The infamous Baghdad “white ship”

“I could not see His face, because it shone brighter than the sun”

Jesus Liberates Prisoners in IraqUsed by permission, The Voice of the Martyrs, www.persecution.com

Iraqi evangelist Mathias Hassan (nothis real name) was confident his

eternal reward would eventuallyinclude a heavenly mansion. What hedid not expect was a place preparedfor him in one of Saddam Hussein’smost infamousprisons.

Most Iraqiscalled the Baghdadsecurity prison the“White Ship”because of the wayits light-coloredconcrete exterioroften glistened inthe sun, and itsmassive, boxy shape reminded themof a freighter. Those who experiencedthe horrors of the torture chamberscalled it the “red house.” They say thatto drive inmates mad, the formerdictator ordered interior walls paintedblood red.

Last February, Mathias and sevenother Christian leaders were arrestedat their house meeting by Saddam’ssecret police. One hundred believershad secretly crammed into a small,dimly lit room where they had justfinished singing the praise song, “WeGive You All the Glory,” when 15plain-clothed agents, armed withpistols and walkie-talkies, burstthrough the door.

Mathias recently told Voice of theMartyrs (VOM) workers that the policeordered an abrupt end to the serviceand demanded the Christians remainquiet. “Everybody just sat down,nobody spoke,” said Brother Mathias.“One of the officers took out a paperand started calling out our names.They knew everyone in the room by

name!” The young evangelists laterlearned that Saddam had planted aninfiltrator into their church group.Today, they refer to this once trustedunderground church member as their“Judas.”

The church attendeesknew their gathering wasillegal, as the regime onlyallowed Christian worshipinside registered churchbuildings. While officialshad granted a permit for aparty, permission was notgiven for praise andpreaching. Eight of thechurch members were

handcuffed, blindfolded and whiskedaway in a windowless van.

Once at the prison, Mathias wasblindfolded and taken into aninterrogation room where hedemanded to know why he had beenarrested. One prison guard restrainedMathias in a chair while the otherslapped his face. “We will put youunderground and torture you, andthen you will know why you are here!”one of the torturers told Mathias. “Noinmate entering here has ever leftalive. If you do not tell us the truth,you will die today.”

Another prison guard entered theroom and used hisfists to beat Mathias’face and body. Hedemandedinformation aboutMathias’ religiousbeliefs and theorganizationalstructure of the house church. Nearlyone hour later, a bruised and batteredMathias was given prison clothes,

assigned number 41, and taken toprison cell number 17.

Mathias shared thesix-by-eight-foot room with fiveMuslims – two Sunnis and threeShiites. He prayed and asked God touse him to introduce them to Christ.He clutched a tiny piece of concrete inhis hand and carved the name ofJesus onto the cell wall. He drew across beside it. One of the Shiites – asheik named Sayed – demanded thatMathias explain why he made thedrawing on the wall. “You must prayto Allah or Mohammed,” said Sayed.“Why do you pray to Jesus to helpyou?”

Marhias explained that he had apersonal relationship with the Lord,and Jesus had done many miraclesfor him. He was confident Jesuswould do another miracle and freehim from prison.

“I asked Sayed to explain why Ishould pray to a dead prophet,Mathias told VOM. “I told him Ipreferred to pray to the one, true livingGod. Jesus is alive, while all theprophets are dead in the ground.”

Sayed despised Mathias. He toldhim that he was not a good man,because he did not believe inMohammed. Mathias continued to

pray for Sayed and hisother cellmates.

Several morningslater, Mathias wasawakened as Sayedkissed him on hishands and cheeks.Mathias and his

cellmates were astonished to seeSayed’s change of heart, so theyasked him to explain. Sayed said

F E E D B A C K

No. 4, page 2 The Operation Reveille SHOFAR Fourth Quarter 2003

continued from page 1

Jesus appeared to him and told himthat Mathias would be released fromprison. “He appeared in front of mewhile we were sleeping,” explainedSayed. “He was dressed in white; and I could not see His face, because itshone brighter than the sun andblinded me.”

Sayed asked the man who He was,and He responded saying, “JesusChrist.”

Jesus pointed to Mathias and toldSayed not to be concerned aboutMathias. “I am responsible forMathias, and I will release him fromthis place,” said Jesus.

