AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER * ALGERIA: RELIGIOUS RIGHTS ABUSES CRITICIZED AT U.N. * CHURCHES FEAR ZIMBABWE GENOCIDE * CONVERTING FOOD INTO FUEL LEADING TO ONE OF THE GREAT TRAGEDIES OF HISTORY * GOOD NEWS FROM TIBET * CHINA: FOCUS ON CONCERTED PRAYER IN OLYMPICS YEAR * NEPAL: THOUSANDS ATTEND UNPRECEDENTED RALLY ----------------------------------------------- ALGERIA: RELIGIOUS RIGHTS ABUSES CRITICIZED AT U.N. Following an increase in church closures and convictions of Christians in Algeria this year, a United Nations body has questioned Algerian delegates on an "alarming deterioration" of religious freedom there. "A decree of April 2006 . seems to criminalize any initiative to convert Muslims to another religion or to shake the faith of a Muslim," said a Belgian representative during the U.N. body's Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Article 18 of the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms the inherent right to publicly teach or manifest one's faith, but Algeria's 2006 decree threatens up to five years imprisonment and a 1 million dinar (US$15,430) fine for anyone attempting to convert a Muslim to another religion. Producing, possessing or distributing material for this purpose warrants the same punishment. On April 9 an Algerian court handed a Christian convert a two-year suspended sentence and a 100,000 dinar (US$1,540) fine for "proselytism." According to leaders of Algeria's Protestant church, the Tiaret resident had been charged after giving a Bible to an undercover policeman who repeatedly asked for the book. A Vatican representative questioned the delegates on how the decree could be reconciled with religious freedom, enshrined in Article 36 of Algeria's constitution. In response to the criticisms, Algerian delegate Lazhar Soualem claimed that the new laws were established to stop the abuse of religion by halting "the exploitation of circumstantial problems and various ways of seducing in the name of freedom of religion." His comments appeared to reinforce complaints that religious freedom in Algeria was subject to arbitrarily imposed conditions, rather than being an inalienable right for all citizens. Meanwhile, Protestant Church of Algeria President Mustapha Krim reported that 26 Protestant churches had been ordered to close. In January, a French Catholic priest visiting Cameroonian migrants on the Moroccan border was given a one-year suspended sentence for praying in a place not sanctioned for worship. The crackdown on churches has been accompanied by a media campaign warning of a widespread "attack" on Islam by Christian evangelists in Algeria. The nation's religious affairs minister recently claimed that Christians were trying to establish a minority in the country in order to give foreign powers the pretext to intervene in Algeria's affairs. Attempts by foreign nations to challenge Algeria on religious rights violations have only fuelled local press reports that Algeria is under attack from the west. But European Christians and other rights watchdogs believe that foreign nations must hold Algeria accountable for its treatment of religious minorities. "France subsidizes the country for oil and gas, but we don't get anything back in terms of human rights," said Gregor Puppinck of the Strasbourg-based European Centre for Law and Justice. During the three-hour review, delegates from 45 countries interacted with Algerian representatives on a number of issues, including women's and children's rights, torture, and freedom of press and belief. The newly formed UPR is a mechanism of the U.N. Human Rights Council, designed to review rights record's of each of the worlds 192 nations, at a rate of 48 per year. Source: Intercessors Network ----------------------------------------------- CHURCHES FEAR ZIMBABWE GENOCIDE Church leaders in Zimbabwe have called for international action to prevent post-election violence developing into genocidal proportions. African countries and the UN should intervene to deal with a "deteriorating" situation, they said. Human rights groups say Mugabe's militias are setting up "torture camps" to beat opposition supporters. The majority of Zimbabweans are Christian. Meanwhile, a Chinese ship carrying weapons to Zimbabwe may return to China after being blocked in South Africa when the International Transport Workers Federation decided it's members would not unload the ship. Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has urged other African leaders not to allow the ship to enter their territorial waters.Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said the ship's owners were considering bringing the arms back, amid international pressure not to let the ship unload its cargo. In a joint statement, leaders of the main religious denominations warned "If nothing is done to help the people of Zimbabwe from their predicament, we shall soon be witnessing genocide similar to that experienced in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and other hotspots in Africa and elsewhere." The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and its leader Morgan Tsvangirai insist they beat President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party outright in presidential and parliamentary polls. Post-election violence has displaced 3,000 people, injured 500 and left 10 dead, according to MDC secretary general Tendai Biti. Human rights groups say they have found camps where people are being tortured for having voted "the wrong way". Christians worldwide are being asked to urgently pray for Zimbabwe, a country that is crying out for deliverance from the poverty and cruelty that they have suffered under Robert Mugabe's reign. Please pray: . that God's will and purpose be accomplished in the present situation. . for