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April 7th, 2012
10:18 AM ET
After Arab Spring, experts fearful of Christian targeting at Easter celebrationsBy Dan Merica, CNN (CNN)– For Christians in countries thrown into tumult by the Arab Spring revolutions, Easter celebrations may prove dangerous. According to experts and academics in the United States, the changing balances of power in each country, along with a history of anti-Christian sentiment, have made overt celebrations like Easter a cause for concern among Christians. This atmosphere, according to the same scholars, will likely alter the way the religious holiday is celebrated. "In the past, they [Syrian Christians] have had great outpouring of piety in the public squares on Easter," said Nina Shea, director of the Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute. "This time, I suspect it is going to be vastly different. They are fearful." Though the geopolitical makeup of each Arab Spring country is different, Shea and other religious freedom scholars say that a pious holiday like Easter presents an opportunity for anti-Christian groups to seek out worshipers. In a country like Syria, where the conflict is ongoing between government forces and rebels, Easter celebrations face risks outside of solely religious targeting. In countries like Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, where the height of the conflict has passed, Easter celebrations now deal with the new power shifts in each country. Religious holidays have long been a venue for terrorist attacks against all religious groups in the Middle East and North Africa. These holidays provide not only a meaningful day to make a statement but also see large concentrations of worshipers in one area. According to Shea, who monitors religious media from Syria and Egypt, some Christians in the area are worried about targeted killings. "In Syria, it is a time when Christian are packing their suitcases or thinking about packing their suitcase and definitely are going to be lying low this Easter season," she said. Though Coptic Christian's in Egypt do not celebrate Easter until April 15, they find themselves in a particular state of uncertainty. Coptic Pope Shenouda III, the spiritual leader of Egypt's Coptic Christians for nearly four decades, died last month of renal failure. He was 88. Copts make up 9% of Egypt population, according to the U.S. State Department, but have been the target of a number of attacks in the past few months. In January, at least 21 people died at a church bombing in Alexandria and in October 2011, 25 people died and more than 272 people were injured during protests after a Coptic Church was burned in southern Egypt. According to CNN's Ben Wedeman, since the revolution that removed former President Hosni Mubarak from office, there have been more clashes between Egypt's Coptic Christians and Muslims. "There is this idea that Christians are somehow not real Egyptians. There is this idea that these people are not really good citizens of the country," said Albert W. Hickman, a research associate at the Center for the Study of Global Christianity. "I'd say the mood is watchful. People are looking to see what is going to happen next." Hickman continued to say that it would not surprise him if anti-Christian groups in Egypt planned to target worshipers on Easter. "I would imagine that Christians are not wanting to draw a huge amount of attention to a huge gathering in a park or square," Hickman said. These concerns are highlighted in a yearly report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. "Over the past year, the Egyptian transitional government continued to engage in and tolerate systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief," reads the report. "Violence targeting Coptic Orthodox Christians increased significantly during the reporting period. The transitional government has failed to protect religious minorities from violent attacks at a time when minority communities have been increasingly vulnerable." According to the report, nearly 100 Coptic Christians were killed in 2011 because of more than 40 sectarian incidents. This number surpassed the death toll of the previous 10 years combined. Voice of the Martyrs, a persecution ministry that operates a popular and powerful Facebook page in which American Christians post prayers for persecuted Christians around the world, has highlighted Easter persecution, as well. "Holy days can be a time when Christians are targeted," reads one post by the organization. "Will you pray God's protection for Christians worshiping in restricted nations this Easter?" In two hours, the comment was shared over 100 times and liked by almost 400 people. CNN's Mohamed Fadel Fahmy contributed to this article.
