WWW.PERSECUTION.ORG
OCTOBER 2015
PERSECU ION
Overview A Global
of Persecution
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
Table of Contents
In This Issue: FEATURE
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14 | Global Overview
From the terrors of ISIS to a concentrated campaign to destroy crosses and churches in China, Christians around the world have endured great persecution throughout 2015. In the following pages, take a look at how your gifts have made a difference in their lives. FEATURE
16 | Middle East Overview
The very landscape of the Middle East is changing as Christians in the region have been forced to flee their homelands by the thousands to escape increasing persecution and hostility. FEATURE
20 | South Asia Overview
Persecution continues to escalate in South Asia, particularly in Pakistan and India, where Christians regularly face church bombings, forced conversion and false blasphemy accusations.
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FEATURE
24 | Africa Overview
Despite a year of intense suffering, Christians in Africa have found their faith refined and their churches united. FEATURE
28 | East Asia Overview
Though persecution varies in form from North Korea to Indonesia, all believers desperately need our prayers. TRIPS
30 | On the Ground: 2015
Get an overview of our trips to Mexico, Egypt, Pakistan and Nigeria. Regular Features
3 Letter from the President A few words from ICC’s president. 4 World News A snapshot of the persecution that impacts our brothers and sisters daily, in every corner of the world. 8 Your Dollars at Work Learn how your gifts are providing comfort, relief, Bibles, education and vocational training to the persecuted. 2
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President’s Letter
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:2 (NIV)
I came back from vacation today rested and refreshed having spent precious time with my wife and kids in safety and in ease at the beach. Each day we rode bikes, played in the pool, went fishing, and swam in the ocean. I even began to teach my kids how to surf. They were able to live as care-free youth and their biggest concerns were over whose turn it was to play on the tablet. All-in-all, it was a classic American vacation and a perfect investment of time into what really counts.
Jeff King, President International Christian Concern
On my first meeting of the day back at the office though, I sat down with two of my Regional Managers who had recently returned from Nigeria which they described as a killing ground for Christians. They told me about their journey and the river of victims that passed in front of them. Boko Haram and the Fulani herdsman they have armed are butchering Christians on a ferocious scale. Christians in the North that haven’t been killed or kidnapped to face a life of rape, like the Chibok girls, have been driven off their ancestral lands to live in extreme poverty as refugees in their own land. They are Internally Displaced People. The old among them will die away from their ancestral lands, a grievous burden that haunts them. The young grow up in rags and face a life of poverty due to the lost years without education. Many others though have lost a father, mother or both. I listened to my RMs and felt the pain they had experienced and were trying to process. Together we felt the frustration of not being able to solve a problem of massive pain and severe suffering of our brothers and sisters. Don’t get me wrong, we will help many, but we will not solve the problem. One national politician there told us that most of his colleagues don’t really care. Even worse, many politicians, police, and military leaders are aiding and abetting the enemy within. The contrast between my vacation and the experience of my kids and the experience of Nigeria’s IDP’s was strking. Like you, I don’t really know how to deal with it. We have been blessed in America. Truly blessed. There is a reason that so many around the world still come to our shores. It’s not that we don’t have cares and burdens; they just pale in comparison to the plight of those targeted because of the name of Jesus. For that reason, I am thankful for you and your care for your brother and sister. As you read this issue and get an overview of what’s happening around the world, take some measure of satisfaction in the fact that you are part of a small minority of Christians that are aware of and care for their persecuted brother and sister. Without you, their lives would be measurably worse. As always, your donations will be used efficiently, effectively, and ethically. I promise!
Jeff King President International Christian Concern www.persecution.org
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Christians Among 1,000 Women Forced into Islamic Marriage Annually
Imprisoned in Pakistan in 2009, Asia Bibi is facing a death sentence on false blasphemy charges.
Despite Progress on Supreme Court Hearing, Asia Bibi Remains in Danger 1 | PAKISTAN Asia Bibi was imprisoned in Pakistan in 2009 when she was accused of blasphemy during an argument with Muslim co-workers. A year later, she was sentenced to death. Although Bibi’s case made some progress this July when Pakistan’s Supreme Court agreed to hear her appeal, she remains in serious danger. The lack of rule of law in Pakistan, especially in matters regarding religious minorities, emboldens extremist Muslims to take the law into their own hands. Not only has Bibi’s family been forced into hiding, but local Muslims have already placed a bounty on her head to be put in place if she is released. Furthermore, those who have defended the wrongly accused and spoken out against blasphemy laws have often faced violence themselves. Bibi’s case is simply one of many demonstrating the misuse of blasphemy laws against religious minorities in Pakistan.
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2 | PAKISTAN According to a recent report from the Aurat Foundation, at least 1,000 girls in Pakistan are forced into marriages with Muslim men and forced to convert to Islam on a yearly basis. Of these, it is estimated that up to 700 are Christians and approximately 300 are Hindus. Both are religious minorities in Pakistan. Christian women are common victims of discrimination in Pakistan due to their double minority status with regard to their gender and religion. Girls who face this type of persecution are typically subjected to various types of abuse, including human trafficking in some cases. The majority of these women and girls are typically only between the ages of 12 and 25 when they are taken from their families and forced into lives of heartache. Unfortunately, their abductors are often never brought to justice as many forced marriages and conversions go unreported. Further still, in the cases that are actually taken to court, the women are often threatened or coerced by their husbands and in-laws into stating that they converted of their own free will. According to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, Pakistan is considered a Tier 1 Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for their “systematic, ongoing, egregious” violations of religious freedom.
