Unpopular Arab Thoughts That All Arabs Have Thought

By Erick Stakelbeck
Washington Terror Analyst

CBN.com – WASHINGTON - Last week, a Muslim man wielding a knife stormed three Coptic churches in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. He killed one Christian and wounded 16 more.

The incident has galvanized Egyptian Christians, including those in the United States, and has sparked angry protests from the city’s Coptic Christian community. Muslims — and, according to some accounts, the Egyptian police — have responded with violence against the Copts.

This anti-Christian mayhem is nothing new in Alexandria. In October, Muslims attacked churches there for allegedly distributing a DVD that they said offended Islam.

Today in Washington, a group of Egyptian Christians said they have had enough.

Egypt’s Copts are the largest Christian community in the Middle East. But for years, they have faced persecution from Muslims and even the Egyptian government. They are here at the White House today to draw attention to their plight.

“We’re trying to get out a message that we’re just sick and tired of the inaction by the Egyptian government, as far as dealing with these terrorists…Churches have been burned, people have been killed, and homes and businesses destroyed, so we are just here to say that we’ve had enough,” said Michael Meunier, president of the U.S. Copts Association in Washington.

Muslims at the rally said they too are fed up with the treatment of Egyptian Christians–and hope their brothers in the Middle East are listening.

“I am not from Egypt, I am from Saudi Arabia,” said Ali Al-Ahmed of the Saudi Institute, “and I think it is not only my duty, but the duty of all Muslims and all Arabs, to protect the rights of their neighbors — Christians or Muslims or any minorities.”

But a number of protestors told CBN News that in the end, pressure on Egypt’s government from the Bush administration and the U.N. may be the only way to truly empower Egypt’s Christians.

WASHINGTON, April 21 /Christian Newswire/ — Fidelis, a national Catholic based advocacy group, called on Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, to explain himself after telling the Christian Science Monitor Wednesday that “The religious community has to decide whether they want to be tax exempt or involved in politics.”

Fidelis President Joseph Cella responded: “Howard Dean’s statement makes it clear that he wants to muzzle America’s churches and religious groups from professing what they believe on important issues facing our society. When it comes to debates over public policy and issues, Dean should be welcoming the voice of America’s churches, not attempting to silence them. Instead Dean has shown utter disregard for people of faith by threatening the historical and treasured role of religious groups and churches in American public life.”

“Under Howard Dean’s rules, pastors, priests, and rabbis wouldn’t have been able to mobilize people of faith to join the civil rights marches in Selma and Montgomery,” said Cella.

Dean’s statement is the latest in a series of comments directed toward conservative Christians. Just last year, Dean told the San Francisco Chronicle, “they are not very friendly….they all behave the same, and they all look the same.”

Cella continued: “Dean’s blatant hostility toward any church or religious group calls into serious question his supposed outreach to values voters following the 2004 elections. In essence, Dean is saying that if religious groups want to continue to speak out, then the hand of government is going to exact a penalty. Comments such as these continue to place Howard Dean and the Democratic Party in jeopardy of further alienating religious voters.”

Fidelis is a Catholic-based advocacy organization working with people of faith across the country to defend and promote the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and the right to religious liberty by electing pro-life, pro-family and pro-religious liberty candidates, supporting the confirmation of judges, and promoting and defending laws consistent with the Founding principles of the United States.

Coalition to Rally Monday, April 24, in Los Angeles to Ask US Government to Intervene

LOS ANGELES, April 21 /Christian Newswire/ — A coalition of mostly Christian organizations is joining United Coptic Voice (UCV) in a rally to bring attention to Egypt’s sanctioning of murder, mayhem, persecution and prosecution of Christians in the name of Islam.

Rally Details—

When: Monday, April 24, Noon to 4:00 PM

Where: In front of the Federal building, 11000 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles

Who: Representatives from International Christian Union (ICU), United Coptic Voice, and Courageous Christians United

Why: To ask the US government to intervene, as Egypt is the second largest recipient of USA aid

Knife-wielding assailants attacked worshippers at three Coptic churches in Alexandria during Mass on Friday, April 14, killing one person and wounding more than a dozen. The Associated Press quoted the Egyptian Interior Ministry as saying, “A citizen attacked three worshippers inside the Mar-Girgis Church with a knife and then fled and went into the Saints Church, where he attacked three other worshippers and again fled.”

The Egyptian government described the man as suffering from “psychological disturbances.” Long time Middle East Christians supporter and Pat Buchanan‘s VP running mate (Election 2000) observes, “It seems the Muslims’ insanity targets only Christians and their Churches. This vicious episode adds to the series of horrendous crimes Muslims in Egypt commit against the Copts from attacking their churches, shedding their blood, raping their women and daughters and forcibly converting them to Islam.”

Paul Marshall, a Senior Fellow with Freedom House’s Center for Religious Freedom outlines 18 instances of escalating violence against and oppression of Coptic Christians in Egypt from August 19,2003 to February 20, 2006 (will be available to press at rally).

UCV joins with the International Christian Union (ICU) in calling for an end to the escalating violence against Christians in Egypt. Coptic Christians in Egypt who number approximately 15-20 million are denied human rights as to the practice of their religion and their security inside their own professions and occupations.

UCV, and coalition members, will rally Monday, April 24, Noon to 4:00 PM in front of the Federal building, 11000 Wilshire Bl, Los Angeles, CA 90024, asking the USA government to intervene, as Egypt is the second largest recipient of USA aid.

The Refiner’s Fire Takes on Anglo Saxon Israel!

SANTA ANA, Calif., April 19 /Christian Newswire/ — It is estimated that between 2 and 3 million North Koreans have died over the past 10 years – most of them due to starvation – under the brutal dictatorship of President Kim Jong Il.

North Koreans are denied basic freedoms and rights.

Thousands are detained in prison camps, tortured and executed. It is believed that tens of thousands of Christians are currently among those suffering in North Korean prison camps. The hermit regime is suspected of detaining more political and religious prisoners than any other country in the world.

Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans have fled to China just to survive. Thousands have been sent back and probably killed.

