SUDAN-DEATH SENTENCE
Growing condemnation of Sudanese death sentence for Christian woman
NEW YORK (AP) — Leaders from all faiths and many countries continue to condemn a death sentence ordered for a pregnant Sudanese woman because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.
Meriam Ibrahim, whose father was Muslim but mother was an Orthodox Christian from Ethiopia, was convicted of “apostasy” a week ago and given four days to repent and escape death. She was sentenced after that grace period expired.
Ibrahim and her Christian husband married in a formal church ceremony in 2011 and have a son, 18-month-old Martin, who is with her in jail outside Khartoum. She is eight months pregnant.
The United States, other countries, the United Nations and Amnesty International are among those who have condemned the sentence.
So have faith groups. Washington-based Coptic Solidarity is also critical of the application of Sharia (shah-REE’-yuh) law. Director Hal Neawad (NEE’-wahd) says apostasy — the renunciation of one’s religion — should be an outdated concept. Neawad says there is a growing trend of hostility toward Christians in the Middle East, especially since government shake ups caused by the Arab Spring.
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186-a-10-(Hal Meawad (MEE’-washd), director, Coptic Solidarity, in AP itnterview)-“the Arab spring”-Coptic Solidarity director Hal Meawad says minority persecution has risen sharply in recent years. (18 May 2014)
< 184-a-05-(Hal Meawad (MEE’-wahd), director, Coptic Solidarity, in AP itnterview)-“this 21st century”-Coptic Solidarity director Hal Meawad says punishing non-believers should be a thing of the past. (18 May 2014) < 185-a-07-(Hal Meawad (MEE’-washd), director, Coptic Solidarity, in AP itnterview)-“is totally unacceptable”-Coptic Solidarity director Hal Meawad says the sentence is wrong and cannot be justified. (18 May 2014) < HAITI-MISSIONARY KILLED American missionary killed in Haiti PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Members of a church in Haiti are urging police to find the person who killed an American missionary in his home in Port-au-Prince last week. Police say George Knoop (noop) was fatally stabbed Tuesday afternoon in his home in the Delmas section of Haiti’s capital. The missionary was apparently alone at the time and knew his assailant. Knoop, who hails from Chicago, came to Haiti for the first time in 2010 in the aftermath of the earthquake. He became an elder with the Quisqueya Chapel and a worked as a volunteer for U.S.-based Missionary Flights International. John Munsell of the Quisqueya Chapel said Knoop also mentored young men. The church has planned a memorial service on Wednesday afternoon. Sound: 045-a-12-(John Munsell, chairman of the board for the Quisqueya Chapel, in AP interview)-“on the floor”-John Munsell, the board chairman for the church, says the missionary was attacked at home, and called the guards at the chapel to help him. (18 May 2014) < 044-a-08-(John Munsell, chairman of the board for the Quisqueya Chapel, in AP interview)-“asking for help”-John Munsell, the board chairman of the church, says the missionary, 77-year-old George Knoop, was at home when he was attacked, and called the church looking for help. ((Knoop is pronounced noop) Updated: 05/18/2014-05:23:40 AM ET (18 May 2014) < 046-a-07-(John Munsell, chairman of the board for the Quisqueya Chapel, in AP interview)-“was well-liked”-John Munsell, the board chairman for the church, says they don’t know why anyone would kill 77-year-old George Knoop. ((Knoop is pronounced noop)) Updated: 05/18/2014-05:23:42 AM ET (18 May 2014) < 182-a-07-(John Munsell, chairman of the board, Quisqueya Chapel, in AP interview)-“just said help”-John Munsell, the board chairman of the church, says the missionary, 77-year-old George Knoop, was at home when he was attacked, and called the church looking for help. (Knoop is pronounced noop)) (18 May 2014) < 183-a-11-(John Munsell, chairman of the board, Quisqueya Chapel, in AP interview)-“was well liked”-John Munsell, the board chairman of the church, says it’s unclear why anyone would kill 77-year-old George Knoop. ((Knoop is pronounced noop)) (18 May 2014) < VATICAN-BALKANS FLOOD Pope prays for flood victims VATICAN (AP) — Pope Francis has used his Sunday address to the faithful gathered at the Vatican to pray for the victims of floods in the Balkans region. Officials say landslides triggered by unprecedented rains in Bosnia have left thousands of people homeless. Thousands more have fled their homes in neighboring Croatia and Serbia as Balkan countries battle the region’s worst flooding since modern records began. ABORTION TRIAL Federal court trial takes up Alabama abortion law MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal court trial is considering an Alabama abortion law that proponents say will make abortions safer and opponents say will close three of Alabama’s five licensed abortion