Religious Liberty Prayer List – No. 208 – Tue 25 Feb 2003

WELCOME to the 40 intercessors who have joined the list this month.

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DURING FEBRUARY WE HAVE PRAYED CONCERNING –

IRAQ: where religious tensions are rising in anticipation of what is being portrayed as a ‘Crusader’ war on Islam. Please continue to pray for God to protect and deliver believers who are attacked or treated with suspicion because of their Christian faith.

in not only the number of Kurds coming to faith in Jesus, but also in the number of Islamic militant organisations setting up in the region. On 17 February, Kurdish convert Ziwar Mohamad Ismaeel was assassinated with machinegun fire in Kurdish northern Iraq, leaving a wife and five children. He had previously been threatened with death because of his conversion and subsequent Christian witness. Please pray for strength and comfort for Ziwar’s grieving and frightened family and fellow believers. Pray that all those who heard the gospel through Ziwar’s joyful witness will be convicted of the urgency of his testimony. Pray for the safety of other converts and evangelists in Iraq.

IVORY COAST: where a resumption of internal war is imminent.

threatened to resume war at midnight 16 February if they were not given the interior and defence posts in the new government, as promised in Paris. The deadline passed peacefully, but the threat to resume fighting still stands. President Gbagbo insists that the rebels will not hold those government portfolios. On 19 February, rebels attacked the central village of Zuenoula, west of Bouake, setting fire to homes and slashing people with machetes. The rebels were driven back by the army. Whilst the rebels deny attacking Zuenoula, an Italian missionary in the region confirmed other reports that the fighting started with a rebel attack. Please continue to pray for God to intervene and prevent a rebel takeover of the nation.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: where the Church is growing despite horrific suffering. Please continue to pray for peace and for God to put a stop to the flow of small arms.

————————- FURTHER ISSUES FOR PRAYER ————————-

SUDAN: THE JIHAD CONTINUES

Despite a signed ceasefire agreement, the Government of Sudan (GoS) continues its jihad against the non-Muslim, predominantly Christian southern Sudan. Once again the GoS is mercilessly attacking civilians. Thousands have been displaced in the Western Upper Nile region. Eyewitnesses report that GoS tactics include the abduction of women and children, gang rapes, ground assaults supported by helicopter gunships, destruction of humanitarian relief sites and the burning of villages. US Charge d’Affaires, Jeff Millington, described the situation as ‘horrific’ and said, ‘The government of Sudan bears responsibility for most of this.’ Once again the GoS is compounding the suffering by obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid. Typically, the extreme suffering of Sudanese Christians is virtually absent from the world media and political dialogue. Please pray that in his mercy and righteous anger, God himself will bring peace and justice to Sudan.

‘The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So he himself stepped in to save them with his mighty power and justice.’ Isaiah 59:15b-16 NLT

SOUTH PHILIPPINES: ESCALATING CONFLICT AND TERROR

Conflict and Islamic terror have escalated in the Southern Philippines. The Abu Sayyaf still hold hostage three women Jehovah’s Witnesses, whom they kidnapped in August 2002 and kept, after beheading their male companions. The terrorist kidnapping gang, Pentagon, also operates in the south and the government believes the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is harbouring and training them. President Arroyo has launched a major offensive against the Islamic militants of Mindanao. The strife has forced more than 25,000 civilians to flee their homes. American troops are present to ‘accompany and advise’ the Philippine troops, helping them ‘disrupt and destroy’ the Islamic militants and terrorists fighting there.

On 19 February, suspected Islamic rebels attacked the Christian village of Kalawit, in the Christian region of Zamboanga, South Philippines. Grenades were lobbed into homes before some 50 rebels gathered the residents together in the streets and sprayed them with machinegun fire. Fourteen people, all Christians, died, including several young children and an infant who was shot dead in his mother’s arms. Please pray that Islamic militants and terrorists will be removed from South Philippines, that God will obstruct the flow of arms, and that he will place a shield of protection around the Christian community.

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The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray specifically and regularly for religious liberty issues, and in particular to uphold the Church where it is suffering persecution.

RL Prayer is moderated by Ron Clough, a commissioner of the WEA RLC and convenor of the Australian EA RLC.

Elizabeth Kendal researched and authored this message.

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