By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News International Correspondent

Islamabad, Pakistan (Worthy News)– Pakistani Christians are troubled by a Bible ban from radical Muslim clerics whose own prophet had never outlawed it.

Nevertheless, Muslim clerics recently asked the Supreme Court of Pakistan to rule that some scriptures have been added to the Bible and that they violate the Islamic nation’s blasphemy laws by depicting biblical figures revered by Muslims as flawed; they allege that these additions were inserted to show the prophets guilty of “a variety of moral crimes, which undermine the sanctity of the holy figures.”

Although Muslims accept the Pentateuch, the Psalms and the Gospels, many believe the rest of the Bible is a “corruption” of the original texts.

The clerics claimed their actions were in response to the burning of a Qur’an by Pastor Terry Jones, but local Islamists have become even more vocal after the targeted assasination of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by American troops while he was secretly living in Pakistan.

Naveed Walter, president of Human Rights Focus Pakistan, said Islamist clerics “usually attack individuals, groups, churches and communities of Christians, by falsely accusing them of blasphemy, but this time they are planning to ban even the Bible in Pakistan.”

Although the Qu’ran instructs Muslims to respect the “people of the book”, it also exhorts Muslims to fight Christians and Jews who don’t accept Islam, until they pay a “jizra,” or tribute tax as inferior dhimmis.

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Tags: Pakistans, christians, Bothers, Bible

STUDIO CITY, Calif. /Christian News Wire/ — The Biola Media Conference is proud to announce actor, producer, director, Sean Astin, as the closing speaker on Sat., April 30 at the CBS Studio Center lot. Astin will join the lineup of talented speakers at the conference, which attracts more than 700 attendees — making it the largest event in the nation for people of faith working in the entertainment industry.

Having performed in more than 70 films in the past 25 years, Astin was immortalized as “Mikey” in the 1980′s classic, The Goonies, inspired audiences as the working class dreamer in Rudy, and will forever be remembered as the brave and loyal Samwise Gamgee in the The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

“Being around Sean Astin causes you to see the possible in the impossible,” said producing partner with Sean Astin, Ned Lott. “As he was as Samwise Gamgee and “Rudy” is the way he lives in real life — strong will, faith, passion and integrity to accomplish his goals and dreams.”

Astin’s roles behind the camera have earned him recognition as director and producer on the Academy Award Nominated live action short film, Kangaroo Court and acting roles have found substantial audiences in films such as: 50 First Dates, Click, Memphis Belle, Courage Under Fire, and Encino Man.

Astin joins keynote speaker, Kevin Kelly, co-founder of Wired magazine, along with an all-star lineup, who will offer their expertise from the trenches on this year’s theme: Beyond Digital: What Matters Now. The conference will focus on the future of the industry and defining “success” in the new entertainment economy.

For more information or to register online, visit www.BiolaMedia.com. $150 General Admission through April 24th; and $180 at the door. Discounts available for church leaders. Lunch and coffee bar provided.

In its 16th year, the Biola Media Conference, sponsored by Biola University, exists to educate, inspire, and network media professionals while providing creative inspiration into the spiritual nature of any career in the media industry. BMC attracts participants who will benefit from direct interaction with acclaimed industry pros who are at the top of their craft. From CEOs to students, attendees secure valuable information, insight, and contacts that strengthen their character and their careers.

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Tags: Largest, Industry, Speak, Astin

March 8, 2011

Christians are being slaughtered and persecuted all over the world – in Egypt, in Iraq and elsewhere. Yes, Jesus predicted that would happen. But my question is, where is the outrage from people who are quick to condemn when Muslims are targeted? It’s always open season on Jews, too.

Last week, the only Christian governmental minister in Pakistan was gunned down in the streets. Why? Because he favored liberalizing Pakistan’s so-called blasphemy law, which itself has led to executions by stoning and prison for anyone perceived to speak ill of Mohammed or Islam. And the real God help any Muslim who converts to anything else, including unbelief.

Why isn’t the Obama administration condemning such behavior and putting pressure on governments to stop it?

Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.

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According to Elam Ministries, there are at least 25 Christians still being held behind bars out of around 120 imprisoned by the authorities since last December.

Elam director Sam Yeghnazar is appealing to Christians to pray for their brothers and sisters in Iran, that they would be mentally prepared to face interrogators. It is also asking that they pray for the persecutors, that they would realise that what they are doing is wrong, and for fellow prisoners, that they would hear the Gospel.

“Prison is a place that people dread,” said Yeghnazar.

“This is where our brothers and sisters are suffering. It is where they win victories or suffer defeat.

“So it would be good to start [our prayers] from prison.”

The Christian community in Iran has been hit by a wave of arrests since last December. On February 13, around 45 Christians were rounded up and detained overnight in several towns and cities across Iran. At least five of them were held in Tehran’s notorious Evan prison.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide suspects that the arrests and detentions are part of a wider attempt by the Iranian government to intimidate the Christian community.

