A Pakistani Muslim aggresively beats two christian mothers that prevented him from abusing a girl

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A Pakistani Muslim aggresively beats two christian mothers that prevented him from abusing a girl

Two Christian women were aggressively beaten by a Pakistani Muslim man in the country’s capital of Lahore after the women prevented the attacker from abducting the daughter of one of the women.

According to Pakistan Christian Post, Nusrat Bibi and her sister Rani Bibi, along with their two daughters, were walking home from the local factory on an early December evening when a Muslim man approached the women and began molesting Nusrat’s daughter.

The report states that the daughter, whose age was not identified, was initially able to defend herself and make the attacker stop. However, the attacker, who has been identified as a Muslim named Khawar Khokhar, became enraged and began beating the girl with his cricket bat. He then grabbed her by the hand and warned the mother and aunt not to intervene as he attempted forcibly taking the daughter away, presumably to sexually abuse her.

However, the Bibis would not allow for the girl to be abducted without a fight. The mother and aunt were able to free the girl by coming her to her defense. However, this only enraged Khokhar even more. Khokhar then beat both Nusrat and Rani with the cricket bat. The report indicates that Nusrat, the mother of the molested girl, had received more of a beating than Rani.

The report indicates that after Khokhar was done beating Bibi, he threw her on top of a pile of garbage and he then fled the scene. Due to the altercation, both women had their clothes ripped and both sustained injuries.

As Nusrat received the brunt of the beating, she suffered a broken left arm and two broken fingers in her left hand. The injuries suffered by Rani were not identified.

As the trend of abusive hostility towards Christian women in Pakistan continues, the report states that no neighbors came to the scene to help the women fend off Khokhar, due to Khokhar’s political prestige and legal history.

“No one from the neighbors came forward to save them due to the man’s political [influence] and from his criminal past,” the report stated. “Everyone locked their doors.”

Although the family and Christian-rights activists called for the government to take action against Khokhar, a fair investigation is yet to be conducted despite the fact that the police station filed an incident report. Additionally, the report states that police have failed to arrest Khokhar even though he has preemptively filed a pre-arrest bail petition.

The Bibis have also been threatened by Muslim men to “drop the charges or face dire consequences.” Police officials have also heavily pressured the Bibis to reach some kind of compromise with Khokhar outside of court.

Christian victims of crimes caused by the hostility of Muslim men in Pakistan often do not receive the proper support needed from the Pakistani justice system. More often than not, Christian accusations of attacks and rapes against Muslims go uninvestigated and often end up with the victim being directly threatened not to press charges and pressured to reach a settlement.

In early December, two Christian teen girls in the Punjab province were abducted at gunpoint and gang-raped by a group of four Muslim men when they went outside to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. In the wake of the incident, the family has claimed that they have been threatened not to press charges and that local police have “obstructed attempts to gather medical evidence.”

It was also reported that the same group of men that gang-raped the two teen girls, have also raped another girl from another Christian family in the town. Razaq, a local pastor, said that the other Christian family victimized by the rapists were forced to agree on a settlement outside of court after being pressured by influential Muslims in the town.

After the early-November mob killing of a Pakistani Christian couple, who was tortured and burned to death by an angry Muslim mob after being accused of blasphemy, the couples family has claimed that they have been threatened and bribed to drop their lawsuit. However, this is one case that the Pakistan Supreme Court has actively pursued justice for in calling for the arrest of 138 people, including the two Muslim clerics who incited the mob.

Source: Christian Post

British Govenment increases border security after Paris attack

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British Govenment increases border security after Paris attack

The British government said today that it has increased border security in response to the attack on the Charlie Hebdo newspaper in Paris yesterday.

A spokesperson for David Cameron said the measures included increased security at British checkpoints at the French port of Calais and at the Eurostar terminal in Paris, adding that Britain had sent a police counter-terrorism expert to France.

Home Secretary Theresa May said the decision had not been made in response to specific intelligence. Britain’s threat alert was already at its second highest level (severe) before the attack, which means that an attack is highly likely. It has not been changed despite Cameron warning yesterday that it might be.

