Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
In today's edition:
- InterVarsity Suspended From New York University
- Pakistan: Young Christian Woman Killed During Attempted Rape
- Egypt: We'll Allow a Coptic President When Israel Allows a Muslim One
- British Christians Fearlessly Proclaim Jesus' Name
InterVarsity Suspended From New York University
The InterVarsity Christian Fellowship chapter has been suspended from New York University at Buffalo after being accused of discriminating against a gay student, Mission Network News reports. A few months ago, a student leader of InterVarsity was asked to step down for being in a same-sex relationship; he did so willingly, but the gay-rights group on campus filed a complaint that InterVarsity was discriminating against him for being gay. While the university has an "all-inclusive" policy in terms of who can join student groups, InterVarsity vice president Jim Lundgren said, "This involved leadership, not membership." Members of the university's student government association voted Friday to suspend the chapter, but Lundgren said InterVarsity was already taking action to work on being reinstated.
Pakistan: Young Christian Woman Killed During Attempted Rape
A 28-year-old Muslim man, Arif Gujjar, is in police custody for questioning for the murder of an 18-year-old Christian woman, Amariah Masih, who was shot to death during an attempted rape Nov. 27, ASSIST News Service reports. Masih and her mother were traveling to collect water when Gujjar took possession of their motorbike, grabbed Masih at gunpoint and tried to drag her away. When she resisted, Gujjar shot her instantly, then tried to hide her body. The police found him shortly thereafter, and Masih's father thanked them for "working hard" to arrest the culprit. A Muslim delegation met with Masih's family after her funeral to express solidarity and peace, but Masih's father stated that he "would fight to get [justice]" because they were "the victim of a cruel act."
Egypt: We'll Allow a Coptic President When Israel Allows a Muslim One
One of Egypt's most prominent radical Islamic Salafist leaders said he would only accept a Coptic Christian president of Egypt if Israel, the U.S. and Britain accepted Muslim presidents of their countries, International Christian Concern reports. According to Yasser Burhami, head of the influential Salafist group, Copts do not have the right to run for political office in Egypt. He also said if Salafists took power, they would monitor women's attire, force tourists to abide by Islamic sharia law, and not allow religious minorities to hold festivals or mark their religion on national ID cards. Salafist parties have gained 20 percent of votes in the first round of Egypt's parliamentary elections and are poised to constitute, along with the majority Muslim Brotherhood, a large portion of the new governing body.
British Christians Fearlessly Proclaim Jesus' Name
Thousands of Christians all over the United Kingdom took to the streets last week for "Not Ashamed Day 2011," a day to publicly proclaim the gospel of Jesus and pray for their nation, which has become increasingly hostile to Christianity, CBN News reports. "It's young people, students in their 20s, the youth, calling out to the rest of the church to come and pray," said the Rev. Pat Allerton, coordinator of the rally. "Calling them on to the streets where the gospel is designed to be. I mean, the gospel is designed for the marketplace." Many Christians gathered on the same grounds as Occupy London protesters: "We want to reach out to them in love and proclaim the hope and the truth that is found only and supremely in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," said Andrea Williams, CEO of Christian Concern.
Publication date: December 9, 2011
