September 2015 Persecution Magazine by International Christian Concern

www.persecution.org

SEPTEMBER 2015

PERSECU

ION.OR

Supreme Surrender Responding to the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Gay Marriage Indonesia

Protest Palace

China

Crosses on China’s Horizon?

Middle East

A Flood of Refugees

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Table of Contents

In This Issue: FEATURE

16 | Supreme Surrender

In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage, ICC’s president considers the appropriate response of the Church.

FEATURE

20 | Crosses on China’s Horizon?

Since the Communist Party secretary deemed the crosses on churches “too conspicuous” for the Zhejiang province skyline in 2013, Chinese government officials have demolished churches and removed over 400 crosses. FEATURE

24 | Protest Palace

Indonesia’s presidential palace has become the center of protests since the forceful closure of two churches by local authorities who refuse to uphold Indonesian Supreme Court rulings in the churches’ favor. FEATURE

28 | A Flood of Refugees

Christian refugees fleeing persecution are part of a global crisis affecting as many as 59.5 million. Regular Features

3 Letter from the President A few words from ICC’s president, Jeff King, on the Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage. 4 World News A snapshot of the persecution that impacts our brothers and sisters daily.

20 24

8 Your Dollars at Work Learn how your gifts are providing relief and comfort to the persecuted. 12 Impact Report Highlights the impact of your gifts on several funds for the persecuted Church this year. 14 Volunteers Learn how members of ICC’s volunteer teams are making an impact for the persecuted in their communities.

28 PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

SEPTEMBER 2015

President’s Letter

God Calling Jeff King, President International Christian Concern

Have you noticed that the world has been barking at Christians in the US and the West in general? In case you have been under a rock for the last 30 years, the culture has quickly shifted under our feet and the Church is on the defensive with the recent Supreme Court decision on gay marriage being only the most recent troubling case that has gone against us. For those that can see over the horizon, it surely looks like the winds are picking up and a storm is blowing in (see page 16). The Christian response to the most recent decision and the trend as a whole ranges from apathy, to anger, to trembling. The Church is neither united or articulate. It seems to be generally asleep and either unaware of where things may be heading or at a loss as to what to do about it. Regardless, of where things go, the dogs are barking and we are beginning to experience the very early stages of persecution. As a result, we are starting to get some understanding of the persecuted Church and that’s not all bad. Persecution washes and purifies the Church. You know that sales guy in your church who is there for networking? He’s gone! You know the girl that comes to find a good guy to settle down with but isn’t living out a Christian life or in love with the Lord? She’s gone! That’s very simplistic but persecution washes out the rich young ruler and those who don’t have the Lord first in their life. It washes out the double-minded until you get down to those who echo the apostles and say, I can’t leave the Church for Jesus has the words of eternal life. While we call out to God for a revived Church, would you join me in serving those who have paid the full price for their choice to follow Jesus? The suffering Church needs you and the Lord calls you to this service. Together, let’s partner to bandage (and BUILD!) the suffering Church. As always, your donations will be used efficiently, effectively, and ethically. I Promise! Jeff King

President, International Christian Concern / Persecution.org

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

News 3 2 15 7

Belgium Rescues 200 Syrian Christians

South Sudanese Pastors’ Attorneys Present Defense

Deadly Heat Wave Devastates Pakistan’s Christians

1 | South sudan In the ongoing case of two South Sudanese pastors imprisoned for their faith, Peter Yein Reith and Yat Michael Ruot, the defense was given the opportunity to refute questionable evidence in their death penalty trial on July 14. The pastors stand charged with a total of six crimes, including undermining the constitutional system, espionage, breach of public peace, offenses relating to insulting religious beliefs and promoting hatred among sects. More than one of these offenses carry the potential for execution, while the rest could result in either jail time, lashes, or fines. In the attorney’s closing statements, the defense argued that the judge should drop all charges due to the absence of physical evidence in the case. The pastors, who have been denied access to their families, were transferred from low security Omdurman Men’s Prison to high security Kober Prison in early June. Despite his very limited access to his clients, defense attorney Mohaned Mustafa called upon two expert witnesses to testify that the evidence presented by the state could have been easily planted onto the pastors’ computers. The case has drawn both international attention and pressure, which appears to have affected the Sudanese government.

2 | Pakistan For many weeks from May through July, a deadly heat wave swept across the southern region of Pakistan. For weeks at a time, cities in the area recorded daily temperatures that climbed over 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The highest recorded temperature during the heat wave took place on May 24 with temperatures at 121 degrees Fahrenheit. According to reports from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, 65,000 heatstroke patients were treated in the city of Karachi’s hospitals within the span of June 20 to July 1 alone. Unfortunately, many who were affected by the heat wave were unable to receive the necessary treatment which led to a death toll in the thousands. It is reported that 1,214 people died in Karachi from June 20 to July 1. Further still, this figure only accounts for those whose deaths were reported in hospitals, not accounting for those who were unable to reach medical help or those who died in their homes. During this heat wave, Christians were disproportionately affected by the high temperatures due to their low economic status as a result of widespread religious discrimination. Local hospital officials have reported that the majority of those who died came from a lower economic status or were homeless, which is the reality for countless Christians throughout Pakistan.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

3 | Belgium Throughout the summer, many civil society organizations partnered with Belgian officials to assist in the process of bringing families in war-torn Syria to safety. With extreme secrecy, approximately 240 individuals from the city of Aleppo who were in danger of facing further persecution were brought to Lebanon. These families, who were initially forced to flee their homes, are expected to be granted asylum in Belgium. The city of Aleppo has been torn apart by three years of intense fighting between rebels, jihadists, and government powers. Prior to the war, Syria had one of the largest Christian populations within the Middle East. Unfortunately, many religious minorities are now struggling to survive as they are denied access to their most basic needs. This serves as just one example of the hardships facing Christians caught up in this violent conflict.

SEPTEMBER 2015

Nearly 100 Services Outside Indonesia’s Presidential Palace 4 | Indonesia Following the wrongful closing of their church buildings, two churches in Jakarta, Indonesia, have been gathering for joint services every other Sunday outside of the presidential palace in protest. The services attract hundreds of Christians gathering to sing worship songs and listen to Bible teachings. Although the meetings have taken place nearly 100 times, members of the church still have hope and are calling upon Christians worldwide to stand with them in solidarity.

One-Year Anniversary of Hindi Attack

5 | kenya On July 6, the world recognized the one-year anniversary of the tragic attack by al-Shabaab on the small village of Malamade, outside of Hindi, Kenya. During the attack, gunmen stormed the village and killed 15 people, specifically targeting Christian men who refused to convert to Islam. Twenty homes were razed in the attack, leaving many villagers both grieving and homeless. Over a year later, despite facing trauma, sickness, hunger and fear, the townspeople still cling tightly to their faith. As we reflect on the attack a year later, we commemorate those who held fast to Christ in their final moments and thank God for the hope that remains in the village of Malamade.

The charred remains of a Christian home stand as a reminder of the brutal Islamist attack on Hindi.

Human Rights Lawyers Harassed in China 6 | China According to reports, a group of lawyers in China were harassed and threatened by a group of over 100 people due to their work in investigating the persecution of a Christian house church. It is suspected that the attackers were mobilized by a special police unit in the local authorities’ efforts to prevent Chinese citizens from maintaining their rights to freely worship and practice the religion of their choice.

Al-Shabaab Murders 14 Christians

7 | KENYA As a part of al-Shabaab’s campaign of violence that took place throughout the Muslim holiday month of Ramadan, one particular attack claimed the lives of at least 14 Christians. The attack occurred in the middle of the night when a group of men associated with al-Shabaab stormed a housing compound with both shooting and using explosives. A spokesman from the terror group stated that the incident was responsible for the killings of one dozen individuals who he referenced as Christians, indicating the religious nature of the attack. In addition to the 14 that were brutally murdered, another 11 were left injured.

