Upcoming political change triggers a rise in persecution

Image courtesy Mission India)

India (MNN) ― Christians are becoming scapegoats in the run-up to India's national elections.

According to ASSIST News, Hindus are trying to secure votes in the run-up to next spring's national elections. India's politics have two major players: the secular Congress Party, which has ruled India for the past decade, and the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"The BJP official party platform is that India is a country that's only for Hindus," says Dave Stravers of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India. "Hindus have the rights, and any other person of any other religious persuasion should leave the country."

As a result, Christians are coming under fire.

Sajan George, president of the Global Council of India Christians (GCIC), told Morning Star News that persecution in Karnataka state increased from 4 attacks between the months of January and May to 21 attacks from June to mid-September.

"The Hindu extremists want to show their existence by attacking the Christians, and sadly the present Congress government is not serious about these attacks launched against the Christians," Senior Advocate S. Nova Bethania of Christian Legal Association told Morning Star.

"Christians are targeted because of the very fast growth of the Christian Church," states Evans. "We actually have seen presentations by Hindu leaders saying, 'The growth of Christians is so fast in our region, within a generation we'll be majority Christian if we don't put a stop to this.'

"That fear of losing political power when your party is based on religion, because so many people are turning to Christ: that's really the basis of the persecution."

In mid-September, a mob of Hindu extremists beat a 50-year-old believer and dragged her around the streets, Morning Star reports. They also tried to re-convert the woman to Hinduism, pouring water on her to symbolize religious cleansing and applying a red dot to her forehead.

The attack lasted a total of six hours. The woman was eventually rescued by her sister-in-law and taken to a hospital where she was treated for internal injuries and multiple contusions.

"What I am suffering is nothing compared to what my Lord Jesus has suffered," she told Morning Star. "I will love Him forever for giving me a new life."

Mission India workers face the same dangers.

"Our workers are threatened every day," says Stravers. They are "beaten up, attacked, forced out of locations."

Despite daily persecution, the Gospel is spreading and the Church continues to grow.

Mission India's Adult Literacy program and Children's Bible Clubs are widely accepted by Muslim and Hindu populations alike. Click on each program name to learn more.

"Without literacy, [people] cannot participate in the economic growth of India," explains Stravers.

India is one of five developing world economies known as BRICS: Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa compose the rest of the acronym. These countries have experienced an economic boom over the past decade.

Rapid growth isn't limited to the economy.

"I'm just so impressed and overwhelmed, in fact, by the response to the Gospel," says Stravers.

"Everywhere we go, people are open to the message of Christ. People seem so eager to get out from under the burden of Islam, or the burden of Hinduism."

Pray that more people will turn to Christ from these religions. Please ask the Lord to protect Gospel workers in India.

2012: Boko Haram's bloodiest year

(Photo courtesy of Christian Aid)

Nigeria (MNN) ― Boko Haram, a Nigerian militant Islamist group, had their bloodiest year in 2012, responsible for over 750 deaths.

General Aziza, Nigeria’s former national security advisor, says the upscale in Boko Haram’s terrorist attacks may be linked with the upcoming 2015 Nigerian presidential elections.

When President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, was elected president of Nigeria in 2011, a series of Boko Haram killings followed. Boko Haram made threats on the president to resign or else turn Nigeria into an Islamic nation.

Rae Burnett, the Africa Director for Christian Aid Mission, explains, “I do believe that it’s spiritual warfare, but it’s definitely the desire to see that Islam is the world religion. They start where they are, and these guys are Nigerian, so they want to be empowered in Nigeria.”

Several of the Muslim-majority Northern states began declaring themselves under Sharia law after the 2011 elections. Of the 32 Nigerian states, 12 currently are govern by Islamic Sharia law. 2015 will be Muslims’ next chance to gain power in Nigeria’s political arena.

However, Boko Haram grew quiet on the large-scale attack front earlier this month. The fact that Christmas was approaching—the biggest Christian holiday of the year—wasn’t lost on anyone and created an eerie silence. Attacks were expected, especially since Boko Haram has declared intent to eradicate Christians from Nigeria.

And Boko Haram militants have the means to back up this desire. With ties to Al-Qaeda and funding for weapons, they fight in pockets and avoid any clashes with the Nigerian military. They’ve gotten bolder. According to Burnett, “They do whatever is in front of them. If it’s a school bus, they’ll blow it up. If it’s a school, they’ll blow it up. They’re trying to make people afraid.”