“What about me?” asked Sayed.Jesus vanished before answering.

Mathias explained to his cellmatesthat Jesus had appeared to verify thatMathias belonged to Him and wasspeaking the truth. The Muslimsimmediately fell to their knees and

began praying, asking Jesus to free them as well. Sayed’s dream cametrue one week later, as Mathias andmost of the Christians who werearrested with him were released. (InApril 2003, every prisoner was freedwhen U.S. troops liberated Baghdad.)

Several months later, one of thefreed evangelists named Joseph (nothis real name) took VOM workers tothe prison office where they had beenreleased. He described standing infront of the large, wooden desk of theprison’s top intelligence officer. “Hetold me Saddam was giving me a gift:he was setting me free,” said Joseph.“I didn’t say anything. I just smiled,because I knew the gift of my freedomhad come from the Lord, not thepresident.”

Joseph believes he survived the“red house,” because even though hewas physically restrained in a dark,

cramped prison cell, he was alreadyspiritually free in Jesus Christ. HisLord and Savior had set him free longbefore Saddam Hussein released himfrom his physical imprisonment.

Brother Joseph is active in hishouse church and spends much of histime ministering to others. Hedistributes gospel tracts and oftenwitnesses to Iraqi Muslims.

VOM is working with Iraqi believerslike Joseph and Mathias, equippingthem so they are grounded in God’sWord and effective in His work ofspreading the gospel.

Some of these church workers aredistributing Bibles, gospel materialsand children’s storybooks printed inArabic and Farsi. Believers expect tosuffer again as they step upevangelistic efforts. They expect thiswindow of opportunity to last no morethan two years.

Reader Responds toSecular Supremacy in Presuppositions

This past October 24th marked the355th anniversary of the treaty of

Westphalia that concluded years ofbloody religious warfare in Europe andpaved the way for secular nation states.

Chris Downey sent us ten talkingpoints for re-examining Westphalia inlight of the present US agenda to bringdemocracy to the Middle East. Hecautions that in our interactions with theMuslim world, we should not assumethat secularism is the holy neutralground of true democracy.

1. Religious toleration is a virtue. 2. Secularism is not a virtue; it is a religion. 3. Secularism and toleration are not mutually inclusive qualities. 4. Secularism has canons of faith that are antithetical to Christianity and Islam. 5. Religions identify themselves as true and absolute and others as false andrelative. 6. Secularism tactically strives to paint other religions in shades of good or bad. Secularism judges the quality of Christian and Islamic faith sects. This iscondescending. 7. Secularism is the historical descendant of Alexander’s religion. 8. The agenda to impose secular states in the Middle East is a tacit object ofHellenistic conquest. 9. Secularism suppresses the open public discussion of religious propositions.(“Moderate” Islamic regimes do the same now, and Christianity has done sohistorically.) The recent persecution of LTG Boykin is an example of Secularistintolerance and suppression. 10. Constantine was right. Westphalia was a prophylaxis. The whole Church isculpable.

BOOK REVIEW

N E W S

Fourth Quarter 2003 The Operation Reveille SHOFAR No. 4, page 3

Song of Saigon: One Woman’s Journey to Freedom by Anh Vu Sawyer

reviewed by T. Lynn Sidebotham

Itook awhile to read Songof Saigon. Not to finish it,

but to start it. Anh andPhilip Sawyer are friends;brilliant, fantasticallycreative and blazing withwarmth and love. Frankly, Iwas afraid Anh’s story mightnot live up to her, and Ididn’t want to have to say soor avoid saying so.

I need not have worried. I finished the book in about aday and a half.

It’s well written, as readable as agood novel and well above theaverage Christian publication.

Anh makes twentiethcentury Vietnam come aliveby weaving her family historywith the story of their escapefrom Vietnam. The lovestories of her grandparentsand parents are narratedagainst the background ofthe French, Japanese, andCommunist tyrannies inVietnam.

I understood the politicalsituation in Vietnam better

than ever before, and I think this bookwould help make sense of thesituation for Americans who are stillrecovering from Vietnam.

The people in Anh’s family are real,and their flaws, passions, and spiritualsearching show the grace of God.