North Korea is entering its fourth year as the world’s worst violator of religious rights of Christians, according to Open Doors’ 2006 World Watch List. Last fall the U.S. Department of State redesignated North Korea as a “Country of Particular Concern” for severe violations of religious freedom.

Soon Ok Lee, a former North Korean political prisoner, says: “We need to speak out about these abuses. Many need to join in and stop the persecution of Christians and the human rights violations. Please join me in this effort.”

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) adds: “In North Korea we hear reports of religious believers being tortured, imprisoned and even executed for their beliefs. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recently documented some of these terrible incidents that fall on believers who refuse to renounce their faith. We must all confront this intolerable evil. Please join me in commemorating North Korea Freedom Week.”

During North Korea Freedom Week April 22-30, Open Doors USA – a ministry celebrating 50 years of supporting and strengthening persecuted Christians – is partnering with North Korea Freedom Coalition (NKFC) members to focus on atrocities in North Korea, increase awareness of the conditions in that communist country and raise up prayers on behalf of those being abused and disenfranchised.

Activities centered in Washington, D.C., include:

April 27 – Wreath laying ceremony at the Korean War Memorial at 4 p.m.
April 28 – North Korea Freedom Day Capitol Hill rally 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
April 28-29 – Prayer Vigil at the Chinese Embassy from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.

There are also prayer vigils planned April 28 from 7-9 p.m. in front of the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles (443 Shatto Place) and April 29 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Chinese consulate in Houston (3417 Montrose Blvd). For more information email Lindsay Vessey, Open Doors USA Advocacy Coordinator, at lindsayv@odusa.org.

To get involved in North Korea Freedom Week, go to the Open Doors USA Web site at www.opendoorsusa.org or the NKFC Web site at www.nkfreedom.org.

“North Korea could be compared to one large concentration camp – with the entire population trapped in a nightmare that doesn’t end,” says Open Doors USA President Dr. Carl Moeller. “Like Soon Ok Lee and Sen. Brownback urge, get involved. Get others involved. Thousands are suffering, including many religious and political prisoners.”

NKFC is a bipartisan coalition of religious, human rights and non-governmental Korean and American organizations whose primary purpose is to bring freedom to the North Korean people and to ensure that the human rights component of United States and world policy towards North Korea receives priority attention.

Open Doors, celebrating 50 years of service to persecuted Christians, serves and strengthens the Persecuted Church in the world’s most difficult areas through Bible and Christian literature distribution, leadership training and assistance, Christian community development, prayer and presence ministry and advocacy on behalf of suffering believers. To partner with Open Doors, call toll free at 888-5-BIBLE-5 (524-2535) or go to our USA Web site at www.opendoorsusa.org.

Would You Take The High Road?

Would You? (The Full Article) By Sally Bishai

Would you trust someone after they looked you in the eyes and lied (more than once)?

Would you look someone in the eyes and tell a lie, if only to keep someone else’s secret?

Would you hide your cross (or Star of David or whatever) if someone told you to?

Would you tell your best friend if her husband is running around on her–and you saw him with some chick at some shady coffee shop?

Would you tell your best friend that her husband had made a weighty pass at you?

Would you speak up in a room full of people who are in favor of something you’re against?

Would you complain about a pornographic billboard that’s situated near a pre-school?

Would you complain if the explicit content in the billboard showed kids?

Would you be grateful if someone told you the truth–something that you needed to hear–in a way that was less than ideal?

Would you let it go if someone trampled on you in some way that they were likely to repeat, and that you weren’t afraid to confront?

Would you keep it a secret if you’d made a blanket promise to keep a secret… but it was that your friend was going to rob a bank? Or kill himself? Or kill another?

You may be wondering where I’m going with these questions, despite having enjoyed the imagination game they conjured up.

Would You Take The High Road? Click here to read the whole article.

My ten day hiatus is up, and I’m back in the clinic, and back at the computer. Cheers, Salib

Massive Arrest of Church Leaders Including Americans in Yunnan Province; CAA Issues Heartbreaking True Stories on Persecution inside China

MIDLAND, Texas, April 19 /Christian Newswire/ — According to China Aid Association’s field investigators in China, 7 foreign evangelical church leaders including 5 Americans and 2 Taiwanese were interrogated for 5 hours on March 23, 2006. CAA issues heartbreaking true stories on persecution inside China.

At 9:30am, March 23, 2006, over 120 security officers from five different government agencies raided a conference building in the suburb of Kunming City, the capital of Yunnan Province. The government officers and military police came in two buses and 10 police cars.

Eighty Chinese house church leaders from 20 provinces were attending a fellowship meeting with Christian leaders from America. These 80 leaders represent 25 Chinese minority groups. The five Americans are from churches in Greensboro North Carolina. Among them two are white Americans and three are Chinese Americans. Since the two white American pastors are still inside China and some of the released Chinese pastors are still monitored by the Chinese security agents, their names are not available to the public according to one of the arrested pastors who came back to his home in the US.

CAA learned this raid was directly orchestrated by the director of the Public Security Bureau of Yunnan Province and carried out jointly by the officers from the provincial public security, national security, foreign affairs office, religious affairs bureau and military police officers. At 2 pm (Beijing Time), following a 5 hour marathon interrogation, all of those arrested were released and some are being followed back to their home provinces.

According to an eyewitness, the Chinese officers’ attitudes were very rude and they refused to show their IDs and even ate all of the food prepared for the pastors’ lunch. The foreign religious leaders were accused of being foreign religious infiltrators by their interrogators.

CAA has also learned that jailed Beijing Pastor Cai Zhuohua has been forced to work more than 10 hours a day making commercial handbags since his transfer to Tianhe Prison on January 11, 2006. Since January 23, 2006, Despite repeated attempts by Cai’s mother, none of Cai’s relatives have been allowed to visit him in prison.(Prison Address: No.9 Qingfeng Road, Tiantang He, Daxing District, Beijing City Tel: +86-10-60278855, director: Mr. Yang Hua; website: www.qsc.gov.cn)

Meanwhile, CAA issues heartbreaking true stories regarding religious persecution inside China.

