May 2010

IRAN – PRAISE AND PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN PRISONERS

A number of arrests and releases of Christian prisoners in Iran have caused mixed feelings among the Christian community, according to Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN).

Three women (Maryam Jalali, Mitra Zahmati and Farzan Matin) were finally released on 17 March after being held for 80 days in Evin Prison, Tehran. They were arrested along with twelve other Christians on 24 December 2009 as they gathered at a private residence to celebrate Christmas. The others were released on 4 January 2010.

On 11 April Reza, an Azeri-speaking Christian, was released after spending 50 days in detention. He was arrested at his home in Tabriz and accused of  ƒ ¢ ¢â€š ¬ …“leading a home-based church, pastoral services given to members, teaching the Bible to converts ƒ ¢ ¢â€š ¬  and other offences. Reports suggest that the judge from the Islamic court ordered the conditional release of Reza, but the family were unable to pay the extremely large sum; the court reduced the bail and released him, pending a future trial date. Reza has been banned from contacting his friends and fellow Christians.

Maryam and Marzieh, who were released on 18 November 2009, were in court during the week of 13 April facing charges of propagating Christianity and apostasy. It is reported that both women have been in poor health since their release from prison. At the time of writing, there had been no further updates on the trial.

Despite these good news stories, FCNN have also reported on the continued imprisonment of Hamid Shafiee and Reyhaneh Aghajary, who have been held for 45 days without charge (see April Prayer Focus Update ). Further bad news has included the recent detentions of Bahnam Irani, a Christian leader in Karaj arrested on 14 April, and 19-year-old Daniel Shahri, arrested at his home in Isfahan on 11 April. Thankfully, however, Daniel was released ten days later, but he still faces charges of blasphemy and spreading Christian propaganda.

* Continue to pray for Christians in prison in Iran. Pray that the Lord will be their comfort and protector during their detention.

* Praise the Lord for the recent releases of a number of Iranian Christians. Pray that any charges against them will be dropped so that they will be free to continue worshipping the Lord without fear.

* Pray for health and strength for Maryam and Marzieh, that they may know the presence of the Lord Jesus during their trial.

EGYPT – COURT PROCRASTINATES ON CHANGES TO CONVERT’S ID CARD

An Egyptian court has suspended the case of Christian convert Mohamed Hegazy, aged 27, who has been trying for three years to have the religion that is listed on his national ID card changed from  ¢â‚¬ËœMuslim ¢â‚¬â„¢  to  ¢â‚¬ËœChristian ¢â‚¬â„¢ .

Hegazy initially requested the change in August 2007 but this first request was refused. Although having one ¢â‚¬â„¢s ID card amended is easy when converting to Islam from other religions, Egyptian authorities do not acknowledge the conversion of Muslims to any another religion. ID cards are vital in Egyptian society, and being considered legally as  ¢â‚¬ËœMuslim ¢â‚¬â„¢  creates huge practical problems for Egyptian Christians from a Muslim background.

Hegazy ¢â‚¬â„¢s lawsuit was suspended on 27 April 2010 pending a ruling yet to be made in a 2009 case in the Constitutional Court, which has challenged the section of the Civil Code that allows citizens to change their name and religions on official documents. This postponement could leave him in limbo for years while the courts continue to evade making a decision. This is a key test case as approval could set an important precedent for Christians in Egypt.

* Pray for Mohamed Hegazy and his wife, who have been forced to live in hiding since 2007. Pray that they will find comfort and safety in the Lord as Mr Hegazy continues to fight for the right to be legally recognised as a Christian.

USA – UNIVERSITY VOTES TO RETAIN CHRISTIAN WORDING ON DIPLOMAS

The Board of Trustees at Trinity University, Texas, has voted to retain the words  ¢â‚¬Ëœin the year of our Lord ¢â‚¬â„¢  as part of the date on University diplomas after some of the students petitioned to have the phrase removed.

The debate started in late 2009 when a graduating student, a convert to Islam, told a local newspaper that the  ¢â‚¬Ëœgodly reference [on his diploma] came as a big surprise ¢â‚¬â„¢  because he had been assured that the school no longer held to a Christian identity. His cause was taken up by Sidra Qureshi, president of Trinity Diversity Connection, who told the media  ¢â‚¬ËœBy having the phrase  ¢â‚¬Ëœin the year of our Lord ¢â‚¬â„¢, it is directly referencing Jesus Christ, and not everyone believes in Jesus Christ. Trinity Diversity Connection respectfully requested that the wording be removed from diplomas, but on 23 April, the University Board voted that the phrase was appropriate given the history and heritage of the University.

Although the University is governed by an independent board, it was founded by Presbyterians and still maintains links to that denomination.

* Give thanks that the Board voted to uphold the Christian heritage of the University and retain the wording on the diploma.

KYRGYZSTAN – CHRISTIANS FAST AND PRAY FOR STABILITY

Christians have come together in Kyrgyzstan to pray for the stability of their country following a bloody uprising in early April. At least 80 people were killed and up to 1,500 injured in violence that broke out in the capital, Bishkek, on Tuesday 6 April, prompted by dissatisfaction over rising prices and allegations of corruption. There was widespread looting of businesses and government premises across the city, leaving a trail of destruction.

