LAF INDIA NEWS

MYMARICHIONDI now in Hanumakonda!

2010-11-09T01:54:00.000-08:00

How can you describe Telangana in two words?
Its very easy. REVOLUTION and MUSIC. Telangana is known for its revolutionary spirit and reviving music.

Here’s the good news. The mega musical event 'Mymarichipondi' is going to be held in Hanumakonda this year. Previously the program created waves in Vijayawada and Guntur. Eluru. Last year in Vizag, the event was a great sensation in the history of Vizag. Conducted by LAF the event attracted huge crowds in Vizag. This year the organisers are expecting a 60000 crowd, which is going to be an eye feast for Telangana people.

What's more! The renowned singers and famous musicians are going to rock Telangana on Dec. 5th evening.

Anil Kant along with his wife Reena Kant and daughter Shreya Kant is the cynosure of the evening.

Kalpana, the famous playback singer is always the josh of our events.

Dayandhi Rao, is going to be the new attraction. His album ‘Choole’ is the hot favourite of Christian youth recently. This time he is joining hands with LAF.

Entry passes will soon be available at all major stores. Watch out for yet another awesome event from LAF.

Hindu Church Bomber Repents

2010-01-13T22:25:00.000-08:00

Teresa Neumann (January 13, 2010)
"Although I bombed the church, Christians come to meet me every day."
(Nepal)—Inspire Magazine reports that Ram Prasad Mainali, chief of the extremist Nepal Defence Army, has repented of bombing a church in 2008 which killed two and injured dozens..From his jail in Kathmandu, Mainali said: "I bombed the church so that I could help re-establish Nepal as a Hindu nation. There are Catholic nations, there are Protestant nations and there are also Islamic nations, but there is no Hindu nation. But I was wrong. Creating a religious war cannot solve anything, it will only harm people."

Mainali was quoted as saying he "began reading the Bible after experiencing the graciousness of prison Christians.""Although I bombed the church, Christians come to meet me every day," he said. "No rightwing Hindu has come to meet me even once."

Houses un-built, thousands yet to return home in Kandhamal

2009-12-07T11:15:00.000-08:00

Most of the over 5,000 houses destroyed in the December 2007 and August 24-October 2008 mayhem remain un-built, and several thousand of the 50,000 Christian refugees are still to return home, says John Dayal, general secretary of the All India Christian Council (aicc).Dayal, who visited the riot-hit district on a fact-finding mission, rued that Church was shattered, deeply wounded and overwhelmed by the magnitude of the violence. Many of the refugees, he said, cannot return home due to the threats and coercion to convert to Hinduism that continue till today. He noted that although there has been much work by religious groups in distributing Holy Bibles and clothes, and in counseling victims, there has not been commensurate work in enhancing the sense of security."The result is that complainants and witnesses to violence feel very insecure and are susceptible to coercion, blackmail and perhaps allurement," he said. "Not much progress has been made in getting convictions especially in the murder cases involving BJP political leaders."Dayal continued that Church was focused more on helping complete houses instead of using the law to let government complete the houses. "As a result, though the Catholic Church says it will help complete 1200 houses, Believers Church 900 Houses, Eficor about 300 houses, and CNI a similar number, another 2,500 houses remain without help."The Christian leader also lamented that post-violence, civil society and peace institutions are yet to be revived. “A belated effort is now being made to revive civil society and the process of justice and reconciliation towards a lasting peace in Kandhamal, which remains the worst single case of persecution of Christians in South Asia,” he observed.

Two Iranian Christian Women Freed after 259 Days in Prison

2009-11-19T01:01:00.000-08:00

Praises to the Lord. Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, were finally released on Wednesday. For almost nine months the two Iranian Christian women have been held in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran for refusing to deny their faith. Maryam and Marzieh are now set free without bail and they are currently at home. Although the release is great news for Maryam and Marzieh, it is not known if the release is unconditional. Literally millions of Christians around the world have been praying for their release. Their future still is uncertain. So we must keep these two brave women in our prayers...and all the Christians who are imprisoned in Iran and in other countries. In recent years Evin prison has drawn criticism by various human rights organizations for violations of basic human rights and capital punishments that are carried out in the detention center. As far as known now, Maryam and Marzieh did not face direct physical torture while being detained, but have suffered from the lack of proper health care. Their physical condition has deteriorated over time. No medical attention was given when suffering from infections, high fever and stomach aches. Marzieh was in pain because of an ongoing problem with her spine, an infected tooth only treated by painkillers, and severe headaches.

