January 2012

Christian sentenced to death in Pakistan [is] fasting, praying and forgiving: "Asia Bibi, a Christian wife and mother sentenced to die for allegedly committing blasphemy against Islam, says she has forgiven those who are persecuting her. ...she spends her time praying and fasting for her family and other persecuted Christians.... She sees her two daughters and husband one hour each week.

     "...one of the prison workers recently tried to strangle her, and she must prepare her own food since it is feared she will be poisoned if workers in the prison prepare it.... She says she is hopeful that she will be released, but there is a bounty of about $8,000 offered by the Islamic clerics to anyone who will kill her.

     "Asia says she is content that her future is in God's hands and she will accept His will.... Please pray that Asia's young daughters and husband will rely on the Lord as a source of strength and hope. Pray that Asia's forgiving heart will be used by God to inspire others to forgive and show love." See Following Jesus and sharing His suffering

Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani refuses to compromise faith for release: "Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani recently refused to state that the Muslim prophet Muhammad was a messenger sent by God despite the fact that it would have secured his release. On December 30, local authorities said they would release the pastor if he agreed to make the statement, but the pastor rejected the offer and remains in prison awaiting a final decision on his case.... Please pray that Pastor Youcef's courage and faith will continue to be an example to the world that the Lord is more valuable than any earthly reward." See Pray for one another!

Radical Muslims kill 29 Christians in two days: "Members of the radical Islamic group, Boko Haram, killed 29 Christians in two days. Twenty Christians were gunned down on January 6 while holding a meeting to discuss ways to transport a body of a fellow Christian who was killed in an attack a day earlier. The martyrs in the January 5 attack were attending a worship service at Deeper Life Church in Gombe when the attack took place. The killings followed a threat issued on January 1 by Boko Haram telling Christians to leave northern Nigeria within three days (for more information, click here). The group fights for the implementation of a strict form of Shariah law all over Nigeria, including the southern region of Nigeria where Christians are the majority. The Nigerian government declared a state of emergency to contain anti-Christian violence.

Islamist terror group giving Christians living in north Nigeria [three] days to flee: "President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the north, and sent two brigades of soldiers to towns that have been targeted by Boko Haram, whose name means 'Western education is a sin.' Abdul Qaqa, who claims to speak for Boko Haram, gave Christians in the north three days to leave [their homes], and urged Muslims living in the south to move up north. Nigeria's north is predominantly Muslim, while the south is mostly Christian."

Egypt's Embattled Christians Seek Room in America: "Kirolos Andraws had every reason to be excited about [last year's] January uprising in his native Egypt, figuring democracy would bring hope....Then one day in February...a gang of thugs beat him and told him, 'you deserve to die.' His offense...: refusing to convert to Islam....

      "The plight of the nation's roughly eight million Copts poses a quandary for the U.S. The pivotal Middle East ally [Egypt] receives $1.3 billion annually in military aid....The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a federal advisory agency, asked the State Department to place Egypt on its list of 'countries of particular concern'—egregious violators of religious freedoms. The department declined.... Throughout the Middle East, 'Democratization has resulted in ethnic cleansing.'..." See The Fall and Rise of Human Violence

December 2011

The Sad Plight of Christians in the Middle East: "It is unfortunate that the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, created in 1998 to advise the president and Congress on the plight of persecuted religious groups, is being closed.... Christians are not an exogenous entity intruding into a homogeneous Arab Muslim world; they have been present in these countries for two millennia.... The Arab countries have not abided by the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights (Article 18) of December 1948, which states that '[e]veryone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.' [No longer guaranteed in the USA either]" See next link:

Testifying on Behalf of Egypt’s Christians: "Since the year 641, when Muslims invaded Egypt, the Copts...have been subject to persecution, discrimination, and over all subjugation.... During the colonial era and into the mid 20th century, as Egypt experimented with westernization and nationalism, Christian persecution was markedly subdued. ...Today, popular Muslim preachers on Egyptian TV openly condemn Christians, publicly calling for the return of Dhimmi status... [P]practically every week an account of Muslims attacking Copts emerges—whether the destroying of churches, the killing of Copts for wearing crosses, the abducting, raping, and force-converting of Coptic girls..." Please pray for these persecuted Christians

Muslim Persecution of Christians: "...not only did Egypt’s military plan to massacre Christians to teach them a 'lesson' never to protest again, but 'death squads' were deployed up buildings the night before to snipe at protesters. Instead of trying the soldiers who intentionally ran-over demonstrators, the military has been randomly arresting Copts, simply 'for being Christian.'...Meanwhile, not only are Western governments apathetic, but it was revealed that 'Obama’s top Muslim advisor blocks Middle Eastern Christians’ access to White House.' ...Christian pastors in the West, apparently more concerned about appearing tolerant and in 'dialogue' with Muslims, are reluctant to mention persecution to their flock."

Muslim Mob Burns Down Church Targeted By Police In Ethiopia: "A recently erected church was burned in southern Ethiopia on Nov. 29 by a group of over 500 Muslim students allegedly supported by local police, four days after local Muslim authorities ordered demolition of the building....The students assaulting the church were yelling 'Allahu Akbar!' and 'Jihad!'" See Persecuted - but not forsaken

Anguish as 72 Indonesians Ordered to Leave United States: "In recent weeks, most of the Indonesians, many of whom fled persecution of Christians in Indonesia years ago, have received letters from the Department of Homeland Security ordering them to appear at the agency’s Newark office, a one-way ticket to Indonesia in hand. Their advocates have leapt into action, appealing to immigration officials for continued lenience and lobbying members of the state’s Legislature and Congressional delegation to intervene." Strange, when entire communities of Muslims (who face no persecution in their homelands) are transported to America and given social security. 

