barnabas aid january/february 2011
TRANSCRIPT
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January/February 2011
HOPe anD aID FOr THe PerSeCuTeD CHurCH www.sfd.og
In THIS ISSue
Chisti wom d gils: victims of oppression in Muslim societies
God’s popl i egpt: vulnerable and persecuted once more
Th spd of halal podcts: why should Christians be concerned?
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Pull-out Supplement
A Christian response to thehalal controversy
To guard the safety of Christians in hostile environments, names may have been changed or omitted.
Thank you for your understanding.
Front cover: A Christian woman in Cameroon at a conference for worship and fellowship (see pages 6-9)
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are taken from the New International Version®.
Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and obtain permission for stories and images used
in this publication. Barnabas Fund apologises for any errors or omissions and will be grateful for any
further information regarding copyright.
The cover design on page 15 of the November/December 2010 issue was taken from the Farsi
Contemporary Bible. Copyright © 1995 by BiblicaTM. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
© Barnabas Fund 2011
Contents
3 Project NewsLong-term care after Pakistan floods
6 Focus
How Muslimspersecute Christianwomen and girls
Testimony
An Egyptian Christianconvert from Islamtells her story
11 OperationNehemiah
Challenging the spreadof halal in the UK
12 Country Profile
The deepening plightof Christians in Egypt
Th 2011 looks st to wckd istilit d violc. I Sd fdm ot idpdc fo thmil Chisti Soth, pld fo 9J, m ld to wd coflictwith th Islmic noth. Th lst ot of
civil w tw noth d Soth lstdfom 1983 to 2005 d sltd i thdths of od two millio Soths,mil Chistis. bt if th Soth gisits idpdc, fth polms mslt. Will th Soth th fgmt, dChistis fight gist ch oth? Whtot th ttmt of Chisti
Soths livig i th noth – will th pishd fo th Soth’sidpdc?
There is also potential for armed conflict in
the Middle East in the coming year. Iran mayacquire nuclear weapons. If a war is fought itcould draw in Syria, Lebanon, Israel andperhaps other countries. The war inAfghanistan continues, and its impact onPakistan is growing, with Pakistan becomingincreasingly destabilised as militants taketheir fight deeper into Pakistani territory.Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood movement isgrowing in influence. These are but a few ofthe difficulties facing us in the new year.
The position of Christians in these and othercountries, particularly Islamic countries, is
now very dangerous. In recent months wehave heard Al-Qaeda’s call to attack Christianchurches, leaders and institutions across theMiddle East, the growing calls for theimplementation of sharia in Muslim countries,thereby marginalising Christians, calls for thekilling of all converts in Afghanistan, and the
powerful Organisation of the IslamicConference calling for an end to allevangelism and conversion of Muslims. Asthe coming months unfold, these issues willbe top of the agenda, if our Lord does notcome, for Christians already in difficult
situations.
We do not know the times and seasons. Whatwe do know is that our times are in God’shands (Psalm 31:15). We put our trust in theLord (v.14) who holds the world, history andtime in His hands. In an age of uncertaintyand with dark clouds looming, we need toremember that God remains in control.
As we look to the coming year, the sufferingChurch needs your prayers and support morethan ever. We also need more people to getinvolved with the ministry of Barnabas Fund.
Would you consider asking some of yourfriends and relatives to let us send them ourmagazine and prayer diary? I am enclosing acard for you to reply to us with names andaddresses of those who are willing to learnmore about the persecuted Church andperhaps to join us in helping our brothers andsisters. Furthermore as we focus onOperation Nehemiah and the need to bring aspiritual transformation to the countries inwhich we live, will you join with us in theprogrammes we are developing? (Please seepage 11 for further details.)
I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to ourfriends and partners in the ministry for allyour prayers, encouragement and support.
D Ptick Sookhdo International Director
Welcome from the Director
Trusting God in ayear of uncertainty
BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010
9
18 In Touch
Helping us help thepersecuted Church
16 Newsroom
Dozens killed in attackon Baghdad church
10 Resources
New book on how toshare your faith withMuslims
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Thks to o gos sppot, w c ig id to Chistis who sff discimitio
o psctio cs of thi lov fo th Lod Jss Chist. Ths gifts chgig livs
d igig wd hop fo th ft. blow d o th xt pgs o will fid
slctio of pdts d ws fom jst fw of th m pojcts w hv l to
sppot cs of o gifts. Pls p s o d.
Barnabas often funds Christian literature
projects, which bring such encouragement to
believers under pressure. Usually we pay for
the printing of particular Christian books or
other materials. Recently, however, we paid
for the purchase of printing equipment, on a
small scale in Russia and a larger scale in Iraq.
A grant of £69,707 (US$112,713; €80,761)
was provided in order to make the printing
plant in Iraq operational. Based in a relatively
stable area, it will be used to produce
Christian literature to strengthen the faith of
Iraqi Christians who now face extreme
Russia and Iraq: Equipmentfor Printing Christian Literature
pressure and hostility in many parts of their
homeland.
Barnabas Fund also provided a ministry in
Russia with a grant of £463 (US$749; €536)
to buy a computer and printer for producing
Christian literature for evangelism amongst
the Central Asian immigrants living in one
particular city. For example, the equipment
was used to print hundreds of invitations to
Uzbeks to come to a Christian celebration.
More than 200 Uzbeks came to the event,
many of whom were Muslim. Many were
surprised to hear the pastor preaching about
Project News
nw pitig quipmt ig ulodd iIq. It will usd to pit Chisti littuto coug th lgud Iqi Chistis
Jesus rather than Muhammad. People were
invited to have a meal together and talk about
what they had heard. A local contact told us,
“It was very interesting because it was the
first time that there was such a chance to talk
with Muslims about Jesus. Some people after
that started to phone us and say that they
wanted to read the New Testament and talk
more with us about Jesus.”
Pojct fcs
20-905 (Iq – Chisti pitig
hos)
00-360 (rssi – Chisti
litt pojct)
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Project News
Pakistan: Long-term Care for Flood Victims
BARNABAS AID JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
The floods that ruined the lives of so many
people in Pakistan in August this year have leftmany Christians completely dependent on help
and support from outside. Having assisted with
emergency aid at the beginning of the floods,
Barnabas is now helping with long-term
needs, such as the repair and rebuilding of
Christian’s homes.
For example, one recent grant of £19,806
(US$32,019; €22,947) paid for 15 new houses
to be built, and another grant of £11,530
(US$18,638; €13,354) for renovating 31
houses severely damaged by the floods. A
Christian whose house was repaired with aidfrom Barnabas Fund said, “Prior to the
reconstruction of the house we were extremely
worried at how to restore our devastated lives.
Thanks to our Barnabas Fund friends, we are
able to live a more dignified and respectable
life.” Rebuilding their houses themselves is
almost an impossible task. A homeless
Christian told us, “On my present salary, even
in 50 years, I can’t rebuild my house.”
We are also sponsoring 1,000 Christian
families who have been affected by the floods
to provide their food needs while they re-
establish their lives and livelihoods. Every
family receives a monthly food package with
basic foods to support them. Sponsors are still
needed to join this programme and support a
family for just £30 (US$45; €35) per month. A photo and some details of the sponsored family
are provided to regular donors as well as a
twice-yearly newsletter about the programme.
Barnabas Fund is also helping the victims in
other innovative ways. Our coordinator for South
Asia provided a workshop on disaster risk
reduction to 13 local partners from four different
areas. This training enables our partners better
to prepare themselves for future disasters and
also plan a more durable reconstruction. For
example, they are now looking to rebuild
houses on higher ground where they are lessvulnerable to flooding.
Another unusual need concerned two families
with daughters who were about to get married.
But the floods completely destroyed the
furniture and bedding that the future brides
would have used as dowries. Without them,
according to the local culture, the weddings
cannot take place. A grant of £1,488
(US$1,724; €2,406) was provided so that new
furniture and bedding could be bought.
Pojct fcs
00-634 (Disst rlif Fd)
41-919 (Sposoig Pkisti
Chisti flood victim fmil)
Locl pts wokig i th flood-ffctds i Pkist ttd wokshop odisst isk ductio
Doos who sposo fmil lik this iPkist with mothl food pckgs civdtils out th fmil th hlpig
T h goat ar ound t h boy ’s shouldr s r pr snt s his f amily ’s nw liv lihood af t r t hir pigs w r culld by t h egy pt ian gov r nmnt
Christians face much discrimination in
Egypt and find it hard to get jobs. Manyare forced to do the most menial of jobs
and live in squalid and unhealthy
conditions, such as the “garbage cities”
surrounding Cairo. A number of
Christians living here used to be pig
farmers. The pigs ate the waste food and
were a source of protein for the families.
In April 2009 the pig farmers lost their
livelihood when the Egyptian
government decided to have all pigs in
Egypt killed, supposedly to protect
citizens from swine flu.
Barnabas Fund is helping former pig-
farmers to become self-sufficient
again by providing goats, sheep, buffaloes
or plastic recycling machinery. Our latest
grant was £32,000 (US$51,750; €37,000).
Egypt: New Trades for FormerPig Farmers
Ukraine: Water and GasProvision for ConvertChristian Worker
“Farid”, a Tatar church leader in the Crimea,Ukraine, has no water or gas on the premiseswhere he, his wife and four children live. Faridconverted from Islam more than ten years agoand has a ministry amongst Tatars in theregion. His neighbours have wells but refuse tolet his family access them because they areChristians. The family has to fetch water froma long distance, which is especially hard in thewinter when the roads are blocked by snow. Inthe summer, they need a lot of water forgrowing vegetables.
Barnabas Fund is financing the boring of a wellon Farid’s property as well as creating a
connecting gas line to a central gas line nearhis house. A total of £2,695 (US$4,358;€3,123) will cover all the costs and will enableFarid to focus on his ministry and outreach.
