Download or read book Shahbaz Bhatti written by John L. Allen and published by Liturgical Press. This book was released on 2020-12-09 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Shahbaz Bhatti, the lone Christian in Pakistan’s cabinet and a determined campaigner for the rights of Christians and members of other faiths was killed, his Taliban-affiliated assassins probably hoped it would be the end of his influence. Instead, Bhatti’s stature has only grown after death, and today he looms as a martyr and patron saint for persecuted Christians everywhere. His riveting life, from devoted altar boy in an overwhelming Muslim nation to human rights campaigner, from politician and government minister to martyr, is one of the great Christian dramas of our time, and as long as Christians are at risk anywhere in the world, Shahbaz Bhatti will be a source of inspiration and hope. This book traces the evolution of a martyr, from his roots in a traditionally Catholic village in the Punjab region of Pakistan through his awakening as an activist and political leader. It also explores the possibility that Bhatti may one day be declared a saint of the Catholic Church. It’s a story that deserves to be told, everywhere and always, until it’s part of the common heritage of Christianity and all humanity.
Download or read book State Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations for 2017 written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 1052 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Global War on Christians written by John L. Allen, Jr. and published by Image. This book was released on 2016-03-15 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most respected journalists in the United States and the bestselling author of The Future Church uses his unparalleled knowledge of world affairs and religious insight to investigate the troubling worldwide persecution of Christians. From Iraq and Egypt to Sudan and Nigeria, from Indonesia to the Indian subcontinent, Christians in the early 21st century are the world's most persecuted religious group. According to the secular International Society for Human Rights, 80 percent of violations of religious freedom in the world today are directed against Christians. In effect, our era is witnessing the rise of a new generation of martyrs. Underlying the global war on Christians is the demographic reality that more than two-thirds of the world's 2.3 billion Christians now live outside the West, often as a beleaguered minority up against a hostile majority-- whether it's Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia, Hindu radicalism in India, or state-imposed atheism in China and North Korea. In Europe and North America, Christians face political and legal challenges to religious freedom. Allen exposes the deadly threats and offers investigative insight into what is and can be done to stop these atrocities. “This book is about the most dramatic religion story of the early 21st century, yet one that most people in the West have little idea is even happening: The global war on Christians,” writes John Allen. “We’re not talking about a metaphorical ‘war on religion’ in Europe and the United States, fought on symbolic terrain such as whether it’s okay to erect a nativity set on the courthouse steps, but a rising tide of legal oppression, social harassment and direct physical violence, with Christians as its leading victims. However counter-intuitive it may seem in light of popular stereotypes of Christianity as a powerful and sometimes oppressive social force, Christians today indisputably form the most persecuted religious body on the planet, and too often its new martyrs suffer in silence.” This book looks to shatter that silence.
Download or read book The Caravan written by Delhi Press and published by Delhi Press. This book was released on 2018-02-01 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The country's first and only publication devoted to narrative journalism, The Caravan occupies a singular position among Indian magazines. It is a new kind of magazine for a new kind of reader, one who demands both style and substance. Since its relaunch in January 2010, the magazine has earned a reputation as one of the country's most sophisticated publications-a showcase for the region's finest writers and a distinctive blend of rigorous reporting, incisive criticism and commentary, stunning photo essays, and gripping new fiction and poetry. Its commitment to great storytelling has earned it the respect of readers from around the world. "India's best English language magazine", The Guardian, London "For those with an interest in India, it has become an absolute must-read", The New Republic, Washington The Caravan fills a niche in the Indian media that has remained vacant for far too long, catering to the intellectually curious and aesthetically refined reader, who seeks a magazine of exceptional quality.
