Twenty-five Christian buildings marked for demolition

A church that was destroyed in Yobe State,
 Nigeria (Photo by Voice of the Martyrs Canada)

Nigeria (MNN/VOMC) ― Government authorities in northern Nigeria's Borno state plan to demolish 25 churches and schools, ostensibly to make room for new housing. However, no plans for the housing development have been produced, says Voice of the Martyrs Canada. Christian leaders believe this is yet another attempt by local governments in northern Nigeria to persecute the Christian minority. (Other informative reports can be accessed at the Nigeria Country Report.)

The proposed demolitions would compound the security challenges that these believers are already facing from the militant group, Boko Haram. "We have seen the eviction notice from the Borno state government," says Dr. Asake, general secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria. "We are Nigerians, and there are other places where the state government can develop. The areas earmarked for demolition are already developed with churches and schools. Christians have already suffered enough in Borno state."

Pray that the demolitions will not go through, and that God would maintain these places for worship, education, and meeting. Pray that these Nigerians will be successful in sharing the gospel with their Muslim neighbors.

Report: 42 churches attacked in Egypt

Destruction of Egypt's Christian community.
 (Images courtesy 8thirty8/Facebook)

Egypt (MNN) ― The violence in Egypt could be considered "historic." It silenced a church for the first time in 1,600 years.

Security issues following last week's rioting forced officials to consider the risks of a large gathering of people.

At the same time, a scholar at the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom was quoted by The Christian Post as saying that last week's attacks on Christian churches and believers in Egypt were the worst in 700 years. Most of the violence seemed to be concentrated in southern Egypt in a 24-hour time frame.

Human Rights Watch, an international human rights group, visited 11 sites in Minya city and Bani Suef, where last week's attacks took place. Their investigation took note of attacks on at least 42 churches (though several ministries working in the region cite as many as 60 churches), as well as those on dozens of Christian institutions, schools, homes, and business owned by Christians. Their conclusion: this was an intimidation campaign thought to be waged by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

In their new report, HRW accused authorities of being "largely absent or failed to intervene" when churches or properties come under attack. While authorities did little to stop the violence, now the military-backed government is trying to capitalize on the church burnings to paint the Brotherhood as terrorists.

The wave of attacks also included drive-by shootings, kidnappings, destruction of church buildings and Christian-owned property, and now lethal shootings. Unidentified vandals marked church buildings and Christian-owned homes and businesses declaring, "Egypt is Muslim, not Christian." During the rampage, many of the same buildings were destroyed.

AMG International has some quiet work in Egypt. President and CEO Tasos Ioannidis says the trouble has been disruptive for AMG ministry partners; they have to keep a low-profile. "The best thing to do is just avoid being identified at this point because a lot of them will be targeted if they are recognized as members of the Christian community."

Just how volatile is it? He says in the report they got this week from their partner, "There was a news story about a taxi driver who was pulled over because he had a cross hanging from the mirror of his car: he was killed, and the taxi was destroyed."

Ioannidis goes on to explain that "the Christians are being blamed for a lot of what is happening right now from the Muslim Brotherhood. They are being targeted, so our co-workers are trying to just avoid situations where they would be in danger. There is a lot of property damage, but property can be rebuilt."

According to The Washington Post, a high-ranking Western official (who spoke on condition of anonymity) doubted the Muslim Brotherhood had orchestrated the assault, blaming vigilantes instead. However, when that came up, Ioannidis disagrees. "From our people on the ground, they are clear that the violence is coming from the Muslim Brotherhood. They see that as being part of their effort to stay in power to control the situation in Egypt."

Still, the Gospel is present throughout Egypt. Even though the voices of some of the churches have been silenced, it's temporary. It's also just one small part of the larger body of Christ. AMG ministry partners haven't given up hope, but they need the protection of an army to keep going forward. Ioannidis sums it up this way: "This is a very dangerous time for them, so they need God's protection. The first thing to do is pray for them daily, and pray that God keeps them safe."

