Islamic State: ISIS orders parents to MARRY OFF their daughters

 

Islamic State: ISIS orders parents to MARRY OFF their daughters to its depraved fighters

TERRIFIED parents in Libya have been ordered to MARRY OFF their daughters to depraved Islamic State (ISIS) fighters, it emerged today.

By Nick Gutteridge

PUBLISHED: 03:27, Mon, Sep 7, 2015 | UPDATED: 11:07, Mon, Sep 7, 2015

IG/GETTY

Isis has ordered parents to hand over their daughters in marriage

Sex-crazed Islamists in the coastal city of Sirte are looking to force mothers and fathers to hand over their young girls in the name of jihad.

Those who refuse could find themselves hauled before a Sharia court, with public floggings and even the death penalty amongst the punishments routinely handed down by Isis militants.

The move comes after Express.co.uk revealed how Nigerian terror group Boko Haram has sent hundreds of fighters to Sirte to help the jihadis hold the city.

The hated terror group has declared the Sirte its new capital in north Africa as part of its bid to create a so-called caliphate.

IG

A billboard in Sirte shows women what they are allowed to wear

In a sermon to Sirte’s terrified people – who recently rebelled against their new Isis rulers – militant Hassan al-Karami ordered locals to marry off their female relatives to Isis fighters.

He said that mothers and fathers should "step up and take the initiative" by handing over their daughters as part of jihad. Isis has made similar demands in areas it has captured in Iraq and Syria, with many women revealing the horrific treatment they have received at the hands of its twisted and depraved fighters.

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The Benghazi-born jihadist also declared the city, once the hometown of Colonel Gaddafi, to be part of the so-called caliphate.

Isis has declared its intention to use the Mediterranean city as a springboard from which to invade Europe.

IG

The hated terror group has declared Sirte part of its so-called caliphate

Speaking at a mosque in the city’s third district, where an ill-fated anti-Isis rebellion was brutally crushed two weeks ago, al-Karami announced that the group will set up Sharia Law courts in Sirte to hand down brutal punishments to anyone who questions their rule. Penalties for anybody who disobeys the Islamist fanatics will include public flogging and even the death sentence.

He also said that the city’s university will be reopened in a bid to brainwash local inhabitants. It will teach a strictly Isis-approved curriculum, and men and women will be completely separated. ,

IG

Hundreds of Boko Haram militants have joined the Isis in Sirte

Boosted by hundreds of heavily armed Boko Haram warriors, al-Karami also taunted the group’s enemies, who are trying to take back the city.

Referring to a newly formed Arab League force, which has vowed to fight Isis, he boasted: "The Islamic State does not fear the infidel apostate Arab coalition against it."

Libya’s embattled government has called for international air-strikes on Isis to halts its rapid spread through northern Africa.

Last month Isis announced plans to use Sirte as a springboard to invade Europe, urging its militants to make the short journey across the Mediterranean and "conquer Rome".

The jihadists in Sirte have threatened to turn their attentions on nearby Europe, saying in propaganda videos that they will "conquer Rome".

The fight against ISIS

Mon, August 10, 2015

The battle against ISIS militants (also abbreviated as Daesh, ISIL, IS and Islamic State) continues in the Middle East.

Islamic State: ISIS orders parents in Libyan city of Sirte to marry off their daughters | World | News | Daily Express

Andrae Crouch dies aged 72

Legendary gospel musician Andrae Crouch has died at a hospital in Los Angeles following a heart attack last week, his publicist has confirmed.

The seven-time Grammy winning composer, producer and singer has worked with stars like Michael Jackson and Madonna.

He also arranged pieces for Disney’s film "The Lion King" and "The Color Purple", which he received an Academy Award nomination for.

After reportedly writing his first gospel song at the age of 14, Crouch went on to become one of only a handful of gospel musicians to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

"The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power" and "Soon and Very Soon," and ”My Tribute (To God Be the Glory)" are among his most-loved works.

Born in San Francisco, he started his music career at his father’s church in the San Fernando Valley, where he played piano.

He went on to perform at the White House, the Grand Ole Opry and at Billy Graham’s rallies.

He and his twin sister were both pastors at the New Christ Memorial Church in the Los Angeles suburbs.

