Orissa government fails to uphold the law; anti-Christian violence continues

Orissa Christians suffer much
persecution.

In Orissa state, India, Christians continue to be killed, fall victims to act of violence and endure discrimination, this more than two years after the pogroms that took the lives of 75 people, reported Asia News today.

Last year, Christians and Dalits were victims in 62 cases of human rights violations, this according to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

On January 18, NHRC chairman K. G. Balakrishnan arrived in Bhubaneswar where he urged local authorities to stop religious and caste intolerance, especially in Kandhamal district.

Fr. Ajaya Kumar Singh, social service director of Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, told Asia News that the Orissa government could do more against human rights violations in Kandhamal. It could start by providing adequate and faster compensation to families who lost members during the 2008 Hindu pogroms.

In recent years, more than 50,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.

You can read the full report here.

Save the date!

Russell Stendal will share his experiences in
Colombia during VOM's Prayer Conferences
in March. You won't want to miss it!

The Voice of the Martyrs’ annual Prayer Conferences are coming in March!

Saturday, March 19

West Meadows Baptist Church

Edmonton, Alberta

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, March 26

City Centre Baptist Church

Mississauga, Ontario

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This year, our special guest is Russell Stendal.

Russell Stendal was raised on the mission field in Colombia. He became a missionary jungle pilot at age 19. In 1983, Marxist rebels kidnapped him and held him hostage for five months. His book, Rescue the Captors, relates his experience, including how God worked in the hearts of the rebels.

Upon his release, God led Russell into radio ministry as a unique way to reach the fighting factions of the internal conflict in Colombia with the gospel. In partnership with Galcom, more than 88,000 radios have been deployed in violent areas of Colombia.

Today, Russell heads up the work of Colombia Para Cristo, which operates 12 radio stations that cover much of Latin America with the gospel. Tens of thousands of people listen to radio broadcasts, as terrorists have banned church buildings, meetings and many ministries in the past 30 years. A thriving underground church continues to develop in remote jungle areas of Colombia.

In addition to our special guest, you will hear from the following individuals:

• Klaas Brobbel, VOM’s Co-founder and Finance Administrator
• Corey Odden, VOM’s CEO
• Floyd Brobbel, VOM’s VP of Operations
• Greg Musselman, VOM’s VP of Outreach

Make plans to join us for an incredible day of raising awareness for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world!

Download a PDF flyer to share with you church, family and friends here.

Pray for Tajikistan

Pray for believers in Tajikistan.

A January 19 Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin reported there have been many answers to prayer for the Church in Central Asia:

• Unity among Protestant churches is growing.
• There are many testimonies of a growing interest in the Good News among Muslims.
• Many churches have a missionary vision for reaching out to the neighbouring Muslim countries.

However, much prayer is still needed.

Today, please consider praying for believers in Tajikistan.

• Almost all registered churches in Tajikistan were able to re-register in accordance with the legal requirements. However, the Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists was denied registration as a union of churches. That limits their rights, e.g. to open new churches. Also some smaller new churches faced problems with registration.
• The majority of the population continue to live in conditions of extreme poverty, unemployment and frequent electricity blackouts.
• Many labour migrants from Tajikistan and elsewhere in Central Asia live and work in Russia and become more open to the gospel there than in their home countries.

Death sentence for perpetrator of attack on Egyptian Christians a year ago

Christian leaders are hopeful
the government will take effective
action to address violence
against Christians.

Middle East Concern shared a prayer request with us for Egyptian Christians today.

On January 6, 2010, six Christians and a Muslim security guard were killed in a drive-by shooting as worshippers left a Christmas Eve service in Nag Hammadi. Three men were arrested shortly afterwards. On January 16, 2011, they were convicted. The man convicted of firing the shots was convicted of first-degree murder and "intimidating citizens,” and given the death penalty. The sentences for the two accomplices are scheduled to be announced on February 20.

