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India Woman Burned To Death In Anti Christian Violence; Churches Destroyed
In another forum I was shocked at the Anti-Christian attitude from posters here in America even.
The title above was confirmed 8/28/2008 by BBC News.
In this century more Christians have died for their faith than in the other nearly 2k years combined. Let that sink in.
First of all. These people were only Jesus Freaks in the light that they died for their faith. Most did not own a bible, although that is a cherished and protected item that some, not many house churches have access to. They often share bibles among many. In most of the countries owning a Bible is punishable by death or indefinite imprisonment.
Now think about that for one moment. Death for owning a Bible. We cannot comprehend that here in the United States. This is common especially under "Islamic States" where Islam is the mandatory religion. And is also common in communist and we are seeing other governments doing the same.
These people lived in fear and knowing that death is often the consequence of believing in God and Jesus.
Did they go around making condescending comments? Hell no . Did they quietly worship in secret? Yes.
So before the politically correct brainwashes and blinds you to the plight of even Christians around the world...
Below are examples of stuff that happened THIS WEEK.
(sorry to take up space, but this is continued below.) In another forum I was shocked at the Anti-Christian attitude from posters here in America even. ... more -
Italian hostages freed in Somalia
Two Italian aid workers kidnapped in Somalia in May have been freed and are in good health, Italy's foreign minister said.
Iolanda Occhipinti and Giuliano Paganini were being flown to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
The pair were seized by armed gunmen during an attack on the offices of Italian aid agency Cooperazione Italiana Nord Sud in southern Somalia.
It was not clear if a ransom was paid to secure their release.
A Somali man, who was the head of the agency, was abducted at the same time but there was no immediate word on his fate.
Failed peace talks
Somali insurgents vowed to target foreign aid workers after a US air strike killed the head of the al-Shabab militant group in May.
Al-Shabab is the militant wing of the UIC, which ruled much of Somalia in 2006 before being ousted by Ethiopian forces backed by Somali government troops.
Somalia has been devastated by conflict since 1991 when former President Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted.
At least a dozen peace initiatives have collapsed since then, including UN-brokered talks in June between the government and the main opposition alliance. Two Italian aid workers kidnapped in Somalia in May have been freed and are in good health, Italy's foreign minister said. ... more -
Rebels release US missionary
Rebels in Chad have released a US missionary, after holding him hostage for over than nine months, his church has reported.
Steven Godbold (!), from Illinois, had been held since last October, on suspicion of being a spy. Rebels in Chad have released a US missionary, after holding him hostage for over than nine months, his church has reported. ... more -
Kurdish rebels release German hostages
Three Germans held captive by Kurdish rebels have been released Sunday.
Mehmet Cetin, the governor of the city of Agri in Turkey, told reporters that after officials check the health of the hostages, they will be returned to Germany.
"They have been kept in the mountains under bad conditions; naturally we are concerned about their health," he said.
The Kurdistan Workers' Party, known as the PKK, confirmed taking the three hostages -- Helmut Johann, Martin Georpe and Lars Holper Reime -- from Mount Agri on July 9, the Firat News Agency, a pro-Kurdish Web site that frequently carries statements from the PKK, reported.
Soon after the Germans were taken hostage, the rebels said they would hold them until the German government stops "its enemy-like politics" against them.
"We are not the enemies of the German people, and we have not mistreated any of the hostages," the PKK said, according to Firat. "Unless the German government announces it has stopped its enemy-like politics towards PKK and the Kurds, we will not release the German citizens."
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier then issued a statement saying the government refuses to be "blackmailed."
Germany and the rest of European Union considers PKK a terrorist organization and tensions between Kurdish militants and Europe have been on the rise. The largest portion of Germany's foreign population is from Turkey, which hopes to join the EU.
In June, Germany banned a Kurdish television station that the country's interior minister said was a mouthpiece for the armed group. Germany also extradited two PKK militants to Turkey last year.
In April, a report released by Europol -- the EU law enforcement agency -- said PKK claimed responsibility for 14 out of 15 terror attacks in Germany last year. Also in 2007, nearly 40 suspected PKK members were arrested in five EU nations -- Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Slovakia.
Turkey in recent months stepped up its campaign against PKK bases in northern Iraq, in response to increased attacks by the group.
The PKK is a leftist insurgent group that formed in 1984 to fight for an independent Kurdish homeland in southeast Turkey and adjacent areas in northern Iraq and Iran. The group initiated an armed independence campaign that year.
Since then, an estimated 35,000 people have died in the conflict.
The rebels more recently claimed to fight for greater rights for Kurds who live in Turkey, according to the U.S. government. Three Germans held captive by Kurdish rebels have been released Sunday. ... more -
Briton being held hostage in Iraq may have commited suicide
The kidnappers of five British hostages, who have been held in Iraq since last year, have said in a video that one man has committed suicide.
He allegedly took his own life on May 25th, just four days before the 1 year anniversary of their capture. The kidnappers used the incident to blame the UK for their "lack of seriousness", while placing the blame for the man's death squarely at their feet.
