April 2007 Issue 126

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.

a.. UZBEKISTAN – CHURCH LEADER SENTENCED b.. CENTRAL ASIA – INCREASED HARASSMENT OF CHURCHES c.. KAZAKHSTAN – PROPOSED NEW RELIGION LAW d.. VIETNAM – PASTOR BEATEN e.. NIGERIA – CHRISTIAN TEACHER KILLED f.. INDIA – PASTOR ATTACKED g.. INDIA – BIBLE COLLEGE ATTACKED h.. INDIA – CHURCH LAND CONFISCATED i.. CAMPAIGN UPDATE – THE RIGHT TO JUSTICE UZBEKISTAN – CHURCH LEADER SENTENCED

In Andijan, Uzbekistan, Christian pastor Dmitri (David) Shestakov, has been found guilty of “incitement to religious hatred”, one of three charges brought against him by the state authorities. There was also a “smear campaign” of false information being posted about David in the media in the run-up to his trial. It is believed David has been targeted because he is very active in ministry and particularly in sharing the Gospel with non-Christians. David’s defence lawyer was able to get two of the charges dismissed, including the most serious charge of running an illegal religious organisation. On 9th April David was found guilty, but instead of a 20-year prison sentence which had been a possibility, he was sentenced to four years’ deportation to a prison colony. He plans to appeal the sentence.

The outcome of the trial will probably have serious implications for all involved in this kind of Christian ministry in this country. In particular two Christians in Karakalpakstan, Makset Djabbarbergenov (26) and Salauat Serikbayev (32), are currently facing similar charges with the possibility of up to five years’ imprisonment if convicted under the Criminal Code of “violating the law on religious organisations”.

• Pray for David and his lawyer as they appeal the sentence. Pray that God, who works out everything for the good of those who are called according to His purpose, will bring good out of this tense situation. Continue to ask for blessing for David, who is not disheartened and is trusting in our Lord.

• Pray for the trials of Makset and Salauat, that both will be found not guilty of the charges against them. Pray that all Christian leaders in Uzbekistan will be allowed to continue their ministries without interference.

CENTRAL ASIA – INCREASED HARASSMENT OF CHURCHES

Christians in Central Asia have seen a rise in anti-Christian persecution since the beginning of 2007, particularly in and around the area of south-east Uzbekistan, an area known as Fergana Valley. Some examples of the persecution seen in 2007 are:

In Uzbekistan, police raided an unregistered church in Qarshi during the Sunday morning service on 25th February. Pastor Sergei Shandyvayev calmly continued the service, as the police began filming the service and everyone present. When the service ended the officers sealed the doors and recorded the name and address of all present. They interrogated the church members, asking them why they had become Christians and demanding to know from where the church received its funding. Following this the individual church rooms were searched and Christian literature was confiscated.

A church in Osh, Kyrgyzstan was refused registration. The reason given that was that the church had previously been organising religious activities without registration. Pastor Nikitin, the church’s leader, said the decision was absurd. “Nothing in Kyrgyz law says that if a church has been functioning without registration and then wishes to obtain it, the Religious Affairs Committee has the right to refuse.”

On 7th April Pastor Fauzi Gubaidullin in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, was given a three day custody sentence for failing to carry out a court order to close his unregistered church. The judge set the prison term to begin immediately, despite the fact that under Kazakh law Gubaidullin had 10 days in which to appeal his sentence. Gubaidullin was released on 10th April, and plans to appeal the sentence as unjust.

• Pray for Christians in Central Asia to have wisdom and discernment concerning registration of their churches, and courage to continue their worship despite the possibility of opposition from the authorities.

• Pray that churches who are in the process of trying to gain registration will not be obstructed from doing so, and that registered churches will not suffer unnecessary harassment.

KAZAKHSTAN – PROPOSED NEW RELIGION LAW

At the same time as this apparent crackdown on churches and church leaders, Kazakhstan is also intending to introduce a new Religion Law which proposes even greater restrictions on religious activities than are already in place. If the law is passed in its current draft form it could mean that all unregistered religious activity would be banned, and registered religious communities with fewer than 50 members would be banned from publishing or importing religious literature, maintaining open places of worship or conducting charitable activity.

• Pray that the proposed law in Kazakhstan will not go through in its current form, but that Christians will retain the right to worship together irrespective of the size of their groups. Pray for religious liberty in Kazakhstan.

