Day: February 4, 2010

Egypt: Christian Copts Protest for Equal Rights, Rights to Build Churches

AP reports that “Egypt Christians call for right to build churches”

— “Egyptian activists have protested in front of parliament and called for legislation giving Christians equal rights as Muslims to build houses of worship.”
— “The demonstrators, both Muslim and Christian, were also protesting Wednesday against the sectarian strains in the country, particularly in light of a Christmas Eve slaying of six Copts and a Muslim guard outside a church in southern Egypt.”
— “The government has maintained that sectarian harmony reigns in Egypt and said the Jan. 6 attack had no religious dimension.”
— “Muslims need a municipal permit to build mosques. But Copts must get their papers signed by the president.”

— See other R.E.A.L. postings on Coptic oppression

end-copt-hate

Turkmenistan: Forum 18 Reports Imam and Police Raid Christian Worship Services, Seize Bibles

Turkmenistan: Worship without state registration “illegal”
— Forum 18 reports: “Turkmenistan continues to raid Protestants meeting for worship in different parts of the country, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. One such raid was led by Turkmenistan’s former Chief Mufti, Rovshen Allaberdiev, who is now imam of Dashoguz Region as well as being the senior regional Gengeshi (Council) for Religious Affairs official. Allaberdiev and accompanying officials confiscated Christian books during the raid, including personal Bibles. All 22 people present were taken to a local government building, questioned and pressured to sign statements not to attend the church in future.”
— “Forum 18 has also learnt that a Protestant church in another town faced pressure from the local imam (and state Gengeshi official) in late December 2009 about the same time as the Path of Faith congregation in Dashoguz.”

— see the rest of the report

Israel: Third TNT-laden barrel washes ashore — on public beaches

Israel: Third TNT-laden barrel washes ashore — on public beaches
— Haaretz: “A barrel packed with explosive charges washed ashore yesterday on Palmahim beach, some 10 kilometers south of Tel Aviv, two days after two other barrel bombs were found on the Ashkelon and Ashdod beaches”
— “Police said after the first barrels were found Monday that they originated in Gaza and were intended to explode next to a ship or near beachgoers. Islamic Violent Extemism claimed responsibility for the barrels found Monday.”

Indonesia: Two Churches Forced to Close in Indonesia

Indonesia: Two Churches Forced to Close in Indonesia
— Compass News reports: “Local governments have ordered the closure of two churches on Indonesia’s Java island.:
— “Under pressure from Islamist groups, authorities ordered Christian Baptist Church in Sepatan, Tangerang district, Banten Province to cease services. In Pondok Timur, near Bekasi in West Java, officials abruptly closed the Huria Christian Protestant Batak Church (HKBP) after delaying a building permit for four years.”
— “Tangerang district authorities issued a decree on Jan. 21 ordering all worship activities to cease at the Baptist church. At a meeting in the district offices, officials pressured church officials to sign a statement that they would stop all worship activities, but they refused.”