Image: Rex features

Pastor Sandra Crouch has paid tribute to her brother, saying: "Today my twin brother, womb-mate and best friend went home to be with the Lord,"

"I tried to keep him here but God loved him best."

Grammy-winning gospel singer, Jason Grabb, says: "We’ve lost a true pioneer and he will be missed,"

During an interview with Associated Press in 2011, Andrae Crouch highlighted how his faith was integral to his music:

"When I finish a song, I thank God for bringing me through,"

"You have to press on and know your calling. That’s what I’ve been doing for all my life. I just went forward."

Leader of the KICC Church, Pastor Matthew Ashimolow, was a good friend of Andrae Crouch and the last one to bring him to the UK.

He says Crouch "left the legacy of a holy life, a good life" but also of "a man who has changed the world with the quality of his music":

"I think he’s also one person whose music cut across cultures, race, and, in fact, also cut across into certain places somebody who may not be considered Christian or religious would play his music."

"He was the one, really, who took away that artist who played very slow, quiet music, and brought life into Gospel music.

"I think if you ask the average gospel artist today, they will have taken a lot of inspiration from him."

Pastor Matthew says his favourite memory of him was a service in America that clearly showed how loved and popular he was:

"In the early days, in the late 70s, Andrae Crouch had gone to a church in the United State of America, they had invited him to come and minister in their church.

"But they did not expect the magnitute of crowd that showed up; The crowd outside was more than the people inside!

"The church did not know that this man’s music was so strong."

Premier Gospel’s station director, Muyiwa Olarewaju, says words used to describe him will be ‘father’, ‘innovator’, ‘leader’ and ‘legend’:

Family: Canadian pastor being held in North Korea

Hong Kong (CNN)A Canadian pastor, who went to North Korea on a humanitarian trip in late January, is being held in the reclusive Communist state, his family said early Thursday.

The family of Rev. Hyeon Soo Lim said they received notice from Canadian officials that Pyongyang has confirmed that the pastor is being held.

"The Lim family and the church community is asking fellow Canadians and the international community to continue praying for his release and safe return home," a family spokeswoman said in a short emailed statement.

Lim, 60, went to North Korea on a humanitarian trip as he had done over a hundred times before, said Lisa Pak, a spokeswoman for his church, based in Mississauga, Ontario.

On January 30, Lim traveled to North Korea from China with a companion from the church who last spoke with him the following day.

Lim was scheduled to return February 4 from what was described as a "routine" trip to Rajin, in northeastern North Korea, where his church supports a nursery, orphanage and nursing home, according to the Light Korean Presbyterian Church.

In 1986, Lim immigrated to Canada from South Korea with his wife and son. He speaks fluent Korean and leads a 3,000-member church.

Pak, the church’s spokeswoman, said she doesn’t believe Lim would have engaged in any type of proselytizing, which is prohibited in North Korea.

"He knows the language, he knows the nature of the government, so we don’t see that as a legitimate reason that he would be detained," she said. "We don’t believe that’s the way he would have behaved. He’s very wise about that."

Previously, North Korea has detained Westerners on religious grounds.

Former detainee’s advice: Keep the faith

Kenneth Bae, who was detained for two years after North Korea accused him of trying to bring down the government through religious activities. Bae was released in November.

Another American, Jeffrey Fowle, was arrested after leaving a Bible at a club in North Korea and released after five months in detention.

Aijalon Mahli Gomes, a U.S. citizen sentenced to eight years of hard labor and believed to be a Christian activist, was released from North Korea in 2010 after a visit to Pyongyang by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

CNN’s KJ Kwon contributed to this report from Seoul, South Korea, and Tina Burnside from Atlanta.

Family: Canadian pastor being held in North Korea – CNN.com

CONCENTRATION CAMPS in North Korea

Topographic map of North Korea. Created with GMT from SRTM data. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is the Year 2013 how can this be let to go on in the world today…what is wrong with us that we let this happen….jboy2244

The villages turned into CONCENTRATION CAMPS in North Korea as brutal regime  struggles to house hundreds of thousands of political prisoners

• Images show new security  perimeter enclosing entire civilian villages
• Amnesty International  claims ‘general repression’ is now commonplace
• Human rights watchdog is  urging U.N. forum to launch inquiry on abuses

  By Daniel Miller

PUBLISHED:13:47, 7 March  2013| UPDATED:08:35, 8  March 2013

North Korea is expanding its already  extensive network of prison camps, eating up entire villages as  it  struggles to house hundreds of thousands of political prisoners, latest  satellite images have revealed.

