http://www.barnabasfund.org Barnabas Fund serves the suffering Church and makes their needs known to Christians around the world, encouraging them to pray. It provides practical help to strengthen and encourage the Church in many different ways. Barnabas Fund was established in 1993 and channels aid to projects run by national Christians in more than 40 countries. This RSS feed is updated when we issue news reports or stories from these countries. http://www.barnabasfund.org/_Images/BF/7_Features/7_5_RSS/feed-icon-with-words.jpghttp://www.barnabasfund.orgengCopyright 2008 Barnabas FundNews and stories from Barnabas FundGenrator www.barnabasfund.orginfo@barnabasfund.orgwebmaster@barnabasfund.orgWed, 14 May 2008 09:00:00 GMT Converts from Islam to Christianity are increasingly concerned about a number of reports in recent months which have cited astounding statistics on conversion. It is true - and a matter for thankfulness to God - that more Muslims are now coming to Christ than at any other time in history. However, they are not converting on the vast scale alleged in some reports. These false reports, often initiated by non-Christians and then circulated by Christians, are a matter of grave concern, not just for those who love truth and accuracy, but also for the many individuals whose lives are being endangered by the publicity given to the exaggerated figures. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Wed, 14 May 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=410http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=410 Barnabas Fund's aid for Christian victims of the Burma cyclone is being channelled through Christian organisations and churches on the ground in Burma, to which we have access. It is NOT going through the Burmese government. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Fri, 09 May 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=409http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=409 * For updated information on the progress of our aid distribution click here *Burma (Myanmar) has been devastated by the deadliest natural disaster in living memory. When Cyclone Nargis hit on Saturday 3rd May the destruction was magnified by a storm surge which sent a wave 3.5 m high across the low-lying Irrawaddy Delta region, flattening homes and cutting power-lines. The Christian minority, numbering nearly four million, has been severely persecuted for decades and Barnabas Fund is sending aid to ensure that they do not miss out on the help they need at this time of crisis. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Tue, 06 May 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=407http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=407 Christian TV internet provider Premier.tv features an interview with Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund, in "Off the Shelf" with Victoria Laurence. The interview discusses Patrick Sookhdeo's new book Faith, Power and Territory and focuses on the issue of Islam in Britain today and how it will impact British society now and in the future. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=402http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=402 Highlighting freedom for apostates from Islam"I believe that the classical law of apostasy in Islam is wrong and based on a misunderstanding" - Usama Hassan info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=401http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=401 Four Christian teachers, two of them converts from Islam, were murdered by Islamic militants last Sunday, 13 April, in Beledweyne in south-central Somalia. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=400http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=400 The desperate plight of the people of Zimbabwe has hit the world media, in the context of Zimbabwe's recent elections. Zimbabwe has the world's highest inflation and its lowest life expectancy. There is virtually no food in the shops, and anyway few people can afford to buy it. Zimbabwe's starving population is dependent on aid, much of it coming through the churches. "Without church donations we would be dead," said one grandmother, who earns less than £1 a month, sweeping the street. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=397http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=397 A group of believers in Samarkand was arrested at a meeting in one of their houses yesterday, 3 April. The police confiscated all books, note-books and a laptop which they found in the house. The Christians present were severely beaten and then all were released except one named Bobur. Bobur is being held at the police station while the police are apparently trying to find evidence to incriminate him on charges of inciting religious hatred. Until now, the police have not filed any formal charges against Bobur. A person can only be held for three days without formal charges being made. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=398http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=398 Praise God that there have been no reports of anti-Christian violence over Easter in Indonesia. Jemaah Islamiyah, a terrorist organisation linked to Al-Qaeda, had threatened to target Christians in Indonesia over this period. This organisation is believed to have been behind a spate of bomb attacks on churches on Christmas Eve in 2000. Thank the Lord for answering the prayers of many Christians around the world for the protection of Indonesian Christians this Easter. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=393http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=393 Dr Sookhdeo`s latest book Faith, Power and Territory: A Handbook of British Islam is being released in the UK and USA today, Monday 17 March 2008. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=392http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=392 Feeding our brothers and sisters info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=390http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=390 Read German Translation info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=386http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=386 Focus on the Family is featuring Patrick Sookhdeo on their daily syndicated broadcast on Tuesday, February 5th and Wednesday, February 6th. The talks will air on stations in the United States, and will be available via the internet after being broadcast. (See links below) info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=384http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=384 ("Loving God and Neighbor Together"...)January 24, 2008 info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=381http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=381 Click here for German Translation info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=382http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=382 Click here to view German translation info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=358http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=358 By David W. VirtueTaken From: This LinkAn Interview with the Rev. Canon Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of the Barnabas Fund a Christian Relief Agency that focuses on persecuted Christian minorities in the Muslim World and elsewhere.VirtueOnline was in Washington, DC and interviewed the peripatetic global leader and Anglican priest. He had been invited to lecture on Global Jihad at the prestigious American Heritage Foundation, a conservative thank tank committed to building an America where freedom, opportunity, prosperity and civil society flourish. