile, and Koodo Mobile. This means that pretty much every mobile phone user in Canada now has the ability to send and receive Twitter updates via SMS.

Twitter is just one of the ways that The Voice of the Martyrs keeps you up-to-date with the latest news and prayer requests of persecuted Christians around the world.  We also post updates on day-to-day operations and prayer requests regarding our staff here at the mission.  It’s just more way of getting to know us and the Persecuted Church better. 

Start following VOMC on Twitter today!  For more information, feel free to contact us or check out the Twitter website.

How not to advocate on behalf of the oppressed

As a follow up to my blog post of yesterday, I would encourage you to read Christie Blatchford’s commentary entitled “Whose rights are really being trampled?” in today’s Globe and Mail where she asks:

Are the Tamils merely exercising their rights or have they somehow breached the covenant, unwritten but understood, they have or ought to have made with their new country?

Many Torontonians have long been puzzled by how without any public discussion they remember, let alone any consensus, their city has become home to so many folks from around the world who periodically hold the rest of the place hostage while they make their voices heard about the very issues or crises that drove them here in the first place.

I know already that some readers will argue that Tamils are Canadian, too, and of course they are, but I have to say this was not terribly in evidence Sunday night on the Gardiner Expressway for the now-notorious occupation.

At one point, standing at the front line where the Toronto Police were but two or three feet from the protesters at their feet - infants, toddlers and women for the most part - I looked out upon the crowd and counted a single Canadian flag and 29 of the large, red flags of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the separatist Tamil organization deemed a terrorist group by dozens of countries, including the United States, Australia, the nations of the European Union and, oh yes, this one, too.

I couldn't begin to count the number of tiny, red paper flags or the Tiger T-shirts I saw, though I did note that one of the chants had the person at the megaphone yelling, "Tamil Tigers!" and the crowd answering, "Freedom Fighters!" This struck me as not very respectful of the Canadian Parliament and the elected representatives who decided, in their wisdom, to put the Tigers on the terror watch list.

Blatchford’s commentary addresses some of the same issues that I did yesterday. Is this a legitimate expression of civil disobedience if no one really knows what they are asking us to do or if little to no public discussion has taken place prior to the protests. To just yell out, “Canada must do something!” without answering the obvious question, “What?” is to invite the rejection of one’s cause, such as that which the Tamils feel is evident in Canada and elsewhere. And is it any wonder that the feds don’t want to talk to the protestors when they show such blatant disrespect for our government by flying the flag of a terrorist organization? 

I would suggest that the only ones whom the Tamils can blame for the lack of public sympathy for their cause is themselves.  For advocates around the world, like The Voice of the Martyrs, this has been an education in how not to do it.

When civil disobedience is no longer civil

Yesterday, more than 5,000 Sri Lankan Tamil protestors stormed Toronto’s major downtown freeway, the Gardner Expressway, effectively shutting it down for six hours. Without going into the issues of the illegality of the protest or the danger that they were putting themselves, the police and other motorists in who might have been in emergency situations (the Gardner is the main way of getting downtown, often used by emergency vehicles taking people to the hospitals in the city core. I know this by experience), I was most disturbed to learn that protest organizers deliberately put the weak and defenceless on the front lines of the protest. Women and children…. Why I am not surprised that these supporters of the Tamil Tigers, a group that has been proven to use child soldiers in its fight with the Sri Lankan government, would resort to similar tactics?

I do believe that there is a place for civil disobedience. And I am not unsympathetic to the grievances of the Tamils in Sri Lanka. This is why The Voice of the Martyrs helped draft and support the recent Toronto Statement. But cowardice, deliberately putting others in danger, failing to exhaust standard means of redress, and neglecting to show how this kind of protest will actually help their cause placed yesterday evening’s protest outside of the criteria of what constitutes legitimate civil disobedience.

Several years ago, I had a hand in helping the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada’s Religious Liberty Commission draw up a paper on the issue of civil disobedience which I have often found very helpful. Included are seven criteria of what justifies such actions. You can download a copy by clicking here.

