today the wife of pastor saeed abedini shares her story of love, trial, and faith. and in the philippines, a christian family is ambushed and killed. one local pastor says the tragedy is challenging the church to be a stronger witness for christ. plus, a television event thousands of years in the making. an inside look at the epic mini series "the bible." >> a husband and father suffers in an iranian prison while his family prays for his release. hello, everyone, i'm wendy griffith. george thomas is on assignment. it seems like a story from a movie. iranian pastor saeed abedini is sentenced to eight years in one of the worst prisons in iran. his only crime, spreading the gospel of jesus christ. but the story is all too real for his wife and family, who are suffering along with him and desperately fighting for his freedom. their love story began in iran. nagma, an american citizen since early childhood, believed god was leading her to return to her homeland in 2001 to minister to muslim women. that's where she first saw saeed abedini, the young preacher was leading w

you can add your name to a petition calling for saeed's release. find our link on the website, cbn.com. president obama took a strong stand in favor of israel during his visit to israel. he also expressed his support for a palestinian state. and many israelis don't think that is a good idea. chris mitchell has the story from jerusalem. >> reporter: president obama visited mt. hertzel cemetery to lay a wreath at the founder of modern zine nism. zionism. >> if they acquiesce to evil -- never again. >> reporter: but the centrepiece of president obama's visit is when he spoke directly to hundreds of university students and thousands of israelis here in jerusalem. he thrilled israelis, when he affirmed the country's right to existent. >> president obama: make no mistake, those who adhere to the ideology of rejecting israel's right to exist, they might as well reject the sky above them or the earth below because israel is not going anywhere. >> reporter: and strong comments about hezbollah also drew applause. >> president obama: every country who values

congress step in to fight to free pastor saeed abedini. hello, everyone, i'm wendy griffith. george thomas is on assignment. congress is looking into the international persecution of religious believers, and they heard from the wife of saeed abedini about his imprisonment in iran. john jessup has that story

every day that we're able to get the word out and speak out for saeed and get him back to the u.s.r family. >> you testified at a congressional hearing not long ago and no one from the state department came. has the state department been dragging its heels? >> well, since that hearing, i've noticed more action. they've promised to do more even though i'm still not sure exactly what's being done with the diplomatic efforts, but they did promise that they would do more. it was really great news for secretary kerry to speak out. his statement was very strong and it was very encouraging to get that statement from him and whatever we are able to do i'm not sure our scope of what our government can do or through other governments but i'm hoping that every action is being taken to get saeed out of that prison before he loses his life there. >> nagmeh, jordan, thank you so much for sharing your story. we wish you the best of luck in your case. >>> in other world news, he has preached good will, humility, and service and is leading by example but the pope went to jail today. calm down. he w

>> australia even showed up for pastor saeed. they spoke out.tralia, the governments have done more than the united states government. i say that the congressman have done a great job here, members of the u.s. house and senate. that's why we're having this hearing on friday to get to this answer. why site an iranian blogger beaten to death in a prison but forget the american citizen sitting in that same prison today? >> exactly. martha: one more point before we go. the numbers on this are tough but i know that your group, jordan, basically believes 100 and 200,000 christians are killed, are march martyred every year in prisons and through persecution in muslim countries. i this, we look at the fact we're about to see a new pope in the world. do you think that this is an issue that we can shed a little bit more light on? >> you know, it is sometimes takes these stories unfortunately that think, you know, saeed and this situation, not asking for it, but this is part of what we do. we're there to help the persecuted when they can get to us. many ir

saeed abedini is a united states citizen.government is not here for him or or state department is not here for him. martha: strong words from the attorney there. i'm joined once again by naghmeh abedini the wife of the jailed pastor, saeed abedini. and jordan sekulow fighting to help free her husband. the soak tiff director at american center for law and justice. welcome back to both of you. i want to start with you, naghmeh. friday was a very difficult day for you. we saw you in tears as you testified in front. what was that like for you? >> it was very emotional. i tried to have a front so i don't usually show my emotions very much but, it was, it's a reality of what the kids and i face every day. it's the emotions and missing him and seeing my kids suffer and terribly miss their daddy. my son had his fifth birthday yesterday. saeed was supposed to take him to disneyland. it was a hard day. it was hard. he was missing from our family and it was aing day for us but, it has been emotional. martha: but at the same time, you go