Pojct fc 00-345 (Victims
of Violc Fd)Pojct fc 11-819 (Hlp fo
Chistis whos Pigs w Clld)
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Project News
BARNABAS AID JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
In the past year, 38 church planters have
started churches in remote, rural areas of
Java, where the majority of people areMuslim. Church growth is slow due to
resistance from the Muslims, but the pastors
are persevering in their work. The villages
and hamlets in which they work are generally
very poor, and unemployment is high.
Because of this, the new believers in their
Indonesia: Helpfor Christians in
Triple DisasterIn the evening of 25 October 2010 an
undersea earthquake triggered a tsunami
that hit the coast of the small and remote
Mentawai islands just west of Sumatra,
whose population is mainly Christian. Many
houses and at least five schools and six
churches were damaged or destroyed. A
week later, Mount Merapi, a volcanic
mountain on Java, started spewing
blistering gas over the area nearby.
Hundreds of people died in the tripledisaster and thousands more were
displaced. Christians on the Mentawai
islands feared that aid would be slow to
arrive and that the disaster would be used
as an opportunity to increase the Islamic
presence there, as has happened in other
Christian-majority parts of Indonesia after
some natural disasters.
Barnabas sent immediate aid to Mentawai
through Christians in nearby Sumatra, who
provided the stricken islanders withmedicine, food and clothing.
Pojct fc 00-634
(Disst rlif Fd)
Nigeria: Aid for Victims of Anti-Christian RiotsLarge-scale anti-Christian rioting is an all-
too-frequent event in certain parts of Nigeria,
and 2010 saw an unprecedented number of
such incidents. Barnabas sent aid to the
victims in a number of places, including two
grants totalling £6,400 (US$10,300; €7,500)
to help after severe rioting in and around Jos,Plateau State.
Arson had left many of the victims homeless
after the riots. They received emergency
supplies such as mattresses, blankets,
clothing, soap, vegetable oil, and bags of
corn, rice and beans. Because many of the
victims are farmers and their machinery was
lost during the looting, Barnabas also
provided farming machinery so that they
could continue producing food. Two new
water pumps which had been destroyed by
the fires were installed for use by the
community.
A local partner told us that the donations
greatly “encouraged the traditional leaders
and the recipients. They were glad that,
though the state government and other
politicians took little notice of their plight, the
body of Christ thought of them and acted in
goodwill towards them.”
Pojct fc 39-772
Indonesia: Church-plantersin Java
Chistis fom Sumt igig food tothi oths d sists i thpdomitl Chisti Mtwi islds.(Souc: IFGF GISI Mtwi rlif Tm)
equipmnt f or t w o nw w atr pumps nabld local farmr s to har v st thir f ilds aft r thir or iginal pumps had bn damagd dur ing ant i-Chr ist ian r iot s. Clot hing w as also distr ibut d
Psto y. d his wif dcot wddigdsss s w to mo to suppotthi chuch-pltig miist. bs ispovidig th st of thi suppot, util thichuch hs gow lg ough to suppotthm
churches can contribute only modest amounts
in weekly offerings and monthly tithes.
The church-planting pastors are encouraged
to develop sidelines to generate income.
Pastor Y. and his wife and son, for example,
receive a weekly offering of only 50 pence
(US$0.60; €0.80) from the congregation. He
supplements their living by collecting grass
and selling it as cattle fodder. Together with
his wife, he also decorates wedding dresses.
A recent grant of £6,731 (US$10,884;
€7,797) will help support the 38 pastors for
another year. A further grant of £500(US$800; €600) will provide for their medical
expenses. And still another grant of £2,617
(US$4,231; €3,302) will be used to renovate
three church buildings that are in urgent
need of repair. One church, for example, is
no more than a hut, and the pastor and his
wife have to sleep behind the pulpit.
Pojct fc 22-828
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Focus
forced into marriages with Muslim men. The
global number of forced conversions to Islam
per year is unknown, though it is definitely more
than the number of cases reported in national
media. (The lack of data shows the authorities’
lack of interest in the problem.)
In Pakistan, marriages of Christian girls to
Muslims as a result of forced conversions are
on the rise. Christian sisters Parvisha (18) and
Sanam (14) were abducted in November 2008
by a Muslim man who promised them free
training and jobs in his beauty salon. But
instead the girls were repeatedly raped by their
abductor and other Muslims, forced to convert
to Islam and given new Islamic names. After
being rescued the girls declared in front of a
magistrate that they wished to live and die in
their own faith, Christianity.
In Egpyt, Zeenahom Nady Adly, 19, was
abducted by two Muslim men as she walked
to the shops in her small village near Samalut
in June 2010. The men sprayed a substance in
her face to make her lose consciousness and
when she awoke two hours later she found
Chisti gils d wom gtl
dspisd i Mslim cotis. I thi ow
clts, Mslim wom ttd s
ifio to m1 d Chistis
hssd d psctd s mms of mioit fith i Mslim cotis, so
Chisti wom i this cotxt is likl
to sff dol hsh ttmt.
Christians are treated as second-class
citizens according to the principle of
dhimmitude, which grants fewer rights to
Christians and Jews. In addition, Muslims
often equate Christianity with what they
perceive to be the immorality of the Western
world. The argument runs that the immoral
Western society is “Christian” so localChristians must also be immoral.
Some Muslim men therefore think they are
justified in attacking Christian women and
girls because of the “lax morals” among
Christians. Worse still, Christian women are
often easy to identify, either because they
do not dress in an Islamic way or sometimes
because they are a different ethnic type
from the Muslim majority; for example the
Christians of Iraq, as ethnic Assyrians, are
often much fairer-skinned than the Muslims,
who are Arabs.
In Islamic culture, the all-important honour
of a family is held to reside chiefly in its
women. So someone may retaliate against
a man if he has a grudge by dishonouring
a female relative, for example, by rapingher. This is another reason why Christian
women suffer under Islam. In the case of
Shah Taj, described above, her kidnapping
and rape were a form of revenge following
a disagreement between her father and
the Muslim men.
Islam considers that the religion of a
family is set by the husband and father. In
many African countries it is reported that
Islam is being deliberately spread by a
campaign of Muslim men marryingChristian women. Some are even paid a
reward for doing so, and extra if they
manage to marry a pastor’s daughter.
In Pakistan and Egypt violent assaults by
Muslim men on Christian girls and women
are frequent and increasing and their
suffering goes largely unreported. Christian
girls are being kidnapped, beaten, raped,
forced to recite the Muslim creed (thus, in
Muslim opinion, converting to Islam) and
BARNABAS AID JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
“I ht wht hs hppd to m,” ssShh Tj (ight), who ws kidppd, pdd focd to covt to Islm d m Muslim m i Pkist i Dcm 2008
Shah Taj (14), a Pakistani Christian, was
kidnapped at gunpoint by three Muslim
men in December 2008. She was raped
and forced to sign a blank piece of paper.
On it the men later wrote a statement that
she had embraced Islam of her own free
will and was “happily married” to the man
who had held the gun while she was
kidnapped. She was held prisoner at an
unknown location for two months but was
eventually rescued when she managed to
get a message to her mother.
1 Islam teaches that the woman’s place is in the home and that she is always under the protection of a male relative. Although a number of verses in the Qur’an teach that menand women are equal, this theoretical equality is not seen in practice. Traditionally, women in Islam are viewed as “weak, inferior, inherently evil, intellectually incapable andspiritually lacking”. (Rosemary Sookhdeo, Secrets behind the Burqa . USA: Isaac Publishing, 2008, p37.)
Chisti wom sh ml togth t cofc fo Chisti covts fom
Muslim ckgoud i Ctl asi
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Focus
herself at the Islamic Sharia Association,
facing a Muslim leader who tried to
intimidate her and force her to convert to
Islam.
A Christian girl who has been abducted and
forced to marry a Muslim man faces a virtuallyhopeless future, held captive by a family who
may treat her as nothing more than a slave. In
Pakistan and Egypt, once all the paperwork is
finalised for the conversion and marriage, her
whole identity is changed. She receives an
Islamic name and her Christian religious
status is removed from her identity card.
Governments, local authorities and police
often turn a blind eye to the mistreatment of
Christian women. This is the case in Egypt,where the police do little to help in cases of
abduction of Christian girls and women.
Zeenahom (mentioned above) was, however,
one of the fortunate ones. Her family
demonstrated outside the police headquarters
demanding her return and compelling the
security forces to intervene and return the girl
to her family. For many Christian women this
will not happen.
The same problem occurs in Pakistan. In
February 2009 Ambreen, a 13-year-old
Christian girl from a poor family, waskidnapped as she put out the rubbish in her
village in the Sangla Hill region, Punjab
province. She was taken to a nearby
farmhouse by her abductors, where she was
gang-raped at gunpoint by five Islamic
extremists. When she was kidnapped, she
was told by her captors, “We will kill your
parents if you tell them this.” Following her
rescue, a case was registered against the
alleged rapists, but despite eyewitness
accounts and medical evidence indicatingguilt, police declared the men innocent of
rape.
Mothers who are converts from Islam to
Christianity can face an even more heart-
breaking trial as they find their children being
used in an attempt to convert them back. In
December 2008 Martha Samuel, an Egyptian
convert, was detained and beaten at Cairo
airport as she tried to emigrate with herfamily. Emmanuel, aged 4, and his younger
brother Carlos (2) witnessed their mother
being stripped and kicked, and the boys were
deprived of food to pressure her into
returning to Islam. The judge, who tried her
case, imprisoning her for a month, told her
that if he had a knife he would kill her for
leaving Islam.
In Islamic society, sharia (Islamic law)
teaches that women are of less worth thanmen. Sharia includes strict rules about
women’s clothing, leaving Christian women
in those societies particularly vulnerable.
Sometimes Christian women are attacked,
even having acid thrown at them, or arrested if
they fail to follow the laws.
Silva Kashi, aged 16, was arrested by police in
December 2009 for wearing a knee-length skirt
while walking near her home in Muslim-majority
Khartoum, Sudan. She was immediatelypresented before a judge, who sentenced her to
50 lashes. Silva is originally from the South of
Sudan, which is Christian-majority, and the skirt
and blouse she was wearing were normal for
Southern Sudanese women. But sharia is in
force in North Sudan, and its regulations are
applied to Christians as well as Muslims.