These verdicts come in the same month as the deadly attacks on Christians on January 1, in Alexandria, and January 11, on a train in Minya province. Egyptian Christian leaders hope that the severity of the sentence imposed is a sign that the judiciary and government will start to take effective action to address violence against Christians.

In the week prior to the January 16 hearing, Egypt's President Mubarak reportedly urged senior judges to speed up trials because "slow justice" breeds bitterness.

Please continue to pray for Egyptian Christians:

• Pray those bereaved, wounded and traumatised in attacks on Christians will know the comfort, presence, peace and healing of Jesus.
• Pray the justice system will consistently apply due process in investigating attacks, prosecuting those charged and imposing effective sentences of those convicted.
• Pray that the perpetrators of violence against Christians will know the Spirit's conviction of sin and the Father's offer of forgiveness and life
• Pray all officials involved will love mercy, act justly, learn about Jesus and choose to follow Him.

 

Pakistani government to ‘protect minorities at all costs’ says the country’s president

ASSIST News reported yesterday that the Pakistani government will protect the country’s minorities at all costs in accordance with the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah—the founder of Pakistan—and the constitution of Pakistan, President Asif Ali Zardari has said.

According to Asian News International (ANI), Zardari made these comments while talking to the Federal Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti, who called on him at the presidential palace on January 20.

“No one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands nor will anyone be allowed to misuse the country's laws,” the president was quoted as saying.

The president also asked Bhatti to continue the consultations with scholars and ulema (legal scholars) of different faiths and denominations with a view to building consensus against the misuse of Pakistani laws against the minorities and vulnerable groups in the country.

“The case of Pakistani-Christian woman Asia Bibi, who has been sentenced to death on blasphemy charges, has drawn huge attention in the media, and there is deep sympathy for her,” said the news story. “Several NGOs have called for repealing Pakistan’s blasphemy law because it was ‘being used by illiterate masses in rural areas to hoodwink the minorities.’”

Pray for Kazakhstan

Pray for believers in Kazakhstan.

A January 19 Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin reported there have been many answers to prayer for the Church in Central Asia:

• Unity among Protestant churches is growing.
• There are many testimonies of a growing interest in the Good News among Muslims.
• Many churches have a missionary vision for reaching out to the neighbouring Muslim countries.

However, much prayer is still needed.

Today, please consider praying for believers in Kazakhstan.

• Kazakhstan currently chairs the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and proclaims religious tolerance.
• The Christian community is concerned that after 2010 the legislation will be changed imposing more restrictions on religious activities.
• While the majority of religious groups worship without government interference, the activities of unregistered minority groups, including some evangelical churches, are considered illegal. Some pastors and church members were fined for unregistered 'missionary' activities.
• In March 2010, new missionary visa regulations came into force that caused growing difficulties for some religious communities.

Pray for Kyrgyzstan

Pray for believers in Kyrgyzstan.

A January 19 Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin reported there have been many answers to prayer for the Church in Central Asia:

• Unity among Protestant churches is growing.
• There are many testimonies of a growing interest in the Good News among Muslims.
• Many churches have a missionary vision for reaching out to the neighbouring Muslim countries.

However, much prayer is still needed.

Today, please consider praying for believers in Kyrgyzstan.

• In Kyrgyzstan, 2010 was a year of political riots and ethnic clashes, which affected the church as well.
• The church leaders hope that the highly restrictive religious law brought in by former president Bakiev will be radically changed under the new government and restored at least to the level the country had before Bakiev.
• The churches are actively participating in helping those who lost their homes and businesses because of ethnic clashes between Kyrgyzs and Uzbeks in Osh.

Being an everyday Christian

You do not have to try to lead a heroic Christian life. It is futile to try to be a hero as it is futile to try to be an elephant. Most heroes are average individuals who are placed in extreme circumstances. Very few of us have the stuff of which great saints and martyrs are made.

It is good for Christians to know that in the Roman, medieval, Nazi and Communist persecution, the majority of Christians were not ready to suffer and die for their faith. Perhaps only a minority faced torture and death with courage. But the others were also Christians. God saw how sorry they were for their weakness and how eagerly they returned to faith when the immediate danger had passed.

