In today's edition:

• Algerian Government Begins Open Oppression of Christians
• UK Boy Scouts Under Fire for Oath Mentioning God
• Human Rights Group Hails Limits on Interrogation Methods
• Murder of Gaza Christian Unresolved as Threats Continue

Algerian Government Begins Open Oppression of Christians

At the end of February, 2006, a new law was adopted in Algeria incriminating numerous acts linked to the exercise of non-Muslim religious worship (i.e. Christian) with punishment including up to 5 years imprisonment and heavy fines. ASSIST News Service reports that an American living and working in France, who asked not to be named, says the Algerian government is now starting to use this law against the Algerian Evangelical Christians. He writes to ANS: "Three Algerian brothers were just found guilty and sentenced to three years of prison and fined $750. The crime: discrediting the religion and the person of the Prophet, i.e. Islam and Mohamed. This was apparently the first such decision in Algeria according to the new law. Algerian Christians are not surprised but they are alarmed." The American says the outbreak of oppression is clearly targeting the Evangelicals in Algeria in order to stop the growth of this movement. "Local authorities and police are working together to deliver legal orders to the communities that they must stop all their church activities or suffer the consequences. The reason -- it is against the law! Eight churches have so far received these official notifications. Some police agents are requiring written lists of all persons present during a worship time and a written text of the preaching with the name of the preacher. Penalties are doubled for preachers.

UK Boy Scouts Under Fire for Oath Mentioning God

Echoing a battle already fought in America, secular humanists in Britain are attacking the Boy Scouts for requiring children to swear an oath to God. CNSNews reports that in a joint campaign, the British Humanist Association and National Secular Society accused the Scout Association, which has around half a million members, of excluding atheists from its ranks. Spokesmen for the two groups criticized the organization for refusing to allow non-believing adults in leadership positions, and for having scouts swear to "do their best to do their duty to God and to the Queen." With Britain moving towards a mostly secular society, they said, the policy was harming boys who did not want to swear an oath falsely, particular those from deprived areas where there are no alternative youth groups available. In a formal submission to the Scout Association, the two organizations said the stance was contrary to the spirit of Robert Baden-Powell, who founded the organization in the early years of the 20th century. "He did not say 'A Scout is a Friend to All, except those with non-religious beliefs,'" they wrote, in reference to a clause in the Scout Law that says, "A Scout is a friend to all and a brother to every other Scout." Leaders from the two groups met with Derek Twine, chief executive of the Scouts, last month to discuss the issue, although no progress was reported.