Muslim extremists suspected in death of Christian worker in India

Family members of a Christian worker who was found dead in a Muslim area in Jharkhand state a day after the Islamic Eid festival said they suspect he may have been murdered by local residents.

The body of Shravan Kumar, who had worked with the Gospel Echoing Missionary Society, was found lying in a well near the Idgah Mosque in Garhwa town in the wee hours of Sept. 13, a close relative of the deceased told Compass by phone.

Kumar, 31, lived in Pratapgarh district in neighboring Uttar Pradesh state. He left for Garhwa, 65 kilometers (40 miles) from his house, saying he wanted to see a colleague there on Sept 10.

“But neither did he visit the colleague, nor did he get back home,” said the relative.

On Sept. 15, a family member went to Garhwa looking for him. He found his picture in an advertisement police had placed in a local newspaper in an effort to identify the body.

“When Kumar’s body was handed over to the family, it was beyond recognition; it had swollen,” said the relative.

Coptic leader apologises for bishop's Koran remarks in Egypt - said Muslims are guests only.

The leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt has apologised for the "inappropriate" comments made by the church body’s second highest ranking cleric regarding the authenticity of some Koran verses.

Last week, Bishop Bishoy sparked outrage when he was quoted by the Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper as saying that "Muslims are only guests" in the country. Bishoy was also quoted in the Egyptian media for wondering about the time frame for the revelation of the Koranic verses disputing the divine nature of Jesus Christ.

Six arrested in Gateshead over 'Koran burning'

Officers detained two men on September 15 and four more yesterday and all six were bailed pending further inquiries, Northumbria Police said.

''The arrests followed the burning of what are believed to have been two Korans in Gateshead on September 11,'' the spokesman said.

The men hide their faces as they hold a copy of the Koran prior to setting fire to it

Christian School in Kashmir Attacked Over Reported Quran Desecrations

Hundreds of Muslims in the divided region of Kashmir took to the streets Monday night in violent protest over the reported desecration of Qurans in the United States.

Over a dozen people have reportedly died in the clash that ensued between police and protesters, and a Christian private school was set ablaze in the volatile Himalayan region.

While violence and protests in Kashmir have been ongoing since June, Monday’s protests shifted from India’s rule over the disputed region to anti-Quran actions in the United States, where footage was taken of demonstrators tearing out pages from Islam's sacred text over the weekend.

A Kashmiri protester is silhouetted as they shout slogans during a late night protest on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Monday, Sept. 13, 2010. Indian forces battled Kashmiri protesters in the streets of the disputed territory Monday in demonstrations fueled in part by a report of a Quran being desecrated in the United States.

911 Mosque Site in New York Imam Says Proposed Site Not Sacred with Strip Joint and betting parlor at the corner.

The proposed site for the Islamic center and mosque near the former World Trade Center is not sacred, says the Muslim cleric who envisioned the project.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, chairman of the Cordoba Initiative, said Monday it is an “absolutely disingenuous” argument to call the planned site for the Park51 project “hallowed ground.”

“[W]ith a strip joint around the corner, with betting parlors, to claim it is hallowed ground is … it doesn’t make sense – it doesn’t add,” said Rauf at the office of the Council on Foreign Relations, a New York-based think tank. “So let’s clarify that misperception.”

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, executive director of the Cordoba Initiative, addresses the Council on Foreign Relations, Monday, Sept. 13, 2010, in New York. Rauf is now in the midst of a polarizing political, religious and cultural debate over his plans for a multi-story Islamic center that will feature a mosque, health club and theater about two blocks north of ground zero in New York.

Christians Warn Against Double Standard in Wake of Quran Burning Row

The head of the world’s largest evangelical body said Friday that he welcomed the unanimous condemnation of one church’s plan to burn copies of the Quran but challenged world leaders and the media to do the same for radical actions committed against Christians.

“Speaking out strongly against the proposed burning of Korans was the right thing to do and we warmly welcome the unanimous condemnation from politicians, religious leaders and the global media in this case,” expressed Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe, international director of the World Evangelical Alliance.


“As we consider the outcry against this one small, obscure group, we now plead that the world’s leaders and media demonstrate the same kind of outspoken condemnation when radical actions on an equal or larger scale are committed against Christians.”

Afghans shout anti-U.S. slogans as they burn tires and block a highway during a protest in reaction to a small American church's plan to burn copies of the Quran, at Jalalabad, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Sept. 10, 2010. Religious and political leaders across the Muslim world welcomed a decision by the church to suspend its plans to torch copies of their holy book but some said Friday the damage has already been done

Imam Refuses to Back Down on Ground Zero Mosque

The Imam behind the plans to build a mosque near Ground Zero is back in the United States and weighing in on the issue for the first time in nearly two months.