clinics. Planned Parenthood Southeast and the American Civil Liberties Union are challenging the 2013 law, which requires doctors at abortion clinics to have approval to admit patients to nearby hospitals. Clinics operated by Planned Parenthood Southeast in Birmingham and Mobile and Reproductive Health Systems in Montgomery say they will have to close because they use traveling doctors without admitting privileges. The West Alabama Women’s Center in Tuscaloosa and the Alabama Women’s Center in Huntsville use local doctors who have admitting privileges at hospitals in those cities. Proponents of the law say problems arise because traveling doctors remain in a city only a few hours and aren’t around to handle complications. The plaintiffs argue that the law’s real purpose is to reduce women’s access to abortion and make them travel greater distances to try to obtain one. WISCONSIN ABORTION Abortion lawsuit set for trial later this month MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal trial to determine whether a Wisconsin law that requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals is constitutional is set to get underway later this month. Planned Parenthood and Affiliated Medical Services filed a lawsuit in July arguing the law would force clinics in Appleton and Milwaukee to close because abortion providers at the facilities lack admitting privileges. The groups contend the law unconstitutionally restricts abortion availability because it would force women to travel hundreds of miles further to facilities in Madison and Milwaukee where providers have such privileges. State attorneys counter the law ensures continuity of care if a woman develops complications following an abortion. The trial is set to begin on May 27 in federal court in Madison. EPISCOPAL-DIOCESE-KOREAN-BISHOP South Korea-born bishop installed as suffragan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York NEW YORK (AP) — A South Korea-born diocesan has been installed as the suffragan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. A suffragan bishop is an assistant or subordinate to the bishop. The Rt. Rv. Allen K. Shin was consecrated during a ceremony Saturday at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in Manhattan. The suffragan is elected by clergy and laity to be an assistant to the diocesan bishop. Shin was elected last December. Church officials say he and his family moved to Washington, D.C. in 1972. He graduated from the General Theological Seminary in New York City in 1996. TORNADO MOVIE First-time producer receives praise for “Where was God?” documentary on Moore, Okla. Tornado MOORE, Okla. (AP) — His idea to record the response to the aftermath of last May’s deadly tornado disaster in Moore, Oklahoma, is now a documentary that is winning praise. The storm killed 24 people and left a long swath of destruction. “Where was God?” is a first for video producer Chris Forbes. He credits help from filmmaker Brian Cates. Forbes says the people of Moore, especially parents at devastated Plaza Towers Elementary, tell the story themselves. There is no narrator, just raw and encouraging testimonies. Forbes says the effort cost only a fraction of the typical expense of documentaries. The $140,000 tab was picked up by donors including Elevate Church and the Baptist Convention of Oklahoma. After a week-long run in Moore at a theater that was damaged during the storm, it will be shown next month in Tulsa. Forbes says sponsors will also pay for screenings elsewhere in the state. There is also interest in national distribution. Sound: 187-a-14-(Chris Forbes, producer, ‘Where was God?’, in AP interview)-“side of recovery”-‘Where was God?’ producer Chris Forbes says he wanted to document the aftermath after news coverage of the disaster waned. (18 May 2014) < 189-a-08-(Chris Forbes, producer, ‘Where was God?’, in AP interview)-“that brings hope”-‘Where was God?’ producer Chris Forbes says the documentary has been well received (18 May 2014) < 188-a-13-(Chris Forbes, producer, ‘Where was God?’, in AP interview)-“experiences of people”-‘Where was God?’ producer Chris Forbes says survivors tell the story. (18 May 2014) < CHURCH-NO WATER Church prays for water to perform baptisms KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City, Missouri, church says it might have to bring buckets of water to perform baptisms after the city shut its water off because of a pipe leak. The Rev. Darwin Neal says the small congregation at the Anointed House of Glory in the Martin City neighborhood can’t afford a plumber. It also can’t afford to dig into the street to get to the pipe, which the city says isn’t on public property. WDAF-TV reports the problem began last summer when the city fixed a pipe near the church. A pipe connected to the repaired pipe started leaking recently so the city shut off the water. Neal says he doesn’t know what to do about the baptisms, but cancelling them will be a last resort.