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Thank You
The given information is very effective
i will keep updated with the same
industrial automation training
Find out the truth of things by your self;
Kindly read to the last to understand the difference of opinions we have among the Abrahimic followers;
Islamic holy books
Islam speaks of respecting all the previous scriptures in their original forms. Belief in all the revealed books is an article of faith in Islam and a Muslim must believe in all the scriptures to be a Muslim. The four books are the Tawrat, Zabur, Injil and Quran. The Torat was sent to Musa (Moses), the Zabur was sent to Dawood (David), the Injil was sent to Isa (Jesus) and the Qur'an was sent to Muhammad.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_holy_books
--–
What are the Tawrat, Zabur and Injil?
http://www.injil.org/Kalimatullah/revelations.html
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In Islam's holy book, the Quran, Allah (God) denounces the concept of Trinity (Qur'an 4:171, 5:72-73, 112:1-4) as an over-reverence by Christians of God's Word, the prophet and messiah Jesus Christ son of the virgin Mary, while maintaining Jesus as one of the most important and respected prophets and Messengers of God, (2:136) primarily sent to prevent the Jews from changing the Torah, (61:6) and to refresh and reaffirm his original message as revealed to Moses and earlier New Testament prophets. The creation of Jesus is framed similar to the creation of Adam out of dust, but with Jesus' birth meaning his creation excludes male human intervention rather than creation completely without human participation (3:59). Belief in all of the aforementioned about Jesus as a prophet (5:78), as well as belief in the original gospel and Torah and belief in Jesus' virgin birth (3:45) are core criterion of being a Muslim and Quranic criterion for salvation in the hereafter along with belief in the Prophet Muhammad and all the prior prophets. In short God is seen as being both perfect and indivisible. He can therefore have no peer or equal. Jesus, being God's creation, can never be considered to be equal with God or a part of God. To do so is considered by Islam to be blasphemy. (112:3)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nontrinitarianism
---
Read about ;
Jesus in Islam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_in_Islam
I did find things out for myself. That's why I am atheist.
My freind it is not over yet...you have just reached some conclusion but they say search and research starts from the Cradle to the Tomb... They say Life has a Purpose and we got to search and research to learn what was the purpose of our living in this life...
Islamic holy books
Islam speaks of respecting all the previous scriptures in their original forms. Belief in all the revealed books is an article of faith in Islam and a Muslim must believe in all the scriptures to be a Muslim. The four books are the Tawrat, Zabur, Injil and Quran. The Torat was sent to Musa (Moses), the Zabur was sent to Dawood (David), the Injil was sent to Isa (Jesus) and the Qur'an was sent to Muhammad.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_holy_books
--–
What are the Tawrat, Zabur and Injil?
http://www.injil.org/Kalimatullah/revelations.html
CNN has been promoting the Islamists (Muslim Brothers, Salafis, Al-Qaeda, Wahhabis) and their hate ideology even supporting the Islamist terrorist rebels in Syria and calling them "peaceful protesters". In the meantime, CNN posted today a controversial article questioning the authenticity of Jesus!!!
http://religion.blogs.cnn..COM/2012/04/07/the-jesus-debate-man-vs-myth/?hpt=hp_c4
CNN, you have insulted me when you kept pushing a propaganda against secular Syria to promote war and Islamist take over to push their Sharia "democracy" and women NO "freedom" doctorine. As a Christian, you have insulted me today on Easter Sunday and insulted all believers in Jesus Christ and his mission to the world. Jesus is symbol of peace, love and forgiveness for most people and not just Christians. By insulting Jesus, you have insulted peace and love and promoted war, hatred and revenge.
Shame on you CNN and shame on the ones that fund you.
At every opportunity, I have been urging Coptic Christians and other minorities to leave Egypt – and to do so while they can.
I lived in Iran during the era of the Shah –until I was 17. Even though the Shah was pro-western and provided minorities with a sense of security, my family and I were always conscious of our status – we were Jewish - were outsiders. The majority felt that we should leave, and radical minority was willing to use violence to achieve ethnic cleansing. When we were in danger, we asked for help in leaving – “why have blood on your hands – help us leave”. At least for us, this strategy worked.
