• Central Asia today: five republics more different than you think • Algeria: help to stop the door closing • Christian martyrs in Somalia
JULY/AUGUST 2008
From the director
Revolving doors: work barnabasaid while there is opportunity july/august 2008
Contents To guard the safety of Christians in hostile environments names have often been changed or omitted. Thank you for your understanding.
3 Project News
A wife in China, a widow in Sri Lanka
6 Focus Compare and contrast: the five
republics of Central Asia
Information pull-out
Muslim mission in the West
11 Newsroom
Burma: Christians and the cyclone Somalia: five martyrs in two weeks
14 The Other Nine
Will you speak up for Algerian Christians?
16 Campaign Update
Spotlight on Europe
18 In Touch
How we used the money you gave
Cover: Christians in Burma. Turn to page 11 to read how the cyclone in May has affected the beleagured Christians of this repressive nation (Source: WorldShare)
For many centuries Uzbekistan was a Muslim country where Christians, previously a strong presence, were persecuted. In 1917 a communist curtain began to descend, and after a brief period of resistance Uzbekistan was engulfed in another period of tyranny. The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic was created in 1924, and what remained of the Church was severely persecuted under communist rule. In 1991 Uzbekistan gained independence, and with it religious liberty. The Church grew and mushroomed, as evangelists and church-planters made full use of their new freedom. Today Uzbekistan is reverting back to a situation of antiChristian persecution. The door is closing. (See pages 6-10 for more details.) From 1992 until 2000 Algeria was ravaged by a civil war which left more than 100,000 dead as Islamic extremists fought the army of the secular Algerian regime. The extremists also targeted the small but growing Algerian Church, which was made almost entirely of converts from Islam and their children. When peace came, so did religious liberty. Not only the government but also many sections of society seemed willing to let Algerians follow Christ if they so chose. The underground church came to the surface, and in many parts of the country Christians had the novel experience of being able to meet openly for worship without fear of harassment. In one town there were more church buildings than mosques. For a brief period the Christian community had respite and peace. Then in 2006 government policy changed. New regulations were introduced, which affected Christians’ freedom to meet and to share their faith, even to own a Bible. Christians have been arrested, and many churches have been closed down without warning or explanation. The door is closing. (See pages 14-15 for more details.) The Lord Jesus said to his disciples, “As long as it is day we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4) In our rapidly changing world, the idea that we must “work while it is day” could hardly be more relevant. Tragedy can strike literally overnight as it did in Burma (Myanmar) on the night of 2 to 3 May 2008 when the cyclone and tidal surge devastated large parts of the country (see page 11), destroying buildings, power-lines, communications and blocking roads. Normal life became impossible,
let alone Christian ministry. Iraq imploded in a matter of weeks after Saddam’s regime had been toppled in 2003. Christians, who had been relatively safe under Saddam, found themselves in a lawless society where foreign troops were unwilling and their own government unable to protect them from the violence of Islamic extremists. As Christians we are called to work where and while we can, for we do not know how long an opportunity will last. The doors close and open – like a revolving door. Uzbekistan had about 16 years of relative freedom, Algeria only six. In these brief periods of time Barnabas Fund has greater scope to strengthen and encourage churches. But when freedom disappears what we can do to help our brothers and sisters is much more limited. So we are driven by a sense of urgency, knowing that the future lies in the hands of God, and that we live in the eternal present where God is and where we must serve Him. Today across the Muslim world the move towards a more conservative type of Islam is threatening churches to the point where their very survival is at stake. Africa is heavily destabilised, ravaged by ethnic-tribal-religious conflicts. Zimbabwe teeters on the brink. We must work while it is day. Barnabas Fund has mounted a major operation to help Christian cyclone victims in Burma, where we have been involved for many years. In Zimbabwe and other crisis situations we strive to use every opportunity to bring aid and encouragement. Please join with us in prayer and support. Dr Patrick Sookhdeo International Director
Focus
Central Asia Lying at the crossroads between the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Russia and China, Central Asia has historically been a volatile region. The great cities of Samarkand and Bukhara (now in Uzbekistan), strategically placed on the ancient Silk Road, were famed not only for trade but also as centres of Islamic culture. In 1991 the republics of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan gained independence from the Soviet Union. This led to the opening of Central Asia to Christian mission. These countries are majority Muslim and independence also led to an Islamic revival reacting against decades of Soviet atheism. Meanwhile, the governments of the region are seeking to keep religion under their control and are clamping down on any activity which they feel threatens their authority – including the growing Church.
Transformed by invasion and conquest Over the centuries a series of invasions brought momentous changes for those living in Central Asia, including Christians. Before Islam, there were several different religions practised in the region, including Zoroastrianism, Buddhism and Christianity. Assyrian Christians were very active in mission work in the early centuries of the Church. They shared the Gospel in what is now Afghanistan and in the areas north of Afghanistan where Turkic tribes lived. There are reports of thousands of Christians living in these regions by the sixth and seventh centuries. However, as the Arab Muslims took power throughout the Middle East and moved further east, Islam began to become the dominant religion in Central Asia. Some parts of the region, such as modern Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, were not Islamised until much later. As a result they do not have such a strong Muslim identity as, for example, 6 Barnabas AID july / august 2008
Uzbekistan whose modern-day capital Tashkent was conquered by the Muslim armies as early as 712. In the thirteenth century the Mongols invaded, later converting to Islam. What became known as the Golden Horde dominated Central Asia and large parts of Russia. Many of the modern peoples of Central Asia are the descendants of tribes who fought alongside the Mongols. The Golden Horde was in turn conquered by Tamerlane (ruled 1370-1405), a brilliant military leader who valued high culture but was brutal to his enemies. He was known for his hatred of Christianity and completely eradicated all trace of it in Central Asia. He is celebrated as a hero in modern Uzbekistan, and in Samarkand his statue has recently replaced that of Karl Marx. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries Russia grew stronger, expelling Mongol invaders from Russia. In the following centuries there was often conflict between the Russian Empire and the Central Asian Muslim kingdoms, known as khanates. Thousands of Russians were taken as slaves in raids by the Turkic tribes and
there are reports of Christians being forcibly converted to Islam. However, by the nineteenth century most of Central Asia was under Russian control. The Russian revolution of 1917 had a profound effect on Central Asia. Some of the nations of Central Asia saw it as an opportunity to gain independence, but they were overpowered and the Soviet regime established its dominance over the region. In 1922 the borders of what have become the modern countries of Central Asia were established by Lenin’s then Minister of Nationalities, Stalin. These borders were modified in 1936 and have remained more or less the same since then. The Soviet era saw rapid modernisation as formerly nomadic people were pushed into collective farms and many moved from the countryside into towns. Mass immigration of Russians and Ukrainians into Central Asia also took place during this period. From the 1920s onwards there was a campaign to eradicate Islam in the Soviet Union. As a result many Central Asians, particularly in urban areas, became atheists or lost most of their former knowledge
Focus
of Islam. However, the Soviets found they could not completely eliminate Islam so they allowed an “official” form to exist which they sought to control. This urge to control religion and tolerate “official” manifestations of religious belief continues to influence the attitudes of rulers in post-Soviet Central Asia.