If the paradox of persecution still holds true, as historic as the violence is in Egypt, so will be the new believers on the other side of the turmoil. Will you add your voice to the growing chorus?

A Muslim cleric stirs up trouble

Written on the walls in southern Egypt:
 "Love your enemies, we will pray fervently."
(Image courtesy 8thirty8/Facebook)

Egypt (VOM) ― Christians in Egypt today are experiencing increased attacks against them in conjunction with the government's attempt to disperse two pro-President Morsi camps calling for his re-instatement. At least 250 people have been killed and 1,000 wounded during the raid.

Egypt has declared a month-long state of emergency after scores of people were killed and more wounded during the protests and raid earlier this month.

Forty church buildings have been attacked and set on fire. Three of the churches were in Minya, two in Fayoum, and one in Sohag. At the same time, Christian-owned businesses in Sohag and Assuit were targeted by radical Muslims. A convent called Al Raai Al Saleh in Suez was also set on fire.

In the midst of the chaos, Egyptian Christians have still seen the hand of God at work. According to a worker with Voice of the Martyrs, the Good Shepherd Monastery in Suiz city was surrounded by a mob of radical Muslim Brotherhood members earlier today. The monastery was full of women and children.

Miraculously, everyone was able to flee to safety as the monastery was attacked and burned down.
Sources report that Mohammed El Beltagy, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, said "operations against Christians will start now." The Muslim Brotherhood routinely threatens Christians, chanting and protesting against them. A VOM worker said that the Muslim Brotherhood leaders are seeking to disrupt the national unity by creating sedition between Muslims and Christians.

These recent attacks against Christians are not the only ones that have occurred in the past weeks. In another church on Aug. 3, hundreds of Morsi supporters surrounded a church in Sohag and fixed al-Qaeda's flag on the church. In Menia city the same day, over 50 shops and homes owned by Coptic Christians were burned and looted by radical Muslims. Over 20 people were injured in those attacks.

In July, two Christians were killed in northern areas of the Sinai Peninsula. On July 18, two churches were attacked during the funeral procession for two Muslim Brotherhood members. In the Luxor province, the newly-appointed head of police is suspected of intentionally failing to respond to an incident on July 5 in which four Christians were killed.

In response to the declared emergency, the government is enforcing a curfew in eleven different cities from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Christians hope that the worst of the violence has passed.

Egyptian brothers and sisters request prayer that an effective rule of law and order will be established to benefit all citizens, and that those affected by the violence will know the healing touch of Jesus. The Voice of the Martyrs is continuing to actively monitor the situation in Egypt and will provide assistance as needed.

Christians bracing for more attacks

Egypt (MNN) ― While the United States has suspended military aid to Egypt, few in the Middle East country are concerned. Why? Saudi Arabia has pledged to make up any aid that is taken away. That means radicals may only be more emboldened to cause chaos.

At this point, the Egyptian military has gained control of the country, arresting a top Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Mohammed Badie.

E3 Partners Middle East expert Tom Doyle says Christians seem relieved that the military is in control, "But I think they're also bracing themselves for attacks. They know with the Brotherhood out of power, they're not going to go away quietly."

Christians have traditionally voted against the Muslim Brotherhood, which just magnifies the problem.

Doyle says despite the unrest, the evangelical church is seeing great growth. 20 years ago, it was rare to hear of a Muslim becoming a Christian. Now, it's common to hear of Muslims coming to faith in Christ in amazing ways. "They privately sought out Christians, learned more about Jesus, started reading the Bible, [and] came to faith in Him. This is something we see as normal today."

Doyle says E3 leaders are excited about the work in Egypt right now. One leader told him, "I wouldn't [want] to be anywhere else in the world but Egypt right now, because God is moving. Certainly it's dangerous, but God is moving in such a powerful way. This is the hour of need where we can bring the message of Jesus to the nation."

E3 Partners is providing training and materials to help believers reach out to Muslims. And funding is needed more now than ever before. "There's a systematic plan to get the Gospel to every living person in Egypt: 85 million. That's quite a feat!"

