Ruth Gledhill - Times Online - WBLG

Persecution Index 9: Burma

Poor Burma. Its people's troubles are endless, as the story from which this pic is taken shows. There is a long history of persecution of Christians in Burma, as this article from January last year illustrates. But really Christians there are not targeted more than any other group, as the writer of the piece makes clear. The Buddhist religious are equally victims, as we have seen recently, of a regime determined to keep itself in power, even when its population is dying by the thousands  because of a freakish 'act of God'.

Comment of the Day: Anglican shot dead in Somalia

Comment of the Day, from Joe: 'This is to let you know the sad news that David Mohamed Ali, a Somali Christian evangelist and a long-standing member of St Matthew's, was shot dead last week by two Islamist terrorists in Badoia, Somalia, because of his Christian faith. He had been sent to Badoia by Ethiopian and Somali border police, for reasons that are not clear. David was an intelligent and gifted evangelist who thought deeply about his faith.'

Read it all here.

Persecution Index 4: South Africa, Pakistan

Muslim parents have taken over the school governing body of a Christian-majority high school in Kwazulu-Natal, SoutMuslimh Africa, the Barnabas Fund reports. By law meetings must be held to elect members of the governing body. 'Apathy among the Christian parents meant that hardly any Christians showed up at an electoral meeting, allowing the Muslim parents to seize control of the governing body by winning six of the seven elected positions. In South Africa the curriculum of the school is set by the government, but almost all other management issues relating to the school are decided upon by the governors. This includes decisions on the headmaster, staff, sport, culture and ethos.

Persecution Index 3: Jordan

According to Middle East Concern, a convert to Christianity has fled Jordan after being charged with apostasy and threatened with the loss of his children. Muhammad Abbad Abd al-Qader Abbad, a 40 year old Jordanian who converted to Christianity 15 years ago, left Jordan on Friday March 28 after being charged with apostasy before the North Amman Shari'a Court. Muhammad and his wife Muna al-Habash, have two children: Joy, age 11, and Salam, age 9. On Sunday 23 March, Muhammad and Muna were attacked and beaten by several brothers-in-law of another convert to Christianity who had sought sanctuary in Muhammad's home. Muhammad's son, Salam, was also hit several times as he tried to protect his father. After the beatings Muhammad's father reported his son to the police and asked for custody of the couple's two children.

Persecution Index 2: Saudi

The Becket Fund reports today: 'Officials in Saudi Arabia have sentenced a Turkish citizen to death for blasphemy, after the man was accused of using 'obscene language' to refer to God Today's Zaman reported on April 19.  Sabri Boğday, a Turk who has resided in the Saudi Arabian province of Jeddah for the past ten years, allegedly used the offending terms in the course of an argument with his neighbor. Turkish officials fear that Boğday has been falsely accused, according to Today's Zaman, and worry that because he is a foreigner, he will be dealt with in a particularly harsh manner. Immigrants are said to be at greater risk for convictions in Saudi Arabia; in the last year alone, 76 foreigners were executed in the country.'

Kidnapped Archbishop murdered

Paulos Faraj Rahho, the Chaldean Catholic archbishop in Iraq who was kidnapped last month, has been found dead. This was the outcome feared by all, including Persecuted Church, which had urged prayers for the missing Archbishop. Vatican Radio has a detailed report.

Another mysterious death in Malawi

*Update: See end of post for the man behind Anglican Information.

After the anonymous and odious ordure heaped into my inbox by supporters of Nick Henderson the last time I addressed this topic, I consider myself blessed still to be here. I also find myself courageous enough to dare to write about it again. Especially now I learn of another mysterious death in the strife-riven African diocese of Malawi. A friend sends me this: 'You have probably heard that Michael Symon was found dead in Nkhotakota, Malawi on Sunday evening. Initial medical reports indicate the method could have been the same as that used to murder Rodney Hunter last November. Michael was parish secretary and involved with Forward in Faith there and along with Rodney and Cathedral dean Dennis Kayamba was among the opposition to the appointment of Henderson.' Father Kayamba apparently fears he could be next. The final tests for Canon Hunter are being done this week in South Africa so there should be a final pathologists report soon. Michael leaves a wife and three young children (11,9 and 7). Tragic.

Gun battle in Manchester cathedral

Watch this gun fight in Manchester cathedral, in a city where the clergy are among those battling an escalation of gun violence, then read on for the background. For the Dean's letter threatening legal action against Sony, see here.

Missionary 'poisoned'?

                                                                           A piece on the fate of the late Canon Rodney Hunter, pictured here in the middle of the back row of his rowing team in 1954, has now appeared in the paper. His requiem will be at Pusey House, Oxford on Saturday. Two people a chef and a churchwarden of All Saints Cathedral in the Lake Malawi diocese, have so far been arrested and charged with murder. Police investigations are continuing. Get Religion is among those wondering why more in the msm have not written about this, but there is an interesting discussion running on ShipofFools. (Update: I took this blog down and have now altered it slightly to take into account a press release that has been forwarded to me from a group calling itself Anglican Information, and which I've posted on a more recent blog in full. See also this story in The Nation.)

Poisonings and beheadings

On Remembrance Day last year, a 73-year-old English missionary priest died in Malawi. Canon Rodney Hunter merited a short Times obituary and was much mourned by those who knew and loved him here and in Africa. But he was elderly, and had had cancer. There seemed little in his death to arouse suspicion. Now, it turns out, he was poisoned. Mutterings that all was not right with his death began a few weeks back, and police in Africa have this week confirmed the worst.

Christians' throats slit in Turkey

Middle East Concern has sent me this report of an horrific story, also covered in today's Times. Three Christians have been killed by five young attackers on Wednesday early afternoon. The three victims, two Turks and a German, were discovered at the Zirve publishing house in the eastern city of Malatya. They were bound to a chair and their throats had been slit. This picture of police wrestling an unidentified man after the attacks comes from Christianity Today.

What did you do? 'I prayed.'

'What did you do?' 'I prayed.' This was the response of one of the women trapped in the building at Virginia Tech where America's latest mad gunman took out 32 victims. It was described eloquently by Tom Butler, Bishop of Southwark, in his Thought for the Day this morning. He also said it was time for the US to look again at the constitutional right of every adult to bear arms.