Barnabas Aid May/June 2008

MAY/JUNE 2008 • Angola: A Church that grew under Marxist persecution

• Evangelists and pastors around the world • How Muslims do mission

From the director

From faith to barnabasaid compromise Contents MAY/JUNE 2008

To guard the safety of Christians in hostile environments names have often been changed or omitted. Thank you for your understanding.

3 Project News

God at work in Tanzania, through evangelists you support

5 Focus Full-time Christian workers:

building the Kingdom of God in their own contexts

Information pull-out

Understanding da‘wa: the missionary dimension of Islam

11 Newsroom

Violence and discrimination against Christians in Pakistan

12 Country Profile

Angola: war, Marxism and now Islam

14 Testimony

A Pakistani doctor finds blessing through his kidnap ordeal

16 Newsroom

Contradictory signals from Turkey

17 Campaign Update

Write a letter to Save Iraqi Christians

18 In Touch

An Armenian monument desecrated in Wales

20 UK Supporters’ Day

Book your ticket now for 7th June

Cover: An Angolan ministry leader. Turn to pages 5 to 10 to read more about national Christian workers supported by Barnabas Fund. Turn to pages 12-13 to read about Angola.

Hartford Seminary in Connecticut, one of America’s oldest theological schools, was founded in 1834 by Calvinists who left Yale College to start a new institution of Christian learning. In the early decades of the twentieth century, Hartford was a leading institution on the evangelisation of Muslims.

Samuel M. Zwemer (1867-1952), the famous missionary to Muslims, wrote: We hope to point out … the true solution to the Moslem problem, namely the evangelization of Moslems and to awaken sympathy, love and prayer on behalf of the Moslem world until its bonds are burst, its wounds healed, its sorrows removed and its desires satisfied in Jesus Christ.

In 1911 Zwemer founded an academic quarterly journal entitled The Moslem World which offered information on Islam and was a forum for Christian mission strategy among Muslims. He served as its editor for 36 years, and then handed over the responsibilities of running it to others at Hartford Seminary on condition that they remain in the same spirit of evangelism and commitment to evangelical truth.

One of the lecturers at Hartford at the turn of the twentieth century was the Scotsman, Duncan Black Macdonald (1863-1943), who taught Arabic and Islam. A highly respected scholar of Islam, Macdonald held that the seminary students must learn the language and theological heritage of Islam if they were to be successful in evangelising Muslims.

Macdonald’s principles, controversial in his own time, later became an important part of Hartford’s missionary training.

However the results may not have been what he anticipated, because, in the words of the current Hartford president, Heidi Hadsell, “The missionaries that we sent were coming home saying [Muslims] already believe in God. What we need is dialogue between Muslims and Christians.”

Thirty years after Macdonald’s death, in 1973, Hartford created the Duncan Black Macdonald Center for the Study of

Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations.

Its mission is to nurture ChristianMuslim understanding. In 1998 the centre hired Ingrid Mattson, a Canadianborn convert to Islam with a doctorate in Islamic studies from the University of Chicago, to direct the chaplaincy programme. Mattson is also the first female president of the Islamic Society of North America. In 2000 an Islamic chaplaincy programme was launched at Hartford to train Muslims for chaplaincy roles in the American military. The number of students taking the Islamic chaplaincy training has steadily increased since then.

Today Muslims make up 35% of the student body at Hartford Seminary, an institution which a few generations ago was training Christians to evangelise Muslims. It is difficult to know how to express the tragedy of this transition at Hartford, and we can only guess how it must grieve the heart of God. This issue of Barnabas Aid focuses on bringing the good news of Christ to those of other faiths, as the first century disciples did and as we are still commanded to do today. Barnabas Fund is privileged to be able to provide financial support for hundreds of fulltime Christian workers ministering in their own contexts, sharing the Gospel and building up the Body of Christ.

Please would you pray as you read, asking the Lord to protect and keep these courageous brothers and sisters, who serve Him in such dangerous and difficult conditions, and to use their ministry for His glory and His Kingdom.

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo International Director

Focus

“The Church is mission” When the Lord Jesus was in the multi-faith context of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” and “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered clearly that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:13-16). Caesarea Philippi had been a centre of Baal worship in ancient times, which was characterised by polytheism and idolatry. It was also popular with devotees of the god Pan, who focused on nature worship and sensuality. Many believed that Pan’s grotto at Caesarea Philippi was the source of the River Jordan and therefore it was a sacred place for Jews, with their emphasis on pure monotheism. Later still, as indicated by the name, it became associated with the worship of Caesar, emphasising humanism and militarism.

The early Church faced a multi-faith situation, in which they witnessed to Jesus as Lord and Saviour of the world.

Emil Brunner said that “the Church is mission – a mission-less Church is a Christ-less Church”.

Mission is centred on the euangelion, the good news of the Gospel. It speaks of an all-consuming passion for bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to those who are lost. This is the work of mission.

Over the years the term “mission” has been redefined to include compassion. In this view, good works

are equal with sharing the Gospel. In more recent times, mission has been further redefined to include global dimensions from ecology to climate change. Mission is now regarded as an act of reconciliation whereby “all things, whether on earth or things in heaven” are reconciled to God through the shedding of Jesus’ blood (Colossians 1:20). Important as these elements are, Stephen Neill has wisely noted that “if everything is mission, nothing is mission”. Nowhere is the confusion about mission seen more clearly than in contemporary mission to Muslims.

The impact of Islam on the concept of mission More changes in the understanding of the nature of mission and encounters with other religions have arisen in response to the growing impact of Islam in the West. Some Christians hold that Christians and Muslims are allies together against the godless hedonism of the West. Others go to great lengths to gloss over the differences between their faith and Islam. These and other positions have led to increasing confusion with regard to how to understand Islam and how to relate to Muslims. As someone has said, Christians have got their thinking and their feeling mixed up. If Islam is going to be accepted as an authentic religion, then why witness to Muslims?

In the twenty-first century, just as in the first century, the question “Who is Jesus?” remains central. Wherever the beauty of Christ is veiled or distorted, He needs to be presented Continued overleaf

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Focus faith, witness to Christ, and pray for the coming Kingdom of God.

God at work today

Bible study group in a country in Central Asia for believers from a Muslim background. Evangelists in Central Asia face much persecution, particularly those who are active in outreach to Muslims. Similarly, converts from Muslim backgrounds often experience major difficulties when trying to live their faith openly. Please pray for full-time Christian workers in Central Asia supported by Barnabas Fund and for the believers they minister to

clearly. Islam denies the central Christian understanding of Christ as the incarnate Son of God. Islam claims to honour Him, yet in reality it deprives Him of His supreme place of honour and reduces His role to merely a prophet.

In the face of the challenge of Islam we should not be intimidated, but should boldly confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who said, “I, when I am lifted up, will draw all men to myself.” (John 12:32)

Lost without Christ The Gospel message remains clear that people are lost without Christ.

The need to understand those who are without Christ and to seek their salvation has never been greater.

Many Christians in the nonWestern world are baffled by the West with its post-modernity, tolerance and vagueness of belief. They cannot understand how the Christian faith could so easily have been abandoned.

They cannot understand how the pull of interfaith relations can be so alluring. They cannot understand the naivety of those who fail to recognise the challenge posed by Islam, a religion which sees itself as the completion of all that went before.

For non-Western Christians, living in contexts of persecution, it has never been more vital to hold fast to the

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In our day the Holy Spirit is doing a most remarkable work. More people from non-Christian backgrounds are becoming Christians than ever before in history. Across the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, South and South-East Asia as well as in countries such as China, the Gospel message is not only being spread but is producing a wonderful harvest of new believers.

The most effective workers in this harvest field are the Christians living and witnessing in their own countries.

Though it may be dangerous, though most have nowhere to flee from violence or state persecution, their lives and words are drawing many to Christ.

Countries which have seen exceptional church growth in recent decades include Muslim countries like Indonesia, Algeria and Iran.

They also include Hindu-majority Nepal, where known Christians have increased from just 23 in 1959 to more than 760,000. In Mongolia, where Shamanism and Buddhism are the main religions, there may have been only 4 Christians in 1989, but now there are thought to be around 40,000. In communist China, where church growth is said to have “no parallels in history”, it is estimated that there are now a hundred million Christians. On a less dramatic scale, but surely no less significant from an eternal perspective, there are now national believers (i.e. not expatriates) in every country of North Africa and the Middle East, even if in many cases they must be secret believers.

Patterned on Christ’s love How is such mission developing, the mission which the Holy Spirit is using in our time to draw people to Christ? In many senses it is patterned after Christ’s ministry on earth.

1. As Jesus came and lived among us, so His disciples today are incarnated within many different contexts. In situations of danger,

hardship, poverty and disaster, Christ’s followers are present.