Both women were arrested on March 5 by Iranian authorities without filing official charges against them. Only after a month of detention the accusations of "taking part in illegal gatherings" and "acting against state security" were made known to them.

On August 9 they had to appear in court and firmly responded to the warning that they should recant their Christian faith. "We love Jesus" is what they responded to the question if they were Christians. When the question was repeated they said; "yes, we are Christians." They responded: "We will not deny our faith" to the emphatic statement by the deputy prosecutor that they should renounce their faith in both verbal and written form.

On October 7 Maryam and Marzieh were unexpectedly taken to appear before the court. There they learned three charges were put against them: Anti-state activities, propagation of the Christian faith, and apostasy. A new judge was presiding, and unlike the previous judges, he was sympathetic. He acquitted Maryam and Marzieh from the charge of anti-state activities, which rarely happens. As a result, their case was transferred from the revolutionary court to the civil court.

Keep praying for Maryam and Marzieh since their release does not automatically mean they will be living in complete freedom now. Also pray for their health; that they can receive proper health care. Also remember the Iranian church in your prayers as the church is under a lot of pressure. Recently the Assemblies of God Church in central Tehran was summoned to stop organizing services in Farsi on Friday afternoons.

Billy Graham is 91

2009-11-07T19:50:00.000-08:00

Evangelist Billy Graham is spending the weekend receiving several family members at his western North Carolina home to celebrate his 91st birthday today.

"I've experienced God's gracious love in a personal way all these years," Graham said. "Today my heart is filled with gratitude to the Lord for all He has done for me, and for all the prayers from so many people over the years."

According to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Mr Graham is still in good health, while dealing with various age-related conditions such as macular degeneration and hearing loss. He exercises daily, taking short walks at his mountain home with the aid of a walker to keep his balance. He also remains involved in the work of the BGEA, the ministry he founded 60 years ago and which is now led by his son, Franklin. "Although my health now keeps me mostly at home, Franklin and our BGEA team continue proclaiming God's love and the Gospel of Jesus Christ to lost people in many places around the world," said Graham.

Mr Graham is also still involved in writing projects and spends time each morning and evening in prayer with friends, family and BGEA staff. His pastor, Dr Don Wilton of First Baptist Church, Spartanburg, South Carolina, also visits weekly for times of prayer and encouragement.

As he enters his tenth decade, Graham said he continued to miss his lifelong partner, his wife Ruth Bell Graham, who passed away in June 2007. "While I know God keeps me here for a purpose, I look forward to the time when I will be reunited with Ruth in Heaven," Mr Graham said.

"However, I am enjoying this season of life, watching my children and grandchildren - and now even my great-grandchildren - grow more fully into their own ministries. It is another blessing of these senior years."

Famous gospel singer Anil Kant comes to Vizag in December

2009-10-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

Goodnews to the christians in vizag and sorrounding places. The 'pray for India' fame Anil Kant is coming to Vizag to perform in an event on 13 th, December. The sensational singer and music composer Anil Kant will be participating in the mega musical event 'Mymarichipondi' an innovative program organised by Mr. Syambandi of Love in Action fellowship[LAF].

This is the fourth in the series of the events conducted every december. Previously the program created waves in Vijayawada and Guntur. Last year in Eluru, the event was a never before hit in the costal area. Conducted by LAF the event attracted huge crowds in Eluru. This year the organisers are expecting a 60,000 crowd, which is going to be an eye feast for Vizagites. What's more! The renowned gospel singer Jolly Abraham, the leading playback singer Kalpana and the promising christian music director J K Christopher are going to rock the music loving city on Dec.13th evening. Entry passes will soon be available at all major christian stores and centres. Vizagites, are you listening?

The case of Iranian women converts

2009-10-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Unlike previous judges, the new judge was reportedly sympathetic to the situation of Maryam Rustampoor, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, according to Elam Ministries, a group that supports churches in Iran.

