[wanabidii] Fw: Sudanese Authorities Demolish Church and Arrest 37 Christians

Sudanese Authorities Demolish Church and Arrest 37 Christians

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From: "ANS@Assist-Ministries.com" <ANS@Assist-Ministries.com>
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Subject: Sudanese Authorities Demolish Church and Arrest 37 Christians

ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net -- E-mail: assistnews@aol.com Thursday, December 4, 2014 Sudanese Authorities Demolish Church and Arrest 37 Christians By Dan Wooding Founder of ASSIST Ministries KHARTOUM, SUDAN (ANS) -- Sudanese authorities demolished part of the main church building belonging to Khartoum Bahri Evangelical Church on December 2, 2014, and arrested 37 people who were praying inside. Part of the demolished church building (CSW) According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), police and security officers arrived at 6am in nine police vans and began demolishing part of the church building before arresting 37 people who were praying in the church. The group of 15 women and 22 men were detained before being charged under sections 69, 77 and 99 of the criminal code with "breach of the peace, public nuisance and obstruction of a public servant during the course of his duty". "Eleven of the detainees were then transferred to Khartoum Bahri Criminal Court, which acquitted two of the group and found the rest guilty of the charges, imposing a fine of 250 Sudanese Pounds (SDP) ($43 USD)," said a spokesperson for CSW. "Eleven others were sent to Omar El Mukhtar court in Kober, Khartoum North. "They were found guilty of the charges and were also fined the equivalent of $43 US). The final 15 were tried at the El Jireif West Criminal court and were all acquitted." CSW said that the raid on December 2 was one of a series of actions taken against the Bahri Evangelical Church in recent weeks. On November, 17, 2014, security personnel arrived at the church and demolished a wall of the main building and neighboring houses. Security personnel presented the church leaders with a court order demanding that the property be given to a Muslim businessman who was the alleged owner. Before its demolition, members of Khartoum Bahri Evangelical Church watch, pray and worship at disputed property. (Morning Star News) Then, on November 18, 2014, the church leaders filed a formal challenge over the legal ownership and are awaiting a court decision. On the same day, security personnel arrived with a second court order requiring that all property be removed from one of the houses and padlocks belonging to the Muslim businessman fitted on all doors. Church members formed a human shield preventing the security personnel from interfering with the property. Finally, on November 25, 2014, eight people were arrested for refusing to comply with the court orders to hand over the church to the Muslim businessman. The group, including five church leaders named as the Rev. Daud Fadul, elder Fathi Hakim, elder Nouh Manzoul, deacon Iman Hamid and Tilal Mafishi. "Local sources report that police officers are still surrounding the church, indicating their intention to take further action," added the CSW spokesperson. "The raid on Khartoum Bahri Evangelical Church is the third incident of the government destroying church buildings during 2014, and indi cates an escalation of intimidation against Christians. "In July, Sudanese government reiterated their policy of not allowing new church buildings to be built, two weeks after another church was demolished with only 24 hours' notice given to the church leaders. "The attacks on churches have extended to the Nuba Mountains where the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have been at war with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement - North, since 2011. In October 2014 the SAF dropped four bombs on the Episcopal Church of Sudan (ECS) compound in Al Atmor, South Kordofan, destroying the church, a house and adjoining properties." Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said "We are deeply concerned by the continuing action of the Sudanese authorities against the Khartoum Bahri Evangelical Church. The destruction of a religious building is a violation of congregant's rights to freedom of religion or belief as guaranteed in article 6 of the Sudanese constitution. "Furthermore, the arrest of 37 cong regants whilst they were praying is not only a violation of their rights to freedom of religion or belief, but also their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly which are all guaranteed under Sudan's constitution. We call on the Sudanese authorities to use utmost restraint and allow for the legal challenge of the ownership of the Church to be concluded in the courts whilst ensuring that the rights of Khartoum Bahri Evangelical church are no longer interfered with. "CSW calls on the international community, in particular the African Union to hold Sudan to its international obligations as prescribed in article 18 of the ICCPR as well as articles 8, 10 and 11 of the African [Bangui] Charter of People and Human Rights which Sudan is a signatory." Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organization working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice. For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at C hristian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, email kiri@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.     See all ASSIST News articles at www.assistnews.net Dan Wooding, 73, is an award-winning journalist who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for more than 51 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and he hosts the weekly "Front Page Radio" show on the KWVE Radio Network in Southern California and which is also carried throughout the United States and around the world. He is the author of some 45 books, the latest of which is a novel about the life of Jesus through the eyes of his mother called "Mary: My Story from Bethlehem to Calvary". For imore information, please go to http://marythebook.com/, where you can find details of how to order the book. ** You may republish this story with proper attribution. Send this story to a friend. Note to our subscribers: It you really appreciate what we do through ANS and would like to make a donation to help us continue with this unique news service, you can do so in two ways. First, just go to our secure site at www.assistnews.net/assist/donations.htm, where you can sign up for a monthly gift or a one-off contribution (tax-deductible in the US). Second, if you prefer to send a check, just make it out to ASSIST, and mail it to ASSIST, PO Box, 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609, USA (also tax-deductible in the US). Thank you so much for caring! Dan Wooding Click here if you wish to unsubscribe ASSIST News Service is Sponsored By

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