Since independence from the Soviet Union Since the end of communist rule in 1991, the newly independent states of Central Asia have been trying to re-discover their cultural identities. For most, Islam is a part of that cultural identity, distinguishing them from the “Christian” Europeans (such as Russians) who had settled in the region. Since
independence, many of these Europeans have left, while Muslim missionaries from Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have arrived. Saudi sources have funded the building of many mosques in the region. Meanwhile, neighbouring countries are trying to influence the region politically. The rise of Islamist (radical Islamic) groups across Central Asia has had a negative impact on religious freedom in the region. In Tajikistan thousands died in a conflict between the government and Islamists lasting from 1992 to 1997. Many Islamist groups operate in the Ferghana Valley, an area which is deeply religious and densely populated and covers territory in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The most prominent group is Hizb ut-Tahrir, who seek to reestablish a single Islamic state, the Caliphate, ruled by shari‘a. Members of Hizb ut-Tahrir have stated that, if they were to gain
power, Christians and Jews in Uzbekistan would either have to pay jizya (the traditional humiliating Islamic tax on non-Muslims) or convert to Islam. Furthermore, militants trained in Afghanistan are reported to be returning to the region, particularly to Uzbekistan. Governments have responded with hard-line measures, including torture and mass imprisonment, plus restrictions on religious liberty which have affected not only Islamists but all non-traditional religious groups including Christians. The attempt to control religion was taken to extremes by President Niyazov of Turkmenistan (died December 2006) who created a cult centred on himself. In 2001 he wrote and published a sacred book, Ruhnama, and it was legally required that all places of worship must have a room set aside for reading it. july / august 2008 Barnabas AID 7
Focus Persecution of Christians Christian mission to Central Asia was almost impossible during the Soviet period, although there were Christians amongst the Russians living in Central Asia. After the collapse of communism, mission work began, and was at first largely unhindered by the governments. Korean missionaries, in particular, saw many new converts. There were no Kazakh believers in 1990, but by 2000 there were more than 6,000 meeting in over 40 Kazakh-speaking congregations. In the same period in Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyz believers grew from just 20 to over 3,200. Less fruit has been seen in the other Central Asian countries where Islam is more strongly established. In the mid 1990s Central Asian governments began to adopt heavy-handed tactics to control the resurgence of religion. Uzbekistan has been particularly harsh towards Christians, introducing very restrictive laws about evangelism and worship. Christians in the other four republics believe that their present window of opportunity may close in a few years if their governments follow the example of Uzbekistan.
Restrictions on worship Perhaps the most important issue for post-Soviet Christians is the registration of churches. This is a relic of the Soviet era, and was a method for controlling religion. 8 Barnabas AID july / august 2008
Registration makes a church legal but also means that the authorities can exercise control over its activities. Unregistered churches can be forced to close.
permission to register. On 2 June 2005 it was reported that the last legally registered church in Karakalpakstan had been closed down, meaning that all Christians trying to meet together are engaging in illegal activity. Since 1991 hundreds of people in Karakalpakstan have become Christians.
Forthcoming law changes
Registration can be very difficult to obtain in some countries. One factor is the number of members required. In 1991 all the republics required only ten members for a church to register, but in Uzbekistan this was increased to 100 adults in 1998. In Turkmenistan the number was increased to 500 in 2003, then reduced to five in 2004. Registration applications must list the names and addresses of all members, thus making it easy for the police to find and persecute converts from Islam. A part of Uzbekistan called Karakalpakstan, where anti-Christian persecution has been extremely severe, consistently denies churches
Uzbekistan’s harsh laws seem to be setting a trend. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan all have restrictive new legislation in the pipeline.
Church ministers in Uzbekistan face much harassment and persecution. Dmitri (David) Shestakov was given a four-year prison sentence in May 2007. He is serving this in a remote and harsh prison colony, where the authorities consider him a model prisoner. Barnabas Fund is helping to support his wife while he is in prison, including the cost of making the long journey to visit him
Focus Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are planning to increase the number of members a church must have before it can register, thus creating difficulties for small churches. In April 2008 Kazakhstan’s Lower Chamber of Parliament approved legislation which would place quotas on the number of missionaries allowed to work in the country, prohibit religious groups from evangelising, ban children from attending worship services without parental permission, and prohibit religious organisations from receiving foreign donations. Christians are
praying that these changes will not be made law.
Problems in rural areas In rural areas village communities can react against Christian converts from Islam or those seeking to spread the Gospel. In Uzbekistan many new young Christians in rural areas have been beaten severely and told to recite the shahada, the Islamic creed, to renounce their Christian faith and return to Islam. Older converts have been isolated and ostracised in their communities as Muslim leaders forbid people to speak to them.
In Kyrgyzstan the leader of a small group of Christians, Saktinbai Usmanov, was murdered in Jety-Oguz in December 2005. Saktinbai, a convert from Islam, was found in his house, with multiple stab wounds in his back. Pages had been ripped from a Bible and thrown around the room. Saktinbai had received death threats from the Muslim leaders in Jety-Oguz, and had survived a previous attempt on his life. Later Saktinbai’s son courageously moved to the village and has taken over leading the church.
Legal problems for Christians in different Central Asian countries Uzbekistan Can Christians open a church? What are the penalties for illegal churches?
Turkmenistan
Churches must be registered. Registration Registration required, is hard to obtain; it but since 2004 has been requires 100 members easier to obtain and the permission of local authorities First offence: Heavy fine Second offence: Prison 3-8 years
Kazakhstan
Kyrgystan
Registration is not Registration is required, difficult to obtain, but in practice but churches which are unregistered churches not registered are often left alone can be harassed
Churches are “advised” that they need to register, but this is not obligatory
Fines and sometimes imprisonment or deportation
Sometimes fines for those who “refuse” to register
Fines for those who do not register
N/A
No legal prohibitions, but converts can face problems from family or community
Missionaries (nationals or foreigners) must register with the authorities
No legal prohibitions, but converts can face problems from family or community
All imported literature must be checked, but much is allowed in
All imported literature must be checked, but much is allowed in
No serious problems
Requires permission, which is often given
Requires permission, which is often given
Requires permission, which is often given
Is evangelism permitted?
“Missionary activity” is illegal
No legal prohibitions, but converts can face problems from family or community
Is it permitted to produce Christian literature?
All religious literature imported has to be checked by “experts”. Much is confiscated
All imported literature must be checked. Much is confiscated
Is Christian education permitted?
Tajikstan
Religious instruction Requires permission, requires permission, which is often given which is hard to obtain.
july / august 2008 Barnabas AID 9
Focus God at work in Central Asia: one family’s testimony “Andrew” was serving time in prison for fraud, where he became infected with tuberculosis. During this time, three of his four children committed suicide. While in the tuberculosis hospital after his release, Andrew heard the good news about Jesus from some Christians and invited them to visit his home. He and his wife were on the point of divorce, hurling accusations at each other and afraid that their last remaining child would kill herself. Two Christians began to visit the family regularly. First Andrew and then his wife gave their lives to Christ. Their daughter was deeply depressed and unable to trust anyone, but the Christians befriended her and every week met at the house to read the Bible and pray with the family. After some time Andrew was miraculously healed from his tuberculosis. The Christian visitors burned all the occult items in the home, and after this the family became free of fear. In one of the Bible study meetings, Andrew’s daughter also decided to follow Christ. Andrew says: “I did everything for my children to make them happy, but they committed suicide. Now I know that neither money nor children make you happy. I and my home will belong to the Lord.” He is now a leader of a cell church of Muslim-background Christians. He preaches the Gospel and disciples new believers. His wife supports him in his ministry and their daughter is a member of the worship team.