Stand with the Christians of the Cu Hat Church in Vietnam today!

Nearly eight years ago a congregation numbering more than 500 Hmong Christians joined thousands of others fleeing persecution in Vietnam’s northwest provinces and migrated to the Central Highlands. 

For some time the Christians of the Cu Hat Church met in the home of Mr. Giang Van Di. The home was not very suitable for worship. Being a private home, it was filled with chairs, blankets, beds and clothes of the family. Though this house was larger than many, there was just not enough room, even when people sat crammed close together. The many young women who had small children were obliged to stand outside the house and try to participate in worship that way. The blazing sun was a lesser hardship than the torrential rains.

With concern for young mothers and children as the rainy season was approaching, the Christians of Cu Hat earnestly desired to build a chapel that had enough room for their whole congregation to worship under proper shelter.

When they notified local authorities of their aspiration, they were told they would never get permission. It would be useless to even ask. An application to build a chapel would only be considered when their denomination was granted legal recognition.

Their denomination, Vietnam Good News Church, has repeatedly submitted applications to register its congregations. Contrary to Vietnam’s new religion legislation, government officials have simply ignored them.

In September 2008, the Cu Hat Christians, determined to go ahead because of their urgent need, began raising funds. They sent work teams into the forest to cut wood and saw lumber. They purchased red tile for the roof and brought it to the site. They hired some skilled workers and set about to construct a 12-metre by 20-metre chapel in front of Mr. Di’s house.

But before all the walls were even completed, officials ordered them to stop. They ordered Mr. Di to cease building and to tear down what had already been constructed on the charge that the lumber was cut illegally.

The Cu Hat congregation met, prayed, considered and decided that they could not comply. Although virtually all buildings in this area of Vietnam are erected without building permits, local authorities accused the Christians of “illegal construction” and ordered the congregation to “voluntarily” tear it down. On December 2, the district officials made a formal decision to demolish the church within two weeks if the Christians would not do so themselves. 

At 7:00 a.m. on the morning of December 17, a large contingent of government officials, police and demolition workers arrived at the site in 33 buses and trucks with their license plates concealed. Many others came on motor bikes. All the men were disguised, wearing civilian clothes and helmets. Some carried sticks, axes or guns.

The first act of the huge work gang was to take Mr. Di to the chapel and force him to sign a paper agreeing to its demolition. Mr. Di refused. So they grabbed his hand and tried to force his finger onto an ink pad and then onto a document. But he resisted so strongly that they could not force him. Trying another tactic, they then told him if he would sign the document, they would give him a copy and he could use it to complain or sue. But there was no copy to be had, only the original. They further told Mr. Di if he signed, it would benefit him in the future. He replied, “You destroy someone’s house, what benefit is left?” Mr. Di then escaped and ran into his house, fell onto his bed and buried his face in the covers because he could not bear to watch what was about to happen.

And with that the large gang began to demolish the chapel. Where hymns had been sung, chainsaws now buzzed and sledges pounded. Wielding electric cattle prods, police beat back hundreds of distraught Christians who rushed to the site to protect the building. Some 40 Christians remained in the chapel to pray. The government cadre ordered them to leave but they refused. One of the cadres grabbed the arms of one of the believers and twisted them behind his back. Four others beat him with sticks. When he collapsed they dragged him out of the building and dumped him on the ground.

Five injured people were taken away in an emergency vehicle authorities had brought to the scene. The injured included a child who suffered a broken arm and a pregnant woman who fainted after being poked in the stomach with an electric cattle prod.

After the workers had loaded the lumber onto their trucks, they emptied sacks of the Christian’s rice paddy on the ground, put the roof tile into the sacks and sped away. In 90 minutes, the destruction was complete.

One Christian asked a cadre, “If you demolished our church because of using illegal lumber, why do you not demolish all the houses built with the same?”

The cadre replied, “If we did that, the people would kill us! This chapel is easier, so we demolished it.” At least this cadre was telling the truth.