Many E3 leaders use the EvangeCube, which is a puzzle-like cube with pictures, to share the Gospel with Muslims who had visions or dreams about Jesus. Doyle reports that a believer "was sharing the Gospel using the EvangeCube [with some Muslims], and this was the same picture that they saw in their dream of Jesus on the cross for them. How amazing is that?"

Prayer is essential, too. Click here to join the E3 8Thirty8 prayer initiative, based on Romans 8:38.

8 in 10 missing persons sucked into India's human trafficking problem

(Image courtesy Bright Hope International)

India (MNN) ― A newly-released report from Gujarat state in India reveals that 8 out of 10 missing persons are sold to brothels.

The statistics defy belief. Three years ago, human rights watchers said more than 1.2 million children in India were sold into prostitution, and as many as 100 million people in India are involved in trafficking-related activities. That number has only gone up.

The most likely victims of human trafficking are those living on less than a $1 a day. C.H. Dyer with Bright Hope International notes that, "People that are in extreme poverty will go to great measure to find security, food, just the basics of life."

Desperation drove local churches to Bright Hope to ask for help. "'We know there's a lot of prostitution and a lot of young girls that are forcibly put into prostitution in our community. What can we do to make a difference?'"

Bright Hope developed a network of churches in India to raise awareness and build strategic partnerships to be a part of the solution. The three-pronged approach included awareness, rescue, and rehabilitation. 

An anti-trafficking program developed that included training for those who were involved in the rescues and rehabilitation programs for the rescued. The program hasn't been without its challenges. Building trust takes time. "Getting them out of the situation, working with the local authorities, working with the police to gain their confidence and the ability to go into these brothels and pull out the minors and offer the older women the chance to come out: this is all new in this rescue area."

It's a responsibility they don't take lightly with so much at stake, says Dyer. "You take your time, you pray, and you get the advice of those who have gone before you."

A proven track record...what does that mean for a rescue program? Dyer explains, "You'll see the people start to say, 'This works for people. Education, the Scriptures, a strong local church, job training."

In fact, the success rate has been encouraging. "The agencies we're working with have documented lower rates of prostitution in those communities where they have done this with good planning, and that's what we're bringing to this: proven solutions and a proven God who changes lives."

However, a successful rescue means there's an angry pimp or gang lord. "Certain pastors and leaders that are involved with our team have gotten death threats already and threats of violence against them."

Taking on human trafficking means a church is entering the spiritual fray. Dyer says often, there are drugs or idolatry involved. "It is dangerous. It is the front lines against evil. We need to partner with them in prayer specifically, that the power of the Lord would come upon them and protect them and lead them as they do these good works in His name."

Then, there's the question of whether slave rescues actually perpetuate the cycle of slavery. In cases where people were rescued from slavery in Ghana, it was found that many of them found their way back in later, or new slaves were taken. Dyer says that was the first question they asked themselves before embarking on this path: "Are you going to stir the pot and make things worse, or are you really going to get to some of the solutions that can change lives?"

Rehabilitation is focused on healing through professional Biblical counseling to regain strength, hope, and faith in God and His ability to restore them. Opportunities to earn a liveable wage must be given. Through job skills training, girls can have well-paying jobs as they rebuild their lives. Dyer goes on to explain that "These kinds of programs really can help people rise above their economic and spiritual situation. So we can create a pathway where some more will follow."

That being said, the team is gearing up for another major foray. "In just a few weeks, we're going to see this all ramp up to take even more girls out. My real desire today is that everybody who hears our voices would pray for the churches involved in human trafficking around the world."

75 dead from ethnic riots

India (MNN) ― Ethnic rioting between the Bodo tribespeople and Muslims in the Indian state of Assam has left 75 dead and 500 villages in ashes.

The attacks started a month ago on July 6 after a Muslim man in Assam was shot and killed.

Since then, a leader from each group has been killed. Four Bodo people were found brutally murdered by machetes.

The feud between the immigrant Muslims and the Bodo tribespeople runs deep over land disputes in Northeastern India. But such violence from the feud is now at a new level.

