May 2017 Persecution Magazine (1 of 4)
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MAY <strong>2017</strong><br />
PERSECU ION<br />
Rejected<br />
Resilient<br />
Restored<br />
Remembering the youngest victims <strong>of</strong><br />
persecution and how they endure (pg 18)<br />
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President’s Letter<br />
Greater<br />
Love Has. . .<br />
The following is adapted from a chapter <strong>of</strong> a soon-to–be-released book from ICC’s president, Jeff King, entitled, “Last Words <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Martyrs.”<br />
The initial reports <strong>of</strong> persecution I receive are news-oriented, <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
only the cold hard facts; who, what, when, and how. Drill down<br />
with me on any attack to the individuals affected, their loved ones,<br />
their community, and their churches and you will see and feel the<br />
massive personal tragedy that each long prison sentence or murder<br />
represents.<br />
Over the years, I’ve been able to speak directly to Christians<br />
affected by persecution and I get very personal updates from our<br />
field staff. These are extremely helpful for me to keep in front <strong>of</strong><br />
me the true cost and emotional impact <strong>of</strong> persecution as it occurs.<br />
In March 2015, in Youhanabad, Pakistan, two suicide bombers<br />
simultaneously attacked two different churches with devastating<br />
effect. Nineteen were killed and another 80 were seriously wounded.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> my staff was just around the corner when the bombs went <strong>of</strong>f<br />
and rushed to the scene with his camera and recorded the devastating<br />
impact <strong>of</strong> the attack. Frankly, it was a scene out <strong>of</strong> a horror movie.<br />
The bomb’s shrapnel did its intended job and shredded anything in its<br />
path, whether concrete or flesh.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> his pictures haunts me. A mother was holding the body <strong>of</strong><br />
her dying son while her spared son sat next to her. Abishey, 10, lay<br />
on the ground, his lower extremities gone. His abdomen was opened<br />
up and he was bleeding out, barely conscious, and fading quickly.<br />
His mother was holding him with her face pointed to heaven, tears<br />
streaming down her face and she was crying out in a grief that you or<br />
I will probably never experience. The healthy son, his face also twisted<br />
by shock and grief, covered in tears, was looking left. The pain and<br />
incomprehension expressed were undeniable and heart-wrenching.<br />
Abishey died because he had left the church to buy candles to<br />
light during the prayer time. He was just outside the church when the<br />
bomb went <strong>of</strong>f.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the priests from the church told us that horror was enough<br />
to drive some <strong>of</strong> his people mad.<br />
In contrast to the horror I saw in that picture was the story <strong>of</strong> heroics,<br />
courage, and sacrifice, demonstrated by two brothers from the<br />
church, Akash and Sikander. The Christian community and churches<br />
had been rocked by several suicide bombings and these two brothers<br />
from the church volunteered to act as security at the church gate<br />
to prevent any suicide bomber from entering. Another <strong>of</strong> the church<br />
security volunteers told us what these brothers had done.<br />
“When the bomber tried to enter the church gate, Akash and<br />
Sikandar threw the metal door (<strong>of</strong> the gate) closed and it hit the<br />
bomber. He fell down, but got back up and tried to enter through the<br />
gate again, but Akash held him, holding down his arms, and pulled<br />
him away from the church.”<br />
Akash held the bomber while Sikander slammed the heavy church<br />
gate closed again when the bomber ignited his bomb. Sikander was<br />
restraining him when the bomb went <strong>of</strong>f.<br />
The death and injury toll, while terrible, would have been incredible<br />
if the bomber had made it into the church.<br />
Radical Islamists celebrated this suicide bomber and all the others<br />
as martyrs for sacrificially killing so many “infidels” that fateful<br />
Sunday. Parents <strong>of</strong> suicide jihadists even comfort themselves with<br />