2. As Jesus went about doing good, as He came not to be served but to serve, so His followers are at work within their communities, holding forth the love of Christ through their service to others.

3. Like Jesus, His followers teach and preach the good news to those who do not understand, to those who have misunderstood the nature of the Christian faith.

They are there to explain the misconceptions, to teach the Bible and to proclaim Jesus Christ as Saviour.

4. As Christ engaged the powers of darkness, for He saw that the world is in the hands of the Evil One, so His followers engage in spiritual warfare. They realise that their struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12).

5. As Christ healed the sick and demonstrated God’s power at work in human lives through signs and wonders, so His Spirit works through His disciples today in miraculous ways to bring healing and wholeness.

6. As Christ suffered for His people on the cross, as He bled and died for them, so in a different way His people witness through their suffering. The Greek word for “witness” is martus, from which the English “martyr” is derived, one who bears witness by his or her death. Tertullian’s famous comment about the blood of the martyrs being the seed of the Church has been proved true time and again in the 1800 years since.

7. As the Lord Jesus loved His own who were in the world, so their love for each other is a witness to Him (John 13:1,34,35).

He commanded them, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another,” and told them what would happen if they did. “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Focus “The Church is mission” – Supporting God’s harvest workers In the Great Commission, which is recorded in Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands His followers to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. To tell people the good news of our Lord is still one of the main responsibilities of Christians today. There are still areas today in this world where people have never heard of Jesus; in other areas, radical Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or communist influence is so great that being a Christian means putting one’s life in danger. The need for Christian full-time workers in these areas is great as teaching, encouragement and ministry are vital in situations where Christians are being persecuted for their faith.

Yet in many countries Christians whose desire is to serve the Lord full time by preaching and ministering to unbelievers often lack the supportive framework of a Christian community as they venture into areas where Christians are few in number.

They often face great difficulties, ranging from financial hardship to harassment to outright violence.

Barnabas Fund, as part of the Body of Christ, offers help and support to these faithful harvest workers.

Our example is Barnabas, the godly man in the Bible whom the Fund is named after, known for the support and encouragement he offered the apostles (Acts 4:36). We are told that “he sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet” (Acts 4:37). Similarly Barnabas Fund offers financial help to evangelists and pastors in areas where Christians are poor, vulnerable or in a minority, struggling with precarious circumstances and facing an uncertain future. It is here that leadership gifts of preaching, teaching and encouragement are particularly needed in order to strengthen Christians in their faith and to make known the Gospel.

Barnabas Fund feels privileged to be able to support 392 pastors, church-planters, evangelists and national missionaries around the world in 15 different countries as diverse as Bangladesh, Kenya, Chad and Pakistan. Their work ranges from

doing door-to-door ministry, offering Christian literature at bookstalls to organising Christian events and visiting secret believers, all in their own countries or among their own people-groups.

Here are some of their stories.

(Please note that for the safety of those concerned, some names have been changed or omitted.)

Evangelists in Sierra Leone “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few....”

(Matthew 9:37) Sierra Leone is a small state on the West African coast. Despite its mineral wealth it has become the poorest country in the world due to mismanagement and corruption.

Rebels have plunged the country into chaos and nearly the whole population has had experience of being refugees. Thousands of men, women, children and even babies have been maimed and their limbs amputated as an instrument of terror and control. The country and its people have been deeply hurt.

In Sierra Leone there is freedom of religion but Islam is steadily increasing in influence. There is also a vast array of traditional ethnic religions, the occult and secret societies. It is not unusual for

Sierra Leonean Christians evangelists to find people who have never heard of Jesus Christ before.

Barnabas Fund supports seven evangelists and pastors in Sierra Leone. One of them, “David”, had already planted three churches and opened a preaching station when he heard of an area a distance away from where he worked in which people had never before heard the Gospel.

David had to walk 15 miles to get there, and he found a village of about 900 people. None of the villagers had ever heard of Jesus Christ before, and secret societies and sacrifices dominated their beliefs. David felt led to make regular trips to this area so as to have the opportunity to speak to people about Jesus. He also opened a temporary building for a primary school which accommodates four classes. It is now also being used for Sunday services which already had an attendance of about 60 people in August 2007.

Another Sierra Leonean evangelist, “Aaron”, works in areas with a strong Muslim influence. He had to face many setbacks over the last two years. A Bible study group for 35 young people, most of whom were from Muslim families, had to close because of pressure from the parents who threatened to stop paying their children’s school fees if they continued to attend the group.

One father tried to beat his son with a piece of cable. Some of the young people continued to attend secretly whenever they could; however, the Continued overleaf

MAY / JUN 2008 Barnabas AID 7

Focus pressure soon got so great that almost all of them stopped coming.

In another village which Aaron visits regularly to share the Gospel, the small Christian community used to meet in a school as their pastor was one of the teachers. The Muslim villagers forced the school to close on Fridays and open on Sundays, which meant that the building could no longer be used for Sunday worship.

It also meant that the pastor had to take “leave” from his job in the school every Sunday morning in order to be able to lead the services. The Christians now meet in a disused hut which has been partially renovated.

However, despite these challenges, there is a real hunger to hear the Gospel in Sierra Leone. One pastor who is involved in Muslim evangelism holds regular mid-week meetings for Muslim converts. He has also trained several converts so they can teach children, and his wife instructs the women. Many of the Muslim converts have to travel quite a distance to come to the meetings, but some of them even make the trip twice a week to be able to join the Sunday services as well.

“locally trained evangelists and pastors are desperately needed to share the Good News” Several of the pastors and evangelists in Sierra Leone also report that they often receive requests for help from other churches and Christian communities to spread the Gospel to the many unreached areas. This shows that more locally trained evangelists and pastors are desperately needed to share the good news and teach people about Jesus in their own language, being sensitive to the very specific needs and lifestyle of the local people. Over the years it has transpired that in Muslim and rural communities, evangelists and pastors ministering in their own context are usually more effective than the ones who come in from the outside and have to cope with the challenges of language and culture.

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Bibles, portions of Scripture and Christian literature are available at this “outreach bookstall” in Pakistan. Even in the current difficult times, the demand for Christian literature and Scripture is great among people in Pakistan

Spreading the Word of God in Pakistan “My word will not return to me empty” (Isaiah 55:11) With 33 pastors and 79 evangelists, Barnabas Fund supports more Christian workers in Pakistan than in any other country. The population of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is at least 96% Muslim, with only about 2.5% Christian. In some areas, especially in the North-West, this percentage drops to just 0.25%. The Christian population finds itself under increasing pressure as parties push for shari‘a (Islamic law) to be firmly embedded within the country’s legal system. In some areas the application of shari‘a is already a reality, and Christians in these areas tend to face more violence, harassment and repression. Even after the recent

national elections on 18 February and the success of the moderate Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the situation in Pakistan is still volatile and prone to violence. One of the evangelists whom Barnabas Fund supports describes how many Christians live in constant fear of their lives; suicide attacks are common, and many parents of school children are very concerned for their children’s safety.

He writes: “In a volatile situation like this it is an uphill task to preach the message.”

Yet amidst these very difficult and adverse circumstances, other Pakistani pastors and evangelists report that there is also a deep hunger for the Word of God, especially among people who have been displaced from their homes. Every month hundreds of Bibles, New Testaments and Scripture portions are distributed, and even Muslim clerics are among the people asking for Christian literature and Scripture.

Many members of the Christian community in various parts of the North West Frontier Province in Pakistan receive letters threatening that they must convert to Islam or face suicide attacks.

Here are some extracts from one such letter received by a pastor whom Barnabas Fund supports. It expresses the widely held Muslim belief that Christian minorities cannot be loyal citizens of their country because they are assumed to be loyal instead to the USA, which is seen as a Christian country.

“There is only death for the communities who share similar religion with America and are his agents. Our mosques and children are being martyred at American orders therefore the Churches will also be wiped out from the face of the earth.

We will write new history with the blood of the infidels and our suicide attackers are ready to attack the Churches. The death of infidels, their extinction from the face of the earth is the foremost objective of our holy war.”

Focus Grasping opportunities in Chad “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have” (1 Peter 3:15) Chad has experienced unrest for many years, with a major conflict earlier this year when rebel forces almost seized the capital. In eastern Chad, thousands of refugees from Darfur in neighbouring Sudan live in camps, and the humanitarian and political situation is extremely unstable. Chad is divided into the Muslim North and the South with its increasingly marginalised Christian and other minority religion population. While Chad is officially a secular state with freedom of religion, in many ways it resembles an Islamic state. Even though Muslims make up only about 55% of the population, they dominate the government, trade and the army.

Barnabas Fund supports 58 evangelists in Chad; two of them minister among the Sudanese refugees in the dangerous and unsettled area of eastern Chad.

There are more unreached people in Chad than in any other African country.

