Former Lebanese President Warns Christians Face ‘Existential Crisis’ From Both The State And Society In Mideast

JNS News Service – “Former Lebanese President Amine Gemayel warned that Middle East Christians face an ‘existential crisis’ due the threat of ‘religious cleansing’ in the region, at a speech sponsored by Christian Solidarity International.

Gemayel, a Maronite Christian who was president from 1982-1988 after taking over for his brother Bashir, who was assassinated during the bloody Lebanese Civil War, said Christians ‘are often victims of persecution by both the state and society in the Middle East.’

Gemayel specifically mentioned the ongoing civil war in his neighboring Syria, saying the abduction in April of two Christian archbishops in Aleppo highlighted the plight of Syrian Christians. Currently the leader of Lebanon’s Maronite Christian Kataeb Party (also known as the Phalange Party),Gemayel said that the international community must do more to help the Arab world.

‘The international community can and must assist in the process of transitioning to democracy in the Arab world,’ he said, especially in ‘critical areas such as democracy and human rights.’

‘The challenge for Arab Muslims now is to prove to the world that the region is capable of achieving pluralist freedom,’ Gemayel said. ‘Now is the time to formulate and implement solutions.'” Source – JNS.

Flashback: Christians in the Muslim World

• Islamist Ultimatum To Syrian Christians: Convert, Leave, Or Die
• Iraq: Cleric Issues New Fatwa To All Iraqi Christians: Choose Islam Or Be Killed
• Egypt: Muslim Terror Group To Christian Leaders: Convert To Islam Or Face Death
• More Than 100,000 Christians Slaughtered Every Year, And The Numbers Are Increasing
• Muslim Group: ‘Christianity Should Be Destroyed And Wiped From The Face Of The Earth’
• Christian Persecution Increasing in Muslim World from One End of the Globe to the Other
• Pakistan: Christians Told To Convert Or Leave, ‘Otherwise They Will Face Consequences’
• Syrian Violence Drives 50,000 Christians From City Of Homs, Many Fear a ‘Second Iraq’
• Egypt: Christians Seeing Worst Time in Recent Centuries, Many Unable to Buy or Sell
• Ethnic Cleansing in Sudan: Islamists Move From House to House in Search of Christians
• Men Running, Women Pleading For God’s Mercy, Children Screaming Out Of Fear: ‘Cleansing’ In Iraq Of Christians Continues Unabated
• ‘A New Evil is Sweeping the Middle East: Religious Cleansing’, Anti-Christian Violence Throughout Middle-East Concerns London
• ‘Catastrophe’: Islamists Exterminating Christians From Muslim Nations As Media Largely Ignores Intensifying Savagery, ‘The End Is In Sight’
• Nigeria: Islamists Pull Over Bus Near Maiduguri, Kill All Christian Passengers, Embark On Door-To-Door ‘Islamisation Campaign’ At Gunpoint

Pakistan: Christians Are Being ‘Treated Like Animals’ By Muslims In Punjab

Agenzia Fides – “Christians are ‘treated like animals’, they are denied the dignity of human beings: is the complaint that reaches Fides from Kasur district, in the Punjab province, a district already known for the case of rape, still unpunished, regarding the Christian 15-year-old Fouzia Bibi (see Fides 04/06/2013). The non-governmental organization ‘Lead’ (‘Legal Evangelical Association Development ‘), reported to Fides another episode in which the Christians of Kasur suffer abuse and ill-treatment by the Muslims.

In recent days, some local Muslims abused, mocked, hit and publicly humiliated Christian men and women, agricultural workers or pastors. As reported to Fides, to unleash the physical and psychological violence was a minor encroachment of some flocks of the Christian Shoukat Masih, in the lands of a few Muslims. The animals were seized and when the faithful went to claim them, the beating started. On June 2, some Muslim men broke into the home of a Christian family, hitting the three women Arshad Bibi, Sajida and Saruyia, stripping them and then forcing them to run naked through the streets, while they were ridiculed and harassed, under the eyes of all the inhabitants of the village, who did not intervene. The same humiliating treatment was reserved to two Christian elders, Shoukat Masih’s parents. When they expressed the willingness to report the matter, ‘some police officers also raided our house along with Muslims owners and threatened ì to get us involved in a criminal case,’ says Shoukat Masih.