promises that their children received a martyr’s reward in eternity.<br />
The shock that the bombers must experience as they enter eternity<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten haunts me. I know they are murderers, but they are deceived<br />
and so sincere in their willingness to please Allah that they will<br />
extinguish their own lives and murder hundreds around them because<br />
their religion is telling them to oppose those who resist Islam. They<br />
didn’t just come up with this crazy idea but were taught this lie by<br />
Muhammad, Islam’s holy books, and his living adherents.<br />
So the bomber pays the ultimate price to gain paradise but after<br />
death awakes to reality and finds that everything he was taught about<br />
God was a lie and that he had been obeying Satan.<br />
Furthermore, he realizes that he has killed 19 innocents and that his<br />
fate is sealed; captured by Satan, he will be in torment for eternity.<br />
3 PERSECU ION.org<br />
MAY <strong>2017</strong><br />
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President’s Letter<br />
THE REAL MARTYRS<br />
Of course, the real martyrs are not the killers, but the victims, especially<br />
Akash and Sikander. When Akash was killed, his soul was immediately<br />
taken to heaven where he received the crown <strong>of</strong> life, an eternal<br />
reward that will never perish, spoil, or fade. Akash’s mother spoke with<br />
ICC some time after the bombing and spoke to this point.<br />
“We [have] two feelings,” she said. “We are depressed because we<br />
have lost our son. But we are also proud <strong>of</strong> his sacrifice. He saved hundreds.<br />
I am happy that God has given him the crown <strong>of</strong> martyrdom.”<br />
Akash wasn’t a pastor, missionary, or saint. He was like you and me.<br />
He aspired to live like Jesus but probably failed miserably on a day-today<br />
basis. Yet, by laying down his life for others, he became Jesus to<br />
the many in St. John’s Church who lived that day because one deceived<br />
follower <strong>of</strong> Satan couldn’t get to them. Because <strong>of</strong> Akash’s sacrifice<br />
and death, they lived.<br />
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life<br />
for one’s friends” (John 15:13 NIV). While the suicide bombers died<br />
in the fire and violence <strong>of</strong> hate, Akash and the other security guard laid<br />
down their lives in one supreme act <strong>of</strong> selflessness and sacrifice.<br />
A FLAWED STRATEGY<br />
There’s a lot <strong>of</strong> propaganda coming from our government and echoed<br />
by uninformed sheep that Islam is a religion <strong>of</strong> peace. Most in the<br />
leadership <strong>of</strong> our government involved in fighting Islam know this isn’t<br />
true. Muhammad wasn’t peaceful. He personally led 35-70 raids where<br />
many were killed. He was preaching and evangelizing for a decade with<br />
only a few followers to show for it when he said that Allah gave him a<br />
new revelation. This revelation would radically change his religion and<br />
would cause the number <strong>of</strong> his followers to explode.<br />
What was this new revelation? He said Allah showed him that he<br />
could kill those who opposed him. He could also take their gold, their<br />
homes, their wives and their children and do anything he wished with<br />
them. He could make them his “wives” or sell them as slaves. This was<br />
Allah’s will that had just been revealed to him.<br />
Muhammad even had to urge his followers to attack and kill others<br />
since your average person doesn’t want to be involved in this<br />
kind <strong>of</strong> “worship.”<br />
“Fighting is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it<br />
may be that you dislike [something] that is good for you. Allah [knows<br />
best]” (Quran 2:216).<br />
THE CONUNDRUM<br />
The conundrum our leaders face is that they fear if they tell the<br />
truth and openly condemn Islam, it will only become more violent<br />
and millions more young Muslim men around the globe will stand<br />
up to defend their religion and flow into the ranks <strong>of</strong> Islamic terror.<br />
So they have come up with a very flawed and increasingly incongruous<br />
campaign to put a wedge between the moderates and radicals<br />
<strong>of</strong> Islam through sloganeering (“Islam is a religion <strong>of</strong> peace”).<br />
The only problem is that they are fighting against the holy books<br />