Perhaps most touching is Anh’spersonal story, and her love story withher husband, Philip. She is so openand vulnerable about their spiritualjourney that anyone who needs toknow that God can bring healing outof pain needs to read it. Theirpersonalities as I have seen them areon the page, as well as the process ofgrowth that brought them there.

For genuineness, spiritual depth,and a story that grips you, Song ofSaigon is hard to beat. I won’t waitaround to read Anh’s next book.

Meteor Foils Persecution Attack in IndiaReprinted from the Missions Insider of Christian Aid Mission, www.christianaid.org

Severe persecution against churchplanting ministry in India’s OrissaState was interrupted with a sign fromheaven when a meteor crashed toearth near the Bay of Bengal.

Missionaries with an indigenouschurch-planting ministry had won toChrist and discipled fifteen families ina certain village. So in earlySeptember the ministry sent buildersto construct a church building on apiece of land donated by one of thelocal believers.

Suddenly, on the third day ofconstruction, about fifty Hindusgathered about fifty yards away,placed a stone there, and said thatsomeone had dreamed they shouldconstruct a Hindu temple there.

The next morning about 300people gathered at the site andattacked the laborers working on thechurch building. They snatched $220from the builder’s pocket, beat himmercilessly, and ordered him to stopconstruction.

At that time the pastor and thepresident of the church arrived to see

what the trouble was. Theangry crowd dragged themoff and ordered them toturn over fifty bags ofcement and iron rods.

The next day, twomissionaries with thechurch planting ministryarrived at the site and they,too, were beaten, butmanaged to escape bymotorbike. Then the tidebegan to turn.

That very same night,one of the villagers whohad forcibly taken fourbags of cement died.

Two days later a meteorstreaked across the sky,spreading flamingfragments as it went.Witnesses said the meteorlit up the night sky and othersreported hearing a deafening roar. Itcrashed into a house and newsreports said at least twenty peoplewere injured. Local citizens wereterrified.

After this, the leaders of themilitant Hindus apologized and saidthey wanted to return the materials.

“The police authorities were nothelpful at all, but the situation is undercontrol,” the leader told Christian Aid.

N E W SNo. 4, page 4 The Operation Reveille SHOFAR Fourth Quarter 2003

Militants Attack Christian Villages in Nigeriaby Obed Minchakpu, Compass Direct

Over 100 well-armed Muslim militants swarmed intothree Christian villages in northern Nigeria on August

25th. Seven people were reportedly killed, 30 homes burnedand 140 families displaced when the attackers invaded atabout 8 p.m., setting houses ablaze and destroying food instorage facilities.

The attack on the villages of Pamadu, Kwale and Janyein the Pero-Shenge local government area of Gombe statemarks the second violent clash in the area.

Dr. Ishaku Iliya, chairman of the local governmentcouncil, told journalists that seven others were seriouslywounded. They are received treatment at a hospital inFiliya. “This is the most cruel attack on a community Ihave ever seen in my life,” he said. According to Iliya, themilitants also carted away the villagers’ personal propertyand about a hundred head of cattle worth thousands ofdollars.

He told journalists that militants carried out a similarattack in the area last year. One person was killed andseveral others were wounded.

Mr. Lazarus Yoriyo, deputy governor of Gombe state,described the attack on the Christian villages as “mostunfortunate.” He told journalists that the state governmentwould ensure that this threat to peace is checked throughadequate protection of lives and property. Since theintroduction of the Islamic legal code in northern Nigeria,

Muslim militants have often attacked areas where Christiansare living when Christians resist the enforcement of Islamiclaw.

Gombe is one of twelve states implementing Islamic lawin northern Nigeria. A number of persons, includingChristians, have been jailed for flouting Islamic law.

Nigerian Local Council Bans Christian Worshipby Obed Minchakpu, Compass Direct

Authorities of Kumbotso local government council in thestate of Kano, Nigeria, have banned Christians from

holding worship services.“This directive by the Kumbotso local government area

for Christians not to conduct Sunday worship servicesanywhere within the state which belongs to the federalgovernment has raised a lot of concern,” Rev. A.U. Uba,secretary of the Kano chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), told Compass on September 14th.

He added that the decision has increased tensionsbetween Muslims and Christians in the area.