November 2011

Mobile networks told to ban 'Jesus Christ' from airwaves [Pakistan]: "The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority is banning the name of 'Jesus Christ' from any text message sent in the country. The government's telecommunications agency has ...informed mobile companies that they have seven days to implement filters in their systems... The official list included a number of English language slang terms for sexual acts, religious words..." See Unequal Contenders in the Spiritual War

Muslim Persecution of Christians: (Afghanistan:) "Ten years after the U.S. invaded and overthrew the Taliban—at a cost of more than 1,700 U.S. military lives and $440 billion in taxpayer dollars—the State Department revealed that Afghanistan’s last Christian church was destroyed. ...the Afghan government—installed by the U.S.—is partially responsible for such anti-Christian sentiments, for instance, by upholding apostasy laws, which make it a criminal offence for Muslims to convert to other religions.

      (Sudan:) "Soon after President Bashir 'confirmed plans to adopt an entirely Islamic constitution and strengthen sharia law,' 'emboldened' Muslims attacked Christians trying to construct a church, 'claiming that Christianity was no longer an accepted religion in the country.'” See Hating Truth and Primed for Deception!

Christians Injured in Attack in Vietnam Denied Medical Care: "Three Christians seriously injured during a savage attack near Hanoi on Nov. 13 have been evacuated to an undisclosed hospital in Ho Chi Minh City after several hospitals in the region refused to examine and treat them....The attack on a church leaders’ worship service of an Agape Baptist Church....left one woman, evangelist Nguyen Thi Lan, with her pelvis broken in two places and with badly damaged internal organs....Yet previously doctors at three area hospitals had told her and two other seriously injured Christians that they were fine and dismissed them." See Persecuted - but not forsaken

Who Really Killed Jesus? A word to those who hate the Jews: "The first Christian missionaries were Jews who put their faith in Jesus Christ and joyfully shared His message of salvation. Most of them faced hatred, persecution and torturous death. They considered it a privilege to serve and die for their beloved Savior.

     "In the centuries that followed, God's true Church (initially launched through these Spirit-led Jewish apostles), would change and turn against all who were labeled 'Jews.' Since then, countless millions have been killed by angry 'gentiles.' Yes, some Jews were indeed notoriously wealthy bankers who sought spiritual power in 'secret' occult societies (as did many rich non-Jews). But most of the victims were ordinary families trying to survive in a world that despised them." No wonder most of them found it hard to trust our God!  See Auschwitz 2

Repeated. Swastikas Found on NYC Library Branches & Synagogue: "Last week, swastikas were found painted on two branches of the Queens Library and on the door of a local a synagogue. ...anti-Semitic attitudes have risen in the United States."

China: Pastor: Happy You Failed: "I am happy that you and others tried to arrange for my release, but in one way, I am happy that you failed,' Zhang told a VOM contact in China. '... If you had been successful, there would be no church in that prison today.'... Zhang has been imprisoned five times and spent about a fourth of his life in prison." See  Victory in Christ

Violent Islamic Extremists in Somalia Reportedly Beheaded a Christian Teen: "...Guled Jama Muktar, a 17-year-old Christian, was violently murdered last month by Islamic radicals. Members of al Shabbab, an extremist group, purportedly beheaded the teenager near Mogadishu, Somalia, in late September. The al-Qaeda-linked terror group has previously vowed to purge Somalia of Christianity....The extremists found Muktar as he was preparing to go to school....'The neighbors heard screaming coming from the house, and then it immediately stopped.' ...neighbors contacted the boy’s parents. After returning from the market, they quickly buried their son, then fled..." See Following Jesus and sharing His suffering

October 2011

Muslim Persecution of Christians: "...Secretary of State Hillary Clinton release[d] the Annual Report on International Religious Freedom....' Egypt, for instance—which this year alone has seen nearly 80 Christians killed, their many churches burned or bombed, and their daughters kidnapped and forcibly converted—was not listed as a 'country of particular concern'... Neither was Pakistan cited as a 'country of particular concern.' ...even though the State Department’s own report stated that Pakistani law calls for the death penalty for people who commit ‘blasphemy’ against Islam or who convert from Islam to another religion....” See Prepare for Persecution

WHOSE Global Kingdom Come? "Two complementary movements within the church are preparing God’s people for deception at an unprecedented scale: today’s neglect of Biblical truth as an authoritative standard and the seductive call to global spirituality in a new millennium of peace and unity. Both are shaping a chingdom that promises security and unity for all — except those who resist." See Conforming the Church to the New World Order

Not a Single Christian Church Left in Afghanistan, Says State Department: "...U.S. taxpayers have spent $440 billion to support Afghanistan's new government and more than 1,700 U.S. military personnel have died serving in that country....The last public Christian church in Afghanistan was razed in March 2010." See Persecuted - but not forsaken

Iranian Christian to be exectuted for bring a 'Zioninst': "The international community was furious when it learned that Iran was going to execute a young man for converting to Christianity and wanting to start a church. So Iran on Sunday altered the charges and said it is instead going to execute Youc.... [and is] 'turning his back on Islam, the greatest religion…' In Iran, the punishment for apostasy is death."

Christians in Mexico Forced From Village: "About 70 Protestant Christians lived in the village of San Rafael Tlanalapan, Puebla state, until Monday (Sept. 12), when they faced a frightening ultimatum - leave immediately or be 'crucified or lynched.'"

September 2011

Iran: Pastor Nadarkhani refuses to recant during trial: "Iranian pastor Yousef Nadarkhani has twice refused to recant his Christian faith during two court hearings. ...recanting will again be demanded at sessions scheduled for 27 and 28 September, and that if he continues to refuse, he will be executed thereafter.

