In Germany, a few Muslim refugees convert to Christianity

December 10, 2016

Berlin, Dec 10: Clad in white at a Berlin church, asylum seekers Saeed, Veronica, Farida and Matin were just about to become Christians on a recent Sunday.chrs

"Do you believe from the bottom of your heart that Jesus Christ is your Lord and saviour, and will you follow him every day of your life?" Pastor Matthias Linke asked them. "If so, say yes."

All four replied with a frank "Ja", to the enthusiastic applause of the faithful at the Free Evangelical Church, and were plunged head-to-toe into a baptism basin.

"I am very, very happy, I feel... how to say?", said 20-year-old Iran native Matin right after his baptism, placing his hand on his chest.

Muslim refugees have recently been taking the same step throughout Germany, where nearly 900,000 asylum seekers arrived in 2015.

Church leaders have confirmed a notable, though not huge, trend upward, but have not provided statistics.

"In our diocese, there are several groups of refugees who are preparing for baptism, and there are more and more requests," said Felix Goldinger, a Catholic priest in Speyer, southwestern Germany.

Many come from Iran and Afghanistan, some from Syria or Eritrea, he said.

"I am currently handling a group of 20 people but I do not know how many will go through until baptism," he said.

Over the course of their preparations, which last nearly a year in Goldinger's diocese, potential converts are encouraged to weigh their own motivations.

"During this period, it is important that they examine their original religion, Islam, and the reasons why they want to change it," he said.
"We are obviously pleased that people want to be baptised, but it is very important for us that they are sure of their decision."

Goldinger said that "many people recall what they have experienced in their country", including "terrorist acts committed in the name of religion. They see Christianity as a religion of love and respect for life."

In Iran, said Linke, many had been in contact with unrecognised churches in the Islamic republic, where conversion is prohibited, and then had to flee.

Other refugees met Christians on their journey to Europe.

This was the case for Saeed, a 31-year-old aeronautical engineer who spent four months in Turkey with a Christian and then became interested in his religion. Like fellow new convert Veronica, Saeed is from Afghanistan.

Reading the Bible "helped in times of trouble," he says.

It was in Greece, recalled Matin, that he first came in touch with the Christian faith. After he arrived in Germany, he approached the Free Evangelical Church through his German friends.

His sister Farida followed him and they began preparations -- in German and Farsi -- for baptism.

Farida said she "was looking for a church" and wanted to choose her religion "in complete freedom".

"This is a very important reason to become a Christian," said Linke.

Among refugees who adopt Germany's dominant religion, he said, "there is a strong desire to decide for themselves, in a free and personal way, the direction of their lives".

Churches concede that some conversions are motivated by a desire to integrate into German society, or even by the belief that they will increase their chances of gaining political asylum.

Countries that send Muslim converts to Christianity back to their homelands put them potentially at great risk.

Apostasy or blasphemy can be punished with jail or death sentences in some Muslim countries, among them Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.

For jihadist groups such as the Islamic State, conversion is also a punishable sin.

"There are refugees who think that if they convert, it will be easier for them to stay here, but it is not systematic," Goldinger said.

"Do they change religion in order to be able to stay in Germany? This is an important issue for the authorities," said Linke, who is often consulted by the state Office for Migration and Refugees.

"I have no guarantees, I can only ask them: 'do you really believe with all your heart?' After their baptism, most of them live as Christians and come to church," he added.

Outside their new community, the converts nonetheless usually try to remain discreet.

"They may face difficult situations in refugee homes, where the majority are Muslims," said Thomas Klammt, in charge of migration issues at the Union of Free German Evangelical Churches.

"They may also be afraid for their families left behind in their country of origin."

Matin said he stays in contact with relatives back home -- especially his mother, who had "accepted" his willingness to convert.

"She calls me every Sunday to ask if I have been to mass," he said, laughing.

Comments

shaji
 - 
Sunday, 11 Dec 2016

Christian missionaries are luring these deserted people to change their religion. This is their tactics being practiced in many poor countries.

Rashid
 - 
Sunday, 11 Dec 2016

One , who really applied muslim or community connected muslim , never select other religion... Allah considers eligible to 'jannah' , whether he dies as 'muslim' ... that is why muslim always prays to die as muslims...

Mohammad.n
 - 
Saturday, 10 Dec 2016

Failed in Allah's test

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Agencies
July 18,2020

Days after Twitter accounts of several billionaires were hacked to engineer a crypto scam, Twitter on Saturday said it is embarrassed, disappointed and, more than anything, sorry for what happened with some of its high-profile users as attackers successfully manipulated its employees and used their credentials to access internal systems, including getting through the two-factor protections.

In the first detailed summary of the "social engineering attack" via a crypto scam that hit at least 130 users this week, Twitter said for 45 of those accounts, the attackers were able to initiate a password reset, login to the account and send Tweets.