Download or read book Stick with Love written by Arun Arora and published by SPCK. This book was released on 2023-09-21 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'What a delight... a fascinating mix of characters whose stories bring to life the Way of Love to which Jesus calls us all.' BISHOP MICHAEL B. CURRY 'A wonderful series of short reflections... easy to read but packed with depth and insight.' PAULA GOODER Martin Luther King famously declared that 'I have decided to stick with love... Hate is too great a burden to bear'. In these luminous daily readings, Arun Arora helps us consider the biblical picture of the Church as the people of God, drawn from every tribe, every tongue and every nation. Themes of racial justice, hospitality and welcome are explored alongside the stories of saints from across the globe. Beginning with reflections from Isaiah and Revelation, the meditations lead us on to consider the missionaries, martyrs and mystics who light our Advent way. 'Beautifully embodies the new community that Jesus both offers and energises.' DAVID WILKINSON 'Like spending an afternoon with Bishop Arun at the pub... brimming with Advent hope.' JAYNE MANFREDI 'Leads us through Advent with [Bishop Arun's] characteristic wisdom and insight.' GILES FRASER 'Gathers the beautifully diverse family of faith around the table... as we prepare for the great feast that is to come.' KATE BOTTLEY
Download or read book Profiles in Christian Courage written by Kerry Walters and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2014-08-07 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Everyday life requires courage. From physical challenges to moral and spiritual ones, Profiles in Christian Courage tells the stories of inspiring figures whose lives can encourage us in our own struggles. In twenty reader-friendly chapters, Kerry Walters explores the meaning and scope of Christian courage, offers tips on how to cultivate it in daily life, and profiles of Christians who have exemplified it themselves. The portraits are of modern women and men from all parts of the globe. Some are well-known, such as Mother Theresa, C.S. Lewis, or Thea Bowman, while others are less known. Some faced extreme physical threats, while others faced spiritual or emotional darkness. But they are all inspiring role models for everyday courage in our own lives.
Download or read book The New Book of Christian Martyrs The Heroes of Our Faith from the 1st Century to the 21st Century written by Johnnie Moore and published by Tyndale House Publishers. This book was released on 2023-03-07 with total page 625 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An inspiring keepsake that honors the heroic sacrifice of today's martyrs for the Christian faith--and shows how their actions mirror the courage of a long line of brave Christians. In the twenty-first century, we are witnessing an escalation in Christian persecution like we have rarely seen since the first century. Many people don't realize that today thousands of Christians are dying cruel deaths throughout much of the world. There were, in fact, more martyrs in the last century than in all the previous Christian centuries combined. Millions have given their lives since the fall of Rome, and today tens of thousands die annually for their faith in Jesus. Most of these modern stories are not legendary; in fact, many are unknown. The New Book of Christian Martyrs commemorates those modern-day heroes. In this update to Foxe's Book of Martyrs, Johnnie Moore and Jerry Pattengale highlight key martyrs of past centuries and feature stories of contemporary martyrs around the world. Through tears, Johnnie and Jerry offer this compendium of heroes from the first century to the twenty-first century, from Europe to Africa and from Asia to the Americas, to inspire Christians around the globe. Today, we live in solidarity with them and in the next life, we will rejoice by their side. We will never forget their sacrifice for the truth.
Download or read book The Religious Problem with Religious Freedom written by Robert J. Joustra and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-08-17 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rival understandings of the meaning and practice of the religious and the secular lead to rival public perspectives about religion and religious freedom in North America. This book explores how debates over the American Office of Religious Freedom and its International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA, 1998) and very recent debates over the Canadian Office of Religious Freedom (2013) have pitted at least six basic, but very different meanings of the religious and the secular against each other in often undisclosed and usually unproductive ways. Properly naming this ‘religious problem’ is a critical first step to acknowledging and conciliating their practically polar political prescriptions. It must be considered how we are to think about religion in political offices, both the Canadian and the American experience, as an essentially contested term, and one which demands better than postmodern paralysis, what the author terms political theology. This is especially critical since both of these cases are not just about how to deal with religion at home, but how to engage with religion abroad, where real peril, and real practical policy must be undertaken to protect increasingly besieged religious minorities. Finally, a principled pluralist approach to the religious and the secular suggests a way to think outside the ‘religious problem’ and productively enlist and engage the forces of religion resurging around the globe. The book will be of great use to scholars and students in religion and foreign affairs, secularization, political theology, and political theory, as well as professionals and policy makers working in issues relating to religion, religious freedom, and foreign affairs.