<strong>of</strong> Islam, Muhammad, as well as the Saudi and other Gulf states that<br />
have spent 200 billion dollars or more in the last 40 years radicalizing<br />
the world’s Muslims.<br />
When I get weary <strong>of</strong> the resulting massive flowing sewer <strong>of</strong><br />
Islam’s victims, when the countless stories <strong>of</strong> planned mass<br />
and individual murder and violence weigh me down (and<br />
they do), I take refuge in the fact that those who died for<br />
Christ have stood before our Father and cried out to Him.<br />
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“And I saw the souls <strong>of</strong> those who had been beheaded for their<br />
testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word <strong>of</strong> God.”<br />
- Revelation 20:4 (NLT)<br />
“ 9 I saw under the altar the souls <strong>of</strong> all who had been martyred<br />
for the word <strong>of</strong> God and for being faithful in their testimony.<br />
10<br />
They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy<br />
and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to<br />
this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?<br />
11<br />
Then a white robe was given to each <strong>of</strong> them. And they were<br />
told to rest a little longer until the full number <strong>of</strong> their brothers<br />
and sisters—their fellow servants <strong>of</strong> Jesus who were to be martyred—had<br />
joined them.”<br />
- Revelation 6:9-11 (NLT)<br />
These are the last words <strong>of</strong> the martyrs we see in the Word and if this<br />
was the end <strong>of</strong> the story, I would take some comfort in the fact that they<br />
were heard and were to be rewarded from the ultimate source <strong>of</strong> justice<br />
but I would still be naturally left wanting.<br />
Our souls are wired to desire justice and we have been left wanting in<br />
our culture. One day, justice will be delivered completely and in full by<br />
our hero. He will save the day and all evil will be defeated and judged.<br />
All tears will be wiped away and death and evil will be swallowed up<br />
(Revelation 21:4).<br />
The most important last words for martyrs like Abishey, Akash, and<br />
Sikander, though, will not be the words they speak but rather the ones<br />
they will hear. . .<br />
“Well done, good and faithful servant … Come and share your<br />
master’s happiness!”<br />
- Matthew 25:23 (NIV).<br />
Jeff King<br />
President<br />
International Christian Concern<br />
www.persecution.org<br />
Jeff King, President<br />
International Christian Concern<br />
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Sudan Orders<br />
Church<br />
Demolitions<br />
Christians fleeing the violence in El-Arish.<br />
Christians Flee Sinai after<br />
Violent Attacks<br />
1 | EGYPT On February 22, the bodies <strong>of</strong> two Coptic<br />
Christian men were found behind a school in El-Arish,<br />
Egypt. Saad Hakim Hanna was found with a bullet wound<br />
to the head, while his son, Medhat, appears to have been<br />
burned alive. A local priest reported that three masked<br />
men showed up on the doorstep <strong>of</strong> the father and son’s<br />
home, before killing them and burning the house.<br />
Unfortunately, this is only one incident in a string <strong>of</strong><br />
several attacks against Christians in El-Arish. A trader<br />
was killed in his shop in front <strong>of</strong> his wife and son. A veterinarian<br />
was shot in the head. A Christian plumber was<br />
shot multiple times in front <strong>of</strong> his wife and five children.<br />
The killings were revealed to be part <strong>of</strong> a militant hit list.<br />
In response to the violence, more than 150 Coptic families<br />
have fled the city in a state <strong>of</strong> panic, worried that their<br />
family may be next. These families are now rebuilding<br />
their lives from nothing as they attempt to protect their<br />
loved ones from execution.<br />
Pastor Wins Discrimination Lawsuit<br />
2 | UNITED STATES In early February, the State <strong>of</strong><br />
Georgia agreed to pay Dr. Eric Walsh $225,000 to<br />
settle his religious discrimination lawsuit. Dr. Eric Walsh<br />
was hired in <strong>May</strong> 2014 as a district health director for<br />
Georgia’s Department <strong>of</strong> Public Health. One week after<br />
his hire, he was asked to submit sermons to his employers,<br />
