Paul Ciniraj Bagged the Religious Harmony Award

Chennai (India), SVM News, 12 November 2008: Paul Ciniraj Mohamed, the Indian Missionary bagged the award for religious harmony from the Inter-religious Movement for the World Peace. Award will be presented in a special function held in Chennai during the first week of April.
He was selected by a special committee of the cultural and social wing of the movement under the presidentship of Dr. S.P. Upadhyaya. Col. Veera Selvam, Mulayam Kocharath, Sadhu Johann, Prof. M.Abdul Majeed, Stephen P. John and Dr. Aparna Ahuja were the members of the award committee. The award consists of cash award, citation and plaque.
Paul Ciniraj Mohamed was born and brought up in a Muslim family named "Kochera" at Kalloor in Thiruvanandapuram, India as the son of a retired Headmaster Kassim Pillai and housewife Fatima Beevi.
Ciniraj did education at Kalloor Upper Primary School, Pothencode Lekshmi Vilasom High School, Trivandrum Mar Ivanios College and University College.
While he was a student he involved with the activities of Gandhi Peace Foundation, Sarvodaya Mandalam, Kerala Grandhasala Sangam and Alcoholic Prohibition Movement. He was fully involved with peace march conducted by the Gandhi Peace Foundation against the communal riot which was held at Vizhinjam - Poovar area in Trivandrum District under the leadership of Mr. C. Achutha Menon, who was the Chief Minister of Kerala at that time .A Dalit old widow Bhargavi and her children did a Satyagraha Strike against the Government in front of Kerala Secretariate under the leadership of Ciniraj Mohamed over a year during 1978 - '79 when they were expelled from their own house at Navaikkulam by previous land owner who was a rich Muslim.
Ciniraj was put into jail for few days for leading the strike during this time. At last the government gave Bhargavi and family two and half acres of land at Kilimanoor and solved the problem.
Paul Ciniraj used to read all kinds of religious books and was sharing its contents to others. He believed Hinduism, Christianity and other religions too alongwith Islam. He approached religious leaders of Hinduism and Christianity to learn more from them. And he made a good contact with Benedict Mar Gregorios, the Archbishop of Trivandrum, Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati of Narayana Gurukula, Varkala. He shared with his friends what he learned. It provoked the leaders of Kalloor Muslim Jama'ath, where he was a member. They warned against his activities first and then excommunicated from the Jama'ath. So he came out from home.
While he was kicked off from the community he had certain personal experiences and with that he approached the Catholicose of the East Baselios Marthoma Mathews I and he enrolled him to the Indian Orthodox Church as a member upon request. He studied more about the faith and liturgy about Christianity. Holy Episcopal Synod under the presidentship of Baselios Marthoma Mathews II declared Paul Ciniraj as "Malankara Sabha Missionary". It was first ever in the history, a laity, who came from another religion appointed as the Church Missionary of the Indian Orthodox Church by the Holy Episcopal Synod.On 1988 January 17 he married with Mercy Ciniraj at Devalokam Catholicate Palace, Kottayam. They have two sons Besly Ciniraj and Lesly Ciniraj and a daughter Hepzy Ciniraj. Nearby the Catholicate Palace they owned a house and sheltered.His parents, brothers and sisters visited him at his house many years after his marriage. Though he was excommunitated from Kalloor Muslim Jama'ath, he was specially invited by Imam of Kalloor Mosque by the permission of the Jama'ath Committee to attend the funeral services of his father on 2001 and mother on 2004. It was unusual and an historical event that an excommunicated man from Islam was called back by the Imam and Jama'ath committee of the same mosque to attend funeral services of the parents.
Paul Ciniraj served as the President of the Baseelia Foundation, Director of the Salem Voice Ministries, President of the Kalloor Public Library, President of the Christian Ministers of the Churches in India, Secretary of the Kaduvakkulam United Christian Committee and the Organising Secretary of the Malankara Sabha Prarthanayogam. He is active for world peace, national unity and charitable works among children, poor and illiterates.
He is a well known convention speaker. He spreads the messages of Love and Peace.
He has written and published dozens of books in Malayalam. Some of the books are:-- 1. Maranavum Roopantharavum (The Death and Transfiguration), 2. Itha Ninte Amma (Behold Thy Mother), 3. Swargeeya Ayiru (The Heavenly Ore), 4. Bible Tablet and Quiz, 5. Vishudha Qur'an Quiz (Quiz from the Glorious Qur'an). He published many articles in periodicals too.