The secretive communist regime has built a  huge ‘security perimeter’ around an existing camp restricting movement in nearby  villages as part of its ‘general repression’ of its people, human rights  watchdog Amnesty International said today.

The reclusive country’s network of political  prison camps is believed to hold at least 200,000 people and has been the scene  of rapes, torture, executions and slave labour, U.N. High Commissioner for Human  Rights Navi Pillay said in January.

 

Satellite images show how North Korea is expanding its  already sizeable network of prison camps

 

Clampdown: North Korea has built a huge ‘security  perimeter’ around a camp for political prisoners, restricting movement in nearby  villages

Analysis of new satellite images of the area  near Camp No. 14 in Kaechon shows that the government is ‘blurring the lines’  between its camps and surrounding civilians, Amnesty said.

The images show that between 2006 and 2013,  North Korea has constructed 20 km (12 miles) of posts around the Ch’oma-Bong  valley located 70km north of Pyongyang.

 The new perimeter encloses civilian  villages with a series of check points  and guard towers, Amnesty said in a statement voicing fears about government  intentions for the valley, 70 km north of the capital Pyongyang.

‘The security and control adjacent to Camp 14  shows the degree to which general repression and restrictions on the right to  liberty of movement have become commonplace in North Korea,’ said Rajiv Narayan,  North Korea researcher for Amnesty.

 

Expansion: Satellite images reveal an increase in  housing between 2008 and 2011, in North Korea’s Ch’oma-Bong valley

 

The images show that between 2006 and 2013, North Korea  has constructed 20 km (12 miles) of posts around the Ch’oma-Bong valley located  70km north of Pyongyang.

 

A satellite image shows what Amnesty International  believes is the construction of an entrance gate in North Korea’s Ch’oma-Bong  valley

The London-based group called on the U.N.  Human Rights Council, holding its main annual session in Geneva through March  22, to launch an international commission of inquiry into grave and systematic  violations ‘including crimes against humanity’.

North Korea denies the existence of a network  of camps.

A similar U.N. investigation similar to the  one Amnesty is demanding, made up of independent experts, has said it is  documenting war crimes committed by both sides in Syria’s conflict so as to  build a case for future prosecution.

Top U.N. rights official Pillay, who met two  North Korean camp survivors in December, has called for an independent  investigation into ‘one of the worst – but least understood and reported – human  rights situations’.

Concerns about abuses in the impoverished  country have persisted for years, but have been largely overshadowed in  international forums by fears over North Korea’s attempts to become a nuclear  weapons power.

 

Blind obedience: North Koreans attend a political rally  earlier this week. Criticism of the ruling communist regime is strictly  forbidden

The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote  later on Thursday on a draft resolution in response to North  Korea’s third  underground nuclear test last month.

Amnesty commissioned DigitalGlobe to take the  images and help with their analysis following reports of the possible  construction of a new political prison camp adjacent to Camp No. 14 in Kaechon,  South Pyongyan province.

‘Dear leader’: 29-year-old North Korean dictator Kim  Jong Un

‘We expected to find a new or expanded prison  camp. What we found is in some ways even more worrisome,’ said Frank Jannuzi,  deputy executive director of Amnesty International USA.

The security perimeter beyond what appears to  be the formal boundaries of Camp 14 blurs the line between people in the prison  system known as Kwan-li-so and civilians, he said.

New buildings that appear to house workers  are probably linked to expanded mining activity in the region, Amnesty  said.

Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans,  including children, are held in political prison camps and other detention  facilities, often subjected to forced hard labour, denial of food rations, and  torture, it said.

Many detainees have not committed any crime,  but are relatives of those deemed unfriendly to the regime and detained as a  form of ‘collective punishment’, it added.

Japan and the United States called last week  for the council to launch an inquiry into alleged violations including torture  and execution of political prisoners in North Korea.

The council already has an independent  investigator on North Korea, Marzuki Darusman, who has said a wider inquiry  should examine personal and institutional accountability for crimes.

