(Bangladesh) Dhaka, death threats against the family of a Christian convert from Islam
— AsiaNews reports: “After graduating from a top Bangladeshi university Rashidul Amin Khandaker went to Australia to expand his father Ruhul’s business. Here he discovered Christianity and was attracted by the faith’s beauty. On 26 July 2008 he was baptised by Fr Dominic Ceresoli, parish priest at St Therese in the Archdiocese of Sydney. As a result of this his family has met with the disapproval of the community and has been ostracised. Now they have received death threats.”
— Rashid’s father “Ruhul told AsiaNews that since his son’s conversion he has been ostracised by Muslim clerics and cannot even go to the local mosque to pray. ”
— “Last Saturday he received a letter from ‘Allahr Dal’ (Allah’s Group), an extremist Islamic group banned for its violent views. In it he is accused of being a ‘tool’ of Christians to destroy Islam. They order him to ‘sacrifice’ his son Rashidul because the latter’s conversion has brought into disrepute the whole Muslim community.”
— “He concludes saying that ‘we don’t even have the courage to go to the police’ to file a complaint.”
— “Speaking to AsiaNews, a Christian woman, Annie Halder, said that such threats should not be underestimated.”
— “Allahr Dal is thought to be closely linked to Muslim extremists in Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
— “‘The lives of Christian converts from Islam are in great danger in Bangladesh. We have seen converts murdered as the government failed to protect them.'”
Category: Bin Ladenism
reports and articles on those with extremist views that mirror those of Osama Bin Laden
Pakistan: Christians protest against deadly violence
Pakistan: Christians protest against deadly violence
— UCAN News Reports: “On August 2, Churches in Pakistan praryed for the ‘Christian martyrs’ during Sunday Masses and services.”
— “On the same day around 600 Christians staged a protest against the Punjab provincial government in front of the Quetta Press Club in the capital of the southwestern province of Baluchistan.”
— “They carried banners which read, “Stop violence against minorities” and “Arrest Gojra murderers.” The protesters included Caritas workers from Quetta, members of the Catholic bishops’ Justice and Peace Office, and several pastors and politicians.”
— “Jafar George, the Catholic provincial minister of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, said in his address at the gathering: ‘The Punjab provincial government has failed to stop violence in Gojra or act against the attackers. If it cannot provide security to the minorities, it must resign.'”
— “Similarly the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance staged protest rallies in Lahore and Sargodha on Aug. 2 to condemn the Gojra rioting.”
Sudan: Police beat women opposing Sudan dress code trial
(Sudan) Police beat women opposing Sudan dress code trial
— AP reports: “Sudanese police fired tear gas and beat women protesting outside a Sudanese court Tuesday during the trial of a female journalist accused of violating the Islamic dress code by wearing trousers in public.”
— “Police moved in swiftly and dispersed about 50 protesters, mostly women, who were supporting Lubna Hussein, a former U.N. worker facing 40 lashes on the charge of ‘indecent dressing.’ Some of the women demonstrators wore trousers in solidarity with Hussein while others wore more traditional dress.”
— “In the clashes outside the courtroom, witnesses said police wielding batons beat up one of Hussein’s lawyers, Manal Awad Khogali, while keeping media and cameras at bay. No injuries were immediately reported.”
— “‘We are here to protest against this law that oppresses women and debases them,’ said one of the protesters, Amal Habani, a female columnist for the daily Ajraas Al Hurria, or Bells of Freedom in Arabic.”
— Tear gas fired at protesters outside Lubna Hussein trial
Sudanese Feminist Hero Forced into Hiding — Phyllis Chesler report on Lubna al-Hussein
Sudanese Feminist Hero Forced into Hiding — Phyllis Chesler report on Lubna al-Hussein
— Phyllis Chesler reports: “Lubna al-Hussein, is now moving from one relative’s house to another’s. Why? Because she was threatened by a man on a motorcycle who told her ‘she would end up like (that) Egyptian woman who was murdered in a recent notorious case.'”
— Sudanese Women Activists’ petition
Afghan women victims of ‘widespread’ rape: UN
Afghan women victims of ‘widespread’ rape: UN
— “Rape in Afghanistan is ‘widespread’ and violence against women serving in public life is on the rise, a UN report said Wednesday, nearly eight years after the fall of the Taliban.”
— “The 32-page report denounces an institutional failure to curb violence against women and a culture of impunity that leaves such crimes unpunished.”
— “The report, issued by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned of a ‘growing trend’ of violence and threats against women in public life”
— “Women are also the victims of so-called ‘honour’ killings, trafficking and abduction, as well as early and forced marriages and domestic violence, it said. Girls and women are exchanged to resolve disputes over land and property.”
— UN Special Representative Eide Urges Afghans to Challenge Violence Against Women
— “Silence is Violence: End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan – July 8, 2009”
Pakistan: 3,000 cases of violence against women, 119 “honor killings” in Punjab in 6 months
(Pakistan) ‘Over 3,000 cases of violence against women in Punjab’
— between January and June 2009 – “119 ‘honour’ killings took place”
— almost another “honor killing” every weekday in Pakistan’s Punjab…
Egypt: Two Christians Coptic Girls Abducted for “forced Islamization”
AINA reports: “Muslims Abduct Two Christian Coptic Girls in Egypt”
— “Mrs. Samira Markos, who lives in Alexandria, sent an appeal to Egypt4Christ advocacy, pleading with them to rescue her daughter from forced Islamization. The mother said that her daughter Amira Morgan (born 9/9/1992) was abducted on 7-18-2009 on her way to work in the plastics factory near their home.”