horizon this could be the toughest challenge yet for morsi and his military about true for r t put saeed and you can stay up to date on news from egypt with bell's twitter feed new details and comments and opinions from locals on the crisis are there and another reaction we've been getting political activists mad in a good bin carre says the violence will rage on until the president deals with its real instigates its. the results are definitely not satisfactory not just for the football fans the ultras but for the entire nation seventy eight young people got killed and yet two of the ministry of interior officials are the ones on trial and president morsi had a couple of months ago. appointed a fact finding committee that implicates fifty six other members of the ministry of interior this report was not taken into consideration at court and only two of those officials or scapegoats hence the issue escalates on the streets more because this is is nothing but a political fiasco rather than. court proceedings rather people want is a fair trial for our those who are. implicated not those who

are facing trial many people predict that the verdict will not be a good one for the people of poor saeed's sparking further clashes in the first round twenty one people were sentenced to death which sparked weeks long clashes in this particular instance of street battles started when the remaining defendants were moved from medication in the prison families were very upset by this and hence the clashes began at the moment the scene is calm however speaking to activists late last night they said they expect to have the funeral of the young man who died yesterday off to prayers today which will of course possibly see further battles between security forces and government protesters as the day goes on last night's protesters threw molotov the police who responded with large amounts of tear gas and birdshot pellets we have no confirmation on live ammunition however that has reportedly been used in the last few days with this verdict on the horizon we expect the clashes just to escalate the situation to deteriorate here in port saeed . stay with us all the latest from the troubled city and you

we're seeing very bloody and chaotic scenes coming from the coastal city of port saeed this comes off to a funeral for three people killed and the ministry of health announced to find people to include killed three civilians and the police officers who should be in there very confusing reports of the army and the police fighting each other although we have no confirmation on that the military maintains that the armed forces are in the streets to protect the police and help the police in this situation that is gradually descending this comes ahead of a very important verdict on saturday on this massacre at this point saeed football moscow that occurred february last year with the crash that she broke out on sunday just thirty nine of the defendants related to this case that were moved from the prison that they were in families found out about this very angry when security directorates where they started fighting with police even in the funeral imports which is really related towards this verdict and saturday people were chanting against the muslim brotherhood the ruling party here behi

horizon this could be the toughest challenge yet for morsi and his ministry about true for r t put saeed and ramani you can stay up to date on news from egypt with bell's twist of fate new details comments and opinions from locals on the crisis of that and other reaction we've been getting questions i but why egypt's current troubles are getting little attention abroad. the western countries have largely ignored. what the regime has been doing which is cracking down on a lot of freedoms and you know returning to mubarak era style of ruling. now it's just it will come to the forefront and i think there will be a lot of international pressure not to see you know the regime for as a democratic force but rather as what it is so it seems like the whole verdict is politicized and it's just just a way to manage the country's political crisis rather than to bring about justice. twenty one un peacekeepers have been released by the syrian rebel captors after being held for three days the militants handed the observers over to jordan after a un recovery team stopped short of reaching the captives a

and during this, everything saeed and i did, everything saeed was a part of was legal. it was not -- he didn't purposely put himself out there to be arrested or taken. our marriage was legal by the government and they recognized our conversion and christian marriage. and under government control, we were working with the government on that. and it was very interesting. it was just very much, it shows the iranian government action toward christianity, their recent policy that they took him in such a way. and that, as the u.s. government, as we discussed in the hearing, should be a leading voice in defending our human rights, not-- >> well, on that point quickly, a few seconds left. he's being tortured, his health at risk right now. the white house has said virtually nothing about this. what do you account for this? why? >> we still believe and have said this at the hearing yesterday, that because of their record on speaking out for people in iran, for iranians even it must be something about the religious conversion, may be creating a new paradigm to have to deal with. w