The government of Kano state has reportedly seizedlands belonging to Christian schools for business use.

“You can’t believe that a government, which claims it isworking to promote religious tolerance, is the samegovernment that has been seizing landed properties fromChristian schools and allocating them to rich Muslims forthe building of shops,” Uba said.

In another development, Kano officials appointed aMuslim to lead a Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

In reacting to the accusations, Kano governor MalamIbrahim Shekarau said he was prepared to step on toes inhis bid to implement the Islamic legal system in the state.

Shekarau told journalists at a September 17th pressconference in Kano city that his priority is “to workjudiciously in accordance with the Islamic provisions ofgovernance under the sharia.” He revealed plans to enact alaw banning women from commuting in the same vehicleswith men and stressed that the law would apply to all peopleof the state, irrespective of their religion.

Shekarau outlined a plan to establish mobile courts totry offenders of sharia and said that, if necessary, hisadministration would support the implementation of theIslamic legal system by strengthening vigilante groups.

Meanwhile, religious conflict between Muslims andChristians continues to simmer as residents of Plateau statemarked the two-year anniversary of bloody riots thatengulfed Jos city in September 2001.

According to statistics compiled by CAN officials, theviolence has led to the destruction of 175 Protestant andCatholic churches, the deaths of an estimated 10,000Christians and millions of dollars in property damage forChristian businessmen and homeowners in Plateau state.

The areas that have experienced the most recurringskirmishes between followers of the two religions are Wase,Kanam, and Langtang districts.

F I L M R E V I E W

Fourth Quarter 2003 The Operation Reveille SHOFAR No. 4, page 5

This film is not for children or young teens.

Tears of the Sun Reflects True Conditionsreviewed by Peter Hammond, reprinted from Christian Action, Vol. 3, 2003, P.O. Box 7735, Cape Town, South Africa

Having just returned from a missionto Nigeria, I watched this new film

with great interest. It begins with real street violence

footage with a voice-over report aboutcivil war in Nigeria. Muslim Fulanishave overthrown the Christian Igbogovernment, assassinated thepresident and his family, and are anethnic cleansing campaign againstChristian Igbos.

The news footage actually comesfrom Sierra Leone.

With this background, we meetLieutenant A.K. Waters, a veteranofficer of a navy SEAL unit aboard theaircraft carrier USS Harry S. Trumanoff the coast. Lt. Waters is ordered tolead his team to evacuate anAmerican medical doctor and somemissionaries from a mission station inNigeria.

Dr. Lena Kendricks is the onlyphysician available to thewar-mutilated people of her Christianvillage. She refuses to leave themission hospital unless the seventy orso of her patients can go too. WithMuslim forces only hours away, theteam begins the evacuation. At first,Waters obeys his orders not to getinvolved in what his captain describesas “not our war.” However, when themissionaries who refused to leave withthe evacuation team, and the patientswho could not move, are slaughtered,Waters determines to take the villagesurvivors on the perilous trek throughdense jungles to neighboringCameroon.

As they move through the jungleon foot, the SEAL team and refugeesare relentlessly pursued. Passing by avillage where Muslim soldiers aretorturing and slaughtering Christianresidents, Lt. Waters has to choosebetween following his orders andobeying his conscience.

Tears of the Sun is an intenseaction film with graphic scenes ofexcruciating cruelty. However, Tears

of the Sun is no mindlessHollywood fiction. Itaccurately depicts the kindof brutality perpetratedagainst Christianminorities. Atrocitiesshown, like burningchurches, massacringvillagers, beheadingministers, chopping off thebreasts of nursingmothers, and burningpeople alive are happeningroutinely in some parts ofAfrica.

When Waters sees the slaughterhe turns back to save as many as hecan.

Poster and trailer slogans for thismovie declare: “He was trained tofollow orders. He became a hero bydefying them.” Hollywood glorifiesrebellion. A realist might wonder,“Why should a SEAL commanderexpect loyalty from his men if he won’tobey his own orders?”

In this context, the officer on theground takes expected initiative andacts on information he alone has inorder to save lives. This film clearlydepicts that we are answerable to a“higher law.”

As the SEAL team witnesses thecarnage waged in the name of Allah,they willingly follow their team leaderin engaging the enemy and savinglives.