    "Pastor Nadarkhani was tried and found guilty of apostasy (abandoning Islam) in September 2010 by the court....Following investigation, the court in Rasht has ruled that Pastor Nadarkhani was not a practicing Muslim adult before becoming a Christian. However, the court has decided that he remains guilty of apostasy because he has Muslim ancestry." See Following Jesus and sharing His suffering

Pakistan’s Unwilling Converts: "On August 17, 2011, Mehek Rashid, a 14-year-old Pakistani Christian girl was kidnapped at gunpoint in broad daylight in the Pakistan city of Gujranwala by a gang of five armed Muslim men. As she was thrown into a waiting car, one of her abductors yelled out to the on looking crowd that he would 'purify' Mehek before making her his 'mistress.' Unluckily for Mehek and her family, the kidnappers hailed from a prominent Muslim family, which prompted local Pakistani authorities to refuse to investigate the case. ...it is estimated that over 700 Christian girls suffer this terrible fate every year in Pakistan..." See Persecution

August 2011

Church building in ruins; hostilities grow in Sudan: "The congregation's building was burned after a series of threats...by Muslims extremists. When church leaders reported the case to police, they were surprised to find officers reluctant to investigate.... Just one month after the south voted for independence from the predominantly Islamic north... Muslim groups threatening to destroy churches, kill Christians and purge the country of Christianity. Please pray the Lord will strengthen His Church in Sudan." See Following Jesus and sharing His suffering

Investigation requested for missing human rights lawyer in China: "Human rights lawyer Gao was taken by police on August 15, 2006, from his sister's home and held incommunicado until the Chinese government announced on September 21 that he was being charged with inciting subversion...In March 2010, a group of human rights specialists filed a petition before the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which resulted in the discovery of serious wrongdoing by the Chinese government. However, Chinese authorities failed to even reply to the UN enquiry."

21 House Church Leaders in Inner Mongolia [China]...Criminally Detained: "...house church leaders from two remote regions of China have been in detention since mid-July as local police have tried to extort money from their families with promises of their release once the money has been paid and threats of labor camp sentences or criminal prosecution if it is not...." See Persecuted - but not forsaken

House Church Alliance Leader in China Sentenced to Labor Camp: "...‘abnormal growth’ of Christianity threatens national security....Authorities this week sentenced Shi Enhao, deputy leader of the Chinese House Church Alliance (CHCA), to two years of 're-education through labor' – a sentence that requires no trial or conviction.... Shi was officially charged with holding 'illegal meetings and illegal organizing of venues for religious meetings,' due to his leadership of a house church movement of several thousand people meeting in several venues around Beijing." See Brainwashing & "Education Reform"

July 2011

House church leader kidnapped in Iraq: "...a young Iraqi girl recently told VOM contacts that Muslims broke into her home and took her father, Jamal. Pastor Jamal works among the Shabak people -- a people who have Jewish roots and speak Arabic and Kurdish. It is suspected the militants targeted him for helping lead many Muslims to Christ. Several weeks ago, the home of one of Jamal's recent converts was sprayed with machine gun fire. Many fear that the militants, possibly members of al Qaida, will not give Jamal any option of release but immediately kill him....  Pray that Jamal will be released and brought home safely. ... Pray that he will rest in the knowledge that the Good Shepherd is with him through his sufferings (Psalm 23)..."

Beijing's Theology of Repression: "China is cracking down on Christians who consider God, not the Communist Party, the head of the church....'China tolerates Christian church services, but only within the narrow boundaries of theology and church life dictated by the State Administration for Religious Affair....

     "Most Chinese Christians belong to unofficial house churches like Shouwang, which reject Communist Party-controlled TSPM theology....Recently, the wife of blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng said that she and her husband were beaten and tortured for several hours by a gang of plainclothes thugs led by the village Communist Party secretary. ...some of the Shouwang church detainees found TSPM representatives taking part in the police interrogations, 'educating' and 'rebuking' the Shouwang Christians. Incredibly, TSPM Chairman Fu Xianyou denies that house churches even exist."

Vietnamese pastor kidnapped by authorities: "Pastor T, a Mennonite from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, was arrested on June 26. He was beaten in custody and taken to an unknown location....Please pray for Pastor T's health and that he and his wife will know the Lord's comforting and strengthening presence. Pray for his release."  

June 2011

Iranian pastor's death sentence upheld: "The death sentence of Youcef Nardarkhani, an Iranian pastor convicted of apostasy, has been upheld and confirmed by the Iranian Supreme Court. Pastor Youcef...was arrested and imprisoned in October 2009 after protesting a decision by the government requiring that his son study the Qur'an....Many believe the delay was a means to pressure him to him to turn away from Christ in prison. ...it is possible that the authorities will ask him to recant his faith and execute him without advance notice if he refuses....

    "Pray that God will continue to equip Pastor Youcef to stand firm in his faith....Pray that the Iranian authorities involved will be convicted of their injustice and overturn the case. Pray for comfort to abound in the hearts and minds of Pastor Youcef's wife and children." See They Gave Him Their Lives

June 2011

The House Prisons of Beijing: "Chinese state media announced late Wednesday that the Beijing police department released artist Ai Weiwei on bail 'because of his good attitude in confessing his crimes as well as a chronic disease he suffers from.' It will be heartening to see Mr. Ai safe at home, but the suggestion that the bail was granted as some kind of a favor adds insult to the injury of his persecution. Mr. Ai was arrested on April 3 and held in violation of China's own laws....Mr. Ai is known for being relentlessly outspoken, which is what led to his disappearance, and after a global campaign for his release the media will want to hear his story. But he will be under intense pressure not to speak out." See Brainwashing & "Education Reform"

Algerian Christians Continue to Worship Despite Government Order: "The High Commissioner of police in Bejaia ordered all Christian churches closed... if not, the commissioner threatened 'severe consequences and punishments' would result....Unable to register their churches, many Algerians now worship in house churches, or in the secluded countryside....

    ''We are not afraid, [said one Christian] because we did nothing wrong. We were never forced to choose Jesus, but we did so voluntarily. Whatever the circumstances, we will continue to say: 'We are here to praise your name, Lord.'"

China’s Official Three-Self Church System Joins in Persecution Against Shouwang House Church: "In a development that shows the Chinese government’s determination to use all means available to bring one of Beijing’s largest house churches into compliance, representatives of the government’s Three-Self church system ['controlled by the Communist Party'] have taken part in the police interrogation of Shouwang Church members detained in the past two weeks....