for protesters killed during the recent clashes and the spicy sound of the green eagles culture is saeed's football fan club says the police used excessive. force against local demonstrators treating them worse than the counterparts in cairo he believes the death sentences are further proof the city is being targeted towards saeed has been persecuted for the last thirty years and president mohamed morsi is keeping the status quo created by the last regime the president wants to wrong the people of portside and instead satisfy the cairo alley old tribes who are widespread across the country now there is a risk of everyone being racist towards portside aid the military for their part to maintain they are protected peaceful force and that portside protesters have not been singled out they say police are merely responding to the level of violence from those attacking key government buildings meanwhile on the banks of the suez canal protesters burn tires to prevent boats from ducking saying they will escalate acts of civil disobedience until there is a fair trial with further violence on the ho

we're seeing very bloody and chaotic scenes coming from the coastal city of port saeed's the latest is that a man has been shot in the head and is in a critical condition parts of the security directions are a blaze as are parts of the governorate headquarters as anti-government protesters police and army continue to fight each other this comes after a funeral for three people killed yesterday and the ministry of health announced yesterday that five people in total were killed three civilians and two police offices right now there's also been a very confusing reports of the army and the police fighting each other although we have no confirmation on that the military maintains that the armed forces are in the streets to protect the police and help the police in this situation that is gradually descending this comes ahead of a very important verdict on saturday on this massacre at this point saeed football moscow that occurred february last year when the crash actually broke out on sunday culture thirty nine of the defendants related to this case that were moved from the prison that they

on the horizon this could be the toughest challenge yet for morsi and his military true for r t put saeed al is monitoring the situation in egypt on twitter so you can follow her for the latest details on what is happening on the ground meanwhile two senior police officials also received fifteen year sentences in that latest ruling while seven of seven others walk free is that which caused much of the public and cry political activists in a good believes that some interior ministry officials are actually the troublemakers . the results are definitely not satisfactory not just for the football fans the ultras but for the entire nation seventy eight young people got killed and yet two of the ministry of interior officials are the ones on trial president morsi had a couple of months ago appointed a fact finding committee that implicates fifty six other members of the ministry of interior this report was not taken into consideration at court and only two of those officials were scapegoats hence the issue escalates on the streets more because this is nothing but a political fiasco rather than.

spread across the country now there is a risk of everyone being racist towards port saeed the militaryfor their part to maintain they are a protective peaceful force and that portside protesters have not been singled out they say police are merely responding to the level of violence from those attacking key government buildings meanwhile on the banks of the suez canal protesters burn tires to prevent boats from docking saying they will escalate acts of civil disobedience until there is a fair trial with further violence on the horizon this could be the toughest challenge yet for morsi and his military true for r t puts. is monitoring the situation in egypt on twitter so you can follow her for the latest details on what is happening on the ground. more stories ahead for you including the bolshoi theatre ballet soloist in custody for planning an attack on his boss which he claims was more violent than expected also coming up and on and is head to the polls to vote on whether to remain a british ruled territory with argentina viewing it as i mean this publicity stunt will be discussing it

very important verdict on saturday on this massacre at this point saeed football must go that occurredfebruary last year with the cash that she broke out on sunday just thirty nine of the defendants related to this case that were moved from the prison that they were in families found out about this very angry when security directorates where they started fighting with police even in the funeral imports which is really related towards this verdict and saturday people were chanting against the muslim brotherhood the ruling party here behind the ring party here and also i guess the president there's been a lot of anger in the streets of cairo and also the major cities across the country since the second anniversary of january to you find revolution here on tahrir square or sit in continues even though security forces attempted to clear it yesterday morning but there's been clashes actually in the comfortable small clashes on the cornish and what people are saying here is they've seen no change as major economic worries a quarter of the country is below the poverty line people are against

