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The Disappearing Church of the Middle East
Special Edition: Understanding Islam and ISIS
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
JUNE 2016
President’s Letter
I met a traveler from an antique land Who said: “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert . . . Near them, on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed: And on the pedestal these words appear: ‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!’ Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
Jeff King, President International Christian Concern
Ozymandias, Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1792 - 1822 Nothing Will Remain Round the Decay of that Colossal Wreck! I know the end of the story! The winds of time and laws of God will blow the desert sands over ISIS (and Islam) until all that remains will be a shattered visage, half buried, with its “lingering sneer of cold command.” Until then, the human cost of Sunni Islam’s Pitbull on the Middle East’s Muslims, Yazidis, and Christians is beyond comprehension. Luckily, the Brits and Russians have really given ISIS a beating as of late. Russia seems to have turned the tide in Syria and ISIS will not take over. ISIS has suffered serious losses in manpower and funding (oil sales) in the region due to strategic attacks from both powers. The silver lining in ISIS’ brutality and trail of bodies, dead and broken, is that their methods have revealed the core of Islam. Islam has always conquered by the sword in great historic waves. The horrors of ISIS (Syria/Iraq), the Muslim Brotherhood (Egypt), and Boko Haram (Nigeria), are causing many, many Muslims to vote with their feet and leave Islam. In fact, it seems we may be in a historic wave of Muslims coming to Christ (see page 44). Because of your partnership, we will continue to bandage the broken and build the Church in the toughest places. We are merely your hired hand to touch, to bandage, and to build. Together, we will do this work at the fringes of God’s expanding kingdom where it meets Satan’s strongholds. Please join with us, as the persecuted are more than worthy of your time, treasure, and talent.
28 Jeff King President, International Christian Concern www.persecution.org
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Your Dollar$ at Work
Relief for Pastors in Iran
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Underground Pastors
he Islamic Republic of Iran is not the greatest friend to the Western world and far less to religious minorities, especially Christians. In the majority Shi’ite Muslim nation, religious minorities are extremely persecuted by the theocratic government. The Ayatollah Khamenei and ruling Mullahs believe Islam is the one and only true religion and Allah is the one true god. Despite this reality and the fact that the threat of arrest and imprisonment are ever present, underground pastors are bringing the Gospel to the people of Iran. Due to the intense persecution these pastors face, they need as much support as possible. Through the Underground Pastors Fund, ICC has been providing Christian leaders in Iran with the much needed support they need to fulfill the Great Commission Christ entrusted to His followers and the God’s children.
Distributing Bibles in China
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Bibles for the Persecuted
s the Christian community in China faces some of the strongest persecution in recent memory, God’s faithful remain optimistic and happy. Cross removals, church closures, arrests, and beatings would likely discourage many Christians, but the strength and tenacity of China’s Christians offers a glimpse of defiance toward the evil one. China is more accessible for foreign organizations and nationals now as compared to the past, but distributing faith based aid is still a dangerous endeavor. Despite this, ICC and its regional partners were able to successfully distribute thousands of Bibles to Christian communities in rural China. The Gospel reached the hands of the young and old, the educated and uneducated. In all cases, the Bible was graciously accepted by recipients with open arms. Continue to pray for China and its neighbors throughout Southeast Asia as Christian persecution remains at a high level.
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
JUNE 2016
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Sharing the Gospel with Laos
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Bibles for the Persecuted
aos, like many Southeast Asian nations, is governed by a repressive government that does not allow religious freedom to thrive. Even though some of these countries protect religious freedom in their constitutions, these constitutional protections are treated more like suggestions than actual rules. For Christians living in Laos, persecution
is felt from the government, the military, and even Vietnamese influences as Laos has been a pseudo-vassal state of the communist regime since the Vietnam War. A desperate need of Christians in Laos is access to the Word of God. Through its Bible Fund and the help of partners in the region, ICC was able to provide thousands of Bibles to the persecuted in Laos.
