PERSECUTION International Christian Concern | January 2013
IN THIS ISSUE:
Issue 1/4
BEAUTY AND SACRIFICE: MY TRIP THROUGH BANGLADESH AND SRI LANKA Regional Manager Corey Bailey details her trip to Central Asia page 2
YOUR DOLLARS AT WORK:
When a Somali Muslim learned his wife had converted to Christianity, he tried to kill her. Read her incredible journey of survival, and how your donations made it possible. page 7
Children rescued from Islamic training centers pose with Special Blessings gifts from ICC donors.
Your Bridge to the Persecuted Church
A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT Iron, till it be thoroughly heated is incapable of being wrought; so God sees good to cast some men into the furnace of affliction, and then beats them on His anvil into what frame He pleases. Anne Bradstreet (puritan Christian)
In the fire is where Daniel met the living God. The only thing he lost was what bound him—his ropes. Last July, Adija* was incredibly excited about the life she had found in Christ only a few months earlier. After living under a lie for her whole life, she had found Christ. He was living inside her and she had changed so much. Unfortunately, her husband was a fundamentalist Somali Muslim and began to suspect something was amiss. He began to monitor her movements and soon discovered the truth: his Muslim wife had become a Christian. For a fundamentalist Muslim, this is not acceptable. Muhammad declared that apostates should be killed, so her husband planned to kill her and escape their home in Kenya for Somalia, where he would not be prosecuted. On July 2, he doused her with kerosone, set her ablaze, and then left for Somalia. She stumbled around, screaming in flames before collapsing. The next thing she knew, she woke up in a hospital in horrible pain. As you will see (page 15), she is horribly disfigured. Because of our network on the ground, and our incredible Regional Managers, Adija came to our attention. We are now trying to repair the damage that Satan and her husband dealt to her. We are working with doctors trying to reduce her scarring and relieve her pain to the best of the doctors’ ability. *name changed for security
Jeff King, President International Christian Concern
Adija’s external appearance and physcial life will never be the same. Yet, because of your devotion to the persecuted, her life is going to be dramatically improved. Persecuted Christians never stop telling us how amazed they are that Christians from the other side of the world care about their pain and suffering, and will sacrifice to make their lives better. On Adija’s behalf, I’d like to thank you for providing the funds to heal her, and for building and bandaging Christ’s persecuted Church. This work we do in partnership is a holy work, and wholly worthy of your touch, time, and treasure. As you provide funds for ministry to the persecuted, please know that ICC will use your gifts ethically, efficiently, and effectively.
CENTRAL ASIA
beauty AND sacrifice: MY TRIP THROUGH BANGLADESH AND SRI LANKA BY REGIONAL MANAGER COREY BAILEY
Children rescued from Islamic training centers pose with Special Blessings gifts from ICC donors.
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On an investigatory trip to Central Asia last fall, Regional Manager Corey Bailey stepped into the shoes of the persecuted Christians she has been reporting on all year.
discussion about how to hear God’s voice and how deep the Lord’s love is, full of forgiveness. All former Muslims and now Christians, they had gathered to learn about Jesus away from prying eyes that would be enraged at their conversion. They were all risking their health, wealth, and even lives to meet together.
It was quickly clear that I was the honored guest as I was given a seat at the head of the table at lunch. As dishes were passed around the table I filled my plate with rice, curry, lentils and chicken. We all laughed as I struggled to master the art of eating with your hands, the traditional way to eat in Bangladesh where they rarely use utensils. As we ate they shared their stories with me. I was amazed at the story of Loka* who was the son of an imam (a Muslim pastor). He grew up knowing only Islam and considered himself to be a radical Muslim. As a young adult his numerous questions about Jesus and the BANGLADESH Quran were met “YOU ARE VERY BRAVE TO COME with slaps and the The next morning, HERE BY YOURSELF....YOU ARE THE answer: “Do not after a failed atFIRST WOMAN TO VISIT OUR question Islam!” tempt to sleep off He was radically MINISTRIES.” 35 hours of mostly saved after meetsleepless travel, ing a believer -COREY’S HOST, UPON THEIR FIRST I was enveloped who shared the MEETING by sticky heat as Gospel with him. I waited for my When his new hosts’ wife to pick faith was discovme up. She arrived in a bicycle rickshaw ered he was beaten by a gang of Muslims and I climbed in to join her. We wound our and disowned. My food grew cold as I lisway through dirt roads before arriving at tened and I couldn’t help but look at the the main street. From there we walked, and faces around the table and marvel at what she took my hand as we crossed a bridge they had sacrificed and suffered to follow lined on either side with the poor, many Jesus. This was just the beginning of many of whom were severely crippled, begging similar stories. for money. Tears stung my eyes as I came face-to-face with back-breaking poverty HEROES OF THE FAITH and pain. My senses were on overload with new sights, smells and sounds as we exited I spent the next few days meeting in the the busy street into a secret location where I homes of believers who had been persecutwas to meet Muslim-background believers ed for their faith, many of whom were once and hear their stories of persecution. radical Muslims and now were not only followers of Jesus, but boldly shared His love I was ushered quietly up a few flights of at great risk to their own lives. Perhaps the stairs and walked into a small room where 10 adults and a few children were gathered. They were sitting on the floor, deep in *Names changed for security “You are very brave to come here by yourself,” my host said with admiration in his eyes. “You are the first woman to visit our ministries.” I swallowed my newly-found nervousness; I had not realized I was being brave, and smiled. He continued, “Usually only men come to this Muslim country. This is a blessing to us, and to the women who serve. Thank you.” That night, as I fell asleep thinking about his comment, I wondered what this trip had in store for me, and thanked God for the opportunity to go where no woman has gone before!
