barnabasaid

The magazine of Barnabas Fund HOPE AND AID FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

November/December 2007

Iraq’s Martyrs
 barnabasaid From the director
Not knowing where
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007
Contents
To guard the safety of Christians in hostile environments
names have often been changed or omitted. Thank you
he was going
for your understanding.
Early one September morning
last year I climbed up the
3 Project News ancient ziggurat in Ur of the
Transforming the lives of Christian Chaldeans, the place from
which Abraham set out on his
women journey to the Promised Land.
Surveying the panorama, I
6 Focus was deeply moved. From here
Betrayed! The story of Iraq’s Christians Abraham left, moving north-
west through what is modern-
day Iraq, then on to Haran
Information (in modern Turkey), finally
dropping down southwards into
pull-out the Holy Land.
Text books that teach hatred Abraham did not know
where he was going (Hebrews
11 Newsroom 11:8) and when he reached
his destination he was
Norway’s Muslims on freedom of like a stranger in a foreign
conscience country (Hebrews 11:9). He
lived in tents, indicating an
14 The Other Nine existence that was unsettled
and impermanent, and faced
Being a Christian in Egypt opposition and hostility at every
turn.
15 In Touch Today many Christians are
Barnabas supporters and how they leaving Iraq from Basra (not so
far from ancient Ur), Baghdad,
are helping Mosul and elsewhere. Fleeing
the appalling anti-Christian
violence, they cross into Syria
Cover:
Sixteen of the many Christians killed to cities such as Qamishli,
in Iraq in recent years. Names and Hassake, Aleppo and Damascus,
dates of death are as follows: some entering into Jordan.
Many, like Abraham, do
Top row, L to R: Hazim Petrus not know where they are
Damman, 10 April 2003; Paulos
Iskander, 11 October 2006; Anita going. Their future is fraught
Tyadors, 8 August 2005; Ninos with uncertainty. Destitution
Shamuel Adam, 11 June 2006. and deprivation mark their
condition. They will be living
Second row, L to R: Wael Yousif as foreigners in countries
Yacoub, 16 March 2005; Randy such as Syria and Jordan.
Robert Alexin (age 5, shown here Like Abraham their hope is
with his family), 2 June 2005;
Salwan Sabah Jabbar, 21 July 2006; on heaven the eternal city
Rushid Noel Essa, 7 June 2006. (Hebrews 11:10) but still they
are looking for a place on earth
Third row, L to R: Matti Shamoun where they will gain acceptance.
Zora Shaya, 26 August 2005; Joseph God had a purpose for
Fraidon Potros, 11 October 2006;
Sargon Sabah Yacoub, 16 January Abraham, one which he did not
2007; Nasrin Shaba Murad, 25 fully realise when he started
October 2004. his journey, but was to result in
blessing for all peoples (Genesis
Fourth row, L to R: Laith Gabriel 12:3). We do not know God’s
Hoodi, 18 May 2005; Haitham mind for His people in Iraq or
H.M. Ghazala, 12 February 2007; why they have had to undergo
Faraj Moshe Markhai, 4 June 2004;
Ghassan E. Rofa Haido, 17 August such tragedies in history and
2006. in our own time, but we know
that God’s purposes for them
will be realised. Prior to the
Armenian genocide which
peaked in 1915, Christians had
prophesied that there would
be an Armenian diaspora and
that out of this tragedy would
come great blessing. Although
an estimated 1.5 million
Armenians died when they were
driven from their homes by the
Ottomans, the survivors and
their descendants settled across
the Middle East and elsewhere,
creating a Christian presence
and witness wherever they went.
Such was the case after the
martyrdom of Stephen in the
first century. The church at
Jerusalem was scattered during
the great persecution which
broke out, but “those who had
been scattered preached the
word wherever they went” (Acts
8:4).
Let us believe that it will be the
same for the Church in Iraq. A
new day is dawning, and we,
the Church outside of Iraq, are
called at this time to care, to
provide, to pray for the Iraqi
Church. We must use every
means possible, under God,
not just to ensure her survival,
but to enable her to fulfil God’s
divine purposes for her and for
the world.
Barnabas Fund is heavily
involved in supporting the Iraqi
Church. We are working closely
with Christian leaders in Iraq
and surrounding countries as
well as the West to mount a
major campaign to help those
who have embarked on this
new exodus. We have called
our campaign Save Iraqi
Christians. Read more about it
in the enclosed leaflet. Recently
I was at a meeting of senior
Christian leaders from Iraq,
who had gathered in Syria to
discuss how Barnabas Fund
can assist the refugees. I shared
with them a verse in my daily
devotional reading that morning
from Isaiah 16:3 (NIV) “ Do
not betray the refugees.” We
urge you to stand with us as we
engage in this task, so that our
Christian brothers and sisters,
now refugees, are not betrayed.
Dr Patrick Sookhdeo
International Director
 Iraq
The betrayal of
the Christians
There is a saying among Christians in the Middle East that every time Europeans intervene in the Middle East
the indigenous Christians suffer. This has been true for many centuries. Muslim anger at intervention by the
“Christian” West is all too often channelled into hatred for the local Christian population, considered allies
of the West because of their shared religion. This pattern has repeated itself ever since the first Islamic jihad
that overran Christian lands in the Middle East. It was reinforced by the Crusades and further developed by
colonialism and its aftermath.
European demands for protection and equality for Christian minorities in the Ottoman Empire only made the
Muslim majority more aggressive to the Christians. For in Muslim eyes, if Christians got equality they had
broken the dhimma¹ contract of submission to their Muslim rulers and therefore were liable to jihad. They were
also increasingly seen as allies of the imperial Christian Western powers and enemies of Islam.