Because of the disjointed nature of Boko Haram’s fighting tactics, several smaller attacks still occur weekly in Northern Nigeria, but they are largely unreported.

Burnett shares, “Once, I read [about another attack] and called my friend [in Nigeria] and said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me about this?’ He said, ‘Look, if I tell you about every terrorist attack, we would be on the phone all the time.’ They’ve become so common place that they are happening every day. We don’t hear about them.”

The attacks have gotten so bad in the state where Christian Aid’s headquarters are located that they need to move to a safer site. But Christian Aid can’t do it without the funds. Out of the $40,000 needed, they only have $10,000—enough to buy the land and lay a foundation. Christian Aid still needs $30,000 to finish the headquarter buildings and residences.

“They really need to move from the state where they are now,” says Burnett. “Two and three times a week, they are suffering terrorist attacks.”

But despite the danger, the 120 missionaries in Nigeria associated with Christian Aid are staying in the ministry field. “They are committed to making the Lord known and dying for Him if need be,” says Burnett. “They’re doing wonderful work, and many people are coming to Christ.”

Pray for Christians in Nigeria to persevere and hold fast to their hope in the Lord. Pray for many others in Nigeria to come to know Christ and for church leaders to advance their ministry.

Christians already leaving Egypt

Protesters already crowd Tahrir Square preparing for election results.

Egypt (MNN) ― Protesters are already in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. Egypt's Presidential Election Commission announced yesterday they are delaying the results of this week's presidential election indefinitely. The commission says they're investigating election irregularities. Egyptians are in Tahrir Square demanding the results be released.

Rody Rodeheaver, President of IN Network USA, describes the atmosphere. "I'll just quote my director there. He says 'it's just crazy.' He's referring to the atmosphere. He's referring to the confusion. Everything that they thought they had gained has fallen apart."

Rodeheaver says it's not only a confusing time for the average Egyptian, but especially for Christians. He was told that most Christians voted for Ahmed Shafik. "Even though he represents going back to the Mubarak era, they were much more comfortable with him than they were with the Muslim Brotherhood."

Why? Rodeheaver says, "The institution of Sharia Law will basically stymie Egypt's ability economically, politically, and religiously to really have any kind of freedom."

While the elections haven't been announced yet, Rodeheaver says the evangelical church is already feeling the impact. "It was shocking to me when my staff person said, 'In our church, there have been over 60 people who have left Egypt to go to the U.S. to start a new life because of their fear.'"

While that is bad news, Rodeheaver says there has been some good news with all this uncertainty. IN Network has seen growth in leadership, discipleship, and evangelism training. "There has been this period of ability to do ministry unimpeded. The fear now is that that door will shut."

Rodeheaver is asking you to pray for safety for young people as they travel to and from summer camp. He's also asking you to pray for Egyptian churches. "If you're part of a congregation and all of a sudden you realize that 60 people are no longer there, that creates an emotion and psychological barrier." Pray that God will assure Christians that He is at work and that they can stand strong.

If you'd like to help IN Network share Christ, click here. 

Is Egypt on the brink of civil war?

Scene from 29 January. Photo: 3arabawy.

Egypt (MNN) ― The world expects to see some kind of violence despite the official outcome of Egypt's election. The country's presidential election results are expected tomorrow, but the country appears to be equally divided between the Muslim Brotherhood candidate, Mohammed Morsi, and the secular candidate, Ahmed Shafiq.

According to reports, protests were called across Egypt on Tuesday against the ruling military council's bid to grab new powers. Meanwhile, the United States and Britain wants a swift transfer of leadership once the announcement is made.

Tom Doyle with e3 Partners says Egypt is a tinder box. "If the situation isn't figured out soon, I mean there could be a very strong civil war that could last a very long time in Egypt. We already know that there was a whole bunch of corruption in the midst of this election, so politically it's an absolute mess."

Doyle agrees that it doesn't matter who wins the election. "Shafiq, if he's declared the winner, no question I think there's going to be riots. If the Brotherhood wins, Christians, born again believers, nominal Muslims -- all of them live in fear. And I think there will be a lot of activity, too -- a lot of protests, probably rioting -- just like we saw during the revolution."

What's Doyle's prognosis? "I think it's just beginning in Egypt to really unravel with more protests and riots and killings."