— “Another episode of Coptic female abduction took place on 7-22-2009, also in Alexandria, when 18-year old Ingy Basta went to repair her cell phone in the Nozha Airport area, and was never seen again. Her father reported the case to the police on 23/7/2009 but she has not been found yet. Ingy was be engaged on Sunday 7/26/2009 to a Coptic man.”
— “Egypt4Christ believes that Ingy was abducted by the same Muslim group which operates in the Nozha Airport area of Alexandria. On 28/5/2009 their Imam falsely accused a Coptic young man of stealing the donations box from the Zawiya corner (prayer room) of El-Nour Mosque, after he refused to convert to Islam. Maged Saad was found innocent of this theft by the court.”
Sudan: Journalist Lubna Hussein prepares to test Sudan’s Islamic law in court
Bangladesh – Police Torture Christian Pastor, Two Other Christians
Bangladesh – Police Torture Pastor, Two Others
— Compass Direct News reports:
—- “At the urging of local Muslim leaders, police in western Bangladesh have tortured a pastor and two other Christians for legally proclaiming Christ. Habibur Rahman, 45, pastor of Boalia Spiritual Church (Boalia Ruhani Jamat) in Boalia in Cuadanga district, 220 kilometers (136 miles) west of Dhaka, said he was about to meet with 11 others for a monthly meeting on evangelism at 8 p.m. on June 8 when local police stormed in and seized him and Zahid Hassan, 25, and a 40-year-old Christian identified only as Fazlur. Police blindfolded them and took them to Shamvunagar police camp. ‘While beating us, police told us there will be no Christian in this area,’ the pastor said. ‘Police hurt our hands, lips, thighs and faces with burning cigarettes. They beat me in the joints of my limbs with a wooden club. They beat us for one hour, and I became senseless at some point.'”
Pakistan: Christians Burned to Death (including women and children), Mob Burns Houses, Church in Punjab’s Gojra – Korian Area
Compass reports: “Pakistan – Christians Burned to Death in Islamist Attacks”
— “14 believers reportedly killed; more than 100 homes burned in Gojra town, Korian village”
— “extremists today set ablaze more than 50 houses and a church in this town in northeastern Pakistan following an accusation of ‘blasphemy’ of the Quran, leaving at least 14 Christians dead, sources said.”
— “The dead include women and children, with several other burn victims unable to reach hospitals for medical care, according to the Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement.”
— “The attack came amid a protest by thousands of Muslim Islamists — including members of banned militant groups — that resulted in another six people dying when participants shot at police and officers responded with tear gas and gunfire.”
— “The same rumor of desecration of the Quran that led to today’s massive protest and attack in Gojra, 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Faisalabad, also prompted an arson assault on Thursday (July 30) by extremists on the village of Korian, seven miles from Gojra, that gutted 60 houses.”
— “Punjab Minister for Law Rana Sanaullah reportedly said an initial investigation of allegations of the Quran being blasphemed indicated ‘there has not been any incident of desecration.'”
Daily Telegraph reports: “Pakistan faces Christian protest after eight people ‘burned alive'”
— “Missionary schools across Pakistan closed on Monday in a three day protest against the deaths of up to seven Christians who were burned alive in clashes with Muslims”
— “Two children – a brother and sister aged six and 13 – their parents and 75-year-old grandfather were among those killed in violence that broke out in Gojra in Punjab province on Saturday”
— “One report said that six Christians died in flames, while two were killed by gunshots”
— “Muslims torched Christians’ homes following unsubstantiated allegations some of them had desecrated the Koran. Some 40 homes were burned down.”
— “Paramilitary troops and other security forces were patrolling the city Monday.”
— “Gojra is in Pakistan’s Faisalabad region, which is dotted with hard-line Islamist schools.”
— “Government officials have said preliminary investigations showed there was no desecration of the Koran and that a ‘rumour’ was being exploited by anti-state elements to create chaos.”
— “‘Christian schools will remain closed for three days from today to mourn the death of innocent people in Gojra,’ said Bishop Sadiq Daniel, head of the Church of Pakistan diocese in Karachi and southwestern Baluchistan province. ‘There is no proof of blasphemy, but if someone has done that he, and not the entire community, should be punished.'”
— “Desecration of the Koran is punishable by death in Pakistan.”
— “While Christian schools and colleges in Punjab are largely closed for summer vacation, they were set to reopen in Pakistan’s biggest city of Karachi on Monday.”
— “Pakistan is a predominantly Muslim country and religious minorities, including Christians, account for roughly 4 percent of the 170 million population.”
Dawn reports: Negligence of officials blamed for Gojra riots
— “They protested against attacks on their houses and burning alive of seven members of their community by a mob”
— “Violence had broken out in a Gojra village on Thursday after an alleged incident of desecration of the Holy Quran during a wedding ceremony”
— “The arrested men include Qari Abdul Khaliq Kashmiri, a leader of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan”
Pakistan Daily Times reports: Sipah Sahaba “used acid and petrol bombs to destroy property and kill Christian women and children, while the local government and police simply did nothing”
—- but Pakistan Daily Times does not condemn blasphemy law
Times of India reports: 9 killed in communal violence in Pakistan’s Punjab province
— “Hundreds of Muslims gathered this morning and marched towards Christian homes at Azafi Abadi village, 160 km from Lahore. Witnesses said at least three persons were killed and some others injured when police fired at a mob that was trying to forcibly enter the homes of Christians”
— “A mob had on Friday burnt over 70 houses of Christians at Azafi Abadi over an alleged incident of desecration of the Quran. Muslims set on fire another 15 houses of Christians on Saturday.”
Initial Report – July 31, 2009 – from UCAN:
Pakistan – Report of Mob Burning Christian Homes for Alleged “Blasphemy”