Among many tribes the number of Christians can be counted on the fingers of one hand. One Christian couple, “Edward” and “Mary”, are the only Christians in their village, which used to be called Mekakasia, meaning “little Mecca”.

It is known today for its occultic “folk Islam” and sorcery. Edward and Mary moved to the village about five years ago and have experienced much hardship there. They have suffered from sickness, theft and false accusations, and have shown remarkable courage and faith in the midst of it. Over the years they have managed to slowly and patiently build up relationships with local people, telling them about Christ.

Another evangelist, “Michael”, saw an opportunity present itself in a military camp which he used to pass regularly on his way to work. Thinking about the young men going through rigorous training to be sent to the front line, he went to ask the Commandant of the camp, a Muslim, for permission to tell the soldiers about Christ and show a film for anyone who was interested.

Permission was given, and a couple of weeks later Michael went to the camp to show the Jesus film. About 800 turned up to watch the film, and 500 came the next day to attend Sunday service where Michael explained the Gospel and many of the soldiers responded.

Preaching the good news in Bangladesh “They never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 5:42) Bangladesh is 83% Muslim, with 14% of the population being Hindu and the Christian population estimated at less than 1%. Bangladesh came into existence in 1971 when Bengali East Pakistan declared independence from West Pakistan. Thousands of people were killed in the fighting of this period which often pitted nationalists against Islamists who wanted what is now Bangladesh to remain united with Pakistan.

Following independence Bangladesh

was founded on secular principles; however, in recent years a rise in Islamic extremism has resulted in over 700 attacks against religious minorities including Christians. In western Bangladesh whole villages of ethnic and religious minorities have been abandoned as their occupants have fled from persecution.

Eight Bangladeshi evangelists receive support through Barnabas Fund, and the Lord blesses their work richly. Most of them live and work in completely unreached areas, building up relationships with local people and telling them about God. One couple, “John” and “Priscilla”, moved to a completely unreached area in

An evangelist and his family in Chad who receive support through Barnabas Fund.

Evangelists in this country experience much opposition

“Over the years they have managed to slowly and patiently build up relationships with local people, telling them about Christ. ” 2005. Within two years, and despite threats and harassment from Islamic extremists, they were able to plant 12 new churches in the area. It is not unusual for baptism services to include between 50 to 100 people wanting to be baptised, with many more on waiting lists.

A convert being baptised in Bangladesh.

In many of the unreached areas of Bangladesh where evangelists work, supported by Barnabas Fund, it is not unusual for up to 100 new believers to be baptised in a month MAY / JUN 2008 Barnabas AID 9

Focus two hours. From midnight onwards, they kneel in prayer and continue to do so until 6 am. Then they wash, eat and go off for the day sharing the Gospel with people. The Lord has blessed their work richly: many Muslims have come to know Christ through Christopher and his team.

It also happens regularly that Muslims approach Christopher for prayer, asking for healing and deliverance in the Name of Jesus Christ. During two Bible conferences on the theme of “Leadership and Integrity”, to which Christopher had also invited government officials, Muslim participants told the group that this kind of teaching was desperately needed, and that they realised for the first time the high standards of honesty in the Christian faith.

T This Guinean Muslim is engrossed in a book of Christian Scripture which has been given to him by “Christopher”, the evangelist Barnabas Fund supports in Guinea. Despite the strong Muslim influence in this country, there is a lot of interest in the teachings of Jesus and His message of salvation

Doing God’s work in Guinea “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1) Like Chad, Guinea counts among the least evangelised countries in subSaharan Africa. The country went through several harsh years under pro-Marxist, pro-Islamic government leaders. During that time Christians suffered considerably. Guinea’s population today is 69% Muslim, and it is often extremely difficult for

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Muslim converts to Christianity to live openly as Christians. There is religious liberty for Christian witness and outreach; however, over recent years, intolerance on the part of many in the Muslim population has increased.

Barnabas Fund supports one evangelist in Guinea. “Christopher” has established a wide-ranging ministry across Guinea, including door-to-door ministry in the capital, Conakry, and many trips to villages spread out over a large area. He and his team are truly running the race with perseverance: they meet on Friday evenings after work, starting at 10 pm, to worship and praise God for

hese are just a few examples of the commitment of the pastors and evangelists Barnabas Fund has the privilege to support in their own countries. God is using them to advance His kingdom into still unreached areas.

With the help of many supporters Barnabas Fund assists these faithful and courageous workers by grants which range from £6.75 to £160 per person per month. Normally this covers only a proportion of their needs, and local churches or other sources provide the rest. However, in a few cases where local support is very small or non-existent, Barnabas Fund provides for 100% of the needs.

While physical needs have to be met, prayer support is every bit as important for these pastors and evangelists as they face spiritual opposition every day. One evangelist wrote: “I need your prayer support always, as the enemy has tried most of his strategies to thwart the plan of God in my life and many souls....I am very grateful to Barnabas Fund for your great support and help towards my ministry here.”

Project references 00-478 Evangelists Support Fund 00-477 Pastors Support Fund

Da‘wa - Islamic mission Part 1: What is Da‘wa?

Islam, like Christianity, has a missionary dimension, and actively seeks to make converts. Da‘wa (literally meaning “call” or “invitation”) is the name Muslims give to their missionary work i.e. a call or invitation to Islam. Muslims are active in da‘wa all around the world, in Muslim contexts and in non-Muslim contexts, particularly Africa. There is also much da‘wa work taking place in the West.

Yahya (Jonathan) Birt, son of Lord Birt, former Director of the BBC, and a convert to Islam, told the London Asharq Alawsat newspaper in August 2006 that there were 16,000 converts to Islam in Britain. He claimed that there were many celebrities among them. Some observers think the numbers are much higher; one suggestion is 60,000. Well known British converts to Islam include Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) the former pop singer who converted in 1977; Jemima Goldsmith, socialite millionaire’s daughter who married Pakistani cricket star Imran Khan in 1995; Yvonne Ridley, a journalist captured by the Taliban who converted on her release in 2001; and world snooker champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, who converted in 2003.

A similar trend of conversion to Islam is noticeable in all Western states. A study financed by the German Federal Ministry of the Interior and conducted by the Islam-Archive Central Institute found that approximately 4,000 Germans converted to Islam in 2006 alone. In the USA it is estimated that the number of converts to Islam could be as high as 1.2 million; of these some 55% are thought to be AfricanAmericans.

A significant number of converts in the West are white women, some disillusioned with the breakdown of community and spirituality in Western society. Others fall in love with Muslim men and want to marry them.1 In Islam, marriage to non-Muslim women is a legitimate means of da‘wa. Some Muslim men deliberately target vulnerable Western women for marriage, sometimes to obtain visas, other times for temporary companionship and sexual gratification while they are away from their home country.

Some converts in the West are male prisoners, often of African or Caribbean origin, who seem to embrace Islam as a way of retaliating against the society that locked them up.

One example is Richard Reid, the 2001 “shoe-bomber”.

A multitude of books, pamphlets and internet websites give guidance on how to become a Muslim. These stress the simplicity and ease of the act of conversion, which consists of reciting the Islamic creed (the shahada): “There is no god but God and Muhammad is the apostle of God.”

All one needs to do is pronounce the “Shahada”, the testimony of faith, without further delay. The “Shahada” is the first and most important of the five pillars of Islam.

With the pronunciation of this testimony, or “Shahada”, with sincere belief and conviction, one enters the fold of Islam. 2

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.

Da‘wa in the Islamic source texts The term da‘wa, in the sense of a call and an invitation to Islam, is used more than a dozen times in the Qur’an.

A key verse is: Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best who have strayed from His Path and who receive guidance.

(Q 16:125) The hadith traditions, which record Muhammad’s words and deeds, establish da‘wa as a main activity of Muhammad’s work and therefore to be replicated by his followers. For example, one hadith records that Muhammad sent one of his followers to Yemen to convert its people to Islam: Narrated by Ibn Abbas Thy Prophet sent Muadh to Yemen and said, “Invite the people to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and I am Allah’s Apostle, and if they obey you to do so, then teach them that Allah has enjoined on them five prayers in every day and night (in twenty-four hours), and if they obey you to do so, then teach them that Allah has made it obligatory for them to pay the Zakat from their property and it is to be taken from the wealthy among them and given to the poor.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 2.478)

The wide scope of da‘wa Da‘wa has two dimensions, external and internal. External da‘wa is the call to non-Muslims to accept Islam, while the internal da‘wa targets Muslims in an effort to revive their faith and commitment. Da‘wa is not limited to efforts at converting individuals. It includes efforts at converting whole societies so as to establish Islamic states or at least enclaves ruled by Islam. The idea is that these will serve as a model to non-Muslims of Islam’s power and benefits, as well as a base for further expansion.

Da‘wa is not just the duty of individual Muslims, but also of Muslim states who are responsible for converting non-Islamic states to Islam following Muhammad’s model.