      '[In] the past two Sundays, Three-Self church personnel showed up at many police stations to persuade, ‘educate’ and even rebuke the imprisoned brothers and sisters in an attempt to get them to leave Shouwang Church and join one of the Three-Self churches."

Egypt Detains Hundreds Of Eritrean Christians: "Hundreds of mainly Christian refugees from Eritrea are jailed or or held by kidnappers in Egypt, where they face torture, beatings and sexual assault....Hostage-takers reportedly demand up to $20,000 per person for their release. 'If families don’t pay, the hostage is killed."

Planned criminal code to forbid evangelism in Nepal: "...Nepal is working on a new criminal code forbidding a person of one faith to 'convert a person or abet him to change his religion.'"

Muslim mob besieges Egyptian church: "When the church attempted to reopen, the priests were met with the same protests and violence. Muslims are protesting the church's dome and cross, which reportedly violate the Muslim custom of 'dhimmitude.' The custom considers displays of faith by religious minorities to be intolerable."

Pakistan's blasphemy laws used to target Bible: "Radical Muslim clerics in Pakistan are taking aim at the Bible. They want the Pakistan’s Supreme Court to ban certain passages....Specifically, Muslims regard certain biblical characters (i.e. Abraham, Isaac, David and Solomon) as prophets, and the Bible’s accounts showing them as flawed....

     "Assertions that Jesus is God, that He died and rose from the dead, and that salvation comes through Him are also falling in conflict with Islamic teachings. ...the sect that’s making the demands wants 'at least those sections taken out of the Bible...'   Within Pakistan’s Penal Code are penalties ranging from a fine to death for 'blasphemy.' According to Voice of the Martyrs, the law is often misused to target religious minorities, including Christians....

     "Asia Bibi....was sentenced to death for professing Jesus is the only son of God, and that no man can get into heaven without salvation in Jesus name only....This was the crime for which she was sentenced to death long before Bin Laden’s death....The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-S) party–a Muslim offshoot party out of India–is ready to launch their formal petition to ban the Bible should the courts not rule to outlaw the sections they complained about....

     "Even if the motion gains traction, Gospel outreach won’t be hampered much. 'The reality is that Christians are already taking great risks in Pakistan to share their faith. Some are even going into the most devout Islamic areas to share their faith with people there.'” See 2 Corinthians 4:16

Algerian Christian sentenced beyond prosecutor's request: "A criminal court in Oran's Djamel district sentenced Siaghi Krimo to a five-year prison term on May 25 for giving a CD about Christianity to a neighbour. The neighbour claimed Krimo insulted the Prophet Mohammad." See Light in the darkness

Restrictive Parental Responsibility Law may be adopted in Tajikistan: "Tajikistan's Parliament may adopt a restrictive Parental Responsibility Law, drafts of which ban children from attending religious activities apart from funerals. ...Local religious communities, independent legal experts and human rights defenders have condemned the draft, but Deputy Marhabo Jabborova...'is not aware of any comments from religious communities.'

     "Pray God will enable Christian parents to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to Christ so that their children will be encouraged to walk closely with the Lord as they grow up." See Persecution

Christian woman in Darfur arrested for evangelizing: "Hawa Abdalla Muhammad Saleh was arrested on May 9 in the Abu Shouk camp for Internally Displaced Persons.... Authorities have accused her of possessing and distributing Bibles to others in the camp. Sources said she could also be tried for apostasy, which carries the death sentence in Sudan.  ...she could be tortured as she was detained and tortured for six days in 2009.

     "Please pray for Abdalla's release. Ask the Lord to give her the strength and grace she needs to withstand this current trial....Pray the Lord will use Abdalla's witness and testimony to strengthen the faith of other believers and act as a witness to Muslims." Pray for one another!

May 2011

Missionary says plight desperate after political unrest in Ivory Coast: "'Once we take control we're coming for you.' That's the message Christians in the Ivory Coast got from Muslims during a long-fought dispute over the nation's presidency, an election late last year apparently won by a Christian candidate when the government found voter fraud in Muslim regions. But that result was overturned following intervention by the United Nations and the United States, who insisted that the Muslim candidate be given the office. Which puts Muslims now in 'control.'...

     "A missionary...says that the administration of newly inaugurated president Alessane Ouattara, a Muslim, has shut off the Internet and now likely is tapping the Christians' telephones. 'Just before (the civil war), they were warning the Christians... 'We're coming to get you.'...They have shut down the Internet so they (the Christians) can't communicate with the outside.'...

     "...there was a massacre of between 800 and 1,000 people 'who were seeking shelter at a Christian mission compound... The attackers reportedly were 'descendants of immigrant Muslims..."

"...because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you....If they persecuted Me they will persecute you... for they do not know the One who sent Me." John 15:19-21

Your son has been killed: "William had built a small school on the Tibetan border where he had been teaching God’s Word to children.... [He] had traveled four thousand miles a year on horseback to share the gospel with the people of Tibet. Muslim fanatics had slaughtered fifty thousand people in one Tibetan city, but even this did not scare his son away. William had written,

“All the trials, the loneliness, the heartache, the pain, the cold and fatigue of the long road, the discouragement and all the bereavements, temptations, and testing seemed not worthy to be compared with the glory and joy of witnessing these ‘glad tidings of great joy.’ ”

Persecution. Missionary says plight desperate after political unrest in Ivory Coast: "'Once we take control we're coming for you.' That's the message Christians in the Ivory Coast got from Muslims during a long-fought dispute over the nation's presidency, an election late last year apparently won by a Christian candidate when the government found voter fraud in Muslim regions. But that result was overturned following intervention by the United Nations and the United States, who insisted that the Muslim candidate be given the office. Which puts Muslims now in 'control.'...