The country ¢â‚¬â„¢s president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who came to power five years ago during the Tulip Revolution when then-President Akayev was overthrown, was forced to flee the city. He initially insisted that he would not resign and said that any attempts to arrest him would result in  ¢â‚¬Ëœa great deal of bloodshed which no-one will be able to justify ¢â‚¬â„¢. However, on 26 April, it was reported that Bakiyev is now in prison, having been detained by Russian law enforcement agencies in Moscow.

An interim government, headed by opposition politician Rosa Otunbayeva, was established and a degree of calm has now returned to the city with police patrolling the streets, but the country is still considered to be in a precarious state.

Three days after the turmoil began, Barnabas Fund ¢â‚¬â„¢s coordinator for the Former Soviet Union reported that Christian church leaders in Kyrgyzstan had gathered for prayer and action. Groups of Christians were giving practical help in the chaos, visiting hospitals, caring for the wounded, assisting with cleaning the streets and helping to restore damaged public buildings. The church leaders also organised four days of prayer and fasting for their country, from 9 to 12 April.

* Please pray for stability in this small and very poor state. Pray that the interim government will work to reach a peaceful and satisfactory resolution to the crisis.

* Pray for those who were wounded or lost loved ones in the recent bloodshed, that they may find comfort in the Lord Jesus.

* Please lift our brothers and sisters in Kyrgyzstan to the Lord in prayer; ask for greater tolerance from local authorities towards Christians and that the change of government will result in increased liberty for all citizens including greater freedom for Christians to worship and witness.

NIGERIA – ATTACKS AGAINST CHRISTIANS CONTINUE IN PLATEAU STATE

Reports of anti-Christian attacks emerge almost daily from Plateau State, which was the location of horrific violence and massacres in the last few months (see February, March and April Prayer Focus Updates ).

On 6 April Muslim youths chanting war songs blocked the road as a group of Christians were returning from a church meeting in the Nassarawa Gwom area of Jos, the scene of violence in January. The ensuing clash between the two groups led to the death of one Christian youth at the hands of the security forces who arrived to restore order, according to the Information Commissioner for Plateau State, Gregory Yenlong.

On 10 April the homes of three leading officials in the Christian village of Kura Jenta, 20km south of Jos, were targeted shortly after midnight by a Muslim gang. The attackers used the same tactics as those used in Dogo Nahawa on 7 March, setting homes ablaze and then waiting for the residents to come out in order to kill them. But these homes were made of concrete blocks with zinc roofs; the residents did not leave their houses until after the attackers had fled.

Tensions have risen further in Plateau State following the murder of a Christian pastor and his wife in the neighbouring state of Bauchi. The bodies of Ishaya and Selina Kadah were discovered on 15 April in Boto village, Bauchi State, two days after they were kidnapped. Police have arrested two suspects and security has been stepped up in the city of Bauchi. Four days later, the mutilated bodies of two elderly Christian farmers were also found in the village of Rim, south of Jos.

* Please continue to uphold our Nigerian brothers and sisters in prayer. Pray that they will know the strength and comfort of the Lord Jesus in the face of frequent and unprovoked attacks.

* Pray for wisdom for the Nigerian government and authorities and that the perpetrators of the recent violence will be brought to justice. Pray that the country as a whole will not be destabilised.

* Pray that Christians in Nigeria will be full of the Lord ¢â‚¬â„¢s grace and forgiveness and that they will not retaliate; pray that they will reflect His love by forgiving their enemies. Barnabas Fund has sent aid to help those bereaved or made homeless by the violence in Jos.

UZBEKISTAN – CHRISTIAN EVENTS AND PROGRAMMES RAIDED

April saw a number of incidents of harassment against Christians in Uzbekistan as they celebrated a birthday, played sport together and cared for the homeless, as reported by Forum 18.

On 10 March, a birthday party held in a private home was raided under the pretext of an  ¢â‚¬Ëœanti-terror raid. Ten women from a registered church were given heavy fines for  ¢â‚¬Ëœviolating the procedure for arranging and holding gatherings and  ¢â‚¬Ëœcreating the conditions for conducting unsanctioned meetings. Each church member was fined 100 times the minimum monthly salary – 3,768,000 Soms ( £1,565; US$ 2,400) – an extortionate amount, but especially for eight of those fined, who are pensioners struggling to survive on a meagre state pension. The women appealed against the fines, but on 2 April the judge at Tashkent City Criminal Court rejected their appeal.

On 10 April, a Christian youth conference in the capital Tashkent was raided by police, as a group were playing football and basketball. Over 40 young people, the conference leader and his wife were taken to the police station, where the police photographed them and took their fingerprints. The conference leaders are now under investigation for  ¢â‚¬Ëœviolation of the procedure for holding mass events ¢â‚¬â„¢ and  ¢â‚¬Ëœviolation of the law on religious organisations ¢â‚¬â„¢. All those detained were released later that evening.

In a third incident two days later, police, tax inspectors and local officials raided another church in Tashkent, where members were providing food for homeless people. Television journalists were also present at this raid, which authorities claim was carried out because church members were conducting activities  ¢â‚¬Ëœnot according to their [registered] charter ¢â‚¬â„¢.

* Pray for those Christians affected by the events described above, especially for the 40 young people who were taken to the police station. Pray for a softening of the attitude of the authorities.

* Pray for Christians in Uzbekistan, facing regular and unwarranted harassment. Pray that they will continue to stand together and worship the Lord in spite of such persecution.

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