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=346http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=346 Taken From: This LinkLittle did Teddy Roosevelt know what a storm would one day break over the renaming of a bear carrying his name. Earlier this month, a British teacher working in Sudan allowed her pupils to name the class teddy bear "Muhammad."As a result, Gillian Gibbons was convicted of insulting Islam and sentenced to 15 days in prison. Sword-waving Muslim fanatics called for her death, but intervention by leading British Muslims resulted in her pardon this week. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=347http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=347 Below are links to items from Dr Patrick Sookhdeo in the past week.Wednesday 5th December 2007 Dr Patrick Sookhdeo gave a speech entitled "The Future in the Face of Militant Islam" at the Heritage Foundation, Washington DC, to mark the US launch of his latest book "Global Jihad". The speech examines the theology and other factors driving Islamic jihad, past and present. [Link] info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=345http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=345 Dear Christian Friend, info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Thu, 06 Dec 2007 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=344http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=344 IntroductionTo mark the end of Ramadan this year "An Open Letter and Call from Muslim Religious Leaders" was published, dated 13th October 2007. The letter was addressed to Pope Benedict XVI and 26 other named heads of Christian denominations as well as to "Leaders of Christian Churches, everywhere..." It is ostensibly a presentation of Islamic teaching on love for God and love for one`s neighbour. (The text of the open letter is available at [link]) info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=342http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=342 The death toll from the cyclone which devastated south-western coastal areas of Bangladesh last Thursday is already 3,000 and rising. As more remote areas and islands are reached, it is anticipated that the number of dead could rise to 10,000 or even 15,000. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Tue, 20 Nov 2007 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=340http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=340 Saving Iraqi ChristiansThe 2,000-year-old Church in Iraq faces extinction at the hands of Islamic extremists. Many of the militants have made clear that they seek to cleanse their country of Christians and Christianity. They tell the Christians, "Convert to Islam, leave or die." The militants are well on the way to succeeding in their aim, at least in the south and central areas, as Christians flee the restrictions, threats and violence imposed on them. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Tue, 30 Oct 2007 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=339http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=339 This project is based in a remote rural region of Kenya where the people are very poor. Christians in the area are under great pressure from traditional religious beliefs and practices. Many women have a particularly hard time in the patriarchal society, suffering from polygamy, female genital mutilation (female circumcision), and forced marriage at a very young age, often to men decades older than them. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=396http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=396 Dr Sookhdeo`s latest work analyses the rise of Islamic violence worldwide in the modern world. Quoting from an extensive range of Muslim and other sources, he examines the present situation in the context of Islamic teaching on violence and war, past and present, and suggests a range of possible responses. (670 pages, hard back, Isaac Publishing) info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Tue, 25 Sep 2007 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=326http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=326 Twenty-one South Korean Christian aid workers remain in captivity in the Ghazni province of Afghanistan, facing the possibility of murderous deaths at the hands of the Taliban (or "Taleban"). Efforts by the Afghan government to affect their release and attempted negotiations by South Korean officials have thus far had little effect. To date, the radical Islamic group has murdered two men in the group, Bae Hyung Kyu, a pastor heading the relief effort, and Shim Sung Min, another volunteer. Another two hostages, women who reportedly are seriously ill, are being denied medical care. While the Taliban asserts different demands and terms for negotiation, they are reiterating threats to kill the remaining aid workers. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Fri, 17 Aug 2007 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=318http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=318 Massive flooding is affecting Bangladesh, Nepaland north-eastern Indiaafter abnormally early and heavy monsoon rains.At least 583 people have been killed and up to20 million affected, many of them stranded without food and clean water.There are fears of an impending health crisis.Amongst the victims are Christianminorities, whom Barnabas Fund isseeking to help. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Thu, 09 Aug 2007 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=308http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=308 A shift has been taking place in UK government ministries as to the terminology used to describe the terrorist threat faced by Britain. The Foreign Office has advised ministers to abandon the use of terms such as 'war against terror', 'Islamic terrorism' and 'Islamist terrorism'.The idea is that these terms antagonise the British Muslim community and increase tensions with the wider Muslim world.Using military terminology is seen as counter-productive, contributing to the isolating of communities from each other.According to proponents of this shift, such terms imply a conflict of religions and link Islam, the religion of peace, with terrorism and radicalism.They hold that the widespread use of such terms serves only to alienate and radicalise more Muslims who would otherwise be happy to integrate into a cohesive British society.Terrorists, they believe, use the sense of crisis engendered by the discourse on a 'clash of civilisation' and a 'war against Islamic terrorism' to recruit supporters who feel that Islam is being attacked and that Muslims must defend themselves. Abandoning such terms, according to the Foreign Office, will avoid empowering the terrorists' narrative and weaken the trend to radicalisation.[1] info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Tue, 31 Jul 2007 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=304http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=304 "Wealways remind those who want to convert to Islam that they enter through a doorbut there is no way out".[1] info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Tue, 03 Jul 2007 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=294http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=294 Dr Patrick SookhdeoEveryone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.[1] info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Tue, 03 Jul 2007 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=295http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=295