Rev. Shaji Ipe
Director,
Salem Voice Ministries.
http://salemvoice.org/svm315.html

The Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Zakka I Visiting India

(Paul Ciniraj, Kottayam-686038, India)

Cochin (Kerala, India), SVM News, October 17, 2008: His Holiness Patriach of Antioch Ignatius Zaka I was accorded a grand reception at Cochin international airport by various religious leaders, people's representatives and hundreds of devotees on Friday, the 17th of Ocober.

Addressing mediapersons at the airport, Ignatius Zakka I said that being the head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church, he would work towards unification of different factions in the community.

The Patriarch of Antioch said that the communal harmony in the State of Kerala in India was a model to the world and expressed confidence that his visit would nurture it further.

He thanked the Kerala and Syrian governments whose joint effort, according to him, facilitated his fourth visit to the State. He had earlier visited the State in 1982, 2000 and 2004.

The Patriarch was accompanied by Rev. Mathias Mar Philippinosis, metropolitan from Damascus; archbishops of California and Beirut; two rambans; and two nuns.

During his 13-day visit, Ignatius Zakka I would attend various functions in Kerala including the conclusion of the golden jubilee of the priestly ordination of the Catholicos Baselios Thomas I on October 19 in Kochi.

Another main programs of the Patriarch will be the official announcement regarding the canonization of three fathers of Syriac Orthodox Church; Maphryono Mor Baselios Shakralla (AD 1764, Kandanad), Mor Coorilos Yuyakkim, the Patrirachal delegate (AD 1874, Mulanthuruthy) and Mor Coorilos Paulose Kochuparamabil, the former Malankara Metropolitan and the regional head of the Church in India (AD 1917, Panampady).

The Jacobite Syrian Christian Association and its Episcopal Synod also will be convened under the president-ship of His Holiness during this apostolic visit.

He will be leaving back to Damascus on 27 October.

Catholicos Baselious Thomas I and metropolitans Joseph Mar Gregarious and Kuriakose Mar Julius of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church were among the religious leaders present at the airport to receive the Patriarch on his arrival in an Emirates flight at 9. a.m. K. Babu, MLA; GCDA chairperson M.C. Josephine; Kochi Mayor Mercy Williams were also at the airport.

The Patriarch will be accorded the status of State Guest by the honourable Government of Kerala.

Paul Ciniraj Resigned from the Salem Voice Ministries.

Kottayam (India), SVM News, August 05, 2008: We are sad to announce that Rev. Paul Ciniraj, the esteemed founder and the Director of the Salem Voice Ministries resigned from the Directorship of the SVM.

Rev. Paul Ciniraj was under treatment for "leukemia" since last January. Recently it was found that the Lord has healed him from leukemia, but he was affected by liver cirrhosis and undergoing its treatment. Doctors say cancer medication and treatments are very hard on the body and they may cure the cancer, but can create other medical issues like liver cirrhosis and other major sickness.
Paul Ciniraj Mohamed resigned from the Salem Voice Ministries at the General Body which was held during the month of April. But the General Body compelled him to withdraw the resignation and unanimously re-elected him as its Director. So he was continuing the position.
Recently he found uncomfortable in the position of directorship because of unhealthy situation, he called for a special Governing Board meeting and declared his resignation again. Then he handed over all the records to Rev. Shaji Ipe, the secretary of the SVM.