     "A missionary...says that the administration of newly inaugurated president Alessane Ouattara, a Muslim, has shut off the Internet and now likely is tapping the Christians' telephones. 'Just before (the civil war), they were warning the Christians... 'We're coming to get you.'...They have shut down the Internet so they (the Christians) can't communicate with the outside.'...

     "...there was a massacre of between 800 and 1,000 people 'who were seeking shelter at a Christian mission compound... The attackers reportedly were 'descendants of immigrant Muslims..."

"...because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you....If they persecuted Me they will persecute you... for they do not know the One who sent Me." John 15:19-21

How Western Powers Aid and Abet Christian Persecution: "[Today's] official Western response to inhumane dictators seems to be... 1–ignore any human rights violations against Christians... 2–support groups hostile to Christians."

THAILAND: Muslims behead a 9-year-old boy: "More than than 4000 people from police and teachers to monks and children have been killed in the past 7 years by Muslims in southern Thailand, but hardly a word in the mainstream media.... Muslim terrorists object to the education system which teaches Buddhist culture that is not acceptable in Islam. The attacks are intended to force Buddhists to leave the region because Muslims want to create an independent Muslim nation in the three southern provinces." See Depravity

Muslim attackers kill 17 Nigerian Christians: [May 5] "Villagers were ambushed by their attackers who came in large numbers with various weapons, unleashing their attack on both the young and old. Seventeen Christians were killed....

     "Hundreds have died in clashes in Nigeria following national elections last month in which Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, won the presidential poll against a Muslim, Muhammadu Buhari.

     "...many villages are under serious threat. Please pray for Christians in...northern Nigeria who are suffering severely because of their faith. Pray for the families of those who have lost loved ones. Pray the Lord will provide comfort and the grace to overcome violence and hatred with love and forgiveness." See Persecuted - but not forsaken

Muslim Extremists Attack Egyptian Churches: "...three Coptic churches were firebombed by mobs of radical Salafi Muslims. ...incited by rumors that a Christian woman who wanted to convert to Islam was being held captive at one of the churches. An apartment complex where mostly Copts lived was also looted and set on fire. According to one report, 12 people were killed and more than 200 injured. ... It took the Egyptian army nearly five hours to respond to the violence, leading some to fear that the army and local police forces are either complicit in the attacks or unwilling to defend Egypt's Christian minority. When the second church was attacked, Muslim mobs prevented fire trucks from reaching the church." See In joy or pain, our course is onward still

A Mother's Love [From The Voice of the Martyr]: "The pastor had been questioned and beaten often, but today the guard took him to a room to talk. He said, '...'Please look in the corner.' The pastor turned to see an elderly woman chained and bruised beneath a pile of rags. She was the pastor’s own mother.

    "The guard inquired. “Look how much your mother has suffered. If you tell the secrets of the underground church, you and your mother can go free. If she dies from our torture, you will have failed to keep the commandment to honor her..."

    "The pastor turned to his mother who was starting to regain consciousness. 'Dear Mother, what should I do?'

    "Lovingly she replied, 'Since you were a small boy, I have taught you to love Christ and his church. Do not betray God. I am ready to die for His holy name.'....” John 12:27-28

Christians killed in Laos; alarming religious freedom abuses continue: "On April 15, troops from the Lao People's Army caught a group of Christians belonging to the Hmong community, an ethnic minority. All of the believers' Bibles were confiscated. The troops shot and killed four of the women after repeatedly raping two of them. Their husbands and children were beaten, tied up and forced to witness the gruesome killings. At last report, the whereabouts of the surviving believers were unknown." See Suffering with Jesus

Bloody Wednesday (Holocaust in 1943): "Several days before what would be known as 'Bloody Wednesday' a work crew of military soldiers, POW's, and Jews at the concentration camp in Poland began digging three six foot deep ditches that measured 100 yards each. 'Bloody Wednesday' began... with the loud unusual sound of dance music. The Jews, who had worked the day before to dig the ditches, were ordered to march into the ditches 10 at a time and lay face down. The music was used to cover up the machine gun fire that began and ended the massacre. By 5 pm on Wednesday, November 3rd, 1943 over 16,000 Jews were dead. Another 14,000 Jews were executed at Poniatowa on the same day...in the same way.... How was this act justified? See Bonhoeffer--Nazi Religion versus "Religionless" Faith

A Small Price to Pay: God's Love in Soviet Prison: "I was indicted on four counts: holding [Christian] meetings where children had been present, singing too loudly, organizing an orchestra, and not registering meetings with the state. My head throbbed as the judge pronounced judgment...two and a half years in prison.“

"I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things... that I may gain Christ 'and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness...but that which is through faith in Christ...that I may know Him and the 'power of His resurrection, and 'the fellowship of His sufferings..." (Phil.3:7-11

April 2011

Beijing Police Detain Group of Christians: "Police in Beijing detained more than 30 evangelical Christians as they attempted to gather outdoors for Easter services and confined about 500 to their homes, continuing a broad crackdown on dissent that has also targeted lawyers, bloggers and human-rights activists....The recent crackdown comes during a period of heightened tension in Beijing as anonymous online calls for a 'Jasmine Revolution' have set the country's security apparatus on edge....

     "Shouwang is one of China's most famous 'house' churches, the name given to congregations that aren't officially sanctioned by the government, with about 1,000 members.... The church's pastor, Jin Tianming, is among those under detention in his home. He said police officers were stationed 24 hours a day outside his residence in Beijing to prevent him from leaving.

     ".. between 50 million and 70 million Chinese worship in house churches [some claim the number of secret worshippers are much higher], and more than 25 million worship in state-sanctioned Catholic and Protestant churches. The Communist Party, by comparison, has around 60 million members."

