Pakistani Court sentences Christian to death under Islamic Blasphemy Law

Pray for Sawan Masih, under a sentence of death for his faith in Jesus Christ.

Legal persecution follows Muslim mob persecution in March 2013: 

"More than 200 houses of Christian inhabitants were set on fire, two churches and dozens of Holy Bibles were also desecrated in the attack by the extremist mob of around 3000. This wanton act of violence was planned after an alleged charge of blasphemy against a Christian man Sawan Masih by a Muslim man..."

via PAKISTAN: A LOWER COURT LAHORE SAWAN MASIH RESIDENT OF JOSEPH COLONY SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR BLASPHEMY
Pravoslavie — March 31, 2014

Reported By: Fr. Joseph (Russian Orthodox Priest outside Russia in Pakistan)

On 27, March 2014; The Additional Session Judge Ghulam Murtaza of Lahore Lower Court sentenced Sawan Masih (Pakistani Christian) to death during a trial in Central Jail Lahore. Sawan Masih was accused of making derogatory remarks against the Prophet of Islam, Hazart Muhammad. The 26 years old Sawan Masih, who is a father of three children, has consistently maintained his innocence during the year-long trial. The most common phenomena in Pakistan, those courts are under high pressure of extremists and they always give death penalty to the victims of blasphemy and the most sufferers are the religious minorities in Pakistan. The lawyer of Sawan Masih declared in the media to appeal the sentence in the Lahore High Court. 

Coptic Woman ‘Martyred for the Cross’ — ‘Body Torn’

The early 21st century is the time of the 'Third Jihad' (See Islam 101 for a good overview of the first two jihads), and we are seeing an increasing number of New Martyrs being killed because of their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and God. Here is another account of one of these Neo-Martyrs, the handmaiden of God Mary, whose murderers targeted her because she had a cross hanging from the rearview mirror of her car.

Think on this the next time you get behind the wheel, and see the cross dangling from your own rearview mirror.


Coptic Woman ‘Martyred for the Cross’ — ‘Body Torn’
by Raymond Ibrahim — March 29, 2014

Mary, the latest Christian martyr to be killed in Egypt

On his Twitter account, Coptic Bishop Raphaeil, who also serves as Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Christian Church, just wrote:

Oh how lucky you are, Mary, you who are beloved of Christ.  They tore your body because of the Cross.  Yet they offered you the greatest service and gave you a name of honor as one who attained the crown of martyrdom.

The bishop also quoted Christ in the Bible, “Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service” (John 16:2).

Mary was killed during clashes between supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and Egyptian police, when the former, whipped into a frenzy after Friday mosque prayers, attacked a Coptic church, including by opening fire on it.  Along with Mary, three others were killed.

Eyewitnesses confirmed that she was targeted when Brotherhood rioters “noticed that she had a small cross dangling from the rear-view mirror of her car.”

Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood supporters attack church, four dead

by Raymond Ibrahim — March 29, 2014

Among other forms of “retaliatory terrorism,” some 80 Christian churches were attacked in Egypt immediately after the June 30 Revolution, which saw the ousting of Muslim Brotherhood president Morsi.

And now that Egypt has sentenced to death hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood supporters for the widespread terror they launched on the nation after the people’s revolution, the Brotherhood and its supporters are, once again, retaliating by attacking Coptic Christian minorities and their churches.

Ukraine - Another Perspective

Kevin Allen of Ancient Faith Radio interviews Ukraine expert, U.S. diplomat, and Orthodox Christian James G. Jatras.

I have deep respect for Mr. Jatras, and quote him in my book, Facing Islam. I feel it is essential for us to slow down and make every effort to appreciate the Russian national interests at work behind Putin's decisions concerning Ukraine, Crimea and Russia's relationship to the EU and America. I intend to post more alternative viewpoints on the Crimea/Ukraine situation in the days ahead.

Russia is rising anew as the world's defender of Orthodox, Coptic and traditional Christianity, even as Western Europe and the United States dissolves into a miasma of apostasy, sodomy, gluttony and orgiastic indulgence in all the passions. That Russia is being smeared and targeted by America and the EU through blatantly false propaganda and treacherous alliances with dark forces, and that most Americans are happy to be fed the lies, speaks more to our hollowness, than to any fault on the Russian side.


