THE AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
www.barnabasfund.org
TO HELP YOU PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
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September 1 – 3 Thank you for your prayers for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ, which make such a difference to them. We sometimes have to change or omit their names for security reasons, and we have only limited space to share their stories. But the Lord knows the people and places we are praying about. Thank you for your understanding.
September Thursday 1 Barnabas Fund has been working with Christian partners in Kenya and Ethiopia to help brothers and sisters affected by the worst drought to hit parts of the Horn of Africa in 60 years. Concerns were raised by church leaders in north-east Kenya that the Christian minority would miss out in the distribution of aid, making our targeted support to Christians all the more vital. Meanwhile, our partners in Ethiopia said that the Christian community in the south of the country was suffering because of prolonged poverty and soaring food prices, with children worst affected by the shortages. Thank God for the generosity of our supporters that has enabled us to help Christian communities affected by the drought. Pray that all those in need will continue to receive help. Pray that the Church, which is already very weak in many parts of this area, will be sustained. Friday 2 Christian leaders in Uganda are opposing plans for new legislation that would give sharia rulings the force of law. The Muslim 2
Personal Law bill would give more power to Islamic Kadhi courts for Muslims on matters of marriage, divorce and inheritance. Christians believe that it could promote Islamic extremism and pave the way for a wider application of sharia in the mainly Christian country. Muslims, who comprise around 12 per cent of the population, have been evasive on how the bill would affect those who convert from Islam; apostasy is a “crime” punishable by death under Islamic law. Please pray that the country’s parliament will reject the bill when it comes to a vote. Saturday 3 Courts in Ethiopia have sentenced 579 Muslims to jail terms ranging from three months to 18 years for their involvement in the week-long anti-Christian violence in Jimma Zone, in March. Pray for all those who have been convicted, that they will repent of their This church was destroyed in actions and come to know anti-Christian violence in Ethiopia the Lord Jesus during their time in prison. Three Christians were killed and many more injured in the attacks, which began when Muslims accused a Christian of desecrating a copy of the Quran. The rampaging mob set fire to 69 churches and a Bible school, and 10,000 Christians were made
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September 4 – 8 homeless. Pray that the Lord will protect His people in Jimma and give them His peace. Barnabas sent aid to the victims. Sunday 4 Many Christians risk their lives to escape the brutal regime of Eritrea, only to endure further unimaginable suffering. Hundreds of refugees arrive in Egypt every month, but many are imprisoned or taken hostage for ransom and subjected to beatings, torture and sexual assault. Pray for healing for our brothers and sisters, that they will know the Lord’s presence and peace and will soon be set free. Barnabas is providing practical help. Pray that the Egyptian authorities will exert themselves to safeguard the human rights of the Eritrean Christians and ensure their safety and protection. Pray too that the Eritrean government will cease to regard Christians as a threat, so that they will not be forced to flee their homeland into danger in other countries.
Tuesday 6 Anvar Rajapov, a convert from Islam to Christianity in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, was threatened by a senior police officer after he challenged a hefty fine handed down to him in April for alleged “proselytism”, illegal religious meetings and illegal literature. The officer stated, “I have prepared an axe for you, which will be flying after you, observing you, and if need be get you.” This threat followed an assault on Galina Shemetova, who was struck on the head and dragged by her hair into a police car by an officer after she was accused of giving a children’s Bible to a work colleague. Pray for Christians who endure threats and persecution in Uzbekistan; pray that the government will relax its control of Christian activities and allow believers to profess their faith in Christ without fear of reprisals. Wednesday 7 Please continue to remember Pastor Dmitri (David) Shestakov in your prayers. He and his family are extremely grateful for the prayer and financial support they received during his four-year imprisonment for Christian activities in Uzbekistan. Since his release, the authorities have been keeping a close watch on him. He has not been allowed to carry out any activities in his church and can attend the Sunday service only as a visitor. Please pray for a relaxation of this scrutiny. Give thanks too that recent medical reports show that he is healthy, despite suffering some severe health problems during his time in prison.