Election leaves Christians under fire in 3rd African nation: "In Nigeria, Muslim rioters killed more than 100 Christians and burned more than 40 churches yesterday 'in response to the election of Jonathan Goodluck, a Christian, as president.'  ...Christians in those Muslim-majority areas 'have faced repeated bouts of violence and discrimination' and 'tens and thousands of Christians have been killed' over the years." See Suffering with Jesus

Government persecution of Christians escalates in China: "...the Chinese government's stranglehold on information makes it impossible for all of the instances of Christian persecution to be documented.....It also highlighted three new alarming trends: the full-scale suppression of Christian human rights lawyers groups; use of abuse, torture and mafia tactics; and a severe crackdown on...churches that do not accept government control....

     "Pray that amid escalating persecution, Chinese Christians will find their comfort in Christ... (2 Corinthians 1:5). Pray for continued wisdom and guidance for Christian leaders as they help equip Chinese believers to stand firm in the faith..." See 2010 Annual Report on Chinese Government Perseuction of Christians

 

Government’s Mafia-style Persecution Puts a Shaanxi Christian into a Coma: "Pastor Wang Zhanhu of Chinese House Church Alliance was ...engaged in evangelism among a few hundred people when local police seized him and subjected him a beating with an electric baton. Wang lost consciousness for about 5 hours and has been hospitalized.... In coastal Jiangsu province recently, local authorities have threatened a former Three-Self Patriotic Movement church pastor with immediate detention if he accesses the Internet...." See Pray for one another

Beijing Christians Detained: "Beijing police on Sunday detained at least a dozen worshippers from a Christian house church who were trying to hold services in a public space after they were evicted from their usual place of worship. Leaders of the unregistered Shouwang house church had told parishioners to gather at an open-air venue in Beijing for Sunday morning services, but police, apparently alerted to their plans, taped off the area and took away people who showed up to take part....Chinese Christians were singing hymns, saying prayers as policemen surrounded them, then led them off." See Persecuted - but not forsaken

China's Arab Winter: "China's crackdown on domestic dissenters continues, with a 10-year prison sentence issued on Friday to Liu Xianbin, a founder of the China Democratic Party..... Mr. Liu was sentenced for subverting state power, which in China can mean anything the authorities want it to mean, even advocating for democratic freedoms....Mr. Liu was routinely interrupted by the judge as he sought to defend himself. After serving his earlier prison term, Mr. Liu was harassed by security agents who made it difficult for him to hold a job....

     "The most worrying cases are those who have simply 'disappeared' into the maw of China's extralegal shadow jails." Chinese Government’s Campaign against Unregistered Churches

March 2011

Pray for Pastor Abrahmian: "Pastor Vahik Abrahamian and his wife Sonia Keshish-Avanesian [and another couple] ...were arrested at the Abrahamians' home in [Iran], and taken initially to the Ministry of Islamic Guidance prison. For the first 40 days, they were held in solitary confinement and reportedly suffered physical abuse and psychological pressure. Pastor Vahik's wife Sonia, who was pregnant when she was arrested, is said to have suffered a miscarriage – her fourth. The couples, who are now being held in Hamadan prison, have been accused of various offenses, including propagating Christianity, opposing the Islamic Republic of Iran, and having contact with exiled opposition figures."

The New Egypt: Muslims burn down church then kill the protestors: "Last Friday in the village of Sole, just outside of Cairo, local Muslims decided they now had the freedom to burn down the town’s Coptic church. Without a strong Mubarak police force, they had nothing and no one stopping them. After torching the sacred place, the Muslims promised to build a mosque on that very spot (Are you listening Cordoba House/Park 51 supporters?).

     "On Tuesday thousands of Coptic Christians protested in...Cairo. They carried large wooden crosses and hoped to get the media’s attention of the burning down of their church (the Church of the Two Martyrs). Sadly, soon after, many of the protesters became martyrs....

     "Some reports said the military fired into the air in hopes of stopping the violence. But there are Christians who were there claiming the military aided the Muslims in attack by getting out of the way of the Muslims and even firing on the Christians." See Persecuted - but not forsaken

British Muslim population could double in 20 years: "...the growing concern about Islam is because of 'the degree to which Islam is perceived as a threat to social cohesion'. ...a Christian couple, who own a guesthouse in Cornwall, were fined £3,600 for [not renting to homosexuals]. ...Judge Andrew Rutherford said Peter and Hazelmary Bull ‘s actions were unlawful. Mrs Bull said: 'I do feel that Christianity is being marginalised in Britain.'”

People have only 'qualified' right to Christianity: "A court ruling has found that Christians who want to provide foster care for needy children must promote homosexuality to them and that there is only a 'qualified' right to exercise their Christian beliefs. The judgment comes in a claim by a Christian couple that their biblical beliefs in opposition to homosexual behavior were being used by the government to discriminate against them regarding their application to be foster parents....

     "Andrea Minichiello Williams, CEO of Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre, said the family was "humiliated and sidelined and told by a government body.…that their mainstream Christian views might 'infect' children. They have also effectively been told by British judges that their views may harm children." See Our Refuge in Christ

Pakistan cabinet minister murdered: "Pakistan’s minister for religious minorities, who had opposed the country’s harsh blasphemy laws, was shot dead in Islamabad on Wednesday....Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian member of the cabinet, was the second senior member of the ruling Pakistan People’s party to be gunned down in two months....The bodyguard who shot Mr Taseer said he had killed him for calling for changes to the country’s blasphemy laws. Human rights groups say the laws enshrine discrimination and render minorities second class citizens.

      "An outpouring of popular sympathy for the Mr Taseer’s killer showed how tolerance of pluralism is shrinking in once moderate Pakistan....The killing of Mr Bhatti...will pile further pressure on the weak coalition government..."

February 2011

Pakistani Police Allegedly Make Threats after Murdering Christian: "Pakistani police are threatening the father of an 18-year-old Christian man whom officers raped, killed and threw into a sewer last week....Police registered a case against the culprits, but they have not filed it ... and police have done everything possible to save their fellow policemen.'"  

Muslim Villager in Pakistan Allegedly Rapes Sixth Christian Girl: "A Muslim who allegedly confessed to sexually assaulting five Christian girls raped a 10-year-old Catholic girl in Punjab Province last month, according to her family."