Within a few days the Christians dared to build a temporary shelter of bamboo and tin to have a place to worship and celebrate Christmas. At last report, authorities were threatening to tear it down too.

You can get involved in protesting this illegal action by the Vietnamese government!

Download this letter of protest and encourage people to sign it.  Take it to your church or office. Once you have a number of signatures, send it to the Vietnamese embassy in Ottawa:

His Excellency Duc Hung Nguyen
Ambassador
Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
470 Wilbrod Street
Ottawa, ON
K1N 6M8

In the United States:

His Excellency Le Cong Phung
Ambassador
Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington DC
20037

Stealing sacred books

Following the recent Mission Fest here in Toronto, we couldn’t account for some of our books when we were doing inventory.  Apparently someone walked off with a few of our books without paying.

Rather than being upset, my own reaction was one of indifference.  Personally, if someone wants one of our books so badly that they would steal it, I’m just happy that they have it.  Maybe God will speak to them through it and help put them on the right path. 

The same would be my feeling towards pew Bibles at church.  If I were a pastor, I probably wouldn’t be too upset if someone walked off with one after a Sunday morning service, especially if he or she were not a Christian. My prayer would be that God would use the stolen scripture to lead them to repentance and faith in Christ.  I suspect many pastors would feel that way.

Now, contrast this with the recent report out of Abuja, Nigeria where a middle-aged Christian man was sentenced to 60 days imprisonment or a fine of $16.00 for trespassing and attempting to steal a copy of the Qur’an from a mosque in late April.

If this fellow was sincerely interested in reading the Qur’an, I would have thought that the local Muslim leaders would be glad to let him have a copy.  Guess not.  I only wish that all Muslims made showing an interest in Islam so difficult!

Destruction of Bibles reflects poorly on U.S. military

The destruction of Bibles sent to a U.S. soldier based in Afghanistan because of their possible use to evangelize the local Afghan people “sets a very bad picture of the U.S. military's perspective on Christianity, and frankly that troubles me” says President of Open Doors USA Carl Moeller in a recent interview with Mission Network News. "Had this been six or seven copies of the Koran that were destroyed, there would be no end to the amount of protest you would hear."

Moeller noted that the Bibles didn't need to be destroyed. "There's certainly many organizations that could put them to good use. Any time you see a Bible destroyed, it really should shake the core of every Christian to realize that this is the kind of desecration that can happen to God's Word." [to read or listen to the entire interview, click here].

Malaysia’s precarious balancing act

Yesterday I read a most interesting blog on Reuters on the confusing balancing act that Malaysia’s government is trying to perform as it seeks to ensure religious freedoms for its sizeable Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist minorities without, at the same time, offending the sensibilities of its majority Muslim population.  The present government wants to portray itself as reformist by dismantling some of the privileges that were guaranteed to Muslims while at very time when Malay Muslims have taken a more activist approach to the changing religious climate in their country.  All in all, this is a country that definitely needs our prayers. 

To learn more about Malaysia, go to our website for our latest country report or do a search on Malaysia.

How involved is the U.S. military in evangelism in Afghanistan?

To help you to get more information on the recent reports of U.S. soldiers being involved in evangelism in Afghanistan, check out these reports from Democracy Now and Travel the Road.  Please note that VOMC does not endorse the comments made in these (or any other non-VOMC) reports but they are helpful to get a broader perspective on this issue. 

It seems rather obvious that U.S. troops are involved in evangelism in Afghanistan. Among the questions to be answered is, is this inappropriate, in principle or is the problem in methodology (the way in which the gospel is being shared)?  Perhaps there is no problem in your opinion. Or perhaps you think that Christians soldiers have no business sharing the gospel at all. Is this really a U.S. constitutional issue, as presented in this program? If so, how?  We welcome your comments. Please note our comments policy, however.

U.S. military destroys Afghan Bibles

Yesterday, Qatar-based Al Jazeera television showed soldiers at a Bible study on a base in Afghanistan with a stack of Bibles translated into the local Pashto and Dari languages.