Monday 5 Christians in Kyrgyzstan continue to face severe difficulties. Muslim villagers often object to the burial of Christian converts from Islam in local cemeteries, and sometimes they are even driven out of their homes. In a recent incident in one village, government representatives sided with Muslims who were objecting to the assigning of land for local Christians to use as a cemetery. However, the authorities also told the Muslim villagers that they did not have the right to force believers to move from the village, and that if they did this they would answer to the law. Praise the Lord for this partly positive Thursday 8 Christians in Tajikistan have criticised a new bill that outcome, and pray for safety for the Christian villagers. Pray too that bans children under the age of 18 from “participating in the activities the issue of Christian burials will be resolved throughout Kyrgyzstan. of religious organisations”. This means children cannot go to places
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September 9 – 12 of worship, including churches. The bill, which was passed overwhelmingly by the lower house of the Tajik parliament on 15 June, is aimed mainly at preventing the growth of radical Islam in the country, but it will impact Christians as much as Muslims. Legal experts have condemned it as unconstitutional. The churches of Tajikistan already face severe restrictions on their activities; pray that if the bill becomes law it will not prevent them from raising their children in the fear of the Lord. Pray too that the Tajik government will uphold the country’s constitutional commitment to religious freedom. Friday 9 Please pray for Christians who have been forced to flee their homes because of persecution, harassment, war or natural disaster. Give thanks that our heavenly Father is a refuge for His poor and needy people, and pray that those Christians who are homeless because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will look to Him to provide for them in their time of need (Isaiah 58:7). Pray that they may find him to be their strength and their shelter. Saturday 10 “Why shouldn’t we have a country called ‘The United States of Islam’?” This chilling question was posed by a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist movement based in Egypt. Speaking in the aftermath of uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, Dr Kamal el-Helbawy called for a new revolution in Muslim nations to dismantle the borders between them. His comments are particularly concerning for Christian minorities in the Arab world, whose lives are already being rocked by the political instability across the region. Pray that Dr el-Helbawy’s vision will not become a reality, and that 4
Christians in Muslim countries may have the Lord’s wisdom to know how to respond to the growing Islamic threat to their well-being. Sunday 11 Continue to pray for Christians in Muslim-majority contexts as the world marks the tenth anniversary today of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. The events of that terrible day prompted many Christians in the West to try and build bridges with Muslims through various inter-faith conversations and activities. But others believe that in these dialogues the interests of Christians in the Muslim world and converts from Islam to Christianity are being sacrificed. Indeed, the persecution that they suffer has grown more intense since 2001. Pray for the safety of our brothers and sisters, especially where they are associated with the West in Muslim minds. Pray too that their needs will not be neglected by Christians in the West in pursuit of peace with Islam. Monday 12 “I left Afghanistan because the local government found out about our underground fellowship. All believers were scattered; the government were looking for me; my own family rejected me and I was compelled to leave the country. My relation is still broken with my family, and we have no contact.” These words from a convert from Islam vividly highlight the desperate plight of so many of our Afghan brothers and sisters. Those who do not escape to other countries are liable to imprisonment, and one was beheaded by militants earlier this year. Please pray that the Lord will enable them to remain faithful to Him as they endure such trials. Pray too that any
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September 13 – 16 withdrawal of Western forces from Afghanistan will not expose Afghan Christians to even greater danger. Tuesday 13 Praise God for the courage of Bangladeshi Christians who are so committed to sharing their faith that they are willing to risk their safety giving out Christian literature in public places. Proclaiming the Gospel in this Muslim-majority country can be very dangerous. Islam is the state religion, and Muslim extremists are demanding the introduction of “blasphemy laws” like those in Pakistan. Evangelists may be harassed and arrested, and some have even been murdered in recent years. Yet despite this hostile environment, the churches are growing. Pray for the protection of these faithful believers, and pray that the Lord will empower their work. Barnabas has recently funded training and literature for 20 evangelists. Pray that no blasphemy law will be introduced.
Thursday 15 “Without a proper home we feel insecure and vulnerable.” Seventyyear-old Khazan expresses the painful fears and concerns of many of the 250 poor and helpless Christian families in Islamabad, Pakistan, who lost their homes two years ago and are now living in a primitive tent camp outside the city without access to electricity or clean water. Khazan, a Christian from Pakistan, will be Barnabas has launched a major initiative helped by Barnabas’ to provide homes for these brothers and house-building project sisters, and for thousands of others left homeless by anti-Christian violence and civil war in India and Sri Lanka. Please pray that the Lord will bless this project, and for our Christian partner organisations who will construct the houses.
Wednesday 14 A tiny minority in an overwhelmingly Muslim country, shunned and carefully watched, unable to become citizens or to worship God in public – this is the grim reality of life for Christians in the Maldives. This popular holiday resort, widely regarded as an island paradise, is one of the most repressively anti-Christian societies in the world. Islam is the only recognised religion, and the country adheres strictly to sharia law. A bill that criminalises the public practice of non-Muslim worship, and the construction of non-Muslim buildings, won almost unanimous support in parliament in 2009, although it has not yet been passed into law. Pray for protection and endurance for Maldivian Christians, and that recent political changes in the islands will eventually lead to greater freedom for them.