On Wednesday, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf published an editorial in the New York Times saying he will not back away from the project.

He also said the Muslim center will focus on building bridges between all faiths, noting the mosque will have prayer rooms for many different religions.

The Imam also reminded critics of President Obama's support.

Gen. Petraeus: Church Burning Quran Could Endanger Troops

The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan said Monday that a Florida church’s plan to burn Qurans on Sept. 11 could be detrimental to American troops overseas.

"It could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort in Afghanistan,” said Gen. David Petraeus in a statement. “It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems. Not just here, but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community."

There are about 140,000 U.S. and NATO-led troops in Afghanistan.

NYC Mosque Rhetoric May Harm Persecuted Christians

The sometimes hateful rhetoric being used by opponents of the proposed mosque near ground zero can result in violence against Christians living in Muslim-dominated countries, warned a ministry leader who works with persecuted Christians.

“I think it’s important to remember, as Americans are often unable to do, that there are millions of Christians in the Middle East,” said Dr. Carl Moeller, president/CEO of Open Doors USA, on Wednesday.

Moeller, who noted that there are some 10 million Christians in Egypt and six million in Pakistan, said the “more vile and hateful” protests against the proposed project can inflame Muslim extremists. Since extremists in the Middle East cannot take their anger out on Americans, they take revenge on local Christians, which they associate with America, he said.

Several years ago, the Danish cartoons that poked fun at the Muslim prophet Mohammed caused massive rioting in the Middle East, Moeller recalled. During the uproar, angry Muslims beat up local Christians and torched churches.

Florida Minister Pastor Terry Jones Cancels Burning of Korans on 9/11 - Donald Trump offer to buy off one of the investor to defuse situation.

The Florida pastor who had planned to burn Korans on Saturday in opposition of Islam has called off the event after he claims a deal was reached to move a proposed mosque near Ground Zero in New York City.

Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center said he agreed to cancel the Koran burning planned for this year's 9/11 anniversary after he received assurances that the Ground Zero mosque would be moved.

Jones claimed Imam Muhammad Musri of the Islamic Society of Central Florida told him officials behind the Islamic center would "guarantee" the mosque construction be moved.

However, Musri later clarified that he said the pastor was only offered a meeting with NYC Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, and that no deal had been made to move the mosque.

Jones will travel to New York City to meet with Rauf Saturday. The imam has indicated that the mosque location is not up for negotiation.

"I asked him three times, and I have witnesses," Jones said. "If it's not moved, then I think Islam is a very poor example of religion. I think that would be very pitiful. I do not expect that."

Pastor Terry Jones controverisal and said Islam is of the devil and Burn the koran day.

Pastor Terry Jones Calls off Koran Burning, But Deal for Ground Zero Mosque Is Denied - Defense Secretary Gates Calls Pastor in Appeal to Cancel Koran Burning

A fiery Florida pastor called off his bonfire of Korans today after claiming he has a deal that will move a controversial mosque away from the site of the 9/11 terror attacks, but the Muslim cleric planning the so-called Ground Zero Mosque quickly denied to ABC News that he has agreed to move his project.

Pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville, Fla., emerged from his church in Gainesville, Fla., along with Florida Imam Muhammad al-Masri to announce his decision to cancel his Koran burning, saying he viewed the supposed deal as "a sign from God."

The fiery pastor said that Imam Abdel Rauf, the leader behind the Ground Zero mosque in Manhattan, will meet with him in New York on Saturday.

"He has agreed to move it," Jones said referring to the Ground Zero Mosque. "And we have agreed to cancel our event on Saturday."


"Americans don't want the mosque there and of course Muslims don't want us to burn Korans," said Jones.

The White House is considering having a member of the administration call pastor Terry Jones in an attempt to head off this weekend's bonfire of Korans, which has sparked threats of violence worldwide.

Muslims Resume Building on Christian Graveyard in Pakistan

Muslims led by a hard-line cleric on Friday resumed building on a Christian cemetery in Mandi Bhawaldin, desecrating more graves in spite of a local government order to halt construction, according to the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA).

Radical Muslim cleric Mirza Abdul Ghani had built a mosque on the Christian graveyard off New Rasool Road in Mandi Bhawaldin after allegedly occupying the land 16 years ago, when area Christians were too intimidated to object, said Salamat Zia of APMA.

“No one could object to the construction of the mosque, as it is in the constitution of Pakistan that no religious worship place could be demolished,” said Zia. “Therefore all the Christians remained silent then.”

The cleric’s alleged desecration of more of the graveyard land around the Masjid Ahle-Sunnat-Wal-Jamaat mosque began three months ago, Zia said.