Christians are regarded as an enemy of Islam and the Iranian state. Tehran Governor Morteza Tamadon recently likened Christian missionaries to the Taliban and warned of more arrests.

Elam Ministries said some of the Christians to have been released have reported being placed in solitary confinement and subjected to harsh interrogation in Section 209 of Evin Prison.

“Ex-prisoners who have endured Section 209 testify it is the worst part of the whole grim experience of arrest and imprisonment,” said Elam.

“They say the mental pressure is unbearable.”

Pastor Behrouz Sadegh-Khanjani was released on bail on February 15 after being detained in Shiraz since last June. He stands accused of crimes against the Islamic order and blasphemy, and now awaits a further hearing, expected to take place in April.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide said there was still no news on the fate of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, who is appealing against a death sentence for blasphemy.

CSW’s national director Stuart Windsor condemned the harassment of Christians.

“CSW deplores the systematic targeting of religious minorities by the Iranian government,” he said.

“As a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Iran is illegally obligated to uphold international standards of religious freedom for all its citizens.”

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Tags: christians, Believers, Urged

TEHRAN, IRAN (Worthy News)– An Iranian court has told arrested evangelical Christians who may face execution on charges of apostasy that they “should be punished”, but that their trial “has been postpone for April,” a senior church official said Thursday, February 17.

“The judge claimed that he had no time to examine the cases, but spoke about the superiority of Islam,” explained Firouz Khanjani, a council member of the Church of Iran movement to Worthy News. “He said that Christians are targeting ignorant people and they should be punished for that.”

Advocacy group Middle East Concern (MEC) said it has learned that the Christians, identified as Behrouz Sadegh-Khandjani, Mehdi Furutan, Mohammad Beliad, Parviz Khalaj and Nazly Beliad, were released on bail, but there was no immediate independent confirmation.

Christians have linked the months-long detentions of the believers to their activities within underground house churches linked to the Church of Iran movement.

MORE CHARGES

But prosecutors told the first chamber of the Revolutionary Tribunal of the southwestern city of Shiraz, earlier this month that the believers were held on charges such as “actions against the [state] system”, “political meetings” and “contact with opposition groups,” according to trial observers.

On Sunday, February 13, they were also to answer in the “120th chamber of a normal tribunal”, the charges of ‘apostasy’, or abandoning Islam, which carries the death penalty in the strict Islamic nation, as well as ‘crimes against the Islamic order’ Khanjani added.

With the trial being postponed, the believers are expected to face these additional charges in April. Dozens of other Christians remain detained across the country, as part of a government crackdown on Christianity amid reports that many Muslims embrace Christianity and house churches are growing, according rights investigators.

“More than 30 Christians, most from a Muslim background, are understood to still be detained in a number of different cities, including Tehran, Mashhad, Karaj, Shiraz, Ahvaz, Rasht, Hamedan and Arak,” MEC told Worthy News.

IRANIAN CHURCH LEADERS

Elam Ministries, a group set-up by Iranian church leaders to encourage Iranian Christians, said among those held in prisons is Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani who has been sentenced to death for apostasy.

Others include Christians “Vahik and Sonia Abrahamian, and Arash and Arezoo Kermanjani” who Elam Ministries said have been in prison in Hamadan for nearly four months. “There has been intense anxiety over Sonia’s health, exacerbated by prison conditions,” the group said in a statement. “There is also equal concern over, Mojtaba Keshavarz and Shahin Rostami, held in Arak over three months, “especially as Shahin is diabetic.”

Relative few Christians have been released of those detained in recent weeks, including four women held in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison on January 29 and one woman and two men from the prison in Isfahan three days earlier, Iranian Christians said.

They spent over a month in prison, most of them in solitary confinement, “solely for being Christians” after they were detained after Christmas 2010 along with over 30 others, according to Elam Ministries.

CONTROVERSIAL BAIL

The group expressed concerns that families of Christians have been told they must pay $180,000 bail to secure their temporary release.

“The experience of prison and interrogation can be very traumatic and some Christians who endure this ordeal then decide to seek asylum in another country. Their families then not only lose their loved ones to exile, but also suffer the dire financial consequences as the state swallows up the bail money.”

Elam Ministries said the family of one of recently released women, Sara Akhavan, “had to surrender their trade license, which means that if the authorities deem the bail is broken, the family’s livelihood will be destroyed.”

Her sister, Leila Akhavan, was still believed to be detained in Evin prison Thursday, February 17.

OPPOSITION PROTESTS

News of the detentions come amid reports of protests against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his regime, inspired by uprisings that toppled the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt.

Ahmadinejad has denied wrongdoing and his government has defended harsh sentences, including executions of political opponents and Christians as part of defending the Islamic state.

Hardline Iranian lawmakers also urged the judiciary this week to impose death sentences on two major opposition figures, Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi who they held responsible for “fomenting unrest” in which two people died, state television said.

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Tags: Trial, Postpones, christians, Execution, Evangelical, Court