Sudan: Cardinal’s would-be assassin released from prison

Cardinal Zubeir Wako

A month after a man attempted to murder Cardinal Gabriel Zubeir Wako of Khartoum during the celebration of Mass, police have released his would-be assassin. Hamdan Mohamed Abdurrahman was released because police have determined that he is mentally unstable, Sudan Catholic Radio reported.

via Catholic Culture : Latest Headlines : Cardinal’s would-be assassin released from prison.

So he is mentally unstable and is not secluded in a lunatic asylum or some other institution? Well, considering that Msgr. Wako has opposed with a lot of energy against Sudanese Islamist Government, I hope that this guy is not set loose to try it again.

Egypt: Islamists lay siege against Coptic church in Giza, 1 Christian killed

Copts and Egyptian security forces clashed on Sunday outside the Saints Mary and Michael Church in Talbiya, near the Pyramids, Giza. Police want to stop the church construction, which is in its final stage. This is the second time in ten days that security forces try to enter the religious compound, which is under 24-7 protection by priests and worshippers. The siege began at midnight, and lasted six hours. As of 9 pm, the church was full of worshippers praying, aware that security would try to move in.

Security forces surrounded the church compound and seized four concrete mixing vehicles on their way to the site. The concrete was spoiled.

At the same time, some 2,000 Copts joined those already in the church. Demonstrations and sit-ins took place in front of police.

Christian religious authorities said that the church would continue to be protected until the matter is not settled.

Naguib Ghobrial, president of the Egyptian Union of Human Rights, issued a statement calling for the dismissal of the head of the local government in Omraniya who ordered the security forces in.

“The Church has all the permits,” he said. “By this behaviour, the chief of the local authority is encouraging Islamists to fight with Christians because of the Church. This encourages sedition.”

via EGYPT Islamists lay siege to Coptic church near pyramids – Asia News.

A 19-year-old Christian was killed during the fight that followed this second siege. Christians, enraged, charged against the police with stones and other objects. After the news of his death were known, 3,000 Christians gathered outside the church to protest, chanting religious slogans and some against Muslims.

Religious Freedom: The ACN Report is released

The 2010 Report on Religious Freedom in the World by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) was released yesterday in Rome. It shows that the situation is serious in many parts of the world, particularly in Asia. In the Near East, Iraq represents an especially bad case where anti-Christian violence is taking on the form of systematic persecution, as the latest episodes indicate. In Egypt, despite the fact that it is a major tourist destination, there have been many acts of violence against the Christian minority in 2009-2010. Lebanon shows how difficult it is for foreign religious staff to enter the country. The situation of Christians in Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip is getting worse with episodes of explicit persecution.

In India, ethnic and religious violence is rising as well. The year 2009 clearly illustrated the problem. However, China is certainly among those nations where religious freedom is denied in all its facets. However, information about what happens in that nation remains limited and hard to obtain. The state is officially atheist and suppresses all form of religion through arrests and detention in concentration camps. The case of Mgr Julius Jia Zhiguo is one of the better known. The underground bishop of Zhengding (Hebei) was arrested by five police officers on 30 March 2009; he was eventually released 15 months later.

In Pakistan, the blasphemy law is used as weapon against religious minorities, especially Christians who are the victims of Muslim fundamentalism. In Afghanistan, the government is not able to ensure effective religious freedom. In Bangladesh, where Islam is also the state religion, several cases of discrimination and attacks against minorities have been recorded with security forces showing little interest in protecting them.

via ASIA The ACN Report on religious freedom in the world is released – Asia News.

When I find the report in English I will post the link here. It’s necessary that these facts are reported and really known outside those countries.