The two young converts were unexpectedly called to appear in court on the morning of Oct. 7 to face three charges: anti-state activities, propagation of the Christian faith, and apostasy. The new judge acquitted the defendants from the charge of anti-state activities, which Elam noted rarely happens.

“This is a great relief for the two women and their lawyer was very pleased,” the ministry reported.

Their case will now be transferred from the revolutionary court to the general court that will oversee the hearings for the other two charges.

Since March, the two Iranian women have been detained in the infamous Evin prison where they were reportedly denied medical attention and often blindfolded for interrogations for several hours at a time. Amirizadeh is said to be enduring ongoing pain from a spinal problem, as well as an infected tooth and intense headaches.

The two are recent converts to Christianity from Islam. According to reports received by the Farsi Christian News Network, though they were arrested for anti-government activities, the only “crime” the women have committed is being practicing Christians.

Despite the mental and physical hardships, both women stated at a court hearing on Aug. 9 that they will not recant their faith.

At the most recent hearing on Oct. 7, the two women said, “If we come out of prison we want to do so with honor.”

Iran holds the No. 3 spot on Open Doors' list of countries with the worst Christian persecution record. Last year, the Iranian Parliament gave its initial approval to a bill that would punish apostasy with death. There have been no updates on whether the bill has received final approval from parliament.

Ministries serving the persecuted church are urging Christians around the world to pray for the two women as they continue to face an uphill battle for freedom.

Baptist leaders fined for street evangelism in Russia

2009-10-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

Norway-based Forum 18 News service reported that the two preachers - Mikhail Alentyev and Aleksandr Legotin were fined on 25 September by magistrate at Gusev Municipal court for holding a public demonstration.

Legotin insisted that because the Baptists had held a religious service and not a demonstration, the legal requirement to notify the authorities in advance should not have applied. “We follow the law very carefully,” he told Forum 18.

“And under the Universal Declaration [of Human Rights] we have the right to freedom of conscience – the law should be doing the opposite, protecting us from such arbitrariness,” he said.

All public gatherings – whether political or religious – must be sanctioned by the municipal authorities in advance, a Kaliningrad police source speaking on condition of anonymity told Forum 18 on 1 October.

“But they didn't have permission and they had no intention of getting it!” he remarked, clearly irritated by the Baptists' actions, while admitting they had not disturbed public order.

Asked why permission is necessary, the source replied, “That's the law in Russia!” and pointed to Article 20.2 of the Administrative Violations Code. Forum 18 said the policeman declined to comment further.

Mr Alentyev commented to Forum 18 that his 30-strong Gusev congregation “knows from experience” that the local authorities will block its public evangelism even if they do submit advance notification.

The community belongs to the Baptist Council of Churches, which broke away from the Soviet-recognised Baptist Union in 1961 in protest at regulations preventing missionary activity and religious instruction to children. Its communities refuse on principle to register with the authorities in post-Soviet countries.

As the Gusev Baptists preached, sang, played musical instruments and handed out gospels in the town's centre during their end of August evangelism week, they were disrupted by police four times.

"They said, 'What right do you have to do this? Permission? No? Then down to the police station!'" recalled Alentyev, who was detained there for an hour on 3 September.

When likewise detained, Legotin tried to point to religious freedom guarantees in international and national law, as well as the 1993 Russian Constitution, he told Forum 18, but one police officer retorted, "You have the law, we have instructions!" He also said that police accused the Baptists of being extremists.

According to an 18 September Council of Churches report, police officers shouted at and ridiculed the Gusev preachers, and threatened to shut them in a cellar when they refused to sign statements.

Legotin and Alentyev both told Forum 18 this is the first year they have been obstructed by the Kaliningrad authorities. According to the Council of Churches report, police detained and interrogated preachers in Polessk in July. Ten days later, Legotin and a second preacher were summoned to the municipal public prosecutor's office and told they were banned from conducting religious activity in the district without state registration.

In January, police disrupted evangelisation by some 25 Baptists, including Legotin, in Domnovo village (Pravdinsk District). All were detained by police, who took their names, home and work addresses, and interviewed minors without their parents. They also accused the Baptists of receiving funds from abroad and "parasitism" ["tuneyadstvo"], an allegation commonly levelled at religious believers and dissidents during the Soviet period.