For more about problems faced by women converting in order to marry a Muslim, see Rosemary Sookhdeo, Stepping into the Shadows: Why Women Convert to Islam, 2nd edition, Pewsey, Wiltshire: Isaac Publishing, 2007. This title can be purchased from your national Barnabas Fund office or by visiting www.barnabasfund.org/_shop/barnabasbooks.php 2 “The religion of Islam – How to convert to Islam and become a Muslim”, http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/204/, viewed 7 March 2008.

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Pull-out supplement

This graphic image from a British Muslim group indicates the negative attitude of most Muslims to Christian mission and evangelism

Contemporary forced conversions as part of da‘wa-jihad

This is the impetus behind the intensive missionary efforts of Muslim states such as Saudi Arabia (see below).

For some contemporary Muslims, the priority of da‘wa at this time in history is the establishment of true Islamic states in Muslim countries. Therefore they strive to change the regimes of most Muslim states, to replace them with true Islamic states, ruled by shari‘a.

Da ‘wa and jihad Da‘wa is also linked to jihad, as both have the same aim: to spread Islam and its dominion. Da‘wa can be seen as a call to jihad against those who reject Islam. In classical Islam, the Islamic state issued a call (da‘wa) to its nonMuslim enemies to submit to Islam either by converting to Islam or by accepting dhimmi status with all its demeaning regulations. If they refused both options, jihad was waged against them. Jihad then created the conditions in which conversion to Islam could easily take place, supported by state institutions and without opposition from enemy forces.

While da‘wa can be propagated by peaceful means of persuasion, jihad enables it to function freely to its fullest extent. Da‘wa is most effective when the state enforces shari‘a and supports da‘wa with all its resources. Thus Islamist movements like the Muslim Brotherhood see themselves as committed to both da‘wa and jihad, or rather see both as different stages in the same enterprise.

Fathi Yakan, leader of the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, explains the synergy between jihad and da‘wa: [Da‘wah] is a call for Jihad since it calls for preparation for Jihad by all its forms and means so that truth may have the force to protect it and that the Da‘wah may be able to face the challenges and surmount the barriers...

Force is the surest way to establish the truth and how beautiful it would be if truth and force went side by side.

Thus Jihad for the spread of Islam and the protection of the holy places of Islam is another obligation which Allah made compulsory on the Muslims...

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There are sadly many contemporary examples of forced conversions to Islam in the context of jihad. Examples include the civil war in Sudan (1983-2005) and the antiChristian atrocities in the Indonesian Malukus and Central Sulawesi (1998-2002). In Iraq, since the downfall of the Saddam regime in 2003, Christians, Mandeans and Yazidis have faced the threat from radical Islamists of being killed unless they convert to Islam.

This attitude is also evident in the many cases where Muslims offer aid and relief to non-Muslim victims of natural disasters or war on condition that the recipients convert to Islam. Such incidents have taken place in Sudan during the civil war, in Indonesia following the December 2004 tsunami, and in Pakistan following the 2005 earthquake.

In Peshawar, Pakistan, a threatening letter was distributed among the Christian community in August 2007, calling on them to convert to Islam or face death and ruin: God is Great Long live Islam Long live Jihad (Holy war) Death to Infidels All the residents are openly invited to abandon the infidel religion, that is Christianity, embrace Islam and become Muslims, and you will make home for yourself in heaven.

Otherwise ....your colony will be ruined. You will be responsible for the death and destruction of your families.

Be prepared.

This is not just a threat, our suicide attackers will eliminate you.

In post-Saddam Iraq, similar letters have been sent to Christians by both Sunni and Shi‘a radical militias, demanding their conversion to Islam or the payment of the jizya tax (a sign of dhimmi status), and threatening those who refused with death unless they fled.

Converts as a security risk A very different kind of link between da‘wa and jihad is found in the number of converts to Islam who are active in violent jihad. One of the perpetrators of the July 2005 London suicide bombings, Germaine Lindsay, had converted to Islam five years earlier. Muriel Degauque, a Belgian convert to Islam, attacked American troops in a suicide attack near Baghdad in November 2005. Of 14 people arrested because of their links to her, half were converts to Islam. Three of the suspects in the 2006 plot to bomb transatlantic airliners were recent converts to Islam. Two of the three suspects arrested in Germany in September 2007 on charges of plotting to detonate large bombs made with concentrated hydrogen peroxide were converts to Islam.

Filipinos who have converted to Islam while working in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf and then returned home have formed the extremist Rajah Solaiman Movement based in Manila and northern Luzon. It has been linked to established Islamist terrorist groups in the south and has helped them gain a foothold in urban areas.

Da‘wa as a “civilisational jihad” The main Islamist movements are dedicated to da‘wa as part of what they call “civilisational jihad” which will establish Islam firmly as the dominant religion in non-Muslim states. This view of da‘wa prioritises the Islamisation of the non-Muslim society in order to create an environment conducive to Islam. The Muslim Brotherhood, for example, has developed an overall strategic plan to change the character of North American society and establish the dominion of Islam, and other groups have similar strategies. They involve carefully staged steps in the organisational, institutional, legal, economic, educational, cultural, social and welfare spheres of the host country. These steps are not meant just to meet the needs of Muslim individuals and the local Muslim community, but to infiltrate the control structure of the society and gradually change it from within.3 The founding of new Islamic centres, for example, is not simply done to meet the needs of the local Muslim community. The Islamic centre must become a centre of activity as part of the larger strategy of Islamising the host society: In brief we say: we would like for the Islamic center to become “The House of Dawa” and “the general center” in deeds first before name. As much as we own and direct these centers at the continent level, we can say we are marching successfully towards the settlement of Dawa in this country.4 In similar vein, the building of huge prestigious new mosques, like the proposed “mega-mosque” in Newham, London, is not meant simply to meet the congregational needs of the local Muslim community, but to impress on non-Muslims the power and splendour of Islam as well as its inexhaustible resources.

Institutionalisation of da‘wa and its adoption by Muslim states In the West, Christian missionary efforts are operated only by churches and private voluntary organisations, not by governments. In the Muslim world, because of the concept of non-separation between religion and state, Muslim states see da‘wa as part of their foreign policy and are willing to found and finance da‘wa organisations on a large scale. These organise and supervise the work of Muslim missionaries (da‘is) around the world.

Contemporary Muslim activist organisations operate as something between a missionary society and a political party, effectively blending da‘wa with politics. All Islamist movements, including the Muslim Brotherhood, Jama‘at-i-

Islami, Wahhabis, Salafis and Deobandis, are committed to da‘wa and have set up organisations for its furtherance in the non-Muslim world.

Saudi Arabia, Iran and Libya are the foremost countries which proclaim da‘wa as a central sacred duty of the state.

They can thus be considered “missionary states”. Libya founded the World Islamic Call Society in 1982 to further its version of Islam around the world. Iran has its own institutions, like the Imam Husayn Foundation, for the propagation of its version of Islam.

Training for da‘wa The institutionalisaton of da‘wa has led to the formalisation of da‘wa education and training. Da‘wa has now become an academic subject and many academic da‘wa institutions have been founded.

In addition to formal training, many self-help handbooks for the training of da‘is are published. These usually stress the moral characteristics necessary in the missionary, and then instruct on the skills needed for reaching out to non-Muslims. One such manual recommends a psychological approach. The Muslim missionary must understand the various types of people he is reaching out to. He should be flexible in modifying his approach to suit the level of the specific person he is dealing with so as to awaken his interest in Islam. This manual recommends an 8-step approach:5 1. Court the individual by showing great concern for his welfare. Build up a friendly relationship without pushing Islam.

2. Awaken the individual from his apathy by drawing his attention to the wonders of God’s creation and its purpose while sharing neutral activities such as conversations, outings and meals.

3. Start the process of indoctrination with Islamic doctrine and practice, providing books of guidance on Islamic faith and ritual and encouraging him to seek the company of Muslims and avoid sinful practices.

4. Move on to detailed instruction on Islamic worship and practice, emphasising that Islam demands that everything be done to gain God’s pleasure.

5. Explain that Islam is more than a religion: it is a social and political system, a civilisation and a complete way of life. Explain that individual faith is not enough and that one must be part of an Islamic community obedient to the whole of Islamic law (shari‘a).

6. Convince the new convert of the necessity of establishing an Islamic state with the power to enforce full compliance to Islamic law, following the example of Muhammad at Medina.

7. Move on from the Islamic state to the necessity of continual jihad to ensure the survival of Islam.

8. Mould the convert into becoming a “walking Qur’an” who can witness to Islam in every place and situation.

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It seems that new converts can be easy prey for radical Islamist recruiters. It is known that Al-Qaeda-inspired activists deliberately target sincere converts to Islam, particularly those who do not conform to the “terrorist stereotype” and can thus avoid detection by security agencies. Converts know the local culture and easily blend into it. They cannot be deported. They can be trained to hide their new religion by avoiding mosques, and even by drinking alcohol and taking drugs to maintain their cover.