Although the law states that under-18s should
not be lashed, Silva’s parents were not even
aware that their daughter had been arrested
until after the punishment had taken place.
Sharia also forbids marriage between a Muslim
woman and a Christian man. A female Christian
convert from Islam who wants to marry a
Christian man from a Christian background may
find that this is not allowed if she lives in a
country where her new faith is not recognised.
Egyptian convert Raheal was arrested on her
way to work because of her marriage to a
Christian-background man in April 2010. As a
convert she could not have her new faith
officially recognised, and so the marriage was
considered to be between a Muslim woman and
a Christian man, and was thus forbidden bysharia. Five days after her arrest, she was
handed over to her Muslim family, but she
managed to escape two days later. She
immediately went into hiding.
BARNABAS AID JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
Chisti gils i K sit outsidth rscu Hom suppotd bs Fud
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Focus
BARNABAS AID JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
bs fudd wom’s cmp iCmoo to giv Chisti wom thchc to mt fo fllowship d woship
Barnabas Fund seeks to serve our
persecuted Christian sisters in countries
where they are targeted because of their
faith and their gender. Many are very poor
and have had little opportunity for education.
We assist with programmes to educate
women through literacy classes, health
courses and income-generation projects. In
Pakistan, we provided funding for two female
doctors to visit the Christian communities
weekly to discuss women’s health issues,
give medical checkups and prescribe
medicine. In East Africa, Barnabas has
provided accommodation for Christian
women from an Islamic background with
nowhere else to live, whilst giving them
discipling in their new faith and training intailoring, computing and English language to
enable them to support themselves. We have
supported Christian women in prison in North
Sudan where many of the women were
imprisoned for breaking sharia dress codes.
Barnabas has also funded camps and
conferences in Cameroon and Kyrgyzstan for
Christian girls and women to meet together
for worship and fellowship. In the Arab world,
one Barnabas project provided training for
young Christian women from very deprived
backgrounds who had finished school, to help
them prepare for their adult responsibilities.
blow som of bs Fd’s
ct pojcts which spcificll hlp
Chisti wom d gils:
n Pkist: Women’s refuge for Christian
girls and women. (Project reference 41-
465)
n ugd: Supporting the Mothers Union
Training Centre and Guest House which is
currently being built in an Islamic part of
the country to train vulnerable women,
girls and boys with a view to employmentand self-sufficiency. (Project reference
56-909)
n K: Cana Girls Rescue Home. Christian
women also need protection in African
countries where they are under pressure
from African traditional religious beliefs
and practices. Barnabas Fund financed
the construction of a refuge centre for
around 50 Christian girls and young
women, and we continue to assist with
its running costs. (Project reference 25-
663)
n nig: This project provides goats and
sheep for needy Christians to help them
support their families. A number of the
local churches we work through select
only women to receive the livestock.
(Project reference 38-929)
n Ctl asi: This project helps to
support “Jamilya”, a widow who is
sharing the Gospel amongst women in
her homeland. She is herself a convert
from Islam and her husband was
murdered by Islamists. (Project
reference XX-861)
Will you support our Christian sisters in contexts where they are treated as
second-class citizens through your prayers and your generous gifts?
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Testimony
but Standing Strong in Christ
Beaten and Bruised
Egyptian lawyer and convert
from Islam ngl al-Imm
was detained, interrogated and
beaten by security personnel
after a peaceful demonstration
of her Christian faith and against
Egypt’s lack of religious freedom
in July 2010.
BARNABAS AID JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
He said, “Yes my lady, why are you making trouble f or us? Don’t you
want to be saf e?” I said, “You have restrained me f rom travelling, and I am
a human rights’ activist.” He said, “Yes.” Then he went to take
hold of the
cross [on a chain around Nagla’s neck] and asked, “Who is this?”
I told him, “Take your hands of f the cross, f or you don’t know its
worth.” He
said, “No, I know its worth.” He held the chain and tightened it around m
y
neck. He was showing that he was threatening to cut the
chain, or to hurt
my neck, or do anything. Then I answered him. I said, “If you touch me, I
will react severely. If you are a real man, hit me.”
He did not give me a chance to complete the sentence. Holding my hair, he
bashed my f ace against the desk. He slapped my f ace more than once, and
punched me in the ribs, and on my arm. By this time I was bleeding f rom
the side of my mouth.
I told him, “Proceed with your documentation, if you have any.” He said,
“I don’t have any documentation. I am just telling you this. This isjust
having f un. If you don’t want to be saf e, you will receive
what you have not
expected.” I said, “What is it that I could not exp
ect? Will you put me in
jail? So many other converts are in jail. You will kill me? So many converts
have been killed.” I told him, “I am not af raid because I know w
here I will be
going, but what about you, who do not know where will y
ou be going?
Mrs Al-Imam was eventually released and later reflected on her
ordeal: “My ribs and my body were hurting, my neck and my
shoulders... But my real hurt was not the [physical] pain. My real hurt
was that there was no real reason for them to do this. There is no
safety – human safety, worldly safety – apart from the true safety I
found with the Lord Jesus Christ. I am without work; threatened to
be deregistered; without an income; without family. I have no one but
enemies. I felt this was God’s discipline: He was teaching me what it
means to be humble; what it means that the Lord will fight for you,
and you shall hold your peace; what it means to focus my sight on
Christ alone, and not to depend on human hands.”
Following the incident, Mrs Al-Imam announced on an Arabic Christian
TV website that she would stand up for the human rights of converts
from Islam and would not leave her homeland. She sang a Christian
song with her two children, asking Christ to strengthen them through
their time of persecution. The bruises were clearly visible on her face
and she could barely open her mouth to sing. This broadcast was
immediately followed by fatwas calling for her death. Soon after this,
Mrs Al-Imam was kidnapped and beaten by people in burqas and
abandoned, unconscious, in the street. At the time of writing, she is in
hiding, from where she continues to broadcast and testify to the Lord
Jesus on an Arabic television channel.
Mrs Al-Imam was standing with her children in front of a
cathedral when two men called her name. “We need you for a
few seconds,” they said. Feeling suspicious, she asked a fellow
Christian to take her children to their own church. She was taken
to an office and made to wait four hours before her interrogation
began.
Below she describes her treatment at the hands of the interrogator:
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Breaking Through the Barriers: Leading Muslims to Christ
Rosemary SookhdeoWould you like to reach your Muslim friendsand neighbours for Christ? If so, you willshare your faith most effectively if you knowsomething about what they believe, and alsoabout how they expect you to relate to them.
Rosemary Sookhdeo has provided thisaccessible introduction to help you getinformed. In it she lifts the veil on Muslimculture, practices and faith, and identifiesthe points of contact that will help Muslimsrespond to the Christian Gospel.
Part I explains the basics of Muslim cultureand how it differs from Western culture, andoutlines the attitudes and responses thatshould shape our outreach to Muslims. Itcovers such issues as what we should dowhen we invite a Muslim friend for a meal,what type of gift to bring on variousoccasions, and how to relate to differentmembers of a Muslim family. It also explainshow to lead a Muslim to faith in Christ.
Part II sets out some of the central beliefs ofIslam and also its key practices, such as
Resources
Now in stock!My Devotional Journal: A spiritual journey of prayer and encouragement with God’s suffering people Patrick Sookhdeo
This Barnabas Fund year journal is aninspiring collection of short testimonies,
poems and prayers from Christians aroundthe world. It also includes uplifting Bibleverses and lined pages for you to recordyour own thoughts and reflectionsthroughout the months.
My Devotional Journal takes us on ajourney with God’s suffering people,exploring themes such as loss, forgivenessand the cost of discipleship. Their storiesdemonstrate how Christians canexperience God’s peace and presence as
prayer, fasting and giving. We oftenoverlook the place of spiritual conflict inevangelism: another chapter describes howit can affect our outreach to Muslims, andtells us how to pray and what to do toprotect ourselves. The final sections outlinevarious barriers that hinder Muslims fromcoming to Christ and the main differencesbetween Islam and Christianity, answeringsuch questions as:
n
Is the Biblical God the same as Allah?
n Is the Muslim Jesus, Isa , the same asthe Jesus we know in the Gospels?
n How do Muslims view heaven and hell?n What part does the second coming of
Jesus play in Muslim thinking?
This helpful book will guide us safelythrough the challenges of Muslimevangelism and enable us to be goodwitnesses for Christ.
Isc Plishig, ppck, 160 pp,
off pic £5.00 pls £2.00 postg(rrP £8.99)
In this issue we feature a new book by Rosemary Sookhdeo on how
to reach Muslims for Christ, and our Barnabas Fund year journal.
To order either of these books, please visit www.barnabasfund.org/shop. Alternatively please contact your nearest Barnabas office (addresses on back cover). Cheques for theUK should be made payable to “Barnabas Books”.
sources of great joy and deep comfort inthe midst of “trials of many kinds” (James
1:2), and find God to be the protectiveFather who cares and provides for Hispeople.
This book can both inspire you in your ownChristian journey and be a great presentfor your Christian friends. The pages beginfrom January, but you can start using it atany time.
Isc Plishig, csod, 96pp, offpic £5.00 + £2.00 postg (rrP £7.99)
BARNABAS AID JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
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T h e h a l a l c ont r ov e r s y
Pull-outsupplement
Sharia and the halal / haram system
Halal food laws in Islam are part of a much wider system in sharialaw. In the Muslim worldview they are based on Allah’s directrevelation in the Qur’an and sunna 1, part of his sovereign will thatcannot be changed by humans. Halal (permitted, lawful) and haram (forbidden, unlawful) represent a god-given, identity mark of Allah’spure community. These rules must be kept to ensure the pleasureof Allah and due rewards for the believers who keep them.