Workers carry out the bodies of 14 Christians murdered by al-Shabaab in Kenya on Ramadan.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

News 4

6 2 3

Radicals Increase Violence Against Christians During Ramadan 1 | ramadan Throughout the Muslim holiday month of Ramadan, radical Islamic groups escalated in their campaign of violence, murdering scores of innocent civilians. Throughout Africa, Boko Haram and al-Shabaab increased their attacks in Nigeria and Kenya, respectively, during the month. The extremist groups targeted anyone who they determined to be “unbelievers” of their sect of Islam, with attacks affecting Christians and Muslims alike. Al-Shabaab gained worldwide attention in early April during their gruesome attack on Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya. According to witnesses, attackers reportedly separated Christians from Muslims and then proceeded to execute the Christians while releasing the Muslims. Ramadan, which takes place from June 17 until July 17, is viewed as a holy month within the Muslim world. While fasting, generosity, and piety take on added significance for moderate Muslims, the same is true for acts of jihad among radical groups. The two groups personally admitted their intentions in escalating in violence for the month of Ramadan. According to the New York Times, Boko

Haram promised “a month of disasters for infidels.” Voicing similar objectives, according to the Christian Post, a commander of al-Shabaab stated, “We are planning to give Kenya non-believers a true taste of Jihad in the next few days and weeks.” Tragically, the death toll in Nigeria alone rose to over 200 during the period of Ramadan, with victims from churches, mosques, and non-religious buildings. Although both al-Shabaab and Boko Haram are both well known for their violence against Christians, the Ramadan attacks also targeted fellow Muslims who do not share the same set of particular beliefs. Boko Haram has targeted Muslims during their evening prayers multiple times while al-Shabaab has disrupted Muslim prayer services to preach in their efforts to bring others into their extremist ideology. In the months following Ramadan, many Christians throughout Africa have been forced to prepare themselves for future persecution. In spite of the increased violence and suffering that recently took place in Nigeria and Kenya, countless Christians have clung to the peace and hope found only through Jesus Christ.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Five Reasons for Christians to Stay in the Middle East 2 | middle east Christians throughout the Middle East face an agonizing decision. They must choose between staying in their own countries while facing desperate conditions including hunger and poverty or risking their lives by attempting to immigrate to the United States or Europe, while crossing through lands infested with traffickers and dangerous sea voyages. Chris Seiple of National Catholic Reporter detailed a list of reasons for why Christians should stay in the Middle East. First, he says, evacuation would be based on bad logic. The possibility of Congress and European governments accepting only Christian refugees would be both a lengthy and costly proposal in addition to the fact that it violates most international laws. Second, evacuation of Christians from the Middle East would be bad business. The resources necessary to make this type of mass exodus possible would likely lead toward a worsening in business malpractice, as seen in the increase in slavery during Sudan’s civil war. Third, mass emigration of this nature would be bad geopolitics. By removing Christians from the region, and thereby decreasing religious freedom, there would be an inevitable shift toward greater political instability, human rights violations, and economic downturn. Fourth, Seiple states that leaving would be poor theology because throughout history, when crises came to Mediterranean cities, Christians stayed where they were, suffered together, and grew in their faith by doing so. Perhaps the most important and final reason is that most Middle Eastern Christians do not want to leave and would rather be able to return to their homes and live in peace.

SEPTEMBER 2015

Violence Rising in Nigeria from Fulani Herdsmen 3| nigeria The summer of 2015 proved to be a painful one for Christians living throughout the “Middle Belt” of Nigeria. Often overshadowed in the media by the violence caused in northern Nigeria by Boko Haram, violence has undoubtedly trickled south. Muslim Fulani herdsmen continue to attack Christians with the same frequency and ferocity often seen in ethnic cleansing. The violence toward Christians by these herdsmen has traditionally been explained as vengeance for the theft of cattle and long held grazing disputes. However, due to the military-grade weaponry recently used by the herdsmen, the direct attacks targeting Christian homes and churches, and the recent calls among Fulani herdsmen for the use of Islamic Sharia law, it is clear that religious persecution is a key factor.

Despite claims of progress in human rights, China continues its campaign of removing crosses and persecuting activists.

The United Nations opened a new office in Seoul, South Korea, this June to investigate human rights abuses in North Korea.

Contrasting Reports on Human Rights in China

UN Opens Seoul Office to Investigate North Korea

4 | china In early June, the Chinese government released a report, called “Progress in China’s Human Rights in 2014,” in an effort to deflect criticism about its recent cross removal campaign and crackdown on human rights activists. In contrast to the reports of progress, ICC has steadily received reports of the destruction of church buildings and the removal of crosses, in spite of the overwhelmingly negative public response from local Christians. The widespread nature of religious persecution in China indicates that there is unspoken approval of these activities from even the highest levels of government.

5 | north korea In June, the United Nations (UN) opened a new office in the city of Seoul, South Korea, in order to better investigate human rights abuses in North Korea. This serves as an encouraging first step toward confronting the egregious persecution that takes place under a regime considered by many to be the world’s worst offender of human rights. International pressure has been increasing against the capital city of Pyongyang after the UN released a report detailing the horrors of North Korea’s systematic human rights abuses, including enslavement, sexual abuse, imprisonment, torture and execution.

One Year Anniversary of the Fall of Mosul to ISIS 6 | iraq On June 10, the world, along with International Christian Concern, recognized the one-year anniversary of the fall of Mosul, Iraq, to the jihadist terror group ISIS. In a matter of 24 hours, over 500,000 people fled the city and, since then, more than 3 million people from Iraq have been driven from their homes. Although many Christians fled from the city of Mosul to surrounding Christian villages, ISIS shortly thereafter seized Qaraqosh, commonly referred to Iraq’s Christian capital and the home of approximately 50,000 believers. The entire region has been emptied of its Christian population for the first time in roughly 1,800 years. For those driven from their homes, the need for humanitarian aid remains urgent and the chances of returning to their homes in the near future remain slim.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Your Dollar$ at Work Trauma Counseling for Children of All Saints Church Kids Care

n September 22, 2013, the Christian community of Peshawar, Pakistan, was devastated when two suicide bombers attacked All Saints Church outside Kohati gate in Peshawar. Members of the church were just exiting following the Sunday morning service when the bombers attacked, exposing around 600 Christians to the deadly blast. When the dust settled, over 100 Christians were killed and scores more were seriously injured. In response to this crisis, ICC designed and implemented a schooling program for the Christian children affected by the church bombing. In total, 30 Christian students from All Saints Church were taken into the program and supported throughout the 2014-15 and 2015-16 academic year. As ICC’s staff interacted with the students in the program, they observed that the students remained traumatized despite almost 2 years having passed since the incident. Many of the students kept silent at home and in the school, refused to take part in co-curriculum activities in school, no longer enjoyed playing with their friends and had limited themselves to interaction with their families. ICC’s staff later discovered that many of the students feared going to gatherings and had not attended church since September 2013 due to fear. In June, during the summer holidays, ICC designed and supported a trauma counseling program for these students still affected by the All Saints Church bombing. Over the course of four days, a professional trauma counselor worked with both the children and parents enrolled in ICC’s schooling program. For most, this was the first time they had received counseling from a mental health professional. Thank you to all who have supported these children and others like them across the world. Reclaiming the futures of Christian children whose lives have been devastated by persecution is truly amazing and humbling work.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

SEPTEMBER 2015

Relief from the Food for Heat for Iraqi Pastors and Christians Their Families Hand of Hope

110

degrees, again. The heat in Iraq during the summer months is brutal. For many of the more than 150,000 Christians, and more than 3 million total Iraqis, there is almost no escape from the sun. The only shade to be found is a tarp outside a church hall, or a corner inside an unfinished concrete block building, that begins to resemble a bread oven in the brutal summer heat. For those who were able to rent an apartment, they are most often filled with two or three families — 10 to 15 people living on top of each other. To bring relief to more than 150 of these families, ICC has provided air coolers that make the elements more survivable for now. Working together with local church partners, we are reminding Iraq’s Christian community that they are not alone.