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Christian Greeting Turns into Night of Terror
3 | INDIA In late January of this year, a Christian woman was returning to her home after an evening of prayer with a friend in a neighboring village. On the way home, Nirmala met another Christian woman, Kalavathi, with whom she shared a Christian greeting that means, “Praise the Lord.” The exchange was overheard by a number of youth, who the women later discovered belong to a radical Hindu group. The youth immediately began to harass and verbally abuse the women. The next morning, Nirmala and her husband awoke to find more than 40 Hindu radicals surrounding their home, chanting antiChristian slogans. The couple was told by the radicals that if they did not flee the village or stop following Christ, they would be killed. Although police arrested eight of the attackers after the incident, they have since been released and are living in the same village as the Christians. OCTOBER 2015
Continued Persecution After Deadly Garissa University Attack Drives Many Christians to Flee
4 | KENYA Months after al-Shabaab carried out a deadly attack on Garissa University, Christians in Kenya continue to face persecution. Due to continued threats, many Christians in Garissa believe that it is no longer safe for them to live and openly worship in their town. While some have fled in search of safety, others have refused to leave their homes and churches, choosing instead to risk their lives in the face of future attacks.
ISIS Converts Famous Church to Mosque Christians Ask for Prayer for 5 | IRAQ The Islamic State recently transformed Mosul’s Nepal’s New once famous Chaldean Church of St. Joseph into a mosque. The building, which held historical significance Constitution for Christians in Iraq, has now been robbed of all its crosses and Christian symbolism, and its dome has been painted black. Since ISIS took control of the city of Mosul in June 2014, many Christians have been forced to flee in search of safety. Overnight, more than 500,000 fled the city and, since then, the total number of displaced Iraqis has reached 3 million. Unfortunately, this has left ISIS militants to have their way with Christian places of worship. While some of these historic sites have been demolished, others have been renovated for Muslim worship.
6 | NEPAL As their religious freedom hangs in the balance, Christians in Nepal are calling out for prayer and support. There are currently questions over whether the country’s new constitution will include anti-conversion laws which would make it illegal for anyone to convert to Christianity. This provision would also make it illegal for ministries to spread the Gospel in Nepal. If the provisions are put in place, both in writing and in practice, Christians in the region may soon face great persecution.
Hindu Nationalists Putting Increasing Pressure on Christians to Convert 7 | EGYPT Hindu nationalist organizations have escalated their efforts to convert Christians and other religious minorities in India to Hinduism. Despite the fact that it violates India’s constitution, Hindu nationalists have been increasingly steering government welfare benefits away from poor Christians, pressuring them to first convert in order to receive the benefits. Although people in low castes are usually granted government stipends, they are often denied to people who are registered as Christians or Muslims. Unfortunately, Christians are disproportionately found in the poor Dalit class, making the decision to maintain their faith a significant one.
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Christians Decry China’s Campaign to Demolish Churches and Crosses 1 | CHINA As the “Three Rectifications, One Demolition” campaign continues in China’s Zhejiang province, groups are calling out for change. Leaders from both the Church Affairs Commission and the Catholic Patriotic Association released a report condemning the destruction and removal of crosses. Hundreds of churches have felt the effects of this campaign as their buildings have been either partially or completely demolished. One report from UCA News indicated that 1,100 crosses had been removed from church buildings in Zhejiang Province alone. The egregious targeting of places of worship is officially being conducted under the guise of “removing or modifying illegal constructions” for the purpose of “urban development.” However, it has been made clear that Christian churches are being targeted regardless of the legality of their construction. Although the law demands the demolitions be carried out by members of the Religious Bureau or the Housing and City Planning Bureau, a significant number have been done by armed SWAT members, police forces and, in some cases, unidentified individuals claiming to represent local authorities. This abuse of authority is yet again leading to Christians in China speaking up to demand their rights. The government of China must immediately take action and cease the removal of crosses and the destruction of churches in order to ensure the religious freedom of its citizens.
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Clergymen Kidnapped in Iraq and Syria 2 | IRAQ The Arab Christian world is growing increasingly concerned over the kidnapping of both their clergymen and innocent civilians, particularly in Iraq and Syria. Pope Francis has repeatedly called for an end to violence against Christians, even going so far as to call the acts of terror “a form of genocide” and referring to the onslaught as a “third world war.” Over 200 Assyrian Christians were captured by ISIS this February, and their locations and conditions have yet to be determined. Religious minorities are particularly vulnerable to kidnappings and are often held for steep ransoms. Unfortunately, this decrease in security has caused many Christians to flee the area, making the future of Christianity in the Middle East appear dim. PERSECU ION.org
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Boko Haram’s Allegiance to ISIS Resulting in Increased Persecution 3 | NIGERIA In early March 2015, the radical Islamist group Boko Haram pledged their allegiance to ISIS. Although there were few initial differences in the months immediately following the pledge, the recent spree of increased attacks against Christians and moderate Muslims seems to be a manifestation of their pledge of loyalty. Since claiming affiliation with ISIS, Boko Haram has begun to refer to themselves as the Islamic State’s “West Africa Province.” During the Muslim holiday month of Ramadan, Boko Haram followed the calls of ISIS for increased violence among “non-believers.” It appears as though Boko Haram is attempting to demonstrate both their abilities and loyalty in an effort to garner support. The past few months have been characterized by suicide bombings targeting both Christian and Muslim worship services alike. In addition to the violent nature of their assaults, Boko Haram has recently been attacking groups in Nigeria’s Plateau state, which lies on the border between the mostly Christian south and the mostly Muslim north. Their attacks in the region may be interpreted as attempts to spark further violence between the groups. Please keep our brothers and sisters in this region in prayer.
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Two Sudanese pastors who were facing a possible death penalty in Sudan were acquitted in August.
Imprisoned Sudanese Pastors Freed in August
China Cracks Down on Human Rights Lawyers
4 | SUDAN On August 8, Pastors Yat Michael and Peter Yen were acquitted by a court in Khartoum, Sudan, after serving more than seven months in prison. The men faced flogging and a possible death penalty or life sentence on multiple charges, including espionage, undermining the Constitution and waging war against the state. The pastors’ cases drew international attention and sparked calls for their release by many international advocacy groups. Both pastors have expressed gratitude for the prayers and hard work that made their freedom possible.
5 | CHINA In recent months, police in China have launched an organized crackdown on human rights lawyers. Over 50 people, including human rights lawyers and law firm employees alike, have been detained or summoned by police. Human rights lawyers have played a vital role in defending the rights of Chinese Christians and their churches against the abuse of power by government officials. The detention of numerous human rights lawyers clearly points to the Chinese government’s attempts to maintain a tight grip on the freedom of their citizens.