The Assyrian genocide and with the Russians against the

Ottomans. When the Russian
asked to be returned to Hakkari
as a homeland of their own.
the First World War front collapsed in 1917 due to
the communist
This could have been possible in
the immediate
The terrible Armenian genocide revolution, Thirteen women kidnapped aftermath of the
which peaked in 1915 is they were left and killed, October 2006 war, but the allies
relatively well known in the alone to face
West. Less well known is Thirteen Christian women were failed to press
the might of kidnapped and killed because for an Assyrian
the fact that between 1914 the Ottoman they did not wear the traditional homeland.
and 1918 the Ottoman Turks, army. The
using the Kurds to help them, Islamic head covering. In 1918 an
British, who
also massacred some 750,000 Anglo-French
had invaded
Assyrians, a Christian people Declaration
Mesopotamia (Iraq), offered
originally from Iraq. The had referred to indigenous
weapons if the Assyrians would
Assyrians refer to this as the hold the eastern front until Continued on page 8
“Seyfo” (the sword). they could link up with them.
When the Ottoman Empire Student murdered in Mosul,
The British also held forth
entered the First World War as 8 August 2005
the possibility of an Assyrian
an ally of Germany in 1915, the homeland under allied protection Anita Tyadors, a 21-year-
Sultan had a jihad proclaimed. after the war. The Assyrians thus old student at Nineveh Art
For many Muslims this simply became official allies of Britain, Academy, was kidnapped and
meant the opportunity to and were nicknamed “Britain’s murdered in the al-Zohoor
massacre and loot the local smallest ally”. However, British quarter of Mosul as she left
Christian populations, especially help did not materialise and an Internet café. Around ten
the Armenians and Assyrians. the Turks gradually weakened attackers pistol-whipped her,
This was supported by the Assyrian defences, forcing the threw her limp body into the
government’s drive to ethnically Assyrians to flee. Large numbers boot of a car and drove her
cleanse its border areas from were massacred en route or died to a remote location, where
Christian elements. In June from starvation and disease. they beat her and stabbed her
1915 Turks and Most fled to to death. They then shot at
Kurds attacked Two sisters murdered, Hamadan in her dead body and finished
the Assyrians Baghdad, 14 July 2004 Persia where the with a bullet to her head. Her
and massacred British military body was
A Christian family had been
many. Some disarmed them mutilated
threatened by radical Muslims.
80,000 Assyrians While the parents were away, and sent them to beyond
fled eastward. refugee camps recognition
attackers broke into the house
Some Assyrians at Baqubah near when it
and shot the two sisters, Raneed
in the Hakkari² Baghdad. By was found
Raad (16) and Raphid (6), at
region allied 1919 there were dumped in
point blank range.
themselves some 25,000 the Akkad
refugees, who cemetery.
6 Barnabas AID Nov/Dec 2007
 Focus
How the anti-Christian threats come Letter 2
A handwritten
Letter 1 letter sent to one
The radical Shi‘a Mahdi Army sent this typed letter to Christians in Christian family
Baghdad ordering all Christian women to veil themselves or face
the consequences.