One guide counsels would-be suicide bombers going to Iraq to “wear jeans, eat doughnuts, and always carry your Walkman”.

Saudi Arabia and da‘wa Since the 1970s, Saudi charities have been used as da‘wa vehicles to spread Saudi Wahhabi Islam world-wide.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly spent over $70bn since 1979 on overseas aid, more than two-thirds of it on its campaign to spread its version of Islam. The larger organisations and charities are often headed by leading members of the

“Muslim Brotherhood Strategy for North America: An Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America”, www.txnd.uscourts.gov/pdf/Notablecases/holyland/07-30-07/0030085.pdf, viewed 28 August 2007. 4 ibid. 5 Abuhuraira Abdurrahman, Method of Islamic Da‘wah, Johor Baru, Malaysia: Perniagaan Jahabersa, 2003, pp. 148-156.

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Saudi state, including members of the royal family.

In Saudi Arabia, da‘wa activity is supervised by the powerful Ministry of Islamic affairs, Endowments, Propagation and Guidance. This ministry oversees the Muslim World League, the International Islamic Relief Organization and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth. It funds Islamic outreach activities all over the world, including conferences and seminars. It has a vast publishing programme in many languages to propagate Islam, and oversees the work of many da‘is around the world. It operates the “King Fahd Complex for Printing the Qur’an” in Medina, which has printed and distributed around the world millions of copies of the Qur’an in Arabic and other languages. The ministry also controls some 50 domestic outreach offices in Saudi Arabia - known as Islamic Propagation Offices, Foreigners Guidance Offices, Da‘wa and Guidance Centres, Cooperative Offices for Call and Guidance – which are working to convert non-Muslim residents in Saudi Arabia.

The official Saudi newspaper in English, Ain al-Yaqeen, published an article on 1 March 2002 describing the state’s efforts at supporting Islam worldwide. It claimed that Saudi Arabia had spent “astronomical” sums of many billions establishing thousands of mosques, Islamic religious schools and Islamic centres in non-Muslim countries in Europe, North and South America, Australia, Africa and Asia. Saudi Arabia has also established a number of academic chairs in some of the most respected universities in the West in order to extend the influence of Islam.

The King Fahd website claims that the former Saudi monarch’s personal efforts in the propagation of Saudistyle Islam has resulted in the establishment of some 210 Islamic centres, more than 1,500 mosques, 202 colleges and almost 2,000 Muslim schools worldwide.

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference and da’wa The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which includes as members all Muslim states (57 states at the latest count), has in its various summits emphasised the need to strengthen and systematise the work of da‘wa in the world. Amongst its recommendations were the establishment of educational and cultural centres to propagate Islam and the Arabic language, the adoption of modern methods of presenting Islam, and the creation of institutes for the training of Muslim da‘wa workers. In its 1991 Dakar Summit it declared its intent to:

Provide the Organization of the Islamic Conference with the required resources in order to support and coordinate Islamic Da‘wa efforts and to improve educational curricula and training programmes as well as to disseminate the teachings of Islam throughout the world, within the framework of cooperation among States and in respect of their sovereignty; and also to instill the lofty Islamic values through the implementation of relevant programmes both in the educational institutions and through the media for the purpose of consolidating the moral stature of Muslim peoples and communities.

Similar decisions have been repeated at almost every OIC conference. Appropriate structures were set up to ensure coordination among the various Islamic institutions working in the field of Islamic da‘wa. These included the Committee for the Coordination of Joint Islamic Action, the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation based in Rabat and the International Islamic Council for Dawah and Relief based in Cairo.

The twenty-first Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers approved the development of a joint Islamic Da‘wa Strategy within the OIC framework. The OIC also established the Islamic States Broadcasting Organization with the goal of spreading da‘wa around the world.

Islam and Christian mission Despite Islam’s strong emphasis on its own mission work, it is vehemently opposed to any mission work by Christians seeking to bring Muslims to Christ. The image on page ii comes from the extreme British Muslim group Al-Muhajiroun, but is an indicator of the general negative attitude of the vast majority of Muslims to Christian missionaries. In many Muslim countries there are laws banning evangelism to Muslims while no restrictions are placed on Muslim outreach to non-Muslims, indeed it is often officially encouraged. In recent years, there have been increasing efforts by Muslims to prevent Christians from evangelising them. This is even happening in the West, where Muslims typically argue that Christian evangelism is damaging community relations, and try on this basis to persuade Western Christians to agree not to evangelise Muslims in the West. It is noteworthy that, in such discussions, Muslims do not offer to stop their da‘wa.

(Part 2 of this article will be published in Barnabas Aid, July-August 2008, and will focus on da‘wa in the West, including the methods used.) © Barnabas Fund, 2008

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Newsroom Muslim mob attacks church congregation in Pakistan SEVEN CHRISTIANS were admitted to hospital after an armed attack by a group of local Muslims in the Sialkot district of Punjab, Pakistan, on 6 February.

The Muslims attacked the Christians after a dispute about the behaviour of local Muslim youth, who had been drinking alcohol in the church courtyard and harassing young Christian women as they entered and left the church building. A formal complaint put in by the Christian elders was met with defiance from the Muslims. After an announcement was made in the mosque that the infidel Christians needed to be taught a lesson, a group of Muslims gathered in the church courtyard and attacked the Christians present with knives, axes, sticks and guns.

One member of the congregation, John Masih, was forced to kneel down before his attackers. When he refused, they took hold of him and one Muslim gouged John’s eye out, saying “We will take out eyes of every infidel who shall dare to look straight in our eyes.” John’s brother Khariat rushed to help John, but was attacked with an axe. Other villagers, including women and children, were dragged from their homes, beaten, fired at and tortured.

Police refused to register a case against the attackers. Instead, they treated the matter as a “property dispute” and arrested a number of Christians.

Bomb attack on YMCA in Gaza City destroys library Unidentified gunmen blew up the Young Men’s Christian Association library in Gaza City on Friday, 15 February. No one was hurt, but the library with its 8,000 books was completely destroyed. Fourteen men, some of them masked, kidnapped the two security guards before they stormed the building and placed two bombs, one in the library and another (which did not explode) in the main office.

This is just the latest in a series of violent attacks on Christians and Christian institutions in Gaza. Various al-Qaeda-affiliated groups have claimed responsibility for a number of these attacks, saying that they will continue their attacks until all Christians have left the Gaza Strip.

Pakistani government introduces discriminatory scheme to help poor A new government scheme designed to lift Pakistan’s poorest households out of poverty has been criticised heavily because Christians have been prohibited from joining.

The scheme offers savings on five basic foods to 6.8 million of Pakistan’s poorest families. It allows low-income groups to get essential food items from specific, government-backed stores for 25% to 40% less than the normal cost. The fund is contributed to by all taxpayers; however, only Muslims can benefit from it.

Many Pakistani Christians live in conditions of great poverty and deprivation, yet they are not allowed to benefit from the government’s new scheme to help the poorest families get cheaper food, because they are not Muslims

Christian-majority school in South Africa taken over

by Muslims Newcastle High School in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, is a Christian-majority school. It has over 1000 pupils of whom only a few dozen are Muslim. It has become the centre of a nationwide religious debate because a group of Muslim parents has seized control of the School Governing Body (SGB). In South Africa the curriculum of the school is established by the government, but almost all other management issues are decided by the governing body. This includes decisions on the headteacher, staff, sport, culture and ethos.

By law, meetings must be held to elect members of the SGB. Apathy among Christian parents in this sleepy town meant 60 motivated Muslim parents attended an electoral meeting at which hardly any Christian parents showed up. The Muslims voted as a bloc to seize control of the school’s governing body by winning six of the seven elected positions.

The new SGB then instructed the longserving principal to stop the traditional praise and worship at the morning assemblies and replace it with a minute of silence. The principal refused and was soon forced to resign. He was then replaced by a Muslim who has stopped

all Christian publications in the school.

The Christian parents and pupils took the matter to court. However as the SGB was legally and constitutionally elected, the court has found in favour of the Muslim SGB. Alec Hogg, a former pupil, now a leading economist, commented: “In any democracy, mass apathy opens the door to small and motivated splinter groups. They often carry resentments which strongly motivate them to grab control and, once in the driving seat, to force their own narrow interests on the majority.”

Vietnamese boys and man beaten at prayer meeting On 19 January Vietnamese security forces interrupted a prayer meeting in the village of Ploi Hamong Ktu in the district of Dak Ha, Vietnam, where about 50 Christians had congregated. They shouted at the Christians to leave, but detained four, one 43-year old man, A Then, and three boys, A Tuik, A Khoe and A Beng, aged 12-13. They whipped the boys with bamboo sticks and beat A Then unconscious. A Then was left bleeding and unconscious on the floor.

