barnabasaid BARNABAS FUND - AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH Challenges in south-east Asia
Afghans in India
A pastor works with Barnabas
March/April 2016
Sawra Village
Celebrating Christmas
Living in diverse lands
Living
in the light Christians are drawing close to the lord as opposition to the faith grows in South-east Asia
barnabasfund.org
What helps make Barnabas Fund distinctive from other Christian organisations that deal with persecution?
The Barnabas Fund Distinctive We work by:
●● directing our aid only to Christians, although its
benefits may not be exclusive to them (“As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10, emphasis added)
●● aiming the majority of our aid at Christians living in Muslim environments
●● channelling money from Christians through Christians to Christians
●● channelling money through existing structures in the countries where funds are sent (e.g. local churches or Christian organisations)
●● using the money to fund projects that have
been developed by local Christians in their own communities, countries or regions
●● considering any request, however small ●● acting as equal partners with the persecuted Church, whose leaders often help shape our overall direction
How to find us UK 9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX Telephone 024 7623 1923 Fax 024 7683 4718 From outside the UK Telephone +44 24 7623 1923 Fax +44 24 7683 4718 Email info@barnabasfund.org Registered charity number 1092935 Company registered in England number 4029536 For a list of all trustees, please contact Barnabas Fund UK at the Coventry address above. Australia PO BOX 3527, LOGANHOLME, QLD 4129 Telephone (07) 3806 1076 or 1300 365 799 Fax (07) 3806 4076 Email bfaustralia@barnabasfund.org
barnabasaid the magazine of Barnabas Fund Published by Barnabas Fund The Old Rectory, River Street, Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9 5DB, UK Telephone 01672 564938 Fax 01672 565030 From outside UK: Telephone +44 1672 564938 Fax +44 1672 565030 Email info@barnabasfund.org
●● acting on behalf of the persecuted Church, to
be their voice – making their needs known to Christians around the world and the injustice of their persecution known to governments and international bodies
We seek to:
●● meet both practical and spiritual needs ●● encourage, strengthen and enable the existing local Church and Christian communities – so they can maintain their presence and witness rather than setting up our own structures or sending out missionaries
●● facilitate global intercession for
the persecuted Church by providing comprehensive prayer materials
We believe:
●●we are called to address both religious and secular ideologies that deny full religious liberty to Christian minorities – while continuing to show God’s love to all people
●● in the clear Biblical teaching that Christians
should treat all people of all faiths with love and compassion, even those who seek to persecute them
●● tackle persecution at its root by making
●● in the power of prayer to change people’s lives
●● inform and enable Christians in the West
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
known the aspects of the Islamic faith and other ideologies that result in injustice and oppression of non-believers
and situations, either through grace to endure or through deliverance from suffering
to respond to the growing challenge of Islam to Church, society and mission in their own countries
(Matthew 25:40)
You may contact Barnabas Fund at the following addresses Germany German supporters may send gifts for Barnabas Fund via Hilfe für Brüder who will provide you with a tax-deductible receipt. Please mention that the donation is for “SPC 20 Barnabas Fund”. If you would like your donation to go to a specific project of Barnabas Fund, please inform the Barnabas Fund office in Pewsey, UK. Account holder: Hilfe für Brüder International e.V. Account number: 415 600 Bank: Evang Kreditgenossenschaft Stuttgart IBAN: DE89520604100000415600 BIC: GENODEF1EK1 USA 6731 Curran St, McLean, VA 22101 Telephone (703) 288-1681 or toll-free 1-866-936-2525 Fax (703) 288-1682 Email usa@barnabasaid.org
To guard the safety of Christians in hostile environments, names may have been changed or omitted. Thank you for your understanding.
New Zealand PO Box 27 6018, Manukau City, Auckland, 2241 Telephone (09) 280 4385 or 0800 008 805 Email office@barnabasfund.org.nz Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland PO Box 354, Bangor, BT20 9EQ Telephone 028 91 455 246 or 07875 539003 Email ireland@barnabasfund.org Singapore Cheques in Singapore dollars payable to “Barnabas Fund” may be sent to: The Old Rectory, River Street, Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9 5DB, UK
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are taken from the New International Version®. Front cover: Christians in Indonesia
Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and obtain permission for stories and images used in this publication. Barnabas Fund apologises for any errors or omissions and will be grateful for any further information regarding copyright. © Barnabas Fund 2016
© Barnabas Fund 2016. For permission to reproduce articles from this magazine, please contact the International Headquarters address above. The paper used in this publication comes from sustainable forests and can be 100% recycled. The paper used is produced
International Headquarters The Old Rectory, River Street, Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9 5DB, UK Telephone 01672 564938 Fax 01672 565030 From outside UK: Telephone +44 1672 564938 Fax +44 1672 565030 Email info@barnabasfund.org
To donate by credit/debit card, please visit the website www.barnabasfund.org or phone 0800 587 4006 (from outside the UK phone +44 24 7623 1923).
using wood fibre at a mill that has been awarded the ISO14001 certificate for environmental management.