Community Rebuild

hristians all over Niger continue to suffer from the ongoing effects of Muslim riots in January after the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo published a cartoon depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Pastors and churches were some of the hardest hit when rioters burned and looted dozens of church buildings and many pastors’ homes. In June, ICC stepped in to deliver three months of food for five pastors and their families. Their churches also received replacement chairs for worship services. “We appreciate this assistance and we pray that God will remember you as you remember us during our time of trial and sorrow,” Pastor George told ICC’s Niger representative. Please continue to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Niger.

Microbusiness for Families

Suffering Wives & Children

n 2013, ICC received a list of 63 Christians imprisoned throughout Vietnam -- primarily church elders, leaders or pastors who were given harsh, 15 to 18 year sentences based on vague charges such as “disturbing public order.” Most of the prisoners are married, and many have children. Their families face extreme financial hardship without their husbands or fathers. As these families typically already lived on minimal incomes, unexpected expenses can be devastating. ICC has already provided baby pigs to 10 families of these imprisoned church leaders in critical need, and has started aid to 10 more families. ICC provides food for the pigs for an initial 8 months, the livestock reproduce four to six offspring, and the business becomes self-sustaining. This program provides the family a modest income during their loved one’s imprisonment, alleviating much of the financial suffering.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Your Dollar$ at Work

Distributing Biblical Training Materials

Bibles to the Persecuted

he rapid growth of Christian churches throughout Southeast Asia means many new believers need Biblically-based teaching materials, especially in areas where there are no trained pastors. ICC is partnering with an experienced organization to produce and distribute roughly 300 teaching albums, each containing 97 DVDs of training materials developed by indigenous pastors. The teachings include up to four years’ worth of information on issues such as avoiding cults, developing a healthy marriage and family and a series for new believers. In addition, the DVDs include a multilingual Jesus Film, Christian praise and worship songs, local language Bible and study notes, as well as popular devotional materials. The DVD albums are certainly meeting a need, but a lack of funding prevents the organization from fulfilling all the requests they have received for the albums. One contact told them he could distribute “1000 albums now,” and another contact knows hundreds of church leaders who oversee many groups — they have also asked for more than 1000 albums. ICC intends to help bridge that funding gap.

ICC Provides Struggling Family with Flock of Goats Suffering Wives & Children

“

n August 26, 2014, on our way to Egypt by a microbus, a group of masked gunmen wearing Libyan military clothes in a checkpoint in Sirte stopped our microbus,” Mustafa Mahmoud told ICC. “They asked all the 27 passengers in the microbus to show them their passports, and when they read the

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

name of Mina in his passport they said to him, ‘You are Christian.’ Mina answered, ‘Yes, I’m Christian.’ They then ordered Mina to get out of the microbus, and asked the driver to take the rest of the passengers and leave.” “Mina is my best friend,” he told ICC. Mahmoud and Mina had traveled from Egypt to Libya to find jobs. When they tried to return, Mahmoud was let go because he was Muslim, but Mina, a Christian, was taken. His family has not heard from him since he was taken. ICC worked with his family to share his story and to press the Egyptian Foreign Ministry to try to find Mina, along with other Christians who have been abducted by Islamic extremists in Libya. Through our Suffering Wives and Children fund, we provided Mina’s wife, Mariam, and their one-year-old son, Stephen, with a flock

SEPTEMBER 2015

Your Dollar$ at Work

Small Business Assistance

Suffering Wives & Children

n March 15, suicide bombers from the Pakistani Taliban attacked two churches in Lahore’s predominantly Christian neighborhood of Youhanabad. As a result of the attack, 19 Christians were killed and over 70 others were injured. Following the bombings, ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia visited Youhanabad and met with many of the families most affected by the bombings, especially those families who lost their breadwinner. It was

discovered that there were 28 Christian families that lost their breadwinner to death or injury in Youhanabad. This has left these families unable to support themselves and dependent on the aid pouring into Youhanabad, which will dry up in time. In June, ICC provided the first five families with sustainable assistance in the form of micro-finance projects. Over the coming months, ICC will continue to work with the other Christian families affected by the church bombings.

of goats. The goats provide Mariam and Stephen with milk and cheese to eat and to sell to earn an income. “I thank you ICC for the great charitable work you do. May God be with you, strengthen you, develop your service more and more,” Mariam said. “We need your earnest prayers very much for all the Christian captives, for their release and for their safe return.”

Sewing Shop for Christian Widow

‘We need your earnest prayers very much for all the Christian captives, for their release and for their safe return.’

eba, a young mother with another child on the way, became a widow in January, when her husband was shot and killed in a village in Upper Egypt. Eighteen months earlier, her husband’s cousin and three others were beaten to death and the family was pressing charges against those guilty of the murders. When they refused to drop the cases, the

Suffering Wives & Children

accused made good on their threats against the family. As ICC met with Heba and learned her situation, she wanted a way to be able to care for her family. She had experience working as a seamstress in an upholstery factory. From ICC’s Suffering Wives and Children fund, we are able to provide the investment for Heba to open a business to care for her young family.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Impact Report

where Most Needed

Suffering Wives and Children

Community rebuild

FUND BALANCE:

critical

medium

high

critical

medium

high

critical

medium

high

Attack recovery

Rape recovery

Church Rebuilding

India

Pakistan

Kenya

HIGHLIGHT

Two years ago, Pastor Moses and his family began facing intense persecution at the hands of Hindu radicals in their village. One night, radicals broke into their house and attempted to end the local church by murdering Pastor Moses and his wife. Since the attack, ICC has been assisting Pastor Moses in recovering from this incident and other severe incidents of persecution. Recently, ICC provided Pastor Moses with a new roof for his church. The original roof was damaged in many places when radicals stoned the church multiple times. This allowed rain to leak into the church, which affected the church’s ability to hold regular services. Through your support, ICC is able to help believers in South Asia like Pastor Moses.

A woman named Shafila was traumatized by the persecution she faced because of both her faith and gender. A Muslim man had noticed Shafila and asked her to have sex with him. When Shafila refused his advances, the Muslim man became angry, abducted Shafila, and kept her hidden in a place where he was able to rape her repeatedly. By God’s mercy, one day Shafila was able to escape. ICC was able to assist Shafila by providing her with counseling and a single sewing machine. Upon receiving the sewing machine, Shafila immediately began filling orders. Now, Shafila is a co-owner of a sewing operation that fills industrial orders, employing herself and eight others.

July 5 marked the tragic anniversary of alShabaab’s attack on Malamade, a tiny village outside of Hindi, Kenya, where militants murdered Christians who refused to abandon their faith and convert to Islam. On the night of July 5, 2014, those who managed to escape hid in the bush until morning, only to wake up homeless, their houses, church, and school burned, while many of their friends and neighbors lay dead, murdered because of their faithfulness to Jesus. ICC is currently working with our local partners to rebuild hope through the reconstruction of homes for 15 families whose houses were burned to the ground during the attack. Please pray for the success of these efforts!