How Barnabas Fund is helping Christians in Central Asia In the last 12 months Barnabas Fund has sent about 60 grants to the five Central Asian republics, ranging from £200 (US$400; €260) to £20,000 (US$40,000; €26,000) for a wide variety of needs: winter relief, support for victims of violence/ imprisonment, Scriptures and other Christian literature, radio ministry, training, support for pastors and evangelists, children’s ministries, provision of church buildings, equipment and materials for churches, and small business start-ups.
Making pelmeni (like ravioli). This is one of many small businesses which have been set up with grants from Barnabas Fund to enable converts from Islam to Christianity in Central Asia to support themselves 10 Barnabas AID july / august 2008
Some of the peoples in Central Asia Kazakhs
Kazakhstan Uzbekistan
Descended from the Kipchak tribes that were part of the Mongol Golden Horde. Traditionally normadic but now mainly farmers and urban dwellers. Sunni Muslim, but their Islamic identity is weaker than that of most other peoples of Central Asia due to their being Islamised later.
Uzbeks
Uzbekistan Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan Afghanistan
Descendants of Turkic tribes who invaded Central Asia alongside the Mongols. Still mostly rural though many have moved to towns. Sunni Muslims, and often very conservative religiously.
Tajiks
Tajikistan Afghanistan Kirgizstan Pakistan
Tajiks are not Turkic but are an Iranian people who speak Persian. The Tajiks were inhabitants of Central Asia before the Mongol invasion. In modern times they are some of the poorest people in Central Asia. They are majority Sunni Muslim.
Turkmen
Turkmenistan Afghanistan Pakistan
Nomads who were modernised under Russian and Soviet rule. Custom still plays an important role in Turkmen life, especially in marriage. Turkmen are Sunni Muslim and religiously conservative.
Kyrgyz
Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Afghanistan
The Kyrgyz were Islamised in the 17th century much later than other peoples of Central Asia. Their knowledge of Islam and their commitment to it are relatively weak. Folk religion is widespread.
Russians
All 5 republics. Most numerous in Kazakhstan (25%)
Russian migration to Central Asia began when it came under Russian control and greatly increased under Soviet rule. Russians are traditionally Christian. Many have returned to Russia since 1991
Da‘wa - Islamic mission Part 2: Da‘wa in the West A Scottish undergraduate starting at Edinburgh University found himself sharing a flat with students of various nationalities. The flatmates talked about the reasons why they had come to the UK. Iqbal, studying medicine, said: “I have come to the UK to see it become a Muslim state.” He explained the overall strategy: “If we get London and New York, we will have the Western world.” Iqbal is now a doctor in the UK and very active in his local mosque.
Establishing Islam in the West Da‘wa efforts in the West took off in the 1970s with the resurgence of Islam and the rapid rise of Islamism (extremist or political Islam) backed by oil wealth. Khurram Murad (1932-1996), deputy vice-president of Jama‘at-i Islami Pakistan 1987-1996 and former director of the Islamic Foundation, Leicester, UK, explained that the goal of da‘wa activists is to see the West converted to Islam and integrated into the global Muslim community, the umma:
There is the goal of bringing the same West to Islam, which would necessary mean that it would become part of the Muslim Ummah.1
For many Muslim leaders, the recent mass Muslim migration to Western countries can have only one rationale: participation in da‘wa to bring non-Muslims to Islam and establish Islam in the West. It is a Godappointed move indicating the revival of Islam and of its power.
As for Muslims, . . . their presence in the West can have only one justification: to communicate the message of Islam to their fellow human beings here, both by words and example. Even though they might have come for reasons other than Islamic, to get money or education or both, this duty is foremost.2
Replicating Christian missionary methods Muslims in the modern era have successfully copied most Christian mission strategies and methods and are using them for the expansion of Islam in the non-Muslim world. Funded by the Saudis and other oil-rich states and individuals, a vast project to resource da‘wa by publications, translations and radio and TV programmes has been initiated. Intellectual persuasion is used with
the assistance of attractively produced tapes, videos, DVDs and the whole gamut of modem technology including a multitude of websites. Muslims are encouraged to give up their holidays in order to go on da‘wa missions, and to use personal visitation and tourism to promote Islam. Many da‘wa organisations have been set up in the West. It is interesting to note that in the US the majority of such organisations were started by Muslim professionals such as doctors, engineers, university lecturers etc. Many da‘wa organisations are now involved in door-to-door visitation, friendship da‘wa, handing out leaflets, and setting up booths with Islamic material at public events. Islamic bookshops offer a wide range of materials for those interested in Islam. Special study groups are offered to potential converts and regular lessons are arranged for new converts to ground them in Islamic knowledge. Some Muslims are involved in providing medical care, social welfare and educational facilities - an innovation as far as traditional da‘wa methods are concerned. Muslim prison ministry in the West has been a fruitful field, with many inmates becoming Muslims. Some Muslim groups offer volunteers to help the elderly in their community regardless of cultural background or religious affiliation. Ahmad Deedat, an Indian Muslim scholar (19182005) who grew up in South Africa, founded the Islamic Propagation Centre in Durban in 1957 which printed a variety of da‘wa booklets attacking Christian beliefs (examples are Crucifixion or Cruci-fiction? and Resurrection or Resuscitation). He was very skilled in public Muslim-Christian debate, sparring with renowned Christian leaders in South Africa, the US and Britain. As usual in such emotive events, each side later claimed the victory. Videos of his lectures and debates as well as his books have been widely distributed in Muslim communities around the world. In 1986 he received the “King Faisal Award for Services to Islam”. Learning from Christian missiology, Muslims are now being encouraged to use contextualisation in their mission approach. Fadlullah Wilmot, Muslim Aid’s Indonesia Country Director, encourages Muslim activists not to destroy local culture but respect it, support it and Islamise it. Islam is presented not as a new religion to be imposed on Western society, but as the final culmination and fulfilment of the basic truth God has revealed through all prophets since creation. Islam is described as the original, most natural religion. Non-Muslims are not asked to change their religion, but simply to “revert” to what they are told are their own original beliefs from which they have strayed. Muslims hold that every baby is born a Muslim and often use the word “revert” rather than “convert” when they speak of a non-Muslim embracing Islam.
Pull-out supplement
This series of pull-out supplements is intended to provide background information for Christians seeking to understand the nature of Islam and its contemporary expression. One aspect of this relates to understanding the reason for the oppression and persecution of Christians in various Islamic parts of the world, and another to the growing challenge which Islam poses to Western society, culture and Church.
Khurram Murad, Da‘wah Among Non-Muslims in the West, Leicester: The Islamic Foundation, 1986, p8. Khurram Murad, “Editor’s Preface”, in Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, Muslims in the West: The Message and Mission, Leicester: The Islamic Foundation, 1983, p7.