Pastor Paul Ciniraj said in the meeting, "Lord Jesus has saved me from sin and death. And Lord has chosen me for His ministry. I believe I have faithfully and truthfully done it according the Word of God by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Whenever our Lord thinks my service is enough in this world, He has to call me back at any time to be with Him. I am always ready for it".
"I never earned or gain anything worldly for my wife and children from the ministry. I hand over the ministry and all of its assests, programmes and activities to the Governing Board in which my wife or children are not the members", Paul Ciniraj continued.
"Our Lord weighs our minds and hearts. He knows all of us very well. Do not misuse His physical and economical gifts for worldly pleasures like the sons of the Prophet Samuel. Do not misuse His spiritual gifts like Ba'laam. Yet we may be reviled, persecuted and experienced all manner of evil against us falsely. Certainly It strengthen our spirituality when it comes from gentiles and outcasters. But it is very difficult to tolerate if it comes from our dear brotheren of whom we love and trust in the name of Jesus. They may be called as missionaries, pastors and evangelists. Such experiences from them will make us desperate, depress and discourage. It affect both our body and spirit".
"This so called Christians may have power of money, power of the support of foreign agencies and power of human strength which they might have bought from money or throwing them some favours and small positions; but they may not belong to God. Those are false currencies or coins. They not know what they do. The Word of God teaches that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ. Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things" (Phil 3:18-19).
"But we must careful that there are true and valuable currencies. It is indeed necessary for any transactions. That's why false currencies are spreading widely. But realise the false currencies have no value and it is to be destructed. Also handling the false currencies is a big crime. So distinguish the good and evil spirits. Our Lord allows the tares with the wheat together until the harvest. So recognise them by their fruits. Don't be cheated. Our Lord is the Burning Fire too", Pastor Paul Ciniraj continued.
"The harvest is plentiful; but the labourers are few. So our Lord asked to pray to the owner of the harvest for sending suitable labourers. In certain places, there were such a vast and beautiful harvest to reap. But unsuitable labourers got down the field and reaped some of it for their own use (not for the Lord) and destructed the rest of the harvest and soil became hard by their feet and made the fields desert. Even no more cultivation is possible. Then how can we reap? India is a best example for it.
60% of the land of the Kingdom of Israel is desert. It is not too far those desert lands can be formed as gardens. It can be possible by culturing the sea-water and make it flow to the desert lands.
The Bride Church of our Lord is called as the Israel of the New Covenent. Certainly still there are plenty of harvest to reap, but not full of harvest. Harvest must be reaped. But at the same time 60% of the New Covenant Israel also keep going on desert land. We have to sow the seed. Before sowing the seed, the land must be plouged and watered. Water must be coming from the sea as cultured, useful drinking water.
Sea water is salty and it is the synonym of sin. The religions of Muslims, Hindus, Budhists, Communists, Nominal Christians etc.around us are great oceans. By our deep faith and prayer we can culture the salty oceanic water which is sins of this world by the precious blood of Jesus and make it flow to the desert minded hearts and plough it by our loving deeds and dedicated services by the Holy Spirit and sow the seed of the Word of God. The Kingdom of God is not barren. There is no desert. There is no sea. It is the tabernacle of God with HIS Bride and He will be dwelling among us. For that we have to serve the Lord. He is not a Godly labourer, if a person comes for harvest without thinking of how such a desert land makes plenty of harvest. So sow with tears and reap with cheers," Rev. Paul Ciniraj added in the meeting.

Paul Ciniraj was a Muslim by birth, accepted Lord Jesus as his personal saviour and converted into Christianity in his early twenties while he was studying in the university. Since last 33 years he was serving the Lord and won thousands upon thousands of souls unto the fold of Jesus Christ, especially from Muslim community. He is a prominent Gospel preacher in India. Many times he was beaten, attacked, burnt and poisoned. Still he is being threatened.
Mercy is the wife of Paul Ciniraj, a member from the Roman Catholic Church who accepted Lord Jesus as personal saviour and involving ministries with her husband. They have two sons and a daughter. Elder son Besly is a biginner student of the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering. Daughter Hepzy is a Bible College student as well as studying first year Degree Course. Younger son Lesly studying VIII grade in a Hih School.
Kindly pray for this family. Also pray for his good health and total healing. They have no income to maintain their family and educate their children. Due to the financial crisis, his family suffered a lot for his recent treatments too. SVM Governing Board requested him to be the Patron of the society. He did not give any reply. But we expect he will encourage us as a patron for the growth of its activities and evangelisation.

Once again we thank Paul Ciniraj and family and offer our prayers on behalf of the prayer partners and well wishers of the Salem Voice Ministries. We request his prayers and guidance again and again.