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

SEPTEMBER 2015

Impact Report

legal assistance

underground pastors

Bibles

FUND BALANCE:

critical

medium

high

Land Recovery

critical

medium

high

Blasphemy victim

critical

medium

high

distributing bibles

Ethiopia Pakistan Pakistan

HIGHLIGHT Despite his family owning their patch of land in outside Deder, Ethiopia, for over 90 years, the Mengistu family has been harassed, threatened and had an angry mob of Muslims try to build a mosque on their farmland. Even though Fikere Mengistu won his court case, a local mob of Muslims continues to harass him and his family with complete disregard to the court rulings. Mosque construction continues and has even been protected by local police and government officials. ICC provided legal representation for the family, confirming their land title, and is working with the Ethiopian Christian Lawyers Association to bring resolution and attention to the case. Please pray for justice for the Mengistu family!

HIGHLIGHT

For the last 14 years, Peter Masih has been preaching the Word of God in Pakistan. When Peter’s Muslim family became aware of his conversion to Christianity, they tortured him physically for more than a year in an attempt to force him to return to Islam. Since then, Peter has moved from one city to another to avoid detection and persecution by radical Islamists. Peter later married a Christian woman and started a family. Unfortunately, he and his family were forced to flee their home again after receiving death threats from local extremists. When ICC heard Peter’s story, assistance was immediately distributed. ICC was able provide food, clothes and a place to secure Peter and his family during this time of trouble.

During the 2015 ICC trip to Pakistan, ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia met with an ICC-supported pastor based in Lahore. ICC has been supporting this pastor’s ministry since 2013. While visiting with this pastor, ICC’s team provided him with funds to purchase and distribute 50 full Urdu Bibles over the Easter holiday. On Easter, the Christians who attended the pastor’s services received a free Urdu Bible. For many, this is something that they would otherwise not be able to afford. “It was a true blessing for many,” the pastor told ICC. “It really helped show the joy of Easter to many of the Christians that attend my services.”

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Volunteers

Demonstrating the Love of God in Wake of Nepal Earthquake

A Voice for the Persecuted

pastor prem b. volunteer special projects

johanna maloof-shoucair volunteer awareness

n April, the world watched the news with horror as they saw the country of Nepal devastated by a massive earthquake. Homes were destroyed. Buildings were toppled. Thousands lost their lives. ICC volunteer Pastor Prem B. knew he had to take action. He and his church raised the necessary funds to bring relief packages to those affected by the earthquake. After traveling four to five days on foot and taking a 10-hour drive for the supply truck to a remote village in central Nepal, Prem and his church reached the area in need. They then distributed the relief items among the villagers, providing blankets, tents, food and clothes to 300 families in need. Although the relief packages were vitally important, equally important was the impact that this project had on the hearts of the villagers. Pastor Prem reported that although many of the people they helped were Hindu and strongly opposed to Christianity, “many villages were touched and [felt] the love of God through this care.” Prem said that many of the villagers received the gifts with tears of joy in

their eyes as they saw a true demonstration of the love of God. As a volunteer with ICC, Prem, along with his church, demonstrated what it means to truly care for those in need. Prem stated that he was motivated to carry out this project because, “Jesus is [the] father for [the] fatherless, poor and needy.” In the midst of the devastating circumstances, there has been no better time to show the love of Christ to those in need, both physically and spiritually. Although progress has been made since April, ICC and Pastor Prem would appreciate your prayer for those affected by the earthquake in Nepal. There are still many in need as communities are forced to start over and rebuild their lives from the ground up as countless homes and churches have been destroyed.

‘Jesus is the father for the fatherless, poor and needy.’ PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

ne of the biggest needs in order to help the persecuted is simply sharing their stories. As a member of ICC’s volunteer program, Johanna Maloof-Shoucair has done just that through various outlets. She regularly posts about the persecuted Church through social media and a blog, in addition to informing family, friends and her church. Johanna has even created bumper stickers and shirts to promote the mission of ICC, which she both uses personally and distributes to others. When asked why she serves the persecuted, Johanna said that she was motivated by her “love and desire to serve God, for we are not meant to be silent, are to be there for our brethren and profess Christ’s name through all we do.” It may be intimidating to approach an issue as vast as religious persecution, but Johanna has rightly stated that “it’s simply a click away to help and bring awareness.” She has encouraged those who are considering volunteering to consider this important question: Would you want someone to be silent if this evil came to your town?

SEPTEMBER 2015

Looking for a Way to Make a Difference in the World? Join Our Team of Volunteers! For those wishing to make an impact on behalf of persecuted Christians, many are not sure how to get started. However, volunteers all over the world are making a difference within their own communities as members of ICC’s five volunteer teams: Advocacy, Awareness, Office, Prayer and Special Projects. By standing up for the persecuted in various creative ways, ICC’s volunteers have played a part in connecting the global Church by bridging the gap between the persecuted and the Western Church. It only takes one person to make a difference – are you willing to take the call?

Volunteers are translating ICC materials for their churches.

One volunteer has launched a prayer group for the persecuted.

Tearing Down Language Barriers

Praying for the Persecuted Church

s the bridge to the international persecuted Church, one obstacle that occasionally arises is the language barrier. Two volunteers have stepped up to help fill this need. They have dedicated their time to translating ICC’s materials, specifically prayer requests for the persecuted, into Korean to meet the needs in their churches. By making this information more readily available to their congregations, these volunteers have provided an opportunity for their churches to get involved on behalf of those suffering for their faith. These two volunteers have served not only as the gateway to ICC within their churches, but as gateways to the persecuted.

ne of the common threads when speaking with those who face violence and discrimination for their faith is the request for prayer. One volunteer and his wife have dedicated countless hours to filling this request. When he first learned of the extent of religious persecution, this volunteer decided to reach out to his church to start up a regular prayer group dedicated to prayer solely for those facing religious persecution. The group meets on a monthly basis to gather in prayer according to ICC’s free monthly prayer calendar and various stories in the news about persecution.

Volunteer Teams 1 Advocacy Fight for justice for the persecuted through petitions, embassy calls and more. 2 Awareness Raise your voice for the persecuted Church through speaking in churches, writing and social media.

3 Office Lighten the load of our staff by helping with administrative tasks. 4 Prayer Intercede for our brothers and sisters in Christ, both individually and

as a church.

Interested in Serving? Online Apply on our website at: http://www.persecution.org/how-you-canhelp/volunteer or send an email to volunteer@persecution.org

Phone Want more information? Feel free to call us at (301) 585-5915.

5 Special Projects Volunteer on your own schedule through one-time projects.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Supreme Surrender By Jeff King President, International Christian Concern

“If ye were not strangers here, the dogs of the world would not bark at you.”- Samuel Rutherford Scottish

minister, theologian, author (1600-1661)

n June, the Supreme Court handed down a decision on gay marriage that was of great concern to many Christians. It wasn’t the first troubling decision and it certainly won’t be the last as our culture continues eroding and the masses become more and more enamored with sin and death.