Editorial
Contents
Doubt and despair will not quench faith
4 Compassion in Action
F
or Jesus, the adulation of the entry into Jerusalem led to the agony of Gethsemane, the shame, humiliation and alienation of the cross, and finally to the triumphant resurrection and glorious ascension. In this short period, Jesus experienced rejection by the crowds, betrayal by a friend, and denial by those closest to him as well as false accusation, arrest, and conviction by the religious community. It is humanly impossible to plumb the depths of his suffering or to grasp their enormity. As the old hymn says, “We may not know, we cannot tell what pains He had to bear.” For God’s people throughout the ages, Jesus has been and continues to be their forerunner, their model, their pattern. There have been periods when they have had to face times of darkness from suffering, persecution, trials and temptations. There have been times when they have doubted because of mounting fears, when they have been distressed because of their circumstances, unsure how to press on, times when all hope seems to have gone, when darkness possesses and the future seems bleak. In their anguish and torment, they experience that moment of Jesus on the cross when He cried out, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani [My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?]” In John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian is shown a wall from which there emanates a tremendous fire with searing heat. People are throwing buckets of water on the fire, trying to put it out. When Christian asks the meaning of the fire, he is told that this represents faith and there are those who are trying through doubt and fear to extinguish it. But he is then taken to the other side of the wall and there he sees a figure with a vessel of oil and this gentle figure, almost in secret, is pouring oil on the fire, keeping the flames alive. When Christian asks the meaning, he is told that it is the oil of God’s grace that keeps the fire burning and so faith continues. We are like Christian. From one side, we see and experience the quenching of faith when our hearts are filled with doubt, darkness and despair, when the tempter, Satan, and his emissaries - our friends and our foes alike - seek to do his bidding and to bring about the destruction of our faith and very existence. And yet, there is One who keeps us, who with the oil of God’s grace feeds our souls, keeps us alive and keeps the flickering flame from dying until one day it will blaze forth again. Paul writing to the Corinthians speaks of the enormity of his sufferings. It may well have been physical although we do not know. But he pleads with God to have it removed, begging for a respite and for peace, for him to be made well. But God’s answer was a simple one. It was to pour the oil of His grace into Paul’s life so that Paul could continue to press on, continue to serve, continue to fulfil the will and purposes God had for him. Though forsaken by many, though abused, though alone, God’s grace was present. For, as God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12: 9) So, as we consider the period leading up to Easter as well as the Easter events themselves, we remember not only God’s suffering people but also our own inner experiences and travails. And so we ask God to give to us the oil of His grace to sustain us to live through not just the Thursday of Gethsemane, the tragedy of Friday of the cross, the loneliness and abandonment of Saturday, but also the triumphant resurrection of Sunday, with that certain hope of an ascension and a life to come when, in the words of the saint of old, “All shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”
Books for Kazakh Christians
8
South-east Asia
Christian challenges in a region of diverse ideologies
8 13
A ministry journey
14
Newsdesk
16
Grace upon Grace
An Afghan Christian in India
Indonesians re-visit church construction legislation
Stories of God’s mercies amidst persecution
17 18
In Touch
Honey sale for Syrian refugees
18
how barnabas is helping New books for Kazakh Christians
New church building to accommodate persecuted Christians
Support for Christians fleeing anti-Christian violence
The four titles translated into Kazakh were Pilgrim’s Progress and The Holy War by John Bunyan, The Secret of Happiness by Billy Graham, and a Bible study guide. Funding from Barnabas covered the translation, editing, design and printing of the books.
For one congregation in the Caucasus region, consisting mainly of converts from Islam, finding a building to meet in was proving very difficult. Being in a Muslim-majority region, landlords refuse to rent their buildings to churches, whilst a shortage of funds made a purchase impossible.
“The project comforted [believers] to know people outside thought about them and brought them help,” writes our project partner in Bangui, capital of Central African Republic (CAR), speaking of the support provided by Barnabas in the wake of further antiChristian violence.
The books will now be distributed to strengthen and encourage believers living with pressure and persecution. Judging by the excitement generated by the editorial work, they are sure to leave a big impression.
The church approached Barnabas for help. Our support, alongside contributions from other churches in region, enabled the congregation to purchase a well-located building, which is currently being enlarged.
On September 26 2015, radical Muslim groups targeted a mainly Christian neighbourhood, killing up to 200 people and displacing around 20,000 Christians from their homes. Further clashes were reported in October and November.
“The translators and proofreaders said the books are so exciting that they cannot wait until they are finished with their work, to find out the end of the book,” reports our partner in Kazakhstan on the production of 8,500 Christian books supported by Barnabas Fund.
Having a building in which to meet has strengthened the church enormously. It provides a place to gather regularly for worship, prayer, Bible study, leadership training and one-to-one meetings, as well as accommodation for believers forced to flee their homes because of persecution.
Christian literature encourages hardpressed believers in Kazakhstan
£6,547 to fund the production of 8,500 Christian books in Kazakhstan ($9,740; €8,900) Project reference 00-360 Christian literature fund
Christians have come from outside the region to help enlarge the church
£8,939 for new church building in Caucasus region ($13,294; €12,150) Project reference 00-637 Chruch buildings fund
Following these attacks, items such as rice, sugar, soap and mats provided by Barnabas have been distributed to around 200 families. Funds were also used to purchase clothes and furniture for a family whose house was burnt down and to relocate another family after their house was destroyed.
Aid arriving for displaced Christians in Bangui
£11,216 for Christians forced to flee homes in Bangui, CAR ($16,683; €15,245) Project reference 105-1172
Strengthened and encouraged. This is what we often hear from Christians who have received support from Barnabas Fund. Thank you for making this possible. The following pages are just a few examples of the many ways we have recently helped persecuted and pressurised Christians.
Barnabas Aid March/April 2016 5
Happy Birthday! Missionary caring for believers under pressure In a very restricted Central Asian country, support from Barnabas Fund is enabling Mahmud, a local missionary, to minister full-time providing pastoral care to over 30 scattered groups of Christians. Meeting in homes is often the only opportunity for believers to gather to worship, pray, hear the Word of God, encourage one another, and be discipled and taught. Mahmud visits each group monthly, meets daily with people for discipleship, takes believers to neighbouring regions to worship with larger groups at registered churches, and trains the house group leaders. Our project partner writes, “Very often believers are afraid of fines and persecution, [but] Mahmud helps them to stand strongly in their faith.”
