Islam

A ministry that supports persecuted Christians launched a campaign Thursday to press Iran to release two young female converts who have been detained for eight months in one of the most notorious prisons in the country.

Open Doors USA is calling on people to send a “respectful” message to Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Mohammad Khazaee to request that Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad, 30, be released immediately.

 “Maryam and Marzieh are suffering in an Iranian prison simply for refusing to recant their belief in Jesus Christ…they truly are modern heroes of the faith,” said Open Doors USA President/CEO Dr. Carl Moeller. “We must speak out against this injustice.” more >>

Malaysian authorities have seized more than 15,000 Bibles that refer to God as “Allah” in recent months, said church officials Thursday.

About 10,000 Bibles from Indonesia were confiscated by authorities on Sept. 11, according to the Rev. Hermen Shastri, general secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, according to The Associated Press. The other 5,100 Bibles, also from Indonesia, were seized in March, according to an official from the Bible Society of Malaysia, who requested that AP not identify him to avoid angering the government.

In Malaysia, Christian publications cannot use the word Allah to refer to God. The government contends the word “Allah” is exclusively for Islam, but church officials argue that Allah is not exclusive to Islam because it is an Arabic word that existed before the religion. more >>

National governments should be wary of “over-legislation” when it comes to religious criticism and incitement, warned the U.N. special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.

Furthermore, education and dialogue among religious leaders and youth of different faiths is more effective at reducing religious tensions than blasphemy laws, Asma Jahangir told the press Tuesday after presenting her latest report to the General Assembly’s Third Committee.

Jahangir’s comments were made as the General Assembly considers a resolution sponsored by the Organization of Islamic Conference that would criminalize words or actions that are deemed defamatory towards a particular religion. more >>

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton voiced strong opposition Monday to proposed U.N. resolutions on “defamation of religions,” saying that such policies would restrict free speech.

In opening remarks for the release of the State Department’s Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, Clinton said that while some claim so-called defamation of religions policies would help protect freedom of religion, she “strongly disagree[s].”

“The United States will always seek to counter negative stereotypes of individuals based on their religion and will stand against discrimination and persecution,” Clinton stated. “But an individual’s ability to practice his or her religion has no bearing on others’ freedom of speech.” more >>

More than 200 American Christians attended a conference in Indianapolis this past weekend to learn how to reach out to Muslims in North America.

Speakers at the Oasis Conference, hosted by Muslim outreach ministry Crescent Project, included two former Muslims and a pastor who was born and raised in the Middle East.

Attendees heard answers on questions such as: How can we reach out in love to our Muslim neighbors? How can we clearly present the gospel to Muslims without offending them? How can my congregation reach out to the Muslim community down the street? How can my student group reach out to Muslims on my campus? more >>