Underground Pastors
s Pastor Kumar was leading a regular worship service in January, Hindu radicals stormed his small church in southern India. Shortly after entering the church, the radicals began beating the Christians that had the audacity to practice Christianity in “their” locality. Because Pastor Kumar was the leader of the church, the radicals focused much of the brutality on him. Following the attack, Pastor Kumar needed immediate medical attention for the injuries he sustained during the assault. That’s when ICC sprang into action. After visiting Pastor Kumar in the hospital, ICC was able to pay for all of the medical expenses that Pastor Kumar incurred following the assault. “The presence of ICC while I was in the hospital gave me great encouragement,” Pastor Kumar said. “I was really touched by the wonderful ministry ICC is carrying out for the suffering Church. I am so thankful for helping me pay for the medical treatment.”
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Replacing Destroyed Bibles
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Bibles for the Persecuted
n the days leading up to Christmas, it’s tradition for Christians in India to go caroling and hand out copies of the Bible to those willing to take them, free of charge. Unfortunately, religious intolerance in India has dramatically increased, making this tradition dangerous. This year, a team of Christians in southern India was out caroling and handing out free Bibles when they were attacked by a gang of
Hindu radicals. The radicals beat the Christians severely and burned a van full of Bibles and other Christian literature that the Christians were distributing. Through its Bible Fund, ICC was able to replace the Bibles and other pieces of Christian literature that were lost that night at the hands of the radicals. In response, one of the project’s beneficiaries said, “The literature replaced by ICC symbolizes that there is still hope for this nation and people. Thank you ICC!”
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Your Dollar$ at Work
Police Officer Slain
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Suffering Wives and Children
ichard Mwanzia’s family remembers him as a loving father, a devoted follower of Christ, and a brave soldier who fought the single largest persecution threat to the Church in Kenya: al-Shabaab. Richard died the way that those closest to him remembered him: in service to his country, to his family, and to his God. He was killed on January 27 in Lamu County, Kenya when the security vehicle he was riding struck an al-Shabaab improvised explosive device (IED). Five other officers died in the explosion. One week after Richard’s funeral, ICC visited his family in Machakos, Kenya in the spirit of Christian love, providing them with a food package to express our condolences and demonstrate unity in the Body of Christ. While their pain remains still so raw, Mwanzia’s family trusts God through the tragedy. Richard’s mother Alice and her family need your prayers.
Small Business Assistance
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Community Rebuild
n March 15, 2015, suicide bombers from the Pakistani Taliban attacked two churches in the Youhanabad neighborhood of Lahore, Pakistan. As a result, more than 20 were killed and dozens of Christians were injured. Before the attack, many of the Christians injured were day laborers. The injuries they received as a result of the bombings were devastating because they took away their ability to provide for themselves and their families. When ICC discovered this problem, it started a program providing small business opportunities for those injured in the bombings. As a result, ICC was able to help over 25 Christian families in Pakistan open small businesses they will run to support themselves. In March 2016, ICC was able to finish serving all of the Christian families affected by the Youhanabad church bombings.
Medical Assistance
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Community Rebuild
op fled Ude village with her children alive, but not before sustaining a painful gunshot wound. “As I fled away with two of my kids, the bullets hit me on my right arm and began to bleed,” she told ICC. “I used part of my clothing to cover and try to reduce much loss of blood,” she added. Yop’s story represents one of many thousands of Nigerians in the country’s central “Middle-Belt” region that face brutal attacks from radical Islamist Fulani herder militias targeting Christian communities. Today, Yop is recovering and thanks God for sparing her life. Her doctors stand amazed that her injuries were not worse. “Sixteen pieces of bullet cartridge in that arm and the bones were not shattered is simply a miracle!” her doctors told ICC. ICC covered Yop’s medical expenses for her care and hospital visit. Please pray for Yop’s full recovery and confidence in the Lord for her safety.