While many would believe the evangelical church is stymied, Doyle says the uncertainty has "actually accelerated things. When we were in Egypt, we were hearing stories of more Muslims coming to faith in Christ this year than in any of the Christian leaders could remember in several years past."

e3 Partners supports the church in the Middle East, including Egypt. Your support is vital to providing them the resources they need to help with evangelism and discipleship. Doyle says they also need your prayers. "Pray for boldness for opportunities. And pray that God would stem the tide -- that He would just push it back so there wouldn't be this regional war because it would be very ugly if it breaks out."

If you'd like to support the work of e3 Partners, click here. 

Egypt elections: no clear answers

Open Doors' Carl Moeller.

Egypt (MNN) ― Both parties claimed victory in Egypt's first presidential elections since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power. Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi said he received 51%of the vote, while secularist Ahmed Shafiq says he won with 52% of the vote.

While official vote tallies aren't expected before Thursday, President of Open Doors USACarl Moeller says, "The last few days have proven that nothing can be predicted in Egypt."

Moeller says Christians do have some assurances. He says Shafiq "would be more friendly to the Christian community. The unknown factor with the Muslim Brotherhood is, of course, that things would become far more volatile for the Christians."

While reports indicate Egypt's interim ruling military council would hand over power, Moeller isn't so sure. "The military can rightly claim that no one got a clear majority and so therefore they will continue to hold on to power until some other arrangement can be worked out."

Student revolutionaries say the revolution was stolen by Islamists. Moeller says there is some indication that "the Muslim Brotherhood has overreached in their desire to make Egypt a strongly-Islamic state. That said, it's now produced a 50-50 split in the country."

Moeller believes that will produce more unrest and discontent, especially since there's no official national constitution.

For Christians, Moeller says, "The situation for them is grim. They are either faced with embracing a regime that for decades succeeded in persecuting them, or face the prospect of an Islamic-influenced government. The only hope, of course, is in Jesus Christ."

Even though Egypt faces uncertainty, Moeller says the church is strong. "Even in the midst of all of this chaos, the spiritual openness of people to the Good News of Jesus has never been greater in this part of the world."

Open Doors supports Christians in Egypt and other nations where believers are persecuted. Your support is needed now more than ever. "There is fear among Christians. And they need a sense that they are not alone. So it's vital that we meet them in their time of need with food, clothing, and Bibles."

If you'd like to help, click here.

Report warns unrest could spread in Congo

(In Focus screen grab from Congo protest)

Congo-Kinshasa (MNN) ―The electoral commission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has called for backup.

In the chaos following the presidential and parliamentary vote, they're waiting for help from the United States and Britain before resuming the  ballot count in the parliamentary elections.  

Accusations of ballot-rigging have plagued the presidential election, and with roughly 19 000 candidates vying for one of the 500 seats in the National Assembly, the commission is taking no chances. The results of the parliamentary polls are due to be announced on January 13.

A cloud of doubt remains over the announced results from the presidential election. Both the European Union and the U.S. State Department have also expressed severe reservations about the vote's legitimacy, although the country's Supreme Court validated the results.

With that green light, Joseph Kabila was sworn in for another term in office as president of DR Congo eight days ago. In his first week in office, he's faced a public relations nightmare. A Human Rights Watch report lays blame for the deaths of at least 24 people on Congolese security forces. 

Even as he reportedly promised to safeguard national unity, tanks were to prevent protests. Meanwhile, Opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi maintains he won the poll and had himself sworn in December 23. As a result, there were concerns that post-election violence could spread.

Although the region is one of the biggest and oldest fields for Grace Ministries International, Sam Vinton says so far, they've not been disrupted. "I think that in the Eastern Congo area, where we work from the main cities, I've heard of no real conflict. We've had no communications of any adverse effect on our ministries."

As for the warning of spreading violence, Vinton says it's unlikely to spread to the area where they're working. "A lot of the people in the area where most of our churches are located were probably pro-president (Kabila). But I think in the area of central Congo, where the main opposition is located, I can see that area being in torment and a lot of trouble."

The upheaval has had very little negative impact on their latest evangelistic outreach. In fact,  "It's just amazing how the response continues. We've run out of the 'Book of Hope,' and yet we're showing the DVD of the 'GodMan' and also working in the actual schools. The last report is that close to 4000 students have trusted Christ as their Savior."

