Prayer Focus Update

August 2007 Issue 130

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.

* WOMEN CONVERTS – Uganda, Kazakhstan, Egypt <#WOMEN CONVERTS>

* AFGHANISTAN – Korean Christian workers abducted <#AFGHANISTAN - Korean Christian workers abducted >

* IRAQ – Three-day Ultimatum to Mosul Christians <#IRAQ - Three-day Ultimatum to Mosul Christians>

* ALGERIA – Regulations targeting Christians <#ALGERIA - Regulations targeting Christians>

* INDIA – Indian missionary beaten to death <#INDIA - Indian missionary beaten to death>

* INDIA – Mob attack pastor <#INDIA - Mob attack pastor>

* INDIA – Hindu activists attack church <#INDIA - Hindu activists attack church >

* INDIA – Supreme Court discusses Christian Dalits <#INDIA - Supreme Court discusses Christian Dalits>

* UZBEKISTAN – David Shestakov <#UZBEKISTAN - David Shestakov>

*WOMEN CONVERTS*

Converts to Christianity from Islam often face severe persecution and can even be killed for their faith. For young female converts, pressure from the family can be intense, as the family honour is considered to depend on the behaviour of the women. Leaving Islam brings terrible shame.

Uganda

Shamimu Muteteri Hassan (aged 16) was murdered by her father on July 1st because she had become a Christian two months earlier. Her father, famous in his village for being an extremely radical Muslim, asked her to deny Christ or lose her life, but she refused. The church began making plans to help her escape the family home, but before the plans were complete her father attacked and killed her with a large hammer, then burned the body with paraffin and buried it. Police arrested him, but were later bribed by wealthy Muslims to set him free.

* Praise God for Shamimu who was faithful even to the point of death and has now been given the crown of life (Revelation 2:10). Pray for her grieving fianc ©, Ivan, the pastor’s son, who was also arrested and held by the police for a few days. It was Ivan who originally led Shamimu to Christ. * Pray for Shamimu’s father and the rest of the family, that the courage and commitment of this young girl will speak to their hearts so that they want to understand more of her new faith.

* Pray that the Ugandan authorities will deal with this case justly.

Kazakhstan

A 21-year-old university student “G”, from a Muslim background, has become a Christian and is preparing for baptism. She is living with her aunt, because her mother is in another Central Asian country. When G’s aunt discovered that G was going to church she made arrangements to marry her to a Muslim. Abducting a woman to marry her forcibly is a local custom, and G was very alarmed. The church prayed and no marriage took place.

Recently, G wrote to her mother explaining her conversion and decision to be baptised. This letter did not reach her mother and instead was returned to her aunt who opened it, copied and showed it to all the relatives. She beat G and threw her out of the house.

* Give thanks for answered prayer about the threatened marriage and that G has remained strong in her new faith.

* Pray for protection for G and also for the church that is seeking to support her. Pray for wisdom for the church leadership as they try to find the best way to care for and shelter her. What happened to G happens to many other converts from Islam to Christianity. We may not know their names or the details of their stories, but the Lord knows. Pray for them.

Egypt

On July 16th in Alexandria, Shaymaa (Eman) Muhammad al-Sayed (aged 26) was detained by the security police, ostensibly to “protect” her from her Muslim relatives who had threatened to kill her. Shaymaa, who has been a Christian for several years and is married to a Christian, was subjected to hours of interrogation and torture, including being given electric shocks.

According to later reports, Shaymaa was released by the police on July 23rd and handed over to the same family members who had already threatened to kill her. The relatives beat her behind the police station and then drove her away.

* Pray for protection for Shaymaa and that her family will allow her freedom to choose her own religion. Pray for healing of her injuries.

* Pray for other converts in Egypt who have been threatened, detained and tortured by the security services or attacked by their own families.

* The Mufti of Egypt was recently quoted on the Newsweek.Washington Post website as stating that Muslims are free to change their faith without worldly punishment. This statement caused wide ripples of surprise, as Egypt puts great pressure on converts from Islam. A few days later, however, on July 24th the Mufti issued a statement denying his earlier reported comment. He said, “Apostasy is a crime which must be punished.” Pray that the day will soon come when the Egyptian authorities really do decide to permit Muslims to freely leave their faith and follow another if they so choose.

Back to top <#top>

*AFGHANISTAN* – Korean Christian workers abducted

At the time of writing 23 Korean Christians (mainly women) have been seized by the Taliban, and two men from the group have been killed. One was the group’s leader, Bae Hyung Kyu (aged 42), who had been very active in Christian ministry of many kinds. This item is being highlighted in the international media. Please check the latest situation and pray accordingly. Pray also for the wife and daughter of Hyung Kyu, and for those who mourn for our other martyred brother, that the Lord Himself will comfort them in their grief.