Gospel for Asia (GFA) calls the violence in Assam a “major national crisis.”

400,000 villagers in Assam have fled for their lives. 235 relief camps have been set up for displaced people.

Several GFA churches for Bodo Christians have been destroyed. On top of that, rioters have also devastated 15 believers’ homes.

GFA has around 60 congregations in a danger zone where violence is occurring. They also have 70 missionaries in the region.

Compassion Services through GFA are working to bring aid relief to displaced villagers and victims. As they bring the aid, GFA says they are seeking to give people the hope of Christ in this time of trial.

The ethnic rioting piggybacks on flooding that hit the Bodo region earlier. GFA missionaries are still helping many recover from both disasters. They ask for prayer.

Please pray for the safety of Christians and villagers in Assam. Pray for peace to come to the region.

Covert persecution on the rise

(Photo courtesy of Andy Fitz)

Indonesia (MNN) ― The rise of covert persecution tactics on Christians in Indonesia may be moving this country up the rankings on the World Watch List of worst places for Christians to live.

According to Compass Direct News, last year Indonesia had a total of 64 cases of violation on Christian freedoms. This year, Indonesia has reached nearly two-thirds of that number already with 40 Christian freedom violations in these first five months.

22 churches have been forced to close down by the Indonesian government this year. 18 of those occurred just within the last month in the Aceh Province after the election of a hard-line Islamic governor.

Direct violence has also increased. On May 17, 600 Islamists threw bags of urine and ditch water at 100 members of the Philadelphia Batak Christian Protestant Church in Eastern Indonesia. So far this year, the extremist group, Islamic Defenders Front, has carried out two attacks on the Gereja Pentakosta di Indonesia church.

If this trend of persecution continues through the year, marginalization of Indonesian Christians will have increased by 50%. This will be the third year in a row that persecution has gone up.

However, the trials Christians in Indonesia face don’t always make the news.

Greg Musselman with Voice of the Martyrs, Canada says, “The persecution is not as violent [in Indonesia] as in places like Nigeria, which gets a lot of coverage, but it’s an ongoing situation there. Christians are marginalized, and with the rise of more of a militant Islam, there’s concern that it’s going to become even worse in Indonesia.”

While violent persecution still happens in Indonesia, Musselman says that even the passive-aggressive restrictions on the church need to be taken seriously. “[In] Indonesia, because it’s just more subtle pressure on Christians, it has a very devastating effect on people who are willing to reach out….When it’s more violent, [people] have to make a decision, ‘Are we willing to spread the Gospel in the face of such danger?’”

“It’s an ongoing, always underlying [pressure in] the life of the church there. In some ways they accept that and say, ‘Well, this is just the way it is.’” Musselman begs the question, “When do you speak up and say, ‘Enough is enough and we’re going to meet no matter what and the government can’t do this to us?' Does that fuel more persecution?”

Some would say because select Islamic groups have been disbanded, like the Laskar Jihad back in 2002, that persecution of Christians in Indonesia can’t be that bad.

But Musselman points out, “The way things are going with the rise of some of these Islamic groups, they disappear, then they come back as a new name…. The reality is: there are other [Islamic] groups that are starting to come together in this worldwide networking between the groups like Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, and Nigeria.”

A review on the Laskar Jihad published last year by GlobalSecurity.org says although it’s officially disbanded, the group continues activities of persecution and marginalization of Christians and other ethnic minorities on the Indonesian islands.

Despite all this, the church in Indonesia is steadily growing.

Musselman was encouraged by meetings he had with Indonesian believers in underground Bible colleges and discipleship training centers. “The passion of these young people to go and plant churches, and the amazing stories that we’re hearing [about people] coming to Jesus Christ…they’re phenomenal stories.”

Please be praying for safety and growth of the church in Indonesia. “I can only see that this more sophisticated persecution from the militant Islamist side—which is the issue in Indonesia—is getting stronger,” says Musselman. 

“The church needs to be even stronger than the persecution coming at them.”