New livelihoods for cyclone victims When Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) hit the Philippines in November 2013 the impact was so devastating that many people are still struggling to recover. One of the greatest continuing needs is to restore self-sufficiency to those who lost their livelihoods. To help, Barnabas sent funds to a local Christian programme providing training and opportunities for small business start-ups in Cebu, one of the worst affected areas. This support has enabled the programme to hire an additional fulltime member of staff for a year and rent a small office space, ensuring business plans are quickly processed (e.g. critiqued, improved, capital providers introduced) so families can begin generating much-needed income at the earliest opportunity. Currently 40 new business plans are going through this process.
A temporary shelter for victims of Typhoon Yolanda One of the house groups Mahmud oversees
£2,439 for local missionary in Central Asia ($3,626; €3,330) Project reference 57-1087
£5,373 to help start new businesses for cyclone victims in the Philippines ($8,000; €7,300) Project reference 42-845 Natural disaster fund
“Have you ever had a birthday party?” That was the question asked of young Christian orphans from Burma (Myanmar) staying in a place of safety. “No”, they replied. With many having lost one or both parents, none had ever celebrated their birthday with a party. In response, three Children’s Homes supported by Barnabas Fund began holding an annual joint birthday celebration for all their children. Their latest celebration in October 2015 involved indoor and outdoor games, meals and about 400 individual cakes. There was also a time of worship and each child received a special gift. “There was so much joy and laughter,” our project partner reports. “Thank you all for your prayers and support given to this happy event.”
Children enjoying a space-hopper race at their joint birthday party
£5,419 for 100 Christian orphans in the six months to December 2015 ($7,905; €7,293) Project reference 75-821
1
Canon Andrew White, President of FRRME and a Patron of Barnabas Fund, with the eight families housed in the apartment complex funded by Barnabas
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Saghir can now read the Bible to his family and wants to become a pastor
3
The recording studio where Vagif translates and records high-quality material for the phone and media ministry
Compassion in Action
Barnabas Aid March/April 2016 7
bringing hope, transforming lives Help for Iraqi Refugees in Jordan
1
Barnabas Fund has sent £100,000 to fund the provision of food, accommodation and medical assistance for Iraqi Christian refugees in Jordan. It is a vital source of assistance for refugees, who are not permitted to work in Jordan and so have no means of supporting themselves. Working through the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East (FRRME), the aid has been used to provide food relief in the form of cash assistance, vouchers and food packages, and to assist families with rental payments. In one case, an entire apartment complex has been rented to house eight families. The sense of community is immensely valuable following the traumatic upheaval and flight from terrorism. Since the refugees cannot afford healthcare and do not benefit from any government help, the grants have also been used to cover medical expenses (assessed on a case-bycase basis) and support a medical clinic that currently takes about 200 appointments each month. Our project partner at FRRME writes: “The love of the Body of Christ, seen in the generosity of organisations like Barnabas Fund, is what makes our work possible..”
£100,000 for Iraqi Christian refugees in Jordan ($148,700; €135,754) Project reference 20-383
Education for children in Pakistan
2
Saghir is twelve years old. He lives in Pakistan and works on a brick kiln along with his parents. Unfortunately, with no schools nearby and his family unable to teach him to read and write, for many years Saghir’s hopes of learning to read and memorise the Bible looked bleak. Not so anymore. With support from Barnabas Fund, a new school has opened close to Saghir’s home. “I am going to this school on a regular basis,” he beams. “I am able to read and write now; my parents are very happy when I read the Holy Bible to them at home. I want to be a pastor, so want to continue my education.” The new school is one of five supported by Barnabas Fund in the brick kiln area of Kot Radha Kishen. The schools are a vital source of encouragement to Christian families who see them as key to their children enjoying a future away from the kilns, where pay is very low and Christians are often discriminated against. Our co-ordinator for Pakistan recently visited the area to meet some of the children. He reports, “I was happy to see that the children can access schools near their homes. Despite all their problems one could see joy and hope among these poor and vulnerable children. Currently there are 200 children benefiting from these schools.”
£6,344 to support a group of five schools in the Kot Radha Kishen area of Pakistan for a year ($9,430; €8,607) Project reference 41-1236
Phone and media ministry blesses
3
“This ministry has positively influenced many people,” comments a church leader on the impact that a phone and media ministry is having in Azerbaijan. Barnabas Fund plays a key role, helping fund the full-time salary of Vagif, who heads-up the ministry. Many Christians in Azerbaijan cannot attend church due to persecution from family and local communities. For them, the phone and media ministry provides vital teaching, fellowship and encouragement. The phone service offers a range of listening material (e.g. sermons, stories, Bible texts) and volunteers are available to call people who send in questions, require prayer, or want someone to talk to. In addition, Vagif has led the development of an internet radio site reaching Christians not only in Azerbaijan, but also other countries such as Turkey, Russia and the Baltic states. It is not just Christians who are benefiting. Since it not possible to share the Gospel openly in Azerbaijan, these ministries are a key source of outreach. Speaking of the phone ministry, one lady writes: “Ministers have helped me very much spiritually. They prayed for me and my husband, who is an invalid. Every time I hear words of God it encourages me.” She adds that the phone ministry was also significant in leading a family member to Christ. “I thank God for this ministry,” she says. “God bless all who take part. Thank you.”
£1,558 for church worker in Azerbaijan ($2,315; €2,128) Project reference 03-1192
Barnabas Aid March/April 2016 8
-e h t u so
ia s A t as
n i s n a i t s i r h C mplex a coon i g e r
I
slam is a major force in south-east Asia, being a majority religion in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, and exerting strong influence in countries where its followers are in the minority. But the religious and political landscape is complex and over the centuries there have been many influences. Burma (Myanmar), Thailand and Cambodia are majority Buddist nations and North Korea, Vietnam and Laos have communist governments. Only the Philippines is majority Christian, but it has Islamist Muslims in the south. Trading and colonialism have resulted in a variety of peoples arriving over the years, each group leaving its own stamp. Major world religions (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism) adopted by the indigenous people have been coloured by local cultural and religious beliefs. Living in an area diverse in both politics and religion, the 120 million Christians living in south-east Asia face many challenges from Islam, Buddhism and communism interlaced with a mix of political, ethnic and nationalist rivalries.
