Cuba: Pastor receives 6-year prison sentence; home confiscated

Rights group says Cuban prosecutors tried to charge leader with ‘human trafficking’

CUBA (ANS) — A Cuban evangelical pastor has been sentenced to six years in prison despite reports that he was falsely charged due to his leadership role in the ‘Apostolic Reformation.’

Pastor Omar Gude Pérez’ home will also be confiscated as part of the sentence, according to a news release from the UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).

Pastor Gude Pérez was initially detained on May 2, 2008 and was in prison awaiting a trial date for over a year, CSW reported. State prosecutors initially attempted to charge Pastor Gude Pérez with ‘Human Trafficking.’

The CSW report continues: “Although these charges were dropped in March 2009 after a court in Camaguey ruled there was no evidence, Pastor Gude Pérez was still not released from prison.”

In mid-April new charges of “Falsification of Documents” and “IIlicit Economic Activities” were filed. The prosecution’s petition also accused the pastor of ‘counter-revolutionary conduct and attitudes.’

Pastor Omar Gude Pérez’s wife, Kenia, has informed CSW that false documents and testimonies were presented in court.

“CSW has also received reliable information indicating that more than 20 other church leaders were temporarily arrested and threatened in the last two months. Some were detained just before Pastor Gude Perez’s court hearing in May, indicating an attempt by the authorities to prevent a show of support for the pastor at his hearing,” reported the human rights organization.

“There has been an increase in reported violations of religious liberty since Raul Castro took power in early 2008, and the heavy sentence handed to Pastor Gude Pérez follows a pattern of mounting state hostility towards religious groups. For example, for the past nine months Reverend Roberto Rodriguez, a denominational leader, based in Placetas, has also been subjected to ongoing legal proceedings on trumped up charges. Last week he received a fourth citation commanding him to present himself to the local courts.”

CSW states the legal harassment of Reverend Rodriguez and his family began after the Interdenominational Fellowship of Evangelical Pastors and Ministers in Cuba (Spanish acronym; CIMPEC) withdrew from the Cuban Council of Churches (CCC) in October while under Reverend Rodriguez’s leadership.

CSW further went on to explain that the ‘Apostolic Reformation’ group is comprised of independent self-governing non-denominational churches, and as it is outside of traditionally and officially recognized denominations, the fast-growing group is viewed with suspicion by the government.

Alexa Papadouris, CSW’s Advocacy Director said: “In light of the evidence given by CSW’s partners, we strongly condemn Pastor Omar Gude Pérez’s prison sentence and call on the Cuban Government to immediately investigate and review his case. We urge the Cuban authorities to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and remind them of the protections, in particular religious freedom, laid out in the that document.”

CSW specializes in promoting religious liberty and works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs.

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Theresa Malinowska, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0)78 2332 9663, email theresamalinowska(@)csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.

Photo: Pastor Omar Gude Pérez. (CSW)

Article originally published by ASSIST News Service. Reported by Michael Ireland.

China: house pastor sentenced to one year in ‘re-education’ camp

Rock Church Pastor Dou ordered to serve time for ‘illegal religious activities’

HENAN, CHINA (ANS) — A Chinese House Church pastor and his wife have been sentenced to one year of re-education through labor for “engaging in illegal religious activities,” according to ChinaAid.

Pastor Dou and Feng Lu are being represented by attorney Li Dunyong, who has traveled to Zhengzhou city to make an appeal, according to ChinaAid, which is a Christian human rights ministry.

In a media release ChinaAid stated:

“While Pastor Dou Shaowen is imprisoned at the labor camp, officials released Feng Lu on the evening of June 25. Authorities have permitted Feng Lu to serve her sentence at home, in order to care for their 12- year-old daughter. She is required to report to the Public Security Bureau regularly, and could be sent to labor camp again if she is found ‘engaging in illegal religious activities’ again.”

Pastor Dou Shaowen and his wife Feng Lu were arrested on June 14, when several dozen officials from Zhengzhou Municipal Bureau of Religion and Zhengzhou Municipal Bureau of State broke into the church’s Sunday worship service, according to ChinaAid.

The media release continues:

“Officials forcibly photographed and videotaped the more than 100 Christians present, cut off the electricity and forced the Christians to leave. Finally, the authorities posted sealing tape from the Bureau of Religion, sealing off all the worship areas of Rock Church. Five other Christians, Li Zhemin, Wei Jianhua, Zhang Julin, Ma Jianbo and Li Cuiying were arrested with Pastor Dou and Feng Lu. Each of the five were sentenced to 15 days of administrative detention and were forced to pay a 800-900 yuan fine.”

Those concerned about this sentence are being asked to contact Zhengzhou city authorities to ask for the immediate release of Pastor Dou Shaowen and Feng Lu, and the five Christians sentenced to administrative detention.

Zhengzhou Mayor Tel +86-371-12345 Mayor’s E-mail: mayor(@)zhengzhou.gov.cn
Zhengzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau office to report phone +86-371-66228710
Zhengzhou City, People’s Procuratorate +86-371- 68985078
Zhengzhou Intermediate People’s Court reported Phone +86-371-68983950
Jin-shui County Government +86-371-3526200
Henan People’s Radio Station +86-371-65723998
Zhengzhou People’s Broadcasting Station +86-371- 68982487
Henan TV +86-371-65723657
Zhengzhou television +86-371-68982886

Please contact: Katherine(@)ChinaAid.org with questions or requests for further information.

