Save Afghan converts to Christianity - petition

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• Lent Prayer - Afghanistan http://t.co/hsLuNTuq Wed, Feb 2012 07:25

• Lent Prayer - Afghanistan http://t.co/a8KkNzeN Wed, Feb 2012 01:22

• Joy as pastor is unexpectedly released from Turkmenistan labour camp in prisoner amnesty http://t.co/f7UtwHkS Tue, Feb 2012 16:32

Daily prayer

• Please continue to pray for vulnerable Afghan converts from Islam to Christianity, who live their lives in real danger of death. The government has threatened to execute anyone convicted of apostasy from Islam, and sometimes the Taliban and other armed groups gruesomely murder converts in accordance with sharia. Some Christians flee abroad, but if they are refused refugee status by the UN they have no defence against deportation back to Afghanistan. The estimated 1,000 to 3,000 Afghan Christians are all converts. Pray for their protection, and that the authorities will look with compassion on their plight. Pray too that the religious freedom promised by the Afghan constitution will become a reality. Subscribe to the prayer points rss feed 10 hours ago

• Churches in Russia that do not have a permanent building of their own are especially vulnerable to harassment from the authorities. Increasing numbers are being fined or threatened for holding meetings for worship that have not been specifically approved by the authorities. Leaders can be prosecuted even when their churches are registered and meeting regularly in rented premises. Around half the prosecutions are successful; these attract negative publicity for the churches and put their legal status at risk. Some leaders say that the position of Protestant Christians is more precarious now than in Communist times. Pray that all Christians in Russia will have freedom to meet and worship the Lord without unfair restrictions. Subscribe to the prayer points rss feed Wed, Feb 2012 00:00

• Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh became the fourth dictator to be toppled by the Arab Spring in November 2011. After months of violent protests against his three-decade rule, Saleh agreed to a deal that transferred power to his deputy, Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, in return for a promise of immunity from prosecution. Today (Tuesday 21 February), a referendum-style election will take place to approve Hadi, the sole candidate, as president for a two-year term. The ousting of Saleh has not brought peace, and some factions that are opposed to the arrangement have been campaigning for a boycott of the poll. Pray for stability in Yemen, and for a regime that promotes justice and freedom for all its citizens. Subscribe to the prayer points rss feed Tue, Feb 2012 00:00

• Hindu radicals in Kandhamal district of Orissa State in India hoisted their saffron flag on the construction site of a new church on 6 October 2011. The incident, which took place during a Hindu festival, was provoked by the gathering of building materials by local Christians, and brought the work on the site in the village of Bakingia to a standstill. The previous church had been destroyed during the anti-Christian violence by Hindu militants in Orissa in 2008, but the community had started rebuilding after receiving compensation from the government. Pray that further extremist violence against the Christians of Bakingia will be prevented, and that they will be able to rebuild their church and worship in peace. Subscribe to the prayer points rss feed Mon, Feb 2012 00:00

• Pray for Faryal Bhatti (aged about 13) and her family, who have been forced to leave their home in Havelian, Pakistan, after she accidentally misspelled a word at her school on 22 September 2011. When answering a question, Faryal inadvertently misplaced a single dot in one word. This turned the word naat, which refers to praise of Muhammad, to laanat, which means “curse”. Enraged Muslims demanded that she be brought before a court for violating the country’s “blasphemy laws”. Despite her explanation that the mistake was without malicious intent, and some Muslim leaders speaking out in her defence, Faryal was expelled from her school and her family threatened and evicted from their home. Ask for the Lord’s blessing and protection of Faryal’s family as they rebuild their lives elsewhere. Pray that the government of Pakistan will abolish the controversial blasphemy laws. Subscribe to the prayer points rss feed Sun, Feb 2012 00:00