Islam Historical context Islam established in south-east Asia
Muslim traders from India, Persia and Arabia first visited the larger ports in the region in the 7th century. With the establishment of Muslim rule in northern India in the late 12th century, Islamic influence on the local population began to increase, starting to be significant from the 13th century as a number of rulers embraced Islam, beginning with Johan Shah in North Sumatra in 1204. It spread across the political landscape of the region mainly
South-east Asia through peaceful and gradual growth among local populations. For example, when Muslims married into the ruling families of city-states the dynasty would often convert to Islam, followed by their subjects. Growth also occurred through the influence of Sufi Muslim missionaries from Gujarat and Bengal in India, adding to the mix of Islamic traditions represented in the area.
Barnabas Aid March/April 2016 9
South-east Asia comprises some states on mainland Asia and a number of nations in the vast archipelago stretching towards Australia to the south.
North Korea Burma (Myanmar)
The colonial era
Colonialism shaped south-east Asian history over the next four centuries as many areas came under Western influence. The Portuguese, aiming to establish trade routes, set out on great voyages of exploration in the 15th century, gaining control of Malacca on the mainland part of Malaysia and holding it despite Spanish attempts to take it from them. Portuguese influence began to diminish in the region in the 17th century when the Dutch East India Company moved eastward from India. They became the most important colonial power in southeast Asia for a time, but finally, in the 19th century the British Empire, having established itself as the major power in India, followed the Dutch to south-east Asia. They gained control over the Malay Peninsula by 1874. Although under the rule of a Christian nation, the Muslim sultans often remained in place as heads in their provinces which buttressed the position of Islam in the region. South-east Asian nations achieved independence in the period following World War Two, and in the last one to two generations there has been a drive towards Islamisation.
Today Islam and wider public life
Islam in south-east Asia today reflects a variety of expressions of the religion, regional ethnicities and often coloured by cultural traditions, but, as in many other regions of the world, Islamisation is beginning to take hold. Tensions within different states in south-east Asia reflect a number of influences. Increasingly, Islamic teachers (ulama) are trained in the Middle East and there is a drive to more puritanical, less syncretistic
Laos Cambodia Vietnam
Thailand
Philippines
Brunei Malaysia
Singapore
Indonesia
1000km
observance of Islam across the region. In Indonesia, politicians have courted the Muslim vote through increased Islamisation, and in Malaysia, Muslims who are ethnic Malay and speak Malay have enjoyed positive discrimination. Brunei is in the final stages of a three-year plan to implement sharia. Islamists in non-Muslim majority states demand Islamic sub-states. Together with demographic changes in the region, all these factors make for tensions in the melting-pot that is south-east Asia.
Islamic demographics
Some 40% of the region’s population are Muslim and growth in Muslim numbers tends to be higher than in the population as a whole. When taken together with the trend towards Islamisation in some areas and the drive to secure more converts to Islam, the result is a general shift towards a higher Muslim percentage. Indonesia has a larger Muslim population that any other nation in the world. Of its 230 million people, 85% are Muslim. In Malaysia (2.6m people, 60% Muslim) and the smaller state of Brunei (422,000 people, 79% Muslim), Islam is the official state religion. In other south-east Asian states - Philippines, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar) and Cambodia - Muslims
number about 5% of the population. The proportion is a little higher in Singapore. However, although in a minority overall, there are areas within these countries with a Muslim majority – for example, the southern Philippines, the south of Thailand and the west of Burma. Most Muslims in the region are Sunni. Many mix Islam with elements of Hinduism and animism. Sufism (Islamic mysticism) has historically been strong but is rejected by many reformers as being too much influenced by local culture and traditions.
Tensions
The growth of Islam in south-east Asia is a source of social, political and economic tension in the region. South-east Asian Islam has historically been more tolerant of other faiths and less fundamentalist than expressions of Islam found, for example, in the Middle East. But in recent times there has been a trend towards removing the influences of indigenous animist religions and local cultural observances from Islam. This has caused increased tensions among Muslims, and in some states political parties courting the Muslim vote have engaged in populist processes of Islamisation. This has
South-east Asia led to discrimination against people of other faiths and is causing violence to erupt as a result. The pressure to create Islamic sub-states in Muslimmajority areas of non-Muslim majority states is an increasing cause for concern. A brief study of some of the major nations of south-east Asia will demonstrate how different nations have been affected by these trends.