Activists hope the forum adopts a resolution  on North Korea by consensus now that neither China nor Russia are members.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2289574/Villages-turned-CONCENTRATION-CAMPS-North-Korea-brutal-regime-struggles-house-hundreds-thousands-political-prisoners.html#ixzz2UsrFvaX9 Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Dennis Rodman’s plea to Kim Jong Un

‘Do me a solid’ and free American prisoner: Dennis Rodman’s plea to Kim Jong  Un to release tour operator sentenced to 15 years hard labor

 

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman is tapping his  friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to ask for the release of a  Korean-American man sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in the  North.

‘I’m calling on the Supreme Leader of North  Korea or as I call him “Kim,” to do me a solid and cut Kenneth Bae loose,’  Rodman said on Twitter on Tuesday.

He said the tweet was posted as a direct  response to a Seattle Times editorial that dared him to ask Kim for the release,  if the two are really buddies.

 

Buds: Dennis Rodman, left, has called on North Korea’s  leader Kim Jong Un, right, to release American prisoner Kenneth Bae (Mr Rodman  with Kim Jong Un in February during his visit to North Korea)

 

 

Sway: Dennis Rodman, left hugging the North Korean  leader in February, referred to the dictator as ‘Kim’ in his Twitter message  asking him to release the American being held captive

Rodman visited North Korea in February and  sat next to Kim as they watched an exhibition basketball game. His trip came at  a time of high tension between Pyongyang and Washington and was not endorsed by  the U.S. State Department.

Kenneth Bae, a U.S. citizen, is a tour operator who was  arrested in North Korea in November

Bae is a tour operator who was arrested in  North Korea in November.

The North’s Supreme Court sentenced him last  week for unspecified ‘hostile acts’ against the state.

In a Foreign Ministry statement on Sunday,  North Korea said the 44-year-old Washington state man entered the country with a  disguised identity.

Bae is at least the sixth American detained  in North Korea since 2009.

The others eventually were deported or  released, some after trips to Pyongyang by prominent Americans, including former  U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry rejected  speculation that it was seeking a U.S. envoy to negotiate Bae’s release, saying  he is not a political bargaining chip.

Analysts have said North Korea may be using  Bae as bait to open direct negotiations with the United States over its nuclear  arms programs.

Bae’s sentencing came during a lull after  weeks of threats of war from Pyongyang against the U.S. and South  Korea.

 The U.S. has called for the North to  immediately release Bae.

It relies on Swedish diplomats in Pyongyang  to deal with Bae’s case because the North and the U.S. have no formal diplomatic  relations after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce instead of a peace  treaty.

Social Media: The former NBA star took to Twitter to  send an informal plea to the North Korean leader

In an op-ed piece for the Seattle paper,  dated May 3 by Thanh Tan, the author suggested Rodman try his hand at diplomacy,  given he seemed cozy with the dictator during his recent trip to the country.

‘Dennis Rodman claims to be lifelong buddies  with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Really?’ she wrote.

‘Well, perhaps now is the time for the NBA  has-been to practice some real basketball diplomacy and call up his so-called  friend for a favor: Grant American detainee Kenneth Bae amnesty and release him  to his family.’

North Korea has not described the exact  nature of Bae’s alleged crimes. Friends say Bae is a devout Christian and tour  operator based in China who traveled frequently to North Korea to feed  orphans.

Rodman said after his trip to North Korea  that he planned to return in August to vacation with Kim, a diehard basketball  fan.

By Daily Mail Reporter

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2321335/Dennis-Rodmans-plea-Kim-Jong-Un-release-tour-operator-sentenced-15-years-hard-labor.html#ixzz2SibnnSWM Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

NORTH KOREA Could a Commission of Inquiry finally be a reality?

NORTH KOREA: Could a Commission of Inquiry finally be a reality?  29/01/2013

 After years of CSW campaigning for a UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) on North Korea, the goal is finally within reach. With international heavyweights backing the proposal, the time has never been better to launch an official investigation into crimes against humanity in the world’s most oppressed nation.

“The deplorable human rights situation…has no parallel anywhere else in the world”

There are several signs that this could be the moment for the UN to act:

   • In January, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, added her support, calling the situation “deplorable”,    • The UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in North Korea has called for a COI,    • The countries sitting on the UN’s Human Rights Council this year are much more likely to vote in favour of a COI,    • In the past few days the governments of Japan and Australia have called for a Commission of Inquiry,    • Leading international legal experts have backed up CSW’s ongoing calls.

