“The LORD is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”
Exodus 15:2
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Syria – At least 25 killed in terrorist attack on church
The Christian community in Syria needs our prayers after at least 25 people were killed and 63 others injured in a terrorist attack at a church in the capital Damascus on Sunday 22 June.
A man opened fire during a church service in the Dweila area of the city before detonating an explosive vest.
The Syrian government announced shortly after the attack that the bomber was affiliated to Islamic State (IS – also known as ISIS, ISIL, Daesh). Responsibility was claimed by a Sunni Islamist group, Saraya Ansar Al-Sunna. It is unclear whether this group is in fact linked to IS. “Someone entered from outside carrying a weapon,” said one witness, adding that people “tried to stop him before he blew himself up”.
A funeral service for the victims of the attack was held at the Church of the Holy Cross on 24 June.
Senior church leader John X Yazigi spoke at the funeral, addressing the government, headed by interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa, directly.
“With love and respect, Mr President, your condolences by phone are not enough for us,” he said, speaking before hundreds of mourners.
“This crime is bigger than a phone call. The government bears full responsibility.” He added, “This crime is the first of its kind in Damascus since 1860.”
The current government came to power in December 2024 following a successful armed rebellion.
Al Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al Jolani, is the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a designated terrorist organisation that was formerly affiliated to Al Qaeda. He has sought to present himself as a moderate, declaring, “There must be a legal framework that protects and ensures the rights of all.”
Christians in Syria were left with deep concerns about sectarian tensions following the mass killings carried out in March 2025 by Sunni Islamists against Alawites in the country’s north-west.
Pray for the survivors and the bereaved following this horrific attack. Intercede for the wider Christian community in Damascus and across Syria, asking the Lord to rescue them from oppression and violence (Psalm 72:14). Pray also for the establishment of wise governing authorities in Syria, recognising their responsibilities before God (Romans 13:1) and for the resurgence of IS and other Islamists to be curbed. Ask for durable peace and stability for God’s people and all Syrians.
Iran – Convert deported from Turkey; Christian prisoners transferred from Evin Prison after airstrike
Please redouble your prayers for Iranian Christians, very much targeted by the authorities in the light of the recent conflict with Israel.
Especially lift up in prayer Mehran Shamloui, who has been deported from Turkey, having fled there to escape a 10-year prison sentence for involvement in a “house church”.
Mehran, a 37-year-old convert from Islam, fled Iran earlier this year after he and two other Christian converts were sentenced on 8 March to prison terms on charges concerning their beliefs and participation in worship meetings.
However, Turkish authorities arrested Mehran and flew him back to Mashhad, north-eastern Iran, where he was detained by police.
Mehran, along with Narges Nasri and Abbas Soori, was arrested during a series of raids by intelligence agents in November 2024 (see Prayer Focus Update, April and June 2025). The Christians’ appeals against their convictions were rejected on 26 April.
It is now understood that all three had fled the country by the time the rejections were issued, when they were given five days’ notice to report to Evin Prison, Tehran, to begin their sentences.
Mehran was sentenced to more than 10 years’ imprisonment. The term comprises eight years for “propaganda activities” and two years and eight months for belonging to an “opposition group”. He was also fined 250 million tomans (£2,290; $2,750; €2,519).
It is not clear at this stage whether Mehran will start serving his sentence at the notorious Evin Prison. Numerous prisoners were transferred to other prisons after Evin was bombed in an Israeli airstrike on 23 June.
The two prisons to which Evin prisoners were relocated are reported to be significantly overcrowded.
More than 60 Christians were either serving sentences or being detained at Evin Prison awaiting trial on charges concerning their faith. Christian prisoners held in Evin Prison include Joseph Shahbazian, Naser Navard Gol-Tapeh, Hakop Gochumyan and Mina Khajavi.
A ceasefire came into effect on 24 June, the day following the attack on Tehran.
Some prison officers were reported to have been killed in the airstrike on the prison.
Pray that Mehran will draw encouragement from the Scriptures (Romans 15:4) and know the Holy Spirit’s comfort as he faces this long prison term. Pray for the safety of Narges and Abbas, and for the protection and welfare of Christian prisoners evacuated from Evin Prison. Ask that the authorities will be persuaded by the God of justice (Isaiah 61:8) to review the sentences of Christians held on spurious grounds and grant them release. Pray that the Lord, from whom nothing is hidden (Hebrews 4:13) will use this turn of events for the furtherance of His kingdom as more inmates are exposed to the Gospel.