The realm of halal and haram extends beyond food and clothing toall matters relating to human life, both individual and communal.All beings and things are divided into pure and impure categories.These include foods, all goods and services, entertainments,finance and commerce, tourism, lifestyles and new technologies.
The quest for purity and the fear of pollution are very strongmotivators in Islam.
This wide range of applications gives the halal and haram rules avery important economic role in all Islamic societies. Institutions
have to be established to control and license goods and services toensure their sharia compliance. Religious specialists in the field ofhalal and haram gain positions of power and influence, as they canoffer or withhold licences and so ensure or endanger the survival ofbusinesses. This process can sometimes lead to corruption.
Several criteria must be met before products can be certified ashalal :
n Halal meat products must be produced from animalsslaughtered according to Islamic law
n Halal products must be free from any haram substance oringredient, such as enzymes and emulsifiers made from pigs or
from other haram sourcesn Halal products must be produced, manufactured and stored
Introduction
In August 2010 Harrow Council in North-West London introducedhalal -only menus at its 52 state primary schools. The Arabic wordhalal means “permitted”, and halal food is anything that Islamic sharia lawallows to be eaten. The Muslim population in Harrow is not very large: according to the 2001 census only 7 per cent isMuslim. But the dietary principles of this small religious group are now to influence the diet of primary-school children
of all faiths and none, and without the consent of their parents.
This incident is one of many that have raised the issue of the place of halal food and other halal products in Westernsocieties. Its increasingly extensive use by retail outlets and restaurants, often without the approval or even theknowledge of customers, has caused widespread disquiet. Consumers are being denied the possibility of choicebecause they are not given the necessary information to make a decision. The practice of slaughtering animals by halal methods has also been called into question on ethical grounds.
There are four principal reasons why many Christians and others are concerned about the increased presence of halal products:
n The denial of choice to consumers, unless food is labelled and alternatives provided, and following from this:n The commitment of many Muslims to Islamic mission (dawa ) and the Islamisation of their non-Muslim host
societies, which includes imposing Islamic practices and Islamic law on non-Muslims. Halal food is an importantexample of this.
n The unnecessary suffering to animals involved in halal -compliant methods of slaughter.n For Christians in particular, the Biblical teaching on the eating of foods associated with non-Christian religious
practice. (Space prevents us from examining this issue further here.)
1 The sunna is Muhammad’s way of life (sayings and behaviour), codified in the traditions (hadith ). Muslims see the sunna as a model which they must follow. It is also oneof the main sources of Islamic law (sharia)
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using utensils, equipments and machines that have beencleansed according to Islamic law
n Manufactured products should be free of contamination andmust not come into contact with haram substances during theirpreparation, production and storage
Islam requires that animals should be slaughtered in a way thatensures the draining of their blood before they are eaten. TheIslamic method of slaughtering is to cut the animal’s throat, while itis alive, to enable the blood to run out and not congeal in its veins.At the same time the slaughterman proclaims in Arabic either thebismillah (in the name of Allah) or the shahada , the Muslimcredal statement (there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is hismessenger). The incision is made with a sharp blade, cutting thethroat and oesophagus, the jugular vein and the carotid arterybut leaving the spinal cord intact. Most Muslim slaughterers donot stun the animal first before slitting its throat, in the belief thatdrainage will be complete only if the animal is conscious.
These rules are derived from the Quran:
“O you who believe! Eat of the good and pure things We haveprovided you with, and render thanks to Allah if it is He aloneWhom you really worship. He has forbidden you only (to eatcarrion) that which dies of itself, the blood, the flesh of swineand that over (the sacrifice of) which thename of someone other than Allah hasbeen invoked.” (Q 2:172-3)
“And do not eat that on which Allah’s namehas not been pronounced.” (Q 6:121)
Muslims also argue that the halal / haram laws are scientifically proven to promoteindividual and societal health. They alsostress the universal ethical value of halal products, arguing that because of the religiousconditions imposed on their production,stringent controls are in place throughout.Halal can therefore, they say, be accepted asa trustworthy brand that ensures the safety,quality and humane treatment of animals.Halal is also claimed to guarantee just and fairbusiness methods and to embody values ofsocial justice and welfare.
The process of Islamisation
Many Muslim scholars assert that the halal / haram rules are notjust for Muslims, but for all human beings. Thus, they believe,halal and haram are part of dawa (Islamic mission): it is the duty ofMuslims to spread their rules to non-Muslims.
Religious, economic and political pressures combine to furtherthe spread of the halal / haram system around the world. Thearchitects of the current Islamic resurgence want to establish the
global dominance of Islam. As large, international, non-Muslimcompanies adopt halal products, they introduce sharia into theirstructures, thus expanding its reach in the non-Muslim world. Inseveral sub-Saharan African states with non-Muslim majoritiesmost butchers and most of the meat trade has passed into
Pull-outsupplement
The halal controversy
ii
Muslim hands. Halal foods are promoted as ethical alternativesfor all people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
The population of Muslim states has outpaced the local foodsupply, forcing them to import foods from countries such as NewZealand, Australia, Brazil and the USA. As the Muslim marketbecame globally significant, Muslims demanded that producersand distributors provide certified halal products.
The Muslim market represents one-fifth of the world’s totalpopulation (estimated at 1.2 billion people). The global halal marketis potentially worth $2.3 trillion. Large Western multinationalsare eager to tap into its vast potential, and many have started tointroduce halal products into their ranges. Some have gone overto marketing only halal products to simplify their processes andcut costs. Hundreds of companies across the world are becomingsharia-compliant or halal -compliant, and much halal food is nowproduced and processed in non-Muslim countries under Muslimreligious supervision and certification. This means that some
slaughterman posts are open only to Muslim applicants.
Halal products have now spread into many non-food sectors,including cosmetics, tourism and holidays, clothing, stickers, rugs,greeting cards and logos and ring tones on mobile phones. The listis growing.
Halal products in Britain
Halal food is being introduced secretlyto Britain. All over the country, schools,hospitals, pubs and sporting venues areserving halal meat, often without informing
the public. It has also been allegedthat some big supermarkets are sellingunlabelled halal meat products.
The British halal meat industry is expandingso fast that many more halal butchers areneeded. A programme has been organisedthat could enable as many as 5,000Pakistani butchers to obtain jobs in theBritish halal meat industry.
Non-Muslim halal producers
It is estimated that currently some 90% of theworld’s halal food market is supplied by non-Muslims.
Major halal meat producers are found in Argentina, Australia,Brazil, Canada, China, India, New Zealand, the UK and the USA.
The Middle East has become a major market for New Zealand meatexports. As a result New Zealand has become the largest exporterof halal -slaughtered sheep meat in the world and a significantexporter of halal beef. About 98% of lamb and sheep as well as60% of cattle in New Zealand are halal -slaughtered, as companiesfind it easier and more cost-effective to shift their productionprocesses to halal only. Halal meat production has become an
essential part of New Zealand’s economy.
New Zealand is also targeting countries with wealthy Muslimpopulations for inbound tourism. This has increased the demandfor halal food in the local catering, hospitality and tourism
BARNABAS AID JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
Halal food is ig
itodcd sctlto biti. all ov
th cot, schools,
hospitls, ps d
spotig vs
svig halal
mt, oft withot
ifomig th plic.
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T h e h a l a l c ont r ov e r s y
iii
industries. People involved in these industries are being madeaware of halal rules concerning food production and catering.In Australia, halal slaughter is carried out through the Australian
Government Muslim Slaughter programme by governmentemployees supervised by independent Islamic halal agencies.
Muslim food authorities
Muslim and non-Muslim governments and public bodies haveencouraged the formation of halal food certifying bodies to overseethe abattoirs and the slaughtering process and offer detailedguidelines on how to ensure food remains halal right through thevarious modern production, distribution and catering processes.Worldwide it is estimated that there are over 300 bodies offeringglobal halal certification. Most of the bodies justify their demandsto oversee the food industry and ensure that it meets the religiousstandards of the Muslim community by claiming that Islam is atotal way of life that embraces all spheres of human activity.
Halal certifying agencies charge fees to companies to undertakeaudits of production facilities, inspect documentation on productsand manufacturing, and issue halal product certificates. These feesare passed on to the customers in higher prices.
In some countries there exist several independent and competingMuslim food councils, sometimes representing various streamsof Islam. Different organisations often accuse their competitors offraud or of not being Islamic enough, casting doubt on the validity
of their certification.
For example, in the UK there are at least two competing halal
certification organisations: the Halal Food Authority (HFA) and theHalal Monitoring Committee (HMC). The HFA allows the use ofmachines in the slaughtering process, while the HMC says that onlyanimals slaughtered by hand are halal .
It is argued by Muslims that the absence of globally recognised halal certification bodies and standards poses a serious problem to theindustry and that there is an urgent need to have clear standardsthat apply globally. There are calls to regulate the halal industry,harmonise halal certification rules and create binding, global halal standards to promote trade and speed up the certification process.
Implications
While the halal / haram system has always been part of Muslimreligious doctrine, it was usually applied only to Muslim populations.But in the context of Islamic resurgence and Islamist growth, theexpansion of halal across the world is seen by many commentatorsas part of a global Islamisation project, designed to extend the reach
of sharia in both Muslim and non-Muslim states and to restore thepower of Islam worldwide. The economic interests of the large globalindustries seeking to penetrate the growing Muslim markets tend toencourage this Islamisation drive.
Many Christians are uneasy about buying halal food or other productsbecause of its inseparable association with Islamic dawa . Theysee such purchases as advancing the cause of global Islam, and ofIslamist radicalism in particular, and as putting themselves implicitlyunder the authority of Islamic sharia. For this reason they argue thathalal products should not be forced on the non-Muslim community orsold without appropriate labelling. Christian farmers also do not wantto be responsible for sacrificial slaughter of animals to Allah.
Cruelty to animals
Many believe that halal slaughter is cruel. Western animal welfaregroups consistently criticise Muslim halal slaughtering methods andcall for their prohibition. They also criticise the stressful methods ofrestraint used in some halal slaughtering plants.
The Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) reported on Muslimslaughter practices in 2003:
When a very large transverse incision is made across the neck a number of vital tissues are transected including: skin, muscle,trachea, oesophagus, carotid arteries, jugular veins, majornerve trunks (e.g. vagus and phrenic nerves) plus numerousminor nerves. Such a drastic cut will inevitably trigger a barrageof sensory information to the brain in a sensible (conscious)animal. We are persuaded that such a massive injury wouldresult in very significant pain and distress in the period beforeinsensibility supervenes.2
The report concluded that killing animals without first stunning themcauses unnecessary pain and suffering. It therefore recommendedthe government to pass legislation banning all religious slaughterof animals. The British animal welfare charity RSPCA also opposes
halal slaughter on grounds of animal welfare, and it advocatesclear labelling of halal products to inform the welfare-consciousconsumer about the method of slaughter.
BARNABAS AID JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
a ctifict i nw Zld stut widow, ppovig llth igdits usd th s halal -complit
2 Report on the Welfare of Farmed Animals at Slaughter or Killing . London: Farm Animal Welfare Council FAWC, June 2003.
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The halal controversy
iv
Pull-outsupplement
www.barnabasfund.org
barnabaS FunD HOPE AND AID FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCHUK 9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX
Telephone 024 7623 1923
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From outside UK
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Email [email protected]
Animal welfare groups also insist that humane slaughter mustinvolve pre-stunning, which renders the animal unconscious,before the killing. Animal-cruelty regulations throughout Europesay that livestock must be stunned before slaughter, but Britainand most countries allow exemptions on religious grounds forMuslim (and Jewish) religious slaughter practices. Several states
have however forbidden these exclusions on the grounds that pre-stunning is more welfare-friendly. (It should be noted that Muslimsdo not agree among themselves overwhether an animal needs to be consciouswhen killed for its meat to be halal .)
Implications
Many Christians believe the method of
killing without stunning to be cruel and
therefore contrary to the Biblical creation
mandate. Some of them endorse the calls
from animal welfare organisations for thebanning of halal slaughtering practices.
Others defend the current exemptions for
ritual slaughter on grounds of religious
freedom, while not wanting themselves
to eat meat from animals that were killed
without first being stunned. However,
the prescription of ritual slaughter in the
Old Testament leads other Christians to
question the animal welfare argument
against halal killing.
RecommendationsWhile Christians and other non-Muslims
should argue for the right of Muslims to observe
their religious rules in matters of halal food and other products
within their own community, they must protest at the Islamisation
project that seeks to impose these rules and products on all non-
Muslims, expand the reach of sharia, advance Muslim economic
interests and dominate world trade in the food and related
industries. The domination of sharia often results in anti-Christian
discrimination and persecution and hinders Christian mission.
Christians should therefore be committed to the struggle against
Islamist ideology, the Islamisation process and the extension of
sharia to include non-Muslims, including the spread of the halal
system. If we do nothing, Muslims will believe that we do not mind
about these things.
BARNABAS AID JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
Christians should also object to having to pay for certification
agency fees and the other extra costs involved in the halal
processes and industries. These should be borne exclusively
by Muslims. We should also protest against the greed of
businessmen who withhold choice from most of the world’s
population because of their eagerness to tap into the lucrative
global Muslim market.
Regarding the spread of halal to many
commercial outlets, and halal food’s being the
only kind offered to non-Muslims in schools
and other government and public institutions,
Christians should object when there is no
choice for non-Muslims. We must challenge
the view that the majority must conform to the
practices of a minority.
In the public square, Christians and other
non-Muslims ought to support the followingdemands:
n Governments should not legislateregarding the standards required forhalal products, thus endorsing them byimplication.
n All halal products should be clearlylabelled as such.
n Government and public institutionsshould offer halal products only as achoice. Halal should never be the onlyoption available there.
Due weight should be given to the argument, ongrounds of religious liberty, that halal slaughter should
not be prohibited by law, and different views are held amongChristians (and others) regarding its alleged cruelty. Even so,however, the case against the practice on the basis of animalwelfare is very compelling, and suggests that halal slaughtershould be modified or banned by government legislation.Moreover, the aversion of many Christians to eating meat fromanimals that have been slaughtered inhumanely is anotherreason to insist on the provision of choice and the labelling ofhalal products.
The freedom of Muslim people to follow their own religiouspractices should be affirmed. But the freedom of non-Muslims notto follow Muslim practices should also be protected.
Th fdom of
Mslim popl to
follow thi owligios pctics
shold ffimd.
bt th fdom of
o-Mslims ot
to follow Mslim
pctics shold lso
potctd.
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Halal awss CmpigOptio nhmih hs civd cogig spos
fom sppots sic w lchd o Halal awss
Cmpig i Octo.
11
Operation Nehemiah
Further investigations have revealed the
extent of the problem. Many UK supermarkets, restaurants and schools are
serving meat that has been sacrificiallyslaughtered, prepared and transported inaccordance with sharia (Islamic law), often
without telling the public. Pressure is now
mounting on these outlets and institutions tolet consumers know what they are eating.
We do not object to Muslims eating halal food. But we believe that Christians andother non-Muslims should have the freedom
to make an informed choice about whetheror not to eat it. We are therefore asking that
halal food should always be labelled as such,and that non-halal alternatives should alwaysbe available to consumers.
There are several reasons why Christians
and others may not want to eat halal food:
n The spread of halal is part of the
commitment of many Muslims to Islamic
mission (dawa ) and the Islamisation of
their non-Muslim host societies, which
includes the imposition of Islamic
practices on non-Muslims.
n Halal -compliant methods of slaughterraise questions relating to animal cruelty,
as many Muslims believe that animals
must not be stunned before killing
(although others disagree).
n The eating of foods associated with non-
Christian religious practices and its
spiritual and social effects within the
Christian community are also a concern
for many Christians.
An article, “The Halal Controversy”
(http://barnabasfund.org/spread-of- halal ) is
available on the Operation
Nehemiah section of our website
(www.barnabasfund.org/nehemiah) and
explains the background and serious
implications of the spread of halal
products. An abridged version has been
included as a pull-out in this magazine.
Operation Nehemiah would like to thank
those supporters who have made
enquiries or complained to local suppliers.
Pls visit th Optio nhmih
sctio of th bs Fd w sit
to pticipt i th Halal Cmpig
d gist o sppot fo pop
lllig d th fdom to choos.
To receive further updates about the halal
campaign, please contact Operation
Nehemiah at [email protected].
BARNABAS AID JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
Optio nhmih updts
If you would like to receive Operation Nehemiah news and prayer updates, please email [email protected] register your interest in the campaign, or phone 01672 564938. Regular updates are also available on theOperation Nehemiah section of the website www.barnabasfund.org/nehemiah.
In October, 35 Church of England schools in
Blackburn received Muslim Council of Britain
(MCB) “Books for Schools” packs as part of a
project to reach 23,000 primary schools. The
packs, which contain £250 worth of books and
Islamic items, are carefully designed to appeal
to young children. In an email to its supporters,
the MCB describes this as a dawa project.
These and similar reports, which include
compulsory visits to mosques and the
building of an RE classroom facing Mecca,
raise serious questions about the elevating
of Islam and sidelining of Christianity in
education. The former Bishop of Rochester,
Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, writing in Standpoint
magazine, has urged Education Secretary
Michael Gove to restore the teaching of
Christianity in Britain’s schools. He says that
Christianity was the most significant link in
the story of Britain.
Operation Nehemiah wants to appeal to our
supporters to provide us with information
about what is being taught in primary schools
about Christianity and Islam. We are also
planning to launch a school pack about
Christianity later in 2011, which will be
available for supporters to sponsor and even
donate as a gift to local schools. We hope that
it will be a transforming and treasured
investment for them.
Please pray that God will give us His wisdom
for this developing project.
“GreaTerunDerSTanDInG OFISLaM” SeMInarS
Operation Nehemiah is planning a
series of training seminars across
Britain in 2011 to provide churches
with a greater understanding of
Islam and training in outreach to
Muslims and care for converts.Topics will include sharia, why
women convert to Islam, and
theological differences between
Christianity and Islam.
Any church or group of churches that
would like to host a seminar is invited
to contact Operation Nehemiah.
Focs o edctio
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Country Profile
Egyptegpt hs mixd pttio i th bil. O th o hd it is plc of fg, fo Jco
d his fmil i tim of fmi, d fo th ift Chist d His fmil flig fom
Hod. bt o th oth hd it is th plc of Isl’s slvmt, fom wh God
lits thm i th exods, d wh H svl tims foids thm to t. It stds
oth fo God’s gcios povisio fo His popl, d fo thi oppssio d psctio
thi mis.
egpt cotis to hv this mixd pttio tod. It is hom to th lgst Chisti
commit i th Middl est, whos oigis li i th fist Chisti ctis. nmicll
d histoicll th Chch is tstimo to God’s fithflss to His popl. bt th
cot lso hs disml cod of ti-Chisti hostilit, d it is kd mog th
wold’s wost psctos of covts fom Islm.
No safety innumbersEstimates of the size of the Christian
population in Egypt vary between 8 and 12
per cent, or about six to ten million people.
The early Church flourished in Egypt, and
many of today’s Christians are descended
from these early believers. But in AD 651
the land was invaded by Arab Muslims. The
dominance of Islam was quickly established,
and the Christians were reduced to the
status of second-class citizens. Today the
great majority of the population are Sunni
Muslims, and despite their numbers theChristians are an oppressed minority.
The Egyptian constitution guarantees
freedom of religion, but it also specifies that
sharia (Islamic law) is the principal source of
the country’s legislation. In 1980 Islam was
declared to be the state religion. More
recently Egyptian courts have ruled that
religious freedom does not extend to Muslim
citizens who want to convert to another
religion, and that it is restricted by the
principles of Islam. In 2010 the Supreme
Council of Islamic Affairs, a government
body, stated that Egypt is an Islamic state
where “the citizenship rights of non-
Muslims were conditional to their abiding by
the Islamic identity of the State”.
