Iran: Court acquits 11 evangelical Christians
Eleven members of one of Iran's largest evangelical house church movements, who were charged with ‘action against the order of the country’ and drinking alcohol, have been acquitted by an Iranian court. The charges referred to their involvement in a house church meeting and to taking communion wine, Iranian Christians said earlier. Following their arrests in April, the members of the Church of Iran were brought before the Revolutionary Tribunal in Bandar-Anzali ‘for a rushed hearing where their lawyer, Mr. Seyyed Mohammed-Ali Dadkhah, hastily drafted a statement in their defence,’ said Britain-based advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide. In a written verdict issued in mid-May, the court ruled that since the eleven claimed to be conducting a Christian ceremony, their activities were covered by Article 13 of the Iranian Constitution, which allows Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians to ‘perform their religious rites and ceremonies, and to act according to their own canon in matters of personal affairs and religious education’.
Praise: God for the release of these 11 believers and pray that others still incarcerated would be released. (Ps.136:24)
More: http://www.worthynews.com/10247-iran-court-acquits-11-evangelical-christians
Iran: Court acquits 11 evangelical Christians
Eleven members of one of Iran's largest evangelical house church movements, who were charged with ‘action against the order of the country’ and drinking alcohol, have been acquitted by an Iranian court. The charges referred to their involvement in a house church meeting and to taking communion wine, Iranian Christians said earlier. Following their arrests in April, the members of the Church of Iran were brought before the Revolutionary Tribunal in Bandar-Anzali ‘for a rushed hearing where their lawyer, Mr. Seyyed Mohammed-Ali Dadkhah, hastily drafted a statement in their defence,’ said Britain-based advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide. In a written verdict issued in mid-May, the court ruled that since the eleven claimed to be conducting a Christian ceremony, their activities were covered by Article 13 of the Iranian Constitution, which allows Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians to ‘perform their religious rites and ceremonies, and to act according to their own canon in matters of personal affairs and religious education’.
Praise: God for the release of these 11 believers and pray that others still incarcerated would be released. (Ps.136:24)
More: http://www.worthynews.com/10247-iran-court-acquits-11-evangelical-christians
Afghanistan: Children
A Christian in Afghanistan writes, ‘One in four children dies before their fifth birthday because of poor medical care. Many work at dangerous jobs or beg in the streets. Education is scarce in rural areas. Insurgents recruit children as suicide bombers. A 9-year old boy captured wearing a suicide bomb strapped to him said ‘Our mullah told us when we carried out our suicide attacks all the people around us would die but we would stay alive.’ This is the future of the Land being stolen by the enemy. Please pray for the children, they are our future, pray that children who are recruited as suicide bombers would be captured or turn themselves in before they blow themselves up and kill and injure others; that parents would be taught the proper techniques to prevent simple childhood illnesses that result in so many deaths; for more medical clinics and schools to meet the needs of children and their families.’ Pray: that the children will grow up to be good, effective leaders to lead their country into peace and prosperity. (Lk.18:16)
Ivory Coast: Warnings of severe humanitarian crisis
As Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara is officially inaugurated in front of heads of state from around the world, Oxfam warned of more than 300,000 people displaced from their homes within the country and in neighbouring Liberia being in ‘dire’ need of assistance because the conflict in the months following the presidential election triggered a severe humanitarian crisis with only 35 per cent of the UN's appeals for funds being met. The shortfall in donors amounts to a funding gap of $200 million. In neighbouring Liberia, between 200 and 400 refugees continue to arrive daily from the Ivory Coast, yet the response is only 44 per cent funded.
Pray: for funding to be released so that agencies can meet the needs of the displaced in Liberia and Ivory Coast. (Deut.25:4)