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Targeting Western women3 There are other da‘wa methods which are most certainly not copied from Christian mission. Western women are considered to be an easy way to infiltrate Western countries and make converts. A Syrian Muslim tour guide pointed out a group of white women on one of his tours and explained that there is a Muslim strategy to develop relationships with such women, marry them, and to convert them to Islam. Marriage to a Westerner is also an easy way to settle in a Western country, providing plenty more opportunities for da‘wa. At a mosque in Lewisham, south London, a speaker addressed a group of young Muslim men in 2007, urging them to engage in da‘wa by marrying English women, or at least by having sexual relationships with them. (All babies from such relationships would be considered Muslims.) After this, the man can get to know her family and friends, and share his faith with them as well. The speaker told his audience that English girls tend to like Arab men, especially if treated in a kind and caring way. The easiest women to target, he advised, were those from broken homes or with a deep need for a physical relationship. “Britain is a land of free honey,” said the speaker, indicating the ease of winning converts to Islam. It is not only Arab Muslims who use this strategy in the West. At a church event in east London, a group of Iranian Muslims were overheard discussing amongst themselves who would approach which girl in the congregation. An article posted on the website of the London School of Islamics in 2006 appears to be an interview with a Saudi doctor who runs a clinic for female genital mutilation (“female circumcision”). The doctor explains how rich Saudi men may have many concubines, including white women. Most are European, from countries such as Russia, Greece, the Balkans, Scandinavia, France and Ireland. A few are from America and elsewhere. She describes the women and what happens to them: The young, the pretty, the stupid. Many college girls. They are easy to acquire. Some of the rich will go on hunting trips, as they are called. They simply seduce a bird that they fancy, fly her to the Kingdom where she simply disappears into a harem to never be heard from again. Many of the older Princes will hire a recruiter to find him the right candidate.Once here she is turned over to the old man to do with as he pleases. Several of the recruiters bring the candidates here for circumcision to calm them down before going on to their final destination. It is surprising how few western women know what female circumcision is. As a general rule when they arrive here they have no idea what we plan to do to them.4
Students and children Islamic student societies are especially active in da‘wa to fellow students. As they compete for influence against secular and Christian student societies, they often engage in da‘wa activities such as organising special lectures, debates and other outreach events. Local Muslim societies often offer special da‘wa training for their
members and for Muslims in general. The Cambridge Muslims Community for example, organised a weekend course in June 2006 with sessions on subjects such as: “The Importance of Giving Da‘wa”; “Giving Da‘wa to Christians”; and “Giving Da‘wa to Atheists”. There is also a focus on encouraging Muslim children to be active in da‘wa. Children from eleven or twelve years old are encouraged to invite non-Muslim friends home to do homework together. Then the friends’ families can be invited as well. The Muslim hosts are encouraged to show Islam in its best light and especially to emphasise to their non-Muslim visitors that Islam is morally upright and give them confidence that their children are in a safe environment when with the Muslim family. Non-Muslim children can also be invited to come on “Friday School” outings organised by the mosque.
Islamic music While more puritanical Muslims consider music to be haram (forbidden), those in the Sufi tradition use music for their devotional life and for da‘wa. Invitations to performances of qawwali music, a form of Sufi devotional music popular in the Indian sub-continent, gain the interest of Western music lovers and seekers for spirituality. CDs by famous qawwali performers, such as the Pakistani Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, are popular and make good gifts to non-Muslims. Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, decided to abandon his musical career after converting to Islam in 1979. However, in 2004 he returned to the world of popular music with a secular album An Other Cup. He now states that, despite the controversy among Muslims about music, he is convinced that it has a role to play in promoting the devotional life of Muslims, in encouraging those in difficulties, and in da‘wa. He declares that he himself is firmly committed to sharing the message of Islamic tawheed (the unity of God) with non-Muslims. Sami Yusuf is a young and very popular Muslim British singer-songwriter from an Azeri background. His songs, in Islamic hip-hop style, focus on Islamic themes. He has performed worldwide and uses his music as a means of promoting the message of Islam.
Da‘wa organisations Various national and international Islamic organisations have been established to facilitate the Islamisation of the West. Some examples operating in Britain are the World Islamic Mission, the UK Islamic Mission, Tablighi Jama‘at, Jamaat-i Tabligh al-Islam, and the Muslim World League. The London-based Islamic Council of Europe was established in May 1973 with backing from Saudi Arabia and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. Working in close cooperation with international Islamic organisations and the governments of Muslim states, it attempts to coordinate the efforts of more than 24 Muslim organisations in Britain, Germany, France, Scandinavia, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, the
See Rosemary Sookhdeo, Stepping into the Shadows: Why Women are Converting to Islam, 2nd edition Pewsey, UK: Isaac Publishing, 2007. Dr Muzaffar interviewed in “White Girls Circumcision in Saudi Arabia” http://www.londonschoolof islamics.org.uk/DiscView.asp?mid=864&forum_id=2& (viewed 22 April 2008) 3 4
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Once the community is well organized, its leaders should strive to seek recognition of Muslims as a religious community having its own characteristics by the authorities. Once recognized the community should continue to request the same rights the other religious communities enjoy in the country. Eventually, the community may seek to gain political rights as a constituent community of the nation. Once these rights are obtained then the community should seek to generalize its characteristics to the entire nation.5
A selection of Muslim tracts and booklets for outreach in the West
Conferences and exhibitions Beginning with the World of Islam festival in London in 1976, which was opened by the Queen, a range of Islamic exhibitions, conferences and events have been held in Britain. It is interesting to note that these exhibitions are usually opened by important government and public officials, and often receive some public funding. The Islamic Society of Britain (ISB) has been organising an annual four-day “Living Islam” festival at the Lincolnshire Showgrounds since 2003. It is advertised as a celebration of Islamic culture and history and usually includes performances of nasheeds (Islamic songs), speeches and stalls - in addition to bouncy castles, sports and open-air prayers. While it is mainly for Muslims, it also seeks to present Islam in a positive light to non-Muslim Britons. The “Festival of Muslim Cultures” (2006-7) received funding from the Arts Council England, the City of London, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Home Office and the British Council. The Muslim
Council of Britain, who has a seat on the Board of Trustees, stipulated that everything in the exhibition should comply with shari‘a. IslamExpo is an event fêted as “Europe’s biggest exhibition of modern-day Islam”, first held in July 2006 at Alexandra Palace, London. The next one is set for 11-14 July 2008 in Olympia, London. It is a collaborative effort between the office of the Mayor of London and the Muslim Association of Britain. Through exhibitions, stalls, workshops, live shows, concerts, lectures and seminars, IslamExpo aims to dispel myths and misconceptions about Islam and to depict Islam and its achievements in a positive light. Another such event is the UK-wide travelling exhibition “1001 Inventions: Discover the Muslim Heritage in our World”, which has moved around a number of venues in Britain’s main cities starting in 2006. Organised by the Muslim Heritage Foundation and the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation, it aims at showing the public what Muslims have contributed to the world in the areas of science and technology. It is especially geared to schools, and is recommended by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). Many local Islamic festivals and exhibitions are organised by Muslim communities in their specific towns. An example is Edinburgh, where the Islam Festival Edinburgh, a month-long collection of events promoting understanding of Muslim faith and life, has been running for five years. It is held at Edinburgh Central Mosque as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Such events instil in Western minds the impressive presence of Islam in their midst, its power, culture and wealth, and thereby serve as vehicles for da‘wa. Similar projects include the building of prestigious mosques and Islamic centres and the proliferation of Islamic lobby groups.
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Netherlands and Luxembourg. It aims to protect and preserve the religious and cultural life of Muslims in Europe and also to develop “a better understanding of Islam” in the West i.e. da‘wa. In 1978 the Islamic Council of Europe organised a seminar in London in which various strategies were outlined for Muslim minorities in non-Muslim countries. The Muslim community must seek to live in physical proximity to each other, creating areas of Muslim concentration in which infrastructure such as mosques and other autonomous Islamic institutions can be established. The Muslim community must lobby the host state to grant the Muslims recognition as a separate religious community as a step towards gaining political rights and finally political domination.
