June 2008 Issue 140 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 receive 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> * NIGERIA - RESCUE OF KIDNAPPED CHRISTIAN GIRLS TRIGGERS ANTI-CHRISTIAN RAMPAGE <#NIGERIA-RESCUEOFKIDNAPPED> * INDONESIA - CHRISTIAN VILLAGE BURNT TO GROUND BY NEIGHBOURING MUSLIMS <#INDONESIA-CHRISTIANVILLAG> * ALGERIA- CHRISTIAN WOMAN FACES THREE YEARS' IMPRISONMENT FOR "ILLEGIMATE EXERCISE OF A NON-MUSLIM RELIGION" <#ALGERIA-CHRISTIANWOMANFAC> * UZBEKISTAN - TV BROADCAST INCITES RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE <#UZBEKISTAN-TVBROADCASTINC> * KENYA - CHRISTIAN LEADER ASSAULTED AND STABBED BY A GROUP OF SOMALIS <#KENYA-CHRISTIANLEADERASSA> * IRAN - SEVERAL CHRISTIAN CONVERTS FROM ISLAM ARRESTED <#IRAN-SEVERALCHRISTIANCONV> * INDIA - DORMANT ANTI-CONVERSION LAW BECOMES ACTIVE IN GUJARAT STATE <#INDIA-DORMANTANTI-CONVERS> * TURKEY - THREATS AGAINST CHRISTIANS CONTINUE <#TURKEY-THREATSAGAINSTCHRI> NIGERIA - RESCUE OF KIDNAPPED CHRISTIAN GIRLS TRIGGERS ANTI-CHRISTIAN RAMPAGE On 13 May, Islamists attacked the Christian community in the town of Ningi, Bauchi state, Nigeria, burning down six churches and looting and destroying Christian shops and goods. What triggered the attack was the rescue of two Christian girls, Mary Chikwodi Okoye (15) and Uche Edward (14), who had been kidnapped by Muslims in Ningi at the end of April in an attempt to force them to convert to Islam and marry Muslim men. After the police had managed to find the girls and return them to their parents on 12 May, Islamists under the auspices of a paramilitary arm of Kano state's Sharia Commission went on rampage, attacking Christians, destroying shops and burning down churches. Kidnapping teenage Christian girls and forcing them to convert to Islam and marry Muslim men is seen as a common means to "expand Islam". According to a local pastor, at least 13 Christian girls in Ningi have been kidnapped in recent years, and some have never been reunited with their parents. One Christian girl, Maryann Chinenye Chiazo (16) was abducted in November 2007 and is still in Muslim captivity. When her father reported the kidnapping to the police, he was told eventually by the Bauchi state Sharia Commission that his daughter had converted to Islam and was now under their custody. /. Pray for Mary and Uche and their families that they will recover from the ordeal. Pray that God will protect and comfort them, and draw them closer to Himself. Pray for all the other Christian girls who have been abducted over the last few years. Pray that the Lord will give them wisdom and strength and help them to stand firm in their faith, especially those who are still with their Muslim captors. . Pray for the Christians in Ningi who have suffered from the Islamist attack. Pray that the Lord will provide and keep them strong. Pray that they will have the courage to continue meeting together and confessing their faith. . Pray that the abduction of Christian girls in Nigeria will stop. Pray for those Muslims who consider this as a legitimate way of furthering Islam, that they will come to see the wrong of their actions./ Back to top <#top> INDONESIA - CHRISTIAN VILLAGE BURNT TO GROUND BY NEIGHBOURING MUSLIMS On the night of 2 May, the mainly Christian village of Horale, Indonesia, was attacked by a Muslim mob from the neighbouring village of Saleman, which is majority Muslim. The attackers burnt down 120 houses, three churches and the village school. Fifteen hectares of crops were destroyed as well as 20 fishing boats and 2 motor-cycles. Four Christians were killed in the attack and 56 wounded. Three of the four victims had their throats slit, but all were attacked in other ways as well. Mrs Welhelmina Pattiasina (47) was first tortured, and her grand-daughter Yola (6) had her stomach cut open. Edward Unwaru (84) was burned to death after his throat had been cut. A fourth victim, Josef Laumahina (39) was cut and then burned. Horale village, which is situated in a remote area on the island of Seram in Maluku province, is home to 175 families, a total of around 2,300 people. Over the last five months, the region has seen a number of similar incidents. Maluku province experienced intense anti-Christian violence between 1999 and 2001. /. Pray for the Christians of Horale village, many