Friday 16 Give thanks to the Lord for some good news for Christians in Egypt! On 3 July the Supreme Administrative Court ruled that Christian reconverts could have their registration changed back to “Christian” on their national ID cards and birth certificates. It means that those who return to Christianity having converted to Islam, or those whose religious identity was automatically changed because one of their parents converted to Islam, can be officially identified as Christians rather than Muslims. Many Christian women and girls are kidnapped by Muslims and forcibly converted to Islam, and the number of these incidents has greatly increased since the revolution broke out in January. ID cards are also required to perform many BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
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September 17 – 20 everyday acts in Egypt, and for important areas of life such as marriage and education. Pray that converts from Islam to Christianity will also be granted the right to change their ID cards. Saturday 17 On 30 June the husband of an Egyptian Christian woman tried to defend her from sexual harassment by Muslims at the bus terminal in Kolosna. Shortly afterwards, thousands of Muslims descended on the mainly Christian part of Kolosna, Minya province, where they looted and torched Christian homes and businesses, and beat up Christians. In another incident, a mob of nearly 200 Muslims burned eight homes belonging to Christians in the Upper Egyptian village of Awlad Khalaf, on 25 June. The attack was prompted by a rumour that a house that one resident is building was going to be turned into a church. Pray that Egyptian Christians will be left to go about their lives in peace, and that the authorities will ensure their security. Sunday 18 “Allah’s words must rule and Islam must be in the hearts of the citizens”. These were the ominous words of a spokesman for radical Salafist group Jama’a al-Islamiyya, which has formed a political alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood to fight the Egyptian parliamentary elections in October. The two groups have joined forces to combat secular influences in the country in the wake of the January revolution. It is yet another indication of the growing power and influence of Islamist forces in Egypt, which is very alarming for the country’s Christians. Pray for the Egyptian elections, that 6
Islamist parties will not emerge victorious, and that a secular rather than an Islamic state will be established. Monday 19 The first parliamentary elections of the so-called “Arab Spring” are expected to take place in Tunisia next month. Since President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali was ousted, Tunisia’s Islamist movement has been gathering strength. Ennahda, the leading Islamist party, was legalised in March; it is well organised and better equipped than the secular movements to contest the elections. The party has been trying to play down its radical Islamist intentions but has been accused of “doublespeak” by pro-democracy advocates. Pray that secular rather than Islamist forces will emerge victorious in the elections, and that religious freedom will be upheld. Pray for protection for the country’s very small and vulnerable Christian community in these unstable conditions. Tuesday 20 “I still have a father, but no mother any more. My mother died of malaria in the jungle while we were in hiding. I have seen Burmese soldiers coming to villages and do bad things to our people, I was always very scared.” “Ben”, a 13-year-old Christian boy in Burma (Myanmar), told his story after finding shelter at a home for Christian children supported by Barnabas. Many of these children witness horrific brutalities at the hands of Burmese soldiers, who will sometimes take the young ones and
“Ben”, a Christian boy in Burma who found refuge at a children’s home supported by Barnabas
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September 21 – 25 force them to become child soldiers or porters. Give thanks that the children are safe at the homes and can receive a Christian education there. Pray that through the staff they may experience the love of Christ and recover from their traumatic experiences. Wednesday 21 Pray for Christians in Burma who cling to the Lord as they suffer faithfully for His Name’s sake. Christians are often treated by the ruling military junta as if they were enemies of the state; the army attacks the mountain villages that are home to the Christians, killing any inhabitants who do not manage to escape in time. They then set fire to the villages or plant landmines around the homes and the bodies to kill anyone who tries to return. Pray for those who have fled their homes and are living in the jungle or in camps, that they will find hope and strength in the Lord and that He will meet their needs and comfort their hearts. Pray for an end to the daily persecution of our brothers and sisters in Burma. Thursday 22 A congregation in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia has been threatened for holding services on the street in front of their half-constructed church. In July 2011, the congregation endured a protest by Muslim groups warning of “anarchy” if they did not take their services elsewhere, pressure from the Mayor of Bogor to stop holding services outside the building, and a letter from local residents calling on the authorities to put an end to all religious services and activities by the congregation. Pray for the members of the church in Bogor in the face of these challenges. Ask the Lord to turn the hearts of the authorities to allow them to complete their own building; their building permit was revoked three years ago.