4,000 more students coming to Christ, needing discipleship, and a local church body. The GMI team is scrambling to keep up with the demand, because they've run out of everything, and they're trying to get the local churches ready for the onslaught of new believers.

God's hand is all over this project which started with a goal of hoping to see 1000 accept Christ. A year down the road, God has answered beyond their wildest imaginations. "The responsiveness of the students is a remarkable thing when we look back a number of years when it wasn't there. We're pushing forward. We have a team of nine men who are doing this work, and we're just trying to get more funding so that we can keep them going."

It's clear that despite the bullhorns of the rallies and the political jockeying going on, that the voice being heard loudest is the Still Small One.   

Caught Up in the Middle

By Lucy Shafik 
Special to ASSIST News Service

CAIRO, EGYPT (ANS) -- Egyptians lined up once again outside the polling stations in a scene very much like the one in mid-March, when almost every single Egyptian was out to cast their Yes or No on making changes to the constitution. This time however many were not as thrilled or even willing to vote in what is the first real and practical move as a democratic nation. There was still a lot of skepticism that the elections would be forged by members of the old regime or the SCAF (Supreme Council of the Armed Forces) itself.

Women voters in Cairo

I was one of those people who went out to vote but still had doubts as to whether my vote will count for something, since there was not a single credible electoral process in recent memory. Surprisingly there was still a strong turnout at the polling stations, about 62%.

People from every walk of life headed out to their different polling stations (schools in each neighborhood) and cast their vote, with a lot of doubts and questions hanging in the air. Security was tight due to the deadly clashes that took place a week before the elections. Several soldiers and policemen stood guard at the entrances to make sure no thugs caused a ruckus, or that candidates were still campaigning, and that ballot boxes were locked and sealed up safely.

Overall it went well, there was a large turnout and security kept a tab on any skirmishes, and the administrative work was well organized. I was surprised that with such a large number of people going out to vote and especially after the previous weeks violence, the results came out on time and with what seems a credible process.

Members of my family were reluctant to vote because they believed that the Muslim Brotherhood would win anyways, so what’s the point? We encouraged each other that we would do our part and leave the rest to God. If the Brotherhood gained a majority that’s fine, the churches in Egypt haven’t stopped praying and God is listening and will bring good out of this no matter the outcome.

An Egyptian man casts his voice

The first round of voting just ended last week with the Brotherhood and Salafists (hardcore Muslims) gaining the majority votes. However many liberals and moderate Muslims also won seats especially in the upper and middle class neighborhoods of Cairo, such as Nasr City and Heliopolis. For example in Nasr City, my neighborhood, neither the Brotherhood nor Salafists got seats. This is good news of course for me and my family who had such low hopes that our voice would matter. Still the Muslim Brotherhood remains at the forefront and many believe in the next rounds they will gain even more votes. So far the Muslim Brotherhood won 40% of the votes and the Salafists 20%. This was not surprising at all, since they were the most organized political group and immediately after the fall of Hosni Mubarak they bobbed their heads out of the water and went around Egypt campaigning. Plus they’ve been around for over 80 years, maybe not in public, but they still existed. The liberal political groups only started to appear and mobilize after the revolution, so they had only a few months to make their voices heard and gain momentum before the elections.

Although I am afraid of how the Muslim Brotherhood will rule Egypt, I’m more tense about the Salafists, who will try to apply the Islamic Sharia on all aspects of life; they will no doubt impose strict Islamic codes on society. However the Muslim brotherhood is very sly and deceptive; they make you believe one thing while their real intention remains hidden. So even if they appear as more moderate than the Salafists, they may be hiding unpleasant surprises for when they are finally in power. At least the Salafists are direct and upfront about their intentions. Honestly, people are making jokes about the Brotherhood’s rise to power and how this will eventually affect our daily life. One such joke is that people will need a passport to get into Heliopolis, the most liberal neighborhood in all of Egypt.

Many are unable to deal with this crisis, so humor is the best medicine I suppose. But deep down we are aware of how so much is changing in such a short time, and sometimes not dwelling on it too much is the only solution. We can keep guessing as to how things will change for Christians and for the country as a whole in the next year or so, but none of the scenarios we play out are good. During talk shows, Salafists claim that the first thing they’ll do is put restrictions on tourists visiting the Red Sea, what to wear and such. The other thing is ban alcohol from all public venues and impose strict dress codes on all Egyptian women.

