Posted on 09/15/2009 8:09:28 AM PDT by Liberty1970
Uzbekistan: Believers Arrested
On Aug. 23, seven church members belonging to the registered Donam Protestant church were arrested and Christian literature confiscated when more than 20 police officers raided a church service in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, according to Forum 18 News.
Members of the Anti-Terror Police claimed the service was “unauthorized” and although three men were released on the same day, four, including the pastor, Vladimir Tyo, were sentenced to 15 days in prison. They have been charged with “violation of the procedure for organizing and conducting meetings.” The judge ordered the confiscated literature be destroyed.
This is the latest of many raids on both registered and unregistered religious communities in Uzbekistan. The Voice of the Martyrs supports persecuted believers in Uzbekistan by encouraging them and providing resources to courageous believers. VOM encourages you to pray for the imprisoned believers and their families. Ask God to protect and encourage them and other believers living under heavy scrutiny from the government.
Uhh, yeah. I'm guessing Uzbekistan won't be showing up soon on any list of the world's most free nations.
*Ping*
This is a Ping-List for reports of persecution against Christians. Please message me or reply if you would like to be added.
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.” Matthew 5:10-11
“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...” Matthew 5:44
Narrator: If there was someone in your family who was no good...
Chorus: Uzbeks.
Narrator: Someone who embarrassed you...
Chorus: Uzbeks.
Narrator: Someone who constantly took but never gave...
Chorus: Uzbeks.
Narrator: If there was someone like that in your family...
Chorus: Uzbeks.
Narrator: You would do something, wouldn’t you? Mother Russia has someone like that in her family.
Chorus: Uzbeks.
Narrator: But she can’t do something about it without your help. Experience has taught us not to make martyrs of our enemies, so: Leave them alone.
Chorus: Uzbeks.
Narrator: Don’t give them money or matches.
Chorus: Uzbeks.
Title Card: Mother Russia Cares
Narrator: And don’t encourage them to gamble and drink. Uzbeks. They are the weak link in the great chain of Socialism.
Actually, they have just qualified themselves as potential candidates for the U.N. Commission on Human Rights!
Seriously, these stories from VOM are horrifying, but they do illustrate that persecution only seems to increase the devotion of true Christians.
Please go to persecution.com and give to VOM, a really wonderful organization.
They have a lot of excellent ways to get involved as well. We support their Bible-distribution program in China, and my wife makes parachutes for the Gospel radios they drop to FARC guerrillas and others in remote parts of Colombia.
Better yet....cut off U.S. aid to this islamofascist government which began under Bush and continues under Obama.
The "democracy loving" administration of Bush, and now Obama, disagree with you. That's why our tax dollars are proping up this islamofascist regime. Here's from the entry on Uzbekistan in Wikipedia:
The U.S. also provides export finance/guarantees and political risk insurance for U.S. exporters and investors through the U.S. Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). Proceeds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Monetization Program are scheduled to finance more than 30 farmer assistance and rural development projects which were approved jointly by U.S. and Uzbek officials in 2005. Some of the selected projects are already underway.
But then, with the ACORN news coming out today, nothing really should surprise me any more. As we consider injustice and corruption in other nations, we need to confront it within our own as well.
well said.
sarc/off
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