The persecution against Protestant House Churches in China has intensified. According to reliable reports by China Aid Association, from February to December 2005, at least 1317 confirmed arrests of house church pastors, leaders, and believers has occurred in over twenty provinces in China. Seventeen foreign missionaries including eleven Americans in ten different provinces were arrested during this time. Most of the arrested were released after they were interrogated anywhere from 24 hours to several months. CAA confirmed reports through victims own testimonies showing inhumane torture against the arrested believers including coercion of evidence through drugging and other extremely abusive methods by the interrogators from both Chinese Public Security officers and State Security agents. Religious groups which already had limited fundamental rights have been deemed a “cult” at any time and have lost what legitimacy they previous held. Foreigners were ordered to leave the country after hours of interrogation. On August 2, 2005, the two American theological students from Westminster Theological Seminary were treated brutally and handcuff after they were arrested at a bible study site in Zaoyang City, Hubei Province. Both were denied their right to contact the US Embassy as part of the international consulate protection procedure guaranteed by US-China bilateral treaties.

“We urge President Bush to discuss these specific cases with Chinese President Hu tomorrow,” said Rev. Bob Fu, “the First Freedom – Freedom of Religion - should not be expended freely with free trade.”

Issued by CAA on April 19, 2006

Crying out to God from behind Bars
–Heartbreaking True Stories inside China
By Rev. Bob Fu, President of China Aid Association

For the American people, practicing their faith regularly is a basic freedom taken for granted. However, they can hardly imagine that this basic right has been denied to Christian groups in China by the Chinese government.

The fact is, members of Christian house churches in China are constantly harassed, persecuted and even put behind bars by the Chinese government authority on the grounds of “illegal evil cult,” “illegal religious gathering or evangelizing,” and “non-registration with the relevant authority”.

The persecution against Protestant House Churches in China has been intensified. According to reliable reports by China Aid Association, from February to December 2005, at least 1317 confirmed arrests of house church pastors, leaders and believers occurred in over twenty provinces in China. 17 foreign missionaries including 11 Americans in about 10 different provinces were arrested at the same period of time. Most of the arrested were released after they were interrogated from 24 hours to several months. CAA confirmed reports with victims own testimonies showing inhumane torture against the arrested believers including coercion for evidence through drugging and other extremely inhumane abuse and torture by the interrogators from both Chinese Public Security officers and State Security agents. Religious groups which already have limited fundamental rights have been deemed a “cult” at any time and loose what legitimacy they previous held Foreigners were ordered to leave the country after hours of interrogation. On August 2, 2005, the two American theological students from Westminster Theological Seminary were treated brutally with handcuff after they were arrested at a bible study site in Zaoyang city, Hubei province. Both of them were denied rights to contact US Embassy as part of international consulate protection procedure guaranteed by US-China bilateral treaties.

Here are just a few examples:

On March 13, 2006, about 100 Public Security (police) officers raided a house church leadership meeting in Wenxian County, Henan Province in Central China, and took all 80 of the pastors into custody after searching them and confiscating any cash on them. According to interviews with several of the pastors who were later released, the police treated them very brutally. All were beaten with electric shock batons at police stations. Pastor Li Gongshe, 51, who is handicapped and showed the police his handicap certificate, was continuously beaten by a police officer named Wang in front of the police chief and the political director. Pastor Li was hospitalized for treatment of a broken rib caused by a police beating. One Christian lady, 21-year-old Ms. Shan Ailing, was forced by the police to strip during the interrogation at a local police station. The pastors were accused of holding an “illegal evil cult gathering” by the authorities; however, these pastors are believed to be part of the Henan Fangcheng Mother Church group which is known worldwide as an evangelical House Church group in China. Most of the released including a 15-year-old Christian girl Li Hongmin from Nanle County, Henan Province had experienced torture and abuse by interrogators during their 15 to 30 days detention time.

On January 15, 2006, Beijing Ark House Church was raided by four Public Security Bureau agents. The two uniformed policemen and two plain clothed agents rushed into the rented apartment where believers were having Sunday worship at 4:30 PM. One PSB officer, Mr. Gao Xijun, (badge number 035250) declared that the church was disturbing neighbors and another PSB policeman told the congregation that their religious gathering was an illegal assembly because it was not registered in line with the newly issued State Council Regulations on Religious Affairs. One plain clothed policeman found a foreign journalist, who had come to the church with a Chinese friend, videotaping the process, he dashed over and dragged the journalist to a small room, pinning the journalist against a sofa and rudely seized the video camera and his tapes.

On August 2, 2005, about ninety policemen ransacked the South China Church house meeting of approximately 50 Christians and two American seminary students in Zaoyang City, Hubei Province. The police initially refused to show their ID, and many of the women present were arrested without warrants. The police also forcibly detained the two Americans. Ren Daoyun, a fifty-three year old woman, was hosting the two Americans during their stay in China. When the police entered her home, she protested and asked them to show their ID’s and search warrant. They refused and grabbed her by the hair and pushed her out of the way. As her house was searched, the police confiscated 3,400 Yuan, a 40,000 Yuan bank deposit slip, a phone, and more than one thousand Christian books. She was arrested and taken with the others to Zaoyang No. 2 Detention Center and brutally tortured by being beaten, burned with cigarettes, kicked and stomped, handcuffed, etc. Even the two Americans were treated so roughly that the wrists of one began to bleed because of the hand cuffs. One woman who protested to the police about their actions toward the Americans was beaten severely.

These are only a few of the numerous cases of mistreatment, persecution, and torture of house church Christians by Chinese government authorities in recent years. Thousands of innocent believers are being pursued, arrested, detained, tortured, and sentenced to imprisonment or even death, simply because of their religious faith in today’s China, despite the fact that the Chinese Constitution stipulates that “Citizens of the People’s Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief.”

