Iranian court bars Christian convert from university for one year

Women pictured inside the Evin Prison
Photo: Mohabat NEWS

A Christian convert was recently sentenced to one year of deprivation of education by a court in Tehran, Iran, reports Mohabat News.

Fatemeh Nouri, an art student in one of the universities in Tehran, was arrested in September 2011 at her home and was then transferred to Evin prison. Fatemeh was convicted of attending a house church, insulting sacred figures, and activities against national security.

She was released on November 30, 2011, after spending almost three months in prison. However, she is not allowed to receive an education for the duration of her one-year deprivation sentence.

The Iranian constitution allows religious freedom for followers of non-Islamic faiths. The sentencing violates the country's own laws, as well as the universal declaration of human rights, which considers education a right for all regardless of race, colour, belief, religion and gender.

While the Islamic Republic has in the past made Christian students attend Islamic courses in an effort to convert them, it now seems that the deprivation of education or expulsion from universities may be the new method for opposing the spread of Christianity.

You can help by praying!

• Please pray that this sentence will be recognized as unlawful and will be overturned. 
• Pray that Fatemeh will not become discouraged, but that she will find new strength in Christ. 
• Please pray for Fatemeh's future as well as for the futures of all young Iranian Christians seeking to further their education and bring glory to God with their gifts.

To learn more about persecution in Iran, go to the Iran Country Report.

Islamic extremists behead another believer in Somalia

Islamic extremists belonging to the al Shabaab extremist group in Somalia beheaded a young Christian man just outside Mogadishu last month, reports Compass Direct News.

Twenty-six-year-old Zakaria Hussein Omar, who had worked for a Christian humanitarian organization banned by al Shabaab, was murdered on January 2 in Cee-carfiid village. The body of the young man lay undiscovered for about 20 hours before nomads came upon his remains.

A close friend who identified Omar's body said Omar had confided in him that he feared for his life when the organization he was working with was banned by the al Shabaab. Omar, an accountant, had converted to Christianity seven years ago while he was living in Ethiopia. He is survived by his wife, his parents, a brother and four sisters.

Last September, militants also decapitated a young Christian man, Guled Jama Muktar, in his home near Mogadishu. Earlier that month, the terrorists beheaded a Christian convert, Juma Nuradin Kamil, in south-western Somalia.

The Islamic extremists seek to impose a strict version of Shariah (Islamic law), ridding the country of Christianity. The country's president, Sheikh Sharif Sheik Ahmed, has embraced a version of Shariah that mandates the death penalty for those who leave Islam.

Please pray. 

• Please pray that Omar's wife and family will find peace and rest in Christ. 
• Please pray that the Lord will intercede against the violence facing our brothers and sisters in Somalia. 
• Pray that the gospel will spread like never before in Somalia.

To watch a video about the cost of following Christ in Somalia, click here. To learn more about persecution in Somalia, visit our Somalia Country Report.

Words from our founder: Love held Him to the cross

Christ on the Cross by Diego Velázquez
(1599–1660)

When asked to descend from the cross, Jesus did not move. Were nails more powerful than the hands of hte Son of God? On several occasions when large crowds had sought to molest Him, He escaped. Yet alone, armed only with a whip, He had challenged the unholy practices of a courtyard full of merchants guarded by the temple police – and escaped unharmed. He said “I AM” in Gethsemane, and a company of soldiers fell to the ground.

No, it was not nails that kept Jesus on the cross, but His love for me. For me, a non-person. Jesus loves the Father and He loves me. “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

Excerpted from Richard Wurmbran’s book, Alone with God. You can order this book from our online catalogue.

The Voice of the Martyrs was founded in the mid-1960s by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who was imprisoned and tortured by Communist authorities in his native Romania for 14 years. While still in prison, Pastor Wurmbrand envisioned a ministry that would focus on the plight of the persecuted Church, raise a voice on their behalf, and provide encouragement and assistance to them. For more information, please visit our website.

Government persecution of Christians in China worsened in 2011

The Shouwang Church was suppressed
for 38 continuous weeks in 2011.
Photo: ChinaAid

Government persecution of Christians and churches in China worsened significantly in 2011, reports ChinaAid.

From 2010 to 2011, the total number of people persecuted, detained, sentenced, or abused jumped 42.5 per cent. Compared with the statistics in past ChinaAid annual reports, the trend of worsening persecution has persisted for the past six years, with an average annual increase of 33.1 per cent.

Two major cases are representative of the 2011 practise of targeting influential house churches for persecution: the large-scale suppression of Beijing Shouwang Church for 38 continuous weeks (for more, click here), and the continued strict surveillance and suppression of the Linfen church in Shanxi province since it was banned in 2009 (click here to learn more).

ChinaAid founder and president Bob Fu said, "House churches in China which are committed to the sole headship of Christ in the church and to evangelism must operate as illegal groups conducting so-called 'illegal religious activities,' and consequently must be ready to suffer the administrative penalties inflicted by the state."

Please pray for China.

• Thank the Lord for the extraordinary faithfulness of Christians in China who continue to serve the Lord though they face intimidation, threats and arrest. 
• Pray they will exemplify the love of God through consistent love and prayer for those who persecute them (Matthew 5:43-48). 
• Ask the Lord to continue to grow His church in China.

To learn more about China's suffering Church, visit the China Country Report.

Persecuted Christians: Affliction or privilege? (Part 3)

For the past few weeks, we have been sharing videos from a recent conference held by The Moody Church about the persecution of Christians today. The conference, entitled Persecuted Christians: Affliction or Privilege? The Impact of Islam in the East & West was designed to increase awareness about the persecution of Christians and to inspire believers to pray for those suffering.

Last week, we shared with you about the legacy of the Eastern Church in the face of persecution. The week before, we shared a video about the biblical response to persecution.

Below is the last video in the series, entitled “Non-Muslims Living Under Islamic Law.”



Please share your comments or questions about this video below. What did you learn from this video? What challenged you? What inspired you?