Member of Kuwaiti royal family embraces Christ

Kuwaiti royal prince (Courtesy Mohabat News).

Member of Kuwaiti royal family embraces Christ: "The T.V. channel claimed that Prince Abdollah Al-sabah comes from a Kuwaiti royal family which currently governs the country. The channel also said that the prince recently denounced his Islamic faith and became a Christian.

The voice in the audio file introduced himself as Abdollah Al-sabah and stated, "First of all, I totally agree with the distribution of this audio file and I now declare that if they kill me because of this audio file, then I'll go into the presence of Jesus Christ and be with him for all eternity.""

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Libya shift gradual but hopeful

Libya (MNN/ODM) ― The Libyan National Transitional council has begun making plans for a new state without Moammar Gaddafi.

Although not officially deposed, the former dictator still hasn't given up. He gave a television address on the 42nd anniversary of the coup that brought him to power, encouraging his supporters to keep fighting and "Let Libya burn!"
It's no wonder the end game in the 6 months of civil war is so messy. Pockets of violence continue to flare, but many of the international observers believe the fight is over and have moved on to accepting the new council.
  
In Paris, delegations from 60 other countries joined France and Britain to help establish the council's legitimacy and to figure out how to reconstruct the country politically and economically. That sounds really encouraging after the bleak picture we've seen over the last few months, says Carl Moeller, CEO of Open Doors USA. "There are some indications that they are highly influenced by extremists and that Sharia law as the governing law of the land is one of their objectives."

Libya is ranked No. 25 on the Open Doors 2011 World Watch List of the worst persecutors of Christians. Indigenous Libyan Christians have mostly lived secret lives because they are often watched by security services. Anything that is "different" is cause for suspicion. Many believers have left the country. The remnant is smaller than the Christian community in Iraq.

Moeller explains that "the indigenous Christian community in Libya is tiny. By our estimates, it's far less than a thousand believers, but it's coming together to pray and to ask the world to pray for the next phase in the future of Libya."
In the midst of all the turmoil around the capture of Tripoli by the opposition forces, the churches and their members were covered by prayers from all around the world. "By God's grace and because of your prayers, we're still alive," said one of the pastors of a church in the Libyan capital of Tripoli to an Open Doors worker who contacted the pastor by telephone.

Post-war, there is a different kind of fear emerging. There are shortages of everything in the Libyan capital: lack of food, lack of drinking water and hardly-functioning healthcare. Moeller says, "There will be tremendous opportunities for Christian churches to reach out to Muslim neighbors who are suffering, who are perhaps going without food or without some of the basics of life."

That's why Open Doors co-supported the delivery of aid products with two trucks into Benghazi. Believers delivered food, cooking oil, and blankets with other aid and helped it get into the hands of people who needed it most. Although they're not typically an aid group, Moeller says in this instance, "If Open Doors and other organizations are able to come alongside those believers with the material resources they need to help, the church can actually see people truly blessed through the service of those individual Christians."

In a joint effort with other organizations, Open Doors also delivered Bibles and Christian literature, using the open frontiers with the neighboring countries during the battle in Libya. Why? "During the course of this Revolution, we've seen a ton of interest. In the first few months, several of the delivery areas where we were delivering Scriptures into Libya over the last few months have been emptied of all the Bibles that we had planned for the entire year."

A pastor added: "The most recent church services were just attended by some tens of people instead of the hundreds we were used to; there was almost no transportation. The service in Arabic was totally empty. Many of them will return, I believe." That pastor expects to have more members in church this week.

One of the greatest threats to the fragile new beginning is the diversity of the tribes. In the same way, fractures in the Body of Christ can undermine the paradoxical growth being seen now. Moeller says, "The church there is asking us to pray, and specifically to pray that they would be able to remain unified and strong."

Libya transitions into hope

Libya (MNN) ― Mop-up operations continue in Libya after six months of civil war brought about the closing chapters of a 42-year-long dictatorship.

There are still daunting challenges ahead as the rebels try to build a Libyan state from the ground up. Wayne Pederson with HCJB Global says, "The concern of many of us that have been doing ministry in that part of the world is: 'What's next?' And, 'Could it be that something worse than Gadhafi could follow?'"

The system that governed the people had few checks and balances, which brings more challenges for solidifying unity among the tribes. Without unity, there is little hope for democratic change.

Pederson explains the perspective of the ministry and their partners at this stage of the country's rebuild. "Our hope and prayer would be that there would be a democracy created and that there would be freedom of religion and an end to the persecution of believers. There's a very, very tiny church in Libya. A friend from Libya told me there's about 4500 believers that he knows of, in all of the country."