An even more shocking case involves the consistent and systematic persecution of the South China Church, an evangelical Christian house church in Hubei Province founded by Pastor Gong Shengliang. The church has grown into a membership of hundreds of thousands of followers through their evangelizing efforts spread over a dozen or so provinces in central and south China. Pastor Gong Shengliang and 16 other leaders of the church were arrested by government authorities in 2001 and imprisoned ever since because the Chinese government denounced their church as an “evil cult.” Chinese government continues to imprison Pastor Gong as a way of threatening and deterring the mission of his church, which China views as a threat to the monopoly of the state sponsored church. Pastor Gong was convicted of criminal charges and sentenced to death based on evidence obtained through torture and after a trial that lacked even the most rudimentary elements of due process. Detailed accounts of the Chinese government’s torture of Pastor Gong and other members of the South China Church have been presented in various petitions to China’s Supreme Court, international human rights organizations and United Nations agencies, and will be summarized later in this piece.

Not coincidentally, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment stated after concluding a two-week visit to China on 2 December 2005 that he “believes that the practice of torture, though on the decline – particularly in urban areas – remains widespread in China. Indeed, this is increasingly recognized by Government officials.” The significant number of serious allegations related to torture and other forms of ill-treatment in China received by the Special Rapporteur and his predecessors over the last several years indicate “a consistent and systematic pattern of torture related to ethnic minorities, particularly Tibetans and Uighurs, political dissidents, human rights defenders, Falun Gong practitioners, and members of house-church groups.”

The U.N. Special Rapporteur’s report further enumerates the methods of alleged torture as follows: “beatings; use of electric shock batons; cigarette burns; hooding/blindfolding; guard- instructed or permitted beatings by fellow prisoners; use of handcuffs or ankle fetters for extended periods (including solitary confinement or secure holding areas), submersion in pits of water or sewage; exposure to conditions of extreme heat or cold, being forced to maintain uncomfortable positions, such as sitting, squatting, lying down, or standing for long periods of time, sometimes with objects held under arms; deprivation of sleep, food or water; prolonged solitary confinement; denial of medical treatment and medication; hard labor; and suspension from overhead fixtures by handcuffs….”

On the basis of the information he received during his mission, the Special Rapporteur confirms that many of these methods of torture have been used in China.

Unfortunately, the prevalence of torture by Chinese security and law enforcement personnel on detained members of house-churches and other Christian groups to extort false accusations and confessions have been confirmed by the testimonies of the imprisoned Christian believers. Each of the torture techniques listed above can be corroborated by convincing and bloody experiences of the victims themselves or eyewitness narrations. The following paragraphs will cite just a few of them.

Beatings
Pastor Gong Shengliang of the South China Church was beaten at the time of his arrest according to eyewitnesses: “As he was walking on the road, about 20 plain clothed policemen rushed toward him simultaneously from his left, right, front, and rear and threw him on the ground, beating and kicking him indiscriminately with their fists and feet. He spat blood from his nose and mouth on the spot.” (The Gong Family’s letter to President Bush) During interrogation by local police, “he was beaten so hard that he fainted away on the ground many times and was awakened by cold water being splashed on him.”

Chen Jingmao, the 74-year old Christian of the South China Church was arrested in 2001 because of his efforts to send food to needy Christians in Longjiao Township, Yunyang County, Chongqing Municipality in Southwest China. The local government sentenced him to four years in prison for “using a cult organization to sabotage law enforcement.” Chen suffered severe beating by prison guards. On February 2, 2004, a fellow inmate named Yao Decai reported to prison authorities that Chen had been sharing his Christian beliefs with fellow prisoners. Within a short period of time, more than a dozen prison officials appeared and beat the old man all over his body and kicked his abdomen until he lost consciousness. His injuries were so severe that he had no strength to walk or eat. During the following two weeks, prison officials administered intravenous fluids in Chen four times a day to keep him alive. He could not speak and could barely hear. Upon his release in July, 2005, he was immediately hospitalized due to chronic injuries as a result of the physical abuse and torture he suffered during his imprisonment.

Xiao Cao and Fei Xiang, a young Christian couple, both 22 years of age, of the house church of Changsha, Hunan Province, were kidnapped by security personnel in early 2005 as they left a hospital. They were taken to the “Hunan Detention Security Center” for interrogation and suffered severe beatings. Xiao Cao says in his testimony: “They kicked me from the back. He then had me face the wall and started handing out corporeal punishment. Because my body was very weak, I could not withstand the series of blows. They said that if I did not cooperate well, they will continue to punish me until I had no wish to live anymore.” “They hit me over the ears with their fists; they kicked me on my legs until my thighs started to bleed. Any movement became excruciatingly painful. I couldn’t move at all. They continued to kick my legs very severely. It was so painful that I cried. Then they hit my head against the wall and ridiculed me by saying, ‘Do you want to become a martyr? Do you want to go to the roof and jump off the building?’ They then dragged me onto a wooden chair. One of them asked me, ‘You still don’t say anything?’ They kicked my legs again and punched my head and face. At this time my will had already died. I didn’t think of anything, and just let them do what they wanted. For the next few days I didn’t eat or drink anything.”

Fei Xiang, Xiao Cao’s wife, recalled her ordeal this way: “They interrogated me continuously for two days and two nights. They didn’t allow me to rest. More than ten guys took turns questioning me, a fragile female. I was already sick with cold and fever for a week. In the evening I encountered a very cruel male who started to hit me mercilessly. He punched my head and face. As a result my illness became worse. My whole body was uncomfortable. It was very difficult to bear. I wanted to die.”

Use of electric shock batons
Gong Shengliang and other detained members of the South China Church were repeatedly tortured with electric shock batons by police interrogators. In addition, the police tortured all the female followers by burning their lips, breasts and lower body parts with electric shock batons to force them to give false testimony as to “having had sexual intercourse with Gong Shengliang.”

In the previously cited case involving the March 13, 2006 raid of Henan Fangcheng Mother Church, all the detained pastors were brutally beaten by police with electric shock batons. The police put cushions on their bodies in order not to leave visible external scars while beating.