Indonesia since independence
Secular forces became strong in the movement seeking independence for Indonesia and when it was achieved in 1945 the state adopted an official philosophy, Pancasila (“five principles”). This legislated that everyone had to follow an officially recognised religion (Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Confucianism, Buddhism or Hinduism). The five principles, which have been reinterpreted at various times over the ensuing decades, are: ●● Belief in the one and only God (problematic because a straightforward belief in one God applies only to the recognised religions Islam and Christianity)
Barnabas Aid March/April 2016 10
●● Just and civilised humanity ●● The unity of Indonesia ●● Democracy guided by the inner wisdom in the unanimity arising out of deliberations amongst elected representatives ●● Social justice for all of the people of Indonesia After 1990, as his power waned, President Soharto began to use Islam to shore up his power base. The state began to provide support to Islamic religious, financial and educational institutions, Muslim codes of behaviour
as a holy war. There is also a continuing struggle between strict, even violent, Islam and more tolerant forms. In Aceh province, Muslim migration on a large scale was encouraged. The province was granted special autonomy in 2005 in a bid to end separatist violence (which had included churches being bombed in an effort to drive out Christians). A process of Islamisation followed as local politicians vied for the Muslim vote, and legislation was passed in 2014 to enact a sharia criminal code which from October 2015 started to
It is illegal to write, speak or preach against Islam, or to pass information about nonMuslim faiths to Muslims were encouraged in official contexts and there was a movement to Islamism and to enforce aspects of sharia. The government created a number of Muslim-majority enclaves in parts of Indonesia. Through a policy called “transmigration” people moved from crowded Muslim islands to less populated places, where the majority population was often non-Muslim. The programme, thought to have involved up to 20 million people prior to its abolition in 2015 (the actual numbers are a state secret) was controversial: fears of Islamisation strengthened separatist movements and Indonesia faced large-scale violent conflicts based on a combination of ethnic and religious factors. In the Malukus and in Central Sulawesi, Islamic militant groups such as the Laskar Jihad have attacked Christians in what they regard
be enforced (though a provision for execution by stoning was prevented). Non-Muslims can choose whether to be tried under sharia law or the regular Indonesian criminal code.
Malaysia since independence
Malaysia gained its independence in 1957. Although there is a sizeable minority of non-Muslims in Malaysia, the identity of the nation has been built for many around the link between “Malayness” and Islam. The constitution defines Malays (Bhumiputra , which means son of the land) as people who are Muslim, speak the Malay language and follow Malay customs. The government favours Islam (about 60% of Malaysians are Muslim, up from some 45% at independence) and restricts the freedoms of other religions. It is illegal to write, speak or preach against Islam, or to pass information about non-Muslim faiths to Muslims, and there are legal provisions which make it almost impossible for Muslims to leave Islam. Malays are favoured for positions in government and societal organisations; Malay Muslims
South-east Asia enjoy many political and economic advantages. Conversely, Malays who convert from Islam lose their ethnic identity and all its associated privileges as well as undergoing other challenges commonly experienced by “apostates”, such as the breaking-off of family ties etc. There has been a gradual process of increased Islamisation of the political and legal systems. Sharia courts for Muslims operate alongside ordinary courts. Official Muslim missionary activities are directly under the Prime Minister’s office for religious affairs.
Brunei
Brunei chose to remain a British protectorate, rather than join the federation that became Malaysia. It became fully independent in 1984. The Sultan of Brunei says he is following Allah’s command in the Quran by introducing sharia law. The first of three stages was enacted in 2014 and the final stage, for implementation in early 2016, will legislate for executions, including stoning to death, for offences such as adultery, homosexuality and homosexual acts, and blasphemy (in terms of Islam). Recently, although Christians make up 9% of the population of 422,000, Brunei introduced a ban on public Christmas celebrations (with up to five years’ imprisonment for violations). Although Christians were free to celebrate Christmas in private, they were instructed not to do so “excessively and openly”.
Other states since independence
As noted previously, there are countries where Muslims are in a minority overall, yet represent a majority in one area. In such areas, Muslim rebel groups demand local independence from non-Muslim rule. The Philippines (which is 87% Christian) has recently agreed to create an Islamic sub-state in Bangsamoro in the south. Separatist groups sometimes receive help from international Muslim organisations and Muslim states.
Barnabas Aid March/April 2016 11
Trends for the future
Tolerant and moderate Islam across south-east Asia has been influenced by more radical forms of Islam originating in other parts of the world, causing tensions in society. Clashes of culture are also coming to the fore in the commercial world, as China seeks more trade links and economic influence. Islam has become more visible, the use of sharia is increasingly widespread and Islamist terrorist groups such as the Jemaah Islamiyah are gaining ground. Islamist groups demand an end to all Christian outreach while Muslim missionaries are heavily engaged in seeking to convert others to Islam, sometimes using financial inducements to beguile poorer people and elsewhere using sophisticated apologetics aimed at presenting Islam as the true expression of the will of Allah. Countries across south-east Asia, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia, have suffered Islamist violence and are anticipating further attacks from militants of Islamic State (IS). It is thought to be building cells in Malaysia and Indonesia. Propaganda leaflets and websites incite Muslims to join IS and engage in terrorism locally, and the region’s geography makes it easy for foreign militants to mount attacks. IS claimed responsibility for a series of bomb and gun attacks in central Jakarta in mid-January, killing two and injuring 20 on a single day of violence. Malaysian authorities fear the many local Islamist groups, presently vying for supremacy, might unite under the IS banner and seek to establish an Islamic State “province”.
South-east Asia
Buddhism Buddhism has been present in mainland south-east Asian countries since at least 200 BC arriving first in Burma. In the West it is generally regarded as a religion of meditation and tranquility. In some contexts this is far from true. In south-east Asia it can become associated with militant nationalism and the persecution of Christians and other minorities.
Burma (Myanmar) Burma uses Buddhism to foster a sense of national identity among ethnic Burmese (about two-thirds of the population of 54m). People of different ethnicity are treated as a threat to the socialist state. The predominantly Christian Chin and Kachin people, and others such as the Karen (many also Christian), are remorselessly targeted by government forces; many have been killed and thousands are internally displaced or are refugees. The recent elections offer hope of future reforms, and increased freedoms for minorities.
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Cambodia In Cambodia, Buddhism is the state religion – of its 15 million people, some 96% are Buddhist. Of the remaining 4%, 2.4% are Muslim. The rest are Christians or follow other faiths. The Cambodian constitution protects freedom of religion but restrictions exist – for example, religious instruction in non-Buddhist religions is restricted to private institutions. Montegnards (a predominantly Christian people, persecuted in Vietnam) who flee to Cambodia are forcibly repatriated to face renewed persecution, in contravention of international law.