Furthermore, His
Eminence Mohammad
al-Sadr prohibited
self-adoration and not
wearing the veil in a
number of religious
edicts, including:
Question: What is
the punishment of
the woman who
does not commit
to the legal veil?
Answer: In the
name of the
Supreme Being, She
is an adulteress, and she even
proclaims sinfulness, challenges and fights
Allah and his Prophet and ignores and
Translation: neglects religion. So what would be her
fate but hell and that is best outcome for
The Legal Veil her?
Allah be praised, said in His perfect and Question: What measure should be
noble book: taken against a woman who disobeys her
In the Name of Allah, the Most father, husband, or her guardian by not
Beneficent, the Most Merciful committing to the legal veil?
(And do not display yourselves like that Answer: In the name of the Supreme
of the times of ignorance) -- Affirmed Being, they must order her in a courteous
Allah the Mighty manner to abstain from the forbidden.
Surah Al-Ahzab -- Verse 33 If she refuses, he then must guide and
According to Ali, Prince of Believers educate her religiously in order to
(peace be upon him), he said, “We were convince her. If she is not convinced still,
with the Prophet (saas) and he said, Tell then they must imprison her at home
me what is best for women? The Prince and do not expose her to the forbidden
of Believers said, when I went back to interaction with men.
Fatima (peace be upon her) and told her Note: Based on this, special committees
about what the Prophet (saas) said to have been established to follow up on this
us, Fatima said: ‘It is best for women not matter and she who is warned is excused.
to see men and for the men not to see Preparation
them.’”
The People’s Foundation for the Master
And in the Noble Narrative (She who
al-Mahdi Army.
went out of her home adorned with
finery and ornaments or scented with
perfumes is under the cursing of Allah,
angels and the people all together until
she goes back home. Neither a religious
duty nor a gift shall be accepted
from her until she performs the ritual
ablution. ) Text
According to martyr Mohammad
A text message was sent to the
Mohammad Sadiq al-Sadr (Sacred be phone of a Christian young man in
his noble secret): “Was the Virgin Mary Mosul on January 17, 2007.
(peace be upon her) unveiled so that
Christian women be allowed to be “From the Mujahidin to the
unveiled? Was Fatima al-Zahra unveiled? Christian dog, Kamal. Don’t answer
And were the wives of the Caliphs in the us. We know where you are hiding,
First Caliphate or others unveiled? No and we are going to attack all your
and then no…Allah forbid and far be it possessions wherever they are. We
from all of them.” know it in detail.”
Translation:
In the Name of Allah, the Most
Beneficent, the Most Merciful
(And do not display yourselves like that
of the times of ignorance)—Affirmed
Allah the Mighty
From the leadership of Islamic Badr
Forces
To the noble family
We hope from the head of this family
to stand with the Muslim Brotherhoods
concerning the veil, honour and in
following the Islamic principles that
were practised by Muslims in older
periods. We the Iraqi people are Muslim
people that do not tolerate sin.
If you did not follow the instructions in
this letter or its proclamation, then we
will set out to:
1. Embark on the unbearable
2. Kill
3. Kidnap
4. Burn the house including what is
inside or bomb it
This is directed to the girls of the family,
the mother of the two children and the
little girl.
Copy to:
Islamic Badr Forces, Najaf
[The following is unclear, but possible]
Tehran Badrjanah Islamic Campaign
[The following is unclear, but possible]
Badr Fighting Propaganda
Signed
Badr Forces
12 Rabi’ al-Awwal [3rd month of the
Islamic Calendar], 14?? [Year not clear,
possibly 1424, which would be May 14,
2003 AD]
Kamal’s attackers accused him
of criticising Islam. He paid
them some money after getting
this message, but other Muslim
groups heard what was happening
and also began to demand money
from him.