Download or read book Peacebuilding in Pakistan written by Heike Ruhland and published by Waxmann Verlag. This book was released on 2019 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Pakistan was carved out of India in 1947 as a homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent, it was envisioned as a secular state where non-Muslims would be granted freedom of religion and equal citizenship. However, the subsequent historical events led to a fast Islamization of nearly every part of public life and discrimination against the country's religious minorities, who today make up less than 4 per cent of the overall population. Based on extensive field work involving more than 100 non-structured qualitative interviews, this study explores the situation of the religious minorities and the dynamics of interfaith peacebuilding in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Primary focus was laid on the practice of interfaith dialogue, which - given the draconic blasphemy laws - differs from interfaith dialogue as conceived of in the West. Additionally, other peacebuilding measures, as offered by various non-governmental organizations, were taken into account, be they advocacy, promotion of human rights and unbiased education, or policy negotiation with the government. Heike Ruhland holds two master's degrees, one in Islamic Studies (University of Zurich) and one in International Information Management (University of Hildesheim). She attained her PhD from the Academy of World Religions, University of Hamburg.
Download or read book Shahbaz Bhatti The Eagle of Pakistan written by Paolo Affatato and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Christianophobia written by Rupert Shortt and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2013-05-16 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On October 29, 2005, three Indonesian schoolgirls were beheaded as they walked to school -- targeted because they were Christian. Like them, many Christians around the world suffer violence or discrimination for their faith. In fact, more Christians than people of any other faith group now live under threat. Why is this religious persecution so widely ignored? In Christianophobia Rupert Shortt investigates the shocking treatment of Christians on several continents and exposes the extent of official collusion. Christian believers generally don't become radicalized but tend to resist nonviolently and keep a low profile, which has enabled politicians and the media to play down a problem of huge dimensions. The book is replete with relevant historical background to place events within their appropriate political and social context. Shortt demonstrates how freedom of belief is the canary in the mine for freedom in general. Published at a time when the fundamental importance of faith on the world stage is being recognized more than ever, this book will be essential reading for anyone interested in people's right to religious freedom, no matter where, or among whom, they live.
Download or read book Pakistan in National and Regional Change written by C. Christine Fair and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-04-08 with total page 135 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pakistan is one of the most important states in the international system and a key concern of western security. This collection identifies a set of national and regional/international trends which will be critical in determining the medium to long-term stability and cohesion of Pakistan, yet which have received relatively little attention elsewhere. Experts on different aspects of Pakistan explore issues of political Islam, minorities, wider political trends, and the economic impacts of the recent floods to seek to explain some of the key drivers of change within Pakistan, and to reflect on the dynamics of US-Pakistan relationships and Pakistan’s rethinking of its regional relationships to understand key regional and international dynamics shaping Pakistan’s future. This book will be of interest to scholars in south asian political studies, ethnic studies and international relations. This book was published as a special issue of Contemporary South Asia.
Download or read book Persecuted written by Paul A. Marshall and published by Thomas Nelson Inc. This book was released on 2013 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Persecuted gives documented accounts of the persecution of Christians in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and former Soviet nations. It contains vivid stories of men and women who suffer abuse because of their faith in Jesus Christ, and tells of their perseverance and courage.
Download or read book Saturday People Sunday People written by Lela Gilbert and published by Encounter Books. This book was released on 2012-12-25 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Saturday People, Sunday People is a unique portrait of Israel as seen through the eyes of a Christian who came for a visit and has stayed on for more than six years. Long fascinated by a land that has become an abstraction centering on international conflicts of epic proportions, Lela Gilbert arrived in Israel on a personal pilgrimage in August 2006—in the midst of a raging war. What she found was a vibrant country, enlivened by warm-hearted, lively people of great intelligence and decency. Saturday People, Sunday People tells the story of the real Israel and of real Israelis—ordinary and extraordinary—and the energetic rhythm of their lives, even during times of tragedy and terror. The book interweaves a memoir of Gilbert’s experiences with Israel’s people and places, alongside a rich account of past and present events that continue to shape the lives of Israelis and the world beyond their borders. As she watched events unfold in the Middle East, Gilbert witnessed how the simplest facts turned into lies, from denial of the existence of a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem to the characterization of Israel’s defensive border fence as “Apartheid.” Then Gilbert learned of a story that had all but vanished into history: the persecution and pogroms that drove more than 850,000 Jews from Muslim lands between 1948 and 1970—the “Forgotten Refugees.” Their experience is now repeating itself among Christian communities in those same Muslim countries. This cruel pattern embodies the Islamist slogan calling for the elimination of “First the Saturday people, then the Sunday people.”