which he had previously delivered during his time as<br />
a lay-pastor. Only two days later, he was fired.<br />
After Walsh lost his position, First Liberty Institute filed<br />
a lawsuit on his behalf against the Georgia Department <strong>of</strong><br />
Public Health in a religious discrimination case, arguing<br />
that he was fired on account <strong>of</strong> his faith. After three years<br />
<strong>of</strong> legal battle, the matter was finally put to rest when the<br />
State <strong>of</strong> Georgia agreed to the settlement. Senior Counsel<br />
for First Liberty Institute, Jeremy Dys, stated, “This is a<br />
clear and resounding victory for religious freedom.”<br />
Thankfully, Walsh’s case came to a positive conclusion,<br />
but others in similar<br />
cases have not been<br />
so fortunate. While<br />
Christians in the United<br />
States certainly do not<br />
face persecution to the<br />
same degree as those<br />
in many other countries<br />
do, we must stand up<br />
for all Christians who<br />
are losing their rights<br />
to practice their faith<br />
freely, or religious freedom<br />
will slowly begin<br />
to chip away.<br />
3 | SUDAN It is no<br />
secret that the government<br />
<strong>of</strong> Sudan<br />
is seeking to keep<br />
Christians from freely<br />
practicing their<br />
faith. Through a<br />
series <strong>of</strong> imprisonments,<br />
church demolitions,<br />
and countless<br />
incidents <strong>of</strong> harassment,<br />
Sudan rightfully<br />
earned its designation<br />
as a Country <strong>of</strong><br />
Particular Concern<br />
by the US State<br />
Department.<br />
Most recently,<br />
authorities in Sudan<br />
ordered the demolition<br />
<strong>of</strong> at least 25<br />
Christian church<br />
buildings near<br />
the capital city <strong>of</strong><br />
Khartoum. The<br />
government issued<br />
a letter detailing the<br />
names and locations<br />
<strong>of</strong> the churches designated<br />
for destruction.<br />
While the letter noted<br />
that the churches<br />
were built on grounds<br />
designated for other<br />
purposes, local<br />
Christian leaders<br />
stated that mosques<br />
built in the same<br />
area didn’t face the<br />
same repercussions.<br />
The churches that<br />
were targeted cover<br />
a broad spectrum <strong>of</strong><br />
Christian denominations<br />
and the majority<br />
are located in residential<br />
areas.<br />
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China and Christianity<br />
Despite China’s persecution<br />
<strong>of</strong> Christians, it is expected to<br />
be the world’s ‘most Christian<br />
nation’ within 15 years.<br />
Christian Woman in China Accused <strong>of</strong> Cult Activity<br />
4 | CHINA A Christian woman from China, Tu Yan, has been accused <strong>of</strong> “using an evil cult to undermine law enforcement” for her involvement in<br />
ministry. She was initially arrested last October and continues to be detained, despite mass outcry from the public. Under the guise <strong>of</strong> a crackdown<br />
on cult activity, the Chinese government continues to persecute and imprison China’s growing Christian population.<br />
Christian in Coma After Mob Attack<br />
5 | INDIA In India, a Christian evangelist named Dr.<br />
Kusuma Anjeneya Swamy slipped into a coma shortly<br />
after being harassed by a group <strong>of</strong> Hindu radicals. Dr.<br />
Swamy was distributing New Testaments in a park,<br />
when he was surrounded by the group <strong>of</strong> radicals who<br />
were shouting violent threats. The mob then led Swamy<br />
to the police station where he endured further harassment<br />
from the authorities. Although there was no visible<br />
evidence <strong>of</strong> physical violence, Swamy suffered a brain<br />
hemorrhage and slipped into a coma shortly after leaving<br />
the police station.<br />
Since the rise to power <strong>of</strong> Prime Minister Narendra<br />
Modi (pictured) in 2014, Christians in India have experienced<br />
a sharp uptick in persecution due to the impunity<br />
that Hindu radicals enjoy.<br />
President Modi <strong>of</strong> the right-winged BJP party.<br />
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New Law<br />
Could Protect<br />
Christians<br />
6 | VIETNAM A<br />
recently ratified<br />
law in Vietnam,<br />
which will go into<br />
effect in 2018, could<br />
potentially protect<br />
Christian groups.<br />
The law will give<br />