The faithful turned to rev. Saleem Gill to seek legal assistance. It was thus possible to register a formal complaint (‘First Information Report’) on the incident. Other Christian family said they had suffered abuse and were ill-treated by Muslim landowners, who are their employers.” Source – Agenzia Fides.

Flashback: Pakistan: More Than 250 Christian Families Driven From Homes By Angry Muslim Mobs Threatening To Set Fire To Entire Christian Village – “More than 250 Christian families have been threatened and thrown out from their homes in the village Chak 31 in Khanewal district, in southern Punjab. A report drawn up by two human rights groups said: ‘What happened in South Punjab reflects the increase of violence and abuses against religious minorities in Pakistan’ and ‘recalls the serious episode of the attack on Joseph Colony, a Christian area of Lahore, which happened two months ago’.” Read more.

Flashback: Pakistan: Muslims Threaten, Warn Christians Against Celebrating Easter in Punjab – “Islamic fanaticism is casting a dark shadow over Easter celebrations this year in Pakistan. The country’s Christian community has already received threats and warnings against celebrating the occasion. Now sources in Sarghoda District in Punjab tell AsiaNews that someone tore down Easter signs and decorations at the Eidgah Christian colony. The unknown attackers also threw black paint on the community’s sacred images and made threats against those present, warning them not to continue in their preparations. When residents turned to the local police to file a report, no one at the station would do it.” Read more.

Flashback: ‘Burn Their Homes To The Ground!’: Pakistani Cleric Calls Upon Muslims To Violently Attack Christians Over Mosque Loudspeakers – “A Muslim political candidate suspected of murdering a Christian has instigated calls from mosque loudspeakers for attacks on Christians, whom he blames for his May 11 election loss. Tensions were high in Punjab Province’s Okara district after provincial assembly seat candidate Mehr Abdul Sattar, sought by police in connection with a 2008 murder, on May 13 arranged for mosque calls for violence against Christian villages. ‘Burn their homes to the ground … Punish them such that they forget Gojra and Joseph Colony,’ blared village mosques …” Read more.

Syria: Foreign Islamists Taking Over Mosques Call Upon Muslims To Kill Anyone Who Does Not Practice The Religion Of Mohammed

Revelation 13:15, 18, “The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed… This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate [‘psēphizō’ – reckon] the number [‘arithmos’ – multitude, people] of the beast, for it is the number [‘arithmos’ – multitude, people] of a man. That number [‘arithmos’ – multitude, people] is ‘χξς‘”

Mohammed Engulfed In “Sacred Fire” During His “Ascension Into Heaven”

AsiaNews – “The public execution of Muhammad al-Qatta, a young coffee seller brutally assassinated on Sunday by a group of jihadists in Aleppo for insulting Muhammad, ‘is a terrible event that shocked the entire population of the city, Muslims and Christians, who do not want an Islamic state in Syria,’ Mgr Jean Clement Jeanbart, Melkite Archbishop of Aleppo, told AsiaNews. For the prelate, such an act is yet another example of the brutality of foreign militants fighting in Syria.

‘Christians,’ he explained, ‘are terrified by these militias and fear that in the event of their victory they would no longer be able to practice their religion and that they would be forced to leave the country.’ Sending more weapons to the country would only lead to more such cases of violence, he added.

Reported by Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an organisation run by rebels in exile Muhammad al-Qatta’s case has been repeated around the world…

For Mgr Jeanbart, Islamic Courts are a scourge that plagues most of the areas controlled by al-Qaeda affiliated foreign militias, which are also opposed by local pro-rebel groups, not to mention by supporters of Bashar al-Assad.

‘As soon as they reached the city,’ the bishop said, ‘Islamist guerrillas, almost all of them from abroad, took over the mosques. Every Friday, an imam launches their messages of hate, calling on the population to kill anyone who does not practice the religion of the Prophet Muhammad. They use the courts to level charges of blasphemy. Who is contrary to their way of thinking pays with his life (see video).'” Read more.