Sudan Threatens to Arrest Church Leaders

Christians subject to stricter controls, religious freedom violations.

KHARTOUM, Sudan, January 18 (CDN) — Sudan’s Ministry of Guidance and Religious Endowments has threatened to arrest church leaders if they carry out evangelistic activities and do not comply with an order for churches to provide their names and contact information, Christian sources said.

The warning in a Jan. 3 letter to church leaders of the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SPEC) arrived a few days after Sudan President Omar al-Bashir told cheering crowds on Jan. 3 that, following the secession of largely non-Islamic south Sudan last July, the country’s constitution will be more deeply entrenched in sharia (Islamic law).

“We will take legal procedures against pastors who are involved in preaching or evangelistic activities,” Hamid Yousif Adam, undersecretary of the Ministry of Guidance and Religious Endowment, wrote to the church leaders. “We have all legal rights to take them to court.”

Sources said the order was aimed at oppressing Christians amid growing hostilities toward Christianity.

“This is a critical situation faced by our church in Sudan,” said the Rev. Yousif Matar, secretary general of the SPEC.

Another church leader said the order was another in a series of measures by the government to control churches.

“They do not want pastors from South Sudan to carry on any church activities or mission work in Sudan,” he said.

Sudanese law prohibits missionaries from evangelizing, and converting from Islam to another religion is punishable by imprisonment or death in Sudan, though previously such laws were not strictly enforced. The government has never carried out a death sentence for apostasy, according to the U.S. State Department’s latest International Religious Freedom Report.

Christians are facing growing threats from both Muslim communities and Islamist government officials who have long wanted to rid Sudan of Christianity, Christian leaders told Compass. They said Christianity is now regarded as a foreign religion following the departure of 350,000 people, most of them Christians, to South Sudan following the July 9, 2011 secession.

Sudan’s Interim National Constitution (INC) holds up sharia as a source of legislation, and the laws and policies of the government favor Islam, according to the state department report. Christian leaders said they fear the government is tightening controls on churches in Sudan and planning to force compliance with Islamic law as part of a strategy to eliminate Christianity.

As he has several times in the past year, Al-Bashir on Jan. 3 once again warned that Sudan’s constitution will be more firmly entrenched in sharia.

“We are an Islamic nation with sharia as the basis of our constitution,” he told crowds in Kosti, south of Khartoum. “We will base our constitution on Islamic laws.”

His government subsequently issued the decree ordering church leaders to provide names and contact information of church leaders in Sudan, sources said. Christian leaders said the government is retaliating for churches’ perceived pro-West position.

Muslim scholars have urged heavy-handed measures against Christians to Al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity in Darfur.

HostilitiesChristians in (north) Sudan celebrated last Christmas amid several threats from officials in Khartoum, and some followers of Christ were arrested for their faith, sources said.

Yasir Musa of the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) was arrested along with two other church members by national security agents in Khartoum on Dec. 23; they were detained because they were Christians and therefore suspected supporters of southern military forces. Released shortly afterward, they said authorities threatened to arrest them again if they did not comply with orders not to carry out Christian activities in the Islamic nation.

SCOC leaders said they have complained to the Ministry of Guidance and Religious Endowments and were told that the three were arrested for security reasons.

In another case, sources said that Islamic militias loyal to the government in civilian uniform abducted a church leader and two church members as they were returning from a worship service and demanded $1,000 in ransom. They were released after two days, according to Christian sources in Khartoum.


Christians in Khartoum increasingly fear arrests by militias loyal to the Islamic government, the sources said.


Security agencies in Khartoum have also ordered local Christians not to organize Bible exhibitions, as some churches have done annually, the sources said.

The pressures on Christians come as war in Sudan’s South Kordofan state has led leaders there and in North Kordofan to incite hatred against Christians, with officials in both states calling for holy war against the predominantly Christian Nuba people.

END

Two Bombs Explode Near Churches in Jos, Nigeria

Police probe motives for weekend blasts in areas where Islamic sect leaders live.

