Prayer Focus Update June 2007 Issue 128 PRAYER FOCUS UPDATE is a monthly information bulletin with up-to-date news on the persecuted Church to help Christians pray for their suffering brothers and sisters. You can use this for prayer groups, your own information and for inclusion in church magazines. It can be sent via email, is available as printable versions on the Barnabas Fund website or can be sent through the post FREE OF CHARGE. Please contact your national Barnabas Fund office or the UK office if you would like to recieve this in the post. You can select an A4 or A5 PDF version to download by clicking here <http://www.barnabasfund.org/support/pfu.php> * Pakistan: Threatening Letters <#Pakistan: Threatening Letters> * Pakistan: Christian released on bail <#Pakistan: Christian released on bail> * Indonesia: potential early release <#Indonesia: potential early release> * Nigeria: Islamic dress for Christian students <#Nigeria: Islamic dress for Christian students> * Malaysia: Lina Joy court decision <#Malaysia: Lina Joy court decision> * Morocco: Islamic party leaders in election <#Morocco: Islamic party leaders in election> * Azerbaijan: house church raided <#Azerbaijan: house church raided> * Egypt: violence over church building <#Egypt: violence over church building> * Nepal: Christian orphanage bombed <#Nepal: Christian orphanage bombed> * The Right to Justice: petition signatures presented <#The Right to Justice: petition signatures presented> Pakistan: Threatening Letters On 7th May anonymous letters were delivered to churches and Christian homes in the towns of Charsadda and Mardan, Pakistan. The letters demanded that the Christians close their churches and convert to Islam within the next ten days. While some of the letters did not specify what would happen if the Christians refused, others threatened bombings or execution of all Christians. Christians throughout Pakistan responded to the threats by observing ten days of fasting and prayer, beginning on 17th May, the date that the ultimatum ended. At the time of writing there have been no reports of coming from Pakistan that any of the threats have been realised. The authorities have condemned the threats and called for the protection of the Christians. At the same time as the letters were being received, other Pakistan Christians had also received threats. In Peshawar two Taliban-style militants put a gun to the head of a junior staff member at the Pakistan Bible Institute. They threatened him, saying "We hear you are converting Muslims". Thankfully they were disturbed and fled before they carried out their threat. Pray with Pakistani Christians that God will protect them from harm. Pray that their faith in God to protect them will be a witness to those who wish them harm, that the one who is with us is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Pakistan: Christian released on bail Martha Bibi, a 40-year-old Christian accused of blasphemy under Article 295C of the Pakistani Criminal Code, was released on bail on 3rd May. Martha was arrested in January after a dispute with Muslim contractors to whom she and her husband had supplied materials. If found guilty of the crime of "defiling the sacred name of the prophet Muhammad", she faced heavy punishments, including the possibility of the death penalty. When she left prison Martha was physically weak, but thankful to God for her release. The notorious "blasphemy law" can be based on a single witness statement, and is frequently misused to settle personal disputes. When a Muslim accuses a Christian the situation is worsened as a Christian's witness is considered by some judges as worth less than that of a Muslim. Just days after Martha's arrest Pakistani Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed made a statement that his party planned to reform the "blasphemy law" at some point after the next general election. Give thanks for Martha's release. Pray for her protection from Muslims who may try to punish her for her alleged "blasphemy", even kill her. Pray that the Pakistan government will act on its intention to reform the "blasphemy law". Indonesia: potential early release It is reported that Rebekka, Ratna and Eti, the three Christian ladies who are serving three-year prison sentences in Indonesia, have been told that they may be released early on 8th June. The women have been given dates before for early release, but each time they have been denied. The women were imprisoned because they allowed Muslim children to attend their Christian holiday club. They were accused of trying to convert children to Christianity. None of the Muslim children had converted, and the parents and guardians of the Muslim children were all aware that they were sending them to a Christian club. Pray that Rebekka, Ratna and Eti will be granted early release from prison. Pray for their protection. At their trial angry Muslims demanded that they be given the death sentence, and some even brought a coffin to the court house. Nigeria: Islamic dress for Christian students The governor of Kano state, Nigeria, has announced that the Islamic dress code which is compulsory in government schools is to be extended to private schools as well. Ibrahim Shekarau made the statement on May 3rd that "all private schools in the state are hereby directed to ensure their. pupils observe the dress code in accordance with the tradition and beliefs of our people." The decision had been made, he said, in order to strengthen the morality of students. Many private schools in Kano have a mix of both Muslim and Christian pupils, while some are Christian run schools. The extension of the dress code will mean that Christian students will now be forced to wear Islamic dress - a loose