Egyptian believers praying at Kasr El Dobara Evangelical Church near Cairo’s Tahrir Square

It’s not comforting to listen to those things, but our hope is in the few liberal individuals who won seats in Parliament and of course the SCAF (military) who wants to maintain some of its power under an Islamist dominated parliament. They announced last week that they will set up a council to help oversee the drafting of the constitution and through this promising to protect the rights of liberals. Of course they are being met with strong opposition from the Brotherhood who believes all the SCAF wants to do is marginalize the parliament and ultimately have the last say in all matters. The battle between these two is just beginning and we are caught up in the middle of it. In some ways it is good that the military is looking out for itself, because then the Brotherhood’s powers will be limited. I could go on about how things could either turn out well or how they can implode by playing out the different scenarios but no good will come of it. We have to wait and see.

The only thing we can do these days is pray and be as politically active as we’re allowed. My church, Kasr El Doubara is hosting 24/7 prayer shifts and I can't tell you how crowded those prayer meetings are, it's amazing how much people are uniting in prayer and how much we believe God will do through prayer. We have one hope, that God would show His glory through this.

 

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Lucy Shafik is a 2010 graduate in journalism from the American University in Cairo. Raised in a Christian family, Shafik says her relationship with God deepened and became more personal after she attended YWAM’s Discipleship Training School in Denver in 2005. Shafik has lived in Egypt her entire life, but travels regularly, usually on mission trips or schools with YWAM. She attends Kasr El Doubara evangelical church in downtown Cairo every Friday, and is currently leading a small group. She can be contacted by e-mail at:lucyshafik@gmail.com

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Egypt: Christians Vote and Hope for a Democratic Future

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

CAIRO, EGYPT (ANS) -- The high turnout of Egyptians voting on their parliamentary future has prompted SAT-7 to continue with its unique current affairs series, Salt & Light*, until the Eastern Christmas, January 7, 2012.

Ballot boxes being collected from a polling station near Tahrir Square in Cairo on Tuesday after a second day of voting in Egypt’s parliamentary elections (Photo: Andersen/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)

Broadcast live on Wednesday evenings, each episode helps raise awareness about issues that will impact the country’s Christian community and other minorities, and their potential future status– encouraging everyone to participate in the political process rather than passively awaiting an outcome determined by others.

The show invites both Muslim and Christian politicians to answer tough questions and provides a platform for Christian leaders to bring a biblical perspective on key issues.

SAT-7’s Egypt Bureau Director, Farid Samir, explained, “It’s a new initiative to have Muslim guests on such programs. We started inviting them last month because SAT-7 wants to bring all voices to this public debate while at the same time avoiding any political position. In fact, this definitely is not a political program, but one intended to help raise awareness about important issues, encourage appropriate participation and, above all, bring people hope.”

“The slogan for Salt & Light is ‘changing the news to Good News,’” Samir added.

According to a SAT-7 news release, this week’s edition will provide analysis of this first round of elections–including a look at any violations by some of the parties and individuals–and encourage all Egyptians, especially Christians, to continue their involvement in the coming weeks of voting.

“Islamists will only have a majority in the new parliament if moderate Muslims and Christians do not go out and vote for candidates that they think are best for the country--no matter what their background,” added SAT-7 CEO, Terry Ascott.

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Samir says that another reason to continue the program is that it provides a valuable and uniquely Christian perspective for those in other countries who will also be facing critical elections in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings.

After casting his vote on Monday, Samir, said, “I feel so encouraged by the good atmosphere on the street and at the polling stations–especially after the violence of the past week which left 40 demonstrators dead and more than 2,000 wounded. Overall, the elections have been peaceful and people have organized themselves well with the cooperation of the army.”

Many Christians feel the Church needs to be the “salt of the earth” and play a practical role in the community–not just praying in church. This has been exemplified by the use of Kasr El Doubara Evangelical church as the main field hospital for anyone needing treatment in Tahrir Square.

With a Muslim Brotherhood doctor overseeing all the medicines and supplies, and working alongside Christians, there were a lot of raised eyebrows. This resulted in secular TV channels visiting and interviewing Christian and Muslim volunteers, which in turn attracted a number of political figures and other journalists, wanting to see for themselves how the two communities could work side-by-side.

