QATAR OPENS DOOR TO FIRST CHURCH IN 14 CENTURIES; PRAYER MADE THE DIFFERENCE

The first Christian church in the conservative Muslim state of Qatar since the arrival of Islam in the 7th century is to be built on land donated by the reform-minded Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.

The $7 million development of the Church of the Epiphany, which will not have a spire or freestanding cross, will begin early next year.
Clive Handford, the Nicosia-based Anglican Bishop in Cyprus and the Gulf, says: "We are there as guests in a Muslim country and we wish to be sensitive to our hosts ... but once you're inside the gates it will be quite obvious that you are in a Christian center."
The walkways and grounds of the church, in Qatar's capital, Doha, will have crosses and flower motifs resembling those used in early Christian churches. "We hope that the center can be a base for ongoing Muslim-Christian dialogue," Bishop Handford told The Monitor.
Qatar's Anglican community, which has held services in an English-language school in Doha for decades, is estimated to number between 7,000 and 10,000 people. "Our church is like a microcosm of the Anglican community," says Ian Young, who has been the chief Anglican priest in Doha since 1991. "I've got 28 nationalities from every continent."
Dr. Young, who is from Perth in Scotland, will run the new church. "It will be a home for people who are away from home," he says. "As well as a place of worship, it will be a place where people can meet."
The complex will include conference facilities, temporary living accommodations, a library, and a cafe. Also in the works, with land again provided by the Emir, are church buildings to serve Catholics - who comprise the majority of Qatar's 70,000 Christian expatriates - Egyptian Coptic Christians and Indian Christians.
Missionaries brought Christianity to the Gulf in the second half of the 5th century but it disappeared from most Gulf Arab states within a few centuries of the arrival of Islam. Over the past 100 years, particularly since the discovery of oil, Christian expatriates have migrated to the region which is currently enjoying an economic boom that is attracting more foreign workers.
Bishop Handford accepts that some Qataris might not be happy. "You'd get the same in the conservative Christian world where mosques are built," Handford says. "We haven't experienced any problems or difficulties with local people," he adds.
In particular, the emir, who came to power in 1995, has been very supportive. "Were it not for his agreement, and approval, and generosity, we wouldn't be having a church," says Bishop Handford.
Gerald Butt, editor of Middle East Economic Survey, an authoritative Cyprus-based newsletter, says allowing the church is unlikely to prove controversial there. "Already Qatar has changed from being a remote, secluded, conservative country to one that's much more open to the world," he says.

THREE CHRISTIANS DIED IN ERITREAN MILITARY PRISON ; PRAY AND MAKE A DIFFERNCEIN ERITREA

Since October, three Christians imprisoned for their faith have died in Eritrean military prisons, according to Compass Direct News.
Mehari Gebreneguse Asgedom died on Jan. 16 from torture and diabetes while in solitary confinement at the Mitire Military Confinement Center. Asgedom's death followed the revelation in January that another Christian died in the same prison, Compass reports. Mogos Hagos Kiflom was said to have died as a result of torture he endured for refusing to recant his faith, but the exact date of his death was unknown.
In October, Teklesenbet Gebreab Kiflom died while imprisoned for his faith at the Wi'a Military Confinement Center. He reportedly died after prison commanders refused to give him medical attention for malaria.
These latest deaths reflect the Eritrean government's harsh treatment of believers. The Eritrean government targets Christians, often placing them in metal containers that are extremely hot during the day and cold during the night. Nearly 1,800 Eritrean Christians are believed to be under arrest because of their religious beliefs, held in police stations, military camps and prisons in 12 known locations across Eritrea. It is believed more than 28 clergymen are being held.
Jailed Christians are routinely subjected to physical beatings and severe psychological pressure to deny their religious beliefs. Police and military authorities continue to demand the prisoners return to one of the three "official" Christian denominations recognized by the government. But even the legally recognized denominations — the nation's historic Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran churches — have come under government disfavor in recent years, incurring threats and even jailing by security police officials.
The Voice of the Martyrs provides assistance and encouragement to persecuted believers in Eritrea. VOM supports the families of martyred believers through our Families of Martyrs fund. VOM encourages you to pray for Christians in Eritrea. Pray for the families of the deceased believers Ask God to encourage other Christians suffering for Christ's sake in Eritrean prisons.