In another case involving a Chinese church group called Three Grades of Servants, the detained church leader Xu Shuangfu stated that the authority had extorted a confession from him through severe torture including electric shock batons. They bound his fingers and toes with copper wires and electrocuted him with a shock baton. Then the most humiliating torture was having his genitals bound with copper wire and electrocuted with a shock baton.

Guard-instructed beatings by fellow prisoners
After Pastor Gong Shengliang of the South China Church had his sentence commuted from death to life imprisonment in 2002, he was put in the Jingzhou Penitentiary of Hubei to serve his sentence. In the prison he was prohibited from contacting and talking with any inmate and from answering any inmate’s questions. The guards went so far as to instigate other inmates to speak to him on purpose in late June, 2003. Pastor Gong, who had been banned from speaking to other inmates for 7 months, could not answer them in obedience to the prison orders. As a result he was brutally beaten by the inmates to the extent that he suffered incontinence and his stool and urine contained blood. His left ear was beaten bloody and to this day he can not hear in that ear. He was left unattended with only a faint breath.

Hooding/blindfolding
When Pastor Gong Shengliang of the South China Church was arrested, he had his head covered with a black bag, blindfolded and escorted overnight to the Public Security Bureau of Zhongxiang City, Hubei Province and placed in a tightly enclosed torment chamber.

In the case of the young Christian couple of the house church of Changsha, Hunan Province, Xiao Cao was blindfolded and taken to the Hunan Detention Security Center.

Lengthened use of handcuffs or ankle fetters
Gong Shengliang of the South China Church stated in his complaint that he had been shackled as a death row convict without trial since the day of his arrest on August 8, 2001, even during the three days of his court appearance in December 2001. He had been shackled by five different types of ankle fetters for as long as 411 days until September 23, 2002 when returning for retrial.

Deprivation of sleep, food or water
Gong Shengliang, Li Ying, Xu Fuming, and other members of the South China Church all suffered from this type of torture. Pastor Gong Shengliang was interrogated consecutively by police in turn and not allowed to even close his eyes for 72 hours. Sister Li Ying was beaten for five days and nights in a row and prohibited from sleeping. Xu Fuming was beaten for eight consecutive days and nights and not allowed to close his eyes.

In the case of the young Christian couple of the house church of Changsha, Hunan Province, the interrogation of Xiao Cao lasted three days and nights, well over the 12-hour maximum time permitted by law. During his interrogation he was not allowed to sleep, causing him to engage in disparaging thoughts of suicide. Fei Xiang, already sick for a week, was interrogated continuously for two days and two nights and not allowed to rest.

Denial of medical treatment and medication
Gong Shengliang of the South China Church was injured due to a fall while performing a labor task in prison in April 2004. He did not receive timely treatment for his injuries. His stomach disease flared up on November 29, 2004 and he vomited continuously. He couldn’t eat or drink anything for nine days. He requested medical treatment on several occasions but was ignored by the guards. When he sensed that he was on the threshold of death he wrote a letter pleading for medical treatment. The prison Section Head didn’t believe him and even accused him of feigning sickness. Gong said, “It is up to you to believe me or not, but you cannot insult my integrity.” Only then was he given 5 tablets of stomach medicine. After that Gong didn’t eat or drink for 15 days lying in bed without moving. The inmates in the same cell constantly check his nostrils for breath to make sure he was still alive. They thought that he would not survive this time. After repeated requests from Gong in his critical condition, the guards finally took him to a hospital. The doctor there said: “He is so critically ill that were he not brought at that time, he would….” Afterwards Gong proposed to have a thorough examination and further treatment in a hospital at his own expense, but was flatly refused by the authorities. He has incurred, as a result of torture and deprivation, internal injuries and other such diseases as rheumatism, back and leg pain, asthma, tracheitis, coughing, etc., which were not treated in a timely manner and have gotten worse. This has devastated him physically and mentally. For example, he feels unbearable pain in his stomach now.

In the case of the young Christian couple of the house church of Changsha, Hunan Province, the wife Fei Xiang recalled, “I was already sick with cold and fever for a week. And because my sickness had developed into bronchitis I had daily infusions. Throughout my ordeal my illness became progressively worse.” The officials refused her medical attention when she requested it, and they prevented her from sleeping for the duration of the interrogation. On the third day, they gave her some medicine that immediately made everything worse. The wounds on her head from their beatings ached more acutely; she started vomiting, and became very dizzy. In combination with her already weakened state, her further medical complications caused great mental confusion. Her interrogators took that opportunity to force her to write and sign documents that she could no longer understand. To this day, she doesn’t know what those documents contained. After her release and up until the time she wrote her testimony for CAA, she felt a constant uneasiness, getting headaches at the slightest noise, and not able to get a full night’s rest because of terrible nightmares.

Hard labor
Gong Shengliang of the South China Church, with his injuries, had to endure the extreme labor conditions in prison. Everyday he had to work continuously, excluding meal time, from 6 o’clock in the morning till 12 midnight or 2 the following morning, equivalent to an 18 - 20 hour work day. He felt light headed with each passing day and almost fainted and he fell down more than once. In April 2004 he was assigned to work mid-air above the ground in the prison mess hall and fell and injured his back and legs.

Another leader of the church, Sister Li Ying, is serving her 15 year sentence at Wuhan Women’s Prison, Hubei Province, where she has to endure intense physical labor every day.

In spite of all the persecution, torture and devastation, the faithful of the evangelical Christian house churches in China still willingly carry their Cross, exercise restraint, suffer losses, and raise their hands to pray for those who participate in persecuting believers. They still love their country and people, still pay their taxes and dues, and endeavor to be law-abiding, loyal citizens. The imprisoned church leaders and members, despite their weaken health and heavy labor, still insist on worshiping, fasting, praying, and singing, and leading inmates praying and singing together. They also write letters to church and family members, in order to comfort and strengthen their loved ones. Their cries from behind bars are reverberating throughout the world and reaching out to heaven.
References:
CAA Torture and Abuse Report 2005
CAA Press Releases
Testimonies of imprisoned Christians
South China Church’s letter to President Bush
The Gong Family’s letter to President Bush
Defense Statement for the Xu Shuangfu Case

If you can read Arabic, read this wonderful list that lists all of the Copts, and some Moslems even who either help Copts or are anti-Islamic, or even free-thinking.

