Prayer Focus 09/09

 SUDAN - VIOLENCE SPREADS FEAR AMONG CHRISTIANS

 PAKISTAN - SEVEN MEMBERS OF ONE FAMILY KILLED IN ANTI-CHRISTIAN RIOTS

 IRAN - IMPRISONED CHRISTIAN WOMEN REMAIN STRONG IN CHRIST

 NIGERIA - CHRISTIAN PASTORS BEHEADED IN RECENT BLOODSHED

 UZBEKISTAN - PASTOR IMPRISONED FOLLOWING ILLEGAL RAID

 PAKISTAN - FEARS OF TYPHOID AT ROADSIDE CAMP

 INDIA - VIOLENCE TOWARDS CHRISTIANS CONTINUES

SUDAN - VIOLENCE SPREADS FEAR AMONG CHRISTIANS

Thousands of civilians have fled after fresh attacks by the rebel group the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in Sudan's remote western Equatoria region. Two people died and three others were injured when the LRA carried out a series of attacks in Ezo district, near the Sudanese border with the DRC, on 12 August. It has also been reported that the rebel group abducted ten girls from a local church, ransacked and torched homes and stole food. They also struck in Bereamburu village, burning a local church and health centre and raiding medical supplies.

Local authorities report that up to 5,000 internally displaced people have fled from Ezo and surrounding areas. The UN estimates that hundreds of thousands of people have fled homes and villages in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo because of the LRA since mid-2008. There is widespread panic and people are too scared to return to the rural areas to cultivate their fields or send their children to school in case the LRA attacks. In some areas the UN has suspended humanitarian work, despite medical and food resources being stretched in areas to which the people have fled. Life is extremely difficult for people in terms of food, shelter, health, clean water and security.

Recent reports suggest that on Saturday 29 August there was an attack in Jonglei State, where over 40 people, including women and children, were killed or injured, some very seriously with gunshot wounds and broken bones. Among the dead was a senior church leader who was shot as he led the morning service at his church in Wernyol.

• Pray for the congregation of the church leader who was murdered while leading a service.

• Pray for those who have been forced to flee their homes following the attacks by the LRA. Pray that the Lord will continue to bless His people in this region and that, despite the loss of church buildings, Christians in Sudan will continue to meet and worship Him.

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PAKISTAN - SEVEN MEMBERS OF ONE FAMILY KILLED IN ANTI-CHRISTIAN RIOTS

The violence at a Christian colony in Gojra, Pakistan, on Saturday 1 August has left one man devastated after losing several members of his family. Minhas Hameed's 75-year old father was the first victim when he was shot in the head by a Muslim mob. Hameed rushed his father to hospital, only to find that more dead bodies awaited him on his return home. After his father was wounded, the remaining family members stayed together in the house, thinking they would be safe. Little did they know they were destined for a worse fate as the mob began to torch the homes of local Christians. Many families in the neighbourhood left their houses and ran for their lives, but Hameed's family were not so fortunate. Six members of his family were burnt to death. "I have lost more than half of my family, my house - everything!" says Hameed, who is still haunted by the images of his house and community in flames.

These attacks were the culmination of a recent spate of violence against Christians in Pakistan. In Korian on 30 July, homes of local Christians were torched, churches vandalised and Bibles desecrated after a rumour circulated that a copy of the Qur'an had been burned during a Christian wedding. No one was injured in the attacks in Korian, but tensions continued to rise and fresh violence erupted in Gojra on Saturday 1 August. A mob of more than 800 Muslims raided a Christian settlement in the town, looting and burning down homes by throwing petrol bombs.

• Pray for Hameed and his family in their loss, that they will know the Lord's comfort and strength at this time, and for Christians injured or made homeless by the recent violence.

• Pray that the Pakistani authorities will act to prevent future attacks, instead of only reacting afterwards.

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IRAN - IMPRISONED CHRISTIAN WOMEN REMAIN STRONG IN CHRIST

Maryam Rustampoor (27) and Marzieh Amirizadeh (30) were arrested in March 2009 for converting to Christianity from Islam, and have been held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison for six months. They have endured solitary confinement and hours of interrogations, but still they proclaim their love for the Lord Jesus.

The two women were summoned to appear in court on Sunday 9 August. The chief interrogator had recommended a verdict of "apostasy", which potentially carries a death sentence in Iran, but no verdict was actually given. The women were instead subjected to intense questioning by the deputy prosecutor, who told them repeatedly that they had to renounce their Christian faith verbally and in writing. Maryam and Marzieh refused, saying, "We love Jesus." They were told to return to prison and think about their options and to come back when they were ready to comply, but Maryam and Marzieh replied "We have already done our thinking." They are determined to stand firm no matter what happens, saying, "If we come out of prison we want to do so with honour."

Both women have been unwell during their ordeal and have lost a lot of weight. Marzieh desperately needs medical attention as she is suffering from a problem with her spine, an infected tooth and intense headaches. Prison officials have told her that the prison has proper medical equipment, but so far no treatment has been provided.

• Pray that Maryam and Marzieh continue to stand firm in their faith in the Lord Jesus and that He will keep them mentally and physically strong.

• Pray that the women will be released and allowed to live freely as Christians without further harassment.