Legal and structural efforts Islamists and their supporters seeking to Islamise the West in stages make constant demands for legal changes to protect Islam and give it a privileged position in state and society, as recommended by the Islamic Council of Europe (see above). Such changes include the enactment of laws against incitement to religious hatred. Islamists have also used the threat of violence as seen in riots in Muslim areas to intimidate governments to accept their demands. The programme is also expressed in demands for halal food in prisons, schools and hospitals; Islamic schools; hijab (the Islamic head-covering) for school girls; time off for employees on Friday for midday prayers, and Islamic banking, pensions and mortgages. Many of these concessions are being granted in areas where Muslims are concentrated demographically. In addition, Islamists have infiltrated many, often more moderate, Muslim institutions, and have succeeded in placing sympathetic Muslim experts in academia, politics and the media. They have mounted a consistent and effective campaign to rewrite textbooks so as to present Islam only in a positive light, regardless of historical facts.
M. Ali Kettani, “Problems of Muslim Minorities” in Muslim Communities in Non-Muslim States, London, Islamic Council of Europe, 1980, pp 91-107. The quotation is from p105. 5
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Interfaith dialogue Islamists often engage in interfaith dialogue with Christians with the purpose of promoting Islam. They aim to weaken and divide Christian churches, block Christian mission to Muslims and gain acceptance of Islam. The Islamic concept of presenting Islam, Christianity and Judaism as closely linked “Abrahamic faiths” has gained much credence amongst Christians recently, despite the fact that it is completely unbiblical and, if followed to its logical conclusion, should result in all Christians converting to Islam.
Islamic awareness seminars Islamic awareness seminars are another tool for da‘wa. These are offered by prestigious Islamic institutions to personnel at government and public institutions who come in regular contact with Muslims as an opportunity to better understand Islam and Muslims. Police officers, hospital staff, teachers, university staff and many other groups attend such seminars. This is all perceived as part of the duty to “exhibit the beauty, simplicity and consistency of the message of Islam”.
Islamic finance The spread of what is described as shari‘a-compliant finance in the West is also seen as a da‘wa method in that it promotes the Islamisation of the West. It subverts the Western financial system and impresses non-Muslims with the great wealth of Islam and its supposedly more ethical approach to finance. As an increasing number of Islamic financial products are made available in Western countries, and various regulations are introduced to facilitate this process, the structures and values of Islam and shari‘a become embedded in Western society. It is striking that not only Muslims but also many nonMuslims are making use of Islamic financial products. The alarming irony is that the requirement for “interestfree” finance is by no means universally accepted by all Muslims as part of Islam; rather, it is a modern Islamist interpretation of Islam’s source texts, and is rejected by many mainstream Islamic leaders. Furthermore, Muslim states with huge foreign
exchange surpluses now use sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) to buy Western assets. By 2007, the United Arab Emirates ranked first with the largest SWF holdings in the world, with Saudi Arabia third and Kuwait sixth. Western states now worry about the security implications of oil-rich Muslim states acquiring important positions in their key industries and companies. Wealth and power are a key instrument in Islamic da‘wa as they help to attract non-Muslims to the faith.
Conclusion Most Christians are happy to see mission as a two-way process, with each faith having the freedom to propagate its message and convince others. Muslims, however, see da‘wa as a one–way street: only Islam has the right to propagate itself. Muslims reject all Christian mission endeavours and seek to suppress them and smear them as aggressive, deceitful and evil. All over the world an extensive and well-funded network of Islamic da‘wa organisations and emissaries is seeking to win converts to Islam and to change societies and states in the direction of becoming more Islamic. In addition to individual and organisational efforts, Muslim states are also involved in promoting this project, using their considerable resources and influence to further the cause of da‘wa. While individual converts are welcomed, pressures are also brought to bear on non-Muslim societies to change their cultural, legal, educational and economic culture and make it more Islamic. Under the cloak of multiculturalism, improving community cohesion, combating Islamophobia and removing prejudice, Western governments and public bodies are unwittingly supporting and partly funding a growing and sophisticated campaign of Muslim missionary activity. These various efforts have succeeded in attracting a growing number of converts to Islam and starting a process of Islamisation of societal structures in Western states. This article has focused in particular on what is happening in the UK, but the same is being repeated in most countries of the West. The ultimate goal of da‘wa is to establish Islamic states in every country of the world. (Part 1 of this article was published in Barnabas Aid, May-June 2008 and entitled “What is Da‘wa?”) © Barnabas Fund, 2008
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Newsroom BURMA CYCLONE: homelessness and starvation are nothing new for Christians, but Barnabas Fund is helping The devastation caused by the cyclone and tidal surge which hit Burma (Myanmar) on 2-3 May shocked the whole world. The suffering was beyond imagining. At the time of writing there are an estimated 100,000 dead, a million homeless and no one knows how many lacking food and fresh water. It was compounded by the Burmese government’s callous reluctance to accept much in the way of international help. The same government has been severely persecuting the Christian minority in Burma for decades. They have been merciless in their treatment of ethnic minorities, amongst whom are many Christians. Forced labour and forced relocation, destruction of villages and crops, have resulted in untold hardship, starvation and many deaths. Some of the persecution focuses specifically on churches and Christian activities. In this context, where homelessness and starvation are habitually used as weapons of anti-Christian persecution, it was essential to ensure that Christian victims of the cyclone received help. Barnabas Fund began immediately to channel funds into Burma through our existing Christian partners there and through other Christian organisations. We had been assisting Christians in Burma for several years and our partners, already based in Burma, were not hampered by the need to get visas, but were able to swing into action straight away. Within four days of the cyclone the first funds were in the country, and a session to train Christian workers in relief was conducted. Ten teams were sent out to local churches with aid supplies (including medicines) and money to buy more. This pattern was repeated, with training for more people from local churches, teams delivering water, food, shelter and medicines, and discussions about how to meet the long-term
reconstruction needs of Christian homes and churches which had been destroyed. An estimated two million Christians were living in the five regions declared disaster zones. This is about half the total number of Christians in the whole of Burma. Many Christians live in rural areas, where building materials are often bamboo or wood, much less able to withstand a cyclone than the brick and concrete used in cities. In the two regions where the cyclone was at its strongest, Rangoon and Irrawaddy, the Christian population is around 726,000 Christians. Another of the disaster zones, Karen, has a population which is
44% Christian. Karen Christians, especially women and children, have often been used as human mine-sweepers, made to walk in front of troops in areas where mines have been laid. More information is available in a 2007 Barnabas Fund booklet called Christians of Burma (Myanmar). Please ask your national Barnabas Fund office for a free copy or download the booklet from http://www. barnabasfund.org/pdfdocs/ Christians_in_Burma.pdf
(Project reference 75-745)
One of the first pictures of the cyclone damage sent from our partners in Burma. “Almost all Christian ministries are affected, church buildings and homes destroyed,” our partners reported. But they could not yet be sure how many believers had been killed because of the confusion and damage to communications
july / august 2008 Barnabas AID 11
Newsroom Five Christians martyred in Somalia Four Christian teachers, two of them converts from Islam, were murdered by Islamic militants on 13 April in Beledweyne in south-central Somalia. Daud Assan Ali (64), Rehana Ahmed (32), both of Somali origin, and two Kenyans, were shot dead when Islamic militants stormed the school where the Christians were sleeping. Both Mr Ali and Ms Ahmed lived in the UK and were converts from Islam to Christianity. Mr Ali returned to his home town in 2004 to realise his life-long dream of establishing a school.