Friday 23 Hundreds of people have died and thousands have been injured or fled abroad as violent unrest continues in Syria. Widespread anti-government protests have been met by the authorities with overwhelming military force. Syrian Christians have come under pressure to join the uprising, but while the fall of the present regime could involve a relaxation of restrictions on their activities, it might also lead to their violent suppression by Islamists. Pray for wisdom for Christian leaders in these uncertain times, and that the Lord will protect them from harm whatever the future holds for their country. Saturday 24 Two Iraqi Christians were murdered in the space of two weeks in May, heightening fears within the beleaguered Christian community. Ashur Yacob Issa (29) was kidnapped and brutally murdered after his family failed to pay the $100,000 ransom demanded by his abductors. The husband and father was captured on 13 May; his decapitated body was found dumped in Kirkuk, northern Iraq, three days later. Then, on 30 May, Arkan Jehad Jacob, a married father of four, was shot dead while driving to work in Mosul, northern Iraq. He had been targeted by kidnappers on two previous occasions. Pray that the men’s families will be comforted in their distress, and that the Lord will protect His people in Iraq from further attacks. Sunday 25 “This church ... is the strongest message that we are staying in our land ... the forces of extremism are the ones which must change their approach and stop targeting us.” These were the defiant words of an Iraqi Christian on the opening of the first new church building in the country since the 2003 US-led invasion. The church in Kirkuk serves a housing BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
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September 26 – 30 complex in a secure location for around 200 Christian families who have fled violence elsewhere in Iraq, notably Baghdad and Mosul. Give thanks for this rare positive development and for the determination of Iraqi Christians to maintain a Gospel witness in their homeland.
Wednesday 28 The Supreme Court in Iran has upheld the death penalty for a pastor who was convicted of apostasy last year. The judges rejected Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s appeal against his sentence, passed last year; the penalty will be revoked only if the father of two renounces his faith. Apostasy is not a crime under Iran’s penal code, but judges are allowed to draw on fatwas Monday 26 Pray for Christian student Mostafa Zangooyee (24), who and Islamic sources where national law is silent, and Islamic law was arrested in Iran and accused of sharing his faith at the university prescribes death for adult male apostates. Pastor Nadarkhani, who he attends. He was detained by plain-clothes security officers on 30 was born to Muslim parents, converted from Islam aged 19. Please pray for peace and strength for him in his ordeal, and ask that the June as he was leaving his home and taken away to an undisclosed location. The officers later contacted Mostafa’s parents to inform them death sentence against him will not be carried out. that he was charged with evangelism and propagating the Christian faith. His arrest follows a report in an Iranian daily newspaper that a Thursday 29 Please pray for a swift recovery for Pastor John professor had been sacked for propagating Christianity at the Free Samuel and his wife, who were taken to hospital after being (Azad) University of Iran where he taught. Thank God for their boldness attacked by an angry mob in Manpuri, Uttar Pradesh, India. Local in witnessing for Christ despite the danger; evangelism among Christians were attending the burial service of Anil Saxena, a former Muslims is strictly forbidden in Iran. member of Pastor Samuel’s congregation, when the mob rushed at the pastor and his wife. They assaulted the couple, falsely accusing them of the forcible conversion of Saxena and being the cause of his Tuesday 27 Eleven Iranian Christians were brought to court on 1 May death. Please pray that the Lord will bring peace to this area in the for taking part in a house church meeting and for taking communion wake of the attack. wine. They were arrested in April charged with “action against the [Islamic] order of the country” and drinking alcohol. But the judge accepted their defence that they were involved a religious ceremony, Friday 30 The obstacles to Christians sharing their faith in Nepal are and the verdict said that such activities were covered by Article 13 of the growing higher and higher. A new civil code is being drawn up that Iranian Constitution, which allows Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians to would make it illegal to convert someone, or to preach a different perform their religious rites and ceremonies. Thank God for the acquittal religion to them for any other reason. In effect Christians will be of our brothers and sisters, and pray that all Christians in Iran may be set forbidden to behave in any way that might lead someone else free to practise their faith without constant harassment and persecution. to become a Christian. The draft legislation also appears to offer 8
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October 1 – 3 additional protection for the traditional Nepalese religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. Give thanks that the Word of God is not chained, and for the remarkable growth of Nepal’s churches in recent years. Pray that the new code will be amended before it is passed and that Christians’ freedom to proclaim Christ will not be restricted further.
