Algerian Christian sentenced to prison after sharing faith with neighbor

Image via Wikipediahttp://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=10483
Siagh Krimo, an Algerian Christian, was sentenced to five years in prison on May 25 after he shared his faith with a neighbor. Krimo was sentenced under the nation’s blasphemy law, which prohibits actions that “insult the prophet [Muhammad] and any of the messengers of God, or denigrate the creed and precepts of Islam, whether by writing, drawing, declaration, or any other means.”
“Algerian Christians have been under attack in recent weeks as laws have been increasingly enforced to discriminate against them,” said Aidan Clay of International Christian Concern. “Earlier this week, seven churches in Béjaia were ordered to close. Now, an Algerian Christian is on the verge of being unjustly imprisoned for accusations of criticizing Islam. While Algeria professes that it upholds religious freedom, it also embraces a blasphemy law that, by its very nature, can be used to prosecute anyone who does not adhere to the religion of Islam.”
Only 4,000 of Algeria’s 34.8 million people are Catholic, according to Vatican statistics; 99% of Algerians are Muslim.
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• Algerian Christian Given Five Year Prison Sentence for Blasphemy (AINA)

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Republicans: Obama Undermines Israel - Washington Wire - WSJ

Image by tamar_levine via Flickrhttp://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/05/19/republicans-obama-undermines-israel
Republican White House hopefuls said President Barack Obama is undermining Israel with his call for the country to cede territory to a Palestinian state.
In his speech on the Mideast and North Africa on Thursday, Mr. Obama outlined a plan that called for establishing a Palestinian state based on Israel’s pre-1967 border – a plan that would require Israel and the Palestinians to swap land.
The proposal sparked an outcry from Republicans in Congress and on the campaign trail. The GOP has been aggressively courting Jewish voters – and donors – in recent years as some Israel backers in the U.S. question the Democrats’ commitment to a strong, independent Israel.
“President Obama has thrown Israel under the bus,” former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said in a statement following Mr. Obama’s sweeping speech about the fundamental changes taking place in the Middle East. “He has disrespected Israel and undermined its ability to negotiate peace.”
Not to be outdone, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty called the president’s support for a plan that would revive borders not seen since the Six-Day War in 1967 “a mistaken and dangerous demand.
“The city of Jerusalem must never be re-divided,” he said. “At this time of upheaval in the Middle East, it’s never been more important for America to stand strong for Israel and for a united Jerusalem.”

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Crackdown on Christians ramping up

Analyst: Deportation orders reflect fear Muslims will convert

clipped from www.wnd.com The government of Morocco has notified another 23 mostly Christian foreigners, including one American, that they're scheduled for imminent expulsion from the North African country. And an analyst says that those targeted by the deportation order indicate the government of Morocco, which historically has been considered a moderate Muslim nation, now is fearful that Muslims will convert if exposed to Christianity. This is the second large deportation action taken by the Moroccan government against mostly Christian individuals in the past two months. More than 40 Christian workers were deported from Morocco in March. Aidan Clay of International Christian Concern says the North African nation simply is alarmed about the possibility that Muslims may see an opportunity to leave Islam. "The reason they received these notices is that they allegedly broke Morocco's anti-proselytizing laws. This is the same reason for the deportations in March," Clay told WND.

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Al-Qaida growing in strength and numbers in Africa

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clipped from news.yahoo.com WASHINGTON – Al-Qaida's terror network in North Africa is growing more active and attracting new recruits, threatening to further destabilize the continent's already vulnerable Sahara region, according to U.S. defense and counterterrorism officials. The North African faction, which calls itself Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), is still small and largely isolated, numbering a couple hundred militants based mostly in the vast desert of northern Mali. But signs of stepped-up activity and the group's advancing potential for growth worry analysts familiar with the region. The Mali-based militants have yet to show a capability to launch such foreign attacks, but are widening their involvement in kidnapping and the narcotics trade, reaping profits that could be used to expand terror operations, officials and analysts said. "For too long, al-Qaida's growth in this critical region of Africa has been overlooked,"

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