Iranian authorities attack Christmas gathering, arrest two Christians

Karaj, Iran Photo from M@mad

Fifteen security police and undercover plain-clothes officers attacked a Christmas gathering of more than 70 newly converted Christians in the city of Karaj, Iran on December 17. Officers photographed and videotaped the believers and also confiscated Bibles, Christian books and a computer. The Christians were told they must be available during the period leading up to formal and legal interrogations and that they must appear before legal prosecutors when ordered. Two of the leaders of the group, Kambiz Saghaee and Ali Keshvar-Doost, were arrested. At last report, they remained in detention at an undisclosed location and their families had neither been able to contact them nor received confirmed information from police about their whereabouts. (Source: Farsi Christian News Network)

Pray for the release of Kambiz Saghaee and Ali Keshvar-Doost. Pray that the new converts who attended this meeting will grow stronger in their faith in Christ. Pray for safety for Iranian believers celebrating the birth of Jesus as many must gather in secret to avoid attention from authorities.

For more information on the plight of Iranian Christians, go to the Iran Country Report.

Seizure of 15,000 Bibles in Malaysia Stuns Christians

Don Fisher

November 10, 2009

FRESNO, Calif. (CDN) — Malaysian port and customs authorities have seized at least 15,000 Bibles in recent months because the word "Allah" for God appears in them.

Some 10,000 of the Bahasa Malaysia-language Bibles, which were printed in Indonesia, are in Kuching, capital ofSarawak in East Malaysia, and another 5,000 copies are in Kelang near Kuala Lumpur.

The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) on Wednesday (Nov. 4) called for the immediate release of the confiscated Bibles. At the same time, CFM Executive Secretary Tan Kong Beng told Compass that the federation is striving for amicable relations with government authorities.

"We are open to and desire further discussion with officials so that this problem can be resolved," the CFM official said.

The CFM officially represents the three major Christian groups in the country: The Catholic Bishops' Conferenceof Malaysia, the Council of Churches of Malaysia, and the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship Malaysia.

A strong Christian community in Indonesia, estimated 37 million by Operation World, has long produced large amounts of literature for export to Malaysia. In 2005 the government of Malaysia agreed to allow the use of "Allah" in non-Muslim literature, according to CFM.

"The government and CFM have exchanged letters on this matter previously," reads the CFM statement, "and we have a written agreement in December 2005 thatBahasa Malaysia Bibles can be distributed so long as the symbol of the cross and the words 'A Christian publication' are printed on the front page."

With the exception of the temporary suspension of publication of the Roman Catholic Herald newspaper in 2007 and the ongoing court battle over the weekly's use of "Allah," few problems were encountered in the policy. This past March, however, authorities suddenly began seizing CDs, Sunday school materials, and Bibles containing the word "Allah."

Church leaders were stunned that no one had informed them of a change in policy. Quiet negotiations failed to resolve the situation, and several lawsuits began working their way through the court system. These suits challenge the right of the Minister of Home Affairs to restrict the use of "Allah" and to limit freedom of religion.

"To withhold the use of the Bahasa Malaysia Bibles is an infringement of Article 11 of the Federal Constitution, which gives every Malaysian the right to profess his/her faith as well as to practice it," according to the CFM.

A government official in Malaysia was unavailable for comment. Officially, the government says only that use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims could create "confusion" among Muslims.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court in Malaysia was scheduled to determine the legality of the word "Allah" in non-Muslim literature on July 7 but postponed the decision. TheHerald newspaper had been allowed to use the term until a final court decision was to be handed down, but the Kuala Lumpur High Court on May 30 overturned that brief reprieve.

The Rev. Lawrence Andrew, editor of the Herald, has cited examples from Malay dictionaries going back to the17th century that use "Allah" as the vernacular translation for God. He has also noted that "Allah" is an Arabic term derived from the same roots as the Hebrew Elohim, and that the word pre-dates Muhammad, Islam's prophet.

The Herald has a circulation of 13,000 and an estimated readership of 50,000. The newspaper is sold in Catholic churches and is not available from newsstands.

While the issue is tied up in the courts, many are hoping for a more harmonious solution to the problem. Both Indonesia and Malaysia use variations of Malay as theirnational languages, and all translations of the Bible in both countries used "Allah" for God until Malaysian authorities decided in the past few years that it was an Islamic term that should be used only by Muslims. In so doing, Malaysia effectively shut off the importation ofChristian literature from Indonesia.

Malaysia's population is about 60 percent Muslim, 19 percent Buddhist and 9 percent Christian. About 6 percent are Hindu, with 2.6 percent of the population adhering to Confucianism, Taoism and other traditionalChinese religions.

Church Officials: 15,000 Bibles Seized in Malaysia

The Associated Press reports that Malaysian officials have confiscated more than 15,000 Bibles in recent months because the Bibles refer to "God" as "Allah." Most of the Bibles were imported from neighboring Indonesia. Recent court rulings in Malaysia have forbidden Christians to use "Allah" to refer to the Christian God, as they say it could confuse and upset Muslims. The Muslim-majority country practices a moderate brand of Islam, but has increasingly discriminated against religious minorities. The Rev. Hermen Shastri, general secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, said the Roman Catholic Churchis challenging the "Allah" ban in court. "For most of the Christians, this is not an issue of going against the authorities. They have been using (the word "Allah") for a long time," he said.

SOMALIA -- Christian Leader Killed

On Sept. 28 an Islamic extremist shot and killed Mariam Muhina Hussein, an underground church leader, after discovering six Bibles in her possession, according to Compass Direct News. The day before the shooting, a leader of the Islamic extremist group al Shabaab reportedly sent his wife to visit Hussein's home in Marerey villange. She pretended she was interested in learning about Christianity...
Read the full story here