The window of opportunity to leave can be very limited. We always looked to those in Iran who supported diversity – often, these were western educated – when they started moving their families out of the country, we knew that it was time to get out – fast.
Stop lying and misleading people by telling them untruth stories. Everyone knows that all Jews who existed in all countries of the Middle East was forced to immigrate to Palestine, the so called “Israel” now, by the Zionists. These Zionists have offered you all kind of money and other benefits just to leave to Palestine. The jews families did not want to leave so these Zionists even committed terrorist attacks against those families to force them leave their countries.
MESSIAH IS RISEN !
Is he made of yeast ?
CHRIST IS RISEN !
HE IS RISEN !!!
we as pepole of god we dont come to hurt you.that is not what are jesus christ is.He Jesus is love for all peole.when you hurt or kill me because i love jesus christ you are only saving my life.jesus said that we would die for him just as the 12 did after him.john and paul have told you this now for over 2000 years now.and to cry because you are dieing for your king and for your brothers and sis ters and the love of jesus will so let be.this is what easter is all about.this is why we are here in the frist place because your Jesus Christ he did this for you also.He was the frist and we wont be the last to do this.Jesus said the greatest of all is love.that love is for your brothers and sisters.amen...Jesus christ loves us all..
Has any one out there met George Washington or Abraham Lincoln or Caesar or King Richard the first? How do you know the existed? Did you read about them in a book? So why is it so hard to believe in Jesus Christ? Didn't you read about him in a book? Or is it because he talks about something you don't understand? Like life and treating other people like you would like to be treated. The First amendment applies to everyone. Not just the Atheist.
Rick..the folks you mention are written about in many books, and portraits exist. Jesus, who some say is the worlds most influential man, exists in only one book, and nothing not even a simple drawing exists of him.. nothing.. even the cave dwellers drew animals on the walls of caves long before the gods were invented.
Prayer is delusional.
I don't believe in fairytales, but you are welcome to.
Worship whatever you want, just leave me alone.
Don't worry, we will.
As long as they stay out of my childrens' schools and the state house!
Prayer changes things .
Prayer doesn’t not; you are so full of crap and lies. You have NO proof it changes anything! A great example of prayer proven not to work is the Christians in jail because prayer didn't work and their children died. For example: Susan Grady, who relied on prayer to heal her son. Nine-year-old Aaron Grady died and Susan Grady was arrested.
An article in the Journal of Pediatrics examined the deaths of 172 children from families who relied upon faith healing from 1975 to 1995. They concluded that four out of five ill children, who died under the care of faith healers or being left to prayer only, would most likely have survived if they had received medical care.
The statistical studies from the nineteenth century and the three CCU studies on prayer are quite consistent with the fact that humanity is wasting a huge amount of time on a procedure that simply doesn’t work. Nonetheless, faith in prayer is so pervasive and deeply rooted, you can be sure believers will continue to devise future studies in a desperate effort to confirm their beliefs!
Atheism is not healthy for children and other living things. Proof provided above with the reply.
"Prayer changes things
Atheism is not healthy for children and other living things. Proof provided above with the reply."
Thanks for proving what a liar you are by using different handles to post your crap. What a hypocrite.
Prayer doesn’t not; you are so full of crap and lies. You have NO proof it changes anything! A great example of prayer proven not to work is the Christians in jail because prayer didn't work and their children died. For example: Susan Grady, who relied on prayer to heal her son. Nine-year-old Aaron Grady died and Susan Grady was arrested.
An article in the Journal of Pediatrics examined the deaths of 172 children from families who relied upon faith healing from 1975 to 1995. They concluded that four out of five ill children, who died under the care of faith healers or being left to prayer only, would most likely have survived if they had received medical care.