Legotin rejects this charge. "I have two jobs," he told Forum 18. "We all work."

Council of Churches communities consistently encounter state opposition when they conduct public religious activity. According to their 23 May report, a female police officer in civilian clothes and several unidentified men broke up evangelisation at Losevo village market in Voronezh Region on 20 May, warning that if the Baptists did not leave they would be beaten. The preachers later received death threats from locals, and one of their cars was set alight.

Forum 18 said similar attacks have taken place in other regions in previous years, targeting the Baptists and other Churches not recognised by the Russian authorities.

Earlier this year, Russia’s Ministry of Justice established a new body called the Expert Council on Religious Studies that is said to have “unprecedented powers” to suggest policies to control religious groups, according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

USCIRF chair Leonard Leo believed the chair of the Expert Council, Aleksandr Dvorkin, is said to be Russia’s most prominent “anti-cult” activists; and under the leadership by Dvorkin, he said some fear that the Council will close registered organizations, such as the Evangelical Protestant community, and unregistered minority religious communities like the Council of Churches Baptists.

The move prompted USCIRF to add Russia to its watch list for the first time despite having monitored the country’s religious freedom for ten years.

India floods leave 1.5 million homeless

2009-10-05T03:13:00.001-07:00

Devastating floods that killed more than 230 people in southern India have left close to 1.5 million others homeless, officials said Monday.

The floods, triggered by days of torrential rain, have inundated swathes of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra states, causing mass evacuations and leaving hundreds of thousands dependent on relief camps.

The death toll on Monday stood at 233, with 170 killed in Karnataka, 37 in Andhra Pradesh and 26 in Maharashtra.

With the rains showing signs of easing, officials said relief efforts were now focused on providing shelter to survivors whose homes had been wiped out. In Karnataka, one million people were homeless, of which more than 350,000 people had taken shelter in 1,200 relief camps in the worst-hit northern districts, H.V. Parashwanath, secretary of the state's disaster monitoring agency, told AFP.

"We have commenced a survey to identify the remaining homeless for resettling and rehabilitation," he said.

At least 200,000 homes were destroyed in Karnataka and almost 1,500 villages were partially or completely submerged, Parashwanath added.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah said around 475,000 people had been evacuated from their homes. Water discharged from the river Krishna threatened to engulf parts of the city of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, which was entirely cut off from the state capital Hyderabad after police closed the main road connecting the two. Road transportation and train services were also hit.

The head of India's Congress Party Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister P. Chidambaram made an inspection flight over the affected areas in both states on Monday.

In Maharashtra, S.C. Mohanty, head of the state's disaster management cell, said the situation was now "close to normal," after thousands had been evacuated from southern coastal areas.

Indian flood toll rises further

2009-10-05T03:04:00.000-07:00

The number of people killed in flooding caused by heavy rains across southern India continues to rise, with more than 200 confirmed dead, officials say.

Millions of people have been left homeless in the Indian states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh as entire villages have been swept away.

Rainfall has eased in the worst affected state of Karnataka but many farms have been destroyed.

Officials say billions of dollars are needed for relief and reconstruction.

Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa said more than 170 people have died in floods in that state alone.

He said 10 million people had become homeless and nearly two million houses were destroyed across 14 districts in the state.

More than 350 villages are still marooned.

Thousands of livestock, which many farmers depend on to make a living, have also perished in the torrential rains that lashed the state for nearly a week.

"It is a serious situation," Mr Yeddyurappa told reporters.

More than 300,000 people have taken refuge in about 1,000 relief camps set up by the government.

'No shelter'

Our correspondent, Habib Beary in Bangalore, says that thousands are living without a roof to shelter them and without electricity.

In Andhra Pradesh, where nearly 40 people have lost their lives in the flooding, more than a quarter-of-a-million people are in relief shelters. Vast tracts of agricultural land are under water and crops have been destroyed.

India's home minister P Chidambaram is expected to visit the flood-affected areas of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for an assessment of the situation.

Irate villagers in Karnataka have protested against late relief and targeted vehicles carrying politicians.

Health officials said measures were being taken to prevent the outbreak of water-borne diseases in the affected areas.

The rains have been blamed by weather experts on the cyclone in the Bay of Bengal.