Over five years ago CSW published its groundbreaking report, ‘North Korea: A Case to Answer, A Call to Act’, and recommended a Commission of Inquiry. Following recent small victories of support, North Korea’s regime is under greater pressure than ever to account for its extensive human rights violations.

There needs to be one government or group of governments who will take the lead. We believe the UK could be that government. That’s why we need you to email your MP today.  But we’ve got to move fast – there’s just a small window of opportunity here!

Q: What would a Commission of Inquiry achieve? A: It would put the spotlight on North Korea’s record, and hold the regime to account.

Q: Won’t North Korea refuse to cooperate? A: Very likely, but thousands of North Koreans have escaped the country and would provide evidence to the inquiry that would contradict the regime’s attempts to deny long-term and systematic human rights violations.

Q: Why is CSW concentrating on this now? A: This year, the composition of the Human Rights Council is the most favourable it has ever been. It is very likely that a majority will favour the establishment of a COI this March. This is a moment to be seized.

Q: What’s the next step? In order for a Commission of Inquiry to be established, there needs to be one government or group of governments which will take the lead. CSW has asked supporters of religious freedom across the world to lobby their governments so that each country can play a significant role in the establishment of this COI.  Find out how you can lobby your MP here.

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani has been acquitted of apostasy and released.

After a three-year ordeal, Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani was acquitted of apostasy and released from prison on Saturday to be greeted by his friends and family in an emotional reunion. CSW is overjoyed at the news of the pastor’s release, but remains concerned for his safety and urges the worldwide Church to pray for his continued safety.

Acquitted of apostasy, but guilty of evangelising Muslims

Pastor Nadarkhani was due to appear in court to face fresh charges on Saturday, which were thought to be linked to crimes against national security and possibly blasphemy. Instead, during court proceedings, he was acquitted of apostasy, but found guilty of evangelising Muslims. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment for the latter charge, but released on relatively minimal bail because he had already served all but a month of this time.

 Released to return to his family

After an emotional reunion with friends and family outside the prison, Pastor Nadarkhani is now at home with his family for the first time in three years, although we’ve been informed he is still being closely monitored by the authorities. He was originally arrested in his home city of Rasht in 2009, soon after questioning the Muslim monopoly of religious instruction for children, which he felt was unconstitutional. He was sentenced to death in 2010; the decision was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2011, and he was given multiple opportunities to recant his faith for the death sentence to be lifted.

CSW concerned for his safety

Speaking shortly after the pastor’s release, Chief Executive, Mervyn Thomas said, “CSW is delighted to learn of Pastor Nadarkhani’s release after a long incarceration. We commend the Iranian judiciary for this step, which is a triumph for justice and the rule of law.”

However we remain concerned for the pastor’s safety. In 1993, Pastor Mehdi Dibaj of the Assemblies of God (AoG) church was also imprisoned and sentenced to death for apostasy. AoG Bishop Haik Hovsepian Mehr, who initiated a successful international outcry against Pastor Dibaj’s death sentence, was murdered three days after the pastor’s release in January 1994, and six months later Pastor Dibaj was also assassinated.

CSW urges the worldwide Church to continue to pray for Pastor Nadarkhani, as well as the hundreds of other Iranians who are imprisoned or harassed because of their faith.

Please pray:

– For God’s protection over Pastor Nadarkhani, his wife and two children.
– That God would grant Pastor Nadarkhani full emotional, physical and mental healing from his ordeal.
– For the pastor as he settles back into family and church life.
– For wisdom and guidance for Pastor Nadarkhani as he considers his next steps.
– For protection over his legal team, particularly Mr Dadkah who himself was targeted by the Iranian Government.
– For protection for all members of the Church of Iran denomination, which has received so much public attention during this case.
– For healing and freedom for Pastor Benham Irani.
– For the protection, safety and release of Christians and church leaders from other denominations who face harassment or imprisonment, including Pastor Farshid Fathi Malayeri,
– For full religious freedom in Iran.

From:Christian Solidarity Worldwide Web Site.

Pastor Irani develops blood infection

Iran: Pastor Irani develops blood infection as health deteriorates sharply.