October Saturday 1 Disastrous floods in Sri Lanka between December 2010 and February 2011 ravaged the centre and east of the country. These followed torrential monsoon rains last year that brought devastation to large areas of the west and south-west, where around half the country’s Christians live. Thousands were made homeless and put at risk of disease and snake bites. In 2009 a severe drought had created desperate poverty among Christians in the region. Their low status in society as a despised minority gives them less These Sri Lankan Christians received defence against such aid from Barnabas after floods struck disasters. Grants from their homes Barnabas were used to
feed thousands of Christian families. Pray for the Christians as they rebuild their homes and communities, that they may be strengthened by the Lord in their adversity. Sunday 2 “I know that you have little strength” (Revelation 3:8). Our Lord’s words to the church in Philadelphia also speak powerfully to the small Christian community in Bhutan. They number only thousands in a mainly Buddhist country, and are pressured by the majority to conform to Buddhist values and practices. The government does not recognise Christianity, and church buildings are officially forbidden, while evangelistic meetings must be held discreetly to avoid interference from the authorities. Pray for our brothers and sisters in Bhutan as they face discrimination and harassment, that like the Philadelphian Christians, they may keep the Lord’s word and not deny His name. Pray too for greater freedom for them. Monday 3 Two churches in Suleja, Niger State, Northern Nigeria, were attacked with bombs in the space of two days in July. Three people were killed and three more injured in an explosion at one church during a meeting on 10 July. The following day, a bomb was thrown into the grounds of a second church, damaging the outer walls, during a prayer service. Churches in the region have been repeatedly targeted by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram, who are fighting to create an Islamic government there. Pray that the Nigerian authorities will take tough action against Boko Haram and provide proper security for churches. BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
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October 4 – 8 Tuesday 4 “Another deliberate move to subjugate Christians in Nigeria” is how a senior Christian leader in Lagos described the action of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in publishing regulations for the introduction of sharia banking. The CBN insists that the move is motivated by purely economic factors, but many Christians believe that the bank’s Muslim governor has a hidden agenda, and that the policy is part of a grand plan to turn Nigeria into an Islamic state. The country is deeply divided along religious lines and racked by sectarian tensions. Pray that the introduction of Islamic finance will not make the position of Christians in the country even worse. Wednesday 5 Isma Dogari, a missionary pastor in Nigeria, was tortured and murdered by a group of Muslims in Bauchi State when he refused to renounce his faith in Christ. He was travelling in a van when it was pulled over by Muslims posing as police. They asked if anyone in the vehicle was a Christian, and the pastor said that he was. The men pulled him out of the van and told him repeatedly to renounce Christ. When he refused, they first beat him, then gouged out his eyes, and finally killed him and burned his body. Barnabas Fund is supporting Isma’s widow and children with food, repairs to their home, and counselling. Pray that they may not grieve without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13) and may be able to rebuild their lives. Thursday 6 Two peasant brothers were brutally crucified on “the example of Christ” by forces loyal to Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara at the end of May. Raphael Aka Kouame died of his injuries; incredibly his younger brother, Kouassi Privat Kacou, 10
survived the ordeal. The pair, who were falsely accused of hiding weapons in their home village, were badly beaten and tortured before being crudely nailed to cross-shaped planks by their hands and feet with steel spikes. Christians have been caught up in a conflict between supporters of Ouattara, a Muslim, and his ousted Christian predecessor, Laurent Gbagbo, in the wake of last November’s presidential election. Pray that peace will be restored and that Christians will not be treated as enemies under Ouattara’s presidency. Friday 7 A Christian teacher in the UK was ordered by her school not to talk about religion after answering a child’s question. She had been asked by a girl in her class whether the Christian God and the god of Islam were the same. She had replied that they were not, and was then asked to explain how they were different. When the child’s Muslim parents complained, the school defended her actions, but subsequently asked her not to discuss any religious matter with the children. This incident follows the recent reprimanding of a Christian doctor by the General Medical Council for talking about God to a patient. This kind of treatment is being replicated in various other countries. Pray that Christian professionals will not be gagged in the workplace but will have the freedom to share their faith. Saturday 8 The power of Islamic finance in the UK and internationally is growing fast. The authorities have made great efforts to encourage the development of so-called “sharia-compliant” products, and London has now become the largest centre for such finance outside the Muslim world. A new skyscraper being built near London Bridge,
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October 9 – 11 which will be the tallest building in the European Union, has been mainly funded from Islamic finance and will be a powerful symbol of its presence and influence. Islamist movements claim that Western financial products are inconsistent with sharia law because they charge interest, despite the fact that many mainstream Muslim scholars do not believe that this is wrong. Pray that the authorities will take steps to regulate this growing sector and that its influence over financial and economic policy will be reduced.
some mosques may reflect a desire to assert the dominance of Islam. Pray for wisdom for local planning committees as they consider Muslim building plans.