In addition to graphic violence, thefilm features abundant profanity.However, these sights and sounds arenowhere near as offensive as the realworld events they mimic.

The film begins with thesuggestion that God has left Africa.One of the missionaries tells Waters,“Go with God,” and Waters replies,“God already left Africa!” White dovessymbolically fly away when one of themissionaries gets beheaded offscreen. In Africa, missionaries getmurdered, women and children suffer,

and people are tortured.Has God left for real?

The film communicatesthat God is indeed workingthrough those who careenough to risk their lives forthe sake of others. Someviewers comment that theperilous jungle trek remindsthem of Moses leading hispeople out of Egypt withPharaoh’s army in hotpursuit. Others think thatthe title should have been

“Tears of the Son?”Major themes include sacrifice,

courage, compassion (especially forwidows and orphans), passion forfreedom, trust, and teamwork. Thefilm depicts missionaries favorably astrue good Samaritan-like neighbors,caring for those in desperate need.American soldiers who give their livesepitomize the principle, “Greater lovehas no one than this than that He laydown his life for another” (John 15:13).

The heroes begin reluctantly butend valiantly. Their faces reflectmission rigors, inner struggles, andtorment from witnessing viciousbrutality. They trust their commanderin combat and maneuvers. TheirLieutenant leads by example andsolicits input before committing todangerous courses of action.

This film has a look of militaryauthenticity and it is accurateconcerning atrocities perpetrated byMuslim militants in Africa. Tens ofthousands of Christians have beenkilled by Muslims in Nigeria in recentyears. May the people of America notforget Africa, and may Africans notforget God.

Note: Peter Hammond is a former BritishSAS officer. He currently directs FrontlineFellowship, a mission agency based in South Africa, and he travels widelythroughout the war torn “front line” parts of Africa.

See: www.frontline.org.za

No. 4, Page 6 The Operation Reveille SHOFAR Fourth Quarter 2003

Declaration by the Christian Converts of EgyptOctober 26, 2003Cairo, Egypt IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT:

For many years, we have been struggling for the simplest ofour human rights, the freedom of belief and the freedom ofworship.

We have been imprisoned, tortured, followed by the securitypolice and subjected to all forms of abuse for our faith inJesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

But in Jesus, our lives and behavior are so much better.Many among us were terrorists, Islamist fundamentalists.We were burning churches, killing, dealing with our wholesociety as apostates. But after we put our faith in Jesus, webecame pacifists, bonded to our nation, living as best wecould.

But despite this change for the better, our Islamicgovernment does not accept the changing of our religionfrom Islam to Christianity.

This right is accepted by the Constitution of Egypt, butrejected by Islamic Law: “And whoso becometh a renegadeand dieth in his disbelief, such are rightful owners of the firethey will abide in” (Surah El-Baqarah 217).

Islamic law is the main source for the Egyptian Constitution: Article 2: “Islam is the state religion, Arabic the officiallanguage, and the principles of Islamic Law the main sourceof legislation.”

According to this legislation, we as converts are consideredas apostates. We need to repent within three days, or we willbe killed.

But Al-Azhar was “merciful” to us, and changed thepunishment from repentance to be carried out for the rest ofthe apostate’s life. So, he will be imprisoned for life, undersurveillance, threatened for the rest of his life!

We are between the jaws of the Constitution and thelegislation. To solve this dilemma of the freedom of beliefguaranteed in the Constitution, and the judgment forapostasy in Islamic Law, they put us between the jaws of anillegal law.

The Penal Code states that whoever blasphemes or disdainsa heavenly religion must be brought before the courts. By“heavenly religion” here, they mean Islam! But how, andwhy? No one knows. Is it logical that the person whochooses a religion other than Islam is accused ofblasphemy, and the opposite is not applied?

We as Christian converts therefore declare:

1] We claim our rights, as given by the EgyptianConstitution and by all the international declarations andtreaties of human rights worldwide. We ask the EgyptianGovernment to not act with its citizens in an unequal way.Just as it deals with the Christian embracing Islam, givinghim the right to change his faith, his name, his identity andall his official papers in less than 24 hours, we as convertsclaim the same right-the citizenship right by which we aresubject to the same rights and the same duties. HereChristians are not persecuted, because they have thefreedom to change their faith; but Muslims are persecuted,because they are not enjoying that same right!