ISIS Announces Abduction of Three Christians in Libya
6 | LIBYA On July 19, the Islamic State announced they had abducted three Christians of African descent in Libya. It was announced that an Egyptian, Nigerian and Ghanaian were abducted when ISIS released photos of the captives’ passports on social media. According to a family friend of one of the kidnapped men, negotiations over ransoms for the release of the men are currently under way. This is just one of countless cases of Egyptian Christians who have been kidnapped by radicals in Libya. Most infamous is the case of the 21 Christians, 20 of them from small towns in Egypt, who were violently beheaded by ISIS militants. Although Libya is known for its population of Islamic extremists who operate freely, many Egyptian Christians are forced to leave their country in search of work in this dangerous, neighboring country.
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Your Dollar$ at Work Printing Press in North Africa Providing the Words of Life to New Believers Bibles to the Persecuted
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wo and a half years ago, church leaders from North Africa were speaking with ICC about the incredible ways that God was moving among their people. Across the country, hundreds were coming to faith in Jesus and being baptized every month. The churches were growing so fast that they were not able to keep up with the needs of these new believers. We asked them what they needed, and their answer was simple: God’s Word. The churches did not have enough Bibles for new believers to have access to the Words of Life. They would smuggle Bibles in a few at a time from overseas. Some were able to import them in large quantities, but this would be very expensive and it would often take them months and months to make it through customs. With your help, we committed to change this and make a strategic investment for the Church in this country. We purchased the printing equipment and materials and helped to identify experienced and reliable staff, and a new printing press was established. Since the presses started rolling at the beginning of the year, more than 75,000 copies of God’s Word have been produced and distributed to churches across the country. As the press is serving the church, many churches and ministries are now coming to see how they can use it to produce more resources and expand their discipleship materials. Now, as new believers are saved and baptized, churches have the ability to make sure that they receive God’s Word and can help them as they take the next steps in learning to follow Jesus in a country that still remains hostile to those who choose to leave Islam and follow the Words of Life.
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New Batteries Replacing to Beat the Heat Burned Bibles Save Our Sisters
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ue to frequent power cuts in Pakistan, the Save Our Sisters centers rely on the power stored in UPS batteries to continue their work and training even when the power is out. Unfortunately, the batteries for the church’s UPS system no longer function properly and are unable to hold a charge. Over the summer, intense heatwaves swept the country of Pakistan with temperatures regularly climbing over 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to the extreme heat, several of the girls being trained at the Save Our Sisters centers became ill from heat exhaustion. Because fans and other cooling devices rely on the power stored in the UPS batteries when the power is cut, these girls had no way to cool down. Thanks to your generosity, ICC was able to purchase new batteries and repair the UPS system so that training could continue and the women could escape the unbearable heat.
Sustaining Hurting Families
Bibles to the Persecuted
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t the beginning of the year, a Christian family was assaulted by Hindu radicals on the outskirts of Telangana, India, in response to local evangelist, Mrs. Nirmala, bringing more and more Hindu women in the area to faith in the Gospel. One evening, when Nirmala met with another Christian woman, Mrs. Kalavathi, a group of Hindu radicals overheard them exchange Christian greetings. The group began to harass and verbally abuse the two women because of their faith. Later, the radicals stormed Kalavathi’s home, destroying her property and throwing Bibles and other Christian literature out of the house and burning them outside the village. In response, ICC provided Christians in this village with 25 new Bibles. These believers will now be able to continue using the Bibles personally, as well as using them to continue sharing their faith.
Hand of Hope
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n March 15, suicide bombers from the Pakistani Taliban attacked two churches in Lahore’s predominantly Christian neighborhood of Youhanabad. Nineteen Christians were killed and more than 70 others were injured. Following the attack, riots broke out which led to the deaths of two Muslim men. This event triggered a series of mass arrests of Christian men and boys in Youhanabad. Because of these arrests, many families suffered the loss of their primary breadwinner. Even after these men were released, many of these families remained in need of basic food assistance to help them recover from the effects of the mass arrests on their family’s income. Fortunately, ICC was able to provide food packages that would support each family for two full weeks. By providing them with the necessities, your gifts have enabled these families to return to their normal lives.
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Your Dollar$ at Work
Softening the Burden Hand of Hope
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ikere is a Christian living is a Muslimdominated region of Ethiopia who conducts a gathering of evangelical Christians in his home. From May to July, Fikere was cast out of his village because he resisted the illegal construction of a mosque on his land. During this time, he was forced to flee his home after receiving threats from Muslim locals. Unfortunately, this also led to the accumulation of various living expenses. Through your donations, ICC was able to relieve Fikere of some of his financial burdens. In the midst of legal challenges, Fikere was stretched thin for both time and money. This gift not only helped Fikere, but also aided his family and the group of local Christians who look up to him as a leader. Now, Fikere is in a much better position to protect his religious freedom and his right of ownership over his land.
Praying for Recovery in Kenya
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Hand of Hope
n July 6, al-Shabaab carried out an attack in Mandera, Kenya, along the border of Somalia. During the attack, at least 14 were killed and many others were injured. Two of the survivors managed to escape with gunshot wounds and began treatment at a hospital in Nairobi. Al-Shabaab has been actively persecuting Christians in the region, with their deadliest attack occurring in April when gunmen killed 148 people at Garissa University. In response to the Mandera attack, ICC was able to provide these two survivors with both wheelchairs and crutches. The gunshots robbed these two of the ability to walk, so we pray that God would deliver the necessary treatment to make walking possible for them once again. As the healing process is often difficult, we ask that you please continue praying for the recovery of these victims.
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Your Dollar$ at Work
New Equipment in Indonesia
G Broadcasting Hope
Hand of Hope
PDI Jatinangor is a church of 300 members in west Java, one of only a few Christian churches in Muslim-dominated Indonesia. In December 2014, Islamic radicals supported by local police raided the church, forcing it to close. Radicals destroyed the church’s sound system and the musical instruments that were being used in corporate worship.