religious organizations<br />
the opportunity<br />
to obtain legal status,<br />
which Christians<br />
hope will also give<br />
them legal protections.<br />
However, until<br />
the law is fully implemented,<br />
its impact<br />
remains unclear and<br />
there could be both<br />
positive and negative<br />
ramifications. Yet<br />
Christians are hopeful<br />
that this is a step<br />
forward for religious<br />
freedom in Vietnam.<br />
Congress Demands Release <strong>of</strong><br />
Christian Pastor Held in Turkey<br />
7 | TURKEY On February 15, 78 members <strong>of</strong><br />
Congress, including 37 senators, wrote a letter to the<br />
president <strong>of</strong> Turkey on behalf <strong>of</strong> Andrew Brunson,<br />
an American pastor imprisoned in Turkey who leads<br />
a church in the coastal city <strong>of</strong> Izmir. The bipartisan<br />
letter requested that Pastor Brunson be “immediately<br />
released and deported” on account <strong>of</strong> a lack <strong>of</strong> evidence<br />
in his case. The letter was sent four months<br />
after Brunson and his wife, Norine, were arrested<br />
after being accused <strong>of</strong> terrorist activities. Norine was<br />
released after 12 days <strong>of</strong> detention, but, at the time<br />
<strong>of</strong> writing, her husband remains in jail, despite the<br />
absence <strong>of</strong> evidence supporting his imprisonment.<br />
Andrew Brunson and wife, Norine.<br />
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“God changed<br />
the heart <strong>of</strong> the<br />
judge and he set<br />
me free.”<br />
Supreme Court <strong>of</strong> Pakistan. Wikimedia photo.<br />
Prosecutor Offers Imprisoned Christians<br />
Freedom if They Convert to Islam<br />
1 | PAKISTAN In March, ICC learned that a deputy district<br />
prosecutor in Pakistan was blackmailing 42 Christians<br />
who have been imprisoned since 2015. The prosecutor<br />
<strong>of</strong>fered the Christians their freedom on one condition: that<br />
they abandon their Christian faith and convert to Islam.<br />
When this deal initially came to light, the prosecutor<br />
denied ever making such an <strong>of</strong>fer. However, once it was<br />
revealed that the accused had video evidence <strong>of</strong> him making<br />
the <strong>of</strong>fer, he changed his story. He then stated that he<br />
was simply <strong>of</strong>fering them a choice. Worse still, this is not<br />
the first time that he has <strong>of</strong>fered such a deal. The prosecutor’s<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice attempted to blackmail the Christians in the<br />
same way six months prior. However, the Christians clung<br />
tightly to their faith and refused the <strong>of</strong>fer. According to a<br />
human rights activist involved in the case, one prisoner<br />
went so far as to say that he would rather be hanged than<br />
convert to Islam.<br />
Adding to the injustice <strong>of</strong> the case, many <strong>of</strong> the 42 men<br />
had been arbitrarily detained following a biased inves-<br />
tigation and shoddy<br />
police work. ICC has<br />
investigated and interviewed<br />
several people<br />
involved in this case<br />
and it is evident that<br />
there are several innocent<br />
people suffering<br />
in prison, solely<br />
because they are not<br />
a part <strong>of</strong> the Muslim<br />
majority.<br />
With a government<br />
bent on pushing their<br />
own religious agenda,<br />
Christians in Pakistan<br />
are <strong>of</strong>ten denied<br />
the justice that they<br />
deserve as authorities<br />
ignore the rule <strong>of</strong><br />
law and overstep due<br />
process procedures.<br />
Prisoners should not<br />
have to fear whether<br />
or not they will receive<br />
an impartial investigation<br />
simply because <strong>of</strong><br />
their religious identity.<br />
Unfortunately, as<br />
authorities continue<br />
to prioritize their religious<br />
beliefs above<br />
the law, religious<br />
minorities, including<br />
Christians, will continue<br />
to suffer the<br />
consequences.<br />
Syrian Man Gives Testimony <strong>of</strong> ISIS<br />
Kidnapping and Torture<br />
2 | SYRIA As ISIS continues its campaign <strong>of</strong> violence<br />
throughout the Middle East and beyond, personal stories<br />
<strong>of</strong> violence and abuse continue to pour out <strong>of</strong> the<br />