2] We ask that all cases of falsification of documentsagainst the converts to Christianity be dropped, with noconditions. The Egyptian Government is itself responsiblefor this illegal action, because it has deprived us of one ofour basic legal rights, to embrace a new faith and changeour name, our identity and our official papers. Give us ourrights, and we will not falsify these things.

3] We ask the Egyptian Government and all human rightsorganizations all over the world to stop the torture, illegaldetention, security surveillance and incitement of familiesagainst religious converts. It is unbelievable in the 21st

century that the tribunals of inquisition are still controllingour consciences, hearts and minds.

4] We declare to the Egyptian Government that it has beenplaying for time for many years now, while we have had tospend our lives, our dreams and ourselves behind bars, keptin prisons and under detention. In the face of the risingnumber of converts, the government has no choice but torespect the desire of thousands of Muslims to embraceChristianity. We do not want this to be only an inner, secretfaith, but a totally embracing one, so that we will be able toworship freely our Lord and Savior Jesus, and be allowed toraise our children in all the breadth of Jesus Christ our Lordand Savior.

Finally, we believe that: “In the world you shall havetribulation: but be of good cheer. I have overcome theworld.”

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are notworthy to be compared with the glory which shall berevealed in us.”

THE CHRISTIAN CONVERTS OF EGYPT

N E W S

Muslim background believer couple with two daughters

Fourth Quarter 2003 The Operation Reveille SHOFAR No. 4, page 7

Egypt’s Muslims Denied Freedom of Conscienceby Barbara G. Baker, COMPASS DIRECT

Egypt’s state security police havearrested and tortured a Christiancouple from Muslim background,along with eleven other Egyptiancitizens accused of forging Christianidentity papers for former Muslims.

At least ten more Christians havesince been detained and subjected totorture in the sweep, said to beheaded by two security police officersknown for illegal and cruel tacticsagainst converts.

Mohammed Ahmed Imam Kordyand his wife Sahar El-Sayed AbdelGhany, were arrested in Alexandria on18 October, apparently after the wifewas implicated in a complaint extortedunder torture that she had helpedanother woman secure false identitypapers.

Two days after their detention, theywere transferred to central Cairo’sEl-Mosky police station where theyfaced interrogation. They were deniedfood, beaten, hung by their arms, andbloated with painful amounts of airblown into their bodies.

The couple reportedly told theprosecutor that they had changedtheir own names, with the husbandtaking the name Yousef SamuelMakari Suliman, and the wife adopting Mariam Girguis Makar.

However, they declared that theydid not know it was illegal for them tochange their religious identity. Since itwas commonly known that Christiansin Egypt could convert to Islam andchange their identity papers, theystated, they assumed that Muslimswould have access to the same rights.

The couple named two Copticpriests they said helped them changetheir religious identity, both of whomhave died in the past three years.

Although lawyers intervened to getthe couple released on bail, the wifewent to prison on 23 October for amonth while the case is investigated.Her husband was ordered releasedbut remains in custody. The couplehas two teenage daughters.

Meanwhile, elevenmore arrests werereported, including thearrests of three Copticwomen who hadconverted to Islamseveral years ago buthave since returned totheir Christian faith. Thethree, identified as SoheirHosni Sedky, FawzeyaAzmy Estafanos andMarina MorcosShenouda, face chargesof bribing governmentemployees and obtainingfalse identity papers.

In addition, eight governmentemployees are known to have beenarrested in connection with the case.Two of them, Reda Zaghloul and AmalWadi’I, are women.

Another, a Christian named AzizZakhary Armanios, was employed insecurity directorate offices in BeniSwef, a governate in southern Egypt.Armanios was arrested in Cairo onaccusations of preparing Christianidentity papers for 2,800 EgyptianMuslims who had become Christians.The prosecutor has ordered hisdetention extended for 45 days.

Detainee Samir Sa’ad has beenidentified as a Coptic Christian whohad converted to Islam and then triedto return to Christianity. An employeein the civil records office in Dokki,Cairo, Sa’ad was reportedly tortured toreveal the names of Muslims who hadconverted to Christianity.