For many months, the church held services outdoors, but when the church reopened in a new building, a sound system and musical instruments were desperately needed for the preaching of God’s Word and corporate worship. ICC replaced the needed equipment, which was purchased locally by the ICC representative in Indonesia. The church has been greatly encouraged and empowered to reach out to its Muslim neighbors.
Broadcast
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hrough the Broadcast fund, ICC has been able to participate in the ministry of The Voice of New Life. This Somalia-based ministry broadcasts the Gospel throughout Africa, the Middle East and parts of Europe. Numerous listeners have written in to say how their lives have been changed through this radio ministry. One listener said, “As you recall, I had been a conservative Muslim and I even used to preach at you, attempting to bring you back to Islam, but now I am a believer, and that is because of VNL.” Another said, “You have been teaching me the Word of God for a long time. Finally, you helped me understand the Gospel. Without VNL, I would not have received eternal life through Jesus Christ, my Savior.” Thank the Father for these miracles and please keep praying with us that the Father would continue to send forth His light and truth through these broadcasts to the nations.
Aid for Imprisoned Chinese Elder
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Suffering Wives & Children
uangzhou-based Liangren Church elder Huang Quirui wrote a letter from prison to fellow parishioners, sounding very much like the apostle Paul: “I miss you dearly and remember you in prayers every day. …Those who dwell in the house of God continue to have faith, hope and courage! …Amen.”
In his heartfelt letter from prison, Huang appears full of joy and peace, and sees his experience as an opportunity to be remolded by the Lord through suffering. Although his wife and their two children are struggling, elder Huang knows God will not ignore his family. The aid provided by ICC is an answer to his prayers and a great encouragement to elder Huang and his family.
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Makeshift church in Northern Nigeria.
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GLOBAL OVERVIEW
Persecution World View
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ebruary 15, a video released by Al Hayat Media, the media arm of the so-called Islamic State, or ISIS, showed the brutal execution of 21 Christians on a beach in Libya. Dressed in orange jumpsuits, the 21 men were led down the beach by Islamic jihadists and then forced to kneel before they were beheaded as martyrs who chose to identify with Jesus. The video was labeled “A Message Signed with Blood to the Nation of the Cross,” and it was a gripping demonstration of the incred-
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Boko Haram members display their weapons.
ible dangers that Christians around the world face for following Jesus. Atrocities like this continue to be committed by ISIS across the region. In Iraq and Syria, they have controlled an area of land that was home to more than 200,000 Christians. In March, two suicide bombers from the Pakistani Taliban tried to enter the gates of the St. John Church and Christ Church in Yohanabad, Lahore, Pakistan. The attackers were stopped at the gates, but still 19 were killed and more than 80 injured as they celebrated Palm Sunday, something consid-
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ered too dangerous for Islamic extremists in Pakistan. Across Africa, from Boko Haram’s brutal attacks in Nigeria to the massacre of more than 100 university students in Garissa, Kenya, Christians were repeatedly the targets of Islamic terrorists. Due to increasing persecution at home, thousands of Christians have fled their homes — some choosing to risk their lives in an attempt to migrate north through Libya and across the Mediterranean into Europe. They face dangers not just from crossing the desert and sea in the hands OCTOBER 2015
ISIS cleansing the land of Christianity by destroying crosses on gravestones of human traffickers, but also from ISIS jihadists in Libya who actively hunt down Christians. Numerous eye-witness accounts have explained that the militants will stop a caravan and go person by person searching for Christians and then either force them to swear allegiance to Islam or face execution. Such was the fate of more than 30 Ethiopians and Eritreans in March. Christian persecution is not just the domain of Islamic terrorists. Increasingly, authoritarian regimes or established religious leaders are cracking down on the church, attempting to tear down their crosses in China, doing
all they can to prevent Christians from worshiping in a building in Indonesia, banning Christianity in entire villages in India, imprisoning house church leaders in Iran, and using blasphemy and apostasy laws in Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan and Saudi Arabia to silence those who believe in Jesus. Yet as persecution continues to rise around the world, it is a testimony to the endurance of faithful Christians who continue to follow Jesus no matter the cost. It is also a call to the global church to stand up for and identify with their brothers and sisters who face persecution.
In response to each of these issues, ICC serves as your bridge to the persecuted church. The following articles give an overview by geographical region and insight into some of the ways ICC is making a difference. Whether it is by bringing awareness of issues that have gone unnoticed, advocating before world leaders or providing life-saving or liferestoring assistance in the world’s most difficult places, your support allows us to bandage and build the broken body of Jesus.
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MIDDLE EAST OVERVIEW
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cross the Middle East, persecution is at an all-time high. Every day, thousands of Christians are facing the question of whether to attempt to stay in their homes and risk death and imprisonment or to flee and try to start a new life somewhere else. In Iraq and Syria, Christians face a modern day genocide at the hands of Islamic extremists. Since the Syrian conflict started in 2011, an estimated 600,000 Christians have fled
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their homes either relocating to a safer area inside Syria or leaving the country, first to Lebanon, Jordan or Turkey, and, in many cases, attempting to go onward to Europe or the United States. Iraq’s Christians have been fleeing the country since 2003, but ISIS swept through the last remaining stronghold of Christians in the Nineveh Plain in 2014 and pushed the remaining 150,000 Christians into Iraq’s Kurdistan region. There, they are struggling to survive, fighting just for food, water and shelter and searching for a reason to stay in the country. The situation for Egypt’s struggling Christian community improved with the election of President Sisi. He is attempting to crack down on the Islamic extremism that has been responsible for much of the persecution of Christians. Yet Christians remain the frequent targets of kidnappings, and churches are the prime targets for arson and makeshift bombs. The centuries long discrimination in education and business continues to force many Christian workers to risk their
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lives taking jobs in Libya just to earn an income to support their families. There, they face new risks as ISIS has targeted Egypt’s Christians for abduction and execution. In Iran, President Hassan Rouhani continues to speak of reform and greater rights and freedoms for their citizens, while the secret police continue to raid house church meetings and imprison Christians. American Pastor Saeed Abedini remains in prison, even while the United States and other world powers have negotiated an agreement with Iran on its nuclear program. Nearly 100 Christians have been arrested over the past year, and many others face the choice of whether to stay and face prison or flee for asylum. OCTOBER 2015
Buildings on the Syrian border lay in rubble after government bombing raids
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Standing with the Martyrs
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hen ICC learned of the abduction of seven Christian Egyptian workers in Sirte, Libya, on December 30, 2014, and then of 13 more on January 3, we knew what their likely fate would be. We immediately began working with contacts in Egypt to reach their families in order to help advocate with both Egyptian and U.S. officials to learn if anything could be done to secure their release, but our options were limited. After their execution was confirmed on February 15, ICC continued to stand with the families in the midst of their grief and pain. Within a few days, we visited them just to pray, encourage them and, through small food packages, remind them that the global Church was standing with them. Now we are working with them to make sure their future is secure. Through livestock projects, small businesses and a clothing shop, we are helping not just these families, but the community as a whole to recover.