Now it is the other way around’ — the moral revolution in full view: "In the course of a single generation, the sexual morality that has survived for thousands of years is giving way to a radically different moral understanding. Just consider the couple in the United Kingdom who were recently found guilty of discrimination because they allowed only married couples to share a bed at their small hotel....

     "What makes this case particularly troubling is the nature of the judge’s decision. Judge Andrew Rutherford ruled that the Bulls would have to sacrifice their Christian convictions if they intend to own and manage their hotel.

     "Mrs. Bull told the court, 'We accept that the Bible is the holy living word of God and we endeavor to follow it as far as we are able.' In this specific case, it meant that the Bulls would restrict rooms with a double bed to married couples. They enforced this policy regardless of sexual orientation — a point acknowledged by the judge.

      "Nevertheless, Judge Rutherford stated: 'It is inevitable that such laws will from time to time cut across deeply held beliefs of individuals and sections of society for they reflect the social attitudes and morals prevailing at the time that they are made.'

      "Affirming the swift reversal of public morality on the issue of homosexuality, the judge commented: 'It is a very clear example of how social attitudes have changed over the years for it is not so very long ago that these beliefs of the defendants would have been those accepted as normal by society at large. Now it is the other way around.'" See Paradigm Shift: Total transformation

Christians Suspect Cover-Up in Pastor’s Death in Orissa, India: "The body of Saul Pradhan, a 45-year-old independent pastor whose house was burned by Hindu extremists two years ago, was found near a pond in Pakala village in Kandhamal’s Raikia Block on Jan. 11 and bore marks of assault.... 'I spoke to the widow of the pastor, and she told me that the hands and legs of the deceased looked twisted, and there was blood in his mouth. His pants were also torn,' Singh said....'Why should it not arouse suspicion when Pastor Pradhan was last seen with two Hindu men, Marda Pradhan and Baiju Mallick, who were among the rioters who burned houses of Christians in 2008?” See Suffering with Jesus

Seeking Gao Zhisheng: "The word 'missing' is a euphemism in China, where dissident Gao Zhisheng likely has now spent eight months in a frightening system of illegal government detention for his work speaking out for human rights and the rule of law.

     "In a horrifying interview... during a brief period of freedom last year... Mr. Gao gives accounts of previous torture sessions carried out by secret police. 'The degree of cruelty,' he said, 'there's no way to recount it.' Sometime in 2009, three agents stripped Mr. Gao and began beating him with their holstered guns, plus other acts he would not describe [including electrical shocks to his private parts]. It lasted around the clock for two days. 'When all three officers tired...they bound his arms and legs with plastic bags and threw him to the floor until they caught their breath to resume the abuse.'

     "During his short time on the outside in April, he asked the police why they didn't just put him in prison. 'You're going to prison,' they replied, 'that's a dream. You're not good enough for that. Whenever we want you to disappear, you will disappear.'...

     "The Obama Administration has played down human rights with China as less important than other issues in the U.S. relationship..." See Persecuted - but not forsaken

Sudan: "The predominantly Christian and traditionalist black African Southern Sudan has seen almost nonstop war with the Arabic-speaking and Muslim North since the country’s independence from Britain in 1956. Two million people are thought to have died in recent years in the battered South, an impoverished land.... Oil added a new intensity to the conflict in the ‘90s, a period which also saw the rise of the Islamist regime of Omar al Bashir. He’s since been indicted by the International Criminal Court for his role in the Darfur conflict in Western Sudan. But it’s the enduring North-South war that got the attention of evangelical Protestants in America....

      "There remain sensitive issues that could inflame tensions or worse: drawing borders, deciding on the rights of Southerners living in the North and vice versa, and a critical permanent oil-sharing revenue agreement still needs to be negotiated. The new South Sudan, should that nation emerge, will be one of the poorest on earth. Paved roads, hospitals, and schools are virtually nonexistent, and the peace remains precarious. But all those worries have been cast aside by the euphoria of this moment..."

Iran Rounds Up 70 Christians Since Christmas: "Iran has arrested about 70 Christians... in a crackdown that demonstrates the limits of religious tolerance by Islamic leaders who often boast they provide room for other faiths.... Caught in the middle is the small community of Iranian Christians who get together for prayer and Bible readings in private residences and out of sight of authorities. They are part of a wider 'house church' movement that has taken root in other places with tight controls on Christian activities such as China and Indonesia.

     "Iran’s constitution gives protected status to Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians, but many religious minorities sense growing pressures from the Islamic state as hard-edged forces such as the powerful Revolutionary Guard exert more influence." See Perseverance

Eyewitnesses Claim Egyptian Security Allowed Bomb Attack on Christians: "Church officials and eyewitnesses say many more victims have yet to be identified after their 'body parts were strewn all over the street outside the church.' ...'some Muslims started stepping on them and chanting Jihadi chants.'...

     "Attorney Mamdouh Nakhla...wondered if state security is an accomplice or just too cowardly to confront the Islamists in Egypt who carried out the Church massacre. 'The crime is local and those who committed it are known.... The Al Mujahedeen website threatens to repeat the attack in more churches. The site has addresses of churches and even how to make a bomb. Does security not know about it?'...

     "Meanwhile, Islamic extremists are blaming the attack on Jews. Iran’s official television outlet, Press TV, declared Sunday that Israeli Zionists were actually behind the bomb plot. 'It goes without saying that no Muslim, whatever their political leanings may be, will ever commit such an inhuman act, 'the station said." See Don't Be Deceived!

Pakistani marked for death for support of Christian: "The fact that the governor [Taseer] very courageously took a public stand against the death penalty in the case of the Christian woman [Asia Bibi] accused of blasphemy, made him a marked man....In Islamic law, blasphemy ["a matter of perception"] and slander carry the death penalty automatically....

