Today on Christian World News

Boko Haram in Nigeria strikes again. At least
24 Christians killed in recent attacks and

now there's a growing call to bring the deadly
terrorist group to justice.

Plus

A new pharaoh? Egyptian President Mohammed
Morsi makes a bold power grab, and the new

constitution is pushed through without the
input of Christians or moderates.

And

"The Pink Room." A look at the film that's
exposing the dark world of sex trafficking

and bringing victims a message of hope.

As Nigeria's Christians suffer more attacks,
the international community seeks more tools

to fight Islamic terrorists.

Hello, everyone, I'm George Thomas.

And I'm Wendy Griffith.

Twin car bombings at a Protestant church on
a military base in Nigeria killed at least

15 people. It happened in the city of Jaji,
in Kaduna state in the Muslim north.

Officials say a bus packed with explosives
rammed into St. Andrew Military Protestant

Church right after Sunday services. About
ten minutes later, a car parked just outside

the church exploded as people fled from the
first attack.

The radical Islamic group Boko Haram is suspected
in the attack. Boko Haram is blamed for killing

more than 760 Nigerians this year alone.

Staggering numbers.

Ann Buwalda is executive director of Jubilee
Campaign, a group that defends religious liberty.

She joins us now from our bureau in Washington,
D.C.

Ann, the international criminal court has
just released a report that Boko Haram has

in fact committed crimes against humanity.
What does that mean for Nigeria and its Christians?

The Christians in Nigeria have made an effort
in recent years to request that the international

criminal court find that the Boko Haram has
been responsible for these acts of violence.

And what this means is that they are going
to receive justice. Hopefully, the international

criminal court will now take this to the next
step, will take the investigative process

to the point of actual indictment.

The next step is to actually call up specific
individuals as terrorists and designate them

as terrorists. And in fact the United States
earlier this summeró the United States Department

of Stateódid designate three leaders of the
Boko Haram as terrorists.

Unfortunately, the State Department has not
designated the Boko HaramÖas a foreign terrorist

organization. We believe that still has to
happen and we are encouraging people to sign

up with a petition to the White House requesting
that the Boko Haram be put on the foreign

terrorist organization list.

This is an organization responsible, in our
account, this year alone, 1,317 civilians

in Nigeria have been killed by Boko Haram.
No other country in the world has had that

death toll of civilians, not even Afghanistan.

Ann, let me just jump in just a few seconds
that we have remaining. Why do you think the

Nigerian government has been unable so far
to stop Boko Haram? Is it a lack of will or

is there something else? Quickly, please.

I believe that it's an inability to effectively
prosecute those responsible. I also believe

that there is pressure from outside, including
from the United States, to actually negotiate

with these terrorists. And that's something
that needs to change and stop.

Prosecutions need to take place; impunity
needs to stop.

There appears to be a new extremist group
that has surfaced and is claiming credit for

a recent attack in Abuja. It obviously raises
the question: is stopping Boko Haram the answer

or is there a deeper problem that you see
here?

It's a first step. As we know, from many countries
where terrorist organizations are active,

they mutate. One terrorist organization gets
too much attentionóperhaps their funds are

cut offóa new one pops up. It's still the
same people behind it.

The root causes have not changed and the Nigerian
government needs to get to the root cause.

Okay, terrific. Ann Buwalda of the group Jubilee
Campaign, great to have you back on the broadcast.

Thank you very much. Good to be here.

The United Nations General Assembly voted
overwhelmingly to recognize the Palestinian

Authority as a non-member state. Some say
the vote could put even more obstacles between

Israel and the PA and hinder further peace
talks.

Here's Chris Mitchell from Jerusalem.

The historic vote passed overwhelmingly: 138
in favor, 41 abstentions, and nine against.

Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas said
they would accept nothing less than an independent

state in the West Bank and Gaza with East
Jerusalem as its capital.

This time we are determined to go. Nothing
is going to shake us. The train has left the

station. There is no way we can be deterred,
we can be frightened, we can be pushed around.

And I think this determination has become
greater after this war in Gaza.

Palestinians in the West Bank, known biblically
as Judea and Samaria, celebrated the vote.

Palestinians also celebrated in Hamas-controlled
Gaza.