His family and relatives carried him back to his home. He is still unable to walk.

MAY / JUN 2008 Barnabas AID 11

Country Profile Angola War-damaged buildings in Angola, where people are still living

Angola Angola was afflicted by four decades of continuous warfare, which only came to an end in 2002. For 15 years, Angolans fought for independence from their Portuguese colonial masters. When this was achieved in 1975 the Marxistleaning MPLA party gained control of the government and was opposed by the nationalist UNITA movement in a civil war that lasted for 27 years.

There is now peace and freedom, but much of the country’s infrastructure that was damaged during the war has still not been repaired or developed. An estimated seven million land-mines are still hidden in unmarked mine-fields.

Adult literacy is only 67%. While most children are able to go to school, many have a very long walk and then must cope with extremely crowded classrooms and few facilities - or perhaps no classroom at all, with lessons taking place in the open air. Some children have to work instead of going to school.

Persecution and church growth During the period of MPLA rule, Christians suffered much persecution, especially from 1975 to 1985. The first president of newly independent Angola vowed to eradicate Christianity in his country within 20 years. Evangelicals were a particular target, with thousands abducted or killed. Scores of church ministers were also killed and many church buildings closed, seized or deliberately 12 Barnabas AID MAY / JUN 2008

destroyed. On some occasions troops massacred whole congregations.

The Marxist government also imposed legal restrictions on Christians, forbidding open-air meetings, house meetings or preaching anywhere outside of a church building. No new church buildings were allowed. The security police monitored pastors and all church activities.

Political rallies were often held on Sundays, and absentees could find themselves arrested. Sports events were arranged for Sundays, and what

little food and clothing was available was sold on Sunday mornings, with the aim of keeping Christians away from church. Christian literature was confiscated and destroyed. Church schools were not recognised and Christian students denied higher education.

The MPLA’s anti-Christian policies only began to lessen when they found that they needed the help of the churches to try to meet the desperate physical needs of huge numbers of displace people facing near starvation.

However, far from being destroyed by persecution, the Church grew.

The challenge of Islam Although Marxism is no longer a threat, the Angolan Church now faces a new challenge in the form of Islam.

Until the 1990s there was virtually no Muslim presence, but it is now estimated that 2.5% of the population are Muslims, who are mainly economic migrants from West Africa.

In addition there is a community of Lebanese Muslims. The presence of Islam is becoming more visible in cities and towns, with Muslims praying in the streets and Muslim women following the Islamic dress code.

Mosques, Islamic centres and Qur’an schools are being constructed.

At least two Muslim organisations are active in seeking to make converts, and many young Angolan women are marrying Muslims and converting to Islam. Muslims offer food, medical assistance or free education to impoverished Christians on condition they convert to Islam.

This firewood is going to be sold to raise funds for the school building project

Country Profile Samusili and the bag of beans During the chaos of the First World War, the Portuguese authorities in Angola forced hundreds of Angolans to carry supplies from the town of Huambo to their troops. One of these carriers was a young man called Samusili from a village in the region of Sambo. After a few days marching with his load, he was told that the war was over, but his hopes of returning to his village were dashed when he was sent to São Tomé as a plantation labourer. The distant island of São Tomé, famous for its cocoa and coffee, was considered by Africans to be a place of death and destruction.

Hopeless, helpless and far from home, Samusili was interested when a worker arrived at the plantation who told him about a new way of life, mentioning the name “Yesu” (Jesus), which Samusili had never heard before. The worker also told him about a good book which had pleasant but piercing words, words which reached the heart. Before long the worker was transferred again, and Samusili was left to think over what

Angolan children, including war orphans

he had heard. He longed to know more, and to have the book. He could not really read but had learnt what he called “ABCD”.

One day Samusili was emptying bags of beans and to his astonishment a book fell out. He managed to spell out some of the words, and realised it was in his own language, Umbundu.

It was the very book he had been hoping for, the New Testament. He started to read it, letter by letter, and after many days he reached Romans 1:16. At this point, said Samusili, “I felt that God had spoken to me, and that He had given me a new heart.”

Soon after this two Christian interpreters arrived at his plantation.

They and Samusili met together regularly for prayer, until the interpreters were transferred elsewhere. Then Samusili called all the other workers together one evening and told them about the book. Everyone was thrilled and wanted to learn to read it. They saved up their meagre wages to buy pencils and paper and Samusili taught them “ABCD” and wrote out the words of hymns he had learned from the interpreters.

Eventually the plantation manager heard what was happening and one night he raided the school and burned the paper and pencils. He flogged Samusili and put him in irons. After he had been released, Samusili restarted his school. He bored a hole in the wooden wall of the shed so he could see when the manager had fallen asleep. After this school would begin and continue until midnight, with Samusili himself correcting his students’ work until 3.00 a.m. After a while the school was discovered again and Samusili was so badly beaten that he could not work. But his students did his tasks for him. Day after day he was beaten, until the manager left to return to his own country.

Later an opportunity came for Samusili to return to his own village in Angola. But he refused saying that conditions in São Tomé had improved vastly and “Here in São Tomé I found Christ; here I remain for the rest of my life to help others to know Him.”

What Barnabas Fund is doing in Angola

school in another location, so that the children would not have to walk so far each day. Barnabas Fund has sent £9,100 (US$18,200; €11,830) to buy corrugated iron and cement for the two school buildings. Together the schools will have capacity for 800 children.

Reference 74-623 Angolan pastors support Reference 74-698 Angolan Christian schools

Angola is one of the poorest countries in the world, still recovering from the long years of war. The Church is likewise very needy and has little in the way of resources. Few Christians have Bibles, and many ministers have only hand-written copies of the Scriptures.

Barnabas Fund is currently supporting 20 pastors in the Andulo area of central Angola at the rate of £100 (US$200; €130) each per month.

We have also provided the pastors with bicycles.

With this support to help them, the pastors were able to donate towards the costs of a school building for over 600 children in the area who currently have classes outdoors.

Church members also contributed, and have been making bricks as well.

The people longed also for a second

(Summarised from the account given by John T. Tucker in A Tucker Treasury, selected and prepared by Catherine Tucker Ward, 1984)

School building – work in progress MAY / JUN 2008 Barnabas AID 13

Testimony Dr Reginald Zahiruddin, Medical Superintendent of the Mission Hospital in Bannu, Pakistan, was kidnapped on 8 December 2007 by Islamic extremists. Praise the Lord that, after 25 days of captivity, Dr Zahiruddin was finally released unharmed. The following letter is his personal account of this terrifying experience and how he found blessing in his time of trial.

25 days reward for 25 years service in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan On Wednesday 2nd January 2008 at 2:30 p.m. the metal door slammed open and bright sunlight enlightened the pitch-dark room where I was kept in chains for 25 days and nights.

A man came in and announced, “You are free now. Get ready to leave.”

I was abducted on 8th December 2007 at 1:30 p.m. on a busy road about 100km from Bannu while traveling to Dera Ismail Khan, near Lucky Cement Factory, Pezu. I was on my Saturday’s routine outreach visit to Dera Ismail Khan where almost 50 very poor patients waited anxiously to be seen and receive medicine. I and my driver in our hospital 10-seater Hiace Van were suddenly stopped by a car from which emerged five huge and strong young men each carrying a gun pointed towards us. In seconds they pushed us in the back seats and took control of the van, blindfolded us and we were forced to sit on the floor between the seats with our heads down. The van was driven to an unknown place. After about three hours of speedy and rough driving we were shifted to another vehicle, probably a station wagon, in the back, which took another hour to reach the final destination. We were guided into a room where we sat blindfolded for three hours, not knowing the cause of our abduction.

While on the way they took all our belongings (mobile phones, wallet, watches etc.) and they threatened that if we made any sound they would blow up the van with a suicide jacket and hand grenades which they had.

At 7 p.m. they gave us something to eat which was difficult to swallow and some foul smelling water to drink. After an hour or so we were 14 Barnabas AID MAY / JUN 2008

chained and taken to a dark smelly room which was probably the place where we were supposed to live. We were provided with very thin bedding which hardly kept out the cold, and the metallic chains tied to our ankles never let our feet get warm. This was our resting place with no lavatory amenities. They would open the door each morning at 6 a.m. for five minutes and then in the evenings for five minutes so that we could attend the lavatory, and they provided us with a container of water to clean ourselves. Each day seemed dark and endless and the nights were long and sleepless. In the first week a man would come four times a day and try to force me to change my faith.

The Lord God gave me strength and empowered me with the Holy Spirit all the time. I asked God for a double anointing of the Holy Spirit. We were worried because nothing had been disclosed so far.