Christian Response The response of the Christian community comes at two extremes: either indignant ranting or submissive silence. As I survey our Christian response to this decision and others, it seems to me that there is a longing for the days past of cultural Christianity when we were safe and comfortable in our culture and there was a general (largely feigned) respect for God and things religious. Yet, the ramparts have been breached and the enemy is behind our lines and shooting freely. Predictably, panic has set in. How Did We Get Here? The most recent decision is one among many revealing a court and culture growing increasingly hostile towards religious freedom. The radicals in Hollywood have for the past three decades sent up Christian characters that are despicable and evil while the press and media use Westboro Baptist (“God hates faggots”) as a straw man to define Christianity. This propaganda has hardened

the populace against us. So it is no surprise that “the dogs” are barking! The Church largely does not evangelize, disciple or educate its people biblically. It is largely without holiness and zeal and the “seeker-service” church model has created a church that is “a mile wide and an inch deep.” I’m an evangelical, but for decades, evangelicals did not value service to the lost. We focused only on their souls [the Gospel] obeying “go into all the world,” but seemed to forget that Jesus also fed the hungry and healed the sick. Therefore, our culture only hears us “barking” at them and rarely sees us touching and loving them. All that to say that we have played a part in our own demise! We Must Fight, But. . . We are backed into a corner and we need to fight politically and culturally but we have been conditioned to be quiet and not cause trouble. . Much of the teaching and messaging of Christianity today is that we should, in the end, just be nice. That culture doesn’t exactly lend itself to activism. Christians are a large part of the culture (you can debate percentages and what defines a Christian, but still, our numbers are large). We have been attacked and bullied (“bigot, hateful, homophobe, narrow-minded,” etc). We have been told to simply be nice, sit in a metaphorical cultural corner and keep quiet. Most of all, we have been told, “don’t speak up in the public square.” Sadly, we have dutifully obeyed! We bend over backwards to get along with the world while we are supposed to be at odds with the world. We can’t “get along” with the world. We must love and serve individuals but we cannot make peace with the World. The world stands condemned and we are seen as the condemner pointing

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

a finger, though it is the law and their own conscience that are convicting them. In the end, we are supposed to be revolutionaries and are called to upset the cultural applecart (see Luke 12:49, Matt. 10:34, Matt. 12:30). We are here to save and rescue a dying people one soul at a time via grace and truth. Trajectory If you are the type of person that can see over the cultural horizon, you can see the picture that is forming is disturbing. What’s coming into view is a culture that will be increasingly hostile towards Christians in its laws and regulations. Our religious freedoms are eroding as laws are passed and precedents are set to increasingly trap us in legal situations that will have unfavorable outcomes. The prescient ones of the Church see this and rightfully tremble. I look on our predicament with mixed feelings though. If this cultural hostility leads to persecution, it will be a curse. But, it just may be a blessing in disguise as well. Our influence and numbers will fall but this is not all bad. In fact, this is probably a necessary step to get us to where we need to be as the body of Christ. After all, persecution is a great cleanser of the Church. When Jehoshaphat was told that a vast enemy had breached Israel’s lines (2nd Chron. 20 NIV), he called for a fast. He instructed the people to cry out to God and fall completely on His grace, power, and protection. “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chron. 20:12) This is our greatest need!

SEPTEMBER 2015

Cuba The American Church’s current situation reminds me of the Church in Cuba where I have visited many times. Castro came to power in 1959 after leading a revolution where he promised the Church his friendship and their freedom. As soon as he gained power though, he went after the Church. He forcefully closed churches and murdered and imprisoned many pastors. As you would expect, huge numbers of church leaders left the country fearing a similar fate. The Church was in complete panic and all looked hopeless. “A dark time for the church,” you think? The pastors and Christians that were left had little in the ways of charisma, influence, or

“Even under the best forms of government, those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.” – Thomas Jefferson

following. They were not the “winners” of the world. Those that were left were like the apostles after Jesus’ radical statements about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. . . “where should we go Lord? For you have the words of eternal life.” The pastors and believers that were left were “all-in” for the Lord. Their proverbial chips had been pushed to the center of the table. Nice house? Gone! Children’s future? Gone! Personal wealth, pensions and economic safety? Gone. What was left, though, was infinitely more valuable and usable to the Lord: a people stuck between a rock and Rock who, by necessity became wholly devoted to the Lord and fell at His feet in utter dependence.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

RePentanCe There is a big difference between hating our sinful culture and being broken over personal and our national sins. The first will leave you angry at the godless acting ungodly, whereas,the second will cause you to fall on your face and weep over our depravity. When King Josiah rediscovered the book of the law (the Bible) while restoring the temple he realized that he and his country had transgressed the Lord’s laws. His response was personal.

When the king heard the words of the (Bible), he tore his robes. He (said) “Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in (the Bible) that has been found.

“Experience teaches us to protect liberty (especially) when government’s purposes are beneficent. (Free men) naturally repel invasion (but) the greatest danger to liberty (comes from) insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.” – Louis Brandeis, Court Justice

Supreme

Great is the LORD’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.” (2 Kings 22: 11, 12 NIV) Back To Cuba The church in Cuba after Castro’s attacks was a seemingly pitiful creature; shabby, awkward and wickedly portrayed by the ruling culture. For thirty years this pitiful creature grew slowly all the while fueled by a forced and full dependence on the Holy Spirit. In this time it birthed true believers because the cost of admission to the Church was the same cost requested of the rich young ruler; the forfeiture of all wealth, standing and personal power. This is the great secret of the persecuted Church and the answer to our existing predicament. Yes, we must organize and fight politically (unless we want to be ruled by godless people hostile to us and religious freedom), but before all human effort, we must be cleansed. We each must push all our proverbial chips into center of the table so that what we cling to isn’t a Christian culture, but rather a personal life and a Church that is wholly devoted to its Master. That is a Church and believers that are sustained daily by the Bread of Heaven and by the Holy Spirit. During one of my trips to Cuba, I met an amazing older believer who told me of Cuba’s spiritual history in the last 50 years. Here is her story from an ICC newsletter from years ago. The greatest event of Maria’s life began in 1988. It was at that time that after 28 years of prayers being lifted up to the Lord from the persecuted faithful that the Lord revealed Himself in a mighty way to the Cuban people. Literally thousands of people were

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

healed in the most miraculous way. People would walk out of church carrying their wheelchairs, they were healed of every type of sickness and deformity, and they had visions and every kind of manifestation of the Lord’s presence. So many people suddenly came to church that the pews began to break. We began to sleep at the church so that we could minister most of the time. We would open the doors to the church first thing in the morning and the church would immediately be filled. The authorities came to us and told us we had to stop. “We can do nothing, it’s not us, it’s the people; they are coming.” The government pressure was so intense that our lives were in danger. They threatened to close our whole denomination. The secret police took me and my family to a secret place and told us we must stop immediately. They told us that we could only open the church at night-the church could not open during the day. We were so afraid that they would kill us that we agreed. We would only open at night but still the people came. We had to hand out tickets because so many were trying to get into the limited seats. For 28 years the communists had told the people that God didn’t exist, and they treated the Church horribly. After the events of 1988, they could go on telling the people the same lies but the people had no choice but to know that God was there. God came in a rain of miracles. I knew the answer but couldn’t help but ask her about what happened as a result of this incredible display of the Lord’s power. I asked her if many came to the Lord at this time. “OOOOOAAAAAHHHHHHHH (waving her arms) All of them!!” was her reply. At the beginning of this revival, her SEPTEMBER 2015

An infographic from our February 2014 letter attempting to layout the source of our cultural predicament

denomination in Cuba had 12,000 to 15,000 people. Seventeen years later the denomination had more than 350,000 people. Conclusion What happened in Cuba is called revival. The Holy Spirit can sweep over a nation and bring great conviction over society and then the masses come to Christ. When that happens, everything changes and evil is on the ropes. When the Church cries out and is truly broken, the Lord can and will send revival in His time.

“Plant righteousness for yourself, reap by being merciful; break up your unplanted fields; for it is time to seek the Lord till He comes and reigns righteousness upon you.” – Hosea 10:12

I will say it again, yes we must organize and fight politically and through the courts, but what we really need is for the Lord to show up! What He wants most from you and the Church is everything. That’s right, He wants it all. . . all of your heart and a life where He is at the center. When that exists we become grieved over our own sins and our nations sins. We cry out, not because things are changing and pagans are acting like pagans, but because our fellow man is lost and going to hell. If the Lord is willing, He can sweep evil away in a flood. Going back to Jehoshaphat, when he was facing disaster from an invading army and called on Israel to fast and fall on their faces before the Lord, the Lord showed up! His spirit spoke through. Listen to what the Father said (with a bit of creative license). “Listen, America, Washington DC, and the Church, Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but (mine). Tomorrow go down against them. ‘You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the

LORD on your behalf, O Church. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you.” The Church has been gagged and believes itself to be powerless. Like the apostles on Jesus’ last night, we could not keep watch even one hour and instead fell into a slumber. When we go back to the Lord and cry out for revival instead of better laws, we will have found our true North and the Lord will be roused and come out of His den.

“Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty.” – Plato

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Feature Article

Crosses on the chinese horizon? Since Communist Party secretary Xia Baolong deemed the numerous crosses on churches “too conspicuous” for the Zhejiang province skyline in 2013, Chinese government officials have demolished churches and removed over 400 crosses.

hen Xia Baolong, the Communist Party secretary of the Chinese province of Zhejiang, toured the city of Wenzhou, he was enraged to see the skyline punctuated by the prominent crosses atop Wenzhou’s numerous Christian churches. According to sources, Baolong deemed the crosses “too conspicuous.” Since that day in October 2013, Zhejiang government officials have removed over 400 crosses and demolished entire churches in what Chinese officials call the “Three Rectifications, One Demolition” campaign. China watchers see it as yet another crackdown on China’s rapidly growing Christian

church. International Christian Concern (ICC) reported on June 20, 2014, that Yahui Church in Pingyang County, China, found itself in the crosshairs of this government campaign. Having been ordered to remove the cross atop their church building, church members came out in force as construction crews arrived. Police surrounded the building, unsure of what type of resistance they would encounter. An ICC video posted online revealed police standing guard outside the church, riot shields in hand, while a towering crane latched onto the church’s red cross and slowly brought it to the ground — to the dismay of the dozens of gathered Christians. But as the crane lowered the cross, the Christians lifted their voices and filled the scene with the words of a Chinese hymn, singing, “Cross, cross, be my glory

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

forever; all my sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus.” Some voices began to waver and break as the group of believers witnessed the beginning of a new wave of government persecution in China. Zhejiang officials are taking the cross removal campaign very seriously and have come down hard on anyone who attempts to thwart the government in carrying it out. One example that made international news is that of Huang Yizi, pastor of the governmentsanctioned Fengwo Church in Pingyang. Pastor Huang was arrested and later convicted of “gathering crowds to disturb social order.” His crime? He and several others had asked the Pingyang County government to explain why police beat more than 50 parishioners of the Salvation Church, another SEPTEMBER 2015

A Chinese military official stands guard outside of a government building.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Feature Article

church in Pingyang, when they tried to stop government authorities from taking down the cross from that church. Pastor Huang has vowed to appeal the conviction.

Freedom and Repression When China opened its doors to conduct more international trade in the late 1970s, Deng Xiaoping introduced “socialism with Chinese characteristics,” or capitalism, as it is known in most circles. Other economic freedoms crept into a society that had been fairly closed to the outside world for decades. Emboldened by these new liberties, some Chinese citizens tested the waters on other individual freedoms and were a bit more open about their religious convictions and a little freer to gather together for worship. The Chinese government has a history of feeling threatened by religious movements. They also, like most Communist movements, fear any gatherings of people that could grow into a threat to their iron-fisted rule. Most Chinese remember or have been told about what can happen when the Chinese government makes a sharp U-turn on individual freedoms. That’s what happened in 1957, when Chairman Mao Zedong encouraged a “thousand flowers to blossom,” allegedly allowing freedom of expression, and then followed the campaign with a brutal clampdown. That also happened during the Cultural Revolution in the ‘60s and ‘70s, when any who had dared to think or act differently from the Red Guards were shamed mercilessly, sometimes to death. Cycles of freedom and repression are nothing new in communist China. The Chinese Constitution does grant its citizens “freedom of religious belief” in Chapter II, Article 36. The article also states that “no state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion.” How this constitutional guarantee plays out in real Chinese life is an entirely different matter. It is well-known, for example, that members of the Chinese Communist Party are not officially allowed to become Christians. The recent uptick in raids of house churches and detentions of church members by local authorities is far from the religious freedom that the Chinese Constitution is supposed to provide.

Controlling the Church All churches in China are “urged” to register with the government and to come under the

A church facing demolition in Zhejian Province authority of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), the government-approved church in China. Under TSPM, the churches are subject to government regulations regarding training, teaching and baptisms; many believe it is just another means for the government to control religious activity. On the other hand, a Christian church not registered with TSPM is considered an “underground church,” which gives it an ambiguous government standing. As a result, local government authorities are

‘No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not believe in, any religion.’ – chapter ii, article 36 of China’s unheeded constitution

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

inconsistent in dealing with the underground churches. In some cases, officials turn a blind eye toward the church’s activities. In other cases, police raid services and detain or arrest pastors and church members. In the case of Zhejiang Province, for example, authorities determined that there were too many church crosses on the horizon. They have played no favorites in this instance, removing the crosses of both TSPM and nonregistered or underground churches. On some occasions, police orchestrated cross removals in the middle of the night to avoid protests. Sensitive to the wave of criticism that followed the first cross removals and church demolitions, Zhejiang authorities cloaked their activities in the official-sounding “Three Rectifications, One Demolition” campaign. They justified their harassment of Christian churches by claiming that the purpose of the campaign was to remove a number of “illegal structures” to improve the urban environment. The campaign, however, has been applied specifically to Christian churches in the province. Architectural guidelines and building codes have been used to cover up a provincial government attempt at controlling the growing SEPTEMBER 2015

A human shield gathers in front of a church in Sanjian that was eventually demolished by government authorities.

Believers pray for a Chinese pastor. influence of the Christian church.

More Crackdowns on the Horizon The city of Wenzhou, home to approximately 4,000 churches and often called the “Jerusalem of China” because of its relatively large Christian population, has experienced the worst of the crackdown. The most notable event took place on the grounds of Sanjiang Church, a church that cost approximately $4.3 million to build and was completed in December 2013. After negotiations between church leaders and government officials failed, the church building was completely demolished on April 28, 2014. Sanjiang Church had been built on more square footage than the church’s permit allowed, and the two parties were unable to strike a deal on how to reduce the size of the church. When neither side was willing to compromise any further, the government unilaterally decided to completely demolish the church. In some cases, church buildings have violated building codes. However, a review of

a government document by The New York Times revealed that many Christians in China were correct about the government systematically targeting their religious structures. The document stated that the government hoped to regulate “excessive religious sites” and “overly popular” religious activities. The most condemning aspect of that report, however, is that it only mentions one religion and one symbol: Christianity and the cross. In May, the provincial government released proposed regulations with detailed specifications on how crosses should be displayed on church buildings. According to the regulations, crosses must be affixed to the façade of the building and can be no more than one-tenth of the building’s height. They should also be the same color as the church and blend in with the surroundings — in essence, making the cross almost invisible. Violations of these policies, were they to be officially implemented, would surely lead to even more crosses being taken down in the coming months. Granted, the Christian faith does not lie in a symbol or in the elegant architecture of a church building, but in the lives and fellowship of the believers who have devoted

The government document stated that the government hoped to regulate ‘excessive religious sites’ and ‘overly popular’ religious activities. themselves to Christ. But in a nation that has recently emerged from tight government control of religion, recent disputes raise concerns that the pendulum of religious freedom may be swinging in the wrong direction. Conflicts over the cross and the size of church buildings do not compare with the persecution faced by Christians imprisoned for their religious beliefs and activities, but they do point to the growing crackdown on religious freedoms in China. Speaking out against any government harassment now may preclude horrendous violations of human rights in the future.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Feature Article