Just in case you cannot read the Arabic, the list is the hit-list of all the people this man wants to kill, merely for speaking their minds, and not having the same retarded, Middle Ages and sun-fried brain that he and his “prophet” (Who is, even now, in hell laughing at the mischeif he caused!!) espouse.

Here is the Link.

I should be very offended, shouldn’t I? that they have neglected to put me on this last. Alas, my words have not hit home hard enough.

Or maybe they just haven’t stumbled on to my blog yet? Let us hope they soon do.

I would like to say before going for dinner (Gotta love Carino’s!!) that if you are a Moslem and you DO AGREE with him, then you have the right idea, in regards to your religion.

BUT if you do not call for these murders, then you are a poor excuse for a Moslem and should consider officially converting out of it. I am very glad you are a poor excuse for a Moslem, by the way! this is not “US vs THEM,” I am trying to save your eternal soul, even if you hate me for it!

I love you that much!

Please pray about this.

Hi and welcome to Neferteeti and Hany. Look forward to reading more comments from you both!

Where are Freesoul and Muhammed??

I promise I will reply to your copious comments of last month, but I am still travelling and having a hard time being online for long.

God bless you!
Salib

This recent article in the NY Times is actually false. The article claims that the US goal of democracy has been dropped from the previously-more-willing Arab rulers’ minds.

In fact, it was never on their minds. So many people have been throwing around the word “democracy” but the truth is that America is not even democratic, itself!!

Such leaders as Mobarak and King Abdullah II are stated to have “backtracked” but they were only bowing to political pressure from the West.

And the West doesn’t care diddly-squat for the Middle East, except for 2 reasons, which are that they want to take all the oil from there, and they are afraid of the rabid Moslems.

“Democracy” or the way that America and other Western countries are run, is a bad idea for any Christian in the Middle East, and also for any “moderate Moslem,” or any modern-thinking person who thinks they are Moslem but who are actually not a true Moslem like Osama.

Most Arabs (except for those with terrorist aspirations) are too smart to want to give a chance of presidency to a member of an insane group like the Moslem Brotherhood, a group that had all the women, even old hags and young girls, to cover their faces with that ninja-death-mask tent (the neqab).

If you give me a choice between the puppet government that we (in Egypt, at least) have right now, and a “democracy” that will offer a 1% chance of improving the nation, I will always go with Mobarak, et. al.

After all, it is better the devil you know than the devil you don’t, right?

Christian Freedom International Requests Emergency Donations to Assist Persecuted in Burma

KO KAY VILLAGE, Burma, April 8 /Christian Newswire/ — Burma’s military dictatorship has launched a new wave of attacks against predominantly Christian Karen villages. In Burma this time of year is known locally as the “killing season” and this year is no exception. During the dry season soldiers can move more easily in the dense jungles of Burma, and this year the military junta has stepped up its genocidal attacks on the Karen, an ethnic minority in Burma.

Saw Aro, 50, is a soldier with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), a vastly outnumbered militia that has been fighting for survival of the Karen people since World War II. Aro reported to Christian Freedom International that over 700 displaced men, women, and children recently arrived here in Ko Kay village. Aro said, “They came from Toungoo and Nyaunglebin districts.”

According to Aro, “The Burmese Army recently brought in 10 battalions with some 1,500 new soldiers from Rangoon. The new soldiers are making big problems.”

“When the new soldiers arrived in Toungoo and Nyaunglebin districts, they spread their soldiers around the area. They try to find Karen villages. If they see the villagers, they try to capture and persecute them. So, people who living there–they do not dare to face the Burma army. They fled their villages and are hiding in the mountainside and jungle in the safe places to save their lives,” said Aro.

This is creating a humanitarian emergency. Aro said, “The Burmese came and destroyed everything so all the villagers having nothing to eat and cannot grow food for the year.”

Displaced Karen villagers have been on-the-run for days. Aro said, “They came from Toungo and Nyaunglebin district area. Before they arrived in Ko Kay village they have been facing many terrible things. They have to walk for ten days. In the midst of walking, there was a lack of security, foods, and medicine. Also the Burmese soldiers try to block them and lay landmines. But in this difficult situation they go through day by day with some Karen soldiers who know the way and lead them.”

The displaced villagers are facing a shortage of food and medicine in Ko Kay. “There is not enough food and medicine right now for the villagers. It is a major problem,” said Aro.

Aro said, “Mostly they do not want to go back to their villages. Some people said, if they can stay in Ko Kay they will. Others, they want to cross the border line and live in the refugee camps in Thailand.”

Many ladies are being attacked, all over the world. Use the following strategies to protect yourself. (I have never understood how circulating these types of forwards can help, because a bad-intentioned man could use the same techniques on the much less-heavily muscled women and hurt them even more. In any case, I am pleased to share these, which a colleague sent to me.)

1. The elbow is the strongest point on your body. Use it if you are close enough and cannot run!

2. Learned this from a tourist guide in New Orleans. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you….chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back taillights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS!) The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.

a. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat
B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
C.) Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out.

IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, Preferably in a zig-zag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP. It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her “Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.”

The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, “We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.” He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby’s cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby’s cries outside their doors when they’re home alone at night.

Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying baby —-This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because the Crying Baby theory was mentioned on America’s Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana.

I’d like you to forward this to all the women you know. It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle. I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you may want to pass it onto them, as well.

Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Shannon LaForge
Courtroom Deputy to Judge Robert Junell U.S. District Court for the Western District

——————————————————————————–

(None of my essays are for the faint of heart, though!)

A very sweet girl recently asked me to encapsulate my thoughts into several bulleted main points. Obviously, I can never stick to one-word replies, but I was able to keep the list to five items.

The main points I hold dear are as follows:

1: Jesus Christ is the Way, Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by Him!

2: Islam is a cult.

3: TRUE Moslems are those such as Osama Bin Laden and others Americans like to call “Terrorists”.