Restrictionson buildingsOne major area in which Christians find
themselves severely restricted is the
construction and repair of church buildings.
All applications for new buildings must be
approved by the President in person. No
church building may be put up within 100
metres of a mosque, and the approval of
the neighbouring Muslim community must
be secured before a permit can be granted.
The expansion or rebuilding of existing
churches require the consent of a Provincial
Governor, and not even the smallest ofrepairs, such as the
replacement of a broken
window, can be made
without local authority
agreement.
These restrictions make the
process of obtaining permits
long, slow and often futile.
The Muslim community is
generally hostile to the
construction of Christian
places of worship: on many
occasions Muslim mobs
have attacked Christians
because of information or
rumours about work on
church buildings (see p14). Many local
officials delay the application process,
demanding documents from the Christians
that are almost impossible to obtain, and the
security forces may prevent them from usingany permits that are given. Some church
properties have even been destroyed by the
authorities.
As a result there are not nearly enough
church buildings in Egypt to meet the needs
of the Christian community, so Christians
have sometimes to resort to meeting in
private buildings or homes. But because
these buildings are unlicensed places of
worship, the churches are sometimes closed
down by the local authorities.
although th Chuch i egpt is lg d hs log histo, itfcs sv hostilit fom th cout’s Muslim mjoit
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Country Profile
Discriminationand poverty
Christians in Egypt have to endure another,more indirect limitation of their freedom, in
the form of serious discrimination in many
areas of life. For example, they are largely
excluded from government jobs, high-
ranking positions in the military and
security services, and positions in the state
universities. They are rarely nominated to
stand in elections, and there are very few
Christian members of the People’s
Assembly. Only a handful of Christians
hold senior political office. The long-
standing contempt of most Egyptian
Muslims for their Christian neighbours hasbeen exacerbated in recent decades by the
political instability of the wider region.
Although there used to be many
prosperous Egyptian Christians, most of
them have emigrated because of anti-
Christian pressure and hostility. The majority
of the Christians who remain in Egypt live in
extreme poverty, and thousands are in
“garbage villages”, where they earn a living
sorting household rubbish. Two years ago
many of them lost a major part of theirlivelihood when the government culled their
pigs on the pretext of restricting the spread of
swine flu.
Persecutionof convertsEgyptian converts from Islam to Christianity
are particularly vulnerable to hostility from
the government and wider society. There isno law against leaving Islam, but converts
usually face harassment and severe
pressure, and sometimes even threats to
their lives. Some have been detained and
pressured to return to Islam, and have
suffered physical abuse while in custody.
It is not possible for
converts to Christianity
to register their change
of faith officially or to
alter the religion listed
on their identity cards.
Converts whose
religion is still listed as
Islam face difficulties
in marriage,
inheritance, and even
in attending church.
Attempts in the courts
by converts to have
their conversions
formally recognised
or their ID cards
altered have
repeatedly failed. (By contrast, if a Christianconverts to Islam their ID card is promptly
changed to show that they are now Muslim.)
When one or both Muslim parents convert to
Christianity, their children are still considered
to be Muslims. But when a Christian parent
converts to Islam, the children are reckoned
to follow his or her Islamic faith, and the
religion on their birth certificates can be
changed to Islam. In March 2010 a court
rejected a lawsuit from a Christian mother
asking for the Christian identity of her twinsons, whose father converted to Islam, to be
reinstated before their identity cards were
due to be issued at the age of 16. This
decision was made despite the fact that the
boys are firm believers in Christ.
ONE CONVERT’S
STORY
Mh l-Goh is covt fomIslm to Chistiit, d i M 2009
h tid to hv th ligio o his ID
cd chgd to flct his fith. H
d his dght Di, lso
Chisti, w focd ito hidig,
d th hd to mov ptdl to
void dtctio. I J 2009 cot
fsd his qst, d wh l-
Goh d his dght ttmptd
to lv th cot, th w
stoppd t th ipot d thi
psspots w cofisctd. Mo
th o ttmpt hs md o
Mh’s lif, d Di hs
ttckd with cid.M of egpt’s Chistis v poo d hv to livig sotig uish i“gg citis”
T hese t w in boy s, w ho ar e commit t ed Chr ist ians, had t he r eligion on t heir bir t h cer t if icat es changed f r om Chr ist ianit y t o Islam w hen t heir f at her conv er t ed. T hey hav e been denied t he r ight t o hav e it changed back
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Anti-ChristianviolenceRecent years have witnessed an alarming
surge in brutal attacks on Christian
individuals and communities in Egypt. A
study by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal
Rights found that in the two years to January
2010 there were at least 53 incidents of
sectarian hostility or tension, in 17 of Egypt’s
29 governorates.
The acts of violence, which generally occur
in more remote or rural areas, take various
forms and arise from various causes. Some
of the most serious are acts of “collective
retribution”, when Muslims seek revengeagainst all Christians in an area for the action
of one Christian. Christians also risk attack
when they meet for worship or prayer, try to
convert a building into a church, or construct
a new building. Buildings themselves may
also be targeted. Some incidents of
premeditated murder have been reported.
One specific and extremely distressing form
of anti-Christian violence is the abduction
and rape of Christian girls, their enforced
conversion to Islam, and their marriage to
Muslim men. For example, within the space
of a few weeks 15-year-old Marian Bishay
was kidnapped on her way to collect dinner
for her family from the local restaurant, 50m
from her home in Giza, and 19-year-old Amal
Estephanos was abducted in broad daylight by
a group of Muslims. Witnesses reported that
Amal was drugged and bundled into a pickup
truck with the assistance of local villagers. Itappears that neither of the girls has ever been
restored to their families.
InadequateprotectionThe Egyptian authorities do very little to
help the victims of anti-Christian attacks.
The police are often slow to respond to
reports of violence; they frequently seem
unwilling to protect Christian properties or
Christian people, and there are
documented cases of security forces
joining the attackers or arresting the
victims. Normally little effort is made to
arrest those responsible.
Even when suspects are detained and
their guilt is not in question, many cases
never reach court. After major incidentsthe government pressures the Christian
victims into “reconciliation”, supposedly
as a way of easing tensions and resolving
disputes. But the real goal of these
sessions, Christians believe, is to
persuade the Christian victims to withdraw
their complaints against the Muslim
attackers, thus preventing their
prosecution. Offenders who are brought to
court may receive very lenient sentences.
In the meantime Christians can be illegally
expelled from their homes in order toappease Muslims in the affected areas.
The frequent failure to bring the
perpetrators of anti-Christian violence to
justice has created the impression, largely
justified, that Muslims can attack and
even murder Christians with impunity.
Indeed, some Christians believe that the
Egyptian government is now deliberately
inciting Muslims against them, and using
Islamist radicalism as a political weapon.
Islamistthreats
A number of militant Islamist groups
operate in Egypt, with the goal of turning it
into an Islamic state under the rule of
sharia law. They have secured a
significant place in education and the
media, and have launched many violent
attacks. Some of these are againstChristians, and the government’s failure
adequately to counter Islamist activities
and influence thus endangers the
churches. But now Islamist leaders are
RECENT INCIDENTS OF ANTI-
CHRISTIAN VIOLENCEa Mslim mo ttckd th tow ofFshoot o 21 novm 2009,pomptd mos of sxl sgist Mslim gil Chistim. up to 3,000 Mslims gthdotsid th polic hdqts i
ttmpt to kidp d md thm. Th mo th lootd, vdlisdd d Chisti-owd shopsd sisss d thw Chistifmilis ot of thi homs. at lstsv Chistis w ijd. O 6J 2010, i th ighoig tow of ng Hmmdi, six Chisti
woshipps d scit gd w killd wh th gm stomd woship svic. Th chch’s ld hd pviosl thtd csof his qsts fo compstio fo th Chistis of Fshoot.
O 12 Mch 2010 hdds of Chistis w tppd isid chch iMs-Mth fo t hos wh thosds of Mslims ttckd th ildig.Som of th cowd td th chch d ssltd th Chistis, d thwt o to popt. Twt-th Chistis w ijd. Th ptxt foth ttck ws th costctio withot pmissio of wll od plot ofld owd th chch.
O 20 Mch 2010 chch i Lxo ws sodd lldozs dhdds of polic. Th commit ct ws dmolishd d ll th chch’sld ws tk ov, pt fom th chch ildig itslf. Th thoitis sidtht th w dgod chologicl mis o th sit, t thChistis sw this clim s m xcs fo dstoig thi popt.
a Mslim motocclist hdd o Chisti d ijd two oth Chistis
o 16 Sptm 2009. Th md victim, ado Gog yo, ws stdi tims fo ig dcpittd. Th ttck th movd o to two
ighoig villgs, wh h svl ijd locl shomk dssltd lcksmith.
Chr ist ians in F ar shoot w r injur d and t hir pr opr t is dst r oy d by a Muslim mob
Country Profile
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Fdig d sic ds
Many Christians in Upper Egypt live in severe poverty, and some children do not even
know what an egg is. Barnabas Fund has given grants to help local Christians to supply
the poorest Christians with food and other basic needs. (Project reference 11-220)
Voctiol tiig cts
In a very poor area Barnabas is assisting the Church to establish a number of vocational
training centres to help Christians learn skills by which they can support themselves and
their families. The courses include training as car mechanics, electricians and carpenters
and in IT skills. (Project reference 11-859)
Livlihoods fo Chisti pig fms
In April 2009 many Christians lost their livelihood and an important source
of protein when the Egyptian authorities ordered the slaughter of 300,000
pigs on the pretext of preventing swine flu. This unnecessary measure
damaged only the Christian population, as Muslims do not eat pork or rear
pigs. A local church in one “garbage village” is providing alternative ways
for Christian families to support themselves, helped with funds from
Barnabas. (Project reference 11-819)
Dst clmtio d jo tiig
In an area of high unemployment, this project supported by Barnabas is
reclaiming 80 acres of desert land for irrigation and farming. Between 80
and 100 Christian workers will receive job training and employment on
the farm. The project will also provide food for the local Christian
community and a source of income from the sale of produce.
