These articles were first published in our January edition of the newspaper, click here for more.
The pastor of a church in southern Algeria reported on November 12 a fresh attack on his church – the third of its kind – which he says proves that some Algerians are against the presence of churches in their country
The attackers threw a tyre inside the building and then tried to smash the gate into the building. They dispersed when the police arrived, but none were arrested.
Belgium is closer to introducing child euthanasia, after a Senate committee voted 13–4 in favour of the proposals in late November.
The Bill, which extends euthanasia to children of any age suffering terminal illnesses and adults with dementia, must now clear further hurdles in the legislative process before it becomes law. If passed, Belgium would become the first country in the world to remove the age limit, as the Netherlands already allow euthanasia but restrict it to 12year-olds and older.
The sultan of Brunei announced on October 22 that the country will be ruled according to sharia law, which will be introduced in phases from April 2014.
Penalties for hudud crimes will be in line with the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah (the deeds and sayings of Muhammed). Hudud crimes include theft, for which sharia requires the amputation of limbs, adultery, which is punished by stoning, and apostasy, which carries the death penalty. Muslims who insult, mock or deny Islamic teachings may face imprisonment for up to 30 years and 40 strokes of the cane.
A pastor and his family have been subjected to a campaign of harassment by the authorities in what appears to be an attempt forcibly to confiscate church property, it was reported in mid-November.
Government officials also launched a defamation campaign against the pastor and his uncle, who left Cuba earlier this year. They told members of the state media to publish defamatory articles about the pair, emphasising that they ‘are not pastors but, rather, common criminals’.
A new coalition was launched in Brussels in mid-November to combat the growing threat of euthanasia across Europe.
The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Europe (EPC-Europe) brings together organisations and individuals from across the continent to campaign against the erosion of laws that protect people from euthanasia. It plans to act as a powerful voice against attempts to change laws across Europe that protect people from euthanasia and assisted suicide.
The father of a seven-year-old boy tortured and killed in November said police are ignoring his suggestions on possible suspects — Hindu extremists who have long threatened to kill him.
The body was found in a pond with his face mutilated beyond recognition, burn marks on his stomach, toes chopped off and one hand and arm deeply slashed. An autopsy report denoted only drowning as the cause of death and, except for mention of ‘animal bites’, said the body was otherwise ‘normal’, contrary to the mutilation seen in a photograph.
A Christian prisoner in Iran who is in critical ill-health has finally been allowed to undergo urgently needed surgery but has been ordered to make up the time away from prison, it was reported in mid-November.
He was told by prison doctors that he urgently needed surgery, but officials refused to arrange a transfer to hospital. A two-month leave permit was eventually granted by a judge on the condition that Vahid make up the time he spends in hospital.
The outcome of an arrest made back in July is still unknown for a Christian convert, known to his friends as Stephen, it was reported in late November.
Charged after four months with evangelism, he is being held in Karaj Central Detention House. While Christianity is ever increasing in Iran, especially in the past few years, conversion of youth and their families has become a major concern for the Iranian security authorities and Islamic leaders.
An anniversary celebration for 20 years of ACTS (African Christian Textbooks) took place on November 16.
From small beginnings, ACTS now has a strong and growing team operating 12 branches with nearly 50 employees, selling and distributing thousands of theological books and Bibles as well as tracts across Nigeria and Kenya. The event was held outdoors on the site of the proposed Writers' Retreat and Conference Centre. Publishing a tool to support the Hausa-speaking church is the next great need which ACTS is praying it will be able to achieve.
Gunmen who on November 4 killed four family members in their home in Plateau State this month, including two-year-old and four-year-old boys, were likely Muslim herdsmen, church leaders said.
Christians believe Islamic extremist groups have increasingly incited Fulani Muslims to attack them in Plateau State as well as in Kaduna, Bauchi, Nasarawa and Benue States. They fear that Fulani herdsmen, with backing from Islamic extremist groups, want to take over the predominantly Christian areas in order to acquire land for grazing, stockpile arms and expand Islamic territory.
In a Rwandan mission held in October, 78,500 heard the gospel and around 8,900 made decisions for Christ. Hundreds of church leaders received training and there was a special programme for children.
Under the heading ‘Improved Literacy through Youth Education’, 50 teachers and 50 young people were trained in Musanze town. During the training, many were able to forgive and reconcile with those who had offended them.
The best-selling book The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones, has just sold its one millionth copy, it was reported in early December.
Born in the UK — not related to Martin Lloyd-Jones — and now living in the USA, Sally noted that this book can be given away to anyone from university presidents to car salesmen as anyone can understand it. It focuses on teaching the Bible’s own ongoing narrative, that of every story in the Bible breathing Jesus’ name.
A court has, it was reported in November, ordered the confiscation of a church group’s camp venue 13 years after it legally bought the site.
Tashkent City Economic Court ruled that the plot of land in Bostanlyk be expropriated, ordering that it be returned to its lawful owner, the state. The country’s Baptist Union bought the site from a restaurant chain in 2000 and has since used it for summer camps. These have been subjected to repeated raids, legal cases and media attacks.