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NIGERIA - CHRISTIAN PASTORS BEHEADED IN RECENT BLOODSHED

At least twelve churches have been burned down and a number of Christians killed in anti-Christian violence in northern Nigeria. The coordinated attacks began on 26 July in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, and spread across the country to Yobe state, Bauchi state and Kano state. Islamic militants targeted Christians and the local police, setting fire to churches and homes of local Christians, as well as a police station, a prison and a customs post. Five police officers and twelve Christians have been confirmed dead, including at least two pastors. Curfews were imposed to ease the violence and security forces were instructed to clamp down on the militants, who belonged to the Boko Haram sect. Barnabas Aid is sending help to the Christian victims.

Perhaps the most shocking element of the recent violence in Nigeria was the brutal murders of the Christian pastors. When asked to convert to Islam, they refused, and were beheaded on the instruction of the sect leader, Mohammed Yusuf. One of them, Sabo Yakubu, was the pastor of a congregation in Maiduguri. The father of seven was hacked to death with a machete. Another Christian leader, George Orjih, preached to Yusuf about Christ before his martyrdom. He was described as a fearless and hardworking man. A fellow kidnap victim, who was later released, reported that "while we were lying there, tied up, George turned to me and said 'if you survive, tell my brothers that I died well, and am living with Christ. And if we all die, we know that we die for the Lord.'"

One eye-witness says that Orjih was singing and praying all through the ordeal and encouraging the believers not to give up, even unto death. "It was his words of encouragement that kept us till the time we were released."

• Pray that the Nigerian security forces will bring peace and stability to northern Nigeria and ensure freedom and justice for its Christian minority.

• Pray that the Lord Jesus will comfort the families of those killed in the attack; pray especially for the loved ones and congregations of the Christian pastors who were murdered. They have been urged to emulate the pastors, who died because of their refusal to betray their faith. (Rev 7:9-15)

• Pray for Christians in Nigeria whose churches have been burnt down, that they will have both the means and the permission to rebuild.

• Pray that Christians will react to the violence in a Christ-like way and not retaliate, and that this will speak powerfully to the Muslim majority.

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UZBEKISTAN - PASTOR IMPRISONED FOLLOWING ILLEGAL RAID

The pastor of a church in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, has been arrested and sentenced to 15 days' imprisonment, along with his assistant and two other members of the church, following a raid during morning worship. On Sunday 23 August police entered the church stating that the service was illegal and demanded that the service be discontinued, even though they had no written permission from the courts for this action.

The church is led by Korean ministers, but they are all citizens of Uzbekistan, and although the church has only 30 members it is registered with the authorities and has all the documents it requires in order to gather for worship. It informs officials about every Sunday service and has permission from them for each one, so the police action was entirely unlawful.

• Pray that the authorities will recognise that the church did nothing wrong in holding the service, and that its leaders will soon be released.

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PAKISTAN - FEARS OF TYPHOID AT ROADSIDE CAMP

Up to 2,000 Christians have been forced to live in tents at the roadside in the heart of Islamabad for the past three months. The scorching summer heat, which can reach up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius), has made the camp virtually unbearable for many, especially children. Families are sharing tents, with up to 20 people in one tent in some cases. The only water supply runs close to an open pit latrine and a waste dump.

Approximately a year ago the Christian families found themselves homeless after the authorities reneged on the promise of some land in the Chak Shahzad district of Islamabad. Barnabas Aid's partners in Pakistan commented, "Since Christians are discriminated against by the majority population, nothing has been done to help them." The families were forced to put up tents in the road amidst squalid conditions.

There are growing concerns that typhoid will come to the camp, as conditions are likely to foster disease and it is feared that many of the Christians, especially some of the younger children, could die from dehydration, illness, or the cumulative eff ects of poverty. Two people have already died.

The Pakistan authorities have been slow to act in this situation of despair, but Barnabas has been able to send practical aid to the affected families. Food items such as rice, lentils, onions and cooking oil have been provided for each family, as well as buckets and water containers to reduce the risk of typhoid.

• Pray that the distribution of aid will bring relief for the families who are suffering in the camp, and that conditions do not worsen.

• Pray that the Pakistan authorities will find housing for all those currently living on the roadside, so that they can begin to rebuild their lives soon.

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INDIA - VIOLENCE TOWARDS CHRISTIANS CONTINUES

Nearly one year on from the extreme anti-Christian violence in Orissa in 2008 and harassment and discrimination towards Christians continues in many parts of India.

In Hubli, in the state of Karnataka, Hindu extremists attacked a church, members of the congregation and their property on 17 August, setting fire to three auto-rickshaws that belonged to the Christian community. The attacks happened at midnight, and the media were present, causing frightened community members to assume the attack was pre-planned. In Afzalpar (also in Karnataka) around 20 Christian converts from Hinduism were asked by the village elders to leave their village following their acceptance of Jesus Christ. In Kolkata, West Bengal, two young believers were attacked by a group of eight Hindu extremists, who also collected signatures from local villagers and filed a complaint against the Christians at the local police station. In Chittoor, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, a church that was built by local Christians and due to be inaugurated for the village community was set on fire on 20 August.

These are four incidents that were reported in late August 2009, but many more instances of persecution against Christians go unreported.

• India is a place of religious tension; pray that our brothers and sisters in Christ will stand firm in their faith despite such adversity.

• Pray for those in Orissa who continue to mourn their loved ones and endure physical privations. Pray that the Lord Jesus will protect His people in India and that hostility towards Christians does not escalate into bloodshed.

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