Pakistan – Christian man freed after 23 years on death row for “blasphemy”
Justice has been served belatedly in Pakistan when a mentally ill Christian man convicted of “blasphemy” was released after 23 years on death row.
Anwar Kenneth, now 72 years of age, was cleared of the charge on 25 June after doctors confirmed that he was mentally ill when he committed the “blasphemy”.
The court ruled that someone not of sound mind cannot be held criminally liable, so his conviction was overturned.
Anwar was arrested in 2001 for allegedly “blasphemous” letters he was accused of writing about Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.
In 2002, a court in Lahore, Punjab, sentenced him under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which stipulates the death penalty for anybody who “defiles the sacred name” of Muhammad, despite Anwar’s mental illness being already confirmed.
Anwar was also fined five million rupees (at that time around £55,250).
A previous appeal in 2014 was rejected, despite the presentation of medical reports confirming Anwar’s mental illness.
Anwar’s lawyer, Rana Abdul Hameed – himself a Muslim – advised Anwar’s family that he will be facing death threats from Islamist extremists who consider it a religious duty to kill “blasphemers”.
Hameed disclosed that following a press conference he held where he demanded an independent probe into misuse of “blasphemy” laws, he himself had received such severe threats that policemen were stationed outside his office.
Mob violence following accusations of “blasphemy” in Pakistan is a common occurrence. Such accusations are often believed, even in the absence of evidence or following an acquittal.
Praise the Lord that Anwar’s sentence has been overturned. Pray for his protection and rehabilitation following his release (Psalm 64:2). Give thanks for lawyers who work to rectify such miscarriages of justice, including Muslims such as Hameed, and ask that they are also kept safe from mob retaliation. Pray that the court’s decision will influence future cases and contribute to unfounded charges of “blasphemy” being dismissed at a much earlier stage.
Sudan – Khartoum church demolished without warning
A church in the Sudanese capital Khartoum was demolished on the evening of 8 July without any prior warning.
The church in the Al-Haj Yousif area in the north-east of the city was destroyed by bulldozers. Church officials received no notice of the demolition.
Sudan has been affected by civil war since April 2023, with tens of thousands killed in the ongoing conflict. The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) regained control of the capital from the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in March 2025.
The Sudanese Council of Churches has reported numerous attacks on church leaders and church buildings since the start of the conflict.
Lift up to the Lord Christians in Khartoum, and throughout Sudan, as they respond to the continuing violence. Pray that believers whose places of worship have been destroyed will find ways to meet in safety. Ask the Lord to enable Sudanese Christians to remain steadfast in the trials they are facing (James 1:12), and for lasting peace to be established in the country.
Nigeria – Gunmen kill pastor and church member in attack in Katsina State
A grieving Christian community in Katsina State, northern Nigeria, needs our prayer support. A pastor and a church member were killed by suspected Fulani Islamists in an attack on a church in Yaribori, Kafur Local Government Area, on the evening of 7 July.
Witnesses reported the appearance of between 15 and 20 gunmen who arrived on motorcycles and targeted the church building.
The two victims were Pastor Emmanuel Na’allah and Mallam Samaila Gidan Taro, a convert from Islam. One woman was also abducted by the assailants.
“The attackers shouted ‘Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest)’ and ‘Death to infidels’,” one witness said. “They came in shooting. The pastor told us to stay calm and hide, but they reached him first and shot him.”
The witness explained that he confidently identified the attackers as Fulani Islamists as the Fulani accent with which the attackers spoke was distinct from that of the Hausa population.
“Pastor Na’allah stood between them and us,” said another witness. “They killed him without mercy and dragged a woman away.”
Muslim-majority Katsina is one of 12 states in northern Nigeria that have instituted sharia (Islamic law).
Ask the Lord to comfort His people in Yaribori after the loss of Pastor Emmanuel and Mallam. Pray that bereaved families will draw strength in knowing that their loved ones are precious safe in His hands, even as they grieve (Psalm 116:15). Pray that our sister will be released unharmed from captivity. Ask that this attack will not lead to further violence against Christians in Katsina, but instead to a renewal of determination throughout the state to resist the forces of evil.
