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OCTOBER 2016
PERSECU ION
Peering Into
North Korea Hell Exposed: ICC Unpacks the Secrets of the Hermit Kingdom.
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
President’s Letter
“In North Korea, there’s one story (and) it’s written by the Kim regime and 23 million people are conscripted to be secondary characters.” Adam Jones, author, The Orphan Master’s Son “Dictators ride to and fro upon tigers which they dare not dismount.” Winston Churchill “Romania was twenty million people living inside the imagination of a madman” (reference to the communist regime of Ceaușescu). Jon Ronson For weeks, I have been interviewing defectors from North Korea as well as NGO leaders and experts to understand this ultimately bizarre country. The defectors’ testimonies and incredibly painful stories reveal appalling and systematic state discrimination, dehumanization, and persecution on a satanic level.
Jeff King, President International Christian Concern
For those subject to Kim Jong-Un’s web of state control, life is a nightmare existence lived out in a grey apparatchik fog of meaninglessness. To bring some excitement to the mind-numbingly banal and futile lives of his slaves and serfs, the dictator keeps all those around him dancing on the edge of a knife. One wrong move and you are consumed by the machine he and his forefathers have built. The Kims are typically called madmen but that doesn’t really capture them. Their creation, the North Korean state, was designed, above all else, to feed and protect them. They have knowingly set themselves up as gods not because they are mad but because this system of idolatry furthers their interests, control, and safety. Their grand creation reveals them not to be crazy but rather to be extreme narcissists. Strangely, the communist countries that impoverish, starve, and devour their subjects have always held my gaze. My heart breaks for their prisoners; the ones behind bars as well as those that walk “free.” The believers in these states always suffer the worst because they not only offer an alternative belief system but also reveal the original masterpiece that the state has cheaply counterfeited. These Marxist states are responsible for incalculable suffering. Kim Il Sung, Stalin, Mao, Ceausescu, Pol Pot, and Lenin are responsible for the deaths of well over 100 million people between them. In Jeremiah 23:29, the Lord describes His Word as a fire and hammer that breaks rock, a sentiment echoed in 2 Corinthians 10:4 where our spiritual weapons are described as mighty and capable of pulling down strongholds, and as I’ve studied North Korea I feel that it’s a rock and stronghold whose time to crumble has come. Many cracks have already begun appearing in North Korea’s stony façade as high level defectors are leaving as never before. Also, external information, including the Gospel, is flooding in. I know these cracks are evidence that God has heard the prayers and pleas of 25 million people and ‘Aslan’ is on the move. In 1907, Pyongyang experienced one of history’s greatest revivals and was dubbed the ‘Jerusalem of the East’ as a result. Satan has worked to extinguish this flame and it nearly succeeded. Yet, a small flame still flickers within North Korea and may just soon turn into a consuming fire which burns down the gates of this great prison. If God has heard the cries of North Korea and is on the move, then I wouldn’t miss being part of it for anything. Seldom do we have the ability to work on something so historic, so just, and so good. God will have his bride and I invite you to be part of the magnificent effort to free her. Please work with me to bring this vision to life for the imprisoned of North Korea. 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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Kidnapped Christian Faces Forced Marriage and Conversion 1 | PAKISTAN A Christian woman in Pakistan named Sobia Nadeem was recently abducted by a group of Muslim men in Lahore. Nadeem was a Master’s student studying physics. After being kidnapped, Nadeem was forcibly converted to Islam and married off to one of her abductors. Thankfully, Nadeem was able to escape one day when she found an unlocked door in the house where she was held captive. However, even upon her return home, she was forced to jump through numerous hoops before she regained her freedom. Her family had to testify and prove that their daughter was married against her will during her time in captivity. Since the conclusion of the court case, Nadeem’s family members, including her mother and brothers, have received threats because of the verdict. While the return of Sobia Nadeem is certainly a cause of celebration, unfortunately many other Christian women in Pakistan do not have the same happy ending. Due to the fact that women are already a vulnerable population in Pakistan, those who are religious minorities, including Christians, are particularly easy targets. Unfortunately, many families are so paralyzed by the fear of retaliation that they never speak up or file a police report when this happens. While some women are sold off into sexual slavery upon their abduction, others are forced to marry their captors and never return home to see their families again.