Flashback: Former Muslim: Islam Is ‘Not Merely A Religion But A Cult Belief System, The Cult Of Muhammad’ – “Exegetically and hermeneutically, the ‘number’ (arithmos) of the Beast does not necessitate the use of mathematics or gammatria to ‘reckon’ what it is, as many prophecy teachers have often assumed. The reason for this is simple. The word ‘arithmos’ is used a total of 18 times in the New Testament, and aside from Revelation 5:11 when John is referring to the number of angels around the throne of God, every other time ‘arithmos’ is used it is always referring to a group of people… in order to convert to ‘Allah’s religion’ one must recite the Islamic creed, called the Shahada, by declaring that ‘There is no god but Allah, and MOHAMMED is his messenger.’ Without Christ, there can be no Christianity. Likewise, without Mohammed, there can be no Islam… it therefore only stands to reason that ‘the number (multitude) of a man’ is not referring to an eschatonic Antichrist, but rather to Mohammed — the founder and (false) prophet of Islam — whose teachings even today, and in increasing measure, continues to force all those under Islamic rule to worship Allah — the god of Islam — who should otherwise be killed if they refuse” Read more.

Ethiopia: Christian Man Writing ‘Jesus Is Lord’ On Notebook Arrested For ‘Crimes Against Islam’

Philippians 2:9-11, “… God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord …”

ICC – “International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that two Christian men were arrested in Ethiopia by local police influenced by radical Muslims. In separate incidents, these men were detained by local police for what authorities are calling ‘crimes against Islam,’ even though no such crime exists in Ethiopia’s penal code.

In late March, Alemlayehu Legese was arrested by local police in Dodola, a city located 180 miles south of Addis Ababa, after admitting to owning literature that ‘discussed the history of Islam from a Christian perspective.’ Legese, a student at Dodola Mekane Yesus Bible School, dropped off the literature at a copy shop where a Muslim employee who felt Christians should not be allowed to read about the history of Islam contacted police. ‘The police officers treated this incident as if it were a terrorist attack,’ an ICC representative in Ethiopia said.

Fearful the investigation could lead to widespread violence, the local church advised Legese to report to the police and admit to owning the literature. Upon reporting to the police, Legese was arrested and imprisoned. When ICC asked why Legese was being imprisoned without being formally charged, the local police commander said they were detaining Legese to ‘cool down the anger of local Muslims.’ It has been over two months since Legese was imprisoned, formal charges are yet to be laid against him.

On May 25, Tamirat Woldegiorgis, a Christian living in Moyale Town, located on Ethiopia’s border with Kenya, was arrested by local police. Many are concerned this arrest is connected to a previous arbitrary detention Woldegiorgis served from 2010-2012, when he spent 22 months in prison because local police accused him of ‘crimes against Islam.’

Local radicals claimed that Woldegiorgis wrote ‘Jesus is Lord’ on the notebook of a student attending a local madrassa. Woldegiorgis was released on May 2, 2012 when human rights organizations, including ICC, became involved in the case. Woldegiorgis was again released on June 5, but was required to pay a bail of $5,319 for an unspecified criminal charge and will still face court hearings on June 10.” Read more.

Flashback: Ethiopia: Radical Wahabi Muslims Seeking To Turn Ethiopia Into An Islamic State Governed By Sharia Law – “In a recent press conference, the Ethiopian government have unveiled plans by the radical Wahabi Muslim sect to turn Ethiopia into an Islamic country governed by Sharia laws. The government has also expressed its concern over the growing violence against moderate Muslims and Christians by radical Wahabi Muslims. The Director General at the ministry of foreign affairs, Mersessa Reda said: ‘We have found evidences and pamphlets were publicly distributed during the month of Ramadan calling on the Muslim community to stand up against all non- Wahabi Muslims and other religion followers,’ he said.” Read more.

