Yesterday I received again from a Chinese-Malaysian researcher in Kuala Lumpur the latest‘Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin’〔No. 439〕dated 25 July 2007.(Lily)
AFGHANISTAN: ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISTS CONTROL THROUGH TERROR
One day Jesus was teaching and healing, and as he looked out over the crowds he felt great compassion for the harassed, helpless and directionless masses. So he instructed his disciples to ask the Lord to send out more workers/ servants (see Matthew 9:35-38).
Up to 17,000 Korean Christians serve the Lord abroad in this way, most in war-torn, volatile, hostile and 'restricted access' nations. There are around 100 South Korean Christians from a dozen humanitarian organisations and churches presently engaged in voluntary work in war-torn Afghanistan. Since 2002, some 400-500 South Koreans have visited Afghanistan every year in response to the Lord's sending. They do voluntary work in health, education, agriculture, information technology and other fields for the benefit of the people.
In early August 2006, Korean Christian professionals with the Institute of Asian Culture and Development (IACD http://www.iacd.or.kr, a Seoul-based Christian humanitarian-aid group that has run medical clinics in Afghanistan since January 2002) were suddenly deported. The IACD had organised a three-day 'Peace Festival' to celebrate five years of Korean aid work in Afghanistan. The festival was to include a medical conference, a round-table on reconstruction and two soccer games at Kabul's Olympic Stadium between Afghanistan's national team and a Korean team. The group's director, Kang Sung Han, said the aim of the festival was to give ordinary Koreans and Afghanis the opportunity to interact and have fun. But when Muslim clerics protested, the festival was cancelled and the Koreans were deported, citing security concerns. According to Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty, while the clerics complained that the Koreans were actively proselytising, a spokesman for the chief of the Afghan National Police said there was absolutely no evidence to support that, adding that if there had been any evidence then the police would have 'put them in jail according to the law'. In order to maintain their hold over the people, the clerics are depriving the people of a future.
On Thursday 19 July 2007, Taliban militants in Ghazni Province kidnapped 23 South Korean Christians who were in Afghanistan doing medical and humanitarian volunteer work. The Koreans, most of whom are nurses, are members of the Presbyterian 'Saemmul Church' in Bundang near Seoul. They were en route to visit a kindergarten in Kandahar which serves some 100 destitute children and war orphans when they were ambushed and kidnapped. The Taliban is threatening to kill the hostages unless South Korea withdraws its forces (which are non-combatant, engaged only in reconstruction) and the Afghan government releases the 23 Taliban prisoners held in Ghazni Province. This is the largest contingent the Taliban has ever captured. Because the group is so large the Taliban might drag the negotiations along, releasing one hostage (bargaining chip) at a time. They might also feel that because there are so many, they can afford to kill a few to increase the pressure on the two governments. On 24 July, Afghani villagers in Ghazni demonstrated peacefully in the streets for the release of the Korean hostages. Once again, Islamic fundamentalists are robbing the people and exerting control through repression and terror.
South Korea has now banned its citizens from travelling to Afghanistan, one of the neediest places on earth. (End)
Another recent statement by the CCM (Council of Churches of Malaysia) is this:
‘Deputy Prime Minister’s Inference at Press Conference (17th July) That Malaysia from its independence can be referred to as an “Islamic State”'
The Council of Churches deeply regrets that the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, came out publicly recently to assert that Malaysia is an “Islamic State”.
His statement has greatly upset the whole non-Muslim population in Malaysia , who constitute forty per cent of the population. Furthermore, his statement goes against the very letter, spirit and foundation of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia . The coming together of the different ethnic groups under the “social contract” at the time of Independence (1957), envisaged a country that is secular and where the multiethnic and multireligious differences are celebrated to strengthen national unity.
As we prepare to celebrate our 50th Merdeka Anniversary, such a statement by a government official does dampen the spirit of unity and casts a dark cloud over the future of this country.
We appeal to the government in general and to the DPM in particular, to refrain from using “Islamic State” as an official description of the country to stir up racial tension as it is precisely that, inspite(sic) of our diversity, that we are able to live together in harmony as a nation and which has made Malaysia what it is today, a fascinating and beautiful country.
Let us all, therefore, celebrate our 50th Merdeka Anniversary in this spirit, and continue to work together as Malaysians and not be divided either by race or religion for the progress of our country.
Rev. Dr. Thomas Philips(President)
Rev. Dr. Hermen Shastri(General Secretary)
Dated 24th July 2007
(End)