Because Gadhafi crushed any civil society groups from forming, there's not much in the way of a transitional government root. Without leadership, there is a power vacuum forming. "What is it that's going to take its place. There's so much tribalism that the big question is: 'What tribe? What faction is going to rise to power, and what's their influence going to be over the freedom of followers of Jesus to practice their faith?'"

There's good reason for concern. A similar situation in Egypt was revealed during the "Arab Spring." Pederson says, "After Mubarak, there's even more persecution and limitations on the Christians--in particularly among the Coptics." He adds that already, "There's been more overt persecution and threats of violence against Christians. So, we don't know if this is going to make it better for believers. In some cases, it may make it worse."

And yet, there's hope. Libya's people want change. "By and large, I think you would find that followers of Islam arguably want to achieve peace, and they're looking for hope; they're seeking love." Pederson goes on to say that a common ground opens many doors of opportunity. "We are finding with our ministry and the ministries of others that are operating in that region that people are interested in Jesus as a prophet and as a great teacher, and they are intrigued by the concept that He might be the Savior of the world, the Son of God."

Libya ranks 25th on the Open Doors World Watch list of the top countries known for the persecution of Christians. Their history with believers has been a bloody one. Unfortunately, that's a trend likely to continue. "We've seen increased persecution of believers, because as the church has grown, authorities see the growth, and so they've stepped up opposition to stem the tide of Christianity."

In the drive for freedom, there is a yearning for something that frees the soul. Pederson says, "That's our task: to present Jesus in fullness, not only as a great prophet and a great teacher, but as the Son of God, the Savior of the World."
HCJB radio teams have responded by redoubling their efforts. HCJB Global added more broadcasts, more broadcast hours and more satellite coverage in order to reach more people with the Gospel. Pederson sums it up this way: "We feel that this is not the time to retreat."

An enthusiastic--albeit quiet--response provides the encouragement to keep going. Besides, Pederson says, the "bang" for the buck is huge in this region. "We know that we can reach over a million households in that part of the world with our budget of about a million dollars. It's still true that a dollar can reach a household for a year through media in that part of the world."

You can be a part of the equation for change in Libya, even as a new government forms. Pray for the freedom to follow Christ, but also pray for opportunities and open hearts.

‘Ground Zero Mosque’ leader gives 9/11 talks in Britain

EDINBURGH, August 25, 2011: The US Muslim leader at the centre of the recent storm over plans to build an Islamic community centre near Ground Zero in New York is arriving in Britain tomorrow and giving a series of talks and interviews in Scotland.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf will offer his perspective on 9/11 during a visit organised by the Festival of Spirituality and Peace in partnership with Edinburgh University’s Prince Alwaleed Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World.

Imam Feisal came to international prominence last year when his plans to build Plan51, a Muslim community centre, two blocks from where the Twin Towers stood sparked a heated debate within America and abroad about the relationship between the Islamic faith and the West since 9/11.

Author and activist Feisal has won several awards for his work bridging the divide and improving relations between the Muslim world and the West.

On Saturday 27 August he will be in conversation with Professor Hugh Goddard, head of the Alwaleed Centre. In the event, 'The Day The World Changed', he will discuss religious pluralism and Islam in the United States ten years after 9/11. It is a keynote event within the Festival of Spirituality and Peace.

The meeting will be repeated in Glasgow on Wednesday 31 August.

As part of the festival’s closing event on Sunday 28 August, Imam Feisal will receive a peace award from the festival, the City of Edinburgh, Edinburgh InterFaith Association, and the Conference of Edinburgh’s Religious Leaders.

He has founded two non-profit organisations, the Cordoba Initiative and the American Society for Muslim Advancement, dedicated to building bridges of understanding between the general public and the Muslim community through interfaith dialogue and the arts.

Professor Hugh Goddard, director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World, said: “Given the furore in the United States last year following the threat by Pastor Terry Jones to burn a copy of the Qur’an in public, it will be excellent for audiences in Scotland and the wider UK to hear the American Muslim leader against whom this threat was directed speak about being a Muslim in the USA today and the wider relationship between the world of Islam and the West.”

Director of the Festival of Peace and Spirituality, the RevDonald Reid, added: “Imam Feisal is an eloquent exponent of how the highest aspirations of Islam and US democracy concur – I can think of no better speaker therefore, for a festival dedicated to peace in a post 9/11 world as we approach this tenth anniversary.”

Simon Barrow, co-director of the beliefs and values think-tank Ekklesia, which has been involved in several aspects of this year's Festival, commented: "It is important for Europe to hear a senior US Muslim voice as part of the debate about religion, ideology, violence and peacemaking as we remember the horror of 9/11 and the continuing conflict and terror that followed it. Finding a path to just-peace in place of further justifications for war remains a global priority for human flourishing."

