* NIGERIA - Anti-Christian rioting in Kano state <#NIGERIA - Anti-Christian rioting in Kano state>

* PAKISTAN - Two Christian schools targeted in NWFP <#PAKISTAN - Two Christian schools targeted in NWFP>

* PAKISTAN - Surprise acquittal of Christian on blasphemy charges <#PAKISTAN - Surprise acquittal of Christian on blasphemy charges>

* IRAQ - Threats and violence to Christians continue <#IRAQ - Threats and violence to Christians continue>

* ETHIOPIA - Persecution of Christians in West <#ETHIOPIA - Persecution of Christians in West>

* UK - Plight of converts from Islam in national media <#UK - Plight of converts from Islam in national media>

NIGERIA - Anti-Christian rioting in Kano state

Anti-Christian rioting in Kano State, Nigeria on Friday 28th September wreaked destruction on Christian property and reportedly claimed at least nine lives. The rioting occurred in the Tudun Wada local government area, where eight churches were set on fire as well as many homes and shops owned by Christians.

Thirty-one Christian policemen in the area who were sent to the scene returned home later to find that all their possessions had been removed and their own residences had been burned. However, the home of the District Police Officer, a Muslim, was untouched. According to one source, a total of 126 Christian homes had been attacked, either the building itself or the household possessions inside.

Many of the Christians in this Muslim majority state of Northern Nigeria are from the South of Nigeria. The local government chairman provided 15 buses to transport Southerners out of the area, with literally nothing but the clothes on their backs. A Christian source expressed concern for the indigenous Christians of the area who were not eligible for the bus transport.

What triggered these riots is unclear, and there are many contradictory rumours on the subject. Most of them involve the drawing of some kind of picture which Muslims found offensive, although what was drawn, where and by whom is very uncertain.

This incident is only the latest of many religious riots in Northern and especially Middle Belt Nigeria. Almost always these riots are initiated by Muslims and directed against Christians. Two days after the latest rioting, the Federal Government announced that it would convene a national religious conference to address the crisis afflicting Nigeria in terms of intolerance and violence.

/ Praise God for the patience of Christians in Kano who turned the other cheek and did not retaliate against those who attacked them and destroyed their property. Pray that they will continue to respond with Christ-like forgiveness. Pray for those who were bereaved in the latest rioting that they will find comfort and hope in the Lord.

Samuel Salifu of the Christian Association of Nigeria has asked the government to prosecute the organisers behind the regular anti-Christian violence in Nigeria. Pray that the government will have the courage to take effective action against those who stir up such incidents. Pray for Muslim extremists who encourage other Muslims towards violence and intolerance that the Lord will touch and change their hearts. The latest incident occurred on a Friday during Ramadan, a time when anti- Christian violence is often liable to occur, another indication that this incident may not have been spontaneous.

Pray that the Nigerian government's proposed conference to find a solution to the violence will be successful.

Pray for the protection of Christians around the world during the remaining days of Ramadan especially on 5th October which, being a Friday, is a day when they are particularly at risk./

PAKISTAN - Two Christian schools targeted in NWFP

A church-run girls' school in Swat, North West Frontier Province was closed on 9th September after a letter from Islamic militants threatened to attack the school if it remained open. The letter accused the staff of trying to convert Muslim girl students to Christianity. It also criticised Muslim parents for allowing their daughters to attend and urged them to send them instead to Islamic madrassas. Parents condemned the letter, and police set up a 24-hour guard at the school, which re-opened on 17th September.

A bomb exploded at a school in Bannu, North West Frontier Province, at 2.30 a.m. on 15th September. No one was hurt and, in spite of the damage to the building, the school opened as normal.

/Thank the Lord for this response by the police and pray for an end to the spate of threatening letters against Christians in Pakistan. This letter to the school is only one of many threatening letters which have been received by Pakistani Christians in the last six months.

Praise God that nobody was injured and thank Him for the courage of the school authorities to continue as normal despite this attack./

PAKISTAN - Surprise acquittal of Christian on blasphemy charges

Shahid Masih (aged 18) was released by a court in Faisalabad, Pakistan, on 17th September after he had been found innocent of charges under Pakistan's notorious "blasphemy law". The Christian teenager had been in prison for a year, having been accused of tearing pages of a Qur'an.