A week later, on Saturday 15th December at 11 p.m., a group of men came into the room and took the driver away blindfolded while I was

“I said that Jesus had already paid the ransom for me ” alone praying for him. They brought him back after 15 minutes and then it was my turn. They took me blindfolded to a room where I could hear the whisper of several men and the sound of a video camera. They wanted me to remove my trousers and shirt and wear a shalwar kameez (the national dress of Pakistan), which I refused. They took off my shirt and

in that chilly cold night made me sit on the ice cold floor, and they took off my blindfold. I saw a group of men sitting in front of me, pointing guns towards me and a man with a long dagger sitting behind me. They asked me several personal questions.

It seemed that they had gathered wrong information about me from somewhere, things like “the hospital belonged to me”, “I had two wives”, “I was involved in evangelising the patients in the hospital and had relationships with the bureaucrats” etc. Later on they revealed the two main reasons for the kidnapping. The first one was that I should accept their faith, and they threatened me that they could kill me if I did not accept.

I was bold enough to refuse and I even told them that God had the authority to take my life as He had given it to me. Then I asked them whether their holy book said that anyone should accept their faith with force and threats. They were speechless and did not say anything. The ameer (leader) asked them not to ask any more questions regarding religion.

The second thing was that they wanted a huge ransom of 20 million rupees [approx. £160,000; US$320,000; €208,000]. I told them that I worked in a charitable hospital on a monthly salary and no one would pay this ransom for me. They forced me to write the amount down on a piece of paper so that they could send it to the person responsible at the hospital to arrange this amount to be paid within a week. After an hour of intense interrogation I was taken back to the room. I kept on praying to the Lord, saying that this was a huge amount, that my life was not

Testimony worth it and that they would buy arms and ammunition to kill hundreds of people. The Lord told me not to worry and that everything would be fine.

For two weeks nothing seemed to happen regarding their demand, and no one approached us and we were on our daily routine of food and water.

Then, on Saturday 29th December, these men came back and sat on our beds and started to talk to us in a very sweet and polite manner, telling me that they had made some inquiries regarding me and that it had come to their knowledge that I was really a nice person. They thought of bringing down the demand from 20 million to just one million [approx. £8,000; US$16,000; €10,400]. They wanted me to write this down so that they could send this note to the hospital and the amount could be arranged.

During these three weeks I had been praying to the Lord and praising Him all day and all night, reminding Him of all the promises He had made. I said to the Lord that He

“a man would come four times a day and try to force me to change my faith ” had promised me that “Anyone who toucheth you, toucheth the apple of my eye”. I must tell you no one dared to touch me or harm me in any way.

I also prayed and said that Jesus had already paid the ransom for me and that if He wanted me to be released it should happen with no ransom being paid. The same night I had a vision that I would be set free on Wednesday (which is my regular fasting day) 2nd January 2008 in the afternoon, without paying anything.

These 25 days gave me a time of meditation and fellowship with the Lord. I had plenty of time to look at my past and I thought about my mistakes and shortcomings throughout my life. I made commitments and re-dedicated my life to serve Him faithfully. I even prayed for these people that Jesus may touch their hearts and souls and

Minaret of a mosque next to the mission hospital in Bannu. This minaret was built to tower over the Christian hospital complex and its church. Islam teaches that followers of non-Muslim faiths must be seen to be of lesser status than Muslims

have mercy on them.

People of Waziristan appealed for me in the majlis-e-shora (a leadership council for Islamic militants in Waziristan) and an intense search was started for us. God listened to my prayers and the prayers of millions of people around the world.

He appointed two men from the tenmember majlis-e-shora who finally came and took us out of that place.

His mighty hand got us out of the hands of those people, unharmed.

We were set free with no illness or disease. Not a single rash, even though we had had no bath for 25 days and still wore the same clothes.

Praise the Lord. All glory to His mighty name. This is the reward of my 25 years service in the North West Frontier Province.

I will continue to work in Pennell Memorial Christian Hospital, Bannu,

as long as the Lord wants me in that place. I am thankful to all the faithful people of the Lord who prayed for me during this time of trial with perseverance. I was covered with His blood and anointed with the Holy Spirit all the time. It was an experience which strengthened my faith and all the difficulties which I faced during this time were forgotten when I saw the mighty hand of God delivering me from that cold and dark room and the furious strange men I faced each day.

Yours In His Service Dr Reginald Zahiruddin Medical Superintendent Pennell Memorial Christian Hospital Bannu, North West Frontier Province, Pakistan (Source: Diocese of Peshawar )

MAY / JUN 2008 Barnabas AID 15

Newsroom

About two-thirds of Muslim Turkish women cover their head with the headscarf. The recent lifting of the headscarf ban in colleges and universities appears to be part of a gradual process of Islamisation of the country, which will severely impact Christians and other non-Muslims as well as liberal/ secular Muslims

Uncertainty about direction of Turkish reforms Recent Turkish legal reforms have left many unclear as to where the Turkish government stands with regard to the role of Islam in the state and the protection of religious minorities such as Christians.

On 6 February the Turkish parliament approved a constitutional amendment that would ease the ban on women wearing Islamic headscarves in universities. Women professors and civil servants are still prohibited from wearing a headscarf.

A ban on wearing headscarves was introduced in Turkish schools and

Rise in violence against Christians in Sri Lanka culminates in murder of pastor Sri Lanka has seen a sudden rise in anti-Christian threats and violence. The most horrific of these attacks was the killing of Pastor Neil Edirisinghe on 17 February. He was killed by gunmen outside his house in Ampara. The attackers also shot and wounded his wife, who was carrying their baby son at the time she was shot.

16 Barnabas AID MAY / JUN 2008

universities in 1980 and had been strictly enforced on campus since 1997.

This meant that many Muslim women, who covered their heads as a sign of their personal religious belief, found themselves unable to go to college or university. Prime Minister Erdogan and his ruling party (which has its roots in political Islam) claim that easing the ban is a step towards fulfilling criteria of democracy and liberalism for joining the European Union, as it would give equal right to education to all citizens, irrespective of their personal belief.

While the majority of Turks supports the government’s move to amend the headscarf ban, many secularists consider it as a step towards a slow Islamisation of the country. They fear that allowing women to wear headscarves at university might soon turn into pressure to do the same for those who do not cover their heads. Turkey’s population is 99% Muslim, and two-thirds of Turkish women cover their head.

The Turkish government also passed a law improving the property rights of non-Muslim religious foundations. The law allows Christians and other minority religious foundations to re-acquire some properties which had been confiscated by Turkish authorities and also to purchase new property. For many Christian groups and other religious minorities, it has been almost impossible to buy new property, build new buildings or renovate existing ones. Many church buildings bought after 1936 were expropriated by the Turkish authorities without compensation and returned to the previous owner or sold on to a third party. According to the new law, some properties that were confiscated by the state will be returned, but only if they have not been passed on to third parties.

While reactions to this new law are

mainly positive, there is still a long way for Turkey to go to ensure equality of all religious groups.

Further major news from Turkey in February was the near completion of the “Thematic Hadith Project” commissioned by the Directorate of Religious Affairs in 2006 to re-catergorise the hadith and translate them into Turkish. The hadith traditions record the words and actions of Muhammad and, together with the Qur’an, form the basic sources for shari‘a, Islamic law. When Western media reported this project as a radical revision

In several other incidents, pastors and members of their congregation were threatened and attacked. In Mathugama, Kaluthara District, a mob of about 50 people, armed with rods, gathered on the road leading to the church and put up anti-Christian posters during Sunday service on 17 February. Fearing for the safety of his congregation, the pastor advised members to leave in small groups. The mob hurled verbal abuse and threats at them and barred their way, pushing and pulling them. One man and a 10-year-old child were assaulted, and two women were manhandled and pulled by their hair. The next Sunday, around the time when the service was about

to begin, a crowd armed with various tools on the pretext of cutting grass on the roadside waited for members of the congregation to arrive. They then threatened the Christians and prevented them from attending the service.

On 2 March ten Bible school students were attacked on their way to their college in Lunuwila, Putlam District by a group of about ten masked men on motorcycles. The men beat the students with fists and sticks. More men in a van joined them, and one of the students was pulled into the van and beaten and kicked severely. The attackers left the injured students on the road and disappeared. Nine students were taken to hospital.

“there is still a long way for Turkey to GO TO ensure equality of all religious groups. ” of Islam to bring it more in line with liberal modern norms, the Directorate responded by denying that there was any intention of modifying the hadith or creating a new Islam. Their spokesman Mehmet Görmez said that the Western media had read what the Directorate is doing “from a Christian perspective and understood it in line with their Christian and Western cultures”, thus leading to an erroneous interpretation. “Our objective is to help our citizens attain a better understanding of hadith,” he said. He also clarified that the project was intended “to convey the universal message of the Prophet Mohammed to the 21st century”. In other words, rather than aiming at a modernist renewal of Islam to accommodate Western values, the project in fact seeks to help Turkish Muslims return to an original form of Islam.