Download or read book Pakistan Under Siege written by Madiha Afzal and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2018-01-02 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the last fifteen years, Pakistan has come to be defined exclusively in terms of its struggle with terror. But are ordinary Pakistanis extremists? And what explains how Pakistanis think? Much of the current work on extremism in Pakistan tends to study extremist trends in the country from a detached position—a top-down security perspective, that renders a one-dimensional picture of what is at its heart a complex, richly textured country of 200 million people. In this book, using rigorous analysis of survey data, in-depth interviews in schools and universities in Pakistan, historical narrative reporting, and her own intuitive understanding of the country, Madiha Afzal gives the full picture of Pakistan’s relationship with extremism. The author lays out Pakistanis’ own views on terrorist groups, on jihad, on religious minorities and non-Muslims, on America, and on their place in the world. The views are not radical at first glance, but are riddled with conspiracy theories. Afzal explains how the two pillars that define the Pakistani state—Islam and a paranoia about India—have led to a regressive form of Islamization in Pakistan’s narratives, laws, and curricula. These, in turn, have shaped its citizens’ attitudes. Afzal traces this outlook to Pakistan’s unique and tortured birth. She examines the rhetoric and the strategic actions of three actors in Pakistani politics—the military, the civilian governments, and the Islamist parties—and their relationships with militant groups. She shows how regressive Pakistani laws instituted in the 1980s worsened citizen attitudes and led to vigilante and mob violence. The author also explains that the educational regime has become a vital element in shaping citizens’ thinking. How many years one attends school, whether the school is public, private, or a madrassa, and what curricula is followed all affect Pakistanis’ attitudes about terrorism and the rest of the world. In the end, Afzal suggests how this beleaguered nation—one with seemingly insurmountable problems in governance and education—can change course.
Download or read book Activist Documentary Film in Pakistan written by Rahat Imran and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-06-03 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book, the first academic book on Pakistani documentary cinema, traces the development of activist filmmaking practices in Pakistan which have emerged as a response to the consequences of religious fundamentalism, extremism, and violation of human rights. Beginning with the period of General Zia-ul-Haq’s Islamization process (1977-88), it discusses a selection of representative documentary films that have critically addressed and documented the various key transformations, events, and developments that have shaped Pakistan’s socio-political, socio-economic, and cultural history. Such activist filmmaking practice in Pakistan is today an influential factor in addressing the politics, and negative and oppressive effects of the Islamization era, discriminatory laws, particularly gender-discriminatory Sharia laws, violation of human and citizen rights, authoritarianism, internal strife, the spread of religious fundamentalism, and the threat of Talibanization, and oppressive tribal customs and traditions. The contribution of Pakistani documentary filmmakers stands as a significant body of work that has served the cause of human rights, promoting awareness and social change in Pakistan, particularly regarding gender rights.
Download or read book Free at Last written by Asia Bibi and published by BroadStreet Publishing Group LLC. This book was released on 2020-09-01 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "I was going to die because of a cup of water." After drinking water from the same cup as Muslim women, Asia Bibi, a Christian, was sentenced to hang by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 2010 on charges of blasphemy. Bibi's case polarized all of Pakistan and mobilized international support from across the globe, including politicians, journalists, and countless organizations and supporters who fought for her freedom. For nine long years, Bibi awaited death in prison until she was formally acquitted in January 2019. Now a political exile, Bibi is reunited with her family in the West, but she will never be allowed to return to her homeland. In Free at Last, Asia and journalist Anne-Isabelle Tollet, who championed Asia's cause for nearly a decade, share her story--one that reveals the heart and mind of a woman who refused to renounce her faith and unwittingly became the global symbol of the fight against religious extremism.