Most blasphemy accusations made against Christians in Pakistan are malicious fabrications. The law is vulnerable to being misused in this way since there is no penalty for false accusation and since many courts have a tendency to believe the word of a Muslim rather than of a Christian. However, even false accusations are very serious, because the penalty is a life sentence for desecrating the Qur'an or death for defiling the name of Muhammad. Furthermore, anyone who has been accused (even if they are later acquitted) is liable to be murdered by zealous Muslims who believe they are pleasing God.

Shahid Masih's acquittal shocked both Christians and Muslims because it is very rare for a Christian to be acquitted in a lower court; usually they must go through a long appeals process until they are acquitted by the Supreme Court. The acquittal came after prosecution witnesses changed their original testimonies.

/Praise God for the relatively quick release of Shahid and pray that this will set a precedent for other fabricated blasphemy cases. Pray for him as he recovers from his ordeal. His mother died during his time in prison, apparently from heartbreak over her son's situation.

Pray for Shahid's protection and that of all his family and community. There are likely to be Islamic extremists who are infuriated by this turn of events and will want to respond with violence.

Pray for a change in the law to prevent this kind of injustice. Various Pakistani politicians have attempted to reform the "blasphemy law" but threats from Muslim extremists have always prevented any substantial amendments from being put in place

Pray for other Christians in prison on blasphemy charges, remembering in particular two older men who are both unwell: James Masih (aged 70) and Buta Masih (aged 65). Pray that God will sustain them, and that they will soon be acquitted and released. (Masih is a very common family name among Pakistani Christians.)/

IRAQ - Threats and violence to Christians continue

The hostility to Christians in Iraq has reached such a level that it can only be termed ethnic cleansing or genocide. Threats make clear that the extremists seek to rid their country of Christians, who are generally offered the choice of converting to Islam, leaving or being killed. Threats come as letters, by phone, by text message or face to face.

/Pray for Saif who was returning with his wife from their honeymoon on 2nd June when their car was hijacked. His wife was thrown out and Saif was shot in the leg as he tried to escape. He was taken captive and his fate is not known. His brother believes that Saif was targeted because the extremists saw a recording of his wedding where guests were celebrating. The brother himself has had many threats accusing him of criticising Islam. This is just one family. Pray for the many other Iraqi Christian families in similar situations. The Lord knows them all - pray that He will protect, comfort and strengthen them.

Pray for the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Christian refugees, especially those in Syria which is where most of the poorest and neediest have gone. Barnabas Fund is assisting with their needs./

ETHIOPIA - Persecution of Christians in West

Last month saw a number of attacks on Christians in Benishangul State, where Christians are under pressure from Islamic militants. On 11th September an underground church leader, Jemmal Sembeto (35), was imprisoned and several other Christians beaten and tortured in an attempt to force them to name other leaders in their underground ministry. Five days later evangelist Mulu Tilahun (22) was also imprisoned. It is also reported that a Christian called Ali and his children were severely beaten in their home and, in another incident, a Christian woman called Ashe was beaten and her hand broken. A number of other Christians have been imprisoned without charge.

/Pray for all the Ethiopian Christians imprisoned, beaten or tortured last month. Pray that the Lord will minister to each one according to their needs. Several Christians have fled the area because of the spate of persecution. Pray that all our brothers and sisters in Benishangul will be strengthened in their faith and will not give way to fear./

UK - Plight of converts from Islam in national media

A British television programme broadcast in September from Channel 4's respected "Dispatches" series looked at the persecution suffered by converts from Islam, focusing especially on those in the UK. Barnabas Fund had helped the programme-makers with advice and information.

/Praise God that that this issue has been put into the public arena at last and pray that converts from Islam will not be forgotten.

Pray that converts from Muslim countries who are seeking asylum in the UK will not be deported and that the immigration authorities will realise the seriousness of the risk the converts would face in their home countries./

Barnabas Fund works to support Christian communities around the world where they are facing poverty and persecution.

International Website: http://www.barnabasfund.org