The statistical studies from the nineteenth century and the three CCU studies on prayer are quite consistent with the fact that humanity is wasting a huge amount of time on a procedure that simply doesn’t work. Nonetheless, faith in prayer is so pervasive and deeply rooted, you can be sure believers will continue to devise future studies in a desperate effort to confirm their beliefs!"
Once again the impostor misusing the name of Jesus has proved conclusively that atheism is not healthy for children and other living things
"Once again the impostor misusing the name of Jesus has proved conclusively that atheism is not healthy for children and other living things"
More lies and desperation proving my posts are correct.
Even the atheists think you are a moron, no one thinks you are correct and misusing the name of Jesus gets you no points. Tough break. God bless
"Even the atheists think you are a moron, no one thinks you are correct and misusing the name of Jesus gets you no points. Tough break. God bless"
No, idiot it's you they are calling the troll, keep showing what an idiot you are. Your lies and multiple handles keep proving I am correct.
Prayer doesn’t not; you are so full of crap and lies. You have NO proof it changes anything! A great example of prayer proven not to work is the Christians in jail because prayer didn't work and their children died. For example: Susan Grady, who relied on prayer to heal her son. Nine-year-old Aaron Grady died and Susan Grady was arrested.
An article in the Journal of Pediatrics examined the deaths of 172 children from families who relied upon faith healing from 1975 to 1995. They concluded that four out of five ill children, who died under the care of faith healers or being left to prayer only, would most likely have survived if they had received medical care.
The statistical studies from the nineteenth century and the three CCU studies on prayer are quite consistent with the fact that humanity is wasting a huge amount of time on a procedure that simply doesn’t work. Nonetheless, faith in prayer is so pervasive and deeply rooted, you can be sure believers will continue to devise future studies in a desperate effort to confirm their beliefs!"
Just sayin Atheism is Herbie Captain America is off his meds again today?
Rather than attribute several names to aguest9, we like to stay with just one, ass hole.
HE IS RISEN !
Support Christian Presidents at Saudi Arabia UAE Iran Iraq all Middle East Malaysia & Indonesia.
Observe around the world who is killing to whom,Where is the true practice ,What they would like to submit the world,Thrue sword and bulet and terrorise the human being to convert into Religion practice ,All human beings have thier own right ,Dont force them to practise your faith
As an American Jew, presently celebrating my ancestors' freedom from slavery, I call upon all Jews and all Americans to be mindful in prayer, thought and dialogue of the threatening conditions under which Middle Eastern and North African Christians will celebrate Easter this year. As Americans we have a patriotic duty to stand as one for religious tolerance–except, and ONLY except, when religions advocate the persecution or derision of anyone for their faith or lack of faith. As our Founding Fathers did, I hold THIS truth to be self-evident!
Thank you for this very thoughtful word. May the Almighty God of Heaven bless ALL the seed of Abraham.
This article is just fulle of biased statements. There are radical elements on both sides in Egypt for example. There are radical Muslims and radical Coptic. The statement of Albert W. Hickman that copts are not real Egyptian is just NOT true and baseless. I have lived in Egypt half of my life until I was 23 and copts enjoy the same rights that any Egyptian Enjoy. There are coptic officials in high oppositions in the government; the coptic church is a state of its own within Egypt. The rights that the coptic Christian enjoy in Egypt are not enjoyed by the muslims living in the US and Europe.
The fact is some Christians deliberately make martyrs for themselves to further their causes. While the US is a mainly Christian State, Islam should also be the main faith in Muslim countries. After the ignorant ones believe and worship only Jesus whereas those who truly submit to God believe and worship Him, God, only. Those who truly submit to God believe in all his prophets and Books He revealed to His Prophets.
God is one and there is No God by God, ALlah.
Say Not God has Son
Say Not God is Three.
You are making terrible lies about God. Jesus loves those who love him as a prophet and do not worship him or worship his mother.
This kind of articles aims at creating frictions and sympathy for Christians in the Middle East. All people of the Middle East now need sympathy because they are living in turmoil, transforming from autocratic regimes to democratically elected governments.
