The Barnabas Fund UPDATE ON THE SUFFERING CHURCH No 45 (77) March 2003 Produced monthly by Barnabas Fund NORTH IRAQ Ziwar Muhammad Isma'il, a Christian convert from a Muslim background, was shot and killed for his faith on 17 February in the town of Zakho, in the Kurdish authority area of North Iraq. Ziwar was murdered by Abd al-Karim Abd al-Salam, a Muslim who has told police that the Islamic prophet Muhammad told him in a dream to do it. Ziwar converted to Christianity seven years ago. Unlike many converts from Islam Ziwar had been quite open about his faith and, as a result, he had been threatened by his relatives and other Muslims and twice arrested, though not charged. Ziwar leaves a widow and five children. Pray for comfort, love, protection, support and care for Ziwar's wife and children. Ask that the Lord will be near to them in their grief, and that they will also be practically provided for. Pray for Abd al-Salam, that God will speak to him and guide him into the way of truth and love. Source: Middle East Concern THE PHILIPPINES Fourteen Christians were killed when Islamic separatist rebels attacked a Christian village in the Zamboanga peninsula, on Mindanao in the southern Philippines, on 19 February. The villagers were rounded up, then fired on, three of the victims were children, including one who was shot dead in his mother's arms, another three were injured and three more are still missing. Christian homes were also raked with bullets and set ablaze. Pray for healing for those who were wounded and comfort for the grieving relatives of those who were killed. Pray for peace and a final end to the Islamic separatist conflict in the southern Philippines, in which so many Christians have lost their lives. JORDAN On 20 January 2003 a court in Jordan issued an order requiring Siham Qandah, a Christian, to be imprisoned for 30 days unless she surrenders her two children Rawan (15) and Fadi (13) to the care of her estranged Muslim brother Abdullah al-Muhtadi to be raised as Muslims. Siham has still not handed over her children despite the deadline for her to do so passing on 3 February. So far no action has been taken against her. Following the death of Siham's husband in 1994 dubious claims arose that he had converted to Islam three years earlier, something the family have always strenuously denied. Since a Christian is not permitted to inherit from a Muslim under Jordanian law, Siham could not legally claim the benefits the family was entitled to after his death. However, Rawan and Fadi, as the children of a supposed convert to Islam, are legally regarded as Muslims and could therefore claim so long as they had a Muslim guardian of appropriate age. Therefore, on paper only, Siham entrusted them to the legal guardianship of her brother Abdullah (who converted to Islam 20 years earlier and is now an Imam) in April 1995. However, in time Abdullah became concerned that the children were being raised as Christians and in 1998 he applied for full custody. A long legal battle has since ensued. Pray that this Christian family, who have already been through so much, will be allowed to remain together. Pray that the case against the family will either be dropped or that they will be permitted to leave the country. NIGERIA Muslim youths went on the rampage in Ibadan on 19 February, beating up teachers and staff at several Christian secondary schools in the city. The attacks were triggered by the alleged refusal of some staff to allow female Muslim students to wear the hijab (headscarf) in school. Pray for healing for all those injured in these assaults. Pray that Muslim activists seeking to enforce the Shari'ah will be prevented from taking the law into their own hands. CÔTE D'IVOIRE Both Christians and Muslims have been killed in riots which broke out following the announcement of a French brokered peace plan designed to end four months of bitter fighting in the Ivory Coast. The peace accord, signed in Marcoussis on the outskirts of Paris on 25 January, is widely seen by Côte d'Ivoire's southern, Ivorian, majority-Christian population as a capitulation to the demands of the military rebels whose coup began the fighting last September. Under the terms of the agreement a government of national unity would be established with the rebels (whose support is mainly in the Muslim-majority north). Widespread protests and riots have taken place in Abidjan and other parts of the country Pray for all those who have been injured or lost loved ones in this terrible conflict. Pray for Christians in the rebel held areas and Muslim northerners in the south that both will be protected from revenge attacks and retribution from angry locals and rebel and government forces. FOCUS ON PAKISTAN: THE RISE OF THE MMA The Muttahida Majlas-i-Amal (MMA), a coalition of six hardline Islamic parties, won 52 of 272 seats in the National Assembly in elections in October 2002 and came to power in Baluchistan Province and the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). The MMA is dedicated to the enforcement of the Shari'ah and advocates numerous policies which would make life extremely difficult for Christians. In NWFP the MMA have already formed a committee to ensure that existing legislation which conforms with the Shari'ah is enforced and to draft new laws. They are also planning to set up a ministry for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice, a religious police force of the kind which existed in Afghanistan under the Taliban, and today operate in Saudi Arabia and Iran. The MMA also want alcohol, music and dancing banned in the province and shalwar kamez (the national dress) made compulsory. Music has already been banned on buses and some banks have been instructed to stop charging interest in accordance with Islamic teaching. They want to prohibit women from taking an active role in public life. Christians believe they will also move to ban the sale of Christian literature in NWFP and Baluchistan, something which is already a hazardous activity. It is reported that militants with suspected links to the Taliban and Al Qaeda have been released from jails in the two provinces. At a national level the MMA want to see the return of Pakistan's separate electorates system, which discriminated against Christians and other minorities and was scrapped last year. They want all economic development work to take place only in areas where the local population are correctly praying five times a day, in accordance with Islamic teaching. Within government institutions they want promotion to be based solely upon candidates' Islamic credentials. The party is also calling for the day of rest to be moved from Sunday back to Friday, in accordance with Islamic tradition. They want all government policies to be implemented through Islamic guidance councils. Pray for peace and protection for Christians in NWFP and Baluchistan. Pray that church leaders will have wisdom and the grace of Christ in their dealings with the MMA, and know how to respond to any encroachments on their freedom and rights. Pray that MMA leaders will have a genuine sense of justice and responsibility and will respect the rights of Christians and other minorities. BARNABAS FUND E-MAIL NEWS SERVICE The Barnabas Fund's e-mail news service provides our supporters with short urgent news briefs and prayer requests for suffering Christians around the world. Please do share these news items with your Christian friends and churches. All news items are available on our website in a more colourful user-friendly presentation format which you can access, print and pass on. If you are not already receiving these news briefs directly from the Barnabas Fund and would like to, please contact us with your name, postal and e-mail addresses, and details of the church you attend. The Barnabas Fund, The Old Rectory, River Street, PEWSEY, Wiltshire, SN9 5DB, UK, Tel 01672 564938, Fax 01672 565030, E-mail Web http://www.barnabasfund.org
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