NOV/ DEC 2007 Barnabas AID 7

Focus
government for the Assyrians as Assyrian villages in northern Iraq
part of the post-war settlement. were burned down. There was
In 1919 an Assyrian delegation also much anti-Assyrian hysteria
in Paris claimed an independent among Iraqi Muslims. As a result,
state. Others requested a British some 6,000 Assyrians fled to Syria
protectorate. The Chaldean and settled there. At least 36
Patriarch also asked for a Assyrian villages in northern Syria
European- today are largely
protected populated by
Threats to kill one member these refugees
state for his
of every Christian family, and their
people. Some
Karakush, 2 November 2004 descendants.
Assyrians
called for Church leaders in Karakush The British did
Hakkari to be near Mosul received a letter not defend the
included in that threatened to kill one Assyrians during
British Iraq person in every family. This the massacres, The main street of Tel-Breej, an Assyrian Christian village
rather than was to be their punishment claiming it was in northern Syria
in Turkey. for allowing their women to only a minor
In 1924 the go out with heads uncovered incident. Following the establishment of
Turks invaded and for allowing them to a Kurdish safe haven in 1991,
During the Assyrians have gradually returned
Hakkari and a attend university. Before this Second World
further 8,000 event, radical Islamists had to some of their villages and
War some started to rebuild them.
Assyrians were warned all women in Mosul to 40,000 Assyrians
driven into cover their heads. On October were enrolled in
Iraq. By 1925 26th 2004 a Christian woman the British RAF Christians in Iraq since the
the borders was killed for having her
between the head uncovered. Two other
levies based in
Habbaniyah,
2003 US-led invasion
new states of Christian women not wearing Iraq. They The US-led invasion in 2003 was
Turkey and head-covering had nitric acid distinguished intended to save Iraq from the
Iraq had been squirted in their faces in the themselves in cruel dictatorship of Saddam
drawn, leaving market. the fight against Hussein and to establish a
Hakkari within the Rashid democratic secular state in Iraq.
Turkey. The Ali revolt in Many Iraqis had high hopes of
Turkish and Persian governments 1941. Again there were hopes for freedom and equality at its start.
refused the Assyrians the right of Assyrian autonomy under British However these hopes were soon
return, so the refugees in Baqubah protection, which as usual were dashed by the ensuing chaos in
had to stay in Iraq. dashed. The levies were finally which Christians have become the
disbanded in 1955 at the time of target of persecution and of ethnic
the British withdrawal from Iraq. cleansing by radical Islamist
Allied with the British again The Assyrians’ military alliance groups, both Sunni and Shi‘a,
In 1919 the British organised some with the British had brought them seeking the total Islamisation
Assyrian men into special military no political gains, and had in fact of Iraq. As both non-Arabs and
units, the Assyrian levies, which made their plight worse. Most non-Muslims, they are held in
were used to guard aerodromes Assyrians still feel a deep sense contempt and suspected of being
and to suppress Kurdish and of betrayal by the British, further allied to the Western forces.
nationalist Iraqi Arab rebellions. aggravated by the 2003 invasion of Furthermore, as the Kurds resettle
The Assyrian levies were intensely Iraq and its aftermath. the areas which Saddam Hussein
pro-British and displayed great had arabised, the indigenous
bravery and good fighting Assyrians are sometimes being
qualities. After the 1930 Anglo-
Iraqi Treaty, they were gradually
From independance to the displaced along with the Arabs.
While Assyrians and other
disbanded. 2003 invasion Christians are generally offered
The ruling class of Iraq was hostile The Assyrians (in its broad sense) some protection by the Kurdish
to the Assyrians because of their are the largest non-Muslim authorities in the north, they are
alliance with the British and their community in Iraq. Under still in need of a great deal of care
request to the League of Nations Saddam Hussein’s drive for and attention from the North Iraq
for an autonomous status in Iraq. arabisation, Assyrian culture was Regional Government, the Iraqi
By 1933 there was great tension repressed and many emigrated Government and the international
between the Iraqi government to the West. During campaigns community.
and the Assyrians. The Iraqi against the Kurds, the Saddam Since 2003 Christians have had
army organised and carried out a regime also destroyed some 150 churches and institutions bombed,
series of massacres near Simmele Assyrian villages in the north and businesses destroyed, property
in which some 3,000 Assyrians some 60 churches. Thousands of confiscated, and individuals
were killed. Priests were tortured Assyrians were deported in the kidnapped and killed. Christian
and some Assyrians were forcibly ethnic cleansing and Arabs were women are being forced to wear
converted to Islam. Around 65 settled in their homes and villages. Islamic dress and many have been
Continued on page 10
8 Barnabas AID Nov/Dec 2007