Andhra CM appeals Centre for Rs 6,000-cr immediate flood relief

2009-10-05T02:46:00.000-07:00

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Monday urged the Centre to consider the devastating floods in the state as a national calamity and provide Rs 6,000 crore for relief works immediately.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rosaiah said the preliminary estimate of damages due to heavy rains and floods arrives at Rs 12,225 crore.

"I request that the Government of India may kindly consider the said calamity as National Calamity of rare severity and release immediately an amount of Rs 6,000 crore under NCCF as advance so as to enable the state government to take up relief, rehabilitation and restoration works on war footing basis," he said in the letter.

Highlighting the severity of the flood situation in the state, Rosaiah said some mandals in the districts of Mahabubnagar and Kurnool had a rainfall of over 30 cm in a day, leading to heavy inflows into major projects located in Krishna basin like Jurala, Srisailam, Nagarjuna Sagar, Prakasam barrage and Sunkesula.

The Srisailam project which is designed to have an inflow of up to 13,60,000 cusecs received an inflow of more than 25,00,000 cusecs continuously for 12 hours. This is Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) predicted once in 10,000 years. As on October 3, the water level in Jurala, Srisailam and Sunkesula projects had crossed maximum water level (MWL),thereby, resulting in inundation of many villages located in the back waters, he said.

The floods have resulted in heavy damage to the public and private infrastructure. Detailed enumeration is being taken up in this regard. As per the preliminary estimate, more than one lakh acres of standing crops has been affected, Rosaiah said.

He also noted that the Srisailam Right Bank power house is under inundation and 770 MW generation capacity is lost for three-four months. About 574 minor irrigation tanks have been breached.

Pastor attacked in Jammu, Andhra Pradesh

2009-10-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

Jammu pastor beaten and accused of forceful conversion Jammu and Kashmir Police detained Pastor Salamat Masih and three others on false charges of forceful conversion on Sept. 17 in Hira Nagar. Hindu extremists allegedly from the Shiv Sena beat the pastor and falsely accused him of offering rupees 10,000 to each of three converts from Hinduism about to be baptized, reported an Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) correspondent. Police arrived and took the pastor and the three others to the police station, keeping them in custody for two days as a safety measure to thwart any further attacks from the extremists. No case was filed against the pastor after the intervention of local Christian leaders. Pastor brutally attacked in Andhra Pradesh Hindu extremists allegedly from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Shiv Sena on September 10 attacked a pastor, accusing him of cheating people and forceful conversion.The pastor, Ramanjaniah, was beaten and paraded naked by the extremists in Tumkur, Karnataka, according to the EFI.The pastor was conducting a prayer meeting at a Christian’s house when the intolerant radicals stormed into the house and assaulted him, reported EFI correspondent Rev. Noel Kotian ”They tore a Bible and punched and kicked the pastor, continuously beating him as they marched him about one kilometer,” the correspondent said. The pastor received hospital treatment for fractures in his face and leg. The extremists pressured police to restrain the pastor from future preaching, but officers only requested the pastor to inform them before he conducts worship meeting in future. They promised police protection should the need arise. EFI thanked God for the favor received from the police and requested for ceaseless prayers for the safety of Christians in Karnataka, which recorded the highest number of attacks on Christians in India during the first nine months of this year.Pastor attacked in Madhya PradeshOn 28th September 2009 Hindu radicals attacked Rhema Gospel Church in Maharajpur Katni Road, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, reported the Global Council of Indian Christians.“Around 12.30 pm about 15 anti-Christian fanatics on 6 motorcycles broke into the house church shouting slogans Jai Sri Ram and damaged the cross in the entrance,” GCIC said.The radicals are suspected to be members from Abhinav Bhrathi (a Hindu extremist wing suspected to be involved in bomb blasts in different parts of India). The extremists threatened the church pastor, Peter Johnson Lal (51) of further attacks. Pastor Lal has submitted a complaint letter to Adharthal Police Station. The police in-charge has reportedly forwarded the letter to City Superintendent of Police and Collector.The police assured speedy investigation, GCIC said.

India City News, Indian Cities | Cities News

2009-09-18T05:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to LAF INDIA

2009-09-18T05:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome to LAF INDIA