(Project reference 11-926)
BARNABAS FUND HELPING EGYPTIAN CHRISTIANS
also spreading unfounded accusations
against them.
In September 2010 Muslim anger was
ignited when Egyptian Christians were
accused in the media of supporting Israeland stockpiling weapons in preparation
for waging war against Muslims. Tensions
were also fuelled by rumours that
Christians were kidnapping and torturing
women who had converted to Islam.
Numerous mass demonstrations involving
thousands of Muslims took place against
Christians, with the previously unknown
group “Front of Islamic Egypt” promising
them a “bloodbath”.
The Egyptian authorities were accused of
complicity for political reasons in theescalating crisis in light of forthcoming
elections. Christian leaders suggested
that the government was trying to use
Islamist threats and violence as a means
of channelling social discontent away
from itself and on to the churches.
Certainly it did little to quash the untrue
reports or restrain the hostility of the
demonstrators.
Pray for Egypt’sChristians
The growing strength of Islamism, added to
the longstanding problems of restriction and
discrimination, harassment and violence,
places Egyptian Christians in a highly
precarious position. They are also unable to
turn to the authorities for protection with anyconfidence of receiving it. Yet the Church
remains faithful to Christ, and even considers
martyrdom for His sake to be a great
blessing. Please pray for our brothers and
sisters, that the Lord will protect them from
harm and give them courage and strength to
stand firm in the face of hostility. Pray too
that the harsh conditions they have to endure
will be relieved.
THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD (MB)
Th Mslim bothhood, th fist gssoots Islmist movmt i mod
tims, ws fodd i egpt i 1928. Its mi gol is to stlish
Islmic stt sd o shi i egpt d oth Mslim cotis. This
wold th xpdd to icld o-Mslim cotis d vtll to
com glol Islmic Clipht domitig th whol wold. Th Mb
livs tht ll govig sstms opposd to Islmist idolog mst
gdll ifilttd, olishd d plcd. It clims to wok fo its gols
pcfll d withi th lw, d it wo ssttil m of
plimt sts i th 2005 lctios. bt it hs lso stlishd
sct ch tht ss violc gist pcivd mis, d most of
th dicl Islmist toist ogistios i th a wold offshoots
fom th Mb.
a pojct suppotd bs hs supplid ths gotsto povid livlihood fo Chisti fms whos pigsw culld th govmt
This school was uilt with support from
barnaas to provide a Christian education for students aged 12-15
Country Profile
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Fears for Iraq’s beleaguered Christiancommunity have accelerated after a bloody
siege at a Baghdad church left more than
50 dead and militants threatened further
violence.
The Islamic State of Iraq, an Al-Qaeda front
group, claimed responsibility for the attack
and afterwards said that the “killing sword
will not be lifted”. When a 48-hour deadline
for the release of Muslim women they
falsely claimed the Egyptian Church was
holding captive expired (see Egypt article,
page 17), the threat was extended to “allChristian centres, organisations and
institutions, leaders and followers”.
On Sunday 31 October armed militants
entered the church in central Baghdad,
where around 100 people were taking part
in an evening service, and immediately
killed the church minister. The attackers
demanded the release of Al-Qaeda
prisoners as well as the women in Egypt.
But negotiations failed, and security forces
IraQ: CHurCH unDer THreaTaFTer bLOODy SIeGe
stormed the building in an effort to free the
hostages. Dozens of worshippers, as well as
security forces and attackers, died in the
ensuing fighting, with scores more
wounded. Among the victims were pregnant
Raghada al-Wafi, and Thar Abdallah, the
church minister who had conducted her
wedding ceremony.
It was the deadliest recorded attack against
Iraq’s Christians, who have endured
repeated violence since the US-led invasion
in 2003. Hundreds of thousands have been
forced to flee as a result of the repeatedattacks; the number of Christians has fallen
from 1.5 million in 1990 to perhaps as low
as 400,000 today.
In the last edition of Barnabas Aid we
reported that the Iraqi government had
pledged to help exiled Christians return to
their homeland. But the Iraqi Church could
now be facing further haemorrhage as
Christians are once again forced to consider
seeking asylum elsewhere in light of the
growing hostility.
A pastor in Turkmenistan has been jailed
for four years on what his wife and
church say are false accusations.
Ilmurad Nurliev (45) was convicted on 21
October on charges of swindling, which
they insist were fabricated as a
punishment for his religious activity.
He is expected to serve his sentence in a
labour camp where, according to some
claims, mind-altering drugs have been
used. Worryingly the grandfather-of-twois diabetic, and his wife has not been
allowed to see him or give him his
medicines since he was arrested in
August.
The credibility of the prosecution
witnesses – one of whom was
apparently in jail when the authorities
claimed she gave Pastor Nurliev money
– has been strongly questioned.
According to his wife, Maya Nurlieva, the
court said that if Nurliev paid the moneyhe is alleged to have swindled from
people who came to his church, he
might be eligible for prisoner amnesty.
“But he’s not guilty,” she told Forum 18
News Service.
Pastor Nurliev had previously been
targeted by the authorities. He was put
on the country’s exit blacklist without an
official explanation. And the church he
leads in Mary has been repeatedly
denied registration since 2007.
TurKMenISTan:
PaSTOr JaILeD On
FaLSe CHarGeS
Newsroom
1
Two Christian men who were arrested
in Algeria after they were seen eating
lunch during Ramadan have been
acquitted. Hocine Hocini and Salem
Fellak were accused of offending Islamby breaking the rules of Ramadan, the
Muslim month of fasting during daylight
hours. The colleagues were arrested in
aLGerIa: CHrISTIan PaIr CLeareD OF OFFenDInG ISLaM
a doo to th bghdd chuch iddldwith ullt hols
August after eating on the building site
where they worked in Kabylie, northern
Algeria. They admitted they had been
eating but said they had done it discreetly.
A state prosecutor sought a three year
prison sentence, but at their trial in October
the judge threw the case out of court,
saying, “No article [of law] provided for a
legal pursuit” against the men.
A group of people who had gathered
outside the courthouse applauded whenthey heard the verdict.
Mour ner s f illed t he st r eet s f or t he f uner al pr ocession of t hose k illed in t he siege
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Newsroom
1
Three churches were torched by arsonists
in Russia’s mainly Muslim North Caucasus
region, where Islamists are fighting to
establish a separate state ruled by sharia(Islamic law).
The fires at churches in Karachayevo-
Cherkessia republic all happened in the
early hours of 1 November in what was
described by a senior church leader as
“well-orchestrated provocation”. He
ruSSIa: THree CHurCHeS TOrCHeD
Mainly Christian islands were at the heart
of a three-fold disaster of earthquake,
tsunami and volcanic eruption that killed
hundreds and left thousands homeless in
Indonesia.
A 7.7 magnitude undersea earthquake
triggered the three-metre high tsunami,
which pounded the Mentawai Islands, off
the coast of West Sumatra, on 25 October.The following day Mount Merapi on Java
erupted, and afterwards continued to spew
out clouds of ash and gas. The combined
death toll reached 450, while tens of
thousands of people became refugees as
homes were destroyed.
Barnabas Fund sent immediate financial aid
for the provision of food, clothing and
InDOneSIa: CHrISTIanS aT CenTreOF TrIPLe DISaSTer
Chistis fom Pdg iskd thi sftto hlp oths d sists i Mtwi.(Souc: IFGF GISI Mtwi rlif Tm)
added, “The intention is to destabilise
inter-religious harmony, but they will
not succeed.”
One of the churches was almost
completely gutted, but all three buildings
were saved by the immediate intervention
of church members who, after alerting the
fire brigade, began fighting the flames
themselves. No one was hurt in the
attacks.
The North Caucasus is plagued by
violence, but vandalism of churches is
rare. And Karachayevo-Cherkessia, which
has a sizeable Christian minority, hadpreviously enjoyed relative peace. It is not
known who was behind the fires, but
there has been an upsurge in Islamist
militancy in the North Caucasus region,
where radicalised youths are fighting for
an independent state separate from
predominantly Christian Russia.
Thousands of Egyptian Christians staged
a demonstration in front of the United
Nations to appeal for international help in
stopping violence against the country’s
believers.
The protest at the end of October
followed a series of false allegations,threats of violence, and mass
demonstrations by Islamists against the
Church in Egypt.
At least ten mass demonstrations
involving thousands of Muslims had taken
place against Egyptian Christians, with
the previously unknown group “Front of
Islamic Egypt” threatening them with a
“bloodbath”.
In addition to baseless rumours that
Christians were kidnapping and torturingwomen who had converted to Islam,
Muslim anger was ignited when entirely
unfounded accusations were made on Al-
Jazeera TV that the Egyptian Church was
aligned with Israel and stockpiling
weapons in preparation for waging war
against Muslims.
Egyptian Christians’ rights were also
threatened by the Supreme Council of
Islamic Affairs, a government body,
following remarks by a church leader
about a verse in the Qur’an. The councilsaid that “the citizenship rights of non-
Muslims were conditional to their abiding
by the Islamic identity of the State”.
medicine in Mentawai, a collection of small
islands that are predominantly Christian.
Our partners from churches in Padang,
West Sumatra, worked with their Mentawai
counterparts to co-ordinate relief efforts.
Supplies were gathered by the Padang
churches and taken by boat to the islands,
with brave volunteers risking their own
safety in dangerous conditions to help their
brothers and sisters.
Around 500 homes were destroyed, with a
further 200 damaged. Six church buildings,
five schools, six government buildings,
seven bridges and an eight-kilometre
stretch of road were also damaged or
destroyed. The rescue and relief operation
was expected to last for up to three months
followed by extensive rehabilitation work.
eGyPT: CHrISTIanSunDer InTenSeaTTaCK
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In Touch
Do you share our passion for persecuted Christians who are suffering for theirfaith? You can stand with our brothers and sisters around the world by helpingyour local church to understand their plight.