This article is from Christian Solidarity Worldwide….please help…….

 

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has learned that Pastor Benham Irani, currently held in Ghezal Hesar prison in Iran, has developed a blood infection as a result of an ongoing intestinal complication. As his health continues to deteriorate sharply, he is reportedly barely able to speak.

Sources close to CSW report that Pastor Irani may be sent to a hospital for surgery to remove the part of his intestine which is the source of the infection. However, his family has not been informed about possible surgery or whether or not he has been sent to hospital.

Benham Irani pastors the Church of Iran congregation in Karaj. He was arrested in December 2006, and sentenced to six years imprisonment on charges of “action against the state” and “action against the order.” The verdict against him includes text that describes Pastor Irani as an apostate and reiterates that apostates “can be killed”. Furthermore, prison authorities and fellow prisoners have informed him on various occasions that he will not leave the prison “alive”.

Pastor Irani has so far been denied hospital treatment for severe bleeding due to stomach ulcers and complications with his colon, which caused him to lose consciousness at one point. Without adequate medical care, his condition has continued to worsen, prompting concerns that he may have only weeks or months to live.

During the first few months of his imprisonment in Ghezel Hesar Prison, the pastor was held incommunicado in a small cell, where guards would repeatedly wake him from sleep as a form of psychological torture. He was moved into a cramped room where inmates could not lie down to sleep, before being transferred to his current cell, where he sustained regular beatings from his cell mates and prison authorities. As a result of injuries sustained during these assaults, he has difficulty walking. The pastor also has trouble with his vision and has received death threats from fellow prisoners.

CSW’s Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston said, “CSW is deeply concerned for Pastor Irani’s welfare. We continue to urge the Iranian authorities to allow Pastor Irani access to appropriate medical treatment. Reports of his possible hospital admission, if true, are welcome and long overdue, as the delay in his treatment has undoubtedly caused his health to deteriorate sharply. It is also vital that Pastor Irani is protected from fellow prisoners who have threatened his life. CSW continues to call on the Iranian government to honour its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and facilitate the unconditional release of Pastor Irani, Pastor Nadarkhani, Pastor Farshid Fathi Malayeri and all others currently detained or facing execution on account of their faith following flawed judicial processes.”

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, email kiri@csw.org.uk or visit http://www.csw.org.uk.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

Asia Bibi, a 37-year-old Pakistani woman arrested by police for being a Christian

Prisoner Profile

PRISONER NAME
LOCATION
ARRESTED
REVISED

Asia Bibi
Pakistan
June 2009
July 17, 2012

Asia Bibi, a 37-year-old Pakistani woman from the village of Ittanwali, was arrested by police on Friday, June 19, 2009. Asia (also called Asia Noreen) is the wife of 50-year-old Ashiq Masih, and their family is one of only three Christian families in a village of 1,500 families.
Many of the local women, including Asia, work on the farm of Muslim landowner Muhammad Idrees. During their work, many of the Muslim women have pressured Asia to renounce Christianity and accept Islam. In June, the pressure became especially strong.
On Friday, June 19, there was an intense discussion among the women about their faith. The Muslim women told Asia about Islam. Asia responded by telling them about her faith in Christ. Asia told the Muslim women Christ had died on the cross for sins, then asked them what Mohammad had done for them, according to VOM sources. She told them Jesus is alive, but Mohammad is dead. “Our Christ is the true prophet of God,” she reportedly told them, “and yours is not true.”
Upon hearing this, the Muslim women became angry and began to beat Asia. Then some men took her and locked her in a room. They announced from the mosque loudspeakers that she would be punished by having her face blackened and being paraded through the village on a donkey. Local Christians informed the police, who took Asia into custody before the Muslims could carry out their plan. She was held at the police station in Nankana city. Christians there urged the police not to file blasphemy charges, but police claimed they were under pressure from local Muslim leaders.
Seventeen months after Asia’s arrest, she was convicted of violating subsection C of Pakistan’s 295 blasphemy law – blasphemy against the prophet Muhammad – and was sentenced to death. No Christian in Pakistan has ever been executed under the blasphemy law, but in several cases,extremists have murdered Christians after their release from prison. Asia’s conviction and death sentence have brought international attention to the country’s blasphemy laws. Christians have called for Asia’s release and for a repeal of the laws, while extremists in Pakistan continue to demand that she be executed.
The Voice of the Martyrs urges Christians around the world to pray for Asia Bibi and her family.
Prison is Tough, Even for the Most Faithful
In April, Asia was going through a rough time. She had to celebrate yet another Easter away from her family. She told her husband, Ashiq, “I am fine, but to be alone and away from my family is frustrating to me. I want to run away from this imprisonment.”
Ashiq encouraged her, and said, “You have been steadfast in your faith so far; be patient and trust in God. He will surely guide you.”
In June, Ashiq reported that Asia was feeling better. She said another group had brought her some food and clothes, and she was thankful for them and for all her prayer supporters.
Monthly Visit With Family
Imprisoned Christian Asia Bibi was visited by her husband, Ashiq, on March 6, 2012. When Asia inquired after her two young daughters, Ashiq told her that the children were healthy and doing well in school. She told him she was feeling discouraged about ever being released.
He said, “Yesterday when we had family prayer, I asked the children what they were praying for. They said, ‘We are praying for those people who are helping us and who are trying to release our Mama.’
At that moment, Ashiq “felt God’s presence, and he said to me, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am with you.'”