Speaking on Salt & Light, the head of Egypt’s Coptic Evangelical Church (and The Vice Chair of SAT-7’s International Council), Rev. Dr. Safwat El Baiady said, “This is true worship! I cannot be praying while my brothers are injured and in need of help...before I go to pray, I must help those in need and stand with those who fight injustice.”

*Transmission: Wednesdays 8pm Cairo, 9pm Cyprus & Beirut

Note: Launched in 1996, with US headquarters in Easton, MD, USA, SAT-7 provides a spiritual solution and hope to the region using Christian programming created by and for the people of the Middle East and North Africa. SAT-7’s five channels include: SAT-7 ARABIC, SAT-7 PARS (Farsi), SAT-7 TÜRK (Turkish), SAT-7 KIDS (Arabic) and SAT-7 PLUS (Arabic). SAT-7 has an estimated 15-17 million viewers (Intermedia research, 2009) and broadcasts in three languages: Arabic, Farsi and Turkish. SAT-7 can be viewed via satellite in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, much of Central Asia and worldwide at sat7.org. For more information about SAT-7 go to: www.sat7usa.org.

For interviews with SAT-7 USA president Rex Rogers regarding this press release, perspectives on current Middle East developments, or SAT-7’s distinctive work, contact the SAT-7 USA office, 410-770-9804.

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Dan Wooding, 70, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 48 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. He now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California which is also carried throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK and also in Belize and South Africa. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 200 countries and also provides a regular commentary for Worship Life Radio on KWVE. You can follow Dan Wooding on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. He is the author of some 44 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel “Red Dagger” which is available this link.

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Some violence reported in Congo elections; the worst is yet to come

Congo-Kinshasa (MNN) ―The nation's fears of election violence in Democratic Republic of Congo went mostly unrealized during Monday's and yesterday's polling.

There have been reports of gunmen at polls. As many as five people may have died on Monday, but the outcome could have been far worse.

President of Grace Ministries Sam Vinton says there have been reports of some skirmishes, but nothing as significant as the events that often surround African presidential elections.

"There's been no violence in the immediate areas where most of our churches are located," remarks Vinton, who says churches are praising God for the relative peace.

Still, the peace that has been characteristic of the last few days may only last so long. Vinton says, "The problems may [arise] when they begin announcing the count of the votes."

Many have speculated about various coups and scenarios that may take place if Joseph Kabila is not reelected as president.

Vinton disagrees. He says it's unlikely that a new president will actually change the political climate of Congo. He doubts very much that any new president will change the situation for Christians.

That's good news in the long-term. Still, immediate election violence is expected, according to missionary correspondents in Congo, says Vinton.

"Right now there are only 3 of 11 candidates who have any hope of winning." Vinton explains that violence between supporters of those three candidates is especially likely when votes are counted.

When will the count happen? Vinton says, "They don't expect to hear anything until next Monday."

Election disputes could easily affect ministry. Fighting would cause medical facilities to shut down, keep people from work, and stop people from traveling where they need to go. Believers are praying for peace to continue regardless of the election results.

Vinton asks for prayer throughout the next week in particular. Pray that Christians would lead the way in peace, and that people may be able to see the Prince of Peace shining through them. Pray that Christians would be good examples of integrity and of Christ's love for all during this transition, whatever violence may come their way. 

Muslim Brotherhood likely to take over in Egyptian elections

Cover photo: Protests in Tahrir
 Square (Naicomeno). Story photo:
 Protests go into the night (Ramy Raoof).

Egypt (MNN) ― After days of protests, Egypt's military rulers have not only accepted the cabinet's resignation, but they have even agreed to speed up presidential elections to July 2012, according to BBC News.

Three-month preliminary elections are still scheduled to begin Monday, November 28.

Regardless of these new promises, however, clashes continue. Reports agree that since protests began in Tahrir Square on Saturday, at least 29 have died and several hundred have been injured as the police have fired rubber bullets, tear gas, and more into crowds.

The election conditions agreed upon by the Egyptian military do not seem to have satisfied most protesters. Many protesters fear that even if a new president is elected fairly, the military will not recognize the leader but will instead hold on to power.

If the military is true to their word and a new government is elected, things may not get much better for Egypt though.