In his blog for supporters of the school, Mr Ali had expressed concern about night-time raids by militant fighters in his last posting on 30 March. A spokesman for the Islamist group responsible for the attack on the town claimed that the teachers were simply caught in cross fire. However, several local residents are convinced that the four were singled out because they were Christians and the Islamists feared that they were teaching their pupils about Christianity. Mr Ali’s wife believes that her husband
was targeted because he was a convert from Islam. Only nine days after this incident, on 22 April, another Somali Christian convert from Islam, David Mohammad Ali, was murdered by a gang of Islamists while on his way from Addis Ababa to visit his sick mother. He had not seen his mother for many years because his family opposed his conversion to Christianity. After the Muslims had killed David, they dragged his body to a mosque, praising Allah that “an apostate was dead”.
Exaggerated convert figures could cost lives Converts from Islam to Christianity are increasingly concerned about a number of reports in recent months which have cited astounding statistics on conversion. It is true – and a matter for thankfulness to God – that more Muslims are now coming to Christ than at any other time in history. However, they are not converting on the vast scale alleged in some reports. These false reports, often initiated by nonChristians and then circulated by Christians, are a matter of grave concern, not just for those who love truth and accuracy, but also for the many individuals whose lives are being endangered by the publicity given to the exaggerated figures. Muslims view apostasy from Islam as bringing shame and humiliation on the Muslim community. Publicising that there are large numbers of converts deepens the shame and loss of face. Many Muslims believe that shame is best removed by the shedding of blood and may therefore set out to kill not only the converts themselves, but also those seeking to evangelise Muslims, whether national evangelists or Western missionaries. Some may go even further and seek to get revenge and restore the honour of Islam by attacking any 12 Barnabas AID july / august 2008
available target they associate with the “Christian” West.
Innocence and ignorance Why should someone exaggerate the number of converts? There are a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is an innocent miscalculation when making estimates in a sensitive context where there can be no firm figures. For example, an estimate might have been made by asking leaders of known convert churches or convert groups how many members are in their particular group and then adding together the answers given. The error here is that people may attend more than one church or group from time to time and thus a single individual may have been counted many times over. Owing to the need for secrecy and the reluctance to name names, the overlap between groups is not known to the researcher. Another innocent mistake comes from cross-cultural missionaries misinterpreting phenomena which they see. For example, an “altar call” in some African contexts may result in, say, 1,000 people “going forward”. Someone who grew up in the individualistic culture of the West may interpret this as 1,000 people deciding to give their lives to Christ.
But in the local culture, probably more communal and communityminded, many people will simply have gone forward because they saw others doing so. Some extreme contextual models of mission, which emphasise very close identification with Islam, make it virtually impossible to distinguish converts from those who are still Muslims. Thus figures of “converts” may include many who are not really Christian believers. Sometimes reports appear to have been originated by people unaware that a historic indigenous Church exists in many Muslimmajority countries. So when a large Christian congregation is seen in, for example Egypt, the observer assumes that all the worshippers must be converts from Islam.
Deliberate disinformation Other reasons are less innocent. When the Taliban were still in power in Afghanistan, a report circulated of huge numbers of Afghan converts from Islam to Christianity. This originated with a disgruntled Afghan refugee who had been employed by a Western NGO. When he was dismissed from his job for dishonesty he retaliated by going to a newspaper and claiming that
Newsroom
An African convert from Islam to Christianity. A Libyan sheikh has claimed that there are six million such conversions in the continent each year, but this is a deliberate and dangerous exaggeration large numbers of Afghan Muslims had become Christians. As he doubtless intended, the message, which was swiftly circulated around the world by delighted Christians, turned the Afghan government and people against Christian NGOs, and created great danger for the small number of genuine Afghan converts and increased risk for all Westerners in Afghanistan. A story that six million African Muslims are becoming Christians every year resulted from claims made by Sheikh Ahmad al Katani of Libya in a televised interview on Al-Jazeera. The sheikh’s aim appeared to be to alarm Muslim viewers with high figures of Muslims leaving their faith in order to persuade them to give more generously to Islamic missionary efforts in Africa. There has also been a very strong anti-evangelism move within Islam, aimed at preventing Christian mission work amongst Muslims. By citing large numbers of converts to Christianity, Muslims inflame Muslim public opinion against Christian evangelism. Furthermore, since the invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003 and the “war on terror”, Muslim leaders have increasingly been arguing that President Bush’s policy is to
transform the Middle East into a Christian entity by Christian mission coupled with American military might. This totally erroneous linkage has created more danger for Western forces based in Muslim countries as well as for Christian missionaries, whether expatriate or national. Sadly, there are also examples of Christians deliberately circulating inflated figures of converts. These are usually Western organisations whose financial support depends on the enthusiasm of Christians in their home countries. Some of these organisations seem to have been newly created with the specific purpose of caring for converts, without having had any previous involvement with them. It is presumably because of this that some have claimed absurdly high numbers of converts. Such figures soon become public and again inflame Muslim sensibilities. Some Muslims come to Christ through dreams and visions. This has led to wild stories of whole villages and whole communities becoming Christians, stories which have never, to Barnabas Fund’s knowledge, been substantiated.
Coming at the worst time It will never be possible to quantify how many lives have been lost or how many ministries damaged as a result of falsely high claims about convert numbers. But it behoves all Christians in secure and free countries to think carefully before publicising convert figures. In April 1996 the Somali Islamist group alItixaad al-Islami announced that they had succeeded in killing every Somali Christian in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, and would now move on to eliminating Somali Christians in Nairobi. Thankfully there are still Somali Christians in Somalia, but al-Itixaad al-Islami may yet be trying to find and kill them. Certainly, Somali converts have continued to be assassinated in Somalia, including three in April 2008 (see page 12). Converts are increasingly concerned at the way in which
publicity in the West is creating extra danger for them. They are further concerned when some Western Christians have linked converts from Islam to the political state of Israel. Muslim propaganda is always rife with conspiracy theories, centring on Muslim converts functioning as Zionist agents to penetrate Muslim society. The existence of the internet and email allow dangerous misinformation to be far more readily accessible than ever before. Furthermore, this all comes at a time when Islamic radicalism is on the rise and converts are as a result facing threats, violence and martyrdom on a scale unknown for many generations. Many Muslims are coming to Christ through the faithful witness of local evangelists, local churches and local ministries. In these communities the new converts are nurtured and discipled. Others are coming to Christ through radio and television, both of which media have well developed counselling programmes to follow up enquirers and converts. Muslims also find Christ through the miraculous, often going on to ask local churches or Christian acquaintances to help them understand their new faith. The idea that new Western initiatives will deliver millions of Muslim converts who would be uncared for were it not for the new organisations fails to recognise not only the excellent work of many long-term Western missionaries and mission organisations who are serving faithfully, sensitively and unobtrusively, but also national Christian workers in the Muslim world who minister unstintingly, sometimes at the cost of their own lives. The present “numbers game” is proving deadly. While it is good to highlight in public discussions the issue of Islamic law’s death sentence for apostasy, the quoting of provocative numbers in the Western media is not welcomed by converts. In any case there are many secret believers known only to God.
july / august 2008 Barnabas AID 13
The Other Nine In Algeria being a Christian means...