VIETNAM – PASTOR BEATEN

On 8th April police raided the home of Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh in Hanoi, Vietnam. They vandalised the house and took Pastor Chinh and his wife to the local police station. There the Christian couple were brutally beaten by the police. Pastor Chinh was released the following day, but has since been repeatedly summoned back to the station for questioning. The raid appears to be part of a government crackdown on “dissidents” and those involved in human rights activities.

• Pray for Pastor Chinh and his wife to recover from their injuries. Pray that they will be given strength from our Lord to continue in the work to which He has called them.

NIGERIA – CHRISTIAN TEACHER KILLED

A report has just reached Barnabas Fund of a Christian teacher killed by her students in Gombe state, north-east Nigeria.

On 21st April Oluwatoyin Olushekan was conducting an exam in Islamic Religious Knowledge; students claim that she took a Qur’an from a female student during the exam and tore out a portion from the book. The angry students launched a physical attack on their teacher, beating her to death. The school’s Muslim head-teacher attempted to shield Oluwatoyin from the enraged students, sustaining injuries as he himself was also beaten.

The attack quickly became a riot, as the students set Oluwatoyin’s car on fire, as well as three blocks of classrooms. Gombe state police were able to prevent the riot from escalating further. A police spokesman said that they were investigating the cause of the attack, and have instigated a temporary 24-hour patrol to forestall further violence.

• Pray for the family and church of Oluwatoyin as they grieve her death. Pray that they will have the grace to forgive her murderers.

• Pray that God will turn the hearts of the students from violence to peace.

• Give thanks for the action of the Muslim headmaster attempting to save Oluwatoyin. Pray that he will use this incident to teach religious tolerance to the students in his school.

INDIA – PASTOR ATTACKED

On the evening of 25th February a mob of 70-80 Hindus surrounded the home of Pastor T.N. Jose in Rajnandgaon district. The mob, some of whom are reported to belong to the Hindu militant group Bajrang Dal, accused Pastor Jose of forcefully converting villagers, and threatened to cut him to pieces if he did not leave the village before the next morning. They forced Pastor Jose to sign a statement that no-one was forcing him to leave the village.

Pastor Jose took refuge at another pastor’s house close to the village. However the attackers took Pastor Jose’s sister, keeping her with them until they could find Pastor Jose. They eventually released her the following evening, after which she ran through the jungle to a designated spot where her brother could collect her. Pastor Jose’s sister is a doctor who runs a clinic in the village, which has remained closed since the incident.

• Pray for protection for Pastor Jose and his sister. Give thanks that neither suffered serious injury in the attack. Pray that they will be able to return to their homes and that their work in the church and the clinic will be able to continue.

INDIA – BIBLE COLLEGE ATTACKED

On 28th February 500 Bajrang Dal members attacked a Bible College in Orissa state. The Hindu extremist mob systematically attacked the staff and students present on the campus. Five students and a director of the women’s dormitory were hospitalised from their injuries, and one student is in critical condition. The attackers ransacked the campus, destroying roofs and disconnected the electricity supply.

• Pray for the injured students and staff at the college. One student is still in a critical condition. Pray for healing for their physical injuries, and also the emotional trauma. Pray that they will be aware of their heavenly Father’s presence and His protection over them.

INDIA – CHURCH LAND CONFISCATED

In Chhattisgarh state, Christians are protesting the state Government’s attempts to confiscate the land on which the village chapel has stood for 30 years. The land is being taken on the pretext of “returning” it to its presumed original owners. Chhattisgarh Land Revenue Code states that “If a non-tribal or tribal purchases the tribal land through fraudulent and treacherous means it has to be returned to the original owner of the land.” However the land on which the chapel was built was donated to the Christians by the father of a tribal church minister.

When Chhattisgarh officials arrived to measure the property local Christians surrounded the building. They later sat inside the chapel until late in the night. The chapel is also used as a community hall for the whole village.

• Pray for the Christians of this village to peaceably work with the state officials to retain the land that is theirs. Pray that the government will not continue its attempts to confiscate the land.

CAMPAIGN UPDATE – THE RIGHT TO JUSTICE

The Right to Justice petition closes on 30th April. It currently has over 104,000 signatures. The UK petition will be handed in to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 14th May.

• Please pray for the meeting with the FCO and for constructive discussion to be achieved through it.

• Please pray for the arrangements being made for the handing in of the petition to the Australia, New Zealand and United States governments.

• Pray that the Campaign will result in real change for the better for persecuted Christian minorities, that they will be given equal treatment with non-Christian majorities.

Barnabas Fund, March 28, 2007