It is a miracle that Jesus can make at least some sheep lie down in green pastures (Psalm 32:2). Normally, a sheep does not lie down. It will graze for hours, even if it is not hungry. How can you lie down with so much green grass around? How can you renounce the world when it offers you so many pleasures?

But among the saints are reckoned not only a St. Anthonie or a St. Paphnutius, or others who have been canonized, or those who have died in prison for their faith. An average Christian life is also a Christian life. An everyday Christian is also a saint.

This passage is excerpted from Victorious Faith by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, VOM’s founder. Victorious Faith is a collection of stories, anecdotes and insights that sustained Pastor Wurmbrand while he was imprisoned in a Romanian Communist prison.

Pray for Azerbaijan

Pray for believers in Azerbaijan.

A January 19 Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin reported there have been many answers to prayer for the Church in Central Asia:

• Unity among Protestant churches is growing.
• There are many testimonies of a growing interest in the Good News among Muslims.
• Many churches have a missionary vision for reaching out to the neighbouring Muslim countries.

However, much prayer is still needed.

Today, please consider praying for Azerbaijan.

• Religious freedom has been steadily deteriorating in Azerbaijan over the last few years.
• Since changes to the Religious Law were adopted in May 2009, the churches have faced problems with re-registration. Many have been denied registration and unregistered religious activities are illegal.
• Believers have been interrogated and fined when their gatherings have been raided by police.
• In October 2010, police raided the house where 80 members of an unregistered Baptist church were celebrating Harvest Festival. Four of them were arrested and sentenced to five days in prison.
• In December 2010, an Adventist church was raided by police and its members were interrogated and fined heavily.
• New amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences are expected to be discussed in the parliament and if approved would impose even heavier fines for unregistered religious activities.

 Stay tuned for prayer requests for other countries in Central Asia.

Somali Christian woman slaughtered

On Monday, Compass Direct News reported that a mother of four was recently killed by Islamic militants in a village on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia.

On the morning of January 6, Islamic militants belonging to the insurgent group al-Shabaab arrested Asha Mberwa, 36, outside her home in Warbhigly village. According to one of her relatives, Asha was killed the next evening when the militants slit her throat in front of local people.

Asha had been receiving threatening messages after al-Shabaab members monitored her phone conversations with a relative. One of her relatives had phoned her on January 5 to make arrangements for moving her family out of the area for their safety. Al-Shabaab militants were reportedly able to monitor the conversation and confirm that Asha had become a Christian.

Asha leaves behind four children—ages 12, 8, 6 and 4—and her husband, Abdinazir Mohammed Hassan. Asha's relatives said that, at last report, Abdinazir had fled to an unknown location and a "good Samaritan" in Mogadishu was caring for the four traumatized children, who "continue to weep and cry out for their mother."

Pray that all those in mourning for Asha will find peace in the everlasting love of the Lord. Pray for comfort and provision for her children. Pray for endurance of faith and boldness of witness for Somali Christians in an environment of severe persecution. Ask God to work in the hearts of those oppressing Christians in Somalia, convicting them of their unjust ways and drawing them into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Bless and do not curse

“Bless and do not curse.”
Romans 12:14

Mrs. Gerda Forster, while babysitting for a neighbour, suffered the misfortune of having the baby fall out of her hands. The infant was injured on the edge of a large vase, with resultant brain damage. It was paralyzed for life.

The mother cursed Mrs. Forster that her fingers might rot. Mr. Forster offered to pay large compensatory damages. The mother refused and repeated the curse: may her fingers rot.

Mrs. Forster suddenly started to have great pain in her fingers. The fingertips became first white, then blue. It was a case of necrosis, the malady known as “morbus Raynaud.” Psychic trauma can produce it, usually in women already possessing a precarious nervous constitution. The fingers had to be amputated.