Who are the Christians of Iraq?
The original Christian community
in Iraq are the Assyrians. They
are conscious of their identity
as the indigenous people of the
country, descended from the
ancient Assyrians. The capital of
the Assyrian Empire, Nineveh
(near Mosul in modern Iraq), and
the story of Jonah sent to call it to
repentance are part of their unique
heritage. Tradition says that it was
the apostles Peter and Thomas
who first brought the Gospel to the
Assyrians.
Similar to the Assyrians, though
having their own different church,
are the members of the Syriac
community. Some believe they are
descended from the Arameans of
Biblical times.
Chaldeans are ethnic Assyrians
belonging to a church linked to
the Roman Catholic church. They
stress their link to the ancient
Babylonians of the region.
There is also a small Armenian
Christian community, as well as
Protestants who are converts in
the last few generations from a
variety of backgrounds.
Why are we confused?
The confusion in European
languages between “Syrians”
(i.e. Syriacs) and “Assyrians”
is due to the ancient Greeks.
The Greeks transliterated
“Assyria” as “Syria”. To make
matters worse they then used
“Syrian” to mean “Aramean”
as well as to mean “Assyrian”.
To complicate matters still
further, in ancient church
terminology the Assyrians
were also termed the Eastern
Syrian Church and the Syriacs
were termed the Western
Syrian Church.
In modern times, the term
Assyrian is often used to mean
the indigenous Christian
community of Iraq, sometimes
defined as the “Chaldean Assyrian
Syriac nation”. These Christians
form a distinct community with
their own language (though lost
by most Chaldeans since the
eighteenth century) and cultural
traditions. Their language and
their Christian faith are the
two main elements of Assyrian
identity. The various Assyrian
churches were great missionary
churches and carried Christianity
into Central Asia as far as India,
China, Tibet, Mongolia and even
Japan.
Iraqi Christians
(approximate figures)
Chaldeans 52%
Church of the East
(Assyrians) 22%
Syriacs 16%
Armenians 6%
Protestants 4%
Following the Islamic conquests
in the seventh century AD, the
Assyrians became part of the
subjugated dhimma¹ people. They
were great scholars, translators
and doctors and contributed much
to the emerging Islamic civilisation
by passing on Greek, Syriac and
other Christian learning to the
Arabs.
As a non-Muslim minority they
faced intolerance, contempt and
periodic persecution from the
Muslim authorities and from
marauding Muslim tribes of
Arabs, Turks, Mongols and Kurds.
Between 1258 and 1295 they had
a brief period of freedom under
the rule of pagan Mongols, which
ended when the Mongol rulers
converted to Islam. The Assyrians
were almost totally wiped out in
Central Asia by the Muslim Mongol
ruler Tamerlane in the fourteenth
century.
Focus
Still speaking in Jesus’
language
Aramaic was the lingua franca
of the Persian Empire after
it conquered Babylon (539
BC) and of a large part of the
Middle East until after the
Islamic conquests in the seventh
century AD. Aramaic (also
called Syriac in the Christian
era) was the mother tongue of
the Lord Jesus.
Assyrian and Syriac Christians
still use classical Aramaic as
their liturgical language, which
exists in two dialects. The
western dialect is used by the
Syriacs and the eastern dialect
by the Assyrians (Church of the
East). In the home they speak
a vernacular called “Swadaya”
(but often known as “Assyrian”)
which is 60% derived from
Aramaic. This also exists in two
dialects.
Meanwhile in the Ottoman and
Persian Empires, Assyrians survived
in a precarious and marginal way,
facing frequent attacks from the
surrounding Kurdish and Turkmen
tribes.
In the nineteenth century the
Ottoman Empire began to weaken
while the Russian Empire was
growing stronger and conquering
more territory. Assyrians began to
hope for liberation from Islamic
rule. Some European powers spoke
of the need to protect the Christian
minorities, but this simply fuelled
Muslim hostility. However, when
in the 1840s Kurds massacred
Assyrians in Hakkari there was
no European intervention on
their behalf. Again in 1884-1896
Assyrians were massacred alongside
Armenians by Kurdish tribes and
militias and Ottoman soldiers.
NOV/ DEC 2007 Barnabas AID 9
Focus
raped. In several areas Christians try to please their Muslim asylum to Assyrians who today
have been called upon to choose compatriots, the radicals always number some 100,000 in Sweden.
whether to pay the demeaning find justifications to attack them. Britain and America, the main
jizya tax, accept Islam, leave Conversion, death or expulsion instigators of the 2003 invasion,
or be killed. While many have seem to be the only terms on have been the most miserly in
fled to the Kurdish areas and offer from the radical Sunni and giving asylum to endangered
Nineveh Plains, Shi‘a groups. Iraqis.
hundreds of Christian teenager beheaded
thousands have in Baqubah, 21 October Create a safe haven for the
left the country 2006 Allied Assyrians?
altogether, the Ayad Tarik, aged 14, was at
majority of them his work place, maintaining responsibilty Some Assyrian groups are calling
being now in an electric generator, when a The US, UK for an autonomous Assyrian
Syria. It seems group of Muslim insurgents and their allies Administrative Region to be
like a repeat of entered the building and asked are offering created in the Nineveh Plains
the events in for his identity card. When no special of northern Iraq. The aim is to
1933. they saw that it stated he was a protection to create a safe haven for Assyrians,
What is Christian, they asked him if he the persecuted but who would protect this
happening now really was a “Christian sinner”. religious enclave from its enemies? Would
to the Christians Ayad answered that he was minorities in an Assyrian militia be created
in Iraq is ethnic a Christian, but not a sinner. Iraq and have strong enough and well enough
cleansing or The insurgents then called tended to ignore armed to guard its frontiers? The
genocide. him a “dirty Christian sinner”, the effects of enclave would be sandwiched
and beheaded him, pulling his their policies between Arabs and Kurds, both
While all of
limbs and shouting “Allahu on non-Muslim claiming the area. While the
Iraq’s minorities
Akbar”. minorities. Western allies protected the
have suffered
They employed Kurdish safe haven during the
persecution
many workers Saddam era, they are not in a
since 2003, the Assyrian
and translators from these position to offer protection to an
Christians seem to have suffered
minorities, without providing for Assyrian enclave today.
disproportionately. According
their protection from vengeful ¹Dhimma are defined in Islam as the Christian
to Minority Rights Group
militants. Only Denmark and Jewish communities under Islamic rule.
International they are the second They were second class subjects, permitted
has voluntarily accepted to live and keep their own faiths in return for
most endangered minority group paying a poll tax (jizya) and obeying various
responsibility for its hired Iraqi
in the world,³ facing extinction in demeaning regulations.
employees and moved them en
their traditional homeland. ²A mountainous area of south-eastern Turkey,
masse to Denmark. Sweden it is one of the heartlands of the Assyrian
However hard the Christians has been generous in granting Christians.
³Bel Jacobs, “Minority with a major crisis”,
MetroFocus, 16 August 2007.

