United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
Christian Minister Reprieved
8 May 2003 Rev Fernando Alconga has been found guilty of “Abusing Islam, and Christian missionary activity”, but has been given a suspended sentence. Fernando Piedad Alconga, a Filipino Christian serving in the United Arab Emirates, was arrested for distributing Christian literature on 12 November 2002. After being held in prison for over a month he was released on bail. His first court hearing was on Sunday 16 February and the witness, an Egyptian to whom he had given the literature, testified that he was not pressured by Rev Alconga in any way. Subsequently a report was commissioned to answer the question “Do the materials given by Rev Alconga to an Egyptian man in November 2002 defame Islam or not?” At his final hearing on Sunday 27 April Middle East Concern reports that the judge found him guilty of “Abusing Islam, and Christian missionary activity”, but has suspended the sentence for three years. Traditional Islamic law holds that a Muslim who converts to another faith is committing a terrible crime against Islam and should be put to death. As a result, most Islamic countries are very severe in restricting anything that could be construed as mission, evangelism or promoting the Christian faith to Muslims. This stands even in states like the UAE, widely considered one of the most moderate Muslim countries, and even when Christians simply live out their faith in an open and sensitive way and do not engage in anything that could be considered as aggressive proselytism. Rev Fernando Alconga always made it clear that he was offering Christian material and asked for the recipient’s consent. PRAY Praise God that the sole witness in the case testified truthfully and that the legal process proceeded as well as his lawyer could have wished. Pray that the prosecution do not appeal against this decision. BARNABAS FUND E-MAIL NEWS SERVICE The Barnabas Fund’s e-mail news service provides our supporters with short urgent news briefs and prayer requests for suffering Christians around the world. Please do share these news items with your Christian friends and churches. All news items are available on our website in a more colourful user-friendly presentation format which you can access, print and pass on. If you are not already receiving these news briefs directly from the Barnabas Fund and would like to, please contact us with your name, postal and e-mail addresses, and details of the church you attend. The Barnabas Fund, The Old Rectory, River Street, PEWSEY, Wiltshire, SN9 5DB, UK, Tel 01672 564938, Fax 01672 565030, E-mail info@barnabasfund.org Web www.barnabasfund.org