“Following the attacks we took the precautionary step yesterday of increasing security at the French-UK border,” May said. “Officers from border force, the police and other organisations operating at the UK border have intensified checks on passengers, on vehicles, and on goods coming from France and other parts of Europe.”

Britain’s emergency response committee Cobra met to discuss the Paris attack in which 12 people were killed. May chaired the meeting, which heard briefings from intelligence agencies and national security advisers.

Cameron has said militants returning from Syria and Iraq pose the biggest risk to the country’s security. He said at a press conference yesterday: “There is no one single answer to these appalling terrorist attacks. We have to all be vigilant. We have to try to address all the problems of radicalisation that have happened in our country.”

The prime minister’s spokesperson said police experts were ready to talk to British media outlets who had concerns about their security.

Source: Christian Today

Eric Metaxas says authors buying their way onto bestseller lists is unwise

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Eric Metaxas says authors buying their way onto bestseller lists is unwise

Following the revelation that Mars Hill bought Mark Driscoll’s way onto the New York Times bestsellers list, author Eric Metaxas has denied defending the right to do so.

In an interview with Christianity Today, Metaxas, himself a bestselling author, appeared to support Driscoll’s strategy. He is quoted as saying: “Anyone thinking there is something pure about that list does not understand the system and how it works.

“I would even argue that trying to get onto that list is a combination of a realistic sense of the market and good stewardship. When you understand…the Times list is a bit of a game…you realise being on that list has less to do with the actual merit of a book than with other, far less important factors.”

It emerged last March that Mars Hill had paid ResultSouce Inc to bulk-buy Driscoll’s book ‘Real Marriage’, co-written with his wife Grace. Reports suggested that over $200,000 changed hands, though Mars Hill refuted this claim, insisting that the “true cost” of the strategy was lower.

A statement released by the church admitted that though “not uncommon or illegal”, it was “unwise” to have bought Driscoll’s way onto the list.

Driscoll also wrote a letter to his church saying that “manipulating a book sales reporting system…is wrong.”

In the article published earlier this week, Christianity Today said Metaxas was responding directly to Driscoll’s case: “Eric Metaxas, whose 2010 Bonhoeffer launcher him into national prominence, doesn’t fault Mars Hill staff for using ResultSource…He says they did nothing wrong,” Ken Walker wrote.

However, in a series of tweets posted last night, Metaxas said: “of course “buying” one’s way onto a list is not something I approve of”.

The incident has left Christians questioning the legitimacy of bestsellers lists, and the ethics of manipulating figures. In a blog for RNS, Laura Turner writes: “[It’s hard] to imagine why Christians, who are meant to be marked by humility and gentleness, feel the need to buy their way onto a list, any list.

“You don’t have to be an ascetic to realize that there is something inherently dishonest about this practice. Whether the system is pure, our responsibility as Christians remains the same: You do the work, and you don’t lie about how well it does.”

Turner continues: “When we trust in the means of sharing rather than the goodness of the story, we are selling everything short. When we make excuses because the list isn’t “pure” and because the system can be gamed, we aren’t being true to the story we tell. This all comes because we get too anxious about our platforms and our standing and don’t concern ourselves enough with the truth–the truth about the gospel, the truth about ourselves, and the truth about broken systems.

“The success of your book is never more valuable than who you are as a person, and if you are a person who engages in deception to boost your sales numbers, you ought to take a long, hard look at yourself.”

Source: Christian Today

Muslim actor says “it’s an honour” to take on the role of Jesus in new film

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Muslim actor says “it’s an honour” to take on the role of Jesus in new film

A Muslim actor playing Jesus in National Geographic Channel’s forthcoming film ‘Killing Jesus’ has said it is an “honour” to take on the role.

Haaz Sleiman, an American actor who grew up in Lebanon, told reporters on Wednesday: “In Islam, we believe Jesus is a prophet and respect him and follow his teachings and put him beside the Prophet Muhammad — a lot of people don’t know that.

“As a person who was raised Muslim, it’s an honour to play that…Personally, I’ve been heavily shaped by his teachings,” he said, according to Entertainment Weekly.

