Suggestion: Union of Dicatorships

Why are most conflicts concentrated in the Middle East? Why is the Arab world experiencing the highest rates of religious, sectarian and social violence? There are two answers: the first is direct, that is, because of the religious and political differences between countries and groups in this region; and the second is indirect, related to the strong interrelationship between political tyranny and social injustice. Thus argues Khalil Al-Anani in Daily News-Arab media. See HERE.

New StFrancisMagazine: Vivienne Stacey

The new issue of our St Francis Magazine is published today. The whole issue is about Ms Vivienne Stacey, a lifelong missionary amongst Muslims in Pakistan and the Middle East. She was accepted as a missionary in 1953 by the Zenana Bible and Medical Mission, later called Bible and Medical Missionary Fellowship (BMMF), and nowadays Interserve. Vivienne was especially noted for her teaching and practice of Spiritual Warfare. She was also adamant about the important role of women in mission. Have a look at the 8 articles and books that we uploaded - 7 by Vivienne. And under the button Vivienne Stacey you find many more articles by her hand.

A Shia website that explains why the Sunnis are wrong

Here is an interesting website from Shia Muslims; the aim of this website is to convince Sunni Muslims about how wrong they are. You may find some useful information here!

No Olympic Medals for 'the best nation on earth'

The Arabs, almost 300 million people, have hardly won medals at the Olympic Games. The godless Chinese win massively, the immoral Americans do great, and the pious Muslims of the Arab World? Empty handed... Some very intersting comments by Arab writers can be found here.... Great reading :-)

[The caricature is depicting the "real" Arab Olympics - running after food, carrying a gas balloon and the race against the bus (Photo: Al-Quds al-Arabi, London August 13)]

Saudi convert burned to death

In Saudi Arabia, a young woman was executed by her own father, an officer of the Muttawa, as he felt obliged by honor to cleanse his family of his daughter’s shame. She had become a Christian, God forbid! According to ANSAmed:

The sentence could not be appealed: guilty for converting to Christianity, a young Saudi woman was set alight by her father, who first had cut her tongue.

Not an ordinary father, but a member of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Against Vice [the Muttawa], a sort of police watching over the moral behaviour of the citizens of Saudi Arabia and the full compliance with the rules of the rigid Wahabi doctrine, by using whiplashes on the legs for too high heels and arresting men and women not linked by marriage or family bonds for meetings in restaurants.

To the injury of the conversion, the woman had added also the insult of the written word, by writing articles with Christian-religious content on blogs and regional websites. The brutal news reported by the United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s daily Gulf News reflects the reality of Saudi Arabia, a conservative and intransigent country, and throws ice-cold water on the image of an oil kingdom which says to be ready to open up partially to other religions, an image painted by the recent gestures of the king Abdallah Bin Abdelaziz.

The father of the burnt alive Saudi woman, as reported by sources close to the victim, is investigated for “honour killing” and not “murder”, a motif which if acknowledged, might lead to a sentence of up to three years in prison, because caused by the necessity to “wash the shame of dishonour” fallen on the entire family, for the unbecoming behaviour of the daughter.

Zawya has more details on this brutal incident. According to the following report, the young woman’s discovery of Christianity as well as the exposure of her crime were brought about in part by the internet:

According to the Saudi Al Ukhdoud news website, the victim wrote an article on the blog of which she was a member under the nickname “Rania” a few days before her murder.

She wrote that her life became an ordeal after her family members grew suspicious about her after a religious discussion with them.

She said that her brother found some Christian articles written by her as well as a cross sign on her computer screen. Since then he started to insult her and blamed the internet for pushing her to change her religion.

[…]

Saudi religious scholars have frequently warned against the dangers of Christian internet websites and satellite TV channels which attract Muslim youngsters to change their religion.

They decreed that watching these channels or browsing these websites which call for conversion to Christianity by various means is against the teachings of Islam.

The importance of the internet to the subversion of Islam cannot be overstated. Islam is brittle and vulnerable, and cannot easily maintain itself where information flows freely to the people who are imprisoned by it. The fact that Christian conversions can occur even in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia — the Heart of Darkness itself — shows the value of modern forms of communication in the struggle against Islam.