The message of Islam is to submit to God and worship Him and take no parterners in worshipping Him. That was the message of all prophets starting from Adam, Noah, Ibraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad.
Stop your lies because your lies are not furthering your cause. These lies are taking the Christians backwards.
In the last three months, I attended Christian Services in four different Churches and I was amazed by the superficiality of the sermons and the "fairytales" and "nonsense" that are talked about during Sunday services. The Bible is a punch of made-up stories that make no sense.
Christians should go back to the Old Testament (Torah) and stick to it; Torah is far better for them than the fabricated new testaments. I can not believe that there are people who even believe in these "fairytales". This is when I have decided to stand up to spread the message of Islam= Submission to the one God. There is no one perfect. I am not perfect myself but I never try to make lies about God. When I comit a sin, I go back to God to ask His forgiveness Not go to a priest to carry my message to Jesus or Mary.
Jesus is no Son and is no help for anyone on the judgement day unless those who follwed him as a Prophet.
Before peeping others, you peep your religion faults ,then advice others.Muslims are very safe in all democratic country.they are enjoying more othen other religion ,This kind of comments only zealous of other religion .Wipe out darkness from your own black faith .t.hen come out and talk .
HOLYMAN
It hurts me to point out to you that the Taurah, Injil, Shama, in the Quran are not the Torah, Gospel and Psalms in the Judaeo-Christian Bible. Ask ur own scholars. By AD300 we had banned any addition to our Scriptures. Let Muslims worship without insulting others. Christians do that 4 them.
In the King Jame version of the bible it says, "No one shall enter the kingdom of heaven except by me". We have slowly gone farther and farther away from God over the years so Jesus is the mediator.
Arabs targetting Christians on Easter... as opposed to us targetting arab civilians all year around...
So it's ok for Christian Arabs and Christian minorities in the Middle East to be targeted by Arab Muslims and other Muslim groups?
Point out to me exactly where I said it was okay for ANYONE to target ANY civilians!
You missed the point. I am not saying any of this is okay. What I am pointing out is the complete hypocrisy of us to consider (rightfully) the targetting of Christian civilians as an atrocity, but then hypocritically turn a blind eye to the massacre we bestow on arab civilians all the time as just 'colateral damage' or 'casualties of war' or 'oops.'
Stop lying that Muslims hurt Christians. Christians in my country, as well as in the other Arab countries, have always been considered as 1st class people and have the best businesses and most paying jobs in the country. Please let us be fair and just, because God will be always with those who are just and fair, and let me ask you a question: How many Muslims have been killed by the Christians (and the Jewish) and how many Christians have been killed by Muslims in the last two decades?Thanks God that Islam is being discussed on CNN which will make the non Muslim people investigate and know this religion to find out how peaceful it is.
"God" offers up a reason for being and vindication for wrongs that you should feel no guilt for, but the church has brain washed you into believing these things are wrong.
Natural everyday functions that we cannot escape.
Religion is nothing but a power base founded on guilt and greed.
Your guilt.
Your money.
There is no God out to save you.
There is no Jesus to protect you.
Especially not for your weekly contribution of $20.
There are only those invoking these mighty names and trying to convince you that what they do in the name of "God" is for the greater good.
Then the rest of us...living the lives of the fat slaves content to be told that our reward is waiting for us in the after-life.
Sounds like the terrorists and their post-suicide virgins that we all like to make fun of them for.
Every one of you is a moron and you are wasting your lives.
GOOD! GET MAD. LET YOUR EGO RAGE.
Stop blaming the world for your problems and make waves.
BLOGGERHATER
Hatred is the easiest way to brainwash a person. If a church is brainwashing people it does not tell them to love but teaches them to hate. Same goes for other religious organisations including the terrorists u n others laugh at. U r blinded by hatred n speak like u've been brainwashed.