confusion in the ranks of the enemy and that his plans for Zimbabwe be thwarted. . for that which is hidden and has been done in darkness to be exposed. . that the ship from China carrying weapons will not be able to dock anywhere and that these weapons will not reach their destination. . a release in the present situation so that things do not go the Kenya way. Source: Intercessors Network ----------------------------------------------- CONVERTING FOOD INTO FUEL LEADING TO ONE OF THE GREAT TRAGEDIES OF HISTORY Subsidising the conversion of food into fuel is causing the world food situation to spiral out of control claims Earth Policy Institute spokesman Lester R. Brown. "We are witnessing the beginning of one of the great tragedies of history. The world, in a misguided effort to reduce its oil insecurity by converting grain into fuel for cars, is generating global food insecurity on a scale never seen before. The World Bank reports that for each 1 percent rise in food prices, calorie intake among the poor drops 0.5 percent. Millions of those living on the lower rungs of the global economic ladder, people who are barely hanging on, will lose their grip and begin to fall off. The UN World Food Program (WFP), which is now supplying emergency food aid to 37 countries, is cutting shipments as prices soar. The WFP reports that 18,000 children are dying each day from hunger and related illnesses. Projections by the University of Minnesota four years ago showed the number of hungry and malnourished people decreasing from over 800 million to 625 million by 2025. But in early 2007 their update of these projections, taking into account the biofuel effect on world food prices, showed the number of hungry people climbing to 1.2 billion by 2025. That climb is already under way. Please pray asking the Lord to provide for and protect the poor around the world who will certainly be the first to be afflicted by higher prices and lower availability. Ask the Lord also to raise up fresh technology and policies which would avert the tragic loss of life. Source: Intercessors for America ----------------------------------------------- GOOD NEWS FROM TIBET This past month, events in Tibet have again drawn attention to the plight of Tibetans under communist rule. The protests happening in many countries surrounding the Olympic Torch Relay have added to the international interest in the plight of the Tibetan people. Going strong for more than 17 years, the Tibetan radio programme Gaweylon (Good News) reaches out each day to Tibet, India, Nepal and Bhutan where Tibetans reside. The programme is making a difference in their lives. Listeners really appreciate the audio CDs of Gospel messages, programs on health and general knowledge, as well as food and nutrition advice. They write asking for literature and CDs while others visit the new website or call a designated telephone number, allowing the team to follow up and build personal relationships with them. A listener writes: "I listen to your programme regularly. Thank you for the literature that you freely distribute. Our religions are different, but I feel some of our teachings and deeds are the same. I like the Gospel teachings which you give in the programme. I feel very happy as you are using pure Tibetan language in your programme and the literature that you are producing is helpful to so many people". Praise and thank God for the people from all walks of life who are listening to the programmes and reading the literature sent to them. Pray for the follow-up team as they write, counsel and visit listeners. Pray for the programming team as they prepare programmes that will attract listeners and also for wisdom to choose the right topics. Pray for Tibet that God will bring peace and also for Tibetans everywhere that they will be open to the Gospel. Source: Intercessors Network ----------------------------------------------- CHINA: FOCUS ON CONCERTED PRAYER IN OLYMPICS YEAR China has long been planning to use the Beijing Olympics to market China to the world. In Chinese folk lore the number 8 is the luckiest number and its character rhymes with the Chinese character for wealth. So the games are scheduled to open on 8-8-08 at 8.08pm. While China struggles to contain internal strife and deflect criticism, our prayer for China is not for luck or wealth, but that God in his gracious mercy and providence will make 2008 the year the Chinese government awakens to the reality of the church being not one of its problems but integral to the solution. In solidarity with the Chinese Church, religious liberty groups have jointly called for global concerted prayer for China leading up to the Olympics, that 2008 might be a year of great spiritual blessing for the Chinese Church and for China. Source: Intercessors Network ----------------------------------------------- NEPAL: THOUSANDS ATTEND UNPRECEDENTED RALLY Some 15,000 native Christians and onlookers attended an unprecedented Easter rally in Nepal, long known as the world's only Hindu kingdom. The gathering, held in the capital Kathmandu, was arranged by local churches to promote Christianity in this Himalayan nation where minority Christians have long been oppressed, organizers said. People were seen holding banners heralding "the resurrection of Jesus Christ" during the downtown celebration whichalso included singing and dancing. Two key pastors preached during the gathering. Churches described the event as "historic" and a result of previous mission work. A Maoist insurgency held the nation in hostage from 1996 to 2006, but amid the turmoil, churchesin Nepal have grown exponentially. Estimates indicate that there are more than 700,000 Christian believers in Nepal. Source: Intercessors Network
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