tunic over trousers or long skirts with a headscarf for girls, and a loose tunic and trousers with a cap for boys. Pray that Christian and other non-Muslim students will be exempted from this ruling. Pray that Shekarau, who was elected as State governor in 2003, will not follow through on his election campaign promise to implement a stricter version of the shari'a legal system. Malaysia: Lina Joy court decision Lina Joy, a convert from Islam to Christianity, was told by Malaysia's Federal Court on 30th May that only the country's Syariah (shari'a) Court can decide whether to allow her to have the word "Islam" removed from her identity card. Since shari'a (Islamic law) forbids adult Muslims to convert to any other faith, on pain of death, this decision is effectively a final refusal at the end of Lina's six-year legal struggle to be officially recognised as a Christian. The Federal Court is the highest court in Malaysia. Pray for Lina and also for other Malaysian Christians from a Muslim background, for whom this case sets a disheartening precedent. Pray that God will work in this situation for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Morocco: Islamic party leaders in election It is currently predicted that the moderate Islamist Party of Justice and Development (PJD) will be voted into power in Morocco's general election, due in September. While the Moroccan parliament has limited powers, the election of PJD will give Islam a greater role within Moroccan politics. PJD's leader Lahcen Daodi claims that his party wants to combat violent Islamic extremism by eliminating its underlying causes, including rampant unemployment and housing shortages. The small minority of Christians in Morocco (less than 1% of the population) is currently granted freedom to worship in the constitution. However, this is reserved for expatriates, while national Christians are frequently harassed, and churches of national Christians may be refused official recognition. While Morocco is one of the most secularised Muslim country, this has led to Islamist becoming more vocal about the need to return to "true" Islam. Pray that if the PJD is elected Daodi will resist any pressure to push an Islamist agenda, but will continue to represent moderate Islam in the country. Pray that national Christians may be given the same freedom to worship as expatriate Christians. Azerbaijan: house church raided Police raided a house church in Aliabad, Zakataly, Azerbaijan on 20th May in the middle of their Sunday service. The police demanded that the Christians stop their worship and go home. The church leader and owner of the house, Pastor Zaur Balayev, was taken to the police station and interrogated. He is still in detention at the time of writing. On 28th May Barnabas Fund received news that police had raided a second church, seized all the literature and arrested its pastor. Pray that the members of the churches will not be deterred by this new harassment. Pray that their continued presence and peaceful attitude will be a witness to the wider community. Pray for Pastor Zaur and Pastor Gamid in police detention. Pray that they will be sustained and strengthened, and soon released. Egypt: violence over church building Egyptian Muslims and Christians in Behma, south of Cairo, clashed after leaflets were circulated at a mosque, condemning a church building project in the village. The incident erupted after Friday prayers on May 11th when around 500 armed Muslims began setting fire to Christian houses and attacking the Christians with sticks, knives and machetes. The ensuing fighting left ten people injured, and at least ten Christian houses and shops were set on fire. Police arrived to end the violence, arresting 17 people and sealing off the village. Pray that Christians who are attacked will be able to defend themselves and protect their families without resorting to violence. Pray that Christians in Egypt will be allowed to build churches as easily as Muslims in Egypt can build mosques. Christians have to get special extra permission to build new churches or even to repair existing ones. Pray that Muslim society will recognise their rights to have enough places to worship. Nepal: Christian orphanage bombed A Christian orphanage in Birganj, Nepal, was bombed in April by a Hindu fundamentalist group. The Nepal Defence Army (NDA) accused the "Grace Children Home" of converting Hindu and Buddhist children to Christianity, and of receiving funds from pro-Maoist organisations. A child was injured in the explosion. The orphanage is home to around 80 children, many of whom lost their parents during the Maoist insurgency. Pray for healing for the injured child. Pray that all the children will not suffer fear or anxiety following this attack. Pray also that Nepalese Christians, who currently experience relatively little persecution, will continue to be able to worship and minister in the name of Christ. The Right to Justice: petition signatures presented On 14th May Barnabas Fund presented 92,283 petition signatures to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. A week later on 22nd May 6,529 New Zealand signatures were presented to New Zealand MPs on the steps of Parliament. All those who signed the petition were showing the deep concern which Christians around the world have for Christian minorities who suffer persecution because of their faith. Pray that the presentation of these signatures to the governments of New Zealand and the UK will prompt politicians to take seriously the plight of persecuted Christians. Pray that they will use their influence to exert pressure on those countries where persecution is rife to take action to stop it.
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