*IRAQ* – Three-day Ultimatum to Mosul Christians

An Islamic group calling itself the Islamic Emirate of Mosul (IEM) has launched an attack against Christians in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. In a public statement on 5th July the IEM threatened they would kidnap or kill all Christians at the Mosul University, whether students or staff, if they did not leave the campus within three days. The statement, posted on the streets of Mosul, also threatened to behead any Christians remaining in the city after the three days were up. The IEM has already killed seven Christians in Mosul.

* Pray that the Lord will protect our brothers and sisters in Mosul and keep them from fear. The latest threats may trigger a large wave of Christian refugees from the city, which has the highest proportion of Christians amongst Iraqi cities. Pray for provision for the refugees.

*ALGERIA* – Regulations targeting Christians

New legislation targeting Christians is beginning to impact upon the Church in Algeria. A religion law, which came into effect almost a year ago, was not at first enforced. Since then there have been other regulations introduced.

The combined effect is to restrict most facets of Christian life, including the right to meet for worship and to share one’s faith with Muslims. In June, four Christians were arrested in three separate incidents, all accused of “proselytism” or similar. In once case a Christian was approached by an undercover policeman pretending to be interested in reading the Bible.

Algeria’s Religious Affairs Ministry has sought to deny that the persecution of Christians is happening and have claimed that a law giving two to five years in prison for anyone trying to convert a Muslim is in keeping with international standards.

* Pray that Algerian Christians, many of whom are recent converts from Islam, will not be discouraged in the face of persecution, but will continue to witness. Pray for the four accused that they will know the Lord’s presence and comfort as they await their trials.

* Pray that the Algerian authorities will quickly return to their former lenient attitude towards Christians.

*INDIA* – Indian missionary beaten to death

Hemanta Das (aged 29) was beaten so severely in Guwahati, Assam state, that he died of his injuries on July 1st. The attack, which took place on June 28th, is thought to have been the work of Hindu extremists. Before becoming a Christian, Hemanta had himself been a member of a Hindu extremist group, and he had received several threats because of his outreach work.

* Pray for those who mourn for Hemanta. Pray that his faithfulness and courage will bear much spiritual fruit.

*INDIA* – Mob attack pastor

On the 8th June a pastor in Hesaregetta in Karnataka state was set upon by a mob of 250 people. Pastor Laxmi Narayana was beaten by a mob, who then tried to set him on fire by pouring kerosene on him and throwing a burning Bible at him. Pastor Laxmi testified that it was only through God’s protection that he did not catch fire as he was covered with so much kerosene. After this the pastor was paraded naked through the streets with a board on his chest which read “I am the one who converts people”.

* Give thanks for God’s protection of Pastor Laxmi from those who would have burned him to death, and for his determination to continue with his ministry.

*INDIA* – Hindu activists attack church

About 60 or 70 members of the Hindu extremist group Bajrang Dal attacked a church service in Rouabandha in Chhattisgarh State on 1st July. Pastor Israel was beaten and other members of the church were injured when they tried to protect him. Musical equipment in the church was destroyed and Bibles were stolen to be burned later in the market place. Bajrang Dal activists had been making threatening phonecalls to Pastor Israel for two months before they attacked. They also made false accusations against him of bribing someone to convert to Christianity.

* The police have said they are investigating the incident and will protect Christians. Pray that they will indeed do so and will bring to justice those who are harassing them.

*INDIA* – Supreme Court discusses Christian Dalits

On July 19th the Indian Supreme Court began to consider whether Christian dalits should be given the same benefits as Hindus, Sikh and Buddhist dalits. Dalits are the lowest level of the Hindu caste system (formerly called “outcastes” or “untouchables”). India practises a policy of affirmative action where places are reserved in educational establishments for dalits, but currently Christian dalits are denied access to these places. To change this would mean amending a clause in the Indian constitution.

* Pray that religious discrimination in India will come to an end and that Christian dalits will be given justice at last.

*UZBEKISTAN* – David Shestakov

Please keep praying for Dmitri (David) Shestakov, serving a four-year sentence in a harsh and remote prison colony because of his Christian ministry. His wife has been able to visit him and found him in a cheerful frame of mind. Praise God that the work task he has been assigned is not a dangerous one. Please continue to pray that he will be transferred back to the less harsh prison colony in which he began his sentence.

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