This huge skyscraper in London has been funded using Islamic finance (Source: Neoyemi, Wikimedia Commons)
Sunday 9 Give thanks to the Lord that an extremist Muslim group have had their plan to build a huge ÂŁ3 million mosque in Camberley, England finally dismissed by the local authorities. The proposed mosque would have had two minarets towering over the parade ground of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and the local church. The plans had raised serious security concerns because of the frequent royal visits to Sandhurst. The building of large and beautiful mosques in places where there are not enough Muslims to warrant it is a growing trend across the world. The ambitious designs of
Monday 10 Muslims in Sydney, Australia funded a major billboard campaign in June and July alleging that Jesus was a prophet of Islam. This claim is misleading because the figure of Jesus in Islam is quite different from the Jesus whom Christians love and worship. Muslims believe He was just a human being and not God, and that He was not crucified or raised from the dead. One local church leader encouraged Christians to counter the Muslim claims, and a Christian organisation launched its own campaign in response. Pray that as a result of this campaign the churches will have many opportunities to proclaim Christ, and that many Muslims will come to acknowledge Him as the divine Son of God. Tuesday 11 Give thanks that a senior magistrate has assured Algerian church leaders that no churches in his region will be shut. The head of the Algerian Protestant Church Association (EPA) was told in May by a police commissioner that a decision had been made to close down all Christian worship places throughout the country that are not designated for religious purposes. It has proved impossible for most churches to obtain registration for their buildings following the introduction of stringent regulations in 2006. But the senior magistrate in Bejaia promised to protect churches under his jurisdiction. Pray that magistrates in other parts of Algeria will do likewise. BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
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October 12 – 16 Wednesday 12 Algerian Christian Siagh Krimo was sentenced on 25 May to five years in jail after witnessing to a Muslim neighbour. He had been arrested on 14 April and was accused of blasphemy after sharing his faith with and giving a Christian CD to the neighbour. The prosecutor failed to produce the neighbour, who had accused him of proselytizing and making defamatory statements against Muhammad, or any other witness or evidence. But Krimo was still jailed and fined 20,000 Algerian Dinars (£170; US$276; €190). Pray that Krimo’s sentence will be overturned and that the Lord will grant him peace at this distressing time.
it is feared that Christians will continue to be discriminated against in the application of the new legislation. They already face severe restrictions, and hostility from Muslims, and they have nowhere near enough buildings in which to worship the Lord and hold other activities. Pray that their rights will be upheld and that they will have enough places to meet together as church families.
Saturday 15 Lift up to the Lord Yerzhan Ushanov, a pastor in Kazakhstan, who at the time of writing was facing the prospect of jail. He was accused of harming the health of a sick man who visited his Thursday 13 “We will kill him and no one will prevent us.” This was church after he prayed for the man’s healing. The man’s wife accused the chant of a Muslim mob on 24 June as they surrounded a church him of using hypnosis. The allegation was dismissed by members of in the village of Beni Ahmed West, near the city of Minya, Egypt, and Pastor Ushanov’s church, who said this was not the first time “such threatened to kill the minister, who was locked inside with a number of absurd accusations” had been made against pastors. Pastor Ushanov worshippers during a morning service. After five hours, security forces could be heavily fined, made to carry out community service or jailed arrived and escorted the minister to safety. Muslims have been targeting for up to two years for “causing severe damage to health due to the 100-year-old church building since March, when they tried to block negligence”. Pray that the allegations against him will be dropped. construction work, despite the fact that the church held a renovation license. They threatened to demolish the building and demanded that Sunday 16 Last year a missionary couple from Central Asia the minister leave the village, but he defied their orders. Thank God for moved to a remote, Muslim-majority region of their country his courage and pray for his and the church’s protection. where the Gospel may never have been preached before (Romans 15:20). At once they started witnessing to their neighbours, telling them how they had formerly been Muslims themselves, Friday 14 A draft law on places of worship in Egypt may make it and how their new faith in Jesus Christ had completely changed even more difficult for Christians to construct new churches. The bill their lives. As a result 20 people and four families all turned to says that building a new place of worship will be allowed only if it is Christ, among them the family of a local Muslim mullah. Because 1km away from an existing one, and will also require the consent of of great hostility from Muslim neighbours and local authorities, the local governor. Though the bill applies to all places of worship, 12