of whom have lost everything they owned. Pray especially for the families of Welhelmina, Yola, Edward and Josef. Pray that the Lord will comfort them, and that He will provide. Pray for those who have been wounded that they will be healed. . Thank the Lord that the Indonesian authorities were prompt to send a large detachment of police to guard the border between the two villages. Pray that the Christians of Horale will be given grace to forgive and love their enemies./ Back to top <#top> ALGERIA- CHRISTIAN WOMAN FACES THREE YEARS' IMPRISONMENT FOR "ILLEGIMATE EXERCISE OF A NON-MUSLIM RELIGION" Algerian Christian Habiba Qawider, who converted from Islam to Christianity, may face three years' imprisonment for "practising a religion other than Islam without official authorisation". Habiba, who is in her 30s, had first been detained by the police on 29 March when they found Bibles and Christian literature in her bag as she travelled on a bus. During her trial on 23 May, the prosecutor apparently claimed that carrying Christian books is tantamount to practising Christianity - which, under the new regulations for non-Muslim worship of 2006, is only legal in government-approved places of worship. Habiba's case has been drawing a lot of media attention which is putting pressure on the Algerian government. Six other Algerian Christians, who were charged with "shaking the faith of Muslims" and "holding religious meetings without permission" under the 2006 regulations, may face a one year prison sentence and £3,800 fine. /. Pray for Habiba and the other Algerian Christians who are on trial for charges under the 2006 regulations. Pray for strength and wisdom for them and their lawyers. . Pray that justice will be brought about and that pressure from the Algerian media, liberal Muslims and human rights organisations will result in a change in the Algerian government's attitude towards Christians. / Back to top <#top> UZBEKISTAN - TV BROADCAST INCITES RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE On Saturday, 17 May, the Uzbek state-run First TV Channel broadcast a programme attacking religious minorities, particularly Protestant Christians and those who share their faith with others. It focussed especially on "missionary activities", describing them as a "global problem along with religious dogmatism, fundamentalism, terrorism and drug addiction". Evangelical Christians were compared to Satanists. The broadcast, which was entitled "In the clutches of ignorance", used police films taken during raids on Sunday worship (see for example Prayer Focus Update May 2008). Two particular pastors were depicted as traitors, and all their personal details were broadcast. /. Pray for protection of the two pastors and their families and all the other Christians and members of religious minorities, especially those whose faces were shown on the broadcast. Pray that the Uzbek population will not be swayed by the government's campaign but instead will stand up for the rights of Christians and other religious minorities. . Continue to pray for the small but growing Christian community in Uzbekistan. Pray that God will protect them in the midst of this state campaign which seeks to intimidate them and gain control over them. Pray that the Lord will give them courage, wisdom and love for those who defame and harass them./ Back to top <#top> KENYA - CHRISTIAN LEADER ASSAULTED AND STABBED BY A GROUP OF SOMALIS Jared, a Kenyan Christian leader, was assaulted by a group of Somali people next to his house in Wajir in north-eastern Kenya on the night of 12 May. The attackers stabbed and clubbed Jared, who had to be taken to hospital in Nairobi for his injuries. Jared had experienced harassment and threats before: when twelve Somalis converted from Islam to Christianity and were baptised in early 2007, extremists put up posters saying that they wanted Jared's head for Allah. /. Pray for complete healing for Jared. Pray for his and his family's protection and for courage to continue in their ministry. Pray that God will help them to forgive the attackers./ Back to top <#top> IRAN - SEVERAL CHRISTIAN CONVERTS FROM ISLAM ARRESTED It is reported that over the last month, several Iranian Christian converts from Islam have been arrested by Iranian police in the city of Shiraz in southern Iran. On 