It's a wonderful feeling, it's amazing. God
willing, unity between Fatah and Hamas will

happen very soon in the near future. We will
be brothers and together we will destroy the

Israeli entity. God willing, we are going
to victory, victory, victory.

The vote was largely symbolic but Abbas seized
on the symbolism calling the vote a birth

certificate for the state of Palestine. Palestinians
say the U.N. backing will strengthen their

hand in negotiations. But Israel says it will
make talks even tougher.

The truth is when the party is over and when
people wake up tomorrow morning they'll see

that nothing has changed, that reality on
the ground remains as is. The only way forward

is not meaningless theatre at the United Nations.
The only way forward is to have meaningful

peace talks

Both Israel and the U.S. suffered a huge blow
diplomatically.

The path to a two-state solution that fulfills
the aspirations of the Palestinian people

is through Jerusalem and Ramallah, not New
York.

We have made very clear to the Palestinian
leadership - you know I met with President

Abbas just last week - that we oppose Palestinian
efforts to upgrade their status at the U.N.,

outside of the framework of negotiations to
achieve a two-state solution.

For now, nothing has really changed. But it
could give Palestinians some clout if they

take Israelis to the international criminal
court. They could also force the question

of the fate of Jerusalem or the fate of hundreds
of thousands of Israelis who live in their

biblical homeland of Judea and Samaria.

Chris Mitchell, CBN News, Jerusalem.

Meanwhile next door, protests rocked Egypt
this week as President Mohammed Morsi moved

to expand his power.

First, he issued a decree giving him control
of all branches of government.

After that, Morsi backed the constitutional
assembly as it rushed through the country's

new constitution two months early without
the input of Christians or other minorities.

Now, some are calling Morsi a new pharaoh.

Once again, here's Chris Mitchell.

For days, anti-Morsi protestors have battled
against police. They want Morsi either to

step down or rescind his decrees.

The position is obvious. There is no negotiation.
And the political powers will not meet with

President Mohammed Morsi until he has cancelled
the constitutional declaration.

Morsi's decree stated no one can reverse or
change any of his decisions. This effectively

puts him in control of all branches of Egypt's
government: executive, legislative and judicial.

Morsi claims his decrees are only temporary.
But many political leaders disagree, like

Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammad El Barade.

We have a new pharaoh in town. I mean, after
we thought we have moved from the pharaoh

type to the 21st century we are back to having
a new pharaoh. The country, in short, is falling

apart.

Egypt's stock market lost ten percent of its
value over the political instability while

many pro-Morsi demonstrators defended his
actions.

Also last week, Christian leaders withdrew
from the assembly drafting a new constitution.

They objected to the majority Islamists, who
are redefining what Sharia law means.

Here in Jerusalem some are concerned about
what Morsi's actions mean for long-term relations

between Israel, Egypt and the rest of the
Middle East.

While Morsi gained international prestige
by helping to broker a ceasefire between Israel

and Hamas, one former ambassador told CBN
News Morsi's latest actions look like he's

trying to establish an Iranian-style religious
state.

Chris Mitchell, CBN News, Jerusalem.

Coming up

He's one of only a handful of Christians who
survived the Killing Fields. How this man

is still reaching out with God's love to his
countrymen in Cambodia.

Welcome back.

The 2012 Redemptive Film Festival recently
honored more than 30 films for their redeeming

story lines, including "The Pink Room." It
chronicles young girls in Cambodia trapped

in sex trafficking.

But as Heather Sells reports, its message
is one of hope.

When they sleep with me I feel so depressed.

"The Pink Room" lets the viewers in on the
pain of young, trafficked girls in the village

of Swi-Pak. The main economy here: child prostitution.
Tragically, pedophiles from around the world

arrive daily to take advantage.

So what you doing here? So what are you going
to do when you're done with your coffee?

But "The Pink Room" is quick to focus on a
redemptive ministry in Swi-Pak. Agape International

Missions helps to restore girls who are rescued.
Pink Room director Joel Sandvos says he wanted

to tell their stories.

We focused on hope, we focused on restoration.†
It's not about just talking about how bad

the problem is and everything but it really
sets itself apart because it's about solutions

and it's about hope and in the end people
are crying tears of joy rather than tears

of depression and frustration.