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Three Foreign Pastors Arrested Without Charge in Iran 2 | IRAN On June 24, three pastors hailing from Azerbaijan were arrested in Tehran, Iran during a visit to the country. No information was given as to the reason for their arrest. As a result of tense foreign relations with Iran, it has been difficult for the pastors to obtain legal support, but efforts are currently underway. Initially, there was no communication about the pastors; however, the families have been able to speak with the Iranian embassy located in Azerbaijan. This latest incident is just one of many in a string of arrests of Christian leaders in Iran. Charges are wide ranging and have included everything from evangelism to apostasy.
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“Christian persecution is quite prevalent in Sudan and, most recently, the method of persecution has been through the arbitrary arrest of Christian leaders.”
Authorities Jail Christians Defending School on Church Property 3 | SUDAN On July 7, Sudanese authorities arrested and detained 14 Christians as they attempted to protect a Christian school, Evangelical School of Khartoum North, located on the property of Khartoum Bahri Evangelical Church. According to reports, Sudanese authorities are trying to seize the property in order to offer it to a local Muslim business. Reports indicate that the police officers spouted insults at the Christians. Although the Christians were released three days after their arrest, they were each required to pay a fine. Christian persecution is quite prevalent in Sudan and, most recently, the method of persecution has been through the arbitrary arrest of Christian leaders. Often, these Christians are detained on falsified charges, but it is clear that they are usually being targeted because of their involvement in Christian ministry. Since the 2011 secession of South Sudan, Christians have felt increasing discrimination and violence, often from their own government. The wide range of human rights abuses has made Sudan a major concern among humanitarian groups and governing bodies, including the US State Department who designated Sudan as a Country of Particular Concern.
OCTOBER 2016
30 Seized by Authorities in China During Worship Service
More than 100 Pastors Jailed in Vietnam for Preaching
4 | CHINA On July 10, Chinese authorities seized 30 Christians during a worship service held in a house church in Guangdong Province. While storming the church service, authorities confiscated property belonging to the church and prohibited the members from meeting. The church members were taken by the police for interrogation regarding their activities as part of China’s continued crackdown on Christianity. Although most of the Christians were released later that day, four of them were detained for four days.
5 | VIETNAM Although the highlands of Vietnam used to be a safe haven for Christianity, the government is gradually tightening its grip. More than 100 pastors in Vietnam were recently arrested for refusing to register with an official, government-sponsored church. Many Christians in Vietnam have no other choice but to worship in house churches in order to avoid the tight restrictions imposed by the Vietnamese government. This is the only way that many Christians can receive the Gospel that they would otherwise miss out on in many state-controlled churches.
Women and Children Beaten During India Church Attack 6 | INDIA In eastern India, a mob of approximately 50 radicals stormed a church during their worship service. The attackers began to beat members of the congregation with rods, including both the women and children who were present. According to reports, police did not offer assistance during the attack. Furthermore, many of the Christians were driven out of the village in fear after the attackers threatened them with more violence. Within the past two years, religious freedom has been on a path of steady decline in India. Church attacks continue to rise in India as perpetrators rarely receive an adequate punishment, if any at all, for their actions. It is imperative that Prime Minister Narendra Modi (pictured) speaks out against incidents of this nature in order to effect change for religious minorities in India.
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Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
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Nigerian Pastor Hacked to Death
1 | EGYPT On July 17, a mob of Muslim extremists killed a 27-year-old Christian man named Pham Khalaf in Egypt’s Minya province. During the attack, the mob also injured three other Coptic Christians. Thankfully, they were taken to a hospital in time to receive treatment and were brought to stable condition. The violence took place after rumors circulated around the village that a new Christian-owned building was being renovated into a church. A local Christian reported that Pham died due to a stab wound to the heart. One of the wounded suffered multiple stab wounds to the face. Within a matter of minutes, more than 100 Muslims joined in on the attack and began abusing the Coptic Christians. In response to the murder of Pham Khalaf, a group of local priests led a prayer service in his honor. During the service and the funeral, thousands of Christians gathered to honor their brother in Christ and sing songs of worship This was the third incident in a span of approximately two weeks in which Christians were attacked as a result of the mere suspicion of church construction. Similar
attacks also took place on June 30 and July 15 when homes were looted and destroyed on the grounds of such rumors. One of the most egregious aspects of these attacks is the lack of concern from authorities. During the July 17 attack, police did not arrive on the scene until two hours after the initial attack, despite the fact that they were called from the beginning. Unfortunately, this is not unusual in these types of incidents.