Ukraine - Another Perspective

Ancient Faith Radio via Pravoslavie — March 27, 2014

As we continue to follow the news in Ukraine, Ancient Faith Radio is committed to bring you a balanced perspective on the events and implications for the Orthodox Church. Today, Kevin Allen is speaking with Ukrainian expert and Orthodox Christian Mr James Jatras. Mr Jatras is a former US diplomat, US Senate staffer, and a member of the American Institute of Ukraine.

Listen to the Interview

Transcript:

Mr. Kevin Allen: This is Kevin Allen for Ancient Faith Radio, and I’m speaking with Mr. James G. Jatras. Jim is an Orthodox Christian, a former U.S. diplomat and U.S. Senate staffer, and a member of the American Institute in Ukraine. Jim, thank you for joining me on Ancient Faith Radio.

Mr. James Jatras: Thank you.

Mr. Allen: Jim, I’d like to begin by reading a short quote from a political analyst from Voice of Russia Radio on the current situation in Ukraine reflecting, I believe, the Russian position—maybe that should be in parentheses—and different from that of the West. Then [I’ll] follow up with a question. He said:

I think it (Ukraine) is a classical coup d’état. We should understand that what is going on is completely illegal and illegitimate. The whole situation is completely beyond the framework of law, and this is the worst development that we have seen in Ukraine during the last 25 years.

Jim Jatras, is it your view reflecting that of many inside Russia as well as many who support Russia’s interests, that the protests we’ve been seeing in Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, are, in fact, a classic coup d’étatand not a lawful transfer of power, and how would you describe the current situation in Ukraine?

Mr. Jatras: Well, I don’t think you’d have to be looking at it from a Russian perspective or even call it a coup d’état, which maybe it is, and it’s not like, for example, the military stepped in and swept aside the government, but I think there’s some very serious questions about the legality of this apparently now-successful revolution or takeover of the government under any concept of legality. Remember, this was a legally elected government. President Yanukovych was a legally elected president of Ukraine. I suppose legally one could argue that he still is and that this order, whatever it might be in Kyiv at the moment, does not have a legal basis.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Syrian Ambassador to Russia

Pravmir — March 27, 2014

On 25th March 2014, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with Dr. Riad Haddad, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Syrian Arab Republic to the Russian Federation.

They were joined at the meeting, which took place at the Patriarchal working residence in Chisty side-street, by archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), vice-chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), archpriest Sergy Zvonarev, DECR secretary for far abroad countries, and Mr. Nofal Kaltum and Mr. Yusef Arbash from the Syrian Embassy.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church greeted Ambassador Haddad and stated that the Russian Orthodox Church was concerned about the situation in the Middle East and especially in Syria where armed conflicts have continued for three years.

‘We know that over million people have left the country and over one hundred thousands died, – His Holiness said. – We know that there were many Christians among that million. We take much to heart the deaths of Christians and Muslims as we do not divide people by religion and grieve for all suffering people.’

His Holiness continued to say that though Christians are a minority in Syria and in the Middle East, Syria is the land where the first Christian communities have come into being and the followers of Christ began to call themselves Christians, and where the most meaningful monument of Christian history are located.

Orthodox Church vandalised in Istanbul

As usual with crimes against Christians and Christian churches in Muslim countries, police refused to intervene.

AsiaNews via Pravoslavie — March 27, 2014

A group of young thugs, apparently from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), vandalised an Orthodox Christian church in Istanbul. Although informed of the incident, the police refused to intervene.

The desecration took place last Sunday. The church, Agia Paraskevi, is located in Kazlıçeşme, just outside Constantinople's ancient Byzantine walls.

The church is famous for its source of water, deemed holy according to Eastern Byzantine tradition.

Church custodian Athanasios Ozkaremihologlu said that a bunch of young men forced their way through the building's front door. After causing mayhem, they took several sacred objects and the bell of the historic church.

Eventually, he sought refuge at a nearby police station. However, the agents on duty at the time refused to intervene, saying that such action would make matters worse.

Report: Obama Spent $770 Million in Taxpayer Funds to Rebuild and Renovate Mosques Overseas

This, and the $1 Obamacare Abortion Mandate required to be collected from all individuals in order to guarantee federal finding of abortion-inducing drugs, are two prime examples of today's "pinch of incense" demanded by the US federal government. American taxpayers are unwittingly supporting the spread of the anti-Christ religion of Islam, and are being trapped into funding and supporting the murder of pre-born infants.

