persecution | Ain't Complicated

Pakistan: Intense Persecution

So a bunch of pastors there have designated this coming Sunday as a day of prayer for Pakistan:

Pakistan allowed the Taliban to impose sharia law Islamic law in the region, and Pakistani Christians are asking the world to pray for their nation.

Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs explains. “We know of more than 300 pastors in Pakistan who have joined together to mark Sunday July 26 as a day of prayer for their country–a day of prayer particularly for the church there, which is facing intense persecution.”

Nettleton says even though Christians are facing incredible amounts of persecution, the church is growing. “Depending on the area of the country where you are, it can grow openly above ground. In other areas, particularly the areas that have recently gotten under the control of the Taliban, the church is forced to grow in sort of a quiet way.”

While many Christians left the Taliban-held areas for fear of their safety, there is still a Christian witness, says Nettleton. “There are still some solid believers who are committed to reaching Muslims for Christ. They have said, ‘There are still some Muslims here who still need to hear the Gospel, who need to hear about Jesus’ love, so we’re going stay and we’re going to keep ministering.'”

Nettleton says they don’t do this lightly. “They face incredible risk, literally risking their lives to be in that area, to be a follower of Jesus Christ in a place that’s controlled by the Taliban. The Taliban believe that any Muslim who follows Jesus is an infidel and should be killed.”

Source: Mission Network News

Tightening Screws

Iran: Screws Tighten on Christians in Government Crackdown

The threatening environment facing Christians in Iran continues to worsen. That’s saying something, considering Christians there have faced incredibly hostile responses for a long time.

[…]

Open Doors tracks the hatred and distrust of Christianity internationally, assigning rankings to the most dangerous spots for Christians to practice their faith. For the past seven years Iran ranked third behind No. 2 Saudi Arabia and No. 1 North Korea. In January, Iran moved into a tie for second with Saudi Arabia.

[…]

The government is reacting to the growth by expanding the powers of Parliament to effectively persecute Christians. Currently, anyone charged with apostasy goes before a court, where the judge rules on a case-by-case basis. The penalty might be hard labor or prison or simply a fine.

If the recent bill becomes law, however, it would create a new penal code by which conservative Muslim clerics would make the final decision on each case of apostasy. Any Iranian man found guilty would be put to death, while women would receive life imprisonment.

Hat Tip: International Christian Concern

Under Siege in Egypt

Daughter of Convert Attempts Suicide

Mariam Azmy Fouad, a Christian secondary school student in the satellite city of Tenth of Ramadan east of Cairo, narrowly escaped death when she attempted suicide after being required by her school to sit for an Islamic religion test paper even though she is Christian. Mariam’s father had converted to Islam making her, according to Egyptian law, automatically a Muslim. She was shocked and greatly humiliated at the sarcasm of her classmates which brought on hysterical tears and apparently made suicide a welcome idea.

She repeatedly cried she was Christian and would not answer the test, insisting that her faith had nothing to do with her father. After swallowing some pills, Mariam was moved to hospital where she was given a gastric lavage to save her life.

[…]

Mariam was finally allowed to take the Christian religion exam on January 29, the last day of the school term.

Pray for her strength. And her faith. And her hope. And her joy. And her peace. And her….

Christians in the News

Got you curious who will be featured here?

Almost certainly not the ones you might expect, I suspect. 🙂

IRAN: Two released; one missing

Two of the Christians who were held in custody have been released on bail and guarantee but there is no news of whereabouts of the third.

The Farsi Christian News Network reports that after the arrest of the 3 Christians by the security forces in Tehran on 21st January, and the general concern on their safety, Mrs. Nadere Javadi was released after 2 weeks of imprisonment in Evin Prison . there was no charge and no explanation as to the reason of her arrest by the security forces. She was released on bail, having left house documents as guarantee.

Also, Hamik Khachiki, another Christian leader from the Central Assemblies of God church in Tehran, who was also arrested on 21st January, was released after one week of being in custody. Another member of church leadership had to guarantee for him.

For the last two weeks, despite all efforts and enquiry, there has been no success in finding out the location and the condition of Jamal Ghalishourani, a Farsi speaking Christian, who was also arrested on the same date as the above.

Read it all

Torture in Eritrea

Mission Network News reports:

Two more Christians have died in Eritrea’s military-styled confinement.

[…]

According to a Compass Direct report, Asgedom died on January 16 from ongoing physical torture and complications related to his diabetes.

Kiflom also died recently after undergoing torture for refusing to recant his faith.

[…]

“Eritrea has denied that there were any Christians in prison at all. They refuse to acknowledge that they are persecuting evangelical Christians. The reason they are able to deny this is because none of these men and women have even been brought to trial.”

Some 2,000 Eritrean Christians are believed to be jailed without a legal charge because of their religious beliefs.

[…]

“Pray for those that are in prison,” Penner asks. “There are believers being tortured in some of the most inhumane ways. Pray for them that they’ll continue to hold firm in their faith and that God will make Himself real to them. Pray for the families as well. Many of them have no idea where their loved ones are or even if they’re still alive.”

Pray that those in mourning will find peace in knowing that those who suffered with Christ will be glorified with Him. Pray for the release of Christians imprisoned in Eritrea.

And this from Wikipedia:

Jehovah’s Witnesses, Bahá’í Faith, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and numerous Protestant denominations are not registered and cannot worship freely. They have effectively been banned, and measures have been taken against their adherents. Many have been incarcerated for months or even years. None have been charged officially or given access to the judicial process. In its 2006 religious freedom report, the U.S. State Department for the third year in a row named Eritrea a “Country of Particular Concern”, designating it one of the worst violators of religious freedom in the world.

There is one last native Jew in Eritrea, formerly from a community of hundreds in Asmara, whose ancestors had crossed from Aden in the late 19th century

A Different Mumbai Story

The Times of India reports: Four hurt as mob disrupts baptism

MUMBAI: At least four persons were injured in an attack on the Christian community at Gangapur dam near Nashik on Monday.

The incident occurred when members of Navjivan Fellowship Church were conducting a baptism ceremony at the dam. A group of 10 to 12 unidentified men, armed with sticks and cricket stumps, disrupted the ceremony and roughed up those present at the event. “They did not even spare women and children as the rampage continued for over one hour. The attack was so meticulously planned that the group did not leave behind a single clue, which could help ascertain their identity,’’ said Winston Daniel, who was injured in the head during the assault.

An hour?

Did these Christians not defend themselves?

Orissa Ten Years Ago

Widow of Graham Staines: “Do not give up hope, pray for India”

10 years ago in Orissa, Hindu extremists burned alive the Christian Graham Staines and his two sons. His wife, back in India, connects the recent anti-Christian persecution to her husband. To the many recent widows of Kandhamal, she speaks of forgiveness and strength “in Christ.”

[…]

Staines says that she will always continue working to fulfil her husband’s dream to live in peace and harmony, and work together for the good of all. “I forgive the other, because I have first received forgiveness from Jesus Christ – I have encountered the presence of Jesus in my life and this is the spirit I share. When we forgive, there is no bitterness and we live our lives and continue the task entrusted to us – with His grace and peace. These Kandhamal widows have also been touched by Jesus. All Christians who have known the intervention of Jesus in their lives will have this gift to forgive and to be the witnesses of His peace and presence. Support them with your solidarity and prayers.

“To the people of the world I say, do not give up hope, pray for India.”

And all the congregation said….

Ho hum? 😯