When I was in solitary confinement, a neighbour tapped out his story in Morse code through the wall: “When I was six, I beat a schoolmate only because he was Jewish. He cursed me that my mother should not be able to see me when she was on her deathbed. Fifty years have passed since. I had just received the news that my mother was dying and intended to go to her deathbed when I was arrested.” A curse had been accomplished. I know of other such cases.

I do believe some curses are fulfilled. But so are blessings. So bless, don’t curse.

Excerpted from Reaching Toward the Heights by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, VOM’s founder.

Want to read more? Reaching Toward the Heights is 365-day devotional in which Pastor Wurmbrand draws upon his own experience in prison and the testimonies of other persecuted Christians to encourage us to elevate our relationship with the Lord. See what 365 days of immersion in God’s love can do for your soul. Order your devotional for $10 today!

Pray for Turkmenistan

Pray for believers in Turkmenistan.

Yesterday's Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin reported there have been many answers to prayer for the Church in Central Asia:

• Unity among Protestant churches is growing.
• There are many testimonies of a growing interest in the Good News among Muslims.
• Many churches have a missionary vision for reaching out to the neighbouring Muslim countries.

However, much prayer is still needed.

Today, please consider praying for Turkmenistan.

• Religious freedom is under the strict control of the authorities in Turkmenistan.
• Only a small number of churches are registered, while many others have been unsuccessfully trying to get registration for years. None of the ethnic Turkmen churches was registered. The unregistered churches meet secretly in homes, often changing meeting places.
• Police regularly raid the houses of believers, confiscating and destroying Christian literature.
• Pastor Ilmurad Nurliev was sentenced to four years in prison and forced medical treatment under a false accusation of drug addiction in October 2010 and is now in a labour camp that has extremely tough conditions. He has not been allowed to have a Bible since his arrest in August.  He has diabetes and has been denied necessary medication. He was excluded from the recent prisoner amnesty.

 Tomorrow, you’ll learn about and receive opportunities to pray for Azerbaijan.

Pray for Uzbekistan

Pray for believers in Uzbekistan.

Today's Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin shared that there have been many answers to prayer for the Church in Central Asia:

• Unity among Protestant churches is growing.
• There are many testimonies of a growing interest in the Good News among Muslims.
• Many churches have a missionary vision for reaching out to the neighbouring Muslim countries.

However, much prayer is still needed.

Today, please consider praying for Uzbekistan and the following items.

• In 2010, Uzbek churches were raided by police, numerous Christians were detained and fined, while some were sentenced to short-term imprisonment.
• Pentecostal pastor Dmitry Shestakov served his fourth year in prison and is due to be released this month.
• A Baptist believer, Tohar Haydarov, was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment in a labour camp on fabricated drug charges in March 2010.
• The most restrictive situation remains in the Karakalpakastan region where none of the churches has been able to register. The authorities insist that individual believers must get permission even to have a Bible.
• A decision on new religious laws is possible in 2011, bringing even more restrictions on religious freedom in Uzbekistan.

 Stay tuned for prayer requests for other countries in Central Asia.

Tunisia’s upheaval unlikely to improve situation for believers

Tunisia is experiencing much unrest.

In one month’s time, Tunisia has crumpled.

On December 17, an unemployed graduate set himself on fire. Soon, thousands were in the streets demanding more job opportunities and a higher standard of living, reported Mission Network News yesterday.

Police clashed with the protesters for the next nine days, which fuelled their outrage at the oppressive regime. On December 28, President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali warns protests are unacceptable and those using violence will be punished.

By January 13, the president promised major reforms and not to run for office in 2014. A day later, he declared a state of emergency, dissolved parliament and promised to hold legislative elections within six months.

The violence continued and, finally, Ben Ali renounced power and fled to Saudi Arabia; the Speaker of Parliament was sworn in as interim president, forming a coalition government.

Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA says it's hard to say what will result from the hurried changes, however, "I don't think we can anticipate a positive change, at least in the short term. This is a country with less than half a percent of the population as Christian. It's pretty unlikely that suddenly those believers are going to be celebrated by their government or by their countrymen."