An additional ten Christians havebeen detained in the widening sweepof arrests said to be organized by Lt.Sayed Zaky, a criminal investigationofficer known for following illegalprocedures in detaining Christians.

Although Lt. Zaky informed theprosecutor that the newly accusedChristians had been arrested off thestreet, local sources confirmed theywere taken forcibly from their homesin the middle of the night. “They were

breaking down doors, searchinghomes, abusing parents in front oftheir children, all in a very humiliatingway,” the sources said.

Those arrested are reportedlybeing tortured by Lt. WalidEl-Dossoky, assigned to the statesecurity police headquarters inLazogly. Because of El-Dossoky’sreputation for cruelty, particularlyagainst women converts, numerouscomplaints have been filed to humanrights organizations against him.

Although Egypt’s Coptic Christiansmake up more than ten percent of thenational population, the government isaccused of blatant “religiousapartheid” for its discriminatory laws.

While Christian citizens who wantto convert to Islam are free to adoptMuslim names and change theirofficial religious identity, these rightsare denied to Muslims who convert toChristianity. Under the law, it is notillegal for an Egyptian to convert fromone religion to another, but inpractice, Muslims who becomeChristians face arrest, torture andongoing threats to their lives.

In the face of such persecution,many such converts have tried tochange their religious status withoutgovernment permission, leavingthemselves open to the charge offalsifying official documents.

O P P O R T U N I T Y

R E S O U R C E S

director: Dr. Bruce Sidebotham mailing address: P.O. Box 26396, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80935-6396 e-mail: bside@oprev.org, phone: (719) 572-5908, fax: (775) 248-8147, Web Site: <www.oprev.org> The Operation Reveille Shofar is a FREE quarterly resource.Donation checks to help with publication and distribution costs can be made out to Mission to Unreached Peoples.

VOM Action Pack gets smiles.

No. 3, page 8 The Operation Reveille SHOFAR Fourth Quarter 2003

You Can Help Christians In Iraq

Voice of the Martyrs is working withIraqi believers who are distributing

Bibles, gospel materials, and children’sstorybooks in Arabic and Farsi.

You can order and fill an “ActionPack” to help these believers. Voice ofthe Martyrs will provide you with special

vacuum bags and a list of items that canbe included. Then they will deliver yourgift to a Christian family in Iraq.

Along with your gift, families will alsoreceive gospel material and children’sstorybooks printed in their nativelanguage.

To order your Action Pack call 1-800-747-0085 or visit www.persecution.com

How to Get Your PeopleTeams Congregation Involved Dot In Missions org

This 37 page handbook by DavidMays addresses:

Why it’s hard to get people interested

How people feel about missions

How to grab people’s attention

How to get people involved

How to communicate so people listen

What little bit each person can do

Order from ACMC:phone: 1-770-455-8808 fax: 1-770-455-4822e-mail: Atlanta@acmc.orgweb site: www.acmc.org

www.peopleteams.org Afghanistan Iraq Nigeria

and more

Through this web site you can learnabout and get connected to missions

work in some very difficult locations. Itconnects to information on over 500areas with outreach teams consisting ofpeople who are cooperating from manydifferent churches, development, andmissionary agencies.

Do not be frightened, but in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared togive an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience. (1 Peter 3:14-15)

OPERATION REVEILLE’S RECOMMENDED

Do’s and Don’ts for Deployment

Do be professionally excellent.Don’t compromise national security.

Do everything in the open and above board.Do obey all laws, guidelines, and directives.Don’t be secretive.

Do talk about God and your personal faith.Don’t criticize or compare religions.

Do carry a personal Bible and devotional tools.Do try to learn the local language.Don’t distribute Bibles or evangelistic literature.

Do honor local customs and courtesies.Don’t pretend to be of a different faith than you are.

Do exchange addresses/business cards for future correspondence.Do use music and video recordings as farewell and housewarming gifts/mementos for special friends.

Do direct seekers to locals for help, fellowship, and resources.Avoid giving Bibles to people who ask you for one.Avoid leading seekers in prayer to receive Christ.Don’t compromise the security of local believers and their fellowships.