When one reporter told him that some Christian conservatives had questioned the choice of a Muslim actor, he said: “I cannot speak for Jesus, but I can quote his teachings and he said, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’… How would he react to me playing Jesus? He wouldn’t judge it. He wouldn’t judge his own enemy … playing this part highlights his teaching in a very nice way.”

The film is based on the book by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, ‘Killing Jesus: A History’, which charts the political events leading up to Jesus’ death.

O’Reilly, who was raised a Catholic, is best known as the presenter of Fox News show, The O’Reilly Factor. He and Dugard also wrote ‘Killing Kennedy’ and ‘Killing Lincoln’, which have both been turned into films for National Geographic.

When Sleiman was asked about his initial reaction to getting the role he said jokingly: “Jesus!” He added: “I’m going to sound cheesy right now: The first thing I thought was ‘love.’ I really just felt love in the moment. He has influenced me heavily prior to getting this part and there’s nothing more powerful than that, and that’s what’s going to lead me through the whole journey… That was the first thing I felt – and then I called my mother, who said, ‘…bless you for playing Jesus, peace be upon him.’ I thought that was lovely.”

The film, which was shot in Morocco, is currently in post-production and will be aired this year.

Kelsey Grammer (Boss) plays King Herod and Stephen Moyer (True Blood) takes the role of Pontius Pilate.

Grammer said he thought Christians would welcome the film. “Any time you go and humanize the Bible story, I think it would win praise from every part of the Christian world,” he said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Other cast members include British actors John Rhys-Davies as Annas, Rufus Sewell as Caiaphas, Alexis Rodney as Simon Peter, and Abhin Galeya as John the Baptist.

Source: Christian Today

Sri Lanka Bishop resigns because of financial scandals

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Sri Lanka Bishop resigns because of financial scandals

An Anglican bishop in Sri Lanka has resigned from his position in connection with a financial scandal.

Rt Rev Shanta Francis stood down partly as a result of a long-running police investigation into claims made by his predecessor in the Diocese of Kurunegala, Bishop Kumara Illangasinghe.

In a police affidavit last year, Illangasinghe said that Francis had asked the diocese’s property secretary to sign a document relating to the withdrawal of his mother-in-law’s pension, though she had already died.

Francis is facing criminal charges and visited the Archbishop of Canterbury to consult with him over his future.

A statement from Lambeth Palace said: “The visit by Bishop Shanta to Canterbury last week was to consider with him the various options for dealing with his position as a bishop who had voluntarily stood down following numerous complaints that he brought his Church and ministry into disrepute. A particular cause of concern was his involvement in unresolved criminal proceedings relating to misappropriated pension funds. Members of his own Diocesan Standing Committee had requested that he should resign, and he agreed to do so.”

However, as a Tamil Christian, Francis has also found himself the target of groups who desire a separate Tamil state in Sri Lanka even after the defeat of the Tamil Tigers, the rebel force that waged a relentless war against the Sri Lankan government.

In a press statement he appeared to link his departure with his pro-unity stance, saying that he had been threatened by them during his visit to London.

“I value and stand for the unitary state and sovereignty of the country,” he said. “I came under pressure from the Diaspora groups due to my position in this regard despite being a Tamil priest. They asked me why I had taken up such a position instead of speaking for the rights of minorities.

“I have two options – to resign from my priesthood or to embrace their agenda. I will stick to my position. That is to appear for the unitary state and sovereignty of the country. This is what we have achieved after 30 years of war. I will quit my position as the bishop of the Kurunegala Diocese to serve the interests of the country.”

Sri Lankans have headed to the polls today in a presidential election which is being closely fought. Francis is a supporter of incumbent president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose government has been accused of human rights abuses and discrimination against ethnic minorities. However, Lambeth Palace said that “Any suggestion that the Church of Ceylon or Archbishop of Canterbury is seeking to influence the outcome of the forthcoming presidential election is categorically untrue.”

Source: Christian Today

Muslim Egyptian President becomes first Egyptian President to visit Christian church

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Muslim Egyptian President becomes first Egyptian President to visit Christian church

Egypt’s president has become the first of the country’s leaders ever to attend a Coptic Christian mass.