...you could be arrested any time simply for having a Bible with you or talking to a Muslim about your faith. What does “being a Christian” mean to you? For Christians in Algeria it means that a lot of the time you are at the mercy of local authorities. You cannot just meet together as a small group in someone’s house, because you are only allowed to gather in an authorised place of meeting. Otherwise, your group is considered illegal and you can face imprisonment from one to three years and fines of up to 300,000 dinars (approx. £2,300; US$4,600; €2,990). It is also not easy to find property to rent 14 Barnabas AID july / august 2008
or buy if you are a Christian as landlords often face pressure from local authorities when renting to Christians. The Algerian authorities also make it extremely difficult for Christians to register places of meeting, and the registration process can take years. A Commission which was introduced specifically to register Algerian churches took 16 months to set up, finally starting work on 4 August 2007. So far not a single Protestant
church has been registered by the Commission, which does not even reply to the letters sent by the churches. On the other hand, police and local authorities are quick to close down churches. Since the beginning of this year, some 20 churches have been closed down without warning and explanation. Many of them had been operating officially for years. Being a Christian in Algeria can also mean that you can
The Other Nine be arrested without warning for being in possession of a Bible or a New Testament. New regulations that were passed in 2006 state that it is illegal to “incite” a Muslim to convert to another religion and to “make, store or distribute printed documents or audiovisual productions . . . which has as its goal to shake the faith of a Muslim”. These vague regulations can include anything from testimony, outreach, even answering questions about Christianity from Muslim friends to possessing a Bible or New Testament. • One church elder met up in a café with an undercover policeman who expressed interest in Christianity. After the elder had left the café, he was stopped by the man and two uniformed police and arrested when they found Scriptures in his bag.
• Three Christian leaders were sentenced in absentia to three years in prison plus a 500,000 dinars (£3,850; US$7,700; €5,005) fine. They were charged with insulting Muhammad and Islam. These false charges were raised by a supposed convert to Christianity who was annoyed that he had not received the support and (financial) help he expected. Media reports often claim that Christians bribe Muslims to convert. At least ten Christians have been arrested in recent months. Some non-Algerian pastors who have been living in the country for decades have been expelled. Foreign Christian students have been threatened with expulsion. The current level of anti-Christian activity is such that it has been widely commented on in the Algerian press, and has drawn criticism from Algeria’s own human
rights associations and leading political, social, cultural and artistic figures in the country. Algeria is a Muslim country with a secular government, yet Islamic opposition to Christian evangelistic activities has been on the increase. The Algerian Church is growing rapidly, and Islamic extremists are complaining about the government’s “lenient” approach towards Christian churches. Some Muslims plan to create a “Commission to Fight against Christianisation”; one of its aims is to lobby the president and government to encourage them “not to be weak in the face of the crusades”. Barnabas Fund supports several projects in Algeria such as supporting pastors (project reference 02-570), helping with church construction and church rent (project reference 02-367), and start-up grants for small businesses (project reference 00-356, small business start-up fund).
Speak up for them! Many people are concerned about this rise in official and unofficial discrimination against Algerian Christians and the increasing anti-Christian attitudes and propaganda. It is especially sad that this is happening because from about 2000 until 2006 there was considerable religious liberty in Algeria and it was one of the safest of all Muslim countries for converts from Islam. Algerian Christians have asked their brothers and sisters around the world to support them in prayer and to speak up for them by writing to their Algerian ambassador or to the Algerian government. Will you help Christians in Algeria by writing a letter about their plight? It will be most effective if you write in your own words, but we have provided a sample letter to use if you prefer. If you write your own letter, it does not need to be long, but please make it clear and polite. You can find the sample letter, more background information, a list of incidents and churches closed, and a list of names and addresses you can write to at www.barnabasfund.org/algeria Alternatively contact your national Barnabas Fund office for a copy to be sent to you by mail. july / august 2008 Barnabas AID 15
Campaign Update
Refugees in Europe: the debate rages
THE T AT IME O W 19,10 RITIN F 6 HA G, OUR VE SIG SA N CHRI VE IRAQ ED I S PETIT TIANS ION
NEW!! You can also sign our petition to Save Iraqi Christians online at www.barnabasfund.org/iraq The current situation The situation of Iraqi Christians and Iraqi Christian refugees is becoming more and more pressing. On 5 April a Christian leader, Yousif Adil Abbodi, was assassinated in a drive-by shooting in Baghdad. He had received several death threats before. Whenever a church leader is attacked or killed in Iraq, the whole Christian community feels it is being threatened because of their Christian faith. Together with the abduction of Iraqi Archbishop Paulos Farah Rahho, who was kidnapped on 29 February and found dead two weeks later, this murder sends out a powerful message to the small remnant of Iraqi Christians and to those Christians who have fled the country: they are to leave and not to return. Overcrowding, poverty and dire living conditions are often the lot of those refugees who have managed to reach the safety of neighbouring countries such as Syria and Jordan. A small proportion of Iraqi Christians have found refuge in Western countries such as Sweden, by far the most welcoming European country for Iraqi refugees. Since the 2003 war, 40,000 Iraqis have moved to Sweden, of whom almost 25,000 (most of them Christians) have been granted full refugee status. This figure stands in stark contrast to 6,000 Iraqis taken in the by the US in programmes for refugees and
translators. In the UK a mere 260 AT have E TIMbeen E OF Wgiven RITIN full refugee IraqisTH 17 ,746 HAVE SIGNED OUR G, status, with a further 2,680 SAVE granted IRAQI CHRISTIANS humanitarian or discretionary leave PE to remain TITION
Europe’s response However, this year Sweden has started to close the door to Iraqi refugees as it does not have the capacity to continue helping such a large number. Swedish migration courts decided last year that Iraq was no longer a war zone, which means that asylum is not granted automatically any more. Rather, people have to prove that they are in grave personal danger. Last year Sweden granted asylum to 76% of Iraqis requesting it. This year the figure is down to 25%. The Swedish government has urged the other European Union (EU) countries and the US to do their part to help alleviate the Iraqi refugee crisis. Over recent months, other voices have joined Sweden’s. Writing in an Austrian government newspaper on 1 May, Wolfgang Schüssel, former Austrian Chancellor, expressed concern that Christianity in the Arab world faces extinction. He noted in particular that anti-Christian violence in Iraq has driven half its Christian population to leave their country since 2003. He wrote of his hope that the necessary financial support could be obtained from the European Commission to save the Christians and Christian culture of the Arab world.
The French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, pledged in March that France would accept about 500 Chaldean Christians from Iraq. A few weeks later, German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble urged EU member states to accept Iraqi Christians as refugees. According to press reports, Germany is willing to receive about 30,000 Iraqi Christian refugees. However, the Slovenian presidency of the EU rejected the German suggestion. “I think the right of asylum should be provided without consideration of religion or race,” responded Dragutin Mate, the Slovenian Interior Minister on 18 April.
Displaced Iraqi Christian refugee families like this one need refuge
16 BARNABAS AID JULY / AUGUST 2008
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Campaign Update “Now we face extinction at the hands of Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Kurdish nationalists, and the whole world is turning a blind eye. Since 2003, half the one million or so Iraqi Christians have fled from Islamist murder gangs. More than 40 of our churches have been bombed (seven in one day in January). Christian women have been kidnapped and told to convert or die. . . . Why is our historic friend, a fellow Christian nation that so many fought for, standing by and letting this happen? We are on the front line of the battle against Islamism, but our allies and friends in Britain seem happy to feed us to the crocodile in the hope it will eat them last.” - Albert Michael, Assyrian Aid Society, London (Letter to the Daily Mail, 22 April 2008)
“It’s a quiet life here. I am so happy. I see the smiling faces of my children, and I am so happy that they can live here without fear.” - Merzoian, aged 31, an Iraqi computer programmer, Södertälje, Sweden. While living in Baghdad Merzoian had been kidnapped and held for four days. His arm is scarred where his kidnappers dragged a knife across it, saying they would later slit his throat in the same way. He escaped from Iraq with his wife and their two children, now aged 5 and 3, carrying little but a wall hanging of the Last Supper and some other signs of their Christian faith. (“Iraqi Refugees Find Sweden’s Door Closing” by Mary Jordan, The Washington Post, 10 April 2008)
“If you stay, you die. If you leave, you live. They ask you, ‘Why are you a Christian? Why do you live here? It’s not a Christian country.’ A couple of guys with guns came and tried to kill us. After that moment I can’t live there any longer. It’s a matter of life or death. [In Sweden] I can now live without fear... You feel more human.” - “Matthew”, aged 26, an Iraqi doctor, Södertälje, Sweden ( “Sweden Feels Strain of Refugees” by Rob Cameron, BBC News, 21 March 2008)
YOU CAN HELP At this time, when there is debate within the European Union about whether or not to help Iraqi Christians, you can help your fellow-believers by adding your voice. European Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner has met with Iraqi Christians and been shocked to hear how desperate their plight is. She has allocated an official to look into the matter. Please write to her – a short, polite letter – urging the EU to offer refuge to Iraqi Christians at their time of need. You might like to quote some of the Iraqi voices in the boxes on this page.