Thailand Thailand’s population of 67 million is over 90% Thai Buddhist. Political turmoil culminated in a military coup in 2014. Thai Malay Muslims, seeking autonomy in three southern provinces of Thailand, have engaged in armed insurgency and martial law has been imposed there. Since January 2004, thousands have been killed or wounded in this conflict; the government militarised Buddhist monks in the region, who see themselves as vital to preserving Buddhism in southern Thailand.
Communism Angkor Wat, 12th century Buddhist temple in Cambodia – photo: James MasonHudson (Wikipedia)
Communism portrays religion as a dangerous delusion, inhibiting human endeavour and masking class divisions, although several states in south-east
Asia (North Korea, Vietnam and Laos) have a communist system whilst also having a principal religion. Christians suffer greatly in these states.
North Korea North Korea is fiercely isolationist. Kim Il-sung’s ideology of Juche, was established in 1955. It has its roots in the communist system introduced during Soviet occupation following World War Two. It espouses national independence and self-reliance. The personality cult of the “Great Leader” continues through to today. Christians are seen as traitors and many are executed or serve life sentences in labour camps – it ranks as the most dangerous country in the world for Christians.
Vietnam Vietnam views the West with suspicion and Christians are often monitored as potential spies. The communist state dates from its declaration of independence in September 1945. Onerous rules on the registration and regulation of religious groups force many Christians to gather in houses, in secret. Speaking out on issues of freedom of religion or human rights is not tolerated, and the treatment of the Montagnard people is an example of the systematic persecution of Christians.
Laos Laos is a Buddhist majority state ruled by a Marxist, one-party communist system established in 1945. Christians are persecuted because of the Church’s traditional opposition to communism. Importing Bibles and other Christian literature is prohibited; believers meet secretly, and are subjected to raids. Christian material is confiscated. The authorities deal very harshly with Christians, ignoring the constitution’s provision for the religious freedom of its citizens.
Testimony
Barnabas Aid March/April 2016 13
A ministry journey with the Barnabas Fund Obaid S Christ
I
was born in a communist family in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1979, but I became a committed Muslim in 1990s. In 1997 I went to an Islamic school to study Islam for three years and it was during my studies that I found out that there is no truth in Islam. I started praying to the God of heaven and earth to show me His way, and in 2000 when I was studying for my BBA at the University of Peshawar, I found a Christian apologetics website, which attracted my attention. I contacted them, and after exchanging many emails and reading the Bible, the Lord touched my heart and saved me. After I finished my studies I went back to Afghanistan. I stayed there for three or four years but when my family found out about my conversion they disowned me. I was persecuted by my own family and relatives and so I escaped to New Delhi, India in 2007. The Lord blessed and used me in Delhi in a great way. I went to a Bible School run by the Moore Theological College and in June 2008 I started an Afghan church in New Delhi. The Lord blessed our church and today there are five Afghan churches in the city, worshipping in three different languages. I was also the leader of the Afghan Christian Refugees Community and Dari Fellowship of India from 2009 to 2015. In 2010 I met with Dr Patrick Sookhedeo for the first time. I thank God that he encouraged me and our community, saying that the Barnabas Fund would stand by our side and support us in any way possible. We praise God for the Barnabas Fund. Over the past six years they have helped us through prayer, advocacy and many other practical ways. I want to share a few of them:
●● Small business loans to enable members of our community to start businesses to support their families. ●● Education - the basic right of every child. With the help of Barnabas 55 children from our community were able to start school in 2010. We are thankful to Barnabas for giving our children a future. ●● Monthly food parcels for four years to help twelve families without enough income to provide for themselves. ●● Advocacy and fighting for our basic rights in the face of persecution. Barnabas is always there to support our fight for our rights as Christian refugees. Barnabas helped me as an individual when I was living in a safe house for a year. They encouraged me to take a sabbatical with my wife in another city. It was a much needed refreshing, refilling, refuelling, recharging and relaxing experience. My view based on my experience of our partnership with the Barnabas Fund is that it is a Christian organisation that can be trusted - one which really bears the burden of persecution with persecuted believers, that shares its food with the needy believers, that considers Christian refugee children as its own family members, that is a great prayer and spiritual partner with the persecuted Church. We praise God for the partnership that the Barnabas Fund has had with our church and community, and we hope this partnership will continue - we have a long way to go and there are many things to achieve. I was recently relocated to Canada, but I am still overseeing the ministry in India, and I believe that with the help of the Barnabas Fund we will give more glory to His name through serving our persecuted brothers and sisters in India.
We praise God for the Barnabas Fund. Over the past six years they have helped us through prayer, advocacy and many other practical ways
Newsdesk
Barnabas Aid March/April 2016 14
Islamic State kills believers in targeted blasts
Government promises to re-visit harsh church construction legislation
Syria
Indonesia
Islamic State fighters In the city of Qamishli, close to the Turkish border, jihadists bombed three Christian-run restaurants just five days after another group of 25 hostages was released on Christmas day, killing 13 believers. Despite the magnificent Christmas news, Syrian Christians were again plunged into tragedy on 30 December when blasts killed a total of 16 people and wounded around 35 more when militants targeted restaurants in a mainly Christian part of the city in what appeared to be suicide-bomb attacks. The dead included 13 Christians.
Despite the magnificent Christmas news, Syrian Christians were again plunged into tragedy on 30 December when blasts killed a total of 16 people and wounded around 35 more
Indonesian President Home Affairs minister, Tjahjo Kumolo, said in capital city Jakarta on 9 November that he will consider revising legislation that currently makes it extremely difficult for Christians to obtain permits to build churches. According to a 2006 decree, permission for a new place of worship requires applicants to obtain supporting signatures from 60 local households of different faiths, as well as approval from the local religious affairs office and local authorities.