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Sustaining and Life Springing Keeping the Forth in Iran Church in Iraq A
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he rise of ISIS in June 2014 sent more than 150,000 Christians fleeing from their homes in central Iraq to the Kurdistan region. The churches there have done an incredible job of caring for their brothers and sisters, as well as many of the others who have been displaced — a total of more than 3 million people across Iraq. As an especially cold winter hit, the need for jackets and boots was urgent. Then the Iraqi summer returned, bringing temperatures regularly exceeding 110 degrees and making the cinder block buildings resemble ovens. Your gifts helped us provide relief for hundreds of families. Without prospects for finding jobs, many families have left their countries. By providing microgrants to enable families to start earning an income again, we are helping to slow the tide and help Iraq’s Christians stay in Iraq.
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midst all of the chaos happening in the Middle East, there is good news bubbling out from beneath the surface. Within the Islamic Republic of Iran, many are choosing to follow Jesus, despite the incredible cost. For years, ICC has been working with church leaders who faithfully and boldly share the message of the Gospel across the country. As Iran’s hardliner Ayatollahs and the Revolutionary Guard continue to crack down on Christians, imprisoning believers like Farshid Fathi and Saeed Abedini, raiding meetings and outlawing any Persian-speaking ministries, the house churches continue to grow. Many Iranians are tired of an external religion that has been forced on them but brings no peace, joy or purpose for life. They are searching for real life, and many are finding it in Jesus through your support of pastors on the frontlines. OCTOBER 2015
Life to Broken A Future for Caring and Communities in Egypt’s Children Providing for War-Torn Syria L Egypt’s Widows
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he conflict in Syria has now stretched into its fifth year. The number of Syrians living as refugees continues to climb, and the prospect of returning home grows more dim with each passing day. As they watch their country torn apart by Islamic jihadists fighting in the name of religion, many are looking for something that teaches love rather than hate. Among the Syrian refugees, ICC is partnering with one refugee who is leading a number of house churches that have emerged from Muslims who have embraced the message of the Gospel of Jesus. Each week, our partner is going house to house, sitting and encouraging the families and sharing with them the story of a God who brings love, justice and healing to a shattered world. And the message, just as it did in the first century, is bringing new life to broken communities.
ife as a Christian in Upper Egypt is incredibly challenging. Generation after generation has struggled to make a living here. The education system is already poor, and Christians are regularly discriminated against, leaving the next generation trapped in a cycle of poverty and persecution from which many never escape. Through ICC’s Kids Care program, we’re helping to change the future for many Egyptian kids. We provide small food subsidies, clothes, school supplies, discipleship programs, health and hygiene seminars and educational support. It is reaping fruit for students like Hanna who recently wrote ICC: “God bless you for every sweet action you do for me and for the food that you sent me. Also, for the beautiful clothes and the chicken. You know what? I am excelling at school, and all the teachers are very happy because my educational level is higher than before. Thanks that you helped me with the tutoring money.”
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s Egypt has gone through a time of political instability, Christians have borne much of the brunt of the violence from Islamic extremists and criminal gangs. From the burning of churches and car bombs to kidnappings and shootings, persecution has been a near daily occurrence. The election of President Sisi has helped to crack down on many of the Islamist groups, but security is still far from guaranteed. When the families of four Coptic men murdered in 2013 continued to press for a trial for the killers, one of the cousins and key witnesses was gunned down in cold blood. ICC is helping this man’s widow to not just survive, but to be able to provide a stable life for herself and her young children. Together with her family, she has been able to put her skills as a seamstress back to work, and her cousin is selling the fabrics in the city.
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SOUTH ASIA OVERVIEW
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t’s been another tough year for Christians in South Asia as religious intolerance and persecution continue to escalate across the region, especially in India and Pakistan. These Christian communities have been forced to endure church bombings, mass forced conversion campaigns, false blasphemy accusations and innumerable assaults and insults because of their faith in Jesus. This sad state of affairs has left many wondering whether there is a place for Christianity at all in many parts of South Asia. In India, Christians have found themselves facing a growing wave of intolerance and persecution since the rise of Prime Minister Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in May 2014. “Muslims and Christians are feeling increasingly
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unsafe u n d e r Modi’s regime,” said Bishop Rt. Rev. Pran Ranjan Praricha. The first 100 days of Prime Minister Modi’s rule saw instances of persecution against Christians and Muslims, two of India’s largest religious minority groups, skyrocket with over 600 instances of religiously motivated violence recorded in Uttar Pradesh alone. Since then, the number of incidents have leveled off, but religious minorities, especially Christians, remain afraid. In the past year, Pakistani Christians have witnessed one of the worst instances of violence perpetrated against their community since the bombing of All Saints Church in 2013. In March of this year, suicide bombers from the Pakistani Taliban bombed two churches in a predominately Christian neighborhood of Lahore called Youhanabad.