4: The DEVOUT Moslems–the Men who do the Hagg, the women who wear the neqab and hegab and all of this hebab because they want to, not because they were told to–have the right idea when it comes to religiosity, but the wrong idea in terms of religion itself.

5: I believe that these devout Moslems do not know what their religion actually says in its very own text! I do not mean to sound patronizing, but the simple truth of the fact is that Islam is stolen from other scriptures, convoluted and tailored to the twisted desires of a man whose brain was fried by the hot desert sun, and who doesn’t deserve to be called a “prophet” of anything (except a brothel of mentally-challenged and weak-willed women, maybe), or even a man, for that matter.

You may have read about “The Booklet” that caused a stir, recently. If not, check my blog or keep reading for a few excerpts:

Concerned about “a clear attempt to engrave Islam in the minds of our
children,” a Christian group is expanding distribution of a guidebook
originally intended for Californians.

Coptic Christians of California has upon request distributed 5,000 copies
of its 28-page booklet, “The Islamization of American Schools” since its
first press run in December 2004.

The booklet focuses on California, where a seventh-grade world history
curriculum examines Islamic civilization, among others of the Middle Ages.

People in other states increasingly are ordering the booklet as well, says
author Abdullah Al-Araby. The booklet, which Muslims denounce as
misleading, is available on the group’s Web site.

The Coptic Christian group alleges that children learn by emulating Islamic
practices, such as kneeling to pray, donning traditional Islamic dress,
receiving a Muslim name or chanting in Arabic. Such school practices amount
to “indoctrination,” says Al-Araby, who says he writes under that pen name
because he fears reprisal from angry Muslims.

”It seems a good idea to teach culture, but they have crossed a line” into
promoting a religion, Al-Araby says. “It’s a one-sided version of Islam as
a religion of peace. . . . We have to make sure they give true history of
Islam, not a polished or refined version.”

There, now you’re all caught up. I want to share my view about this thing: While I do disagree with the intense and too-detailed teachings of this cult of Islam, I would like to say that I would not pull my child out of a school that taught Islam (even if they would shy away from teaching Christianity with the same intensity, but hey, that’s America for ya!).

Why I would not be scared to let my children learn about Islam, whether in the school or whether by my hand?

Because, the simple truth of the matter is that if they’re related to me, their brains and hearts (but mostly their brains) will kick in and condemn murdering a non-convert for the BLOODY AND COWARDLY ACT THAT IT IS.

(This is, of course, in reference to the recent Abdul Rahman trial of Afghanistan.)

Just in case I have forgotten to say this opinion of mine, I want to state that The true Moslems must kill because they’re afraid of being taken over in the way they want to take over!

If the presence of this childish strategy does not pursuade you that this is a cult and nothing more, then there’s nothing more I can say to you!

> Concerned about “a clear attempt to engrave Islam in the minds of our
>children,” a Christian group is expanding distribution of a guidebook
>originally intended for Californians.
>
>Coptic Christians of California has upon request distributed 5,000 copies
>of its 28-page booklet, “The Islamization of American Schools” since its
>first press run in December 2004.
>
>The booklet focuses on California, where a seventh-grade world history
>curriculum examines Islamic civilization, among others of the Middle Ages.
>
>People in other states increasingly are ordering the booklet as well, says
>author Abdullah Al-Araby. The booklet, which Muslims denounce as
>misleading, is available on the group’s Web site.
>
>The Coptic Christian group alleges that children learn by emulating Islamic
>practices, such as kneeling to pray, donning traditional Islamic dress,
>receiving a Muslim name or chanting in Arabic. Such school practices amount
>to “indoctrination,” says Al-Araby, who says he writes under that pen name
>because he fears reprisal from angry Muslims.
>
>”It seems a good idea to teach culture, but they have crossed a line” into
>promoting a religion, Al-Araby says. “It’s a one-sided version of Islam as
>a religion of peace. . . . We have to make sure they give true history of
>Islam, not a polished or refined version.”
>
>Muslims object to the guidebook.
>
>It uses “lies” and “bigotry . . . to incite anger and hate against
>Muslims,” says Sabiha Kahn, spokeswoman for the Southern California Chapter
>of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
>
>”It’s laughable that they’re even suggesting that somehow Muslims are
>trying to indoctrinate students unknowingly,” Kahn says. “It’s really a big
>joke. I’m sure Americans are smart enough to read through their lies.”
>
>The Coptic group says it is prepared to give away 5,000 copies through its
>Web site, islamreview.com, to those willing to pay for shipping.

Just another example of how bad the world is getting.

SANTA ANA, Calif. — Authorities called it one of the worst rape cases they could recall.

Seven gang members and three female associates were charged Monday with raping a woman as the mother of one suspect allegedly watched and encouraged the assault, authorities said.

The 23-year-old victim was targeted because her boyfriend had angered members of the Anaheim gang, authorities said.

She was lured into a hotel room by a female gang associate at a Feb. 23 party then sexually assaulted over a seven-hour period, Anaheim police Chief John Welter said.

He called it “one of the worst rapes I’ve seen in my 35 years experience.”

Authorities identified the 38-year-old “gang mother” as Connie Herrera Retana and her son as 18-year-old Martin Carlos Delgado. Police said the victim was lured into the room and beaten by 23-year-old Jolean Disbrow.

“It makes you shake your head that mothers could be participating,” said Orange County Assistant District Attorney Susan Kang Schroeder. “It shows how a group mentality can breed disgusting behavior.”

Four suspects were arrested in Garden Grove driving the victim’s car.

The gang members told the victim the assault was to teach her boyfriend a lesson and that she would be killed if she reported the crime, Schroeder said. Authorities declined to say what the victim’s boyfriend had done.

Along with Retana, Delgado and Disbrow, those arrested were identified as Jesse Bess, 23; Randy Calderon, 18; Keizzy Fierro, 22; Adrian Flores, 18; Raymond Jaramillo, 19; Luis Nava, 19; and Gilbert Ortiz, 15. One suspect, identified as 19-year-old Oscar Jose “Sporty” Barajas, remained at large.