"We are continuing our forensic review of all of the accounts to confirm all actions that may have been taken. In addition, we believe they may have attempted to sell some of the usernames," the micro-blogging platform said in a statement.

For up to eight of the Twitter accounts involved, the attackers took the additional step of downloading the account's information via "Your Twitter Data" tool.

This is a tool that is meant to provide an account owner with a summary of their Twitter account details and activity.

"We are reaching out directly to any account owner where we know this to be true. None of the eight were verified accounts," said Twitter.

The company said the attackers were not able to view previous account passwords, as those are not stored in plain text or available through the tools used in the attack.

"Attackers were able to view personal information including email addresses and phone numbers, which are displayed to some users of our internal support tools," informed Twitter.

In cases where an account was taken over by the attacker, they may have been able to view additional information, Twitter added, saying its forensic investigation of these activities was still ongoing.

"We are actively working on communicating directly with the account-holders that were impacted".

The company said it will soon restore access for all account owners who may still be locked out as a result of the remediation efforts.

The New York Times reported on Friday that the Twitter crypto scam can be traced back to a group of hackers who congregate online at OGusers.com, a username-swapping community where people buy and sell coveted online handles.

The report said that the Twitter hack is not from Russian, Chinese or North Korean hackers but was done by a group of young people, "one of whom says he lives at home with his mother".

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News Network
February 9,2020

Beijing, Feb 9: After making sure everyone's face mask is on and sanitizer is to hand, the Qiao family heads out to Jingshan Park, a former royal sanctuary beside the Forbidden City in China's capital Beijing.

Snow has fallen for a second day, a rare event in the city of 21.5 million that would normally bring hundreds of thousands of people out to take photos and play. But the streets are empty and the parks are so quiet the only sound is of birds chirping.

It's not just Beijing. Shanghai, China's financial hub, and other cities in the world's most populous nation have turned into ghost towns after the government extended a holiday and asked residents not to go out because of the coronavirus.

"We know the situation of the coronavirus is severe. But the epicentre is far away, so we think it should be fine here ... It's a God-given chance to enjoy this family moment with snow and without work," said Mr Qiao, who has an 11-year-old daughter.

The epidemic has killed 722 people and infected nearly 32,000 in China as of February 8. More than three-quarters of the cases are in the central Hubei province where the virus originated - more than 1,000 km (620 miles) from Beijing.

Only a few people are brave enough to come out. A security guard at Jingshan Park said there were less than a third of the number of tourists than usual, even with the rare snowfall.

Even at one of the best spots for snapping photos of snowy Beijing just outside the Forbidden City, there's barely a crowd, while the usual tour buses and groups of people speaking different dialects are nowhere to be seen.

"Last year when it snowed, I took a few hours off work to come down here to take a picture and the crowd was several layers deep," said a man in his 30s who gave his surname as Yang. "But this year, I am not at all worried about finding a space to take a photo. The virus is keeping people indoors."

Security guards along Wangfujing street, a popular pedestrianised shopping area in downtown Beijing, said it was normally so crowded during the holiday period that it was hard to move around.

"Look at it now, there are more security guards and street cleaners than tourists!" said one of the guards.

Businesses, including shops, bars and restaurants, have been severely hit by the epidemic as the government has banned mass gatherings and even group meals in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

"You would have to wait outside for a table on a normal day," said a waitress at a restaurant with more than 50 tables. Just five were taken at the peak lunch hour.

Only a handful of the more than 100 restaurants along Beijing's famous food street, Guijie, were open, and the remaining outlets were wondering how long they can hold out.

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News Network
May 29,2020

Karachi, May 29: Investigators and rescue officials have found around Rs 3 crore in cash in the wreckage of the Pakistan International Airlines' aircraft that crashed wth 99 people on board, killing 97 people, including nine children.

Flight PK-8303 from Lahore to Karachi crashed in a residential area near Karachi International Airport on Friday, with only two passengers miraculously surviving the crash.

Investigators and rescue officials have found currencies of different countries and denominations worth around Rs 30 million from the aircraft's wreckage, an official said on Thursday.

"An investigation has been ordered into how such a huge amount of cash got through airport security and baggage scanners and found its way into the ill-fated flight," the official said.

He said that the amount was recovered from two bags in the wreckage.

"The process of identifying the bodies and their luggage which will be handed over to their families and relatives is going on," he said.

A total of 97 people including the aircraft crew died in the crash, one of the most catastrophic aviation disasters in Pakistan's history.

A government official said on Thursday that the identification of 47 bodies had been completed, while 43 bodies were handed over for burial.

Friday's accident was the first major aircraft crash in Pakistan after December 7, 2016 when a PIA ATR-42 aircraft from Chitral to Islamabad crashed midway. The crash claimed the lives of all 48 passengers and crew, including singer-cum-evangelist Junaid Jamshed.

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