Southern Africa:

• Illegal porn channel charged
• Zim churches ask for forgiveness
• Anniversary of St. James massacre
• Anglican archbishop to visit Africa

* ILLEGAL PORN CHANNEL CHARGED – (South Africa) The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) has laid a criminal complaint against "Don’t Panic TV", which broadcast adult movies, for illegal subscription broadcasting. Icasa spokeswoman Vimla Maistry said on 9 July: "Icasa will act against any person operating without a broadcasting licence or the necessary legal permission to broadcast. "Don’t Panic TV has not received a broadcasting licence or the necessary permission from the Authority to continue broadcasting," she said. (The Natal Witness, 10 July) (to index)

* ZIM CHURCHES ASK FOR FORGIVENESS - Zimbabwe's Christian churches have apologised for not doing enough to help stop political violence, hunger and the collapse of the economy. Western governments and human rights groups blame the chaos embroiling the once-prosperous and stable country on the increasingly autocratic and violent rule of President Robert Mugabe. The Zimbabwe Council of Churches, which represents all Christian denominations in the country, said it had watched passively as poverty worsened, leaving more and more children begging on the streets. It had also stood by amid the collapse of state health and education services and widening political divisions, it said. "We have, with our own eyes, watched as violence, rape, intimidation, harassment and various forms of torture have ravaged the nation. "Yet some perpetrators have been set free," the council said in a statement. "We have been witness to and buried our people who have starved to death because of food shortages. "While we have continued to pray, we have not been moved to action. "We as a council apologise to the people of Zimbabwe for not having done enough at a time when the nation looked to us for guidance." Zimbabwe is in the grip of its worst economic crisis since independence in 1980. (18 July, The Cape Times) (to index)

* ANNIVERSARY OF ST. JAMES MASSACRE - Ten years ago, on the 25th of July, the fateful St James Church Massacre took place, where 11 worshippers were murdered and 55 injured, by APLA cadres who attacked the church with automatic assault rifles and hand grenades. One survivor, Charl van Wyk, was the only member of the congregation who stood up to the terrorists. He was armed, and shot back at the assailants, wounding one. After Charl returned fire, the attackers broke off the assault and fled. Charl and Letlapa Mphahlele, the APLA Commander who ordered the attack, have shared platforms before, where Charl was invited by Letlapa to speak at his homecoming celebration in the Northern Province. Charl publicly presented Letlapa with a personally signed Bible in Sesotho as an act of reconciliation at the meeting. Basie Kumbuzi (one of the attackers), Charl and Letlapa together addressed a meeting on Unity and Reconciliation in Khayelitsha on 2nd January 2003. Trees were planted in memory of those innocent Christians who lost their lives. On Friday 25th of July outside Dad's Toys (Entrance 8, next to Game) at the Canal Walk, Century City from 17h30 to 19h00, as an act of reconciliation, United Christian Action and Dad's Toys were to host Charl and Letlapa. (Africa Christian Action, 24 July) (to index)

* ANGLICAN ARCHBISHOP TO VISIT AFRICA - The head of the worldwide Anglican Church is heading for West Africa on a seven-day pastoral trip to Ghana, Sierra Leone and Gambia. The Lambeth Palace office of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Rowan Williams, played down suggestions that the visit had anything to do with strong opposition in Africa to the appointment of a gay bishop, Canon Jeffrey John, in England. "It shouldn't be read as taking place in the context of current events, it's very much a long-planned trip," said a spokesperson who is accompanying the prelate. Confronted with a bitter dispute over the move, and fears of a schism in the Anglican Church, the homosexual cleric later turned down his nomination. "This is a provincial visit from the archbishop and would normally be focused on their situation and their concerns. "They've been a bit overdue a visit," the spokesperson said, adding that the last trip by an archbishop of Canterbury to the region was in the 1980s and before that in the 1970s. In Africa, many bishops have denounced homosexuality as an abomination. (24 July, The Star) (to index)

International:

• Financial scam uses Liberia
• Peer-to-peer porn act
• Hemlock society changes its name
• Church sued for ‘hell prediction’
• ‘Pop stars rob childhood’s innocence’