Palace Protest

Indonesia’s presidential palace has become the center of Christian protests since the forceful closure of two churches by local authorities who refuse to uphold Indonesian Supreme Court rulings in the churches’ favor.

choing reverberations filled the air as multitudes created the clogging sound as a result of feet scuffing across the imposing Merdeka Square on a hazy Sunday morning in Jakarta. More and more feet joined the shuffling, and plastic neon chairs were unfolded and set up in neat rows in the square, which directly faced Istana Merdeka, the country’s presidential palace. The word “merdeka,” the name used for both the square and the palace, means “freedom” in the Indonesian language. On this morning, however, the shuffling feet belonged to nearly 200 members of two Christian churches who were meeting in peaceful protest of their lack of freedom — religious freedom. The two churches, Gereja Kristen Indonesia (GKI) Yasmin Bogor and Huria Kristen Batak Protestant (HKBP) Filadelfia Bekasi, were protesting the wrongful closing of their buildings by local government authorities. The churches had been gathering in Merdeka Square every other Sunday for nearly four years, hoping that Indonesian government officials at

the highest level would enforce the rulings on their cases made in their favor by the Indonesian Supreme Court in December 2010 and June 2011, respectively. It is not easy being a Christian in the most populous Muslim nation in the world.

Building Permits Revoked

The conflict began in February 2008, when GKI Yasmin Bogor was shut down because the Bogor City Planning Office claimed the church lacked the proper building permit, known as an IMB (Izin Mendirikan Bangunan, a license to construct a building/church). On further investigation, however, ICC discovered that the permit was only brought into question after Muslims objected to the construction of the church. The Office of the Ombudsman in Indonesia ruled in favor of GKI Yasmin and ordered the government of Bogor to reopen the church. The Indonesian Supreme Court echoed that sentiment and also ruled in favor of GKI Yasmin. Nonetheless, Diani Budiarto, Bogor mayor at the time, withdrew his required approval for the building, which he had previously given in 2006 — a response that

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

SEPTEMBER 2015

Indonesian President Joko Widodo resides in the presidential palace, where Christians have held services for nearly four years since the forceful closing of their churches. Photo by Adam Ferguson

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Feature Article

Nearly 100 services have been held outside the presidential palace since the government forcefully shut down two churches in Indonesia. the Indonesia Ombudsman’s Office deemed “malpractice.” Nonetheless, to this day, no government body has dared to move forward with the judicial orders. Not only was the church’s license revoked, but the congregations who wanted to continue worshipping elsewhere were threatened and intimidated by Islamic groups. Since going to church would not be safe anymore, the congregation decided to use a member’s house to hold its services, but the owner of the house was also threatened by these Islamic groups. These groups even chased out two parliament members who visited the church on Sunday, January 15, 2011. The attorney for GKI Jasmin, Thomas Waidaduri, commented: “In spite of the persecution we are facing, the spirit of the church members is still very high, the unity is solid and the hope of going back to the church to hold services is very high. Even though until now we have held services in different places — houses, roadsides and in front of the President’s Palace in Jakarta — one day we believe that we will go back to our rightful place of worship: GKI Yasmin, Bogor.” Representing the youth of the church, Evan

Simorangkir agreed, saying, “Our youth are in good shape, and we all support the church’s move to appeal to the government until we win this case.”

Taking a Stand

HKBP Filadelfia church in Bekasi faced a similar history of intense persecution. Pastor Palti was sent to the church in 2007. At that time, the church had already been pushed out of three different locations by radical Islamic groups, but that is not particularly unusual in Bekasi, a hotbed of Islamic radicalism just outside of Jakarta. In 2007, the congregation finally purchased its own property and applied for a license to build a church. It took more than three years for the church to secure the expensive and difficult-to-obtain IMB. In the meantime, the church started holding services on its vacant property. In December 2009, an angry mob showed up during the church’s Christmas service. Though no one was hurt that time, the mob kept returning, and the military had to be called in to protect the church. An official claimed congregation members had forged the signatures of their Muslim neighbors in order

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Joshua Adams / Global Post

to get the IMB needed to establish the church. The local government then yielded to pressure from radical Islamic groups to seal off the church property in January 2010 — the fourth time in 10 years. On this occasion, however, Pastor Palti and his congregation decided to take a stand, and for the next two years, the church assembled on the street outside of its sealed property and attempted to hold services there. It was a very challenging time. “The [Muslims] would cover the ground where we planned to sit with animal and human feces and animal carcasses. We started to come early to clean up the street beforehand, and the congregation got used to holding their noses during the service,” Pastor Palti told ICC. With a smile, he said the congregation eventually got so used to it they even started to laugh at their predicament. But there was more to come. Muslim groups starting hanging signs near the property. They read, “Jesus is a dog” and “kill the Christians.” Soon, an angry mob was regularly showing up during services, and by January 2012, they had hung loudspeakers up and were blasting the Christians with loud SEPTEMBER 2015

music and obscenities. The Christians continued to worship, even though their ears were splitting and they couldn’t hear themselves. Pastor Palti continued to preach, but the congregation couldn’t even hear his sermon. In March, the mob started to block all the routes to the church property. When church members tried to get through, they were jostled and forced back. So each Sunday the church would simply meet as close to the property as they could get, but each Sunday the mob pushed them farther and farther back. Eventually, they ended up on the steps of Pastor Palti’s home. By May 2012, the mob had grown to more than 1,000 and had started hurling stones, dirt, eggs and frogs into the congregation. After one service, Pastor Palti saw his 7-year-old daughter covered in rotten eggs. That month in 2012, HKBP Filadelphia received international media attention after an Islamic mob threw bags of urine at the congregation. In an act of protest, church members finally decided to move their services to the area outside the presidential palace. That is where the church is meeting today, still waiting for justice.

Discriminatory Laws

According to Article 29(2) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, “the state guarantees each and every citizen the freedom of religion and of worship in accor-

Negotiations:

dance with his religion and belief.” Despite the Supreme Court victories and guarantees in the Indonesian Constitution, however, true freedom of religion does not exist for Christians in Indonesia. The election of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in October 2014 brought hope for minority Christians in the Republic of Indonesia. But Ismail Hasani, research director of the SETARA Institute, an Indonesian democracy and human rights organization, says the promised return to traditional Indonesian religious tolerance is “seriously stagnant” after almost one year into Jokowi’s new administration. Hasani’s sentiments are echoed by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, which blames the lack of progress on President Widodo’s proposed reforms on an “entrenched legacy of the previous administration’s discriminatory laws, policies and practices against religious minorities and the relative impunity afforded to extremist groups.” During his campaign, Jokowi promised to repeal all laws that limited the freedoms of religious minorities, but because his plan has faced so much opposition, it has not been implemented. Local authorities have justified church closings by following a government decree that requires a complicated process to establish a place

Sewon Police sub precinct chief, Comr. Heru Setiawan (left), and his colleague from Bantul precinct police, Comr. Qori Handoko, talk to FJI members attempting to shut down the Indonesian Baptist Church in Bantul, Yogyakarta. (JP/Bambang Muryanto)

of worship. Among the necessary steps is obtaining several signatures from community members, which can be difficult in a country where one’s neighbors are most likely adherents of Islam. The next necessary step is getting approval from different government authorities, and even if Christians are able to get approval to establish a church from one government office, they may face opposition from another. The Sunday gatherings continue in peaceful protest, featuring hundreds of believers who gather to sing songs and hear teachings from Scripture. Members of the churches say they will continue to meet there on alternate Sundays for these services as long as necessary. When asked how long the members of GKI Yasmin will hold their worship services outside the presidential palace, one church member responded, “Until the truth is being upheld.” They pray it will not be a long time. So far, the churches have met only about 100 times, which can be discouraging. GKI Yasmin’s media coordinator said, “Sometimes we feel tired and … abandoned, not only by the government but also by Christians. We seem [to be] fighting this battle alone. We really need other brothers and sisters to stand with us. However, if we have to stand alone, we will fight to the end.”

