Magic Statistics

Two women at the NATO base in Geilenkirchen, Germany, have been sacked after they unexpectedly and mysteriously married Muslims in Tunisia.  Geilenkirchen is the main operating field for AWACS aircraft.

One of the two women is secretary to the base’s acting commander.

Colonel Jelle Zijlstra's secretary, a woman described as Gerda van V., and her friend Patricia R., who also works at the NATO base, recently returned from a holiday in Tunisia wearing wedding rings. The women had security passes that would give them access to possible NATO secrets. However, the secret service AIVD has withdrawn the NATO clearance of the women after they "suddenly turned out to have married the Arabic duo, who are classified as extremely high-risk," De Telegraaf newspaper reported this weekend.

Neither of the two women is permitted on the base.  Patricia R has launched a legal action to be reinstated.

Astonishingly (to me, anyway), Col Zijlstra is defending the two women.

The colonel told De Telegraaf: "These ladies have worked for us loyally for years, so why should I not give them moral support? I am not aware of any wrongful actions."
.  . .
Gerda van V. has meanwhile dumped her Tunisian husband and has filed for divorce, the newspaper added.

That honeymoon didn’t last long.  The two love birds were joined together in holy matrimony only months ago, and she’s already ditched him.  Does loyal service compensate for atrocious judgment?

Officials from Kazahkstan’s National Security Committee (KNB) staged a prolonged and thorough raid against Grace Presbyterian Church on 24 August.  A colonel and several officers arrived without warning at 10 am and did not leave until 1 am the following morning.  Everyone present was forced to stay for the duration and provide written statements to KNB apparatchiks.  Computers, Christian literature, administrative files, and other documents were confiscated.  The KNB filmed the whole thing.

The reason for the raid is apparently a state secret.

Officials of the National Security Committee (KNB) secret police in the town of Karaganda [Qaraghandy] and in the capital Astana have refused to explain to Forum 18 News Service why they staged a massive 15-hour raid on Karaganda's Grace Presbyterian Church and several other church-related properties on 24 August. "We cannot tell you," the duty officer at the Karaganda Regional KNB – who refused to give his name - told Forum 18 on 27 August. "We're not an open organisation."

You don’t say.

Likewise, Kenzhebulat Beknazarov, spokesperson for the national KNB in Astana, refused to explain. "It was in the framework of a criminal case," was all he would tell Forum 18 the same day.

The criminal case is said to involve Article 165 of the Criminal Code, which relates to high treason and imposes very lengthy prison terms on those found guilty.

On the same day, searches were also conducted at three church-owned private homes in Karaganda and the Grace Presbyterian Church in Oskemen, eastern Kazakhstan.

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Manoj, a Christian from India hired by a Saudi Arabian water company, has returned home with horrific tales of abuse and persecution that he and other Christians suffered at the hands of their employer.  Seventeen Christian employees have been under house arrest since 15 August.

"There were 22 youth were selected and sent to Saudi Arabia by a recruiting agency for the post of driver cum salesman during the last week of April, 2007. Company offered them eight hours duty per day, good salary, and flight charges from India," Manoj said to the Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) News Service.
 
"But company did not keep the promises, because the employees were christians. They did not pay back their flight charges too," Manoj continued. "Employees were told to work in the company 18 hours per day without any rest. They were treated as slaves. Company authorities did not want to consider them even as domestic animals," Manoj said with tears.

When Manoj became seriously ill, his friends took him to the hospital, provoking the company to place its Christian employees under house arrest.  After his condition worsened, the company sent him back home without pay.

Only two weeks ago, International Christian Concern reported the case of Dr Mamdooh Fahmy, an Egyptian doctor who was held in Saudi Arabia for almost two years after authorities discovered that he is a Christian.  Dr Fahmy is now home with his family.

Previous related post: US warned over human trafficking report: Don’t alienate Muslims