Tom Doyle, Middle East-Central Asia Director for E3Partners, warns, "This just plays into kind of the worst scenario with a vacuum of power and the Muslim Brotherhood stepping up and saying, ‘We'll restore order.'"

Doyle says Christians in particular are nervous for what may come. "It's always who's lurking around the corner. Most of the leaders in Egypt seem to think it's going to be Islamic Brotherhood."

At this point, says Doyle, there is no other contender for the Muslim Brotherhood in the coming elections. No other group seems altogether organized or prepared to step in.

"The Christians have never had a real political stand there, haven't had much influence. Then you've got the secular Muslims that were pretty much with Mubarak, and they were thrown out because of the corruption," Doyle explains. "So then you have moderates and radicals. And it just always seems when it's moderates versus radicals, it's the radicals that win."

Opening the door for the Muslim Brotherhood could easily mean hard-line Islamic law in Egypt.

"We've heard talk about Sharia law," notes Doyle. "Islam started in the Arab world, and they do not like that Iran has the platform as the leader of Islam, if you will, today. And they want that back."

The prospect for Egypt's future looks grim. But while bad news gets worse, believers are actually getting bolder. Doyle says if Muslim fundamentalists take over, the church is likely to grow even more.

"When the hard-liners get in, that's when the church flourishes. We certainly don't want to see our brothers and sisters in persecution, but when the difficult government takes over--like in Iran, then the church grows."

Pray that the church would grow whatever happens, and that believers would have the strength for what is to come. 

Election tension leads to fear of war in Liberia

Liberia (MNN) ― People remain inside and afraid during post-election tension in Liberia.

Some fear that the situation could even give way to civil war again.

"I think from both parties--the opposition and the government right now--that no one wants it to go back to war," says evangelist Sammy Tippit. "I think that has at least been stated from both groups and both sides. However, emotions can run wild."

If no one wants to go to war, though, what's the big issue, you may ask?

The recent run-off elections, which dubbed Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf the nation's president for a second term, have been highly criticized by opposition party the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) and its candidate, Winston Tubman.

Tubman and the CDC were miffed after the initial election, in which no candidate was decided upon, but in which Tubman and Johnson-Sirleaf were instead chosen as run-off candidates. Even though the international community generally agreed the first election was fair, Tubman claimed Johnson-Sirleaf committed fraud. To make his point, Tubman called for a boycott of the run-off.

The boycott was stunningly effective. Some stayed home out of fear due to violence surrounding the election days, but others stood firmly planted away from the polls in solidarity with Tubman.

According to Reuters, the turnout could have been as low as 25-35%--less than half the 71% record in the first round. Nonetheless, a clear winner was determined, as Johnson-Sirleaf earned 90.8% of the run-off vote, according to All Africa.

Now Tubman and many others are saying the win is invalid due to the boycott, and since Tubman believes Johnson-Sirleaf shouldn't have been in the run-off to begin with, he may seek an annulment of the run-off results.

Reuters reports that there had been some discussion of power-sharing, but that Tubman went on to call a power-share "unlikely, if not impossible" after police allegedly attempted to kill him.

The tension is thick, and people are desperately afraid. Liberia is still fairly fresh out of war, and the scars of those days remain imprinted on their minds.

"There have been a number of groups in there, including [Sammy Tippit Ministries], who are there really trying to help rebuild the country, and it's been going very well," notes Tippit. "However, if war breaks out, it's like everything that's been done would just be destroyed."

Ministry is on hold while people stay tucked away in their houses. STM has ministry in Liberia through schools, healthcare programs, economic assistance and well drilling, but while everyone's afraid to leave home, these programs cannot continue. Which means the Gospel cannot spread as it typically would through those programs.

At this point, Liberian believers are just desperate for prayer, says Tippit. "There have been things taking place. And if they escalate into another war, it could be absolutely devastating to the country. And so Christians there have said, ‘Please pray for peace.'"

Pray that the election disputes would be handled smoothly, and that the nation would not return to war. Pray that believers in the meantime would take heart and share God's peace with their neighbors. 

Muslim Brotherhood gains popularity weeks from elections

Egypt (MNN) ― The first of Egypt's three-tiered elections are scheduled to take place in November, with the increasing likelihood that the Muslim Brotherhood will take charge.

"The main issue right now that is on the table and that believers need to pray about is that Islamic Brotherhood does not get full control of the country," agrees Tom Doyle with E3Partners, who just returned from Egypt.

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