deadly stadium riot more than seventy people were killed last february it is stored in a cage and saeed after the local team. beat the side for me if you should capital ali he wanted a top flight match. also on saturday a mass brawl tarnished a march world baseball classic in arizona handed over in front line free of the top of the mind innings makes. him the right fielder ready for seanie and all hell broke loose then just cleared. the resumed after about ten minutes is kind of that went on to win ten to free. on sunday gold's world number one rory mcilroy eagle the opening hole before carving a boat for a final round of sixty five in miami but the northern irishman finished for all of the day belonged the second round tiger woods who won on his seventeenth world golf championship title as for fourteen time major winner he just fellow american steve stricker by two shots. and finally also on sunday and unlikely pitch invasion called scale so the football match in switzerland after martin bit zurich defender lawrence benito in the finger is a few minutes into the game of the keeper davi

found so far to egypt's football federation headquarters in cairo a more violent protest script or saeed. death sentences handed out to twenty one people of the area's roles in last year's deadly stadium riot more than seventy people were killed last february this project is stalled in the cage and saeed after the local team musri. beat the side for me a kitchen cabinets all. three wanted top flight much. also on saturday a mass brawl tarnished a march or baseball classic in arizona handed over in front line free of the top of the mind innings next. hit their own fielder running for seanie and all hell broke loose above then just cleared. resumed after about ten minutes as kind of that went on to win ten to free. on sunday golds world number one rory mcilroy eagle the opening hole before carving a bogey for a final round of sixty five in miami where the northern irishman finished eighth over all of the day belonged the second round tiger woods who won on his seventeenth world golf championship title as before team time major winner be dispelling merican steve stricker by two shots. and f

could move in on the town of port saeed president morsi is considering handing them full control following days of fierce clashes between protesters and police they claim lives in both camps. losing its financial clout a new party because. a hailed by taxpayers but also seen as threatening to drive executives away from the city of london. you're watching from the heart of moscow it's five pm in the russian capital seven days of mourning have been declared in venezuela following the death of president chavez at the age of fifty eight after he lost a long battle with cancer the charismatic leader had suffered a number of health complications after his latest round of treatment in venezuela tens of thousands of grieving supporters amassed in the streets after the news broke that chavez had passed weeping and chanting slogans the mourners vow to continue their heroes revolution but the commandante his death has left the nation politically divided i spoke about that with. he's recently returned from the country. there you see it was much maligned abroad of course but popular support at home why

immediate protesters have set streets aflame in the city of port saeed in battle security forces anda challenge to the state's authority there demanding the release of prisoners and six people including three policemen have died since the under arrest or up to three days ago the latest up joy updates i'm joined live from cairo by our correspondent there bill true so tell us the latest of what's going on on the streets. were we still seeing chaotic and violent scenes in the streets of port saeed the battles raged through the night said largely focused around these keep things these key government buildings in pool with protesters heading mona talks to security forces the army again to try to intervene to assist the police force and haven't been able to quell with the dissent that these all are heads all possessed of a very contentious verdict in the poor sight but all disasters happened last february basically we're going to see the last of this story the betting on the final defendants in this trial that it's very very contentious here in egypt very angry as twenty one who was senten

young port saeed activists wept and held their heads in their hands as the verdict in this contentious. stadium disaster trial was announced people i was sitting with knew some of the twenty one defendants who will be executed the judge said today they were shouting at the t.v. screens what's about the police five people have been given life some police officers also will face jail sentences including the head of security the former head of security here as some sound like he's been given fifteen years however the feeling here is that put saeed is definitely being targeted i spoke to a leader of the ultras here the ultra hardcore football fans. who are very key to this whole situation he said to me that the treatment of the portside people is similar to racism residents here feel like they are now in a separate country being targeted by the government and this verdict is proof of doubts so a lot of anger what's going to happen next is that the ultras again these football fans will gather at the stadium where the massacre took place in february last year and stage mass protests they als