Barnabas Fund’s development manager in the UK, Peter Burnett, says:“For the work of Barnabas Fund to be effective, we need people who arewilling to go that extra mile; people who will be a voice for our brothers andsisters who are discriminated against because of their faith in our Lord.”
I o Chch: Chch psttivs are a voice for the persecuted
Church worldwide within their local congregations. The role can be adapted tosuit the individual and their church.
What does a representative do?
n Pliciss th plight of psctd Chistis by distributing Barnabas Aid magazine and other printed materials to church members.
n ecogs p by raising items at church prayer meetings and/or forthe church’s notice sheet; perhaps setting up a local prayer group.
n riss ficil sppot by encouraging the church to consider allocatingpart of its outward giving and/or holding a special offering for BarnabasFund projects.
n Pomots spcil vts such as Suffering Church Sunday andencourages people to support petitions and campaigns.
I o a: a psttivs promote the work of Barnabas Fundacross a local area, organising and encouraging meetings for people from localchurches and Christian groups. They may speak at meetings themselves orinvite Barnabas Fund to provide a speaker for an event they are organising at alocal venue.
as spk: Barnabas Fund receives frequent enquiries from groups andchurches for someone to speak to them about the persecuted Church. Weneed volts who are gifted in preaching and public speaking to give avoice to persecuted Christians who cannot speak for themselves.
For more information about the support available for these volunteer roles,please visit our website (www.barnabasfund.org/volunteer) or contact PeterBurnett at the Coventry office (address details on the back cover). The timeneeded can be very flexible to fit in with your schedule and othercommitments. Many volunteers fulfil more than one of these roles!
Representing theSuffering Church
1
In t he week s before Easter we especially remember our Lor d’s suff er ing, so t his is also a very
appr opriate t ime to remember t hose ar ound t he world who ar e suffering for their f ait h in Him. Barnabas Fund invit es you to join us in prayer f or the persecuted Chur ch as you pr epare for Easter. Please look out for your copy of the Barnabas Fund 2011 Lent Prayer Book let, which will beincluded with t he March/ April 2011 edit ion of Ba rn a b a s Ai d . W e hope you f ind t his a useful tool to inspir e andassist your prayers for Christ ians around the world.
Regular Givin g to Barn abas F un d?Would you consider giving regularly to
Barnabas Fund? Regular gifts allow
us to plan ahead k nowing that we will
have a steady income stream to rely
on. It also helps us respond quick ly to
new or emergency requests.
If you would lik e to set up a regular
gift to Barnabas Fund, please
complete the Direct Debit form on the
inside back cover. If you are a UK
taxpayer, don’t forget to complete the
Gift A id declaration, so that Barnabas
Fund can reclaim the tax on all of the
donations that you make. This means
that your gifts are worth up to 28%
more to us at no extra cost to you.
Praying for thePersecuted Churchin Lent
BARNABAS AID JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
F in d us on F acebook ; F ollow us on T witter
Barnabas Fund has a
Facebook page where
we can share
information, press
releases and items for prayer with
our supporters. To receive frequent
updates on current issues, visit
www.facebook .com/BarnabasFund
and “lik e” the page.
You can also follow us on Twitter, a
quick and free service that lets you
k eep in touch with up-to-date stories
relating to persecuted Christians
around the world. Barnabas updates
Twitter regularly with prayer points
and link s to news
stories. To get involved
with Barnabas Twitter,
visit http://twitter.com/
BarnabasFund.
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Yes, I would like to help the persecuted Church
Here is my gift of ______________________
Please use my gift for
Wherever the need is greatest (General Fund)
Other ___________________________________________*
I enclose a cheque/voucher payable to “Barnabas Fund”.
Please debit my Visa Mastercard American Express Maestro CAF card /other charity card
Number
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Expiry date / Signature ______________________________
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I would like to give regularly through my bank. Please send me
the appropriate form. (UK supporters may use the Direct Debit
form below.)
Alternative Gift Card To make an alternative gift for a loved one, please
contact your national Barnabas office.
DIRECT DEBIT for UK supporters who would like to give regularly
I/We want to bring hope and aid to the persecuted Church by a regular gift, to be used
where it is most needed (General Fund) or for ________________________________*(give reference number of project to be supported)
Gift Aid Declaration (Applicable to UK tax payers only)
I authorise Barnabas Fund, registered charity no. 1092935, to treat alldonations I have made since 6 April 2006 and all subsequent donationsas Gift Aid donations until I notify you otherwise.
Signature ______________________________________ Date ____________
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Name (Mr,Mrs,Miss,Ms,Rev,Dr)
Address
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Please return this form to Barnabas Fund at your national office or to the UK office.
Addresses are on the back cover. Barnabas Fund will not give your address or email
to anyone else.
Phone 0800 587 4006 or visit our website at www.barnabasfund.org to make a
credit card donation. From outside UK phone +44 1672 565031.Registered Charity number 1092935 Company registered in England number 4029536
*If the project chosen is sufficiently funded, we reserve the right to use designated gifts either foranother project of a similar type or for another project in the same country.
Supporters in Germany: please turn to back cover for how to send gifts to
Barnabas Fund.Mag JF11
Devotional Journal (£5 + £2 P&P)
Please send the following resources (indicate quantity required):
The aid agency for the persecuted Church
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Starting on 1st / 11th / 21st _________________ and then everymonth/quarter/year (delete as applicable) until further notice.
This Direct Debit is a new one / in addition to / replaces an earlier StandingOrder / Direct Debit in favour of Barnabas Fund. (delete as applicable).
THE DIRECT DEBIT GUARANTEEThis Guarantee is offered by all Banks and Building Societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits.If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit Barnabas Fund will notify you 14 working days in advance of your account being debitedor as otherwise agreed.If you request Barnabas Fund to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by Barnabas Fund or your bank or building society, you are guaranteed a full and immediate refund of the amountpaid from from your bank or building society.If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Barnabas Fund asks you to. You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Writtenconfirmation may be required. Please also notify us.
Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit
Please fill in the whole form including official use box using a ball pointpen and send it to: Barnabas Fund, 9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX
Service User Number 2 5 3 6 4 5
Reference (Barnabas Fund to complete)Name and full postal address of your bank or building society
Name(s) of account holder(s)
Bank/building society account number Branch sort code Signature(s)
Date
Instruction to your bank or building society: Please pay Barnabas FundDirect Debits from the account detailed in this instruction subject to thesafeguards assured to by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that thisinstruction may remain with Barnabas Fund and, if so, details will bepassed electronically to my bank/building society. DD18
Mag JF11
8/7/2019 Barnabas Aid January/February 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/barnabas-aid-januaryfebruary-2011 24/24
How to Find UsYou may contact Barnabas Fund at the following addresses:
UK 9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX
Tlpho 024 7623 1923 Fx 024 7683 4718
From outside the UK
Tlpho +44 24 7623 1923 Fx +44 24 7683 4718
emil [email protected]
Registered charity number 1092935
Company registered in England number 4029536
For a list of al l trustees, please contact Barnabas Fund UK at the Coventry address above.
Australia
Postal Suite 107, 236 Hyperdome, Loganholme QLD 4129
Tlpho (07) 3806 1076 or 1300 365 799
Fx (07) 3806 4076 emil [email protected]
Germany
German supporters may send gifts for Barnabas Fund via Hilfe für Brüder who will
provide you with a tax-deductible receipt. Please mention that the donation is for “SPC
20 Barnabas Fund”. If you would like your donation to go to a specific project of
Barnabas Fund, please inform the Barnabas Fund office in Pewsey, UK.
accot hold: Hilfe für Brüder e.V.
accot m: 415 600 Bank: Evang. Kreditgenossenschaft Stuttgart
bkcod (bLZ): 520 604 10
© Barnabas Fund 2010. For permission to reproduce articles from this magazine, pleasecontact the International Headquarters address above.The paper used is produced using wood fibre at a mill that has been awarded the ISO14001
tifi t f i t l t
Jersey
Le Jardin, La Rue A Don, Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands JE3 9GB
Tlpho 700600 Fx 700601 emil [email protected]
New Zealand
PO Box 27 6018, Manukau City, Manukau, 2241
Tlpho (09) 280 4385 or 0800 008 805
emil [email protected]
USA
6731 Curran St, McLean, VA 22101
Tlpho (703) 288-1681 or toll-free 1-866-936-2525
Fx (703) 288-1682 emil [email protected]
International Headquarters
The Old Rectory, River Street, Pewsey,
Wiltshire SN9 5DB, UK
Tlpho 01672 564938
Fx 01672 565030
From outside UK:
Tlpho +44 1672 564938
Fx +44 1672 565030
emil [email protected]
barnabasaid the magazine of Barnabas Fundexctiv edito Steve Carter
Plishd bs Fd The Old Rectory, River Street, Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9
5DB, UK Tlpho 01672 564938 Fx 01672 565030
From outside UK: Tlpho +44 1672 564938 Fx +44 1672 565030emil [email protected]
We are always seeking to make more people aware of the plight of the persecuted Church, and whatBarnabas Fund does to bring hope and aid to our suffering brothers and sisters. We would like to ask you to help us spread our message wider. Will you introduce your Christian friends to our work andencourage them to take an interest in it?
Wh ot sd s ms d cotct dtils (with pmissio!) of o fids/fmilwho sh o coc fo th psctd Chch? eclosd with this ditio of thmgzi is cd fo o to fill ot d t to o st bs offic(ddsss low).
Thank you so much for anything you can do to raise awareness of the needs of our suffering brothersand sisters, and of what Barnabas is doing to help them. We are so grateful for the faithfulness of oursupporters in prayer, concern and giving.
Help us share the
message of Barnabas Fund
“yo lov fo th Lod’s popl givs s gt jo d cogmt, cs o hv
fshd thi hts.” (Philmo 1:7)