T h e bombers killed 19 people and injured another 80 when they detonated the deadly payload. Enraged Christians took to the streets in riots shortly after the bombing, damaging property and killing two Muslims who were likely caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. “It was an inhumane thing they did,” Fr. Francis said. “The scene of the bomb blasts, with all the blood and body parts, drove the people mad.” Despite this depressing escalation in persecution and intolerance, there remains hope for the Christian communities of South Asia who remain faithful to Jesus. As the Gospel of Matthew says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
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OCTOBER 2015
ICC visits impromptu memorial to the victims of the March 2015 Youhanabad church bombings in Pakistan.
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Assistance for Victims of Suicide Bombs
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he bombings of Christ Church and St. John’s Catholic Church in Youhanabad forever changed the lives of many Christian families. When the dust settled and the smoke cleared, 19 people were left dead and another 80 were wounded. Days after this tragic event, ICC was able to travel to Pakistan and visit both churches that had been attacked by the suicide bombers. What we discovered was a community broken and living in fear. Because we arrived on the scene so quickly, we were involved in the initial aid efforts to heal the Christian community of Youhanabad. With information gathered from that initial field visit, ICC has been able to stage three successful food distributions to Christian families in Youhanabad, as well as provide vital small business assistance to Christians who had family members killed or permanently disabled in the bombings.
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Repairing a Healing the Church Torched Broken in Wake by Radicals of Bombings
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ollowing Prime Minister Modi’s rise to power in India in May 2014, attacks on Christians have skyrocketed. Among the victims of this new wave of persecution was a small Christian community located in a village called Tadur in southern India. On January 16, after the members of Parimala Beautiful Church completed a Friday prayer service, the humble structure used as the village’s only church was torched by unknown assailants. In response to this incident, ICC replaced and repaired the items damaged by the fire. Pastor Srinivas, a pastor at Parimala Beautiful Church, was extremely thankful for the assistance. He said, “I was very discouraged and disappointed by the incident. But it is even more a blessing to learn that our church is prayed for both locally and internationally. Now, we realize that we are part of a wider family of God.”
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ver the past year, ICC has continued to support the education of 30 Christian children in Peshawar, Pakistan. These children were affected by the worst incident of antiChristian violence in Pakistan’s history: the bombing of All Saints Church. On September 22, 2013, suicide bombers attacked the church following a Sunday service. Over 100 Christians were killed and over 130 more were wounded. The scars of this tragedy are still visible in Peshawar’s Christian community today. To help heal these scars, ICC initiated a four-day trauma counseling program for both the children enrolled in ICC’s education program as well as others affected by the bombing. According to a local leader, “This program is the first professional help many have received since the bombing in 2013.” Keep this community in your prayers as ICC continues to help in the healing process. OCTOBER 2015
Safe House for Hope Remains Man Accused of for Asia Bibi Blasphemy
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n June, Yaqoob Bashir, a mentally disabled Christian from Pakistan’s Sindh province, was beaten and arrested for blaspheming against Islam after being accused of burning a booklet that carried Quranic verses. Bashir was declared mentally disabled and received treatment at a mental health facility in Hyderabad prior to the incident. Speaking with ICC, Bashir’s mother said, “My son is innocent. He does not know the sensitivity of religious feelings or sacredness of the holy books. He did not burn the pages of the Islamic literature intentionally. It was just an accident due to the ash from his cigarette. He is mentally unstable and therefore should be forgiven.” In response, ICC has provided Bashir’s family with a safe house to stay while tensions remain high, as well as with food assistance and supplies for the family to provide to Bashir.
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n July, the Supreme Court of Pakistan temporarily suspended the death sentence of Asia Bibi, a Christian mother sentenced to death under Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws, while the court reviews the case against her. The review is the first glimmer of hope seen in this case for many years. For many, Bibi’s blasphemy case has become symbolic of how Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are regularly abused. The accusation against Bibi originates from a dispute that took place in 2009 between Bibi and a group of Muslim women. The Muslim women became angry when Bibi, a Christian they considered unclean, drank water from the same bowl as the Muslims. An argument ensued, and the Muslim women later reported to a local cleric that Bibi had blasphemed by saying, “My Christ died for me, what did Muhammed do for you?” Bibi has been on death row since her death sentence was announced by the session’s court in 2010.
Outlawed in 50 Indian Villages
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ne Christian community hit particularly hard by persecution over the past year was the community living in the Bastar district of India’s Chhattisgarh state. After a massive attack on Christians living in the village of Sirciguda, Hindu radicals gathered leaders from many villages and pressured them to ban “all non-Hindu religious propaganda, prayers and speeches in the village” by village ordinance. When the ordinance passed, Christianity was effectively made illegal in 50 villages. For Christians living under these ordinances, life has become almost unbearable. Hindu radicals have continued to harass Christians in Bastar, imposing greater restrictions on their ability to practice their faith and leading efforts to further excommunicate them from village life. The persecution faced by these Christians will continue to be prioritized by ICC. Look out for ways to get involved in ICC’s efforts to serve these persecuted Christian communities in the year to come.
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AFRICA OVERVIEW
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error, but triumph. Intense persecution, but increasing perseverance. 2015 became a year marked by intense suffering of Christians, especially in West Africa. However, the Church of Jesus Christ in the region came through more united and refined by persecution than it had been before. The year began with shocking ferocity perpetrated by Islamic extremists in Niger when, on January 16 and 17, riots erupted all across Niger, and Muslim extremist gangs targeted thousands of churches for destruction and burning. Christians there are still suffering and picking up the pieces after the devastation, but ICC heard the cries of our suffering Nigerian brothers and sisters and traveled to the capital, Niamey, in August to meet and encourage pastors, to assist victims and to show fellow believers that we in America truly weep with them while
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they weep, and will rejoice when they rejoice. ICC provided new sewing machines for a Christian-owned tailoring shop that is working with persecuted women to provide them training and job opportunities. We also replaced sound systems for two churches that lost everything in the riots. Niger represents a new frontier for ICC as persecution in the country continues to mount and Christians persevere through heightened trials to continue to follow and worship Jesus. 2015 also marked a watershed year for ICC, having traveled to Nigeria for the first time in three years in midAugust. Nigeria repre-
sents one of the most dangerous places on earth to be a Christian. Believers suffer incredibly, with many telling of friends and family murdered by machetes, torched villages and bomb blasts. Amidst the gutwrenching horror that Christians face daily, lives threatened by Boko Haram and extremist Muslim Fulani herders, the Church continues to fight for joy, simply encouraged to know that Western brothers and sisters are praying for them and care to hear about their plight.