“Personally,” said Mr Kumolo, “I believe that the number of supporters needed should be reduced or there should be no need for any approval.” Bringing hope to Indonesia’s Christian community, Mr Kumolo has promised to bring the matter to the attention of the Religious Affairs minister, Lukman Hakim Syaifundin, and the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs minister, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, before discussing the issue with the Cabinet.
Islamist groups send death threats to Christian workers Bangladesh
“People were making their preparations to celebrate this [New Year’s] Eve, but they were shocked with the brutal attacks that killed and wounded dozens of civilians,” said a local church leader. The day after the attacks, Islamic State claimed responsibility and the group’s supporters began posting statements of responsibility on social media. In better news, a further 16 hostages were released on 14 January.
A threatening letter was sent to pastor Barnabas Hemron on 25 November and listed the names of another nine church pastors. “You, the Christian leaders, will have to bid goodbye to this world very soon,” it read. “We are going to finish off all, one by one, who are spreading Christianity in Bangladesh … This country will be ruled only by the (Islamic) Sharia law.” Several other Christian leaders
have also been threatened in recent months. Rev. Martin Adhikari, principal of the College of Christian Theology in capital city Dhaka, received a text message on 11 November telling him to “Eat your most favourite foods now. Only five days of your life are left. Not more than that.” Those sending the threats claim they are part of Islamist groups Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Islamic State.
In Brief
Barnabas Aid March/April 2016 15
Christian TV station reduced to rubble and ashes after suspected arson attack Pakistan
A fire gutted a Christian TV station in Karachi, Pakistan, on 24 November, leaving the three-room offices a smouldering wreck in a suspected arson attack. “This is not an attack on us; it is an attack on Christianity,” said Javed Willian, brother of Gawahi TV’s owner. “Whoever did this does not want God’s work to happen.” No one was hurt in the incident, but the station’s equipment was completely destroyed. The station was able to resume broadcasting just a few days before Christmas, using rented equipment.
Muslim militants gun down nine Christian villagers in Christmas Eve attack Philippines
Filipino Christians at a prayer meeting Nine Christians were killed on 24 December when around 200 militants apparently from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) Islamist group raided at least eight Christian villages in the Muslim-dominated southern island of Mindanao. “They abducted farmers and then killed them,” said Colonel Ricky Bunayog of the local Philippines army unit. “When we attempted to recover their bodies, they fired on us.”
Authorities released imprisoned pastor two years early Iran
In wonderful news, Pastor Farshid Fathi was released from Iran’s Rajaei-Shahr prison on 21 December, two years before his scheduled release date . The father-oftwo spent almost five years in prison after he was arrested as part of a crackdown on Iran’s house church movement.
Boko Haram jihadists reduce Christian homes to ashes in village attack Cameroon
Up to 1,000 Christians were affected by an attack on 17 November in Tayere village in northern Cameroon when Boko Haram militants set fire to approximately 80 homes and a church in a predominantly Christian part of the village. The jihadists also torched the harvest supplies of maize, cotton, millet, peanuts and beans, amongst other vital food stocks, without which Tayere’s villagers will struggle to survive.
Christians beaten by police and detained Uzbekistan
Eight plain-clothes anti-terrorism police officers stormed a gathering of twelve Christians on Sunday 8 November in capital city Tashkent, detaining the believers (including children) and beating some of them. During the raid, the authorities also seized 100 Christian books and other Christian materials as well as computers, mobile phones, cameras and a guitar.
Police beat Christian lawyer, take his jacket and shoes and push him into the sea Vietnam
Around 20 plain-clothes police officers confronted Christian lawyer Nguyen Van Dai and three of his friends and beat them with sticks after they took part in a conference on 6 December to inform people living in the country’s Nghe An Province about their human rights, including their right to religious freedom. The men were stripped of their personal possessions and the authorities pushed Mr Nguyen into the sea after taking his jacket and shoes.
Christian organisations targeted as government bans hundreds of NGOs Tanzania
Numerous churches and Christian institutions, particularly those in Muslim-majority areas, are at risk of closure after the Tanzanian government announced on 11 December that 1,268 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had been banned and a further 1,406 NGOs had been sent warnings. Last year, 37 Christian organisations were closed. “They pay their fees, they report their work, but they were closed for breaking the [prohibition] of interfering with other faith affairs (converting a Muslim, preaching to a Muslim, or even [allowing] a convert [from Islam] to run and hide in their homes),” a Christian leader told Barnabas.
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Barnabas Aid March/April 2016 16
Grace upon Grace
The Lord is doing amazing things in the context of pressure, suffering and persecution
Islamic State releases Christian hostages
A family member embraces a relative who was held by IS militants for nine months
The group of hostages released on the 24 November 2015 We rejoice that a total of 161 Christian hostages have been released in Syria by Islamic State (IS) militants. These are from a group of 253 people that they took hostage in late February 2015 from 35 predominantly Christian villages in Syria’s northeastern Hassake province. But they have been releasing them in small batches since March, when 23 were released in two groups. Between May and August a further 25 were set free, but from November the releases have been coming thick and fast. On 7 November a group of 37 hostages aged between 50 and 80 years old were released. Following shortly after, ten more hostages returned safely to their families. More rejoicing followed as on the 9 December a further group of 25 Christians, men of various ages and two young boys, were set free by their captors. Then, in a Christmas miracle, another seven women, two men and 16 children were released on the morning of Christmas day. And the good news continued when a further
Hostages released on Christmas Day 16 men, women and children were released on 14 January. Barnabas is caring for these newly released Christians. They cannot return to their home villages – a condition demanded by the militants. We are paying for them to have medical check-ups and necessary medical treatment as well as providing clothes and other necessities – they have no personal possessions. IS is still holding 89 Christians from the February kidnapping in Hassake province in cramped conditions, with men and boys separated from women and younger children. Sadly they executed three male hostages in early October 2015. But praise God that well over half of the original hostages have now been released. We thank God that so many have been released and continue to pray for those that are still being held. It is estimated that at least 321 Christians are still being formally held by IS across Syria. Pray that God will move the hostage takers to release all those they are still holding.