2 | NIGERIA On July 9, a Christian preacher was hacked to death in the outskirts of Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja. The preacher, Eunice Elisha, was a mother of seven, and shared her faith with her husband who was also a minister from the Redeemed Church of God. Two of Elisha’s children heard reports that a woman had been killed while they were playing football, but it was not yet confirmed that it was their mother. Families members went to the police station where the body was taken, and they were able to confirm the devastating news. In an interview with Elisha’s husband, he said that he views his wife as a martyr and that those responsible for her murder should be forgiven. Although the investigation is still ongoing, six people have been arrested in connection to the attack. Numerous organizations, including the Christian Association of Nigeria, have spoken out against the attack, condemning both the violence and the government’s “lukewarm attitude” toward confronting the violence. Unfortunately, this attack is not the first of its kind and is simply the most recent in a string of violent attacks. Beatings, stabbings, arson and more have all been reported in the month of June 2016 alone. Greater action must be taken in order to prevent further violence against Christians in Nigeria.
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OCTOBER 2016
Muslim Mob Kills Young Christian and Wounds Three Others
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
Muslim Doctor Receives Death Threats for Saving Christian 3 | PAKISTAN A Muslim doctor in Pakistan recently faced harassment and received death threats after saving the life of one of his Christian patients. No one else was treating the man and, unless he received immediate care through the use of a particular medicine donated by an Islamic group, he easily could have lost his life. However, the doctor later reported that he did not know that the man was a Christian, nor that he was forbidden from using those medications to treat the man. The backlash surrounding his actions has been so severe that the doctor and his wife have been forced to flee Pakistan to seek asylum in the United States, where they are currently residing.
Kenyan Pastor Killed Peacekeeping Seminar
after
Leading
Nepal to Prosecute Christians for Sharing Bibles
4 | KENYA On July 3, Pastor John Njaramba Kiruga was murdered by militants of the Islamic terror group al-Shabaab in Kenya. The pastor was travelling home after leading a peacekeeping seminar in northeastern Kenya when his bus was ambushed. The seminar was focused on bridging the gap between religious groups and striving toward peace between Christian and Muslims communities. Six people lost their lives in the ambush, including some children. The region of northeastern Kenya, along the Somali border is a notoriously dangerous region, swarming with Islamic radicals who frequently target Christians in an effort to claim the region as Islamic territory.
5 | NEPAL In early June, eight Christians, including one pastor, were arrested for distributing Bibles to students in Nepal. Although they have since been released, they now face the possibility of a court trial on charges of “proselytizing.” A concerning amendment to Nepal’s constitution, Article 26, forbids any and all attempts to convert someone of another religion. Due to the broad nature of this amendment, Christians and other religious minorities are strictly limited in their religious freedoms and don’t have the ability to distribute religious literature or even share their faith with a friend of another religion.
Church Attacked for Allegedly Worshipping on the “Wrong Day” 6 | NIGERIA On Friday, July 15, a mob of Muslim radicals attacked a Catholic church in northern Nigeria, damaging both the building itself and the property within it. According to reports, the attackers also violently beat two men associated with the church and chased away a group of women who were gathered in prayer in the church building. What was the reason for such an attack? The assailants claimed that the church members were gathered for church on the wrong day. Those who were at the church at the time were informed that Friday is reserved for Muslim worship and Christians should not overstep their bounds by worshipping outside of Sundays. Nigeria, led by President Muhammadu Buhari (pictured), is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian due to the rampant Islamic extremism.
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A North Korean girl is startled by the photographer. Keep the next generation of North Koreans in prayer. Creative Commons photo from flickr.
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