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October 17 – 20 the missionaries visit the new converts secretly at night. Give thanks for this fruitful ministry, and pray that it will continue to grow. Barnabas supports the couple with living expenses. Monday 17 Please continue to This couple, supported by lift our brothers and sisters at Barnabas, have a fruitful Shouwang Church, China, to evangelistic ministry among the Lord. Shouwang, one of the Muslims in their homeland in largest unregistered churches Central Asia (“house churches”) in Beijing, was evicted from their leased meeting space by the government in April, but church members have met in an open-air plaza in northwest Beijing each Sunday since the eviction. At the time of writing, the church had endured 14 consecutive weeks of raids and arrests at these outdoor meetings; according to ChinaAid, members of the congregation have lost jobs, done time in jail and been verbally abused. Praise the Lord that despite these challenges the Christians continue to make a stand each week for Christ. Tuesday 18 A Chinese house church leader has been sentenced to two years in a labour camp for organising unregistered church gatherings. He was arrested on 31 May, and legal proceedings were launched against him. But the sentence, of “re-education through labour”, was handed out by the police without his being tried or convicted. Pastor Shi had called on the Chinese government to stop
its persecution of Shouwang Church (see 17 October). Pray for his safety while in custody and that he may soon be released. Wednesday 19 “North Korea may be the worst government on earth,” says an expert on international religious persecution, writing recently in Forbes magazine. He confirms that it engages in “discrimination and harassment of both authorized and unauthorized religious activity; the arrest, torture, and possible execution of those conducting clandestine religious activity;” and much more. It is estimated that between 10 and 15% of the country’s Christians are currently in labour camps, where they suffer grievously. Pray for the Lord to strengthen His people in their distress and bring them out of their trouble. Thursday 20 South Sudan celebrated becoming the world’s newest country on 9 July. Its mainly Christian population was counting down the days to independence since voting overwhelmingly in favour of a split from the North in the January referendum. But their new dawn has been darkened by fighting in Sudan’s border region, which has threatened a return of the deadly civil war that tore the country apart. Other problems for the South include a lack of basic infrastructure after it was ravaged by nearly 22 years of civil war, as well as widespread poverty and the displacement of tens of thousands of people as a result of both current and past violence. Pray that God will prosper this new nation and grant His people in South Sudan unity and rest from their enemies. BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
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October 21 – 24 Friday 21 The civil war that split Sudan into two separate nations saw the North fighting to Islamise the mainly non-Muslim and African South. Now that the South has gained its independence, Christians there are looking forward to greater freedom to practise their faith in peace. But it is feared that life for Christians in the North will become more restrictive and dangerous. President Omar al-Bashir declared before the split that the North will be 100 per cent Arab and Muslim, and he has made clear his intention to reinforce its hard-line Islamic character. Christians will probably be subject to even greater restrictions on their activities and even more vulnerable to acts of violence. Pray that the Lord will sustain and protect His beleaguered people in North Sudan. Saturday 22 Eight churches in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, were looted and torched in late June, following a declaration of war by Muslims against “new churches” in the city. The aggressors took advantage of political unrest to vent their hostility. At one church, worshippers were pelted with stones and driven out of their 400-seater building during a Sunday morning service; it was then fire-bombed, leaving nothing but a raised concrete platform where the pulpit had been. Pray that the Lord will provide the resources for the rebuilding of damaged churches and that Senegalese Christians will be protected from any further attacks. Anti-Christian violence has been unusual there. Sunday 23 “I will rather kill him and face the firing squad than live to see my son not worshipping Allah.” These were the words of an enraged Muslim father in Ghana who has 14
threatened to murder his son if the young man continues to be a Christian. The father, Kwasi Amoah, converted to Islam when his son Justice was just a toddler, promising (according to Justice’s Christian mother) not to interfere with his religious beliefs. But Amoah has already been arrested and detained once for attempting to stab his son, and now his threats have forced Justice to go into hiding. Pray for the safety of this Christian brother, and that he will continue steadfast in his faith. Pray for other young Christians who are threatened by their parents because of their love for the Lord. Monday 24 “I gave my life to Christ for real – with all my heart now I belong to Him... My husband also gave his life to Christ... We try to share our experience and our faith with everyone we come in contact with.” This woman is part of the Roma community in Macedonia This Roma convert from Macedonia is active in sharing and comes from a Muslim her faith background. Give thanks to the Lord for her conversion and that the word of the Lord has rung out from her (1 Thessalonians 1:8), and for the many Roma people who are becoming Christians. The Roma are acutely poor, and converts from Islam face rejection by their families and community; pray that they may stand firm in their faith. Barnabas Fund has supported a ministry providing evangelism and pastoral care among the Roma.