Prosecution :

(Photo above) The police have named two suspects involved in the violence that claimed one life, injured 12 and saw the burning down of a market and small mosque. (JP/Nethy Dharma Somba)

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Feature Article

A Flood of Refugees Christian Refugees Fleeing Persecution Part of Global Crisis

hey killed my dad. There is no place for us in our land anymore,” Safar told me inside a small, tworoom home in Midyat, Turkey. Safar, two brothers, and his mom had made their way across the Syrian-Turkish border from Hassakeh, Syria, to Midyat, Turkey, just a few weeks earlier. His dad, a veterinarian, had been threatened by extremists who told him to remove the cross from the family car. He had not complied with their orders, and just a few days later was found in the countryside. He was shot and killed inside the car, the cross still hanging from the mirror. Safar and his family were now refugees in Turkey. The small Syriac Christian community in Midyat had helped them find housing, and, with support from NGOs, could provide a small stipend of food and winter supplies. As we finished up our conversation with Safar and his mother, we made our way to the cultural center where just an hour earlier a group of twelve had arrived. They had started the journey more than two days before. The trip had included a harrowing smuggling operation through areas controlled by Islamic extremists, before being detained by regime soldiers, and then finally being released to make it across the border and into Turkey. The room was filled with a nervous tension as they processed the ordeal. Those who had been in Turkey previously were eager for updates about the fate of friends and relatives

still in Syria. By sunrise the next morning, the group was gone. Their journey was not yet over as their final destination was not eastern Turkey, but somewhere in Europe, likely Sweden or the Netherlands. They still had another border crossing to undertake. Those they had paid to move them this far would decide if they would try a land crossing into Europe by way of Bulgaria or Greece or by boat across the Aegean Sea to one of the Greek islands. This scenario is being repeated every night in dozens of cities across the region. The refugee crisis has reached an all-time high, reaching over 59.5 million refugees or internally displaced people (IDPs), according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN refugee agency. “Wars, conflict and persecution have forced more people than at any other time since records began to flee their homes and seek refuge and safety elsewhere,” according to a new report from UNHCR.

No Place for You Here: Persecution Putting Christians on the Run

The conflicts in Syria and Iraq have pushed the issue to historic proportions. The war in Syria has created the largest displacement in the world. More than 7.5 million Syrians have been internally displaced, and another 4 million are now registered as refugees. In neighboring Iraq, more than 3.1 million have been driven from their homes just since the beginning of 2014, and hundreds of thou-

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Migrants embark on an overloaded boat toward Italy. sands are still living as refugees. In Syria, more than 600,000 Christians are believed to have been forced to flee. Since 2003, Iraq has lost more than a million of its 1.5 million Christians, and since the rise of ISIS in 2014, another 150,000 have had to flee to live as IDPs in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. But war and persecution forcing Christians to flee is not just a Middle East problem. The crises driving people to flee their homelands span the globe. From Burma to Eritrea and from Nigeria to Pakistan, hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee, and religious belief and identity is a primary factor for many of them. In Burma, more than 100,000 Kachin Christians and 140,000 Rohingya Muslims have been internally displaced. Boko Haram’s rampage throughout northeastern Nigeria has been the primary cause of more than a million people being driven from their homes. The militant Islamic group is intent on building an Islamic State that has no place for Christians, and increasingly, even Muslims who disagree with them will become targets. In more and more countries, conflicts based in religious identity are driving people out of their homes. “Heartbreaking numbers of people have been forced to flee their homes in a desperate attempt to find safe haven, with many trapped in squalid refugee camps and war zones, or risking their lives at sea,” said United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Chairman Dr. Robert P. George on June 19. “Millions are victims of the twin evils of political tyranny and religious intolerSEPTEMBER 2015

Refugees migrating through Iraq, where 3.1 million have been driven from their homes since 2014.

ance and persecution which have helped create the massive suffering we see today.” For many, the dangers do not stop when they make the decision to leave, but the journey and the destination are themselves full of incredible dangers.

A Dangerous Journey Sixteen-year-old Nael Goitom was in a caravan of nearly 80 people traveling from Eritrea and Ethiopia through the Libyan Desert when, on March 3, they were stopped by 20-30 armed militants from the Islamic terrorist group, ISIS. “They wanted to know who was Muslim among us. We Christians had crosses and pictures of Jesus, so we really couldn’t hide it,” he said in an interview. They were held for nearly a month before ISIS brutally executed many of them, broadcasting it to the world in a video published on social media. Nael and others were forced to witness the brutality firsthand, wondering when they would be called. On April 7, as the jihadists were moving camp, Nael and four others seized an opportunity and were able to escape, surviving four days in the desert before meeting someone who was able to help them on to Tripoli and eventually safely across to Europe. Islamic jihadists are just one of the dan-

A refugee and her child huddle near a tent in Lebanon. gers that refugees face. As the total numbers surge to record highs, the number of deaths is also increasing. Through the first half of 2015, the number of deaths of people crossing the Mediterranean was nearly 18 times what it was in 2014. Most boats used to make the crossings are overcrowded and piloted by unexperienced captains, putting them at greater risk for capsizing in the often dangerous waters. The dangers and risks of making the journey are great, but as was poetically captured by the words of Somali-British poet Warsan Shire, “You have to understand that no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than

the land.” For far too many Christians around the world, the land — land they have lived on for thousands of years — has indeed become more treacherous than the dangers they may face at sea. When I left Safar in eastern Turkey, he did not know what they would do. His mother had thoughts of staying. After all, Midyat was the homeland of many Christians who witnessed a similar genocide 100 years earlier, but the situation would be hard. A few months later I heard from Safar, together with his mom and brothers. They had made it to Sweden.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

11.6 mil

1.4 mil

5.4 mil

Islamic Terror Group

4.1 mil

Nigeria

1.3 mil

59.5 million refugees or internally displaced people, an all-time high according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Central African Rep. Sudan/South Sudan Syria Iraq

Islamic Terror Group

Nigeria

1.3 Million people

Islamic Terror Groups: Violent extremists like ISIS, Boko Haram, al-Shabaab and Al Qaeda directly target Christians and have caused millions to flee. PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

SEPTEMBER 2015

Gov./Social Hostility

Nigeria

Refugees and Internally Displaced People by Origin

Iraq

4.1 Million people

Islamic Terror Group

Syria 11.6 Million people

Islamic Terror Group

South Sudan

Gov./Social Hostility

Central African Republic 1.4 Million people

2.4 Million people

Sudan

Eritrea Eritrea

2.9 Million people

416,000 people

Government Repression: Authoritarian regimes that imprison or persecute religious and ethnic minorities are a driving factor in migration.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

You Can Help Today!

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Send donations to: ICC po box 8056 silver spring, md 20907 or online at www.persecution.org or by phone 800-icc-5441

Giving to ICC via your Will Provide now for a future gift to ICC by including a bequest provision in your will or revocable trust. If you would like more information on giving to ICC in this way, please give us a call at 1-800-ICC-5441.

International Christian Concern (ICC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) (all donations tax-deductible). ICC makes every effort to honor donor wishes in regards to gifts. Occasionally, situations arise where a project is no longer viable. ICC will then redirect those donated funds to the fund most similar to the donorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original wishes. ICC uses 7.5 percent of each restricted donation to carry out the mission of its segregated funds. facebook.com/persecuted

@persecutionnews