Do facilitate the work of others with prayer, financial, material, and moral support.Do not be ignorant of the work that others are doing.Do educate yourself about work in the area

(like: Bible translation, gospel broadcasting, community development, and church growth).Avoid directly participating in local Christian work.

Do behave in an upright and exemplary manner according to the local standards of morality.Don’t flaunt Western freedoms in dress, entertainment, and girl-guy relationships.

Do pray openly and publicly.Do pray with/for local people in the name of Jesus.

Do join with other deployed believers in praying for the local people and their social institutions.Do have prayer support of friends and family back home for your ministry.Don’t pray or work alone.

Spiritual Landscape Update for A F G H A N I S T A NU. S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Reports on Trip to Kabul, August 10-13, 2003

During the crucial period when Afghan expertsare preparing a draft constitution, a delegation

of the U.S. Commission on International ReligiousFreedom visited Kabul.

The Commission has repeatedly voiced itsconcern that serious human rights abuses werecontinuing under the U.S.-supported TransitionalAdministration. Moreover, troubling signs appearthat the reconstructed legal system and the newconstitution might be used by extremists to denyuniversal human rights, including freedom ofreligion and belief.

Afghan leaders explained they have tried to stayon the timetable set by the December 2001 BonnAgreement for establishing a representative government, but gains for human rights achievedby victory over the Taliban may be in peril.

Security remains precarious. Terrorists attackedbefore and after the delegation’s visit. Taliban andal-Qaida remnants have been joined by othershostile to the Transitional Administration led byPresident Karzai. Regional warlords and localmilitary commanders operate independently of the centralgovernment and abuse human rights with impunity.

The Commissioners encountered numerous Muslimmoderates, who recognize the compatibility of Islam withinternationally recognized human rights. Yet these moderatesface grave fear for their physical security in the face ofincreasingly vocal, well-armed and confident extremists. Evenwithin the Transitional Administration, some displayed openhostility to freedom of religion and belief, freedom ofexpression, and women’s rights.

Afghanistan’s Chief Justice Shinwari, for instance, told theCommission that he accepts all the international standardsprotected by the Universal Declaration on Human Rights withthree exceptions: freedom of expression, freedom of religion,and equal rights for men and women. When asked about thedraft constitution, Shinwari told the Commission that “this isthe only law,” pointing to the Koran prominently displayed onhis desk.

The Commission emphasized to its Afghan interlocutorsthat American support cannot be expected if the country’s newconstitution does not protect freedom of belief, freedom tomanifest one’s beliefs, and freedom from coercion, asfundamental rights for every individual, whether Muslim ornon-Muslim.

The Commission found that Afghanistan is at a juncturefrom which it can either move forward to secure greaterprotections for the rights of its people or fall back intoTaliban-like practices. The latter will leave Afghanistan moreunstable exacerbating threats to U.S. security.

Freedom of expression is in peril. Even in Kabul, journalistsface prosecution for allegedly “offending Islam” when their

speech is political. Outside Kabul, warlords intimidate thosewho contradict their views. Reformers must be protected fromaccusations of blasphemy or similar charges for daring to raisequestions about the appropriate role of Islam in the political andlegal systems or for criticizing specific political figures andparties.

Security must be improved outside Kabul. Without it, thewarlords will unduly influence constitutional delegate selection.Delegates will not be able to speak their consciences or for theirconstituencies if they fear for their safety when they returnhome.

Moderates and reformers who respect human rights arecurrently on the defensive—even threatened. They need U.S.support. Otherwise the constitution-making process may wellentrench the power of the warlords and those with an Islamistor extremist agenda.

The United States should facilitate visits to Afghanistan ofIslamic legal experts who will promote the compatibility of Islamand human rights.

The U.S. government should bring Afghan leaders toAmerica to show how Islam and other faiths may be practicedin a free society.

The U.S. government should support the reconstruction ofa judicial sector operating under the rule of law and upholdinginternational standards of human rights. U.S. assistance shouldwork to ensure that all judges and prosecutors are trained incivil law and international human rights standards, that womenare recruited into the judiciary at all levels, and all Afghans haveequal access to the courts. Afghanistan must not become ajudicial theocracy in which activist judges abridge the humanrights of reformers, religious minorities, and women.