'The Day The World Changed' takes place at St John’s Church, Lothian Road, Edinburgh at 9.30am on Saturday 27 August 2011. The repeat event in Glasgow is at 6.30pm on Wednesday 31 at Wellington Church, University Avenue.

Tickets are £6 or £4 concessions, free to under-18s and claimants from Hub Tickets, Castlehill, Edinburgh.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The full programme for the 2011 Festival of Sprituality and Peace can be found at:http://www.festivalofspirituality.org.uk/

2. News and comment on the Festival of Spirituality and Peace from Ekklesia:http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/festivalofspirituality

3. Founded in 2001, Ekklesia examines politics, values and beliefs in a changing world, from a Christian perspective. It has been listed by The Independent newspaper among 20 influential UK think-tanks. According to Alexa/Amazon, it has one of the most-visited religion and politics / current affairs websites in Britain. More: http://ekklesia.co.uk/content/about/about.shtml

4. Media contact for Imam Faisal's Scottish visit: Edd McCracken, University of Edinburgh - tel. 0131 651 4400; email: edd.mccracken@ed.ac.uk

Pakistan: Peace & Reconciliation Ministries has been established to Create Christian-Muslim Friendship

By Ashfaq Fateh
Special to ASSIST News Service


SAHIWAL, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- In a bid to end persecution and discrimination and also to promote Christian-Muslim dialogue, a new organization called Peace & Reconciliation Ministries Pakistan (PRMP) has been established (http://www.wix.com/prmpak/ministries).

Christians protesters with their important message

To find out more, ANS-Pakistan interviewed Mr. Stephen John, Executive Director PRMP, to find out more and discover what he hopes to achieve through it.

Mr. John told, ANS, "It has been observed that violence against Christians is increasing day by day. They are often accused of blasphemy and killed before they can prove their innocence in the courts.

"Forced conversions and marriages are taking place and also the five percent quota for religious minorities in jobs and civil services is not implemented in many of the provinces of Pakistan."

Mr. John said that the murder of Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian cabinet murder, earlier this year, showed the situation in the country was continued to get worse for minorities and Christians in particular.
He revealed that Christian human rights workers, social workers and those involved in women's developments, have recently met in the Punjab city of Sahiwal, Pakistan, to discuss the present situation and how to respond to it.

"These Christian leaders from various cities shared their stories and issues faced by Christians in their areas and how these affect them," John told ANS-Pakistan.

Mr. Stephen John

He went to say, "The leaders reached a conclusion that there are a small numbers of outlaws in Pakistan who try to destabilize peace here. Unfortunately, although they are small, these forces are strong and they can easily trap and misuse the common Muslim who is peaceful, tolerant and open in normal situation. Unfortunately, over the past three decades these forces have not been curbed by our state departments and they have gained more and more power and strengthened their network.

He went on to say that the leaders discussed examples of normally peaceful cities like Faisalabad and Gojra where violence broke out. "It showed how in these cities, a few outlaws could create law and order situations and took of lives of poor Christians in Gojra violence in 2009 and also the Emmanuel Brothers in 2010, who were gunned down as they left a court in Faisalabad," he said.

Mr. John said that the survival and livelihood of Christians is "linked" with their Muslim brothers and sisters, as well, in many cases, their livelihood as they work for them and in many cases the Muslims trust their Christian workers.

He told ANS, he heard an interview with well-known lawmaker Senator S.M. Zafar on Geo TV when he said that he always trusts and prefers Christian people to work with for "their honesty, hard work and sincerity to their employer."

ANS asked Mr. Stephen John about the objectives of PRMP, he replied, "PRMP has been formed to create an enabling environment for Christians to grow peacefully having reconciliation with Muslims. PRMP will organize programs to foster Christian-Muslim cooperation and will spread a message of peace and reconciliation.
"The basic idea is to make Christians understand that isolation will not help. Interaction between Christians and Muslims will give an opportunity to promote peace and reconciliation."

Mr. Stephen told ANS, "PRMP saw not only Christians face forms of violence, persecution and poverty but millions of Muslims also become prey. For instance, poor Muslim workers are not fairly paid, health care, education and other social services are also out of the reach of Muslims like Christians in Pakistan.

Mr. Stephen revealed that PRMP has decided to set up subsidized Ramadan Bazaars for poor Muslim brothers and sisters. Asked why these bazaars from Christians and how would it work? He replied, "In the western world during Christmas season, food clothing and variety of services are provided on discounted rates.