Article originally published by ASSIST News Service. Reported by Michael Ireland.

PBS ban on new religious programs sparks debate

Censorship or just a matter of “brand removal?”

LA Church & State Examiner: PBS decides now is the time to ban new religious programming

After reviewing a “never enforced” policy, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has banned member stations from carrying new religious TV programs; the few existing ones can continue, it was announced this week…

FULL STORY

Lakers Celebration: Madsen’s Mad Dog Moment Remains On Top

It’s not often we can point at somebody’s faults and not feel guilty about doing so. Such is the case when talking about former Laker Mark Madsen’s victory parade moment when he not only gave validation to the claim that “white men can’t dance,” but gave a shout out to the Hispanic community in screaching style.

Yesterday, as the Lakers and Los Angeles celebrated the franchise’s 15th NBA Championship, EVERYONE was waiting for that “Mark Madsen moment.” As near as I can tell, it never came. The moment is preserved in historic nerd perspective and the loveable Madsen lives to write about it…as he did in today’s guest column in the LA Times.

Just as awkward as his parade moment…but good and funny!

Madsen writes…

I started getting nervous because that wasn’t what I’d planned for. But Shaq’s so funny. He was always coming up with stuff, sayings, like, “L.A. is the new capital of California, not Sacramento.” It was awesome.

As for my speech, I just wanted it to go quickly. Then all of a sudden, I hear Shaq off to the side saying: “Who let the dogs out?” Shaq is smart and funny and if he said it, I knew it would go over well.

And there was support from the Latino community and we wanted to acknowledge that. I saw our broadcasters and thought, “Hey, I know how to say a few things in Spanish. So why not?”

Mark Madsen’s Speech At 2001 Lakers Championship Parade

Be sure to catch the rest of the Times’ Mark Madsen’s Lakers parade memories are just a dance away.

Thank you, Mad Dog, for the memory. You have our hearts!

Why You Should Not Buy a Foreclosed Property

The more depressed the real estate market gets, the more the “promoters” come out from under the woodwork…out from under their rocks…or wherever they have been hiding.

They come out to pitch their expensive (and unrealistic) plans and programs about how to get rich in real estate through foreclosures.

GUEST BLOGGER POST

Right now, the residential real estate market is softening, which sadly means that more families are losing their homes due to foreclosure.

In a strong real estate market and in a strong economy there may only be a couple of foreclosures in a neighborhood at any given time. Right now, when the real estate market is sorting itself out from the sub-prime debacle, foreclosures abound.

A lot of people have the idea that one man’s loss is another man’s gain. But when it comes to foreclosures, one man’s loss may be the next man’s loss, too.

Why buy foreclosed properties? When you buy a house that’s been foreclosed upon, you’re buying a house that didn’t sell. The owner of the house couldn’t sell it and the bank couldn’t sell it. They’re just hoping that a sucker — I mean an “investor” — like you will come along, ready to take that white elephant off their hands.

Let’s first consider the question: “What is a foreclosure?” Very simply, it’s when an individual who owns a house, has taken out a mortgage and can no longer make the payments. They couldn’t sell the house for a price that would allow them to pay off the mortgage so the bank stepped in to recoup as much as it could of what turned out to be a very bad investment all around. If you buy it, you own it, and need to pay the mortgage on an empty house that likely hasn’t been maintained.

How long can you afford to do that?

More often than not, investments in foreclosed property turn out not to be like winning a lottery, but a path to bankruptcy! You might be willing to offer more than the other speculators, but what does that tell you? It means that all the other real estate investors in your neck of the woods were not willing to put down as much money on that property as you…in your infinite wisdom!

It’s too bad they already made a TV show called “The Biggest Loser,” because that’s how I would describe anybody unfortunate enough to offer the most money, out of all the speculators, to the owner of a foreclosure property.

Once again, you’ve got to ask yourself whether you’re smarter than all the other investors looking at foreclosures, and all the home buyers who passed up the opportunity to buy the house from a realtor or directly from the owner, and the bank or government entity currently in possession of the house.

If this sounds harsh, I’d rather you learn from me that foreclosures don’t work than learning the hard way. I don’t want you to learn the hard and painful way, by going through the time, trouble, and expense of a property that costs you more in money and heartache than you could ever make… even if things really worked the way the foreclosure hucksters would like you to believe.

I can offer you the stories of countless people with sad experiences who thought they could make money in real estate through foreclosures. By and large, they didn’t. But a new generation of hopeful investors arises every day, and the people with those full-page ads for seminars on how to make money in these fields continue to prey on them.

Can you still make a fortune in real estate?

You bet! Do it the right way, and you’ll be very satisfied with your results. It’s a turnkey approach that is disciplined but very effective.

It is truly the #1 way to invest in the # 1 investment in America — which truly is real estate!

Chuck Salisbury outlines the safest, most conservative way to invest in real estate in “The Incredible Investment Book.” For more investment advice and a free newsletter go to www.TenPercentDown.com.