Today, the U.S. military denied that its soldiers had tried to convert Afghans to Christianity and that the Bibles sent to a U.S. soldier had been confiscated and destroyed to ensure that troops did not breach regulations which forbid trying to convert people to another religion.

My question is, did these soldiers act improperly? If you listen carefully to the video, you recognize that these men were aware of their orders and were trying to follow them and their Lord. Is this not similar to the dilemma that Christians who serve in the police and military from the first century onwards have often faced when their orders conflict with their faith?  Was the military correct in destroying these Bibles?  Please give us your comments.  Please note our comments policy, however.

Pass it on

On occasion I look through the archives of some of our mission’s newsletters dating back to the late 1960’s. I am often struck by how important it was to Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand that those who were aware of the persecution of Christians tell others. In an August 1967 letter sent to supporters just prior to the first newsletter published in October, Richard closed with the words, “We thank all those who support our work and ask them to recruit new friends for it.” Early newsletter invariably had the words printed along the margins or at the bottom for all to read, “Read and pass it on.” In fact, if you look at the back page of our newsletter today, you will see that we continue this tradition by encouraging you to pass this newsletter on to one of your friends.

You see, we know that the best representatives of The Voice of the Martyrs are you, our readers and supporters. If you receive The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter, you can have a vital part in this ministry by encouraging others to receive our monthly magazine. The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter remains the only monthly magazine in Canada that specifically focuses on the testimonies and courage of today’s Persecuted Church. It is unique.

So pass it on. Tell others. Make use of our Tell a Friend page on our website and have us send a free subscription to someone whom you think would benefit from receiving it. Be a voice for the martyrs!

Pakistani police accused of inaction in finding those responsible for gang-rape and killing of 9-year-old Christian girl

Every now and then, even after almost 12 years of working with persecuted Christians and reading or hearing about almost every atrocity imaginable being committed against my Christian brothers and sisters, I still get a report that manages to shock and anger me.  This is the story that did it for me today.

The Christian Post

Pakistani Christian Girl Raped and Murdered

Sat, May. 02, 2009 Posted: 11:12 AM EDT

John Pontifex
Christian Today Reporter

A nine-year-old Christian girl in Pakistan was reportedly gang-raped before being killed and dumped in a canal. And outrage is growing amid reports that almost a month later no arrest has been made.

Nisha Javid was walking close to her home when she suddenly disappeared, prompting her parents to mount a search for her.

Barely two days later, with a police-led search underway, her body was found in a canal not far from the Javids’ home in Essangri village, outside the town of Jaranawala, Faisalabad.

A post mortem revealed Nisha had been gang-raped and had died after repeated blows to the head.

More than three weeks later, police have been accused of inaction and refusing to follow up allegedly compelling evidence identifying the guilty party.

Fr. Yaqub Masih, parish priest of Jaranwala, said, “People here are very sad – especially the family.”

He explained that Nisha’s mother is “ill with grief” and that her father is unable to work and is devoting every hour to win justice for his daughter’s death, working with police and lawyers.

Masih underlined the impact of the attacks on other Christians.

"If nothing is done about this, where can our children go to feel safe? Everyone feels very insecure and very afraid," he said.

The crime took place on April 9 – Maundy Thursday in Holy Week – and Christians believe the attack was intended as an insult to their faith.

"Our people are very poor and they have no status in society," said Masih. "What can they do to protect themselves?"

He reported that the police have been publicly accused of corruption and failing to intensify their inquiries.

"The police action has been very slow," he noted. "And that has made the people here feel even more powerless."

His comments come amid an upsurge of anti-Christian violence and intimidation in Pakistan.

Nisha’s death follows a narrowly-averted attack on Christians in Jaranawala, prompted by accusations that a man had allegedly damaged a banner containing words from the Koran, thereby breaking Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws.

Also this month in the southern city of Karachi, four people, including an 11-year-old boy, were injured in attacks on Christians that took place on April 22.

Please remember the family of this girl in your prayers.  Even as a father, I can only imagine how they feel.

Egypt pig cull sparks protests by Egyptian Christian farmers