"The Pink Room" shows how the Agape Ministry
rebuilds young lives like Mien's. After watching

her brothers and sisters go hungry, she decided
at age 14 to enter a brothel. She quickly

found herself trapped in torture and bondage,
worse than she had imagined.

But when she arrived at the Agape home, she
found a new world, beginning with a princess

ceremony.

They've heard before from their customers,
their guests, "I love you," and so they're

like, "yeah, I've heard that before." But
then they start living it and believing it.

It's really just an honor to be a part of,
to see.

Sandvos is currently re-editing the documentary
for PBS. And he says it's already awakening

the church as viewers begin to see how to
help children who've suffered unspeakable

evil.

People are very hopeful when they talk to
us. They say, "I've seen a lot of documentaries

on sex trafficking but this one actually made
me feel good and I was actually happy and

hopeful."

Heather Sells, CBN News.

From 1975 to 1979, Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge killed
nearly two million Cambodians. Barnabas Mam

is one of only 200 Christians to survive the
Killing Fields. He's written a book about

that time called "Church Behind The Wire."

Recently, I spoke with him about his experience.

You were actually sent to a prison camp. How
did you survive?

I was only the Christian in the camp. I learned
to restore my hope by speaking Psalm 23 twice

day, in the morning and in the evening, and
also to learn to worship God with only a few

hymns that I could remember well, especially
"How Great Thou Art."

My life was spared because of the miracle
of God. So for me, survival was a miracle

day after day.

When some of my friends were interrogated
and they missed the mark and they got killed

so I was so fearful that I would be killed
too. Then Psalm 23, verse 4: "Even though

I walk in the valley of the shadow I shall
fear no evil for the Lord is with me, thy

rock and thy staff they comfort me."

So that was a source of hope for me.

Eventually you were released and you became
a church planter. Can you give our viewers

real quickly a sense of how strong is the
church in Cambodia today?

You know, after the Killing Fields [there
were] only 200 Christians out of 10,000 that

survived the four years of the reign of terror
that was known as the Killing Fields.

And then the church went underground for another
ten years. Only by 1993 that the church in

Cambodia, the church of the survivals, was
granted the freedom of worship.

But now from 1993 to date there are about
half a million Christians all over Cambodia,

basically because of exponential growth.

Are people free to leave Buddhism, for example,
and embrace Christianity and is there a price

to pay if they do become a believer in Christ?

In Asia there is a price to pay and it tests
the sincerity of the commitment of our faith.

In my case when I accepted the Lord, I got
rejected by my family, especially by my uncle,

the senior man who raised me in the Buddhist
temple.

Now some young people, you know, while they
are going on to their study at the college

in Phnom Penh, once their parents or their
tutors know that they've become a Christian

they may stop their support. But that's a
test of faith.

How can we pray for Cambodia, the Cambodian
church?

Pray that the men and women who are called
to serve God as leaders and shepherds may

continue to grow, and as the leaders grow
that the flock will also grow alongside.

And also pray that the one day materialism
may come and grasp the heart of the people

in Cambodia, pray that our leaders over there,
the Christians over there, may not be polluted

by materialism at all; they will stand firm
in their faith in Christ.

Fantastic standing firm in their faith
in Christ. Barnabas Mamóthe book is called

"Church Behind The Wire," a must to readóthank
you so much for all you do for the Gospel

of Jesus Christ in Cambodia. Thank you again
for joining us on the broadcast.

Coming up

A celebration in the highlands of Guatemala.
We'll tell you about the great gift that brought

joy

to

so many people.

Welcome back to the show.

Christian humanitarian relief efforts in eastern
Congo are moving forward despite military

gains by armed rebels. An anti-government
militia called M23 recently seized territory

in Goma.

Jon Cassel is CBN's director for French speaking
Africa. He says the ministry is partnering

with a hospital and area churches to give
Congolese urgent medical care.

A group of Congolese pastors that are in charge
of locating the patients in the rural areas

that are the most distressed and seeing that
they are informed of what CBN is doing and

then they can bring them in to the Heal Africa
clinic and be served.

To hear more of Jon Cassel's comments log
on to The Global Lane at cbnnews.com.

