Monday, April 25, 2005

40 CHRISTIANS DETAINED IN SAUDI ARABIA, CROWN PRINCE CALLED TO ORDER THEIR RELEASE
Ministry Recruiting One Million Volunteers To Promote Religious Freedom

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

WILMINGTON, OHIO (ANS) -- An international advocacy organization working on behalf of persecuted Christians worldwide, is calling on Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to order the immediate release of a group of 40 Christians currently detained in the Muslim kingdom.

According to Saudi newspapers, a group of Pakistani men, women, and children were holding a prayer meeting at a home in Riyadh on Friday when police broke in and raided the house. Authorities found Christian tapes and books, and detained 40 people.

"The 40 Christians detained in Saudi Arabia are innocent victims of a government that presently has no tolerance for any religion other than Islam," said Kristin Wright, Executive Director of Stand Today (www.standtoday.org).

"We ask that the Crown Prince intervene for their immediate release."

Stand Today says religious freedom in Saudi Arabia is severely curtailed, as practicing any religion other than Islam is illegal.

The ministry says the United States came down hard on the Muslim kingdom last year, with the release of a State Department report announcing that, "Freedom of religion is not recognized or protected under the country's laws and basic religious freedoms are denied to all but those who adhere to the state-sanctioned version of Sunni Islam."

Kristin Wright serves as Executive Director of Stand Today, a global advocacy organization working on behalf of persecuted Christians worldwide. Ms. Wright lobbies for better treatment for persecuted Christian minorities, and works through various media outlets to expose the plight of the persecuted church.

She has been featured on Chuck Colson's Breakpoint, Prime Time America, HCJB World Radio, Insight Magazine, and Townhall.com, among other publications. Find out more about Kristin Wright by visiting her blog at www.kristinwright.blogspot.com. She can be reached directly at kwright@standtoday.org or 937-725-3385.

Stand Today is an international advocacy organization, dedicated to raising awareness and promoting action on behalf of persecuted Christians.

The ministry is recruiting one million volunteers to stand with those who are oppressed and persecuted. For further information on Stand Today, please visit www.standtoday.org.

Stand Today needs your help.

The ministry website says: "Our goal is to recruit one million volunteers to stand with persecuted Christians around the world through prayer, advocacy and action. Join us in this effort to unite free Christians with their suffering brothers and sisters in other countries. Are you interested in making a huge difference for Christians worldwide? Then you have come to the right place."

Stand Today Volunteers receive e-mails on what they can do to:

• Defend members of the persecuted church through phone calls and e-mails
• Raise awareness of persecution
• Encourage others to join the Stand Today effort
• The e-mails Stand Today sends out give glimpses of the persecution Christians around the world are facing. But they don't stop there. Stand Today shows what can be done to make a difference in the lives of these believers.
  

As a Stand Today volunteer, you would commit to the following:

• To pray faithfully for persecuted Christians.
• To stay informed and active in helping suffering believers through reading the Stand Today e-letter and taking action when called upon.