Pastor at Prayer Shot Dead (missionary activity among muslims)

Barnabas Fund ^ | Tajikistan 16 January 2004

[miltonim]

A pastor who was also an active missionary has been shot dead while he was praying in a chapel.

At 9.00pm on Monday 12 January gunmen burst into a churchyard in Isfara in the north of Tajikistan and fired several rounds through a window at Sergei Bessarab as he was kneeling in prayer. Forum 18 news agency reported that on hearing the gunfire, his wife, Tamara, rushed to her husband’s side but he was already dead. Reuters also carried the story and confirmed he was shot 13 times with a Kalashnikov assault rifle.  

A local newspaper had only a week before attacked Bessarab for his missionary work in this staunchly Muslim region. Women are often seen wearing the veil in villages and alcohol is taboo, indeed shops stocking it have sometimes been burnt down. The hard-line Islamic Revival Party garnered a large majority of the local vote in recent elections, despite central government attempts to curb the growth of Islamic extremism. Bessarab’s handing out of Christian literature aroused considerable local anger. Nevertheless police have not yet confirmed that the suspected motive for the murder was his missionary activity. 

APOSTASY CAMPAIGN 

Local opposition to the missionary work of this pastor is typical throughout the Muslim world. The reason lies in Islamic law, shari’a, which states that any male who converts from Islam should be put to death. Barnabas Fund is currently engaged in a major international campaign on behalf of converts from Islam focusing on the Islamic law of apostasy and the treatment of converts in Islamic societies.  The Fund is calling upon Muslim religious leaders to condemn the harsh treatment of converts and to make public statements calling for a reform of shari’a teaching on apostasy to clearly affirm that Muslims who choose to convert to another faith are free to follow their personal convictions without fear of punishment or harassment.  Further details of the campaign can be obtained by contacting Barnabas Fund or visiting the Apostasy Campaign pages on our website http://www.barnabasfund.org/apostasy.htm

PRAY 

• Pray that God will comfort his widow, Tamara, and the rest of Sergei Bessarab’s family and friends.
• Pray that God will guide the Tajik authorities wisely as they consider how to tackle the growing threat of Islamic extremism.

[rickmichaels]

Local opposition to the missionary work of this pastor is typical throughout the Muslim world.

Opposition to standards of decency and humanity is typical throughout the Muslim world.

[baltodog]

Let's see....
So far I have read about a missionary who was beaten, islamic clerics calling for an end to these atrocities, and now this.

I really don't know what to think of these people....

One of the reasons I consider islam the religion of satan is the cruel thoughts that come to my mind when I think of them.

It is very difficult for me to harbor any forgiveness or understanding for these people.

[Spottys Spurs]

More from the "religion of peace!" Yeah, right!

[BibChr]

This should also be a "Religion of Peace" Alert.

Dan

[Cronos]

See look, if they don't allow Christians the right to live and worship in their lands, why do we allow them the right to become citizens over here and then rebel against our laws? Muslims out -- let's post that aroudn the world -- we'll freely accept Christian Arabs, Turks, Armenians, Azeris, Albanians, Tajiks, etc. but we're chuycking out all the Muslims.

[goodnesswins]

Especially since many people flee Islamic countries to GET AWAY FROM THEM! Islam seems more like a cult than a religion to me....we don't have a law about Freedom of Cults here.

[Cronos]

Quite right, it is a cult, it's got all the trappings and lies of a cult.

[10mm]

Frankly, I've lost almost all sympathy for the victims of Islamic violence. Pick up guns and butcher the savages until they've had the bloodlust whipped out of them or until there are no more muslims. I'm indifferent to either outcome.

[3catsanadog]

I'm sure this is the only place we will hear about this atrocity.

Our liberal media won't even burp news about a Christian killed by muslims.

[American in Israel]

Let us hope you do not have to relearn your sympathy for the victims of Islam the hard way.

[10mm]

Agreed. But I swore that if my loved ones are harmed by these savages, I would not wait for the government to mount a weak response (if any). Vengeance would be mine. What form that would take is another issue that would depend upon circumstances.

I would like to see more private justice meted out to these murderers worldwide. The Hindus have the right idea when it comes to dealing with the Mohammedans in their midst. Not that I'm holding up Hindus as the paragon of moral behavior; they just know what language Muslims understand.