11 May, two Christian couples, Homayon (48) and his wife Fariba (40) and Amir (25) and his wife Fatemeh (25) were arrested at the airport and subjected to hours of interrogation. Allegedly they were solely questioned about their faith and house church activities. While the two wives were released on the day of their arrest, Amir was detained until 14 May, and Homayon is apparently still being held. A few hours later, the police broke into the house of Hamid (58) and arrested him and his three adult children, Fatemah (28), Muhammed Ali (27) and Mojtaba (21). Hussein, Fatemah and Muhammed were released the same day, but Mojtaba is apparently still in prison. The police also confiscated all the family's books, CDs, computers and printers. Two days later another two Christian converts from Islam, Arash and Mahmood, were arrested while talking together in a park. Both men are reported to be still detained. /. Pray for all the Christians who have been arrested and especially for those still in detention. Pray that the Lord will comfort and encourage them and be very present in this time of trial. Pray that Homayon, Arash, Mahmood and Mojtaba will be released quickly. . Pray for the beleaguered Christian community in Iran, especially for converts from Islam. Pray that God will give them wisdom and courage in their faith and in their witness to others./ Back to top <#top> INDIA - DORMANT ANTI-CONVERSION LAW BECOMES ACTIVE IN GUJARAT STATE Gujarat state in India recently formalised the "Gujarat Religious Freedom Act", an anti-conversion law which was passed in 2003 but has lain dormant since then. Under this law, Christians and adherents of other non-Hindu religions can now face up to three years in prison if they are found to "forcibly convert" someone. Also, if someone changes their faith, he or she must report to the government 30 days before the "conversion ceremony" (e.g. baptism) and their personal details must be submitted to the government. Indian Christians are concerned that this law will open up doors for extremists to harass and persecute them. Indian anti-conversion laws exist in seven states, but are only enforced in five, where they are mostly used to prevent the legitimate evangelistic activity of Christians. . /Pray for Christians in India, especially in Gujarat and the other four Indian states where anti-conversion laws are enforced. Pray that the laws will not be used to harass and persecute Christians and prevent others from converting to Christianity./ Church leaders, evangelists and Christian communities in India continue to face harassment and violence by Hindu extremists. In one incident on 23 May, a group of 30 Christians went to Bainsa town in Adilabad district, Andra Pradesh, to tell people about Jesus. When Hindu extremists in the area heard about this, they first attacked the Christians' vehicles and then started assaulting the Christians, beating them severely. Later, when the Christians were taken to a police station, three truckloads of Hindu extremists arrived and surrounded the police station, waiting for the Christians to come out. /. Pray for wisdom and strength for Indian Christians, especially full-time workers, many of whom face violence and threats. Pray for those who persecute Christians that they will come to know Jesus./ Back to top <#top> TURKEY - THREATS AGAINST CHRISTIANS CONTINUE On 6 May three men, one of them carrying a gun, drove up to a church in Ankara. When they found the church locked, they approached a church member who was outside the church. The armed man pointed his gun at the Christian and asked where the pastor of the church was. The Christian replied that the pastor was not present. At this reply, the gunman said to the church member to tell the pastor that they "were determined to get rid of him". /. Pray for the pastor and the church member that they might know God's peace. Pray that the Lord will protect them and the church from all harm. Praise the Lord that police officials have taken the case seriously and are trying to help the pastor. . Pray for the small Christian community in Turkey who continue to face threats, harassment and violence. Pray that authorities will be quick to help Christians and ensure the freedom of worship and religion for all./
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