However, on the contrary, in Pakistan, the black marketers, traders and shopkeepers sell basic necessities of life on more than double rates. Unfortunately, the government fails to stop these practices resultantly poor Muslims suffer. It has been reported that, due to these price hike's, there have been poor people commit suicide.

"PRMP has planned to set up these subsidized bazaars where 1,000 Muslim families would be provided with sugar, rice, tea, cooking oil, lentils, onions, potato, pepper, spices, bath soaps and washing powder on subsidized rates rather than open and government-based utility and model bazaars," he said. "However, we will not give a subsidy on wheat flour as the government of the Punjab is already doing that.

"When the Muslim families purchase these items from their Christian brothers and sisters, it will create good impact at least many thousand people directly. It will also help to change the mindset of Muslims when they realize that Christians love them and respect their faith. We are hoping that our national and also international media as well as opinion-makers, will positively welcome this gesture of goodwill."

Mr. Stephen then told ANS, "This ministry has launched an appeal to the international Christian community, including churches, and ministries, that they would donate funds for this noble cause which strengthen friendship and acceptance of the Christian community in Pakistani society."

Peace & Reconciliation Ministries Pakistan's headquarters is in Sahiwal and can be reached at prmpak@gmail.com

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Ashfaq Fateh, 38, studied civic and human rights, at Pakistan's leading University, the Aga Khan University in Karachi. He has been working to promote peace, human rights and particularly for Christian's rights. He has also been working against the discriminatory laws prevailing in Pakistan. His wife, Rafia Salomi, is serving as deputy director for Society for Human Development, popularly known as Human Development Center, an icon of Christian's rights in Pakistan since 1984.

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Community Center to Advance Gospel

The Muslim Mwani tribe in
 Mozambique has been closed off
 to the Gospel for years and is just now
accepting missionaries in the community.

Mozambique (MNN) ― "The reason we should not let these missionaries come here is because if we let them in...we are all going to convert to Christianity." These words from a Mwani tribal man only encouraged Steve and Sharon Entwistle, missionaries with Africa Inland Mission to the Mwani people on the coast of Mozambique. While they have been met with opposition, their ministry has only grown. Their most recent celebration was the opening of the Tumaini Center.

"Tumaini" is a word meaning "hope." Hope is just what the Entwistles and their three children are bringing to the Mwani community with this new center. It has a pre-school that currently teaches over 30 students, a store with nine workers employed, a well-stocked library, space for English language classes, and a sports recreational area. With this new community center, the Entwistles are demonstrating the love of Christ in a very practical way.

But the Entwistles have not stopped at practical demonstration of the love of God. They have been directly ministering to the Mwani people with the message of the Gospel as well. Sharon leads a sewing ministry with the women and teaches English. Steve disciples Mwani believers twice a week, preaches, ministers to a local prison, and hosts showings of the JESUS film.

With the work of this couple and the movement of the Holy Spirit, ten Mwani people out of the 100,000 tribe members have been brought to Christ. This is incredible, considering the strong Islamic influence in the tribe.

When the Entwistles came to live with the Mwani tribe and minister to them, they came to one of the most unreached people groups in Africa. According to missionary Karen Zimmerman, "To be Mwani means three basic things: to live near the ocean, to eat seafood every day, and to be Muslim. These things are non-negotiable."

Islam was adopted by the Mwani hundreds of years ago from Arab traders. These beliefs were combined with their superstitions of the spirit world. As a child in the Mwani tribe, you grow up Muslim. You learn how to pray to Allah, you learn the Islamic traditions, and you attend school until around fifth or sixth grade. There is no question -- it's just the way it is.

This is why the community was so closed off to the thought of Christian missionaries entering their community. The Entwistles were met with much opposition, and the going has been slow--even frustrating at times. Islam being the prime religion for the Mwani, any tribe members who convert to Christianity have already been threatened and persecuted.

"But one thing we have realized is that [our ministry] is about being steadfast," says Steve, "being faithful to the calling God has given us. It's not about the numbers. It's not about seeing quick results. It takes patience. It takes love. It takes an attitude or perspective that sees the long haul, the eternal picture. God is the One who is really in control...and we trust Him for the results."

The patience is slowly paying off. While there are still thousands of Mwani people to be drawn to Christ, the Tumaini Center is a huge success in the advancement of this ministry. This community center provides a central place for growth in the Mwani people, and many have already asked the Entwistles why they are doing this. Answering these questions has opened doors for discussions about Christ and His message.

Please pray that the government will approve the Tumaini Center as an official association. Also pray for the Entwistles as they finish up their term among the Mwani people. They are hoping that others would rise up to continue God's work among these people who are just now becoming receptive to the Gospel.