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A Christian’s home burned to the ground by al-Shabaab in Kenya
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A Village Rebirthed from Ashes
A pastor points out a home burned down by al-Shabaab
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verywhere you look in Malamande, Kenya, you see the indelible marks of persecution and devastation of the worst order. Mud-brick houses are demolished, their wooden frames burned, paint and plaster melted and cracking from the extreme heat of fires started by jihadist, al-Shabaab arsonists. One pastor picks up a charred and rusted knife that the Islamist militants once used to take the life of his fellow brother in Christ and neighbor. He gestures with an eerie slicing motion in front of his own throat to demonstrate how Christian men were slaughtered when fighters stormed the village on July 5, 2014, swift to shed Christian blood. The pastor represents an exception – he is the one male survivor in Mpeketoni, Kenya, where persecutors targeted Christian men specifically as they burned homes to the ground, leaving several women widowed and dozens of children fatherless that night. Yet the people of Malamande are rebuilding hope. With the help of our local partners in Kenya and the perseverance of determined villagers, ICC is helping rebuild Malamande house by house from the ashes. With every wooden frame erected, townspeople look forward to a future with hope restored. With every mud brick mixed and set, some of Kenya’s most persecuted believers pray in thankfulness toward God who would even care for the sparrow, and so promises to provide for His people. In June, ICC’s Kenya staffer journeyed into the field in Malamande to witness the town’s rebirth firsthand. Even though more than a year has passed since the village was brutally attacked, Christians in Malamande still live under the constant threat that alShabaab will return. Brothers and sisters worldwide should continue to pray for Kenyan believers like the ones in Malamande, that they would discover heavenward hope as they continue to pick up the pieces from persecution.
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OCTOBER 2015
Migrants Face Persecution
Niger Church Destroyed
Harassment in Ethiopia
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s if poverty wasn’t difficult enough, Ethiopian and Eritrean Christian migrants headed for Europe to seek greener pastures face an even more deadly threat on the way. On April 19, the Islamic State (ISIS) released a horrific video to send a chilling message to “the nation of the cross.” The video showed 30 Ethiopian and Eritrean Christian brothers beheaded and shot to death in two different execution scenes filmed in Libya. Devastated by the news, dozens of Ethiopian families have been left struggling to make ends meet now that many of them have lost their primary breadwinner. Burtukan is the mother of a boy and a girl who are both under the age of ten having to grow up without their father. Though Burtukan once partnered with her husband to sell wood carvings with Bible verses, she now must trust the Lord to provide even her next meal. Please continue to pray for her and all those who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
ond Pointe Baptiste Church is one of the oldest religious establishments in Niamey, Niger, standing as an enduring symbol of Christian faith in a Muslim-dominated country since 1929. Today, the building remains too dangerous to use for church services after angry extremist Muslim mobs looted and burned the church on January 17 as part of a nationwide attack that left thousands of churches destroyed and countless Christians suffering. The building needs a complete overhaul. The pastors were forced to take down the aluminum ceiling panels for fear that their bent and charred remains would come crashing down on worshippers. Yet members of both the French-speaking and Yoruba-speaking congregations of Rond Pointe Baptiste have found ways to praise God in the midst of the devastation. They now worship in a temporary shelter with a new sound system and chairs that God provided through ICC.
hile Ethiopia is a majority-Christian country where the Constitution protects religious freedom, Christians don’t always experience that freedom to worship Jesus. In certain Muslim-dominated pockets of Ethiopia, such as Harerghe, pastors regularly face harassment from fundamentalist Muslim mobs. Unfortunately, local authorities willfully ignore the plight of Christians. In Harerghe, pastors have been imprisoned and threatened with death. One pastor even had his land stolen so that the Muslim majority could build a new mosque. In this region, Christians need to know their rights under the law and could desperately use encouragement from God’s Word about persecution. That’s why ICC partnered with local pastors and Christian organizations in Ethiopia in March to train pastors about their legal rights to freedom of worship with Biblical instruction to help them stand up under the pressure mounting from the Muslim majority.
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EAST ASIA OVERVIEW
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ersecution of Christians in East Asia takes a different form than that found in the Middle East, South Asia or Africa. Nevertheless, persecution suffered by Christians there is very real and just as serious. North Korea is believed by most religious freedom groups to be the world’s worst persecutor of Christians. Under Kim Jong-un, as under his father and grandfather, Christians are not allowed to meet and worship God, openly or in secret, despite a handful of ‘showcase churches’ in Pyongyang. The North Korean regime recently introduced a paranoiac rule forbidding the gathering of three persons out of fear that they would discuss the ills of North Korean leadership. First-hand reports rarely make it out of the country, but those who have been able to escape (at great personal risk) have provided detailed descriptions of imprisonment, torture, threats and discrimination faced by Christians every day.
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Persecution in China has worsened over the last year. Local Communist government officials harass Christians in campaigns like the one in Zhejiang province, which resulted in the demolition of an estimated 1,500 church crosses and entire church buildings over the last two years. Police also raid house churches, detaining or sending Christians to jail on trumped-up charges. Most recently, human rights lawyers who have challenged the government are detained by police or suddenly disappear. Despite being the world’s most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia was considered tolerant of other religions until a few years ago. Many Christians hoped that new President Joko Widodo would bring back greater religious tolerance, but pre-election promises have not been kept. Islamic radicals have been emboldened by the lack of government or police determination to counter their illegal actions, such as destroying churches or forcing them to close. Some congregations still cannot return to their church buildings, despite having won Indonesian Supreme Court victories. The governments of Vietnam and Laos also seek to control Christian churches, allowing local authorities to intimidate Christians. Dozens of local Christian pastors, mainly in
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rural areas, have been imprisoned for sharing their faith or leading small congregations of Christians. In Myanmar, Buddhist nationalists pressure government officials to impose legislation to ‘protect’ the country from other religious or ethnic minorities. Unfortunately, persecution of Christians in East Asia, in all its different forms, is very real. OCTOBER 2015
Keeping Up with Demand
Becoming Leaders
Family Support in Vietnam
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he growth of house churches in China means there are many new believers in need of Biblically-based teaching materials, especially in areas where there are no trained pastors. ICC has purchased equipment for the mass production of albums containing nearly 100 DVDs, each with up to four years worth of well-balanced, Chinese-language pastoral training materials. The DVDs tackle such issues as avoiding cults, developing a healthy marriage and family and maturing in Christ. The DVD albums also include a multi-dialect Jesus Film, Chinese-language praise and worship songs, Chinese Bible and study notes and popular devotional materials. One contact for the project said he “needs 1,000 albums now” to begin immediately distributing across various regions of China, but due to production and funding limits, ICC cannot keep up with all the requests for these pastoral training materials.