* FINANCIAL SCAM USES LIBERIA - One of most common financial scams, conducted mostly by Nigerians, is targeting Christian organisations and is using the Liberian crisis in their latest fraud attempts. The "419 Scam" as it’s called by the South African Police Services, sends emails which is sent by a syndicate of which members pose as senior government officials demanding money for a "just" cause. The promise of a sizable percentage (between 20 and 35 percent) benefited is what could appeal to victims. Once the victim agrees, paperwork, which includes signed blank company letterheads, blank invoices, telephone and fax numbers and bank account details is sent to the victim. An example of the scam: "I am Evangelist John Blessing Freeman, born in Monrovia, Liberia and has been Ministring in various churches until the out break of war which has claimed so many innocent lives which no man can create except our Almighty God. The sight is very gory and painful to behold… Over the years, I have been a personal Pastor to President Taylor and has advised him on the looming danger and its outcome, but he did not listen to the voice of reason which is the word of God. However, he has entrusted into my hands through a connection of his in Ivory Coast a huge trunk which he instructed contained a total sum of US$140,000,000 (One Hundred and Forty Million United States Dollars) and had this transferred to Madrid Spain to a Security company where the funds are now deposited with them even though they did not know the true contents."
The scam email then goes on to explain that if you are willing to assist "I would disburse to you 25% of this fund, I would retain 25% to my children while the balance of 50% would be used for the Word of God." (CFT News)

ED: Scam emails of this sort can be sent to: Commercial Branch, South African Police Service, Head Office for attention Superintendent SC Schambriel at facsimile number +27 12 393 1202, telephone number + 27 12 393 1203 or e-mail mediarelations@saps.org.za (to index)

* PEER-TO-PEER PORN ACT - (Washington) Congressman Joe Pitts (R, PA-16) today introduced the Protecting Children from Peer-to-Peer Pornography (P4) Act. The P4 Act gives parents the tools they need to protect their children from pornography and threats to privacy posed by peer-to-peer file trading networks. "Millions of people are using peer-to-peer software at any given time. About forty percent of them are children," said Rep. Pitts. "Unfortunately, pedophiles and pornographers use these networks to distribute pornography. If a child using this software wants to download a file, he or she can type in an innocent key word and inadvertently download pornography." In March 2003, the General Accounting Office (GAO) and the House Committee on Government Reform found that: pornography is readily available and accessible on P2P networks; children are easily exposed to pornography while using P2P programs; and the filters available to parents do sufficiently address the threat to their children’s’ safety. (24 July, www.house.gov/pitts/) (to index)

* HEMLOCK SOCIETY CHANGES ITS NAME - The Hemlock Society, a 23 year-old group that advocates assisted suicide, has announced it is changing its name to End-of-Life Choices. Pro-life groups say the name is merely an attempt to cover up a radical agenda. "Pro-euthanasia forces are masters of euphemism - and they have to be," Lori Kehoe, of National Right to Life, told LifeNews.com. "The not so shocking reality is that most people do not find offing the elderly, the sick or people with disabilities very honorable or very support-worthy." (28 July, Lifenews) (to index)

* CHURCH SUED FOR ‘HELL PREDICTION’ - A New Mexico family is suing its local Catholic church over a funeral Mass at which the priest allegedly said their relative was going straight to hell. The family of Ben Martinez, 80, allege that Reverend Scott Mansfield said he was "living in sin," "lukewarm in his faith" and that "the Lord vomited people like Ben out of his mouth to hell". Around 200 people attended the funeral of Mr Martinez - a local town councillor - at St Patrick's Parish in Chama, north of Santa Fe, last month. Nine members of the Martinez family are seeking punitive and compensatory damages for severe emotional and physical suffering. They say Mr Martinez had been a practising Catholic all his life, but was too ill to attend church in his last year. One of the plaintiffs allegedly said people in the town "are staring at her, thinking her father is in hell." Lawyers did not say how much the family was seeking in damages. But church officials have denied the family's claims. (17 July, BBC) (to index)

* ‘POP STARS ROB CHILDHOOD’S INNOCENCE’ - Children are being put under pressure to grow up too soon by pop stars who use a sexy image to promote their songs, a teachers' leader says. Jim O'Neill, chairman of the Professional Association of Teachers, has warned that the innocence of childhood is being eroded by the sexual imagery of stars such as Kylie Minogue and Britney Spears. "Kylie Minogue might be a great singer but in many of these things you can see more of her bottom than you hear of her voice," said Mr O'Neill. And he complained that the pressure to grow up too soon meant that primary school girls were going to school in "ridiculously short skirts" and "dressing like teenagers - it might be appropriate in a club but certainly not in a school". He also said Britney Spears had adopted a more "raunchy" image, which children would follow. "Britney Spears was promoted as being ideal for girls - the virgin thing and everything else. Now that seems to have gone - she's quite raunchy now, when I think back to the fact she was projected as this country girl with flowing skirts and petticoats." Addressing the association's annual conference in Harrogate, Mr O'Neill said that children's right to be themselves was being threatened by an aggressive consumer and media culture. He also said that he was unhappy at how childhood was being "eroded" by lessons being given to infants about drugs and sex. (29 July, BBC) (to index)