It’s also important to remember that dedicated Christian believers are quietly and diligently risking their lives all over the world to spread the message of their faith. The conversion rate in countries like Saudi Arabia is obviously hard to estimate, because to count a new believer is to condemn her to death.

Son of Hamas leader becomes Christian

Mosab Hassan Yousef is an extraordinary young man with an extraordinary story. He was born the son of one of the most influential leaders of the militant Hamas organization in the West Bank and grew up in a strict Islamic family.

Now, at 30 years old, he attends an evangelical Christian church, Barabbas Road in San Diego, Calif. He renounced his Muslim faith, left his family behind in Ramallah and is seeking asylum in the United States.

The story of how his life unfolded is truly amazing, whether you agree or disagree with his views. Click HERE for an exclusive FOX News interview with Hassan as he tells firsthand how a West Bank Muslim became a West Coast Christian.

Is this what Saudi Arabia means with dialogue?

Saudi Arabia to Deport 15 Christians
The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Saudi Arabia is deporting 15 Christians on Tuesday, August 5th, for holding private worship meetings in a house in the city of Taif.

On Friday, April 25, twelve Saudi Arabian police raided a house where 16 Christians were holding a prayer meeting. The first officer to enter the house after breaking down the main gate pointed a pistol at the Christians and ordered them to hand over their resident permits and mobile phones. The other 11 police followed quickly and started searching the entire house. They confiscated an electronic drum set, an offering box with 500 Saudi Riyal in it ($130), 20 bibles, and a few Christian books.

The police initially accused the Christians of preaching the Bible and singing. They later changed the charge to holding a “dance party” and collecting money to support terrorism.

During the raid, the police mocked, questioned and harassed the Christians for four hours. Then they took them to a police station where the head of the station interrogated them. The head of the police then wrote down their “statements” in Arabic and forced the Christians, who are immigrants and not able to read or write Arabic, to sign the statements.

After the interrogations, the Christians were incarcerated and held incommunicado. After three days, the Christians were finally released on April 27, 2008 at 8 PM.

Upon release, one of the Christians permanently departed the country. The others, thinking that their ordeal was over, went back to their daily lives and work but soon received letters demanding that they leave the country immediately.

The arrested Christians are hard working people who came to Saudi Arabia to improve their lives and to contribute to the economic growth of the country. The Saudi officials’ decision to deport them for practicing their faith is despicable.

The decision to deport them runs contrary to recent attempts to portray the kingdom as a beacon of reconciliation among Christians, Muslims, Jews and others. Three weeks ago, Saudi Arabia hosted an interfaith conference in Madrid, Spain. During the conference that took place from July 16-19, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia called for reconciliation among various religions.

Jeff King, ICC’s President, said, “Deporting Christians for worshipping in their private homes shows that King Abdullah’s speech is mere rhetoric and his country is deceiving the international community about their desire for change and reconciliation.”

Stiffling free speech about Islam?

A coalition of Islamic states is using the United Nations to enact international 'anti-defamation' rules about Islam that could develop into a real threat for free speech on Islam. Soon it may be internationally illegal to say that Islam is a wicked religion - and that all Muslims should turn to Jesus Christ for salvation. Phew boys and girls, what is happening! On McCleans.Ca you get the whole story. And here you can see how a renowned publisher like Random House decided to NOT publish a book for fear of muslim reprisals. Sick.

A (Russian) Orthodox view of Mission to Muslims

I found a great website, through a link on my friend Abu Dawud's blog Islam and Christianity, about an Orthodox view of Islam and mission to Muslims. The site contains testimonies, histories, patristic views of Islam, etc. Really worth a looong visit to download lots of their articles. I am so interested to find out about a truly Orthodox view to mission among Muslims! Here the website of our brother-in-mission Yurij Maximov. And how interesting to see that they also have an article by our regular writer Rev Bassam Madany!

The softness of Hamas and Hizbollah

You thought Hamas, or Hizbollah, are a pain in the rear end in the Arab World? O my goodness. Have a look at this website, so that you get a better view of the extremism in Gaza. Young radical Muslims trying to outdo each other in extremism and devotion to violent Islam....