Barnabas Fund is helping
many hundreds of Iraqi Christian
families. Some are still living in
their homeland, while others have
fled to Syria and Jordan seeking
safety. Funds are sent through local
churches or Christian organisations
in all three countries, whose leaders
use them carefully to help the
families with food and other basic
needs such as rent, medical help and
school fees.
Sometimes Christian leaders choose
to tell the recipients that their help
has been sent from Barnabas Fund.
This can be an encouragement,
reassuring the Christians that they
are remembered and loved by their
Christian family in other parts of the
world.
When funds were distributed to 243
families at a church in Syria last
September, there were speeches and
prayers for the staff and supporters
of Barnabas Fund, and the Scouts
brass band played. One Iraqi refugee
quoted from Song of Songs 8:7
“Many waters cannot quench love.”
Another thanked the church leader
and his staff for their assistance and Fund can, in the metaphor of
then went on to thank visitors from Mazin Elias Thomas, give Iraqi
Barnabas Fund: Christians “happy dreams”
instead of cares and sorrows.
Today we’re here to meet
another group of those Jesus
followers. They were unknown
to us till this moment… They
were working for us to help us
forget our pain and sorrow, and
we ask them to allow us to call
them a name we suggested, “the
Iraqis’ happy dream makers”.
Finally I ask the rhymes and
alphabets to forgive me, since
I couldn’t find the exact words
which explain our real feelings
towards you, and simply
please accept our prayers and
invocations to God to bless you, An Iraqi Christian refugee in Syria, one of those whom
Barnabas Fund is helping
and thank you. (Mazin Elias
Thomas, September 16th, 2007) Helping Iraqi Christians (general),
reference 20-227
Thank you to all Barnabas Fund
Food and basic needs for Christians
supporters whose donations
in Iraq, reference 20-246
enable us to keep helping our
Iraqi brothers and sisters in Food and basic needs for Iraqi
their time of trial. It is only by Christian refugees in Syria and
your generosity that Barnabas Jordan, reference 20-383