Campaign Update Write a letter to save Iraqi Christians Current situation Iraqi Christians still find themselves in a very volatile and precarious situation. In January at least nine churches and Christian institutions were bombed. On 29 February an Iraqi archbishop was kidnapped in Mosul on his way home from church, and his driver and two guards shot dead. The archbishop’s body was found two weeks later.

These incidents simply reinforce the message that Christians are not wanted in their homeland. Many fear that if they do not leave there will be a Christian genocide in Iraq.

While the Iraqi government reports that the number of Iraqi refugees returning from Syria is increasing, the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) denies this. Rather, according to the UNHCR, there are still an estimated 60,000 Iraqis who

Petition progress

Thank you to 9,939 peo who have already signedple petition on behalf of Ira our qi Christians.

are being forced to leave their homes every month because of continuing violence. Also, around two-thirds of those who do return to Iraq do so only out of desperation because they are unable to find work or because their residency papers cannot be renewed.

Especially for Christian refugees, returning to Iraq would mean returning to harassment, persecution and sometimes even death. The few Christians who have tried to return find things are still worse for them in Iraq than in the country they had fled to.

Write to your MP or elected representative We would like to thank supporters who have already taken the time to write a letter to their MP or elected

Dear to raise awareness for the I am writing to ask you to please use your influence our country a safe refuge situation of Iraqi Christian refugees and to help make for them. asing harassment and The Christian minority in Iraq have suffered incre their homeland since 1990, n withi ents persecution from Islamic extremist elem ed from 1.5 million before and especially since 2003. Their number has dropp e the target of persecution becom have 1990 to an estimated 400,000. Christians both Sunni and Shi’a, seeking and of ethnic cleansing by radical Islamist groups, non-Muslims, Christians are and the total Islamisation of Iraq. As both non-Arabs the Western forces. to held in contempt and are suspected of being allied s seeking refuge in Iraqi the For this reason many Christians are amongst number has increased Their . neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Syria have spiralled upwards rent and dramatically over the last months. Prices for food ed to work. allow not are and Iraqi refugees cannot earn their living as they Christian the from s lator Despite having employed many workers and trans from ction prote their de for minority, Western forces have often failed to provi their open to tant reluc very vengeful militants. Many Western governments are borders to Iraqi refugees. rn governments to I am most concerned about this reluctance of Weste tian minority. I urge you to recognise the needs of the persecuted Iraqi Chris it to the attention of the take note of the plight of these Christians and bring that aid and relief for the appropriate government minster or department so ted to at least some of them. refugees can be provided and refuge might be gran letter and let me know what I would be most grateful if you would reply to this action you are able to take.

Yours sincerely

representative. This is a very effective way of achieving change for our Iraqi Christian brothers and sisters as politicians in Western democracies care very much what individuals think – after all it is individuals who vote.

They will always take an interest in issues which seem to be important to their voters. So the more letters they receive concerning a particular matter, the more likely they are to push for change in their area of influence (note also that letters are a lot more effective than emails).

Several supporters who have written to their elected representative have already received replies. One British MP wrote back that he “shared the concern about the effects of ongoing violence in Iraq on Christians and other communities”; similarly, a reply written on behalf of the British Foreign Secretary stated that “despite some improvements in the security situation in Iraq and indications that some of those displaced by violence may be returning to their homes, the Government remains deeply concerned about the impact of sectarian violence on all Iraqis, including Christians. We continue to press the Iraqi Government to ensure that all people are protected and to take tough measures against all those perpetuating the violence.”

Write a short, polite letter to your local representative, e.g. Member of Parliament, Congressman or Senator, and get as many other people as you can to do the same. Express your concerns about Iraqi Christians and ask your elected representative to (1) take up the issue with the appropriate government ministers or departments or through them with the relevant ambassadors, and to (2) write back and tell you what he or she has done.

For supporters in the UK: if you do not know who your MP is or which constituency you live in you can find out by going to http://www. parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/ alcm.cfm On the left is a sample letter to give you ideas of what to write. You can use as many points as you wish.

However, it is much more effective if you use your own words rather than reproducing what we have written.

MAY / JUN 2008 Barnabas AID 17

Campaign Update Have you got your resource pack yet?

If you are interested in becoming

involved in our campaign to save Iraqi Christians and telling others about it, we have a range of resources that can help you. The resource pack includes: 1. A3 posters, leaflets and information sheets which give more detailed information on the history of Iraqi Christians and the current situation 2. Short DVD presentations on the situation in Iraq (Iraq: Fear and Hope) and on the terrible experiences of Iraqi Christian refugees (Iraq: Remember the Refugees). You can also watch these presentations online on http://www.barnabasfund.org/iraq/ 3. Petition sheets 4. Prayer cards with suggestions for how to pray for Iraqi Christians in Iraq and those who have fled as refugees

You can order the free resource pack using the order form on the opposite page or by contacting your national office. You can also order the resource pack or individual items from our online store www.barnabasfund.org/shop

In Touch From the postbag

After

A recent letter to the UK office was a great encouragement to Barnabas Fund staff.

I would like to thank you and your staff for the magazines of Barnabas Fund, which I have been receiving the last one and a half years. It is most encouraging to know that Barnabas Fund is doing everything to alleviate the suffering of our Christian brothers and sisters in a number of countries. . . .

Owing to the fact that I am a granddaughter of the Armenian Genocide survivors, the article on Turkey in your latest issue of March/April 2008 was of great interest to me.

I am grateful that you have included the Armenian Genocide in the article. It is a well known fact that this is a taboo subject because of the Turkish government’s sensitivity as far as the mention of Armenian Genocide is concerned! Sadly, this has to do with flawed foreign policy adopted by a number of Western governments, who are still refusing to recognise the Armenian Genocide, as Turkey’s NATO membership and the strategic position seem to be of great importance to them. I hope you will agree with me that your editorial under the heading “A bowl of curry” applies also to this sad state of affairs. . . .

I would also like to express my appreciation for your reports on Islam in every “PullOut Supplement”. The reports are well documented and easy to understand. In fact, they are very instructive and should be read by everybody, as one of the many problems of our day and age is ignorance and this must be overcome, especially within the Church.”

A Barnabas Fund supporter in London

18 Barnabas AID MAY / JUN 2008

Before

This supporter also highlighted a recent incident, scarcely reported in the media, when Welsh and Armenian people gathered in Cardiff for Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January 2008. They found that the ornate slate cross on the Armenian Genocide Monument had been smashed to pieces with a hammer, which was left at the scene. One Welsh Armenian said, “This is our holiest shrine. Our grandparents who perished in the Genocide do not have marked graves. This is where we remember them.”

Please send me a Save Iraqi Christians campaign resource pack.

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Phone 0800 587 4006 or visit our website at www.barnabasfund.org to make a credit card donation. From outside UK phone +44 1672 565031.

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Supporters in Germany: please turn to back cover for how to send gifts to Barnabas Fund.

Mag 05/08

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.

2nd May – 5th May Baptist Convention, Blackpool

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To: (name and address of your bank) _______________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Post code: _________________ Sort Code ____/____/____ Account Number __________________ Account name _____________________________________________

13th May – 16th May Christian Resources Exhibition, Esher

Please pay Barclays Bank, Canary Wharf Branch, Canary Wharf, 2 Churchill Place, London, E14 5RB, for the credit of Barnabas Fund account no. 904 669 72 sort code 20-26-46

31st May – 7th June Elim Bible Week, Prestatyn

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19th July – 25th July Clan Gathering, St Andrews

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Starting on (date) _________ and then every month/quarter/year (delete as applicable) until further notice.

26th July – 9th August New Wine, Shepton Mallet

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22nd August – 26th August Grapevine Celebration, Lincoln

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25th September – 28th September Christian Resources Exhibition, Harrogate

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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.

UK Supporters’ Day 2008 This year’s UK Supporters’ Day will take place on Saturday 7 June 2008 1pm to 4pm at St John’s School & Community College, Marlborough Islam and the growing effects on Britain and the worldwide Church – Dr Patrick Sookhdeo Africa: conflict and hope – Brendan Smith Update on Barnabas Fund projects including focus on Iraqi Christians – Caroline Kerslake Location: St John’s Lower School Chopping Knife Lane (off A4 London Road), Marlborough, SN8 2AU Tea, coffee and juice will be available For security reasons, please contact us first to book your place and get your free admission ticket. Call our Pewsey office on 01672 564938 or email info@barnabasfund.org

How to Find Us

You may contact Barnabas Fund at the following addresses:

New Zealand

International Headquarters

14A View Road, Mt Eden, Auckland 1024 Telephone 09 630 6267 or 0800 008 805 Email office@barnabasfund.org.nz

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

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

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

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): 600 606 06

www.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 Pewsey UK office address above.