Contact Paul Ciniraj and family by email ID: mercyciniraj@gmail.com
Email ID of SVM (Salem Voice Ministries): salemvoice@gmail.com
Support SVM and its projects: http://salemvoice.org/contact.html

16 Muslims Arrested in Iran for Embracing Christianity

Isfahan (Iran), SVM News, August 01, 2008: Sixteen Christians were arrested in Iran on July 27 during the baptism service in Malakshahr, near Isfahan in Iran.

All were converted from Islam to Christianity.

Six women, eight men and two youngsters under 18 were arrested on Sunday when they were assisting in a baptism ceremony of three new members of an underground church.

After the baptism service, they were planning to have worship service with Lord's Supper. But the secret police raided the church and arrested them.

They were put into the prison in an unknown place.

Few months ago, the government presented a bill which is currently being discussed in parliament, to include in the penal code the crime of "Ertedad" which is the act of abandoning the Muslim faith.

If the parliament does approve the law, the punishment for abandoning Islam and embracing Christianity will be the death penalty:

Rev. Paul Ciniraj, the Director of the Salem Voice Ministries requesting prayers for the safety of these converted christians. SVM spreading Gospel of Jesus Christ among Muslims in Asia, Africa and Middle East.

Iraq in the Bible; Pray for Iraq to be rebuilt with peace

Paul Ciniraj Mohamed, India

It is a great responsibility for the descendants of Abraham, especially the children of God to pray for Iraq and the innocent Christians, Muslims, Jews and others who are being persecuted nowadays. Certainly Iraq was the part of our forefathers and it really makes sentiments on our faith. It is indeed Iraq must be having peace. It must be rebuilt at any cost by the grace of God Almighty.

Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible. But do you know which nation is second? It is Iraq! However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible. The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar, and Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The name Iraq means country with deep roots. Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible.

Persia was in the location of modern day Iran. Assyria and Babylon are in different parts of modern day Iraq.

1. Adam and Eve were created in Iraq (Genesis 2:7-8).
2. The garden of Eden was in Iraq (Genesis 2:10-14).
3. Satan made his first recorded appearance in Iraq (Genesis 3:1-6).4. Mesopotamia which is now Iraq was the cradle of civilization. 5. Noah built the ark in Iraq (Genesis 6:13-22). 6. Nimrod established Babylon and the Tower of Babel was built in Iraq: (Genesis 10:8-97;11:1-4).
7. The confusion of the languages took place in Iraq: Genesis 11:5-11.
8. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq (Genesis 11:31;Acts 7:2-4). 9. Isaac's wife Rebekka is from Nahor which is in Iraq.
10.Jacob spent 20 years in Iraq (Genesis 27:42-45;31:38).
11.The first world Empire was in Iraq (Daniel 1:1-2;2:36-38). 12.Assyria which is in Iraq conquered the ten tribes of Israel. 13.Babylon which is in Iraq destroyed Jerusalem. 14.The three Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq (that's good news to know that JESUS has been in Iraq too as the 4th person in the fiery furnace) -- (Daniel 3: 20-26)..
15.Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the "writing on the wall" in Iraq.16.Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq.
17.The descendants of the Medes are the Kurds who are in parts of modern day northern Iraq. It was called the Medo-Persian Empire.
18.The greatest revival in history was in a city in Iraq (Jonah preached in Nineveh): Jonah 3.
19.The events of the book of Esther took place in Iraq: Esther.
20.Ezekiel preached in Iraq.
21.Amos cried out in Iraq.
22.The book of Nahum was a prophecy against a city in Iraq: Nahum. 23.The wise men were from Iraq.
24.Peter preached in Iraq. 25. The "Empire of Man" described in Revelation is called Babylon which was a city in Iraq! (Babylon was not only an empire but a capitol city at the heart of an empire. And that city, that heart, was in what is now Iraq): (Revelation: chapters 17,18).
26.No other nation, except Israel, has more history and prophecy associated with it than Iraq.

I suppose Esther was the queen of the Persian king, so that shouldn't have been in Iraq. Also, I'm unclear whether Daniel in the Lions Den would have been in Iraq since that, too, happened under the Persian king. However, he could have stayed in Babylon and had it happen under the Persian regent.