“This Christian graveyard was earmarked before the Indo-Pakistan partition on Aug. 14, 1947,” Zia added, “and their forefathers were buried there.”

Poll: New Yorkers Want Ground Zero Mosque Moved

New York City residents do not want a Muslim mosque to be built near Ground Zero, according to a new poll.

A New York Times poll found that two-thirds of New Yorkers said the 13-story complex should be built farther away from Ground Zero. Those opposed to it say if the Islamic center is built, it should be at least 10 or 20 blocks from Ground Zero.

"My granddaughter and I were having this conversation and she said stopping them from building is going against the freedom of religion guaranteed by our Constitution," said Marilyn Fisher, 71, who lives in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn. I absolutely agree with her except in this case. I think everything in this world is not black and white."

NYC Mosque Developer: No Money from Radicals

Sharif El-Gamal, the developer behind the proposed mosque near New York City's Ground Zero site, says he will not accept money from radical Islamic groups.

Mosque leaders have been criticized for not ruling out support from Islamic regimes like Saudi Arabia and Iran.

"We will not take funds from Iran. We will not take money from Hamas. We will not take money from organizations that have un-American values," El-Gamal told CBS News. He leads a real estate investment firm that owns the lower Manhattan building where the $100 million Islamic center would open.

'Islamization' of Paris a Warning to the West

Friday in Paris. A hidden camera shows streets blocked by huge crowds of Muslim worshippers and enforced by a private security force.

This is all illegal in France: the public worship, the blocked streets, and the private security. But the police have been ordered not to intervene.

It shows that even though some in the French government want to get tough with Muslims and ban the burqa, other parts of the French government continue to give Islam a privileged status.

Most Americans Don't Recognize Obama's Christianity

Popular conservative broadcaster Glenn Beck is not among the 20 or so percent of Americans who believes that President Obama is a Muslim.

“I'm taking his word that he is a Christian,” said Beck this past week on his self-titled cable-news show. “But here's where it falls apart for many Americans: It's a Christianity that most Americans just don't recognize.”

The television and radio personality went on to examine past statements made by the president and prominent individuals who have been close to him over the course of his life, such as his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright; his close personal friend, Richard Pfleger; and his spiritual adviser, Jim Wallis.

Taliban Kills Three Christian Aid Workers

The Taliban reportedly killed three Christian aid workers in Pakistan last week.

Compass Direct News has reported the bodies of the three have been recovered and were sent to the U.S. Embassy. The names of the workers and their organization have been withheld for security reasons.

The aid workers were helping flood victims in Pakistan's northwestern Swat Valley. The Taliban had warned that it would attack foreign and Christian aid workers in the region.

"These sort of threats are not new," said Martin Tuelan, national executive officer of Catholic Mission, a mission aid agency.

Hard Times for Christian Aid Groups in Afghanistan and Somalia. 17 murdered and 19 abducted this year

17 Aid Workers murdered and 19 abducted this year.

It's been a bad week for Christian aid groups in two of the world’s most challenging nations.

In Afghanistan, ten workers for the International Assistance Mission (IAM) were found shot in the northeastern region of Badakhshan. Beyond veteran ophthalmologist and team leader Tom Little, whose wife recently wrote for CT on the Christian call to suffering in mission, the now-identified dead include Glenn D. Lapp, who worked with the Mennonite Central Committee, and 32-year-old Cheryl Beckett, a pastor’s daughter from Tennessee and a graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University. Out of the 1,500 aid groups registered in Afghanistan, 17 aid workers have been murdered and 19 abducted this year.

Inmates are converting to Islam for the perks and protection from gangs.-Better food in Ramadan and more time outside cells for Friday Prayers.

Inmates convert to Islam for perks and protection.

Prisoners are converting to Islam to gain better food and the protection of fellow Muslims, according to an official report released today.

The document, entitled Muslim Prisoners’ Experiences: A thematic review, follows a poll earlier this week which indicated that many Britons are suspicious of Islam.

Muslim Prisoners’ Experiences, which is written by Dame Ann Owers the Chief Inspector of Prisons, reveals that 30 per cent of the nation’s 10,300 Muslim inmates have taken up the faith whilst in prison.
Protection

Christian network planning for worldwide protest for Muslim’s right to convert

A network of individuals, churches and organizations are planning for a worldwide protest march on August 28, 2010 in Sydney, Australia.

Set My People Free is a new network of individuals, churches and organizations working for the freedom of religious converts to live and practice their faith, to experience equality and justice in their home countries.

Set My People Free is an interdenominational, non-violent human rights movement that is seeking freedom, justice, equality and reconciliation for religious converts. And aim to advocate that all peoples especially Muslim peoples have the freedom to change faith, to live out and practice their new beliefs.