In a fresh sign of his commitment to tackling religious intolerance, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi visited St Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo on the Coptic Christmas Eve.

The Mada Masr website reported that Al-Sisi told the congregation: “It was necessary for me to come here to wish you a Merry Christmas, and I hope I haven’t disturbed your prayers.

“Throughout the years, Egypt taught the world civilization and humanity, and the world expects a lot from Egypt during the current circumstances.

“It’s important for the world to see this scene, which reflects true Egyptian unity, and to confirm that we’re all Egyptians, first and foremost.
“We truly love each other without discrimination, because this is the Egyptian truth.”

He spoke while standing next to Pope Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and the highest Coptic authority in Egypt. Pope Tawadros called the visit “a pleasant surprise and a humanitarian gesture”. He added: “We feel that our Egypt is entering a new era with new thoughts and spirit. We are building it together for the future of our children, and to place Egypt in a suitable position among the world’s countries.”

The visit on Tuesday night came after gunmen shot dead two policemen as they stood guard at a church in Minya, 220 kilometres south of Cairo. Christians have been targeted by Muslim extremists following the coup that overthrew the Muslim Brotherhood government of Mohammed Morsi last year, as they are blamed for supporting it.

President Al-Sisi has called for a “religious revolution” to tackle extremism. In a speech at the prestigious Al Azhar University this week, he told scholars that violent Islamist ideology, was “antagonising the whole world”. He added: “Is it possible that 1.6 billion people [Muslims] should want to kill the rest of the world’s inhabitants — that is 7 billion — so that they themselves may live? Impossible!

“I am saying these words here at Al Azhar, before this assembly of scholars and ulema — Allah Almighty be witness to your truth on Judgment Day concerning that which I’m talking about now.

“All this that I am telling you, you cannot feel it if you remain trapped within this mindset. You need to step outside of yourselves to be able to observe it and reflect on it from a more enlightened perspective.

“I say and repeat again that we are in need of a religious revolution. You, imams, are responsible before Allah. The entire world, I say it again, the entire world is waiting for your next move… because this umma is being torn, it is being destroyed, it is being lost — and it is being lost by our own hands.”

Source: Christian Today

 

 

Rowan Williams criticised ‘work-until-you-drop’ culture

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Rowan Williams criticised ‘work-until-you-drop’ culture

The former Archbishop of Canterbury has criticised our approach to retirement, saying older people currently face “a zero-sum game choice” between working “until they drop” or stopping altogether.

“That’s it, one or the other,” Lord Williams told the Telegraph.

“I’d like to see many more people supported instead to opt for a new rhythm of work when they reach a certain age, that is less hectic, less driven, but where they can still be and feel valued.

“At the moment there is too much of the attitude that you work-until-you-drop, or retire and die. That’s not a real choice.”

It’s an issue close to the former Archbishop’s heart, as patron of the Abbeyfield Society which works to help and care for older people. He believes that we should plan for our retirement strategically, without taking an ‘all-or-nothing’ approach to work.

“I’ve made all the assumptions that people of my generation do,” he explained. “I have assumed that I can look forward to 10 more years of active life, but I have tried to think beyond that, so as to plan for the point at which it will be realistic to slim down, accept a greater degree of dependency and manage that pro-actively.”

He added: “It’s difficult to talk about this without sounding grating, but there is that tendency for us all as we get older to put off the moment of slimming down until we are forced to do so by a crisis.”

Williams also insisted that our cultural attitude towards elderly people in general needs adjusting. “It is important to get away from the idea that ageing is just about loss, about becoming disabled or less active,” he said.

“Yes, that does happen, but there is now an overall feeling that old age is universally terrible, and so we deny it, put off talking about it, and are even nervous of older citizens. But growing older doesn’t have to be the end of the world, if approached intelligently and lovingly.”

It is imperative that there is a shift in the language we use around the issue of age, Williams added. Elderly people should not be referred to as a “‘drain’ on resources,” and should instead be cared for, and learnt from.

“There is a hectic and feverish obsession with youth that can lead us to use language that diminishes older people. I’ve heard myself do it, worrying aloud that there are not enough young people in the Church of England,” he said.