after almost a week of deadly riots in egypt sprawled saeed to the deployed ranks of military and police are unable to control the rest of our reporter brings you an update from the scene. of the body of an as well as over chavez has to be embalmed and put on public display for years to come as latin america mourns of the loss of its loud as a voice will social justice. and a north korea scraps is a non-aggression pact will solve the in a response or two more u.n. sanctions are blaming seoul and washington for ruining nuclear does all of them and conducting boardgames. it's two pm here in the russian capital you're watching r t live with me to bomb would say have you having a wonderful in the states so far so first to egypt the northern city of port saeed way army and police units are desperately trying to protect government buildings from angry and to government protesters who have been on the rampage a since sunday it's rather the planned funeral for one of the seven people who have died could have fanned the flames of dissent even more. is in the embattled city for us. there are ten s

pressure on the state department and obama administration to help release her husband christian pastor saeed abedini. he was arrested last july during a trip to build an orphan age. she said he was skyping with her and two kids daily. that all changed when he was taken into custody. >> we didn't know where he was for a week. they kept saying mommy, can we hear his voice. i couldn't explain why that he was physically taken to prison. they kept saying does daddy not love us anymore. does daddy not want to hear our voice anymore? i had to tell them daddy was jesus. abedini is a u.s. citizen, beaten in prison and internal bleeding. justice represents the abedini family and collected a petition with a half million signatures calling for his release. cbn is sending aid to people that lost their homes. hundreds of rampaging muslims community destroying 170 homes. the mob was fuelled by the accused of blasphemy islam's prophet mohammed. most christians fled the home before the attack. they marched in the streets of islama bad. in pakistan blasphemy against mohammed carries the death penalty. freedom

saeed abedini has not got even phone calls from the president. would the president not be very interested in this issue. >> there is one issue it's controversial because of his religious con srerg. this issue focussess on religion freedom as well in iran. bus he's a convert and not a political opponent or prisoner of the ra sraoepl in th regime that it's more controversial. i don't see how a pastor being imprisoned in iran is any more important than hikers, ora an fbi agent. he didn't violate any laws to go in. he haas khrao*erd t cleared to go in. i have to thank congressman frank wolf and the cochair of the commission as well, a democratic congressman who has been outspoken, jim mcgovern on massachusetts. martha: he bliss attention to the largest issues, the underground churches around the world where people are being percent kaoulted for carrying out their christian faith. it's so much more we need to be aware of. thank you, we'll speak with you on friday. >> thanks, martha. bill: just to give you an idea of how long all this has been doing on

and good news in light of the information that we've confirmed this afternoon, saeed was able to geto do a review of his internal bleeding. we've been concerned about. his health has been bad and got the review by doctors today and told he'll be moved to a hospital outside evan prison. now, it's our turn to pressure iran with this information to make sure that we try as much as possible to hold them to their word. >> greta: naghmeh, i imagine you're-- happy is not quite the word, but relieved he's going to be moved to a hospital maybe. do you have any sense of confidence that that will really happen or do you think that may just be the iranians saying this passing for one day? >> as he mentioned we have to continue to put pressure to hold them to their word. they've made many promises they haven't followed through with. i'm hoping that they will follow through with this and he will be admitted to the hospital and we'll continue to put pressure, and he'll be treated for the internal bleeding. >> naghmeh, what has the state department, secretary of state, john kerry and the president,

for fresh clashes between police and protesters erupt in egypt support saeed despite the prospect of the army taking full control of the rest of city something president morsi is considering following days of deadly violence our top stories this hour. around the world on screen online international news and comment live from a new center here in moscow this is. and so to our breaking news this hour twenty u.n. officials according to the u.n. saying that twenty of the international peacekeepers have been detained by a group of syrian rebels on the border between syria and israel earlier an online video emerged purporting to show a group with the captured convoy joining me live now is our middle east correspondent paula slayer paula tell us what you know what has happened. well as you say the united nations says that around twenty others peacekeepers have been detained by about thirty armed syrian fighters the rebels earlier released a video where they accuse the united nations of assisting the spin president bashar assad's forces in entering israel rebel captured areas and also in thi

the egyptian army is struggling to end on rest and pulled saeed which is.