10 Barnabas AID Nov/Dec 2007


Norway: Christians and Muslims agree on Egypt: Hopes raised
the right to convert between faiths
Christian and Muslim groups in
Norway signed a joint declaration
on 22nd August affirming the
right to convert from one faith
to another without fear of
harassment or violence. The
statement signed by the Church of
Norway Council on Ecumenical
and International Relations and
the Islamic Council of Norway
said, “We reject and want to work
against violence, discrimination
and harassment due to a person
wanting to convert or having
converted from one religion to
another.”
Egypt: Teenage Christian twins to be
treated as Muslims?
Christian twins, Andrew and
Mario Medhat Ramsis, are
in danger of being effectively
forced to convert to Islam. The
boys’ father converted to Islam
voluntarily some years ago and
divorced their Christian mother,
with whom the boys continued
to live. A court in Alexandria has
now ruled that the 13-year-olds
must live with their father and
his new (Muslim) wife, which
means they would be treated by
the authorities as if they were
Muslims. According to one
source, their father has already
had the religion changed on their
birth certificates to “Muslim”
without his sons’ consent. A final
ruling on the case was due on
Andrew and Mario
then dashed for
converts from Islam
This simple statement contradicts
the teaching of Islamic law
(shari`a) that apostasy from Islam
is a serious offence punishable by
a raft of penalties including death
for adult males. As such, the
Norwegian statement could set
an important precedent. “As far
as we know, this is the first time
that a church and representative
national Muslim organisation
have jointly acknowledged the
right to convert,” commented Olav
Fykse Tveit, secretary-general of
the church council.
September 3rd but the session
was adjourned.
Andrew and Mario are staunch
Christians. Having been forced
to study Islamic religion at
school because they were now
considered Muslims, they both
handed in exam answers on
which they had written only
the single sentence, “I am a
Christian.” The school initially
refused to move them up to
the next grade without a pass
in Islamic religion, but Egypt’s
Education Minister intervened on
August 25th, after international
and domestic pressure, to say
that the boys would be able to
move up.
Newsroom
In an extraordinary sequence of
events in late July, Egypt’s Grand
Mufti first amazed Egyptians
by stating that there should
be no worldly punishment for
“abandoning one’s religion” and
then issued a complete denial of
what he had said. The end result
is that Egyptian Christians from
a Muslim background remain in
the same predicament about legal
identity and facing the same kinds
of harassment and persecution as
before.
On 24th July the Egyptian press
picked up a statement by Grand
Mufti Ali Gomaa from a posting
on a Washington Post-Newsweek
website, saying that abandoning
one’s religion is punishable by God
on the Day of Judgement, but not
in this world unless it involves
undermining “the foundations of
society”. But the following day,
25th July, Gulf News reported that
Ali Gomaa denied he had made
the statement and reiterated his
previous position that apostasy
from Islam is a crime which must
be punished.
One of the biggest problems facing
Egyptian Christians from a Muslim
background is that the authorities
will never change their identity
cards to show that they are now
Christians. Yet it is quick and easy
to change a Christian identity card
into a Muslim identity card. Being
legally considered a Muslim has
severe implications for Christians,
especially in marriage, inheritance
and other family legal matters.
Although Egyptian liberals have
been asking for decades that
religion be removed from official
documents like ID cards, so as to
prevent discrimination, nothing
has changed. However in the last
few months, the issue has become
one of public debate as a number
of Christians have taken their cases
to court.
NOV/ DEC 2007 Barnabas AID 11
Newsroom
Egypt: Christians
arrested for
exposing alleged
murder of another
Christian by police
Two Egyptian Christians
from a Canadian based
organisation, the Middle
East Christian Association
(MECA), were investigating
an incident in Cairo in
which a Christian fell to
his death from his balcony.
The man had made a
formal complaint about
police attempts at extortion
and brutality. Shortly
afterwards, two police
officers came to his home to
try to force him to withdraw
his complaints. When he
refused they allegedly threw
him from the balcony in the
presence of his family and
other eye witnesses.
On 7 August several
members of MECA came
to gather evidence of what
had happened. Less than
24 hours later the two
were arrested by the State
Security and face a variety
of charges. They were
detained for 15 days pending
investigation.
Malaysian state introduces caning as
punishment for evangelism, pays Muslims
to marry non-Muslims and convert them
Kelantan, one of the most Islamic
states in Malaysia, approved
According to Hassan Mohamood
a reward of 10,000 ringgits will go
changes to the law on June 26th
which increase the maximum
to any Muslim missionary, male
or female, who succeeds in this,
penalty for trying to convert a
Muslim to another faith. The new
as well as free accommodation,
a four-wheel drive vehicle and
amendments permit six strokes of a monthly allowance of 1,000
the cane, five years in prison and ringgits. When asked if men
a fine of 10,000 ringgits (£1,430; could take Orang Asli women
US$2,800; NZ$4,000; A$3,430; to be their second or third wife,
€2,140) for non-Muslims who Hassan Mohamood replied that it
share their faith with Muslims. depended on the individual.
The previous
maximum penalty was
a two-year sentence
and a 5,000 ringgit fine.
The aim of the new
penalties is to act as
a deterrent, explained
Hassan Mohamood,
chairman of the state
Religious Affairs
committee.
While on the one
hand increasing
the punishment for
those who share
other faiths with a
Muslim, Kelantan is
simultaneously offering
financial rewards
for any “Muslim
missionary” who
manages to marry an
Orang Asli person and
convert them to Islam.
The Orang Asli are the Malaysian Muslims. In Kelantan
indigenous people; state someone telling a Muslim
traditionally they do about Christianity could now be
not follow any of the punished by caning
major world faiths.

