initially approved request to build churches because it "contradicts Islamic sharia laws." He added that Islamic scholars are unanimous in banning the building of non-Muslim places of worship in the Arabian Peninsula.

Mongolia: Days after a church celebrated Christmas, explosives were thrown into the stove chimney of a Kazakh house-church. As a result, "Believers decided not to come together for a while. They [are] afraid of a repetition of the explosions in the homes of believers," said a church leader. Large numbers of people had attended the church's Christmas services and local Christians believe that this turnout had "angered some of the local Muslims and led them to carry out the attack."

Pakistan: Three churches were attacked:

1) Apostolic Church was burned in the Punjab. The church building was torched aday after a prayer vigil for Epiphany on Jan. 6. Pastor Zulfiqar of the Apostolic Church said Bibles and sacred vessels were also lost in the blaze. An earlier dispute between Muslims and Christians is believed to be behind the arson attack. Locals accused police of being negligent, as usual. According to a local resident: "All the local Christians are now in great fear, the fire illustrates that Christians are not wanted in the local area."

2) Akba Azhar, a 26-year-old Muslim man, broke into the Victory Church in Kasur and burned copies of the Bible and other sacred books. Although he was captured and detained by a group of Christians who handed him over to police, and although any act of blasphemy against any religion is punishable in