“Older people internalise it when they hear it, and so you hear them worrying repeatedly that they don’t want to be a ‘burden’ on others.”

Source: Christian Today

Atlanta fire chief sacked over book ” Who told you that you are naked?”

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Atlanta fire chief sacked over book ” Who told you that you are naked?”

The Atlanta fire chief suspended after he wrote a book appearing to equate homosexuality with child abuse and bestiality has been sacked.

Kelvin Cochran self-published a 162-page book last year entitled Who Told You That You Are Naked?, aimed at helping men overcome feelings of guilt over past sins. It defines ‘uncleanness’ as the “opposite of purity; including sodomy, homosexuality, lesbianism, pederasty, bestiality, and all other forms of sexual perversion”. It discusses homosexuality in half a page.

Cochran is a deacon, Sunday School teacher and Bible study leader at Atlanta’s Elizabeth Baptist Church. He was suspended a month ago and ordered to undergo ‘sensitivity training’ when the book was brought to the attention of city council member Alex Wan, who is gay.

The sacking comes after investigators said that Cochran had failed to obtain the city’s permission to publish the book and had refused to remain silent about the matter during the investigation, contrary to instructions not to speak to the media. Other finding have not been released. Cochran denied both charges, and said that allegations of discrimination against homosexuals were “completely unfounded”. “The investigation shows that there is no evidence. Under no circumstances have I been discriminatory or hateful towards any member of the department in the LGBT community or a member of the LGBT community at large.”

However, Mayor Kasim Reed said at a press conference: “Despite my respect for Chief Cochran’s service, I believe his actions and decision-making undermine his ability to manage our fire department.

“Every single employee under the fire chief’s command deserves the certainty that he or she is a valued member of the team and that fairness and respect guide employment decisions. His actions around the book and his statements during this investigation have eroded my confidence in his ability to convey that message.”

He added that a “decision to retain Chief Cochran” could have caused the city to be held liable in potential anti-discrimination lawsuits.

Mike Griffin, public affairs representative for the Georgia Baptist Convention (GBC), told Baptist Press that Cochran’s firing was “a religious liberty issue”.

“It comes down to his belief,” Griffin said. “Would we have this discussion if he had written a book on hunting or fishing? I don’t think so.”

Reed denied that Cochran’s religious liberty had been violated, saying that his “personal religious beliefs are not the issue at all”. “The city and my administration stand firmly in support of the right to religious freedom, freedom of speech and the right to freely observe one’s faith,” he said.

Alex Wan issued a statement saying that Cochran’s actions “made it a difficult work environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees within the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department. This sends a strong message to employees about how much we value diversity and how we adhere to a non-discriminatory environment.”

Baptist Press said that Cochran addressed the GBC’s Executive Committee on December 9 following his suspension.

“I’m just standing still to see the salvation of our God because He will show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully His,” he told committee members. “And my heart is fully His.”

He said he would not try to get his job back as fire chief but he is considering other legal options.

Source: Christian Today

Cocaine found in slain commander’s home provides speculation that militants use nacotics

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Cocaine found in slain commander’s home provides speculation that militants use nacotics

After killing an important ISIS leader in battle, Kurdish forces in Syria found a huge bag of cocaine in the slain commander’s home, providing further speculation that militants often use narcotics despite the fact that its police units strictly enforce drug bans inside the group’s strongholds.

As Kurdish advancements in Kobane have allowed the People’s Protection Unit to push ISIS militants out of about 80 percent of the strategic Syrian border town, key ISIS leader Emir Abu Zahra was killed by the kurds in a recent gun fight.

Vice News‘ video footage shows that the during the Kurdish unit’s subsequent search of Zahra’s home in the Botan neighborhood of Kobane, the troops found a huge bag containing a white powdery substance.

With the Kurdish troops uncertain as to what the bag contained, Vice New’s journalist Joakim Medin, who was present during the search, wrote that he suspected that bag was filled with cocaine. Medin then dipped a finger into the powder and tasted the substance to confirm.