Ms Benita Ferrero-Waldner External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy EU Commission Collège 21 B-1049 Bruxelles Belgium Keep gathering signatures for our petition, which calls on Western governments to “take serious note of the plight of Iraqi Christians, to provide aid and relief for the refugees and to give refuge to some of them”.
For more free copies of the petition, contact your national Barnabas Fund office (you can use the form on page 19 of this magazine) or visit www.barnabasfund.org/shop july / august 2008 Barnabas AID 17
In Touch Financial Summary for 2006/2007 We are thankful to the Lord and to all our supporters for a total income in the year to 31 August 2007 amounting to £7,798,518. This represents a 22.97% increase on last year’s donations. The bulk of our income came in the form of donations from individuals. The diagrams of expenditure show how the income was used. The percentage of total income which went to the projects to support the persecuted Church is 76.09% with a further 7.77 % covering the vital support ministries of prayer, advocacy, education, raising awareness and research. Thus a total of 83.86% of income went to the ministries of the Barnabas Fund. Full audited accounts are available on request from the International Office, Pewsey, UK.
Barnabas Fund Income 2006/2007
Barnabas Fund Allocated Expenditure 2006/2007
Barnabas Fund Ministries to Support the Persecuted Church 2006/2007
Helping your Christian family by leaving a legacy Drawing up a will may seem daunting, but it is a good way to have a final say regarding all that matters to you the most – your loved ones, your hard-earned money or goods, the joy of thanking your friends or, as a Christian, the chance to honour God by helping to provide for your wider family in Christ. Many people like to remember a charity in their will, expressing their care and concern for those less fortunate than themselves. We would like to encourage you to consider prayerfully supporting your suffering brothers and sisters around the world by including a legacy to Barnabas Fund in your will. We have put together a booklet which explains the importance of making a will and how to go about this simple but vital task. If you would like a free copy of A Christian Guide to Making and Changing your Will, please contact the UK Barnabas Fund office. 18 Barnabas AID july / august 2008
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Please send me a Save Iraqi Christians campaign resource pack. Please send me ____ copies of “Iraq: Remember the Refugees” DVD Please add me to your email news service. My e-mail address is ___________________________________________________________________
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Mag 07/08
Come and visit us at our exhibition stand Barnabas Fund is going to have a stand at several Christian events in the UK over the coming months. Please come and pay us a visit. 19th July – 25th July Clan Gathering, St Andrews 26th July – 9th August New Wine, Shepton Mallet 22nd August – 26th August Grapevine Celebration, Lincoln
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(amount in words) _________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________ Starting on (date) _________ and then every month/quarter/year (delete as applicable) until further notice. From (Name) ___________________________________________________________________________ (Address) _______________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Post code ____________ Signature __________________________ Date ____/_____/____
25th Sept – 28th Sept Christian Resources Exhibition, Harrogate
This Standing Order is a new one / in addition to / replaces an earlier Standing Order in favour of the Barnabas Fund (delete as applicable) Please quote reference (to be completed by Barnabas Fund) _______________________
Please send this form to Barnabas Fund and not to your bank If you are a UK tax-payer please complete the Gift Aid Declaration above to enable us to reclaim the tax on your standing order payments. Barnabas Fund is a registered charity no. 1092935, and a company registered in England number 4029536 * We reserve the right to use designated gifts for another project if the one identified is sufficiently funded.
Suffering Church Sunday
November 2008 – book your church’s date now “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40 We encourage local churches and fellowships again this year to set aside a Sunday in November to remember our brothers and sisters around the world who suffer because of their love for the Lord Jesus Christ. Barnabas Fund will provide resources and ideas to help you focus on this theme in Sunday worship and small group meetings. This year’s Suffering Church Sunday will highlight the issue of poverty. In many countries where Christians are a despised and oppressed minority, choosing to follow Jesus often means choosing poverty as well. Being a Christian may close the doors to getting a good education, securing a decently paid job or even finding work at all.
Resources will be sent with your September-October 2008 magazine, but please book the date in your church’s calendar now.
How to Find Us
You may contact Barnabas Fund at the following addresses:
UK 9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX Telephone 024 7623 1923 Fax 024 7683 4718 From outside the UK Telephone +44 24 7623 1923 Fax +44 24 7683 4718 Email info@barnabasfund.org Registered charity number 1092935 Company registered in England number 4029536 Chairman of the Board of Trustees: Mr Mike Penny For a list of all trustees, please contact Barnabas Fund UK at the Coventry address above.
Jersey Le Jardin, La Rue A Don, Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands JE3 9GB Telephone 700600 Fax 700601 Email bfjersey@barnabasfund.org
New Zealand 14A View Road, Mt Eden, Auckland 1024 Telephone 09 630 6267 or 0800 008 805 Email office@barnabasfund.org.nz
Barnabas Aid The magazine of Barnabas Fund
Published by Barnabas Fund The Old Rectory, River Street, Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9 5DB, UK Telephone 01672 564938 Fax 01672 565030 From outside UK: Telephone +44 1672 564938 Fax +44 1672 565030 Email info@barnabasfund.org
www.barnabasfund.org
Australia Postal Suite 107, 236 Hyperdome, Loganholme QLD 4129 Telephone (07) 3806 1076 or 1300 365 799 Fax (07) 3806 4076 Email bfaustralia@barnabasfund.org
USA 6731 Curran St, McLean, VA 22101 Telephone (703) 288-1681 or toll-free 1-866-936-2525 Fax (703) 288-1682 Email bfusa@barnabasfund.org
Germany German supporters may send gifts for Barnabas Fund via Hilfe für Brüder who will provide you with a taxdeductible receipt. Please mention that the donation is for “SPC 20 Barnabas Fund”. If you would like your donation to go to a specific project of Barnabas Fund, please inform the Barnabas Fund office in Pewsey, UK. Account holder: Hilfe für Brüder e.V. Account number: 415 600 Bank: Evang. Kreditgenossenschaft Stuttgart Bankcode (BLZ): 520 604 10
International Headquarters The Old Rectory, River Street, Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9 5DB, UK Telephone 01672 564938 Fax 01672 565030 From outside UK: Telephone +44 1672 564938 Fax +44 1672 565030 Email info@barnabasfund.org
To donate by credit card, please visit the website or phone 0800 587 4006 (from outside the UK phone +44 1672 565031). © Barnabas Fund 2008 For permission to reproduce articles from this magazine, please contact the International Headquaters address above. The paper used is produced using wood fibre at a mill that has been awarded the ISO14001 certificate for environmental management.