region. Meghrik (name changed for security) recently<br />
came forward with a testimony <strong>of</strong> such abuse.<br />
Meghrik was stopped by militants at a checkpoint<br />
while travelling by bus. Meghrik is a Christian name;<br />
however, he never pr<strong>of</strong>essed to be a Christian or<br />
believe in the religion <strong>of</strong> his parents. Unfortunately<br />
for Meghrik, his name was enough to condemn him<br />
in the eyes <strong>of</strong> these ISIS militants and they forced him<br />
<strong>of</strong>f the bus.<br />
An ISIS judge sentenced him to death and he was<br />
later told that he would be spared only if he converted<br />
to Islam. With a struggling faith, Meghrik called out<br />
to God in desperation. After ten days <strong>of</strong> death threats,<br />
torture, and forced conversion, he was finally released<br />
and permitted to return<br />
home. According to<br />
World Watch Monitor,<br />
Meghrik proclaimed,<br />
“God changed the<br />
heart <strong>of</strong> the judge and<br />
he set me free.” As<br />
statistics and news<br />
updates continue to<br />
flood our news stations,<br />
let us not forget<br />
to pray for the individual,<br />
such as Meghrik<br />
who reclaimed his<br />
faith in the most horrendous<br />
<strong>of</strong> circumstances.<br />
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Boko Haram Attacks Near Christian Town <strong>of</strong> Chibok<br />
3 | NIGERIA In February, Boko Haram carried out yet another attack near the Christian town <strong>of</strong> Chibok, Nigeria. The attack killed one and seriously<br />
injured another, a young boy whose hands were broken. Boko Haram has targeted Chibok several times in their violent campaign to rid<br />
the region <strong>of</strong> Christianity. In April 2014, Boko Haram militants carried out a mass kidnapping, abducting more than 270 primarily Christian<br />
schoolgirls, most <strong>of</strong> whom are still missing.<br />
Boko Haram militants in Nigeria<br />
60+ Churches Destroyed in Myanmar since 2011 Christian Teen Remains Imprisoned in Pakistan<br />
4 | MYANMAR According to reports from Christian Solidarity<br />
Worldwide, at least 66 churches have been burned down in Myanmar<br />
since 2011, in addition to hundreds <strong>of</strong> villages being destroyed. In<br />
2011, the Burma Army broke a longstanding ceasefire and more<br />
than 100,000 have been displaced by the ongoing conflict. Although<br />
their constitution promotes religious freedom, the government openly<br />
favors Buddhism, leaving religious minorities, including Christians,<br />
vulnerable to conflict in an already tense environment.<br />
5 | PAKISTAN In September 2016, Nabil Masih, a Christian teenager in<br />
Pakistan, was accused <strong>of</strong> blasphemy for “liking” a photo on Facebook<br />
that allegedly blasphemed against Islam. Masih’s supporters report that<br />
this is impossible because Masih is illiterate and does not use social<br />
media, suggesting that the account was fake. Although Masih maintains<br />
his innocence, reports suggest that police assaulted the teen until<br />
he confessed. At the time <strong>of</strong> writing, Masih has been denied bail and<br />
continues to suffer in prison.<br />
Iranian Christian Prisoners Go on Hunger Strike<br />
6 | IRAN Two Iranian Christians, Hadi Asgari and Amin Afshar, went on a<br />
hunger strike following six months <strong>of</strong> imprisonment without charge. The<br />
Christians are victims <strong>of</strong> the Iranian authorities’ all too common practice <strong>of</strong><br />
indefinitely detaining prisoners <strong>of</strong> conscience without adequate medical care<br />
or legal attention. While the men suffer in Iran’s notorious Evin prison, their<br />
families have been rejected any attempt to learn more about their loved ones’<br />
cases. In previous cases, similar periods <strong>of</strong> confinement have caused prisoners<br />
lasting physical and emotional damage. Meanwhile, the accusers are granted<br />
more time to gather false evidence to condemn the already detained prisoners.<br />
Unfortunately, one <strong>of</strong> the prisoners fell seriously ill. Finally, after receiving<br />
promises <strong>of</strong> better medical aid and attention to their case, the men decided to<br />
end their strike.<br />
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Hadi Asgari (left) and Amin Afshar<br />
8
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