Present Geography of Iraq

Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait.
Iraqi Land Size : 432,162 sq km
Iraqi Climate/Weather : Mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq.
Iraqi Population : 25,374,691 (July 2004 est.).
Iraqi Capital City: Baghdad.
Iraqi Main Industries : petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing. Iraqi Agricultural products : wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep.
Languages: Arabic (official language); Other languages: Armenian, Assyrian, Kurdish.

Paul Ciniraj Mohamed,
Salem Voice Ministries.
http://salemvoice.org/

Indian Persecuted Christians gathered in Bangaluru

Bangaluru, SVM News, June 24, 2007: Christian victims of persecution and five widows of persons martyred for their Christian faith gathered in Bangalore on 21st and 22nd of June. A rally was also organized by the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) at MG Road, protesting the great increase in attacks against the Christian community in India.

The participants shared their grief and agony at the kind of treatment they faced at the hands of violent mobs, who indulged in raiding homes and places of worship and showed total disregard for law or any respect for human or constitutional rights.

Dr. Sajan K. George, national president of the Global Council of Indian Christians, said that though Christians composed less than 3 % of the country’s population their contribution of services of literacy, education, health, in areas where no one would – with the Leprosy affected, in remote tribal pockets, and among the poorest of the Poor. But still they were targeted for the worst violence like killing, public humiliation, destruction of churches and prayer halls, and exiling from the village.

“What crimes have they committed to get this kind of treatment? And instead of getting justice, the police often charge the victims and put them in jail. Bail is denied to them by magistrates. They are jailed on false charges. Murders are not investigated for years! We demand that justice be done in each case. We have documented 329 cases in the past 15 months,” he told.

Dr. Ruth Manorama, well-known human rights activist and Right Livelihood Award winner, said that the situation of violence against Christians in India was very grave. If there were no improvement, Christians would be forced to internationalise the issue by raising it inUNHRC, Geneva or in the United Nations.

GCIC submitted a Memorandum to the President of India requesting an independent enquiry into the country-wide incidence of violence against Christians by sections of Indian society. They urged the President to repeal the 1950 Presidential Order which abrogated some of the Constitutional Rights of Christians of Dalit descent by withdrawing their rights to reservations in education and employment.

Pastors Arrested in Zimbabwe for Giving Sweets to Children

Masvingo (Zimbabwe), SVM News, June 13, 2007: Three pastors were arrested in Masvingo in Zimbabwe by the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) on Sunday, 10th June for distributing toys and sweets to the children.

Rev. Sonykis Chimbuya, Pastor Peter Bondai and Pastor Mugondi were the clergymen detained and interrogated by state security agents for distributing playing and eating materials to the kids.

In a bizarre case highlighting deep levels of paranoia in government, the agents of the Central Intelligence Organisation accused the pastors that they distributed campaign material of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which is Zimbabwe's biggest opposition party.

Pastor Peter Bondai and Mugondi were released after they were interrogated for more than three hours while Pastor Chimbuya was kidnapped and dumped along the Masvingo-Great Zimbabwe highway hours after his arrest.

"We are living in constant fear after the harassment at the hands of the CIO agents," Rev. Sonykis Chimbuya said to the Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) News Service.

"They just came to us and picked us one after the other. They asked us about the material we were distributing to various church organisations," said the churchmen.

"One of us was kidnapped and was only released after they had proved beyond doubt that the items we were distributing were in fact toys," They added.

The CIO agents also demanded that the pastors write down their sermons and present them to the secret agents for vetting before delivery.

State Security Minister Didymus Mutasa could not be reached for comment on the matter.

President Robert Mugabe last month warned church leaders to steer clear of politics after Catholic bishops denounced the Zimbabwean government over its human rights record.

SALEM VOICE MINISTRIES NEWS SERVICE (SVM NEWS)
Web: http://salemvoice.org Contact: ciniraj@asianetindia.com
News items and headlines: http://salemvoice.org/news.html
Gospel for Muslims: http://salemvoice.org/gospel2muslims.html
Center for Persecuted Christians in India and third world:
http://salemvoice.org/center4persecuted.html