While it seems that the community of believers is a little larger than thought previously, the attitude of the authorities has changed. Foreign Christian residents experience more inspections and suspect their phones are tapped.

"They have said, ‘We're not going have a law that is in opposition to Islam.' It's unlikely that the new government, whenever that gets situated, is going to change that policy. So I think that we need to pray for the believers."

Nettleton hopes this situation could lead to open doors for the gospel. "When there is upheaval, people are thinking about eternity; they're thinking about important things: What's worth living for? What's worth dying for?' That can be a time when revival strikes. It can be a time when the Spirit of God moves within a country."

Asia Bibi moving to new prison

Asia Bibi will be moved to a new prison.

Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death on blasphemy charges, will soon be moved to an all-women prison due to security concerns, reported ASSIST News Service yesterday.

Sheikhupura Prison superintendent Khalid Sheikh told the media, "I have received directives from the Punjab Home Department to shift Asia from Sheikhupura district jail to an all-women jail in Multan, as her life is in danger in Sheikhupura jail."

The transfer is expected to take place within the week.

Since Asia’s sentence, the Christian community has been raising concerns to the authorities and Shahbaz Bhatti, the Federal Minister for Minority Affairs, claiming Asia is not receiving sufficient security in spite of life threats from militants and rewards for her death being announced across Pakistan.

Asia`s husband, Ashiq Masih, also appealed to the authorities to raise her security, as her life is in danger.

You can read the full report here.

Indian pastor killed; authorities claim drowning

Authorities claim an Indian pastor
died from drowning, not from
being beaten.

Authorities are saying that an Indian pastor who was killed under mysterious circumstances on January 11, in Kandhamal District, Orissa state, died from drowning. The news has sparked the ire of Saul Pradhan’s family and villagers who accuse authorities of having manipulated the investigation to defend two Hindu extremists, reported Asia News and All India Christian Council.

Pradhan’s daughter and other relatives report that his body showed leg fractures and abrasions to the face and chest—clear signs of aggression.

Two of Pradhan’s employers were seen with him the day he died. The two men took part in an anti-Christian pogrom in 2008, during which Pradhan’s house was demolished. Fr. Bijay Kumar Pradhan, vicar of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar, told Asia News that before Pradhan’s murder, the two men had ordered the pastor to convert to Hinduism, threatening serious consequences for a refusal.

In recent days, Sajan George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christian (GCIC), spoke of the danger of the investigation being manipulated and sought the intervention of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

How to teach your kids about persecution

In our January BBM, kids
learn about the Khmu of
Southeast Asia.

Are you looking for ways to discuss Christian persecution with your children? We can help!

Bold Believers Magazine (BBM) is an exciting quarterly publication of The Voice of the Martyrs for Canadian kids ages 6-12.

Through BBM, your children will learn about the incredible courage of kids who are living in nations where it is dangerous to be a Christian. They’ll learn what it means to trust in and love God in all sorts of circumstances, how to share the love of God with others, and how to pray and reach out to persecuted kids around the world.

Subscribers to BBM also receive, free of charge, a monthly subscription to The Voice of the Martyrs newsletter.

Click here to subscribe today!

Iranian Christian couple detained for holding prayer and worship services

A Christian couple in Mashhad, Iran, has been detained for hosting Christian prayer and worship meetings in their home, reports Mohabat News. The couple has been identified as Hassan Razavi Derakhshan, 65, and his wife, Parya, 61.

Based on reports, several plainclothes security agents arrived at the couple’s home on December 27. Only Parya was home, and the officers—identified as agents of the revolutionary court—demanded she call her husband and have him return home immediately. Her husband obliged.

There is no report of what transpired between security officers and the couple. When relatives noticed the couple’s absence, they contacted Razavi’s workplace; his colleagues made them aware of the arrest.

Relatives say the couple’s house is missing personal items such as bibles, Christian literature, CDs and pictures of Jesus that had been hanging on the walls. After many attempts to gain information on the couple’s whereabouts, colleagues and relatives learned the couple was arrested and taken to the Vakil-Abad detention centre.