Each defendant was charged with four counts of forcible rape in concert. Each also faced one count of false imprisonment by violence, forcible oral copulation and forcible sexual penetration by a foreign object by force, prosecutors said.

All but Fierro were charged with dissuading a witness from reporting a crime and criminal street gang activity. Fierro and two others were charged with receiving stolen property — the victim’s car. Delgado was charged with one count of unlawful taking of a vehicle.

They were each being held in lieu of $100,000 bail, with arraignment expected Friday.

The maximum penalties the defendants face if convicted range from 52 years to life to 184 years to life.

It wasn’t immediately known whether any of the defendants have retained attorneys. A message could not be left at the county public defender’s office late Monday.

WASHINGTON, April 6 /Christian Newswire/ — Concerned Women for America (CWA) commended the courageous decision by the U.S. to not seek election to the U.N. Human Rights Council, which has the potential to be even worse than its predecessor, the U.N. Commission on Human Rights.

“This decision by the U.S. puts the U.N. Human Rights Council on notice that it must prove that it is worthy of its name and not a dangerous fraud,” stated Wendy Wright, President of CWA. “It has the opportunity to demonstrate that it will not be a replica of the discredited U.N. Commission on Human Rights. The U.S. is right to see how the Council shakes out before lending the credibility of the U.S. by joining in.”

Despite not being a member for at least the first year, the U.S. stated it will work “to encourage the Council to address serious cases of human rights abuse.” It “will actively campaign on behalf of candidates genuinely committed to the promotion and protection of human rights, and . . . also actively campaign against states that systematically abuse human rights.”

Miss Wright noted, “We would also like to see work begun on an alternate human rights body that from its inception is not an ‘only good as we can get’ compromise to make all countries – even egregious abusers – happy. It should work solely on fundamental human rights, and not ever- expanding ‘rights-based’ approaches that promote dubious political, economic or social agendas.”

CWA has been active on United Nations issues since 1995.

Concerned Women for America (CWA) is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization.

MIDLAND, Texas, April 6 /Christian Newswire/ — China Aid Association learned that an anonymous party has submitted a petition on behalf of Pastor Gong Shengliang to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Meanwhile, pastor Gong’s family members and legal representatives filed an appeal for medical parole to the Chinese prison due to pastor Gong’s poor health. (Read the full text at www.ChinaAid.org)

Pastor Gong is an evangelical Christian pastor and founder of the South China Church imprisoned since 2001 for his religious beliefs and leadership at South China Church. The petition is dated March 31, 2006 and cites violations of Article 18 of both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which guarantees and protects religious freedom. Though not a signatory or party to the ICCPR, China is a member of the United Nations and thus is bound to uphold the principles set forth in the UDHR. China’s own laws protect religious freedom. Article 36 of the Chinese Constitution states that “Citizens of the People’s Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief.” The petition presents convicting evidence that China fails to respect its own guarantee.

Pastor Gong was convicted of criminal charges based on evidence obtained through torture and after a trial that lacked even the most rudimentary elements of due process. China continues to persecute and imprison Pastor Gong as a way of threatening and deterring the mission of his church, which China views as a threat to the monopoly of the state sponsored church. In persecuting Pastor Gong, Chinese officials cited the South China Church’s publication of religious materials and members’ belief in Christianity. In 2002, the Jingmen Municipal Intermediate Court of Hubei Province in southern China sentenced Pastor Gong to death for assault, rape, and for organizing a cult. Foreign governments and international news organizations denounced the verdict, which was later commuted to life in prison. Pastor Gong is currently in very poor health and is receiving little to no medical attention in prison.

The petition carries detailed accounts of the Chinese government’s torture of Pastor Gong and other members of the South China Church, including sexual abuse, use of electrical rods to administer shocks, burning of skin, pulling of hair, torture with handcuffs and shackles, denial of basic necessities, physical beatings, invasive medical procedures, and death threats. The petition also cites and provides nearly twenty statements bearing original signatures of Church members who were tortured into making false accusations against Pastor Gong. Notably, every woman whom the Chinese government cited as accusing Pastor Gong of rape recanted the accusation, saying that they were made under duress of torture.

“We have been calling for justice and fair trial for this case for a long time,” said Rev. Bob Fu, “we urge the international community to continue to press the Chinese government to sincerely honor her pledge for true religious freedom and rule of the law in China.” CAA calls upon President Bush and members of Congress to raise the issue of religious persecution in China when they meet with the Chinese President Hu Jintao on April 20 at Washington DC.

View the complete text of the Appeal to UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at www.ChinaAid.org

I have a challenge for all of the Moslems to set the record straight.

You think people like me and Abdelkareem Nabil and Randal Terry and Dr. Wafaa Sultan, and others, are harsh on your religion, do you?

You think that Islam is a religion of “love and peace,” do you?

Well, here’s your chance to set the record straight!!

Tell me and my dear audience WHY Islam is a religion of peace. Back it up with your scriptures. Pull out the verses that everyone’s apparently missed out on. MAKE ME UNDERSTAND why you love your religion so much.

I can do all this for my own faith, but I don’t see what could compel a person–other than birth and/or threat of death–to be a Moslem.

I am a Christian because I believe Jesus is alive, and the Son of God. I love His teachings of “turn the other cheek” and “repent” and “repay good for evil.” I want to be like Christ. Only Christ could give me the strength to even attempt it. You don’t even have to tell me I’ll never get within 4 hundred million trillion light-year-miles of my goal.

Make me understand, Moslems. Show me these verses of peace and love, and show me the things that compel you to fight to the death for your faith.

But before you do, I want you to realize that a commitment to Allah is NOT the same thing as a devotion to, or acceptance of Mohammed as “prophet.”

If you turn from the cult of Islam, you will not be abandoning Allah! You are always welcome in our faith of truth, love, peace and purity. God loves you, and so does His son, Jesus. And the Holy Spirit, also.

Please email me or leave a comment, I want to know what you think!

With prayers for God’s grace, peace, and love to visit you..

J. Ahmed Salib, MD
salib2000@hotmail.com