      "Taseer got himself into trouble when he spoke against Pakistan's blasphemy law. 'Pakistan's laws are in accordance with Shariah [Islamic law]....

      "...a sizable percentage of terrorist acts are 'inside jobs.' ...Taseer's assassination is likely the first stage of a new intimidation campaign. The more practical, secular, leaders in Pakistan are going to be subjected to more and more intimidation and assassinations as the true-believer Muslims gain strength.... 'Pakistan's security establishment is tied in with the Islamists and the refusal of every local Muslim cleric to lead prayers at his funeral indicates just how hard line the situation on the ground is. ...a majority of Pakistanis are sympathetic to the radicals."

Eyewitnesses Claim Egyptian Security Allowed Bomb Attack on Christians: "Church officials and eyewitnesses say many more victims have yet to be identified after their 'body parts were strewn all over the street outside the church.' ...'some Muslims started stepping on them and chanting Jihadi chants.'...

     "Attorney Mamdouh Nakhla...wondered if state security is an accomplice or just too cowardly to confront the Islamists in Egypt who carried out the Church massacre. 'The crime is local and those who committed it are known.... The Al Mujahedeen website threatens to repeat the attack in more churches. The site has addresses of churches and even how to make a bomb. Does security not know about it?'...

     "Meanwhile, Islamic extremists are blaming the attack on Jews. Iran’s official television outlet, Press TV, declared Sunday that Israeli Zionists were actually behind the bomb plot. 'It goes without saying that no Muslim, whatever their political leanings may be, will ever commit such an inhuman act, 'the station said." See Don't Be Deceived!

Guess who leads surge in Christian persecution: "While North Korea remains No. 1 because of its total repression of faith...'the most dangerous countries in which to practice Christianity are overwhelmingly Islamic.'...Iran, which clamps down on a growing house church movement; Afghanistan, where thousands of believers cluster deep underground; and Saudi Arabia, which still refuses to allow any Saudi person to convert to Christianity. Others are lawless Somalia, ruled by bloodthirsty terrorists threatening to kill Christian aid workers who feed Somalia's starving, impoverished people; tiny Maldives, which mistakenly boasts it is 100 percent Islamic; Yemen with its determination to expel all Christian workers; and Iraq, which saw extremists massacre 58 Christians in a Baghdad cathedral on Oct. 31..."

Pakistani governor killed by own guard in capital: "The governor of Pakistan's powerful Punjab province was shot dead in the capital Tuesday by one of his guards, who told interrogators afterward that he was angry about the politician's stance against the country's blasphemy law....The killing of Salman Taseer was the most high-profile assassination of a political figure in Pakistan since the slaying of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in December 2007, and it rattled a country already dealing with crises ranging from a potential collapse of the government to Islamist militancy....

     "Taseer was a member of Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party....But it was his very public stance against the blasphemy law that apparently led to his killing. Pakistan's blasphemy law has come under greater scrutiny in recent days after a Christian woman was sentenced to death for allegedly insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad. The law effectively orders death for anyone convicted of insulting Islam."

Egyptian Christians Request Prayer: "Our evangelical outreach was canceled because the police are destroying a church in the area where we live and serve. Christians gathered in front of the government building to protest. To everyone's horror, the police opened fire on them. An unknown number of people have died so far.... Muslims were even hitting the Christian children in schools and people who were going to church in the morning. Children and churchgoers fled and remain frightened in their homes. No one is able to leave home or to go any place. It is something like war between the police and the Christians. Twenty-five homes of Christians have been burnt to the ground....

      "Please pray that the Lord will...help those people who are suffering physically and emotionally. Pray especially that the Lord will make us able to encourage our neighbors as we live and serve God among them." See Our Refuge in Christ

[Vietnam] Persecution of believing community being stepped up: "Officials in Hanoi and Da Nang locked out the Christians from the buildings and police surrounded the meeting facility in Hanoi and moved in to force the crowds to disperse. Compass Direct reports that the harassment was aimed at literally hundreds of Christians from 10 northern provinces..." See They Gave Him Their Lives

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Older: Algerian Christians Arrested for Eating During Muslim Fast: (9-23-10) "Hocine Hocini and Fellak Salem appeared before the provincial court in Ain El Hammam, Algeria, for eating at noon on a private construction site during the month of Ramadan. The Algerians were arrested by police officers who enforced the legal provisions that protect Islamic religious regulations from being disobeyed; therefore, these Christians must answer for their 'illegal' sacrilegious act. 'I am optimistic,' said Hocini. 'I have no regrets, I am a Christian. We are innocent, we have not hurt anyone. We are Christians and we did not eat in a public place.'  'Algeria has ratified international conventions on freedom of worship,' said Ait Larbi, one of the defense lawyers for the two Algerians. 'It is an outright violation of the constitution.' While the international community protests their arrest, crowds of Algerians expressed their fear of unwanted influence from Afghanistan, an Islamic state where people can still be stoned for eating breakfast during the daylight hours of Ramadan."

Vietnam Montagnard Christians “Tortured” For Refusing To Worship Communist Leader (May 28, 2006): "Several indigenous Degar Montagnard Christians in Vietnam's Central Highlands recovered from their injuries Sunday, May 28, after they were detained and tortured by Vietnamese security forces for refusing to abandon their Christian faith and follow the 'official' Communist-backed church, their friends said. Since May 16 police took at least three Christian Degar Montagnards from Bon Djrong village in Vietnam's Gialai Province to what a 'communal committee office' to explain why they refuse to worship in what is known as 'Siu Kim's Church', said the advocacy group Montagnard Foundation Incorporated (MFI). Siu Kim, a Montagnard working for the government, dedicated the church in February and invited 10,000 Montagnard Christians in the area to participate in the ceremony. But many believers, including apparently those arrested this month, refused to participate as the church worships Siu Kim and Ho Chi Minh, the late Communist leader, MFI said. Instead of a picture of Jesus or a cross, only Ho Chi Minh's picture can be seen in the church, local Christians explained."