Post this PrisonerAlert.com Prisoner Profile on the bulletin board in your church, Sunday School class or Christian school. Share a copy with your pastor, members of your Bible study group or other Christian friends.
Address for Asia Bibi
District Jail
Sheikhupura
Punjab
Pakistan
Circulation To Date for Asia Bibi

Please note
When writing a letter, never mention the name of the source of your information or the name of any organization such as Voice of the Martyrs or Prisoner Alert. It is not dangerous for a prisoner to receive letters from individuals, but if an organization is mentioned they may be accused of links with ‘foreign organizations’ and receive harsher sentences. Also, please do not state anything negative about their government. For the latest information, including letter writing tools and helps, please visit PrisonerAlert.com.

 

Excerpt from an actual letter created on PrisonerAlert.com

I gave thanks for you when I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray the eyes, ears and hearts of those who persecute you may open to Jesus. Philippians 1:29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Bibles set to arrive at schools as early as next week

King James Bible for every school in England: Copies sent around the country to mark 400 years since it was published 

Bibles set to arrive at schools as early as next week

By SARAH HARRIS

Every state primary and secondary school in England is to receive a copy of the King James Bible.

Around 24,000 Bibles are being distributed to schools this week by the Department for Education to mark last year’s 400th anniversary of its publication.

Education Secretary Michael Gove, who describes the Bible as the most ‘important book written in the English language’, has insisted that every child should have the chance to appreciate its literary riches.

 

Schools across the UK will be receiving the King James to celebrate its 400 year anniversary

The project has gone ahead thanks to £370,000 from charities and philanthropists after Mr Gove was forced to deny earlier this year that funding was a problem.

David Cameron reportedly told Mr Gove that, while he supported the idea, it should avoid using taxpayers’ money amid objections from non-religious groups.

 The project is backed by religious leaders across the faiths, academics, historians and cultural figures, including Lord Melvyn Bragg.

The first Bibles will arrive this week and all schools are expected to have them by the end of the month.

Mr Gove said yesterday: ‘The King James Bible has had a profound impact on our culture.

‘Every school pupil should have the opportunity to learn about  this book and the impact it has had on our history, language, literature and democracy.’

The third official translation of the Bible into English, also known as the Authorised Version, was commissioned by the Protestant King James I in 1604 and published in 1611.

It became the Church of England’s official version and was spread worldwide by the British Empire. It also brought phrases such as ‘salt of the earth’ and ‘land of Nod’ to the English language.

The Right Reverend John Pritchard, Bishop of Oxford and chairman of the Church of England Board of Education, said: ‘This is a fitting way of marking the seminal contribution this version of the Bible has made to our culture.

‘It symbolically places the King James Bible at the heart of the educational process which it inspired.’

Maulana Shahid Raza, chairman of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, said: ‘I hope it enables children of all faiths to discover the heritage and cultural legacy of their country and helps them to grow up in a peaceful, cohesive and tolerant society.’

Diarmaid MacCulloch, professor of the history of the Church at St Cross College, Oxford University, said the King James Bible ‘represents the culmination of a century of Biblical translation in the first golden age of modern English literature’.

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