<http://www.barnabasfund.org>Prayer Focus Update

December 2008 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 – TWO CHURCHES ATTACKED AND DESTROYED BY LOCAL MUSLIMS <#NIGERIA–TWOCHURCHESATTACK>

* INDIA – ELECTIONS FOR STATE ASSEMBLIES IN SIX STATES <#INDIA–ELECTIONSFORSTATEAS>

* SRI LANKA – ANTI-CONVERSION BILL BEING DISCUSSED IN PARLIAMENT <#SRILANKA–ANTI-CONVERSIONB>

* CENTRAL ASIA – NEW RELIGION LAWS THREATEN CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY <#CENTRALASIA–NEWRELIGIONLA>

* IRAQ – CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IN FEAR AS THREE MORE CHRISTIANS ARE MURDERED <#IRAQ–CHRISTIANCOMMUNITYIN>

* PAKISTAN – CHRISTIAN FATHER AND DAUGHTER ATTACKED AFTER BEING FALSELY ACCUSED OF BLASPHEMY <#PAKISTAN–CHRISTIANFATHERA>

NIGERIA – TWO CHURCHES ATTACKED AND DESTROYED BY LOCAL MUSLIMS

On 16 November local Muslims tore down the foundation stones of a new church building in Sabon Kaura, Bauchi State, in Northern Nigeria. Just two days later, on 18 November, another church only two kilometres away was burnt down, despite the presence of police forces who were sent to the area to prevent any further attacks against the first church.

Christian communities in Northern Nigeria are often harassed and intimidated by Muslims attacking and vandalising their church buildings. A congregation in Katsina Town in Katsina State regularly faces attacks during Sunday services, as stones are hurled at the building, cars are scratched and tyres flattened. The pastor sustained a leg injury when he was attacked by some local youths.

Christian communities in Northern Nigeria also often have difficulties obtaining building permits or even land to build on, and several churches have been dismantled on the orders of local authorities without adequate compensation. In Gwoza a longestablished church had to build an alternative entrance to their premises after a newly constructed Islamic school blocked access to the original gate. In Katsina a congregation has been prevented from completing the construction of its church building since 1986. In another case, a church was ordered to stop the building work on its new meeting place. Local authorities then completed the building and turned it into a library.

/• Pray for Christian communities in northern Nigeria as they face harassment and often violence at the hands of radical Muslims and local authorities. Pray that God will open up ways for them to meet together without fear of attacks, and that His hand of protection will be over their meeting places. Pray for those communities of believers whose church buildings have been destroyed, that the Lord will provide them with new facilities./

INDIA – ELECTIONS FOR STATE ASSEMBLIES IN SIX STATES

From 14 November to 24 December, state assembly elections are being held in six Indian states, including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Mizoram. Three of these states, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, are currently governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a right-wing Hindu nationalist party that is believed to have links to the Hindu extremists groups responsible for the violent attacks against Christians in Orissa.

Twenty Christians, ten in Madhya Pradesh and ten in Chhattisgarh, are running for office with the Congress party, which is in power nationally. Votes will be counted on 8 December, except in Kashmir where elections will be ongoing until 24 December.

/• Pray that God’s will be done in these elections and that He will guide people to vote with wisdom. Pray that at least some of the Christians will be elected into office, and that they will be able to speak up for the rights of the Christian minorities in these states./

SRI LANKA – ANTI-CONVERSION BILL BEING DISCUSSED IN PARLIAMENT

An anti-conversion bill that had been pending for several years was discussed by the Sri Lankan Legislative Standing Committee on 4 November. The proposed law will punish so-called “fraudulent” conversions with large fines and prison sentences and also requires that anyone converting from one religion to another has to inform local authorities. The committee may suggest amendments after which the final version will be brought before the parliament for voting.

The bill was put forward by a member of the Buddhist-led JHU party (National Heritage Party) in 2004, but was left pending after Christian groups and civil rights organisations challenged the bill as unconstitutional before the Supreme Court. The bill was held to be valid except for two clauses. It is very likely that the bill will be ratified by parliament as the government, which includes members of the JHU, holds a majority in parliament. Similar laws in several Indian states have been used to create serious obstacles for genuine Christian evangelism.

• /Pray that the anti-conversion bill will not be passed. Pray for wisdom and guidance for the members of the legislative committee and pray that God’s will be done in this situation./

CHURCH LEADER KILLED AS VIOLENCE AGAINST CHRISTIANS INCREASES

The reintroduction of this bill comes at a time when Christians are seeing increased violence and hostility against them. On 6 October 33-year-old church leader Sebamalai Gunesh went missing after attending a meeting with other Christians. Two days later his mutilated body was found dumped in the city of Ragama. He leaves behind his wife and their two children, aged 2 and 4.