We Christians are (not so) slowly being locked into a condition of functional apostasy, by virtue of our silent assent to the evil, satanic mandates of a central government determined to destroy our faith.

"By your silence you can betray God."

—St Gregory the Theologian 

Report: Obama Spent $770 Million in Taxpayer Funds to Rebuild and Renovate Mosques Overseas

by Jason DeWitt, Top Right News — March 10, 2014

A CBS news investigation found that the Obama State Department is sending millions of dollars to save mosques overseas — outraging taxpayer advocates and raising enormous questions about aid to potentially  terror-supporting groups with U.S. foreign aid.

With constant battles over cutting spending in the budget — including slashing pensions for military veterans, the United States ‘investment’ of millions to refurbish mosques as a ‘good-will effort’ in Muslim countries has upset many.

“We are spending money we don’t have. This is all on a gigantic credit card right now,” said Jared Thomas, a taxpayer advocate.

Millions more dollars have been sent to places like Cyprus. The State Department displays before and after pictures of mosques refurbished with U.S. tax dollars.

Coptic leader: ‘Arab Spring’ was really a winter

Pravmir — March 25, 2014

The leader of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church has said that the Arab Spring “was not a spring or even an autumn, it was a winter.”

Pope Tawadros II told an Egyptian radio audience that the results of the Arab Spring have been damaging to most countries in the Middle East, producing few positive results, the Fides news service reports. However, the Coptic prelate praised Egypt’s new leader, General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, and said that he had “saved Egypt” from the Islamicist government headed by Mohamed Morsi.

Source: CathilicCulture.org

Reports Cite 80 Dead in Kessab; Churches Desecrated

"In the last one hundred years, this is the third time that the Armenians are being forced to leave Kessab and in all three cases, Turkey is the aggressor or on the side of the aggressors.”

OCP Media — March 24, 2014

KESSAB, Syria–The Armenian populated villages of Kessab, Syria were the target of three days of brutal cross-border attacks from Turkey by al-Qaeda affiliated armed bands, which have cost 80 lives and forced the civilian population of the area to flee to neighboring hills, with many seeking safe-haven in the nearby cities of Latakia and Basit.

In a written statement, the Armenian National Committee—International, condemned the attacks and Turkey’s active role in aiding and abetting extremist groups in their targeted attacks against the Christian and minority populations in Syria. “For months, we have warned the international community of the imminent threat posed by extremist foreign fighters against the Christian minority population in Syria,” noted the ANC-I statement. “These vicious and unprompted attacks against the Armenian-populated town and villages of Kessab are the latest examples of this violence, actively encouraged by neighboring Turkey. We call upon all states with any influence in the Syrian conflict to use all available means to stop these attacks against the peaceful civilian population of Kessab, to allow them to return to their homes in safety and security. In the last one hundred years, this is the third time that the Armenians are being forced to leave Kessab and in all three cases, Turkey is the aggressor or on the side of the aggressors.”

According to news reports, the armed incursion began on Friday, March 21, 2014, at 5:45a.m., with rebels associated with Al-Qaeda’s al-Nusra Front, Sham al-Islam and Ansar al-Sham crossing the Turkish border and attacking the Armenian civilian population of Kessab. The attackers immediately seized two guard posts overlooking Kessab, including a strategic hill known as Observatory 45 and later took over the border crossing point with Turkey. Snipers targeted the civilian population and launched mortar attacks on the town and the surrounding villages.

More and More Russian Young People Becoming Wahhabis

Pravoslavie — March 17, 2014

Arkhangelsk, March 13, 2014

The specialist in Islamic studies Roman Silantyev has reported that at the present time Russian Wahhabis number nearly 700,000 adherents.

Speaking at the Northern State Medical University in Arkhangelsk, he stated that Wahhabism was the most dangerous and quick-growing sect, reports Interfax-Religion.

"The geography of terrorist cells is wide enough. They are present virtually in all regions of Russia. Meanwhile, almost all active terrorist organizations in the world have an islamist origin," noted R. Silantyev.

He believes that the only way of struggle with Wahhabism in Russia is a sharp toughening of the legislation when members of terrorist organizations are subject to criminal prosecution for the very fact of participation in such organizations.

According to the expert, the alarming factor is the growing passion of the ethnic Russian youth for Wahhabism. In the terrorists list individuals with Russian and Ukrainian surnames are beginning to prevail.