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CENTRAL ASIA
Accents of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
most impactful to me was the day I spent with Siam* and Lia*. Though very poor, they welcomed me into their home. Lia spent hours making us lunch. One of my favorite memories was when she taught me how to make the traditional bread, chipati.
children. I have been covering their story since I first heard about it over the summer. I had learned of Christian children whose families had been lied to, told that their children were being taken to a Christian hostel and school, but instead were sold to Islamic training centers, known as madrassas. The children had suffered for months and finally found rescue and safety in the care of one of our partners. I had seen their pictures, read their stories, prayed for them and sent aid. Now, I was finally going to meet them.
As we cooked, they shared with me about their ministry, which involved sharing the Gospel with Muslims using the Quran as a tool to point to Jesus. Siam once was a radical Muslim and even described himself as a “terrorAS WE ATE LUNCH TOGETHER... ist for Islam” before he came to know I MARVELED AT THE GREATNESS OF I held back tears as I walked into the the Lord. Lia grew up in a Christian GOD. HOW ELSE DO YOU EXPLAIN A classroom surrounded by the sound home. She and her family had sufof little boys singing me a “welcomFORMER “TERRORIST FOR ISLAM” fered great persecution for their faith, ing song.” They sat in rows, dressed at one point having to flee when a MARRYING A CHRISTIAN, THE VERY in matching blue shirts, grinning PERSON HE SOUGHT TO PERSEthousand angry Muslims arrived and from ear to ear. They stood as I CUTE, NOW RISKING HIS LIFE TO began stoning their home. As we ate entered and one little boy immeSHARE THE GOSPEL? lunch together, along with guests who diately presented me with flowers. were Muslim-background believers He beckoned me to lean down and and Muslims seeking to learn more then planted a kiss on my cheek after about Jesus, I marveled at the greatness of God. How else wrapping his arms around my neck for a hug. Of course, my do you explain a former “terrorist for Islam” marrying a heart instantly melted into a puddle on the ground and stayed Christian, the very person he sought to persecute, now risk- in that state as they took turns giving speeches, thanking me ing his life to share the Gospel? and ICC for saving their lives and giving them a future. I knew then that we were perhaps the only ones in the outside LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME world who cared about the fate of these precious children and that God had chosen us to provide for them. Though I wished I had more time to spend with these “reallife heroes of the faith” I was more than a little giddy to As I explained to the children that I had brought each of move on to the next part of my trip: meeting the trafficked them a gift, I wish I could have captured their response on 5
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camera. Their excitement was electric as the room exploded in giggles, cheers and chatter. ICC’s partner and the woman who arranged for their rescue, Maria*, quieted them and said, “This gift is given to you by Corey, but it is from Jesus…” The children lined up and waited patiently as I personally presented them each with a “Special Blessings” gift: a small package containing a comb, toothbrush and toothpaste, pencils, soap and a few pieces of candy. Each child touched their heart, bent down and touched my feet, stood and touched their heart again. Later I asked why they did this and was told that it was the cultural way to show great honor to one of great importance. This moment, and their beaming smiles, will be forever burned into my memory.
