Voice of the Martyrs reports that:
In 2003, a North Korean army general was shot and killed by a fellow officer for evangelizing to his unit. Many other Christians are currently facing similar situations of execution or imprisonment for sharing their faith, owning a Bible, or for no explanation at all. Yet sources say that these are "very strong believers" and they refuse to deny their faith, even in the face of torture and death.
According to reports from former government officials and prisoners, like Soon-Ok Lee, treatment of religious prisoners is much more severe, particularly for Christians. . . .
Imprisoned Christians are not the only ones under pressure. The sources also tell of prisoners’ families being threatened or, in some cases, held hostage.
North Korean Christians that were saved in the spiritual revivals in the late 1940’s have played a vital role in the survival of Christianity in North Korea. Sources report that these believers have kept the faith alive by passing down their faith from generation to generation.
Foreign and religious contact is highly discouraged among the people of North Korea and strictly limited. Often the few people allowed to travel outside of the country show interest in Christianity but will not even accept a Bible because of the negative affects it could have on their families back in North Korea. Sources also report that Christians fear outside contact due to government informants posing as believers. The North Korean church has been forced to exist completely underground.
North Koreans are under great pressure, Christian and non-Christian alike, but there are many inside and outside the country that seek to bring the saving message of Jesus to these thirsty people.
The Barnabus Fund reports that a Pakistani Christian is tortured to death by police and 40 Christian protestors are arrested:
Nasir Masih, a young Christian man, died in prison on 19th August 2004 four days after being beaten and tortured by officers in two different police stations. When local Christians sought to have the police brutality investigated, 40 of the protesting Christians were arrested.
Nasir Masih, son of a municipal sanitary worker from Sheikhupura, near Lahore, Punjab Province, went to join in the celebrations for Pakistan’s Independence Day on 15th August. He got into a fight with local Muslims who beat him severely and then had him arrested on false charges of theft.
At Police Station B-Division, Sheikhupura District, Nasir was beaten again and then handed over to Saddar Police Station, also in Sheikhupura District. Here he was tortured to the point where he lost consciousness. The following morning, 16th August, the police sent Nasir to the area magistrate who did not see him but sent him straight to District Jail Sheikhupura. Nasir was given no treatment for his injuries and died in prison on 19th August. There were 21 injury marks visible on his body, but four doctors who examined it said they could not determine the cause of death.
CHRISTIAN PROTESTS
When Nasir’s family heard of his death they went to the prison to collect his body, accompanied by a crowd of local people. The family and others present refused to accept the body unless the Superintendent of the prison would accept responsibility for Nasir’s death. The Superintendent refused to accept responsibility and blamed the police; the police in turn blamed the local Muslims who had originally been fighting with Nasir.
Despite the refusal of all officials to accept responsibility for Nasir’s death, his family eventually received the body. But a crowd of hundreds of Christians began to shout protests and blocked the traffic. Eventually at 10.00 p.m. that night the police Deputy Inspector General agreed to register a case against the police.
The police registered cases against 40 of the protestors (mainly sanitary workers), who were arrested at their work places on 21st August, the day after the protest. They have since been released, but the case against them is still pending.
INJUSTICE FOR CHRISTIANS
When the Christian crowd were calling for the police to be held responsible for the death of Nasir Masih, they were opposed by some other local people. One shouted, “You Chuhras, you are just wasting your time, you cannot succeed in getting justice.” Chuhras occupy the lowest place of the caste system which still remains strong in the Punjab, and many Christians are descendants of converted Chuhras. This is one of the reasons why Christians are generally despised in Pakistan and find it hard to get justice from the police and judiciary.
Reuters reports on Islamic militants blowing up churches in Iraq:
Five churches were hit in a string of bomb attacks before dawn that seemed designed to intimidate the country's small but deep-rooted Christian community, already shaken by a deadlier series of bombings of churches that killed 11 people in August.
"If they don't want us in Iraq, let them say it and we will leave," said Samir Hermiz, 40, standing by a Catholic church reduced to ashes. "I'm really thinking of leaving Iraq."
Iraq's 650,000 Christians, about three percent of the population, are mostly Chaldeans, Assyrians and Catholics.Posted by Clifton at October 20, 2004 06:30 AM | TrackBack