NEW NHS GUIDELINES DISCOURAGE ATTEMPTS OF STAFF NURSES TO ' PREACH AND CONVERT ' IN LONDON; PRAY AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

A row has broken out over guidelines on NHS workers discussing religion with patients and colleagues, as a nurse suspended for offering to pray for a patient was asked to return to work.
Caroline Petrie, 45, a Baptist from Weston-super-Mare, was accused of failing to show a commitment to equality and diversity after the incident. But NHS North Somerset primary care trust said yesterday that Petrie was welcome to return.
Tory MP Patrick Cormack, a committed Anglican, told parliament that Petrie's suspension highlighted the "utter absurdities" of political correctness.
It has emerged that NHS guidelines on religion in the workplace were published last month. A Department of Health spokeswoman said the document, Religion or Belief: A Practical Guide for the NHS, was written in response to feedback from trusts seeking consultation. She said it discouraged attempts to "preach and to convert", because they could "cause many problems, as non-religious people and those from other religions or beliefs could feel harassed and intimidated".
A spokeswoman for the public sector union Unison said: "We're pleased that Caroline Petrie has been welcomed back to work. The suspension was overly harsh, but it is an important reminder for nurses, and people in the public services more generally, that they must be sensitive to the diverse beliefs of the people they serve."
Indarjit Singh, editor of the Sikh Messenger, said suspending Petrie, a community nurse who carries out home visits in North Somerset, was an "overreaction" and "poor judgment on the part of the hospital".
But Singh said the real issue was adjusting to the times in Britain, a society in which non-Christian religious groups have their own religious sensitivities. "Some people feel they have had to adjust too much," he said. "I understand the feeling but we all have to adjust – change has come from both sides."
Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the Secular Society, said the trust had been right to suspend Petrie, on the basis that she had been warned on a previous occasion following an incident in which she had offered a patient a prayer card.
"There's an important practical issue here," he said. "Entering people's houses and offering to pray for them makes it excruciatingly embarrassing for them to say no. They may fear it will sour the relationship."
He said bringing religion into working environments was divisive. He expressed concern about an increase in recent years of "aggressive legal work done by Christian lawyers seeking to undermine secularity in the workplace".
Sociology professor Tariq Modood, a Bristol University researcher into ethnic and religious minorities, expressed sympathy with supporters of Petrie and critics of the report. "Faith-centric Christians are effectively a minority in British society, where one is expected to keep religious beliefs quiet," he said. "They have seen the gains made by minority religions and are asking, why is the state so harsh on us?"
He added: "Any form of conversion activity when people are ill and vulnerable is misguided, and patients need to be protected from that."

' VICTORY' FOR THE CHRISTIAN NURSE WHO HAS BEEN SUSPENDED FOR PRAYING IN LONDON; PRAYER MADE THE DIFFERENCE

A nurse who was suspended without pay for asking a patient whether she would like to be prayed for has been reinstated and will return to work in the next few days.
Caroline Petrie, from Weston-super-Mare, who was subjected to disciplinary action even though the patient did not complain, was told yesterday that she could resume her duties by North Somerset Primary Care Trust.
Mrs Petrie, an evangelical Christian and mother of two, was suspended after her employers discovered that she had asked a patient whether she would like prayers to be said for her. Although the patient was not offended, the incident was reported.
Last week Mrs Petrie, who was supported by the Christian Legal Centre, was summoned to a disciplinary hearing on the basis that she had failed to demonstrate a “personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity” by offering her prayers.
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Last night Mrs Petrie told Channel 4 News: “When I asked her \ the question I saw she didn’t actually look offended at all. Her body language was quite relaxed. She was happy in my presence. It was just basically ’no thank you’.
“I’m happy to pray for anybody. I think the issue is she felt possibly there may be somebody who might be offended by the question of somebody saying would you like prayer.”
When asked if she would do it again, Mrs Petrie replied: “Yes.” She added: “I would like to get this issue resolved and I’m absolutely delighted that I have been offered to go back.”
In a statement last night, North Somerset Primary Care Trust said that it recognised Mrs Petrie had been acting in the “best interests of her patients”, that nurses did not have to “set aside their faith” in the workplace and could “continue to offer high quality care for patients while remaining committed to their beliefs”. The trust also admitted that, for some, prayer is recognised as an “integral part of health care and the healing process”.
Sir Patrick Cormack, the Tory MP for South Staffordshire and a committed Anglican, told Parliament that the case illustrated the “utter absurdities” of political correctness.
Andrea Williams, director of the Christian Legal Centre, said: “This is a great victory for Mrs Petrie and for common sense. It highlights the importance of being able to take personal faith into the workplace.”
The trust’s change of heart comes as the Government is planning to tighten up rules on how far religious believers can go when working in the public sector, or in receipt of public funds for charities in communicating their faith.
According to a document published by the Department of Health last month, any attempt by a doctor or nurse to proselytise at work will be considered harassment or intimidation and subject to disciplinary action.
Religion or Belief: A Practical Guide for the NHS, states preaching or attempting to convert people at work “can cause many problems, as non-religious people and those from other religions or beliefs could feel harassed and intimidated by this behaviour”. The guide says that nurses should be allowed to wear religious dress, symbols and jewellery unless they conflict with health and safety procedure.
Hazel Blears, the Communities Secretary, has told faith groups that the Government is working on proposals that would ban them from using public funds to proselytise. Speaking at the Evangelical Alliance Life Beyond Debt conference in London on Thursday, she said religious charities would be asked to sign a “charter of excellence”.
Patients groups supported Mrs Petrie. George Robins, co-director of Patient Concern, said: “Nurses should do what they think is best for the patient. A lot of people find it very comforting to have someone praying for them.”