Flashback: Thousands of Christians Displaced in Ethiopia After Muslim Extremists Torch 50 Churches, Dozens of Homes – “Thousands of Christians have been forced to flee their homes in Western Ethiopia after Muslim extremists set fire to roughly 50 churches and dozens of Christian homes. At least one Christian has been killed, many more have been injured and anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 have been displaced in the attacks that began March 2 after a Christian in the community of Asendabo was accused of desecrating the Koran. The violence escalated to the point that federal police forces sent to the area two weeks ago were initially overwhelmed by the mobs.” Read more.

Muslim Author Envisioning Islam With No Sharia Law, Apartheid Or Violent Jihad Is Accused Of Apostasy, Threatened With Death

For peaceful purposes. And “even if he repents for what he said, he must be killed” because in genuine Islam, Sharia lawlessness and everything associated with it — violent jihad, terrorism, racism, bigotry, apartheid, pedophilia, misogyny, slavery, war, rape, the love of death — must be revered and requested by every true follower of Mohammed, not refused and rejected …

“I have been made victorious with terror” – The ‘Prophet’ Of Islam, Mohammed (Al Bukhari Hadith 2977)

By Sherif Tarek, Ahram Online – “A Germany-based Egyptian author has requested protection from Egyptian authorities after ultra-conservative Islamists in Egypt declared him an “apostate” and launched an online campaign calling for his death.

Hamed Abdel-Samad, a researcher in political and Islamic studies, was invited by Egypt’s so-called ‘Secularist Movement’ to speak at a 4 June forum devoted to ‘Islamic fascism.’ Abdel-Samad’s speech, however, appears to have put him in hot water – and may even have put his life in jeopardy.

At the forum, Abdel-Samad asserted that ‘Islamic fascism’ could trace its origins to ‘the return of the Muslims to Mecca [some 1500 years ago], when they… destroyed all the pagan idols.’

Before this, he added, ‘they had accepted religious pluralism in Medina… At this time, they had said, ‘You have your religion and we have ours’.’

In response to the assertions, Assem Abdel-Maged, a leading member of Egypt’s ultra-conservative Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya, and Mahmoud Shabaan, Arabic rhetoric professor at Al-Azhar University (known for his strong stance against secularism), declared Abdel-Samad an ‘apostate.’

On Egypt’s religious Hafez television channel, Shabaan accused Abdel-Samad of having been an ‘apostate’ even before his recent statements. ‘He has been flagrantly questioning Islam and thinks it is a bad religion, a fascist religion… His punishment should be death,’ Shabaan declared.

‘Even if he repents for what he said, he must be killed,’ Shabaan added. ‘His repentance might help him with God [in the afterlife], but he must be killed.’

Speaking to Al-Ahram’s Arabic-language news website, Abdel-Samad – the author of several books deemed blasphemous by conservative Islamists – called on Egypt’s prosecutor-general to provide him with protection.

Abdel-Samad said the campaign against him constituted ‘proof’ that the administration of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi was ‘trying to impose itself and its judgments on the community in the name of God and away from the judiciary and police.’

He elaborated: ‘What is happening now in Egypt amounts to a cultural invasion and ideological terrorism.’

Islamic hardliners in Egypt have justified the killing of several public figures in recent decades, the most famous of whom was the late Nobel Prize-winning author Naguib Mahfouz.

The celebrated writer survived an attempt on his life after being accused of blasphemy by conservative Islamist critics due to his depiction of God as a human leader in one of his novels.” Read more.

Flashback: The Real ‘Religion Of Peace’

• New Saudi Fatwa Defends Pedophilia as ‘Marriage’
• New US Army Manual Orders Soldiers Not To Criticize Taliban … Or Pedophilia
• ‘We Love Death’: Gazans Naming Newborn Babies After Martyrs And Missiles
• Egyptian Cleric: Suicide Bombings Are A Religious Duty That Is Pleasing To Allah
• Prominent Muslim Leader Calls For Legalization Of Slavery, ‘Slavery Is A Part Of Islam’
• Cleric Issues Fatwa Allowing Syrian Rebels To Rape Women To Solve ‘Sexual Problems’
• Saudi Cleric: Giving Women Equal Rights Sends Shivers Down Your Spine And Makes Your Hair Stand On End