One of the remaining hostages also made a statement in the video, obtained by the Sunday Times, where he remarks that: "Physically, I'm not doing well...psychologically, I'm doing a lot worse. I want to see my family again."
British PM Gordon Brown is in Baghdad at the moment, and has promised that he is taking the situation "very seriously", and that "There are many people working behind the scenes trying to find a solution." The kidnappers of five British hostages, who have been held in Iraq since last year, have said in a video that one man has committed s... more -
British hostage 'killed himself'
One of the five British hostages seized in Baghdad last year has committed suicide, according to a videotaped statement released by his kidnappers.
British officials have emphasised that there is 'no immediate corroboration' of the claim that the hostage, known only as Jason, has killed himself. The video, which was handed to the Sunday Times, is entitled Intihar - Arabic for suicide. It opens with a photograph of a man identified as Jason in a written statement that appears on the screen in Arabic.
It states that the kidnappers regret Jason's death, but hold the British government responsible for his fate.
'This procrastination and foot-dragging and lack of seriousness on the part of the British government has prolonged their psychological deterioration, pushing one of them, Jason, to commit suicide on 25/5/08.
'He surprised our brethren, who were taking care of him, with his suicide,' reads the statement, which appears on the screen in Arabic and is signed 'The Shia Islamic Resistance in Iraq'.
The hostages, an IT consultant named Peter Moore and his four bodyguards, were kidnapped almost 14 months ago from the Iraqi finance ministry by a Shia group seeking the release of nine prisoners in American detention. One of the five British hostages seized in Baghdad last year has committed suicide, according to a videotaped statement released by hi... more -
Militants claim British hostage has committed suicide
A British hostage held in Iraq for nearly a year may have committed suicide according to the Sunday Times.
A group of militants who claim to be holding the men hostage released a video stating that a man named Jason died at the end of May.
The British government is not able to confirm their story.
The five men have been held captive since a raid on the Finance Ministry by insurgents wearing police uniforms. Four of the men were private security contractors and the fifth was a computer programmer. A British hostage held in Iraq for nearly a year may have committed suicide according to the Sunday Times. ... more -
Report: Kidnappers say British hostage commits suicide
One of five British hostages captured in Iraq last year has committed suicide, the kidnappers said in a videotape obtained by The Sunday Times.
A written statement displayed on the videotape says the hostage, identified as Jason, died May 25, four days before the first anniversary of his abduction, the London, England-based newspaper reported.
The video was received in Baghdad last week, the newspaper said.
The British government said it could not independently verify the claims in the video, including the hostage's "purported death," a Foreign Office spokeswoman said.
"As in the case of previous messages from the hostage takers, the Government emphasizes the humanitarian appeal of the families for the men's release," a statement from the Foreign Office said.
The video is titled "Intihar" -- or "suicide" -- and opens with a photograph of the hostage wearing a football shirt, the newspaper reported.
He is identified as Jason in a statement signed "The Shiite Islamic Resistance in Iraq" that appears on screen.
The statement, according to the newspaper, blames the British government for the status of the hostages.
"This procrastination and foot-dragging and lack of seriousness on the part of the British government has prolonged their psychological deterioration, pushing one of them, Jason, to commit suicide on 25/5/2008," the statement said, according to the newspaper. "He surprised our brethren, who were taking care of him, with his suicide."
The newspaper reported that the captors said say they regret the hostage's death "but hold the British government responsible for the hostages' fate."
The footage shows another hostage appealing for the British government to hasten the men's release.
"Physically, I'm not doing well," the newspaper quoted the unidentified hostage as saying. "Psychologically, I'm doing a lot worse. I want to see my family again."
Five Britons and two Iraqis were kidnapped in May 2007 from an Iraqi Finance Ministry building in Baghdad. Only one hostage, Peter Moore, has identified himself by name in a video released in February in which he pleaded with the British government to negotiate for the hostages' release.
On May 29, the anniversary of the kidnappings, Britain's ambassador to Iraq, Christopher Prentice, appealed to the kidnappers to let the captives go.
The Sunday Times story said that an intermediary who handed the video to a newspaper representative said the hostage who died had made two previous attempts at suicide.
"He said proof of death would be provided only if the British government agreed to negotiate," the newspaper said.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is visiting Iraq, said in a statement, "we are taking this very seriously."
"There are many people working behind the scenes trying to find a solution," the statement said.
Brow said he has discussed the hostage situation with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
"We both share a desire to see them returned safely to their families. I call on those holding the hostages to release them immediately and unconditionally."
The Foreign Office said the families of the hostages have been notified of the video. One of five British hostages captured in Iraq last year has committed suicide, the kidnappers said in a videotape obtained by The Sund... more -
Taliban militants threaten to kill Pakistani hostages
Militants will start killing a group of hostages if the government does not release several insurgent prisoners within a day, a Pakistani Taliban spokesman threatened Friday. Militants will start killing a group of hostages if the government does not release several insurgent prisoners within a day, a Pakist... more
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The end of FARC
Los Angeles Times reports:
"The Colombian military's spectacular rescue of 15 hostages Wednesday, including Franco-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt and three American military contractors, will go down in history as a marvel of military cunning and brilliant execution. Most noteworthy is that the soldiers, disguised as rebels, duped the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia into turning the hostages over without bloodshed."