him with the deputy also president mohamed morsi is reportedly getting money minute taking over for saeedout of a draw at least being very much between protesters and the police themselves the police actually very angry as well by saying that the situation for them is extremely violent and that maybe have good working conditions eight thousand police officers are currently report to be on strike in sinai in suicide they are actually calling for the current minister of interior to to step down which lot of pressure on the current administration. and of course one of the troops also reporting the latest details right now from the scene you can get updated by following her on twitter now let's discuss this more with well escada he's a political blogger joining me live now from the egyptian capital well so the prospect of death penalties for those twenty one people convicted overby football match massacre if those sentences went ahead how would that be received in egypt. there's there's a big divide right now between the old trusts who are very strong force on the street and probably the rest

port so i eat with the death toll rising what happened was the thirty nine defendants in this point saeedfootball massacre that occurred last february were moved by security forces angering families who gathered at the security directorate to protest and then clashed with the police force the army was asked to come into the streets to calm a situation down there were a confusing reports yesterday that the army were actually attacking the police something that the military actually said didn't happen however we expect this to continue as we look ahead to two saturdays a verdict on the remaining defendants in this this is. football massacre we've also seen violence in months or of the nile delta city after a young man was run over by a police vehicle touring demonstrations that continues here in cairo there's been quite restive here as well the police forces in the early hours of yesterday morning attempted to clear the crease open up the traffic this and get protesters who clashed with police on the cornish and close the square behind me including erecting further tents this is of course i

security directorate this comes of course i had a very contentious verdict on saturday for this point saeed football massacre that took place last year in february and it started when thirty nine defendants were moved from a prison the families of those defendants in this case were very upset with this and so the conscious began between the police and protesters seeing hundreds injured and at least five killed meanwhile we have violence here in the capital as well just off the three square by the nile has been intermittent says street battles between anti-government protesters and police although the opposition is not scary he said there are definitely similar grievances being expressed across the country that there's been no change since the revolution in the eighty thousand and eleven a feeling that president obama sees making very unpopular decisions such as backing this four point eight billion dollar i.m.f. loan which will see subsidies cuts and tax hikes in addition people are saying the constitution was drafted by islamist dominated constituent assembly so people really have a feelin

the deputy and they also president mohamed morsi is supposedly being money military taking over for saeed and it would draw at least as i'm guessing very much between protesters and the police themselves the police are actually very angry as well by saying there that the situation for them is extremely violent and that maybe have good working conditions eight thousand police officers are currently reporter being on strike in sinai in suicide they are actually calling for the current minister of interior to to step down which is a lot of pressure on the current administration the u.s. is dodging accusations is showing skills up to nine people last month in pakistan same pakistan's military could be to blame phantom strikes on becoming a problem because it means people are being killed and no one knows who's to blame not his marrying up on land reports. america has long been considered the leader of drone warfare dominating the skies in the middle east africa and most recently here in the u.s. in pakistan the cia has reportedly carried out some three hundred thirty drone strikes since two t

clashes are again raging in egypt the rest of the city of port saeed while president morsi is consideringgiving the military full control that at least six people have been killed and hundreds wounded in the latest wave of street battles between security forces and young egyptians are these kind of correspond to bell true brings us more. president mohamed morsi met with top security officials on cheese day reportedly to discuss pulling the police out of the restive city of science and instead putting the military in place this is because of the four days of clashes between police and government protesters in this restive city including protesters torching the national security agency building with additional fires in the governor headquarters and the security directorate this comes of course i had a very contentious verdict on saturday for this. massacre that took place last year in february and it started when thirty nine defendants were moved in the prison the families of those defendants in this case were very upset with this and so the crisis began between the police and protesters se