The next four hours were spent listening. Neither of these pastors had told their stories to a foreigner before. They brought me pictures and spent much of the time folding and unfolding their hands as they conveyed their experiences through an interpreter. As they spoke and shared their heartaches and struggles, I felt the presence and peace of the Lord. These men, their families and congregations chose Jesus in the face of harassment and possible death daily. One pastor and his pregnant wife fled their home, staying just out of sight of an angry mob who eventually looted their home and damaged their property. Another pastor (whose story you can read on page 7) was choked by a monk who threatened to burn him and his parishioners alive in their church building.
Tearing myself away from the children, who were glued to my side whenever possible, was difficult. As we took the nine-hour ride back to the city, I attempted to process my time in Bangladesh and prepare for my next destination: Sri Lanka.
I had a hard time imagining what I would have done if I faced the same situation. Even more humbling, however, was the fact that, for the most part, they just needed someone to listen. They needed someone to hear them. They were amazed when I told them that people across the world were praying for them. With tears in their eyes the pastors said, “Thank you for your prayers. To know that someone is listening to us and caring for us means everything. We are not forgotten and we can continue to face our persecutions.”
SRI LANKA I thought my time in Bangladesh went quickly, but Sri Lanka was a true whirlwind. My time was short and our partner wanted to be sure I learned and experienced everything possible while in the country. Perhaps the most shocking thing most people do not know about Sri Lanka is that much of the violence perpetrated against pastors and churches in the rural parts of Sri Lanka is led by Singhalese Buddhist monks. As we discussed recent instances of monk-led persecution our partner showed me a video of monks destroying church property and harassing a pastor. The video painted quite a different picture of monks than most of the world sees. The next day I was taken to meet with two pastors, similar to the one in the video, who have stayed true to the Lord in the face of persecution. The pastors travelled a few hours from their villages and met me in a location where we could all meet together safely.
THE POWER OF THE STORY As I reflect, I realize that the power of sharing one’s story is a common thread woven throughout my trip. Each story, although vastly diverse in experience, was similar with delivery: hope would flood their eyes and a slight smile would cross their face. You could see and feel confidence building as they shared their story. Peace exuded as they felt heard, cared for, loved and supported. It was then that I knew: It was not I that was brave to travel alone as a woman— no, I was blessed to have this experience. In fact, it was each one of these precious believers who were brave—to suffer, to get up again, to tell their stories and give their lives as a love offering to their Savior. That is both brave and beautiful.
SAVE OUR SISTERS At just 15 years old, Joanna (name changed for security) was kidnapped, raped and forced to marry one of her attackers. In addition she was forced to sign a legal document stating she had converted to Islam. After her escape, ICC has helped secure a safe location to live and helped fund her rehabilitation and career training. You can read more about Joanna’s story in the February issue of Persecution.
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YDAW
YOUR DOLLARS AT WORK SOMALI BURN VICTIM Save Our Sisters Somali Christians are among the most persecuted in the world and daily face injury and death to follow Jesus Christ. ICC and its donors have been assisting these Christians through radio broadcasts and missionaries, but this month ICC was able to help an individual in dire need. When a Somali Muslim in Kenya learned that his wife had become a Christian, he tried to kill her. On July 2, Adija (name changed) suffered severe burns to her face and body after her husband, Musa, doused her with a flammable substance and set her on fire. “My husband poured what looked like paraffin on me and thereafter set me on fire,” Adija said. “I began shouting for help, but do not know what happened from there. I just found myself in a hospital, regaining consciousness after a day.” Months before the attack, Adija had converted to Christianity
and began to attend an underground fellowship of Somali Christians in her area. Musa became suspicious and began monitoring Adija’s movements. Soon, he discovered that his wife had embraced the Christian faith. “The husband thought he had killed his wife and immediately left for Mogadishu,” said a fellow member of Adija’s fellowship. Unfortunately, Musa has discovered that Adija survived the attack and is trying to take her back to Somalia where he will kill her without legal repercussion. ICC and its donors assisted Adija by finding her a safe house and providing for her medical and spiritual needs. With funds from its donors, ICC has paid for a much-needed operation to relieve Adija of pain she experiences due to her burns, a safe house where Adija can stay without fear of her husband and post traumatic spiritual counseling to help her heal spiritually.
WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN? Adija was considered an apostate by her husband. Apostasy is commonly defined as the rejection of Islam in either word or deed by a person who is formerly Muslim. Under ultra-conservative interpretations of Islam, the execution of apostates is considered manditory.
Adija suffered severe burns at the hands of her husband after she came to Christ.
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Unfortunately, among Somali Muslims, this interpretation is accepted.
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