/• Pray for Sebamalai’s wife and children. Pray that the Lord will comfort them and be their provider, and that He will help them through this difficult time. Pray for the church community that they will stand together and support Sebamalai’s family. Pray that God will raise up a new leader to continue Sebamalai’s ministry./

CENTRAL ASIA – NEW RELIGION LAWS THREATEN CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY

Both Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are looking to introduce new and harsher laws on religion, restricting freedom of conscience, worship and religion. On 6 November the parliament in Kyrgyzstan unanimously adopted a new religion law, and passed it on to President Kurmanbek Bakiev, who now has one month to sign it or return it to parliament for further amendments. The new law states that any religious organisation needs 200 members to register. This condition, which was included in the law despite assurances to the contrary, will make it virtually impossible for any church or Christian organisation to register and gain legal status. Also all members will be required to go to the local /keneshes/ (elected local administrations) and present their passports to confirm their identity. Christians in Kyrgyzstan are very wary of giving their personal details to local authorities because they fear even more harassment.

In Kazakhstan a similarly restrictive draft law is making its way through the different legislative bodies and has recently been significantly tightened by the senate. Although not specifically aimed at Christians, if passed into law it would make ministry much more difficult. For example, instead of parents only having to give permission if their child wants to attend a religious meeting aimed specifically at children, permission from both parents is now required for a child to attend any religious meeting. Also, according to the new law, religious literature can only be distributed in a permanent building designated by the state. Additionally the minimum fine for violations of the law has now been set to 50 times the minimum monthly wage; before, judges were able to hand down a more lenient punishment as the previous draft stated that the fines could be anything “up to 50 times” the monthly wage.

/• Pray that the new and amended religion laws in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan will not be implemented in these countries. Pray that God will bring about a change of heart in people responsible for making these legislative decisions and that they will stand up for religious freedom. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have been until now the least restrictive countries in Central Asia for Christians.

• Pray that the Lord will protect and guide His people in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and that He will continue to grow His Church there despite harassment and severe restrictions. Pray especially for wisdom and discernment for church leaders as they set an example as to how to deal with the authorities./

IRAQ – CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IN FEAR AS THREE MORE CHRISTIANS ARE MURDERED

After a wave of violence hit the Christian community of Mosul in October, during which at least 14 Christians were killed (see PFU November 08), families started to return to the city when the police presence was increased massively and the government repeatedly assured Christians that it was safe to come back. However on Wednesday 12 November, two Christian sisters, Lamyaa and Walaa Sabih (both in their forties), were stabbed to death in their house in the Alqahira residential area. Apparently a band of armed youths, who, some sources claim, were linked to al-Qaeda, stormed the family home and began attacking Lamyaa and Walaa and their mother. When police arrived at their house shortly after the attack, a security car was bombed and three policemen were killed in the blast. The Sabih’s family home was also severely damaged. The father and a son were able to escape. Lamyaa and Walaa died on the same day of their injuries, and their mother died a few days later in hospital.

In the same week, on 3 November, the Iraqi parliament decided to concede only three guaranteed seats out of 440 for Christians in the Provincial Councils, despite pressure from the UN to grant Christians at least twelve seats. A few days later the Iraqi presidential council ratified the law without any changes.

The first draft allowed 13 seats in six different provinces for Christians, who make up about 3% of the Iraqi population, but on 24 September the Iraqi parliament agreed that there should be no guaranteed seats for minorities at all. It was only after international pressure that the parliament conceded to guarantee three seats.

/• Pray for Christians in Iraq, especially the Christian community in Mosul. Pray that they will not give in to fear and panic, but will be able to trust God completely at this very difficult time. Pray for the family of Lamyaa and Walaa and their mother, that the Lord will comfort and strengthen them.

• Pray that the Iraqi government and legislative bodies will do all they possibly can to safeguard the rights of religious minorities such as Iraqi Christians. Pray that they will make every effort to protect Christians from attacks such as the ones in Mosul./

PAKISTAN – CHRISTIAN FATHER AND DAUGHTER ATTACKED AFTER BEING FALSELY ACCUSED OF BLASPHEMY

A 40-year-old Christian, Gulshare Masih, and his 19-year-old daughter Sandal from the village of Gojra near Faisalabad, were taken into police custody on 12 October after an enraged Muslim mob falsely accused them of desecrating the Qur’an. About 500 Muslims, including students from a local madrassa (Islamic school), gathered around Gulshare’s house, throwing stones and bricks and breaking windows and the front door. Then they apparently decided to set fire to the whole Christian area so that no Christian would be left to desecrate the Qur’an. At that point police arrived, who managed to appease the Muslims by saying that they would “severely punish the blasphemers”. The police then took Gulshare and Sandal into protective custody. Gulshare’s wife and his other children went into hiding at a relative’s place.

/• Praise God that the police were able to intervene and appease the enraged Muslims. Pray that they will be able to ensure safety for Sandal, Gulshare and the rest of the family. Pray that the radical Muslims will not succeed in destroying the peace in this community and that God will protect and strengthen His own in this village and all of Pakistan./