uring the second quarter of this year, ICC continued its support of five church planting teams in a region of Indonesia dominated by Muslims. The teams reported having shared the Gospel with 343 people, 202 of whom were open to hearing the Good News. The teams praise God and give Him the glory that 57 of those that heard the Gospel became new believers. The church planters also held a Passover celebration in April with roughly 300 believers. Many of the believers at the celebration recommitted their lives to Jesus Christ. Ten of them received baptism. In addition to their evangelistic outreach in the second quarter, the church planting teams held leadership training for 23 local believers. The church planters expect these newly equipped believers will also be sharing the Gospel with others and leading small groups of believers themselves.
ince 2013, ICC has supported 20 families of Christian pastors imprisoned in various locations throughout Vietnam. The majority of the prisoners are church elders, leaders or pastors imprisoned for their Christian leadership and evangelism and given prison sentences ranging from five to 18 years. Unfortunately, the majority of the prisoners are husbands and fathers whose families face extreme hardship and poverty as well as continued harassment by Vietnamese authorities. Last year, ICC provided a baby pig to 10 families of imprisoned church leaders in critical need. This year, we have just provided funding to purchase pigs for an additional 10 families. As the pigs grow and multiply, families develop self-sustaining businesses that provide a decent level of income for the duration of their loved one’s imprisonment, thereby alleviating much of the financial difficulty caused by the loss of the family’s primary support.
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On The Ground Mexico: Our President in the Field
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CC’s president, Jeff King, personally visited Mexico to do a joint investigation into persecution there with Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) in the first half of the year. What we found there stunned us. We knew persecution was going on there but we didn’t expect it to be as widespread or as intense as we discovered. We found that there are probably 5,000 cases of persecution spread out over three main states with Chiapas being the worst affected. Not suprisingly. we also discovered a pretty clear correlation between the level of persecution and the penetration of Santa Muerte, a satanic cult that worships death. We launched a multi-day advocacy effort in the halls of Congress and at the State Department in June. Over the course of 19 meetings with key Congressional offices, we presented evidence of widespread persecution and saw immediate results. Senator Marco Rubio, a leading presidential candidate, questioned the upcoming ambassador to Mexico regarding persecution referencing ICC’s infomation and mentioning us by name. A federal official of Mexico’s Interior Ministry was presented a letter from Senator Rubio. He told an ICC-connected human rights worker in Mexico that they were shocked by the information we had provided the senator and were going to immediately work with Chiapas State officials before the letter ended up on the desk of the Mexican president! Due to our efforts, the United States government has now officially questioned Mexican government officials at the federal and state levels across Mexico about persecution. At time of writing, new officials were being put in place to address the issue. Several states have improved their persecution reporting and trained their officials on how to deal with persecution cases. As a result, the police intervened in one persecution case where they guarded a church that was being threatened with destruction. We also saw a Chiapas state official visit one community that was persecuting Christians and told them to stop or he would have them all arrested!
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One of Mexico’s youngest victims of persecution
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OCTOBER 2015
Egypt: Meeting Pakistan: Life Nigeria: with the Hurting as a Persecuted Talking to Survivors Christian I n February, ICC took a trip throughout Egypt to continue our work on some of the most pressing issues affecting Egyptian Christians. Landing in Cairo, our first few days were spent among partners working with Muslim -background believers. While Egypt has a substantial Christian minority that is able to worship freely in their churches, for those from a Muslim background, persecution from family and community is extremely intense. In Upper Egypt, we met with the families of men who had been kidnapped or killed in Libya. Some we’ve been assisting since their loved ones were killed in early 2014 while others were still hoping for news of loved ones just recently abducted. This trip also included advocacy visits with human rights attorneys defending Christians in prison for blasphemy and a meeting with senior U.S. officials regarding the persistent abductions of Christians throughout Upper Egypt and other issues of persecution.
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his Easter, I was able to catch a glimpse of what it is like to be a persecuted Christian in Pakistan. Days before I left the United States for Pakistan, suicide bombers attacked two churches in a predominantly Christian area of Lahore, causing many to fear more churches would be attacked over the holidays. As I attended an Easter morning service, one of the men that joined me was visibly upset. When I asked him what was wrong, he lifted the back of his shirt to show the pistol he was carrying. He said, “I feel ashamed that I have brought this with me, but I don’t feel we will be safe without it.” The experience of attending church with the real fear that the building could be attacked was an experience that will be with me for the rest of my life and has made me better understand what it is be to a persecuted Christian in Pakistan.
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magine being awakened in the middle of the night hearing the blood-curdling screams of your neighbors being slaughtered in their beds by evil men wielding machetes and AK-47s. You now have two choices. If you try to lock your door, they will likely douse your thatch roof in gasoline to leave you and your family to burn inside. If you make a run for it, you risk being shot in the back, gunned down in cold blood by extremist Muslim Fulani herders trying to cleanse Christians from the Jos Plateau in Nigeria. This is the tragic reality of persecution that occurs on a weekly basis in central Nigeria, and few are talking about it. In mid-August, ICC traveled to Nigeria to learn these horrific stories from survivors and raise alarm about this forgotten persecution raging on while the world fixates only on Boko Haram.
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