Sources reported that the couple was arrested because they hosted prayer and worship meetings in their home. They also organized a Christmas celebration at their home on December 22.

Family and friends are concerned, as Parya recently had major back surgery, following a car accident, and is not in the best of health.

Please pray for Razavi and Parya. Pray for their safety, health and well-being. Pray for all believers in Iran, that increased persecution will result in increased boldness (Acts 4:29-31). Pray that the persecutors will know Christ’s love, forgiveness and blessing through the lives of the Christians (Romans 12:14, 12).

Commission: Arrests of Christians in Iran is condemnable, incongruous

Religious Liberty Commission
condemns violence in Iran.

Last Saturday, we told you about Iran’s crackdown on Christians and the arrest of dozens, many of whom are converts from Islam.

On Wednesday, the Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) of the World Evangelical Alliance issued a statement condemning violence against Christians in Iran, reports ASSIST News Service.

The statement, released to Christian media, says, “The ongoing raiding of homes and arrests of Christians in predominantly Shi’ite Iran, which began deplorably during the Christmas season, needs to stop immediately.”

The RLC says that since December 26, Iranian security agents in plain clothes have searched the homes of many Christians and arrested at least 40 of them in a crackdown in the capital city of Tehran and a few other places. Other reports indicate more than 70 Christians have been arrested.

The Commission says, “The onslaught, targeting converts from Islam and those engaged in evangelism, continued despite preceding international concerns over the arrest of a pastor, Behrouz Sadegh-Khanjani, and conviction of the pastor of the Full Gospel Church in Rasht, Youcef Nardarkhani, for apostasy, leading to awarding of death penalty.”

Tehran’s governor, Morteza Tamadon, was quoted by state news agency IRNA as saying that missionary evangelicals had stepped up their activity in Iran, which according to him is a “cultural invasion of the enemy.” The governor went on to say, “Just like the Taliban, who have inserted themselves into Islam like a parasite, [evangelicals] have crafted a movement in the name of Christianity.”

WEA-RLC Executive Director Godfrey Yogarajah said, “The growing authoritarianism in Iran only shows that the regime’s popularity is falling drastically which is making the government highly insecure and unnerved.”

Christians account for only around one percent of the Muslim-majority population in Iran. The Iranian regime also persecutes other minorities, including Zoroastrians, Baha’is and Sufis.

You can read the full report here.

Why should I ask the government what books I can read?

Tajikistan has imposed greater
fines on breaking censorship rules.

Tajikistan has a new law.

In late December 2010, President Emomali Rahmon signed into law severe new punishments for producing, distributing, importing or exporting religious literature and items of a religious nature that have not passed through the compulsory prior state religious censorship, reports Forum 18 News Service.

The Religion Law states that only officially registered religious organisations and their members may import, export, produce, sell and distribute religious literature or items of a religious nature—and they may do this only if they have specific permission for each item from the state Religious Affairs Committee.

Religious leaders have complained to Forum 18 about the high new fines and the continuing religious censorship that violates Tajikistan's international human rights commitments.

An Ismaili Imam from, who wished to remain unnamed for fear of reprisals from the authorities, told Forum 18 on Tuesday that it is "very bad that such heavy fines" were introduced by the Tajik authorities. "Why should I ask the Government what books I can read?" he asked. "I should be free to read any books about my faith."

Individuals who break the censorship rules will be fined up to $800 CAD, and religious organisations will be fined up to $1,600 CAD. Repeat violations will lead to fines for individuals of up to $1,200 CAD and for organisations up to $2,400 CAD. In addition to these new fines, religious organisations can also be fined up to $800 CAD for not marking the organisation's full name on the religious literature.

The new law was created with the addition of Article 474-1 to the Code of Administrative Offences, and took effect on January 1.

The new punishments come amid increasing government restrictions on religious activity. In recent months the government has pressured Muslims studying abroad to return home, has closed mosques and continued to deny state registration to religious communities.

You can read the full story here.