Pakistan: Pro-Sharia rebels threaten Christians

Islamic Tolerance Alert from Compass Direct:

ISTANBUL, October 31 (Compass Direct News) – Islamic militants threatened to bomb a Christian family for refusing to convert to Islam as fighting between militants and government troops resumed in northwestern Pakistan yesterday.

“Become Muslim – otherwise, we are going to destroy your house with bombs,” an anonymous caller told a Swat Christian family last night.

The family, who requested that their name and village be kept anonymous for security reasons, said that they stayed awake all night praying after the 10 p.m. threat. They said that a Muslim neighbor, a close friend, spent the night in their front room as a token of solidarity.

Last month the family received a similar threat; militants delivered the threat in writing to a campsite the family operates.

A tiny Christian community in North West Frontier Province has reported increasing pressure to conform to Islamic law in recent months. Since July, followers of Muslim cleric Maulana Fazlullah have worked to enforce Islamic law (sharia) in much of Swat Valley, prompting clashes with government troops this week.

A worker with the Church of Pakistan in Peshawar confirmed that Christians in Swat have been forced to accept Islamic law.

“Militants have begun to enforce Muslim customs, which is creating problems for the local community,” said Ashar Dean, assistant director of communications for the diocese.

Yet in the West those who take note of this kind of thing are denounced as "bigots" by the self-proclaimed defenders of human rights.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/018659.php

November 2, 2007

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Iran: Judge rules beating victim guilty of 'evangelism' -- jihadists had right to attack woman because she preached Christianity

Islamic Tolerance Alert: "Judge rules beating victim guilty of 'evangelism': Says persecutors had right to attack because woman shared Christian testimony," from WorldNetDaily.com (thanks to Morgaan Sinclair):

An Iranian judge has concluded a woman who was attacked and beaten and had her sewing shop equipment destroyed by vandals has no legal recourse because she was guilty of "evangelism," according to a new report from Voice of the Martyrs, a worldwide ministry to the Persecuted Church.

WND earlier reported that persecution of Christians inside Iran is on the increase, and the new report appears to confirm that.

VOM said the newest testimony is from its contacts inside Iran, and actually depicts "the resilience of believers who are sharing the gospel despite persecution."

The woman, whose name was not revealed, was running a tailoring business, and had volunteered to teach three young ladies how to sew. As part of the conversations that arose, her testimony about Christianity came up, and in response to a number of questions, she started teaching them about Christianity, Voice of the Martyrs said.

The VOM contacts reported, however, one of the students was from "a fanatic Muslim family," and when they discovered the teaching, they first opposed it.

"But this young lady was seriously following her Christian beliefs. Things got worse, to the extent that her parents started beating her up and threatening her if she didn't leave her faith," the VOM report said.

"They told her, 'If you don't return to Islam, we will keep beating you until you die,'" VOM said....

http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/018660.php

November 2, 2007

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