Uzbekistan: Churches and Christian ministries raided

On 9th August fifteen police
officers came to a church called
“Peace” in the town of Nukus
with a video camera. The pastor
and his family, who live in the
building, were arrested, along
with their guests who came
from another church in the
neighbouring town. Bibles and
song books were seized. The
following day another church
in Nukus was raided and
more books, CDs and other
materials seized. The pastor
was arrested.
On 21st August officials
from the Public Prosecutor’s
Office searched the storage
facilities of a Christian
charity in Tashkent, seizing
medications, toiletries
and Christian symbols such as
crosses.
Christians have been told that
officials want to close down the
ministry. They believe this attack
may be at the request of a local
mafia boss, who used to own the
cinema which they bought and
converted for use by the ministry.

12 Barnabas AID Nov/Dec 2007


India: Governors halt progress of anti-conversion laws
Seven Indian states now have
some form of “anti-conversion”
legislation, but it is only actually
in force in three of them
– Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
and Orissa. The recently passed
Freedom of Religion Acts
- the official name of what are
popularly called “anti-conversion
laws” - are ostensibly designed
to prevent religious conversion
by force, fraud or allurement.
But in practice it seems that
the main aim is to prevent
conversions from Hinduism to
Christianity. Some of the new
laws are tougher versions of
previous similar laws. Most of
the states involved are controlled
by the Hindu nationalist
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Pakistan: Christian girls kidnapped,
11-year-old forced to convert to Islam
and marry
An 11-year-old Christian
girl called Zunaira, living in
Faisalabad, was kidnapped on
5th August by a Muslim called
Muhammad Adnan and his
sister. They forced Zunaira
to convert to Islam (reciting
the Islamic creed is usually
considered conversion) and
then to marry Muhammad,
her kidnapper. Zunaira’s
desperately poor mother gave
money to the kidnappers to try
to gain her daughter’s freedom,
but she has not been released.
According to the Indian
Constitution, a bill cannot become
law until the state governor signs
it. After signature, it still cannot
be put into practice until the
state government has framed
rules to implement it. The anti-
conversion legislation in the other
four states is held up at one or
other of these two stages. Earlier
this year the governors of both
Rajasthan and Gujarat refused
to sign legislation introduced by
their respective governments in
2006. Meanwhile in Arunachal
Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh
the law has been signed, but the
rules have yet to be framed.
Several states in India are passing legislation to
make it difficult for hindus to convert to another
faiths, but some state governers are objecting
On 16th August Shumaila
Tabussum (aged 16) was
kidnapped from her home in
the same city by a group of
Muslims, who got her into
their car by telling her that
her father had been seriously
injured and offering to drive
her to the hospital where he
had been taken.
Sadly, such abuse of Christian
girls by Muslim men is not
uncommon in Pakistan. The
police normally do little or
nothing to help.
Newsroom
Chhattisgarh governor raises questions
Now the governor of
Chhattisgarh, one of the states
where an anti-conversion law
is actually in operation, has
questioned the law on two counts.
On 21st August Governor Ekkadu
Srinivasan objected to excessive
government control and to a
religious double standard. One
provision of the bill requires
people to get permission from
the district collector before
any conversion and another
part allows people to “return
to Hinduism” without it being
counted as conversion and
therefore being subject to the
legislation.
Gujarat tries again
Meanwhile in Gujarat the state
government has reacted to their
governor’s decision not to sign by
immediately announcing their
determination to reintroduce an
earlier version of the bill. This
earlier version was passed in 2003
and gained the governor’s assent
but was never implemented,
reportedly because the state legal
department objected to some of its
provisions.
China: Church
raided while 150
children attend
holiday bible school
The Zhongzhuang house
church in Jianhu City, Jiangsu
Province, China, was raided
by the authorities on July 11th
while a Holiday Bible School for
150 children was in progress.
At least eight Christians were
taken away, including the
pastor and some of the teachers
of the “Harmony Express”
Holiday Bible School. Two of
the Christians were beaten so
severely that blood was coming
from their mouths and one lost
consciousness for half an hour.
Church property including a
video camera and a computer
was seized.
NOV/ DEC 2007 Barnabas AID 13