Exloring Life Eternal

INDONESIA: THREE WOMEN SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON
from: Compass Direct (http://www.compassdirect.org) – September
1, 2005

Indonesian judges sentenced three women to three years in prison
on September 1 for allowing Muslim children to attend a Christian
Sunday School program. Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti, and Ratna
Bangun received the sentence after judges found them guilty of
attempting to convert children under the Child Protection Act
of 2002. The teachers had instructed the children to get permission
from their parents before attending the program, and those who
did not have permission were asked to go home, according to Jeff
Hammond of Bless Indonesia Today (http://www.blessindonesiatoday.org).
None of the children had converted to Christianity.

“The ladies, witnesses, and judges were constantly under the
threats of violence from hundreds of Islamic radicals who threatened
to kill the three ladies, witnesses, pastors, missionaries, and
even the judges if the women were acquitted,” Hammond told Compass.

The three women, described by friends as “ordinary housewives,”
were relieved that they had not been given the maximum five-year
prison sentence but were devastated at the prospect of being
separated from their children, who range from 6 to 19 years of
age.

Full story here (http://www.compassdirect.org/en/newslongen.php?idelement=3949).

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an update on our July 20 News Brief, INDONESIA
- Women Stand Trial on Charges of 'Christianization.' (http://www.calebproject.org/main.php/world
news briefs) To send a note of support to these ladies, contact
Open Doors (http://www.odusa.org).

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Received via Mission Catalyst News