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Bus Attack Kills Husband
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Suffering Wives and Children
hen he left his home in Nakuru County, Kenya for Mandera near the Somali border on December 19, Meshack Otieno had no idea that his journey would mark the start of untold agony and heartbreak for his family. Otieno, 43, was an experienced welder and had been called to Mandera for a job, right into the heart of a region rife with Kenya’s most notorious persecutor of the Church: al-Shabaab. The Somaliabased Islamist terror group has gained a reputation for brutal attacks in which they are notorious for targeting Christians. Otieno’s journey was cut short when al-Shabaab gunmen ambushed the bus near the northeastern village of El-Wak. During the attack, the militants began to separate Christians from the Muslims. However, Kenyan Muslim riders protected many of their Christian countrymen. Muslim women gave their head coverings to Christian women and helped others hide under the seats. Otieno was one of the people forced off the bus. When he tried to escape the attackers, al-Shabaab gunmen met him in the surrounding bush and tragically shot him dead. ICC traveled to the Otieno family home seeking to care for the family with Christ’s love. Thanks to the generosity of ICC’s donors, we provided food and basic sanitation supplies to the family for three months. Still, the family needs your prayers for strength and God’s provision.
Care for Egypt’s Kids
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Kids Care
hildren are the most vulnerable victims of persecution and, in many cases, are often forgotten by their national governments and even the global Christian community. In Egypt, thousands of children are in extremely difficult situations with little hope of ever rising from their current economic and cultural status. Large numbers of Egyptian Christian children live in deplorable areas of Cairo including the garbage slums of this historic capital. Here, Christian children are seen rummaging through the garbage of 22 million people looking for toys and other items of value. In these slums, the members of the Christian community work, play, and live amongst the garbage, but do so with a smile and positive outlook on life. To help maintain this positive outlook and provide a bright future for some of these children, ICC has been able to provide education, Bible studies, food, clothing, medical care, and training for their parents through the Kids Care Fund. ICC is providing this support to an entire village of Christian children with the hope that one day these Christian children will break free of the bondages of poverty and persecution. It is through the gracious donations and prayers of ICC’s supporters that this vital aid is provided to the often forgotten members of the body of Christ.
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Who’s the Biggest Evangelist in the Middle East? You would never guess, but it’s ISIS! ISIS, The Muslim Brotherhood, al-Shabaab, and Boko Haram are creating massive discontent within Islam and causing many Muslims to leave Islam for Christianity. One prominent leader in the Middle East told me that ISIS is the evangelist, while he is merely the one doing the baptizing. On July 7, 8, and 9, we are gathering the Church to an international conference in the US to meet their persecuted brothers and sisters and those that work on their behalf. This year’s conference is focused on “The Disappearing Church of the Middle East.” From members of Congress, to nonprofits, to churches, to missionaries, to the persecuted themselves, we are gathering the free and persecuted Church together to learn from each other and to learn how to connect and fight for the persecuted Church as well as how to take part in this historic opportunity to reach Muslims in the Middle East. This isn’t an ICC conference, but rather a conference about persecution where the speakers and leaders we gather will give you the inside scoop on ISIS, persecution, and how to get your church engaged and connected with Christians in persecuted countries. Finally, we want this conference to be a call for revival for the Western Church. In the persecuted Church, you find real devotion, sacrifice, and great love for the Lord in spite of the terrible cost Christians pay for their faith. It’s that spirit that we love and hope to spread, starting with you! Come with us and let’s cross The Bridge together! Jeff King President Persecution.org/International Christian Concern
To register for The Bridge, please visit: www.thepersecutionconference.org or call George Gomez at 301-329-2846 7
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
JUNE 2016
2016 INVITED SPEAKERS
Eric Metaxas New York Times best selling author of Bonhoeffer and Amazing Grace
Jason Upton Anointed Christian artist with 18 albums
Jeff King ICC President
Senator Marco Rubio (Invited) US Senator for Florida
Tass Saada Former PLO hitman
Daniel Shayesteh Former Iranian Muslim
Don James
Dr. Sharon Linzey Ackerman
Rep. Frank Wolf
Rep. Trent Franks
Juliana Taimoorazy
David Saperstein
Rep. Joe Pitts
Rep. Chris Smith
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Erick Schenkel Director of The JESUS Film
Dr. Nemam Ghafouri NGO leader working with ISIS sex slave escapees
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You Can Help Today!
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