“It’s a big bag of cocaine,” Medin wrote. “I must admit, I am familiar with the taste of the drug. … The other guys have no knowledge of this drug or how people use it. It is nothing they have heard of or encountered before.”

Front Page Mag reports that judging by the estimated weight of the bag seen in the video and the UN-reported street prices of cocaine in Syria, the amount of cocaine contained in the bag is probably worth about half a million dollars.

The grand quantity of cocaine found in Zahra’s home gives reason to believe that the drug was intended to be distributed, to ISIS fighters. According to The Daily Mail, it’s believed that Zahra was known to distribute cocaine to ISIS militants to help ease their minds as they face the brunt of U.S.-led coalition aerial bombings.

“With the finding of what seems to be Abu Zahra’s cocaine in Kobane, this could be the first confirmed and concrete evidence of drug use among IS fighters — and of a double standard of men who preach fundamentalism, yet they are getting high as they commit massacres,” Medin wrote.

Although ISIS is preventing people within its strongholds from using drugs by placing bans on the use of narcotics, alcohol and smoking, Medin reports that Kurdish fighters have said that they found some ISIS fighters to be “drug-crazed” and have also found mysterious pills, capsules, and syringes on living and killed militants.

Some former ISIS fighters have claimed that they were drugged by leaders before battle to help them fight with more bravery, and create more courage for militants to carry out suicide attacks. A 15-year-old who claimed to have been forced into joining the jihadists’ ranks alleged that he was personally given an anti-anxiety medicine, similar to Zolam, and then given a suicide belt before going into battle.

“That drug makes you lose your mind,” the 15-year-old told CBS News. “If they give you a suicide belt and tell you to blow yourself up, you’ll do it.”

The prevalent drug use by the ISIS militants contradicts their religious police forces’ imposition of harsh punishments for non-militants caught using drugs in the caliphate.

A previous ISIS propaganda video showed militants whipping three drug users near the Syrian town of Damascus. One person who was caught smoking in Raqqa told Al-Monitor that he was punished for smoking by having all of his fingers broken by a militant, who bent his fingers back and forth with a set of pliers.

Source: Christian Today

Palestinians to become member of International Criminal Court,UN confirms

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Palestinians to become member of International Criminal Court,UN confirms

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has confirmed the Palestinians will formally become a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on April 1 and the court’s registrar said on Wednesday that jurisdiction would date back to June 13, 2014. This means the court’s prosecutor could investigate the 50-day war between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip in July and August 2014, during which more than 2,100 Palestinians, 67 Israeli soldiers and six civilians in Israel were killed.

The Hague-based court handles war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. It could exercise jurisdiction over such crimes committed by anyone on Palestinian territory. Israel, like the United States, is not a an ICC member, but its citizens could be tried on accusations of crimes on Palestinian land.

On Friday the Palestinians delivered to UN headquarters documents to join the Rome Statute of the ICC and other international treaties, in a move that has heightened tensions with Israel and could lead to cuts in US aid.

Ban announced in a letter posted to a UN website late on Tuesday that the Palestinians would formally become an ICC member on April 1. The United Nations is the official depositary of the Rome Statute and many other treaties.

The United States said on Wednesday it does not believe Palestine is a sovereign state and therefore does not qualify to be part of the International Criminal Court.

Experts said the only apparent way to challenge the Palestinians’ eligibility to be an ICC member would be in court.

“The most likely challenge would be if an Israeli national ever came before the court,” said Dov Jacobs, a law professor at Leiden University in the Netherlands.

“A defence lawyer could try to challenge the case’s legality by arguing to judges that Palestine was not a state,” he said. Few scholars say that such an argument would be successful.

The Palestinian government signed the Rome Statute on December 31, a day after a bid for independence by 2017 failed at the UN Security Council.

The Palestinians, who have been locked in a bloody conflict with Israel for decades, seek a state that covers Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem – lands Israel captured in a 1967 war.

Momentum to recognise a Palestinian state has built since President Mahmoud Abbas succeeded in a bid for de facto recognition of statehood at the UN General Assembly in 2012, making Palestinians eligible to join the ICC.

Source: Christian Today

 

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