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October 25 – 29 Tuesday 25 When Christian leader Artur Suleimanov was gunned down outside his church in Dagestan last year, his death was seen as an attempt to intimidate Christian converts from Islam in the strongly Islamic republic. Now a Russian expert on Islam has expressed concern about the spread of Wahhabism, an extreme and puritanical version of Islam, in Dagestan and the wider region. Christians there suffer regular harassment, intimidation and discrimination at the hands of the Muslim majority, and three churches were torched on a single night in late 2010; the growth of a more radical form of Islam will make their position even more precarious. Pray that the Lord may be their rock, their fortress and their deliverer (Psalm 18:2), and that the progress of Wahhabism will be reversed.
street. The angered shop worker stabbed Abbas in the chest with a knife. Road sweepers in Pakistan, who are mostly Christians, have no employment rights, so Abbas’ family got no financial help from the government upon his death. Barnabas Fund is supporting his widow Rukhsana and four children with monthly food parcels. Pray for the family, that they will know the Lord as “a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows” (Psalm 68:5). Friday 28 Christian road sweepers in Pakistan work on temporary contracts, in filthy conditions, for 15 hours a day, for around £2550 a month. They get no pension or benefits, and have no days off, holiday or sick leave. One of them, Anayat Masih Sahotra, was recently suspended and accused of forgery and fraud because he campaigned on behalf of his colleagues for employment rights. In a separate dispute, Christians in Khushab, Punjab staged a hunger strike in July after discovering that jobs reserved for minorities by a government quota had been given to Muslims. Pray that the systematic discrimination in employment against Pakistani Christians will cease.
Wednesday 26 “I didn’t think that a religious book could be so interesting!” a Bashkir woman exclaimed after reading part of the Bible in her own language. A New Testament in Bashkir, translated using a grant from Barnabas, is due for completion next year. The language is spoken by 1.6 million people in the Russian Federation, Central Asia and the Ukraine, most of whom are Muslims. A Tajik Bible, also funded by Barnabas, is almost complete and will soon be printed. Give thanks for these projects, and pray that the light of God’s Saturday 29 A leader of an influential Islamic political party in Pakistan has described the Bible as “pornographic”, Word will shine in these former Soviet states, especially in places “blasphemous”, and offensive to Muslims. Maulana Abdul Rauf where Christians endure discrimination and hostility. Farooqi called at the end of May for the country’s Supreme Thursday 27 Abbas Masih (36), a Pakistani Christian, was murdered Court to ban it. Under Pakistan’s controversial “blasphemy as he cleaned the streets in Lahore on 20 May. A Muslim flower seller laws”, desecration of the Quran is punishable by mandatory life imprisonment and “defiling the name of Muhammad” carries ordered him to pick up dried leaves and flowers outside the shop; a mandatory death sentence, yet Muslims can get away with Abbas said he would do so when he returned from the end of the
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October 30 – 31 attacking the Bible and the Lord Jesus. Pray that the Supreme Court will not succumb to Islamist pressure to ban the Bible, and that the rights of Christians to religious freedom will be upheld. Sunday 30 Farah Hatim (24), a student nurse in Rahim Yar Khan, South Punjab, Pakistan went missing on the morning of 8 May as she left for work. Her family believes that she was abducted by three Muslim brothers and forcibly converted to Islam. Later the men brought Farah to a district court; she claimed that she had converted voluntarily and wanted to marry one of the men, but she was clearly injured. The judge would normally clear the courtroom for such a statement to ensure it was not being made under duress, but in this case the suspected kidnappers were present. Pray for Farah, who at the time of writing is being held at an undisclosed location, that the police and courts will protect her from coercion. Pray too that the authorities in Pakistan will take a stronger line against forced conversions. Monday 31 Please continue in prayer for Aasia Bibi, who is currently on death row in Pakistan. The Christian wife and mother was falsely accused and convicted in 2010 of insulting Muhammad, an offence that carries a mandatory death sentence in Pakistan. She has appealed to the Lahore High Court, but lawyers associated with the case have indicated that she may have to wait years before she receives a hearing, and even then there is likely to be considerable pressure on the court to reject the appeal. Pray that the Lord will uphold her in her imprisonment and protect her from harm, and that she will soon be released.
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Cover: A Christian woman in India, where Barnabas Fund are building houses for homeless Christians
Š Barnabas Fund 2011
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