India Police Arrest 30 Christian Seminary Students, Priests Singing Christmas Carols

By Anughar Kumar

Christian Post

Police in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh arrested 30 seminary students and two priests as they were singing Christmas carols in a village. The Christians were also roughed up by Hindu nationalists, who also burned down a car belonging to the priests while police allegedly looked on.

The carol singers, who are from St. Ephrem's Theological College in Satna district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, were arrested from Dara Kalan village Thursday night "as they were conducting a routine Christmas carol singing programme which has been the practice during the Christmas season for the last 30 years," according to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India.

Eight priests who later went to inquire about the detained priests and seminarians were also taken into custody, CBCI says in a statement, adding that the situation outside the police station in Satna "was allowed to be so hostile that even those who wanted to approach the detained persons could get no access to them." The "goons" also torched the vehicle of the priests, the statement says.

A member of the Bajrang Dal, a Hindu nationalist group associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party, had accused members of the seminary of distributing the Bible, photos of Jesus Christ and singing carols, according to Huffington Post.

"We were only singing carols, but the hardline Hindus attacked us and said we were on a mission to make India a Christian nation ... that's not true," Anish Emmanuel, a seminary member, was quoted as saying. CBCI called the accusation of conversion "frivolous and laughable."

"All right thinking Indians will hang their heads in shame at these terrorists who have taken on the garb of 'religious police,'" the bishops said. "We are absolutely sure that they do not speak in the name of our very broad minded and peace loving Hindu brethren."

Christian Post report continues here

7 Christian Missionaries Arrested After Hindus Accuse Them of 'Forcible Conversion' in India

 Pastor Stanley Jacob and his family

                                                      

By Samuel Smith

Christian Post

Seven pastors have been arrested in Northern India and could face years in prison after they were accused of forcible conversion even though family members say that the allegations stem from Muslim families' unwillingness to accept that their loved ones had converted to Christianity.

The London-based charity British Asian Christian Association has raised an alarm about the Monday arrests of missionaries in the Uttar Pradesh state who were charged under section 295A of the Indian Penal Code and could face up to three years for accusations that they performed a "forcible conversion campaign."

As originally reported by The Times of India, the pastors were accused of resorting to violence when the local Hindus refused to accept the evangelistic efforts after their ministry had been heavily active in the Irauli Gurjar area for the past month. The pastors were accused of trying force lower-caste Hindus to convert to Christianity.

Family members of Pastor Stanley Jacob told BACA, also known as the British Pakistani Christian Association, that Jacob and the other pastors were invited by a woman named Mamta to come to her house to pray on Monday. Mamta had recently moved to the village after she and her husband, Pradeep Singh, converted to Christianity.

"Mamta's sister had also recently converted to Christianity but all these conversions had caused upset within Mamta's family," BACA reports. "The pastors visited the house to hold a house meeting and share the gospel, pray and distribute bibles with local people who had been responding to invites to the meeting."

However, the prayer meeting was interrupted by local outraged Hindus. According to BACA, Singh's uncle, Lal, called the police. Officers arrived quickly and took the pastors away.

Lal Singh also filed a complaint even though he was not present during the meetings and claimed that the pastors were guilty of promoting blasphemous content. Singh also claimed to have been told that there were forced conversions being done.

According to BACA, the seven pastors were refused bail on Wednesday.

"I can't express the frustration I feel for these pastors. Words simply cannot convey the anger I feel when I think of their unwarranted arrest based on the lies of local people fearful of the Gospel message of Christ," BACA's lead officer in India, Pastor Naresh, said in a statement. "Men trying to save the lives and the souls of other are arrested on the whim of extremists, but they never lose their calling or faith."

Christian Post report continues 

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Iranian Christian Convert Arrested, Believers Told They'll Be Beaten to Death for Faith in Jesus

By Stoyan Zaimov
Christian Post

A growing number of Christian converts have been arrested by the Iranian government and warned that they'll either be forced to leave the country or be beaten to death for their faith in Jesus Christ.

Mohabat News reported on Monday that Abdol-Ali Pourmand, a member of the Payam-e Aramesh (Message of Peace) house church in Dezful, was arrested last week after security officials raided his house and found Bibles and Christian CDs.

The Christian convert, who has been transferred to the city of Ahwaz, has been allowed to make a short phone call to his family, sharing that he has been told that he will not be held long.

Concern for Christians in Iran continues to grow after recent arrests of three other believers in Dezful.

"Mohabat News has obtained confirmed reports of them being beaten in prison and threatened that if they don't renounce their faith in Christ and turn away from their Christian faith they will be forced to leave the country or be beaten to death," the article noted.

Mohammad Ali Torabi, also a member of the Message of Peace church, was arrested at his work place on Oct. 10. Like Pourmand, he has also been told that he will be released soon, but still remains in custody.

The Iranian regime has denied it's persecuting Christians despite numerous reports of arrests, harassment and heavy sentences in the past few years and decades, targeting Farsi-speaking believers in particular.

The Iranian government does not allow for house churches to operate, and continues to carry out home invasions, accusing members of inciting anti-government and "national security" activities.

In August, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom named Iran among the five worst-scoring countries when it comes to blasphemy laws that protect the state religion of Islam but discriminate against minorities.

"Advocates for blasphemy laws may argue that they are needed in order to protect religious freedom, but these laws do no such thing. Blasphemy laws are wrong in principle, and they often invite abuse and lead to assaults, murders, and mob attacks. Wherever they exist, they should be repealed," USCIRF Chairman Daniel Mark said at the time.

Some leading Islamic seminary officials, such as Ayatollah Alavi Boroujerdi, have pointed to "accurate reports indicating that the youth are becoming Christians in Qom and attending house churches."

Clerics have raised the alarm over the number of Iranian youths becoming Christians, and have blamed "foreign influence" for the conversions.

Website: Christian Post

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Turkey to Speed Up Trial of US Pastor as Pressure Increases; Still No Evidence of Terror Claims

Pastor Andrew Brunson

By Stoyan Zaimov
Christian Post

The Turkish government will look to speed up the trial of American Christian pastor Andrew Brunson, who has been imprisoned over alleged links with a terror organization despite no evidence being presented, his attorneys said.

"What we can do at this stage is accelerate the trial," Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim apparently said last week, while answering questions from American journalists.

"As you will appreciate, judiciary matters are not directly controlled by us."

The American Center for Law and Justice, which delivered an oral intervention at the United Nations in support of Brunson, said that international pressure is increasing on the Turkish government.

"Our global legal advocacy campaign is beginning to put significant pressure on Turkey. But now is the time to ramp up that pressure," ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow said.

"Pastor Andrew should not even be forced to face a trial. He has done nothing wrong. Turkey has produced no evidence against him. He is wrongfully being held for his Christian faith. He should be released immediately and allowed to return home to his family in America."

Brunson, who led a Protestant church in Izmir and served the people of Turkey for 23 years, was arrested along with his wife, Norine, in October, supposedly for having links to a terror organization.

While Norine was later released, the pastor remains imprisoned with little contact with anyone else.

ACLJ Senior Counsel CeCe Heil told The Christian Post in February that Turkey refuses to provide any evidence for its charges against Brunson, and noted that the pastor's case has been sealed.

Christain Post story continues