The indigenous people of northern Guatemala
are caught in the middle of fighting between

drug gangs and government troops.

Recently, however, they had reason to put
aside their troubles and celebrate. Stan Jeter

explains.

Drummers, children and trumpet players led
the procession down the narrow streets of

San Cristobal, in the highlands of Guatemala.
Marching with them, visitors from the United

States, Germany and China. Some of them grew
up in the Pokomchi culture.

You know, we were walking in the parade this
morning and there was a sea of Pokomchi faces,

young and old. All of a sudden I felt tears
coming out of my eyes. It feels amazing.

Linguists Boris and Beth Ramirez are a big
reason for this celebration.

There are no words to express how you feel.

That's right. We're linguists, but we're wordless
at this point.

It's God's Word that's the cause of the celebration.
The New Testament is now available in the

Pokomchi language. And the Ramirezes are the
linguists that finished the translation.

Twenty-seven years ago the Ramirez family
moved to northern Guatemala to pick up the

project started by German translators Ted
and Gloria Engel in 1969.

Forty-three years later, the Pokomchi speakers
finally have a New Testament they can read

for themselves.

Very joyful, very happy to have in our hands
the New Testament in Pokomchi.

The modern Bible translation movement actually
began here in Guatemala. This is where a Caqchikel

Indian famously challenged missionary Cameron
Townsend, who was selling Spanish Bibles:

"If your God is so smart," he said, "why can't
he speak Caqchikel?"

Not all Guatemalans speak Spanish. Over 40
percent are descendants of the ancient Mayas

and they speak 21 different languages.

Today Townsend's vision for providing God's
Word in every language has literally circled

the globe. Wycliffe Bible Translators, which
he founded in 1942, is leading a final push

to begin translations in the 2,100 languages
still without a Bible.

Translators have a slow and tedious calling.
Ramirez spent years studying the Pokomchi

language, then hired a native speaker, Abelino
Caal, to help, but almost fired him for his

lack of computer skills.

I bless the Lord for having prevented me from
making that big mistake. Because this is the

man who truly finished the New Testament.

Caal himself is grateful his people will now
understand God's Word more clearly.

Using the Word of God and seeing the church
grow through the Word of God when there is

better understanding.

The translators worked with partner ministries
to produce a Pokomchi version of the Jesus

Film, along with a dramatized audio New Testament
sponsored by the Faith Comes By Hearing Mission.

But the work of translation comes at a price,
and according to Wycliffe veteran Bob Gunn,

the challenges multiply as the project nears
completion.

Over and over, we have deaths, critical illness,
financial reversals. All kinds of things happen

at the last.

But those hardships are forgotten on a day
like this. With the translated New Testament

safely delivered, Ramirez believes a new world
of opportunity will open up for the Pokomchi

believers.

And I believe that God has called the Mayan
church to send their own missionaries. So

I believe that that's what we are going to
see with the use of the Scriptures: a missionary

Pokomchi church sending missionaries, Pokomchis,
to the world.

Stan Jeter, CBN News.

And you can see more great stories about the
work of the church around the globe at our

Christian World News website. Find it at cbnnews.com.

We'll be right back.

And

finally on our broadcast this week

An Iranian Christian threatened with expulsion
from Sweden is expressing his gratitude to

CBN and our viewers.

Yeah, Reza Jebbari is a convert from Islam.
He moved to Sweden and applied for asylum

fearing persecution in Iran. Swedish officials
originally rejected his request, but our coverage

of his story and your response helped put
pressure on Swedish officials.

They halted the deportation order and granted
Jebbari a new hearing. Now Reza and his pastor

asked that we share this video with you.

I want to say special thanks for the CBN channel,
especially all the American people by the

CBN channel active in the internet.

We don't think it could have been done without
your help.

Jebbari's lawyer is hopeful that Reza will
soon be granted permanent residency in Sweden.

That's fantastic!

The power of Christian media! Isn't that fantastic!

Yeah, it's awesome. And the power of prayerÖ

Yes.

Öis very important.

And thanks to all our viewers.

Yeah. Well, folks, that's all for this week's
edition of Christian World News. I hope you've

enjoyed the show.

Until next week, from all of us here, good-bye
and God bless you.