"Colombia rejoiced as did France, where freeing Betancourt -- a former Colombian legislator with dual citizenship -- had become a cause celebre. The faces of the American contractors -- Keith Stansell, Marc Gonsalves and Thomas Howes -- are less well known, but their freedom brings joy to all who prayed for their release during five years of captivity." Los Angeles Times reports: ... more -
Betancourt returning to Colombia 'in a few days' to write play
AFP reports:
"Former hostage Ingrid Betancourt said in an interview Sunday she would return to Colombia "in a few days" to write a play about her experience after being held in the jungle for six years.
Earlier the 46-year-old former hostage, who was freed on Wednesday, said she had been given a clean bill of health after seven hours of medical tests at a Paris military hospital.
Betancourt told Le Journal du Dimanche: "I shall return to Colombia in a few days. Meanwhile I want to see France, all of France. But I also want to be alone with my children ... I want to give this time to my family, to the father of my children whom I adore, who fought an extraordinary fight for me."
Asked whether she would write a book about her experience, she replied: "I'll write a play." AFP reports: ... more -
Everton footballer's brother kidnapped
The older brother of star footballer Joseph Yobo was seized by gunmen at a hotel in his native Nigeria yesterday morning. No group has yet claimed responsibility and no ransom has been demanded. Kidnappings are frequent in the oil-rich but poverty-stricken Niger Delta region of Nigeria, and usually end with a ransom payment.
Everton football club has said it would do all it could to help Joseph Yobo, who is on holiday in Lagos. The older brother of star footballer Joseph Yobo was seized by gunmen at a hotel in his native Nigeria yesterday morning. No group ha... more -
U.S Hostages freed 'overwhelmed with emotion'
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (CNN) -- The three Americans rescued after more than five years in captivity in Colombia say they are doing well but are "overwhelmed with emotion," according to a statement released on their behalf. SAN ANTONIO, Texas (CNN) -- The three Americans rescued after more than five years in captivity in Colombia say they are doing well bu... more
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Video shows liberation of Betancourt and other hostages
The Colombian government has released some very compelling video of the rescue of Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages from the FARC rebels.
Amazing that this plan worked, and even more amazing that it is on video. The Colombian government has released some very compelling video of the rescue of Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages from the FAR... more -
A new future for Colombia?
Colombian BBC News viewers believe that the release of Ingrid Betancourt could result in some form of negotiation between the Colombian government and the FARC rebels. Do you think this 44-year-old conflict can see an end in the near future?
On an added note, the guy in the picture is not only relevant but also looks awesome. Colombian BBC News viewers believe that the release of Ingrid Betancourt could result in some form of negotiation between the Colombia... more -
3 rescued US hostages arrive safely in Texas
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas - Three American hostages rescued from leftist guerrillas in Colombia have arrived safely in Texas.
The U.S. military contractors — Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell — were held for five years by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
Their plane landed at Lackland Air Force Base shortly before midnight Wednesday. Helicopters then took the men to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.
The U.S. Embassy in Bogota says the men, who worked for Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corp., were the longest-held American hostages in the world.
Ingrid Betancourt, who was seized while campaigning for president six years ago, was also freed Wednesday, as were 11 Colombian police and soldiers. LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas - Three American hostages rescued from leftist guerrillas in Colombia have arrived safely in Texas. ... more -
American Hostages and Betancourt rescued by Colombian Military
French-Colombian politician, Betancourt, and three American hostages, and eleven other hostages were rescued by Colombian military from guerillas. French-Colombian politician, Betancourt, and three American hostages, and eleven other hostages were rescued by Colombian military fro... more
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Colombia rescues Betancourt and Americans
Former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three American hostages have been released by FARC rebels.
According to Colombian authorities, all the rescued hostages are in reasonably good health. Former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three American hostages have been released by FARC rebels. ... more -
British hostages 'alive' in Iraq
Five British hostages who were seized in Baghdad more than a year ago are still alive, Iraq's most senior security official believes...
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I was intrigued by this part:
"...A second video, broadcast by Al-Arabiya in February, showed Mr Moore asking Prime Minister Gordon Brown to free nine Iraqis in exchange for the Britons' release."
Should a prisoner exchange be considered? Five British hostages who were seized in Baghdad more than a year ago are still alive, Iraq's most senior security official belie... more -
FARC top commander confirmed dead, rebels to "release hostages"
"Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said Saturday he has received "calls" from some Marxist FARC rebel leaders who claimed they were ready to hand themselves over and free hostages including Franco-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt.
In a potentially major breakthrough, just after Colombia confirmed the death of FARC leader Manuel Marulanda, Uribe said "the government has received calls from the FARC in which some of the leaders announced their decision to leave the FARC and hand over Ingrid Betancourt if their freedom is guaranteed."
"The government's answer is 'yes, they are guaranteed freedom'" if they handed over hostages, Uribe said in a speech in the country's southwest". "Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said Saturday he has received "calls" from some Marxist FARC rebel leaders who claime... more
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