By Obed Minchakpu

 

JOS, Nigeria, August 2 (Compass Direct News) – Security officials are trying to determine suspects and motives for two weekend bomb explosions in predominantly Muslim areas of Jos where three churches and the residences of Islamic sect leaders are located.

 

The explosions led many Christians to remain indoors on Sunday (July 31). One bomb exploded on Saturday night (July 30) in the Angwan Rimi area of Jos near a Baptist Church building no longer in use because of previous damage by Muslim extremists. A second bomb exploded early Sunday morning near a Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) building on Sarkin Mangu Street and an Assemblies of God sanctuary in the Kwarrarafa Area, according to police reports obtained by Compass.

 

No one was hurt in either of the explosions.

 

Prominent Islamic leaders residing in the area of the Sunday morning blast include Sheik Balarabe Dawud, chief imam of Jos Central Mosque, and Sheik Sani Yahaya, leader of the Izala Islamic sect.

 

The churches near both blasts are located in areas that are predominantly Muslim because of displacement of Christians during religious conflict earlier this year. Christians have been forced to relocate to safer areas of the city.

 

Fears that large-scale violence by the Islamic extremist Boko Haram sect would seize Nigeria at the end of July, on the two-year anniversary of the death of the group’s leader, were not borne out.

 

The explosion on Saturday (July 30), from a bomb disguised as an empty can of groundnut oil, occurred in an area of Jos where Sheikh Saidu Hassan, deputy leader of the Izala Islamic sect, lives. The bomb exploded in the Angwan Rimi area at about 9:30 p.m., according to police.

 

An incident report obtained by Compass at the Angwar Rogo police station states that the bomb caused no death or injury but shattered the windows of a parked taxi.

 

The explosions occurred a week after five persons were killed in violence that broke out on July 26 between Muslims and Christians in the Angwan Rukuba area of Jos.

 

“Five people have been confirmed dead and 12 seriously injured,” said Capt. Charles Ekeocha, spokesman of the Special Task Force of a Special Military Operation in Jos to restore peace.

 

The Angwan Rukuba area became a hotbed of violence in Jos following multiple bomb explosions there last Christmas Eve. The bombs went off in three different locations in the area, killing over 100 Christians and injuring many others. Security agencies confirmed they were planted by members of the Boko Haram sect.

 

Emmanuel Dipo Ayeni, commissioner of police for Plateau state, called for calm over the explosions and said police were working hard to discover those responsible.

 

www.compassdirect.org

 

Church Buildings Targeted by Extremists

Gospel for Asia
For Immediate Release

Churches are routinely targeted by anti-Christian extremists who don't like seeing people discover the love of Jesus.

SOUTH ASIA (ANS) -- Two church buildings in one area of South Asia were recently targeted by anti-Christian extremists. Both churches have GFA-supported missionaries serving as their pastors.

The first, a brand-new church building, was vandalized, and construction was halted on the second.

Ayukta Reddy's new church building was finally complete and the congregation was preparing for the building dedication when vandals broke the windows and the glass in the door. They also painted the name of a local god on the door. The vandalism occurred on July 27.

A few miles away, a second church was sabatoged on that same day. This time it was a church under construction. 

Gospel for Asia-supported missionary M.S. Patil serves as pastor of the church. He reports that some local anti-Christian extremists filed a legal complaint against him, accusing him of illegal construction.

He went to the police station and answered the complaint, but no one would listen. Instead he found out that the building permit for the project was revoked and that he would have to reapply for a new permit before construction could resume.

Both of these missionaries are asking for prayer.

Ayukta asks for prayer for the Lord's protection from those who are scheming to do evil against the church. He also asks for believers to pray the church members will be able to adequately repair the damage in time to dedicate the building to the Lord.

Patil requests prayer that the new building permit will be approved and that the Lord will strengthen him and his congregation to withstand the enemy and overcome this problem.

Both pastors also ask for Christians to join them in prayer for the vandals so they can fully comprehend the love of Jesus. 

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• A church is more than a building. It's a sanctuary from the world.

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Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton, Texas, involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.