Grace
Barnabas Aid March/April 2016 17
Joy as Sawra Village celebrates its first Christmas Residents of Sawra, (“Hope”) Village, the tented community of displaced Iraqi Christians near Dohuk, Iraqi Kurdistan, celebrated their first Christmas at Sawra with games, gifts, the sharing of a meal and the distribution of basic supplies and food. The atmosphere was one of joy and hope, as families joined together to remember the birth of the source of all hope, their Saviour Jesus Christ. Barnabas purchased and transported the high quality tents, which used to be the officers’ quarters at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan, to their location in Iraq. Thanks to your generous donations the new residents have somewhere safe and warm to live, with all the amenities they need to live a dignified life. We rejoice with our brothers and sisters in the blessing of Sawra Village, that the Lord has delievered them to a place of safety amidst their troubled circumstances. Our prayers continue to be with them as they look towards an uncertain future.
Sawra Village residents on Christmas Day
Children enjoying the party
Christmas party games
The present of a football is received with much gladness by this little boy!
Families gather outside their tents as food supplies are handed out
A young boy receives a Christmas present with joy
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In Touch Honey sale for Syrian refugees When Ralph and Hazel Walker found a very large Surrey, colony of honey bees in their garden in Epsom, and b ycom hone the of UK, they decided to sell some . Fund abas Barn to eeds donate a portion of the proc ully Last summer, a local beekeeping society caref in the e hom its made removed the colony which had ting affec was size y’s Walkers’ garden wall. The colon ved. remo be to had it so the structure of the wall and was Some of the honeycomb the bees had created into bees the settle help needed by the beekeepers to the from taken been their new home once they had the comb wall, but Mr and Mrs Walker used the rest of church to ed offer were h to make 15 jars of honey whic . unity comm local friends, neighbours and the s Ralph Walker tells us, “We decided, since God’ honey, the ing mak of creatures had done all the work s of other fit bene to go ld the honey we obtained shou God’s creatures.” h has Mr and Mrs Walker raised a total of £55 whic ees refug tian Chris n gone towards helping Syria ct (Middle East Fund to help Syrian Christians Proje reference: 00-1032).
Barnabas Aid March/April 2016 18
Isobel’s sponsored bike ride Isobel Keeble, aged 10, from Bic ester in Oxfordshire, UK, was inspired by Operation Safe Havens (Projec t reference: 00-1199 ) and wanted to support this important work wit h refugees. She decided to raise mo ney by doing a sponsored bike ride. Isobel’s sponsorship money will help resc ue Christians in danger in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, and resettle the m in safe locations. She raised £50, wh ich is more than enough for a week’s food for a family who have been rese ttled in Poland. Families who need help have children of all ages from tiny bab ies to teenagers. Many of those helped will be children no older than Isobel her self. Well done and thank you! Do let us know if you have rais ed money for Barnabas Fund throug ha sponsored event, bake sale, or similar activity. We love to hear all you r innovative fund raising ideas.
ke ride her sponsored bi Isobel sets off on
Ralph straining honey
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Two accessible and invaluable guides
The attacks on Paris in November 2015 were a troubling reminder of the growing threat posed by Islamic State, not just in the Middle East but throughout the world. Amidst the widespread outpouring of grief and horror, the question as to how best to respond intensified. Another challenge to the modern world – perhaps less obvious – is the increasing Islamisation of liberal societies across the globe through dawa, an outreach strategy that involves the subtle infiltration of areas such as media, politics and education. These urgent challenges are addressed in two accessible and invaluable guides written by Patrick Sookhdeo.
Unmasking Islamic State
Revealing their Motivation, Theology and End Time Predictions Patrick Sookhdeo
“Sookhdeo combines the knowledge and clear writing style of a Bernard Lewis with the deft treatment of political correctness of a George Orwell. Those who seek to keep us ignorant of Islamist totalitarianism’s insidious efforts at silencing its enemies by accusations of Islamophobia and the like have just taken a stunningly powerful intellectual uppercut.”
James Woolsey - Former Director of the CIA
£12.00 (includes
P&P)
In this timely new publication, Dr Patrick Sookhdeo analyses Islamic State’s role in the conflict across the Middle East, explaining its ideology, organisation structure and its global radicalization strategy. He scrutinizes key passages in IS publications and in Islamic texts explaining how these motivate the jihadist forces and offers an illuminating and important perspective on the nature and quality of life under IS rule. Dr Sookhdeo sheds light on the process by which young Muslims in Western countries have become radicalized into enlisting as IS fighters or encouraged to commit terrorist acts in their own countries. ISBN: 978-0-9967245-0-0 | Hardback | No. of pages: 200 | RRP: £12.99
Dawa
The Islamic Strategy for Reshaping the Modern World Patrick Sookhdeo In this easy-to-read book, Patrick Sookhdeo explains how Islam’s original missionary outreach strategy, dawa, is being applied today. Drawing on examples from multiple countries in every continent, he shows the effectiveness of the strategy and explains the Islamist theology and ideology that undergird it.
£12.99 (includes
ISBN: 978-0-9916145-3-0 | Hardback | No. of pages: 318 | RRP: £15.00
P&P)
To order these books, visit www.barnabasfund.org/shop. Alternatively, please contact your nearest Barnabas Fund office (addresses on inside front cover). Cheques for the UK should be made payable to “Barnabas Books”. sales@barnabasbooks.org
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